opnet [OpNet] A question for those with enhanced intellect.

[Hugin]

I would like to find out if any of you have had a similar experience. When I first erupted I quite enjoyed the abilities that I had obtained and made much of them. I believe the phrase I am looking for is 'media whore'. So, in short, my intelligence, while much less than it is today, was much greater than that of a baseline genius.

I noticed after some time that a stock that I regularly traded in was being sold back to me at regular intervels with the difference being definable as a code. I managed to crack the code and found that it translated into ancient aramaic text. Then I found if I translated these texts into english the first word of each letter became a clear message.

Now, I have been 'communicating' with whomever this was for some time. I noticed that each time I increased my intellect by another gradient that I would suddenly discover that the layers of codes and puzzles was deeper than I had discovered. I have never been able to track down the source of these puzzles but I receive communications from stock prices, classified ads, musical clues in symphonies I attend and dozens of other sources.

At no time has the messages gone beyond the tone of simply being a game to keep two overly intelligent Novas busy. But, I recently discovered that I have been marked for death by an orginization known of as Proteus, simply due to the potential danger my intelligence poses. I now wonder if I wandered into a trap all that time ago. So, again, I ask you, have any of you come across suprising clues or puzzles that appear to be innocent but are entirely unknown in origin?

[Jager]

Without a doubt, those gifted with great intellects seek anomimity more often than most. If some select group is feeling you out, you might want to back-track what has been happening around you since this all began and deduce what they are up to. I some organization has been tipped off to you, it would be nice to see who got the ball rolling on this.

I know Atwight has a theory about some proto-novas that existed before the event. How they are organized, what their goals are, and what they want from the rest of us isn't really known.

[Guest]

James, I am aware of the code messages you are talking about. While I have never participated in the "game," I have managed to unravel several different codes. As near as I can guess, whoever is perpetrating this has sent different codes to different novas. Each code is specially designed for each individual. The code you recieve was designed in such a way that there is no way you could miss it, but others would probably never find it and if they did, have real difficulty decoding it. The purpose of all this is unclear to me, but truth be told, I have never put much effort in to finding out.

I doubt Proteus is behind this, it is not really their style. You are on their hit list for the same (or similar) reasons I am. With our levels of intelligence we have the ability to rapidly propel the technological understanding of the mainstrean scientific community to new heights. With technology comes a certain level of freedom. Things that had to be done by hand are now done by machines etc. There is the danger of abuse in this, as we have discussed on other threads. There is also fear of the unknown. In the simpleist of terms Proteus is afraid of people like us.

It also doesn't help that you are an admitted Terat, and I remain indipendnet.

Jager, Jager. Giving away all my secrets now? I will go in to that another time. I have a few things to take care of first.

[Stheno]

I have noticed no such codes.

But then, I control my interactions with the rest of the world rigorously.

There are few media through which such communications could be directed to me.

As to novas prior to 1998, well, it is highly probable.

For the number of novas on the world to go from 0 to 1000 in a year is highly unlikely.

[Jager]

Atwight, sorry for the lose-lips, but if you don't get together with some other 'big brains', I am afraid this will come back to bite you in the ass.

James, do you remember those quasi-novas we ran into a few months back? Once the smoke cleared, I learned that you, I and a few less fortunates had been "after them", when they attacked us. I am still trying to figure out who set both of us up. Could that been some kind of test? I just stumbled into it and I got slapped down hard. Still, they had been informed that I was likely to intervene and yet we hardly knew eachother at the time. Any thoughts?

[Hugin]

The attackers you mention have been absent from my life except for that one occasion. Not to blame you or anything, but I have wondered if my interacting with you is what brought them to notice me. Their tactics of dampening my Quantum abilities worked against them. They concentrated on robbing me of what they thought would be my greatest weapons turned out to be not too accurate. You've already mentioned the fact that I was able to kill a number of them was unusual, so I would have to assume they've gone back to refigure their strategy against me.

Atwight, it's at least comforting to know I am not alone. Now, I used to be a member, in good standing even, of Team Tommorow. That's when I initially was contacted by Cpt. Puzzle. When I went independent with NextStep the puzzles didn't stop or change, the same when I finally affiliated myself with the Terragen.

Jaeger, Rossi seems like he has at least a semi-erupted mind. You are on better terms with him than I, ask him if he has any sort of unusual communications that would fit this description.

[Guest]

Yes there were novas before N-day. I am one of them. So is Divis Mal. I do not wish to reveal too much of my own past but I will say this. Novas, or Eximorphs as they were known prior to the Nova Age, have been around for a long, long time. Remember though, they were not that powerful for the most part, certainly nothing like what you see today. It was not until N-day that any of us reached the power levels we now stand at.

I remember N-Day like it just happened. I was in the penthouse apartment of a friend, looking out over the city skyline drinking a lovely iced tea. I could feel the ebb and flow of the local quantum field, feel it shifting through my body, mingling with my pattern. I had just turned toward the balcony door, my friend janice had called to me, when IT struck. Something, I do not know what, barreled through the local quantum field like a freight train. This force was looking for something, and where ever it found it, someone erupted. When it got to me, it was like slamming into a unmoveable object and mach speeds. I cannot describe the agony that swept over my entire being. I felt my hold on my own pattern loosen and my powers spewed forth in a torrent like I had never before seen nor since been able to duplicate. When I regained my composure I was standing in an alien landscape. My powers had completely altered not only the penthouse, but the entire building. Luckily, no one died. Later, I had found my link to the quantum field had been deepened considerably.

The point to all this? Leave the pre N-day novas alone. Many that I know of do not like to be bothered or discovered. Most will probably take exception to my writing this but when has that ever stopped me from doing anything.

Is this information satisfactory?

[Jager]

James, I will check with Jordon on this.

Atwight, this would jive with things I have been able to put together. I do know that at least one other such figure gathered an uncertain number of the early erupted to his(?) side. Went by the name of Mr. Black and all the people he gathered (I suspect) had heightened mental facilities and/or Extra-sensory powers. Like so much information I come across, it doesn't make much sense or lead anywhere until some time later. I believe Mr. Black is not alone in his desire to remain behind the scenes and manipulate events in secret.

As James pointed out, there don't seem to be a whole lot of people at his level that he can talk to. Well, there should be. Within a 5 percent variable, shouldn't all the enhancements be represented. We all know of the mega-fast and the mega-strong. The mega-smart should be around half their numbers, but its more like a tenth or less. Is someone gathering or killing off the smartest of us? To what end?

Up until now, James, you have been too visible to convienently disappear and you had powerful people close by. Atwight, you remainded safetly in the shadows and you had a head start from the get-go. As for myself, I am not that bright, but I do pose a quandry for those who want to predict the future. I don't belong here and I am very hard to track (nearly impossible, if I don't want to be found). Also, I am tougher than I should be, which may be why they have failed to kill me so far (if that even their purpose).

Is it safe even trying to figure out what's going on?

[Guest]

Jager, you are getting into some dangerous territory. Not that I think you are worried about that kind thing. As for the Hyper Intelligents, consider the members of this board who are hyper intelligent. How many of us are media darlings? Not very many I would wager. I have many skills and abilities that allow me to remain hidden for a very long time. Most hyper intelligents do. I agree with you that many are probably being gather by whatever organization that can grab them, however I also thnk many just do not want to be found.

[Jager]

I am reminded of a show I saw in my youth. In it an alien probe approaches the space station inwhich our heroes live. It promises certain wonderous answers if we can solve their riddles within a given time.

Well, they solve the riddle, but decide not to tell the probe its answers until it has already left. The probe explodes with enough force to have destroyed the station.

Maybe the code(s) are out there to open communication between hyper-intelligent beings and maybe they are traps to snare those who are getting too close to these "Hidden Masters" agenda. Maybe I look for too much conspiracies.

[Hugin]

Jaeger, that is exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. I just wanted to find out if my experiences were common. The communications don't seem to make any particular sense in that there is no specific intent implied.

Maybe I am just being paranoid. Likely there is just some really bored cryptographer out there having a little fun with me. If thats the case, more power to him, but I am going to have to remove his eyes if I catch him.

[Dr cornelius]

James,

when i was buying and selling shares, I came across, something exactly like it, and with further research and observation found that they, where also communicating throughn other mediums. I followed their bread crumbs and found new paterns. But in the end left them alone and concentrated on my research.

[Jager]

James, I think I know what happened to Cornelius' inquiries. Check his 'aliens/not terran' posts. Very enlightening.