Solomon's Private File #238
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 26 in this story, in the Fall of 2052.
Solomon's Private File #238 "Circus On GP"
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Mirch came to me while I was practicing on the slack wire, and said,
"We've been thinking." I said, "Wait." I hopped off, and said, "First,
said, "First, or I walk away." He thought, and then smiled. I said,
"That's more like it. You can't go walking around a circus with your
face all screwed up like it was. Would pull everybody down." He said,
"Thank you! You're amazing!" I said, "Nope. Just Sol." He said, "I need
to talk with the manager." I said, "All?" He nodded. I said, "And
Hrach?" He said, "He agrees." I said, "Need both. Saves repeating.
others who saw that. We went to get Hrach, and then went to see the
manager.
They told him all they knew. He said, "In a way, we actually could be
considered spies, and it's no secret. We report back to our sponsors
all we see of the worlds we visit. About the economy, the
entertainments, the government, all that has any possible bearing on
our business. We need to analyze all that to most effectively prepare
for what we do as a circus. What they do with that information that
doesn't relate to us, we don't know or care about." Mirch said, "That
makes sense. Good sense, actually. An independent source of government
information for the government. Helpful for a government that cares
about its people." Manager said with admiration, "Well said!" I said,
"I agree." He was very flattered.
Hrach said, "Why is Sol with us here?" Manager said, "He's the most
intelligent and capable person I've ever heard of. Who wouldn't want
his help?" They nodded. I said, "And you just HAD to embarrass me." He
said, "Absolutely!" Chuckles. Manager said to them, "If you want to
stay with the circus, well, you're good and talented people. We defend
our own, and that includes YOU!" They had tears. I said, "Every society
has its criminals. They found your world, and corrupted it. But they
aren't US." Hrach said, "We realize that now." I said, "But you have a
"Right. We betray our own. But only a few of us. And I have to admit,
the worst of us, who would be criminals in any good society."
I said, "How did they discover you?" Mirch said, "They jacked one of
our ships. We were better armed, but they tricked us." I said, "You
were in that ship?" He said, "First Mate, Pirate Patrol." Hrach said,
"I wasn't on a ship. Later recruit." I said, "Better armed. We're in
trouble." Nods. I said, "How long ago?" He said, "Eight years." I said,
"How many ships you know of?" Mirch said, "At the contact, about 52,
depending on maintenance schedules. Some new ones should be nearing
completion. Then there's testing. About two years before active
service." I said, "A little as a year. They might not care about crew
safety." They looked unhappy at that. I said, "Know the coordinates?"
He said, "Our system, yes, but not in your charting system." I said,
"Good memory for star charts? He said, "Yes." I said, "Want to try a
little experiment in memory transfer?" He hesitated. Manager said, "We
do NOT attack planets!" They looked at me.
I said, "With what he believes, he spoke the truth. I think it's
true, myself. But I have to say, a lot of bad things can happen when
people are desperate." He said, "I want you to know I wouldn't have
cooperated in this, if you hadn't made that qualification. What do I
do?" I said, "First, I need to look at our star charts." I was given a
Hrach said, "Wait! You memorized them all?" I said, "Sure. What of it?"
They both said, "Wow!" Manager grinned. I said to Mirch, "Take a mental
image of a star chart, and push it at me." He tried. I said, "Try
getting behind it, and push from there." He did, and said, "Got it! Now
as many other images as you can." He did that, for twenty one. I said,
"Wow! What a brain! Great work!" He was flattered and embarrassed. Then
we discussed the color temperatures of some of the stars. Then I pulled
up a chart on the tablet, and said, "It's this one. What do you call
it?" He said, "Sumner."
Manager said, "Jurk is going to have stomach problems again." I said,
"They might be watching just for that. I should go with him, being his
caring roommate." He felt conflicted. Then he sighed, and said, "Are
you always right?" I said, "This side only. This other side is what's
left." Groans and grins. I said, "We'll need contact information for
somebody you trust in the government." He said, "After I brief Jurk.
I'll work on that, and the info package, while YOU all get back to
work. We have a circus to run!" I said, "Yes boss. Sure thing, boss."
He was chuckling as we left. I said to them, "What you expected?" Mirch
said, "I didn't know what to expect, so, no, not at all." I said to
him, "You've changed. More critical and accurate thinking. I have to
like that, and admire you for the change. Wasn't easy, I know." He
sighed, and said, "Thanks. It wasn't." Hrach nodded. We all hugged.
Hrach said, "You're more holy than I thought." I said, "Oh. Er, don't
tell? I like being a clown much better." Mirch said, "Agreed. But I
like you any way you are." I said, "Er, thanks. You're not so bad,
yourself." Pokes.
On the shuttle, on the way to the surface, I said to Jurk, "So, how's
your stomach?" He said, "You know." I said, "Ironic. This trip would be
the worst thing for gravity sickness." He said, "Aren't you ever
serious?" I said, "Absolutely! But not when it isn't needed. Have to
have good emotional balance, or you go to pieces in the middle of the
action." He said, "You're even more than I thought." I said, "I should
eat less?" He grinned, and said, "You DO eat a lot! Cook loves you,
though." I said, "Only one who did at the commune. They all love good
eaters. Makes them feel loved." He said, "I didn't think of that! Good
to know." I said, "Right. What they call food for thought." He had to
laugh. He said, "I love you. Er, in a manly way." I said, "I know. It
wasn't hard to see that, when it wasn't hard." More laughter, and
pokes.
After landing, we went to see his family. They liked me. After
supper, we met with his father in the den. He was a retired Admiral in
the Space Service, and knew of his son's real work. Jurk said, "We're
here on a mission of the utmost importance. Deadly danger to the whole
Empire." He gave his father the file, who ran it through his decoder.
He then viewed it privately. That took an hour. We waited in silence.
Then he nodded to his son, and looked at me with suspicion. Jurk
laughed, and said, "He's one of us." He said, "Not Academy." Jurk said,
"True, but he could beat any grad in anything. He's the best clown
we've ever had." He said, "Oh. Good." I said, "Excuse me, but I think I
missed something here." He said, "I took a tour in the circus myself,
in my youth. Lead clown has the run of every place. He can go where
none of the rest of us can go, and get away with doing the most
outrageous things. Public never takes them seriously, when they most
should. Clowns have to be able to do everything the circus does, and
better than anybody else. High praise from Jurk." I said, "Oh." Jurk
said, "Sol's so humble, it's almost painful to watch." I just sighed,
and they chuckled.
His father said, "Loyalty?" Jurk said, "Manager certified. Sol can't
lie, and can't kill. I did have grav sickness, and was going to be sent
back. Somehow he fixed it. A holy man who doesn't believe he is."
Father tried not to grin. I said, "How about we do some real work? Got
a pad of paper, and a stylus?" He said, "Artist?" I said, "Yes." He
took some things out of a cabinet. I drew the face of a man, and handed
it to him, and said, "Know this man?" He said, "No. Significance?" I
said, "Practically staring holes through us at the port. Security
uniform. Antagonistic feelings from him." He said, "I've got
clearance." He turned his terminal screen around on his desk, and said,
"Here's the port security roster." I skimmed through it, and said,
"This one." He said, "His psionics?" I said, "Half." He stared at me. I
said, "Oh, alright. Mine, full." He said, "I knew that from what Jurk
said, and you knew that." I said, "Everybody wants to embarrass me!"
Chuckles. He said to Jurk, "I'll speak with Sol alone." He nodded and
left.
Admiral said to me, "Our Guardians are mostly useless." I said, "They
are. That's why I left. I'm not able to be useless." He laughed, and
said, "For which we should all be grateful! You suspected something." I
said, "A feeling, yes. I felt an attraction to the circus. That was
about it. All developed from that. We know it's not all on me." He
said, "Yes." I said, "Annoying, actually." Chuckles. He said, "Why did
you come down with Jurk?" I said, "Er, sure you need to know?" He said,
"I know, now. You thought, alone, he would be taken." I nodded. He
whispered with emotion, "Thank you." I said, "Great roommate. Didn't
want to break in another." He said, "I understand. We have a little
problem now. How to get this information to the right people. More, how
to know if the people are right." I said, "I can currier it. Only those
who should, will be aware of me." He said, "You'll know when you see
them. You can call me then. Or do you have your own way?" I said, "I
do." He said, "Will I understand it?" I grinned and said, "Nope!" He
chuckled. I said, "I'll know who has security leaks, too." He said,
"But we don't want them to know that." I said, "I had to explain why,
to the manager." He grinned and said, "I caught a hint of that. Thank
you." I said, "It's difficult for good people to think that way. I had
to force myself, or I couldn't." He said, "It was like that with me,
too." I said, "Good." He said, "Yes."
I said, "You're going to have to explain my absence to Jurk." He
said, "Significantly above his level." I said, "As it needs to be." He
said, "I'll work on it. Here's things to introduce you." I looked at
them. I said, "Oh. Interesting. You're actually the Head of Security
for this part of the Empire." He said, "I didn't say that." I said,
"That could explain why I didn't hear it. What a relief my ears are
working!" He said, "You really ARE a clown." I said, "By nature, yes,
along with research psychologist." He said, "You needed to know why
people thought you were strange." I said, "Absolutely. You're not too
bad at psychology, yourself." He said, "Required for my position." I
said, "One here I can visit at home now. I should get on it." We stood.
I said, "I love working in the circus. Best job I've ever had in this
life, after teaching. Ah! Don't go there. You've got level issues,
too." He suppressed a grin. We shook hands, and I walked out, and out
of the house. Then I walked back in. He noticed, and we went back into
his study. I said, "He's not a good choice for this. No, not a spy, but
too unstable. Bound to panic, and expose everything. I don't need to
sleep. I could be doing more exploring. I'll be back in the morning."
He nodded. He said, "You won't be seen? How?" I said, "Projection.
Strong mind can influence others in some ways. Ethical problems, but
lack of notice, if it doesn't violate important rules, is alright." He
said, "Read minds?" I said, "Only if justified. Got rules." He said,
"The man at the airport?" I said, "If he commits a crime." He nodded. I
said, "In demonstration, you won't even be aware of the door opening
and closing." He said with interest, "Proceed." I vanished. He said,
"Wow!"
He was in his study in the morning, waiting for me. I shifted in, and
said, "Problems. Two of the planetary ministers are surgically altered
doubles. A married couple." He said, "Oh! That's how they avoided
detection!" I said, "They could only do that with kidnapping or murder.
Justification. I have their entire minds in mine. Oh, better save on
the wows, or you'll wear them out." He almost choked. I said, "They've
been conditioned, so psionics wouldn't expose them. They agreed to it,
but they wouldn't have if they had known more about it." I gave him the
file about it. He viewed it, and said, "More problems. They would be
told about this. We can't convince the others about them without
proof." I said, "Unless I remove the conditioning. They'll know it
happened, but not the cause. They'll need a leave of absence due to
illness, before they're discovered." He said, "Could work. Would they
report it to their handlers?" I said, "I don't know. Makes it
interesting. Permission?" He said, "Granted." I said, "Done. I had
already implanted the thought mechanism. I just needed to broadcast the
trigger that their psionics would pick up." He said, "Together at the
same time? Wouldn't they suspect something?" I said, "They might have,
usual morning info page had a strange eye catching pattern. Happened
when they looked at it, triggered to do that at my command." He said,
"Wow! Well, I had to say it." I said, "Excused." We chuckled.
I watched the couple. When they made up their minds, I walked into
their kitchen. I said, "Greetings. Please don't be alarmed. I'm not
going to hurt you. Well, if you don't sprain something laughing at my
jokes. You've just made a decision. I can help you to er, present it."
she said, "How did you know?" I said, "Agree to secrecy?" They did. I
said, "In your culture, I would be called a Master Esper. Here, a
useless infinity gazer." Chuckles. I said, "I refuse to be useless.
They would rather I didn't rejoin them. If it's one thing they're not
ignorant of, it's my feelings about that." More chuckles. I said, "You
were lied to, manipulated, and abused by our small criminal element.
The Empire has a responsibility to set that right. Er, even if they
don't know that yet." Grins. She said, "I believe you. Will they?" I
said, "There are some choices, and some that only look like choices. I
won't force them. I won't need to. They're good people. How fast and
well they respond, er, that could take a little persuasion. Think your
predecessors are still alive?" He said, "Yes. Here in the city. They
need to be, to coach us in emergencies.
I said, "Do you know where?" They told me. I said, "Not smart of
them, letting you know. Right. Good." Chuckles. I said, "Ironic they
had to choose in you, people smarter than they are, to make this work.
I need to make a call." I took out a special phone, and pushed some
buttons. I said, "This is a secure line. I'm with the double doubles.
Eh, stupid language. Yes, that's them laughing. They switched sides.
Told me originals are alive and at a location. Ready?" I told him. I
said, "Your assistant could use some exercise. No kissing! Unless he
shaves VERY closely!" Chuckles. I said, "Have them brought here." I
gave them the address. I said, "Doubles will convince them better than
any few words. Invite some you choose here, after the rescue, to
express support for the ill. Well, you're smart, too." I disconnected.
I said to them, "People INSIST on embarrassing me! It's like they have
a competition, or something." Laughter.
I said, "So, now we wait. I know a little about this planet. How's
yours?" We had a nice discussion. After an hour, I made a call. I said,
"I sense your approach. Door's unlocked. Come right in. Good you
brought the injured. He talks too much. Out." She said, "So you're a
healer, too." I shook my finger at them and said, "Don't you start
now!" My try at looking mean, made them laugh. They brought the injured
in first. I helped, and said, "Jurk! What did you do?" He said, in
obvious pain, "I didn't actually ask for this." I said, "Oh, was
supposed to be the other arm?" He had to chuckle. He said, "Still Sol,
our best clown." Some of the newcomers alerted at that. I said, "And
don't you forget it, and really after I do something odd now." He said,
"Right. You can count on me." I said, "Busy. I'll check for numbers,
later." More chuckles. He went to sleep. So did one other. I glowed,
and touched them. They slowly healed. I stopped, and they woke up. They
said, "Wow!"
I said to the real ministers, "Been briefed?" The woman said,
"Partly. Our doubles were deceived and conditioned?" I said, "Yes.
Conditioning removed. They like us now." I gave them the short
briefing. Then I said, "There is more detail, but for a little later.
Some decisions need to be made now." One said, "Who are you?" I showed
him, and only him, my badge. He kept his surprise well hidden. He said
to all, "Whatever this man says, rules. Any of my authority he needs,
transfers to him, when he needs it." More surprise. I said, "It's not
me who's going to be doing most of the work, and you all have your own
expertise. You decide, and I'll comment as necessary, with things you
might not know about." He said, "What would those things be?" I said,
"My capabilities." He said, "Oh! I see." I said, "One more thing. Best
for the long term, that I do as little as possible. All here won't lie
without detection." More nods. I said, "My phone has a secure
connection to one other, who will be listening. I'll relay his comments
as necessary." It was a good discussion. At the end, one said, "Will we
have the support of the Crown?" I said, "I am authorized to grant that,
until Her Majesty is fully informed, which may not be for as much as
two months. Sector Agent will conform." I passed the phone to the
Governor General. After listening to a string of code, he said,
"Message confirmed." He passed the phone back to me. He said, "We have
official confirmation."
I said, "Now we have some security issues to address. In Imperial
things, there are different levels of security access, in situations of
grave threat. What we don't know, we can't be made to reveal. I know
it's frustrating to not be allowed to know some things, but in the end,
it might actually save your lives, and the lives of countless others.
Do we all agree to this in principle?" They did. I said, "I will now
meet with the Governor General in private." We went into a bedroom. I
said, "It's really private, but for the person on the phone.
Embarrassing questions?" He said, "I've never met a Red Agent before. I
don't know of anyone who has." I grinned, and said, "They wouldn't be
broadcasting it. I was just appointed. Surprised me, too." He said,
"You're a Guardian?" I said, "Not as you know them. Those here are
useless. I am the Ultimate Master Guardian. I see. There is one Master
for each Galaxy who has them. Wherever I am, in any galaxy or
"I understand." I said, "I can do much more than I should. I have to be
very careful, as an outsider, not to seriously change the future here
in an undesired way. Yes, I work for the true, er, Boss of all,
directly. I know, there's a wow wanting to come out." Chuckles. I said,
"Sector Agent has some of his own to add. I'm telling you this, because
of my list of abilities, and why I have to limit their use. YOU need to
manage your OWN future, or it will all come apart. And I can't do
anything to physically seriously harm anybody. I can see anything
anywhere I want to in real time, and teleport there, too. But I
shouldn't do any of that where the public will know or find out about."
He said, "I understand that, and support it. We can't learn to depend
on you to solve our problems with how you can do it, or we will weaken
as a species." I said, "Exactly. If it means that some will die, then
they must, for the good of all. But I will feel all that pain as my
own. I should mostly be the fully psionic Clown of the Circus, to
almost all people. Well, with a few known possible extra abilities
included. However, I can bring the information we have to the Crown,
instantly. There is another issue. In every place the circus goes,
there will be agents who will want to contact our turned ones. We can't
allow that, but we also can't let them know, by preventing it, or
removing the turned members. That means we have to clean each planet we
er, squat on. That will eventually be noticed. No coincidence. If we
don't do such a complete job of it, that all who would tell, will be
captured before they can. Once captured, I will see to it that they
don't expose the circus, but only then." He said, "Still, better than I
could expect." I said, "So, you need to prepare a report for the Crown.
There will be others. I will put them in a form that can't be insecure.
I'll be staying at this address for a few days. Well, part of me will.
No, I can't explain that one." Chuckles. I said, "Jurk lives there.
He's my roommate at the circus. Anything else you need to know from
me?" He said, "I think that is all I should expect. The man on the
phone. Do you know who it is?" I said, "He hasn't told me." He grinned
and said, "Not being able to lie can be a problem in these situations."
I said, "Oh, don't I know it!" We shook hands, and went back to the
main room, to see a lot of very expectant faces. I said to him, "Ah,
you go on ahead." He laughed. They heard that, and laughed with him.
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Grant
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