Lens of Arisia

A lenticular quasi-living instrument of telepathy and other extra-sensory powers, worn by the Lensmen of the Galactic Patrol. It enables Lensmen to communicate with any form of sentient life, and to interpret any message no matter how encoded. Attuned to its wearer in such a way that it kills any other entity attempting to use it, the Lens disappears shortly after the death of its rightful owner. A product of Arisian mental science, it can neither be analysed nor duplicated, wherefore it replaced the Golden Meteor of the Triplanetary Patrol (the precursor to the Galactic Patrol) as the symbol of Civilisation's law-enforcement agency. For centuries the culture of the Patrol spread throughout the First Galaxy, as the Lens enabled police officers to move as quickly as criminals, unhindered by language or legal difficulties, as anyone could be assured by a mental glimpse that every wearer of the Lens is of the highest integrity and reliability.
Boskone spent much effort in discovering the nature of the Lens, and after the destruction of Jarnevon the Eddorians devised Lenses of their own for an order of Black Lensmen. The Black Lensmen never constituted a serious problem, because the subconscious nature of their training weakened them in precisely the characteristics requisite for ultimate strength.
Before Clarissa MacDougall - penultimate in Arisia's long breeding towards the Children of the Lens - no female wore the Lens, due to its sex-based fundamental nature. With the Lens, Arisia was able to unite the Patrol behind the Kinnison children to destroy Eddore's All-Highest and his Innermost Circle.

Record 1240 - technology - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:11:01

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