Challenge #02401-F211: Nothing Up Their Sleeve
After humans meet aliens, they witness an alien do what we now call magic. After a explanation it turns out human can use magic, but the earth has a natural 'magic jammer' in the atmosphere that blocks magic. Humans then push the know magic research to the max and open new doors for the galaxy in magic. -- Anon Guest
[AN: This is obviously not happening in Amalgam Universe]
"What was that?" demanded the Human.
Theroq put their wand back into its holster. "Your people have no idea how to manipulate the aetheric energies to your will? How in the name of all deities did your people get into space?"
"We strapped rockets to capsules and hoped for the best," answered Tee. "Well, that was the beginning of it. It got complicated after that."
"No levitation? No steadfast shield spells? No wards of protection?"
"Listen. Until like two minutes ago? All of that stuff was hokum to us. Charlatans and frauds used to claim powers like that to get money out of strangers. And now... you're telling me it's all really real? Can anyone do it?"
"We've yet to meet anyone who couldn't do it before now."
"Hi," said the Human named Tee. "And you were wondering how we came up with all our cool toys. We let you play with ours, can we play with yours?"
There was a shared moment of immature giggling, which just goes to show that people are people no matter where they come from. "All right. Fine. Basics. I have to instruct you as if you haven't the foggiest idea what anything is."
"Smart move," said Tee.
Theroq removed an emergency wand from the wall kit. "This one doesn't need attuning like mine does. The pointy end goes towards whatever you wish to influence. Find your own grip, but if you're nervous, there's a wrist strap."
Tee grasped it like a pen, and did a swish and flick towards a decorative aspidistra. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Then, a second later when the pot plant rose from its roost, "HOLY SHITBALLS IT WORKED!"
The luckless plant thumped back to floor level.
"Of course it worked," said Theroq. "You expected it to work, somewhere inside your head. You Humans have a lot of media concentrating on magic you... couldn't do inside the atmosphere of Terra."
"It was supposed to be a goof and it worked," said Tee. "It shouldn't have worked..."
"You focussed your will and the conduit in the wand used the aether to fuel the energy expenditure. It's not like it's hard..."
"But... this never works."
"It's your savage sun throwing ionic interference into your atmosphere," soothed Theroq. "It prevents much - if anything - in the way of aetheric attunement."
"So that's why you helped build the Tsiolkovsky Elevators, but never gave us your levitation tech... it would never have worked on Earth..." Tee looked at the wand in their fingers. "So... I just think and it does?"
"More or less. There's more to do with personal energy reserves, belief in power, and how much will you have to make things happen. There's also high and low aetheric pressure... but I get the feeling I should take you to the practice range."
Indeed, Tee was cackling and giving off sparks, sparkles, and the general aura of something waiting to go 'boom' in interesting ways. In short... a typical Human once introduced to what they called 'magic'.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / exopixel]
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