Electrophagic Overdrive

"My squad and I were fighting these Akrexians in a compound on some far-off moon, and I guess I used too much energy from my battery pack at once, because... I got tunnel vision and blacked out and when I came back, the Akrexians were bloody splatters on the wall, and some of my squadmates were too. The ones that were left were looking at me in utter horror. I was done using electrophagy for a good long while after that, to put it simply."

— A psionic agent of IRUS

When a psionic individual converts electricity to mental energy and holds too much of it for too long without releasing it, they can enter a state called Electrophagic Overdrive. This is somewhat similar to normal psionic overdraw, but with much more sudden and severe effects, and can only be triggered by the use of electrophagy.

Symptoms

The first sign of electrophagic overdrive is tunnel vision. This means that the individual is holding too much mental energy and must immediately expel it by using it in a psionic power such as a blast of telekinesis or conversion to adrenaline. If this is not done, the individual will enter Stage I overdrive.

Stage I

Stage I is marked by a physical "buzz" felt by the individual and the slight automatic siphoning of energy from external systems. The latter is what makes Stage I overdrive a slippery slope to the second and third stages -- by unwittingly absorbing more energy, the individual might not even realize the progression of this condition. In this stage, other psionic abilities also become more unstable; while these powers receive more energy and therefore become more potent, it becomes harder to exert fine motor control over telekinetically controlled objects, telepathically breach minds while remaining undetected, and collect data electropathically without warping it.

Stage II

Stage II exacerbates the symptoms of stage I as well as introducing new symptoms. The buzz becomes a burning sensation in the nervous system felt all over the body but especially in the head and lungs, and psionic abilities become exceedingly hard to control. Tunnel vision will worsen and tremors will begin as blood pressure and heart rate increase. If mental energy is not immediately expelled, this stage will then progress to stage III.

Stage III

At this stage in electrophagic overdrive, the individual will lose control of their actions and attempt to expel as much mental energy in as short a time as possible using random psionic powers. This most often takes the form of erratic and acute bursts of telekinetic movement, but also can be expressed in the telepathic broadcasting of static, pain, or turbulent images and sounds; or rarely as an electropathic burst that corrupts or warps data in a broad radius. As the individual is not able to stop automatically absorbing energy during this episode, it can continue until either all nearby energy sources are depleted, the individual becomes physically exhausted, or they are able to regain control of their actions.
In addition to this symptom, the individual will not remember events that happen during stage III, their body temperature will increase severely, and they will move unpredictably and spasmodically.

Long-term Effects and Recovery

After a full-blown stage III overdrive episode, the individual will often experience aching muscle pains as a result of intense tension as well as severe migraines and uncontrollable shakiness. These symptoms will typically wane after 15-30 minutes but can persist in low severity anywhere from 1-3 weeks after the episode, with periods of flare-ups in between. It is not recommended to use psionic abilities during recovery, especially electrophagy, as additional use will worsen the effects as the mind and body recover. If too much strain is put on the psionic's mind during recovery, it can permanently damage their capacity to hold mental energy.
If the symptoms of high blood pressure, high temperature, and muscle damage are particularly bad during the original episode, individuals will occasionally be hospitalized for recovery. In this case, standard medical practices are applied to help patients recover.

by vivengene

Type

Physiological and Neurological

Origin

Psionic

Affected species

Psionic members of humans and human-derivative species

Cycle

Short-term

Rarity

Uncommon

Usefulness

For some people, electrophagic overdrive is a tool to be used. Given that it makes siphoning energy easier and more fluid, stage I overdrive can be convenient for people who struggle with the multitasking aspect of using electrophagy; additionally, some people simply enjoy the buzzing sensation it brings. This doesn't diminish the danger of overdrive, however; intentionally entering overdrive is a crime in most megacities and for psionic IRUS soldiers not qualified to use it in combat scenarios.

Cults of Overdrive

Some people take this a step further and intentionally enter stage II and III overdrive repeatedly. These people are members of groups called Cults of Overdrive and use this condition to attain a sort of high, as the rush of energy is addictive to them. These cults most often spring up in megacities, where the presence of the God-programs means that they have a basically endless source of energy to siphon. While some of these cults enter overdrive specifically for its addictive rush, some cults are religious and believe that siphoning as much energy as they can from a God-program lets them become closer to the divine or to their god. These religious cults are typically harder to stamp out than normal cults as their motivation and determination runs deeper.

"I was doing repair work in the underground systems and I came across this unprotected power junction with, I don't know, 11 or 12 people crowded around it in a circle. They were all chanting Salve's name and muttering other things I couldn't hear, and they were getting more frantic the more I watched. I'm glad I got out of there before they saw me. I don't know how I would have escaped that much unstable psionic power."

— An underground worker in Passe-Makoa recounting her run-in with a Cult of Overdrive