Stephen's Secure Blog #159
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 Winter, of year 6 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #159 "Guardhome"
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I had a meeting with Zander at my house on Zichesshich. He told me
about the students. I said "No problems with the Confed people?" He
grinned and said, "None at all. The Tsuriss boys see to that.
Powerhouses of love. So are the Hopchers. In fact, their Guardians are
welcome at the school any time. You caused it. They, more than any
Guardians but your own, simply adore you." I said, a little
embarrassed, which amused him, "Actually, I didn't. It's all due to
their own nature. All I did was to show them my own similar nature. So,
in effect, they are actually adoring themselves. And if any people
deserve that, it's them." He looked admiringly at me, and said, "Nicely
done! Great way to avoid credit and embarrassment." I said "Do I hear
Rose calling me?" He laughed.
I said "We have a problem. So many students. The arena is too small.
So is my pool. We need a big sports complex. A really big one. We could
use one of the giant Van starships, but modifying it would take more
work than building a new station, and there remains the issue of where
to put it. I don't want any more unusual artifacts in my native system,
to be discovered someday. I do have an idea, and I can ask the stupid
question of do you want to hear it, but I probably shouldn't." He just
grinned. I told him about the new station I made the Van build. He
almost fell off his chair laughing. I said "It's a good world, and not
near any inhabited systems. With Port-Alls, it doesn't need to be. Do
you think we should use that for sports?" He said "Absolutely! Great
idea! Or it was, when you decided to do that, and built all the
facilities, and another one of your houses."
I said to the air, rather plaintively, "Rose, he did it to me. He
STOLE my surprise! That's mean of him." She ported to my side and said
to me, "Oh Stephen! I'm so er, sorry. That was so mean, you should take
a drill to one of his teeth." I said like I was considering that, "Hmm,
which one?" She said "Well, that one on the left is a little longer
Then we all burst out laughing.
I said "My house on Misnok gave me the idea for this, because there
isn't any horrible sand there, so I built some outside sports
facilities there, including an area for laser tag. The SpaceBall arena
doesn't really have to be in space to have a null-g court. And being on
a planet, we could spread out and have as many as we want. So I er,
did. Put more than one house there, too. Just in case. And offices and
er, well, would you believe a city?" He did look surprised. I grinned
really wide, and he laughed. He said "You actually did that? Wow! And
another wow for playing me." I stood and bowed, and sat back down
again. Rose said "There is something else you don't know about." I said
in a loud whisper, "Let's not tell him. I still have that drill if he
guesses." We all laughed.
I ported us to the central part of the city. Zander was amazed beyond
words. Then he was surprised, on top of that. He said "I recognize
this! The archive! So the two museums weren't enough." I said "They
were. But when I started planning the sports complex, and discovered I
was building something really big, I thought why not build a real city?
And then why not copy something that's been already done, that I liked?
Strangely enough, I know more about the architecture and city planing
of the people of the archive, which happened when I was preparing the
translation, than any other, so I chose them. This isn't completely one
city, but a composite of what I liked of them in the archive. In all
languages, this world is now called Allguard, and this city is called
Guardhome. Unless you want to change those names to something else.
Suggestions?" They didn't have any. I said "All this is self
maintaining, even the parks, and environmentally neutral. The different
areas, and in rooms in the buildings, can be individually climate
controlled. Left to automatic, it rains every night for an hour, in
different parts of the city, but it can be postponed in areas where
there are people outside. This city has everything a real city has,
with some exceptions, besides not much of a population. No pollution.
No vermin. No bureaucracy. No crime. Some extra things it has, is
protection, solar system monitoring, Port-All stations, and a
completely automated transportation system. This city is compatible
with all people we know of who can breath this air, including people
with no psionic abilities. Its libraries and museums contain all the
knowledge I could stuff in them, that we have at the school, and more
will be added over time. All this is run by the self aware AI computer
in the big Van station not too far away. She was very bored, and
practically jumped at the chance to do it."
Zander made a sweeping motion with his arm, and said, "Why?" I said
with a grin, "Well, er, to see if I could. I was already going to be
making something, and when I do, I try to do my best, for every
eventuality. And why shouldn't I? It didn't cost me anything but a lot
of thinking, and a little time. Do I think it will ever be populated? I
don't know, and don't much care. I make art. I don't tell people what
to do with it. But I should tell you that your school, and mine, is
more than duplicated here, with a lot more lab space and equipment. Do
I want all our students here? Not really. It's a just in case thing.
One more thing. Now that it's made, it can be duplicated easily, should
there be a need." He said "Now THAT part is very interesting!" Rose
said "I think that's why he saved it for last." I nodded. I said "There
is something else. The guides. Each resident who doesn't wear a
Guardian wrist computer, will have something like one, which will have
a complete guide to the city, and offer step by step directions to any
destination, and have a connection to the city wireless network, which
is connected, in a phantom way, to the networks of the planets of the
Confed and the GC, in real time. This city is NOT as isolated as it
might look. Oh, and it has all my tech enhancements, and some new ones.
Zander, put this guide on. Now think to it that you want to be
transported to the entrance of that building." He was ported there.
Then he ported back, and said "WOW!!!" I said "I really heard that!" He
laughed. I said "The computer handles all that, so it's perfectly safe.
You noticed it asked you to confirm the order. Wouldn't want to do it
by accident." He said "Right. Good thinking." I said "Adults
responsible for children can program limitations on that. And where
there is a potential for an invasion of privacy, or private property,
there must be permission from the other person."
I said "Now let's go to the pool area." I ported us there. I said
"This building has two very big indoor pools, climate controlled,
including the water, just like in my house. These pools outside here
can be temperature adjusted, too. I'm going to port us to the central
tower for the sports complex." I did that, and said, "This is the media
center, where recording can be directed from, with remotely directed
virtual cameras. There are other ones in each of the large buildings.
Through the windows, you can see the other sports venues. I put
everything out there I could think of, and I could think of a LOT."
Rose laughed. Zander was too amazed. I said "One thing of interest, is
that all pool areas have soft surfaces near them for sexplay, and blue
light cleaners." Zander said, "I never doubted that." I laughed.
I said "Anything you think should be changed or added, just let me
know." He said "Your art. The buildings don't have any." I said
"Creativity of that kind takes inspiration and time. The problem with
that, is doing it one at a time will look really bad, such as only one
building in ten having art on the outside. I have designs for the big
pool building, inside and out, but it would look really out of place
next to the other plain buildings." He said "Stephen, please do it
anyway." I looked at Rose, and she nodded. I did it. In a few minutes,
there were swimming whales, on the sides of the building, and dolphins
and seals, inside. All in mosaic colored stone. I said "Ha! The
computer likes it." Zander said in awe, "So do I." Rose just hugged and
kissed me.
I said, "Now to my house in the country." I ported us there. He said,
"This isn't the same as your first." I said "I made that one from the
only native house I had seen, so it wouldn't look too out of place. I
didn't have to do that here, so I made what I thought would be most
usable. I have an apartment in the city center, too. But, I don't
actually plan to use any of this very much. I could make them, so I
did. Good practice. One thing I should mention. The Van selected this
area very carefully. It has great weather, and is geologically stable.
There is a big lake nearby, and a river, but this area is built up so
there is no danger of flooding. It's always a good idea to have a
backup for everything. That's what all this is, which includes some
things like the sports complex, which will probably be used er, soon?"
He grinned and said, "Absolutely!" I said "The guide has all the
information about the city in it, and instructions for all operations.
All the operable things also have information crystals on them. So you
don't need me to tell the students anything." Zander said to me, very
seriously, "Stephen. You haven't left us yet. Please let them love
you." I sighed. Then I said, "I already gave the tour just now. I
really dislike repeating myself. I really dislike repeating my self. I
knew that.
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Grant
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