Invisibility – the best guide you’ll never see
So you’re invisible.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? You can go anywhere, do anything, and the whole world can’t stop you… or can they?
What would you really have to do to pull this off? How many of us could make it work, and how would it change our lives if we tried using it to its fullest? If you think you’re ready to disappear, let’s start again:
So you’re invisible. What’s the first thing you watch out for?
ROOM SIZE.
Your most basic problem is that any people near might walk right into you. So of course you’ve got to watch them all, spot anyone who might start heading toward you, and steer far enough around them all that never don’t touch you–and that means without you having to duck back so quickly they might hear your footsteps.
So, walls and furniture and such are the enemy, as much as people. Anything that hems you in or shrinks that buffer zone between you and the folks you’re sneaking past.
–That is, if you have to go into buildings. You might want invisibility more as a general way to see life differently, or avoid enemies that are more “trouble on the street” than determined to get into your home. But if you do have more proactive plans like spying on or sabotaging an enemy, that usually leads to someone’s door and on inside.
Those doors, literally, may be what takes up most of your time getting through. At every closed door you see, you’ve got choices to make–do you wait for the moment that nobody would see it “swing open by itself”? And what if nobody’s opened it so far, so you aren’t even sure if there’s someone watching on the other side? Or if you see somebody using that door, do you “tailgate” in at his heels and twist aside before he reaches back to shut it again? it’s one tricky move to pull off, that close behind someone without him hearing a sound.
That’s the kind of decision it means. How nimble are you, or how patient? Can you risk following the right person all the way through to lead you to the files or meeting you’re trying to find, or do you let one of those obstacles make you fall back and then you search out the rest of the way at your own pace?
And there are other hazards, indoors and out:
any kind of crowd, unless it’s thick enough that you can twist by people without them being sure who brushed against them
revolving doors–’nuff said
elevators–people may not notice them “moving on their own,” but you’re taking a real risk that nobody gets into that tiny space after you
security alarms, since they’re usually tied to a door opening or sensors for motion or body heat
streets with any vehicle traffic–you don’t have a prayer of reaching the other side alive until the cars stop for a pedestrian
in fact, it’s hard to invisibly follow anyone once they get to their car. Can’t hail a cab, can’t keep up on foot, but just maybe you’d have time to sneak into the back seat (if nobody gets in!) or trunk. (The car might have alarms, but even someone afraid of invisible enemies can’t take those seriously!)
dogs or other animals–the whole idea of invisibility is such a human-centered one, thinking what matters is to hide from sight, never smell
rain, puddles, dry leaves, anything “soft” you have to push through or walk over that shows your passage or makes noise. Watch the weather reports; any kind of precipitation is bad news.
and the absolute worst thing might be simply
mud. It shows your footprints, keeps showing them after you’ve moved on, and sticks to you to make the invisibility itself useless.
(Story idea: you’re watching one enemy “ranting” to his bosses about hearing invisible footsteps… and then he pulls out a paintball gun.)
Really, any time you enter any kind of enclosed space, you’re risking someone will lock it or start guarding the exits. Stepping through that first doorway is reason enough to be on high alert.
Maybe the biggest question is, do people know about invisibility at all? If you’re a trained agent infiltrating high-powered threats, both you and they are going to be watching every one of these tricks to the fullest. They may not have all these precautions in place yet, but if you make one slip they’ll rush a guard to every doorway. But you’re the first person to ever disappear, you have a whole world of blissful ignorance to play with… although that should make you all the more determined not give your secret away.
–If you aren’t aware of how much of this depends on learning to move softly, you aren’t ready to be invisible yet. Are you willing to take days, weeks, practicing even after you’ve gotten the ring or the suit to work? And even then, just running enough to break a sweat, or using a weak deodorant, could get you caught anyway.
The whole invisible mindset keeps coming back to caution, planning, and self-control. For instance, the classic “Would you want invisibility or flight?” game is sometimes called a choice between being careful and being bold. All in all, burglars, spies, or other people with practice in stealth and patience would get a head start as an invisible man.
(Invisible “man”? It’s the common phrase, but I think women might be better at thinking invisibly, and that lighter body type has to help in moving quietly. On the other hand: story idea, a true trickster of a wizard dares someone to tiptoe around using an invisibility spell he’s tied to a pair of high-heeled shoes.)
Speaking of clothing: tomorrow we can look at the types of invisibility, some famous examples, and how they change your equipment and your options.
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