Solomon's Private File #246
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 Winter of 2052-2053.
Solomon's Private File #246 "University Abuse"
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I said to the Governor Elect of Virginia, "You sure know how to pick
them." He said, "I've seen your approvals." I said, "I was tempted to
send some to the President Elect." He said, "Oh, now I see. Problems?"
I said, "His selection team is doing the usual Republican patronage
game. Horrible results!" He had to laugh. I said, "Only one had no
issues, a general. All others had problems ranging from non
conservative sex issues, to outright criminality." He said, "Sexuality
doesn't bother you." I said, "Vetting. Bothers THEM." He said, "Must be
said, "Good idea. I'll do that. I know you don't support parties, so I
can't thank you for that, but for the possible good use of our people,
and for the nation, thank you." I said, "Wow! You could be a
politician!" Chuckles.
Galya and I met with the Mayor Elect of East St. Louis. I said,
"Congratulations!" He grinned, and said, "I can't take any credit for
winning an election unopposed." Galya said, "He was still on the
ballot." He said, "True, and he received some votes, but not as many as
he would have, if he hadn't been under indictment on state and federal
charges." Galya said with a grin, "He would make that worse by using
campaign contributions for bail." He said, "Prison is a bad place. I
don't blame him for trying to stay out of it by any non violent means."
I said, "But really, for the public, doing that to visit prostitutes?"
Galya said, "Stocking up for a dry spell?" I said, "Ah, good one." We
hugged. He said, "You really are a team." I said, "Absolutely. And we
plan to do more like this. Er, we plan to plan. Something like that."
Pokes. Chuckles. He said to Galya, "Thank you for the approvals." She
said, "You're welcome. We all like to help. Pity Sol, though." He
looked at me, "President's selection team, well, I wouldn't approve
THEM. Horrible!" He had to laugh. We all hugged.
A new approval candidate came in. I said, "I've seen you before, at
State. What does your boss think of you?" He said, "She gave me good
references." I said, "Okay, that's all we need." We grinned. I said,
"But we still have to go through with the usuals. I have to earn the
money they're not paying me." Chuckles. We did the tests. I said, "You
don't have to tell me about them, but do you have any issues vetting
will choke on?" He said, "No, not that I know of." I said, "Er, want to
try that again?" He had to smile, and said, "I forgot. Lie detection. I
used drugs as a teen. Dealt, too. Never got caught." I said, "Any
violence?" He said, "Against me, some. Not the other direction. Other
petty crimes, such as shoplifting. Was caught once. Record sealed." I
said, "Twice." He said, "I didn't consider the first one my crime.
Friend with me, took it and gave it to me, just before we left the
store." I said, "I'll accept that. Bet you thought that was VERY unfair
to get charged with that." He smiled and said, "I was outraged, totally
oblivious to the fact that I was a guilty party to the crime, and that
what I did was hurting others, who deserved to be outraged at ME." He
said, "You grew up." He said, "I did. Now I work to prevent that for
whole nations." I said, "Fairness is important to you." He said, "It
is." I said, "Do you think telling me about this is a bad thing now,
for the approval?" He said, "Right. I don't. I won't do that again.
Nothing hidden from you, ever. Stupid of me." I said with a smile, "Yes
it was, with what you knew of me. We are supposed to learn from our
mistakes. That's why we're allowed to make them. You've learned, and
are all the better for it, which I will certify. In my approvals, I
apply more weight to those who learned from their mistakes, than those
who haven't made them." He said, "I didn't know that! But it sounds so
wise." I grinned. He said, "Oh, right. You ARE!" We chuckled. He
accepted my hug with a will.
A new approval came in. I said, "Alright. Approved." She grinned and
said, "Can't we have a little evaluation, just for fun?" I said, "But
the conflict of interest. You helped to make me a doctor." She said,
"Not really. I helped our school to justify what we dearly wanted to
do." I said, "Correction accepted." We did the tests. I said, "Any
vetting issues need to be told to the selection team." She said, "I
don't think I have any. Relatively boring life." I said, "Includes
family." She said, "Oh. My husband had an affair. We reconciled." I
said, "Shouldn't be a problem. Your qualifications trump most possible
candidates. I shouldn't tell you, but you had to know that. Hmm, but
then I didn't need to. Oh well." Chuckles, and hug.
A man came in. I said, "What are YOU doing here?" He laughed loudly.
He said, "I asked." I said, "Well, it sure beats where you are now. I
didn't know you were a Republican." He said, "I'm not. Independent.
Could be a token." I said, "From your position, you've got a whole lot
of possible vetting baggage. Convenient they can't talk without
committing treason." He said, "Going from the CIA to the FBI is not
without precedent." I said, "Adjustment. Here we treat people right. A
family." He said, "I know. I want that." I said, "And I want that for
you. Depends on other candidates. I don't have much confidence in the
selection committee. Sending me too many impossibles. So far, I want
you. Well, less breaking in for us." He grinned, and said, "You're part
of the reason. Job isn't fun, but with you, bound to be something of
special interest." I said, "That's why the current Director stayed on."
He said, "He told me." I said, "The snitch!" Chuckles. I said, "I don't
care who gets the CIA. They'll cooperate with me, or else!" He grinned
and said, "That's worth watching, too." We did the tests. I said, "How
long do you plan to stay?"
He said, "You mean, when will you have to break in another?" I gave
him a rude noise. He chuckled, and said, "At least for this term. I'm
not as young as I almost remember I used to be." I said, "I'm not as
old as I used to be." He said, "Will you age?" I said, "Naturally, no.
I can't. I don't port much now. I just create a new body for each
presence." He said, "I can't wrap my head around that, you using
multiple versions of you at the same time." I said, "Neither can my
group, and more, I do that in different dimensions, some of which have
different rates of time. And I'm still doing Agency approvals here,
too, at the same time. Oh, some didn't know about the different time
rates. Noisy comments." He grinned. I said, "I just completed an action
that took the better part of a year there, in another dimension, that
only took less than a month, here. My undercover job there was the best
I ever had. I loved it!" He said, "What was it?" I said, "Very popular
circus clown, for the best circus in the Empire." He said, "Oh! Would
make a great show." I said, "It would, but a little complicated. Very
involved, which would take a lot of explanation. I worked to save a
whole star empire from a large criminal conspiracy. I'm still
assisting, but only a little, so they won't notice." He said, "I have
to say it. Wow!" I said, "I'll allow it. THIS time." Chuckles, and a
hug.
A new approval came in. He looked very nervous. I said, "Don't worry.
I'm not a cannibal. I would have trouble fitting into a regular can."
He had to chuckle, and said, "Now I know it's really you." I said,
grinned, and he relaxed. I said, "Still a valid question." He said, "I
see what you mean. Foolish of me. Good lesson, which you intended." I
said, "With most of what I do. Part of who I am. My mother's finally
stopped being annoyed by that, now that she's enlightened. Hmm, doesn't
stop rude mental noises, though." He tried not to laugh. I said, "Good
effort." He said, trying not to strangle, "Thanks." I said, "So you're
going for Education. Not much support in your party." He said, "I know.
I hope to change that." I said, "I expect you not to have much
competition for the position." He said, "I have to agree." I said, "If
you get it, and run into problems that my er, persuasion can help
education very highly. We, all educators, know about Hillel." I said,
"Even without that, all my group values education. All graduates have
at least four doctorates. And we all love to teach. Big smiles, too."
He exhibited one, too.
We did the tests. I said, "You don't have to tell me, but any issues
vetting will uncover, you need to tell the selection committee." He
said, "May I tell you?" I said, "Multiple modes for that." He said, "We
don't need privileged. A drunk driving conviction, in my twenties." I
said, "Grad school party?" He said, "Exactly. Never repeated." I said,
"Bachelor party?" He said, "Drunk as a skunk, but I wasn't driving." I
said, "Fortunate." He said, "Very. How did you know?" I said, "I
didn't." He said, "Oh. Another feeling." I said, "Happening more often,
too. I don't know yet how I should feel about it." He said, "Strange."
I said, "Absolutely! Item of interest to you. While we were talking,
I'm correcting a sexual abuse case at a major university. Making the
Professor resign, and with implanted restrictions, to spare the victim.
University president approves of my proposal." He said, "Good! Plan to
do more of that?" I said, "Of course. You had to ask?" He said, "Right.
Sorry. I just don't know how to deal with you. Out of my usual
experience." I said, "I understand. Don't worry about it. Er, too
much." Smiles. We hugged.
I shifted to the office of the President of UCLA, Berkley, by
appointment. After greetings, I said, "One of your English Professors
is being inappropriate about sex." He said, "Who, and in what way?" I
said, "Ms. Petersen is using sex with a male student to influence him
to do her favors, such as help her, unpaid, to grade papers, and to do
house repairs. He, a freshman, feels he's trapped, because of the risk
of reprisals if he stops, which he very much wants to do. In fact, he's
considering dropping out. What makes this bad, beyond the usual, is
he's brilliant, and could make a significant contribution to the world,
save you the embarrassment. Advice?" I said, "Er, thanks. Publicity
would harm the student. Sensitive, which is why she selected him, the
predator. Permission to do time research on her, at work?" He said,
"Please." I said, "This isn't her first time at that. Made kind of a
career of it. Husband doesn't know. Thinks the students who have helped
with home repairs were architecture interns. Hmm, she's had sex in her
office. Adventurous. Possibly more than her husband will do." He said,
"Sex with a student is inappropriate, and against school policy. Doing
it in her office, isn't listed as a specific offense, but should be. I
view it as grounds for dismissal. But we don't want the publicity, for
the victim."
I said, "Some of it would meet the criteria for sexual abuse under
state law. Suppose I offer her a deal. She resigns immediately, and we
don't go to the law and tell her husband, but with one other thing,
that is NOT negotiable. A mental restriction against doing it again, or
speaking against this university and the students, past, present, and
future. Morally, I could do much more, such as a consequence. If she's
smart, she should accept. She is violating the trust of her students
and this university, and is harming all!" He said, "I understand, and I
will support your actions in this matter to the fullest!" He didn't
waste any time coming into my hug.
I said, "Mom, want in on this?" She said in the air, "I was hoping
you would ask. I do!" We ported to the professor's office at the end of
the day. She was expecting her victim. She was surprised. I said, "He
isn't coming, in both meanings." Mom said, "You have abused your
students! That WILL stop!" I said, "What you've done is grounds for
dismissal. And against some laws. You can avoid some of that, if you
resign immediately." She was about to say something. I shook my head,
and said forbiddingly, "You don't want to do that." Mom was nodding. I
said, "We won't tell your husband, or go public, if you cooperate." She
said, "This cooperation. What does it involve?" Mom said, "We should do
a consequence for this. You can avoid that, too, even though I don't
like that." She paled. I said, "You will have implanted restrictions to
keep you from doing this again. You know we can't let a sexual predator
run free." She said, "I'm NOT a sexual predator!" I said, "I won't
correct your English, you shouldn't correct my legal and psychological
expertise. Of us here, two are unable to lie, and we all know the one
who can and does." Mom nodded in appreciation. I said, "President of
the university knows and approves of our action, VERY much." She
sighed, and said, "I accept the deal." I said, "Resignation paper,
ready for your signature." I gave it to her. She signed it. We signed
it as witnesses. She said, "Oh, I didn't expect that." I said, "Well,
I'm a lawyer now. Changes things."
I said, "Ready for the restrictions?" She said, "Go ahead." I said in
command mode, "You will not have sexual contact with any person under
the age of thirty. You will not initiate contact with any person you
know to be associated with this university, past, present, and future,
or any of your past students, but your husband. You will not seek or
accept employment as any kind of a teacher. You may not speak or
communicate against any university student, any past employer, or me
and my mother, and our group. You will not tell what we have done here.
Stand!" She did. I said, "All your personal property on university
grounds is now in your car, which is now in front of your home. I will
port you to be near your car, now!" She was gone. We watched. Mom said,
"She didn't expect how thorough you would be." I said, "She's going to
need new shoes." She said, "Interesting. Her purse and keys are in her
locked car." I said, "And nobody's home." We grinned at each other. I
ported a crystal recording of the action, and the resignation, to the
President's office. He was waiting for it. He said, "I know you can
hear me. Thank you very much. Somebody has to tell the student." I
nodded to Mom, and she said in the air to him, "I'll do it." He said,
"Thank you, Rose!" She said, "You're welcome. Signing off."
She ported to the victim's dorm room door, not visible to any but
him. He was alone. She knocked. He opened it, and was very surprised.
She said, "May I come in?" He said, after a big gulp, "Ah, sure!"
Inside, she said, "Professor Petersen has resigned, and left the
campus. She is not allowed to contact any student, or communicate
against them. Sol implanted some strong restrictions." He streamed
tears. She opened her arms, and he came into them, and sobbed. She
said, "Besides us, only the president of the university knows. He very
much approves of what we did, and will do his best for you. I'm adding
to that a full scholarship for life for any university, including
Tibet. Sol just informed the president, who is happy with that. He
hopes you will stay with UCLA. He knows you have a great potential.
Well, we told him." Smiles. She said, "You were wronged. He feels very
bad about that. Please help him to make it right for you." He said, "I
don't know how to thank you." She said, "Then I'll tell you. Work hard
to be all you can be, for you, for us, for the world." He said with
more tears, "I will!" She said, "I know that." She ported in some
tissues, and wiped his face. She said, "Well, I AM a mother and
grandmother. Better than wiping the other end." He had to laugh. She
smiled, and said, "Never forget we love you. Farewell." She joined me
at home. She said to me, "Thank you. I didn't just love that, I think I
needed it." I said, "I know." So did our love.
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