Introduction to Anomalous Mechanics and Powers Studies.

The essential question asked by any setting involving superhuman abilities is this: how much power should a human being have? From the crooked villains of silver-age comic books, we learn that often, a great deal of power opens the floodgates of repressed evil within one’s heart, while to others, a great deal of power may be used for good reasons. Power in itself has become a very nuanced term, and so I will go into a good deal of detail about that.

Power is, really, at base, the ability to do something. You can breathe through your nose and out through your mouth; that in itself is a power. You can regenerate from wounds, given a few days and proper treatment, and that too is a power. So on and so forth. Of course, we naturally never think of these as “powers” in the traditional sense, as they’re so mundane that most animals have them. However, noting them as different from other powers is very important. Consider an alien species who can communicate with one another non-verbally via psychic transmission; this too is a “power,” but to them, like breathing is to us, this power is so mundane as to not be particularly powerful at all. Thus, for the sake of our purposes, we will refer to these as “abilities” rather than powers. Note that, for instance, the ability to lift a truck and throw it at 100 miles per hour might, for some yet unknown species, be simply an “ability” rather than a power.

ABILITIES:

	There are 3 general categories of “abilities” which can occur naturally and non anomalously. There are:

Biological Abilities, or those abilities which are a consequence of one’s biological makeup and stature. In humans, the ability to lift weights and exert muscular force is a Biological Ability.

Psychic Abilities, or those abilities which are a consequence of the makeup of one’s mind. In humans, the ability to add 2 and 2 together and receive 4, or the ability to predict upcoming events and prepare for them, are Psychic Abilities.

Mystic Abilities, or those abilities which are a consequence of higher forces being manipulated, controlled, etc. Humans do not naturally possess Mystical Abilities, but an example might be possessing innate potential in the field of the esoteric.

Without the aid of strictly superhuman powers, all of these abilities and their subsequent iterations may be attained. Human beings do not naturally have very high potential in any of these areas by comparison to other sentient life, but you can easily see the point; one may train their Biological Abilities to superhuman levels by using steroids, exercising incessantly, supplementing their diet with macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients, and so on. The same goes for the latter two, albeit much more difficult; one could train their mind, a la Sherlock Holmes, to predict the activities and mannerisms of people based off of increasingly diminishing evidence, extrapolated to the point of parody, and so on. Attaining these abilities would require no anomalous or otherwise transmundane methods; by eating more, one would have the required energy to lift large objects without violating conservation of energy, and so forth. Superhuman abilities as we traditionally think of them, however, inherently violate the natural laws of the universe with which we are accustomed and so are treated as anomalies.

An important note, however, is that these abilities, mundane as they are, can be attained, unlocked, or enhanced by anomalous means; for instance, one could attain a superhuman ability in the traditional sense which allows them to read minds; this ability is not self-contained, but operates in conjunction with and anomalously enhances the already existing mental faculties of the individual in order to allow them feats of intellect not normally possible given the constraints of their mind and consciousness. The same may be said for mystical abilities; though one could feasibly train themselves, with excessive time and effort, to use real, tangible mystical abilities, having a superhuman anomaly which enhances one’s abilities beyond what mundane human capacities allow would greatly improve this process. So on and so forth.


SUPERPOWERS: An introduction to the field of Anomalous Mechanics and Superhuman Studies.

	As understood by the scientific community, superhuman abilities manifest in the form of what is referred to as a “Point,” both in a very literal and metaphorical sense. Anomalies seem to manifest themselves for a distinct “purpose”, thus the “Point” of the power in a less esoteric sense. For instance, one who is under extreme mental strain may suddenly develop highly potent mental abilities, the “Point” of the power being to alleviate the mental distress on the individual. Powers do not manifest easily, however, and do not manifest according to any distinct pattern; one man may develop superhuman strength to save his family trapped beneath rubble, and 2,999 similar subjects would not. However, the “Point” of a power can be thought of as the meaning of the power itself and also as a mathematical point.

	There are two almighty forces in this world which theoretical sciences and superhuman/anomalous sciences point towards; there is one called the “Ad Deus,” (or the “Above God”) and the “Sub Deus,” (or the “Below God”). Though these concepts are highly theoretical, and their nature may only be ascertained by their effects rather than their conditions, they are useful on a conceptual level for hypothesizing about and ascertaining the nature of absolute power and powers in general.

	The Ad Deus may be thought of both as a mathematical graph and as the Hand of God, the former used for more empirical and the latter for more conceptual purposes. The severed Hand of God, in itself, has no agency; that is, though it may have at its disposal the weight of the almighty, it cannot act on its own accord to exercise its omnipotence. It is the world, time, life, death, and all things, but is, just as the world, time, life, and deaths essentially dead. Time cannot knock on your door and beat you to death with a hammer, though we say “Time cures all wounds,” “Time flies,” and the like. So too is it the case with the Ad Deus.

	When thinking of the Ad Deus as a mathematical graph, the Ad Deus has on its surface an infinite number of potential “Points,” corresponding to a minuscule, differential portion of the full omnipotence of the Ad Deus. When one possesses a “Point”, they possess a differential portion of omnipotence, manifested as a distinctive superhuman power. This is the more literal and empirical way of looking at a “Point.” A “Point,” may shift, become more or less precise, overlap with other “Points,” and so on. Multiple Points may form lines, areas, graphs, integrals, slopes, or even continually changing forms of these when the Point itself is a function of time. An entire revision of Dénes Kőnig’s original graph theory has been formed for the purposes of the study of Anomalous Mechanics, with Point Expansion Theory, Integration of Point Populations, and so on all being consequences of this re imagining and repurposing of the original theory. The sexy new topics in STEM today are such subjects as Third-Dimensional Point Theorem, Quantum Points, and so forth. We will discuss the basics of Point Mechanics further, but for now an understanding that a superhuman ability, and for that matter anomalies in general, can be empirically equated, evaluated, and understood at least on a purely surface level by imagining them as points on a graph.

	The Sub Deus, inversely, therefore, has no power of its own. Unlike the Hand of God, the Sub Deus is the antithesis to power; it is consciousness itself. It has no ability to enact change in any capacity of its own accord, and can be imagined as omniscience confined to a glass box, or a function, much like the Ad Deus can be imagined as the Hand of God or a graph.
The Sub Deus, though far less understood than the Ad Deus, is the independent variable which determines points, the functions of points, the overlap of points, the areas which points take up, and so forth. In the abstract, one can think of the Sub Deus as a demon with a pen, who can draw whatever points and shapes he likes on the Ad Deus, doling out powers, creating anomalies, and generally bastardizing physics as he sees fit; not through his own power, mind you, but by manipulation of the Ad Deus, which is capable of action, but not agency, while the Sub Deus is capable of agency, but not action. In order for the Ad Deus to function, the Sub Deus is necessary, and vice versa.

	Though not known to the scientific community, the Sub Deus conceptually encompasses both The Egregores and humans themselves, as well as all other conscious life. The Ad Deus, which is the world, does not exist without consciousness. The Sub Deus, which is consciousness, does not exist without the world. This is why The Egregores can awaken powers in humans, and also why humans, though finding a “point” of their own to life, can awaken powers by themselves; The Egregores hold a great deal of sway over the Sub Deus because they are beings of aggregate consciousness, but a minuscule individual consciousness also holds some sway over the machinations of the Sub Deus, thus allowing a small number of humans to attain superhuman power simply by attaining personal enlightenment.

	The only known side effect of possessing superhuman abilities, across the board, appears to be lucid dreams, of a varying nature and themes, but in general all Supers consistently have lucid dreams. In the purely theoretical, this is thought to be the consciousness of the Super interacting with the Sub Deus on a deeper level and, because the Super possesses a Point all themselves, their influence on the actions of the Sub Deus are solidified, and their consciousness integrates into the ultimate consciousness of the Sub Deus itself. Of course, there is very little study on the subject of these dreams, as far more important matters are typically on the minds of scholars, such as replicating and systematizing the process by which one may attain powers to elevate humanity to a higher level of operation, applying superhuman and anomalous mechanics to medicine, engineering, and so on.



	INTRODUCTION TO POINT THEORY:

	It is generally believed that strong conscious effects upon people, and the strong conscious effects of people themselves, are linked to the assertion of a point by the Sub Deus. That is, when some Freudian element of one’s consciousness is strongly exerted or overexerts itself above other personal elements, a point is formed by the exertion of that portion of one’s consciousness. As currently understood by science, Points for the purposes of Superhuman Studies are categorized into 5 possible groups:

Black Points, which are typically attained when the “point” of the granted power is negative in nature. For instance, a Black Point may be attained when one is harmed, under extreme stress, under the effects of mental disease, and so on. The purpose and meaning behind the attainment of the power is to alleviate pain, and so when pain, mental or otherwise, becomes more pronounced, the meaning behind that point becomes greater, and thus the effects of that point become explosively stronger, shown mathematically by the Black Point becoming more precise, the limit as X approaches infinity of this point’s precision being an irrational number represented by the symbol Psi. Psi is approximately 13.73281220, and memorizing it to a large number of digits is a popular pastime, much like Pi. Psychologically, a Black Point is associated with the Id, with instinct, and with emotion.

Red Points, which are typically attained when the “point” of the granted power is for some willful purpose or end. For instance, a Red Point could be attained when one wishes to run a marathon but is a paralytic, when one wishes to defeat a rival, or when an extreme exertion of willpower and ambition of any kind is exerted. The purpose and meaning behind the attainment of the power is to accomplish a goal, meaning that when willpower and desire become more pronounced, the meaning behind that point becomes greater, and thus the effects of the point become explosively stronger, shown mathematically by the Red Point becoming greater and greater in magnitude until approaching infinity. Psychologically, a Red Point is associated with the Ego, with desire, and with personal importance and betterment.

Blue Points, which are typically attained when the “point” of the granted power is fully understood and thought in nature. For instance, a Blue Point may be attained when one has a higher societal role to fulfill, when one sees and comprehends something on a deeper level, or when one’s mind becomes singularly focused upon an ideal or path. The purpose and meaning behind the attainment of the power is the meaning of the new understanding, meaning that when understanding and awareness become greater, the meaning behind that point becomes greater, and thus the effects of the point become explosively stronger, shown mathematically by the Blue Point converging to a value dependant upon its original value as the partial sum of an infinite series. Psychologically, a Blue Point is associated with the Superego, with logic, and with clarity of mind.

Universal Points, which are typically attained when the “point” of the granted power is some personal meaning and enlightenment. For instance, a Universal Point may be attained when one develops a higher sense of self, when one discovers agency they did not know they had, discover a higher state of lucidity, or when one wishes to better themselves and mankind. The purpose and meaning behind the attainment of the power is simply for the ends and purposes of the one who has attained it, and as such, in order to protect that higher sense of meaning, the point will grow explosively stronger to preserve and better the one who has attained it, such as in mortal danger or in circumstances where greater wells of power are a necessity, shown mathematically by the Universal Point moving in the third dimension, outside of the graph and towards or away from the observer. Universal Points are a contentious and rare point of study, as they seem to imply that current Point Theory is flawed in its viewpoint on the functions of points. Universal Points are far more rare than most other varieties of points, as only around 1%-3% of Supers have a Universal Point. Studying Universal Points, rare as they are, is central to the desperate development of methods to attain superhuman powers in a systematic way. Psychologically, a Universal Point is associated with the soul, with the self, and with enlightenment.

Grey Points, which are attained for a variety of reasons with seemingly no correlation. One pattern that has been seen among the rare few who possess Grey Points is an affiliation with esoteric religious groups, such as The Cult of the Pale Lord, The Mythic Church, and so on, although this does not apply in all cases and so cannot be used to draw any distinct conclusions. A Grey Point may be attained simply while eating one’s cereal in the morning, or through constant ritual meditation, or through scientific accidents, but do not seem to have a pattern to their functionality or their attainment. How they grow and wane in power in accordance with meaning is not very well understood and varies from person-to-person, but mathematically their growth can be modeled by the increasing mutation of the function by which the point is attained. That is, if a Grey Point is at (1,1), it’s function may be said to be f(x) = x, but as the Grey Point grows more potent, this function may become [(x/4)+(621x^2/62)-9.286] = f(x) as it grows more powerful. Grey Points are often associated with anomalies unconnected to human beings, such as the Titans and other anomalous objects, and scientific methods are currently being employed to attempt to replicate these conditions safely. Perhaps as patterns arise, theoretical White Points and so on may be extrapolated out from Grey Points, but as science currently understands Points, Grey Points are simply the Points which cannot be explained or measured easily.


If you imagine powers as points, in this way, you can easily see how science could feasibly measure things like how powerful a certain power is by comparison to others, how the power will grow as time continues, how to best improve growth, and more. Obviously, this is simply an introduction; concepts such as Point Smear, overlapping points, and linear points are all far more esoteric matters, and for a basic understanding of how powers function they are not necessary; just be aware that powers which affect other powers throw a wrench into the neatness of these concepts, which spirals into far more complex math and science as one tries to find patterns and theorems to account for that.

Science has developed a variety of utilities in the Anomalous Mechanics field, though the potential for greater development is far greater than what we have currently attained. The Power Detector, for instance, is a useful tool for security purposes which can detect most powers and anomalies. The Fidelity Counter is a tool which can be used to determine the ambient anomalous energies which exist in a space around the user, for the purposes of detecting breakages in the laws of physics much like a Giger Counter.