opnet [OpNet] My Aberration Hobby

[Guest]

Hello everyone, long time listener first time caller. I have a request for information.

I have a particular interest in aberrations and would dearly love it if those of you here would consent to telling me of any unusual or interesting aberrations you might have encountered. I am also interested in any unusual variations of the more common aberrations.

I myself suffer from a number of physical abnormalities (as you can probably guess from my handle) and have made it a hobby to collect other usual instances. I promise that this information will not be used for anything untoward, just personal satisfaction.

Oh yes, and if you can locate photographs of the given aberration I would be most grateful.

[Jager]

Good Lord! That is a tall order. Let me think about it a bit. Anything in particular that you are looking for?

[Guest]

I have a number of things I could mention that are not aberrations, but are often taken as such. Myself being a prime example. Let me know if you would be interested in those. Besides that,i do know of some very...unusual aberrations, but do not like to share information about others without their consent. My apologies.

Hydra

[Guest]

My main aberration is actuallly fairly common in India, although not anywhere else that I've seen, I have four perfectly functional arms. I have met a nova who had six, and heard of one who had eight, although I find that a little hard to believe. Unfortunately for you the more interesting aberrations I have seen have been under professional circumstances and so I cannot breach my oath and tell you.

[Apep]

Wondering about aberrations eh? Here are a coulple of mine for ya, not too weird but you take what you get don't you?

Shedding my skin every month came with the scales. I bleed darkness intead of blood too. I'll keep the rest of them to myself for now.

As for others I know, hmmm... A friend of mine is able to clone herself but she is a little unstable mentally. It's always interesting to see her three personalities in there own bodies. They probably wouldn't mind me telling you about it.

[Guest]

Hmmm, people seem a little reluctant to share. And who could blame them. I suppose I am asking for a lot on faith. How about I show you mine and you show me yours?

Here goes. I possess stoney grey skin (which has reduced my sence of touch and increased my reistance to pain) and eyes like two hot coals (I can never seem to hide in the dark), my worst affliction is that whenever I touch someone they turn into gibbering idiots and I gain their mental abilities.

Yeah it sounds great but try forming relationships when a touch turns the girl of your dreams into Forrest Gump on a bad day. Also with my skin its very easy to touch someone accidentally and not notice.

There yah go. Incidentally I'm interested in any variations and aberrations you might have no matter how unusual and strange. I don't want names, just the actual problem. Thanks again folks.

[Winter_Heart]

I have always associate myself with a particular word... my 'signature' if you will, long before I was a nova.

Well, when I use my power, the symbol appears over my chest in blazing white light, coming through any clothes I may be wearing.

Yes, boring and undisgusting, but that is what I got.

[Stheno]

I am incapable of experiencing emotion. I am unsure as to whether or not this is an aberration or not.

I no longer have a voice.

I have neither sex nor gender.

I can not remember ever being anything other than what I am now - that is to say, either I was never anything other than the nova called Stheno, or I suffer from complete retrograde amnesia dating from midnight on June 24th, 1998.

I hope that this has been of some assistance or interest.

[Hugin]

After Stheno seems quite appropriate.

I have many voices.

I have all genders (but only one sex still)

I can remember many lives, many of which started before I myself was born.

,,

Before my friend adjusted my aberrations I had some other, more problematic ones.

My mind exhibited waves of damaging energy to baselines.

My emotional state shifted uncontrollably depending on circumstances.

Now these have been shifted around into more cosmetic or useful changes.

[Gerald Haney]

doctor's tell me i'm ok. glowing eyes aren't bad, no, not bad. scary yes, just a little. i don't like it when children cry, no. i'm sorry i don't mean to scare them. no. the pictures aren't nice though. when i make the red dance and dance and dance the pictures come. bad pictures. mommy. daddy. cords and fists and blades and hurts and hurts oh stop oh stop. i doen't like the pictures, but they won't stop, i get scared and angry and scared and angry and the red dances and the pictures spin and the red leaps and jumps and the screaming stops. it stops for a little, until next time.

but the doctors say i can still work. i am 'working on my problems'. yes. DeVryes is nice. they send me to the doctors. they say i am healthy and well adjusted. thats nice. i am healthy and well adjusted. so i can still work. yes.

but they tell me that i shouldn't talk about it. you won't tell on me will you? i don't talk to the cameras or the reporters. no. DeVryes says because my eyes aren't 'photogenic', no. i don't look real good. not like Pursuer. he's strong and handsome. he talks to the reporters. not me. like you asked, because i have aberrations. yes. but their not bad, no. well, the pictures are. but i said that.

good bye. i have more work to do.

[Alex McKenzie]

For something strange, My employer Sidney happens to be composed entirely of photons animated by his quantum consciousness (at least, that's what he theorised, anyway).

At any rate, he glows in the dark, walks through walls, can't touch anything and he can't talk into microphones. Why the last one? We're still debating that, my guess is that since he can't talk the way novas and humans normally talk (by vibrating air with a flesh voicebox), he's instinctually figured out a way to speak similar to the way a radio speaker would, using electrons to vibrate the air and make a voice. Since he still speaks from his mouth, if he tries talking into a speaker, the feedback would nearly kill the thing.

Which is why we're trying to make a better microphone...

[This message has been edited by Alex McKenzie (edited 08-14-2001).]

[Alex McKenzie]

Bah, sorry. There would have been a copy of the previous post here. Just ignore

[This message has been edited by Alex McKenzie (edited 08-14-2001).]

[Guest]

Interesting, interesting. We all know that the Teragen seem to worship aberrations because it makes them less like baselines. I have heard a rumour that some Terats can control aberrations and mould them like putty. I would be interested in speaking to one of these people if anyone can point me in the right direction?

[Guest]

Not having a physical Body anymore...

Aberration?

------------------

"A man barely alive...."

[Guest]

I am capable of doing that as well as a number of different things, Gargoyle. I can remove aberrations from one one person and transfer them to another, usually using lab rats as subjects for the transfer. The effects are permanent. Bear in mind, though, that this isn't a free service. I've already forwarded the relevant information to your Opnet mail account.

[Thingmaker]

It's not out of the ordinary for one of us to have eyes that are different from human, so I won't bore you with those details. The two things that my co-workers most often comment on are my extra thumbs and, well, I've never noticed it but they say that my head smokes when I'm deep in thought. They may just be teasing me, of course.

I don't know why it's so popular to refer to these differences as "aberrations." Having a white streak through one's hair was never a big deal. I prefer to think of them as "distinguishing features."

Often, I'll meet a new co-worker who has never before been in close proximity with someone with distinguishing features, and he or she will be taken aback by my eyes. I'll smile and say "it's ok, I'm just like any other construction worker - I'm all thumbs and my brain smokes if I try to use it!" This seems to put them at ease.

[Guest]

Interesting. Bialik, are you a supporter of Teras philosophy or on the run from them? I would imagine you would have to be one or the other with that hobby of of yours.

Smoking brains, glowing words, no body, extra body parts, delusions, insanities, gender/sex morphing. These are all good. I find it interesting that our abilities come with such strange side effects.

It makes me wonder at the nature of Aberrations, are they simply leaking power from a poorly constructed quantum matrix or evidence of a deeper malady within the subjects mind?

[Wizard]

You speak as though those possibilities were diametrically opposed. Look deeper.

[Guest]

Indeed. Good point, so the state of Aberration that so many of our kind suffer in is based on both a slipshop approach to the construction of quantum patterns within themselves which may be because their mind are "damaged" in some way. (be it physically, mentally or emotionally) An interesting thought...I wonder what my problem was

[Jager]

It is somewhat interesting to note that aberrations, like quantum abilities, manifest in different ways. They are similar, though, in the fact that they escalate in severity and that everyone has a terminal point, so far.

I have found that the overriding factors in developing aberrations are personal psycology and quantum expression.

Gargoyle, how goes the work?

[Guest]

Very well Jager, thank you for asking. I'd hardly call it work though. More of a hobby really, something to keep this old mind of mine working. I find these seemingly self inflicted expressions of quantum "angst" (for want of a better word) to be facinating.

I wonder if I absorbed the consciousness of a tainted nova would his aberrations find expressions in my body?

Or, if the above didn't happen and I absorbed the consciousnes of a mentally disturbed nova where mental problems were tainted in nature would I absorb a healthy template of his mind?

Interesting points no?

DO you have a specific interest in aberrations Jager? If you are interested we could meet and have a chat sometime.

[Father Ryan]

Yes. I think it would be good if you two were to meet.

Just tell me where and I will do the catering.

[Jager]

Check the profile and drop me a line. Bodily, I'm off to Myanmar for a few days. It's just work.

[Guest]

Well, I'm stretchy and bouncy.

I don't know are those aber-thingies, but there you go.

The other kids used to play basketball with me a lot, until Papa made them go find a proper ball.

[Weave]

Hey Gargoyle baby, I'm a bit confused by the whole "aberration" phrase. Do you mean aberration as in useless and/or dangerous mutation? Or do you mean body modifications of an "inhuman" kind?

If its the latter then I have a couple I can share. I have spinneret organs in my forearms. They really work and I can entangle a fully grown man in seconds. Also, each strand of my hair is a fully functioning, tentacle-like limb. individually they are not that strong, but when they work together they can match natural strength.

How's that for your little hobby?

[Guest]

Facinating weaver. You seem to have an afinity with arachnids; somthing to do with your eruption perhaps? Also a good point, is an abberation simply an unclear expression of a power?

Ah, Bungee, you have a body like rubber yes? Can you make yourself solid? (like a chair)

Finally, Father Ryan, you must think me somthing of a dullard. I would dearly like to meet you but your reputation preceeds you I am afriad. I fear that meeting you would result in the premature termination of my life and therefore I must decline. Maybe we could video conference?

[Weave]

No offense Gargoyle, but the name is Weave not Weaver.

Yeah, I guess you could say that I have an affinity for spiders. I can also walk on walls too. I have some powers that don't seem to fit the mould though. I mean, I don't look like a spider (I'm damn fine looking if I do say so myself) and I'm strong. I guess I do have another aberration, I have to consciously activate my super-strength and it has a tendancy to vary in intensity; from little better than an olympic weightlifter to being able to lift thousands of tons. I can do other wierd stuff too. If I touch something, I can manipualte it. Like if I touched a rope, I could make it move any way it could normally move by sheer will alone. I can also freeze people in place with a touch, but I have to remain in physical contact with the person to keep the effect going. Not very spider-like is it?

So Gargoyle, what do you do?

[Guest]

I don't have a body like rubber!

I'm stretchy!!!

It's not the same thing!

And I can make other things stretchy too!

[Guest]

Apologies Weave, would you believe it but my personal op-net server is called Weaver and I got confused Once again sorry.

You seem to have a veritable swiss army knife of abilites there Weave. How does the "wall walking" ability work? Some kind of ionic bonding or something else? Perhaps you have a form of Molecular control which manifests as the abiltiy to make objects lighter, move and bond? Would you mind me asking what you do for a living and do you use these abilites in your work?

Since you asked I am fairly strong (bend a lamp post strong, not lift an airliner strong), I am as resistant as stone and my body filters most toxins etc out almost instantly. I don't sleep or eat much and (funnily enough) I also stick to walls. (stone only, probibly to do with my eruption)

My final ability is somewhat of a curse, I involuntarily drain the intellect and memories from anyone I touch. Not fun I can tell you.

Bungee, you can make things stretch but can you make a dollar last all week..Only joking Can you make everything stretch Bungee?

[Weave]

No harm, no foul

As for my powers; I don't relly know how my powers work, they just do. To me walking on walls, or the roof (or anything else really) is like walking on solid ground. I don't have to do the human fly thing on all fours to climb if I don't want to. Never been to a nova doctor so I can't give you a more scientific explanation, sorry.

What I do? Well to keep it clean, I am an exotic dancer by profession and when I feel the need I act as a vigilante. I do use my powers at work but try to keep it relatively subtle. My rendition of the Dance of the Nine Veils has the club I work in packed every night.

That last power of yours sounds like a real bitch. How long have you been a Nova? I know that after a few months of not being able to have physical contact with anyone, I'd go nuts! Hope your okay with it.

[Guest]

Hey there's some cool stuff here. I have a couple of aberrations I'll share with you.

The first one only manifests when I use my energy absorption or energy transmutation powers. When I use those powers, my skin glows so brightly that to the casual observer, I look like I am made of energy. This effect lasts for a variable amount of time.

I have another aberration I'll share. Every time I use any of my powers tribal "scar" tattoos grow all over my body, originating from a tattoo that encircles my right bicep. These markings last as long as I'm using any power.

[This message has been edited by Matrix (edited 08-30-2001).]

[Guest]

Matrix,

Do you get fresh wounds or fully formed scars? If it is the former it would only be the second occassion I have hear of a directly wounding taint. (very rare indeed) The other occasion was the cases of a teenage man in Boston who erupted while slashing his wrists. His wrist wounds would reopen whenever he felt defeated, unhappy etc. Facinating case if a little tragic.

Weave,

I *have* to see you dance. On a more serious note I have been a Nova for two years now and haven't cracked yet. (I suppose most normal people like to cuddle statues?) My sense of feeling in my skin is dulled so that most things people would consider rough to the touch I see as smooth.

It is difficult sometimes but I have never been a tactile person to begin with so no harm there. The stolen memories I have taken have given me more sensation that a normal person would enjoy in a lifetime. I get by.

[Jager]

Gargoyle, do the memories you steal return to the owner over time, or are they permanently gone? Can you decide which memories you take?

[Weave]

Hey Gargoyle, or anyone interested really, come on down to Club Exotique in good old NYC. Just let me know what day your gonna show up and I'll do the number, it'll knock your socks off

I'm glad you can find some comfort from the situation caused by your powers. Wish I could help.

[Guest]

Weave,

Will do. Expect me sometime in the next few weeks.

Jager,

I don't have control over what I get, they just comes to me, which can be quite unpleasent as you can imagine. The memories return to the original owner after a short time. Anything I recall directly during that time I remember myself also. Think of the stolen memories like a TV, I can look for what I want by channel hopping and I remember anything I see without damaging the TV itself. More powerful memories sometimes come to the fore unbidden. (like the TV changing channels on its own)

The problem with this is that I remember events that are highly distracting or painful sometimes, like being mugged. I have no emotional attachment to the scene (as I said its like TV) but I am more emersed in the scene.

[Jager]

Three things:

Is the subject aware of the memory loss?

If so, have you ever considered a career as a therapist? Your ability to share traumatic events could give incredible insights into the psyches of troubled individuals.

...and all of this implies that your own sanity is holding up okay. Is it?

[Hugin]

Gargoyle, quite interesting. I developed a similar capability myself, but fortunately it is quite voluntary. It is regretable that your capabilites are not under your control, but I do know for a fact that there are Novas out there who have the capability to manipulate the expressions of taint that we develop. Perhaps you could enlist the aid of one of them?

[Guest]

Sorry its taken me so long to get back to you Gargoyle, Someone ransacked my lab looking for notes on my project and I had to waste time making sure they were caught.

I don't think I made my description clear enough though. I don't get wounds of actual scars. They're tatoos. You know those long thick black tatoos meant to resemble those tribal scars. I have a tatoo on my arm and when I use my powers it "grows" all over my body in the blink of an eye. Is that a little more clear? Man I need to learn how to write better

[This message has been edited by Matrix (edited 09-06-2001).]

[Guest]

Well I suppose everyone in turn.

Jager,

Facinating questions. The subject is generally reduced to a dribbling idiot so I would imagine they are unaware of the memory loss, although some people do exhibit remarkable resislience to it. A therapist? Me? I think my own shrink would have a field day on that one. I'm not a raving maniac by any stretch of the word if that was the question, I just have some slight issues dealing with people that I need to resolve.

Mr Meehan,

Thank you for the information. I am aware of those people you mentioned but to tell the truth I do not trust them a wit, also I have heard from a very reliable source that the effects of their work are fleeting. I am inclined to believe that I could possibly prevent this unfortunet side effect with enough training and time...maybe.

Matrix,

Good to hear from you. Glad to hear you don't have troubles like that other poor fellow. One question, was the tatoo something you got done or did it appear all on its own?

[Menagerie]

Gargoyle, not sure if this thread is deceased or not but thought I might send out a question with an aberation offering.

I erupted myself recently...so quite frankly I'm a bit new at the whole thing (i.e. the thread I started).

Question: When does one's inability to control one's own powers become an abberation?

Example mainly being myself. I've got something which tends to bring swarms of creatures of all sorts and sizes to my general vicinity. However, after a few "practice" sessions I've found that there's always at least a straggler or two hanging about. Or worse yet they seem to want to generate themselves. As I type this there's a rather less than cute monstrositron resting on my shoulder that despite my best efforts doesn't seem to be going anywhere at the moment. Another minor fiasco is when I went to the shoppe about two dozen daddy-long-legs ballooned out of my wallet as I opened it. So perhaps we're talking about an aberation but maybe I just don't have the hang of it yet...Eventually they do fade away after all. I know all about quantum backlash but outside the academic setting it seems almost like something I can't help but fall victim to. Might I ask how you recieved your aberations?...eruption(I hope)?

So should I be worried?

Inquiring Mind would love to know,

-Menagerie