FAQ
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions! If there's something you feel should be on this list, let us know and we will be happy to update it.
Are mutants well known in this world?
No, mutants are very much a secret in this world. Mutants have been around for a while, but have mostly managed to keep themselves hidden. Those who haven't, historically, have wound up the subject of legends and myths and campfire stories. There are persisting rumors of the existence of "monsters" and "freaks," but thanks in big part to the mass vaccinations, not many powerful mutants are even able to manifest, let alone run around using their abilities. In some smaller, more rural communities, mutants may exist and be known, but those communities are generally not the type that would then go public with that information.
How does the vaccine work?
The most common way the vaccination is administered is through the water supply. In every developed country, the water supply is dosed with the vaccination. If you drink water that has been processed, you will expose yourself to the vaccine. Additionally, the vaccine exists in other forms - pill as well as shot. However, both are used far less frequently than the standard dosing.
Because of the way most commercially available beverages (including bottled waters) are processed, nearly everything has at least traces of the vaccination in it.
Well, crap. So... how can my character avoid being dosed, then?
This is a little bit tricky. The easiest way to avoid coming into contact with the vaccine is simply to not drink treated water, or anything that has been made with treated water. Of course, it's generally necessary to be hydrated, so never drinking water is probably a bad idea. Here comes the good news: there are ways to purify the treated water and make it drinkable.
Boiling alone does not completely remove the medication, and is an unreliable method of purification. In order to really clean the water, an antidote must be added to it. There are a few places where the water is treated properly with the antidote, most notably the Xavier Institute, but it is nearly unheard of in private homes. If you wish to have your character come from a home that has treated water, please clear it with a moderator first. We'll totally let you do it if there's a really good reason.
Even though most commercially available drinks are made with treated water, there are some brands of bottled water and sodas that are completely safe, so it is possible for a character to luck out and only really drink those. Most hard liquors are also safe, thanks to reactions that occur during the distilling process, and well water is almost always clean.
What happens if a character does ingest the vaccine?
Most mutants who have been regularly dosed their entire life will not really notice anything strange. More powerful mutants may have a handful of power spikes when they first manifest, but even they will be unable to replicate the occurrences while fully vaccinated. The spikes will, however, be enough to trigger Cerebro.
At the Xavier Institute, there is a specially designed area attached to the medical lab designated as a detox area. When a mutant is in the process of flushing the vaccine from their system, their powers can and often do surge somewhat erratically. If it is a mutant's first time being completely free of the vaccine, they are required to remain in the detox area until they test negative for it, for their safety as well as the safety of the rest of the community. If the mutant in question is more experienced with their powers at full intensity (and has been through the detox process before), they can generally opt out of the stay in the detox area. There are exceptions, such as in cases where the mutant's powers are potentially incredibly destructive.
Mutants who have previously had their systems fully flushed but are dosed again may still be able to use their powers, depending on how much of the vaccine they have ingested. It usually takes about three weeks of regular dosing (through just drinking treated water) to completely block already manifested powers, and can take longer if the mutant in question is very powerful. When lower levels of the vaccine are in the mutant's system, they may experience nausea, headaches, and dizziness.
So what is this Xavier Institute all about? Who knows about it?
The Xavier Institute in this world is well known as a very exclusive private boarding school. It is so exclusive, in fact, that there is no known admissions process. The school has a very high rate of success; the vast majority of the students not only graduate high school with top marks, but go on to study and succeed at a higher level. Even though the school is exclusive in terms of admissions, it has always appeared to be completely open when it comes to government inspections and public interest. Nobody really thinks that it's strange that so many orphans live there, or that people are randomly granted admission on no apparent schedule, because as far as anyone knows, the Institute is an open book.
That, of course, could not be further from the truth. Though the upper levels of the Institute seem completely normal, the sub-basements hold more secrets than anyone could probably imagine. The staff and students, with very few exceptions, are all mutants, and are actively and continuously training, not only with their powers, but also with more normal tactical skills. One of the first skills taught to new students just happens to be about how to hide in plain sight.
Okay, so what about the X-Men?
So glad you asked! The X-Men in this world are not flashy superheroes. They are covert operatives who stick to the shadows and leave little to no trace. Sometimes, they wear masks. Sometimes, they just do a really good job of making sure nobody has reason to remember them being there. Sometimes they remotely hack into security systems and knock out the cameras. Whatever method they use, the bottom line is that at the current point in time, they can't be identified.
You might be thinking, "well, isn't the whole X part of their name a give-away?" That's a good point, you. They ARE known as the X-Men, but not because of Charles Xavier or the X-gene. In this world, they were dubbed the X-Men because nobody has any idea who they are, where they come from, or even what they're hoping to accomplish. The name was given to them by conspiracy theorists online who managed to connect dots that most people wouldn't. Though there are websites devoted to them, the collected evidence has been dismissed by most law enforcement and government agencies as nothing more than the delusional ramblings of a handful of paranoid people looking for things that aren't there. It's almost a joke to most people, and sometimes the reaction to an unexplained event is a sarcastic, "It was probably the X-Men." Sometimes, that's true.
Even though they do their best to cover their tracks, nobody is perfect. There are some people who have evidence and suspicions, but at this point, there's not nearly enough evidence for anyone to formally accuse anyone. The X-Men themselves monitor the investigations that occur as a result of their actions, and make sure that nothing can come from whatever is found.