The story of Aspergers

[ezioMan]

Here is a rather long story I made that tells the history of our people and a possible future for us. I hope you all will enjoy this. I have posted part 1 for now:


The Wise Elders once speak of a time when we were a minority, hopeless and oppressed. A time when the Neurotypicals controlled the world. A time when we Aspies were looked down upon for being different. They sneered at our weird interests and mannerisms, and our tendency to avoid people. In their world, these kinds of behaviors were not tolerated. Thus, we faced a world of pain and misery.

The first Aspies are believed to have been born around the Middle Ages. During this time, people were born into their roles in society. Serfs were born serfs, lords were born lords, and knights were born knights. In this rigid social order, Aspies found their place as monks and hermits. Or they would adjust to the rigorous life of a serf or a knight. If they did their jobs well, they were content and treated well.

Beginning with the Renaissance, the world began changing. The scholars among us took part in this revolution and played a role in this amazing time. They expanded the boundaries of human knowledge and created great works of art. Scientists made new discoveries and new insights on democracy and capitalism spread. But other Aspies faced problems; they could have been suspected of witchcraft and killed or imprisoned. There were also a lot more wars and social problems, which led to a plight for Aspies. At this time, community and family were still a dominant part of life, so Aspies had plenty of support.

The Industrial Revolution eventually took root beginning in the 1700s. This introduced even more upheaval and chaos into the world. Aspies were now faced with rapidly growing cities, and the hustle and bustle proved to be very disconcerting for us. With so much noise and social contact, factory work proved to be very difficult and demanding for us. Not only that, Aspies were also expected to be more independent and couldn’t rely on their families and communities. On the other hand, Aspie inventors and scientists enjoyed this period because their talents were valued. After all, their work powered the whole revolution. Generally these people were considered eccentric geniuses, and their eccentricity was just regarded as a byproduct of their intelligence.

The beginning of the 20th century, however, saw a change in society’s treatment of us. As society became more urbanized, people began to judge others more on how they presented themselves and less on their actual abilities. Society became more focused on “selling” than actual doing. As people became adjusted to this new reality, they managed to hide their true selves. Aspies struggled to do this; it takes us much longer to pick up on social norms. We also are more naïve and straightforward with other people. In this new state of affairs, life became very tough for us. Unemployment grew rapidly for us and our life prospects narrowed considerably. It was around this time that our Great Father, Hans Asperger, from whom we derive our name discovered us.

Hans Asperger was a psychologist who studied 4 boys with AS. He did research in the field of child psychology and is known for his 1944 paper on autism. In this, he describes his work with four boys, each of whom had AS symptoms and probably were aspies. He said that they had narrow interests, little interest in social communication, and very strong knowledge of that interest. He called them “little professors” and felt that they had great potential to be innovators and contribute positively to the community. He in fact had symptoms himself, and perhaps that is why his papers were more positive than other psychologists writing on AS. After his death, his work spread widely and contributed to the field of research on the autistic spectrum. Eventually Asperger’s syndrome became recognized in the early 1990s and we Aspies finally had an identity. It wasn’t much of a start, but it was enough to get us noticed by psychologists and get the help we needed.

Meanwhile, our numbers were expanding exponentially. As we found out later on, there are differences in our mirror neurons. Mirror neurons help people to see what other people are doing and their states and helps them to imitate and empathize with others. We have deficits in this system, which limits our ability to understand and socialize with others. There are a set of mutations that impair this system in us; these are the root cause of AS. These mutations began to appear in the Middle Ages and started growing rapidly by the year 1600. In the early 11th century, the number of Aspies was estimated at several hundred individuals. By the end of the 14th century, there were some 2500-3000 of us in the world and around 1600 there were 7000 Aspies. After that, our numbers exploded- 28000 in 1700, 130000 in 1800, 720000 in 1900, and 6120000 in 2000. Not only that, but the rate was also increasing. In two centuries, we would be the majority of the world’s population.

 

[LoneHeart]

Wow! Amazing first post! Thanks for sharing!

 

[ezioMan]

Here is my second post.

Beginning in the early 21st century, we aspies finally created our own communities. The Internet brought us all together from all over the world. It gave us a way to protest the harsh treatment of our kind and expose the injustices in the world toward us. Also it helped spread awareness of our condition in the world. Coupled with our role in the technological innovations of the time, this brought about a limited acceptance of us. From 2020, when Satoshi Tajiri created a Pokemon game where the main villain had Aspergers and the whole world finally recognized our problem, to 2040, we aspies thought we had won our struggle for acceptance in society. We were hailed as geniuses and innovators, masters of the new age of technology. Instead of being social misfits and losers, we were now stereotyped as amazing supergeniuses. It was a time of excitement and triumph for us, a time of peace and prosperity.

Sadly, things began to change later on for us. In 2040, it was revealed that we had been growing exponentially for quite some time. From .15 percent of the world’s population in 2000 to 3% of it in 2040, our numbers were starting to grow. In addition, our brothers on the spectrum had grown as well; 10% of the whole world was on the spectrum. By the end of the century, an estimated 75% of people would be on the spectrum, with Aspies being half of the total population. Keep in mind that this takes into account all of the people in the world, including generations that had fewer aspies. Among children in elementary school, 40% were on the spectrum and 20% were aspies. Not only that, the outbreak of World War 3 between the Sino-Russian alliance and NATO led to tension. After the series of crippling nuclear terrorist attacks in the United States and Western Europe, people were panicky and fearful. Combined with the rapid increase in the population of people with ASD, this caused them to become fearful of us.

The Supreme NATO military command placed most of us under surveillance, as part of their irrational fear of us being spies. In fact, almost all Aspies, including those living in China and Russia, condemned the attacks and supported NATO. When conscription started, many Aspies volunteered to fight in the military, wishing to avenge those who died in the attacks and bring Russia and China to justice. Aspies in those two countries started their own resistance groups and many defected to join the NATO cause. Although many Neurotypicals opposed us joining the military, the military leaders needed all the men they could get and let us join. We fought bravely and valiantly in the war despite a lot of prejudice and scheming of the officers against us.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I like your mention of Aspies finding their places in the Middle Ages as monks and hermits as I think this was probably correct.
Aspie-like traits were purposefully cultivated within many religious orders (groups of friars, monks and nuns) which not only contained only real Aspies (Thomas Aquinas), but also NTs attempting to emulate Aspie traits, until the mid twentieth century when ASd traits became, for the first time, to be despised in such circles.

 

[ezioMan]

Here is the third part:

When the war ended in 2048, Russia and China were occupied and punished for their crimes. We all thought that peace and freedom could thrive again in the world. But we were wrong. Public opinion had turned against us and people had elected anti-Aspie politicians to offices all over the world. They began working on a solution to our growing numbers, perhaps even to marginalize and destroy us. The paranoia and fear during the war had not ended; it was merely turned against us. First, Aspie veterans were denied benefits that NT veterans received; this was an unofficial policy. Spouses of dead Aspie soldiers and their children often did not receive any benefits at all from the government at a time when families of dead NT soldiers received so much. We protested this, but the Neurotypicals did not understand. They even accused us of starting the war, which we argued against. But they did not want to listen.

In the schools, Aspies were often graded unfairly by teachers. The bullying was even encouraged when in earlier times it had been ruthlessly punished. The bullies could now terrorize their Aspie victims with no repercussions, with an intensity exceeding that of the late 20th century. There were even frequent pogroms of Aspies in China and Russia, blaming the Aspies for the loss in the war. We were demonized and scapegoated for all the world’s problems, which were supposedly caused by our lack of empathy and psychopathic nature. In addition, the government began working on a way to neutralize our mutations and make us NTs. In response, we created our own communities and militias, armed to protect us from these people. We also discovered camps where our brothers were being held and fought to liberate them. We also began protesting loudly and often rioted with the KKK, who organized to terrorize us.

In a time, a radical group of Aspies known as the Illuminati began fighting back against our oppressors. They uncovered the place where work was being done on the cure for AS and stormed it. In a televised broadcast to the world, the researchers all revealed what they had been working on and were then killed coldly by the Illuminati insurgents. The reaction to this was one of massive outrage. Most of us condemned the killings but we understood the Illuminati wanted to protect us; most of them came from Russia and China where they had spent their childhoods traumatized and beaten by their people. Their savageness and methods matched that of the KKK; they had a fear and hatred of most NT people.

The NT governments were surprised that we fought back and decided to kill us all. They perpetrated a Holocaust upon us. In the years from 2051-2056, 50% of people with ASD died in camps and other purges. These camps were so terrible and vicious. But we fought back. The Illuminati headed a massive effort to liberate the camps and free the survivors. The problem was that they needed a place to go and there were few countries who tolerated us. Chief among these were India, Germany, Brazil, and Israel. These countries were perhaps the most progressive in the world at the time and were horrified at the way we were being treated. Perhaps it was because WW3 led to significant deaths over there and also because the Allies hadn’t treated them well.

 

[LoneHeart]

Here is the third part:

When the war ended in 2048, Russia and China were occupied and punished for their crimes. We all thought that peace and freedom could thrive again in the world. But we were wrong. Public opinion had turned against us and people had elected anti-Aspie politicians to offices all over the world. They began working on a solution to our growing numbers, perhaps even to marginalize and destroy us. The paranoia and fear during the war had not ended; it was merely turned against us. First, Aspie veterans were denied benefits that NT veterans received; this was an unofficial policy. Spouses of dead Aspie soldiers and their children often did not receive any benefits at all from the government at a time when families of dead NT soldiers received so much. We protested this, but the Neurotypicals did not understand. They even accused us of starting the war, which we argued against. But they did not want to listen.

In the schools, Aspies were often graded unfairly by teachers. The bullying was even encouraged when in earlier times it had been ruthlessly punished. The bullies could now terrorize their Aspie victims with no repercussions, with an intensity exceeding that of the late 20th century. There were even frequent pogroms of Aspies in China and Russia, blaming the Aspies for the loss in the war. We were demonized and scapegoated for all the world’s problems, which were supposedly caused by our lack of empathy and psychopathic nature. In addition, the government began working on a way to neutralize our mutations and make us NTs. In response, we created our own communities and militias, armed to protect us from these people. We also discovered camps where our brothers were being held and fought to liberate them. We also began protesting loudly and often rioted with the KKK, who organized to terrorize us.

In a time, a radical group of Aspies known as the Illuminati began fighting back against our oppressors. They uncovered the place where work was being done on the cure for AS and stormed it. In a televised broadcast to the world, the researchers all revealed what they had been working on and were then killed coldly by the Illuminati insurgents. The reaction to this was one of massive outrage. Most of us condemned the killings but we understood the Illuminati wanted to protect us; most of them came from Russia and China where they had spent their childhoods traumatized and beaten by their people. Their savageness and methods matched that of the KKK; they had a fear and hatred of most NT people.

The NT governments were surprised that we fought back and decided to kill us all. They perpetrated a Holocaust upon us. In the years from 2051-2056, 50% of people with ASD died in camps and other purges. These camps were so terrible and vicious. But we fought back. The Illuminati headed a massive effort to liberate the camps and free the survivors. The problem was that they needed a place to go and there were few countries who tolerated us. Chief among these were India, Germany, Brazil, and Israel. These countries were perhaps the most progressive in the world at the time and were horrified at the way we were being treated. Perhaps it was because WW3 led to significant deaths over there and also because the Allies hadn’t treated them well.

Haha! This is so awesome, I love this! Obviously I hope this never ever happens, but your creativity with this is awesome! I love the part where we surprise everyone by fighting back. :balanced:

 

[LoneHeart]

I like your mention of Aspies finding their places in the Middle Ages as monks and hermits as I think this was probably correct.
Aspie-like traits were purposefully cultivated within many religious orders (groups of friars, monks and nuns) which not only contained only real Aspies (Thomas Aquinas), but also NTs attempting to emulate Aspie traits, until the mid twentieth century when ASd traits became, for the first time, to be despised in such circles.

Yeah very true, I never thought about this before. Although there was a time I was thinking of joining some type of religious order like that, maybe to eventually become a priest.

 

[ezioMan]

Here is the fourth part guys:

In any case, Aspies migrated in record numbers to these welcoming and devastated countries. While not everyone was friendly, it was much better than living in the hostile NT lands. Aspies rebuilt these countries and introduced many new innovations; these countries benefited significantly from what Aspies brought. In addition, these countries were the first to become majority Aspie. Israel became this in 2061, Germany in 2069, Brazil in 2073, and India in 2081. With 4 countries already this way, we began the Liberation War in 2082. In the intervening time, the governments were unable to kill enough Aspies and our populations began skyrocketing thanks to the power of exponential growth. No one dared find an anti-Aspie drug because the Illuminati would do them in. However, these Aspies remained in pretty terrible conditions until 2082.

In 2082, the World Congress of Aspies in Bangalore moved to declare war after much discussion and debate. While many Aspies argued against the war, saying that peace was the logical option, the Illuminati argued that our Aspie brethren were still being oppressed and needed our help. After considering the NTs had done to us in that century and their betrayal of us, a lot of us wanted revenge. Hence, the four countries declared war against all of the world. At first, we focused on supporting local Aspie insurgencies. These insurgencies ruthlessly and logically infiltrated governments, using devices that accurately predicted human behavior. These devices were invented after we completed our studies of human psychology and science. Using them, we were able to bring these governments down without resorting to much direct battling. We knew the NTs would defeat us in these battles; they had the weapons and the brainwashing to fight us. Not only that, a lot of us are pacifistic and prefer to avoid violence. The general exception to that rule was the Illuminati; they were ruthless and vicious, coldly logical with little or remorse for what they did.

After commandeering the governments of the United States and Western Europe, we were now ready to wage direct war on the other countries. Thus WW4 truly became a global conflict. After much discussion, we only allowed Aspies in the occupied countries to join the military; the NTs couldn’t be trusted since many of them were part of insurgencies against us. Not only that, Aspies were at least a plurality in all these countries, and we knew the Aspies in the enemy countries would revolt enmasse and join us. The resulting war was bloody and fierce, but we Aspies and the NTs loyal to us worked together to defeat the enemy one by one, as a calm coordinated unit. The war was finally over in 2092; it was 10 years of steady progress that eventually ended in glorious victory. We Aspies were now the masters of the world, undisputed kings of all people. Demographically, we were about 48.2% of the world’s population in 2092 and would be 50.8% in 2100. After that, we expected our proportion to eventually cap at 52-54% of the world’s population; the genetic mutation that causes Aspergers was not expanding nearly as fast as it did a century ago. Also, the other ASDs were projected to fluctuate between 8-10% of the the world’s population. Much to the chagrin of the Illuminati, the NTs would not be replaced by our kind; they would remain a significant part of the world’s population.

 

[Judge]

until the mid twentieth century when ASd traits became, for the first time, to be despised in such circles.

Yes..it made me ponder how catastrophic Dr. Asperger's research might have been had it occurred perhaps a decade earlier.

 

[ezioMan]

The NTs continued significant insurgencies until 2100 when they finally saw the benefits of Aspie society. By then, the Illuminati had asserted its power over all. The World Controller and his council, who were the most logical beings in the world, made all major decisions and policies. They also heard major global cases and disputes. Matters of policy dealing with countries and entities below them were handled by the most qualified Aspies for the job and some loyal NTs. The Illuminati first tried those responsible for the Aspie genocide; they were executed. Many other world leaders were executed or imprisoned for their crimes against us.

Although this world was structured to be a utopia, the NTs began to reject it. Even though production had increased dramatically using all kinds of advanced technology, unemployment was still at a level of 5%. Even with businessmen allowed to engage in some type of competition and office politics to be sanctioned in some form, even with new conveniences and less hassles, the NTs began to rebel. They grew to hate this system; they despised its rigidity and lack of empathy. Powerful demagogues appeared among them and organized resistance groups and attacks. The Illuminati tried to negotiate with the NTs, but the NTs would simply not agree on anything. The NTs demanded democracy, the Illuminati stated that such a thing was pointless and inefficient; the NTs demanded power and rights, the Illuminati said they deserved no such thing. The Illuminati felt Aspies were superior and deserved the most power and rights; the NTs argued that it was they who gave rise to Aspies and at least deserved some gratitude. Both sides were complete opposites; NTs were ruled by emotions and the Illuminati relied on logic. The clash of these 2 different ideologies led to WW5. Eventually, the less logical-minded Aspies and more logical members of the NT race defeated both sides.
In the global Congress in Jerusalem, both Aspies and NTs gathered to have a discussion on the ideal system of government. The Congress was called because both sides knew there needed to be peace; the problem was how to go about doing so. The NTs argued for a return to the liberal democracies of old; the radical Aspies argued for logical dictatorships. Clearly, it was a contest of logic vs emotion. That was why we fought WW4 and WW5; to see which system would prevail. And the problem was, neither had a distinct advantage. For logic to prevail, NTs would have to disappear; for emotion to prevail, Aspies would have to be eliminated. One conclusion that was reached was for one group to kill off the other. Since Aspies were the majority, it was argued that all the NTs had to be wiped out. That person was part of the Illuminati.

This idea was immediately shot down by most of the delegates, even those on the Illuminati side. It was just too barbaric to implement and would never work. The hardliner NTs countered with an idea of separation; Aspies and NTs would be segregated in most aspects of life, only coming together when needed. This hearkened back to the time of Jim Crow in the American South. This idea had support from the Illuminati, who felt that it was most logical given the recent conflicts between both groups.

Yet this idea was shot down by a majority of the delegates. The moderate and liberal Aspies saw a lot to be offered in NT culture and the more open-minded NTs saw a lot in the ways of logic. To them, coexistence was not destined to lead to conflict. They pointed to the era from 2020-2040, the Aspie Golden Age. This was at the peak of the world’s prosperity when Aspies and Humans got along and created many great things. With this in mind, the delegates(except that one guy who wanted to kill NTs) agreed that coexistence was the best policy for both groups, the best of both emotion and logic. And so it is the policy today. It is not perfect; conflicts break out between us and our NT brethren every now and then. Yet no one can deny that it has kept the world intact and prosperous. And so it shall remain for as long as the human race exists.

 

[ezioMan]

So what do you guys think of this story

 

[LoneHeart]

Awesome story! Very well thought out and creative!