Stephen's Secure Blog #149
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 Summer, after the end of year 5 of his
special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #149 "More Ships"
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It happened again! A Confed military ship started to enter the
Zichesshich system. I knew, because I was watching for that, just like
others of us were using background processes to watch the other GC
systems for that. We didn't know how many ships were set to do that,
before we cleaned up the military. I didn't use the radio this time, or
Orbital Control would have eventually picked it up. So I made an
invisible 4th speaker and vibrated it to make my voice come out of it,
and said, "Attention! You are entering a system of the Galactic
Council. Military ships of the Confederation are not authorized to do
that, by the government of this system or by the Confederation itself.
If you don't vector away, your approach may be considered an act of
war. If you speak, I will hear it. Your response please." The Captain
motioned his people to silence. I said "Captain Fatcharb, I can see
you, and what you just did, and it is being recorded, and sent to the
government of this system. I suggest you explain yourself." Silence. I
said "Would you like me to come aboard and talk to you directly about
this?" He said "Yes. Please do that." I made my projection show up
there, and had it reflect light, so it would be visible to cameras. The
first officer said in surprise, "Stephen!" I said "Yes. I see you
recognize me, although I haven't met you before. So, Captain, why are
you here?" He said "I was ordered to by Admiral Ninconpt." I said "He
has been relieved of all duties and is awaiting trial. Nobody of the
Confed military is authorized to order an invasion of the territory of
another organization of stars, without permission of the Assembly. If
you turn away now and report back to your station, you personally won't
be prosecuted. If you decide to continue this course and plan, you will
be stopped, and you will face charges. Your PA doesn't want his
subordinates starting wars on their own. I think that's very
reasonable, and I support that position. Comments?"
He said "I will follow my current orders." I said "I suggest you
review the file on this memory card. I'll play it for you now." It was
the former Admiral and the PA saying what I had said. I said "Have you
changed your mind?" He said "No." I said "Despite that a recording of
this between us is being sent as it happens to the government of this
system, and will be sent to your own government?" He said "I will obey
my orders as I know them, and not what you say." I said "There is
another file on the card. Here it is." What I played back, was an
authorization, and a request, that all unauthorized invading ships be
destroyed, to avoid war. I said "Do you really want you, and all your
people on board, to die for no good purpose?" He said "I don't believe
you." I said "And you don't believe your superiors? That's mutiny. And
can lead to the deaths of your crew-members. They know this, because
our conversation is being played to them in every room of this ship. I
suggest you change your mind and do what your new orders tell you to
do." He didn't. Instead, he took a gun out of a drawer and shot me. The
energy beam went through my projection, and hit a closed door behind
me. I said "Now we add attempted murder to your list of crimes. What
you see of me is just a projection. I'm not actually here in body. I'll
give you one last chance to turn away from this system." He just stood
there. I said "I'm turning off your fusion generator. Now your
secondary power. Now emergency power. I am providing light to this
room, but there isn't any in the rest of the ship but from hand
instruments. At the speed and course your ship is now traveling, you
will strike an asteroid and be demolished. Before then, you will
probably have problems breathing, so you might not notice the impact. I
will stay here for five more minutes. When I leave, you will not be
able to contact me to tell me about your change of plans."
30 seconds passed in silence. The First Officer cleared her throat,
and said, "Captain, he has shown his power and made his point. You may
wish to die with the ship, and I would follow you, but for the sake of
our crew, I recommend we do as he directs." He said "No, I will not. I
do not accept his authority!" She said to me, "Do you have the power to
act against an individual on this ship?" I said "I do, but I will not
interfere with free choice. He must be free to choose his own path,
just as YOU are." She nodded. Then she said, "Captain Fatcharb, I
hereby relieve you of command, for acting in violation of known
commands of higher authority, and endangering the ship the lives of the
crew. Lieutenant, Commander, please restrain him." They went to him,
and he was about to resist. I said "He is not now able to resist you.
It is safe to approach him." They did, and used his belt to tie his
hands behind him. I said "Emergency power is restored. I suggest he be
removed, before he creates a disturbance." While that was happening,
the Acting Captain said to me, "Sir, I apologize for our Captain. Most
of us are not like he is." I said "Accepted, and I know that. When you
return, you will find your military to be much smaller than it was, but
of much better quality. What are your plans of the moment?" She said
"If you will restore our power, we will see to it that we do not stay
in this system any longer than necessary to leave it." I said "Power is
restored. Yours is not the first Confed military ship we have had to
turn away from a GC system. I and my group are not of the GC or the
Confed. We are neutral, but we will NOT allow war between any star
systems. As you see, we can and will act on that determination." She
smiled and said, "You won't hear a word of disapproval from ME, sir!" I
said with a smile, "I wasn't looking to. A recording of this will
arrive before you do at your headquarters. I'll be leaving now, but be
assured that we will be watching." I discontinued the projection from
the feet up, to make it look different from porting away.
I delivered the recording to the three GC planets, and to Misnok.
Then a week later, the expected ship from Misnok arrived in the system.
I ported to it as soon as it was slow enough, and renewed
acquaintances, and gave them the news about the other ship. They were
angry, as expected. I said "The planet is prepared. The public hasn't
been told about the bad things, but the government knows. How you want
to work your arrival is up to you. I can stay and introduce you to
Orbital Control, and maybe to the President, or you can do all that on
your own. Either way is fine with me." They asked me to stay, so I did.
When we were near enough, I said to the comm, "This is Stephen, on a
ship of the planet Misnok of the Confederation, requesting diplomatic
contact on their behalf." I repeated that, and then came the reply,
"Welcome, Stephen. I will transfer you to our diplomatic service, who
will transfer you back to me for orbit and landing coordination when
they are through with the formalities. Thank you for your service to
the GC and our world." I said "I didn't expect all that. Er, you're
picture came on, and I made introductions, and a Misnok diplomat took
my place. The others in the room couldn't help smiling at my
embarrassment.
After a lot of talking back and forth, it was decided the ship would
remain in parking orbit for a day, while things were prepared for them
on the planet. I stayed with them, and we had a good time as friends.
They decided the ship would stay for two months, to help establish the
embassy, before returning. I said "It would be best to limit my
involvement in this as much as possible. You know more of what I and my
associates can do than is good for everybody, and I don't want that to
spread here. I am known here, a little too much already, as a popular
artist, and that will take away some of your prestige, to have me
involved with what you will be doing." The Ambassador said "I
understand, but for us, we don't care about that." He grinned at my
expression. He said, "However, for the sake of your feelings on this, I
agree." He laughed at my evident relief. I went down in the first
shuttle trip with them, and there were ceremonies and speeches. I was
asked to say something, "I've done my job in bringing our two worlds
together in peace. Now, if you don't mind, I can go back to my ordinary
life of, well, whatever I was doing before this. If only I could
have fun together." I left.
I was swimming in my pool, when Hawk and Rose dove in and joined me.
After a wile we went to the bubble area. I played my water people
sculpture for them, which they had wows for. Hawk said "I had
Harditch." I produced an instant boner, which made them laugh. Rose
said, "I see your interest, and I raise you two." And she played with
my nuts. I had to laugh at her pun. Hawk said "She was great, but would
have been better if she hadn't been thinking of you the whole time." I
laughed so hard I almost choked. When I could, I said, "You didn't tell
her that, did you?" He grinned. I said "Oh no!" He said "It just made
her laugh." I laughed some more. Then I said "I'd better stay away from
her, until my first time." Rose said "It won't be long." I said,
looking down, "It already is." They laughed. We got out of the pool,
and got dry, and in the padded part of the floor, they worked long and
hard to make it not long and hard. We were successful, at least
temporarily, and very tired when we finished, but very happy.
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Grant
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