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Bond Fanfiction Project


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#121 Mr. Blofeld

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Posted 28 July 2011 - 11:29 PM

EDIT: Never mind.

#122 terminus

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Posted 28 July 2011 - 11:30 PM

Uhm - Mrblofeld - that WASN'T what I asked for. In fact, it was most definitely what I asked NOT to be posted!

#123 Mr. Blofeld

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Posted 28 July 2011 - 11:32 PM

Uhm - Mrblofeld - that WASN'T what I asked for. In fact, it was most definitely what I asked NOT to be posted!

:|

Oh.

Well.

Phooey.

#124 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 29 July 2011 - 01:08 AM

I'm not really sure what you're going for with this step, terminus. You're asking us to work the existing elements together, but they only fit in a certain way, so everyone's response is going to be the same. So I'm going to introduce a little extra detail - not much - just to give an idea of where it could go.

When a mission in Australia goes badly, the newly-appointed M sends Bond to Montreal to keep him out of the spotlight. While in Canada, Bond is drawn to an invesitgation into the brutal murder of a senior MI6 officer in a gay nightclub. The discovery that the officer's phone was compromised signals the start of a chase for a dangerous criminal mastermind spearheading an international conspiracy to destablisise NATO and carve out a new nation from the ruins of old - a conspiracy that intends to use MI6 to do their dirty work. Officially still in Canada, Bond must find a way to operate outside MI6 to locate the man with the knowledge to stop the conspiracy in its tracks ... but his help comes with a price that Bond may not be able to pay.

#125 terminus

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Posted 29 July 2011 - 01:15 AM

A bit more information than I'd asked for, but I do get your point.

I know that with only so many pieces people would likely come up with roughly the same framework but I was hoping it would help people to gel things in their own head (even if they didn't put it down - like I didn't put some of the details that formed in my head down when I posted), whilst also hoping someone might provide a radical inspiration of the pieces that we could use.

It does seem to be roughly the same thing everyone is planning - but I really don't want things to move any faster. Like I said, we need to understand each and every move we make in developing this - so we can understand why it's happening and where things are going and how the characters will interact.

My net access might be erratic for a day or two (I'm moving apartments tomorrow), so I'm going to place an effective pause so that people can think about how they'd take thus further - but I would ask people not to post how they'd take it further because I won't be able to monitor things and I don't want it running away from me!

#126 Mr. Blofeld

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Posted 29 July 2011 - 01:52 AM

I want to apologize for what I posted; definitely a bit much. :S

#127 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 01:33 AM

Well, after a conveniently-times forum downtime, are we ready to pick thi back up and keep going with it?

#128 007jamesbond

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 02:01 AM

yes just continue as usual..but we just wait until terminus tell us what to do next

#129 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 07:29 AM

I've been doing a little bit of thinking, and if we're going to go with the phone-hacking, then I don't think it should be journalists compromising the phone. That's ripped from the headlines a little bit too much. Rather, I think it should be the villain who hacks the phone to gain information and then kills the officer in the gay nightclub. I imagine that a part of the story would involve holding MI6 hostage by acquiring a complete roster of their active case load and threatening to release it unless MI6 bow to their demands (MI6's repsonse to this is to play along whilst using the officially-inactive Bond to investigate).

Also, I've been thinking about the mission at the beginning that goes wrong. If it is set in Australia, then I think the only thing that really makes sense (since we have very few issues or influence that might attract a Double-Oh) would be to have Bond on a mission to intercept a known terrorist trying to smuggle himself into Australia on-board a boatload of illegal asylum-seekers (it's a pretty topical issue down here). The mission would likely end with the terrorist blowing up the boat with everyone on-board, prompting M to send Bond on vacation.

#130 terminus

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 11:24 AM

Well, after a conveniently-times forum downtime, are we ready to pick thi back up and keep going with it?


Except the forum downtime wasn't anything to do with the pause I put on the process. Was it? I got the internet back yesterday - but the boards were still down when I went to work so didn't have the ability to post anything.

I've been doing a little bit of thinking, and if we're going to go with the phone-hacking, then I don't think it should be journalists compromising the phone. That's ripped from the headlines a little bit too much. Rather, I think it should be the villain who hacks the phone to gain information and then kills the officer in the gay nightclub. I imagine that a part of the story would involve holding MI6 hostage by acquiring a complete roster of their active case load and threatening to release it unless MI6 bow to their demands (MI6's repsonse to this is to play along whilst using the officially-inactive Bond to investigate).

Also, I've been thinking about the mission at the beginning that goes wrong. If it is set in Australia, then I think the only thing that really makes sense (since we have very few issues or influence that might attract a Double-Oh) would be to have Bond on a mission to intercept a known terrorist trying to smuggle himself into Australia on-board a boatload of illegal asylum-seekers (it's a pretty topical issue down here). The mission would likely end with the terrorist blowing up the boat with everyone on-board, prompting M to send Bond on vacation.


but I would ask people not to post how they'd take it further because I won't be able to monitor things and I don't want it running away from me!


That said, I do like the idea for a "PTS" set in Australia, and that's something I would definitely be happy to incorporate into the project somehow, if we can nail the research required to get everything right.

My ideas were thus:

- Bond is on a mission (perhaps in Australia) with MI6 and the Double-Oh Section, it isn't his first mission but he hasn't been qualified for long. This goes wrong and Bond is injured, though not fatally. Enough to warrant being made temporarily inactive whilst he recuperates, he is sent to somewhere exotic and typically 'Bond' - the Bahamas/Seychelles/Perhentians.
- A low-level MI6 officer is killed in the seedy underbelly of the Gay community in Manchester. It will later be revealed that he was involved with investigating a tabloid phone-hacking scandal which, rather than stumbling on details of illicit rendezvous, uncovered a reference to a lost super-weapon (to be named).
- In the Bahamas/Seychelles/Perhentians, Bond becomes entranced by a beautiful woman - who turns out to be a reporter. They spend some time together but she is attacked/assaulted and he must save her (or is unable to save her, as the case may turn out to be). She will be revealed as the reporter who was privvy to the phone-hacking tapes - whether she realises it, or not, she knows about the super-weapon.
- Recalled to active duty by M after the death of the MI6 officer, Bond is assigned to follow the trail laid out by the hint in the tapes and discover both who is behind the murders, but also where the super-weapon is ("We can't leave super-weapons around like so much change down the backs of sofas, 007 ...")
- Bond must find the person who was recorded on the tapes mentioning the super-weapon, this is where the mission commences - and leads, (via Southampton and New York, I envisaged using a cruise liner as a setting), to Canada where the super-weapon may have been hidden.

#131 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 12:44 PM

I meant the forum downtime was convenient because it gave us the two days you asked for without things getting out of control.

I'm still not big on the idea of the tabloids being behind the phone hacking. For one, it's too ripped-from-the-headlines. But more imporantly, if the owner of the phone is in such a position to have game-changing information, he'll have a protected identity, and it's unlikely the tablids will have had anything to do with it. The scenario should be more like this than like this. I imagined that Bond would go to Canada, where he discovered the dead officer in the Montreal club (but Manchester works, too). The weapon could have something to do with MI6 operations in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland during the Cold War, where NATO had set up a string of sonar installations to detect Soviet submarines in the Atlantic.

As for the mission in Australia, that shouldn't be too difficult to research since I'm Australian. There's a couple of big issues right now (with possible ideas in brackets):
- The arrival of illegal asylum seekers (a terrorist attempting to smuggle himself into the country)
- The introduction of a carbon tax (organised criminals using an emissions trading scheme to launder money)
- The Ibrahims; think of the Kardashains if they were mobsters (trying to break a drug ring's Australian connection)

#132 terminus

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 02:31 PM

I know what you mean, re: the Gareth Williams events being much more the sort of tone we're going for. I should perhaps elaborate on what I mean - I imagined that the tabloids would have tapped a phone for other reasons, unaware of what has been mentioned in the phone tap, but the villain wants this mention covered up. He has everyone who has heard a copy of the tape summarily killed - because the mention on the tape reveals the continued existence of a supposedly discontinued and subsequently disavowed weapons program from the eighties.

We can discuss this more.

Either way - we seem to agree on the basic structure of the opening of the story.

- "PTS" in Australia, I'd lean towards the people smuggling angle with this, to be honest
- Bond placed on enforced vacation after the Australian incident, perhaps encountering the main girl somehow (also on vacation)
- Death of the operative in Manchester, UK because he has been privvy to the events on the tape
- Bond recalled from vacation, informed of the Manchester events and assigned to investigate the murder of his colleague

Which would seem to set the direction of the first chunk of the book in Manchester/London and other parts of the UK as Bond commences his murder enquiry. I still favour him following the trail of someone onto a cruise-liner to New York (via Liverpool or Southampton) and the trail leading him to Montreal and Vancouver.

If we're setting a chunk of the book in the UK with the murder investigation, perhaps we could make the previously discussed 'gay colleague' character the MI5 operative that Bond is assigned to liase with during his investigation - as although MI6 would presumably have an interest in their employee being murdered, logic dictates that MI5 would have ultimate control of the investigation given their mandate.

I'd like to focus on the above four points for the time being, discussing them and fleshing them out, before we move onto the actual investigation and the crossing to USA/Canada.

#133 007jamesbond

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 05:12 PM

Expanding on the idea of Bond on vacation in Canada (not a specific location, could travel from place to place). Bond meet the main Bond girl in a bar after saving her from thugs that try to kill her or something. They have a love scene before Bond is called back. He has to stay goodbye to her, unknown that they will eventually meet again. I was thinking the girl is like the daughter/granddaughter/personal assistant to the main villian who try to escape or something like that....Bond could travel to Vancouver and then go to Toronto or Montreal and sent home for a new mission that is urgent.

For the death of the operative in Manchester, UK.I was thinking that the death is made to look like some kind of accident instead of a murder so Mi6/mi5 wont be involve. THere would be so kind of media attention because of who he is but no one knows what he does or anythng. The people who did it hope they chase a wrong lead and not them. It would focus Bond to look deeper and learn that it was done so Mi6 wont be going after them, and can move forward with their plans.

For the recalling from vacation, M tells Bond it is a routine investigation to cooperate with the local police and learn how this happen. M has a hunch it is no accident but it made to look like one. Bond uncovers the photo scandal and the "super weapon" from the Cold War. And request M to sent him aboard to find and stop this weapon from being used.....TH

#134 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 02 August 2011 - 11:48 PM

Bond meet the main Bond girl in a bar after saving her from thugs that try to kill her or something.

That's way too much of a cliche for my tastes.

I was thinking that the death is made to look like some kind of accident instead of a murder so Mi6/mi5 wont be involve.

Or it could be shown to be what it is: a murder. The villains know that the death of the operative will be handled by MI5 because MI6 have no jurisdiction and the process of sharing infromation between the too agencies will slow the investigation down.

#135 Mr. Blofeld

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 02:37 AM

Wait, wait, wait; when did a super-weapon come into play, here? I'm sick of super-weapons in Bond books; could we try something a little less over-the-top? :S

#136 007jamesbond

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 03:12 AM

Wait, wait, wait; when did a super-weapon come into play, here? I'm sick of super-weapons in Bond books; could we try something a little less over-the-top? :S

the "super weapon" could be a MacGuffin and it is not the true intention of the villian...

#137 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 03:16 AM

It came into play ages ago. But unlike most Bond books - CARTE BLANCHE in particular - this one will actually be used properly.

As for what the superweapon might be, I've been doing some thinking. I like the idea of HAARP, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program crossed ith Chemtrails. Basically, planes would seed the sky with a special chemical compound, forming chemtrails. HAARP would then be 'fired', using high-frequency radio waves to cause the chemicals to resonate at such a rate that they would actually cause a concussive blast along their length. Think of it as being like a Massive Ordnance Air Burst, with the power to devastate cities. The villains might want to use this in a conspiracy to re-unify Yugoslavia. Or, alternatively, a hybrid of the Caucasus Emirate and Kurdistan.

Or maybe the superweapon is something that actually exists, like the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power, (allegedly) the most powerful convenstional (ie non-nuclear) weapon in the world. A superweapon doesn't have to be something made entirely out of fantasy and science fiction. Just look at the 'GoldenEye' satellites in GOLDENEYE - they were entirely plausible superweapons based on real science. Given that the ATBIP is big enough to replace small-yield nuclear devices without any fallout, I'd say it's appropriate.

#138 terminus

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 01:19 PM

Expanding on the idea of Bond on vacation in Canada (not a specific location, could travel from place to place). Bond meet the main Bond girl in a bar after saving her from thugs that try to kill her or something. They have a love scene before Bond is called back. He has to stay goodbye to her, unknown that they will eventually meet again. I was thinking the girl is like the daughter/granddaughter/personal assistant to the main villian who try to escape or something like that....Bond could travel to Vancouver and then go to Toronto or Montreal and sent home for a new mission that is urgent.

For the death of the operative in Manchester, UK.I was thinking that the death is made to look like some kind of accident instead of a murder so Mi6/mi5 wont be involve. THere would be so kind of media attention because of who he is but no one knows what he does or anythng. The people who did it hope they chase a wrong lead and not them. It would focus Bond to look deeper and learn that it was done so Mi6 wont be going after them, and can move forward with their plans.

For the recalling from vacation, M tells Bond it is a routine investigation to cooperate with the local police and learn how this happen. M has a hunch it is no accident but it made to look like one. Bond uncovers the photo scandal and the "super weapon" from the Cold War. And request M to sent him aboard to find and stop this weapon from being used.....TH


- Bond is NOT on vacation in Canada, I don't know WHERE this came from, he will travel to Canada but his enforced leave will be somewhere else and somewhere a bit more exotic.
- Re: the girl Bond meets on vacation, who turns up again later: I quite like the idea we experimented with in one of the Ultimate Bonds in which the random girl that Bond meets was just that - a random girl - she has no other relevance to the plot until later when the villain assumes she's involved with Bonds investigation and she's pulled into the plot in that manner after encountering Bond again in Canada.
- I think the death of the agent needs to be identifiable as murder, or else the wheels of the plot would never really get started.


Bond meet the main Bond girl in a bar after saving her from thugs that try to kill her or something.

That's way too much of a cliche for my tastes.

I was thinking that the death is made to look like some kind of accident instead of a murder so Mi6/mi5 wont be involve.

Or it could be shown to be what it is: a murder. The villains know that the death of the operative will be handled by MI5 because MI6 have no jurisdiction and the process of sharing infromation between the too agencies will slow the investigation down.


- Agreed on the girl being saved from thugs, as I've postulated above, could the girl Bond meets on vacation be just that - a random tourist whom Bond later bumps into again in Canada and only then becomes intertwined with the investigation. Perhaps she could be an air stewardess on a stop-over at the exotic location that Bond is stopping at, flying with Air Canada perhaps, and then he bumps into her in her home base in Quebec or Toronto. Just an idea to throw out there.

- Fully agreed on the murder actually looking like a murder.

Wait, wait, wait; when did a super-weapon come into play, here? I'm sick of super-weapons in Bond books; could we try something a little less over-the-top? :S


Like CT says - the 'super-weapon' has been getting mentioned for a while, what exactly it is has yet to be decided, perhaps the phrase macguffin might be more appropriate. It is some sort of device developed during the Cold War but 'buried' by the government, the villain is hushing up knowledge of it - but may intend to use it for his/her/their own malicious purposes.

As for what the superweapon might be, I've been doing some thinking. I like the idea of HAARP, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program crossed ith Chemtrails. Basically, planes would seed the sky with a special chemical compound, forming chemtrails. HAARP would then be 'fired', using high-frequency radio waves to cause the chemicals to resonate at such a rate that they would actually cause a concussive blast along their length. Think of it as being like a Massive Ordnance Air Burst, with the power to devastate cities. The villains might want to use this in a conspiracy to re-unify Yugoslavia. Or, alternatively, a hybrid of the Caucasus Emirate and Kurdistan.

Or maybe the superweapon is something that actually exists, like the Aviation Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power, (allegedly) the most powerful convenstional (ie non-nuclear) weapon in the world. A superweapon doesn't have to be something made entirely out of fantasy and science fiction. Just look at the 'GoldenEye' satellites in GOLDENEYE - they were entirely plausible superweapons based on real science. Given that the ATBIP is big enough to replace small-yield nuclear devices without any fallout, I'd say it's appropriate.


I've heard of the MOAB and FOAB devices - and would be more comfortable going down that route than the Chemtrail one, if I'm being honest.

But, we don't really need to decide what the macguffin is yet, it will only be hinted at in the sections we've been pinning down lately and even then only in the snippet of the tapped phonecall that the MI6 operative is killed for having overheard.

So, in short:

- Bond in Australia, terrorist trying to smuggle himself into the country is stopped by Bond, but Bond is injured and placed on enforced leave.
- Bond takes this enforced leave somewhere exotic (TBC), meets one of the main girls - who is otherwise uninvolved in the plot at that point.
- After the murder of the MI6 operative in Manchester, Bond is recalled to liaise with the (gay?) MI5 operative in charge of the investigation, they follow a trail that leads from Manchester to Southampton/Liverpool and onto a cruiseliner to America.
- The trail leads from America to Canada (where Bond may re-encounter the girl from the exotic location earlier)

#139 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 03:22 PM

I wouldn't make the MI5 investigator gay. I wouldn't make him homophobic, either. In fact, I'd simply shy away from homosexuality altogether, largely because the topic will already be addressed with the dead MI6 oficer. Instead, I'd give the MI5 investigator an inappropriate reaction to the agent's death. Maybe he's unprofessional or unable to distance himself from it. Maybe he shot someone in the line of duty and didn't go through the traditional stages of grief. Just anything but homosexuality or homophobia.

#140 Mr. Blofeld

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 06:40 PM

Hmmmm... but why is the agent killed? What does he know about the plot? Does he know enough, or is he involved high-up enough, to possibly bring it down? I'd like some backstory into this mysterious gay MI6 agent.

I'd also like the plot to be something important to Britain, et. al.; something that couldn't just be solved by any other intelligence agent working for any other intelligence agency in the world, but only by James Bond of Her Majesty's Secret Service.

#141 007jamesbond

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 07:16 PM

I agree about the plot that only James Bond of the Secret Service can do it and no another agent from another country..it would take some more time to make James Bond against something that is too bad for someone esle to handle and has British Interest....

#142 terminus

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Posted 03 August 2011 - 11:33 PM

I wouldn't make the MI5 investigator gay. I wouldn't make him homophobic, either. In fact, I'd simply shy away from homosexuality altogether, largely because the topic will already be addressed with the dead MI6 oficer. Instead, I'd give the MI5 investigator an inappropriate reaction to the agent's death. Maybe he's unprofessional or unable to distance himself from it. Maybe he shot someone in the line of duty and didn't go through the traditional stages of grief. Just anything but homosexuality or homophobia.


I'm not sure the argument holds weight, to be honest - surely the MI5 operative would provide a living foil and counterpoint to Bond, in much the same way that Felix did in a heterosexual capacity (imagine "I'd simply shy away from heterosexuality altogether, largely because the topic will already be addressed with Bond ..."). We considered making Felix gay - but ultimately shied away from the prospect and then the consensus seemed to be creating an original character with much the same function as Felix, whom we could make gay. Thus here we are.

Hmmmm... but why is the agent killed? What does he know about the plot? Does he know enough, or is he involved high-up enough, to possibly bring it down? I'd like some backstory into this mysterious gay MI6 agent.

I'd also like the plot to be something important to Britain, et. al.; something that couldn't just be solved by any other intelligence agent working for any other intelligence agency in the world, but only by James Bond of Her Majesty's Secret Service.


I would imagine that the agent has picked up on the innocuous mention of a specific keyphrase (the name of the project involved in the development of the superweapon) and could threaten to a) expose it, B) prevent the villain from using it for his own, nefarious, purposes.

He's not too high up, but he's not a new recruit.

I'd imagine that the plot would be something important to Britain - if it was exposed that Britain cooperated in the development of the superweapon, and subsequently 'faked' the loss of it to her allies (America, France etc) then it could irretrievably damage the political position of the country (perhaps the current Prime Minister was the Defence Minister at the time, and it could topple his government if its exposed).

Thus Bond is an operative of one of only two organisations who could presumably prevent the reveal of the weapon to the press, and track it down in order to prevent it being used.

I agree about the plot that only James Bond of the Secret Service can do it and no another agent from another country..it would take some more time to make James Bond against something that is too bad for someone esle to handle and has British Interest....


See my theories above.

#143 007jamesbond

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 12:04 AM

what is the next step? continue with the development

Edited by 007jamesbond, 04 August 2011 - 06:48 AM.


#144 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 01:14 AM

Hmmmm... but why is the agent killed? What does he know about the plot? Does he know enough, or is he involved high-up enough, to possibly bring it down? I'd like some backstory into this mysterious gay MI6 agent.

Maybe he doesn't know anything about the plot. Maybe he was just killed in a gay nightclub as a distraction. After all, it would be embarrassing for MI6 to have an agent killed in a gay nightclub. The press would automatically start implying BDSM activities were involved.

I'm not sure the argument holds weight, to be honest - surely the MI5 operative would provide a living foil and counterpoint to Bond, in much the same way that Felix did in a heterosexual capacity (imagine "I'd simply shy away from heterosexuality altogether, largely because the topic will already be addressed with Bond ..."). We considered making Felix gay - but ultimately shied away from the prospect and then the consensus seemed to be creating an original character with much the same function as Felix, whom we could make gay. Thus here we are.

But I think the issues of homosexuality and homophobia will be addressed enough simply by the fact that a character was killed in a gay nightclub in Manchester. The agent investigating the death doesn't have to be gay at all, and I don't understand the need for him (or her) to be. Or anyone else, for that matter. What it's essentially saying is that "only gay detectives investigate deaths in gay nightclubs", so you might as well go ahead and say "only Asian detectives investigate deaths in Asian neighbourhoods".

I'd much rather see the investigating agent approached from a different angle. Maybe he was attached to the Manchester police gang division and started investigating shipments of heroin that were making their way onto the streets. When he found that heroin could be traced back to Afghanistan and the Taliban, he worked with MI5 and subsequently became a liasion officer between MI5 and the Manchester police department. But because he's only ever worked in the gang unit, he tends to treat all the cases he handles the way he would treat gang-related violence. Bond works with him because the dead agent was in MI6, and so MI6 want someone in the investigation to keep them up-to-date (which MI5 is perfectly happy with, because bickering over jurisdiction is tiresome).

#145 Mr. Blofeld

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 02:17 AM

I would imagine that the agent has picked up on the innocuous mention of a specific keyphrase (the name of the project involved in the development of the superweapon) and could threaten to a) expose it, B) prevent the villain from using it for his own, nefarious, purposes.

But why kill him so openly? Killing him and leaving a body would eventually lead the intelligence services to the villain's door... perhaps they make him "disappear", ala Strangways and his secretary in Dr. No? Due to homophobic prejudice, the higher-ups would just assume he'd skipped town, and close the file. Piece of cake for our villain.

If our MI6 agent has a lover, perhaps it's he, concerned over his partner's disappearance, who attempts to get the Service's attention... and it's only Bond who finally takes him seriously.

#146 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 03:50 AM

But why kill him so openly?

To distract MI6. They'd have to deal with the controversy and public scrutiny after the agent was found dead. This would free up the villains to do what they needed to do while MI6's back was turned.

#147 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 12:00 PM

- Bond in Australia, terrorist trying to smuggle himself into the country is stopped by Bond, but Bond is injured and placed on enforced leave.

Perhaps as an alternative, something along the lines of the Madeline Pulver incident, which happened late yesterday - someone broke into the house of a wealthy (but not necessarily influential) family in the affluent northern Sydney and strapped a device around the neck of an eighteen-year-old girl. They claimed it was explosive, and left a two-page note with some highly-specific instructions about what would set it off. No ransom demands were made, and it was later discovered that the collar was not explosive. There's no known motive for the attack, and the current theory is that the perpetrator was doing it for attention.

A bomber with histrionic personality disorder (a pervasive need for attention) rather than anti-social or sadistic could be an interesting adversary.

#148 terminus

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Posted 04 August 2011 - 10:59 PM

what is the next step? continue with the development


Pretty much!


Hmmmm... but why is the agent killed? What does he know about the plot? Does he know enough, or is he involved high-up enough, to possibly bring it down? I'd like some backstory into this mysterious gay MI6 agent.

Maybe he doesn't know anything about the plot. Maybe he was just killed in a gay nightclub as a distraction. After all, it would be embarrassing for MI6 to have an agent killed in a gay nightclub. The press would automatically start implying BDSM activities were involved.


I'm actually starting to build up very clear ideas about how and why some of this stuff occurs in the story.

But I think the issues of homosexuality and homophobia will be addressed enough simply by the fact that a character was killed in a gay nightclub in Manchester. The agent investigating the death doesn't have to be gay at all, and I don't understand the need for him (or her) to be. Or anyone else, for that matter. What it's essentially saying is that "only gay detectives investigate deaths in gay nightclubs", so you might as well go ahead and say "only Asian detectives investigate deaths in Asian neighbourhoods".


And what you're essentially saing is "Gay detectives can't investigate murders in gay nightclubs" - which sort of counteracts the point of the character. He'd be presented as every bit the equal of Bond - with two exceptions, he works for MI5 and not MI6, and he sleeps with men instead of women.

I think this is one thing that we need to do if we're going to do an exploration of the gay scene.

I would imagine that the agent has picked up on the innocuous mention of a specific keyphrase (the name of the project involved in the development of the superweapon) and could threaten to a) expose it, B) prevent the villain from using it for his own, nefarious, purposes.


But why kill him so openly? Killing him and leaving a body would eventually lead the intelligence services to the villain's door... perhaps they make him "disappear", ala Strangways and his secretary in Dr. No? Due to homophobic prejudice, the higher-ups would just assume he'd skipped town, and close the file. Piece of cake for our villain.

If our MI6 agent has a lover, perhaps it's he, concerned over his partner's disappearance, who attempts to get the Service's attention... and it's only Bond who finally takes him seriously.


Uhm - nope.


But why kill him so openly?

To distract MI6. They'd have to deal with the controversy and public scrutiny after the agent was found dead. This would free up the villains to do what they needed to do while MI6's back was turned.


Or, as I'm beginning to realise - the villain has left the breadcrumb trail, from leaking the mention of the weapon in the tapped phonecall, leaking the tapping to MI5/MI6 and then murdering the operative who handled the phone tapping report, purely to spur MI6 on to investigating where this weapon has vanished to.

He/she's using MI6 to do their bidding. Letting MI6/Bond lead them to this superweapon - whatever it might be (and if the weapons existence, and hiding is leaked to the press and brings down the current government, so much the better).


- Bond in Australia, terrorist trying to smuggle himself into the country is stopped by Bond, but Bond is injured and placed on enforced leave.

Perhaps as an alternative, something along the lines of the Madeline Pulver incident, which happened late yesterday - someone broke into the house of a wealthy (but not necessarily influential) family in the affluent northern Sydney and strapped a device around the neck of an eighteen-year-old girl. They claimed it was explosive, and left a two-page note with some highly-specific instructions about what would set it off. No ransom demands were made, and it was later discovered that the collar was not explosive. There's no known motive for the attack, and the current theory is that the perpetrator was doing it for attention.

A bomber with histrionic personality disorder (a pervasive need for attention) rather than anti-social or sadistic could be an interesting adversary.


I think we need to pin the 'PTS' down to the people smuggling - perhaps we could using the histrionic personality disorder in our villain, or in our henchman, somehow. More preferably in the henchman himself, I think.

#149 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 05 August 2011 - 12:25 AM

I think we need to pin the 'PTS' down to the people smuggling - perhaps we could using the histrionic personality disorder in our villain, or in our henchman, somehow. More preferably in the henchman himself, I think.

I was thinking we could have a histrionic bomber running around. He doesn't want anything other than attention; he wants people like Bond to recognise that he is smarter, cleverer and better than anyone else. Bond would announce that his bombs weren't very clever at all, sending the bomber into a rage and leading him to make a very complex bomb that becomes very unstable because of the sheer weight of booby traps in place. The bomb explodes before it can be placed, killing the bomber, but also killing a lot of civilians.

I suppose we could save this for the end. If the villain gets his hands on the father of all bombs, then the technician he has working on it could have histrionic personality disorder and the same thing happens.

#150 terminus

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Posted 05 August 2011 - 12:47 AM

We'll keep it in mind, we don't want to over-complicate matters, given how the plot is currently Bond unravelling the mystery to find this hidden superweapon.

Perhaps it could be a facet of the villain, ultimately all he is after is the world to acknowledge how superior he is to everyone else, and Bond reveals that he might have manipulated events in order to get Bond to track down the super-weapon, but that actually he can't be that clever at all because he couldn't find the super-weapon on his own and had to get someone else to find it for him.

Please note, I really do like the idea of using it somehow, it will be just a matter of figuring out how to incorporate it.