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The Center: Universe Rules and Information
by: Lilith Langtree
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Newly updated: Canon Stories section.
Writing and Posting Rules:
A. The Center is an open universe. As such, anyone with an itch, can write a story that takes place in said universe. Just make sure to give credit where credit is due, please. The Center has been added to the TG Universe & Series portion of the submission page at BCTS.
B. Fan fiction stories - Is just that. Change any rules you want, kill off all the characters and substitute them with your own, let the Mary Sue's abound. Label your story as Fan Fiction, found under the Permission portion of the submissions page at BCTS. Fan fiction can be posted anywhere.
C. Canon stories - If you want to be considered for your story to be included in the canon plotline then PM me for the details, and follow the rules below. Only complete stories will be considered unless an exception is made for circumstance. Canon stories will only be posted at BCTS for the foreseeable future. This is so you don't have to go hunting around to find the canon stories and because Erin runs a tight welcoming ship.
The following stories are considered Canon and in the order of how they should appear in the timeline:
1) The Center
2) Shit Happens (Three weeks after the events in The Center
3) Magic Tricks (Three Months after the events in the Center)
4) Children of the Tainted Water (Three months and change after the Center)
5) The Syndicate (Runs concurrently with Children of the Tainted Water)
6) Off Center (Six months after the events in the Center)
Unchanging Information:
1. Leave the universe as you've found it. No major changes, deaths, etc. of the canon characters and settings without checking with me.
That's pretty much it. Simple, yeah?
Information needed for canon stories, or FAQ's:
1.It is highly recommended to re-read the first two chapters of The Center. All your basic information is listed therein. With a few exceptions that are included below along with FAQ's.
2. Mothers that consumed the contaminated bottled water will die during or within the week of childbirth due to complications. Power levels are determined when the mothers first drank the water.
Level 3 (First trimester)-Will have the most control and will typically be more powerful and more likely to go nuts.
Level 2 (Second trimester)-Will have moderate control.
Level 1-(Third trimester)-Much difficulty will be had.
Secondary powers are allowable, but are very unpredictable in strength and control, and often useless. Considered below Level 1 in terms of control.
3. All the victims of the Tainted Water are 16-17 years old.
(Edit: Ariel from Maggie Finson's Shit Happens is twelve and nobody knows why. Will be explained at a later date.)
4. First Emergence is the first time a subject displays their Talent while still in their original gender. There is no stated reason as to why or when it happens. The original research team probably knows why but they aren't telling.
Second Emergence, more commonly referred to as Transition is when their gender changes. Transition is especially hard on the body if the subject is unconscious, resulting in a massive hangover that only a night of bed rest will cure. If the subject is awake during the majority of the change then they will bounce back within a couple of hours.
5. Mental powers only. There will be no laser beams shooting out of people's eyes or magic, unless it can be explained through this rule or scientific means, which is highly unlikely but possible since I already know a way for it to look like magic. Whatever-Kinesis is a popular power. Try to give a scientific explanation if at all possible.
That's the basics. If you see something Major that hasn't been covered, leave a comment here or PM me so I can add or change this page to correct the error. I'm currently putting together an information sheet and character bios so you don't have to go hunting through the story to find out that Sheri Kirsch (Random student) has purple hair. PM me if you need information on a particular person. Check back here before sending that PM as I'll be updating this page regularly.
I am willing to read what you have if you want help or a second pair of eyes on your story, but it is not required.
~Lili
Below is a link to a list of the majority of the characters of the Center.
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Comments
The Center: Universe Rules and Information
I've read you Center story and wonder if the Center and your retconnrd superheroes will ever meet?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Nope, different universes.
Nope, different universes.
~Lili
Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Uhhhh....
Uh... if Kris' mother drank the tainted water before & during the beginning of the pregnancy, while others drank the water in more advanced states of pregnancy, shouldn't Kristyn be one of the youngest people at the Center, instead of the oldest? I mean, they all took the water at roughly the same time, right? But Kristin's mom was a the beginning of the pregnancy, so Cameron/Kristyn would be born later than the others. Ergo, younger.
I'm sorry, but the use of
I'm sorry, but the use of simple logic is not allowed here. You must blindly accept everything I say without actually thinking about it. (facepalm) it's the simple things that I always screw up on. Ask me to spell some complex fifteen syllable word or explain Dark Matter and I'm your girl, but throw something like addition and subtraction at me and I fold like a wet newspaper. Thanks for the catch.
~Lili
Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Off-topic, but...
"Ask me to spell some complex fifteen syllable word "
How about the 19 syllables of a certain Welsh village? >:) Without cheating by Googling it :)
(Sorry, couldn't resist playing along!)
EAFOAB Episode Summaries
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
I don't recall
But how long did it take to get all the water away? It's conceivable that Kristyn's mom was on the water from the very start of the leak, and continued for quite some time, while others drank near the end of the leak.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
It hasn't been revealed as
It hasn't been revealed as of yet, just that there was a recall. With the speed that corporations move to coverup things and the red tape of the EPA to run through... six months to a year. Then there would be people that buy cases of the stuff and just leave it laying there for a long time.
My parents used to do this for hurricanes. There would be five or six cases of bottle water in storage for seven months before slowly being used.
~Lili
Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Oh dear
And I was planning to use that option too! :p
(btw, nice to see the Whateley crowd here too!)
-SB
The best stories are about character change.
"So, a dime, a nickle and a penny walk into a bar..."
Coordinated
Educational
Network for
Talents and
Emergent
Resources
water
redman
hell, lilith, there may still be cases of water laying around. they only got slightly more than half of them. i know that i must have one or two year old cases of water in storage, as much as i try to first bought, first used. the time span could easily be three years, with a few at first, a large group, tapering of to a last few stragglers. we still can only speculate on what happens in two to five years when these kids start producing offspring. what happens when a normie and a center kid have children? two center kids? the mind boggles and 2+2 isn't necessarily the same equation any more. you have created a monster of a story verse. ;-) redman
redman
Also Your Forgetting
Also you seem to be forgetting that while they claim to do a recall most people just don't check the stuff they have to see if it is what is being recalled. So the company can show they did everything that is required but human nature is oh there's a recall on a product we don't buy said product so we just don't have to check it when could have bought said product because it was originally on sale. No matter what there are those type of people out there in the world.
Yours Truly
Arina
I Like
I like how you try to do the character sheet but I think you could have helped out a little bit by listing who was going to be staying at what base and what Rank people held at least the ones with actual rank. So far out of the characters that do hold rank I can only count Three out of the kids that did go to the Center that the Colonel runs. And they are as follows Kristyn Keyes, Daniel Davidson, Lucinda Evangaline Xiang. If there are more can you list them I can't seem to find out for sure and list what there rank is please and thank you.
Yours Truly
Arina
No more students have rank
No more students have rank in the canon stories, just those three. Additionally, something more formal is being put together, but not ready as of yet. The stats above are mostly for the writers that have questions about who has what power.
~Lili
Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Magic?
Just working my way through everything to see if I have an idea for a character... well I have an idea but not sure how I'm going to work him/her out as yet... however reading the above rules I came up with a thought about magic. (My character isn't magic and is in fact a renegade Whateley character.)
Arthur C Clark said:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Which could be changed with some success to:
Any sufficiently advanced mind powers is indistinguishable from magic.
So you could have a character that appeared to be doing magic - who may even think what they do is magic - but is in fact just really good at mind tricks. eg: A magician might be able to make a woman float on air, but so could a changeling with the power of his/her mind.
JC
PS Your rules, your way this is only a thought.
The Legendary Lost Ninja
See Maggie Finson's
See Maggie Finson's character, Luce, from Children of the Tainted Water.
If you want to discuss your character and your ideas so we can work something out that fits in canon, feel free to PM me anytime.
~Lili
Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
Storage
You said that "Ariel from Maggie Finson's Shit Happens is twelve and nobody knows why. Will be explained at a later date." Easy to believe, her mother just drank some water that had been in storage for awhile. Stored water as long as it is not in the sun and is sealed correctly will last a long time. It is only impurities in the filtering or faulty sealing that usually causes problems, the only thing you might get is a slight plastic taste with the water and even less problems in water sealed in glass bottles.
Somewhat surprised that I have not heard of a shape-shifter in the stories yet, or at least the ones I have read so far. This can even be considered a form of healer ability, focused on the character themselves and does not even need to be a quick shifting. Lots of neat ways to work within the rules for abilities without being overpowering, sometimes subtle is more powerful than flashy.
Last thought, has anyone changed yet into a form that seems younger than their starting age? Not all people may like their powers, a power like very slow aging would be a real pain for awhile. That is until you get to looking old enough to drive, then it would be great.
Usagi
Mental Powers only
At least that would be my guess for why the place isn't lousy with shape-shifters. Now you can argue for something like Auto-bio-kinesis but my guess is that most people consider shapeshfting just a little too magical for inclusion.
~Matt
canon stories
redman
Lilith,
i have an idea for a new story for center-verse. it will have a missed pick up as part of the plot. the good guys and bad guys both will be going a little nuts. the central characters' powers, one major, 2 minor, though one of the minors is really not separate from the major and is, rather, a result of it. her powers will mimic American Indian shamanism in some ways. my story will take place in south eastern Oregon. i have an art piece picked for the illustration, but will have to get permission to use it. i have no idea how to pm you, or what PM is, for that matter. I don't know how, therefore to contact you directly. what i am hoping is that you will tell me how to contact you in language a 20Th century rather than 21st century man can understand. I am hoping you will read it when i get it done, rectify any canon error i might make so that my story may fit, hopefully in the canon universe. i really love your work, but my favorite by far is the center. thank you, redman
redman
You have your PM's turned
You have your PM's turned off, so I can't reply to you privately.
PM's: go to My Inbox. Look for a tab that reads Compose near the top left corner. Click on it. In the TO: spot type in the first few letters of my name Lilith. Let the computer do it's thing and it'll pop up Lilith_Langtree in a dropdown menu. Click on my name and write me a PM.
Or you can email me directly at lilithlangtree at gmail.com
~Lili
Blog: http://lilithlangtree.tglibrary.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lilith_langtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.
The Center - Charaters
Just tried to pull up the website for the Center Characters listing and it says is was suspended. Any clues on why?
Threat of death
Here are the parts that don't work, especially when the numbers get bigger.
1. You are kidnapped from your family. If you insist on being with them you are killed.
2. You will obey orders. If you don't you are killed. (Teens not cooperating? Imagine that.)
3. You are now property of the US government (a major constitutional violation). If you refuse to accept this you are killed.
A little tight on punishment, along with the loss of family, liberty, and right to choose your life. Our protagonist was allowed out because she cooperated, and seeing your loved ones but keeping quiet is just unrealistic. Love is about real contact and hugs. What you suggest is more torture.
If I found my government doing this I think I would have to take up arms against it. Of course, I have raised kids, I tend to see the parents side of this.
I like the story, but I think these are insurmountable flaws. As the numbers go up as you suggest, they will become much larger. Some people family is no big deal, but with others it is everything. There is no acknowledgment of that.
Did I cover all the bases? The separation from family is the biggest problem, these are kids, some of them very young. Guess what, people are given the secrets act against their will all the time. This is would be a much better policy for some cases, and allowing the parents to move near the facility. Stealing peoples kids, even if it is for their own good (where have I heard that before?), will not work as a long term policy. You would have the government kill a teen and their family because they need them. Like I said, it is a major flaw.
Threat of death
I'm writing this in response to what you have written. This is a fantasy/sci-fi writing. Remember that its the writer that makes the rules in the story. As for what the government can/cannot do believe what you want. Look at recent history of what the US did to certain folks back in the 30's - 60's. The characters have certain abilities where they could force you to either love/hate, remember who you are and so on. Would you remember what you would do if a mind-wiper changed you're point of view?
Look at the books that are out there. It would be a short story as in books or movies themselves if that happened so we suspend belief. Kids can be manipulated so maybe the Col had to tell them what would happen. Maybe some believed while others did not and found out the hard way.
Yes they work for the government but did you read the part where Kris would be imprisoned or not able to find a job? Not everyone would stay but certain ones would have to due to their risk. And also how would you explain to your parents: by the way mom/dad I've changed my gender, sex and race. Even if I was your mom or dad I would not really believe you. Well not all.
We all lose some rights but not all. Their controlled until they can be trusted and yes they are used because newer ones are becoming more and more prevalent with newer abilities.
So yes their harsh but they were also going to school, being taken care of and such, just hidden from the public as needed because even the normal people out there do crazy things. Think of the panic that would ensure along with other governments wanting to control you for their own purpose.
So pick-up your weapons and go after the Government but it wasn't them that caused the problem. It was radicals who took the law into their own hands and such.
Me I liked the story for its originality and such.
Fantastic Story
Judging from the other comment threads you get a lot of compliments so this is somewhat redundant.
Just wanted to say thank you for putting out such a fun story. I stumbled across the first one this morning and had a hard time putting them down until I finished.
Hope you keep writing more.
I'm glad you liked it,
I'm glad you liked it, Deacon. And there can never be too many comments or compliments. It shows you care enough to thank the author for something you enjoyed. So, here I am, thanking you. :)
~Lili
Google +: http://gplus.to/lilithlangtree
~Lili
Write the story that you most desperately want to read.