Cerebro

Posted on Sat Nov 11th, 2023 @ 4:11pm by Aurora Summers & Charles Xavier

Mission: Episode 3: X-Tra Ecclesiam
Location: Cerebro | X-Mansion
Timeline: August 16th, 1990

~Aurora~

The Professor sent out a general broadcast. Non-telepaths might have a passing thought of Aurora without knowing why. All telepaths in the vicinity would hear the name vocalized inside their minds. Aurora herself would hear the summon loud enough to nearly visualize Xavier's face.

~Come to the subbasement. It's time I show you Cerebro~

Aurora did indeed. ~On my way Professor~ At the mention of Cerebro she quickly set off for the subbasement, it didn’t take long to get there as she greeted Xavier.

"Hello, Aurora," the Professor said. "I'm sorry that I couldn't join you for breakfast, so I thought I would set aside some time to show you Cerebro." He picked up the headset that was attached to the mainframe and held it for a moment. "Can you walk me through your experience? Tell me what you did and what happened at each stage."

Aurora nodded. “Scott walked me through it before, we started out on a low setting with my getting used to the feel of having so many minds to contend with. Scott told me not to concentrate on anything to start with, to let my awareness expand. Once I got used to that we increase the sensitivity so that I could focus in on the team. I just...let my mind latch onto familiar voices.”

"And find them you did," the Professor concluded. "I'm surprised Scott walked you through the introduction so well. It sounds like where you went wrong was that the power level was raised before you identified your desired target. But I can show you the difference in short order."

Gesturing toward the chair, Xavier said, "Have a seat." He held out the helmet for Aurora to put on.

Aurora sat down, to say she was wary was an understatement after what happened last time. “I’ll admit I’m a little apprehensive, Professor.”

"That's not a bad thing," replied the Professor, "as long as you don't let it hold you back." He closed his eyes and said, "Let us begin with you selecting an object of focus. Do not concentrate yet. Just choose a desired object."

“What kind of object, Professor? A person, an animal?” Aurora had to be careful where she let her focus take her.

"Anything not in this room," the Professor said. "But something you can clearly hold in your mind."

Aurora nodded. With her thoughts full of Scott and their child she had to put them aside and try to focus on something else. Instead she chose the sewers, memories of those she used to live with in the down below spaces. She could hold focus on their faces with no trouble at all. She let her mind focus in on that.

"Locations are good," the Professor said. Evidently he had gleaned her surface thoughts. "Now begin to concentrate. I'm going to attach the headset but I will not yet activate Cerebro. Don't reach out. Concentrate until it feels as though that location is reaching out to you."

Aurora nodded and let herself relax into what Xavier was instructing. “Okay Professor, that I can do.”

"Good," said the Professor with his eyes closed. He was monitoring the exercise as discreetly as possible. Too much interference from him would not only intrude on Aurora's privacy of thought but also inhibit her ability to use Cerebro competently. "This basic exercise will help you focus on your target without straining yourself because your mind is automatically filtering out distractions. Hold your passive focus on your desired location. I will activate Cerebro now. You may feel a sudden rush, but don't lose focus."

“I understand.” Aurora tried to keep focus, but Xavier wasn’t kidding when he said she’d feel a rush. She gasped but soon re-found her focus just as the Professor had instructed. “That was some rush, Professor. What do you want me to do now?”

"Let details from that location populate your mind. You can search out specific details if you know they are there, but for now let's work on passive observation." The Professor gave her another moment. "Tell me what you see."

Aurora nodded. “I see...the sewers, the mutants hiding there. There’s so many more of them now...” She let her mind take her to where what friends she had used to be. “It’s changed, and not for the better.” She withdrew herself from that and focused on simply looking for other mutants. The results surprised her.

"What stands out to you?" asked the Professor. "Your mind will gravitate toward whatever is most important to you."

Aurora held back a little as what was most important to her wasn’t what she wanted the Professor to see. Instead she focused on the other mutants out there. “Are all these people I’m seeing mutants? There’s so many of them!”

"No, not yet." The Professor flipped a few more dials and then explained, "Now you should only see mutants. Cerebro possesses a vast array of processor algorithms which will allow you to filter through the variety of consciousness like an FM radio dial. It helps in narrowing down specific persons of interest. How many do you see now with only mutants?"

Aurora looked around, “There’s less than before, but still a lot more than I ever expected.” She let her mind float between the various mutants. “They’re worried, afraid, scared, and I can’t say I blame them.”

"It is to be expected," the Professor agreed with no small amount of grief. "The X-Men responded to the Morlock Massacre earlier this year but arrived too late. Those evil mutant marauders were ruthless. Cyclops and the others barely escaped with their lives."

The mention of Cyclops made Aurora’s mind momentarily shift to Scott, but she didn’t dwell for too long. “I’ll have to learn more about that.”

"You and me both," the Professor said glumly. "I was unable to track the marauders due to their method of escape. Whoever sent them was a most depraved individual indeed. To date, I have been unable to determine any reason or motive. But, as a result, the mutants you're seeing now are less receptive to outside assistance than ever."

Aurora nodded. “I guess you can’t blame them. I always wondered when I was younger why people hated mutants, then I learned why when my powers manifested. People are afraid of us, it makes them hate us. What kind of a world is that to raise children in?”

The reference to raising children piqued Xavier's mind but he couldn't quite fix how or why. He simply nodded. "Yes. It's not vacuous idealism that we fight for. It's a peace that affords tangible relief for families and children to live and thrive without the threat of persecution." The fact Aurora was having a conversation without losing focus was impressive, but it would have been tiring all the same. "Is there anything else of note? If not, then I'll teach you to disengage without giving yourself a migraine or short coma."

Aurora nodded she was starting to feel very tired. “Please Professor, I’m starting to feel tired.”

"Of course." The Professor gave a warm smile and returned to the control dials. "Close your eyes and concentrate on this room while I slowly reduce Cerebro's power settings. The sensation may feel like falling asleep in a way, just more controlled. Use the sound of my voice if it helps. Confine your awareness to this room. Once you feel your mind collapse and fold back into yourself, only then should you remove the helmet."

Aurora closed her eyes and focussed on the room just as Xavier had instructed. The sensation was odd to say the least, but she used Xavier as her link. Once she felt more like herself she slowly removed the helmet and placed it back down. “Wow, that was....indescribable!”

"The telepathic mutation goes beyond the organ of of the brain," the Professor said. "Every sentient lifeform contains an astral component as a counterpart to their biological structure. Philosophers have debated over which came first, but whatever the case, the astral self of even the weakest telepath is head and shoulders above the average person. With time and discipline, your astral self can span such distances and measures that your physical body will feel small by comparison. Some telepaths... even defy biological death and live on disembodied in the Astral Plane, though not in any form that I would envy."

“Likewise.” Aurora nodded. “I wouldn’t want to live as a disembodied spirit. I want to live my life, have a family of my own and try to follow the dreams I had as a kid.”

"Oh, 'spirit' would be a misnomer; a more accurate mythological counterpart would be an incubus or succubus," the Professor said. "But let's not dwell on such things. We are indeed better off improving the world around us and enriching the life we're given." He gave her a proud smile. "You did very well for your first lesson. When you feel more rested on another day, we can attempt another."

Aurora nodded as she stifled a yawn, “I’d like that Professor, I’d like to learn all there is to learn, and see just how far my abilities go.”

"Then I'll leave you to take a break while I... respond to something that I have put off for too long." The Professor hid a solemn expression behind a wan smile. "In a way, you've helped remind me of my own duty, Aurora, and for that I thank you."

Aurora nodded but couldn’t help but wonder just what it was the Professor was alluding to. “I’ll see you around Professor, and thank you.”

"Anytime, my dear." The Professor beamed with pride. There truly was nothing more fulfilling than teaching another person.