Solomon's Private File #29
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 14 in this story, in the Spring of 2040.
Solomon's Private File #29 "Undercover"
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In the education meeting, Ivanna said, "You haven't told us what's in
the crystals." I said, "But you already know I know that." Pete had to
laugh. I said, "Before the start of the next term, you can have the
whole set. Be aware, if you aren't ready for them, they won't work for
you." Pete said, "So you did that, too. It's amazing. I didn't know,
none of us did, that a large part of your father's astounding abilities
were made possible by PK. I never expected a non S Kid to be able to
read and write computer files directly." I said, seriously, "That's
what you get for expecting." To his stare, I said, "Thinking in limits,
imposes limits where there might not need to be."
He said, "We all can't help comparing you to your father. With your
genetics, we expected a virtual duplicate. I know, the expecting thing.
Another proof you're right. You are very different from him, but even
at such an early age, at least his equal, and maybe even better, in all
we value in our people." I said, "But still VERY able to be
embarrassed!" They grinned and chuckled. I said, "I can't be him. I've
led a different life, which has helped to make me who I am. And I have
VERY different memories of past lives to draw on. Some were wise, and
some were er, demented. All that adds to who I am. I know something of
how to be from that, and an awful lot of how NOT to be. No, I wasn't
Hamlet. Definitely not kosher!" They laughed.
There was the same man back at looking at the school. But this time
he was looking around a lot, like he was expecting somebody. I wasn't
in the office then, but the Director was too curious not to have a
meeting with me about it. I said, "He's looking for me to show up
there. Wants to talk with me. I suspect he wants to take me to his
superiors, who might want to use me. I don't feel like it, but this
opportunity is too good to waste." He said, "I was hoping you would
feel that way. Just in case, we created an identity for you, and a back
story. Ethnically, your disguise you used for him, looks a little
Middle Eastern, but not much. So, we made you Lebanese." I said
"Works." He said, "Here's your documents. Your parents immigrated here,
and you were born here, making you a natural citizen, but you've lived
in the ancestral country, too." I said, "I see there is nothing about
who I secretly work for." He said, "We think Hezbollah would be a good
choice." I grinned, and said, "A Rabbi working for the Hezbollah! What
is this world coming to?" He grinned back. I said, "I'll flesh out the
background as needed. I'm going to be more than they expect, but a lot
of what they want, who's going to take a lot of convincing to work with
them, but never for them." He said, "This is going to be really
interesting." I said, "For others, maybe. Not for me, and really not
fun. I'm not going to project anything. Others will be monitoring me,
and can do that for you if you want, or they can just give you
recordings. A lot of it will be boring."
And it WAS boring. I had been an adult to him before. This time I made
the shield disguise real only for my body, and made and dressed in
regular clothes over that, in case they wanted to search me physically.
I walked past him, and then back to him, and said, "Obvious you're
looking for me." He was surprised and impressed. He said, "My superiors
want to meet with you." I said, "Expected. Where?" He said, "We can go
there now." I said, "We can't. Tell me where, and I'll go there on my
own." He said, "Why won't you come with me?" I said, "Bad security. I
don't want to be seen leaving and traveling with you." He said, "I
understand." He told me a place and time. I said, "An hour later. I
me, not me for them, who I don't even know. If they want the favor of
my meeting with them, they would do well not to cause me to decide not
to." He was astounded. Then he said, "Who are you?" I said, "You don't
play with the Hezbollah, and live to say you have." He was even more
astounded. When he could, he said, "How may we reach you?" I said,
"That service station. In the rest room, on the top edge of the right
partition, a small piece of paper taped to it so it can't be seen
casually, with the time and place. I'll check it at random times. If I
like it, I'll be there." He said, "I will tell them. Thank you." I
said, "If there are problems, people will die. I won't be among them."
He gulped, and said, "I'll tell them that, too." I said, "Good. If
Allah wills, we will meet in peace." I walked away. Then I ported to
the Director's office.
He said, "Wow! That wasn't like you at all." I said, "Naturally. Or
rather, unnaturally. Big problem not lying, though." He said, "Oh, I
see how that would be. Think they will get rough with you?" I said,
"They'll try. Likely start with a pat down. Guy gets too personal, I'll
flatten him." He said, "But they'll have guns." I said, "They won't use
them. They know I'm not acting alone, and that I already know something
about them. They won't risk angering my supposed people by killing me."
He said, "Can they?" I said, "No. Real problem is keeping them from
discovering that." I went back to my usual things, but kept a watch on
the area. They sent in a different man to plant the meeting notice. Bad
move, exposing more of them to me. They should have known I, or my
posse, would be watching for who might be doing that. I went to the
address at the time specified. One underling was there. I said, "I'm
here for the requested meeting. Is it just with you?"
He said, "My superior didn't expect you to be here, because we did
not see anybody take the note." I said, "Anybody you recognized, you
mean. Do you think I do not have my own organization? Bring him here
now, or I go. I have no patience with fools." He moved away to use his
phone in assumed privacy. He came back and said, "He will be here
soon." 12 minutes later, a group of heavily armed men came in. The boss
was angry. He said to me, "Did you call me a fool?" I said, "I did not.
I only hinted of the possibility, but if you want to act like one, I
can then say it truthfully, if that is your desire." I had on a slight
smile, indicating that we were both sophisticated men of the world. He
nodded in acceptance. His men looked surprised and confused. I looked
at them, and then back at him, with a bigger smile, and he laughed.
He said, "Will you permit yourself to be searched?" I said, "I have
no instruments of any kind with me. I will permit the search, but if
your man gets too personal, I'll flatten him." There were some smiles
at that. I didn't look very strong. The man began the search. He knelt
down to start at my ankles. I raised my hand shaped for a palm strike,
and waited. He went up my leg too far, so I slapped his forehead hard,
and he dropped like a stone. The actual strike didn't cause that, my
sleep projection did. I said to the stunned boss, "Who's next?" He
suppressed a giggle. I said, "Did you think I could not take care of
myself? My people do not believe in incompetence." The man on the floor
snored. I said, "Surprising his wife hasn't already killed him." His
men laughed. One said, "He's not married." I said, "Now we know why."
More laughter.
The boss said, "We have guns, and you do not. Are you not afraid of
angering us?" I said, "I see you do not know us. I am not capable of
experiencing fear. My death will be as Allah wills. If you are the
cause of it, my people WILL find you, and will not kill you no matter
how much you beg them to relive you of your suffering." He felt fear,
and tried to conceal it. He said, "But the search?" I said, "I will do
this, if you agree. I will take off all my clothes, and you may examine
them with your hands, and my body with your eyes." He said, "I didn't
expect this. Your offer causes me to think it is not needed." I said,
"I insist. You will always have some doubt of me if we don't do this."
He said, "You are wise. Please proceed." I did, and they looked at my
well toned body with more approval than they had before. I was allowed
to dress, while he was examining my identifications.
The boss said, "But how are you to trust us, if we don't do the
same?" I said, "I will never trust you, so that isn't an issue." He was
very surprised, and said, "But you are here!" I said, "I noticed that.
We may be able to help each other with some of our mutual goals. Or
not. YOU asked for this meeting, not me. What do you want of me?" He
said, "Please let us sit and discuss this." We did. He said, "That
building where you talked to my man. Do you know what it is used for?"
I said, "I do not, and I don't care. If it is for what we both suspect,
it is extremely foolish to go anywhere near it." He said, "Why so?" I
said "Would you credit them with intelligence at least equal to yours?"
He nodded. I said, "Then consider what YOU would do in their place." He
became thoughtful, and then surprised, and then a little sick. I said,
"I see that you understand now. You still exist because they are so
powerful they don't care what you do, because they know you cannot harm
them in any way. That is neither good nor bad for us. They have self
imposed rules they must obey. Even if we avoid causing them to act as
they would, we can still do a lot of what we wish to do, that they
dislike." He said, "That is true. I hadn't thought of it that way. Your
people still exist. So do mine. They say they don't interfere with
societies. It must be true. But are they killing our scientists?" I
said, "That is against their policy. If we are to believe it, they are
incapable of killing."
He said, "Then the Israelis?" I said, "They might wish to, and might
have done it once or twice, but as a people, they highly respect
knowledge and intelligence." He said, "America then?" I said, "We've
seen how distorted your view of America is. They are not the fools you
would like to believe they are. If they kill individuals in secret, it
would be the leaders, not scientists. They do not expose their
operations for so little gain. They actually care what the peace loving
people of the word think of them." He said, "There is some wisdom in
that. Then who?" I said, "Your greatest enemy is one you haven't
created. One America supports, and trades with, who MOST doesn't want
you to have atomic weapons." He said, "I still don't understand." I
said "The country who most wanted America to invade Iraq, because they
felt threatened." He said, "The SAUDIS?" I said, "Isn't it obvious?" He
thought some. I said, "America desperately needs Saudi oil and
political support. The Saudis want America to do something, they do it,
if they can get the support of other countries. In fact, America
supports Saudi Arabia more than they support Israel, with military aid,
and such things, which doesn't at all please Israel." He had to laugh.
He said, "How do you know all this?" I said, "The question in reverse
is the better one. Why didn't YOU know it?" He said, "I see what you
mean. You must be well placed." I just grinned, and he laughed.
I said, "How well do I speak your language?" He said, "Like a native.
Oh, I see. You are this proficient in other languages?" I said, "I am.
And they believe, because I have given them no reason to think
differently, that I keep their secrets. They even tell me their
personal secrets. Well, when I know who they sleep with who are not
understanding, when I am most not feeling that. Er, even to their
wives, which can be very tiring." He grinned really wide. I said, "Yes,
this work can be SO demanding, I sometimes wonder how I ever survive
it." He laughed. He said, "Have you ever killed one of them?" I said,
"In thought, only. My mission is not in that area. I recommend you
avoid doing that, yourself. They are very efficient and brutal, if they
feel physically threatened in their own country. They have a lot of
drones available to take their revenge. I feel we who are here
secretly, should not make policy decisions for our people, but obey our
leaders and keep to our missions. And it will do us no good to kill
anybody. They will be replaced with even harder people. It's a BIG
country. They sure do have a lot of replacements." He said,
"Unfortunately, you are probably correct." I said, "When the lives of
millions of your people are in the balance, you care more for practical
goals and the means to achieve them, than political fantasies. What
good is a future we have no place in?"
He said, "You have given me much to think about. How can we meet
again?" I said, "I don't know if we should, or that anything useful
will come from it. My mission is to gather information. You know what
it is now. I don't know what your mission is, and I'm not sure if I
should. We risk exposure, the more each of us knows about the other,
and I don't know if our duties, and immediate and ultimate goals, are
compatible." He said, "I never expected to meet such a wise man in this
country." I said, "Don't think of me as being of this country. You
already know where my loyalty lies. As for being wise, I admit to being
of high intelligence and education, and VERY well trained in all the
arts of war. Well, and handsome." He had to smile. I said, "One thing.
I think that what you report of this meeting may not be believed. Oh, I
see you hadn't thought of that." He nodded. The man on the floor was
waking up. I said, "He's not damaged. He didn't deserve that, in just
following orders." He said, "You have honor." I said, "I try.
Difficult, with my mission." He nodded in sympathy.
I said, "If you want to meet again, you can send something to this
box." I gave him a post office address. I said, "It won't matter what
it is, as long as it has a time and date. If I see it before the date
has passed, if I can, I will be here as specified. Alone and unarmed.
But my people will know, as they do now." He said, "Are they near, so
as to rescue you?" I said, "No. Not rescue, because I forbid it, but
vengeance I can't forbid. It is unwise to forbid what is impossible to
enforce." I said with a slight smile, "However, I am not as vulnerable
as I might appear." He smiled knowingly, and said, "Arts of war. I'll
remember that." We shook hands. He offered to hug. I did that totally
without love. I left before they did, but I kept watches on all of
them. It wasn't over, though.
I called the duty officer at the FBI, and asked for an agent's file.
I read the information remotely. In the morning, I met with the
Director, and the agent's supervisor. I told them the situation. The
Director said, "Interesting. I see now why you didn't want them to
undress. He would have been exposed. He owes his life to you. But you,
you're playing a dangerous game." I said, "To me, no. To policy, maybe.
The meeting was recorded. One of the men. That will go to his
supervisors, who will have to believe it. I was playing to them, not so
much to the men in the room." He said, "Oh! They'll pass that up the
chain, until somebody with a brain has a meltdown." I said with a
smile, "Maybe. Whatever happens will probably be at least a little
interesting." He said, "Will he try to meet with you again?" I said,
"He will want to very much, but will probably be ordered to stay far
away from me. Want to tell me why?" He didn't. The supervisor said,
"Contamination." I said, "Right. Soldiers aren't supposed to think, or
they might not obey as they should. He admitted he was going to think.
A big no no. He might even be recalled, and his team reassigned. Or
killed. Should warn your man about that. AFTER that recording goes
forward. I'll have a protection watch on him, but they shouldn't find
out about that the hard way." He said "Right. Want us to keep your new
identity available?" I said, "If you can, without risking anything,
yes. Could be useful in the future. I don't like any of this. It
actually hurts. I'm so depressed, I might not even want sex. Oh, that's
impossible. I think I should be going now." They laughed, and I ported
home.
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Grant
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