Solomon's Private File #113
These stories about Stephen and Solomon take place starting in
1950's. Stephen wrote about his life in letters to a penpal, and then
in a secure blog, in case he lost his memory again, in the master
computer in his school for gifted students, which he started attending
in 2016 in a new incarnation, until his death. Now his son Solomon is
attending the same school, and is writing in his own secure blog for
his future incarnations.
All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
Solomon is 18 in this story, in the Winter of 2044-2045.
Solomon's Private File #113 "New Madrid Quakes"
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All our available people were on prep and standby for the quake. We
built gigantic emergency shelters and stocked them with necessary
supplies. Local civil defense people manned them. I let them know they
would be monitored. Some of them liked that. Some didn't. All were
nervous. I briefed my students. We established individual zones of
action, and special procedures. I said, "During the quakes I'm going to
try to use personal time adjustment so I can do more things at once.
I'll be scanning as many structures as I can, and sharing that
database. After each quake, if the foundation area supports it, I might
try to replicate the original buildings in place. There is something I
really want to try, but it probably wouldn't work. If I lift the whole
city of Memphis into the air during a quake, what do I do with it, if
the ground under it becomes a river?"
Galya said, "Put a basalt block under it." George said, "All
utilities would have to be rebuilt. Basalt is very tough to tunnel
into." Daren said, "But you can't just do it for just that one city.
Little Rock, St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and Nashville are
going to be demolished, too." I said, "I know. And what about the
smaller cities? Would cause a lot of controversy in what we chose to
preserve and what we didn't, that would have been easier. And there are
other problems. The highway system around St. Louis will be torn apart
in the quake, and in lifting the city, which would include East St.
Louis, too. And a river runs through it. Putting it back down could
cause even more of that damage. And the city can be rebuilt in place.
Not so with Memphis. Going to be NOTHING usable there after the quakes,
not even dry land. Comments?" Elise said, "Announce that you can only
try to save one big city that's in the worst danger, and it's Memphis,
and say why you chose it. And say you can try to do something for other
major cities, but what you would do could make the damage worse. That's
what you planned to do and say." I said to the others, "Who let that
genius in here?" Chuckles and poking.
I did make that announcement, and it caused a lot of comment. Some of
that was in the negative. People all wanted their own cities and towns
saved, and not some others. President and I had a news conference. I
said, "If I don't try to save Memphis, and notice I said TRY, it will
be completely GONE. The river will be in its place. Other towns and
cities can be repaired or rebuilt where they are, but not that one.
Even if what I hope to do succeeds, it will still need major repairs
before it can be inhabited again. All public services would have to be
reconnected. Oh, wait." They all looked at me while I was thinking. I
said to my people in contact, "Time stasis bubbles!" They gave me
silent cheers. I said out loud, "I just thought of something else I can
try, to help other places. Not what I would do for Memphis, but could
be useful. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is. If it works,
after, maybe, if you don't try to embarrass me too much. One thing I
should say about that ahead of time. If there is somebody in the town
and city I might try to save the new way, they could be killed by the
process. That means I can't do it if there is somebody there. Even to
save a whole city, I can't kill anybody. I just can't. I'm sorry."
President said, "You could port them away." I said, "If I have time,
yes. And even if what I do succeeds, there will still be some problems.
Well, who wants to live in a city where the whole thing is tilted?" He
said, "I think I see what you might be doing. I think we should all
realize that this the worst natural disaster in our history, and that
nothing can prevent all damage from happening."
A reporter said, "What if people sue you for not helping them
enough?" I said, "I have nothing they can take from me but my clothes.
I don't mind being naked, but some might be offended by the sight." I
woman said, "Not I!" Laughter. I said, "Remember, I don't look like
this. It's a disguise. And that's become a problem. You're all used to
the way I look now. If I stopped using disguises, and showed my real
self, who would believe that was the real me, then?" The President
said, "That could be true, but would you show us anyway?" I said, "That
could be too much of a distraction at this time, when we need to be
concentrating on preparing for the disaster." He said, "True,
unfortunately. I see a lot of interesting expressions in the room." I
said, "Right. Isn't that great?" Some chuckles.
I briefed my S Kids on the time stasis technique and plans. I made
the rounds again to the major cities and towns, and briefed FEMA, too.
It added to the complications, but they liked it, anyway. As predicted,
the first noticeable quake was a 3.9, and at 3:42AM local time. I
announced that, and continued with, "In three days, Tuesday, at around
5:57 in the morning, there will be a major earthquake of about 9.6,
centering along the New Madrid fault, lasting about twelve minutes.
Everybody should be out of all the major cities and towns in the
already calculated and announced zones of danger. Expect major damage
in those areas, if I can't be fully successful in protecting things.
There could be some slight earth movement and building damage in the
rest of the Continental U.S., East of the Rocky Mountains. After the
earthquake ends, DO NOT return to the seriously affected areas, until
those in authority have declared it is safe to do so. There are going
to be more major earthquakes after the first big one, for as long as
two or three weeks, and smaller ones for months to come. Looters will
be unpleasantly surprised by what will happen to them. I have been
given permission by the authorities to act on their behalf in
preventing crimes. Be warned. My ways could cause some embarrassment. I
understand that people will want to protect their property. Be warned;
if you kill somebody who isn't threatening or trying to physically harm
you or your family, you WILL feel that death as they did, for the rest
of your life. And that also applies to the police. We are in for some
really bad times. We must make every effort to survive it as best we
can, with as much humanity as we can. We all need to support and help
each other. It will help us, and it will help them. All of life is a
test of who we are. Let us do well in this test, for us, and for God."
Response to that was all over the map. Chad would have loved it.
It happened. Church bells rang all over the Eastern half of the US,
and not by intent. We had stasis fields over most towns and cities. For
Memphis, I lifted it up into the air about 100m, and stabilized it.
There were some FEMA people in it, who were totally amazed. A barrier
prevented them from falling off the edge. There was a 50m thick plug of
earth under the city that it was resting on. The hole in the ground it
came from, was 4th protected, or the river would have filled it. The
chief and I ported to the FEMA camp there. I told them all about it,
and said, "Going to be up here for weeks, until I know the ground is
finished major hopping. Then I'll see if I can manage the er,
replacement. Depends on what the quakes do to the ground and the
riverbed. Even then, utilities will need to be reestablished, and that
could take time. Up here, PLEASE don't flush!" Laughter. The Chief
said, "Anybody needing transportation, call. Or just to talk. We care."
After a lot of hugging, we ported away. Him to make the rounds with his
Adept assistant.
At another Presidential news conference, he said, "It isn't over yet.
There's going to be more quakes. So far, there have been three reported
deaths attributed to the quake, and 23 injured. More injuries in fights
in some shelters. While that's very sad, it's significantly better than
the millions who would have died without Solomon's help." A reporter
said, "What did he actually do? We see the results, but not how." Pres
said in the air, "Solomon?" I ported to his side and said, "Memphis is
floating in the air. Something like the Wheel of Life does in Tibet,
but a little bigger. I'll put it back when it's safe to do so, if I can
reconfigure the changed ground for it. I have to do it this way,
because if I didn't, the river would have ruined it more than the quake
would have. The other cities and towns that look er, strange, are
protected by a time stasis field. No time exists inside it, so nothing
can damage it. Those fields will be released when it's safe to do so.
However, the ground may have shifted near them, so some adjustments may
have to be made, and utilities be reconnected. Before you ask, I should
tell you that I didn't plan on doing the time stasis until I thought of
it in the news conference, and I didn't know how well it would work,
and I still don't know, completely. And such a technique might not work
as well for use in other kinds of earthquakes and other disasters."
One asked, "How is the time stasis done?" I said, "Very well, I
think. No, I can't tell you more, because it can't be explained in
words. It's done by the mind." He said, "Does that mean if you die,
they will stop?" I said, "If the mind that is maintaining those fields
no longer exists, they will be gone. The same for the uplifted Memphis.
I suggest you don't test that." One said, "But Stephen's Wheel is still
up there after he's gone." I said, "I knew that. He made it permanent.
I'm not doing it that way, because these are not going to be permanent.
More work in undoing them, I don't need." He said, "What happens when
you sleep?" I said, "You'll have to ask my wife that." Some chuckles.
He said, "That's not what I meant." I said, "The parts of my mind that
work in different compartments, do not sleep, or the danger watches I
have on some politicians wouldn't be working when I was snoozing. They
do. Er, not the politicians, the partitions." Chuckles. One said, "Did
your father teach you how to do the time stasis?" I said, "No, my
father didn't teach me the time stasis, or the time research, either. I
don't know why he chose not to. That subject is closed." One said, "Did
God teach you?" I said, "I wouldn't mind answering that, but I already
said the subject is closed. Sorry." They exchanged knowing looks with
each other. One said, "Will you show us what you really look like now?"
I said, "No. You don't need to see the real me at this time, and it
would distract from more important things people should be thinking
about. Which reminds, me, I should be doing that, too. Be well." I
ported way.
There were more major quakes for two weeks, the last one being 8.8,
all predicted at least a day in advance. Then I announced, "In four
days, at around 9:32PM, there will be a 6.2 earthquake, which will be
the last major one in the series. My predictions show there won't be
any over 4.2 after that, but many of them, for about three months.
Those shouldn't cause any significant damage to undamaged buildings,
but things that have already been damaged can be at risk for more
damage, and they may be unsafe to be in or near them in those times.
After the last big one, I will be releasing the time stasis fields,
starting with those farthest from the epicenter, working towards the
middle. Do NOT all rush into those places. Obey the officials there.
There might still be some danger, with disconnected and damaged
utilities, and other unsafe conditions. Please wait for those areas to
be declared safe. I have a personal request. Insurance companies;
please, no kisses. You've got a lot more lips than I do. Just regular
thanks is fine." That last comment caused some amusement.
Then we were really surprised. Some major insurers wanted to talk to
me. I invited them all to the Navajo Convention Center that Dad had
made. AllCity spoke first. He said, "Solomon, I think I speak for all
of us when I offer our sincerest admiration and gratitude for all you
have done for America. And yes, for us. I don't think we could have
paid out on all the possible claims for this disaster. That would have
bankrupted us, and devastated our clients more than they would have
been already." I said, "Er, you're welcome. You could have sent me a
letter. Why waste time and effort to embarrass me like this?" Chuckles.
CityFarm said, "We would like to do something more than this to show
you our appreciation." I said, "I don't think that's possible,
directly. I don't care about personal honors. I don't use money or
things. The only thing anybody can do to please me is to be good people
and help others. Well, and smile a lot." They did smile. One said, "We
you're talking about. Premiums they pay. You spend that in any way that
doesn't benefit them, and I will be very unhappy with you." That
surprised them. Most of them. One nodded. He said, "I see that. We're a
mutual company. I propose this. We allow all our clients to skip a
month's premium in honor of your help." They looked at each other, and
didn't think too poorly of it. I said, "I would have suggested two
months. For ALL policies, for ALL Americans, including car, health and
life. Justification: It could take that long before some of them can
access their money and records, much less receive their mail. Oh, well,
aspirin is good for pain." Some chuckles.
I said, "A bonus; you don't have to tell them it was partially my
idea. I won't, if you do it." They DID like that part. That mutual fund
rep gave me a concealed thumb's up. I said, "You might as well do it. I
think at least one will, and that will put severe pressure on the
others to match it, which could start a promo arms race which could
ruin those who don't get big black eyes. If you all agree to it here
together, it would be better for all of you. No, I was NOT
Machiavelli." Some embarrassed laughter. I said, "Hawk is laughing
louder. Well, my father was accused of being him, often. He wasn't."
One said, "Is the story of the contested baby, true?" I said, "Yes, but
it was NOT mine!" Chuckles. She said, "So you were him?" I said, "I
didn't say that. Sorry." AllCity said, "We'll do it." The others
agreed. Later that day, they announced it, calling it the Solomon Gift.
It was really appreciated by millions of policy holders. The name of
it, not so much by me.
In almost all cases, the released cities and towns had very few
problems other than the expected cracked water and sewage lines. The
same for individual homes and other structures. Many private wells were
damaged or just not operating right. Of course, the bigger the city,
the more of those utilities problems there were. I did have to level
some of the areas for them. Memphis required a lot of work in getting
it back in place and working. I and my team helped with some of the
utilities restoration in some cities, sometimes on the sly. Seven
nuclear reactors sustained minor damage, which was quickly fixed, but
had significant delays in getting inspected and approved to restart. A
little better for other power plants in the area, but our mobile power
stations were a big help. People were allowed back into their homes and
businesses much sooner than they expected. FEMA did great work. Well
organized and dedicated people. I said that in one of the news
conferences, with much more in individual praise. People agreed. It was
estimated we saved the country a couple of trillion dollars. A lot of
people wanted to heap praise on me in all kinds of gatherings. I
declined, saying I wasn't sure so much embarrassment would be
permanently disabling, but it could feel like it. They kept asking.
Finally, the President said in a news conference, "Stop bothering
Solomon! He helped us avert the worst disaster in our history. He
deserves our thanks, absolutely. How do we give it to him? By complying
with his wish to not be embarrassed about it. I know it's frustrating,
but it's what he wants, and so that's what I want, FOR him. But I have
to say, if he visits the White House, he's going to get a LOT of hugs!"
I was in his office when he went back into it. I said, "Alright, but
just one." He laughed, and we hugged.
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Grant
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