Psychics It Is!

Had a really good talk with some gamer buddies today. They helped confirm some strange ideas and provided a few awesome ones of their own.

Seabirds = Psychics

The diet of seabirds leads to a concrete metaphor for telepaths. After the event, everyone developed the ability to read minds. The world has likewise changed in several big ways.

Skimmers - "Gulls"

Skimmers can 'listen in' on the surface thoughts (current intentions) of anyone in the vicinity. They can't dig too deep but they are usually the first to know what will happen next.

Pursuers - "Loons"

Pursuer work only begins at surface thoughts. A good pursuer can follow a large number of connected thoughts, learning a great amount of information, before losing the connection.

Divers - "Pelicans"

Divers get in and get out like a bolt of lightning. Not settling for the flotsam at the surface, they shoot for a specific thought before the subject can muster much resistance.

Scavengers - "Petrels"

Even the weakest mind provides too much resistance for a Scavenger. They are quite proficient at sifting through the thoughts of the dead, however, even the dead that still walk. No one's sure if scavengers really consume the dead brain tissue, or if they perpetuate the myth to add to their own legend.

Nulls - "Zombies"

Brain death used to be a one-way street, until Sombien hit hospitals. After full recovery from a vegetative state, the only side-effect of the drug is the total loss of any psychic ability and the total inability to be read by anyone but a scavenger.

In a world of mind readers, nulls become secure couriers. As long as they can avoid hostile scavengers, the information they carry is safe and secure. Of course, things are never that easy.