Stephen's Secure Blog #187
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 #187 "Golden Image"
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I woke up Srinoy the usual way, and said, "Good morning, Senior Monk
Srinoy." He grinned and said, "Good morning, Master of Abbots,
Stephen." I said "Now that we have the titles out of the way, we don't
ever have to use them again." We kissed, and then did nut play in the
link, and had a very good squirt. Then we cleaned up and went outside
to practice. We decided to add some two man circus things to the
performance. I think the one hand, his on mine, handstand was the most
appreciated. Just before his mother called us to breakfast, we went to
the fence to greet our regular audience, and the newcomers. One of the
men said, "You have changed your appearance." I said "A strange event
caused it, yesterday afternoon." He nodded and said, "That love feeling
we all felt?" I said "Well, the timing is right, so it could be so. At
least my skin might not burn so easily in the sun, now." He smiled and
said, "It is to be hoped." Srinoy's mother called to us. We bowed to
the audience, and went inside.
I said, after breakfast, "Srinoy and I have to work on the statue
today. We can do some planning here, but the rest needs to be done in a
work room at my big house." His mother said, "I think you should do all
the work there. More room." I said "True. So, would you like to come
with us? Rose and Hawk will be there." They did, and so when all were
ready, we ported there. Rose and Hawk made sure to be there, after I
said they would. They would leave for short periods for any regular
work which needed their physical presence.
In the big workroom, I showed Srinoy a projection of the big rock we
would be using. I said "We don't have it here, because it's irregular
in shape, and I don't want to cut it down to keep it from falling over.
It's in space, in a big spaceship, to keep radiation off of it. I keep
most of my big material there. Microgravity is useful in managing
them." He said "Wow!" I said "I hope that is the one and only wow for
today, or you really won't have any left for tomorrow." He giggled. I
said "Now here is the proposed shape of the statue. See how it fits
inside the stone, avoiding the major faults?" He said "What about that
arm? Can it break off?" I said "Ah! You see the big problem. I'll make
view of that part larger. The stone is a crystal. Unlike marble,
crystals REALLY love to break at fracture lines, which includes
sculpted ones. So the inside of the elbow can NOT be a sharp crease, or
when somebody bumps the statue, they are going to have their skull
bashed in." He covered up the wow. I poked him, and he giggled. I said
"It would have been better if the robe covered that arm. Stupid
clothes!"
I said "We also have to make the base, because the seated Buddha must
be taller than the tallest standing Monk." He said "Right. Absolutely.
Something a Buddhist would know, and not an ordinary artist." I said
"But we can't make it until the statue is finished, because we don't
know what the carving will cause. He's naked in the image, because his
robes will be made of metal. And I like to be as accurate as possible.
Yes, he has it all." He looked, and said, "Big ones!" I said "Well, he
would." Srinoy nodded in serious agreement. I said "Look at the face.
I'm trying to get it to show all the virtues we expect him to have, but
a little humor, too." He said "You would want that." I hugged him. He
said "I think a little too much. A little less, would add a little
mystery." I said "Ah! Like Moaning Lisa. This?" He studied a little and
said, "I think a tiny bit more." I did it, and he exclaimed, "That's
it!" I said "Hmm, I think I agree. This is what I really needed you
for. This is for a Thai Temple, for Thai people to see and be affected
by. I needed a Thai person to judge the face for me, because we all
have visual prejudices based on our own bodies, and on those others we
grew up with. And you are my favorite Thai brother. Yes, your help is
real, and not just from politeness." He cried on my shoulder.
I said "I will resist the urge to make his fingers into the sign
Spock uses." He said "Too bad. Would be nice. Oh, but you CAN!" I said
"Er, what?" He said "Make it active when you touch it." I said "I
could, but I don't think so. I really want to, though, but we
shouldn't. Not the fingers. But active, is something else. Not visual,
but feelings. Touch his hand and you feel peace. His chest, love. His
in surprise, "REALLY?" I grinned and said, "Well, they will be
inaccessible under the platinum robes." He looked relieved, but a
little disappointed. I said "But accessible through the base from
behind, maybe." He grinned and hugged me.
I said "Now we design the robe. Here is what I had in mind. What do
you think?" He said "Is that writing along the edge?" There was, on an
about 3cm wide hem, going down across the chest. I magnified it for him
so he could read it. He said "Oh! Well said. I like it. Nobody else
will have that. What alloy?" I said "5 percent iridium." He said "Not
as hard as the others, so you want it to have a soft luster." I said
"Right. Didn't want it to outshine the stone." He said "I didn't know
art was so precise." I said "Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't.
It is for this, because of where it's going and why. And because I'm a
precise kind of guy." He said "That's alright, I love you anyway." We
giggled together. I said "Now we have to decide if we show our sketch,
which is what this projection is, to Panchang before we make it, in
case he has any problems with it." He said "I don't know about that.
You're the artist, not me. I think you should decide." I said "Alright.
Then when?" He said "Now?" I said "Let's check and see if he's
available. Ah. In six minutes. So, before then, let's think about the
base. I was thinking, out of dark green jade, like this. Solid looking,
but carved in high relief like in the old temples, but not of Gods and
Goddesses, but of ordinary people working at basic jobs. And with
animals, too." He said "That's beautiful! And so dark, it doesn't
distract from the Buddha. I like it as art, and as the lives we have
which can lead to enlightenment. Oh, there are monks in it, too. Er, is
that me?" I said "Might be." He had some tears.
I sent a 4th speaker to inside Panchang's ear, and said, "This is
Stephen. Only you can hear this. We would like to confer with you about
the statue. If you agree, I suggest you move to a private place, for us
to do that. I will hear what you say to me now, but unless you want to
look crazy, I suggest you don't do it where people can look at you
funny for that." It was he who looked funny, while he went to a private
room. Then I said, "May Srinoy and I visit with you at this moment?" He
said "Please." We stood, and ported to in front of him. We bowed to
each other, and then hugged. He said "All who's Eyes are even partially
open, will know you are here." I said "We'll be gone before they make a
fuss about that. I'm going to project into the air some images of our
design. And yes, he did help. Essential help. Here is what we have
designed so far, before the actual cutting of the gem, which might
require some slight changes. This is the naked figure, and this is with
the robe, and this is with the stand. All that is size adjustable,
depending on how the cutting goes. I can magnify any part of it, for
your convenience." He did ask for some magnification, and for reasons
for what we did. Then he said, "I was afraid you might want to put
other gems on it which could be pried loose. I'm glad you didn't. We
don't need extra temptations." I said "I wanted to, for artistic
reasons, but I agreed with what I knew you would think." He said "The
lettering. That's different. We would have the only one. Hard to see,
though." I said "I tried it with different colors, but they distracted
too much. I have an idea. Instead of incised, now about raised? The
awe, and said, "The artist at work. Fascinating!" Srinoy and I couldn't
help laughing. We tried to explain the Spock reference, and he finally
got it, and smiled with us. He said "I like the project so far. If you
have come to me for approval, you have it."
I said "Does the Temple need any money?" He said "Always, but not
seriously." I said "But you should have something for emergencies, so
you don't have to sell something important. The base will have a secret
compartment, accessible from the back. We will put in it some gems and
gold bars. Don't say no, because only you and the Abbot will know, and
you don't ever have to look at it. None of this is synthetic. It's all
natural and real, but found in places you might not want to believe. It
doesn't cost me anything but time. I bring them from where they were,
the same way we came here, from where people have never been. You WILL
accept it. Well, you can always toss them in the river." He grinned and
said, "I don't think we will do that." Srinoy said, "Right. Might knock
out a fish." We laughed.
Panchang said, "We've had some enquiries about a strange occurrence
yesterday." I said "Strange, is an understatement, and strange is what
we did later that evening because of it." He said "We didn't tell them
anything, and made them believe we didn't know. What did you do?" We
told him. He said "You do have interesting lives!" We agreed. I said
"If all goes well with the cutting, it should be ready for delivery
tomorrow. We can stay after that for another Aikido lesson, if it is
said with a sigh, "This nonviolence thing is overrated." They both
laughed loudly. I said "I can just dump this thing here in the middle
of the night. You might have SOME consideration for my feelings. If you
want me to continue to be a part of this Temple. Too much of a fuss,
and I won't return. This HAS happened. There are always consequences."
He looked indecisive. I said "You know what I really am. I am still
here in this world by choice. I need to be human to stay. Please treat
me as such, or the strain might be too great. What happened yesterday
almost made me pass over for good. I did go, but was helped back at my
plea. I REALLY don't want to leave before I see my children. And I have
an important task yet to complete. Do not make me fail, like I have so
many times in my past incarnations." He said "I didn't realize what all
of that meant. I am sorry to cause you such distress. I will tell the
Abbot, and make the event a very private one." I nodded, and said,
"When? There is a problem. How I bring it here is like magic. I would
rather that not be witnessed. People should consider it as it is, and
not how it arrived." He said "That is wise. We will keep that room
empty, until you tell us when we can have it in open view. Tomorrow
morning at sunrise would be a very good time." I said "Yes, I see that.
ported out.
Back in the work room, I dripped tears when I said, "I didn't like
doing that, but I have needs and desires, too. Sometimes people forget
that." He said "Yes. Not just squirting." I said "But I sure don't want
There was, just. Four times, in a high intensity link. I could feel
Hawk and Rose laughing. While we were resting, I told Srinoy, and he
laughed, too.
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Grant
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