Solomon's Private File #87
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 17 in this story, in the Spring of 2043.
Solomon's Private File #87 "Mine and Theirs"
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I had another meeting with State. The President of Mexico was with
me. I gave them the crystal of the meeting in China. They all had some
wows. They also had some strange looks to give me. I said, "People
forget, with my past lives, I am much more than I look. What you tell
the White House about this is up to you, but if he interferes with what
I'm doing, he will really regret it. That means he doesn't talk about
it until after I do. If you tell him in advance. If you don't, I won't
tell him about telling you first. In fact, I don't feel like telling
him anything in particular. Want responsible government, glue his lips
together, to start." Chuckles.
I said to the pres of CNN, "I will be making an important
announcement. Might take fifteen minutes presenting the evidence.
Doesn't involve the US, but another big country's government is going
to have some awful consequences. You don't give me time, with no
commercials interrupting, I'll announce a press conference, and you
lose the exclusive." He said, "Angry?" I said, "Very! Tell you why
after, but private. You can announce the announcement if you want, but
they might not take that seriously, after I played with that for the
Middle East thing." He said, "We'll manage it. 7:30 tonight alright?" I
said, "Fine. I don't know if I'll take questions, or if I'll be in a
good state for that." He nodded. I said, "I'll be feeding video from my
time research. Yes, I can do that now. Needed it for an offplanet
mission recently, and so pushed for it and survived." He nodded.
I ported to the studio before the time specified, and arranged for my
video feed. I said to the director, "I'm not in the mood to play
around, so don't interfere." He said, "That bad?" I said, "To me,
absolutely. Serious consequences coming." He gulped. I said, "Not in
the US." He looked relieved. I walked into the studio when it was live,
after the usual anchor for that time slot announced me. I said to the
camera, "Some time ago I was asked to help with a problem. There is a
serious shortage of the rare earth elements that are necessary for the
production of things like telephones, tablets, and most electronic
devices that use computer parts, and powerful magnets. The biggest
producer of it is China, but they weren't producing enough for the
world's demand, and were exporting very little of that. I located a big
deposit in Mexico. I developed new and more efficient refining methods.
I helped a mining company set up there, and test my process. It was
very successful. Just as I was going to go public with it and offer it
to the world, it blew up. People were killed. I investigated, and saw
that it was caused by a remote activated bomb, and that there were
still others attached to other large refining tanks. Then I researched
into the past to see who did it and why. Yes, I can do that now, a new
ability. Here is the bomb in place before it exploded. And here is that
happening in slow motion. Yes, I'm showing the people suffering. They
were and are my friends!"
I said, "Here are the men planting the bombs. Here we go up the
chain." I described and named them in the meetings, all the way up to
the President of China. I said, "To some, the reason for this action by
the government of China is obvious. They wanted to control those
elements and not export them, so those products that need them, have to
be made in their country. The plant in Mexico would have stopped their
virtual monopoly. This being an illegal act, I am able impose
consequences. You saw those men suffer and die. Those who participated
in this crime will feel all that every hour of every day for the rest
of their lives. But I will suspend this for one month, so they can do
all that is possible to apologize and make any amends and compensations
that are possible and just. The world did not deserve this sabotage.
The great country of Mexico didn't deserve it. The people who worked in
that plant didn't deserve to be killed for the financial gain of
another country. Those who have caused this tragedy have embarrassed
and shamed their great country, China, that also didn't deserve it. In
the month they have available, they should use their greatest efforts
to right this wrong. If they are successful, I will look on their
actions with favor, and may allow them to die sooner than others. If
they do well, I will look on with great disfavor if any negative action
is taken upon the great nation of China. I do NOT approve of revenge,
and especially not for those who didn't cause this to happen. If there
are any in China who would oppose those responsible providing just
compensation for this, I will consider them almost equal in the crime,
and available for application of the same consequences. I have to tell
you, because I myself have felt it in setting up the consequence, being
covered in boiling acid is NOT at all a fast or pleasant way to die."
John could see I was finished. He said, "What did you mean by
allowing them to die?" I said, "In this kind of consequence, those who
suffer it want to avoid it by any means, including suicide. Usually,
those who provide this consequence install a command against suicide to
last for a specific time. I will adjust the effective length of that
command for positive results of what would help mitigate their crime.
That is fair, and could be an effective motivation." He said, "Did they
intend to kill anybody?" I said, "The person who chose to set off that
particular bomb, instead of others that were planted, when people were
right in front of the container that would explode, obviously did
intend it to cause death. I didn't check for that in the higher levels
of people, but the President of China said truthfully that he did not,
and was very sorry it happened. But unintended but foreseeable
consequences of a crime, are included criminal acts in this case." He
said, "Did you discuss this with the President?" I said, "Which one?"
He said, "Oh. American." I said, "No. It's not America's affair. I did
discuss it with the President of Mexico first, though, before er,
invading the office of the President of China to er, discuss the
matter."
He said, "He will have the consequence?" I said "Yes, and he knows
it. For how long, depends on what he does in the grace period of one
month. Oh, and I won't allow any of those involved to be killed. No
escape that way." He said, "You are unusually serious." I said, "I
found the deposit. I invented the improved process. I helped set up the
test plant. I can't help feeling some responsibility for what happened.
I should have known. I didn't. I FAILED in what I didn't realize was
what I now consider to be my responsibility to protect those people.
When I give those responsible their consequences, I will feel it too.
My just punishment." My tears were flowing freely. I said, "Do you have
more questions?" He said, "Yes. Many, but I don't want to ask them
now." I said, "Thank you. To all, may God be with you." I ported home,
to a lot of hugs and kisses.
Then we all watched for comments. There were a LOT of them from all
over the world. The people around me were looking at me. I said, "Does
my interest show that much?" Chad said, "More than mine!" I said, "But
you like them just for stirring up trouble. My interest is in
psychological research. You have a base motivation. I have a noble
one." He poked me and we wrestled a little. I said, "Well, partially
noble." Chuckles. Most politicians said things like "unfortunate
situation". Bringing noncommittal comments deep into the realm of
boredom. I had advised Mexico to hold back on the comments until they
found some they could disagree with, with righteous indignation. That
did draw a little smile from the Pres. He did just that, after some
famous people said I should have let the authorities handle that.
He said, "What authorities? This is an international violent
incident, perpetrated by a foreign government. We have no power to try
the president of China in our court! We have no way to compel him to
come to our country to be tried. In the matter of consequences, is this
less of an offense than a terrorist bombing? It's worse, when it's only
for financial gain. If Solomon's action on our behalf is not just, then
the same action against the terrorist bombers is also not just. Are you
saying that should stop, too? I see that Solomon and his mother only
apply these consequences when those who commit these kinds of crimes
cannot be made to face justice in a proper court of law, without going
to war. Yes, that's what he is averting by this, which we considered to
be an act of war. Instead, he is treating this as a personal criminal
act so we don't have to involve the whole world in resolving this by
war. I would think that his detractors should consider all this, before
trying to make things worse with their ignorant rhetoric." I called him
after that, and let him hear my family cheering for him. He really
appreciated that. A lot of other people liked what he said, including
his own.
I released a comment. I said, "I've been listening to and watching
the comments about this situation, with the keen interest of a research
psychologist. The President of Mexico and I are in full agreement. And
about the ignorant rhetoric he mentioned, I would like to add my own
comment. Those people who do that remind me of vultures flocking to any
disturbance for the chance to feed their ever hungry egos on the
misfortunes and good and bad deeds of others, to try to increase their
already seriously unearned prominence. And the media cooperates,
increasing their hunger for more, by such reinforcement. I request that
it stop. Let them hammer together their own unstable soapboxes in their
back yards, to not find willing ears there, but only upturned noses.
That constructive change won't happen, but I felt the urge to add my
own rhetoric to the fray. Who doesn't think they will have some
difficulties in trying to understand what I just said? If they ask if
I'm trying to insult them, they should ask their little children to
explain that to them. The wisdom of the young is too much underused." I
passed that around first, and Chad and Hawk laughed really hard. Even
Mom had to chuckle. Those who read it on air, had trouble concealing
their amusement. The next day, I visited the pres of CNN. I said, "I
said I would tell you something extra, but first, what do you think so
far?" He grinned and said, "Your comment really stirred things up. Not
the least that you keep showing them a different you almost every time
you do that. Intentional?" I said, "Absolutely."
I said, "Now the extra part. The Presidents of China and Mexico know
this. One of the founders of my group was killed in that blast." He
said, "Oh my God! I didn't know! You all love each other. All of you
must be feeling that. I'm very sorry." I said, "Thank you. It didn't
affect my actions, but it sure wanted to! Almost scared the Pres of
China to death when I told him in a time bubble, and that I wasn't
being monitored because of that." He said, "Oh! Wow! I can imagine.
Wow!" I nodded. He said, "I didn't know any of you could be killed." I
said, "We can't, if we are protecting ourselves. He was very old and
not as fast as he used to be, and he hadn't taken the new training that
I developed that might have saved him. He couldn't react in time." He
nodded. I said, "I thought you should know, but confidentially. It's
not good for people to know all we do to help them. He was there
because it was our plant." He said, "I understand. Is it all repaired?"
I said, "Yes, and fully operational. In a few months it will be
producing more than China is, and undercutting their prices, but at a
loss the first year. We mean business!" He said, "Good. Screw them!" I
said, "That would take a while. They have a LOT of women." He chuckled,
I ported away.
The president of China released a video statement in Chinese with
crawling English and Spanish translations on the bottom of the image.
He did well, and offered a lot of apologies and money to everybody
affected. Mexico called and asked if I thought that was enough. I said,
"No. Silence from you will be an interesting way of telling him it
wasn't enough. Compensation is only part. Financial punishment, to the
enrichment of your country, and to heal it's wounded and outraged
pride, is another, to act as a national lesson. Let's see if he gets
it." He really liked that. After a week of silence, China asked me what
I thought about that. I told him what I told Mexico. He said, "I
shouldn't have underestimated you." I said, "I hear that a lot. Would
it help of I pasted a comment about that on my forehead?" He chuckled
and said, "I don't think it would. I'll work on a better offer. Thank
you." He did. Mexico approved it. Then it was two days before
imposition of the consequences. I said to him, "Tomorrow you will be
free of the death restriction. The next day the consequences start.
There will be others added to the list, who tried to stop what you were
trying to do. I did warn them, but some didn't believe me. What they
will feel won't be as intense, but they probably won't believe that."
He nodded. He said, "I feel I should experience at least one session of
the consequence, but I am afraid." I said, "I understand. I have felt
it. I don't know if I should say this, because it's only a feeling, and
I don't know how true it is, but very often in reincarnations, we are
made to suffer in our next lives, for the bad we did before. Unless we
suffer in those lives first. That's one of the reasons why we should
not kill criminals. Postponing their just suffering does nobody any
good." He said, "I understand what you are saying. I wish all my people
could see you as I do, a kind and generous man, but they are not able
to now." I said, "I understand. Things go as they will. With a few
pokes from us at times." He smiled.
He did live through a whole week of consequences, before he killed
himself. But he surprised the world in the words he left for it. He did
try to help others to see me as he did. I was asked to comment. I said,
"I didn't know he was going to do that, but I have to say that while he
did something wrong, he didn't choose to avoid suffering for it. He
deliberately chose to experience the consequence even though he didn't
have to. It takes a great and courageous man to do that, in my opinion,
much more so after the first time. I think he has earned forgiveness. I
hope all will give him that. May his next life be without suffering."
Some family members in Mexico wouldn't forgive. With the arrangement
of their Priest, I met with him and them in their church in my capacity
as a Rabbi, which they were told about. I was dressed as such. I said,
"You are not able to forgive?" A woman said, "I can't. They killed my
son!" I said, "But you know Jesus would want you to forgive." She said,
"But you don't believe in him!" I smiled and said, "But he was a Jew,
and a great one. And VERY wise. How could I deny his wisdom?" She
looked confused. The Priest said, "Solomon is correct. Jesus was born a
Jew, and always considered himself to be a Jew." I said, "There is
more. He was a student of my school that I founded in the life I lived
then. He used many of my teachings." The Priest said, "I know who you
were!" I said, with a grin, "But I was never that loud." He chuckled. I
said to the woman, "Why can't you forgive?" She said, "I said it." I
said, "But others have forgiven such things. Why is it different for
you?" She said, "I don't know." I said, "You do. Is it not for the loss
you feel, and the anger at that, and not so much how he suffered?" She
started to become angry, but subsided at the stern look from the
Priest. She said thoughtfully, "I think you mean I'm being selfish." I
said, "I am proud of you, that you can think of that so early in this
meeting." She had a mix of feelings. Then she looked at me sideways,
and said, "Are you always this charming?" I said with a smile, "Very
much not, with politicians." The Priest laughed. She looked at him, and
he said, "His humor with them bites hard enough to almost draw blood."
I said, "Well said!" She looked back and forth at us and had to smile.
I said to her, "There is something you should know, which I ask all
of you to keep secret. I too lost a loved one in the explosion. A man
who was like a father to me, who was there to admire my work. I
couldn't let it affect my actions, but that wasn't easy." She saw my
tears. We hugged. She said, "Not affect at all?" I said, "Well, not in
the action that was taken, but in my meeting with the President of
China, I did tell him about it, knowing that he would experience a lot
more fear of me than otherwise. I don't know how he didn't wet his
pants then." She laughed well. The Priest tried not to. She said, "But
you forgave him?" I said, "Not right then. After all, I'm not a
machine. But later in the meeting, when I saw that he was truly
remorseful, and that he hadn't intended that anybody be injured, I did
forgive him. There were other reasons. Would you like to know them?"
She said, "Please, sir."
I said, "I knew my feelings would hurt those around me who loved me.
That I just couldn't bear. And I knew it would be bad for my own mental
and physical health. I was wounded inside by what happened. I had to
heal myself, so I could help others heal, instead of compounding their
pain with my own. I am the leader of my group, which is like a family.
I have a duty to them to be the best I can be for them, and not just
for myself." She said, "You are very wise." I said, "I must accept your
compliment with gratitude, even if I have to disagree with it. I'm not
feeling all that wise." She said, "But you have helped me to forgive.
Your reasons are true. You taught Jesus?" I said, "I'm sorry, but no. I
died when he was around ten years old. For years before that, I
wouldn't have been of much use. I was very old, although not quite as
old as it was reported. Only the Romans cared about accurate dates in
that time." She smiled and said, "You tell it like you were there." I
said, "Good one." We hugged. The other woman there who had remained
silent, said, "They suffered, truly?" I said, "They did. More and far
longer than your husband did, as was just." She said, "I accept that,
and in Jesus's name, I forgive them." I nodded, and we hugged. I said,
"The ability to forgive is a true gift of God, not to be denied. When
we do forgive, we come ever closer to Him." The Priest said, "Amen!"
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