Solomon's Private File #121
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 18 in this story, in the Spring of 2045.
Solomon's Private File #121 "Protection Against Psionics"
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The spies didn't do anything noteworthy during the night. We watched
their capture in the morning. No surprises. We packed things. I called
the sarge in charge of the sting operation. We met in the store. I had
a box with me. I said, "Our operation is successfully concluded. We
expect to be all cleared out before the store opens Monday." He said,
"Can we keep the cameras, and the tracking equipment?" I said, "Here is
the receiver and network host. Here is a tablet with the app. It
includes instructions. You may be surprised at some of what the cameras
can do. Here is a tablet with an app for the extra surveillance cameras
we had installed in and around the store. Here are accessories for the
tablets. Here is something extra. These hats can protect your minds
from psychics. Two of the criminals we captured were, and used their
powers to steal secrets. They willed the guards to sleep. That won't
work with those wearing these specially insulated hats." He said, "Oh!
Thank you very much! Would they work against Solomon?" I said, "No. Not
those who are advanced enough to teleport, but those have iron ethics
or they could not learn that." He said, "So it's true." I nodded and
said, "He helped with the capture, disabling the abilities of the
criminals before they were taken." He said, "What kind of insulation?"
I said, "I was told, alternating layers of organic fibers, such as
silk, wool, or cotton cloth, and metal foil. Our rooms over the store
are lined with it, which will be gone soon. Yes, I was well briefed for
this mission, in America. I see the question. A collaboration." He
nodded. I said, "Some of your men could be disappointed I'm not giving
you more. Such as er, kicks." He laughed. We shook hands and hugged. I
went back upstairs.
Our orders had arrived. Sealed envelopes. I took their reports. I
said, after reading them, "If such a person actually existed, I would
demand to meet him." Embarrassed laughter. I said, "You would make no
changes?" They stood by their reports. I sent them, with mine, to
various places in the Russian government, and to the Directors of the
FBI and CIA, and the Iron Lady. To some, I sent crystals. I said to my
team, "I haven't been informed of your orders, and I should not be
unless required. But I do need to know your departure time from this
establishment." Smith said, "My plane leaves this afternoon." I said
with a small smile, "I suspect you and your Iron Lady might have an
interesting conversation in the near future." He had to grin. Major
said, "I am to report to somebody I have never met." I said, "I suspect
you will have some interesting times in the near future. But here?" He
said, "A car should be here soon. Actually, now, I think." We shook
hands and hugged all around. He left with his bag. Smith said, "Will I
see him again?" I said, "I wouldn't be surprised if that happened." He
said, "And you?" I said, "I don't know. I have other duties. I have
less choices than some would think. I think you have more choices ahead
of you than YOU might think. You may tell your Iron Lady anything you
wish of this operation. She also has my report. So does your
Psychological Assessment Department." He said, "I knew you would do
that. I've learned you wouldn't have taken me unless you knew all about
me."
I said, "True. You suspected that after I described the entry order
in the car." He nodded and said, "And more, when you discussed love.
You took me not just for this mission, but to help me to heal." I said,
"Your Iron Lady cares about her people, as does your psychologists in
the FBI." He said, "Not the CIA?" I said, "Some, yes. A little." He
grinned. I said, "A strange organization. They do good things for bad
reasons, and bad things for good reasons, and keep more secrets from
each other than they do from the world." He looked at me strangely, a
mix of respect, awe, and irritation. He said, "You DO know them. More
than they do, I think." I said, "My job. I pick up the mess they leave
behind, their bloody footprints. Er, sometimes. Our mission here was
more in the nature of a holiday for me. And a classroom." He said, "I
understood that. Great teacher!" I said, "Er, thank you. When does your
plane leave?" He grinned and said, "In three hours. I should be
leaving." I said, "I'll call for a taxi." I did. We shook hands and
hugged. He left, with not so dry eyes. I made sure he was on that plane
for real, before I removed all evidence of our mission from the
apartment. And from the perp's house.
She said, "So I'm the Iron Lady." I said, "Could be worse." She
grinned and said, "True. I'll send him to you when he gets back. What
will he choose?" I said, "I don't know. He'll be doing a lot of
thinking on the trip back, even though he might not want to. Boredom
does that." She said, "Going to tell him you were the Colonel?" I said,
"I don't plan to, even if he asks. I'm saving that for something big.
My only important weapon is psychology." She said, "And that people
don't see it." I said, "Package deal." She grinned.
I said, "Did you know the palm strike can deliver different
programmed Ki to the target?" She couldn't hide her intense interest in
that. We both grinned. We went to an unused gym. I ported in some
strange demonstration aids. I said, "These are atomic copies of a real
living head, neck, and shoulders, including active nerves and
circulation. Note the shape of the forehead. And now the cupped shape
of my palm. It's a little more cupped, to cause a slight air pocket in
the strike. That really enhances the force, but in an unusual way. It
spreads it across the whole area of contact. Done properly, it won't
cause a significant bruise. At the correct angle, even without Ki, you
can knock a person out, and they might not remember the strike. Or that
they were even out. Unfortunately for you, it works best when you are
above your target, but when they're sitting, it can be very useful."
She nodded. I said, "I know you want to try it. There will be in
indication when you're successful." She did well, in spite of her
reaction to the announcement, which was a juicy fart. She said, "I know
you want me to ask. Why the fart?" I said, "Martial artists rarely
train with such distractions that the real world provides. They should,
at times." She nodded agreement.
I said, "Now, we add Ki. But why should we? Control, that's why. We
want to control the situation. The more tools we have for that, which
makes for more choices, the better we can do it. We can be gentle, and
just use a light touch of the hand with programmed Ki, and we can knock
out a person for a specified time, with no damage. With more, and more
focused Ki, we can do this." I did a palm strike to the forehead, and
the whole back of the head exploded violently away. She said, "Wow!" I
said, "You want to impress somebody who's watching, can't beat that!"
She said in awe, "Absolutely!" I said, "How you use Ki that way is
simple. The Will. The only way for a non Adept to be precise with that,
is with trial and error. Hence, the non living but real targets, and my
noisy feedback assistance. And for the light sleep strike, a signal.
Oh, and this is the REAL secret of Dim Moc, the secret immediate and
delayed death strike, which can be done on other selected parts of the
body." She was in awe and said, "It was rumored to be a vibrating
strike, but I understand now. Obvious when you know." I said, "Yes.
It's a strike with programmed Ki." She practiced, and did well, despite
the snores of success for the sleeping strike.
We were finished, and I cleaned up the gym. She said, "Convenient,
that." I said, "That's me, Sol the janitor." She said, "This is the
just love cliffhangers? Tune in next time, for the new adventure! Will
he be rescued? Will she get there in time? Will we sell more cereal
with this serial? Come back and find out. Bring your own cow." She
laughed. We hugged.
Director of CIA wanted to see me. He said, "I've reviewed the
reports. Thanks for the crystals. Very convenient. Your last comments
about us got to me." I nodded. He said, "I'll work on it. Inspector
available?" I said, "Maybe." He nodded. He said, "Our agent?" I said,
"My goal was to save the man, not to make his work choices for him. I
don't know. When he talks to me as Jack, I might know more, but I
couldn't tell you unless he allows." He said, "Did my predecessors try
to bug your offices?" I said, "Hoover tried that first. After that, a
never-ending stream of attempts from a whole bunch of people and
organizations. Nowadays, it's mostly reporters and international spies.
Turned one, not too long ago." He said, "We wanted him. Chose the
Bureau." I said, "He liked the family atmosphere better. And we have a
good prayer room." He said, "We should do that." I nodded. He said,
"Your security recommendations are VERY appreciated! We'll be
forwarding them to all our strategic allies." I said, "I'll take care
of that for domestics."
The Director of the Bureau said, "Met with The Company first?" I
nodded. He grinned. I said, "That's not what he did. Honest about it,
though. Could improve a little." He said, "Security recommendations.
You'll do that for Homeland?" I said, "NSA, too. And Justice. ALL non
public files that need safeguarding, need more now, even local police
and court records. Beware a psionic reporter. Even a half psionic could
read printed documents in a locked file cabinet." He said, "Fire
insulation not good enough?" I said, "Not the right type." He said, "We
need new hats and helmets. But won't that keep your people out?" I
said, "Make it less convenient, only. We can work through another
dimension. It's that which enables porting. Bureau has known about the
insulation and insulated hats since the first Stephen. Had serious bad
Adept encounters. One almost took over the world. Can't happen now,
though. We know more." He said, "Fortunate." I said, "My father and I
thought and think, that it's not all due to chance." He said, "I've
seen some of that. I have to agree. Interesting!" We traded grins.
I met with all the other agencies, and explained things, and why.
Some wanted demonstrations. I had a meeting with Brian's father, and
explained that to him. He said, "In disguise?" I said, "Absolutely!" He
said, "Paid?" I said, "You arrange that with the Bureau. Tell the
Director I said, 'Do it'. Stand well back." He chuckled. I said,
"Ammunition for you. Brian will be wearing a Bureau ID. He couldn't PAY
for that good image, and all over the country, too. Great summer job."
He said, "Wow! You DO know how to sell it!" I said, "That's me, Sol the
salesman." They didn't need me along with it. Brian had a Bureau
escort, which sometimes included his father. It's going well.
Smith from the Russian job, came to see me in my office. I said, "I
have all the reports, and the Colonel's memory of the mission. He
volunteered it. You've done well. Been thinking?" He said, "Yes. I
don't know what to do." I looked around and said with a slight smile,
"This is nothing?" He returned the smile and said, "Besides this." I
said, "Significant improvement, I see. What do you think my job here is
in regard to you?" He said, "Convince me to go back to the Company?" I
said, "I'm a psychologist. A healer. How COULD you think that of me?"
He looked a little surprised, and said, "Oh! Er, thanks. I don't see a
place for me there." I nodded and said, "But you have a need to be
useful, like most people." He said, "I do. I don't know what, though."
I said, "How about some assessment tests? They could show interest and
aptitudes you might not be aware of." He said with interest, "Let's!" I
had to grin, which he returned. We did them. It took all afternoon.
He returned the next day, and I said, "If I didn't know better, I
would think it was I who took your tests." He was really surprised. I
said, "They point to psychology and teaching." He looked thoughtful. I
said, "You want to know and help people. I sure can't argue against
that!" He had to grin. I said, "One more thing. Whatever you do, you
are very unlikely to allow yourself to fail." He said, "That I knew,
and better now than before the mission. I agree with the tests.
Options?" I said, "If you want to do academic for yourself, you can
have a government worker's Tibet Scholarship. Full, on sabbatical from
the Company. They OWE you. I tell them, they allow it, if they know
what's good for them." He said with awe, "I wouldn't doubt it!" We
traded grins. I said, "After that, you can skip out with no problems,
and do whatever you want. If you want to wait a bit for that, there is
a possibility for you to do some teaching at the Academy. OUR side. If
you switch, same Scholarship deal available any time you are working
for the government. Boss at the time doesn't like it, he can go, and
not to Tibet. You are a good and effective very human being. I will NOT
allow that to be wasted for the world, which needs more people like
you; who you are now, and who you can become." He said, "Wow!" With
tears.
I said, "I'm sure you can think of other options, too. I should
advise you to take some time to think things over. But you're not that
in love with JUST thinking, are you." We traded grins. I said, "Iron
Lady, who knows about that now, and after I told her it could have been
worse, doesn't mind it too much, could use an assistant, while you're
thinking. That's actually what you SHOULD have been doing. She's wise.
Really couldn't hurt." He nodded and said, "Your student?" I said with
a fake groan, "Who isn't?" He had to grin. I said, "But I'm not saying.
She can tell you either way if she wants to in confidence. You can tell
her all that happened here, if you want to. We share trust,
professional and personal." He nodded. We stood and shook hands. He
said, "I don't know how I can thank you enough!" I said, "Then I'll
tell you. Make me proud of you. Er, more proud. And a friend." He said,
"I will! And a friend." He walked out, head held high.
Ivanna said to me in contact, "I have to say it. That was beautiful!"
Galya said, "I agree." I said, "Me, too, actually. Sometimes I love
this job, that I can help good people so." There were a lot of like
comments coming in, and a gigantic amount of love, which I returned.
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Grant
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