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From: " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.prettyboy
Subject: +*+*+*+ Stephen's Secure Blog #18 "Zander's Balls" +*+*+*+
Date: 27 Apr 2012 17:34:01 -0500
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Stephen's Secure Blog #18
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, in the 1950's. 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. He stopped writing to his penpal, but found he
still wanted to record his life, in case he lost his memory again, and
wrote 30 entries in his first logbook. Then he wrote to an artificial
intelligence called Geenee, in the master computer in his school for
gifted students, which he started attending in 2016. Now it's 2018 and
later, and he's continuing to save his memories in a secure blog.
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 12 in this story, in April of year 2 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #18 "Zander's Balls"
START Page
I said to Ichi, "I think we have time to let Zander play a game." He
said "That could be fun. The arena is open now." I said "I'll ref, and
you play him. Let's go tell him." We ported to Zander's door, and he
invited us in. He said "All packed. Is it time to leave?" Ichi said
"Not yet, but it could be time to play with me in the arena, if you
want to." He said with excitement, "Let's go!" We ported to the arena,
and got ready for the game. I insisted Zander wear some protection,
which we had to modify to fit him. He and Ichi started with one ball in
1G. At first, Zander was slow, but he learned to respond reflectively
and was becoming good at it. That went away when I put another ball in
play. After some improvement, I said, "Want to try zero-g?" Zander said
"Yes!" I said "Ready? Begin!" I cut the gravity, and Zander flopped all
over his half of the court until he learned how to handle himself.
After an hour, he was doing well. Ichi actually missed hitting him a
few times. I called the game over, and we discussed it. I said to
Zander, "It wasn't really fair to you. While we haven't tested
everybody, Ichi is probably one of the best who will ever play this
game, and not just one of the inventors of it." He said "I understood
that, and I didn't and don't care. Fun is fun!" I grinned and said, "Do
you still think you didn't need protective equipment?" He said "I
rapidly changed my position on that." We laughed. He said "I think Pete
was right. This is a great game to play and to watch. There is
something like it on some worlds of the GC, but the force screen
dividing the court significantly enhances the no-gravity play. Team
play would be intense, and cause a lot of fights between team members
after colliding with each other during play. Another enhancement for
the viewers." I said "I don't think we will be doing that. You might
have noticed we don't have negative feelings toward each other."
Ichi explained to Zander what I meant by that. Then I said "When we
first met, and in the other time, I tried to explain to you how we
operate in action situations. There is a flow between us, partially
emotional, partially based on knowledge, and sometimes a weak shared
consciousness, which governs our actions in those times. We live that
way all the time, but it becomes more active when it needs to be, which
enables us to do the best things with the best people for them, as a
matter of course. Do you understand this better now?" He said "A
little. I think one has to live it, to know more. I hope to experience
it some day." I said with projecting my love, "I hope you do."
I said "The ship is close to stepping down from FTL drive. There is
time for another game, if you want to get hit some more." He grinned,
and I said, "Right. Another stupid question." He laughed. He and Ichi
played another game for an hour. When it was over, I said to Zander,
"You have done well. Maybe in the future we could have Adepts from all
over the galaxy play here in friendly tournaments. The Guardian Games!
But that is for another time. I suggest we make ready for some extended
activity away from the comforts of home. Our ship isn't an opulent
palace. I suggest we eat something, among other things in taking care
of our bodies, because we don't know what our schedule will be. Ready
to port to your apartment?" He was, and I sent him. Then Ichi and I
ported to our bedroom, and cleaned up and had a snack. Pete and the
team were already notified and ready.
When the ship emerged into normal space, we ported to our ship, and I
notified and ported Zander to a room in the ship which would be his
until he boarded the other ship. He joined us in the lounge, wearing
his environmental crystal. Percy was piloting the ship. Pete, Chad, and
Nigel, were with us in the lounge. We Earth people were all in light
contact, so we didn't have to exchange words, so Ichi told Zander what
was happening. He said "We have matched speed and acceleration, and
trajectory, with the other ship. Percy is very good! We are still
invisible, and at a distance where we won't be noticed for occluding
anything." I said "Their planetary drive isn't functioning well,
either. They can't repair it while it's operating, and their internal
gravity controls are tied into it. That's stupid! We'll have to pass
around a lot of vomit bags soon. Time to make some noise." I went to
the control room and positioned myself in front of the communicator
pickup. Percy turned off our invisibly, and turned on the communicator,
to the frequency they would be using, and an alien appeared on the
screen. I said in GC, "Greetings. I am Stephen of the Guardians of this
system, in which there is a Restricted World. Please ask your Captain
to speak with me." The alien said, "Greetings. Please stand by while I
pass the message on." A minute later, it came back and said, "On behalf
of the Captain, I must apologize. He is unable to greet you at this
time due to an emergency in the operation of the ship." I said "We are
aware of the problem with your drives, and are offering our assistance
in repairing them. That we have been able to meet you this way so soon
after your emergence, should indicate to you that we could have some
capability to accomplish what we offer." It replied, "Please stand by
while I pass the message on."
Two minutes later, a Ssintris appeared on the screen, and said, "I am
Captain Zolnox. You have captured my attention." I said "I hope to
return it to you in exemplary condition. I am Stephen of the Guardians
of this system, in which there is a Restricted World. We scanned your
ship while it was in stardrive, and discovered your difficulty. We
wondered if your impressive teeth would have been shaken loose by now,
from the no doubt unpleasant vibrations you must have been
experiencing. We know what is causing the problem, and can fix it for
you, if you so allow." He grinned and said, "I see you must have met
one of my people before." I said "Yes we have, with pleasure." He said
"Do you have ships like this one?" I said "No, we don't have a need for
them. However, we understand yours, and can easily prove that to your
engineer. First, I should say that you can't fix the drive without
turning off your interior gravity controls. Bad design there. Your
passengers may experience some distress at that, requiring some
unpleasant duties from your lowest rated crew members." He laughed and
said, "You do know us, and you are right about the gravity controls.
Would you like to come aboard?" I said "Yes, thank you. Before that,
would your engineer be er, inconvenienced by our superior knowledge?"
He said, "Yes she would, and she better accept it. I will manage that,
with whatever is necessary." I said "Thank you. I am sure we will
appreciate that more than she will." I waited for him to finish
laughing, and said, "Our airlock has standard fittings. We can dock to
where you choose, or travel across individually in our personal
environmental envelopes. Of course, after we cut acceleration." He said
"Shall we synchronize that?" I said "That's not necessary. You do what
you need to do, and we will accommodate to it, which I am sure you will
want to witness." He grinned widely.
He turned to somebody offscreen and issued orders. Their acceleration
stopped. We kept the same position relative to them. The Captain looked
surprised, and it was my turn to have a big grin on my face. He
laughed, and told us to dock at the flashing light. We did. Before we
opened the locks, we set the 4th barrier to allow solid objects
through, and only people wearing 4th enabled gear, but not air or
external microbes. Nigel and Chad stayed behind with Zander. They would
be watching and telling him what was happening. We stepped through into
their ship. The Captain was there, and his First Officer. I did the
introductions. Last was Percy, and I said, "What Percy doesn't know
about space ships, nobody knows." The Captain said, "Who is in charge
of your group?" There were a lot of fingers pointing at me. He said
"One obviously so young?" Pete said "Our roles are dictated by
knowledge, ability, and wisdom, not apparent age and size." He said "If
how he handled me, a complete stranger, is any indication of how he
handles his own people, I can see how that could be." The humans,
besides me, grinned. I said "The problem awaits."
We went to see the engineer. She was a Tsuriss, and as tall as Pete,
and beautiful, in my opinion, with blue-grey shaded fur. She and Percy
discussed the problem. She disagreed and argued. I said in her native
language, "Honorable Engineer, we are not here to stroke you against
your fur, but to assist you, because you do not have the facilities
here to effect the necessary repairs. We are here to save the lives in
your care, for they will surely end within moments of engaging the
stardrive, when you leave this system. I know you will want to help
them to live, at any cost." I bowed and turned off my environmental
control, and extended my hand to her. She took it and bent down to
sniff it, and said in her language, "You smell of truth and wisdom." I
gave her my love. She stood up really straight and said in GC, "I can
do no less than to assist you in any way I can." She and Percy started
talking like friends. The Captain looked at me like I was some kind of
strange alien, which I actually was, to him. I said to him, "Is there
some place we can go to discus another problem?" He led the way to his
private conference room, just off the main control room. We sat.
I told him about the problem with the station and Zander. He said "I
have met Zander. A good man and highly respected. I would not like to
think that any of my crew could be involved in this, but it happens. I
will assist you in your investigation, as you and Zander require. How
to handle the criminals is another matter." I told him our demands
regarding the station, and how we would handle the problem. He said,
"Officially, I am not allowed to recognize your authority in this
system, but I suspect you have the means to enforce your will." I
grinned and said, "We do. Zander is on our ship. He was not safe at the
station. He assisted us in the investigation. May he come aboard now,
with the evidence and his belongings? He can handle himself very well
in the absence of gravity, should you need some assistance with the
passengers." He used the intercom to tell the airlock crew to escort
more people to his conference room. They said our people were there and
waiting to disembark. The Captain said, "You did not communicate with
with a grin, "I like you!" I said "Thank you. I feel in a similar way.
So do my friends here. Oh, and Zander and the others know what has been
happening, and what has been said." He said "Thank you for the
information, little as it is." I laughed. He said "I assume that noise
is the way you laugh." I said "Yes. Not pleasant to other species, but
we can live with that." He grinned and said "I have seen the people of
that Restricted World. You look like them, but are clearly not of them,
primitive as they are." I said "Convenient, when living among them.
They do not know what we do, or even that people like you exist. We
maintain that, and assist offworld visitors as needed."
END Page
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Grant
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