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From: " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.prettyboy
Subject: +*+*+*+ Stephen's Secure Blog #142 "Geode Idea" +*+*+*+
Date: 27 Feb 2013 17:26:37 -0600
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Stephen's Secure Blog #142
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 15 in this story, in Spring of year 5 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #142 "Geode Idea"
START Page
We had a lot of meetings with the Confed people, and planet offices,
for two weeks. The result was that some information about Earth and the
GC was released, and about Attin Lantos ReyMu. Over the objections of
the Confed military, the local government released some edited videos
of how I was treated, and my meetings with the un-admirable admirals.
All of those releases stirred up some controversy. Few people in any of
the governments wanted to make public comments about any of it. I made
some public appearances, and some of those included facing reporters. I
was asked why I came ahead to their world. I said "I provided Captain
Krack with the information he needed and asked for, about the Galactic
Council, and the worlds in it. I thought it would be useful to have the
same information about the Confederation, so I could know what I was
doing when I arrived here, and make less mistakes. Isn't that what any
of you would do if you had my responsibility, and had the chance?" I
was asked, "Wasn't your going to the Confed station first, a mistake,
because of the way they treated you?" I said "No, it was not a mistake
for us to be on the station. It was a required situation for us, or we
could have been thought to have been invaders. Captain Krack had to
obey regulations and orders, and I agreed with and supported that." A
question, "Were you surprised at how you were treated there?" I said
"With the little time I had to learn about things here, well, was it a
surprise to YOU?" They showed it wasn't. I said "It wasn't to me,
either, because I had been told by the people I asked, that it would
happen." Question, "You went there knowing you were going to be treated
badly, and maybe even killed?" I said "Yes, I expected what happened,
and possibly worse. I know what you're thinking. Wasn't that very
foolish of me? I would say to that, personally, it was. Professionally,
it was necessary, and so I did what I should do."
Another kind of frequent question was, "If you're an artist, how can
you be an ambassador?" I said with a smile, "Very well, I hope. But I
do know what you mean. How many of you have children?" A lot did. I
said "Do you consider being a parent to be a very important
occupation?" They did. I said, "Then how can you be a reporter, too?" A
few didn't get it. I said "A person can be many things. In fact we all
are. Nobody does just one thing. In the course of a lifetime, we can
learn many occupations, and do many things. Some do. I'm one of those
people. It doesn't make me a better or worse person, but it sure does
make me busy! In fact, I should be going to do some of those things
now. Thank you for reminding me." After that, that question wasn't
asked much.
Everything I was doing as an ambassador was being recorded and given
to Hoechess, Hissssner, and to the government of Posintan. I met with
them once a week to discuss events. Two more weeks passed, and I was
working less and less as ambassador, despite frequent requests by the
PA for assistance in cleaning up his military. Then two more weeks
passed, and I was called to testify to the Assembly. I was prepared in
advance for what I thought they might do. After introductions, the
chairman of the committee said, "I find it difficult to believe some of
your claims." I was silent. Then he said, "You have no comment?" I said
"I am politely waiting for a question." He cleared his throat and said,
"Please comment on my statement." I said "I am not a Priest, and so am
not qualified to comment on the state of your beliefs." He looked
confused. Somebody whispered in his ear, that I might not be familiar
with the language. I said "I heard what he just said to you. I am an
expert in your language, and the major language of every planet in the
Confederation with which I am physically compatible." He said "I don't
believe you!" I said "A logical person would consider your comment
evidence of irrationality, for disbelieving what can be so easily
proved. Do you do that often?" He said "I will not accept insults!" I
said "Then why do you give them? Or do you not consider publicly
calling another person a liar, which you just did to me, an insult?"
His jaw dropped open. Then he said "I did not do that!" I said "You
said to me, 'I don't believe you.' I think all here understands that to
mean that you are saying I lied, which means I'm a liar. It's
interesting that you might think I know less of this language than you
do, when it is very obvious that I know more." He looked like he was
about to explode. I said "Before you damage yourself in your misplaced
anger, I have a solution to your disbelief problem. Bring a truth
telling instrument here, and have it focused on all of us. Then we all
shall know, including the public, who is lying, and who is not."
Somebody requested the meeting be adjourned, and it was.
The video of the meeting was immediately run on the local news. I was
admired, and and my opponent was definitely not. It was supposed to
have been a closed session. They tried in vain to find cameras at the
calculated points of view for them. I wasn't unhappy about their
frustration about that.
While all that was going on, I helped Zander modify his new school
building, and installed my inventions, including 4th power systems,
blue light cleaners, and food servers, and showed everybody how to
program them. I did the same things to the condos across the street,
after I decided to purchase both the buildings. I encouraged the
remaining tenants to sell and move, by offering twice what their
apartments were worth. After some persuasion, and help buying new
places for them to live, we had the buildings all to ourselves. I made
offices and meeting rooms on the first floor, which had a controlled
entry. And a gym and locker rooms. And a Port-All center, just like the
school had. I combined some of the apartments, so people could live
communally if they wanted to, and it turned out that they did. I told
Pashit, Guardian Leader of Posintan, and the President, of the children
that I would accept as students. The parents of two of them were
convinced to send them to Zander's school. I found another student of
Hahchet's people, a woman, and she came to the school. The mother of
the astroid mining company's daughter finally agreed to send her to the
school, after Hissssner talked at her. I told him about two more
students, and he said he would work on getting them into the school.
Zander was enjoying himself tremendously, which I, and all his
students, liked very much. He didn't complain about the extra hugs,
either.
I was asked to go back to the Assembly. I sent them a note, and
announced it on an interview for TV news, that I would speak to them
only with a truth teller there, verifying everything. I didn't hear
anything from them after that. On another TV interview, I said "Does
anybody not know why they want to have closed sessions and no truth
tellers present? I don't know why your people allow them to work for
YOU in secret from you, and refuse to show they are being honest. In
fact, if they don't want anything which will show how honest they are,
anywhere near them, well, I can think of only one reason for that. It
would be impolite for me to say it, but we all think it." I was asked,
"Are the meetings of the Galactic Council open to the public?" I said
"By visitor's gallery, and live and archived transmission, yes, the
public can see and hear what happens in the Galactic Council. The
ratings for that are a dismal failure. People just aren't interested in
watching politicians say boring things to each other. However, if those
channels were to stop broadcasting, there would be a lot of complaints,
because in a representative system, openness of the process is the only
thing which keeps it from being abused by those in power." He said "How
many languages do you know?" I said "I can't answer that simply,
because I don't know how you define knowing a language. Do you include
reading and writing, and not just listening and speaking, for instance?
And there are some I can't speak because I don't have the equipment for
it. I'll say it this way. When I need to know a language, I learn it,
and fast." He said "I see you need specifics. Alright, how fast did it
take for you to learn the language we are speaking now?" I said "Is
that truth teller still on?" He said it was. I said "Good. With the
help of a some fancy equipment, I learned to speak, read, and write
this language as fluently as I can speak it now, in about half a
minute." He was astounded, and after looking at the instrument, he
announced, "Truth!"
He said "That's amazing! Can that equipment help anybody learn a
language that fast?" I said "Some, almost. It depends on how
intelligent the person is, and how much of a talent for languages they
have." He said "So, how fast would it be for the average person?" I
said "For those of average intelligence and talent, up to two weeks.
But they won't be fully proficient for a few months after that." Be
don't know of an existing device which can measure it. The instruments
of the Confederation and the Galactic Council just report that my
intelligence is above their range. I haven't cared to find out what
their range is. It's more than a little embarrassing." He said in
wonder, "I can imagine! Are all your people that intelligent?" I said
"If you mean my species, their intelligence has the same variance in
range and percentage as your species does." He said "Oh. So you're
am I to know that? I don't have access to the individual records of
everybody. That would be an invasion of privacy." He said "I see. We're
out of time. Will you come back again?" I said "If my schedule
permits." We said our goodbyes, and after the show, we did that
personally.
At a meeting with the Museum curator, he said "The bids on your
paintings are fantastic!" I said "Then I suppose we aren't
complaining." His grin was so wide he couldn't say anything. I said
"Well, after this session closes, would you like some more for another
bidding frenzy?" He tried to stay calm, but didn't make it, when he
said "Absolutely!" I said "That could mean yes. I found another big
crystal which looks nice. Want to see it?" He said "Sure!" I ported a
1.6 meter tall varicolored gem quality tourmaline, to stand beside his
desk. While his eyes were almost popping out, I said, "Donation." He
said "Wow!" I said "I think that means you like and want it." He said
"Yes it does!" I said "I thought about carving it, but couldn't think
of what to do. Until just now, actually." He said, all full of
curiosity, "What did you think of?" I said "A spiral ascending grove in
the crystal, with little miners in full relief in it, doing the carving
for me, with gold and platinum tools and accessories. But if I do that,
you don't get the crystal." He actually cried. It was my turn to say
wow. I went around his desk and hugged him, and said, "I'm sorry! I
didn't know it would affect you like that. It's alright, I can do that
on another crystal. I'll find others, eventually." He recovered and
said, "I didn't know I would react like that, either. I would
definitely like to see it, when you do it. A crystal with miners, wow!
We would HAVE to have that. What an exhibit that would make!"
can you make room on your desk for something big?" He shoved most of it
off onto the floor in a hurry. I said "Wow! I guess you can." He
grinned. I ported something to sit on his desk, facing him. It was half
of a spectacular amethyst geode, resting vertically, with the cracked
open face where he could see it, about 34cm high. There were cave
explorers and miners inside it, and repelling down from the top, in
gold and platinum. They were lifelike, and doing some interesting
things, including arguing with each other. One was even sneaking up on
another, behind him. He stared it, entranced, and strange expressions
crossed his face. I said "I just hatched another idea. How about I make
a bunch of small ones for the kids, with copper and zinc people doing
things like that? You sell them in the gift shop, and we split the
proceeds. Here is a sample." He said "I love you." I said "I bet you
say that to all the people who donate gigantic geodes with miners." He
couldn't help laughing. He said "I didn't mean to embarrass you. You
have a great idea, and if you are willing, I can't say no." I said "Oh,
and that big one is a donation. I can make all the little ones you
want, after I set my scanner to find the right kind of geodes, but you
will have to make up the packaging. Let me know when you want them, and
where, and you will have them." He said "I'll do it. But what about
after you leave?" I said "Calls to me will reach me anywhere in the
galaxy, in real time, and I can travel that way too, in body or by
projection. One more thing. After my official departure, you can
release all else you think you should, of er, her, if your government
can't make that decision themselves." He said "I'll do that. Thank you,
and thank you for everything else." I said "Well, I absolutely LOVE
museums, and naturally, all the people who make them happen." We hugged
with love.
END Page
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Grant
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