fandomhigh | The Science of Psionics, Wednesday

"An old friend of mine used to be quite concerned with issues of morality and ethics," Kerrigan began. She had no more sentimental feelings towards Harriet Jones, but the woman was an easy memory to use convincingly. "Personally, I've never quite had the time to stop and think about it."

A lift of her eyebrows that invited taking that as a joke. It... wasn't. At least not nowadays.

"We've touched on this before, of course," she drawled, "But this friend died some time after I left the island, so for sentimentality's sake I'm throwing a stick into this henhouse."

Most likely, the topic wouldn't bring her any interesting intel on these kids, but it might leak something. No matter. Kerrigan was quickly losing her interest in this island as it stood. "Telekinesis, telepathy, all the other forms of this power of the mind we've been talking about, all of it comes with an opportunity for abuse. And yet, on the other side of it - telepaths from my universe had no choice. They couldn't stay out of your head if they wanted to. So was it abusive for them to use their powers?"

Her mouth was a thin line. Almost a smile, if you looked at it wrong.

"Do we - or they, if you're not one of us - have a responsibility to keep ourselves in check? I'm not talking about just my home now. Should we hole ourselves up and wrap ourselves in bubble wrap and come with warning labels?" She snorted. "Or do we exercise the power we've been given and well, pity the poor fools, but it's not our fault they didn't come equipped with the skills to keep us out...? Do our powers make us some special category of people that needs laws pasted all over them, or can we say fuck them, you've got ears and you use them, too, no matter how inconvenient it is to me?"

She glanced over the class. "And can anyone on the outside make demands of us one way or the other? They weren't born with these powers, after all. What do they know? Can they make any accurate judgement about what we're supposed to do? Hm?"

She might have had her opinions.

She waved a hand at the class. "Talk," she said. "Just this once, there are no wrong answers."

Ahahah. There were totally wrong answers.

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"Do you pick at it?" Emma asked idly, not even bothering to look up from her notes. "Is it a scab that you gnaw and itch and rip at, constantly bleeding all over the floor? Is it the bone you gnaw on over and over every night before sleeping?"

"If yes, you need therapy. If no, then I'm not going to pick it up out of your brain just because I walked past. As I mentioned to Cally, I don't randomly look into some strange teenager's head and dig around for fun. That's not worth my time, and it's usually disgusting and unsanitary in there. So step up and take responsibility for your own mental sloppiness."

"Sometimes," Scully said, her voice even, although the color in her face rose. "And I wouldn't argue with that. I try not to lie to myself." Too many horrible things, from being 36 to the cancer to... she derailed herself, focused hard on her own hands, thought, should polish my nails, file them down to keep from either handing Emma ammunition or hurting her, if she was was being honest about how this effected her.

Her voice was quiet but still hard. "How are we supposed to know that you can read us? If someone isn't in this class with you-- or with everyone in here," she looked around, the one 'mundane' or 'normal' or 'baseline' person she could see for a moment, "How are we supposed to know we're being rude, and need to do -- what? Sing in our heads? Even after weeks in this class, the most I know is not to concentrate hard on something unpleasant around someone who can pick it up. But it's not like I know who that is. And sometimes you can't control it. You of all people must know that."

"So, what, you'd rather have anyone who might be a psychic tested?" Emma asked, voice dangerously sweet. "You're right. Anyone at this school, not just in this class, could be a telepath."

"What about those who don't have the control it takes to ensure that we stay out, 24-7? None of us asked to be what we are, we had no choice in the matter. We're born this way. What do you recommend, then? Locking us up where we can't hurt the feelings of sapiens such as yourself? Mutant concentration camps are fairly popular back home, to hear Jono tell it."

"No, I don't." Seriously didn't. Too many problems it would create for psychics. She'd seen what it had done to them before. "My point was, if I don't know you're psychic, I don't know I'm being rude. You seem to be very annoyed that teenagers are teenagers, when it's not aimed at you. You can't turn off your telepathy? Or you resent that people want you to?"

"And no," Scully said patiently. "Don't assume I'd side with that. I never would. I was asking about you. What do you, Emma, want me, Scully, to do? Control. Calm. I can do that. I don't think it's ethically wrong, though, if you can stay out of mind, to expect you not to trespass. If you can't help it, I'm sorry. But I'm not psychic. I can't know I'm hurting you, if no one tells me."

Emma flicked her eyes upward slightly, regarding Scully with one of her classic 'Are You Really That Dumb?' Looks. "Do I strike you as the type to stay meek and silent if you are doing something that truly vexed me, beyond the typical broadcasting? Really?"

"To completely suppress my mutation, I need an outside source, an inhibitor. I have one for emergencies," thank you, Karla, "-but that's switching-off something on a deep biological level, like my immune system. Do you really think that's healthy?"

"Question answered, okay. You're disabled in the turning-it-off department." Scully considered, ignoring Emma's eyerolling. Because yes, some people were that dumb-- and why didn't she already have shields around her room, if it was so bad? A side issue that puzzled Scully, but wasn't her real interest. Maybe Emma was just taking the chance to bitch in a friendly environment, and was exaggerating how bad it was if she hadn't done anything about it.

"I was asking about control, though, not switching it off. And you were talking about it as a priviledge too fun to stop. Concert pianist again." Scully had been listening, and the dislike of 'normal people' had come through to her. "If you can't, you can't. But I don't think asking normal people to learn to not broadcast is unreasonable, instead of complaining. Keeping in mind that by your comparison, you're asking the deaf to learn to sing scales in perfect pitch. Or not, as it happens." How could you even tell, when you couldn't hear yourself, never mind anyone else?

Edited 2011-03-31 02:57 (UTC)

"You aren't listening. Like I told Cally, my complaint is that the burden shouldn't be always on the telepath."

"There's a reason I'm so up-front about the fact I'm a telepath, and it's because I don't want people to freak out and think I deliberately deceived them. Asking people not to broadcast? They usually act like I just killed a kitten."

"Besides, a deaf person can learn to sing." Emma, looking so impish probably didn't help your case. "I can let them hear through my ears."

"If they knew what you were talking about, they might be willing to consider it," Scully said mildly. "And you're not listening. I said your request is reasonable. If you can explain it so people can do it." Unamused Scully was unamused. "The same way it's not unreasonable for them to expect you to stay out of their heads, if you could. Or any telepath who can. Yes. I do think the onus is on them, in that case. I don't rifle through their personal effects for blackmail or personal information. Any telepath who can control themselves, who can set up physical shields while they sleep, or who can explain how I can keep them out of my head, has as much responsibility as I do to stay licensed and responsible when I use a gun."

Edited 2011-03-31 03:12 (UTC)

"And yet you missed the part where I said I have taught baseline humans various tips and tricks. It's not my job to solicit every humanoid-based creature on campus and see if they want to learn," Emma retorted. "I'm a student here, not a teacher. If someone comes to me, then yes, I give lessons. I have never turned anyone away that wants to work with my powers. But telling me that I have to explain myself over and over to everyone is branding me as guilty even if I haven't done anything. THAT, I object to."

"I'd be happy to," Scully said promptly. "When?" And after a pause, "The snark doesn't help. But I apologize for any insult you feel I've offered here." Most of it hadn't been aimed at Emma, even if her attitude grated. Just the memories of too many people with too much power and no consideration.

Now Emma was openly staring as if Scully had utterly lost her mind.

"No," she said succinctly. "You deliberately thought - very loudly, I might add, and it was deliberate - that people like me were not to be trusted. You do not apologize for any insult you offered, and you're taking your issues out on me."

"I'm not letting someone who needs therapy as badly as you do into my head. It isn't safe and I don't want the migraine from your attitude. I will not do someone who accuses me of things without proof a favor. Go find another telepath to help you, Miss Scully, because I don't work with bigots."

The Science of Psionics, Wednesday

Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

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Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics

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Re: Circle Discussion: Ethics