Aberrant: The Middle Children of History - Holy Crap I'm a Nova!

[NodeSpark]

OMFG!

...I'm homo sapiens novus! That explains alot of what has been going on these last couple weeks. I mean, I would have never thought, the changes were so slow. I am so excited now I can barely type... I just got home from the clinic to find an email inviting me here to these Novus-only webforums.

So in the words of Pink Floyd:

Hello! Is there anybody out there?

[Mech]

Welcome to the boards, and to being a nova.

[NodeSpark]

Mech? THE Mech?

Give me just a second here.

Originally Posted By: Fullblown Geekasm

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Man you rock! Superior was off the chain, no doubt about it. I know there have been alot of Novas in movies, pulling special effects "on the cheap" (though I know that with the prices they we command they might as well use CGI...), but it's rare to find one with such acting ability! Okay, okay, I'll stop with the Otaku schtick. I just can't help but be stoked that you are the first to welcome me. I'll try to restrain myself in the future.

Anyways, I know it's going to take some adjusting to my new status and abilities. Actually so far, I don't seem to be able to do all that much, but the doctors assure me that they develop with practice and effort. I guess even being a nova there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Thanks again for the welcome!

JT

[Bastion]

"off the chain"? Lovely, white suburbia has another quantum warrior.

[z-Infinity]

Originally Posted By: NodeSpark

Anyways, I know it's going to take some adjusting to my new status and abilities. Actually so far, I don't seem to be able to do all that much, but the doctors assure me that they develop with practice and effort.

Now, does that mean you don't do anything, or does it mean you have a piddly-ass little power that's more embarrassing than helpful?

Welcome to the board-things, either way. I'm a little surprised; I didn't think anyone used these things, and now look at who showed up: my two favorite people.

[Ptesan-Wi]

Originally Posted By: NodeSpark

...I mean, I would have never thought, the changes were so slow...

NodeSpark, please contact me.

- Ptehehincalasanwin

[Bastion]

Originally Posted By: Ptesan-Wi

NodeSpark, please contact me.

- Ptehehincalasanwin

Translation:

"We have you tainted out in no time."

- Honky Cow Lady

[Ptesan-Wi]

Says the homeless man eating soup from a cup.

Until you show some control over your own fate, Bastion, I will have a difficult time being insulted by you.

[Bastion]

My options are limited... get crucified by the public for not living up to their standards, or eat soup from a cup.

I'll take the soup.

[Ptesan-Wi]

You are of the One Race, Bastion. Your options are only as limited as you choose to make them. Is there an iron chain fastened around your waist, holding you to the life you lead, dragging you down into a polluted sea of alcohol and vomit? No; the chain is held instead in your clenched fist. Let it go.

[Bastion]

Ya know, yer right. Maybe I'll go out and get a regular job, a nice house, white pickett fence... and then deal with psycho ass hats vandalizing it because they think I let a young girl die.

I still get hate mail, Op-Mails, shit thrown through my windows. People don't forget. I regular life isn't an option for me anymore.

[Ptesan-Wi]

I don't recall saying, "lead a regular life." You are a man of extraordinary potential. Lead an extraordinary life. Look farther than the next meal, the next hate-letter, the next neighborhood. Stretch and look up over the edge of the rut you have dug for yourself.

[Elspeth]

Nodespark, Welcome to the One Race.

Bastion, I agree with PW, you could do just about anything you want. There are dozens of organizations that would hire you and make use of your gifts. Not that I recommend allowing yourself to be exploited by DeVries or the lesser monkeys, but seriously, municipal defender isn't the only game in town.

[Bastion]

Look at all the novas in the world today. Wake yo' asses up. There ain't no such thing as extraordinary anymore. There are only so many different powers to go around amongst a bazillion novas.

You ain't extraordinary, you're either the original waiting to die or a carbon copy of the guy who did the same shit before you.

On a side note... FireFox v389.00296 recognizes 'bazillion' as an actual word... I did not know that.

[z-Infinity]

Originally Posted By: Bastion

Look at all the novas in the world today. Wake yo' asses up. There ain't no such thing as extraordinary anymore. There are only so many different powers to go around amongst a bazillion novas.

You ain't extraordinary, you're either the original waiting to die or a carbon copy of the guy who did the same shit before you.

Aww, poor baby isn't special enough? I suggest to look at the billions of baselines (and me) who can't do shit and reassess your statement. You may not be unique, but you are above the ordinary, as defined by the majority of the planet. And, for those unable to keep up, that's baselines.

So, I politely suggest you quit whining and sack up and DO something. Or just... keep moping and drinking yourself into a stupor. It's not like it matters to anyone, except maybe you.

[NodeSpark]

*Ahem!*

...Thank you all for the warm welcome...I think. Can we do the AA thing somewhere else though? I hope that's not rude of me to say.

Anyways, to answer your question Infinity, I can do a couple things, but it's been so subtle that I didn't realize what it was at first. I haven't gotten any of the headaches you usually hear about and it wasn't until a couple days ago that anything "external" even manifested.

Looking back now, of course it makes sense. I mean, I've always been smart when it comes to the sciences, but never really cared that much about the educational process. In a way, the numbing workload and constant quizzing took alot of the fun out of learning for me. Now it seems like my mind is on fire! I have all of these ideas but many of them were impractical.. Now it's like I can see exactly how to put them together. This morning, I saw an error in a common formula that has probably been holding back electrical theory for years, relating to imaginary numbers. I got up, fixed the error on the overhead and walked out when my teacher's face turned ashen white. I have a meeting with the Dean in a couple hours...

Also, I've been digging around in the archives of my great great granduncle, and so many of his ideas were spot on. Even today he is a man ahead of his time, and I can see why the U.S. government went to such great lengths to sequester all his intellectual propoerty.

PW, I'll go ahead and PM you. Online support group notwithstanding I am curious about your interest in me, not too mention how to pronounce that mouthful of a name.

[Bastion]

It ain't rude of you to say. An it isn't an AA or Online Support Group... that's the shit that'll get you hit.

PW is a Terat man, watch your back and don't drink the Kool-Aid.

[NodeSpark]

A Terat? Wow...that's the big leagues man. I've read some of the Count's interviews on Playboy and he seemed very eloquent about the philosophy. I even saw a bootleg copy of the Null Manifesto which I can admit scared me...I mean that guy has some serious power. I could practically feel the heat coming off my screen.

On the other hand, there have been alot of really bad things that have gone down in the name of their movement. Too many extrememists who don't have the temperment I saw in the Count.

Thanks for the heads up though, seriously. I'll steer clear of the punch...

[Bastion]

There ain't no good n' evil any more Spark. Get your own and get it quick.

Chat with the lady, but make sure you're listening and not just waiting to talk.

[Elspeth]

There are a lot of posers who think the philosophy is just permission to do whatever you want despite what that means to others. That's not what it means. If you want to talk about it sometime I'll be glad to talk to you, and PW will too I'm sure. She's really good about it and she's a true Terat, not just one of the wannabes.

[Neil Preston]

Welcome to the club, NodeSpark. If you have any questions, you've come to the right place to get them answered. You may have to wade through some detris to get to the truth though.

[Bastion]

Originally Posted By: Elspeth

There are a lot of posers who think the philosophy is just permission to do whatever you want...

And the rest are kids.

[Elspeth]

Give me a break Bastion, I've got years yet to become as bitter and jaded as you.

[NodeSpark]

Thank you Elspeth and Neil! I have read about both of you in the media. You too Bastion! It would seem I have found myself in some rather distinguished company!

As for your comment Bastion, Sir, what I have seen and read of the Count suggests no mere child. I am willing to hear what Teras has to say of my new condition but I'm not into joining any cults. I have alot to figure out right now, since this is most certainly going to change everything...

The Dean of the School called me into her office yesterday and I thought I was going to get expelled. But no, they want to ofer me a job as a "research assistant" and it was pretty obvious she wanted to "capitalize" on my "intellectual resources." Not that I can blame her, but I'm leery of contracts and the Project has already started it's milk and honey spiel pretty thick. Everyone knows it's the assistants who do all the work and the professors who take all the credit.

To be honest the biggest concern on my mind right now is how I am going to stay friends with my friends. Next I want to see if a few of my new theories are correct. If so, I may have a brighter future in the corporate sector. Academia has always bored me to death.

[Bastion]

Originally Posted By: NodeSpark

As for your comment Bastion, Sir, what I have seen and read of the Count suggests no mere child.

Wow... and you're super smart eh?

[NodeSpark]

Yanno, just because you're stronger than everybody doesn't give you the right to be a jerk. You want to come over here and debate string theory with me in a civilized manner that's another story.

The Count of Teras has made many well articulated and thought provoking comments, which given my recent change in status I am forced to appreciate in a new light. I'm still not for joining any cults but the ideals and evolutionary drive of transhumanism have always fascinated me, from the early history of cybernetics to genetic engineering.

[Elspeth]

Um, Nodespark... Cult is a four letter word if you know what I mean. I'd suggest you not use it when discussing philosophy face to face with say Geryon.

[Deezy Klatta]

Why would anyone want to discuss philosophy with Geryon? Ever?

Unless, I guess, one wanted to simply agree with everything he said. But that's not really a discussion, is it?

[Elspeth]

My point was that it's not a good idea to go tossing the Cult word around in conversation with a Terat. They might just take offense.

[Deezy Klatta]

True. And it is an offensive, and probably unwarranted term.

I guess it just bothers me that there are circles in which lethal force is considered an acceptable response to the use of an offensive term.

[z-Infinity]

Originally Posted By: Elspeth

My point was that it's not a good idea to go tossing the Cult word around in conversation with a Terat. They might just take offense.

Good point, El. I was about to point out the same, since I adhere to a group with Cult in the title. Does that make me a nutso with funny koolaid? No, it doesn't. I won't say all my peers are as calm about the situation, but I really suggest, NS, that you look at each nova you meet and evaluate them for what they are, not just who they hang with.

Originally Posted By: Genesis

Why would anyone want to discuss philosophy with Geryon? Ever? Unless, I guess, one wanted to simply agree with everything he said. But that's not really a discussion, is it?

Have you talked with Geryon? Met him? No? Then why are you trashing him? It's fine to say you don't understand him, but have you even tried?

[Deezy Klatta]

Originally Posted By: Infinity

Have you talked with Geryon? Met him? No? Then why are you trashing him? It's fine to say you don't understand him, but have you even tried?

That's a fair question, and I'll admit I haven't talked to him. My comment was based on his reputation, as well as documented actions on his part. Anyway, that's getting into a whole other thread topic there.

Welcome to novahood, Sparky. Get used to this.

[z-Infinity]

Originally Posted By: Genesis

Welcome to novahood, Sparky. Get used to this.

She's right. We're opinionated bastards.

[NodeSpark]

Indeed. How very human of us...

Aside from any four letter words, that is one thing that strikes me as odd about the Teragen. From that interview I mentioned with the Count and from that bootleg Manifesto, I glean that Teras as a philosophy is akin to true anarchism in that it is based upon individual resposibility and enlightened cooperation.

However just as philosophical anarchy has often been used out of context for destructive ends, factions like Nova Vigilance and the Primacy do more harm than good for the movement by destabilizing the global political climate, not to mention underestimating the power of public opinion. The Count seems to understand and use this power for his own advantage: No one cares about your philosophy if they are afraid of you. That's why terrorism will never truly accomplish the change it's users ostensibly seek.

Another point of interest in my research has many more outspoken terats advocating violence up to and including genocide. Normal terrans (I abhor the term baseline as it is misleading. Also quite aside from the media's label of Aberrants, the extreme range of Novus phenotypic expression does seem to support the hypothesis that we are a mutation, rather than a discreet evolutionary step forward. If we adhered to a standard speciatic genotype, we would have found a cure for taint by now, with all of the money thrown at the problem by Triton and many others.)are seen as expendable in this unenlightened view. Yet, even if we do entertain the notion that "Novas are to humans what humans are to monkeys," that doesn't mean that humans have the right to trample over said monkey's habitat. I know that the animal rights movement and animal ethics doesn't sit right with some of the old time "God gave Dominion" types, but modern science has established the key roles that other species play in the life-web of our biosphere.

Or from a more practical perspective, even if Novas did claim our own Sovereighnty, and founded our own nation, we are still going to need hands to till the earth, take out the garbage and maintain the tech. I am sure a community of Novas could come up with some creative automization but it still doesn't change the facts that not everyone of us is suitable for every task and most of us are gluttons of celebrity status, unused to the humble and necessary demands of the civil servant.

Anyways, my $0.02

[Bastion]

People have been saying the same thing for over seventeen years. It read like a Dateline transcript.

[z-Infinity]

Originally Posted By: NodeSpark

Aside from any four letter words, that is one thing that strikes me as odd about the Teragen. From that interview I mentioned with the Count and from that bootleg Manifesto, I glean that Teras as a philosophy is akin to true anarchism in that it is based upon individual resposibility and enlightened cooperation.

So, just let me start by saying that if you ask Terats about Teras, each one is going to give you a different answer. For me, being a Terat is aspiring to be more than I am now, to become the Perfect Being. This means that I'll be more likely to cooperate with others, but by no means assures it.

It's dangerous to make assumptions about novas, NodeSpark.

Originally Posted By: NodeSpark

Another point of interest in my research has many more outspoken terats advocating violence up to and including genocide. Normal terrans are seen as expendable in this unenlightened view. Yet, even if we do entertain the notion that "Novas are to humans what humans are to monkeys," that doesn't mean that humans have the right to trample over said monkey's habitat. I know that the animal rights movement and animal ethics doesn't sit right with some of the old time "God gave Dominion" types, but modern science has established the key roles that other species play in the life-web of our biosphere.

Zips have stepped well outside their place in the biosphere. I have more respect for monkeys (hence why I don't call zips monkeys - it's insulting to the monkeys) than I do the zips. At least the monkeys didn't almost wreck the earth and then virtually enslave another, superior race to clean it up for them.

Originally Posted By: NodeSpark

Or from a more practical perspective, even if Novas did claim our own Sovereighnty, and founded our own nation, we are still going to need hands to till the earth, take out the garbage and maintain the tech. I am sure a community of Novas could come up with some creative automization but it still doesn't change the facts that not everyone of us is suitable for every task and most of us are gluttons of celebrity status, unused to the humble and necessary demands of the civil servant.

Keep your assumptions to yourself. I do my own laundry, thanks. Novas aren't helpless; if we decide that we don't want zips around badly enough, then we'll get our hands dirty with our own work and kick the zips off the island. We don't need them, and while they may make life easier for the lazier member of our species, they don't make it possible. They would contribute to our world only if we allowed them to do so.

/me pockets NS's offered pennies for use later

[Elspeth]

I use the term monkeys for all of us. Novas are just more advanced monkeys. For me Teras means that because I am more than the lesser monkeys, I have a responsibility to care for them. My parents did a good job ruling Sierra Leone and the monkeys prospered, all of the monkeys, from Chimps to Novas. I was taught that the more advanced you are, the more freedom of action you have, but the more responsibility you should assume as well. My parents lived that philosophy, and so will I.

[Neil Preston]

I'm still waiting on a government by novas - for novas. Having some kind of intelligent body get together and hash out guidelines for us all to work by would be ... swell.

[Elspeth]

Maybe when I have control of Sierra Leone again I'll think about it. There are a lot of baselines living there though and I won't have them abused.

Oh and everyone has to worship me as their queen. <said with inhuman cuteness>

[Bastion]

Quote:

So, just let me start by saying that if you ask Terats about Teras, each one is going to give you a different answer.

It's dangerous to make assumptions about novas, NodeSpark.

If no one has a straight answer when pertaining to a philosophy that all Terats are supposed to understand, relate too, and agree upon then all the person is left with is assumptions.

Maybe once you guys get organized someone will take you seriously. Lord knows Mal is actually the only one among you with any sense whatsoever.

Guess he's too busy fucking Pax to give you poor things the attention your so starved for.

Shame that.