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Subject: +*+*+*+ Solomon's Private File #45 "Unrestful Room" +*+*+*+
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2015 18:09:27 -0400
From: " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant>
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Solomon's Private File #45
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 15 in this story, in the Spring of 2041.
Solomon's Private File #45 "Unrestful Room"
START Page
I ported to the office of the Director of the FBI. I said, "Sorry to
interrupt, but somebody just entered the building with explosives. A
bomb. I won't let it go off, but I thought you should have a say in
what happens." The assistant was with him, who said, "Show us?" I
projected his entrance. He said, "A tourist." I said, "Show him the
shooting range, from the other end?" They chuckled. I gave them more
info. I said, "Suicide bomber. From Pakistan. Terrorist trained. Not
completely without fear. Sweating a lot. Hmm, an actual group plot. Not
a lone arranger." Groans. I gave them a rude noise, and they chuckled.
I said "Want me to play with him? Might turn him a little." They
grinned widely. I said, "You know, in the animal kingdom, showing the
teeth that way is a sign of aggression. I see. You're er, aggressing on
him." Nods. I said, "Alright. I'm going to be an old man for this. I
assume you want pictures." I turned into an old man with a cane, and
made a fake ID on me. The man was intending to go into a restroom to
assemble his device. I ported to inside it just before he entered. In
front of the urinal, I dropped a gun. He saw it and jumped. I said,
He nodded, and picked it up. Before he could give it to me, I said,
"Ah, er, I'm something of a chemist. Your perspiration seems to not
agree with your explosives." I said with a smile, "Do you dislike rest
rooms so much you want to blow them up?" He was really confused and
conflicted. I said, "What interesting expressions. I'd like to remember
them for further study." He pointed the gun at me and said, "Be quiet!
I can't think!" I said, "If you really want quiet, shooting a gun in
here is REALLY not the thing to do. In fact, it might even damage your
hearing. Not as much as a bomb would, probably. Hmm, we could go down
to the firing range and experiment." He said, "Experiment?" I said,
"Sure. That's what scientists do. Haven't you met any before?" He said,
"Are all scientists as courageous as you?" I said, "I don't know. I
haven't met all of them, and I think not so many of them have had a gun
pointed at them very often." I said that with a smile, which unnerved
him more.
I said, "Come, there is a place for us to sit, over there. Best that
you keep that out of sight while we talk, or our conversation would be
seriously disturbed." He said, "You won't try to take it away from me?"
I said, "Eh, I never really liked guns. Difficult to conceal, and the
weight wants to pull my pants down. They're noisy and wasteful." We
sat. He said, "Why wasteful?" I said, "Dead people are so
uninteresting. If you ever try to talk with one, you'll know what I
mean." He said, "You're serious?" I said, with a gesture, "Half and
half." He had to smile. He said, "You're not afraid?" I said, "At my
age, what is there for me to fear, but not making it to the rest room
in time?" He had to chuckle. I said, "But you. There is much you
haven't lived to see yet. Wondrous things. Wondrous feelings. A wife.
Children. Their love and trust in you. Truly to live for." He said,
"You don't believe in dying for a cause?" I said, "I believe in WORKING
for a cause. An honorable cause. Is a cause honorable that would make a
person deliberately kill innocent women and children? Not in my
opinion. Not even if those you oppose do that. Without honor, are we
really human, and creatures of God?"
He thought a bit, and said, "But if God tells you to?" I said, "I
think the God that I understand wouldn't do that. But, if it could be
possible, well, have you actually heard Him tell you that?" He said,
"Well, no. But others have." I said "Ah, I see. Have any of them
actually sacrificed themselves on that word?" He said "They have said
that of others." I said, "We both know what you mean by that." He
nodded. He said, "Have I been lied to?Manipulated?" I said, "I can't
know that, but do you think it could not be possible?" He said, "You
have made me think." I said, "And they didn't want you to." He said, "I
see that now. I have to make some difficult choices." I said, "Yes.
More than I think you might want to think about." He said, "That is
true. Do you know why I am here?" I said, "Your mission? I think so.
Such loud noises I hope to never hear." He smiled and said, "Well said.
I can choose to complete my mission and my life. Other choices don't
look to be even possible now." I said, "Then we should change how we
see them." We waited while a customer came in and did his business, and
left.
"Not the most fragrant of offices." He laughed. He said, "I
shouldn't, but I like you." I said, "Thank you, but it's most important
that you like yourself. Respect yourself. Love who you are. For me,
that comes from helping people." He said, "I think I can see that. What
if I were to decide not to do this thing?" I said, "That isn't your
real problem. It's what you do after that. Your people will be
seriously displeased with you. Severe lack of a sense of humor." He
said, "True. I find that I appreciate that in you." I said "A drink
after a drought can cause that." He smiled, and said, "Very true! What
if I turn myself over to the authorities?" I said, "There is no fixed
answer to that until it is created. You have broken some laws. And they
would have to protect you from your superiors. They might want
something in return for that. You know Americans. Forever bargaining!"
He grinned and said, "Oh I do!" I said, "And they might not let you
return to your country, or make you return unprotected." He said, "You
are being more honest with me than I ever thought could be possible." I
said very seriously, "You have been lied to so much, I couldn't do that
to you. I care." He said, "I don't deserve it." I said, "You do. All
do. As God commands." He bowed his head, and leaked a tear.
He said, "Are you Christian?" I said, "No, Jewish." He grinned and
said, "Then we are enemies." I said, "Same God. Same Ten Commandments.
Same Solomon, but your version of him is far more interesting." He
grinned, and said, "I have to agree." I said, "I wasn't born Jewish. I
converted. Great food, and we don't have to kneel to pray." He said, "I
can see the attraction for you. You have read the Koran?" I said, "Yes,
and in Arabic." He said in that language, "And you speak it?" I said,
"I do. Do you know any other languages?" He said in German, "Yes I do."
I said in French, "And in this?" He said in Spanish, "And in Spanish."
I said, "If you promise not to be angry with me, may I speak my opinion
on this?" He said, "Please do." I said, "I can barely imagine how
incredibly stupid you and your people are, to want throw away all you
have become, in such a minor and useless action! Criminally wasteful!"
may be something added to your choices. Employment as a language expert
and translator. It won't be an easy path to follow in the beginning.
Well, there is still the matter of your original mission. Earning their
trust could take some time and effort." He said, "That is to be
expected. Will I have to give information about my people?" I said,
"Before I answer that, would you?" He thought, and said, "I don't want
to in one way, and I do in another." I said, "When we are presented
with important choices, it's usually best that we make them ourselves,
than leave them for others to make for us." He said, "Your wisdom is
great. I will tell."
I said, "That was a test. You will not have to tell. We know who and
where they are." He said, "How?" I said, "My birth name is Solomon, and
this is not the first time I have had this name. And I have not lied to
you, but have deceived you with my appearance. This is how they know me
here." I put on my regular disguise. He whispered, "You were THAT
Solomon?" I said, "Yes, and VERY few know that. Please keep my secret."
He said, "You trust ME?" I said, "Yes. Well, you like my humor." He
cried. I hugged him with love.
I said, "There is something we should do. Do you really need to keep
your bomb on you?" He said, "No, but it is difficult to remove." I
said, "Do you know who I am in this life?" He said, "Oh! Son of
Stephen! Do you have his abilities?" I said, "My own copies of them,
mostly. Would you allow me to remove your er, mission equipment?" He
said, "Please." It was then on the bench beside us. He said, "I didn't
even feel it." I said, "You would have lost some hair in an unpleasant
way, by just ripping it off." He grinned, and said, "I appreciate that!
Will they believe you about me?" I said, "Some here know who I am, even
though my name here is Jack. My humor is too easily recognized." We
smiled at each other. I said, "My office provides psychological
services to the employees here. We avoid contact with criminals. Too
painful. We also examine those who want to work here, for mental
illness and honesty. I say you are approved, and they will accept that.
They know I er, know what I'm doing, and that I don't lie. They may ask
you to work here, or in another agency, but there is still a problem.
Your people are expecting a big noise. When they stop straining their
big ears for it, they will know you are not theirs anymore. Even if you
don't tell about them, they will assume you did. More so if they
discover you are alive and not in prison. Ah! I have found a temporary
solution. You might like this. If you agree, it will be reported that
somebody was killed in trying to set off a bomb here. You will be
carried out like you are dead, and transported to a safe house, until
other arrangements can be made."
He said, "You can make this happen?" I said, "I didn't. The Director
is having that done. I've been talking to him with an image of me. He
considers you to be a valuable employee now. You will have a new
identity if you agree." He said, "All this because you say so?" I said
with a grin, "Would YOU want to deny me?" He laughed. I said, "For you,
not just languages. You can tell them about how you came to be in this
position. Help us to understand who you were, and why. It's very
difficult for us to understand how that can happen, what feelings cause
it. Actually, we have the same difficulty understanding how people can
be persuaded to vote for the awful people we have running this
country." He laughed loudly. I said, "Yes, it's amusing, and I can't
keep from talking that way, but I was serious, too. I'm a psychologist.
I'm studying how people are manipulated, so we might someday know how
to prevent it. Or at least tell people how to avoid it." He said, "A
worthy goal. I will help as much as I can." I said, "Thank you. In this
odd bargaining, we both win. Maybe even the world, too." He reached for
me. We hugged, and I gave him my Ki enhanced love.
When he recovered, we stood. I said, "There is a team of Special
Agents outside the door, who have been briefed on the situation. I have
to tell you, they are as amazed about this strange event as the
Director is." He said, "And I." I said, "When you are settled in your
new life, come see me here sometime. Friends?" He said,"Yes! I don't
deserve it, but I have to accept such a precious gift." I said, "If you
feel you don't deserve it, well, that can be fixed. Make it so." He
bowed. I said, "One more thing. There is much exaggeration in holy
books. Yes, I really did have a flying carpet then, but not nearly as
big as was reported!" We grinned at each other. We went out, and he
went with the agents, who treated him with politeness that he still
found surprising. I went back into the rest room with an agent, and
briefed him in detail about the bomb. He said, "Definitely not a toy.
Unstable, too. Could have gone off at any moment. Good you were
watching. Thanks." I said, "Now I have to go to the Director and let
him embarrass me." He laughed. I walked out, and went to his office.
I said to him, "I hope you used up all your wows for the day, while I
said, "No special abilities except my disguise, and that I wouldn't
have allowed the bomb to explode. He could feel my honesty and care.
That's what turned him." He said, "Fully turned?" I said, "As of the
moment, yes. If he's treated poorly, there could be a problem. You know
I'll be watching." He said, "We do NOT want to treat him badly! A very
valuable employee indeed. Still hard to believe; a Jew turned a Muslim
extremist suicide bomber, with just words! And you even told him you
were Jewish!" I said, "It was really common humanity that did it." He
nodded. I said should get back to actual work, and did.
But first the reaction of the school kids to get through, in the
office. They looked at me with open undisguised awe. The secretaries
tried not to grin at that, correctly suspecting I had done something
unusual again. I gave a big deep sigh. There were some giggles. I went
into my office. Before an applicant was sent in, the kids came into my
office and hugged me, one by one. I can't really complain.
END Page
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant
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