Solomon's Private File #73
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 16 in this story, in the Spring of 2042.
Solomon's Private File #73 "Prep for Mooning"
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I said to Ichi, "Those psimasters. 37 planets of misery. I don't like
it at all. We could have prevented all of it if we had known. We have
enough people now. We should be exploring, just for the sake of
exploring." He said, "Looking for trouble?" I said, "Exactly! We did it
with the Nagindra, and that worked out well. We should do more of that.
We have not just more people, but those we have are more capable. They
need something worthwhile to do. Galaxy is big. Won't use it up in a
hurry." He smiled and said, "True." I said, "We need one S Kid to
monitor Earth problems, such as the tornado watch. And George is taking
over education admin. Daren is teaching Double and S Kids. He could use
an S Kid assistant. Other than that, all others are available, but
still on call for action teams. Chad and Percy might complain about
losing their favorite assistants, but those assistants should decide
that. And most of those positions can be rotated. Make them dizzy, but
happy."
He grinned. He said, "So you're taking a more active leadership
roll." I said, "Only as regards my personal students. I understand who
they are, better. I feel more of a responsibility for them because of
that. I don't like being a leader, but when I should, I do my best. S
Kids should not be underused. They are still developing, just as I am.
Who doesn't want to watch that?" He grinned and said, "I didn't need
convincing, but if I had, that sure would have done it!" We poked each
other. He said, "Cress wants an S Kid. From you." I said, "But only
after Galya and I have our own, first. If she can't wait, there is
always the original. Better that, actually. Legal issues with me. I'm
her genetic nephew." He said, "Beds wouldn't let a bad recessive in." I
said, "I agree, but birth certificates are a little public, and more
than a little to the law. And we shouldn't lie." He said "Right. I'll
tell her. Good that your mother is active again." I said, "Pete sure
looked humble but interested. I poked him. We wrestled a little. Then
we took care of what the subject had raised.
I had a meeting with the Chief in his office. We discussed how his
city's restoration was going. Then he said, "Your other earthquake
warnings are taken very seriously now. Not so for your hurricane and
typhoon predictions." I said, "After this year, that should be fixed."
He grinned. I said, "Your comments about me. Embarrassing. Your death,
really?" He said, "That mission you did out there. Danger of death?" I
said, "Save your wisdom for other people!" He laughed well. I said,
"Ambitions?" He said, "Thought about it. Next election cycle, I might
consider it, if asked. Still have a lot of work to do here." I said, "I
suspect your current job might be a little tame for you after that." He
looked at me oddly. I just sighed. He chuckled. I said, "When you can
make time, our Tibet education system will be available for you, full
scholarship, even as an extension student. Wouldn't hurt you much to
get some paper and letters added to your expertise and name." He said
with real gratitude, "Thank you!" I said, "Don't. Do you think it's for
you? We just like to make people work hard." He grinned. I said, "I
work hard, too. Some of that isn't nice. That makes doing work that
makes people feel really good, something I absolutely love! So I'm
selfish that way. I don't care. I'm going to keep doing it!" He said
with feeling, "I really do understand that." We hugged with love.
While I was with him, I called the Bureau personnel office. I told
her a name, and said, "We don't want him. He's full of barely
suppressed rage at something. Practically anything can set him off.
Would happen in our office for sure, if he made it that far. Not good
for anybody." She said, "Permanent ban?" I said, "He needs serious
counseling. Might be alright after that. But we have a lot more
applicants than can ever be hired, and he doesn't have anything
particularly special we really need. Your choice." She said, "Thanks.
We'll take care of it."
I said in an executive and education meeting, "A proposal.
Scholarships to Tibet for select qualified people in public service
while in office. Commute provided." Pete said, "Good idea on multiple
levels." Mom said, "Would create more loyalty to us where we need it
most." Ivanna said, "It would improve government significantly." I said
with a grin, "Ethics would be required study." More big grins. Srinoy
said, "World wide?" I said, "Yes. Can't play national favorites. Nobel
prize committee members not considered." Grins and chuckles. Hawk said,
"You have been nominated for what you did in the Middle East." I said,
"I didn't start it. The King did. He should get that for Peace.
Probably won't. Not Christian." He said, "And you've been nominated in
other areas." I said, "They can take their areas and shove it up where
their heads already are!" Laughter. I said, "Small heads. Lots of
room." More laughter. Mom said, "May I make your desire not to receive
an award, public?" I said, "Absolutely! I don't want ANY kind of award
like that from anybody. But if I did, theirs wouldn't even be
considered. I don't need them, and I don't want them. And I really
don't want to take them away from the fine outstanding people who
deserve them."
Mom announced the scholarship program. That received some nice
comments. Then she announced, "It has come to our intention that Sol
has been nominated for some awards. He asks that people don't do that.
He doesn't want any, and doesn't have a place to put them if he had
them. He doesn't value for himself, material things. He doesn't use
money. He doesn't agree with the biased and politicized selection
process, and he doesn't want to take from other people who are
nominated, what they need and value for their careers. I am making this
announcement instead of Sol, because he asked me to. My truth is more
polite than his is, in this matter." I said to Mom, "Well done! Chad's
going to LOVE what they say about that!" Hawk was already laughing. I
was right. Newscasters loved it. They knew what she was referring to,
and played with that, hinting broadly when they could, and bringing
back what happened to Dad. Then Kam was asked about that. She said, "As
Sol's sister, I agree with him. As the Dalai Lama, that's all I can say
in necessary politeness, other than to say that we forgive." That added
to the mix. Mostly because they didn't expect that. Then they linked
that with what happened with Dad, which involved what happened to
Tibet. He freed the country, but the President of China got the Peace
prize for that, and refused it. The Nobel people were REALLY annoyed,
but wisely didn't comment on it.
I visited Sharon at the Smithsonian. She said, "That Nobel issue is
funny in a way. You and your father deserved practically all the
awards, and didn't receive them, yet they still think they have some
credibility and value." I said, "The value is in showing people how
stupid some people who should know better, can be. Still, it would have
been nice to have those medals on display here." She said,
"Absolutely!"
I said, "I'm sorry the PBS museum series won't be on until the fall.
It's not quite ready, and they feel they can get more viewers then."
She said, "That's alright. We might have some new exhibits then, which
you can add to it. A proposal. We have some moon rocks. There is a
whole solar system out there." I said, "I really have noticed that.
Want the government to raid the place?" She said, "We could share. Does
Jupiter have an actual surface?" I said, "We won't go there. It does,
but not one we can do anything with. Horrible wind speed, and the
surface is more like a pressure boundary layer. Ices and such. No
rocks. Venus is really hot, and has really acid rain and high winds. Ol
Merc is really really hot. Sunny, too. Have to shield so much, you
might not be able to see anything useful. Some moons are available, but
wouldn't draw much interest. We have the best real estate around, close
by." She said, "Oh. Too bad." I said, "There are still some options.
Want a display of moon dust in a vacuum? Shows some unusual properties.
Flows like a fluid. Here's a small sample. Quartz container."
She played with it, and said, "Wow!" She said, "Could we sell a
smaller version of this?" I said, "Maybe. Break that, and the dust is
really bad for lungs." She said, "Oh. I should have thought of that." I
said, "Not really. It's my job. A larger container on a rocker, would
work for a display. Where do you want it? Space, or minerals?" She
grinned and said, "Both." I said, "Greedy pig." She laughed. I said, "I
could gather the stuff remotely, or with an expedition, recorded. Could
tie in with Nat Geo." She said, "I'll check with them." I said, "Any
who goes will need to wear tight fitting clothes. Doing work in a
bubble won't er, work. I'll provide the clothing. Going to show the
figure. Won't wait too long for diet and exercise to fix that." She
showed some interesting mixed reactions. Finally, she chuckled. I said,
"I was speaking in general terms. I hope you knew that." She said, "Oh.
Right. You didn't know who would be going." I just grinned. She said,
"Oh, go rescue some planet!" We hugged with love.
I asked to see Brian's father. I went to his office. I said, "PBS
will air the shows in the fall. We might have some new exhibits to er,
visit before then. Still available?" He said, "I'm sure of it!" I said,
"One might be a little unusual. A field trip. To collect some
geological samples. With National Geographic. Hour long show on their
network, too." He said, "Sounds great. Where to?" I said, casually,
"Moon." After a while, I said, "You know, that round thing in the night
sky?" He said, "I know what it is! Is it safe?" I said, "He couldn't
hurt himself if he tried. If he doesn't use PK. I could block that, but
he wouldn't feel right. Incidental use wouldn't cause any harm, but if
a kid get a heart attack?" I said, "Want a defibrillator?" He chuckled.
I said, "Can I tell Beth's parents he's going?" He said, "Ah! Leverage!
Yes." I said, "Doing this in a bubble like my father did, isn't going
to work for er, work. They'll be wearing form fitting clothes and
headgear. Forcefield will conform to that. Absolutely no physical
contact with space and the moon. Virtual helmet will be partially
visible. Personal gravity in two settings, Moon and Earth normal,
mentally controlled. Oh, and the pants, well, he might want to be
careful looking at Beth, or all the world will know what he's
thinking." He laughed.
It took a little longer with Beth's parents, but they agreed. That
she was there and desperately eager, might have helped. She was really
interested in the suit. I said, "For his space guests, my father used a
bubble, and they used tools through that. Too clumsy for real work. But
to configure an active forcefield to handle loose clothing, well, no.
And long hair? Absolutely not. So you'll wear scull caps and a form
fitting coverall, and except for a bubble around the head for
breathing, the force field will conform to that. Underclothing is
whatever you want. Within reason. Clothes will have identification
patches. Yes, you can keep them, but not the associated equipment. Oh,
and I'll loan you a camera that will work in the vacuum, that will even
protect itself if you point it at the sun. You won't be able to get it
close to your face because of the virtual helmet." She said, "Would I
be able to scratch my nose?" I said, "Well, can you do it now?" She
"Yes. The field covering your hand will merge with the field of the
helmet, and you can even poke yourself in the eye with your thumb if
you want. I recommend practice first, though. Wouldn't want to miss on
camera." They looked at me strangely, and laughed strangely, too. I
said, "You need to practice being an audience, too." They laughed
better. I nodded acceptance. I said, "The suit will allow not just your
own hand to touch your face, but also the hand of another with the same
kind of suit. Well, suppose you faint from excitement?" Beth said,
"Does that include mouth to mouth?" I said, "Yes, it includes kissing."
She was really embarrassed. I said, "Here is the suit, cap, and shoes."
She went with them. I said, "Brian hasn't seen the suit yet. Anything
to discuss?"
They looked at each other. The mother said, "They've been seeing each
other." I said, "Pictures are useful." He said, "Not exactly that way.
Webcam and some actual dating." I said, "Unexpected?" He said, "Not
really. If there was a better way to meet and get to know someone than
the museum tour, I don't know what it is!" I said, "Sure fixed for
chaperones." They nodded. I said, "Both teased at school?" They
grinned. I said, "Right. If you get teased, why not make the cause
real? Distance helps. Next door is a little too convenient. Oh I know!
Been a parent lots of times. Been a girl, too. I see if you want to
know if I think it's good for her. I approve of both of them as people.
What more can I honestly say? Alright. If I had a daughter or son, I
wouldn't mind at all their choice of either one of them. Feel better?"
They did. I said, "Going to disappoint a lot of other kids, though."
They grinned.
Beth came out. Her mother said to me, "Ever thought about being a
clothing designer?" I said, "No, and I don't plan to think of that. I
don't even like clothes! But I have to say this. Beth, you're going to
have to beat them off with a club." She turned fiery red, and her
parents laughed. I said, "Brian will need to see you like this at least
a day before we go. I think you know why." She had to laugh. So did her
parents. I said, "Here's the control module. I'll attach it. I've
turned it on. You can't see it, but out of your line of vision, the
helmet shows faintly. Even though your hands are bare, they are
completely covered, but not even an atom thick." I made a flame shoot
up from my finger tip. I said, "Put your hand in the flame. Yes, it's
real. Hey, you're going to have to trust the suit. Vacuum is much more
lethal than a little burn." She did it, and said, "I don't feel
anything." I said, "Grab my finger." She said, "I can feel your finger
like I have nothing on, but not the fire." I said, after porting a
hammer to my hand, "I'm going to hit you. Trust me, you won't feel it."
She nodded. I swung hard at her arm, which didn't move, but the hammer
bounced off. Then I reached over with the hammer and pushed her arm
with it, and her arm moved.
I said, "The field recognizes inertial effects. It will block all
fast attacks, and also block being moved while blocking. A ten ton
meteor will bounce right off you, and you won't even feel it, but you
WILL feel a hug. But that won't penetrate the field. Feel safe now?"
She said, "VERY! If I'm sealed in, where's the air coming from?" I
said, "Cyclic porting from a selected place on Earth. Pine forest now.
Can be any other place. Don't ask for a swamp." She giggled. I sad,
"The controller takes care of your comfort and communication. It can
also be set to translate different languages. One more thing. The Moon
has 16.7% the gravity of Earth. If you don't like how that feels,
mentally command to set the controller to Earth gravity, and you'll
have it. You can't take off the controller, or turn it off, if that
would be dangerous for you. Not that I would let that happen. Those
hooks on the belt are for carrying things while keeping your hands less
occupied." She said, "You think of everything!" I said, "I sure hope
so! Saves lives. More than a bank saves money. Right. No bailout in
space." They looked at me oddly again. I said, "If I didn't say those
things, you might not believe it's me." Chuckles.
I said to Brian, "You're going to have to wear something like a space
suit. Doing any real work in a bubble just won't er, work. And I'm not
going to program a forcefield to manage clinging to loose clothes, and
definitely not loose hair. So you wear a cap. Since it's going to be
form fitting, I recommend you wear your wrestler's briefs." He nodded.
He tried it all on, and I made a mirror so he could look at himself. He
liked what he saw. I put on the controller, and demonstrated what I did
for Beth. He and his father had a lot of wows. I said, "A warning. Your
PK will work through the suit, but if anybody or camera catches it, you
are going to be in BIG trouble." He said, "I understand. Does Beth
already have a suit?" I said, "Yes, but there might not be enough room
in your suit for you to see it now." He grinned, and the evidence of
his interest was showing when he changed back to his regular clothes.
His father was grinning, too. Then I showed the image, and he went full
erect. I said, "I told them I had to show this to you at least a day
before the trip. They knew why." He poked me, while his father laughed.
I said, "You two will be the best looking of the group. Scientists
aren't known for physical attractiveness."
He said, "What about you?" I said, "I haven't decided. I don't need
anything like that. I can do directly with my mind, much more than the
controller of any reasonable size can do. And I don't even need to be
there in person. I can use an image. And, well, you've seen my build.
Would be better for you without that eye candy competition." He looked
at me in amazement and said, "You think of things nobody would bother
to think about." I said, "Because I care. Oh, and you can keep the
suit, but not the equipment." He said, "Will it grow with me?" I
grinned, and they chuckled. I said, "Yes, it will stretch." He said,
"Will it work under water?" I said, "With the controller, yes.
Practically any reasonable environment. Doesn't have its own
propulsion, though. But with your PK, that might not be much of an
issue." He said, "Could you add it?" I said, "I don't want my friends
banging into things at a thousand kph." He said, "What would happen if
one did, in the suit?" I said, "Don't DO that. Oh, alright, the suit
would just stop, and you wouldn't feel it. At least not then. Later at
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Grant
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