Stephen's Secure Blog #87
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 14 in this story, in the spring of year 4 of his special
school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #87 "Plans and Plans"
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Zander wanted me to go with him when he went to tell Hissssner about
the Stumak match. We took his flyer. In his art room, Zander told him
about what we had been doing since the last visit, and gave him the
crystals of my fight on the Tsuriss world, and what Rose and I did on
Posintan. He was amazed and said a few wows, and actually fell out out
of his chair laughing at what happened at the Stumak match. When he
recovered, he said, "It's amazing that you became a master at Stumak in
one day." I said "Would be if I did, but I didn't. Not even a good
I played HIM. I learned just enough Stumak to do that." He said "Oh!" I
said "Often we don't set the right goals. His usually was to play well,
expecting that would enable him to win. My goal was to win, with
whatever was within the rules, which didn't necessarily have to be
restricted to the actual game. I had the more realistic and practical
goal, and I planned the whole encounter, after doing research. That's
how and why I won." He grinned and said, "That you did." I said, "We
thought you should know about it, as President, before the news of it
gets here, so you can decide in advance what you want to do about it,
if anything. After all, I'm a loyal citizen. Occasionally." He laughed,
and said, "Thank you."
Hissssner said, "The museum has been in contact with me, which you
knew would happen. You have impressed them er, severely, in a number of
ways. We have decided to make it a joint project, and agree to your
terms for the Plaza Light Sculpture, at one year exclusivity. Your
arrangement to sell the miniatures to support the museum, is too good
to pass up." I said "Thank you. We'll do the three years for the big
one, at the same price, if that's alright with you." He grinned and
said, "No complaints here!" I said "Let me know when you want the big
event to happen. I assume you want to make the best of the occasion."
He said "Absolutely. How much notice do you need?" I said "No less than
20 days from now, and not until at least after 6 days after I'm allowed
to erect a covered private space to work in there, which will remain
covered until the presentation. No person, and no instrument, will be
able to see inside. On the outside will be my name, and the words
'Artist at Work Occasionally. Please Don't Embarrass Me by Peeking'."
They both laughed. Zander said, "You know that will make them try." I
said "Sure. You want interest. That will do it, and then some. So the
area will be roped off and guarded. I'm sure the planet can afford
that." Hissssner said "Yes. All that is great. You must have been a
showman in some life." I said "Not that I remember, but there is always
a first time. I'll also put a notice about museum sponsorship on it,
after conferring with them. I think your media people can handle the
rest of the promotion."
I said "It could be interesting if this happens after the news of my
wins on Posintan arrives here. You might want to consider that in
making your plans." He said "Oh yes, we will! Did you plan that?" I
said "The wins, yes. I sure didn't plan to lose! I didn't plan the trip
there because of the sculpture I didn't know you were going to buy. It
was the right time to get more students for Zander, and the schools
always have priority with me. I used the competitions to attract the
students. It worked. There will be two more who will be ready next
year."
I said "How did your guests like the plates?" He grinned really wide
and said, "We are the envy of the galaxy. At least among useless
important people. Almost all of them want you to make plates for their
own parties." I said "I'm not in the mood to make any more. I hope that
doesn't ruin your plans." He said to Zander, "See? I knew it." He said
to me, "I thought so. No artist of your abilities would want to, after
what you went through this time. That's why I didn't have them contact
you." I said "And not because you wanted exclusivity?" He said "Well,
there is that, too." I said "This time, I don't mind. Just not again."
I said "I have decided. I will not entertain questions from the media
at the event. There will be available documents about the sculpture and
how to operate it. I will remove its cover, and turn it on, and be
gone." Hissssner said "But why?" I said "Because I don't lie, and they
will ask questions which shouldn't be answered, such as about my
undocumented traveling. They will then investigate me further, and
discover my connection to the school, and they will investigate that,
which would cause us to move it offplanet to avoid persecution. That
would be very bad for the students, and the other schools as well." He
looked disappointed, but said, "I understand. What will you do if the
school is raided?" I said "That depends on who is there and what the
raiders do. The students will evacuate to emergency quarters. There are
a lot of now empty Van stations around the galaxy, which we have
allowed to keep operating. We don't lack places for to go." He said
"Their technology?" I said "Their matter transmitters are destroyed. We
sure didn't want them popping up there in the middle of supper! Bad for
digestion." They laughed.
I said "Here's a question for you. How much are their giant starships
worth on the market, stripped of advanced technology?" Hissssner said
"Hundreds of millions, maybe even billions. No! You have them?" I said
"Er, yes, and they're becoming a bit of a nuisance. We've got got a
bunch, and don't know what to do with them. We have made an agreement
with a friend who is willing to act as an agent in the sale of one, but
I don't know if he can, or would want to, handle 20 of them." He said
"Wow!" I nodded. He said "I don't know who would want even one of them,
but they could be useful as cores for astroid mining stations." Zander
said "Or as Approach Control stations." I said "Well, if you have any
ideas, please let me know. We wouldn't want anything still useful to
somebody be wasted. We won't modify them more than we already have. We
have some in parking orbits now, and some are still slowing down from
high percentage of light speed. Oh, and we can deliver them anywhere,
in a short time, so the agent must be trustworthy." Hissssner said "So
you are confirming that you have matter transmitters of your own, big
enough to transport something that size?" I said, very casually, "No."
He laughed. I said "I think we have a misunderstanding. What we do,
isn't compatible with how you describe it. Practically any way you
would try to, just won't work for us." Zander said "I've seen some of
that in action, and I still don't understand it, and probably never
will." I said to him, "Never is a very long time." He said "That's
true. And there is your short lifespan." I said "In general, yes. For
me, well, I will live as long as I need to, and no more, and no less.
When I leave this body, I will not return." He said "Do you know when?"
I said "Yes. But it won't be at least until I tell the GC Assembly some
things about the Restricted classification, and other things they might
not want to hear." He looked surprised and almost said something. I
said "Speculation on that would be unwise." He said "I just realized
that."
Hissssner was looking back and forth between us, but obviously
decided not to ask about it. I said "Something just happened. A very
clear premonition. My house is going to be raided by the police looking
for the illegal drugs they will plant in the raid. Set off by a
political enemy of yours. I will record everything, and you will have
some pretty pictures to play with." He said "Wow! When will it happen?"
I said "That isn't clear, except it will be some time after the light
sculpture event. I already know how I will manage the situation. The
only interesting part of it for me, will be using it as a teaching
exercise." Zander said "Absolutely interesting! He did that with the
Stumak game, in helping them tell each other how and why he did things.
Amazing!" I said "Well, I like teaching. That, and sex, are mostly the
only fun things I do. Oh, well, maybe you should think a little more
before embarrassing me again. Anyway, imagine the police captain
standing in front of me, searching through his clothing for the warrant
he can't find." They laughed. I said "There will be more, and a part of
our technology we haven't used in sixty years." Hissssner said "Oh?" I
said "We've never needed to use it exactly this way before. I'll call
it personal projection, this time. Want to see?" They both nodded. Then
another me was standing beside my chair, who said, "Which one is the
real me?" And I said, "Is it me?" Then we both said, "Or are we both
just projections?" Then the other me vanished. I said "Don't look so
surprised. You already knew we could project images. This is just a
little more sophisticated application of that." He said "It still
deserves a wow." I said "Well, if you insist." He laughed
We said our farewells and left, to go to the school. There, I said to
Zander, "Where do you want the Port-All to be?" He said, "Ah! For
escape? A central location toward the back. Here. Will it fit behind
the doorframe of this closet?" I said "Not a good place. If somebody
closed the door, you won't be able to port back. Against a wall, or in
an open doorway would be best." We found a good place nearby, and I
ported the parts to me from my 4th storage, and assembled it. Then I
ported us to the former Van main station in the system, and assembled
the other Port-All. I showed him the other Port-Alls which were there,
and told him which ones went to the other stations in the system, and
the one which went to the central station in the Earth's Moon. I tested
the ones I had set up, and they worked. I said "Now we have to decide
how the one in the school should be activated. It shouldn't be open all
the time, or somebody, or animal, might get a big accidental surprise.
I can set it to only work for Adepts, and the people who are in
physical contact with one, or to be activated by a crystal key which is
within 1 meter of the frame." He said "Can you do both?" I said "Done."
He said "I'll tell the students." I said "Also tell them not to go
exploring through the other frames, or they might cause some
disturbances, and maybe even get lost. We who captured these stations
don't need them, but we also know it's often a good thing to have a
backup in place for unforeseen emergencies." He said "Wise." I gave him
the activation key
Back at the school, I had a conference with Hawk and Rose, and
brought them up to date. Then I gave them the specifications for the
personal projection technique. I said "Just remember, it's a bad thing
to copy anybody without their informed consent. It's also not nice to
fake your presence to people, unless it's required for action against
an enemy." Rose said "We know. You didn't have to tell us that." I said
"I know. I just wanted to hear how it sounded, if I have to say it
again." They grinned and hugged and kissed me.
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Grant
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