04-21-2021, 10:44 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Van Zandt's Secret
A month or two ago I posted the Oops parallels in Reality Seeds. And it was Van Zandt's Secret, the thing he revealed to the world's leaders to get a monopoly on parachronic technology that inspired them. Well that and the fact that Homeline's parachronic technology is weirdly mature. You see I'd expect early parachronic technology to be more limited and/or less reliable. The first projector/conveyero to be something like a gigantic particle accelerator that only broke through into one world, or a vehicle that bounced around out of control Time Tunnel style without being able to pick it's destination. Instead Van Zandt shows up with a near perfect technology just as good as Centrum's even though Centrum had a big head start.
So my theory is that Van Zandt got his technology from another Van Zandt, and that the secret he revealed to the world's leaders is that the odds are greatly against getting parachronics right. And getting it wrong produces an Oops. Worlds depopulated, invaded through gates it can't close, wracked by reality quakes, flung into interstellar space or stripped of air. Van Zandt got his tech from another Van Zandt who ruined his world. And that Van Zandt only gave it to him on the condition that he use to do anything he can to keep any other world from getting close to developing it because the more people who get close to it, the more Oopses there will be. And thus The Secret is the reason for The Other Secret. |
04-21-2021, 11:34 AM | #2 |
Join Date: May 2007
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
I always assumed that Van Zadnt's secret was a dossier of embarrassing information about world leaders, to be released if they opposed his proposal. Call me a cynic, but I don't think anything as trivial as the long-term survival of humanity could convince the powers to agree on giving up a strategically-useful new technology. (I mean, look at how well such appeals have worked in our history...)
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I predicted GURPS:Dungeon Fantasy several hours before it came out and all I got was this lousy sig. |
04-21-2021, 11:46 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
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04-21-2021, 12:07 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The deep dark haunted woods
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
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"When you talk about damage radius, even atomic weapons pale before that of an unfettered idiot in a position of power." - Sam Starfall from the webcomic Freefall |
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04-21-2021, 12:33 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Dec 2020
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
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Last edited by Willy; 04-21-2021 at 12:34 PM. Reason: spelling error |
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04-21-2021, 12:57 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
They don't have to. When people already know that you're a vicious oppressive dictator there are very few "secrets" that if revealed will alienate either your supporters or the people still willing to do business with you.
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04-21-2021, 01:47 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
There are a number of possibilities I can think of:
1) Van Zandt discovered something that scared the members enough into uniting (Centrum? Reich 5? Cabal?). 2) Van Zandt showed even at that moment he had amassed enough power to choose the winners and losers. He might even had the option to take his ball and leave if they didn't play his game. 3) Van Zandt used mind control. At that point, magic was a relative unknown so perhaps he brought back a powerful mage that compelled the audience. 4) Van Zandt is an agent of a greater power. This is a bit similar to #1, but a touch more altruistic. A condition of aid might be the deal, especially if infinity requires ongoing aid to keep operations running. 5) Dimensional travel requires secret sauce that Van Zandt provides. Perhaps it's not that Homeline or Central are special. It's Van Zandt (on Homeline) and another entity on Central that enable travel. 6) No great secret, just great avarice. Similar to #2, Van Zandt just outlined that he could either benefit entire world via the UN or he could pick nations and give them the wealth of other worlds. |
04-21-2021, 02:12 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: May 2007
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
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EDIT: Of course, when you control the media in your country, you can keep your embarrassing peccadilloes from becoming relevant to your subjects, but Zann didn't have to convince every petty dictatorship to go along with his scheme, merely enough of the Great Powers to ensure that Infinity control of parachronics became the consensus world order. EDITEDIT: The "mind control" option is probably even more straightforward, though. Psionics apparently work on Homeline; Zann had access to people who could use them and the world leaders had neither defense against them nor knowledge of them to recognize their effects. Edit memories so everyone thinks they agreed out of willing self-interest, and Bob's your uncle.
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I predicted GURPS:Dungeon Fantasy several hours before it came out and all I got was this lousy sig. Last edited by ravenfish; 04-21-2021 at 02:22 PM. |
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04-21-2021, 02:47 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Dec 2020
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
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As someone who has a little experience on politics I can sign everything you wrote above about the vulnarability of dictators to embarressment. I could add some actual examples, but want to keep politics out of this forum. Even if they do everything to pose as near godlike, most of them know how vulnerable they are. This is a reason why some, by western eyes failed or unecessary megaprojects, are in the eyes of this dictators worth every cent the spent for it. |
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04-21-2021, 03:02 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Van Zandt's Secret
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EDIT: That said, embarrassing secrets as blackmail - and/or fulfilled wishes tailored to each individual as bribe - may be more likely than a secret ultra-effective psi.
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