| +*+*+*+ Stephen's Secure Blog #414 "All Together Now, DHS, DOJ, CNN" +*+*+*+ |
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| +Grant. (+Grant@grant.grant) |
2014/11/28 16:36 |
Stephen's Secure Blog #414
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 22 in this story, in Winter of year 12 of his special school.
Stephen's Secure Blog #414 "All Together Now, DHS, DOJ, CNN"
START Page
I called the head of Homeland Security. He was a recent new
administration appointee, who wasn't the one who had called me. I saw
he was reluctant to take my call. His second was the one who had called
me before, and was in the room with him. The Head said, "We seem to
have a problem with what happened on the West coast." I said "True.
That happens when you do bad things. There will be repercussions and
consequences. That can't be avoided, but how bad, and who they happen
to, can be managed. Be aware, the Eichmann defense can only go so far."
He said "I understand. Just following orders isn't good enough. I
didn't agree with it, but I had to order it. The order I received was
for immediate action, so we didn't have time for a thorough legal
review. The agent in charge acted in a way which is contrary to our
standards." I said "No kidding! I thought I was famous for my
understatements. I see I've got a rival." He had the grace to laugh. I
said "How much do you know about me?" He said "Not much that I can
believe." I said "So that's why you did it. Your second knows me. If he
had offered you advice, you should have taken it." He said "I'm
beginning to realize that, from what the news people are using in their
reports." I said "Consequences. That lack of judgement isn't going to
do well for you, with the agencies you coordinate with. Many of them in
those owe me their lives, and I've given them a lot of invaluable
assistance in the past, who would REALLY like that to continue. Yes,
that sinking feeling could be for your personal ship."
He said "My second agrees with you, and I think I should, too. Your
reputation suggests you think there is hope for me, or this
conversation wouldn't be happening." I said "Yes. You have some
integrity and intelligence. More than some of those around and above
you. Significantly. I care more about that than political affiliations.
Am I clear on that?" He said "Yes, and thank you sir. What do you
advise I, and this office, do about this situation?" I said "Just be
honest and ethical. That might be more difficult than it might seem, in
your current government, which places the highest priority on personal
and Party loyalty." He had to laugh, and said, "I'm beginning to see
that. A really rude awakening! The agent in charge is already
suspended. He might be brought up on charges for assault and other
procedural issues, such as opening the containers." I said "If Bill
isn't required to testify. He wants to, WAY too much." He laughed
really well.
I said "What was behind this was a personal attack on me, through
somebody they stupidly thought I would leave vulnerable." He said "That
I had figured out, but not the real motivation for it." I said "You
know how to condemn that strongly enough. You've got evidence? Oh, I'm
told you always have evidence for everything you say. Recordings of the
conspiracy?" I said "You might hear something about this from others,
and it's not fully for public consumption, but when I need to, I can
see and record anything in the galaxy, present, and most significantly,
the past. Paleontologists love me, but those who believe only in the
Creation myth, which I actually copied for the Bible from old legends,
don't. So, yes, I have recordings of everything pertaining to this
issue." He said "Wow!" I said "I hear that a lot." He almost choked. I
said "I can hear him laughing in the background." That person said, "Hi
Stephen!" I said "Hi to you, Rob. I think you've got some work to do,
in briefing your new boss. Tell him to hold back on the wows, before he
runs out of them." He said "Right. Thanks."
His boss said to me, "I've misjudged you in a number of ways. I
apologize." I said "Accepted. Please try to do good for our country.
I'm not going to tell you how to run your agency, but you should know
that interfering with what I do, which is always for the best for all,
will cause more problems than if you don't." He said "I have to believe
that! But I can still ask you for advice?" I said "Not much. I believe
in free will. Yours, more than mine, actually. You are capable. You
don't really need my advice to do what you know you should do. I can
give you information, and I will, at my choice, but I really shouldn't
be interfering with you any more than that." He said "More than your
free will? I don't understand." I said "I have less free will than you
do, being closer to the ultimate Boss than you are. Sometimes I don't
know what moves me more, my will, or His. But I'm not complaining."
I said "I'll give you the recordings after CNN airs them, unless you
publicly ask for them before that, which as a good citizen, I should
then produce." He recovered from his awe, and said, "We'll work on
that. Thank you very much for your help, which I didn't expect in my
wildest dreams, and for all who you are." We did farewells, and
disconnected. The next day, Rob called, and said, "You've made a good
friend of my boss!" I said "Which you severely supported." He laughed,
and said, "I didn't have to try much. He called around, and got
earfuls, before he asked for the briefing. You were right about the
wows." We laughed together. He said "I had to help him cool down a
little. He was angry at being used like that. We're going to go slow
and careful, letting the newspeople take the lead. I'm to go on the
news to answer some questions. Please monitor that, and let me know if
you have anything to say about it." I said "Sure, but if it's CNN, I'll
be feeding some questions." He said "Good! I like that. Thanks!"
He did do the interview with CNN. WB said, after summarizing the
situation, "What can you tell us about what happened?" Rob said "We
received an emergency order from the White House to secure the Moon and
Mars samples. We didn't have time to review its justification or
legality prior to executing the order. We sent a team to the residence
where the samples were, and they gained custody of them, and
transported them to a secure location." He said "Do you know where they
are now?" Rob said, "We don't know where the samples are now. They are
not in our custody, having been transferred to the people that
location." He said "Would you tell us where that location is?" Rob
said, "I'm sorry, that's classified." He said "Did your agents have a
warrant?" Rob said, "No, our agent didn't have a warrant. We didn't
have time to obtain one, partially because we doubted we would have
time to procure the experts we would need to convince a judge to issue
it, before the samples could be moved to an unknown location, and we
were not given reasons why the action was required, which the judge
would have asked for." He said "So you broke in and abused the owner of
the house, and took his property, without a warrant, and without
actually knowing why." Rob said, "We complied with our orders, and
that's what happened. Our people were NOT authorized to physically
abuse anyone! The agent in charge of that mission is suspended, pending
our investigation." He said "Incompetence should be the least of his
issues. Shouldn't he have assumed that a multimillion dollar mansion
would have a good security system, which could include video
surveillance?" Rob said, "While I can't comment on the ongoing
investigation, you have raised a valid point."
WB said, "You said you didn't have time to review the order's
justification or legality. Have you done that since then?" Rob said
"That is part of our investigation, as requested by Congress." He said
"What have you concluded?" Rob said "We are still trying to find valid
justifications and legal support for the actions we were required to
undertake." He said "Should we assume that's because there aren't any?"
Rob said "I can't comment on that." He said "Our news team brought
samples back from another world before that. You weren't ordered to
take them from us then, and you still haven't." He said "We are aware
of that precedent. We were not informed why the operation in question
was ordered this time, and not the previous time." He said "Did you
think to ask the owner of the samples to give them to you?" Rob said,
"We did think to ask the owner, but we couldn't. We were ordered to act
without notice." He said "Do you think private citizens who are not
even suspected of a crime should be afraid in their homes now, for what
Homeland Security will do to them without notice, because of this?" Rob
said "I can't comment on that, except to say that our agency is in
place to PROTECT America and our citizens." He said "But this time that
doesn't seem to be what happened. The reverse actually." Rob said "We
are investigating that." He said "Do you think, because of this,
Americans should install surveillance systems in their homes?" Rob said
"Good security is good, for any reason in general." He said "You have a
nice house in Virginia. We noticed a security company truck there
today, installing equipment. Is that because of this incident?" Rob
looked surprised, and said, "I didn't know you were watching my house!
That's off limits. I won't comment on that. In fact, this interview is
over!" They went to a commercial. He said "I didn't know about any
truck. Stephen and his tricks?" They both laughed. I said in the air to
them, "Interesting interview." They laughed some more.
The Director of the FBI called me. He said, "They wanted us to do it,
but asked in a round about way. When I didn't take the hint, they
obviously went elsewhere." I said "Thanks for the info. I suspected
that. It was your kind of job, but he's the new hire, and political.
Was political." He laughed, and said, "Stephen at work! I love that. In
your pocket now, I assume." I said "I just convinced him to be
responsible and honest, in a nice way. Well, for me, anyway." He
laughed again. I said "He's lucky I didn't sic Rose on him." He almost
howled with laughter, and said, "I heard about what she did regarding
the Smithsonian. They survived, but just barely. Great work. If you
check out early, it's good to know we'll be in good hands." I said "She
isn't upset about hearing that." He laughed, and said, "You're welcome.
Can I see what you've got on who's behind this?" I said "Sure, but
we're on a carefully laid out schedule. We went them to draw the ropes
around their necks a little tighter, before we let them drop. Er,
metaphorically." He said "Right. We won't release before you say." I
dropped some memory cards onto his desk, and he went to work on them.
The Attorney General called me, and said, "We've got a problem." I
said "I think it's you who has that problem. Or one of them. You're
going to have to throw somebody under the bus, and you think it might
be from your side of the aisle." He said "Right on the nail. DHS is
stonewalling me. You obviously got to him." I said "I'm innocent, in a
way. He's new, and didn't know what he was getting into. He's since
done some research on me. We talked. I think he's going to be doing a
good job now, more impartial than before. I do think I should tell you
he's very unhappy at being used like that. I suggest you two get
together in a more friendly than not way, and work things out for the
good of the country, which might not be fully in the best interest of
your Party." He said "Sometimes you being fair and ethical is very
irritating." I had to laugh. So did he, a little. I said "The way I'm
working it, it will soon become common knowledge who was behind it and
why, so you can act in a way which saves you some political grief, and
might even enhance your rep with the country." He said "Already I feel
less irritated." We laughed. I said "But I can't let it pass without
consequences. They stole the samples that we would have freely given to
them. All they had to do was ask. We were going to make a ceremony of
it, which Bill would really have loved. I would have given them more,
too. They get nothing from me now. I'll announce that on my next CNN
show." He said "That's bad. Can't you change your mind?" I said "I
REALLY want to, but people, and governments, have to learn that bad
actions cause bad consequences. I don't get to change that. As I said
to DHS, with who I am, and who I work for, I have less free will in
these things than you do." He said a little shakily, "I'm sorry to have
hurt you. Let us know how we can help." I said "I will."
The very members of congress who were behind the action, had some bad
things to say about me, and DHS, too, saying they shouldn't have done
it without their authorization, and that I shouldn't have collected the
samples in the first place, and should have left that to NASA, which
caused the public some confusion. CNN invited those people to talk
about that on air, live in studio. They did, in the DC bureau, with WB.
He asked them first, "Why do you think Stephen shouldn't have collected
those samples?" One said "Because NASA would have done it better." WB
said "But how, if they can't actually go there and bring the samples
back? You won't fund space exploration." Silence. WB said, "I see. It
seems to me you just didn't want America to have them at all. I should
make a correction here. Stephen didn't collect the samples. Bill Gats
did, and according to NASA, did it as well as they would have, which
was ruined in the DHS action. You've said that DHS shouldn't have acted
without the authorization of Congress. Could you explain that?" One
other said, "Because it wasn't an emergency, and it was in the interest
of the entire nation. We should have at least been informed." WB said
"How could it be in the best interests of the nation for the government
to have the samples, when you didn't want it to happen in the first
place?" He said "We didn't know it would happen." WB said "But you
knew!" He said "What do you mean?" WB said, "I want you to watch this."
They played the recordings where he and the others conspired to do the
action. It showed why, too. The guests were dumfounded. One said "Where
did you get that?" WB said "Didn't you know? Stephen can see and record
anything, even things in the past, that pertains to him." He said
"That's an invasion of privacy!" WB said "Which is worse, that, or
causing a government agency to seriously break the law for false
justifications, which were really just your personal dislike?"
They got up and left the studio. WB said "We lose more microphones
that way. Maybe we should ask for a deposit the next time. When we come
back, we've got more to show you. You really should stick around. You
don't want to miss this!" Back on the air, he played the videos that
showed what else those guests had done, and their meetings with White
House people, and their request to DHS for the mission. There were some
discussions about all that. Then the AG announced he would have a news
conference in a few minutes. CNN had a crew waiting, and got there
first. Only three minutes late, the AG came out and said, "Stephen has
given us all the evidence he has, regarding the raid on Bill Gats'
house, which includes more than was broadcast, and already we have
offers of corroborating testimony. We will be investigating this
situation thoroughly for the citizens of America, WITHOUT political
bias or favoritism. I don't have any more to say at this time. We need
to evaluate all the evidence for our investigation, before we can
comment further. Thank you."
I was in his office when he came back. I stood, and we shook hands.
We sat. I said "Well, we did it. CNN did a great job with that sucker
punch." He laughed, and said, "They sure did! So did you, setting that
up. You practically FORCED me to act impartially. Thanks. I really DO
appreciate that." I said "Dems are going to hold a roasting." He said
"As expected. Deserved. I wonder who of the GOP is going to distance
themselves from the perps, first." I said "Interesting to watch. I
wonder who outside on the far Right is going to er, waffle." He
laughed, and said, "Right. They can't hide that they want action
against you, but can't really support in the open what actually
happened." I said "And next week, after the love broadcast, I'll be
announcing the consequence. How they react to that should be
interesting, too." He said "Yes. Going to leave a loophole in that?" I
said "Shhhhh." He nodded his thanks, with a tear.
I updated Bill on all the action and speculation. Rose said, "This is
working out in our favor. Situation manager favor, that is." I hugged
her, and said, "All our situations do, because we make them do that."
She said "Fun watching you work." I said "I have to say this; not
nearly as much fun as watching YOU work!" Hawk laughed, while Rose was
kissing me.
END Page
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Grant
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