We live in the past.
Or, more sensibly stated, everything we perceive is delayed. The conduction of sensory signals isn’t instantaneous after all. The flow of ions, the building potential of gradients, the rush of neurotransmitters- all of this takes time, however brief. All of life takes place compensating for a veil of latency.
But this isn’t about us, it’s about them- the Future Elite.
Often, they are born or mature under strange circumstances. A baby born, suckling on the spine of a half-born twin. A young boy, changed after surviving a seemingly-deadly blow to the head. A little girl, whom caught the fever despite warnings of looking away from the shivering star.
Such children seemingly lose the ability to function in society. They seem cognizant, but unable to interact properly. Their speech comes out choppy and distant. Sometimes their hands jitter, doing something just bordering on the perceivable. Any tasks which they may attempt, they seem to do quickly. But perhaps most distressingly, is the constant fear in them reacting to something which we can’t perceive.
Whatever has sparked change in them, has broken one of the core mechanisms by which the human brain operates. Without the latency intrinsic to how a human mind perceived the world, they have awoken to something- something hiding behind the milliseconds of time which is filtered between the eyes and the brain.
Most children are not fortunate enough to live into their adulthood. Hence why the colloquial name “the Future Elites” coined by the disavowed scholar Barthock Pauling has since fallen out of favor for the term Sheeghr. Many are merely tried as witches, demons, or other aberrations and disposed of by villagers. Some manage to survive by the grace of their family, kept gibbering away some place apart from human contact in a spatial manner to match the temporal one. Most meet unfortunate ends from self-inflicted injuries acquired when attempting to deal with whatever it is they find within the true-present that they see.
Those rare children that manage to make it into their adulthood however, are incredibly dangerous. Having existed without human compassion for years or perhaps experiencing some cosmic truth not meant for human eyes has left them twisted. Those that had precious few years of normalcy may cling to small mementos from a world that made sense, but many are prone to living in manner more befitting beasts then person.
Beyond their quickness, those Sheeghr which have lived to adulthood also manifest a number of strange abilities. Their movements are silent, and carry incredible power. Their bodies generate precious little heat, beyond that which is absolutely required. Pauling hypothesized that “the Future Elite instinctively possess a limited power to losslessly utilize energy,” however this claim hasn’t been investigated outside of his own research. As many of the specificities have been censured for heresy after Pauling was found beaten to death, it may remain unclear.
Sheeghr may be found wandering- filthy, scared, and starving. As even with nothing but the barest of rags they can be deadly, it is highly suggested to avoid them unless you are a thoroughly prepared expert. Typically Sheeghr show little interest in people, instead intently focused on the source of their fear. However, if trapped or otherwise interfered with by a person, a Sheeghr will not hesitate to resort to violent behavior. They seem to seek only to try and deal with the source of their fear- through any number of ways. Some run, some attempt some form of bizarre ritual behavior, etc. Sheeghr are often found near civilized areas. It is advised to simply give them space, to avoid eye contact, to let it merely pass until it becomes somebody else’s problem.
