Aberrant: Stargate Universe - Too Smart [Complete]

[Omar]

"No...and yes" Omar replied in response to Olivia's first question. "As taint levels rise, the changes become more dramatic and extreme. In some cases, especially with those who have strong mental and perceptual abilities, there are no outward signs at all. Their taint manifests as mental illnesses like megalomania, sociopathic behavior, delusions and multiple personalities. Sometimes there are extreme mood swings, like uncontrollable anger or lust, and other times, there are strange metabolic changes like strange dietary requirements. I knew one who had to consume human embryonic stem cells on a daily basis in order to use his powers. Finally, there are those who shed their quantum energies to become toxic to life and dangerous to normal humans to be around."

"As for outward physical extremes...some people can take on characteristics of animals, like fur or scales. Other times it is a glowing halo or symbol. At the highest levels, they may not be able to control their powers or one may be on permanently. Useless limbs and even heads can grow out of their body. Some are so horrific to look upon, that people will flee screaming. Imagine holding a rational conversation with someone that looks like they stepped out of an H.P. Lovecraft novel." Omar realized he may be feeding them too much information too soon; they might not be able to handle the truth.

[z028 Riley]

Kyria had wandered into the cafeteria to grab some food, as much from boredom as from any real need for sustenance. She saw a knot of the 'Specialists', as the SGC was calling them, gathered at one table and contemplated joining them with her tray of desserts and fruits. She was halfway over to them when she picked up the topic of conversation and frowned.

She wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't really talk to them about taint, not like Omar could. And it was obvious that even if they didn't call them novas here and it was some artifact pushing these people along the evolutionary path, taint was still a reality for them. Declan and Gwyn and some of the others were proof of it. She was so lost in thought she didn't notice that she'd been standing in the middle of the cafeteria for several full minutes until a mousy Airman mumbled an "Excuse me" to get past her and over to the table with his own team. She sighed and moved out of the flow of traffic, taking the closest seat to Livy she could find at the table. Maybe they'd just keep talking to Omar and she could eat and pretend to have more friends than she did.

[The Red Man]

Dec had been listening, and his eyes had flicked to Olivia's at exactly the same time as she had reflexively glanced at him. He stopped eating, the fork idle in his fingers as he dropped his gaze first. After a short pause, he went back to eating, but mechanically as his mind spun the Omar's words around his shrinking soul.

...as the Taint levels grow, you become less and less human... those who have strong mental and perceptual abilities... sociopathic behavior, delusions and multiple personalities... extreme mood swings, like uncontrollable anger or... have to be put down...

He looked over at Kyria and smiled reflexively at her, his mind still echoing with Omar's words.

...have to be put down...

He looked back at Livy, who was trying not to look at him.

...have to be put down... danger to others...

His fork landed on his plate with a clatter as he stood, gathering up his tray.

"Sorry folks." He said with a brittle smile. "I just remembered I've got a report to finish filin'. Given how long it takes me to type a sentence out, I better get to it if I want it done sometime this week." Carrying his plate, he left the cafeteria at a brisk walk.

[Rorx]

Gwyn frowned at Omar as he said his piece about Taint, turning to an active glare as Dec got up from the table. Standing himself Gwyn angrily addressed the alien Nova, "And what's you Taint problem, a pathological inability to tailor your conversation to your audience? You just implied that one of our best men, who is already feeling socially ostracised, could have only days or weeks before they take him out and execute him for something he had no control over. Well done on that fantastic display of social and leadership qualities Captain."

With that he turns and leaves the room, muttering curses in Arabic as he goes, speeding up as the crowd thins in pursuit of Dec.

[continued in http://www.rpg-post.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/142173.html#Post142173 ]

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Olivia Jenings-Izumi

Remembering her manners, she added, "Oh, Steve, this is Declan, another of my team members." She grinned widely. "Declan's our combat specialist, no pun intended.

Steve nodded and said, "Declan" and then let Omar great him. *I get a really ogly vibe from this guy. Trust your fears they're there for a reason... and I'm not alone in thinking that but Olivia likes him.*

Originally Posted By: Omar

If Sgt. Declan was to remove his glasses, you would see an outwards physical expression of taint that at a sufficient level to cause physical changes. Essentially, as the Taint levels grow, you become less and less human.

Steve looked at Declan. *He's not human? I could be that way?*

Originally Posted By: Olivia Jenings-Izumi

She swallowed and said, "Is there any way to tell how tainted you are? How severe do the physical expressions get before you have to worry about them? Is there a warning?"

Steve thought, *You mean like everyone flinching when you sit down and having to hide your eyes?*

Originally Posted By: Omar

...mental illnesses like megalomania, sociopathic behavior, delusions and multiple personalities... uncontrollable anger or lust...consume human embryonic stem cells on a daily basis... toxic to life and dangerous to normal humans to be around... Some are so horrific to look upon, that people will flee screaming... Lovecraft novel...

Steve spent a long moment digesting this and watched several of his fellow specialists leave. Finally he asked, "And there are cures for this, right? Vaccinations, bio-feedback, or something?"

[Omar]

Originally Posted By: Gwyn

"And what's you Taint problem, a pathological inability to tailor your conversation to your audience? You just implied that one of our best men, who is already feeling socially ostracised, could have only days or weeks before they take him out and execute him for something he had no control over. Well done on that fantastic display of social and leadership qualities Captain."

Omar let him go. He could understand their fear and anger. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to sugar-coat the realities of taint.
"Taint IS frightening, but there are ways to slow it's accumulation, even halt it. I will speak to both of them later."

Originally Posted By: Steve

And there are cures for this, right? Vaccinations, bio-feedback, or something?

"No. There is no cure for it." He wished he had Andrew with him. He had not even taken the cure himself. "Once you accumulate sufficient levels of backlash, it becomes permanent." I am not going to give them false hope by mentioning a cure had been developed in another place and time...

Originally Posted By: Kyrea

She sighed and moved out of the flow of traffic, taking the closest seat to Livy she could find at the table. Maybe they'd just keep talking to Omar and she could eat and pretend to have more friends than she did.

Omar smiles and nods at Kyria. She is lucky she doesn't have to worry about taint. I had nightmares for decades.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia was torn; Declan was clearly upset, but Omar's promise of more information lured her to remain. After Gwyn had chewed out Omar - to no effect, which Olivia found more frightening than anything Declan had ever done - and headed after him, she decided to stay, at least long enough to get the information that might save them.

She pushed her food away - she wasn't hungry at all now. "Ok, no cure - so how do we slow or halt it?" She pulled her cardigan tighter around her, looking a little lost. "We need to know that, definitely."

[Courier]

Once you accumulate sufficient levels of backlash, it becomes permanent.

Steve said hopefully, "Once we accumulate sufficient levels... so it's not permanent before that point?" *I see the light at the end of the tunnel... and it's a train.*

[Omar]

Originally Posted By: Olivia

Ok, no cure - so how do we slow or halt it?"

"Let me answer Steve's question, because it relates to yours as well.

Originally Posted By: Steve

"Once we accumulate sufficient levels... so it's not permanent before that point?"

"Yes...and no" Omar needed to explain this a little better.

"When your quantum feeds back through your body, you might not be aware of it. When you have been pushing yourself alot, it might be wise to shut off your powers for a few weeks, if you are able. If you can't shut off access to all your powers, and I mean all of them, for a few weeks, just stop using your powers for several months would be sufficient to clean you of small amounts of accumulated taint. Of course, even that might not work. Sometimes the best way to avoid taint is to not push your abilites beyond what they normally can do."

[Courier]

Feeling his way in this conversation carefully, Steve asked, "Define 'shut off'. How is that different from 'stop using'?"

[z028 Riley]

Kyria cut in quietly, "Some people have the ability to shut off their quantum selves, to return to the baselines they were before their eruption. You are as you were before then, with no access to any quantum based enhancement or powers." Her tone was the recitation of a book entry more than conversational. Her eyes flicked over to Omar, then back to the others. "Since you all were baselines once you should have the ability to learn how to dorm. So far as I know that won't keep the taint from accruing, but it will make it less likely that you will use your powers accidentally or trivially, which can help slow the progression of taint and the aberrations it causes."

"Then again, if this Artifact is a technological way of making a baseline into a nova, then perhaps the people that built it also have a way around taint. A cure can be found. One of the Paragons from my home timeline managed to produce a cure there, but I don't know that even if we could get in contact with him that it would work for the 'Specialists' here. You feel a little different than most first generation novas I've been around and none of you erupted naturally. It may be that the changes to your DNA produce similar effects to that of novas, but is not the same. It would take time and probably medical equipment you haven't developed yet to be able to follow the same procedure Andrew created, and I've yet to meet anyone here nearly as smart as he is." She didn't sound discouraging about this, she was merely laying out what she knew and what she had observed.

[Courier]

Almost thinking out loud, but more checking his reasoning, Steve said, "Baselines, that's slang for normals. Dorm is turning everything off. Nova would be 'Specialist'... love the word by the way. Andrew would be the guy with the cure, and since you hang around with Olivia he's a lot smarter than she is."

"Naturally occurring novas means there were a LOT more of us back where you came from... but we're it for here. That means no large population to study, and no medical researchers who become super-genius specialists and then come up with this cure."

"...So we're not going to find this cure within our life time."

Steve made this last statement as a fact and mulled it over to see how he felt about it.

[z028 Riley]

"That depends on the specifics of your quantum expression. Novas at a minimum live about half again as long as baselines, barring accident, murder, or aberrations that shorten that lifespan. Novas can also increase their lifespan into the indefinite through learning or acquiring quantum expressions that heighten their body's health or make it immune to the toxins and genetic degredation that are the cause of most aging." She shrugged, "Some learn how to control time and apply that to their body's natural clock, turning back and holding it at an age they enjoy. We're novas; our potential for growth and power is limitless. Taint is a problem, but as Omar has said, if you are careful with your powers and monitor yourselves for aberrations, both physical and mental, then anything is possible."

[The Red Man]

"Yeah, this stuff got cold. So I came back to get more. Problem with that?" There was a clatter of a tray being half-placed, half-dropped on a countertop as a punctuation to the aggressive, challenging voice that had preceded it. "Hey, and don't even think of tryin' to pin it on me. Some crazy Brit tried to wrangle me into a storage closet. Wanted to bond, I think." Red grinned at the woman behind the counter, who blanched and hastily served him another large plate of food without further argument. The Airmen ahead of him in line hastened to grab cutlery and condiments as he transferred that razor-edged grin to them, whereas the ones behind unobtrusively tried to give the suddenly menacing Ranger some room. He was standing up straighter, moving with a slower, more deliberate (stalking, one thought to himself) grace. More obvious was the terrible light in his eyes as he looked straight at them: the stare of a predator that currently had better things to do, and it might be a good idea to go elsewhere before he finished doing them.

Taking his tray and appropriating the ketchup bottle, Red looked around the cafeteria. There was Livy, but she was with that asshole Omar who thought that Specials with multiple personalities needed to be put down.

*Izzat SO, jolly brown giant? Well, let's see ya TRY it.*

*Don't, Red. He didn't know.*

*Chill, Dec. We're just gonna see how serious he is.*

*Kyria's there too. Don't you fuckin' hurt anyone or start shit*

*Pfeh, like I'd get a chance. Livy'd shut me down with the ol' "G-H" before I got to have too much fun. Still, bet Kyria'd be lotsa fun in the non blood-sheddin' way. She saw me in your mind. Wonder how she'll like me in the flesh.*

Without further pause, Red swaggered over to the table and set his tray down in Dec's recently vacated spot, smiling innocently at Livy as he sat down across from her. To the others at the table, there were notable differences in the Sergeant's demeanour, most markedly the almost-palpable aura of aggression he radiated. And the fact that his shades were off. Oh, and the fact that someone else seemed to be using his vocal chords...

"Sorry about that, folks." Red said as he liberally sprayed ketchup on his fries. "Had to visit the little boys room. So, where're we at in the Taint debate?"

[Courier]

Steve looked poleaxed.

*Immortality. IMMORTALITY!?! These MORONS are sitting next to someone with the keys to immortality, and none of them even have a CLUE that this MIGHT be worth something???*

*And to think you used to think that 100 Billion was a large number. Looks like you just found your killer app Stevie old boy. Now... no doubt about it, I need to get a lot closer to Kyria. I wonder if I can transfer myself to her team? Those proficiency reports might need some adjusting.*

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Olivia's heart sank. After finding out about the Sword of Damocles over their heads named Taint, to have Declan give a personal display to anyone who cared to see was enough to almost break her spirit.

What does he think he's doing? she asked herself, giving him a look that was equal parts exhaustion and irritation - and anger. I can't defend Declan if he keeps making these public, bone-headed maneuvers! She stared at him, wondering if the only way to save Declan was to kill Red. Surely the Tok'ra or someone had some way of splitting one from the other and destroying Red.

He loves you. The thought brought pain and Livy's eyes dropped. She'd been told that Red loved her as much as Declan did, and she'd seen evidence of that. She believed that each side of Declan was enamored of her, however wrongly. She was the only woman his age who was talking to him; Olivia was sure that was the source of his infatuation. It would pass, when he found someone better than her. For now though, she was just angry at herself. Once again, she'd jumped to the easiest solution when it involved Red.

This had all taken seconds to go through her mind, to anyone watching. They saw Livy give Declan an irritated look, then sadden and drop her eyes, then look up at him with a flat smile and say, "Procrastinating on those reports again, Sargeant?" The only way through this was to play it cool and pray Red did the same.

[The Red Man]

"Yeah. Paperwork an' me, we got an arrangement. It agrees to stay undone and I agree not to do it." Red said with an insouciant smile as he stuffed a forkful of food into his mouth. "I'll get it done eventually, but y'know, this conversation was just too good to miss." he said around the mouthful.

[z028 Riley]

Frowning over at the former Ranger, Kyria slipped into his mind to understand why he was sounding and acting so different. She knew, but she hadn't known it had come this far.

*Declan, are you alright? This....this isn't entirely safe for you, acting this way. I'm not sure if this split in you is caused by taint or just by trauma, but others will make assumptions because of the conversation we've been having. Are you still in control of yourself?*

She wasn't trying to change anything in his mind, but she was carefully stepping through the changes in 'Red' over the past few days, assessing the personality fragment and worrying.

[Courier]

Steve glanced at Declan and then at Kyria and Omar.

*Well... our 'inhuman' brother just changed voice and manor. Self destructive? Poster child for taint insanity? Pulling our leg? Kind of hits the radar as a top of the line killing machine too... just exactly what we need in a crazy special.*

*Jumping to conclusions Steve. What was it Olivia said? NID had to put down several of us? So either they missed one or I'm getting ahead of myself. Why he could be all fluffy bunnies after you get to know him. ...So 'without' jumping to conclusions, if he picks A fight I retreat back and to the right.*

[The Red Man]

*Hello hello, gorgeous.* The tone was dark, aggressive, and flirtatious. *Come to have a little peek? Dec's somewhere out back at the moment, but I'll be happy to meet your needs. Name's Red.*

Kyria 'saw' an arrow-sharp mind, edged and lethal like a shark's despite Red's high intelligence. It wasn't just a fragment anymore, she realised. It was a fully-formed personality.

*Oh, and we're both pretty sure it's Taint doing this, babydoll. I didn't start to stir till the Artifact zapped us. By the way, don't suppose you'd be up for another sparrin' session, would ya? It's hard to find someone that can keep up... not to mention I love that skintight thing you wear. Sound like fun to you?* If a mental tone could be grinning, Red's would have been.

[z028 Riley]

*I might consider it, but not until I understand you better. You do know that what you are doing now is putting yourself and Declan in danger, right? You are a formidable fighter as a nova, but if the people here come to see you as a threat, they will kill you. Think about it. The base is able to be sealed and while it would cost the lives of most of the people here to take you down, if you've read enough of the mission reports then you know they are willing to make that sacrifice to protect their world. And you would force your team to choose between you and everyone else. Until you, Red, are more capable when it comes to social interaction, it is simply not a good tactical move to make a public display of yourself. If you are bored or wish to talk with people, I can speak this way with you, and so long as it is not done over too long a time, I could connect you to other minds as well. Olivia and other teammates of yours, if they are willing.* She sighed in their link, though outwardly she was still picking at one of the banana-splits on her tray.

*Short of suppressing both you and Declan and taking the time to reform a new singular personality, I don't know what to do to help you both. You may think you can handle this, Red, but you're not equipped with what is necessary to survive in anything outside of a war zone. And if the two of you collect more taint, the strain on your mind could become enough to form more personalities or to cause permanent uncontrollable psychosis. You need help and that help needs to be more than mine or Olivia's stumbling around in the dark. You two need to learn the best way to live with each and to work on reintegrating back into a singular personality if at all possible.*

She watched his reaction carefully, silently praying to herself that she hadn't just set the quantum death machine off.

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Omar, Kyria, do you have any advice on how to be aware and monitor ourselves?" Olivia said, eager to get the conversation moving again. "Do you mean not push ourselves? What should we be monitoring for?"

[Omar]

Omar watched the returning Sergeant's bizzare behavior. There was something more going on with him. It would have to be dealt with at a later time. There were more pressing issues.

Originally Posted By: Kyria

Novas can also increase their lifespan into the indefinite through learning or acquiring quantum expressions that heighten their body's health or make it immune to the toxins and genetic degredation that are the cause of most aging."

She is correct about the increase in age." Omar replied. "Would any of you believe me if I told you I was over 135 years old?"

Originally Posted By: Olivia

"Omar, Kyria, do you have any advice on how to be aware and monitor ourselves?" Olivia said, eager to get the conversation moving again. "Do you mean not push ourselves? What should we be monitoring for?"

"I suppose I will have to teach you how to push your powers, so that you will know what it feels like. That is the only way I know you can monitor yourself." Omar stood up and walked around the table as he continued. "Our powers can be pushed beyond their normal limits. There are several techniques to do this. Kyria and I will have to have a class to show the rest of you how to do these things."

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

"Good! Now that's what like to hear!" Olivia said, beaming. "Sign me up. I'm sure D- Major Caine will give me permission to attend."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: Omar

She is correct about the increase in age." Omar replied. "Would any of you believe me if I told you I was over 135 years old?"

Steve nodded. *Normally that comes with a 'I've got a bridge to sell you' line, but yes, I believe it.*

Quote:

"I suppose I will have to teach you how to push your powers, so that you will know what it feels like. That is the only way I know you can monitor yourself." Omar stood up and walked around the table as he continued. "Our powers can be pushed beyond their normal limits. There are several techniques to do this. Kyria and I will have to have a class to show the rest of you how to do these things."

Steve frowned and said, "Now these would be the same things that cause this taint? So you'd be teaching us what not to do?"

*Alternatively if you were clever you could just get other people to work hard for you. They do the work, you get the money. If you do it right they'll even thank you for it. But let's just keep that as a foreign concept to this crowd of hard workers.*

[Omar]

,,

Quote:

"Now these would be the same things that cause this taint? So you'd be teaching us what not to do?"

"Yes," Omar said flatly. "You need to learn how far you can take your powers safely. If not, you might push yourself too hard all the time and not know it."

Omar thought for a few seconds about his own experiences with taint. "When I was travelling the timelines and universes, I picked up a good amount of taint. When I chose to settle here, the being who facilitated my travel, stripped me of my taint, but also much of my power."

Omar paused again. "I know what it is like to live with taint and aberrations."

[The Red Man]

*Well shit, Kyria. You think I don't know that it's a bad move? I'd have been happy to let Dec keep the wheel. But Jones collared him and tried to talk him out of the blues he was singin', and the sap was about to start cryin' right there in the corridor. He's still cryin' here now.* Red's mental tone was frustrated as he chewed savagely on his next mouthful of food.

*Anywho, we ain't plannin' on collecting more Taint. We got enough problems already.* The mental voice turned sober. *Dec's recovering somewhat now. Do us a favor and let Livy know why we came out. She got that 'you asshole' look in her eye and it'd be a bitch for Dec to have to deal with that as well as learning he's an Old Yella case.*

There was a sense of Red fading, being replaced with the more comfortable softer edges of Dec's consciousness. Physically, he seemed to go from projecting his presence to shrinking in a little as he quickly fumbled for his shades and slipped them on, keeping his gaze on his food. He didn't want to look up at Livy just yet.

*Fuckin' asshole, Red! Why'd you bring me back here?*

*Cos you need to learn, buddy. Neither of us wants this shit to get worse, and besides it pisses me off when you run from shit. Oh, and say hi to Kyria.*

*Uh... Hey Kyria. Sorry about that.* Dec's mental tone went from angry to sheepish.

[z028 Riley]

*It's alright. He is right, though. Using him whenever you're uncomfortable or upset isn't fair, beyond not being healthy.*

She glanced up from her banana split and over to Livy, her mental voice touching the other Specialist for the first time. *Declan is alright. Red did not overpower him, Declan retreated because of the conversation he had in the hall before he came back in.* Her message delivered she hesitated for a moment, then added, *We need to talk about this.*

[z-Olivia Jenings-Izumi]

Ok, Olivia thought, hoping that the telepath would pick up the thought, and hoping she wouldn't catch the trepidation that statement had caused.

With surprisingly little effort, she tracked what Omar was saying. "So was that being like an Ancient? Could the Ancients hold a cure for taint?"

[Omar]

"No. The Watchers, as they called themselves, were more like us, just evolved over millions of years." Omar knew they were not ready for the truth, and he suppressed it deep within his iron-clad psyche. The Watchers are to the Ancients, what the Ancients are to humankind.

"Since an Ancient artifact did give you your abilities, it could be assumed that they might have something to reverse the effect."

[Courier]

Steve thought, *You say that like it would be a good thing.* Instead Steve asked, "What would the likely result be of a second exposure on the artifact on us?"