: Re: Realistic way to ensure letter is posted in 10+ years time I'm a bit stuck on what should be a straightforward plot issue but not sure what is actually realistic. The character is going away

@RJPawlick285

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I think that ensuring a letter is delivered is impossible. Around 99% chance of delivery is more likely.

There are two problems:

identification/authentication
delivery

The first problem reminds me of a study of personal identifiers. The study is from Sweeney (2009) and showed that using gender, ZIP code, and date of birth is enough to identify 87% of the American medical records. So, try limiting the personal identifiers. Knowing that the grandchild will be born in the next 30 years already helps.

If the grandchild's email address is known it becomes easy. Use a server to send an email. You can ensure delivery, but cannot ensure that it is read.

Hire a detective agency of some sort. Best way, I think, would be to let them track the mother. Provide them with the mother's social security number. You may also want to include an authentication method such as a DNA test. A grandfather-grandchild DNA match is different from a father-child DNA match. It is a like a modern variant of the glass slipper from Cinderella. Another approach would be using a necklace (or some family heirloom) that is passed on to the first born. Insert a micro-chip (such as a RFID) into the necklace and use that as an authentication method. The DNA and micro-chip method can both be used as a method of authentication without knowledge of the grandchild.

Once the target is identified you can choose a lot of methods for delivery. For instance, you can send flowers with a card in it. The message can be automatically appended to the card. Probably you want to wait till the kid is old enough, so you would have to delay sending the messages. Personally, I would use a distributed cluster-computer as opposed to a central server. Have the detectives do a yearly update in a strict digital form. They need to include the authentication of the grandchild. Then when the conditions are met, sent out your key and your message. For instance, sending the message by ordering flowers with a card and the key by sending a box of chocolates with a wishing card. If the bad guy is still keeping track of every gift the family receives, steganography can also help. Or conditional messages can help. Maybe let the necklace play an audio file when there is a certain trigger. Maybe the grandfather (or his digital representative) can send rare flowers with a certain smell that triggers the electronic nose in the necklace.

Payments can be done conditionally, for instance by using smart contracts. Or you could use a treasure hunt system, where participants have to perform actions (like lab rats) in order to reach the end goal. Downside/benefit of a treasure hunt is it is more public. It could be an interesting storyline.

The greatest problem I foresee, is why the grandchild would act upon receiving the messages. What is the motivation? Why check out the safety deposit boxes? Perhaps a new character can push the grandchild in the right direction.

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