Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Right the Wrong


At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements ;)

Undoubtedly you've seen some iteration of the person-goes-back-in-time-to-right-a wrong story. Sometimes, they try to eliminate some evil person from the past before that person can do the very bad thing. So, let's play with that idea...

What if someone has come to our time from the future with the mission of "neutralizing" you?
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17 comments:

  1. Alex J. CavanaughSeptember 29, 2015 at 10:25 AM

    I'd wonder where I went horribly wrong.
    Actually, I would view that person as evil and I am destined to make a difference for good in the future. So he'd be toast.

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  2. Susan KaneSeptember 29, 2015 at 10:38 AM

    I'd serve him a cup of very hot coffee, with a piece of homemade pie. We'd sit and talk, and then he would decide I am not so bad after all.

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    1. Liz A.September 29, 2015 at 5:02 PM

      He's coming from the future, so it's your future self that's the problem. From his perspective.

      Delete
  3. PaulaSeptember 29, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    I don't think one would ever be sent my way. But maybe I am just too naïve!!

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  4. Cathy KennedySeptember 29, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    Neutralize me?! Well, I hope I don't do something that makes someone from the future want to kill me unless what I did was pretty amazing kinda like you in the Terminator movies. Will one of my children be a leader to the resistance? Who knows anything is possible and if things keep going as they are in this crazy world of ours then socialist will have complete control and I certainly can see civil unrest developing. That is, if there are enough people left who give a hoot. Oh well...interesting question!

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  5. J E OneilSeptember 29, 2015 at 1:27 PM

    An interesting thought. I wonder what I did that made me have to be neutralized? Well, maybe not wonder that hard. I'm assuming I become some kind of tyrannical overlord.

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  6. RomiSeptember 29, 2015 at 2:21 PM

    Am I going to be THAT influential?

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  7. mshatchSeptember 30, 2015 at 5:14 AM

    I'd try to talk them out of it (assuming they'd give me the chance), and promise not to turn to evil...ooh, but wait. What if they weren't trying to eliminate me because of something bad I'm going to do, but rather because of something good I'm going to do - something that might thwart the the real evil overlord of the future? How would I get out of that? Hmm...

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  8. bettySeptember 30, 2015 at 2:01 PM

    I'd try to keep notes so that someone could find me, might make a good plot for a book or movie of the week.

    betty

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    1. Liz A.September 30, 2015 at 6:40 PM

      It's been done, although not necessarily from this perspective.

      Delete
  9. bookwormSeptember 30, 2015 at 2:21 PM

    Since I'm in menopause I won't be able to bear the child who will become the person to save....oh, wait, that's the plot of The Terminator (a movie I loved). I enjoy science fiction and many time travel stories deal with time travel paradoxes. The consensus is, such a thing could not happen. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. Liz A.September 30, 2015 at 6:40 PM

      We all know it couldn't happen, but it's fun to play with the possibilities anyway.

      Delete
  10. BirgitSeptember 30, 2015 at 3:46 PM

    I would do my utmost to neutralize him or her. Wait...I am not that strong so maybe I would just try talking them to death or pretend I am not the person they are looking for

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  11. UnknownSeptember 30, 2015 at 5:44 PM

    I'd want to know why and then I'd promise not to do it.

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I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.

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