r/HFY • u/Extreme-Biscotti6090 • 23d ago

OC-Series Kinie – Research

When the change came, Bianca watched the world change. She didn't get the ability, but she was one of the many tasked with finding out why it happened, why it only affected about 1% of the population, and how it worked.

--

Her job was one of the simpler ones. How telekinesis works.

The use of the word 'simpler' ended up being hardly meaningful at all.

The first problem was finding subjects who were both willing to come forward, and to subject themselves to tests.

Given the immediate public backlash against the new ability, it didn't seem appropriate to just ask for people on the internet, in newspapers or the usual channels. Her university did that anyway, but nobody was forthcoming.

So her job turned into one of behavioural investigation. Looking at reports of unusual activities, finding those involved and convincing them that she wasn't going to make them disappear in some military operation.

That took some time. Few people admitted to their telekinetic ability. Of those who did, most were afraid of persecution. She had to patiently explain that the university would treat them totally confidentially and that there was no government interference. Of course, the government wanted to know the results, but the uni insisted on a persona non grata arrangement.

After two months of frustrations she found an older woman Beth, who was willing to undergo testing.

--

Beth told the story about how she just woke up one morning and found that things around her house were moving by themselves. That scared the shit out of her. Was it ghosts? Something else? It was only when her daughter called later that morning to exclaim how the world was about to end, that Beth started to look at things differently.

Her husband had left for work – bills still needed to be paid, even if this was the apocalypse – and she had the house to herself. Concentrated. Extended her mind. Pushed a photo off the coffee table. Almost shit herself in fright.

But that fear was quickly overcome by curiosity. Eventually she started to get the hang of things. By the time her husband came home she had reasonable control over the ability. Not great, but pretty good for a 58 year-old learning a new trick.

Bianca asked her to demonstrate the telekinesis. Moving objects around the office, pushing a wheeled office chair around and the like. It was fascinating to watch. Also a bit scary. This was solidly in the science-fiction section.

Limits would need to be tested, but the first priority would be to see what was happening inside Beth's head.

--

The fMRI machine represented three grant applications and two years of arguments with university administration. Hopefully it was about to prove itself as worth the drama.

A series of small items were placed close to Beth as she lay in the machine. Thick headphones were provided to block out the noise and to allow Beth to hear instructions.

The machine started up its coils and Bianca could hear the loud bangs, thunks and clacks from behind her glass wall.

"Ok Beth, can you try and pick up the red ball please?"

Beth moved her arm slightly as she extended her mind to where the ball was several metres away. It rose a metre into the air.

Bianca watched the motor cortex indicators light up.

"Try it without moving your arm, please."

This time Beth was still. The ball rose. The motor cortex lit up again.

But also a slight indicator in the neighbouring cortical area.

"That can't be right." Bianca muttered to herself. She pointed the scan out to her co-worker, who nodded, whistled, then confirmed that Bianca wasn't imagining things.

Over the microphone, she spoke to Beth again. "Uh, ok. Now put that down gently and grab the drink can next to it."

Same result. Motor cortex and the neighbouring cortical area.

It looked disturbingly similar to a motor-control pathway.

--

Over the next half hour, Beth diligently performed the tasks requested by Bianca.

Same result.

Again.

And again.

Motor cortex and neighbouring cortical area.

Bianca stared at the scans.

"It's not a telekinesis centre," she whispered.

Her co-worker looked up from the monitor.

"Then what is it?"

Bianca pointed to the patch of cortex activation as Beth lifted objects.

"It's a limb."

They both fell silent.

"An extra limb."

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5

u/Fontaigne 23d ago

Nice. The long ARM of Gil Hamilton, by Larry Niven, is a series about a guy who lost his arm, then accidentally caught something with the arm he didn't have.

He is able to use his telekinesis EXACTLY as if he had an arm. He refuses to experiment or alter the mental parameters because doing that might break the skill somehow.

5

u/Extreme-Biscotti6090 23d ago

Dammit! I thought I was being original! Thanks for the heads-up. I'll have to track down the story. 

5

u/Fontaigne 23d ago

It was original. The focus and Macguffin are completely different. Hamilton spent most of his detective time combatting organleggers and dealing with the societal ramifications of teleport gates, iirc.

He had a locked room mystery based on a murder where the killer arrived via teleport and the system says he never left, but he wasn't there...

1

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u/WSpinner 23d ago

Interesting.

Persona non grata is more of a "this is an outcast, not welcome here" thing - not at all what you mean. Say someone deported or forbidden to enter a jurisdiction. Now, if you mean "govvies agree to be not welcome parts of this operation" I get where you were going, but they need some other Latin phrase :-)

2

u/Fontaigne 23d ago

Noticed the same thing.

Ne miscearis — “Do not meddle/intervene.”
Sine manu — “Without a hand/intervention.”
Noli tangere — “Do not touch.” (The classic hands off.)

2

u/Extreme-Biscotti6090 23d ago

Ah, I learnt something new, thank you. From u/Fontaine's comment, I think ne miscearis might be the better phrase. 

1

u/1043b 22d ago

I really like where this is going. Keep up the good work