Seebeyond

You typically think of scientifically hyperadvanced civilizations as having long since left religion behind. The truth is, that notion is purely for fiction. Not every individual will have a need or inclination toward worship, but the urge is present in every known civilization that ever lived. Wishrats are no exception. In our case, in this time, they have opted to go with a fairly decentralized approach. There's no central Church or organiztion to dictate behavior. People opt to gather and share their spiritual musings as they feel the need, most often in small groups. Through these get-togethers, over time, new philosophies and hypotheses of the happenings beyond measurement spread through the social body. It is an organic, little-predictable, and thoroughly fluid process. Seebeyonds are the wishrats that give this liquid some solid structure. They are invited, frequently, to attend their fellows' sharings, and to give their thoughts. Seebeyonds elect to spend the bulk of their time considering various philosophies, looking for patterns and narratives. Many, though not all, also hone the skill we humans frequently refer to as "your gut," learning how to sense truths by intuitive methods not quite explainable by science. That phenomenon never goes away; magic thrives, abundant, in futuristic civilization. And the Seebeyonds who find meaning in un-measurable sensation perfect their powers of mysterious knowing. Thanks to this combination of skills, they are regarded as experts on the "Why"s of life; much of the community defers to their advice on actions to take in all matters. They can assess the values of the individual speaking to them and the beings they'll be interacting with, and give projections on how different courses of action are likely to affect the universe. These projections are remarkably accurate the vast majority of the time. Though the method is thoroughly unscientific (at least by 21st-century human standards), it is a reliable and respected method of research for wishrats of all types. The intuitive Seebeyonds are valuable, contributing community members. On a more practical, on-brand level, Seebeyonds have the ability to sense wishes. They describe it almost like hearing the desire burning the mental energy of the wish's host. When a coin or other symbolic token drops down a well, the imbued desire practically screams through the air, alerting just about every wishrat in the vicinity, intuitor or not. Seebeyonds can also sense wishes outside the wells, hearing them more clearly on the approach. Occasionally, they can also sense especially strong wishes -- the kind that, when granted, will do a whole lot of good for uncountable beings. As Wishrat society has collectively vowed to uplift the vulnerable and powerless, Seebeyonds also attune themselves to the earnest wishes of children. With this desire-sensing ability, Seebeyonds become also facilitators, ensuring every wish is granted. They coordinate with available wishrats to match wishes with skillsets and inclinations. They make sure no wish falls through the cracks. And they can let non-intuitors know when one of those powerful wishes is wandering through the world, unlikely to find a well. In those cases, traveling wishrats go make a house call.