Stephen's Secure Blog #84
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 after
2018, 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 13 in this story, in the Winter of year 4 of his special
school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #84 "Stumak and a Fool"
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We met with Passinchance and Raybit at the venue. Zander wasn't with
us then. It was a live media event, so the contestants were interviewed
first. I was asked, "How long have you been playing?" I said "I haven't
played it yet. I'll tell you later this evening after we're done." She
said, "I meant before this." I said "This my first time. I have never
played this game before." That surprised them into silence. One asked,
"Then how do you know you can play it?" I said "I looked at the rules
yesterday, and some games which had already been played. So, I should
know how to play it now." He said "Just yesterday?" I said "Yes. That
was when I first heard about the game." One asked, "Being so new to it,
why do you want to play?" I grinned and said, "The same reason you all
compete. To compete! I tried other competitions, and now I want to do
something different. I was told this was a difficult game, so here I
am. The more difficult it is, the better I like it." They, and the
whole crowd, really appreciated that, which I knew they would. My
opponent didn't. In fact, he couldn't help showing his anger at me and
the whole situation. He told his reporters, "If this rank amateur
thinks he can come here and make a fool of us, then he is twice the
fool." I said to him, "Only a fool makes a fool of himself. One can't
do that to another. So, if this shows you to be a fool, instead of me,
it is not I who caused it, but yourself. Instead of heated words, why
don't we let the game decide that for all to see?" By their reaction,
he saw the crowd was very much on my side. Hawk and Rose were almost
strangling, trying to suppress their laugher. Passinchance was amazed,
and Raybit was even more impressed. They knew what I was doing. Often,
a competition is decided before it starts, by psychological
manipulation, the so called, psych-out. My opponent was helping that
along, very nicely.
Before the start of the game, the Games Master came to me with a
truth teller, and said, "My apologies, but there has been an official
enquiry about the truth of some of your statements." I said "By whom?"
He said "Your opponent. Will you answer the questions he asked?" I said
"Sure. If he answers mine." He said "Agreed. Proceeding. Have you ever
played Stumak before?" I said "I have not." He said "Did you first
learn of Stumak yesterday?" I said "Yes. That's when my friend and
agent Passinchance mentioned it to me." He said "Do you think you can
play the game?" I said "I think so, but I won't know until I try." He
said "Fair answer." He said to my opponent, "No lies. Does that satisfy
your requirements?" My opponent said, very reluctantly, "Yes. Thank
you." The crowd applauded. I was asked, "And your questions for your
opponent?" I said "Just one. Evidence is building up, so please ask him
how long he's been a fool." The audience howled with laughter, and the
Games Master almost choked, and dropped his machine. When he could, he
picked it up, and then asked for another one. Then he went to ask the
question. My opponent said very angrily, he had never been a fool. The
GM looked at the machine, and up and around, and said, "Official
laughter. The GM came to me and said, "Do you accept the result, and
agree to the match?" I said "Yes. Sure. I'll play anybody who can do
well. As long as he doesn't do anything really disgusting, like chewing
on his own er, body parts in public." The GM choked again, and the
audience laughed even louder. My opponent yelled, "I won't do that!" I
said "Good. Wait till you get home." More laugher.
The Games Master announced, "Because one competitor is new to the
game, and has requested this, there will be two games. Only the second
game will have official results. Therefore the first game will have no
sanctioned betting, except private bets between the competitors, if
they wish it." Then he said to us, "Do you wish to place a bet on this
first game?" I said "Sure. Can we make both of them now?" He said "You
can, but you can modify the bet for the second game at any time before
it starts, if both competitors agree to the terms." I said to my
opponent, "So, how much have you got?" He said "You actually want to
bet against me?" I said "Well, I sure didn't plan to bet against
forget any of this very interesting time." I think he would have ground
his teeth together into a fine powder if he could. He said "I will bet
ten thousand." I said "Is that it? I just gave my friend that amount
because his balance looked a little lonely. How cheap do you want to
look?" He looked really upset, and then said, "Alright, you asked for
it. 100,000 you lose the first game. 1 million you lose the second." I
said "Well, I suppose so, but still cheap. When you want to make it
more interesting, let me know. What odds?" He said "I can't lose. 10 to
one, your favor." I said "If that's what you want, me betting a
million, and getting 10 million from you if I don't lose the second
game, I accept." He said "I accept." I said "Let's get the GM to show
each other we can cover the bets, and reserve the amount." I moved my
wrist with the credit disk to the GM's portable terminal, and it
burped. He said "Covered and reserved." He did that with my opponent
and announced, "Not covered, and projected default for the second game.
You have registered the bet with us, so winnings are assured, if not by
you, then by us. If you default on the bet, you will have committed a
serious crime, and will be required to make restitution to us, from
prison, and then be banned from this planet for life."
My opponent looked really afraid and said, "I didn't realize I had
registered it with you." The GM said, "Nevertheless, you have."
Opponent yelled at me, "YOU! You did this!" I said "I have never
personally placed a monetary bet, anywhere in this life, before now. I
can't be responsible for not knowing the fine points of betting here. I
just did what seemed reasonable, and left it to the system to be fair
and responsible, which looks like it is. I suggest you don't insult our
hosts by saying it isn't." That really made him afraid. He said to the
GM, "May I confer with my friends about this er, difficulty?" He said
"You may have 5 minutes. Then there will be a ruling." He rushed off to
plead with his friends to loan him the money. They were very reluctant,
but agreed to it. I said in a loud whisper to the GM, which because of
the mikes, the audience could also hear, "I can hear them. They are
going to give him the money. They weren't talking about me when the
word 'fool' was said a lot." He choked again, and the audience laughed
right on cue. He came back and the bet was covered and reserved.
Stumak is a game of strategy, like chess, but with space ships of
different types, 200 of them on each side, in a 3D tank of stars and
nebulae. There were a lot of different combinations of moves possible,
and you had to know all the weapons, such as their range and
deadliness. It usually takes a lifetime to be very good at it, and I
was facing the best in the history of the game. I had total recall,
superior control, and a stratospheric IQ. I figured the odds were in my
favor. The funny thing was, the first game was going to be much more
difficult, because I was going for a draw. I was wiggling my fingers as
we approached the small tank. There were much larger 3D tanks of the
game on either side of us, which the audience could see, which we could
use to study things closer. The touch control surface was made of glass
about 24cm square. The rules said you could make as many moves as you
wanted to, as long as one part of your skin or fingernail (or claw) was
in contact with the plate. The moment there was no contact, your turn
ended. You win when you have englobed the other fleet, or otherwise
immobilized them, or have destroyed enough of them so that the opponent
couldn't possibly win and should resign. If a speed game ends before
any of that, a judging panel declares a draw or a clear winner. Games
can last for days. I was fine with that, but thought it was a waste of
time. As we sat down, I said, "Can we make both of them speed games?
I've got plans for tonight, for some REAL fun." Some laughter. My
opponent grinned and said, "Fine with me. I agree." I said "Good.
Thanks." He said "Don't you know it makes the game more difficult?" I
said "I suppose so, but it's still fun. Or will be if you try to cheer
up a little. It's a GAME! We're supposed to have FUN at it." He said
"All that money makes it serious." I said "Not to me. It makes it more
fun. Besides, I can get any of it I want to." He looked surprised and
said, "Oh!"
I looked at the GM, and he said, "Ready to begin the choice of
turns?" I said "We don't need to bother with that. Looks like my
opponent needs a pickup. He can choose." He did, and moved first.
Unfortunately for him, he took 5 minutes to arrange his ships so
carefully. That meant he had only ten minutes left for him to use. I
learned his positions and tactics in a second, and calculated my reply
in another second, and then wiggled my fingers on the plate for another
second, and then said, "Oh! It's not working now." My opponent said,
"That's because you lifted your hands from the plate. Your turn stops
then." I said "Right. Thanks. I wouldn't mind any more advice you could
give me. Good luck on your next move." He was really bothered by that,
but tried not to show it. I could tell the officials and audience loved
it. My opponent studied the tank for two minutes, and then the big tank
for another minute. Then he came back and moved his fingers on the
plate for another minute. Then it was my turn. I said "Oh, that looks
pretty, all lined up that way. You even matched the colors!" He said
"Do you think you should be wasting playing time in conversation like
this?" I said "Oh. Right. Thanks again." I moved my ships all over, and
then paused, and then moved most of them back so fast he wouldn't
notice some I had left in some odd places. I had used one minute. He
had six left. So far, neither of us had lost a ship. Then he spent all
six minutes he had left attacking my ships and destroying them, paying
little attention to their final positions, assuming I wouldn't be good
enough to take out enough of his ships to make him lose in the time I
had left. At my turn, I did a complicated move with my fingers in speed
time, and then lifted them and did some more fingering on the plate,
and then said, "Did it again. Well, this will just have to stand." To
those who know the game, it was an obvious draw.
My opponent saw that, and said, "Ha! A draw. Nobody wins, so the bet
is invalidated!" The GM said, "It is indeed a draw. Do you agree with
your opponent regarding the bet?" I said "No, I don't. The bet was
worded so that he would win the bet if I lost. I didn't lose. A draw
isn't a loss. I didn't win the game, but I won the bet." My opponent
said "I protest! The GM said, "A moment." He went to confer with the
judges, and they played back the conversation around the bet. He came
back and said to me, "We have reviewed the recording. You are correct.
You have won the bet for the first game." The audience applauded and
cheered. The GM said, "You may have ten minutes before the next game
begins." I said "Thank you." I said to my opponent, "I am willing to
change the terms of the bet to exclude a draw or stalemate, if you
agree to double the bet. That will make it REALLY interesting." He said
"Excuse me." He want to his friends to discuss it. Even the audience
could hear some of the screams, and laughed. He actually found one of
those who are said to be born every minute, to advance him the credit.
He came back and said, "I agree to doubling the amount." I said "Same
other terms?" He said "Yes, I agree." I said "Then I agree as well." We
called over the GM and I said, "We would like to modify the bet for the
next game. The amounts are doubled, and nobody wins the bet if a draw
or stalemate is declared. To this I agree." My opponent said, "I
agree." The GM said "So it is recorded. Present your disks." We did,
and the amounts were covered and reserved.
The game started, and I let him choose. He went first, and spent
three minutes moving his ships very conservatively. That's what all the
foreplay was about. To get him to take the game to just that level of
seriousness, and no more and no less. He did just what I wanted him to
do, so I could go for the equivalent of a fool's mate in chess. I
programmed my fingers for the right very complicated moves, and then
brushed them across the plate very fast. Then I leaned back, and waited
for the result to be noticed. My opponent was staring at the tank and
uselessly fingering the locked sensing plate. The big screen on the
stage already showed the results. I had won. His ships were all
blocked. He couldn't move any of them, while I could still move some of
mine. Then he figured out that I had won. He said in shock, "How did
you do that?" I said "Very well, I think. Thank you for asking." The
audience started laughing. Then the GM announced that I had won, and
they applauded and cheered very loudly. I and my opponent stood and
bowed to each other, to the GM, and then to the audience.
Then the fool who had given my opponent the extra money, made a
piercing blood curdling scream, and rushed the stage with his claws
extended, clearly intent on ripping the face off my opponent, who was
probably too old and infirm to defend himself well. I ran to be in
front of him, and made my voice super powerful with Ki, and said to the
attacker, "HOLD!" He actually stopped for a second. I said "You are
three times the fool, for giving him more to lose. Don't blame him for
that. Blame yourself." Then he tried to attack ME. I dropped and swept
his legs out from under him, and rolled over and put him in an advanced
hammerlock he was powerless to resist. Then some very big guards came
and took him away. I said to the GM, "I'm sorry for the disruption." He
said "Not at all. You saved yourself and your opponent from serious
injury. Am I to assume you compete in other, more physically active
sports?" I told him what I had won the past two days, and he was VERY
impressed. Then he went and announced that to the audience, who
applauded and cheered some more. My opponent came over to me and said,
"He would have succeeded in killing me if it hadn't been for you. Thank
you for my life. In a way, I'm glad you won. I was a fool. A complete
fool, and deserved to lose." The audience heard all that, and liked it.
More when he raised my arm in victory. I said to the audience, "I think
we all learned some things today. Some important lessons. Good
sportsmanship isn't just the right way for competition, it's the best
way to live your life. Please honor my opponent and new friend, for
being graceful in defeat. May he win many more with honor!" They
applauded and cheered him. When we were leaving the stage, he said, "I
didn't deserve that." I said "Then make it so you deserve it in the
future." He looked at me with a lot of respect, and said, "Thank you,
sir. I plan to."
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Grant
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