Solomon's Private File #75
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 Summer of 2042.
Solomon's Private File #75 "What Eruption?"
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Things leaked out about the Moon trip. Some frustration that I didn't
answer questions. Sharon said in an interview, "The Moon trip is for
collecting samples for the Smithsonian, and for our museum documentary
TV shows. Any more on that, you'll have to ask Sol about." The
interviewer said, "But he's not commenting." She said, "He's enabling
and managing the mission. I'm going along because I'm partially
responsible for it, and for reporting to the trustees. I don't know why
he's not commenting, but it could be he has nothing he want's to say at
this time. One thing I DO know. It will all be documented and available
to the public in some forms. We ARE the National Museum. That will say
and show much more than any of us can express in a few words before the
fact." I told her that I loved what she said. She was really not
unhappy about that.
There was a big earthquake off Western New Zealand. I gave them
advance warning. They took it, and nobody was injured. Moderate local
damage, but I had to do some tsunami protection. Daren helped. He said,
'It's more complicated than I realized. Think I can handle the math?" I
said, "Can I check?" He poked me. I did, and said, "Needs a big
partition." He tried not to become too excited. When he was ready, I
pushed to him. He spent a few minutes digesting it. He said, "World
can't do this. They don't have our abilities we can use for sensing." I
said, "Right, and never believe it. Got yours established?" He said,
"Yes." I said, "We compare readings and predictions this year, to
validate." He said, "Turkey soon again. Greece and Middle East will
feel that one. Hard part is WHEN to tell them." I said, "Right. Too
early, and they'll not prepare until the last minute, or prepare too
early and lose necessary urgency. See something else related?" I could
feel him looking around. He said, "We HAVE to warn them! Vesuvius is
going to blow." I said, "Hmm." He said, "WHAT are you doing?" I said,
"Well, it's just heat." He said, "Wow!" I said, "Test works. I'm going
to tell their government it's going to be a real heat wave."
I asked to see the Italian PM, secretly. He agreed. I said, "You
might have heard that I can predict earthquakes." He said, "We will
have one soon?" I said, "Well, that's a complicated subject. There WILL
be one in Turkey soon. That's bad enough, but it will help wake up one
of your old enemies. Vesuvius." He said, "We have to warn the people!"
I said, "Wait! I can't stop earthquakes usefully. But volcanoes are a
different matter. I can calm some of its er, indigestion a little, by
transferring some of its internal heat to the atmosphere. I already ran
a little test. It worked. Problem is if I do it large scale, it's going
to get a little hot, locally. If you agree to the procedure, how do we
sell it to the people? How will they accept the inconvenience of that,
for something that's so easy to deny will happen?" He looked at me with
respect, and said, "A good thought. Do I suspect correctly that you
wish your evolvement to remain unknown?" I said, "Unexpected. Thank
you! Yes. It's not good for society that they learn to depend on me for
everything. In one way of thinking, I shouldn't do this. Foolishness in
choosing to live so close to an active volcano, is almost always justly
punished by nature."
He said, "I remember your father's religion conference very well. The
key statement is it is dangerous to help people. How much time do we
have?" I said, "17 days to the major earthquake. What I propose should
be completed before then. Might take four days. After the earthquake, I
will probably have to do more. Could take three days. And for a few
months after that, a small thing every week, not noticeable to the
people. During all that time, the mountain may make some interesting
noises, and emit some small amounts of gasses." He smiled and said,
"Interesting noises. Ha! Have you warned about the earthquake?" I said,
"Warning too early is almost as bad as warning two late." He said, "I
will not interfere with such wisdom, which we know would NOT be
appreciated by many. For my people, I will take the responsibility to
ask for your help. Informing others in my government would be like
informing the media directly. I will tell the weather people to
announce the expected heat increase for the area. They won't believe
me, and will dislike doing it, but I strangely find some slight
enjoyment in that." I grinned and said, "I wish I had met you earlier."
He grinned back, and said, "I, too." We hugged with love.
I visited with Cardinal Paolo in Rome, and told him about meeting the
PM, but not why. He said, "We've met. A good man. It's good that you
know each other. The Pope is ready to go now. He asks to see you." I
said, "Official, or secret?" He said, "If he doesn't die in your
presence, official after the fact." I said, "Well done!" He grinned and
said, "I have learned." I said, "Say when, and I'll do it." He said,
"Now is not a bad time. He hasn't been active for months. If you agree,
I'll inform his secretary." I said, "Sure. How's his humor?" He
grinned, and said, "He doesn't do well with laughter, so go easy with
it, even though he would want that the most." I said, "I see. A strain
for both of us." He chuckled. He went out, and came back a few minutes
later. He said, "He will see you now." We went to his private rooms.
There was a nurse and a doctor. I was asked to go alone into the room
he was in. On a bed. I went in. I said, "Mister Pope sir, you asked to
see me. Here I am, but not naked. So you can't see it all." He grinned
and said, "I see enough. Please sit." The chair was right at the bed.
He reached out. I held his hand. He said, "This is how you really
look." I said, "Yes it is. Would you like to know who else in biblical
history had the same color eyes?" He said, "I would, yes." I said, "My
namesake. And yes, I was him." He said, "The baby?" I said like I was
too innocent, "Wasn't mine!" He chuckled weakly. I said, "The story was
true. My son Menelik heard about my er, doings when he visited, and as
Daniel, he remembered them in dreams, and wrote them down."
He said, "I like that. Did you really invite other religions to build
Temples in your land?" I said, "It's complicated. I invited friends,
scholars, and royalty, to visit and share wisdom. Some brought their
own Priests. Many scholars WERE Priests. My major interest was in
studying the powers of the mind. Most of that knowledge and skill
resided in the Priesthood. And where they are, they will practice their
beliefs in their homes I gave them for their visits. Political enemies
chose to loudly discuss that differently." He said, "I understand. It
is difficult to rule where religion is concerned. Even here, the
smallest country in the world." I said, with a smile, "Less parenting
issues, though." He smiled in return. I said, "You have questions." He
said, "Your father. Is he really God?" I said, "We are not able to
understand the full answer to that. He is in charge of some aspects of
God for our area of the galaxy. That's about as close as I can come to
that in words. But personally, being his very loving son, he is all of
God to me, except I can feel others with him, and have felt directly,
The Buddha, in a communication. So it's complicated for me, too. Would
you want to live again as a new person, or spend all eternity doing
mostly nothing interesting or useful?" He said, "Will I have a choice?"
I said, "You might. Some do, in some way." He said, "Will you have a
choice?" I said, "No more than my father did, and that was almost none.
He was assigned tasks by God. So have I been in this life, but a little
more er, gently. So, what do you think?" He said, "What would you
recommend?" I said, "Think that's a good evasion?" He chuckled. He
said, "Curiosity. I would come back." I said, "Seriously?" He said,
"Yes."
I said, "I like that. May I make a request of where your soul gets
stuffed into?" He said, "What do you have in mind?" I said, "My mother
is having children again. Practically all of our Adepts are doing it
all over. They make the nicest parents, and we are the nicest kids.
Very motivating." He grinned and said, "If you mean my next incarnation
could be as one of your people, I do accept! Who wouldn't want all that
love, and useful work?" I said, "I don't know, but if there ever is
such a person, I hope we never meet." He said with force, "And the same
for me!" We shared love. He said, "When?" I said, "In about a week, you
will be called. Afraid?" He said, "No, and that is partially because of
your father and you." I said, "And because your life now is
irritatingly boring?" He chuckled weakly, and said, "That is so!" I
said, "If what we hope comes true, you're going to have a LOT of sex.
Really make up for this seriously deprived life." He chuckled, and
said, with a grin, "I will just have to live with that." A doctor and
nurse came in rolling a medical cart. He said to me, "It is time for
our patient to have his breathing therapy." I said, "I understand. I
can tell you he's been breathing all the time I've been here.
Practicing, maybe." The Pope chuckled. I said, "There! Evidence!" The
doctor tried not to smile. I said to him, "Humor is good therapy, too.
Please don't leave it outside the door. It might get lonely." He
smiled, and said, "Wisdom. I agree, with gratitude." We bowed to each
other. I held the Pope's hand and said, "I do not ask God to bless you,
because we know he already has. I think we will see each other again."
I kissed him on the cheek. I bowed and walked out.
Paolo asked me, "How did it go?" I said dramatically, "For shame!" He
grinned and said, "Right. I shouldn't have asked." I said, "I'll tell
you something. You weren't mentioned at all." He nodded. I told him
about the volcano. He said, "Interesting. I agree your involvement
should be secret. The Alaskan. You talked with him." I said, "Yes. It
didn't take much prompting for him to see the big picture. An
intelligent and wise man. Courageous, too. We are not wasting him. He
inspired us to establish the new Tibet government worker scholarship
program for him and others." He said, "That's very good. Would some of
us qualify?" I said, "If any apply, probably. Hope tight collars don't
make stiff necked people." He said, "I really know it's you, now." I
said, "How about another? I do that so much, it's like I wear my habit
on the inside." He grinned. We hugged with love.
I was in the office of the Director of the FBI. He said, "Parts of
government are not completely happy with you." I said, "Good. If they
were all happy with me, I would have to change that." It took a while,
but he finally said, "That was a tough one. True, though. Some don't
like it that they weren't asked to go along with you on the Moon
expedition." I said, "You can tell them I REALLY don't respect
stupidity. Why should I ask anybody? I didn't, this time. THEY asked.
So can anybody else, if not for useless rubber necking. Doesn't mean
I'll do it, but I really won't if I'm not asked. Must have really numb
butts, to not feel the lumpiness of sitting on their brains all that
time." He had to laugh. I said, "And there is no good purpose for
government to visit the moon. The REAL purpose was in the doing of it,
and what was learned along the way, and not with what the moon itself
had to offer. The only real use of the moon will come from people
living there, and I will not have that dependent on me." He nodded, and
said, "I'll pass that on." I said, "You know they won't accept that."
He said, "Yes, but even that little, is better than nothing." I said,
"Right. Can't spank them. Would crack skulls." He laughed well.
A man came into my office for evaluation. He had cerebral palsy. He
could walk unassisted, but a little unstable. His arms shook a little.
I said, "Let me guess. A marksman?" He laughed. He said, "I didn't
expect to do that." I grinned and said, "I like that even better." He
chuckled. I read his file. I said like in horror, "Oh no! One of
those!" He laughed some more. He said, "So you're a REAL psychologist."
I said, "And you're a profiler. Oh well, it takes all kinds." He
chuckled. I said, "The tests won't work on you. So, what are we going
to do, to evaluate you?" He grinned and said, "You already have." I
said, "I think you're not supposed to say that. Professional courtesy.
Oh, alright. A test. Me." He nodded and said, "You're a warm iceberg."
I said, "That's it?" I pretended to write in his file, and said, "Likes
water. Good smile, though." He was still grinning. I said, "I'm the
Department Head. I asked all the shrinks to be sent to me. Why?" He
said, "So you could play with them." I said, "Oh, that's scary!" He
laughed. I said, "Seriously, why here?"
He said, "Functionally, my disability won't interfere like it would
in direct counseling. Distracting to the patients. More interesting
than research." I said, "Just wanted to be clear on that. I don't
usually tell people, and I'm not telling you now what you already know.
Few slots come open. You qualify more than most. I don't know when,
though. Don't count on it being soon. Work on a backup plan. Want more
education, well, we have connections that might help." He said, "What
kind of connections?" I said, "Shh, remember were you are." He laughed.
He said, "Bare walls." I said, "Not my primary office. My group
rotates, too. Sorry, no openings here. We just do employee evaluations.
Better security, keeping it separate from cases." He said, "I didn't
think of that. Good idea. I might get back to you on the education
idea." I put "Highly recommended" in his file, and sealed it and gave
it back to him. I said, "Please take this with you back to personal. I
hope to see you again, with a different ID, someday." He offered to
shake hands, and we did.
I said, as he opened the door, "Wait a minute. A tell. You know that
man. How?" He turned back and said, "You're sharp! Yes, but not well.
We took some of the same courses." I said, "You really communicate a
lot with a little. I'm impressed." He grinned and said, "And I'm
impressed that you are understanding even more than I intend to
communicate." I said, "I'm not sure you should work in the building.
Neither of us would get much work done. Go, before I become
unprofessional. Er, more." He grinned impossibly wider, and left.
The new client came in. His feelings were dark and unsettled. I said
while looking in his file, "If you're not feeling your best, we could
reschedule this." I looked up, and he said, "No, that's fine. I was
just surprised to see someone I knew here. Ah, did he say anything
about me?" I said, "I saw that he recognized you. I asked him about
that. He said he didn't know you well, and that you and he had taken
some of the same courses. That was all." He relaxed. I said, "What
could he have said about you that you would have disliked?" He said,
"Er, what? How?" I said, "Well, it's kind of my job?" He looked around
at the walls. I said, "The less you know of us, the more we can know
about you. My question?" He said, "We didn't get along." I said, "Not
unusual with competitors. I see it was more than that. Hmm, let me
guess. You were required to work on a project together. You know,
you're not that difficult to read. Was that the problem? You couldn't
hide your feelings?" He looked surprised, and said, "I think you could
be right. That could have been a factor." I said, "Our tests won't work
on you. Got anything you can help with this evaluation?"
We talked. It wasn't good. I wrote in his file, "Not approved. Lack
of skill, lack of perception, and lack of self knowledge. Extra helping
of arrogance and aggression. Not at all a team player. Will depress any
office." I said, "Please take this with you back to personal." He said,
"Will you tell me if I'm approved?" I said with a smile, "We try to
avoid both violent ends of the spectrum of reactions, by not doing
that." He said, "Thank you." He left. I called personnel, I said the
names of both applicants, and said, "Please see that those two don't
meet. The one who should be arriving might suspect the other of saying
bad things about him. He didn't. That might not be believed, which
could result in violence." She said, "Are there bad things about him?"
I said, "Want to work here?" She laughed, and said, "I know you. Not
approved, is he." I said, "First one, I really hope he's hired. Second,
well, I can't say he should be run over by a bus. Well, no bus driver
should have to live with that." She laughed hard. She said, "We'll do
our best. You'll watch?" I said, "Yes. Thanks." The bad one looked for
the good one. They did cross paths. I made them not see each other. I'm
keeping a danger watch on the one I approved.
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Grant
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