opnet [OpNet] Band New Nova (& new to this forum)

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Well hello there people. I'd heard this forum existed but never tried to find it until I erupted. Which I'm pretty sure I did, yesterday. I say “pretty sure” because I don't think I'm showing all of the symptoms. New novas have killer headaches, right? Mine are gone now and I feel great. Novas have to eat a lot, but I'm not that much hungrier than normal.

About four days ago I started getting real bad headaches. Late yesterday I must have blacked out. Last thing I remember was being in the lab beating my computer's mouse to death. It was old and banging it would make it start working again, when that didn't work I just hit it harder and harder. Somehow I'm at home now. I seem to have lost about eight hours.

Before you write me off as a crank, I seem to have grown about 12 inches since yesterday. I don't need glasses any more either. I also don't need a cigarette and that is pretty unusual by itself.

I still haven't figured out if I can do anything. Can't most Novas fly? How does that work? Somehow throwing myself off buildings doesn't sound bright. I guess my question is: Now what? Should I check in to one of those Project Utopia Clinics?

[Babylon]

Checking into a Rashoud Facility would certainly afford the opportunity to determine whether you've expressed an MR Node or not. If you're physically well and able to travel good, but if not you can contact the nearest facility and they'll most likely send an intervention team to your location.

Very few things can be said of most novas but there are commonalities. The headache symptomotology is classic as is an accompanying decrease in bodyfat, though that's not always immediately apparent. As far as your question about flying and other things... we're all different. We all vary with our needs, our circumstances and the expression of our quantum control.

Don't worry. Every nova knows what he, or she, is doing with the quantum. It's like having a name on the tip of your tongue or a smelling a frangrance that you just can't quite place. A little frustrating but it will come. And once you consciously recognize what you're doing then you can figure out what else you can do with some knowledge and a little diligence.

Drop me a line if you have any more questions.

Babylon

T2M-E

[Prof. Sydney 'Photon' Holland]

Quote:

Originally posted by David Smith:
Well hello there people. I’d heard this forum existed but never tried to find it until I erupted. Which I’m pretty sure I did, yesterday. I say “pretty sure” because I don’t think I’m showing all of the symptoms. New novas have killer headaches, right? Mine are gone now and I feel great. Novas have to eat a lot, but I’m not that much hungrier than normal.

Well, the headaches don't tend to last more than a few days (There are many occaisons where headaches don't occur at all). The apetite is not entirely surprising, as it often takes a few weeks for the body's metabolism to "catch up" as it were. None of this is unheard of, every nova's eruption is unique. You seem to have it quite good at the moment.

Quote:

About four days ago I started getting real bad headaches. Late yesterday I must have blacked out. Last thing I remember was being in the lab beating my computer’s mouse to death. It was old and banging it would make it start working again, when that didn’t work I just hit it harder and harder. Somehow I’m at home now. I seem to have lost about eight hours.

Ah, now this one I haven't read about in a while. It's called post-eruption amnesia, an uncommon, but not unheard of condition. It usually occurs when a person erupts under immense mental stress (as in torture-type stress), but as you prove, it can happen to many people. I lost 10 hours as a result of my eruption, but I stayed in the same location when I woke up.

Quote:

Before you write me off as a crank, I seem to have grown about 12 inches since yesterday. I don’t need glasses any more either. I also don’t need a cigarette and that is pretty unusual by itself.

Yet another relatively common occurance. Have ever heard of a psychologist named Rogers? He theorised that people have what he called a self-image, that they believed they were like, or wished they could be. Eruption often grants a person that self-image, and it often means a considerable shift in appearance and occaisonally personality.

Your new lack of cigarette addiction, however, is simple to explain - nova physiology doesn't tend to get addicted to nicotine. Your body has just accelerated the normal process of nicotine withdrawal, to the point that you've past the worst of it. You'll probably find that you're able to breathe a lot better now as well. The normal buildups in your lungs as a result of cigarette smoking have already vanished from your body (normal baselines get this for 1-2 weeks during cigarette withdrawal, and it's not pretty...)

Quote:

I still haven’t figured out if I can do anything. Can’t most Novas fly? How does that work? Somehow throwing myself off buildings doesn’t sound bright. I guess my question is: Now what? Should I check in to one of those Project Utopia Clinics?

Flight is a common ability (see the Rogers reference; Flying is a common perception of "super powers"), but only around 15% of novas have a form of aerial flight. Throwing yourself off a building is not a bright idea, unless you're certain you could survive the fall .

I'd agree that at least for the first week, you go to a Rashoud facility, if only because they are fantastically good at helping you catalog your abilities. Just be warned, that stage of the process is more tedious than possibly anything on or off earth. The amount of tests they perform on you is phenomenal!

Good luck on your new life, David. Because trust me, things are never going to be the same again...

[Jager]

Whether or not you're a nova, welcome to the boards.

My suggestion is to just take it easy. You don't seem to be suffering any debilitating effects from your eruption, so going to a facility may not be immediately necessary. There is a certain wonderment in discovering what you do all by yourself. After all, its now a natural part of yourself. Take your time. If your not a threat to your environs, there's no hurry.

I do suggest you try to piece together what happened to you during your black-out period. If nothing else, it may clue you into what you can presently do.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Thanks for the quick response.

So far I've spent a fruitless half hour trying to become one with my computer. The air conditioner stopped working at about the same time I erupted so some power over technology seemed to make sense. Given my personality, habits, and job, being able to communicate with computers seemed a given (and I know big money is there so it seemed like a good thing to check.)

While I'm sure I'm stronger, I don't seem to be super humanly strong. There was a fly buzzing around and I had a hard time catching him, so ditto with my reflexes. More positively, I tried putting a match to my finger and didn't get burned. It didn't hurt either. Then I tried the same with a pin. I couldn't get it to break my skin. Ditto with a table knife and then a kitchen knife.

It took me a while because I wasn't uncomfortable, but I looked into why the Air Conditioner was running but not working. The back door to my place is missing. God knows how I got home, I not sure I want to know the details. Now I, very vaguely, remember walking through the walls back at the lab. (I'm a Chemical Engineer Grad student. My lab is down in the basement.)

This being a nova is really neat. Still no head aches. I'm out of food, so I'll be back.

[Jager]

Hopefully you will read this before it is too late.

1. Have you checked your personal appearance? Has it changed?

2. Be careful with your emotions. Occasionally, high emotional states can be a catalyst for 'spontaneous' displays of power.

[Guest]

Dave --

May I call you Dave? Thanks.

First word of advice. Don't listen to a think that stupid fuck Babylon says. Avoid Rashoud Facilities like your life depend on it, because hey man, if you are a nova -- and I frankly don't care if you are or not -- your life and the life of future nova generations depend on you doing exactly the opposite of what anyone in Utopia tells you to do. Those fucking Frankensteins will shoot you full of drugs -- Moxinoquantamine and Andrenocilin, to be precise -- that will inhibit your abilities, retard your potential, encourage biological complacency and -- oh yeah -- render you sterile!

DO NOT call an 'Intevention Team', DO NOT visit a Rashoud Facility. DO NOT take their drugs and DO NOT whore yourself to the baseline population to attain wealth you don't need and fame that strokes your ego.

Okay, so you're a nova. Decide what you want out of life and grab onto it with both hands. No matter what bullshit anyone else will try to sell you, you now have that power. Now, more than ever. Take it. And don't sell yourself short to get it.

That's my words of advice to a burgeoning nova. Good luck.

-- Avenger

[Babylon]

And yes Dave, the erupted are a cross section of the population as illustrated.

[Teknokat]

Quote:

Originally posted by Avenger 01:
First word of advice. Don't listen to a think that stupid fuck Babylon says. Avoid Rashoud Facilities like your life depend on it, because hey man, if you are a nova -- and I frankly don't care if you are or not -- your life and the life of future nova generations depend on you doing exactly the opposite of what anyone in Utopia tells you to do. Those fucking Frankensteins will shoot you full of drugs -- Moxinoquantamine and Andrenocilin, to be precise -- that will inhibit your abilities, retard your potential, encourage biological complacency and -- oh yeah -- render you sterile!

Just one quick word, Utopia does have drug-free training programs (I know, for the week I was at a Rashoud facility, I went through it. I have a problem with any kind of drug entering my system...)

Also, I did some statistical checking, Adrenocillin does actually enhance nova capabilities by around 10-20%. I'm not saying to David to take it, however (Even if the sterility rumours are true (which I've not independently confirmed yet), Adrenocillin has addictive qualities, which can be a problem).

Quote:

DO NOT call an 'Intevention Team', DO NOT visit a Rashoud Facility. DO NOT take their drugs and DO NOT whore yourself to the baseline population to attain wealth you don't need and fame that strokes your ego.

David, take my advice. Take his advice with a grain of salt. Wait to see how your powers shape up, and how they shape you. I'm of the firm conviction that you should wait a good several weeks after any major change before you start drastically changing your lifestyle. The Teragen philosophy is not for every nova (it's certainly not for me), and has the certain problem that it's rather difficult to opt out later.

Quote:

Okay, so you're a nova. Decide what you want out of life and grab onto it with both hands. No matter what bullshit anyone else will try to sell you, you now have that power. Now, more than ever. Take it. And don't sell yourself short to get it.

Or, conversely, sell yourself short, but only if can reasonably expect to buy long later . OK, bad joke. Seriously, however, I'd recommend that when you do get your powers categorised (I agree with Sydney, if you do need help, Utopia's the best place to go for that sort of thing).

Quote:

That's my words of advice to a burgeoning nova. Good luck.

After all that, if there's one thing I cannot stress enough, it's Don't rush into anything. At this point in time, you'll be seeing a lot of new faces, and listening to a lot of seductive voices, telling you what they know is best for you.

First, escort them out the door, and rest your mind. When your abilities are sorted out, look at what you have, and think about where you'd like to take your new life. The two may not be immediately compatible, and you may need to think hard to figure out how one may help the other (and yes, it's a two-way street).

Then, and only then, should you begin to start changing your life. Remember, you are now one of the most sought-after commodities on the world market, and everyone who's anyone will try and recruit you for their own purposes. Too often, novas find themselves locked into a lifestyle they never wanted, without the courage to leave. By organising your priorities first, you can avoid that, and pick the options that best suit where you want your life to go.

Have a happy life!

Teknokat

PS, if it does turn out that you are a cyberkinetic, you might like to contact me. Not only can I give you a job offer (If that's what you want), but I'm cyberkinetic as well. I could probably give you a few pointers

[Vile Bill]

Quote:

Originally posted by David Smith:

Before you write me off as a crank, I seem to have grown about 12 inches since yesterday

Well, shit. You lucky sonofabitch. Now, matter of fact, Ol Bill didn't *need* to grow none, but hell, I wouldn't a turned down a few helpful inches. Sounds like you hit the jackpot son. Well, first thing to do, go out and get some custom tailored pants. You got it, so show it.

Oh and tell 'Venger to go stuff it. Utopia are a bunch of stuffnuts, that's to be sure, but the drugs are nice as hell and one of the few buzzs that you can still get. Fact is, they also help a newbie out something awful. Keep ya from burning out or freakin out.

Now, as for the money, again, Avenger ol boy, you know jack shit about jack shit. Money you don't need? Man, I ain't seen a bull big enough for that pile of shit. Listen cherry, you a Nova now. That means your insurance rates just went through the fuckin roof. You now need to eat four or five times as much as you used to, and the last time I checked The Food King don't hand over a stack of steaks just cuz you got purty. You are gonna need an answering service, you are gonna need an agent and you gonna need a lawyer.

Now homestyle, you might note I ain't asked you shit about what you wanna do with your life, but I still said you need help. Cuz little man, thats the truth. You done let the cat out of the bag. You are the good lookin slut at the Prom now baby, so get used to the attention. The agent and the lawyer will make sure you don't fuck yourself too damn hard in the meantime. The answering service will make sure that you still talke to mom n pop without having to wade through a pile of messages as long as your new dick.

Now, if you didn't get dicked totally by the MR Node fairy, you probably got at least enough to pull down some good cash at one of the better nova hiring agencies, and sonny jim, I work for the best.

Bum bum bummmmm!!!!!

DEVRYES!!!!

Tell 'em I sent you and they'll treat you nice. If you are lucky and that MR NODE Fairy done let you get all the way to third with her nasty ass you might have gotten lucky enough to cash in on the skillz to be one of the Elite. If thats the case, you finish your first mission and the drinks are on Ol Bill.

See you later stud. Don't be wastin time with Babs or The Avenging Stud though. They talk too much.

Hey, Babs baby!! How come you never call me back? What, were you just using a poor country boy?

[Teknokat]

Bill, I'm not sure that's what he meant. I get a feeling he meant height, not, umm, length...

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Hey there, I'm back. I'd say, definitely a nova. I tried doing some running over at the track and field building on the way back from the store. Three four-minute miles didn't wind me. Prior to this a single flight of stairs would leave me breathing hard. Prof. Holland was right, my appetite is increasing. Still no head aches. I'm positive now that I remember walking through the basement wall at the Chem-E building, but I have no clue how this happened. I get the feeling I'm missing something obvious, but the walls seem pretty solid right now.

Yes, I did mean 12 inches taller (only a little bit longer). That now makes me a hair more than 6 ft. I don't look different… well… I look better or at least healthier now. But I think I'm pretty much the same. If “pretty much the same” is “12 inches taller with 80 lbs more muscle, no glasses, and clearer skin”?

This morning has been something of a downer. I've been stupid. And I mean that literally. I've been reviewing my thesis, and have come to the conclusion that it is crap. I've spent the last three years trying to prove something about EuFiber (the general idea was to point the way to the next Op-net). What my paper tried to prove, I spent 20 minutes this morning disproving. That's 3 years, 300 pages, thousands of man-hours, and 10's of thousands of dollars, all down the toilet. Really, really depressing and irritating. On top of that, my main store of EuFiber was maybe 2 feet from me when I erupted. I can't even guess what happened to it. I think it is time to face the music and head over to the basement of the Chem-E building (I've only been writing this from my place).

[Babylon]

Take it in stride, David. Its not the last time you'll feel less than thrilled remembering your 'baseline' exploits. And take your time to examine all the things that seemed so important to a couple of weeks ago. Closure is important.

[Jager]

Just glad you made it back home. Clarity of thought is a grand thing, but not always a blessing as you may soon discover. Take care.

[Guest]

There have been many good points raised in this thread that you will want to consider. There is something to be said for discovering and developing your powers on your own - the early novas did not have access to Rashoud facilities or the like, but this can be a troubling or confusing experience if your abilities are not immediately obvious.

Like Babylon, I would reccommend going to a Rashoud facility. They have handled thousands of novas and very little surprises them anymore. They will push you to discover your strengths within days. Vile Bill brings up DeVries, and I must admit, I have heard good things about their facilities and staff. However, there are drawbacks to each choice. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Bill) I believe that DeVries will require a contract of some sort before you are treated at their facilities, in order for them to recoup their costs. I have also heard that DeVries facilities push the new novas to develop more almong combative lines, in order to increase their cadre of Elites. They won't force you to go that route, but they will certainly encourage it - should that be your desire, listen to Bill - he has a wealth of experience regarding DeVries in this forum. On the other hand, you have Utopia's Rashoud facilities. If you go there, you will not be required to sign any contracts nor pay any amount. Rashoud facilities are free and you incur no costs while there. However, Utopian recruiting agents have become much more aggressive of late, and you may find yourself inundated by hard- and soft-sell pitches whenever you are not in training. Just remember you have no obligation to sign and you should do fine (unless you WANT to join Utopia, in which case you training will intensify far beyond what the average uninterested nova will get out of a Rashoud clinic).

If you choose not to go to a Rashoud clinic or DeVries, there are several lesser nova clinics, some of them run by local governments, but I wouldn't consider them a good choice - too little experience with novas and not enough media exposure to force them into good behavior. Your last choice would be to find an unaffiliated nova or a nova you know and respect and see if they would take on a mentoring role. This would be an unlikely situation, as whoever mentored you would certainly have some form of ulterior motive, which brings us back to DeVries and Utopia: both have motives of their own in training you, but both have their movites out in the open where you can see them.

Whatever you decide, good luck. You probably will not have much time to decide by yourself. OpNet forums like this are constantly monitored by interested parties looking for posts just like yours. Expect the company (and pressure) of a great many recruiters in the next couple of days. Don't be surprised if they show up at your home or work, and don't sign anything until you have had a lawyer look it over. Take Vile Bill's advice as soon as you can:

,,

Quote:

You are gonna need an answering service, you are gonna need an agent and you gonna need a lawyer.

I don't know about the agent, but hiring an answering service and a lawyer soon is the best thing you can do to protect yourself from your "new best friends."

Keep posting - I'm curious to know how things will work out for you. Welcome to a new world.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Vile Bill:
...you gonna need a lawyer...

Wow, you were right.

I'd say I'm in trouble. Anyone know a good lawyer?

Well, I need to watch the news more often, but then I've been busy, in more ways than one. The good news is that at least two thirds of the Chem-E building is still standing. The bad news is that maybe half of the north side is now in the parking lot, and most of the remaining north side has collapsed. The police, fire trucks, and T2M(?!) have mostly left, and from what I gathered by talking to people wandering about, the general consensus seems to be that it was a Teragen attack.

No word about dead, injured, and/or missing. It was about 3 am, maybe I was the only one there? The local news might know more. And yes, my lab is (used to be?) under the North side. Just eyeballing it, I'd say that the collapse starts at about where my lab would be. I'd also bet that my answering machine isn't working again, surely someone tried to call me about this?

There is something odd about the placement of the debris in the parking lot. I'm no expert in explosives, but it looks too evenly placed to be an explosion. Obviously, some significant events happened during my missing eight hours. I can't help but feel that the key to all this is still in the basement. I'll try sneaking back into the building tonight. Maybe this wasn't my fault? Novas often erupt when other novas use their powers, right? Or is that just denial?

[Prof. Sydney 'Photon' Holland]

Quote:

Originally posted by David Smith:
Wow, you were right.

I’d say I’m in trouble. Anyone know a good lawyer?

OK. On the plus side, erupting novas have gotten out of worse (me being a case in point. Try typing in "Monash Disaster" into the N! News Archive. Yup, that's me...). But, Lawyer is a good idea. Check the Utopia Yellow Pages, it has an international list of lawyers with experience in nova laws in their respective countries.

A note though, the correlation does not mean causation. It's possible it was a nova attack, and you just erupted to save yourself (and might explain the amnesia). At this point, you're looking at the effects, and extrapolating. Did you cause the damage? Or did the damage cause the eruption?

Just something to think about...

[Babylon]

Just to cut to the chase; eruption is generally considered an 'act of god' in the legal world, i.e. the individual cannot be held responsible for erupting or for the initial impact of secondary effects associated with eruption.

Any act you consciously make using the quantum abilities at your disposal are not considered acts of god regardless of whether you've been a nova for 1 year or 1 microsecond. And of course you're going to have variations between legal systems such as comparing Iran to the United Kingdoms.

[Guest]

Quote:

Novas often erupt when other novas use their powers, right? Or is that just denial?

Eruptions generally happen under great stress. I think being in the middle of a nova attack counts. Some people have also erupted from mere exposure to quantum energy, so it is not unreasonable to assume you erupted in reaction to a nova presence.

Quote:

the general consensus seems to be that it was a Teragen attack.

Why Teragen? Depending on what projects you and the university were working on, I would be much more suspect of Greenwar than the Teragen. Hardcore environmentalist attacks on universities that they perceive as threatening are not uncommon.

Quote:

A note though, the correlation does not mean causation. It's possible it was a nova attack, and you just erupted to save yourself (and might explain the amnesia). At this point, you're looking at the effects, and extrapolating. Did you cause the damage? Or did the damage cause the eruption?

Consider Professor Holland's words carefully. It is possible that you erupted and caused the damage. It is also possible that there was an attack or accident and you erupted as a result. Do not assume blame yet.

Get the lawyer. If you go to DeVries or a Rashoud facility, they will provide a lawyer as well (DeVries will charge you and will likely fight any charges off in court while Utopia will bring its massive PR might to bear and spin the incident to your benefit or otherwise smooth out any damages before anything can come to trial). However, an independent lawyer would be your best bet at the moment. But after you get a lawyer, own up to being in the lab before the authorities figure it out on their own - and they will. Then get some form of help/treatment for your amnesia and new state of being. If you act responsibly, then you are much less likely to suffer any negative consequences.

And remember, you are posting in an open forum. Anything you say in here can be used in court if you are arrested, and so you should act quickly now that you have realized that there was a catastrophic event associated with your eruption.

[Babylon]

David,

Not to stand in opposition to Mr. Nashoba but being open to the possibility of having erupted in the presence of quantum manipulations isn't quite the same as assuming that was the cause. To my knowledge no one has managed to do more than catalog the possible triggers for eruptions. Actually, asserting that something was or was not the trigger event is a little bit of a stretch at this point in our knowledge.

And as much as I hate to say this, I've done enough preliminary investigation work to know that in the absence of evidence everyone automatically assumes Teragen involvement. Go figure.

Now David, at this point I'm going to give you my one and only piece of actual advice. And to be fair, it's echoing the sentiments of Mr. Nashoba though it probably will sound a little harsher than the manner in which he put it.

Stop screwing around and deal with this situation now.

Sorry, kiddo but its beginning to sound as though you don't have the luxury of long lingering fond farewells with your old life or time to play junior detective. It's only fear that's slowing you down now so deal with the fear and then do what you need to do. That means prioritizing your efforts instead of haring off after the next thing to catch your attention. And if you can't deal with it then call the RF number and give them everything you've got. Under the circumstance you'll have an intervention team in a few hours.

And to be honest? There's probably one on the way now.

Mr. Nashoba

You're still invited to fly with me.

[ 06-27-2002: Message edited by: Babylon ]

[Guest]

Quote:

Not to stand in opposition to Mr. Nashoba but being open to the possibility of having erupted in the presence of quantum manipulations isn't quite the same as assuming that was the cause.

True. Possible is not the same as probable.

Quote:

Mr. Nashoba
You're still invited to fly with me.

Ah, how can I resist such an invitation twice? Which Utopia office are you stationed out of? I'll see if I can find the time to drop by.

[Jager]

David, it might be wise to not post your plans on an open forum. Returning to 'the scene of the crime' may not be wise.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Nashoba:
It is possible that you erupted and caused the damage. It is also possible that there was an attack or accident and you erupted as a result. Do not assume blame yet.

At the moment, this effect seems a little... large... for me. Not only do I not seem to have anything on this scale, I don't seem to even have anything in this theme. I'm not accidentally freezing things, or burning them, or making them float, or anything.

I just don't seem to have any active powers. Before I volunteer to put myself in a cage, I'd like to see some hint that says I'm a public menace. The only additional info I've found out since my last post is that my chess score has gone up by about 400 points (2100+). There are a few baselines who can beat me, but there aren't many of them. Not bad for someone who barely plays.

As for informing the authorities, I have. I called the police and had them take my name off the missing persons list. I also let them know that I made it out on my own. It's 2am, they might figure it out by noon.

I also called a lawyer's office. All of you are right, it's that time. 7am sharp we'll meet. What kind of world is it when you have to hire a lawyer before seeing a doctor? Its odd. I've been up 2 days straight and although I could sleep, I don't feel the need for it.

As for posting things in a public forum... we'll see.

[Guest]

At the moment, this effect seems a little... large... for me. Not only do I not seem to have anything on this scale, I don't seem to even have anything in this theme. I'm not accidentally freezing things, or burning them, or making them float, or anything.

I just don't seem to have any active powers.

You did mention a vague memory of walking through walls to get out of the building. It might just be me but a: this sounds like the doors weren't feasible. And b: that also sounds like an active power.

,,

Before I volunteer to put myself in a cage, I'd like to see some hint that says I'm a public menace.

You aren't blowing things up right now from what you say. So even if it was you they won't lock you up. Damage caused during an eruption is not generally considered the fault of the new nova.

Admittedly all I did when I erupted was completely twist the lift I was stuck in out of shape before teleporting out but I didn't even have to pay for it. (Erupting cured my claustrophobia as well but not until the damage was done)

The only additional info I've found out since my last post is that my chess score has gone up by about 400 points (2100+). There are a few baselines who can beat me, but there aren't many of them. Not bad for someone who barely plays.

Heck, I couldn't beat you

As for informing the authorities, I have. I called the police and had them take my name off the missing persons list. I also let them know that I made it out on my own. It's 2am, they might figure it out by noon.

They'll probably send someone to get a statement since at the very least you're a witness. I haven't been watching the news so I haven't seen anything about this yet. Do they have any eyewitness accounts that might shine a light on the events?

I also called a lawyer's office. All of you are right, it's that time. 7am sharp we'll meet. What kind of world is it when you have to hire a lawyer before seeing a doctor? Its odd. I've been up 2 days straight and although I could sleep, I don't feel the need for it.

I think all of us can go longer without sleep and I have friends who don't sleep at all since they erupted.

As for posting things in a public forum... we'll see. [/QB]

At least it means you've nothing to hide. That or you're throwing us a line to cover up what happened.

Twist

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Babylon:
...in the absence of evidence everyone automatically assumes Teragen involvement.

...you'll have an intervention team in a few hours. And to be honest? There's probably one on the way now.

Babylon, you called it right. Or maybe that wasn't just a guess? Well, Project Utopia got me. I have to admit that their intervention team did a good job and used a *much* lighter touch than I would have thought. I'm currently in their New York Rashoud center. It's not bad; obviously I even have Op-Net access. Hey, look me up if you are in town. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

RE: Public posting. People tend to see what they expect to see, or that is what I was counting on. Another thing to note is that “Smith” is a very common name. If I'd called myself “John Doe” everyone would have seen through me right off. The real David Smith has a lab just a few rooms down from mine, and I happen to know he is in the outbacks of Michigan. The upshot is that I wasn't really expecting to be tracked down this early, although that crack about going back to the lab was a mistake (or maybe I wanted to get caught?) Whichever, I wasn't as clever as I thought. On a side note: the bad part about getting smarter is that you look back at the decisions you made and can't believe them.

Anyway, since I had about 5 free hours after my last entry, I decided to go back to the lab after all. Getting in was pretty easy, I have keys and the building was empty while the authorities decide whether it is going to fall down.

Sometimes we just don't want to figure things out. The clues were all there but I just didn't want to see what they added up to. It came together for me when I saw this tremendous mass of green and purple eufiber down in the basement. My small sample had grown into a several hundred pound monstrosity. I think it was glad to see me. The part I was nearest drifted up and formed a gray sweat suit. But the previous colors had explained everything. Skipping the many unpleasant and confused memories, as near as I can tell the order of events the other day was this:

(1) I erupt.
(2) The eufiber “erupts” along with me. It swells to an enormous size, bursts out of its container, and envelops me. It fills my mouth and, for the most part, covers my eyes.
(3) I panic and run for help.
(4) Not realizing that I'm now 10+ feet tall, I badly misjudge where the wall is and run through it.
(5) It would appear that when someone runs through a load-bearing basement wall, the immediate result is the collapse of that part of the building.
(6) Buried alive, I try to lift the rubble off of me…
(7) …and throw half the building's North side into the parking lot.
(8) I rip off the eufiber and flee, bare ass naked, into the night.

At about the time I realized all this, a woman kind of… faded in. She was wearing a T2M uniform. She raised one eyebrow and asked if I'd seen enough. I just nodded. She said, “You need help. There is a truck outside.” And well, here I am.

It turns out I have an active power after all. One of the doctors called it a “link form”. Basically I'm a single form shapechanger. My other form is 10+ feet tall, has flesh like stone, muscles like a mitoid, and green skin. All I need is a pair of purple pants and I'll be violating several major copyrights. I shared my lab with a guy who left comics in it on occasion. I guess this is punishment for reading them. It could be worse; I could have a large fin on my head.

[Jager]

Take care, Dr. Banner.

I am left remembering one of my mother's favorite songs. It was by Queen and she played it alot after she broke up with a boyfriend.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
I am left remembering one of my mother's favorite songs. It was by Queen and she played it alot after she broke up with a boyfriend.

??? I must have missed that one.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
Take care, Dr...

Not "Doctor" just yet. But PU has several accelerated programs for the newly mega smart. Hopefully by the time I get out of here I'll have finished my degree. And I think I'll keep "Smith" for now.

[Nimrod]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
Take care, Dr. Banner.

I am left remembering one of my mother's favorite songs. It was by Queen and she played it alot after she broke up with a boyfriend.

"Fat bottomed girls"?

[Jager]

Dr. Smith...okay, but beware of space exploration.

Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!!!

Nimrod, close, but no cigar.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
...one of my mother's favorite songs. It was by Queen....

"Don't lose your head"?
"I'm Going Slightly Mad"?
"Save Me"?
"It's A Hard Life"?

Quote:

Originally posted by Jager:
Dr. Smith...

That's a point. I really need a name. Hmmm. Dr. Green? Dr. Jade? Jade Titan?
Smart Brick?

[Teknokat]

Well, I think Jade's been taken by at least one Nova, last time I checked. How about Verde? Maybe Terra (That's Green if you ROT-13 it...)?

Or, you can just not bother. Nova names are fine if you intend to brand yourself to the public, but if you intend to keep your life fairly similar to your own, (and don't intend to bring out action figures) the name you're born with should suffice...

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

My general situation is shaping up here. I was really hopping for more cerebral gifts but I guess the quantum genie thought otherwise. I did receive a little boost to my intellect, but the “bulk” of my gift is tied up in my other form. My other form is impressively, absurdly strong and durable… no, that doesn't quite describe it. The resemblance is more than skin deep. When I'm green; strength, stamina, durability, and healing are all easily in the upper 5% of novadom. I'm pretty sure I could shrug off even really heavy weapons, although finding a sane way to test this is beyond me.

The downside is that, for a nova, I'm slow. I'm also broke. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to pay for my eruption mishap, i.e. that building, the people I put in the hospital, and/or the associated legal fees. There really isn't much to controlling my powers so I figure I'll be discharged in about 3 weeks. (Figuring out how to pick up eggs while green has been much harder than figuring out how to get green.) I think I'll also have my PhD in Chemical Engineering by then (I was pretty close before that).

Utopia is (of course) pushing the “join Utopia” party line, but I don't think I'm photogenic enough for T2M. My other self is intimidating. Fiscally speaking, does anyone have some advice? More specifically, does low level smarts pay more than lots of strength?

[Teknokat]

Minor Hyper-Intelligence is certainly better than none. Consider the case of me. In Hyper-intelligence terms, I'm something of a Savant. Unlike Prodigy, who is the undisputed master of, well, just about anything he sets one of his minds to, my hyperintelligence is set primarily to the understanding of machinery. Apart from that, I'm mentally nothing special, at least on the Nova Scale of Intelligence.

However, despite that, I have a burgeoning company, that leaves me plenty of time to do a lot of experimentation and the like. A nice life.

But, in the long run (and you can run the figures yourself), Physical prowess pays much higher bills than Mental prowess. This doesn't mean you have to go extensively with your Physical prowess, but on the plus side, having a degree of hyperintelligence does mean that your survival rate is going to be significantly higher.

In the end, it's up to you. Your mind is the key, and with it no cell can hold you, no door can bar your way. Remember that always.

[Stigmata]

It was recomended to me that I should properly introduce myself.

My name is Florida Keys (don't fucking laugh, I hate my parents) Anyways, I go by Stigmata now.

I'm pretty much in between jobs, not a fan of corporations or organizations or false ideologies, therefore, finding something i want to do is not so easy. I was a good musician for a basline but not that great of one for a nova. Other than that, the control I have over my blood doesn't seem to open up too many opportunites.

Anyways, Hi I'm Stigmata.

[David 'Dr. Troll' Smith]

Quote:

Originally posted by Stigmata:
Other than that, the control I have over my blood doesn't seem to open up too many opportunites.

Anyways, Hi I'm Stigmata.

Hello yourself Stigmata, and welcome to the forums. When you say "control over blood", what does that mean?

[Preston]

I imagine I should say hello as well. Greetings to all. I have been observing for some time, but I now feel that I should pitch in and let my presence be known.

[Twist]

Quote:

Originally posted by Preston:
I imagine I should say hello as well. Greetings to all. I have been observing for some time, but I now feel that I should pitch in and let my presence be known.

Hello and welcome to the madhouse.

This is possibly the only place short of the amp room where novas of all different types and affiliations hold something approaching a civilized conversation (note only approaching) instead of trying to kill each other.

Twist

[Stigmata]

You'll have to forgive that I'm not even the slightest bit scientific minded.

What I mean about my blood is exactly that, I have complete control over it. I can harden it and use it as a weapon if need be and project it. This was extremely painful at first but I seem to be able to replenish what I use and heal from the exit wounds almost immediatly. What I'm just figuing out is that once it leaves my body, I still have control over it and can manipulate it to a certain degree. That can be particurlarly interesting when it has entered another lifeforms bloodstreem. That's about it for now. I'm still learning though.

[Stigmata]

oh, and hello to you too Preston

[Terin]

Well, since it seems everyone else is introducing themselves at this particular moment I suppose I'll do the same thing...

Hi, I'm Terin. Happy to meet all of you. Quite confused but still, I'm a fast learner, I'm sure I'll catch on to this whole being a Nova thing.

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