Is it really that obvious?

[Bastian]

Flames?

Best get out my shiny white suit.

[Jager]

Three things (or maybe, more):

Taint: The spike that splits humans away from novas in a societal way.

Intelligence (usually along with wits): A major dividing factor. To think faster and farther with more understanding is a major divisive force among novas.

Perception: Being able to percieve things in ways no human can. Though it is a poor example, it is the only one in the handbasket at the moment. Try to explain sight to a roomful of people who were born blind. Colors and motion are very important to us, but how do we explain it to those who have never experienced it?

From most of what I have seen, was helps seperate the pro-human camp from the not-human camp is the mega-mentals. In this group, taint is a distant second.

Frankly, if you have Mega-Str., Dex., and Stamina out the yin-yang, but that's it, you can still perceive yourself as human.

If you have the reasoning capacity of a bank of super-computers, think faster than the hottest mirco-processer, and gather more information than the NSA, you are far more likely to perceive yourself as something else.

A question: Have they ever said that being a nova or a psion was genetic? If so, why has no organization ever found this out and used it?

MissFortune, Jack can be harsh, a real bastard, and can force me to play Deadlands just so that I can see southern California fall off into the sea, but he doesn't flame folks. He pisses me off royaly from time to time, but, honestly, the fault is usually my own.

Jack, Chance comes off to me as mostly terat. Just because he hasn't joined the party doesn't mean that their views and his are mostly identical.

Babylon is a lousy example of an Utopian employee from the 'supporting the party line' point of view. She is a half-step away from becoming an Aberrant and two from becoming an out-and-out Terat. That is how it looks to me, anyway.

It is a mistake to think that all terats are like Nova Vigilance, the Harvesters, and the Primacy. Neither Orzaiz nor Narcosis hate humanity. The same could be said for the Mathmetician.

Enough of my pompousness for now. I am sure I will be full of it again, later.

[Fortune's Son]

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A question: Have they ever said that being a nova or a psion was genetic?

Yes, there's an article in the core AB book reporting the findings of a research team that identified what was previously thought to be a "junk" intron sequence, believed to be passed on the maternal side and common to novas. One of the research team members even erupts when her DNA is found to contain the sequence.

Why hasn't it been exploited? Good question and the most likely answers are that;

- it isn't cost effective to test for, and;
- requires lengthy preparation or procedures to isolate, and;
- they still don't know how to force an eruption.

There's a quick and dirty explanation for the biological events immediately preceding an eruption but its still unknown exactly what mechanism triggers the process. However we do know from Trinity (Core) that this will eventually be exploited to develop weapons to target AB genetics and MR tissues. Of course this will be after they use atomic weapons to kill some Aberrants and decide that a "one-weapon-for-one-aberrant-at-the-cost-of-a-city" trade is insane. TR: AsAs also tells us that the genetics involved will eventually be sufficiently understood to not only force an eruption but that it can even be modified in a limited manner. This is not common knowledge though and the backlash of it becoming so would destroy the people that possess it.

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Babylon is a lousy example of an Utopian employee ...

Very true. She's a good person but a lousy Utopian from either Thetis or Pax's point of view. And you're right that she would go Aberrant if Utopia ever became an obstacle to helping people since she doesn't care about the project beyond that. Very loyal to the dream but with no loyalty to the company they'll eventually mark her as a liability much like Slider.

I don't think the Terragen is actually an option though if you split the hair she could wind up as a Terat. She's not fighting the battle for either of two political powers, rather in spite of them. She wouldn't join the Terragen for the same reason she would eventually leave Utopia; they're selfish.

I brought her up simply to provide an example of, even if the Terats are utterly vindicated, the discussion not being over. Babylon did not twist Orzaiz's words, she quoted him verbatim and completely inline with his intent. It just wasn't a perspective that he personally would endorse.

And Jager's right about the Terragen in that most Terats just want to be left alone to explore their development. They don't kill mayors, attack Addis Abba or stalk Utopian's. Its the one's that do that get talked about. That's also the reason, IMHO, people don't agree on the totals of Terats in the world. Some Terats are Utopians, Aberrants, Public Defenders, etc and wouldn't touch any of the factions in power within the Terragen if their lives depended on it.

It's with that in mind that I (personally) think some of the Terragen are in for a mighty surprise when Mal begins the Night of the Long Knives. It's going to cause a lot of hate and discontent with novas that otherwise wouldn't have worked against the Terragen.

Quote:

Jack, Chance comes off to me as mostly terat.

True enough and with his ties to the Harvesters its a case easy to argue. It's the "mostly" part that makes him fun to play though. Once in a while he goes somewhere with that even the Terragen wouldn't touch.

His situation does make him a good example for the point I was arguing about characterization coming before allegiance though. We've seen people who showed up here, claimed to be die-hard Terats, had deep backstories and yet couldn't even begin to explain their own archtypes.

"I'm a marvel but none know of me as I value my privacy, am too good to be seen let alone caught in the act, and need no one to know of the wonders I perform."

"I am a third stage portent but seek the company of baselines as it reassures me."

With Chance you'll know whether he's terat or not by his actions and how closely they align with his words. He may not be a member of the Pantheon or even a faction but you'll know.