Solomon's Private File #305
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 29 in this story, in the Fall of 2055.
Solomon's Private File #305 "General At The Bureau"
START Page
The director asked to see me. He said, "Commander of the Army Academy
asked me to ask you to meet with him." I said, "He wants just to meet,
or have potatoes with that?" He tried not to laugh, and said, "I get
it. Probably wants to give you gravy, and ask you to make some meals
there." I said, "I aint gonna. This persona doesn't have time. Spread
it too thin, people will start seeing right through me." He said,
"That's happening here a little." I said, "Better stop, or we're
toast." He said, "Food for thought." I said, "Going good. I didn't
expect you to play along, and so well." He said with a grin, "Me, too."
I said, "Please tell him I have a high security inside position here,
and am not available elsewhere for public employment, and most
specifically, not for any kind of public recognition. I've already been
the target of assassins. I didn't need the annoyance of stopping more
of them. He wants to talk with me in person, he can come here, where
it's secure, and that I said this, and asked you to tell him." He said,
"Thanks for that last. I'll do it now." He made the call, and they
talked. Then he said, "He's here in my office. I'll ask him." He said
to me, "Jack, he said he'll come here. Where?" I said, "In my office.
After depositing his phone in reception." He nodded, and grinned, and
said, "Yes, we can do that." They arranged a date and time. After
disconnecting, I said, "He'll probably want to see you, too. Maybe even
a tour of our Academy. You would, in his place." He said, "I agree. We
can do that."
I went out to reception, and said, "General Clayton. Welcome to my
er, roost. I'm sorry, but you know regs." He nodded, and handed over
his phone. I grinned, and looked askance at him, and he fished out a
voice recorder, and gave it up. In my office, in the informal area, he
said, "How did you know?" I said, "In part, psychology. A man with your
He said, "I understand. And the other part?" I said, "Body language,
from shrink training, and martial arts. Much more obvious with weapons,
but I'm not concerned about what passes screening." He said, "You had
people here who wanted to kill you?" I said, "Yes. If I hadn't been a
Senior Master, they might have succeeded. And then there are work
issues. We evaluate people. They don't pass, or even think that, they
can get er, inconvenient." He grinned, and said, "But you don't have
guards here." I said, "We feel that such intimidation would interfere
with what we do with the applicants. All my shrinks are black belts."
He said, "Is this your full psychology department?" I said, "No,
separate Department. We see the public, and they see us. We keep that
separate, for security."
He said, "Oh! I see. Your name?" I said, "Right. Fake. Kind of
obvious, as something of an advanced deterrent. Also psychologically
disarming. Some applicants are very nervous, if not downright hostile."
I said with a smile, "In the beginning." He smiled, and said, "All that
in a name. Impressive!" I said, "Thanks. We try. Long established
Department. Had practice." He said, "Solomon is involved with our new
Training Instructor. The porting. Could you explain that?" I said, "The
porting, no. The involvement, yes. Senior Masters of Martial Arts are
able to influence and kill people without detection and evidence. In
Solomon's view, along with psis, that causes us to be his
responsibility to monitor and supervise, including how we teach. So, he
supports some of that, with what he can do that we can't." He said,
"Good. I didn't know I would feel better about that, but I do." I said,
"That's another reason why." He nodded.
He said, "I'm not clear why you are teaching our TI." I said, "If he
had come to work in OUR Academy, I would be teaching him, as I did who
he would have replaced. I'm known here for this, and he would have
asked, and knowing his potential, I would have been obliged to teach.
That's happening with who we did hire. But neither of them were ready
for that. Having them train together, is causing them to improve in
ways they couldn't have, alone. And one more thing. I like and admire
Rama. I personally want to help him." He said, "I can understand that.
We all like him. Personnel said you sent him to us?" I said, "Shopped
him around, in government. First stop, snapped him up. Why I did that,
you know part, and in government, well, I couldn't very well break my
own security." He said, "I understand."
He said, "They say you're a great teacher. I've reviewed the
trying." I said, "We're something like a family here in the Bureau. Let
anybody in the building know about that, there's going to be some bad
feelings. And that's why I won't leave. I sure don't do this for money!
But that doesn't mean I couldn't visit your digs occasionally. With no
external publicity, and absolutely no honors." He said, "Frustrating.
their love all over me?" He laughed, and said, "Something like that." I
said, "Sorry. I don't deserve that for saying the obvious truth, and I
was a little annoyed with him." He said, "A LITTLE?" I said, "Maybe
some more. I didn't touch him. Terrorized him, yes." He laughed.
He said, "I didn't know you had the authority to do that." I said,
"Mostly I don't, for this position, but I've filled in with other
things, including undercover, so what I do is backed up. Earned trust."
He said, "I'm not surprised. A warrior psychologist! Does that cause
people to more want to work here?" I said, "Actually, it does. More,
when they see us in action. Yes, we've all had er, difficult
applicants. Sometimes we were needed in personnel to help with
problems. Not now, though. One look at the new boss there, and only the
insane would want to mess with him." He said, "Big?" I said, "And
skilled. I usually go there after, to help with the psychological
aftermath. Even his staff, who love and respect him, feel some
intimidation, seeing him in that kind of action." He said, "Wow!" I
said, "Exactly. Embarrasses him." He nodded. I said, "I know the
feeling!" He grinned. We stood and shook hands. I went to reception
with him. He took back his things, and I walked with him back to the
main entrance. The guards and I nodded and smiled to each other. He saw
that, and said at the door in a low voice, "I see what you mean. They
like and respect you, and not so much as a superior." I said, "We try
to stay away from criminal cases, but that doesn't prevent us from
doing occasional personal counseling on request, and that's not limited
to just this agency. CIA uses us, and sometimes Homeland. Much better
security than seeing an outside shrink, and we've earned their trust.
We don't violate confidentiality in issues unrelated to work. No, we
won't be doing that for you. Different objectives. You have your own
counselors." He nodded. We shook hands again, and he left.
I said to the Director, "He wanted some clarification about why the
martial arts training, and what I do here, and you knew his main
reason, which I shot down, gently, at his first hint." He said, "Can't
blame him. Even your limited persona here, is impressive." I said,
"Restrictive, actually. Even a little painful. But I also like it, for
me, my group, and for here." He said, "As long as you keep doing this,
fine with me!"
A man walked into my office. I took his file, and said, "They did it
to me again!' He said, "What is that?" I said, "There are no openings,
or projected, for the position you applied for. But they like giving me
new toys. Hobby of martial arts." He grinned, and said, "Must be good,
that they would do this." I said, "You're not so bad yourself; a 4th
degree in American Kempo." He said, "How did you know?" I said, "You
might know in a minute. Now that you're here, we might as well do the
complete thing. Tests." We did them. I said, "While we have no current
or projected openings in training, would you still like to be on the
list for eventualities?" He said, "I think I would." I said, "What
about other positions with us? Consider any?" He said, "Special Agent?"
I said, "Would be impossibly far down on the list. We don't really need
martial artists for that. Got guns. But, with a good evaluation here,
which I'm not saying you have, and your life and training experience,
seriously think about. So this was why I was sent through." I said,
"Seems like it."
He said, "About my question?" I said, "Security info. Accept?" He
said, "I understand. I do." I said, "We recently lost, occupationally,
one of TWO Senior Masters." He said, "Oh! Thank you sir! If I may ask,
what was your specialty?" I said, "Er, a lot. Favorites are Aikido and
Kenjutsu." He said, "Ah! Related." I said, "Unusual. Most don't know
that. Hard style, Shorin Ryu, with some Ninjutsu. Now, With Senior
Transfer, a whole lot more." He grinned, and said, "A great motivation
to progress! Do you teach?" I said, "Now, just prep, and beginning
Senior level, part time. I don't have my own studio. Inside worker
security." He said, "Frustrated?" I said, "No, I don't teach that
part." Chuckles." I said, "Seniors don't teach beginners. We can't even
demonstrate simple moves correctly, without their eyes almost popping
out." He laughed, and said, "I hadn't thought of that." I said, "If you
had to pick up the loose eyeballs, you would." He laughed hard. I said,
"Want to visit a Senior's Studio, there's one a little South of here."
He said, "I've heard of it. Used to work at the FBI Academy." I said,
"I saw her potential when I approved her, here." He said, "You were her
teacher? I said, "In the beginning, until the best took over. Adept
Seniors are best for the highest level. They can SEE Ki." He said,
"That sounds reasonable."
I said, "Please take this back with you to Personnel. They'll hold it
for developments." I got up to shake his hand. Then I said, "They ALL
want to do that. Oh, alright." He didn't move me. He left, grinning. I
went out to the main area. The office manager said, "We heard." I said
with sigh, "A martial artist." She said, "Oh, a toy for you?" I said,
"Seems so. There wouldn't be another, would there?" She grinned. I
said, "Oh no! Oh, well. Next victim."
A woman followed me into my office. We sat. I said, "Got questions?"
She said, "Martial artists are toys to you?" I said, "And
psychologists. Fun with both." She said, "Oh! I see. You're a martial
advanced." She said, "I sense no Chi, so you must be a Senior Master."
I let some flow, and she said, "Confirmed!" I stopped it, and said,
"Would interfere with my regular job here." She nodded, and said, "It
would. You know my art?" I said, "Senior Transfer. I started in
Japanese, mostly." She said, "You aren't known. Security issues?" I
said, "Yes. Keep it?" She said, "I will. Your past trainer?" I said, "I
helped her to get started on Senior. I don't have my own martial arts
school." She said, "I see. I'm not sure why I was sent through. I was
told there are no openings for the position I applied for." I said,
never know when we might need somebody qualified in difficult areas.
Having applications on file, is wise. We like being wise." She grinned.
We did tests. She passed well. I said, "Have you considered other
positions here?"
can't say that. But as I know you, I know you don't really need my
answer." She nodded, and said, "I don't think I would qualify for any
other position I would accept." I said, "Have you met our former
Trainer?" She said, "I haven't. I would like to." I said, "I recommend
it. Please tell her I said that." She said, "She would allow me to
train with her?" I grinned, and said, "Do you know yourself so little?"
She had a mix of emotions. I said, "I am glad to have met you. Gift
status confirmed." She had to smile through her humility. I got up to
shake her hand. I nodded acceptance. Then I said, "Best try yet!" She
tried to hide how pleased she was by that. I said, "Please tell her
about the gift. Would amuse her." She grinned, and said, "I wouldn't be
surprised. Thank you very much!" I said, "Please take this back with
you to Personnel." We exchanged bows, and she left.
She was the last for the day. They all wanted to know about her. I
said to the office manager, "One of the best gifts, ever. Thank you."
They were surprised. I said, "I'm giving her to the Iron Lady. A gift
for her, too. Amazing person, in practically all ways." Nods and
smiles. I went to Personnel. I said to Jerry, "The extra martial
artists? Really?" He said, "Complaining?" I said, "I like toys, but
what I like isn't a job priority. But thank you for the woman. What a
gem!" He grinned, and said, "I noticed. I could feel her Chi. I think
she noticed me, too." I had to laugh, and he chuckled and said, "I
know. Can't miss."
Three days later, Iron Lady called me, and said, "What a gift!" I
said, "Hello to you, too." She laughed. She said, "She's well on the
way to becoming a Senior." I said, "In Chi control, yes. In physical
ability, not as much. I wouldn't do transfers for her until she
improves that. Your original art can help with that." She said, "I
figured. Nice I could get that confirmed. Sol official?" I said, "Yes.
Coward." She laughed. I said, "Need me as me, there, let me know. You
don't have to call. In the big room, just touch the control plate and
say my name. Could wow your students with your importance." She said,
"I'll do that!" I said, "Sure. Now go back to torturing people." She
laughed, and I shot her some love.
END Page
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant
|
|