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Subject: +*+*+*+ Stephen's Secure Blog #178 "Piano Quartet" +*+*+*+
Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 18:17:45 -0400
From: " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant>
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Stephen's Secure Blog #178
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 16 in this story, in the Summer after year 6 of his special
school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #178 "Piano Quartet"
START Page
We went to lunch. I said "What would you like to eat with?" Srinoy
yelled "Chopsticks!" Then he looked around in embarrassment, while we
laughed. I said "You know, I can make other things, too." He said,
"Alright. The fanciest silverware you can make." I said "I made some
for the Zichesshich President, for State occasions. Plates of diamond,
too. Should I make for all of you the same, or individualized?" They
looked at each other, and the father said, "I think we would like the
same." I said "What base color? Gold or platinum?" She said "The real
metal?" I said "Naturally. Designs in the contrasting color." She said
"Gold would look richer, but platinum really is richer." I said "I
don't think you need to worry about that part of them. It won't cost me
anything. The astroids are full of interesting things." She said
"Platinum." I said "That opens the possibly for gold animal sculptures
on them. If you would like that, tiger and dragon, come to mind, with
gemstone eyes. Or I can do plant designs." The father said "Can you do
both?" I looked at the others, and they agreed. I said "When you take
them home, hand wash only!" They promised.
I handed out the spoons, knives, and forks. They stared at them in
surprised wonder. They were made of platinum, with gold dragons on the
knife handles, with ruby eyes. The forks had gold tigers on the
handles, with darker stripes, with green diamond eyes, both in low
relief. Near the end of the handle were lotus leaves in green gold, and
at the very end, a light blue star sapphire in a platinum lotus flower.
The spoons just had the lotus leaves and sapphire flower. The knives
had stainless blades. I told them all that, and said, "If you would
like a different design, no problem. I like making new things. Oh, and
I signed them on the back. Don't worry about using them. Platinum alloy
is non toxic, and tougher than gold." Srinoy said, "That's because of
the iridium in it. Makes it harder." I said "Right, it does. But so
does five percent ruthenium, which I used instead. Tougher." He said
"Yes, I guess that it's harder to work with doesn't mean much to you."
I grinned and said, "Right."
I said to his parents, "Don't be so surprised. He's getting the best
education in the world. An entire college course every few days. Not
many of us can take that schedule." They said wow, and looked at him
with adoring and respectful eyes. I just grinned. Our food arrived, and
we did use our own flatware. When we finished, I said "Would you like
to know why I put my things in museums on Earth and other planets?" The
did, so I said, "All displays must have my name with them. And
offworld, they must have Earth as my planet, with them too." The father
said, "Oh! You are our Ambassador of Art to the stars!" I said
"Actually, I am something like that officially, for the Galactic
Council, because they recognize that I do that work. I am preparing the
way for the people of Earth to join them someday. I want the people of
the galaxy to know us as cultured lovers of art, as the best in
sportsmanship, by competing on the planet which values that the most,
and for the best in honesty and fairness, on the side of the law,
peace, and tolerance. All my efforts, and that of the rest of our group
out in the galaxy, has been mostly in support of that, and to keep us
from being invaded by the bad guys, which we have done a few times. So,
I make them put my name and planet on all the displays, and it's on all
the art and monuments I sell, not to make me famous, which I really
don't like, but to make Earth known for good things. When we finally
qualify for membership, and they come to our planet to welcome us, they
will see my name, long after I'm gone, in our museums, and make the
connection. That is my vision, and I'm carrying that out." They all
said "Wow!" I said "Oh, nice. A chorus!" They almost laughed.
Srinoy hugged me, and the father said, "Stephen. I don't know what to
say, but thank you very much for all you do for us, on behalf of all
the people of Earth." I said "Do I have to say you're welcome to each
one of them?" He said "I'm sorry I embarrassed you again." I said, like
I didn't believe it, "Really?" He laughed. After we finished, I ported
the new platinum things to their house. Next, we went to my friend's
Temple. It was much the same as the other one, including the gift of
the jade bowl. Outside of that, the father mentioned we could go to a
Muay Thai match. I said "We shouldn't. Srinoy would be a big
distraction, and I would be a bigger one. It wouldn't be fair to the
fighters, to see so many people, including their own cornermen, bowing
to us a lot." Srinoy said, "Right, They are trying to earn a living.
Distracting them could even get one of them killed." I said to him with
a hug, "I'm glad you see that. There is another reason, too,
significant only to me. It would damage my mutant hearing, even if I
liked the music." Srinoy said "You don't like our music?" I said "Does
ANY foreigner?" He said "You have a point there." I looked down, and he
poked me, and said, "Not there!" We laughed.
A dog came up to me and licked my hand. I sent it away. Two more dogs
came, and a bird landed on my shoulder. I said "It seems to be getting
stronger. They didn't do it much when other people were near to me,
before. I can tell them to go, and they will, but others will probably
take their place." Srinoy said "There was a Catholic Saint that
happened to." I said "My stone was known to be in his possession, too,
in the same setting. But I don't usually tell people. Most won't
believe it. It's worse when they do. Please don't spread that. One of
my best lives, though. I actually did good. When we have time, I could
tell you about my earliest life I remember. There was a lot if it. 840
years." The mother said "Why such a long life?" I said "Actually, the
real question should be, why is ours so short. And that life was one of
my biggest failures. I've been trying to make up for that ever since,
and mostly failing. For example, I could have killed Genghis Khan,
before he conquered everything. I didn't. He was my friend. I was
around a lot of important events I could have changed for the better,
but I was almost never strong willed enough to do it. This time around,
I am NOT going to let that happen." The father said "That I believe!" I
hugged him.
I said "Why don't we go to my house and play some music?" They all
liked that idea. When we could find a place to do it unobserved, we
ported to my house on Allguard. I said "If anybody needs to use the
facilities, down that hall." We all went. Then we went to the music
room, where Hawk and Rose were, wetting the reeds. Nobody was surprised
they were there. We sat, and I asked Srinoy, "Do you know any
quartets?" He said "Yes, some." I said "Should I assume they feature a
piano?" He grinned and nodded, and told me what they were. I said "Can
you play jazz?" He said "Yes! I love Jazz. All kinds, all of it!" I
said "Can you improvise?" He said "I think so. We don't practice that
at my music school." I said "Well, let's test you. It should be fun." I
played some mixed up Mozart on the piano. He knew what I did, and
laughed. Then he sat right down and banged away. When he stopped, there
was dead silence. Then I grabbed him and yelled, "Take that, Mozart!" I
hugged and kissed him like crazy, and then so did Hawk and Rose. I said
to his parents, "Mozart was probably the best musical prodigy of all
time, and could improvise instantly, and brilliantly. Your son just did
better, in my opinion." They were too overcome to say wow, and hugged
and kissed him.
I said "Hmm, I have to do this." I made and ported in a duplicate
piano. I played every key and tuned it instantly as I went. Then I
played some ultra fast boogie woogie, a la Liberace. Then I nodded to
Srinoy at the other piano, and he improvised on that, brilliantly. Then
I improvised on his improvisation, and he returned the favor. We kept
going back and forth for an hour. Then we took a break. They all
applauded, we stood and bowed. I said "That was FUN!" Srinoy laughed. I
said to the parents, "Would you like a recording?" The mother said
"Absolutely!" Rose said "Chad was listening. Can he come?" I looked at
the parents, and they nodded. Chad popped in, and hugged Srinoy,
dripping tears all over him. I said to the parents, "Chad is a serious
student of music, and for one of us, that means a LOT." I said to Chad,
"Comment?" He said "All I have is superlatives. Incredible talent.
Superior mechanics. The best at improv." He said to Srinoy, "What can
you play to show expression?" He said "Well, there is always
Moonlight." Chad nodded, and it was played, superbly. I said "There is
something I can do for this, which is a little strange." They laughed.
I sighed and shook my head, and they laughed again. I said to Srinoy,
"Can you play the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto Number 1?" He said "Yes."
I said "Need sheets?" He said "No." I said "If I conduct an invisible
but real sound of the orchestra in front of you, can you play to that?"
He said "I will." I said "Movement 3. Ready?" He nodded, and I had a
conductor's wand in my hand. I created and projected the sound of the
entire orchestra. I conducted the intro, and Srinoy entered at the
right moment. Six and a half minutes later, we were done.
Srinoy had played it at least as well as it had ever been played, and
probably better, with passion and sensitivity only a real master could
bring to the piece. We all told him that, while we were jumping up and
down and mauling him with affection. He didn't complain. After we all
calmed down a little, Srinoy asked me where the music came from. I said
"Er, my head. I had heard it before, and just subtracted the piano from
it as I was projecting the sound." He said in wonder, "In real time? I
didn't know that was possible, even for you." I said "Well, I have to
think it is, now. I didn't know I could do it. If it hadn't worked, I
would have synthesized each instrument in a separate compartment, and
played it that way. Would be more work, though." He said "Wow!" I
grinned. I said "Now for the quartet. How about Quartet for the End of
Time?" He said "By Messiaen? Yes. Good choice." Rose said "I don't know
it." I pushed it at her, and she said, "I do now, thanks." Srinoy said
to me, "I want you on the violin." We looked at Rose. She said "Cello."
Hawk said "I'm bi. I like sucking on the clarinet." We laughed. Rose
and I tuned our instruments. She tried out some selections from the
piece, and nodded. Hawk started us, on the clarinet, sounding like a
bird. I played my violin for most of the end. After we finished, I
said, "I think we did well." Chad said "The best ever!" I said "I
wonder if we can release the recording without credits. The Phantom
Quartet." Chad said "I'll check into that." I said "I think that's
enough playing music for today. My stomach is telling me it's supper
time." Rose put her ear to my stomach, and said, "Well, I don't hear
it." I said "A little lower, and something might happen." They laughed
while she poked me.
We went to the kitchen, and I said, "I can make anything you want. If
I don't know it, I will find it somewhere on Earth, and copy it, like I
copied and made the instruments, only tastier." Srinoy said "You MADE
the piano?" I said "Yes. The one in DC, too, right before you came home
that day. I have an automatic scan and manufacture process now. When
you are ready for it, I'll give it to you, if you want it. I started
something like it when I invented the food maker, and then figured out
I could do what it does, myself, and carried it forward." Hawk said
"Reversed from the usual way you invent things." I said "Right. Makes
it interesting." They ordered, and I produced it, and the same kind of
flatware we used for lunch. Srinoy explained that to Chad. He said to
me in contact that I should give them a whole service. I said it was
already waiting for them at home. He said he should have known better.
I agreed. We shared amusement. Then we went to the living room, and I
told them about Attin, the Van, the Atlana, and the Nagindra. Then it
was late, and I said, "It's late. We can sleep here, or back in
Thailand. I have a preference." Srinoy said "I know. Our home feels
more like a home." I nodded. That's what we did. I got a lot of thanks,
and hugs and kisses, for the big flatware chest they found on the
dining room table.
In bed with Srinoy, after a great squirt, I said, "That was a BIG
day!" He giggled. Then he said, "I know you are a better pianist." I
said "Now, yes. When you are 30, even if I were still around, you would
be better. Best in the world, actually. Probably in all history up to
then. You might think of composing in your spare time. You have the
talent." He said "So do you." I said "I can't do everything. Not enough
time. I'll stick with my art." He said "THAT is the best in the world,
and maybe the galaxy." I said "Art is so subjective, that doesn't
really mean anything." He said "True, but I like to think that, anyway.
It's a love thing." I kissed him. We slept with love all around us.
END Page
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Grant
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