Re: How to make money fast (in science fiction)

In rec.arts.sf.composition darkmoon@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:
> The villain/antagonist in my story (more precisely, a role playing
> scenario) is a super intelligent being, as far from average human as
> average human is from ape, and I have a serious problem - how to
> ****tray superintelligence with mine mere human smarts ;-)

> This is the problem - how to make serious money fast with the least
> risk, starting from nothing (really nothing, as stranger without past
> and without do***ents) in todays America.

> The simplest and "scifiest" way - to become an inventor, creating
> wonderful stuff like fusion power, room temterature superconductors,
> artificial intelligence etc.. is plain out. The Visitor has enemies
> who have general idea where in the multiverse is is hiding, and our
> timeline (together with many "nearby" ones) is watched and any serious
> disturbance from "normal evolution" of comparable civilzations will be
> noticed. In other words, he can become a leading businessman or
> politician (in fact, to amass billion of dollars, he will have to),
> but he must not behave differently from his Earthly counterparts.

   Inventions don't have to be flashy and have a huge impact to be 
profitable.

   The fastest legal way to become rich is probably the stock market or
housing market, but you do need an identity to play in those circles.
Without an identity, the fastest way to become rich is by illegal methods.
The drug trade is a time-honored path to riches.

   This alien could analyze human biochemistry and come up with designer
drugs.  If you want him to be a moral alien, have him be careful to give
the drugs few side effects and no addictive qualities.  If you don't care
about his morality, let him invent super-heroin.  Either way, all he has
to do is locate an existing crime lord (not hard for someone with super
intelligence), demonstrate the drug, and sell the process for making it.
He could probably get tens of millions of dollars and a new identity just
from that one transaction.  It's not without risk...but then, that makes 
the story interesting.

....                                                                  ... 
Remus Shepherd <remus@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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