Here's something I don't get about Coventry...

[DryaUnda]

...Wouldn't it be more practical to hire a scientist who Knew Too Much, rather than damn the hapless soul into a maximum security hobbit shire?

[prosfilaes]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

...Wouldn't it be more practical to hire a scientist who Knew Too Much, rather than damn the hapless soul into a maximum security hobbit shire?

A lot of them are patriots to one cause or another that would prevent them from being useful to you. An Irish patriot might do everything he could to overthrow the British rule of Ireland in every parallel. A medieval scientist or fundamentalist might not work for an organization that doesn't espouse his religion at every turn.

On the flip side, what is Francis Bacon going to do for you? He may have the raw intelligence to catch on to your little plan, but he's 700 years behind in science and quite possibly could never wrap his head around the priniciples of modern science. Worse is the unexceptional English gentlemen who happened to poke his nose around the wrong corner at the wrong time, and go back home and write everything down. It's too late to mind wipe him, but he's got nothing to recommend him that a hundred million high school dropouts back on Homeline don't have.

[DryaUnda]

Originally Posted by prosfilaes

A lot of them are patriots to one cause or another that would prevent them from being useful to you. An Irish patriot might do everything he could to overthrow the British rule of Ireland in every parallel.

Good point. However, I don't see how they would be more dangerous than some of the crazies working for ISWAT.

Originally Posted by prosfilaes

On the flip side, what is Francis Bacon going to do for you? He may have the raw intelligence to catch on to your little plan, but he's 700 years behind in science and quite possibly could never wrap his head around the priniciples of modern science.

So, barring allotechnology, he'll never discover parachronics. Thus, rendering Francis a nonissue. I'm talking about a ~TL8 scientist who has discovered parachronics. If this discovery is based on data accessible to anybody who can use them for parachronic applications, Infinity will have to do more than snatch jobs.

[prosfilaes]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

So, barring allotechnology, he'll never discover parachronics. Thus, rendering Francis a nonissue. I'm talking about a ~TL8 scientist who has discovered parachronics. If this discovery is based on data accessible to anybody who can use them for parachronic applications, Infinity will have to do more than snatch jobs.

That is the danger in this setting. I think Infinity is wisely not letting anyone come close to parachronics; if it takes three or four geniuses to discover the basic knowledge for parachronics, if you take out the bottom one, the next never get to stand on his shoulders.

[DryaUnda]

Originally Posted by prosfilaes

[I]f you take out the bottom one, the next never get to stand on his shoulders.

Wait, are you saying that Infinity would snatch Bacon?

[Ack]

Either that or he'd go home and write an extremely strange play, that would later be passed off as one of Shakespeare's.

Alan

[Ed the Coastie]

I've always thought that Bacon, should he learn of parachronics, would consider them to be an idle curiosity and certainly nothing with which a gentleman would bother.

Now, Dr. Erasmus Darwin (grandfather of Charles Darwin) on the other hand, being the kind of man he was, would actively investigate the discovery.

Come to think of it, so would individuals such as Ben Franklin, John Dee, and Richard Burton.

Now there's a headache for you.

[vitruvian]

The only problem with snatching a Bacon, a Newton, or an Einstein for *either* exile in Coventry or a cushy job with Infinity is that you're likely to cause a divergence and kick the alternate into a different quantum.

That said, if it *was* a Newton who found out about you (perhaps in his efforts to root out coiners while he was running the Mint, since Infinity personnel frequently need to use counterfeit money when first setting up operations), I can't see Infinity wasting him in Coventry. For one thing, if you let the concentration of true geniuses in Coventry get *too* high, some of them are eventually going to get together and figure out a way out or a means of hijacking the world from you that you could never conceive of...

Actually, now you're making me think that Coventry could actually be a great campaign background. "Make yourself a character from any conceivable historical or alternate historical background, whose backstory could possibly involve finding out about Infinity operations and needing to be snatched." Is Coventry actually run on the ground by Infinity personnel, or are the snatchees left to govern themselves however they want? One way, you've got a rebellion campaign, the other you've got a potentially Hobbesian or Riverworld type of situation.

[Ack]

As I understand things, they are supplied with all the home comforts, but are basically left to themselves, as there is by far enough room for all. Though there are some ringers; people planted by IW to keep an eye on them.

Alan

[Saint]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

. . . For one thing, if you let the concentration of true geniuses in Coventry get *too* high, some of them are eventually going to get together and figure out a way out or a means of hijacking the world from you that you could never conceive of...

Infinite Worlds Episode VII: Jailbreak of the Geniuses

;)