Query:

[grav_ity]

So, f-list, if you had sixty years, a somewhat limited income, and restricted freedom of movement (due to a shady non-governmental secret organization that persists in following you around the world), what methods would you employ to take over the world?

(No zombies, thank you. I find them creepy. And it's already been written.)

Bonus points if you can also think of Victorian-appropriate books/events to flash back to, as that will make it a lot easier to incorporate H.G. Wells.

ETA: Ooooh, the Philadelphia Experiment can go first, because it's right after he "died" AND it involves invisibility...WIN!

Comments

[icarus-chained.livejournal.com]

Heh. Depends on how effective I'm planning to be, or how much like a Bond villain I felt like being. But ...

There are any number of blackmail/ransom options. Like, say, pointing out to various world leaders that I happen to know the resonant frequency of the earth itself, and given a couple months and a relatively secluded location, might be able to do something with it. Or point out that the teleforce beam was by no means a bluff, and would make an excellent anti-missile/A-bomb measure to boot. Or perhaps mention that the Tunguska event was not caused by the air-burst of a meteor, and isn't the wireless transmission of massive amounts of energy a wonderful thing?

So a bit of 'do what I want or else', and then on the flipside add a little bribery to sweeten the deal, such as pointing out that, given a little time, I could also completely revolutionise the energy needs and technological baseline of any power that happens to come in line with me. So it's not just 'do what I want or else', but also 'do what I want and I'll make you very, very happy, and also powerful'.

And then, when everybody's still debating, replace a few important world leaders with people who know to say yes, like the shills in a con, and possibly a few programmed to say 'no' so I can show how serious I am. And then see what happens.

Of course, it's possible that I don't actually have the resources at any one time to do any of them, but they don't have to know that, do they? Heh. Besides. Most of my inventions were so crackpot and mysterious, most of the world powers would probably believe I could blow up the earth with a tuning fork and sixty feet of conductive material. Because I'm awesome that way.

All terribly Bond-villain of me, of course, but given the Cold War, it's not like I wouldn't fit right in ...

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

Well, Nikola is very Bond Villain. And setting him up against Ian Flemming would dovetail nicely into the H.G. Wells...

Now I just need mooooooore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oc8irUgDLk&feature=related).

*beams*

[icarus-chained.livejournal.com]

*nods* Plus, with all the intelligence agencies in the world supposedly looking for him, he's sort of prime material for dovetailing into the Cold War.

And the Philadelphia Experiment ... it's like someone was trying to replicate Nigel's and John's abilities with technology, and then accidentally married them in very ugly ways. Heh.

That video ... speaking of creepy. But then, Claudia always was the creepiest thing in the VC. Heh.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

it's like someone was trying to replicate Nigel's and John's abilities with technology, and then accidentally married them in very ugly ways. Heh.

EXACTLY! *plots*

I kind of want to make a Nikola vid to the Elton John version of "I Want More", except I found the song through festivids, so it's already been made into a faaaaabulous vid about the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park.

[melyanna.livejournal.com]

Assuming this is about Tesla, he claimed to have invented an earthquake machine that could shake a building to pieces. If he wanted small-scale blackmail, he could just claim to have installed it in a building and go from there. (According to Mythbusters, though, the design in Tesla's papers doesn't work, which could add an element of fun to the blackmail.)

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

I love that I'm transparent enough now that it's clear EVERYTHING is about Tesla. ;) Or just really unsubtle. Which is not new.

Earthquake machines are good, though! And I can watch Mythbusters as research, which never goes amiss...

[melyanna.livejournal.com]

How far back are you looking? If it's as far back as 1940, you could claim that he was responsible for the collapse of the original Tacoma Narrows bridge.

And Mythbusters totally counts as research. I've watched their ancient weapons episodes and called it research for Ren. ;)

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

Basically anything from 1886 until 2000 or so is fair game. Preferably not all in the US. And if I can tie them back, somehow, to an HG Wells novel, that would be even better.

ETA: Because if it's before 1943, I can use it in a flashback.