Hell if I know, y'all. The closest analogy I can come up with is a human holodeck.

And you're right, TB-- I don't have a specific character yet. Like I said, it's one of those, "Huh, what if?" things that literally just occurred to me.

I'm a little confused too. Do you mean the projection person can take an existing scenario and manipulate the probability of events, making one probability outcome play out in reality?

Do you mean the projection person can take an existing scenario and manipulate the probability of events, making one probability outcome play out in reality?

Something like this, yeah.

I think where I'm stuck is this:

Maybe it's a genetic mutation that mines some previously untapped aspect of the human brain and its abilities or something

If so, that doesn't translate to "holodeck" to me. I could see feeding a psychic certain data points and then waiting for them to envision the future outcome, but projecting it seems like it should require hardware.

And trust me, I'm a lot confused. Hence the trying to talk it out.

but projecting it seems like it should require hardware.

Hm. I see what you're saying, Amy-- especially if people are drawn into the scenario who don't have the ability themselves.

Maybe a combination of projecting an outcome and the ability to shift reality? Sort of like a psychokinesis on steroids?

OK not trying to understand how it works. Trying to understand what people with the power can and can't do.

OK say Koch pays a projector to project a world where Glen Beck is elected President in 2012. Which of the follow happens:

1) Projector twitches nose, and Glen Beck is elected President in 2012?

2) Projector travels to a "projection" where Glen Beck is elected President in 2012, and brings back information about how that helped Koch brothers can use to make it happen in reality?

3) Projector takes Koch brothers with him into projection and they come back with useful information, but at any rate got to experience the wonder of American ruled by President Beck?

And I would not worry about whether it requires hardware yet. I'm still trying to get what it can and cannot do.

Maybe a combination of projecting an outcome and the ability to shift reality?

That's ... an awful big power. Like in your example of a war scenario above: where is the projector when s/he imagines this outcome? Because what you're saying (I think) is that then s/he would be in the middle of a battle or something, yes? So the battle appears ... in that office? Or the projector goes to it?

Do you see what I mean?

I think what seems interesting is what you said about manipulating the situation. Like in Minority Report, but taking it a step farther. If someone can foresee an outcome based on whatever criteria are present *now*, the chance to change it is a powerful one. And a story might be in someone changing a situation for personal gain, but creating some kind of huge problem that they then have to fix.

Or something.

3) Projector takes Koch brothers with him into projection and they come back with useful information, but at any rate got to experience the wonder of American ruled by President Beck?

Yeah, I think this is the closest to what I was envisioning.