Angelus Backstory Article - Spookers
This was Willow's idea to have some of the backstory information up for cast members and viewers (listeners?) of the Angelus audiobook.
This article concerns the role of spookers within the novel's setting.
Overview
'Spooker' is one of the classes of telepathy currently recorded within human ability. It is the lowest active reading of psychic activity.
Spookers can only be employed by a private firm, an official government, or the military group Wormwood. They may not hold any other area of employment outside of their duties as a spooker.
Their job is to investigate murders and incidents as soon as possible - diving into a 'Death' world and retrieving ghosts or lingering remnants of the newly deceased for questioning. With the help of newly-developed technologies such as the 'Spook-Link', or ghost box, the spooker can create a semi-solid 3D image of the deceased - allowing non-spookers to communicate directly with the ghost.
In recent times, the psychic intuition of spookers has proven useful in combat situations - as alien activity evolves and becomes more unfamiliar. Therefore, spookers now hold a secondary function (at least, within Wormwood) of being an expert in the field of new alien phenomena.
As a result of their first journey into 'Death', young spookers lost their original eye colour, and return with extremely light-blue irises instead. They also tend to be of a much smaller and lighter build than other humans, and are physically weaker. The theory is that this is cased by the strain placed on their bodies from an early age, which is also posited as the reason for their incredibly short life span. Few spookers get through their thirties.
The Spook Gene and Birth Control
The presence of heightened telepathy in humans is commonly referred to as the 'Spook Gene'. Possession of the gene can occur in active or latent forms (it works like a recessive gene).
Those with a latent spook gene are usually put onto compulsory (but reversible) birth control. To be taken off of birth control, their partner would need to be tested for the gene also. This is to monitor and control the spread of the Spook Gene, increasing and decreasing the birth rate as appropriate.
Carriers of an active gene who score 'spooker' in their psychic exam are immediately put onto permanent birth control - as breeding active genes together is seen as strengthening telepathy to an uncontrollable rate.
Carriers of an active gene scoring 'telepath' are treated as those carrying a latent gene. As telepaths are very rare, and all connected to government services, they are easy to keep track of - and the reproduction rate is considered controllable in relation to the spooker population.
The Monitor Plug
When a spooker enters their training, they are equipped with a monitor plug, or MP. The MP consists of a metal device embedded within the spooker's chest. A metal plate sits on the flesh just above the heart with a small hole. This is the plug for the cord from the Spook-Link box (a device which assists the spooker's dive into 'Death' and forms a 3D image of the ghost for non-spookers to interact with). Inside the body, the MP is connected to the spooker's vital organs, and constantly monitors their activity and condition. Where this information is sent, and what it is used for, is strictly classified.
Laws Regarding Spookers
Spookers may not own property. They are to return to their dormitories at night (or quarters if within Wormwood). A non-spooker may not have a spooker staying in their private premises overnight.
It is an offence for any spooker to be considered inebriated at any time. This is enforced via a stop-and-search command (which can be issued to any spooker at any time), and a breathalyser test. To refuse this is considered to plead guilty.
Spookers must wear their uniform at all times, unless in their private quarters. It is a legal offence to hide or cover-up their logo or the word 'SPOOKER' on their clothing, or to otherwise mislead anyone into believing they are a non-spooker.
A spooker may not carry arms (even in Wormwood, or any other military institution).
They may not tamper with their MP, or allow another to do so.
They may not utilise their powers outside of designated missions, or their daily exercises. Telepathy is forbidden unless it is used in direct aid of the current mission. In a court of law, any 'evidence' gained through the illegal use of a spooker's telepathy will be immediately disregarded (note: this does not apply to evidence gathered in the same way by telepaths).
Spookers may not have children (see: Birth Control), or engage in any sexual relationship of any kind.
They may not exceed their allotted communication time per month, nor may they use another person's equipment or allotted time, regardless of whether that person has given them permission.
If a spooker's family have requested anonymity, the spooker must not make their family connections public in any way. If they are given a new name, they must no longer use their old one, and if asked must deny all knowledge of their previous name and family.
Any military misconduct - disobeying a direct order, desertion, going AWOL, refusing to dive into 'Death', etc - in punishable by incineration. This is the most common disciplinary action taken against spookers. Incineration is the second most common cause of death among spookers; the first being killed in action whilst performing military service.
Spooker Recruitment and Training
Children born on Earth are required to take part in mandatory psychic examinations to determine their psychic ability. It is estimated that 2% of the Earth-born population are spookers. Children born on Tellus of the colonies only undergo the examination if they are considered to be very intellectually gifted, or in any way 'suspicious'. To date, only a handful of these 'off-worlders' have proven to possess psychic ability. The reason for such a higher aptitude among Earth-born children is currently under investigation, and nothing conclusive has so far been found.
Spooker children are then transported to a training facility at age ten. They are not expected to communicate with their families after this point.
Interestingly, the main focus of training young spookers is not to develop their abilities, but rather to control and limit psychic experimentation. A growing theory is that spookers possess much greater power than previously realised, and are being deliberately limited by the authorities fear. The government has refused to comment on such rumours, and sticks to its initial statement that uncontrolled experimentation is seriously dangerous to any young spooker's life.
Much of spooker training is secretive and hazy, but two steps are known to the general public - considered rites of passage. Firstly, a young class is taken to an incineration plant, to watch the real execution of a rogue spooker. This is intended to ingrain into their memories the seriousness of spooker crimes, and their punishment.
The second is their challenge of survival - spookers between the ages of twelve and fourteen are left in the Synth Quarter alone and unarmed to prove their skills, test their knowledge, and weed out weaker members.
On completion of this final exam, spookers are then sent to private firms or government agencies if they have sponsors, and to Wormwood if they do not.
Spookers Within Wormwood
Spookers hold the lowest rank in Wormwood. One position for a spooker is reserved on every team. They may not carry arms, or access the station's communication equipment apart from that within their private quarters. There is a monthly limit on their comms and calls outside the station.
Spooker quarters are the smallest in the station. They are required to drink in a separate bar, and may only consume the low-alcohol-content, or light beers, served there.
Commanders of Wormwood teams are limited to the use of three replacement spookers per month. The spooker is considered the most expendable part of the team.
Spooker Culture and Rebel Rings
Despite coming from a range of different backgrounds, and being encouraged to stay apart from each other, spookers have formed their own underground culture away from the public and state gaze (largely because no one cares enough to look too closely).
Whilst spookers tend to be quiet and withdrawn people due to their training and treatment by society, they often reveal themselves to be nothing of the sort when allowed to gather together without scrutiny. Cultural activities show up in spooker-designated areas, such as their separate bars, and sometimes living areas. But it mostly comes to life in the rebel groups - or so-called 'free rings'.
Free rings are considered by some an urban myth - rumours of spookers escaping custody and forming underground territories or nomadic camps of their own. There are rumours of a free ring inside the Helios Colony, but the most famous is that of the city of Kallaikon on Tellus - a group apparently responsible for several terrorist attacks.
It is in these camps that spooker undertake the risky and dangerous operation of removing their monitor plugs - and thereby ridding themselves of the in-built psychic limiter.
Much of the spooker culture bears a resemblance to Synth culture, as spookers spend time in the Quarter as youths and live with the Synth people; it could almost be called the common background they all share, regardless of nationality. This explains their wealth of oral tradition - telling stories and myths, spreading and creating superstitions - despite the relative youth of the culture.
Along with this, spookers have their own private language - developing first from their own slang into more complex constructions. It serves as a universal form of communication whilst being separate from the standard Panglish spoken as the official language of the system. It is more flexible than Panglish, as there are many areas of spooker life and experience where existing words are not sufficient - many concepts about the Death-world, ghost contact, and telepathy, which are impossible for a non-spooker to fully understand, let alone form language around. The spooker language also provides an easy way to send 'coded' messages to one another in relative safety - although this practice is technically outlawed and being gradually clamped down upon.
Spooker language and culture differs slightly from ring to ring - with changing dialects, slang, stories, and modern heroes.
It is unknown whether a growing acceptance towards spookers and an awareness of their plight will bring their cultural groups closer to the public eye, or if it will be slowly stamped out in government interest.
(Story Index)
This article concerns the role of spookers within the novel's setting.
Overview
'Spooker' is one of the classes of telepathy currently recorded within human ability. It is the lowest active reading of psychic activity.
Spookers can only be employed by a private firm, an official government, or the military group Wormwood. They may not hold any other area of employment outside of their duties as a spooker.
Their job is to investigate murders and incidents as soon as possible - diving into a 'Death' world and retrieving ghosts or lingering remnants of the newly deceased for questioning. With the help of newly-developed technologies such as the 'Spook-Link', or ghost box, the spooker can create a semi-solid 3D image of the deceased - allowing non-spookers to communicate directly with the ghost.
In recent times, the psychic intuition of spookers has proven useful in combat situations - as alien activity evolves and becomes more unfamiliar. Therefore, spookers now hold a secondary function (at least, within Wormwood) of being an expert in the field of new alien phenomena.
As a result of their first journey into 'Death', young spookers lost their original eye colour, and return with extremely light-blue irises instead. They also tend to be of a much smaller and lighter build than other humans, and are physically weaker. The theory is that this is cased by the strain placed on their bodies from an early age, which is also posited as the reason for their incredibly short life span. Few spookers get through their thirties.
The Spook Gene and Birth Control
The presence of heightened telepathy in humans is commonly referred to as the 'Spook Gene'. Possession of the gene can occur in active or latent forms (it works like a recessive gene).
Those with a latent spook gene are usually put onto compulsory (but reversible) birth control. To be taken off of birth control, their partner would need to be tested for the gene also. This is to monitor and control the spread of the Spook Gene, increasing and decreasing the birth rate as appropriate.
Carriers of an active gene who score 'spooker' in their psychic exam are immediately put onto permanent birth control - as breeding active genes together is seen as strengthening telepathy to an uncontrollable rate.
Carriers of an active gene scoring 'telepath' are treated as those carrying a latent gene. As telepaths are very rare, and all connected to government services, they are easy to keep track of - and the reproduction rate is considered controllable in relation to the spooker population.
The Monitor Plug
When a spooker enters their training, they are equipped with a monitor plug, or MP. The MP consists of a metal device embedded within the spooker's chest. A metal plate sits on the flesh just above the heart with a small hole. This is the plug for the cord from the Spook-Link box (a device which assists the spooker's dive into 'Death' and forms a 3D image of the ghost for non-spookers to interact with). Inside the body, the MP is connected to the spooker's vital organs, and constantly monitors their activity and condition. Where this information is sent, and what it is used for, is strictly classified.
Laws Regarding Spookers
Spookers may not own property. They are to return to their dormitories at night (or quarters if within Wormwood). A non-spooker may not have a spooker staying in their private premises overnight.
It is an offence for any spooker to be considered inebriated at any time. This is enforced via a stop-and-search command (which can be issued to any spooker at any time), and a breathalyser test. To refuse this is considered to plead guilty.
Spookers must wear their uniform at all times, unless in their private quarters. It is a legal offence to hide or cover-up their logo or the word 'SPOOKER' on their clothing, or to otherwise mislead anyone into believing they are a non-spooker.
A spooker may not carry arms (even in Wormwood, or any other military institution).
They may not tamper with their MP, or allow another to do so.
They may not utilise their powers outside of designated missions, or their daily exercises. Telepathy is forbidden unless it is used in direct aid of the current mission. In a court of law, any 'evidence' gained through the illegal use of a spooker's telepathy will be immediately disregarded (note: this does not apply to evidence gathered in the same way by telepaths).
Spookers may not have children (see: Birth Control), or engage in any sexual relationship of any kind.
They may not exceed their allotted communication time per month, nor may they use another person's equipment or allotted time, regardless of whether that person has given them permission.
If a spooker's family have requested anonymity, the spooker must not make their family connections public in any way. If they are given a new name, they must no longer use their old one, and if asked must deny all knowledge of their previous name and family.
Any military misconduct - disobeying a direct order, desertion, going AWOL, refusing to dive into 'Death', etc - in punishable by incineration. This is the most common disciplinary action taken against spookers. Incineration is the second most common cause of death among spookers; the first being killed in action whilst performing military service.
Spooker Recruitment and Training
Children born on Earth are required to take part in mandatory psychic examinations to determine their psychic ability. It is estimated that 2% of the Earth-born population are spookers. Children born on Tellus of the colonies only undergo the examination if they are considered to be very intellectually gifted, or in any way 'suspicious'. To date, only a handful of these 'off-worlders' have proven to possess psychic ability. The reason for such a higher aptitude among Earth-born children is currently under investigation, and nothing conclusive has so far been found.
Spooker children are then transported to a training facility at age ten. They are not expected to communicate with their families after this point.
Interestingly, the main focus of training young spookers is not to develop their abilities, but rather to control and limit psychic experimentation. A growing theory is that spookers possess much greater power than previously realised, and are being deliberately limited by the authorities fear. The government has refused to comment on such rumours, and sticks to its initial statement that uncontrolled experimentation is seriously dangerous to any young spooker's life.
Much of spooker training is secretive and hazy, but two steps are known to the general public - considered rites of passage. Firstly, a young class is taken to an incineration plant, to watch the real execution of a rogue spooker. This is intended to ingrain into their memories the seriousness of spooker crimes, and their punishment.
The second is their challenge of survival - spookers between the ages of twelve and fourteen are left in the Synth Quarter alone and unarmed to prove their skills, test their knowledge, and weed out weaker members.
On completion of this final exam, spookers are then sent to private firms or government agencies if they have sponsors, and to Wormwood if they do not.
Spookers Within Wormwood
Spookers hold the lowest rank in Wormwood. One position for a spooker is reserved on every team. They may not carry arms, or access the station's communication equipment apart from that within their private quarters. There is a monthly limit on their comms and calls outside the station.
Spooker quarters are the smallest in the station. They are required to drink in a separate bar, and may only consume the low-alcohol-content, or light beers, served there.
Commanders of Wormwood teams are limited to the use of three replacement spookers per month. The spooker is considered the most expendable part of the team.
Spooker Culture and Rebel Rings
Despite coming from a range of different backgrounds, and being encouraged to stay apart from each other, spookers have formed their own underground culture away from the public and state gaze (largely because no one cares enough to look too closely).
Whilst spookers tend to be quiet and withdrawn people due to their training and treatment by society, they often reveal themselves to be nothing of the sort when allowed to gather together without scrutiny. Cultural activities show up in spooker-designated areas, such as their separate bars, and sometimes living areas. But it mostly comes to life in the rebel groups - or so-called 'free rings'.
Free rings are considered by some an urban myth - rumours of spookers escaping custody and forming underground territories or nomadic camps of their own. There are rumours of a free ring inside the Helios Colony, but the most famous is that of the city of Kallaikon on Tellus - a group apparently responsible for several terrorist attacks.
It is in these camps that spooker undertake the risky and dangerous operation of removing their monitor plugs - and thereby ridding themselves of the in-built psychic limiter.
Much of the spooker culture bears a resemblance to Synth culture, as spookers spend time in the Quarter as youths and live with the Synth people; it could almost be called the common background they all share, regardless of nationality. This explains their wealth of oral tradition - telling stories and myths, spreading and creating superstitions - despite the relative youth of the culture.
Along with this, spookers have their own private language - developing first from their own slang into more complex constructions. It serves as a universal form of communication whilst being separate from the standard Panglish spoken as the official language of the system. It is more flexible than Panglish, as there are many areas of spooker life and experience where existing words are not sufficient - many concepts about the Death-world, ghost contact, and telepathy, which are impossible for a non-spooker to fully understand, let alone form language around. The spooker language also provides an easy way to send 'coded' messages to one another in relative safety - although this practice is technically outlawed and being gradually clamped down upon.
Spooker language and culture differs slightly from ring to ring - with changing dialects, slang, stories, and modern heroes.
It is unknown whether a growing acceptance towards spookers and an awareness of their plight will bring their cultural groups closer to the public eye, or if it will be slowly stamped out in government interest.
(Story Index)