If you were a mutant

[Khornatenreich]

Sounds like a good recipe to produce a society full of drones that don't actually contribute to things you can steal. Like, why would you want to make all the women around you into mental clones of your self when you can just mind control them into wanting you for a night? Same thing for the men. You want them to work in those factories making those gadgets and candy and expensive things that make your life more comfortable. Not be you and have the same hopes, dreams and wants as you do. All you'd be doing is making more of you that's more difficult to please as opposed to actually pleasing your self.


Plus like you just know that there is always going to be an annoying super out there with delusions of grandeur and a messianic complex that's going to be looking for people just like you and conveniently have exactly the right powers to neutralize your own due to plot reasons or heroic willpower or what ever.

Something to note is that the more infected there are, the stronger my direct control over my clones is. Like, we're a hivemind. The only reason it's an infectious form of mind control cloning is so that I can literally never die. As long as one of my "clones" lives, they can make more clones and become the 'primary mind'. Since we're all connected, we'll all share memories and such from the moment a person becomes part of the collective.

There will be no individuals; a perfect hive mind society where, even in the temporary absence of a central control, everyone agrees and thinks the same way, believes the same things, feels the same ways, etc. Even if someone managed to disconnect the minds but not remove the ability of infection, there's still hundreds, thousands or tens to hundreds of thousands of people with the same thoughts, desires, goals, emotions, etc. It'll be like the hive mind was never removed.

As for pleasing myself, I can still do that. It'd just be more akin to "self-pleasing" than actual sex or anything of the sort, but let's drop that chain there to avoid going beyond PG-13.

My society would be perfect because we would all be of one mind, whether my hivemind is in place or not. If the 'Prime Mind' dies, a new one takes control assuming the hive mind system stays in place. Either way, my mind - and therefore my consciousness and I - live on forever, and slowly but surely subvert all of humankind.

So, when do we see the Snarky British Youtube movie critic dissect your 2001 B-Movie Dystopian SciFi concept of a society with a grammatic mallet using more nuance than you yourself are capable of?

[Ifreann]

Yes, but you're a mutant. These powers are genetically based. What's more valuable, one invisible near invincible secret agent, or an army of them? Does the CIA gain more by employing you as an agent, or by taking you to a blacksite and experimenting on you, with the knowledge that nothing they can do to you can permanently injure you?

That's why the healing factor is double-edged sword. Any sufficiently morally bankrupt geneticist could torture you in ways that no other person can be tortured, for longer than any other person can be tortured, in the pursuit of creating actual supermen.

I'm sure the CIA would love to off some high ranking people. Otherwise I just become a hired gun.

"Who should we hire to kill our enemies? A half dozen dudes who will shoot straight for half nothing, or some mega-expensive magical assassin who we could never hope to defeat if he took it into his head to double cross us?"
"First one"

[Thermodolia]

I'm sure the CIA would love to off some high ranking people. Otherwise I just become a hired gun.

"Who should we hire to kill our enemies? A half dozen dudes who will shoot straight for half nothing, or some mega-expensive magical assassin who we could never hope to defeat if he took it into his head to double cross us?"
"First one"

Jokes on them is work for free

[MERIZoC]

I would have the power of self-succ

[Galloism]

I would have the power of self-succ

But then you would have to be Steve Bannon, apparently.

[MERIZoC]

I would have the power of self-succ

But then you would have to be Steve Bannon, apparently.

Steve can only try, I will achieve it

[Asterdan]

I would like to be able to manipulate peoples emotions. I could use this for a variety of thing, possibly as a therapist. Or, ya know, for evil. Of course, shapeshifting would be nice too, because you could theoretically become immortal.

[Camicon]

"Who should we hire to kill our enemies? A half dozen dudes who will shoot straight for half nothing, or some mega-expensive magical assassin who we could never hope to defeat if he took it into his head to double cross us?"
"First one"

Jokes on them is work for free

"What if the magic guy kills people for fun instead of money?"
"Why do you keep asking me stupid questions?"

[Evil Dictators Happyland]

I'm sure the CIA would love to off some high ranking people. Otherwise I just become a hired gun.

"Who should we hire to kill our enemies? A half dozen dudes who will shoot straight for half nothing, or some mega-expensive magical assassin who we could never hope to defeat if he took it into his head to double cross us?"
"First one"

Joke's on them. I already killed their target, and them, and their superiors, and generally wiped out all animal life bigger than a squirrel in a hundred mile radius, including the magical assassin.
Took a few tries, but I did it.
Now, for those pesky Avengers...

[Conscentia]

So to get away from the typical political stuff here I had a question. If you were a mutant (a la marvel comics) what would you be like and what would your super powers be?

Immortality, healing factor, telepathy, and shapeshifting are preferred in that order. I want more time, it'd be nice if injury and illness weren't a concern, and knowing what people are thinking would be useful as would changing my appearance.

Alternatively, if that's too much, the ability to transfer my consciousness into other people. It'd basically give me everything in the earlier list as long as I could hop from body to body.

[Ankuran]

So to get away from the typical political stuff here I had a question. If you were a mutant (a la marvel comics) what would you be like and what would your super powers be?

Cypher's post-resurrection hyperlingualism (because that's my all-time favorite power) and vector manipulation (think Accelerator from Index/Railgun/Accelerator, before he got shot).

[Purpelia]

This guy gets it. Human rights issues? Solved, because everyone gets the same rights because everyone's the exact same in mind, and is controlled by the same singular person.

Politics? Fuck that noise, who needs government when everyone's the exact same person and there is no crime or war anymore? No need for money and such either.

Literally, humanity would exist for the sole and singular purpose of being able to advance and become stronger/better, for the betterment of everyone me. And there's no risk of revolt and such even if my hivemind somehow does slip, since my infectious consciousness remains, so everyone will still be me, still be connected in some way, and still share memories and such using borderline-telepathy.

And after we expand to the stars, any alien races we encounter? Well, if they have a brain and their brains function similarly to ours, or if my power/mutagen only requires a 'consciousness' to be present... I will slowly become all sapient/sentient life in the universe. I will become everyone and everything that ever matters, and be able to unify it under my own design. Only the heat death of the universe will probably stop me, really, at that point.

I get it too. I am just like, who cares?

Advancement of the human race is all well and fine but only if you do not have to work for it. That's true for everything really. Instead, if you want to be happy what you want to do is set your self up on the top of the pyramid and put everyone else on the bottom and than make sure that the gap between you is as big as it can possibly get. That's the road to true happiness.

[Ifreann]

"Who should we hire to kill our enemies? A half dozen dudes who will shoot straight for half nothing, or some mega-expensive magical assassin who we could never hope to defeat if he took it into his head to double cross us?"
"First one"

Jokes on them is work for free

I don't think it counts as being a hired gun if you're doing it for free.

[Purpelia]

Jokes on them is work for free

I don't think it counts as being a hired gun if you're doing it for free.

Maybe he simply takes pleasure in the act of killing. I'd call that payment enough. Especially if you get artistic about it.
You know what I mean, well enough. Push the right buttons, steer up the right memories (or create them) and watch the art of tragedy unfold.

[Alvecia]

I'd like to fly. Not really bothered exactly how, but I'd like to be able to do that at least.

[Calladan]

So to get away from the typical political stuff here I had a question. If you were a mutant (a la marvel comics) what would you be like and what would your super powers be?

Immortality, healing factor, telepathy, and shapeshifting are preferred in that order. I want more time, it'd be nice if injury and illness weren't a concern, and knowing what people are thinking would be useful as would changing my appearance.

Alternatively, if that's too much, the ability to transfer my consciousness into other people. It'd basically give me everything in the earlier list as long as I could hop from body to body.

For me, immortality just means growing everyone you love, everyone you adore, growing old and dying right in front of your eyes. I really cannot imagine a single worse thing to happen to someone.

[The V O I D]

This guy gets it. Human rights issues? Solved, because everyone gets the same rights because everyone's the exact same in mind, and is controlled by the same singular person.

Politics? Fuck that noise, who needs government when everyone's the exact same person and there is no crime or war anymore? No need for money and such either.

Literally, humanity would exist for the sole and singular purpose of being able to advance and become stronger/better, for the betterment of everyone me. And there's no risk of revolt and such even if my hivemind somehow does slip, since my infectious consciousness remains, so everyone will still be me, still be connected in some way, and still share memories and such using borderline-telepathy.

And after we expand to the stars, any alien races we encounter? Well, if they have a brain and their brains function similarly to ours, or if my power/mutagen only requires a 'consciousness' to be present... I will slowly become all sapient/sentient life in the universe. I will become everyone and everything that ever matters, and be able to unify it under my own design. Only the heat death of the universe will probably stop me, really, at that point.

I get it too. I am just like, who cares?

Advancement of the human race is all well and fine but only if you do not have to work for it. That's true for everything really. Instead, if you want to be happy what you want to do is set your self up on the top of the pyramid and put everyone else on the bottom and than make sure that the gap between you is as big as it can possibly get. That's the road to true happiness.

Eh, I really wouldn't have to work for it. With my hivemind in place, I just subconsciously order drones to maintain themselves and farm for food, take care of water and nuclear plants, etc. etc. to ensure Earth's current tech base and population centers are stable (need somewhere to store the drones of the Collective, after all). Put some minor focus and effort into the scientists, engineers, etc. and necessary compatible drones to help advance scientifically both in biotechnology and general technology; get to a point where we're sufficiently advanced to help our space tech go interplanetary. Begin harvesting materials from the solar system; eventually go interstellar. If first contact allows the discovery of universal consciousness infection being possible... well, time to become the universe.

[Purpelia]

I get it too. I am just like, who cares?

Advancement of the human race is all well and fine but only if you do not have to work for it. That's true for everything really. Instead, if you want to be happy what you want to do is set your self up on the top of the pyramid and put everyone else on the bottom and than make sure that the gap between you is as big as it can possibly get. That's the road to true happiness.

Eh, I really wouldn't have to work for it. With my hivemind in place, I just subconsciously order drones to maintain themselves and farm for food, take care of water and nuclear plants, etc. etc. to ensure Earth's current tech base and population centers are stable (need somewhere to store the drones of the Collective, after all). Put some minor focus and effort into the scientists, engineers, etc. and necessary compatible drones to help advance scientifically both in biotechnology and general technology; get to a point where we're sufficiently advanced to help our space tech go interplanetary. Begin harvesting materials from the solar system; eventually go interstellar. If first contact allows the discovery of universal consciousness infection being possible... well, time to become the universe.

So like you basically want to turn the universe into a management sim? Like Dwarf Fortress but for real? That I can actually get behind. Although I'd still take a life of mind control fueled wealth, joy and debauchery over anything. Plus like the occasional murder suicide. Just to keep the blood pumping, you know?

[Anywhere Else But Here]

Immortality, healing factor, telepathy, and shapeshifting are preferred in that order. I want more time, it'd be nice if injury and illness weren't a concern, and knowing what people are thinking would be useful as would changing my appearance.

Alternatively, if that's too much, the ability to transfer my consciousness into other people. It'd basically give me everything in the earlier list as long as I could hop from body to body.

For me, immortality just means growing everyone you love, everyone you adore, growing old and dying right in front of your eyes. I really cannot imagine a single worse thing to happen to someone.

I've never understood this attitude. Unless you die very young, you'll probably see half of those people grow old and die. Regular people suffer loss and cope. Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love, people you'd otherwise never have the chance to meet because they won't be born for another century.

[Purpelia]

For me, immortality just means growing everyone you love, everyone you adore, growing old and dying right in front of your eyes. I really cannot imagine a single worse thing to happen to someone.

I've never understood this attitude. Unless you die very young, you'll probably see half of those people grow old and die. Regular people suffer loss and cope. Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love, people you'd otherwise never have the chance to meet because they won't be born for another century.

If anything the exact opposite will happen and after a while you'll just completely stop caring for people as you see them as just something that'll be gone before you know it. It's kind of how after a while you no longer cry when flushing goldfish.

[Calladan]

For me, immortality just means growing everyone you love, everyone you adore, growing old and dying right in front of your eyes. I really cannot imagine a single worse thing to happen to someone.

I've never understood this attitude. Unless you die very young, you'll probably see half of those people grow old and die. Regular people suffer loss and cope. Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love, people you'd otherwise never have the chance to meet because they won't be born for another century.

I have got used to the idea (more or less) that I will probably have to watch my grand parents and parents die. But my siblings? My children? My grand children? My GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN? Seriously? You really expect to watch them grow old and die?

There's a line in Babylon 5 that pretty much sums it up :-

"To live on as we have is to leave behind joy and love and companionship because we know it to be transitory, of the moment. We know it will turn to ash. Only those whose lives are brief can imagine that love is eternal."

Then there is Me, from Doctor Who. She is another perfect example of why immortality is a curse, not a gift. I honestly could not see it as anything else.

> "Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love"

And every single one of them will be born, will grow up, will grow old and will die, and you will feel the pain of their loss. Your entire life - your entire existence - will eventually be a mountain of corpses, of loss, of death and of misery.

Who would want to live like that?

(And keep in mind I am one of the happiest, peppiest people you will ever meet. I am not a depressed person - I am cheerful to a fault )

[Alvecia]

I've never understood this attitude. Unless you die very young, you'll probably see half of those people grow old and die. Regular people suffer loss and cope. Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love, people you'd otherwise never have the chance to meet because they won't be born for another century.

If anything the exact opposite will happen and after a while you'll just completely stop caring for people as you see them as just something that'll be gone before you know it. It's kind of how after a while you no longer cry when flushing goldfish.

I imagine there's an element of being better at processing grief in there as well, not just "not loving the subsequent goldfish".
I'd also point out that loving a goldfish isn't quite the same as loving a person. It's more of a prized possession than anything.

[Purpelia]

If anything the exact opposite will happen and after a while you'll just completely stop caring for people as you see them as just something that'll be gone before you know it. It's kind of how after a while you no longer cry when flushing goldfish.

I imagine there's an element of being better at processing grief in there as well, not just "not loving the subsequent goldfish".
I'd also point out that loving a goldfish isn't quite the same as loving a person. It's more of a prized possession than anything.

It's the same coping mechanism though. Human minds are great at coping and rationalizing things away like that. It's the one thing that makes us stand out from among the beasts. Well that and poetry. Like I just wrote a poem I wanted to post here regarding the whole subtly mind controlled into suicide theme I had going but realized it would probably be too creepy for this forum so I'd get into trouble.

[Ifreann]

I've never understood this attitude. Unless you die very young, you'll probably see half of those people grow old and die. Regular people suffer loss and cope. Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love, people you'd otherwise never have the chance to meet because they won't be born for another century.

I have got used to the idea (more or less) that I will probably have to watch my grand parents and parents die. But my siblings? My children? My grand children? My GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN? Seriously? You really expect to watch them grow old and die?

There's a line in Babylon 5 that pretty much sums it up :-

"To live on as we have is to leave behind joy and love and companionship because we know it to be transitory, of the moment. We know it will turn to ash. Only those whose lives are brief can imagine that love is eternal."

Then there is Me, from Doctor Who. She is another perfect example of why immortality is a curse, not a gift. I honestly could not see it as anything else.

> "Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love"

And every single one of them will be born, will grow up, will grow old and will die, and you will feel the pain of their loss. Your entire life - your entire existence - will eventually be a mountain of corpses, of loss, of death and of misery.

Who would want to live like that?

(And keep in mind I am one of the happiest, peppiest people you will ever meet. I am not a depressed person - I am cheerful to a fault )

I'm no psychologolist, but I don't think one's life would necessarily become incessant pain and misery if one loses a certain number of loved ones.

[Anywhere Else But Here]

I've never understood this attitude. Unless you die very young, you'll probably see half of those people grow old and die. Regular people suffer loss and cope. Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love, people you'd otherwise never have the chance to meet because they won't be born for another century.

I have got used to the idea (more or less) that I will probably have to watch my grand parents and parents die. But my siblings? My children? My grand children? My GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN? Seriously? You really expect to watch them grow old and die?

There's a line in Babylon 5 that pretty much sums it up :-

"To live on as we have is to leave behind joy and love and companionship because we know it to be transitory, of the moment. We know it will turn to ash. Only those whose lives are brief can imagine that love is eternal."

Then there is Me, from Doctor Who. She is another perfect example of why immortality is a curse, not a gift. I honestly could not see it as anything else.

> "Immortality means there'll always be more people for you to love"

And every single one of them will be born, will grow up, will grow old and will die, and you will feel the pain of their loss. Your entire life - your entire existence - will eventually be a mountain of corpses, of loss, of death and of misery.

Who would want to live like that?

(And keep in mind I am one of the happiest, peppiest people you will ever meet. I am not a depressed person - I am cheerful to a fault )

But some people see their siblings die. Roughly half of people will see their spouse die. They cope. Many people go on to marry again.

Your entire existence will be a mountain of corpses? Only if you're a particularly committed mass murderer. There'll be loads of stuff in between. Death doesn't happen that often.

I don't think Me is a perfect example. For one thing, she's fictional.