Solomon's Private File #185
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 22 in this story, in the Spring of 2049.
Solomon's Private File #185 "Chinese Movies"
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There were a lot of the usual comments about my last CNN show. And
more. Some wanted pictures to go with it. Some wanted an entire movie.
Mom said, "I don't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with them. I'd
like a movie, too. One of the most important events in history, that we
knew very little detail about, and it can be told with such an unusual
character, well, that could be something great." I said, "It could. But
I should care?" She growled and poked me. I said, "It could upset a lot
of people. For women, that she was a woman, and did great things, and
against women, for she was a murdering heartless sociopath. Men could
be upset because a woman was better than the men around her, in their
view, and all Chinese might not like that I would be messing with their
history." Galya said, "History is what it is. Any accurate telling of
it is going to upset somebody. They'll just have to live with it and
move on. Good for them, actually." I said, "Don't do that." They knew
what I meant, and laughed.
I made two movies. The first goes to the first battles in the great
war, and the second goes mostly from that, to her death, with an epilog
outlining what happened after that, with the Empire. I also wrote some
books on the subjects, and a big pictorial book, showcasing the
Imperial household, and including some pictures, and more of them, and
videos that weren't in the movies. I showed everything to Mom, first,
and she had a lot of wows for the package. She said, "As good as your
father's work, at least!" I said, "I've studied all he did. You know I
wouldn't want to do anything but the best I could do." We hugged and
kissed with love.
I asked to meet with PBS. I showed them what I had, and said, "Want
to be involved in any of this?" He said, "Like your father, with the
stupid questions." His assistant I hadn't met before, was absolutely
scandalized. I grinned at his boss and said, "Oh, now you've got a
problem with your staff. New hire?" He said, "Kind of, from your
perspective." He said to the assistant, "I was friends with his father,
and have known Solomon since he was a baby. They like informality, and
I'm sure not complaining about it!" I said to the assistant, "Here is
something I once said that might show how I feel about that, talking
about a politician. 'The problem with stuffed shirts, is discovering
what they've got in there.'" He thought some, and said, a smile
breaking out, "That does sound like something you would say. I like
it!" I said with a grin, "And I'm not complaining about that!"
Chuckles.
His boss said, "We'll use the picture book as a premium. Give us a
show same time as the movie premiere?" I said, "Like a grand tour?" He
said, "Exactly. With audio comments from you. Visual intro." I ported a
crystal to my hand and said, "Try this." While he was reading it, the
assistant said, "You already had that, and didn't show us with the
rest?" I said, "No. Just made it." He was very surprised. His boss
said, "Like his father, after he learned the business. Practically
instant creativity and production." I said, "And I studied all he did."
He nodded and said, "Great work!" He saw the question his assistant
had, and said, "Both of them." He passed the crystal, and the new man
said, "Wow!" PBS said, "Included." I said, "I should charge for that
line!" He said, "Not paying." I said, "So little respect." Grins.
I said "You want me on pledge week. Who I am to the public now,
doesn't fit how we did it before." He said, "Right. Prophet playing
around, would be scandalous." I said, "Don't make it worse!" He said to
his assistant, "They like outrageous. Makes people think, and they are
all about that." He said, "Oh." Then he said with a grin, "Right. Who
can forget the first politician save?" I said, "First time I worked in
the open." He said, "Really made people think, and laugh, too." I said,
"Calculated, but you know I liked it anyway." Grins. I said, "I'll
promote the book, and do the shuttle, but I think that should be it.
They start trying to interview me, who knows what'll happen?" He
laughed. He explained to his assistant, "His father ended up almost
endorsing polygamy." He was really surprised. Then he surprised me,
saying, "Want to meet Big Bird?" I said, "What an honor! Yes,
absolutely! And I just HAVE to hug Elmo! Script it, and see if I follow
it." More grins. We set up some future meetings.
Mom and I went to the same movie releasing company my father had
used. I said, "You might have noticed that people are asking for a
movie about my story about China. Know of a company that might be
interested in releasing it?" Mom poked me. The pres of the company
said, "We would do it. Who's directing it?" Mom grinned, and pointed
her thumb at me. He said, "Oh. When will it be available?" I said,
"Now. Yes, they're done, and a lot more. Part of the promo will be a
PBS show and a big picture book. Hmm, send somebody out for a bib?" Mom
to the pres, "Right. He just might survive that one. Oh, make that a
little extended now." He chuckled. His sec tried not to.
I said, "Got two movies. Split the story in half. Figured four hours
would put them to sleep." He said, "Crystals?" I passed them over, and
he read the first. After he recovered, he said, "Magnificient! To do
that in studio and on location would have cost, 2, 3 hundred million!
Your aerial shots are fantastic!" I said, "Thanks. All real, too. Got
all kinds of subtitles and dubbed languages. Here's the other crystal."
He looked at that, and had more wows. I said, "Can do different rating
versions, too." He said, "No sex?" I said, "She never had any.
Couldn't, with her two personas, and she was determined to never be
bested by a man." He said, "Good for her, but not good for the movies."
I said, "I know, but I'm not reducing the authenticity. Got a life I've
partially exposed, that would be a real sizzler, both ways. Might do
that someday. You should eat something before these meetings."
Chuckles.
He said, "You won't tell me?" I said, "Nope. Here's some ads." He
looked at them, and said, "Great! We'll definitely use these." I said,
"Not yet. Terms. Quality measured by decibels of your screams." Mom
laughed, and the sec had to, and Hawk went almost hysterical. I said to
him, "I didn't know Hawk could sound like that. Oh, want to hear?" I
piped in in. He said, "Wow!" I said, "Absolutely." We settled on terms,
and he almost did scream. I said, "Don't feel bad. Half we make will go
to PBS, and the other half to Mom and Hawk's charity." He said, "I saw
it in the ads and credits. Good of you." I ported something to the
table. I said, "Gift. Exact copy of Sun's favorite sword. Careful! It's
real, and very sharp." He said, "Wow!" I said, "That, too." Chuckles.
Later, I said to Mom, "Want to visit Shaolin?" She said, "I do! These
outings with you are a lot of fun." I said, "Well, I hope so!" Poke.
With prior arrangement, we ported to the Abbot's office. His grin
almost split his face in half, while we said polite things. Then he
stared at me in shock. He said, "You are very different!" I said, "And
you are unchanged?" He said, "Not the same." I said, "Obviously. I'm
taller." He said, "I understand." We hugged. He said, "I must say, your
story was very well presented!" I said, "Thank you. It's not ending
there. Got movies, a TV show, and a big picture book in process. Here's
crystals." He read them, and expressed a lot of wows. I said, "But
we're not here for just that. Here's an exact copy of Sun's favorite
sword, and here's the Emperor's best." He said wow again. I said, "One
more thing if you want. I can add her martial arts to a new post out
there." He shouted, "Please!" And put his hand over his mouth in shame.
I said to Mom, "Why do they always cover their mouths AFTER the cause
escapes?" Mom chuckled, but the Abbot laughed. I said, "Hawk really
liked that one." More laughter. I said, "New post is made and filled,
and that was, er, a little noticed." They grinned.
We went out to the practice area where the martial arts recording
posts were. The Abbot explained about the new one, and they were very
interested in it. After a contact question with Mom, I said, "Would you
like it if Rose and I demonstrated some of it here?" They really did,
so we did just that. It went well. More, that they hadn't seen Mom
fight before, and they were very impressed. I said, after that, "Before
I became serious in studying martial arts, Rose was among the four best
in the world." That made them more impressed. One said, "And now?" I
said, "My sister and I are best, and some of our personal students are
second best. This is what new generations are for, to learn from their
elders, and improve on them. And not just to make them proud of us." I
looked at Mom, and we hugged with love.
One said, "Can anybody beat you?" I said, "Nothing of any reality can
affect me in any way that I do not specifically allow." They just
stared at me, mostly not understanding that. I called out one of the
senior monks and directed him to throw a real spear hard at my chest.
He did, and it went right through me. More staring. I said to the
Abbot, "Please tell them if I am here in body or an image." He said,
"Solomon is here as a real person." He said to me, "How did you do
that?" I said, "I am not able to explain that so you will understand. I
chose to not let the reality of the spear encounter MY reality. Being
then unreal to each other, neither were affected by each other. If a
piece of paper were on the shaft, it would have fallen to the ground
after bouncing off of my chest, and if there were a target behind me,
the spear would have stuck in it. Sadly, I am beyond martial arts now.
Still, it's an enjoyable practice." The Monk said, "But your clothes?"
I said, "I included that in my setting of the reality. I must caution
you that this is more of a perception and skill thing, and not so much
a matter of will, so do NOT try this yourself!" The Abbot said, "That
is very important! We prefer living students!" I said, "Absolutely.
Much more attentive." Chuckles. We went back to the office.
The Abbot said, "Your explanation is unclear." I said, "To me, too.
It's all that's available, though." He said, "You can walk through
walls." I said, "Doors are much more convenient. Porting is easier. Can
you perceive atoms?" He said, "Molecules only." I said, "Still, you
should be able to sense that matter is mostly empty space." He said,
"Oh! Now I see something of the possibility, but not how. It is a thing
that requires more than I can perceive at this time." Mom said to me,
"Put your hand through the desk." I did. She said, "I saw that! But I
don't understand how you kept the desk molecules in place, against the
energy level atomic force of your intrusive molecules." I said, "When
air, "I can't." We smiled. I said to the Abbot, "She likes martial arts
more than I do, and she monitors me. No, she can't port here right now.
Teaching." He smiled and said, "She is very welcome here anytime!" Kam
said in the air, "Thank you, Abbot."
I said to the Abbot, "You know about Rhamcha." He said, "I do. A
wondrous thing!" I said, "He has more to share than before. Please
partake of it." He looked strange, and said, "Thank you! I will." We
all bowed and said our farewells, and Mom and I ported home. Hawk was
there. Mom said, "He's going to make it?" I said, "Probably. Depends on
how much time he spends with Rhamcha." Hawk said, "That apply to
others?" I said, "ALL time spent with the enlightened is well spent,
but they are close friends. He will benefit from that more than any
other at his level." Hawk said, "Logical. So you are that step above
enlightened?" I said, "That's difficult to know, because the state of
enlightenment is open ended. Technique isn't the determining factor. In
a way, I'm kind of outside the loop. The Senior Prophet thing. I don't
fit any of the usual labels now." They nodded, and agreed with the
cutoff.
Hawk said, "So, spending time with the enlightened can help to become
enlightened." I just grinned, and he had to laugh. He said, "Stupid of
me. Of course it does. That's what they're for! Teaching!" I said
gently with love, "You know I would do anything to help you on your way
to enlightenment. So, don't be concerned." We all hugged with love.
Daren said in my mind, shielded, "You're really messing with my mind!"
I sent him a rude noise. He laughed. He said, "You ARE the next step. I
figured it out. You're totally independent of matter." I said, "So,
what's the matter with that?" He growled. He said, "You don't actually
need a body to exist in normal realities. You are a dirigible
immaterial entity." I said, "It's not exactly my fault. The other side
rejects me, so I'm stuck in this one, even if my body dies." He said,
"Has it happened before?" I said, "Yes. Legends of the devil and
demons. I might be the first to be enlightened, which might make me
something like what Buddhists call the Immortals, and the Greeks,
Demigods." He said, "Oh! Well, we'd better not let that one out!" I
said, "Well, duh!" Chuckles.
I said to Hawk privately, "You said something some time past, about
what makes a person enlightened." He said, "I remember. In regard to
PLANNED that in Pakistan!" I said, "Partly. I hoped for it. He may have
noticed that. Or the other way around." He said, "I see. He might have
influenced you to include me in the God contacts." I said, "Or you to
request them." He said, "He really does love us!" I looked at him very
seriously, and said, "He does." We cried together. In wonder. In awe.
With love.
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Grant
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