Solomon's Private File #217
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 25 in this story, in the Summer of 2051.
Solomon's Private File #217 "Sugared Taliban"
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I shifted to be with my friend the plant. She said, "I have not been
able to see all you have done." I said, "I could ask you what you
haven't seen that I could then share with you, but you might not know
what they were." She laughed and said, "True. The mission to save the
blocked stone?" I gave it to her. She said, "I agree with your stone.
That was amazing! How did you do it?" I said, "In my encounters with
him, I acted like his personality would act in my position, but
slightly better, so he could see himself in me. Each word, each
expression, each detectable emotion, was calculated precisely for the
effects I was going for, using my complete knowledge of him. They all
built on each other, causing him to change himself. It worked. That was
it. If it hadn't worked, I would have done something else. I don't know
what, but I would know then." She said, "Wow!" I said, "I agree." She
said, "And amazing. That meeting in Tibet?" I said, "Sorry, that was
private." She said, "I understand. I feel a little like Daren in this."
I laughed. I said, "I wasn't laughing at you, but at him." She said
with humor, "I almost feel better. Rose and Hawk are enlightened. I
don't fully understand that state." I said, "It isn't to be understood,
but to experience. That path is not for you. In some ways, on your own
path, you are more advanced than they will ever be. You are in mind,
independent of spaces. They will never be. You can know and see things
they will not, but what they do see, they see to a depth you cannot.
Being different doesn't have to mean unequal." She said, "I didn't know
that in me was a part that could feel better, knowing that. Thank you."
We exchanged love.
I met with Hawk. I said, "There is still Taliban in Pakistan. I have
some desire to er, do something with them. Thoughts?" He said, "Why
me?" I said, "Of us, you're in charge there." He said, "Oh! How about
something new? Firearms into spun sugar." I said, "Please chose
another, so I can think of that one." He laughed well. I said, "Ha! Got
Mom to laugh." More laughter. I said, "Show me some designs and
flavors." We discussed them, and chose the best. I said, "Now the
settings. Anybody who thinks he's a Taliban in the area of action?" He
said, "I can't read their minds." I said, "Multiple viewpoints, send
this thought out. You'll sense the reactions. Make it any weapon with
an explosive they touch, including bombs? Set it in background to run
every five minutes?" He said, "Right. No announcement?" I showed an
evil grin, and said, "Let them guess in frustration?" He chuckled, and
said, "That's bad. Let's do it!" I said, "No, all yours. Here's more
settings for the transposition. You're fully able to do this on your
own." He said, "Wow!" I said, "Not yet!" Chuckles. I said, "Whenever
you want." He said, "You know I can't wait for this. Monitor?" I said,
"Couldn't keep me away. And recording." Grins.
In seconds, it was done. Early morning there. They noticed their
colorful changed guns. A few even licked them with some enjoyment. Hawk
laughed hard. When he could listen, I said, "CNN is going to want a
talk about it. I don't want you in legal jeopardy." He said, "Right.
And you didn't do it, or even tell me to. Well done!" I said, "I try.
Oh, and I didn't even mention Afghanistan to you." He said,
"Absolutely! Done." Chuckles, with love. I said, "Here's the specs for
an auto control box that will do all you did, for continuous. Want to
make it and plant it between the countries?" He said, "Wow! Absolutely!
Done. On, too." I said, "I can report that it's working." Hugs.
That morning, Eastern time, pres of CNN called me, and said, "Strange
reports out of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some guns turned to sugar." I
said, "Interesting. I see it. Poor Taliban. Nice, though. Tasty, too."
He said, "Did you do it?" I said, "Nope. Not even my idea." He said,
"Hawk?" I said, "You know I'm not going to step on that legal dog pile.
But you know he was laughing like a maniac." He laughed. I said, "Not
you, him." More laughter. He said, "Would you do a show about it?" I
said, "We knew you would ask. Yes I'll do it, so I can show some time
dive videos of it. Funny. Shouldn't waste that." He chuckled, and we
set the time.
I shifted to the studio. Greg was there, and grinning. I said, "Boss
briefed you?" He said, "He did. Laughing." We shared grins. On air, he
said, "We've had reports that in Afghanistan and Pakistan, some
firearms have turned into sugar. Solomon is here with us to aid in the
reporting. Solomon, do you know what happened?" I said, "I looked. Want
some videos?" He said, "Please!" I projected them, with translations.
Some were funny. I said, "Most bad words in their languages aren't so
bad in English. I wonder if they know that, and if they do someday,
they would use some of ours." He chuckled and said, "Would be
interesting. I've noticed something. All those people appear to be
outside of cities. Do those there still have guns?" I said, "Let's look
around." I showed that some still did. I said, "I checked. Taliban
only, got the candy." He said, "Did you do it?" I said, "No, I didn't
do it. Not even my idea. Wish it was, actually." He chuckled. He said,
"Do you know who did?" I said, "I'm not going to say I know or don't
know. I don't want to cause whoever did it to stop. I like it!" He
laughed.
He said, "Do you think whoever did it, will do it someplace else?" I
said, "Hmm, are you requesting that?" He said, "Oh! No, just asking." I
said, "So you don't want it to happen?" He said, "I didn't say that." I
said, "So, what did you mean?" He said, "Let's go to break." Off air, I
said, "You can't hear it, but a lot of the world is laughing." So was
the control room. I said, "Interesting expression. I didn't know you
could look like that. Oh, the control room is about to bust something.
Oh, that didn't help." He chuckled.
Back on air, I said before he could say anything, "You know, there
are some Taliban in other countries. Think they should have their
sweets, too?" He said, "Are you trying to put me on the spot?" I said,
"Yes! How did you know?" He chuckled. I said, "After all the times you
did that to me? Hey world, what do you think?" He said, "I'm being
informed that we are receiving a lot of calls and messages about this."
I said, "I can see and hear them. You know they agree with me, when
they stop laughing." He said, "The president of CNN has told me to dig
myself out of my own trap. Here goes. I report the news, not try to
make it happen. But personally, I would not be sad if there were fewer
weapons in the world, and that includes less with whose who would use
them for terrorism, most of all." I said, "Well done!" He looked very
relieved. I created something to be on the table between us. I said, "A
gift. The plaque says on it, 'To Greg Lawson of CNN, in Recognition of
Courage on Air, from Solomon.' The quartz globe contains a miniature
sugar assault rifle." He was speechless. I said, "Let's let him try to
recover during the break." Off air, I said, "I know. You didn't expect
it. Good. Oh, there goes the control room again." He chuckled. I said,
"No, it's not a gag gift. I mean it." That didn't help his recovery.
Back on air, he said to me, "Thank you very much, Solomon, for your
unique gift! Back to the subject at hand. It is just guns that turned
into sugar?" I said, "Hmm, they touched a few bombs. They're going to
need a lot of dentists there." He chuckled. I said, "Seems as if all
too much." He said in fascination, "What were you thinking?" I said,
laugh, but couldn't stop. I said, more loudly, "Maybe I should stop
talking." When he could, he said, "No, don't stop." I said, "Oh, need
more exercise?" Chuckles.
I said, "Did you know that William of Normandy had his very own
fool?" He said, "No I didn't. What do you mean by fool?" I said, "In
those days, that's what a court jester was called. They were usually
dwarves. Me, actually. Had a funny hat, and my own sword, and could use
it, too. Some people thought I was easy pickings for a little rough
fun." He said, "What did you do?" I said, "Well, I sure couldn't punch
them in the face. But below the sword belt, well, those formerly manly
men left me alone after that." He said, "Ouch!" I said, "They said a
lot more than that. It wasn't my fist I used, but my sword." He said,
"Oh!" I said, "That's more like it." Chuckles. I said, "I was immune
from reprisals, being William's property. Just so I didn't do that to
the nobility, who didn't want to have anything to do with me, anyway.
My sharp tongue caused that, which William loved, although he didn't
understand most of my more creative insults. Fools were important. We
could say things the nobility couldn't, without having to fight a duel
to the death over it. Outrageous things they needed to hear, but
couldn't be said by anybody else. Guessed now, it was one of the lives
I like to refer to?" He said, "Actually, I was thinking that." I said,
"Good thinking."
He said, "What other lives to you like to refer to?" I said, "I'm not
going to reveal any more lives today. I use them when they should be
used, not just for news. Hillel was one of my best. Actually, THE best.
Another one was my best turn as a story teller. I think it shows." He
said, "I'm sure it does! The way you told the story of Chi was
fantastic." I said, "Thanks. I don't use her for anything good. One I
use was an American soldier in the first world war. He had not one
insincere bone in his body. He was SO proud that he made sergeant so
young, and so were his men. A weak later, he died in a trench in
France. That's all that I've mentioned before in public. Most of my
former lives, I use to know how NOT to be." He said, "Thank you,
Solomon for this very interesting show." I said, "No, thank YOU for
enabling me to have an interesting time with you. You handled it well."
Then we were off air, and he slumped down in a big release of tension.
He avoided looking at my big grin.
The control room people came in chuckling. I said, "Your president
wants me to show him here." I projected him into the room, and the room
into his office. He said with a smile, "Well done all! One of the most
watched of these shows, and with the most positive comments, and
they're still coming in. I don't know if we can duplicate this in the
future, but I sure wouldn't be opposed to it!" I said, "Won't do much
for your reporters' nerves." All laughed. He said, "Solomon, you did
very well in the denouement." I said, "Ha! A story telling reference.
Actually, that's what I was doing. Let them down gently, but still with
something of interest, not fluff. Something like an explanation of the
plot. I see some surprise. Yes, I do manage these things, but not ahead
of time. Well, I think kinda fast." He said, "Well said. Will you be
doing it again?" I said, "How the heck do I know?" Chuckles. We all
said our farewells.
Hawk and Galagos ported in to join us at home. Gal said, "Hawk told
me about it. SO funny, and funny how you handled it on air." I said,
"Tell me why I did it. No, no help for him." He thought a little and
said, "Oh! Make them think twice about pushing you." I said, "Exactly!
Well done. I was acting like a jester. He couldn't fight back, and had
to rise above himself to do something like survive in his job. And I
used him to hint at doing more of what Hawk did." He said, "I see that.
Really well done!" Mom said, "He didn't do too badly, eventually. He'll
keep his job." Hawk said, "And he has a trophy, too." Galya said to me,
"I know that look! What did you do?" I said, "None of you watched after
I left?" They didn't. I said, "It's active. He touches the bottom, the
gun will shoot." I showed them. The rifle barrel curved up a little,
and out shot a series of white sprays. Hawk went hysterical with
laughter. Mom, chuckling, said, "An ejaculation! You didn't!" Galya
said proudly, "Yes he did." I said, "Often. Oh, you mean in the award."
Pokes and laughter. I said, "Oh, he's found it out. Laughing up a
storm. I'm not looking any more. I don't want to know who he tells.
More fun finding it out normally." They nodded.
The next day, Greg asked to see me privately. I ported him to a
meeting room in the Navajo Convention Center. I told him were we were,
and asked if he wanted a tour of it. So we did that. Back at the
starting place, we sat. He said, "I didn't feel this during and right
after the show, but I want to thank you for what you did for me." I
said, "You're welcome. But not er, TO you?" He grinned and said, "I did
have that thought at first. But I reviewed the show after, and looked
at the comments from the public and my er, cohorts. I think it's
actually helped my career. I think you knew that. You always know
exactly what you do and what the results will be." I said, "Yes,
mostly. My father did it with some of his interrogators, and they came
out of it better and more effective. I thought you could use a boost,
along with doing something really different for the public. I planned
that Taliban sex thing before the show." He laughed, and said, "That
really got to me." I said, "Me, too, when I thought of it. Quite a
strain not using it right away." Chuckles.
I said, "My people didn't know about the extra thing in the trophy
until I showed them a projection demo." He laughed, and said, "SO
unexpected!" I said, "I wanted to remind you of that joke. And to give
you something you could use on people if you wanted to. Going to make
that public?" He said, "No!" I said, "Good. Cameras can't see that
effect. Hard to prove." He said, "I didn't think of that. Could you
have made it so?" I said, "Yes, but with a power source." He said, "I
just like it. And more, what it really means." I said, "Touch the
center column to feel my love." He said, "Oh!" We hugged with love, and
I ported him back.
Mom said, "I didn't see that. Well done!" I said, "My job. Yours,
too." She said, "Yes." We hugged and kissed with love.
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Grant
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