Chapter 2 – Teleportation Part 1

It has been a long day at work. You glance at the time on your PC, and to your dismay, there’s still a sluggish hour to go before you are off the clock. You push your chair back and close your eyes, imagining what it must be like back at home, in your nice, quiet room, with the gentle breeze of a fan cooling you off. The image is so clear that you can practically feel it. Opening your eyes, intent on doing something semi-productive with your final hour, you discover that you’re now at home in that quiet room. You are uncertain of how it happened, but you have just teleported.

Today’s topic is teleportation. The instantaneous travel between two locations without crossing the intervening space. I call this a part one because there are many versions of fictional teleportation, and I’ve divided them into four categories. The teleportation methods are as follows: fantasy teleportation, matter relocation, temporal translocation, and portals. 

Fantasy teleportation, the type we will be messing around with today, is similar to your standard disapparation from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rolling. You think of one place and poof, you’re there. It is almost strictly fantasy, as there is no feasible way of creating this type of teleportation in our known world. 

Matter relocation is seen primarily in science fiction. You’ll find them in your Star Trek transporters and other hub based contraptions. Often they require you to have a machine that can disassemble your energy and matter, copy your DNA, and replicate it in another location. This version of teleportation is theoretically possible, but there are some issues that may never be solved in the real world (of which I will discuss at a later date).

Temporal translocation probably has another name, and that name probably has something to do with speed. In essence, this is what happens when you move so fast that no one can see you. You have effectively achieved teleportation in that case. You may say this is technically not teleportation. I beg to differ, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Portals are a classic form of “teleportation” seen in both science fiction and fantasy alike. You could argue that this form could technically worm its way into matter relocation or fantasy teleportation, but I think the key differences between using portals and the other methods of teleportation are that portals allow for two way teleportation and portals are in fixed positions.

I hope to cover each group in its own post, but for today, let’s talk about fantasy teleportation. Like stated in its introduction, this version of teleportation requires you to think of the place you want to go. Assuming everything goes smoothly, you will appear in the new location.

How you would get this power is beyond me. Possibly you were cursed, or you were born with it. Unless you live in a complete fantasy world not based on Earth, you probably inherited the power from a parent. That being said, I want to discuss two worlds, one where (as far as you know) you are the only one who can teleport, and one where everyone can teleport.

~ Only You Can Teleport ~

In this hypothetical world, you are the only one who can teleport. To start out with, you are also the only one who knows. My guess is that you wouldn’t know that you had powers until you experienced a situation like that of the intro, where you imagine a place you wished to be and accidentally teleporting. There would be limits of course. No teleporting to fictional realms, and perhaps no teleporting to a place you’ve never been. It would operate based on a sort of checkpoint system in video games. You can only warp to a location you have been, a spot on the map you have uncovered.

Let’s assume for the sake of the game that when your accidental teleportation occurred, no one was there to witness it. You are the only one who knows. For most of us, we’d probably uncover the limits of fantasy teleportation fairly quickly. The hardest part would be believing that you’re not crazy. After all, in this world, teleportation shouldn’t exist, yet somehow it does. Reminds me of the saying “seeing is believing” and its antithesis “believing is seeing”. There would be some who wouldn’t ever be able to believe, even if they saw it for themselves.

Enough about those people though. For the rest of us, it would come down to what we should do with this power. My list is quite simple:

• Never using a car ever again
• Messing with close friends and family
• Visit as many places as possible, expanding the reach of my abilities

Regarding the first point, I currently don’t have a driver’s license but have driven on a permit before. I hate driving. I understand why cars exist, and they help society get around, but I dislike the feeling of controlling such a large machine. My parents and friends say it gets easier, but till then, this power would be a lifesaver.

The other two are more for fun. I’m sure some of you would do the same. With them, however, comes a catch. Do you tell the world that you can teleport? I’m sure every one of us could give examples from movies and literature where revealing that you have a secret superpower gets the government involved. Our lives aren’t fiction, but with powers like teleportation, whose to say it won’t happen. Keeping it secret might just keep you safe.

On the other hand, hiding this version of teleportation is a tough feat. You may be able to envision the location you want to appear in, but you can’t guarantee that no one will be there when you do. It would come down to being careful, choosing specific locations to teleport to and keeping control of your powers (so you don’t randomly teleport when daydreaming). I think it would be a fun challenge (if you had time), mapping it all out.

If you happen to be highly introverted (energized by solitude), you’ll only have to evade one or two close friends. If you are extroverted (energized by social interaction), then you may have a hard time keeping it under wraps. I can think of three people that would pose a difficult challenge to me. I can only see myself telling one of them. But once you tell one person, the risk of it spreading by mistake grows exponentially. If you did tell someone, you’d have to trust them fully.

The true solution to the dilemma above is a simple one. Don’t teleport unless you absolutely have to. (But where’s the fun in that.) It would be hard to not utilize such an amazing gift, but it’s the safest and smartest option. Either that, or take the risk of being exposed, captured, or hunted the rest of your life. In the technological age, where cameras are literally everywhere (and I can bet that most of you are in range of at least one prying eye right now), having visual privacy is a huge challenge, and people are going to notice you appearing in places you shouldn’t.

That being said, if this game ever becomes reality, the call is yours to make.

~ Everyone can teleport ~

Now imagine that everyone on earth had this ability. That practically deletes the issues of the previous game. No secrets, everyone has the power. Other than the natural dangers the power holds, the dangers of capture from the government would be minimal.

In this world, other methods of transportation would become obsolete. Would there be people who just teleport around for fun, not even bothering to walk anywhere? Would some people refuse to teleport? I think the paranoid might. Or those who just enjoy motor vehicles (unlike myself). I suppose it would be a special service for those who hadn’t been around as much as others. Children especially would need to travel by more conventional means in order to expand their abilities.

Capturing and attacking people would be like a game of tag. Say you were a spy, tasked with capturing a dangerous criminal. You find out their location, and just as you teleport in to try a grab them, they teleport away. You’d need to devise a plan to knock them out or disable their abilities before they notice you. Another fun challenge.

Here’s an interesting thought. Since you close your eyes when you sleep, would there be some people who sleep teleport. It’s like sleep walking, but instead you teleport to the location of your dream. Scientists and experts would have to research the condition. It could result in many deaths before anyone could find a solution. What about other mental disorders? Would patients teleport out of hospitals or homes, never to be found?

A new job, or government department, would form over time. The Department of Accidental Teleportation: Search and Rescue (DATSR). DATSR would operate like the police department, taking their own form of 911 calls, sending teams out to investigate the people who teleported, uncovering the places they’d been and their most probable locations.

Now I leave the discussion in your hands. How would you utilize your newfound abilities? Would you tell others about your secret, keep it close, or perhaps hide it by not using it? How would you feel if the entire world had this power? What other quirks would a world such as this have?

If you have your own hypothetical that you want me to pursue, leave it in the comments with the hashtag #THG. I can’t wait to hear your suggestions and opinions.
Thanks for playing.