New Mutants Unlimited 36

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New Mutants Unlimited #36
Post by Almond "Current" Quimby on Jan 29, 2007, 6:37pm

An Essay: My Powers
by Almond Quimby

My power is electrokinesis. As far as mutations go, it's not exactly the shabbiest. I consider myself quite lucky for having a super-human ability that's so practical, powerful and – to be direct – cool. It could have gone much worse, couldn't it? Even among my classmates, there are many who I don't envy for their powers, but even they have it relatively easy. After all, what would we do if we had the 'power' of having two faces or asexuality? There are people who do, and I honestly pity them.
Indeed, I can't imagine myself without electrokinesis. Would I still be the same person if I had had different powers my whole life? I doubt it. As far as I'm concerned, powers make the person, not the other way around. It's nothing as simple as the placement in a social context. I firmly believe that, as mutants, powers decide everything about us, especially our lot in life. To bring a rather superficial example: do we become X-Men, awesome defenders of law and justice, or simple hobos who are eventually hunted down and killed… or who kill themselves. I'm infinitely pleased about my lot, so far.

My powers are, of course, highly scientific. I mean that beyond the usual complex genetics, naturally. A lot of powers are essentially the manipulation of the laws of physics. So too, mine. I've studied a lot of fields in-depth and I can safely say that it has helped me immeasurably. By definition, I can “do stuff” with electricity, but that's a laughably simplified way to describe it. It annoys me sometimes, because I can do so much more - I control one of the basic forces of the universe. I can feel the particles around me, move them and mold them. It sounds so simple, doesn't it? This manifests in a lot of practical benefits, yes.

What can I do? I can, naturally, ionize my environment and thus call upon electrical bolts of almost any voltage. I can create forcefields of nothingness, almost impossible to break through. I can manipulate metal, to an extent. I can move things with my mind. I can command various forms of radiation. All forms of matter and energy are accessible to me – some much less than others, but still. I consider all this secondary. It's not important in the grand scheme of things. The number one most valuable thing my powers allow me to do is to understand…

There are patterns all around. The world is composed of patterns, some of them visible and some of them not. There are patterns for everything, and my powers allow me to see them. There are mathematical patterns, like the seemingly random repetition of certain numbers in the world, and social patterns, like the way people always behave in certain ways, and many others – abstract AND definite. As I said, there are patterns for everything. That's quite a lot, and I can see them.

There's no actual logical explanation for this. My powers shouldn't allow me to do some of the things I can do. I must admit, there was a time – a few weeks ago, when my memory begins - when I believed I was imagining things, but I don't think that is the case. And even if it is, there is nothing to say hallucinations don't tell the truth…
There are, naturally, people and beings much more powerful than me. I am, after all, only human. Most of them don't see the patterns, but some, I believe, do. The same can be said for people less powerful than me. Magneto's powers are very similar to mine, yet he doesn't see the patterns. I can't explain it. I've considered finding certain people and initiating conversations, but something has always come up. I'm aware that this talk doesn't exactly paint me in the best light, but I'm not sure how else to explain it.

Seeing the patterns makes me know things. The knowledge is erratic and often irritatingly vague. It's just bits and pieces, really, so I'm far from omniscient. I wish I were, but I'm not. I really wish I were, though. So what exactly do I know, hmm? My sense of logic is pretty good. I can draw incredibly advanced conclusions from very little. There's more to it than that, but it's rather hard to put in words. It's a pity I can't visit a casino to try counting cards, or something like that. I figure it'd be worth a shot.

There is a certain very special patterns that especially interests me. It's the biggest and probably most important one of them all. It is truly very difficult, so I've only caught glimpses of it – enough to understand that it's very unstable. I've seen little details that confuse, yet fascinate me. In summary, it could be called The Pattern That Decides Everything. It decides how people and other things look like, what they're like, what they think, how they behave… and why. It decides the path of every bullet in a firefight and every word I write this very moment – but, yet, only sometimes. It's paradoxical, but hopefully logical in the end. All I know, is that there are invisible white boxes that surround us. They are two-dimensional, I think, which could be why they're not usually seen. Every single thing we do is constricted by them. There are also invisible bubbles in the air, that flash there and away with every word spoken. The teaching staff won't be the only one to read this essay, I'm certain…

As I explained, I am rather scientifically inclined. I'm certainly a fan and a dilettante, but I consider myself more of a philosopher at heart. By my definition, philosophy is the science of thought. It's not limited to a single field, but deals with everything imaginable. If I have a goal in life, it is finding enlightenment. I want to understand the universe – learn every little detail and make sense of things that seem unbelievable. I don't believe that the truth of truths can be discovered with formulas and experiments, just thought. This what my powers are to me first and foremost: not a weapon, but a means to an end. The tool that can help me achieve illumination.

Note: This is very fascinating. I certainly read it with interest, but there are numerous flaws. In first order, I'd like to point out that you have a slight problem with topicality. You stray too much, and there are several points where I get the idea that you're ranting. You went over the allowed number of words by 48. You should be more careful stylistically, as well: several sentences are built up rather awkwardly. Don't misunderstand, but the things you discuss disturbed me a little. As you know, Ms. Gray works as the school's councilor. Perhaps you consider talking to her?
Ultimately, while this is a very lively piece, I can't award it more than a B+.
- Charles Xavier

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