Mad:Spark
From Girl Genius
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[edit] Main Article
The Spark, short for "the spark of genius", is the mental attribute which is the sine qua non of a mad scientist, who is therefore referred to as "a spark". To quote the Professors Foglio, the Spark is "whatever it is that makes Mad Scientists what they are. A poorly understood concept that identifies and incorporates a batch of personality traits shared by those who have it." There can be competent, even brilliant, engineers and researchers who are nevertheless not sparks and therefore will never make the intuitive leaps necessary to "truly warp the laws of nature" and arrive at such creations as Dr. Jekyll's formula, Dr. Frankenstein's monster, a Strong AI implemented in clockwork, or even the absolutely perfect cup of coffee. (However, some apparently sparky creations such as nuclear submarines equivalent to Captain Nemo's Nautilus and heavier-than-air flying machines actually do exist in our world.)
Sparks also tend to inspire loyalty (or at least obedient fear) in lesser mortals and thus acquire a coterie of minions. This intuitive ability and associated charisma come at a price, however: sparks are mad scientists who lose awareness of practical and ethical concerns in their pursuit of technical apotheosis.
Sparks are colloquially called "madboys" and "madgirls". Calling one this to their face is generally considered hazardous to one's health.
[edit] Style
One of the features of the Spark is that each mad scientist has a unique style. At the grossest level this refers to the spark's preferred medium -- which is often fairly easy to describe: Agatha Heterodyne works mainly with clanks and small-to-medium sized weaponry, for example; while Dr. Dimitri Vapnoople appears to have worked primarily with small furry animals.
There's more to it than that, however. Sparks' style seems to remain consistent and recognizable (at least to those who know what they're looking for) across projects, types of project, and technology levels. It's been compared to the distinctive style of a painter, except that artistic styles are generally not inherited. Sparky styles can be.
[edit] Breaking through
The first trip into the madness place is the definitive point at which one may be called a Spark. Prior to breaking through, the individual may have not shown any particular signs; afterwards, there's no turning back. This is usually traumatic for the Spark and dangerous for bystanders, since breakthrough devices are notoriously destructive (with few exceptions).
If the breakthrough device does not kill its creator and everyone in the general vicinity, the new Spark becomes part of the incessant power politics of the Gifted. Usually as the pawn of an existing power who noticed the chaos, but sometimes they become players in their own right.
[edit] The crazy
Main article: The madness place
Even if they're not actually driven insane by the breakthrough, Sparks often lose rationality while they're working. This state tends to be marked by megalomania, increased aggression (especially if interrupted), and a serious loss of perspective.
