Thursday, April 21, 2016
Tough Choices
A fiction by
Marcelo Gilli
Former intelligence agent Gen. Brillante has a very high IQ and is a political reactionary. He kidnaps the son of famous politician (say the politician's name is Busnardo, and his son is Busnardinho). Busnardo is running for president in the next elections, and is known as a staunch supporter of human rights. He got his fame from a fierce campaign against human rights violations in State intelligence agencies, which resulted in criminal charges against several persons, among whom was Gen. Brillante. Gen. Brillante was known to submit his victims to all kinds of horrible torture and, as he is very clever, to be able to keep his torture subjects alive for a long time.
In a letter he sends to the TV and newspapers, Gen. Brillante vows to torture Busnardinho to death in a private torture chamber in his basement; he makes no demands because he thinks his life is near the end; he says he is crazy and he enjoys it. His residence's location is known to but a few of his acquaintances.
Now suppose that one of those acquaintances, a less intelligent former intelligence agent called Col. Ostra, lives next door to Busnardo, the politician.
Busnardo, exasperated for his son's fate, confronts his next-door neighbor, Col. Ostra, demanding that he reveals the location of Gen. Brillante's residence. Col. Ostra refuses to disclose it, because he is secretly in love with Gen. Brillante and wouldn't want to betray him. Busnardo gets a search warrant and orders a thorough search on Col. Ostra's house. They find no clue to his son's whereabouts, but instead they find a secret torture chamber in his basement (this seems to be a must among former intelligence officers).
Col. Ostra is arrested but, as they all live in a democracy, is released subsequently, and must await trial confined in his residence (they put an electronic anklet on him).
That same night, Busnardo sneaks into Col. Ostra's house and manages to tie him up. He threatens to subject Col. Ostra to torture in his own basement devices if he doesn't reveal Gen. Brillante's address. Col. Ostra replies that, should he carry out his threat, Busnardo's political career would be over, as it would be very difficult for a man who resorted to torture to sustain his human-rights-defender image.
Busnardo is suddenly faced with a tough choice.
What should he do?
Should he be faithful to his ideals even at the risk of endangering his son's physical and mental integrity and even life?
Should he ditch his ideals and also his career, in the hopes of saving his son?
Every minute counts, and Busnardo must make a quick decision.
He says the hell with politics, I want to save my son. He takes Col. Ostra to the basement, straps him to a torture device, and starts the session.
At first, Col. Ostra is tough, and will say nothing. His love for Gen. Brillante speaks louder, and he is confident that a human-rights sissy like Busnardo won't be able to carry on with it for much longer.
But Busnardo's fatherly love manages to toughen him, and he proceeds with inflicting ever-increasing amounts of pain on Col. Ostra. He reads some information on the Web about torture techniques, so as not to kill Col. Ostra before he reveals the desired information.
Col. Ostra, although not very bright, soon realizes he won't be spared unless he caves in. And so he does.
I will skip a few details. Busnardo, in the possession of Gen. Brillante's address, manages to get to Gen. Brillante's lair and free his son.
Col. Ostra denounces Busnardo, who will face criminal charges; he is expelled from his political party.
Busnardo picks himself up and starts a new political party, ideologically antithetical to his previous one. He gets elected by a landslide. His son gets elected for a minor legislative position.
Marcelo Gilli
Former intelligence agent Gen. Brillante has a very high IQ and is a political reactionary. He kidnaps the son of famous politician (say the politician's name is Busnardo, and his son is Busnardinho). Busnardo is running for president in the next elections, and is known as a staunch supporter of human rights. He got his fame from a fierce campaign against human rights violations in State intelligence agencies, which resulted in criminal charges against several persons, among whom was Gen. Brillante. Gen. Brillante was known to submit his victims to all kinds of horrible torture and, as he is very clever, to be able to keep his torture subjects alive for a long time.
In a letter he sends to the TV and newspapers, Gen. Brillante vows to torture Busnardinho to death in a private torture chamber in his basement; he makes no demands because he thinks his life is near the end; he says he is crazy and he enjoys it. His residence's location is known to but a few of his acquaintances.
Now suppose that one of those acquaintances, a less intelligent former intelligence agent called Col. Ostra, lives next door to Busnardo, the politician.
Busnardo, exasperated for his son's fate, confronts his next-door neighbor, Col. Ostra, demanding that he reveals the location of Gen. Brillante's residence. Col. Ostra refuses to disclose it, because he is secretly in love with Gen. Brillante and wouldn't want to betray him. Busnardo gets a search warrant and orders a thorough search on Col. Ostra's house. They find no clue to his son's whereabouts, but instead they find a secret torture chamber in his basement (this seems to be a must among former intelligence officers).
Col. Ostra is arrested but, as they all live in a democracy, is released subsequently, and must await trial confined in his residence (they put an electronic anklet on him).
That same night, Busnardo sneaks into Col. Ostra's house and manages to tie him up. He threatens to subject Col. Ostra to torture in his own basement devices if he doesn't reveal Gen. Brillante's address. Col. Ostra replies that, should he carry out his threat, Busnardo's political career would be over, as it would be very difficult for a man who resorted to torture to sustain his human-rights-defender image.
Busnardo is suddenly faced with a tough choice.
What should he do?
Should he be faithful to his ideals even at the risk of endangering his son's physical and mental integrity and even life?
Should he ditch his ideals and also his career, in the hopes of saving his son?
Every minute counts, and Busnardo must make a quick decision.
He says the hell with politics, I want to save my son. He takes Col. Ostra to the basement, straps him to a torture device, and starts the session.
At first, Col. Ostra is tough, and will say nothing. His love for Gen. Brillante speaks louder, and he is confident that a human-rights sissy like Busnardo won't be able to carry on with it for much longer.
But Busnardo's fatherly love manages to toughen him, and he proceeds with inflicting ever-increasing amounts of pain on Col. Ostra. He reads some information on the Web about torture techniques, so as not to kill Col. Ostra before he reveals the desired information.
Col. Ostra, although not very bright, soon realizes he won't be spared unless he caves in. And so he does.
I will skip a few details. Busnardo, in the possession of Gen. Brillante's address, manages to get to Gen. Brillante's lair and free his son.
Col. Ostra denounces Busnardo, who will face criminal charges; he is expelled from his political party.
Busnardo picks himself up and starts a new political party, ideologically antithetical to his previous one. He gets elected by a landslide. His son gets elected for a minor legislative position.
