In which many people can be affected by the meta-origin, with the result of being a bit sick and then never being affected by it again. (No chance at powers! There are origin chasers, yes, but also a lot of superstitions, all wrong, about how you can do it to get powers, and avoid the dreadful fate of being cut off forever and ever.)
Except that I was pondering whether it's that they all get powers, some are just trivia. Within normal human range, even. Sharper vision, greater strength, absolute direction. . . .
I'm not sure it's the rule, but a character wandered into my imagination, preaching it -- with the addendum that some powers are also not identified because they are not tested for. Perhaps, like resistance to radiation, the cost of failure is too high; perhaps, like, say, ability to heal pancreatic cancer, the testing process would be too extensive -- except for his magical mechanical meta-identifier.
I told him he doesn't fit the plot. He says he could be a comic interlude.
