What is M.E.S.?[]
The Metadimensional Extroversion Syndrome, otherwise known as M.E.S., famously makes the afflicted able to manipulate the metadimensional to circumvent reality, but untreated patients can expect to die within the next decade.
How does it occur?[]
M.E.S. is believed to originate from high exposure to the metadimensional, which is most commonly experienced when traveling with Spike Drives, but it can also be inflicted with high-tech genome altering or energy warping. It is generally considered unpredictably to determine if a child will have M.E.S. when it is born, however, there is evidence that M.E.S. also can be passed down genetically from parent to child.
M.E.S. is an inborn affliction, that remains dormant until puberty or early adolescence, with an average age for awakening being 13, but can rarely occur as late as the early twenties. When an M.E.S. patient reaches puberty, a buildup of metadimensional energies begins to collect in the brain of the patient, making them able to interact with the metadimensional fabric that makes up reality, but humans have not evolved to have foreign energies in their head, and as such untreated M.E.S. patients are a danger to both themselves and their surroundings.
What are the symptoms?[]
When M.E.S. awakens, there are two types of awakenings; the first and most common awakening is called a soft awakening, and the other is called a burst awakening.
Soft Awakenings[]
Soft awakenings are the most common awakenings. The energy buildup is leaked slowly through the brain and causes small sometimes unnoticeable instances of psychic phenomena. This awakening causes small amounts of damage over time to the brain, but left untreated it can be quite dangerous as the brain damage builds up over time and the awakening might not be obvious. Common symptoms include mild but persistent migraines, distorted vision, mild space-time displacement and emotional instability.
Burst Awakenings[]
Burst awakenings are more uncommon, but not particularly rare either, happening in a 1:3 ratio to soft awakenings. In burst awakenings the energy buildup does not leak over time, rather it continues to build up, over a long time, to a strong case of psychic phenomena being unleashed, often causing damage to both persons and property. This awakening causes large amounts of damage over a short amount of time but is easily identified, and when handled properly, cause less brain damage than a soft awakening, due to greater awareness. Common symptoms include migraines that become more and more intense, strong and believable hallucinations, major space displacement, knowledge of all the dirty secrets of your loved ones, emotional instability for everyone near you, telekinetic explosions and spontaneous healing of all wounds.
What are the treatment options?[]
The best treatment options for M.E.S. is in the hands House Serpens and House Lyra. The other houses have treatment options too, but they are not nearly as effective.
Serpens[]
House Serpens own and control the Empires largest and most successful psychic academy; The Imperial Academy of Psionic Learning and Wellness. The Academy employs physical and mental exercises together with the newest advances in medication, to ensure both maximal control and minimal brain damage for its M.E.S. afflicted. The Academy accepts students from all worlds in the empire, even providing sponsorships for those who cannot pay for the tuition.
M.E.S. Medication[]
The Metadimensional Extroversion Syndrome is an affliction that develops in the brain. To live healthily for a long time, finely attuned medication is required, though this can be quite expensive. Therefore, House Serpens have invented a series of standardized medication that will work adequately on all psionic humans.
Custom M.E.S. Medication
The medication that is custom build for a M.E.S. patient comes in all shapes and sizes. The most common medication is taken in pill form, but it is also known to be taken via stims, syringes or even as part of a tobacco. This medication is the very best House Serpens has to offer, and there is regularly found improvements. However, since this medicine is custom build for the patient, great hormonal changes can cause the medication to lose effect. Therefore, it is important to schedule a check-up if something is off, though the medication will still work better for the patient than standard medication would, due to its tailored specifications.
Standard M.E.S. Medication
The Standard M.E.S. Medication is a somewhat cheap and mass-produced pill. It sacrifices much of the efficiency of the custom medication, but it will keep the common serf healthy and sane for much longer than otherwise. Those of limited credits can also seek out a Caduceus Medication Discount, or CMD for short, to make their custom medication affordable, in mandatory employment under a House Serpens noble for a long as the serf wants their medication or until the noble cancels the discount themselves.
Illegal M.E.S. Medication
Illegal M.E.S. Medication is any form of medication that is not approved by the Caduceus, and as such have not been tested for any possible side effects. Most of these come with a terrible side and might not help at all, but sometimes a diamond in the rough is found, therefore, confiscated meditation is tested by several House Serpens Takumi and might become legal in the future.
Lyra[]
Not much is known about House Lyra’ treatments, as they prefer to keep their techniques secret, but they have a good amount of psionics at hand. This is due to some very specialized breeding programs, that is also responsible for their charming appearances.
How is M.E.S regulated?[]
- A psionic must carry a License of Psionic Amplitude. this must contain:
- Name
- Title
- House, Membership or Corporate Citizenship
- Home Planet
- Citizen number
- Psionic amplitudes (aka favored disciplines)
- Specific psionic abilities (If non-noble)
- Psionic level of competence.
- M.E.S. medical requirements
- Contact Numbers
- Using psionic disciplines targeting another human requires consent.
- Instructions regarding the use of medication for the treatment of M.E.S. must be followed exactly. Any deviation requires the approval of a medical professional authorized by The Imperial Academy of Psionic Learning and Wellness
- Any individual presenting M.E.S. symptoms must be reported to The Imperial Academy of Psionic Learning and Wellness immediately
- M.E.S. awakened must participate in Psionic Control Training until such time as they are found to not present a danger to themselves or others.
- M.E.S. treatment and training must only be taught by a entity approved by The Imperial Academy of Psionic Learning and Wellness.
Failure to comply with these laws will result in punishment as determined by Imperial Law.
What powers are attained from M.E.S.?[]
Psionic powers are split into different disciplines, regarding how their M.E.S. affects reality. Many psychics have an aptitude in one or two disciplines but are able to learn all disciplines. While others only demonstrate powers from a single discipline. There are six different psionic disciplines.
Biopsionics[]
Biopsionic abilities modify, repair or damage the bodies of living creatures.
Metapsionics[]
Metapsionics is the rarest of disciplines and its usage lies in the manipulation of the psychic energies of M.E.S. afflicted, which lets them detect and hide from other psionics, among other things.
Precognition[]
Precogs have the ability to sense the possible futures, seeing the outcome of what have not yet happened.
Telekinesis[]
Telekinetics are able to move and manipulate physical objects with their mind.
Telepathy[]
Telepaths enter the minds of others and can read or even change the thoughts of the target.
Teleportation[]
Closing distances at instant speeds, Teleporters can 'jump' between two known points in space so long as they have the training to do so.
M.E.S Mutations and Related Diseases[]
Gerant’s Syndrome[]
Gerent Syndrome is a degenerative brain mutation that is benign until one uses their MES-blessed abilities. With every use of their abilities, their brain slowly is destroyed, cell by cell. When MES is used frequently and intensively, the Psi-user will burst blood vessels in the eyes and nose, causing intensive bleeding.
Someone diagnosed with Gerent Syndrome can easily live their full life with minimal-no use of their powers. With consistent use of powers powers throughout their life, however, this syndrome will render the user Brain Dead by 70. Whilst not too bad for most people, for Nobles, this is a great issue considering that their prime can last almost indefinitely due to life extension tech.
The ‘Akira Strain’[]
Essentially untreatable MES, better dealt with by terminating the patient as soon as the symptoms are manifested. Known symptoms are morbidly fatal MES induced dysmorphia, uncontrollable bursts of psychic abilities leading to death in a large area around the MES and others catastrophic manifestations of power. It is actively researched as it can lead to a better understanding of MES evolution.
There have been several cases where those with Akira Strain have regained control of their powers, leading to the ethical debate on whether they should be put down upon discovery. Unfortunately, most agree that the threat that one without control of their powers is too high and so the practice has continued.
Metadimensional Space Exposure[]
Whilst the symptoms are scantily understood and never quite the same, Drive Space Exposure remains one of the most researched fields of medical psionics. The effects may vary from split personality disorder to unexplainable MES-like phenomena and are often untreatable by conventional means. Very few cases have been reported since the Scream, but what little documentation exist is under constant scrutiny.
The ‘Copernicus’ Stable Strain[]
A lore friendly version of the ‘Wild Psychic Talent’ focus.
Little is known about what makes a MES develop a set of limited skills without suffering the adverse effects of the condition. Most are deemed either dangerous or valuable research material as they required little to no training, are not subject to ‘Torching’ and may be a key to understanding the progress of MES. Possibilities of semi-permanent treatment are sought after by House Serpens Practitioners and Takumi.
Metadimensional Quirks[]
Metadimensional quirks or just commonly known as quirks, are a common but mostly harmless mutation that causes leaks of metadimensional energies when an afflicted uses their powers. These leaks usually cause minor psychic or physical effects to the person or the area around the person that have the mutation, but it depends on the strength and the control of the afflicted. An untrained psychic’s quirks are far more noticeable than a trained psychic of the same power level. Examples of these powers can be changes to the afflicted’s eye color, minor items beginning to levitate around them, momentary shutdown of senses or even an uncontrolled aura of emotions. Luckily most of these quirks are harmless, though they might cause discomfort amongst less enlightened citizens.