Stephen's Logbook #1 Entry #7
These stories about Stephen began was when he was 10 years old, and
moving to a new part of the country to attend a special school for
gifted students. This was from a time before computers would fit on a
desk, and when people communicated with friends in other countries by
actual letters sent through the postal service. He wrote 225 of them to
a friend. Please refer to them for insight into this new series of
stories. He stopped writing to his penpal, but found he still wanted to
record his life, in case he loses his memory again. So, we can now look
into selected entries in his logbook to see how he is doing.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
Stephen is 15 in this story, before the Winter break of year 6 of
special school.
Stephen's Logbook #1 Entry #7 "Nigel and the Real World"
NEW ENTRY
We woke up, and Nigel and I made each other squirt in the usual start
the morning way. While we were resting, I said, "Did you examine and
inventory Tyrone?" He said "No. I didn't know I should have." I said
"Want to bet Chad did?" He poked me and said, "You wouldn't bet if you
didn't know. I sense a lesson." I said "Right. We examine EVERYBODY we
come in contact with who are involved in any way with a mission, or are
a threat to us, as soon as possible. The Van can switch bodies. We
don't want them spying on us, and we REALLY don't want to be surprised
by an enemy adept among us. Got it so far?" He said "Yes. More?" I said
"Do you think we would have accepted you so well, so fast, if we hadn't
examined you?" He said "Oh! I get it. We look for recruits, too." I
said "We help people who are worth helping, and we look for possible
future adepts we can adopt. You qualified on both counts." We kissed.
I said "We should have had this discussion before. You know I love
people. Even before, when I was an adept and could do amazing things,
why didn't I spend all my time helping people?" He said "I don't know.
I did wonder why we aren't doing more." I said "There are important are
reasons why. One is we can't draw attention to ourselves, or the Van
might kill us off before we can take care of them. Then there is the
regular people I love, who would try to kill us when they couldn't
enslave us, because they could never believe we wouldn't abuse our
fearsome powers. Still, we could probably help more people than we do.
The problem is who? There are millions more people we could help, than
we could possibly have time to do it, and still lead healthy lives. How
could we ever choose who will live or die? If we tried, it would
destroy us from the inside. So, the best option we have, is when we get
to know somebody who needs our help, or the government asks us to help
with something that's right for us, usually involving threat to life,
we do what we can, as fast as possible and then get out. If you can
think of a better way to let us help when we can, without causing more
problems for us and them, all of us would love to know about it."
Nigel said "Oh! Were you looking for somebody to help last night?" I
tried to look innocent and said, "Whatever gave you that idea?" He
poked me and said, "You just did!" I poked him back and said, "Review.
I said we can't." He said "Oh. I'm confused." I said "I see." He said
"Grrrr." We tickled each other. I said "Alright! You are partially
right. I knew about the possibility we could encounter something for a
mission, and accepted that, like always. Some things I don't let go,
like children being abused. I think you know that. Did I want it to
happen? I don't operate that way. Who wants bad things to happen to
people so we can conveniently help them? I leave that to fate. Or
chance, or however you want to think about it. I don't go looking for
it. Doing that would kill me, eventually. Then I couldn't help anybody.
Satisfied?" He said "That way, yes. This way, no." And he played with
my nuts and started the link. He said "I can never get enough of this."
I said "I don't mind that at all." We laughed. He had the link at low
intensity, so we didn't squirt, but just lay there in happy pleasurable
relaxation, until his hand and arm got tired. Then he was going to get
up to go have breakfast. I held him back and said, "Nigel, I think
there is something we should take care of first, or I won't get my
chair under the table." He said "Oh, yeah. It does effect you that
way." We made each other squirt again. Then we went to breakfast, after
a turn in the bathroom.
I called father's office downstairs to see if he was there. He was,
and we dressed and went to see him. First, we told him about Tyrone,
and what we were doing about it. Father said "Another recruit?" I
looked at Nigel. He got a little red and said, "I'm sorry, Sir. I
didn't check him for that. I won't make that mistake again." Father
nodded. I said "We might see him again. If he can find us, he's going
to ask us to help with something else." Nigel said in surprise, "He
will? Telepathy?" I grinned and nodded to father. He said to Nigel,
"No, psychology. When you help somebody like that, in that environment,
so well, showing evidence you can do much more, they WILL want more,
and for their friends, too." I said "In fact, they will even look for
things you can help with, even if they have to resort to creating the
problem themselves." Father said, "It can go as far as obsession, and
dependence." I said "And if you turn them down, you could get
resentment, hatred, and murder. Oh, how is your neck?" He said, rubbing
it, "I should call you blokes Ping and Pong. I see why Pete wanted just
one of you to be at the meeting Monday. You are so alike, it's
frightening." Father and I said, "Thank you" at the same time. We
grinned at each other, while Nigel groaned. I said to Nigel, "It's like
teaching. Just being an expert in a subject, doesn't mean you can teach
it. That's a different subject, with different knowledge and skills.
Being able to help somebody is only part of helping. You have to manage
it well, or you could end up doing more harm than good." He looked
surprised and said to me, "Is that why you didn't give him a way to
contact us?" I nodded. He said "That tears it. Adept or no adept, we
really absolutely do need you as boss. You've got the big picture,
while we just handle the paint brushes." Father said "I've never heard
it expressed that way, but it's good. Very good. I like it. Thanks.
I'll remember it as the Nigel principle."
Nigel turned a very nice shade of red. I grinned and hugged him. I
said to him in a loud whisper, "Naturally, I agree with him." That
didn't do anything to reduce his embarrassment. Father said to me, "You
do pick them well." I said "Thanks." Nigel was so embarrassed, he tried
to shrink down into his chair. He said to me in pleading desperation,
"Tell him about the job offer!" So I did, including the conversation he
overheard. Father said "Does Nigel know?" I grinned and said, "Not yet.
Want to tell him?" He said to Nigel, "You know Stephen was raised in
security. Did you ever wonder why he was talking about secret things in
public, in a restaurant, where he could be overheard?" Nigel stared at
me and said, "Oh no, not again! You played him?" I nodded. Father said
"From the time you discussed money. Any security agent would be drawn
to listen to that closely. I'm sure Stephen noticed, and he obviously
decided to see what other things the agent might be interested in."
Nigel said "Did he ever! Are you going to tell him at the meeting?" I
said "You tell me. Should I?" Nigel said "I see. Another lesson. Yes
you should, or he won't trust us, our intelligence or security." I
hugged him. Nigel said "I like the reward for being right." I said to
father. "I really did pick a good one. He knows, when he does the
thinking. He just needs experience and practice." Nigel got embarrassed
again.
Father said "Nigel, how would you like to be the one to embarrass
Stephen now?" He said "Please!" Father handed him some cards, and a
paper. Nigel sat up straighter and said, "Wow! That'll do it! Got
tissues?" Father gave him a box. Nigel gave me the cards. One said
Horizon Enterprises, with my name as president. The other one had that,
and underneath, Security Division, with my name as CEO. The paper
showed that was the new name for father's business, because Horizon
bought it from him, and that I was the major voting shareholder of the
whole works. I reached for the whole box of tissues, and used a lot of
them. When I could speak without crying, I said to father, "Does this
mean you are retiring?" He handed me another card, which showed him as
manager. I said "Whew! That's a relief!" He said "Retire? I wouldn't
miss any of this for anything." While Nigel was grinning his face in
half, I used up more tissues. I said "What about the school?" He said
"Jan is negotiating the purchase. That might take a while. Maybe
years." I said "But we still need to accept contributions from the
trustees. They won't want to harm the institution they give money too.
We need that protection." He said "Right. Jan said that, too. More, we
are working to get some funding directly from Congress as a black
operation." I said to Nigel, "That means who and what we are doesn't go
in their records, and the money can't be traced to us. Only a few
committee members will ever know even a little about us, unless we want
them too."
I said "Let's discuss fees. Unless we need cash, I think we should
ask for preferred voting stock, instead. How about the cash value being
10 percent of the projected loss, if the problems we solved had
continued for a year? Payable after 3 months of evidence of the problem
being solved, for this particular job. This would be after we see if we
can do anything. What do you think?" Father said "I think you're going
to have to wipe off some lipstick when Jan hears about this." I grinned
and said, "Hey Nigel, think I should tell her you helped with that?" He
tried to look serious and said, "Brothers should share, right?" We
hugged. I said "We need a lawyer. I whole legal firm, actually, if
we're going to deal with contracts." Father said "Jan and Dr. Knot are
working on that." I said "We might have a way to compel confidentiality
and loyalty. I could have set up a crystal for that when I was an
adept. Do you think I should ask Pete if he can do it?" He said "Not a
bad idea to find out. I don't know about actually doing it, though." I
nodded.
I said to father, "We need security clearance documents. When do you
think we can get them?" He gave me some more papers. The enterprise had
top level clearance, and so did it's officers. He said "Dr. Knot, and
all the students, too." I said "Do you have any more surprises for me?"
He had a sly grin. I groaned. Nigel laughed. Father said "I don't
suppose letterheads count. Would a limo with a phone in it, for you,
count? Along with your regular Mercedes. You can get your license in a
few months. Before you say anything, I know you don't need those
things, but for the enterprise to be taken seriously, you need to show
them you are successful." I said "Play the part. I understand." He said
"Did you know how much cash you had?" I said "No. I let Jan take care
of that." He said "Just you alone, 23 million, and about that much more
expected in royalties and license fees are projected for the next year.
Patents belonging to the school are expected to earn over 700 million.
The only thing we haven't got enough of, is staff." Nigel and I said
"WOW!" together. I said "We need to buy a summer camp. Great way to
find potentials. I wonder if we could get Tommy to run it." Father said
"Good idea. I'll look into it. I'll arrange for the hotel meeting room,
too, and let you know." I said "Thanks. Check out that company?" He
said "Right. I assume the team will too, ahead of time?" I said "I
would, but now that I can't, it will be up to Pete. If he doesn't think
of it, I'll give him a nudge. No, Nigel, Pete's your direct boss in
this, not me. It's not good to mess with the chain of command, except
in an emergency."
I said "Speaking about that, does the rest of the team know about
Horizon?" Father said "No, except for Jan. We thought you should be the
one to break the news." He pointed to some boxes and said, "Cards and
documents for the team are in there. Pete is listed as team leader, and
supervisor." I said "Fine. We've got the best manager in the world." He
looked around and said, "Who?" We laughed. Nigel and I both hugged him.
He couldn't escape. Not that he really wanted to. I think we are going
to have a really busy and interesting Monday morning at school.
END ENTRY
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Grant
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