[redhotray]

This is going to seem a very peculiar and indeed, a very intrepid (sorry luden ) thread that I'm posting here, but it does have a point.

See, I consider this thread to be a sort of sequal to the 'Unsure of Myself' thread I posted here a few days ago, met with excellent feedback. See, this thread (I'm hoping) will help me write the story I discussed, just a liiittle bit better.

To give you a brief overview of the story I'm working on presently, it features two humans that are born with exceptional qualities. They can use up to seventy percent of their brain capacity, and as a result both have the ability to communicate telephatically with other humans, read people's minds, they can pre-empt people, view their dreams, manipulate thoughts and feelings, and as a result, can control everything another person can do within a designated radius (say 500 yds) .

The story begins with just the one boy, who will eventually go on to become the stories central antagonist. This happens because, as he is gradually learning about his powers, he is beginning to realize what sort of impact they can have on the people around him, which inevitably leads him down a jaded path. Basically, he realizes how powerful he is, and begins to abuse those qualities, instead of putting them to good use. Due to his incredible mind, he also has access to everything that has happened in history since the dawn of time, everything that is happening in the modern day World, and he can give a damn good prediction of everything that is to come, through complex equations and thorough analyses.

The stories protagonist has the exact same qualities, except he has more character. He is more reserved than his equal, he would rather not have the power and would mask it from everyone because he is unsure, and slightly afraid of it. Yet he comes to realize, that he is the only man alive that can stop the reign of terror that is being inflicted by his counterpart. He reluctantly has to use the power he swore he wouldn't, to face off against the antagonist, in hopes of restoring world order.

I created this thread, simply because I want to know what it is a (near) perfect human would do. Since they are not using 100% brain capacity, it means that they are not perfection, but they are very close to it. How would they go about themselves? Would they speak like an english dictionary? Would they be able to process things as rapidly as a top flight computer? How would you defeat them? What would they be like?

I know a lot of what I'm asking you is relative to the World I create in my story, but I would be interested to know how you would co-ordinate said characters in a World of your own creation, or indeed, in the real world we live in.

I'm interested to see what you come up with as suggestions. I'm asking for your advice, because I really want to make my characters believable (as much as is possible anyway) in a real world environment. I'm just intrigued by people's definition of perfection.

Thank you for taking the time to read this thread, if you need me to clear something up, or if I was unclear in what I said, please let me know, and I'll be happy to explain as best as I possibly can. It's an idea that is very clear in my head right now, but I may not have made that equally so, by my words written.

Take care

Ray

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Suggested research -

Read: most anything by science fiction writer Ray Bradbury
Watch: the films Gattaca, X-Men, and X-Men2 (your characters parallel Professor Xavier and Magneto)

I'll think about your idea and get back to you.

[Ninja Dodo]

Gattaca is one messed up film...

"People used to say that a child born of love would grow up to be happy...

...

They don't say that anymore."


Anyway, I like your idea, redhotray.

Hm, he would probably be very cynical, seeing the faults in everything and everyone, and probably very philosophical too. Another possible reference is The Matrix. The Architect comes to mind... and Smith's rant about mankind.

[Zygomaticus]

I don't see perfection as something that stems from the mind, but as something that stems from the heart. Your protagonist will likely be the one with a better heart - not that his arteries aren't clogged or anything but that he's a good person; determined to use his ability for the good of humanity. And that makes him the more perfect human being, in my mind.



Intrepid: Magneto and Proffessor Xavier were the first to come to my mind too

If we are, however, talking about how a person who could use 70% of his brain would act, then I'll have to think on the topic more. But I agree, to an extent, with Ninja Dood. Given he knows so much, I have a feeling he'd be somewhat cynical; incapable of knowing the bliss of ignorance.

[Kingzjester]

Oy... Wanking off to random stats such as 70% brain capacity and 500 meter radius was never my thing. That is one of the main problems of Episode 1 in many a person's mind: Lucas tried to explain the force through Mitochondrionidideaes or whatever he called them. A lot can be gained by not explaining any of that shit outright. They don't need to know: Your protagonists don't need to know outright that they can control people within 500 meters, your readers don't need to know that these kids use 70% of their brains.

For all we know, the theory behind 'only a small part of the brain is used' bullshit could be bullshit. Perhaps scientists will figure out any day now that the 'unused' parts of the brain are actually used in a way that cephaloscans just did not pick up. For the sake of surrealism you might as well employ some outdated explanation for their talents, phrenology comes to mind (Mary Shelly made Dr. Frankenstein find answers in alchemy). The fact that they don't age all too well is my biggest beef with overly explained science fiction stories...

These überkids of yours would be extremely arrogant, cruel and bored. They would commit suicides in their mid teens.

Back to the drawing board, Sparkey.

[Toefur]

You could have a good story arise out of this; but before you write too much into, and based upon, explicitly stating the brain usage of the characters be sure to read this: http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percnt.htm

I think what you have is promising, but it might be an idea to consider another reason for the hows and whys of the special abilities the characters have.

As for how a near perfect person may behave: consider looking a little bit into buddhism.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Toefur

As for how a near perfect person may behave: consider looking a little bit into buddhism.

Yes, excellent suggestion.

[Kingzjester]

Originally Posted by Toefur

You could have a good story arise out of this; but before you write too much into, and based upon, explicitly stating the brain usage of the characters be sure to read this: http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percnt.htm

Well, there you have it. It was a myth all along. My skepticism has yet to betray me... I just hope I don't wake up in Hell one morning.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

... I just hope I don't wake up in Hell one morning.

But you go through that every day already.

[Kingzjester]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

But you go through that every day already.

Ah, touché...

[Bard09]

When I read the premise, it reminded me a lot of a lot of the comic superhero/archvillan archetypes. Xavier and Magneto came to mind, as well as Superman and Lex Luthor (especially as the television show Smallville treats them).

Are you trying to make a comment on nature vs. nuture with these two characters, redhottray? Do they know each other as children? Usually these kind of plots tend to run towards the environment shaping the paths of the "powerful" people; misfortune and tragedy mar the villain, while a compassion and understanding environment provides the hero with the "extra" that prevents them from going down the wrong road.

I'm not saying that your idea isn't creative, but keep in mind that it is touching on a lot of exhausted themes in comic mediums. I love comics (more for their development of character and drama than for the action), but this is only a warning!

I'd love to hear more about the idea and especially the story's context. Is it science-fiction (Gattaca, Matrix) or some sort of alternate reality (comic books)?

Edit: I just thought of another one! the movie Twins. Great movie, but a the two aren't strictly protagonist/antagonist the entire film.

[redhotray]

Originally Posted by Kingzjester

Oy... Wanking off to random stats such as 70% brain capacity and 500 meter radius was never my thing. That is one of the main problems of Episode 1 in many a person's mind: Lucas tried to explain the force through Mitochondrionidideaes or whatever he called them. A lot can be gained by not explaining any of that shit outright. They don't need to know: Your protagonists don't need to know outright that they can control people within 500 meters, your readers don't need to know that these kids use 70% of their brains.

So what you're saying is, I don't really need to bring the story onto a level of identification for the reader, rather I allow them to make up their own theories about the characters and the true nature of their abilities? I just thought that bringing fantasy onto the level of reality, would make things all the more easier to digest, and all the more likely to believe and buy into? Mainly, I put statistics up in this post to give people a general idea as to what I was going for with the story, and they're not necessarily going to play a major part in the story, if at all. This is still very much a first draft, and it's mainly a collaboration of ideas blended in together to try and reach an ultimate medium.

I've watched the X-Men films, as I've watched the Matrix, and although I didn't purposely model my characters after Xavier/Charles, I can certainly see similarities between both sets of characters. In fact, on further reflection, I see the two stories to be almost identical, in the sense that Magneto has this incredible power, and he wants to use it to make the humans accept mutants as a whole. Whereas Charles was more reserved and he was more patient than his friend, and wouldn't use that power against other people, because they didn't fully understand it, and that's what set them against mutants in the first place. Indeed, lots of thinking for me to do...

I neglected to mention as well, that the story is actually set on an undiscovered island, out in the deep Pacific. It's an island that is basically surviving on trade routes, and a homegrown fruit which people on other islands use as a 'Secret Ingredient' . I suppose you could say that their priminister or leaders, are a group of elders, who provide council and guidance. They get to that position, as they are descendants of the islands original discoverers. The boy wants for this power, and so with the limited resources available to him, he tries to find a way to eliminate the elders, so that he can have absolute power on the island.

The story eventually becomes a power struggle between the two seperate identities. They do not know of each others existence, until midway through the story. All they know is that, they have this special gift, and while one abuses it, the other tries to forget it's existence.

I'm still searching for ideas, and thank you all very much for your feedback. It's difficult to know what is worth putting to paper, and what should be scrapped the moment it enters your mind, when so many different ideas crop up. You can sometimes get lost in a sea of creativity, duplication and outright stupidity, and sometimes it's hard to swim to shore to look at it all from an intelligent POV.

Anymore suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you

[Tamara]

Dammit, Toefur, I was going to link to that. Redhottray -- read that snopes link. The first thing you have to know is that your protagonists using 70% of their brain giving them special powers is based in reality about as much as them coming from, say, a rabid pixie. Which in itself is fine, this is fiction. But you at least ought to be aware of what is fiction and what based in fact. I'd do some general research about the brain's capabilities and what we do know about them before starting. Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart are good factual authors (both are professors of different branches of science) who explain complex subjects in a way comprehensible to the common reader.

[ysbreker]

oh and read snowcrash by neal stephenson, it's got a nice theory about human intelligence and sentient live hidden in it..

To be more specific: Neal Stephenson talks about neurolinguistic hacking. A way to program someone elses brain by means of glossalia maybe your characters can use that in combination with their telepathy...