Tuesday, July 25, 2017

The Obstacle


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 ;)

What if you needed someone "out of the way"? (For the sake of argument, let's say that this person is a major threat to you in some way. Like, they have dirt on you and are blackmailing you. Or, they are the one thing standing between you and some long sought out goal, like taking over a company or a small nation. I'm talking about the type of thing where you might do anything to get them gone.) Now, let's assume that having them killed is completely out of the question. How do you get rid of them?

22 comments:

  1. Good question. I'm disappointed by the opposite, unable to get someone *in* my life, if only marginally. Oh, well. Guess I'll go back to writing and let this question percolate for the fun of it. Best wishes!

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    1. I find that someone who won't enter your life is probably better off not being there :)

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  2. haha....no matter the way, I feel that it would be one that I would get caught at! Maybe meds to make it look like a heart attack. Stabbing, shooting, running over....someone would see me to it or I would leave prints. HIRE someone to do it! haha

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    1. But I'm saying what if you can't get them dead? You need them alive.

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    2. Guessing I would have to put them in a safe house someplace...just not sure where that would be. Thanks for your sweet comments on my blog and they things I get creative with.

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  3. If I had the ability to become leader of a nation, the I would have money so I would have "safe" houses and he/she would be placed there and kept "on ice"

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  4. I like Birgit's answer. You'd have to find a way to remove them from society. Perhaps kidnap them and keep them in your basement if you had a basement.

    betty

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  5. I wasn't sure and now that I checked the comments I think that's probably what would happen lol

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  6. The first thing that comes to mind, assuming i have a certain amount of discretionary cash lying around, is to kidnap them, drug them, indoctrinate them in some crazy way and drop them off at the nearest psyche facility. Sure they might get out eventually, but what threat will they be by then?

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  7. Send them on a Mission to Mars. Maybe they'll fall in a black hole or something. ;)

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  8. I'm not saying anything. It could be used against me at a future trial.

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  9. Hmmm I was thinking I'm not opposed to kidnapping but if this is a long term they need to be out of the way that might get a spot difficult and bothersome. Jail might be an option. If you could find dirt on them in return.

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  10. Slip them a massive dose of hallucinogens. Even if they don't end up in the loony bin for life, it's likely no one will ever take them seriously again.

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  11. Dig up some dirt on them? Or resolve the fact they are blackmailing me by somehow revealing my secret putting me in a good light.

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  12. Cozy up to Trump. 😳 He could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and still be president. 😞

    Umm… I was going to provide an alternative because I can't imagine there is any occasion where I could ever get along with Trump, but then I realized there is probably no occasion where I will ever be the leader of a company or anything else where I need to get rid of someone. I do like the idea of sending the person I dislike to Mars, though. That's one way. 🙂

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    1. Oh wait. You said not to kill the person. Does having the POTUS kill someone count as me killing them?

      Oh well. I guess I provided you with the Mars option as well.

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    2. It can't end in the person's death. If the person ends up deceased, it'll be worse for you.

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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.