Universal Power

There have been so many cosmic powers given to different types of characters.  Different versions of Captain Marvel have had stellar abilities.  Spider-Man briefly became Captain Universe.  The residents of Oa, founders of the Green Lantern Corps, have abilities that are practically god-like.  Many gods themselves have had heroic tales told about them.  The majority of these powers could be considered to be at the "galactic" level of cosmic powers.  What if a an average person were suddenly given "universal" level powers?

I know everything.  The bindings between electrons of different atoms are a breeze to calculate.  The secrets of gravity are but a plaything to me now.  I can also see everything.  I can tell what Heisenberg postulated was impossible.  I can watch as as galaxies collide and planets collide into rubble.  I can see life forming in the deepest recesses and intelligence developing in the light.  I can see how time flows and know how truly easy it is to move back and forth in the stream.  Normally, a person might be surprised to suddenly having the knowledge of everything that is and ever was.  I was comforted by one more thing I knew.  In addition to waking up knowing everything there is to know in all of existence, I also know why I've been given this knowledge.  I have been tasked with saving the universe.

Every few eons, as measured by our traditional meager human methods of tracking time, two great powers rise in the universe.  One is bent on manipulating every fiber of every type of energy for its own benefit.  If someone or something will not comply, it is destroyed without any further thought.  The other power prefers to let all life and existence continue on without any influence at all.  When the two powers rise, they come together and have a contest to determine which one shall maintain control of all existence for the next few eons.

Since the powers cannot influence the universe with their combat, the powers each select a handful of lifeforms and imbue them with the knowledge and abilities required to combat those selected by the other side.  Knowledge nearly as expansive as the powers themselves posses.  Awareness beyond that which any human scientist could ever even dream of.  Enhanced strength and the ability to survive in the vacuum of space.  Imagine The Incredible Hulk, Superman, Mister Terrific, and Sherlock Holmes all rolled into one powerful superhero.  Then multiply that by about a quadrillion and you might get close to a small inkling of what I've been given.

With the entire universe being at stake, a simple game of darts or one-on-one isn't going to be sufficient.  Instead something akin to an intergalactic obstacle course is established.  Tasks are assigned that require a combination of the newly gifted abilities and some of the organic intuition and creativity that is required in the short life of a mortal being.  Imagine a puzzle style video game where one level is altering atoms to create an element with specific magnetic and conductive properties and the next is is positioning planets and moons in a solar system in order to achieve balanced orbits around the central star.  Unfortunately, getting a Game Over means more than just having to load the last save point.

Even with all my new knowledge, I have no clue how long this competition is going to take.  I also don't know which team I'm on.  Should I help or hinder any fellow competitors I come across?  How can I tell if we are on the same or opposing sides?  Given what I know of the powers that are in competition, is this even a contest I want to win?

If you had the power to do anything, absolutely anything, how would you use it?  Would you achieve some personal goal or do something for the betterment of humanity?

Hard fiction

Some time ago I entered a contest to have a story made into an audio drama.  The contest highlighted tales of "hard fiction."  That is science fiction stories with technology that is feasible from our current level of knowledge.  Time travel and faster-than-light travel weren't options, but things virtual reality, holographic performances, and basic artificial intelligence were possible.

I decided to consider what non-lethal methods law enforcement could use in the near future.  Capacitors in modern electronics can hold an electronic charge for some time.  If someone improperly handles a charged capacitor they can receive a little shock.  What if that amount of charge could be raised and the capacitor fired from a modified handgun?  This would basically give an officer a taser with the range of a pistol.

I also explored the expansion of Google glasses.  The data from IR and motion detectors, computers with blueprint data, personal data devices, and the equivalent of GPS transceivers all relayed to the wearer's heads-up display.  A SWAT or similar unit could coordinate their movements and monitor the suspects without putting anyone else at risk.

I am Christian Thomas, a captain in the Elite Legal Force of the LSC. I lead an eight member team on a mission to protect the residents that rely on us. Our training focuses on a combination of hand-to-hand combat and an array of nonlethal weapons. We are frequently called upon to execute raids on residences and warehouses in order to confiscate contraband items. Today's assignments was no different.

It is nearly time. Hundreds of man hours had been used researching and and tracking this one group. The sting to stop these smugglers in their tracks would keep all that time from having been wasted. All the intelligence my team would need had been downloaded into our individual digital interface devices.

With the touch of a button, the visual interface of my goggles activates. Weeks of training followed by many months of field use allows me to quickly transition between the digital display and the outside world. A floor plan of the building before me is projected in a semi-transparent manner. A real-time infrared scan of the building is being relayed to my interface. The occupants are all marked by sharp red dots. I could see them clearly as they moved from room to room. Their activities could easily be considered those of a typical warehouse operation. However, once the illegal items were removed, all activity here would cease.

White dots surround the storage facility on numerous approaches. These represent my fellow team members. I make a mental note as each person reaches their assigned positions. After a few seconds, the white dots start to turn green as my team members signal their readiness. I check my standard-issue stun pistol to make sure it is ready. I have done this numerous times tonight, but it was a trained habit to check it at each stage of an assault. It was fully loaded with 25 rounds, each carrying enough of an electrical charge to knock out a full grown man.

All of the target subjects were moving around some large boxes in the middle of the main storage area. It looked like we were making our raid at the right time, they were preparing their contraband for distribution.

A second glance through the digital display of my goggles tells me that the rest of my team has signaled their readiness. I press a small stud on the device at my hip to signal my preparedness. This starts a simultaneous countdown on the goggles of each team member. When the number reaches zero, we all spring into action.

I kick my way through a side door into the building as my teammates charge through other doors and crash into windows. Not a single word is uttered as our movements are coordinated through the digital displays on our goggles. We rush from the side hallways into the main room. Our pistols let out a signature sizzling pop as the low-velocity rounds are fired at figures milling around the crates in the center of the floor. A handful of them drop limply to the ground before the group is aware of our presence. There is no time for them to mount any kind of resistance before the only people still on their feet are the members of my team.

The perpetrators were rounded up as they regained their senses. The contraband was sealed into crates and marked for disposal. Chalk up another victory for the Lunar Security Corps.

How far do you see some of today's technology going?  What are some other uses for future advances?