Stephen's Secure Blog #392
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 20 in this story, in Spring of year 10 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #392 "CNN Allguard"
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I ported the CNN crew to Allguard, at the center of the city of
Guardhome. They all looked around in wonder. Don asked me, "What is
this place?" I said "We call this planet Allguard, and this city
Guardhome. It's not actually inhabited." He said "Why?" I said "Nobody
lives here because there isn't any native intelligent life, and nobody
knows anything about this planet except those who can port here, and
their guests, and the Van, who actually discovered the planet. I was
watching what they were doing, prior my final action against them. They
were looking for intelligent life to abuse, and didn't find it here. I
decided to use the planet for an art project, which you see around
you." He said "THIS is an ART project?" I said "I was exploring
mentally in the galaxy, and came across a ruined world. It had no air,
and the surface was severely fractured and cold. It had been inhabited
by intelligent life, when it was warm and whole. A wandering planet
came too close to it, about half a billion years ago. The people knew
they were going to die. So that we, or anybody who found them, would
know who they were, they built special archives, which they hoped would
still be around after they died. I found them. Much of the design for
this city came from those archives, and that over there is one of the
museums. I caused two other museums to be built on other planets, such
as Posintan." He said "Wow!" I said "Yes."
We went to a nearby park. I said "The plants are native to this
planet. You can take samples if you want." One of their people did. I
said "Now I'll port us to the central observation tower." I did that,
and they looked out the windows, and said a whole lot of wows. I said
"Everything here is automated, including the local weather. An AI
computer does all the work. We use some of the facilities to hold large
meetings. There are a lot of planets which have Adepts like Earth does.
What I originally intended to use this planet for, was for sports
training. We train in all kinds of sports, but we don't have room for
all of them in or near our schools, so the students come here to do
that. And to have pool parties. I'll port us to the observation tower
at the sports complex." I did that, and they had a lot more wows to
say. I said, "Here I've decorated a little." Don said "No you did NOT.
You decorated a lot, with great art!" I said "Er, thanks. My students
insisted. In case you haven't noticed, this tower is a recording
center. It serves as a control room for remote equipment in all the
venues. Would you like to see a sport that's unique to Adepts of my
schools?" Don said "Absolutely!" I said "It's that building over there.
I'll port us to it." I did that. I said "We call the sport Spaceball.
We first played it in space. Rose will referee, and Hawk will play
against me. Wait a second while I change." I did it in a silvery
shield. Hawk and Rose ported in. I said "It's something like handball,
but we score by hitting the opponent, and we don't actually touch the
balls. We strike them with our Ki. You wouldn't ordinarily be able to
see our Ki, but the referee computer will make it visible for you, and
your cameras, too. The two sides are separated by a force screen. The
ball can go through, but just that, and not people."
I said "We will start the play with one ball at regular gravity, and
will increase that in steps to eight balls at zero g. We won't have
time for a full game, but we can always play again. Ready?" They were.
Hawk and I went in the play area. Rose, at the ref's station, put a
ball in the energy screen in the middle. We started the play. Soon we
were at 4 balls. Then it got complicated with no gravity. Then 8 balls.
After five minutes of that, we stopped. Gravity back on, Hawk and I
changed back to our previous clothes. Don said "Wow! That was
terrific!" I said "Thanks. It's fun. Great way to stay in shape, and
work on speed and reflexes." Rose said "Think it would play well on
TV?" Don said "I don't know, but judging by your laser tag shows, it
couldn't hurt to try." I said "How about some alien players?" He said
"You have to do that!" Hawk laughed. I said to Hawk, "What are you
laughing about? You're going to play them." He said "Right. You can't."
Don said to Hawk, "Why can't Stephen play the aliens?" Hawk said "He's
the best by far. He couldn't lose, so he doesn't compete. A shame for
the inventor of the game." I said "Co-inventor."
I said "Shall we go to my house now? I'll port us to the front door."
I did that, and we went to commercial. Don said "It's BIG." I said
"Sure is. I keep adding to it. You can ask on air." He did, with, "We
are at Stephen's house on Allguard. It's BIG. Stephen, why is it so
big?" I said "This isn't the first version of my house here. I've added
to it, and rebuilt it a few times. I originally built this to meet
people in. Important people who could and should be impressed by it.
For a lot of powerful people, appearance is more important than
reality. I know you are well aware of that." He said "I am." I said
"So, let's go in. All the art is mine." There were a LOT of wows. In
the music room, I said, "The pipe organ was the latest reason I had to
rebuild the house. Wouldn't fit in the old one. Want to hear it?" He
said "Sure!" I played "The Stars and Stripes Forever." I said "A little
loud, isn't it. Let's go to the main room to meet some friends of
ours." Looking more than a little nervous, they followed us.
They did some double takes when they entered the room. I said
"Tripods are here for your convenience." I did the introductions, for
Dat, Harditch, and Hahchet. I said to Don, "Dat was my opponent in the
second Judo venue. You saw him when I showed that. Bigger than you
thought?" Don gulped, and said, "Yes. Pleased to meet you. I've noticed
something. You all, and Hawk and Rose, wear the same kind of rings and
belts. Could you tell us why?" Hahchet said "They are a kind of
identification and rank indicator. So is this wrist computer,
translator and com. Stephen made them, and they are tuned to the
individual." Don said to me, "But you aren't wearing them." I said
"True. I would, if I were on an offplanet mission." He said "Oh, I
see."
I said "You saw how I met Dat. Would you like to see how I met
Harditch? It involves a real fight." He said "Oh yes! Please." I said
"Against that wall. I was looking for a student of her people. She was
the best candidate, and a martial arts student. Before I started, I had
asked Rose, in teaching mode, to tell me what she thought I would do to
achieve my goal." Rose repeated what she had said. Don said to her,
"Were you right?" She just grinned. I said to her, "Good one." She
nodded graciously. I said "Rose watched from a room, and projected it
to a government official who tried to seduce me later. Wait! One thing
at a time. Rose described the action then, very well, so she can do it
again." And that's what happened. Dat said "I never tire of seeing
that. Magnificent! The other two agreed.
Don said to Hahchet, "And how did Stephen meet you?" He grinned and
said, "I wasn't there where he did what caused him to meet me the first
time." I said "I suppose I should show it." Don said, "After the
break." I said to the aliens, "Commercial broadcasting. Sponsor's
advertisements. Often better made than the programs they are in, if a
lot more manipulative and deceitful." Hahchet said "Just like home!"
Harditch said, "Absolutely." Dat said "I'm not saying." We laughed.
Back from break, Don said, "So, how did you meet Hahchet?" I said "We
had been leasing astroid mining claims to a processing company, to use
the profits to fund our school in that system. We went to check up on
the progress of one of them. We were using disguises, because we didn't
want them to know it was er, ugly people the boss was dealing with. I
was with Hawk and another student. Here goes." I played it, and did the
translations and commentary. I said "After the action was over, and the
real owner put back in place, I ported the pirates to a prison on their
home world, where they were wanted criminals. Except for one. A young
man who hadn't known what he was getting into when he joined them, who
hadn't done anything bad. He stayed to work at the mining company. It
didn't work well. Some coworkers resented him. When we went back, we
took him home. That didn't work well, either. Then we offered him a
place in our school we were funding with the astroids. Well, he
qualified. And here he is!" He bowed.
Don said "We're almost out of time." I said "Then we should all say
our goodbyes." We stood, and all the Adepts hugged and kissed each
other. Don was looking flabbergasted. I said to him, "One thing we all
have in common, is love. And love for each other, is an important part
of our existence. Go ahead and hug and kiss them. It won't hurt you,
and you WILL be enriched by the experience." He really didn't want to,
and we tried very hard to keep from laughing. But he did, with Harditch
first, and almost melted in her arms. Then with more bravery, he kissed
and hugged the others. Then he kind of went for broke, and kissed and
hugged Rose, Hawk, and me, too. I said "Among us, we kiss and hug,
without regard to gender, sexuality, or species, if physically
compatible. Ready go go back to the studio?" They were. I said "Rose
and Hawk will stay and entertain our guests. In three." I ported us
back to the studio. Don said, after we were sure we still had the
connection going, "Thank you, Stephen, for allowing us to visit your
planet and home there." I said "I should thank you for allowing me to
use you for teaching my students." He said "Oh!" Len announced "Off
air!" Don said "What was it you taught them?" I said "That should be on
air, so we'll wait for the next time. Did you just actually growl?" Len
went almost hysterical with laughter. I said to both, "You KNOW what
Hawk is doing." They both laughed some more. I took my equipment back.
I ported back to Allguard, and sat with them. Harditch said, "He had
to make himself hug and kiss us." Dat said "You didn't make it easy,
too." Hahchet said, "And he had never seen my kind before. For a
restricted being, he was VERY brave!" Rose said "And there is the
gender bias. In his society males don't kiss males." Dat said "And yet
he did it for a world audience, his first time. Astoundingly brave. I
doubt I could have, if I had been in his place." Hahchet said "We must
assume he is above average for his kind, because of his position, but
this still shows that your species is to be admired more than most."
Harditch said, "Yes. I like and respect him." They did, too. I said "He
wanted to know what I used them to teach you. May I show them this
conversation?" They agreed to it. Harditch said "So that's why we've
been speaking English!" My big grin told her she was right. She jumped
on me. Well, one thing led to another, and we did a lot of great
screwing. While we were resting, I said, "THAT I'm not going to show
them!" They laughed.
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Grant
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