Speedster's Medical Log - Dr Caitlin Snow

by The Defender of the Faith

These are Doctor Snow's medical findings as relates to the subspecies of metahumans known as speedsters. It is my medical opinion that speedsters as a subspecies are inherently volatile and dangerous beings, both to people around them and themselves. Although I cannot yet publish my findings, this medical log may prove useful for my own reference in understanding and aiding them.

It should be noted that due to site formatting, this can be much more easily read in AO3, where both the story and the author have the same name.

Intro

These are Doctor Caitlin Snow's medical findings as relates to the subspecies of metahumans known as speedsters. A glossary of terms is provided at the end for convenience, and a detailed table of contents is attached following as well.

It is becoming my ever increasing medical opinion that speedsters as a subspecies are inherently volatile and dangerous beings, both to people around them and themselves.

Although I cannot yet publish my findings, this medical log may prove useful for personal confidants of speedsters, my own records, and perhaps, someday, publication in some form.

I will proceed to document the physical and emotional effects of a connection to the speed force, as well as provide medical recommendations as to the care and upkeep of a speedster.

Table of Contents

Intro Table of Contents Innate Psychological Effects of the Speed Force Inherent destructive behavior Disorders Schizoid personality disorder Depersonalization disorder Irregular sleep and eating patterns Restless leg syndrome, Intermittent Explosive Disorder Trichotillomania Excoriation disorder Antisocial personality disorder, Outward directed Aggression Narcissistic Personality disorder Inward directed aggression Separation Anxiety Disorder Acute Stress Disorder Causes For All Disorders Forgetfulness of Weakness of Others Stimulant v depressiant Conscious and Unconscious Speed Usage Full awareness (short term) Dissociation in speed use Increased Dissociation Voluntary, due to time, or due to emotion Vibration = complete dissociation High emotions = dissociated speed usage Unconscious Thought Advanced Unconscious Thought Involuntary Relative Time Everything slowing down when emotional (Ballad of Barry Allen) Relative Time Time Distortion Boredom Sloth Effect Self-Blaming Dangers of Reduced Interpersonal Interaction Involuntary Exit of Relative Time Sleeping in relative time Sleeping for 'years' since others sleep for 'hours' when it's only been minutes Restfulness of sleeping in relative time / inability to speed up physically while speed thinking in relative time Require catnaps throughout day if they have been using speed Physical Effects of the Speed Force Burnt Nerves Eternal Youth Spousal longevity Stem-Cell Healing Speedster Lightning Origin of Lightning Causes of Discharge Effects of Casual Discharge Speed Force Aura Abilities and limitations Temperature regulation Protection from shredding by speed Hearing protection from sonic booms Doppler Effect Involuntary Friction Shield Intentional Aura Enhancement Shared Speed Positive with positive speedster Emotional bolstering Aural conjunction Positive with negative speedster Increased vibrations Phasing disrupted Dangerous to surroundings Speed healing in flux Increased effects by negative emotions Vibrational Sensitivity Metabolism Eating Disorders relative/absolute anorexia overeating Running on empty Breathing Not breathing hard when fast Breathing hard after slowing down Holding breath Regeneration The Effects of Accelerated Healing on the Perception of Pain They do not feel pain as deeply They are less lightly to notice or remember injury Protective Gear Gloves Sunscreen Goggles (case specific) Heightened Immune System Effectivity of Pathogens Lytic - attack fast = nonissue Lysogenic - stay dormant for a long time = might be a problem Bacteria - not a problem Autoimmune disorders - worse Allergies - have to avoid over-exposure when sped up Effectivity of treatment Antibiotics - for bacterial disease, so it doesn't matter that speedsters filter them out too quickly - they don't need them anyway Vaccines - would work, but booster shots would be needed faster than normal Antiseptic and Anesthesia - both work, but are burned faster than in humans Disease Weaknesses of Speedsters Resistance to Intoxication/Anesthetic Intoxication = impossible, but neurotoxin can work Antibiotics work on infection but most people take them daily bc your body naturally filters your blood. So he would filter them out too fast. Viruses body usually fights by self, but diseases that attack immune system (AIDS) or cause immune system to attack host (autoimmune diseases) are more dangerous than normal Vulnerabilities Healing over shrapnel Mishealed Bones High Vulnerability to Cancer Death Predisposition to Resurrection Post Morteum Merge with speed force Conclusion Glossary

Innate Psychological Effects of the Speed Force

Both the Primary and Negative Speed Forces, in the process of creating speedsters, seem to invariably infuse it's users with a compulsion toward destructive behavior. This will either be targeted outward, one example being the case of subject: Reverse Flash, or inward, an example being the Flash.

Aside from these innate effects of either speed force, speedsters are, as a result of the circumstances they are regularly forced into, naturally inclined toward degrading mental conditions. Spending extended periods of time in 'relative time' particularly where everyone appears frozen, leads to temporary and long standing disassociation, and leads all subjects to high risk of gaining schizoid personality disorder, depersonalization disorder, irregular sleep and eating patterns, restless leg syndrome, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Trichotillomania, Excoriation disorder, and. antisocial personality disorder. They are also prone to survivor's guilt.

Specialized disorders are listed below.

Outward Directed Aggression

Narcissistic Personality disorder

Inward Directed Aggression

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Acute Stress Disorder (a result of speed healing)

When a speedster enters the speed force itself, the majority of these conditions appear to be temporarily dispelled or lessened. However, as time passes, they are likely to revert to their declining emotional state. Other side effects of entering the speed force seem to be blithe emotional detachment and inability to process the gravity of negative events.

The Negative Speed Force has shown no tendency to encompass its users in the same way, which probably accounts in part for the Reverse Flash's extreme behavioral anomalies.

The speed force appears to have the combined effects of depressant and stimulant (More shown in Stimulant v Depressant).

Causes for all Disorders

Thanks to their accelerated metabolisms, speedsters do not operate according to regular circadian rhythm, even if they have not been using their powers. If they have, then they need to eat and sleep more often, in a way that cannot be tightly scheduled, leaving them vulnerable to irregular sleep and eating patterns.

While in relative time, speedsters appear, to themselves, to be the only thing with which they can interact around them; everything else almost seeming to exist in a separate plane of reality. This results in over interaction with themselves, and an unconscious tendency towards self destruction. It is not uncommon for them to pull hair (Trichotillomania) or pick at their skin (Excoriation disorder). This is greatly enhanced by their rapid healing factor - often they do not notice what they are doing in the moment, and there is no evidence of it afterward.

Schizoid Personality Disorder can come as overcompensation on the part of a speedster to make up for being unable to spend as much time as they would prefer, or is psychologically healthy with others. A speedster might give up on any interactions they could have with others as a result of not having enough. For more information on this phenomenon, see section Dangers of Reduced Interpersonal Interaction.

Dissociation occurs when a speedster spends significant amounts of time in relative time, where people appear to be statues. After an extended period of time, it can become difficult to consider these non-interactive beings as existing in their own right, and it can be difficult for speedsters to remember that these are people. They are likely to experience decreased empathy and increased dissociation, which is only accentuated when they are in relative time. At first, they are likely to experience this only when in relative time, but as time progresses the condition becomes more pronounced in ordinary life.

Depersonalization Disorder is generally a result of the combination of a speedster's healing factor combined with their excessively violent lifestyles. This section connects heavily with The Effects of Accelerated Healing on the Perception of Pain. Due to the speed of speedster healing, it is nearly impossible for others to react to a speedster's injuries as if they have any amount of severity. The general response of others is to treat any injury garnered by a speedster as a temporary inconvenience at worst unless forced to do otherwise. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to do otherwise, as by the time a minor wound could be treated, it is likely to have almost completely healed.

The speedster, however, has a different perspective. They are forced to undergo the healing process in relative time, so it seems to them that their injury is serious, as it, from their perspective, causes them lasting pain.

It can be difficult for a speedster to reconcile their viewpoint of being in lasting pain with the stance of others that dismisses their injuries as exceedingly minor and temporary.

In an attempt to reconcile this disparity between what they are overwhelmingly told and what they feel, it is not unlikely for them to disassociate from themselves. They might have a conception that a serious injury has occurred, but they are convinced that it has not happened to themselves. This can lead to unconscious disassociation that makes it difficult for speedsters to respond to major injuries with the proper amount of alacrity, as they cannot internalize that they are in serious danger.

Restless Leg Symptom is highly common in speedsters. For one thing, it can be accentuated by stress, which a speedster experiences large amounts of as a result of their violent lifestyles. However, it is particularly accentuated for them, since most of their enemies revolve around stopping a speedster's motion, by rendering their legs functionless or holding them in some manner of restraint. A speedster is constantly worried about being rendered unable to move, to the point where it is a common recurring theme in nightmares. Speedsters will also tend to avoid elevators or other places where they might be considered trapped and unable to use their speed. In combination, this all can easily result in a speedster being preoccupied with moving to prove to themselves that they can and that they are safe. This often manifests in Restless Leg Syndrome.

Since speedsters spend so much time in relative time, where they are unable to interact with others, it is common for them to develop Intermittent Explosive Syndrome, where they are given to seemingly unprompted and disproportional violent reactions to negative situations. As it appears to them that they have spent long periods of time unable to resolve conflicts either by themselves or with others or even being unable to brainstorm solutions to problems with others in general. It feels to them that they have spent a long period of time unable to make progress, while to others it appears that hardly any time has passed. Depending on the level of stress they are under and the amount of time they have spent in relative time, these explosions can happen with varying levels of emotion and aggression.

Antisocial Personality Disorder, often colloquially referred to as Psychopathy and Sociopathy, often manifests in speedsters for the same reasons as Intermittent Explosive Syndrome and Dissociation. The combination of the seeming unreality of others and the inability to interact with these others for long periods of time combine to form Antisocial Personality Disorder. This will often appear as a follow-up to Dissociation. It is a progression from having difficulty seeing others as individuals to general or complete uncaring about their feelings or wellbeing. It can result in a complete disregard for the lives or safety of others and a willingness to use them as objects to further the speedster's own goals. It is worth noting that this tendency seems far more common in users of the Negative Speed Force than that of the Primary, or Positive Speed Force, but both can be affected.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is another offshoot of Dissociation, where the evolution goes from struggling with seeing others as non-beings to seeing oneself as superior to others as other beings are so often useless or nonresponsive. This is almost exclusively a trait demonstrated by Negative Speed Force users. While Primary Speed Force users tend to sublimate their personalities, Negative Speed Force users tend to have their personalities and egos inflated.

Separation Anxiety Disorder comes as a result of the lack of interpersonal interaction experienced by speedsters, and effects users of the Positive Speed Force because they are less likely to respond to said distancing by ceasing to care about interaction, but more likely to attempt to gain access to as much interaction as possible. This disorder can manifest itself with any person a speedster has a relationship with, even a negative one, as negative interaction may seem preferable to none at all. Mostly, however, it is targeted toward people with whom a speedster has high levels of positive interaction.

It can be difficult to notice this, as the speedster may worry about appearing 'clingy' and being increasingly rejected in the long term due to their excessive neediness. It is not uncommon, I believe, for a speedster to use relative time as a way to make interaction, especially physical contact, seem longer than it is in normal time.

Acute Stress Disorder is another response to speed healing that is difficult to distinguish from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since the only difference between the two is the length of time for which symptoms continue, and for a speedster this can be difficult to tell due to the use of relative time. However, it is more likely to take place in speedsters new to their powers, specifically speed healing, than experienced veterans. For more information see The Effects of Accelerated Healing on the Perception of Pain.

A new speedster is likely to have extreme difficulty reconciling the severity of an injury received with the speed and completeness with which it heals. This inability to process this disjunction can lead to Acute Stress Disorder and may escalate to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and while it is more common in novice speedsters, veterans may also be affected.

This concludes the section of mental disorders due mainly to relative time. There is 1 due mostly to accelerated healing, however.

Survivor's Guilt is a common phenomena in positive speedsters due to their accelerated healing. A speedster can regenerate with little to no long term effects from practically any physical injury, so witnessing the injuries of others can be an incredibly distressing experience. They are likely to wish that they had received the injuries they witness in others, especially the longer they use their powers and witness the deaths of others. Since this disorder is based in compassion, it is unlikely that it is a serious concern for negative speedsters.

Forgetfulness of Weakness of Others

Experienced speedsters will eventually begin to have trouble remembering that others do not experience the heightened healing abilities they possess. This can lead to reckless behavior where a speedster will endanger others as they forget that others are in more danger than the speedster themselves would be, or unnecessary roughness when a speedster forgets that such behavior can be dangerous to others.

It can also lead to exasperation when others fail to regenerate at the speed of a speedster. Despite conscious knowledge that such emotions are irrational, it is near-inevitable that such feelings will surface eventually.

Stimulant v Depressant

While engaged in using the speed force, speedsters either report initial emotional highs or a detached state of complacent bliss. However, after staying in the speed force for prolonged amounts of time, long-term effects seem to be extreme emotional and chronal detachment that makes measuring the passage of time difficult.

Whichever emotional state the speedster was last in while using the speed force will carry over to regular time; usually even amplified. So, if a speedster was on an emotional high in the speed force, they would be even happier emerging from it, and if they were emotionally detached, they would, emerging, be even more so. However, like a drug, the emotional high will wear off and leave the speedster lower than when they started, until they either recover to normal over the passage of time, or use the speed force again.

Also similarly to a drug, when deprived from the speed force, speedsters often become increasingly irritable until they next are able to use the speed force. This is both due to the addictive nature of the speed force, and the innate vulnerability of being deprived of their main method of self defense for long periods of time.

It is conceivable that a speedster could remain minimally connected to the speed force at all times as a kind of 'speed monk', therefore avoiding the hard mental drops otherwise experienced by a return to normal time. However, this would result in being permanently zoned out' and severe emotional dissociation.

Users of the Negative Speed Force tend to show only the effects of stimulants, to the point of uncontrollable emotional overstimulation that often results in violent outbursts. Use of the Negative Speed Force does seem to be addictive, but it never appears to present its users with any form of positive emotional rush. However, it does cause extreme negative behavior when deprived of their Negative Speed Force.

Conscious and Unconscious Speed Usage

There are different psychological states experienced by speedsters in relative time. Sometimes, a speedster is as alert as they would be in normal time, which is known as Idio Nomizo. These situations tend to be when intense thought (ie: problem solving) is needed. These tend to be short term situations, from their perspective. Attempting to remain in Idio Nomizo can be extremely dangerous and difficult, as seen when Flash remained within it for days while brainstorming how to save Central City from an already detonated nuclear bomb.

Dissociation in Speed Use

Sometimes, however, they dissociate from their task and move on 'autopilot'. This is experienced in situations where they have 1 simple task, such as reconstructing an exploded object, or researching information. They pre plan their actions, and their higher consciousness dissociates, which allows them to work steadily and without going completely insane. However, this is a vulnerable state to be in. In their single mindedness, their situational awareness decreases drastically, and they are much more likely to leave themselves open to attack. It is easy for a speedster to unintentionally fall into this pattern of thought, which is how they are often taken by surprise in relative time. The general term for dissociated speed usage is Soma Nomizo.

Speedsters can also fall into Soma Nomizo if relying on their speed while emotionally overwhelmed. Drawing on a large amount of speed, while emotions are high, is very likely to cause a speedster to disassociate from the precision of their actions, and greatly increases the risk of their taking hits they could avoid if they were in full emotional control. This is usually demonstrated when fighting a powerful enemy who stands a significant chance of hurting them or people they care about. Dissociation due to emotion is specifically known as Soma Nomizo Kardia.

Speedsters are also subject to Soma Nomizo when they have remained in the speed force for an extended period of time, especially the more they use their powers. Dissociation due to extended use of relative time is specifically known as Soma Nomizo Chronos.

Speedsters can also split their attention between running and thinking.

Sometimes they need to pay extreme attention to running, such as when they are in a dangerous environment. In this instance, they function much like a distracted person in normal time would - able to think to some extent but largely preoccupied with running.

The more experience gained with running, however, the more a speedster is able to think while in motion, paying the minimum of attention to their running.

Some particular speed tricks, such as vibrations, do not pull a speedster's consciousness into relative time. It is completely disassociated from speed thinking, and only takes place on a physical level.

It is also possible to focus all their attention on speed thinking - so far, no speedster has displayed the ability to think at full capacity and run at the same time, even in a straight line. Speed thinking can happen in a variety of ways. A speedster can let their mind fall into relative time while their body is in normal time, which helps protect their identities. It is also possible for speedsters to experience unconscious thought.

Unconscious Thought (Nomizose Pragmatikotita)

Unconscious thought, or Nomizose Pragmatikotita, is a complicated phenomenon, and very difficult to observe. It is the fastest level of thinking available to a speedster, bordering on instinct. It is usually reliable, but sometimes, if complicated calculations are required, mistakes will be made.

In Nomizose Pragmatikotita, a speedster will think somewhat subconsciously. Depending on the extent to which the ability is being used, the speedster will have more or less conscious control of their thoughts - more control the slower the thinking is happening. This seems to happen in a manner similar to preplanned running. A speedster will decide what they want to think about, and then fall into unconscious thought, where they will use the information and knowledge they have to process the information and come to a conclusion.

This can allow a speedster to process an abundance of boring information, or make a vast amount of individually simple eliminations without becoming distracted or losing track of their work.

So far, no speedster has entered Nomizose Pragmatikotita accidentally. It requires a large amount of energy and focus, and sustained usage leads to headaches and difficulty processing information in normal time.

Unconscious thought also probably accounts for another speedster phenomena. Despite the speed force's impacts on the emotional states of speedsters, it does not seem to bear much impact on their maturity. Young speedsters do not gain the mindset of adults due to the extreme amounts of time they spend that may even add up to years in relative time. While I do not know the exact reasons for this, it is possible that unconscious thought has no bearing on a subject's maturity, as they do not process experience gained in this manner the same as they would in relative time.

Advanced Unconscious Thought (Michanse Nomizo)

Advanced Unconscious Thought has, at this point, never been naturally demonstrated in a speedster. So far, it has only been stimulated artificially, in the case of the artificial speed force or other artificially enhancing devices like the Thinker's chair.

Michanse Nomizo is the same as Nomizose Pragmatikotita except for being usable on a much larger scale. Instead of only making simple calculations, users are able to reason out complicated formulas, and even predict the future to a limited extent.

It is currently unknown whether or not Michanse Nomizo itself is dangerous to the mental health of a speedster. The only known instance of its extended use did result in severe negative repercussions to the mental health of the Flash, causing the elimination of emotion and a descent into psychopathy.

However, it is possible that this was solely a result of the artificial speed force, and results as to the definite nature of the effects of Michanse Nomizo are currently unknown.

Involuntary Relative Time

Although this is rare, occasionally, a speedster can fall into involuntary relative time. This can happen while sleeping, as noted in the following section: Sleeping in Relative Time, but it can also happen when conscious. A speedster can be startled into relative time by a life threatening event, like an explosion, not unlike blinking to protect one's eyes. This event needs to be quick and usually must be accompanied by a loud noise.

Intense emotions can also trigger relative time. Violent emotions, positive or negative, can shunt a speedster into relative time, sometimes to the extent that it appears the world has frozen, although this almost always happens when the emotion is accompanied by surprise.

More common, is that during periods of prolonged stress or emotion, time will appear to slow down. Not to the extent where others appear frozen, but slower than average. This can be difficult to break out of, as it requires the speedster to calm themselves and focus hard on slowing down. Escaping relative time can be especially difficult if the speedster is attempting the feat without outside help. The most likely outcome is that they will continue in a 'slowed down' perspective, which can be frustrating, and contribute to negative emotions. Negative emotions, like stress, are more likely to contribute to this slowing effect than positive emotions like excitement.

Relative time can also become a corrupted involuntary defense mechanism. If a speedster has sustained physical damage they will slip into relative time to attempt to heal it. This means that in the eventuality of torture, a speedster will experience everything happening to them as taking far longer than is actually the case, unless they can force their consciousness to stay in normal time, an incredibly difficult task.

If a large amount of information is being downloaded into a speedster's mind, perhaps by telepathy or artificial means, then a speedster will involuntarily speed up to process the information, whether the speedster wishes to or not. This can have the effect of alienating the speedster in relative time, and in the aftermath of such an occasion they will be mentally and emotionally drained, and experience migraines.

Relative Time

Time Distortion

The inability of Speedsters to keep track of time is a well documented phenomenon that affects them both while using their powers and when not, and appears to affect every known speedster. While using their powers, this is likely due to the fact that usage to the Speed Force does not happen in 'gears'. There are no 'settings of speed' - often speedsters will speed up and slow down, and, in fact, are rarely holding the same speed steady for any sustained period of time. This makes telling the passage of 'real-time' nearly impossible without a time keeping device while immersed in relative time. Strangely, this phenomenon carries over into normal life, especially the more the subjects maintain use of their powers.

I attribute this to the fact that after spending so much time immersed in, effectively, a fluid and variable experience of time, speedsters lose track of a frame of reference in which to gauge time. Flash has proven to be unable to distinguish between a period of 30 minutes from a period of 5 hours if alone, deprived of time keeping devices and unable to use natural light as a reference.

I believe that the depressant nature of Speed Force usage is the only thing that keeps it's users from going fully insane. If they did not disassociate from time to some extent, the sheer volume of time spent 'alone' in relative time would cause a complete mental breakdown. The Negative Speed Force seems to work in an opposite manner, forcing it's users through the breakdown and forcing them to continue to function even after a cognitive break.

Boredom

While to the uninitiated the life of a speedster looks exciting, the reality is that most of their existence is wrapped in mind numbing boredom. The vast majority of a speedster's time is spent running from one destination to another, perhaps not even looking for anything in particular. There is a large amount of time spent grabbing and pulling people to safety, helping clean debris, reassembling shattered objects, or spending intensive periods of time searching for people trapped in buildings or for hidden bombs. Speedsters can spend hours or even days practically alone doing the most boring tasks imaginable.

Therefore, when they return to real-time, there is nothing they want more desperately than to be entertained and to interact with people. Any time spent doing nothing is regarded as a nearly unbearable waste of time to be gotten over with as quickly as possible.

In the case of speedsters in positive mindsets, (ie: Flash, Kid Flash, Jesse Quick), any action that can be sped up to skip to more meaningful interaction (eg: doing dishes, cleaning up, cooking, retrieving items) will often be done at superspeed to facilitate future interaction.

In the case of speedsters in negative mindsets, (ie: Reverse Flash, Zoom) they still prefer to get all time consuming work out of the way as fast as possible to get to more entertaining endeavours, and even interact with others, although they see those others more as objects to be enjoyed than valued as people.

Sloth Effect

In the wild, sloths survive by moving so slowly that predators do not notice them; seeing them as blending into their environment. If you have ever seen a speedster felled by a blow it appears they should have seen coming, then you may have witnessed this effect.

A speedster will take in such a huge amount of information in any given moment that, if they have been fighting for a long period of time, everything will begin to blur together. (This is known as Soma Nomizo Chronos: more seen in Conscious and Unconscious Speed Usage) Dangerous objects seem to become part of their surroundings, and they forget about them until it is too late.

It is also possible that a speedster may be caught off guard as they are accelerating or decelerating, as everything is much less clear and more blurry during these periods of time.

Self-Blaming

This section is focused on the Prime Subject, Barry (Flash) Allen, but other positive speedsters should also be considered at risk to these tendencies.

As a result of extended periods of isolation followed by periods of what often seem like insufficient human interaction, all accentuated by the heightened emotional volatility of the Speed Force, Speedsters have a tendency to lash out physically and emotionally, as well as blame everyone around them for their problems (ie: Savitar).

Unfortunately, the chosen coping mechanism of the Prime Subject is to overcompensate for this weakness by blaming himself for anything that has gone wrong, or for any misconduct of someone else to him. He attempts to enforce a permanent sense of zen over his life, actively overextending the depressant effects of the Speed Force and actively rejecting the emotional stimulant as much as possible. In short, he does everything possible to decrease his emotional extremes.

He is likely overcompensating for the mindset that a speedster would naturally fall into: one of volatile lashing out. After all, their patience has likely been used up by the solitude of relative time. The usual result of a speedster's anger is destruction, both of property and people, or of a secret identity - an emotional speedster speeds up and vibrates, which can be dangerous in public. Furthermore, even if nothing is physically destroyed, any resistance the Prime Subject displays against people he relies on for interpersonal interaction might result in his being denied their company, which he is compelled to avoid.

An example of a negatively minded speedster's response to emotional rejection is subject: Zoom, who captured me and held me against my will, and was prepared to do so for the rest of our natural lives. It is the fear of becoming like this that motivates subjects like Flash to their extreme attempt at emotional detachment. He is unlikely to pursue things like companionship or favors once those things have been denied to him by others. This is observed even if it puts the speeder's life or limb in danger. For example, it is not uncommon for Flash, when going hypoglycemic, to make a passing reference to wanting food. If he is denied this, he will not bring it up again, instead attempting to power through and eat on his own time.

Dangers of Reduced Interpersonal Interaction

Without adequate proportions of interpersonal interaction, the effects on a speedster may be presumed to be the same as for an ordinary human: primarily depression, decreased decision making function, memory storage and recall difficulties, and decreased ability to process information.

It may make them more self reliant, to the point of attempting to complete tasks on their own that should be done with a team or partner.

The longer a speedster goes without enough interpersonal interaction, the more they will come to rely on the addictive effects of the Speed Force as a substitute for human interaction. That will decrease their ability to resume normal interpersonal functioning and the less they will desire to return to an interconnected lifestyle.

These effects can be reversed by extreme amounts of interaction, largely consisting of physical contact, however, if a speedster is naturally inclined to extroversion or large reliance on interpersonal connection and contact, then it can be nearly impossible to fully satisfy their needs.

Involuntary Exit of Relative Time

While speedsters are usually able to control their exit of relative time, it is possible for the choice to be taken out of their hands. A speedster can be jolted from relative time due to the collision with a firm stationary or impending aggressive object.

This to say, if a speedster collides with a wall, or other object that can significantly alter the speedster's speed, either stopping them anywhere from significantly to completely, the speedster will be jolted from relative time into normal time.

The same is true if a speedster takes a punch with super strength.

As soon as an unexpected object presses against a speedster in relative time and either does not move or continues to move forward, a speedster will be involuntarily jolted from relative time. This is why, after a speedster starts to take a super-strong punch from a villain without super speed, they do not simply push away from the offending fist, and instead are thrown backward and unable to catch themselves.

It is possible for a speedster to retain some control over their speed in the aftermath of such an event, but it is incredibly difficult, and has only been performed by experienced speedsters.

Vibrating into intangibility, of course, removes the ability to be touched, therefore eliminating this danger.

Sleeping in Relative Time

It is difficult for a speedster to fall asleep once in relative time - in fact, it is nearly impossible and not particularly useful. Both of these facts are attributed to the fact that the speed force imbues it's users with an overabundance of energy, so falling asleep is nearly impossible, and maintaining relative time while sleeping is even harder.

If a speedster was to fall asleep in relative time, they would automatically fall back into normal time.

However, if a speedster did somehow sleep in relative time, it would not be a restful sleep. They would be too energized to rest, and would likely experience nightmares.

This would be especially unfortunate for a speedster. When a normal person dreams, it can feel as though hours have passed when in reality, only minutes have. If a speedster dreams in relative time, it is possible for them to experience months or years in dream-time, and while most of this will be forgotten, it can be an incredibly disorienting experience.

While it is possible, theoretically, for a speedster having a nightmare to fall into relative time while unconscious, the good news is that this is unlikely to jeopardize their secret identity. Only their mind is likely to be pulled into relative time as part of speed thinking. Their physical body will probably stay in normal time. The only likely part of their body to move at beyond-human speeds would be their eyes.

A speedster who has been using their speed on-and-off throughout the day will also likely need extra catnaps throughout the day, as using their speed requires a large amount of energy, which takes its toll when the speedster is no longer connected to the speed force.

Unconscious sustained use of the speed force throughout the day can also contribute to rapid tiring, the end result of which being that a speedster needs more sleep than normal people in order to avoid crashing from their speed force generated energy 'highs'.

Physical Effects of the Speed Force

Burnt Nerves

A speedster's Speed Force Aura will protect them from the brunt of the effects of their powers, but excessive manipulation and generation of lightning, specifically the lightning throw, can still cause temporary damage. The buildup of concentrated electrical charge is likely to burn out the nerve endings in a speedster's hands, particularly in the fingers, along with causing electrical burns. It is possible for electrical damage to take place in other areas as well, especially the extremities.

However, given the rate at which speedsters heal, this is unlikely to be a serious concern.

Eternal Youth

When in relative time, a speedster either does not age, or ages so slowly as to be completely undetectable and negligible. Neither their fingernails nor hair grow, and they will not experience the reduced cellular elasticity that comes with aging. However, they still require some manner of sustenance to fuel themselves. When they are in relative time itself, all sustenance consumed is, I believe, transformed into pure energy. It is completely used up, with no excess waste.

When they return to normal time, their food supply has been almost completely depleted, which is why post speed refueling is so important. They are literally running on empty after they slow down.

This period of halted aging might account for some of the detachment from reality ( Xypnáo Oneiropólos) experienced by speedsters - they are literally intrinsically separated from the flow of time.

It is also a noted phenomena that speedsters live longer and are better preserved than the average human, as shown by subject Jay Garrick. I theorize that this might be explained by smaller, constant uses of relative time.

Not only do others age while speedsters do not, enveloped in relative time, but the longer a speedster has their powers, the more casually they will use them. Subject: Barry Allen often uses 'speed thinking' without conscious intent, along with several other speed force abilities, or even reaching out to the calming presence of the speed force much like a drug.

When Barry's powers were being recorded through his daily life, by means of a watch that measured speed force output, it was observed that his powers always manifested, to some extent, when he was in a distressed emotional state, even when not directly connected to relative time.

I theorize that this 'minimal use' of the speed force is something that most speedsters do every day of their lives, and, while they do age to some degree, it is slower than the average person, and the compounded usage of doing this every day, results in their extended lifespans.

Not only is the lifetime of a speedster extended, but, as shown by subject: Jay Garrick, so is the lifetime of the spouse. The explanation for this seems to lie in the lightning discharge of speedsters. This is not natural lightning, but excess energy from the speed force manifesting itself in our dimension, as seen in Speedster Lightning. For more information on this specific phenomena, see Effects of Casual Discharge.

Stem cell Healing

In addition to healing faster than a normal person would, speeders can also heal from injuries from which humans would never recover. For example, when Flash's back was broken by Zoom, he should not have regained use of his legs, - all his healing should have been able to do was stabilize him when all he should have done, was not heal faster.

However, he made a full recovery. The explanation for this is that, in addition to receiving a 'speed force aura' that allows their super-speed feats to be physically possible, speedsters are also changed on a molecular level when they gain their powers.

One of the major changes to occur is the increased number of stem cells in their bodies. Stem cells are the most raw materials of the body. They are capable of becoming any specialized cell, effectively making them shapeshifters. Unfortunately, as we grow older, more and more of these cells permanently transform into their new form, and are not replenished.

This is not the case in speedsters. A speedster has an abundance of constantly replenishing stem cells that allows them to recover completely from injuries that ought to have permanent effects.

Another explanation is that the reason humans usually are unable to fully recover from spinal injuries is because the scar tissue builds at the site of the injury and prevents the body from being able to complete the healing process. Speedsters can heal at such an incredible rate, that it is possible that they simply heal before the scar tissue has a chance to accumulate.

However, speedsters do not have unlimited healing. Examples of injuries that could be permanent include amputated limbs, brain damage, and psychological phantom pain.

Speedster Lightning

Origin of Lightning

The lightning generated by a speedster is not natural electricity. It is excess energy from the speed force that manifests in our dimension. When a speedster taps deeply into the speed force, they are filled with so much energy that it will involuntarily spill out in the form of lightning. If they wish to gather enough to throw, they must increase their usage of the speed force without transforming that energy into kinetic energy or speed thinking. This build-up of unused energy can be thrown as a lightning bolt. It is also preferable to be moving while building up energy, as the enhanced kinetic energy causes the lightning to build up at an exponential rate.

Speedster's electricity not in the form of thrown lightning bolts are not dangerous, however, due to their Speed Force Aura. This contains all minor electrical shocks, which is why people speedsters carry are not electrocuted, and why Flash's lightning does not start fires or set off gunpowder.

When they are not running, however, their shield drops, and thus their electrical discharge can be felt by others.

It is possible for a speedster to avoid generating lightning if they do not move relatively quickly, which allows them to move stealthily as long as they move relatively slowly and remain in active control of their powers.

Causes of Discharge

A speedster will release lightning for a variety of different reasons. Most often, it is released while running, as increased usage of the speed force allows more energy to spill into our dimension. It can be released in periods of intense emotion, especially when emotional control is low.

The other way lightning can be produced, is when a speedster is calm, and lets their guard down. This almost never happens in public, as it requires near complete relaxation, and is thus almost exclusively experienced by a speedster's family and spouse. Fortunately, these involuntary discharges are minor, and have never been shown to be dangerous, as speedsters remain in enough control to shut off their lightning as soon as it starts. It is possible that if a speedster were to lose complete emotional control this could be a dangerous situation, but so far this has not happened.

Effects of Casual Discharge

Sustained exposure to the casual discharge of a speedster's lightning will result in an extended lifespan of the recipient.

Repeated exposure to this pure energy from the speed force can affect the cells of another person after sufficient contact, elasticizing them. As a speedster is likely to feel more intense emotions around their spouse, and therefore generate more electricity, as well as release electricity by letting their guard down, their partner is the most likely to receive these life extending shocks regularly.

It has also been noted that lightning generated by a speedster in highly emotional states behaves slightly differently than their ordinary lightning. Electricity generated by emotional distress tends to have more unconscious destructive effects on a speedster's surroundings, while electricity generated by positive emotions, specifically love, tend to carry more raw speed force, which seems to cause them to be especially primed for extending the life of the recipient.

It is possible that repeated exposure to hurled speedster lightning bolts might also have life-extending properties, but conclusive research has not been made on the subject.

Speed Force Aura

Abilities and Limitations

Speedster's speed force auras are the reason the Flash's powers do not kill him and everyone around him when he runs. It seems to have the effect of dampening the unconscious dangerous effects of Flash's powers on himself and the world around him.

This includes: keeping speedsters from being disintegrated by the speeds at which they run, keeping buildings they pass from being torn apart, why citizens repeatedly exposed to his sonic booms are not deaf, why people he carries do not die of whiplash, etc.

However, this aura is not perfect. Most of the aura is centered around the body, head, and torso of a speedster, as this is the largest area, and the one which needs the most protection. The head can also receive protection to the point that a speedster's hair will remain relatively styled after running at high velocities, and taking a punch at super-speed from another speedster will not break a speedster's neck. The speed force aura also seems centered on protecting living things over inorganics. These two reasons are why a speedster's shoes will still melt or catch on fire, but their hair will not.

The speedforce aura also prevents speedsters from being hit by pebbles or bugs while they are running, in addition to the natural air currents that displace small objects in a speedsters path. Larger objects, such as birds or trees, are automatically dodged with the help of Soma Nomizo, or dissociated running (see Conscious and Unconcious Speed Usage).

Speedsters are able to include objects around them at least partially inside their aura: this is how they are able to catch small light objects, like papers while moving at super-speed. If the aura does not turn off, it is like trying to catch dust bare handed: the force of the moving hand repels the smaller, lighter object.

Sonic booms created by speedsters can still shatter glass, the wind from their movements will still disrupt an entire room, and a speedster can intentionally turn off their speed force aura. This may be useful if they intend to drag an inhumanly tough supervillain like Gorilla Grodd to damage them.

Furthermore, while the speed force aura is the only reason a speedster can hear anything behind them when traveling beyond the speed of sound, or see anything behind them when moving faster than light, the effects are not perfect. The Doppler Effect is not entirely mitigated, so, the faster they go, the more a slight blue tinge affects their vision, and sound takes a higher pitch. Of course, practically the only sound that changes fast enough to be intelligible is the noise of another speedster.

The speed force aura also ensures that air moves out of the way of a speedster fast enough that running is not like constantly hitting a brick wall. However, a speedster can approach speeds where their aura is unable to entirely keep up with them, and running can feel like they are constantly pushing through the air.

The speed force aura is most likely also responsible for temperature regulation. A speedster will not usually be cold when running, despite the winds they generate. This is almost certainly a result of their speed aura, as a speedster's lightning does not seem to generate actual heat. At the same time, a speedster's aura will also protect them from overheating and catching fire. Neither safeguard is perfect, and in extreme conditions, especially when a speedster is not highly connected to the speed force, this safeguard can be overwhelmed.

Involuntary Friction Shield

While the speed force aura does not generally protect a speedster not tapped into kinetic relative time (non-kinetic abilities include speed-thinking and healing), it is possible for it to activate itself.

When faced with sudden, unexpected danger, like an explosion, the speed force aura will often activate itself to save the life of the speedster, mitigating the effects of the explosion, or vibrations.

While I have been unable to yet prove it, I suspect that this ability is connected to Unconscious Thought, and is triggered by a speedster subconsciously processing danger and triggering their speed force aura before even they know what they are doing.

There has never been a recorded incidence of the speed force aura being unconsciously activated when a speedster was not in a position to see the danger, but this is not conclusive evidence enough to prove my theory.

Intentional Aural Enhancement

The force an object possesses is calculated by mass times acceleration. Given this, it was initially difficult to understand how, when Flash and Reverse Flash fought, Flash was not killed by the force of Reverse Flash's blows.

The reason for this is Flash's speed force aura, of course, but that aura is not always at full strength. When Flash expects to be in danger, he, usually subconsciously, though he can do it consciously as well, increases the intensity of his aura.

This will cause him to burn energy faster, and increases the pull toward soma nomizo; a speeder's autopilot. However, it also decreases all damage dealt to his person.

This bolstering of a speed force aura can either be a conscious occurrence, a subconscious reaction to a sudden danger, or the automatic increase that comes with speeding up.

The speed force aura will strengthen in intensity the faster a speedster goes to ensure that their own speed does not kill them, but it's abilities are not infinite. For each speedster the specific point differs, and is reliant on the surrounding conditions, but there is a speed for every speedster at which their own speed will kill them.

The mere presence of two or more speedsters in close proximity to each other also automatically bolster each other's auras. See more of this phenomenon under shared speed

Shared Speed

It has long been noted that when two or more speedsters utilize their speed together, their collective speed increases, as well as the strength of their speed force auras. There are two observed main categories for this phenomenon: positive with positive speedster, and positive with negative speedster. There is also the largely theoretical negative with negative speedster, although a documented case of this phenomena has yet to be observed.

Positive with Positive Speedster

In this instance, two speedsters with a connection to the positive speedforce are operating in close proximity to each other.

If two speedsters work together to get a running start, and one speedster drops out, the remaining speedster will remain boosted, and retain some of the energy that allows them to run faster than ordinary. However, as time passes the remaining boost they are given from the previous speedster will slowly taper off.

There are a few reasons that this circumstance increases the speed of both speedsters.

Emotional bolstering: Speedsters with a connection to the positive speed force have their speed increased by positive emotions. So far, all speedsters connected to the positive speed force have basically had positive relationships with each other. Therefore it is reasonable to assume that they are happier together, especially running together, when someone can keep up with them.

However, there are still other factors to consider.

Aural Conjunction: The speed force seems to be designed to connect its users to each other on a primal level, even after death. (For more information, see Death) Whenever two speedsters come together, their separate signatures blur, and meld together.

When working together in extremely close proximity, speedsters can travel faster than both of them combined, in a literal 'greater than the sum of their parts' occasion.

It is possible that this is because placing two speedsters connected to the positive speed force together widens the rift through which they receive their powers, allowing them to utilize more speed from the speed force than they each could individually.

The closer together the speedsters are, the faster they become. Physical contact will allow for the greatest speed bolster: however, sustained physical contact can be near impossible while running.

Positive with Negative Speedsters

When positive and negative speedsters interact, their powers also appear to be bolstered, however, there are some differences. Obviously, being in the presence of a negative speedster does not tend to have a positive emotional effect on the positive speedster: quite the opposite.

The negative speed force was created to be an exact opposite to the positive speed force, and it's users do not mesh well together.

The closer together they come, and the more they tap into their respective speed forces, the more their powers are boosted. However, the connection is violent and dangerous.

Speedster lightning is more likely to become dangerous, and the ability of the speed force aura to protect the speedster's surroundings is lessened. Speedster's vibrations are also excited, and while they are still controllable, they tend to be increased and lean toward chaotic vibrations.

This increases the force of blows dealt by both participants, but makes it more difficult to phase.

Speed healing almost seems to exist in a state of flux. Sometimes it works better than average, sometimes less well, with no discernable pattern.

These effects are strengthened the greater the negative emotional states of the participants.

There is a final effect that negative and positive speedsters have on each other, and that is on their mental states. Being close to a negative speedster will decrease a positive speedster's mental health, resulting in paranoia, excessive anger and obsession.

Conversely, exposure to a positive speedster has a calming effect on negative speedsters, calming the rage and hatred the negative speed force encourages.

Of course, both of these effects can be overcome through effort, but the inclination is there nonetheless.

Negative with Negative Speedster

This section is largely theoretical, as there has never been a documented instance of two negatively charged speedsters in close proximity with each other.

However, based on the information we do have, we can make educated guesses.

As the negative speed force protects its user at the expense of the surrounding environment, my hypothesis is that an interaction of negative speedsters would result in increased protection to their persons, and increased damage to their surroundings.

This means that their lightning would become more volatile, and the wind damage from their running would increase dramatically.

However, they would both become more resistant to damage.

Furthermore, given the damaging effects of the negative speed force on its user's mental states, and the heightened power fed to them through their auras, a combination of negative speedsters would likely decrease their fine motor control, but increase their physical strength.

The effects of more than one negative speedster on a positive speedster's mental state would likely mean that the negative speedster's influence is increased, while the positive speedster's decreases.

Vibrational Sensitivity

Fighting speedsters often break apart and unerringly find each other again, without any seeming difficulty in the middle of a fight. This is possible because of vibrational sensitivity. This is how they can hone in on each other from a distance of city blocks, or even cross the earth in different directions and find each other again.

Speedsters are not only able to harness vibrations to phase through objects: they are also able to sense vibrations on a level many times more sensitive than the average human.

Theoretically, this ability may one day be channeled into something resembling super-hearing, however, distinguishing the subtleties of sound vibrations is an extremely difficult task, and so far all attempts have been non-productive.

This vibrational sensitivity is how they are able to find the proper frequency to achieve intangibility. Another application of this ability is their ability to sense the residue of nearly any vibration caused, which can allow them to track the source of the vibrations.

They are especially attuned to the unique signature of the speed force. A speedster, particularly an experienced one, will be able to sense it whenever someone is accessing the speed force nearby, and speedsters can track each other by following these 'speed force vibrations'.

Metabolism

Eating Disorders

Speedsters need to eat far more than the average person, though exactly how much more depends on the amount they generally exert themselves, age, gender, body type, level of fitness and emotional state, among other variables.

Even depending on an individual speedster, the amount they need to eat per day can depend heavily on how much they have used their speed, their emotional state, injuries they may have to recover from, and other factors. In combination, this means that there is no way for a speedster to accurately predict how much food they will need in a day, and, therefore, no way to schedule it's consumption.

Depending on the psychological state of the specific speedster, this can have different effects on a speedster's psyche. To speedsters who's aggression is directed inwards, this can be a particular point of emotional vulnerability, especially if they face people in their daily lives who mock them, even without malice, about the amount of food they consume. This can easily lead to relative or absolute anorexia, where a speedster might eat less than would be healthy for a normal person, but it is more likely that they would contract relative anorexia, and eat too little for them.

This can be difficult to notice, as they would still eat more than the average person, but, in an attempt to regulate what they see as 'excessive consumption', they might still be eating too little. Bulimia is unlikely, as, in a mindset of self-abasing, they are unlikely to want to waste food that could be used by others.

It is also possible that, knowing that their metabolism will burn off almost anything, they will fall victim to compulsive overeating. This can be developed as a response to stress or to the fear of being undernourished and not having enough energy to run effectively.

Given the speed with which a speedster's metabolism will burn off excess food, combined with the fact that few speedsters have the money to support such a disorder and their repulsion to wasting other people's money to supply themselves with extra, this is unlikely to be a serious condition, except in highly extreme circumstances.

Running on Empty

I theorize that when a speedster taps into relative time, their digestive system becomes hyper-efficient, and transforms all substance into energy (see Eternal Youth). When a speedster returns to normal time, the process of food-to-energy transformation has burned off all their food reserves, leaving them running on empty and in desperate need of food.

Food lasts longer in relative time, sustaining a speedster for longer in relative time than it would in normal time, possibly because a speedster is partially nourished by the speed force itself while in relative time. There is a slight hold-over period as a speedster gradually decelerates from the speed force, where a speedeter can keep moving without immedient food, especially if they were not in relative time for long.

However, once that period is up, it is imperative that they receive food immediately. If a speedster entering normal time does not receive food immediately, symptoms include shaking, sweating, weakness, and high likelihood of passing out.

When providing food for a speedster reentering normal time, do not be worried about their ability to process it. Their metabolism will allow them to ingest solid and heavy food on an empty stomach with no serious ill effects.

Breathing

The exact nature of a speedster's metabolism in and out of relative time can be highly confusing. The most strenuous thing a speedster can do is switch in and out of relative time quickly, as the transition saps more of their energy than maintaining their speed, not unlike stopping and starting a car.

Speedsters contain a much higher red blood cell count than the average human. This extends their lung capacity, allowing the oxygen they do have to be maximized in use. This is why, when starting, a speedster will barely breathe hard at all when running, sometimes not even opening their mouth. However, the longer they maintain relative time, and the more they rely on their powers, especially motion or speed healing, the more exhausted they become, until they are physically incapable of using their powers.

It is possible that attempting to maintain power usage past the point of complete exhaustion could result in high blood pressure or heart failure, though an instance of this actually occuring has never been documented. If held for too long, it seems likely that the results would end in insanity, although it seems more likely that the speedster would lose their hold on time before that could happen.

The closest example we have is when subject: Flash was forced to maintain his highest threshold of relative time for hours, perhaps days, in the threat of the nuclear bomb against Central City.

Most speedsters, once reaching exhaustion were simply forced to slow down, but given the extreme physical difficulty Flash had in maintaining relative time, undergoing significant heart strain and lack of physical coordination, it is possible that, combining his increased training and youth he may have been able to force himself to maintain relative time until death.

The effects of a speedster dying while slowing the world around them to a stop is a question best posed to theoretical physicists.

What I am qualified to talk about is what happens after Flash slows down, which is that he always seems at least a little bit tired, even if he was not straining to run, and not only from the strain of switching from relative to normal time. This is likely a result of both his metabolism crashing from being extended by the speed force, (see previous section: Running on Empty), and the drop in adrenaline from usage of the speed force.

Holding Breath

If a speedster must hold their breath while submerged underwater, it is important to note that while they will still be able to move at an accelerated speed, their metabolism is still accelerated, and thus they will burn through their air very quickly.

To the casual observer, a speedster using a significant amount of super-speed would only be able to submerge for a few seconds, while in relative time, the speedster would spend an extended time underwater.

Of course, the degree to which they use their super-speed will impact the speed with which their metabolism depletes their oxygen.

The expanded endurance that speedster's usually apply to running on land also applies to moving through water, allowing them to swim for longer periods of time than an ordinary human, provided a proper air supply.

Regeneration

The Effects of Accelerated Healing on the Perception of Pain

Users of the Speed Force experience involuntary accelerated healing capable of regenerating almost any physical injury (broken bones, lacerations, broken spine) without the remnants of scars. This has significant impacts on their ability to perceive pain.

Pain is largely psychological, and it is experienced when either a subject anticipates a great amount of pain, or when a subject realizes they ought to be in pain. Speedsters experience this phenomena differently from most people. Aside from the fact that they experience major injuries more often than the average person, and thus measure pain on a different scale, there are also other effects to consider.

A speedster will regenerate a 1 ½ in deep cut from their shoulder to their elbow in less than 15 minutes, assuming adequate rest and nutrition. They can recover from life threatening injuries in half an hour, depending on the wound and, again, their nutrition and rest levels. The combination of this accelerated healing and the general over exposure of a speedster to life threatening or debilitating injuries combines to eliminate most feelings of apprehension before pain.

A speedster is also far less likely to notice a smaller injury acquired than an ordinary person, because the injury will not register as dangerous. Small lacerations, bullet grazes, minor impalements and darts are all likely to go unnoticed unless something escalates to draw attention to them.

Even if they are noticed, they are often forgotten. I have already explained that ½ of psychological pain, anticipation, is greatly diminished in the case of speedsters. The other half, where one recognizes that they ought to be in a significant amount of pain and therefore are, is also all but eliminated.

Since very few injuries can be considered legitimately life threatening to a speedster, speedsters have a tendency to exist in a confused mental state concerning injury.

They know that their injury might be serious to an average person, but it is not serious to them. Therefore, they lack the ability to convince themselves that they ought to be in significant amounts of pain, as it appears, to them, to be an over response to a minor injury.

Therefore, even if they notice that they have sustained injury, Speedsters are unlikely to care and very likely to brush aside and forget about injury, especially if a medical examination would result in boredom. There is almost nothing as terrible to a speedster as boredom.

Protective Gear

Since a speedster regenerates all damage so quickly, their body will be unable to protect itself as most humans do. It is impossible to refrain from healing from sunburn, so they are unable to tan, leading to more sunburns. They should be provided with sunscreen.

Their skin heals over calluses almost immediately, so their hands are sensitive, and they should be equipped with gloves.

Thanks to the concentration of the speed force aura on the head, (see Speed Force Aura) speedsters are unlikely to require goggles or other protective eyewear, particularly if their connection to the speed force is strong. However, even the speed force aura will not protect them from gouging an eye out if they trip and fall, so if a speedster is naturally clumsy, eye protection should be considered.

It is also a good idea to consider padding the elbows and knee pads in preparation for high speed falls.

Speedsters practically always require full body suits, to assist their speed force aura when pebbles or other small objects manage to hit them.

In most cases this excessive regeneration would result in muscular atrophy, as a speedster would not be able to exercise enough to maintain muscular structure, however, the state of being charged with the speed force lightning constantly activates the dormant muscles, placing them in a state of constant regeneration, which outweighs the atrophy constantly taking place. This is likely to result in a speedster constantly feeling sore, but thanks to The Effects of Accelerated Healing on the Perception of Pain they are unlikely to notice it for long.

Heightened Immune System

While common knowledge may implicate that a speedster is incapable of 'getting sick', the reality is far more complicated.

Effectivity of Pathogens

Pathogens can be broken down into a few main categories. Lytic, lysogenic, and bacteria. There are also a few other categories, such as autoimmune disorders and allergies.

Lytic

Lytic diseases, such as the common cold, attack quickly, relying on speed to overwhelm the immune system. Speedsters are practically immune to all lytic diseases, due to the rapidity of their immune systems.

Lysogenic

Lysogenic diseases, such as shingles, lay dormant in the body, potentially for quite a long time. They are able to multiply without alerting the immune system before exploding all at once. Lysogenic diseases may cause problems for speedsters, the severity of which depends on the disease.

Speedsters can be aided by booster shots in preventing lysogenic diseases, however, due to their accelerated metabolism, it can be extremely difficult to know if they are up-to-date. Speedster's should receive both weekly antibody checks to determine if they need to receive vaccinations, and checks after they remain in relative time for extended periods.

These antibody checks can be completely ordinary, however to preserve a secret identity, they should certainly be done by a personal physician.

Bacteria

Bacterial diseases are not particularly dangerous to speedsters. It is entirely quick-acting, attempting to overwhelm the host to cause diseases. Speedsters are almost completely immune to this kind of blitzkrieg, due to their metabolisms being far faster than any known bacteria.

Autoimmune disorders

Any virus or disease that either feeds off the victim's immune system, like AIDS, or which causes the immune system itself to attack the host, like autoimmune diseases, may very well prove more dangerous to speedsters than to ordinary people. Having an accelerated immune system actually exacerbates the problem in these situations, instead of being helpful.

Allergies

Speedster's must be careful when entering relative time around allergenics, to ensure that they do not over-expose themselves to allergens. Their inability to keep proper track of time may result in dangerous amounts of over-exposure.

Effectivity of Treatment

Speedsters will also respond to different treatments differently than the average human.

Antibiotics

Speedsters are unable to receive antibiotics, due to the fact that their blood would filter it out too fast to be effective, but as they are not threatened by bacteria, this is not particularly important.

Vaccines

Vaccines still work on speedsters, which is good, as they can help prevent lysogenic diseases. Speedster immune systems can still learn from the vaccinations, and, in fact, the negative effects of vaccines (soreness, bruising, etc) will be, of course, greatly lessened in speedsters as they will recover from the ill effects quickly.

However, vaccines which require booster shots must be administered more often than average, the exact frequency depending on the metabolism of the speedster.

Antiseptics and Anesthesia

These are still effective, with the caveat that a speedster will burn through them far faster than an average human, and will therefore require more consistent doses. Never flood a speedster with extra anesthesia, as it may very well kill them. More constant doses, however, can be helpful.

Vaccinations and Viruses

Always ensure any speedster you know is up to date on their vaccinations, and if they should lose their powers for some reason, ensure that they are able to have access to the appropriate medical supplies. They may be out of practice caring for themselves, so it may be necessary to remind them of what is necessary.

A speedster's metabolism will prevent them from receiving almost any virus transmitted disease, and any minor disease will be overcome before any noticeable symptoms manifest. If a speedster does contract an illness, however, it is likely to be incredibly serious, and the speedster must seek medical attention immediately, with as little contact with others as possible.

It is very likely that quarantine will be necessary, so a quarantine space should be fully prepped for speedsters at all times.

A speedster is unable to use antibiotics, due to the fact that their blood would filter them out too fast to be effective.

Disease Weaknesses of Speedsters

While it is commonly conceived that speedsters are immune to sickness, this is not entirely true. While the immune system of a speedster is too fast for ordinary viruses to be effective, other diseases prove more problematic.

Additionally, some molds may be capable of attacking the host by bypassing the immune system.

Since no speedster has yet contracted one of these issues, we are unsure if there is a speed force safeguard for these ailments, and are forced to assume caution in the meantime.

Resistance to Intoxication

A speedster's metabolism means that they have an extremely high resistance to intoxication.

It is, in fact, so high that it is impossible for a speedster to be truly drunk. Faux-alcoholic beverages can be created, namely a powerful neurotoxin developed by Star Labs which would kill an ordinary human but, in a speedster, parodies the effects of intoxication. A speedster's alcohol should be labeled as poison and kept in a secure location.

The consumption of said alcohol can also be temporarily dangerous to the speedster. If the neurotoxin-alcohol is consumed in excess (each speedster will have a different limit) then temporary brain damage is possible, and if consumption continues, it is possible that the effects can range from permanent damage to death.

Never allow a speedster to get drunk alone. Always set a max number of drinks and follow it strictly.

Vulnerabilities

While speed healing has displayed no innate negative effects so far, such as contamination of DNA or accelerated aging, it still contains several medical threats that should be carefully watched out for.

Healing Over Shrapnel

A speedster will heal over shrapnel wounds so quickly that it will require invasive surgery to remove the intruding object. It will be difficult to know shrapnel is there at all from an outside perspective, so a speedster may not realize they have been impaled. It can be helpful to check a speedster's suit for holes as indicators of whether or not they have been impaled. They might not, after all, notice, given The Effects of Accelerated Healing on the Perception of Pain, so the object may remain imbedded in the speedster.

This would be unfortunate, since not only would it be difficult to explain at airports and for x-rays, but also the inclusion of any foreign bodies in the body of a speedster could have unforeseen consequences when dealing with the variety of hostile metahumans they are likely to encounter. (Ie: magnetic manipulation, metal sensing, etc). Speedsters sometimes need to center themselves before attempting particular speed stunts, such as large scale phasing, and the intrusion of a foreign object can disrupt their focus. It can also complicate future surgeries in critical circumstances if shrapnel continues to be embedded in the body.

Surgery on a speedster can be a complicated process, and if possible to reduce complications, precautions should be taken. It is important to ensure that the process can proceed as quickly as possible, both because speedsters are immune to anesthetic, and because going too slow can allow the wound to heal.

It is possible to use a power disruptor on a speedster during surgery, however the shock of losing a connection to the speed force is deep and intrinsic, and the shock on a speedster's system can be very dangerous. Physically a speedster is weakened, and the experience can also be mentally traumatic. Avoid using power disruptors on speedsters whenever possible.

The ordinary reasons to avoid surgery: nerve and muscular damage, do not apply to speedsters as any damage will heal over.

Mishealed Bones

It is highly common for a speedster to break a limb which will then heal incorrectly and require rebreaking and setting to heal correctly. Speedsters in the field will often attempt to set their limbs themselves, which often results in partially-healed limbs with partially-restored functionality.

It is necessary to check a speedster after any mission whenever damage has been sustained, but it is especially important to check after a limb has rehealed to ensure the limb has healed correctly.

High Vulnerability to Cancer

So far, no speedster has contracted cancer, but should it ever happen, they would be at a high vulnerability to it's effects. First of all, the symptoms of cancer; bruising, exhaustion, bloody nose, etc, would heal too quickly to be noticed. Second, since cancer spreads by the reproduction of infected cells, and a speedster's cells reproduce far faster than the average human's, the progression of cancer would occur far faster than in a normal human.

Speedsters should be subjected to regular testing to ensure that any cancer is caught as soon as possible.

Death

Predisposition to Resurrection

Speedsters live dangerous lifestyles, which place them at a high risk of death: fortunately, restarting the heart of a speedster is easier than for the average human. To begin, speedsters are so hyper-charged with energy that their brain functions take longer to cease, and their bodies are predisposed to be energized and in motion, making them more responsive to reinvigorating stimuli.

Speedsters are also predisposed to defibrillation, as electricity stands a higher chance for them than most to jump-start their system. The electricity will spark their own speed-force electricity, which will kick-start their body and mind into functioning.

Post-Mortem

It is difficult to write on this subject with a high degree of reliability, so I will stay general. We have reason to believe that a speedster's connection to the speed force does not disappear after a speedster's death. Quite the opposite: it appears that after death, a speedster will simply merge with the speed force on a higher, more transcendental level.

It remains unsure what the effects of this might mean regarding speedster mortality. It certainly appears that they will exist in some form inside the speed force as long as the speed force continues to exist. However, they seem to lose all individuality as they are dissipated within the speed force itself, both physically and mentally.

Conclusion- Caring for a Speedster

I would recommend constant amounts of psychological therapy and evaluation for any speedster, and, especially in the case of the Prime Subject, daily amounts of physical affection, preferably through interpersonal biological contact. Frequent, casual contact is encouraged. As many confidants as possible should be informed as to the intricacies of a speedster's mental health, but this should not be a topic to cause paranoia or to result in tip-toeing around speedsters for fear of negative reactions.

Interpersonal contact should not be denied as a method of coercion, and distancing should, in fact, be kept to a minimum. However, do not be afraid to verbalize whenever you cannot maintain contact. Overloading yourself will have more negative consequences in the long run.

Especially until more is conclusively known about speedsters, all speedsters should have a personal physician who conducts regular physical check-ups of varying intensity.

In a similar vein, it is preferable for every speedster to regularly undergo psychological therapy to ensure stable mental health.

A speedster's mental health should always be monitored. A speedster's powers derive from their mental state, so any sudden change in their mindset could have serious unintended consequences. If a speedster begins to experience intense mood swings or act in an unusual manner, pay close attention to their behavior and attempt to document the causes of these changes.

Associates of speedsters should make a habit of carrying high-calorie food on their person in case the speedster needs a boost. Speedsters should also carry high-calorie sustenance at all times; preferably enough to last for at least a day.

After any wound that would be considered major to an ordinary human, speedsters should receive a medical check-up.

Speedsters should receive regular check-ups to determine that they are cancer and disease-free.

Speedsters should have a prepped place they can quarantine in case of illness.

Speedster's gear, such as gloves and shoes, should be checked and maintained regularly. The treads on shoes will wear down incredibly quickly, and worn down shoes for a speedster can be more dangerous than worn down tires. If a speedster is regularly engaged in dangerous activities, placing a remote defibrillator in their suit is a borderline necessity.

Regularly check speedster's suits for unexplained puncture marks, as this may indicate a wound the speedster failed to notice or report.

Ensure you know when to administer booster vaccines to a particular speedster: more often the higher their metabolism may be.

If a speedster loses their powers, ensure that they are constantly reminded of how to properly take care of themselves as an ordinary human, accounting for proper sanitation and food.

Speedsters tend to live in a slightly more unsanitary manner than most people, under the knowledge that they are less likely to contract an illness, so if they lose their powers, remind them to be more cautious.

Furthermore, upon losing their powers, speedsters tend to overeat, as they are accustomed to eating far greater proportions than they can then handle. This is unlikely to be a serious problem, but it could result in sickness or possibly developing binge eating, and should therefore be monitored.

Above all, remember that despite surface level differences, speedsters are people too, and should never be alienated or treated as objects or monsters. Treat them with love and affection, like you would anyone else, but always be careful to be responsible for your sake and theirs.

Glossary

Extent to which time is frozen

Barely slowed - Omega Tachytita (last speed)

Very slow - Beta Tachytita (middle speed)

Frozen - Alpha Tachytita (first speed)

Levels of Unconscious Thought

Alert as in real time - Idio Nomizo (same think)

Complete dissociation (cause irrelevant) - Soma Nomizo (body think)

Complete dissociation (due to longevity) - Soma Nomizo Chronos (body think time) (Somizo Chronos)

Complete dissociation (due to emotion) - Soma Nomizo Kardia (body think heart) (Somizo Kardia)

Preoccupied running - Periplaniemai Nomizo (wander think)

Mind completely engaged in normal time while body accelerates to super-human speeds - Nomizo se Kosmos (mind in world) (Nomizose Kosmos)

Complete focus on speed thinking - Nomizo Se Soma (mind in body) (Nomizose Soma)

Unconscious thought - Nomizo Se Pragmatikotita (mind in reality) (Nomizose Pragmatikotita)

Assorted

A speedster connected to the positive speed force - Positive Speedster

A speedster connected to the negative speed force - Negative Speedster

Emotional detachment from reality due to relative time - Xypnáo Oneiropólos (waking dreamer)

Stem based enhanced healing - Tachýtita Therapévo (Speed Heal)

A speedster's use of the speed force without using noticeable relative time - Minimal use - Iméra-Nýchta Tachýtita (Day-Night Speed)

The speed force's tendency to link the auras of two positive speedsters in close proximity to increase the speed and speed force auras of both - Aural Conjunction

The ability of a positive and negative speedster, once engaged, to mutually seek each other out regardless of location - Conjoined Tracking