Solomon's Private File #347
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 31 in this story, in the Summer of 2057.
Solomon's Private File #347 "In The Band"
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I was a new hire on a farm, when I was captured with the whole
medieval type community, and brought to another planet. We were taken
off of the space ship, and put in a big bus, and driven for nine hours
to a farm. One of the guards there, in assigning to dormitories, said
to me, pointing at my arm, "Give me that." I acted like I didn't know
what he was saying. He tried to pull off my hardened steel armband, and
it wouldn't move. I shouted in pain. He stopped. His supervisor came
over, and said to him, "What's the problem?" The guard said, "Nothing.
He tripped." His supervisor said, "Better not happen again." The guard
looked mean at me. I looked curiously at him, and he looked confused.
My fellow slaves looked like they didn't notice anything.
When we were alone on in the dorm, supposedly asleep, the man next to
me said, "That thing. He couldn't get it off?" I said, "Yes. It won't
come off." He said, "Where did it come from?" I said, "I woke up one
morning, and there it was. It's all one piece, and of very hard metal.
It looks nice." He said, "You're not as simple as you sound." I said,
"Less work, if they don't think you can do it." He tried not to laugh.
He said, "You're big and strong. They'll make you work." I said, "Might
be better than talking all night." We grinned at each other.
In the morning we were each fitted with an ankle collar, riveted
together, with a loop on it to put a chain through. Which they did, in
groups of six. Then they marched us to a field to work, clearing
irrigation ditches. It wasn't hard work, but boring. The sun was hot.
They didn't give us enough water. We were given lunch here. It was
simple, and didn't taste like much. We were led back to the dorm late
in the afternoon. There was a kitchen there. A long time and old slave
was cooking things, which we ate when he was finished. There were no
women there. They were in different dorms. Then we went to sleep. We
washed in the morning in a primitive shower, donned clean simple work
clothes, ate something, and went to work in the fields. We did this for
a week, with nothing breaking the routine.
Then there was an inspection by an important person. The guards were
very deferential. There was an old man with the inspector, a guest of
the household. When he was close to me, he jumped as if something had
bitten him in a private area. He stared at me, and noticed the armband.
He said to the inspector, pointing at me, "That man. May I talk to
him?" Inspector said, "He doesn't know our language." He said, "I know
something of his." Inspector said, "Alright. I'll have him brought to
the house after we're finished this." He said, Thank you."
When he could, my bed neighbor whispered to me, "What did he say?" I
said, "Different words." He said, "I know you know what they mean." I
said, "You know too much." He tried not to laugh. I said, "I've got
very good hearing. I never forget anything. Old man wants to talk to
me. Was staring at my arm band. They're going to take me to the house
for that later. I come back missing an arm, you'll know what happened
wasn't just talk." He didn't know what to say after that. An hour
later, they came and removed me from the chain, and took me to the
house. I was in in room with the old man, and a guard I hadn't seen
before.
The old man pointed at himself, and said, "Chirtop." Then he pointed
at me. I said, "Solomon." He pointed at my arm band, and said in the
slave language, "Thing. Where from?" I said, "One morning when I woke
up, it was on my arm. It won't come off." He showed his frustration in
not understanding me well enough. He looked through a dictionary. I
motioned for me to look at it. He showed it to me, and said, "Words
inside." I looked in it, and said, "Solomon?" He wrote that down on a
piece of paper, and sounded out the letters. I pointed to one of the
letters, and said, "Say more." He understood that, and sounded out his
alphabet. I pointed to all the objects around me. He named them. Then I
repeated them in order, exactly as he said them, and wrote them down,
mostly correctly.
He tried to contain his excitement. I said in the pidgin language
were were developing, "They know you teach me, they kill me." That
stopped him cold. He tried not to look horrified. He calmed down a
little, and asked to look at my armband. He did, carefully, puzzled.
There was no way he could see how it was put on, but he was very
interested in the bulge in the middle of it. He said, "I have to think
about this." I said, "Think makes trouble for many." He looked at me
strangely. I said, "I die? Not bad. You die? Very bad." He almost had a
tear, when he nodded that he understood me. He said to the guard, "I'm
finished with him for now. You can bring him back to where he should
be. Thank you." It was dark. On the way to the dorm, he stopped me
where we wouldn't be seen.
He said to me in his language, "No fear of me." I nodded. He said,
"You stronger, faster?" I nodded. He said, "You can fight?" I grinned
and nodded. He said, "Like to?" I shook my head. He said, "Good. I stay
here, you go to bed?" I said "Yes." He said, "Go. I will talk to old
man. He no fear me." He stood there, and I walked back to my dorm. They
wanted to know what happened. I said, "The old man was something of a
scholar. He tried to talk to me. He wanted to know about my armband. He
tried to teach me some words. Then he sent me back here." After lights
out, my friend Macy, said to me, "You learned all their language." I
said, "Not all. How to write some of it, though. He showed me a word
book. Not enough to see much. He's a fool. I had to tell him if they
find out, they'll kill me, and maybe him, too." He said, "Oh! Probably
true. You think well!" I said, "Got a lot of time for it. Field work
doesn't take much thought." Grins.
Everything was back to normal for two days, then I was taken back to
the house, and to the room with books in it. The same guard was there.
The old man was going to say something, when I motioned him to silence.
I went to the closed door, and tapped out a syncopated rhythm on it.
Then I nodded, and said to them, "Good now." We traded grins. I said to
the guard, "Why you?" He said, "Be slave, bad." I said, "Be dead, more
bad. Speak full. I think for it." Chirtop said, "You are smart?" I
said, "Owner here." I indicated very low. I said, "Me here." I
indicated very high. I said, "And he ugly." They laughed. Chirtop said,
"Can you forget?" I said, "No." He said, "I thought so. We all talked a
lot. By the end of an hour, I was almost fluent in their language. I
could read it, too. He gave me the book of words, and I flipped the
pages as fast as I could, which was VERY fast. Their eyes almost popped
out in amazement. I looked up, and said, "If your eyes fall out, be
careful where you walk." They laughed. I went back to flipping pages. I
said, while continuing to do that, "We can talk while I'm doing this.
Different thought lines." They were more amazed. Chirtop said that. I
said, "That's not productive. This can end at any time. Better to make
the best of it while we can."
He said, "You are more than you seem." I said, "All are. Seeming
imposes false artificial limits." More stares. I said, "Words are
useful. Try some." They had to grin. He said, "Your armband. What do
you know about it?" I said, "It's hard metal. There is something in it
that knows something about what you have, that knows what's in the
band. You should know more about what you have, than me." He said,
"Actually, I don't. It's a smooth stone, It reacts when other people
touch it. Somehow it likes me. Hmm, I see the lights of the soul. Yours
are bigger than any other's." I said, "Muscles in it?" He smiled, and
said, "I don't know. Can you see them, too?" I said, "Yes. I think you
expected that." He said, "You can see inside things?" I said, "I see a
trend here. We have similar unusual abilities, and use them just as
little. Why bother? Would scare people." He said, "Some might not be
scared." I said, "Those would want to use or kill us. You know that.
Not real to you, though. From this as I live, it's VERY real."
I said to the guard. "You believe slavery is wrong." He said, "I do."
I said, "If you could free them all, what would you do with them?" He
said, "I would take them back to their worlds." I said, "If you knew
which ones, and where they are. The slaves don't. Big worlds. Where on
them? And how will they live, with no property and no money? Yes,
slavery is bad. Better not make things worse in trying to fix that
without a lot of thinking. Your life doesn't depend on that. Their's
does." He said, "You're not just a slave." I said, "Before I was, I was
not. Obviously." Chirtop laughed. He said, "You were a scholar." I
said, "Yes. And in religion, too. I was working the land for a short
time, for a new experience, when we were taken. My friends don't know
who I was before that, but one suspects. He keeps trying to get me to
say it." Smiles.
I said, "What do you expect to come from this? Do you have any goals
beyond your own interests?" That shocked them a little. I said, "Are
you fully aware of the danger you're in?" Chirtop said, "They
feelings, even if they cared to have them, they who treat people worse
than they treat their pets. One more thing. The people who are now
slaves are changed. They can't go back to being who they are. They are
not now those people. If fact, some long time slaves will NOT go back.
They fear any change. They don't actually know how to be free."
I said to Chirtop, "You can feel them coming for us. Far from
cheerful, those people." He was afraid. I said, "I can be the stupid
slave for you. Still, they might want my arm band. Could be
interesting." Guard said, "You could fight them and win." I said,
"True. If that seems like the best thing to do. Let's find out.
Chirtop, try not to look terrified. Makes you look guilty. Like you
stole the owners favorite pet and ate it raw." He looked very odd, and
tried not to laugh. I said, "Better." The books floated back to where
they belonged. They tried not to react to that. I nodded approval.
They came in without knocking. The owner said, "Have you learned
anything about that armband?" Chirtop said, "I've tried to learn more
of his language. It's been difficult. I don't have the proper tools
here for that." He said, "Have you tried to teach him ours?" He said,
"That would be more difficult. Our culture is much more complex than
his is. He wouldn't have the references to the words we would try to
teach him. But about the armband. I've examined it as much as I can
here. I don't know how it was put on him. I can't see how it could be
possible, unless he grew into it. There are no visible joins! It's some
kind of hardened steel." He said, "We could cut his arm off?" Chirtop
said, "Yes you could, but I don't recommend it just yet. If it has an
unknown function, from some unknown culture, using unknown science, it
could be dangerous. Is there some reason for urgency? It doesn't appear
to be doing anything now, or that it ever has." I was looking back and
forth at them in vacant interest, and that was noticed. I hadn't
reacted to the chopping off the arm talk.
Owner said, "Is there some value in it?" Chirtop said, "To science,
possibly. I think I see your interest. You and I have different
interests. Yes, some knowledge can earn money. I'm not interested in
having more money. I have more than enough for my needs now. If you
want that, I have no problem with that at all, especially for a friend.
What I want is knowledge, and respect from my peers for that. Our
desires are separate but compatible, and need not be in opposition. We
can actually help each other in this." He said, "You will not publish
without my consent?" Chirtop said, "Yes, you have my word." He said,
"You may have him for this, and my guard. He could be dangerous. Do you
have a place in your facility?" Chirtop said, "I do. I can take him
now, if you wish." He said, "Tomorrow morning. You may stay here
tonight if you wish." Chirtop said, "Thank you!" The guard was directed
to take me back.
On the way there, I whispered, "We are being followed. He may regret
how much you have heard." He whispered back, "I thought about that. You
moved those books. Can you do more like that?" I said, "Yes. I won't
let you be harmed. Chirtop did well." He said, "Yes he did. Amazing
performance. You helped him. Eating the pet raw!" We grinned. It was
after lights out. Macy wanted to know what happened. I said, "Owner is
getting suspicious. Old man wants to take me to his place to study me.
Owner agrees, but could change that. Was some talk of cutting off my
arm. I didn't let them know I understood that." Grins. He said, "Do you
want to go with the old man?" I said, "Yes. Would be interesting. More
than dirt." He had to work hard to not laugh.
I walked into Chirtop's bedroom. I said, "Nobody saw me, and they
can't hear us. You did very well! Guard was very impressed." He said,
"Thank you. The eating the raw pet comment helped." I said, "He agrees
with you." Grins. I said, "He has a problem now. He may have heard too
much. He's aware of that." He said, "Is there anything you can do to
help him?" I said, "Yes, a lot. Most of that would cause more problems,
Careful what knowledge you would acquire, that would require lies to
defend. You were very close to that today. A full lie, you might not be
able to succeed with, for such an honest person as you are." He said,
"Wise!" I said, "Eh, I've been called worse." He said to me, "Are you
able to lie?" I said, "No. I can't." He said, "But you can deceive." I
said, "One learns, by necessity. Words are every interesting toys."
Grins. I said, "I won't let you be harmed, if amazement doesn't cause
some of that." Chuckles. I left. They didn't see me.
A different guard came for me in the morning. Out of sight of the
others, he tried to drag me by the arm. I didn't move. I looked at him
stupidly. He hit me in the face. I knocked him sprawling. He came up
and at me, and tried to hit me with his stick. I chopped it in half,
and stood there, grinning vacantly at him. That caused him to change
his mind. He motioned to me to follow him, and I did. We went inside,
to the usual room. Chirtop and the owner were there. Chirtop saw me,
and said, "He's damaged! What happened?" The guard said, "Nothing."
Owner said to the guard, "Where's your baton?" He said, "I er, lost
it." Chirtop said to me, pointing to his cheek, and then at me,
"Solomon, tell." I said, "He pulled my arm. I didn't move fast enough.
He hit my face with his hand. Then he fell down. He got up and hit me
with the stick. It broke. Then we came here." He said that, more
simply, to the owner, who said, "I understood him." Chirtop said, "This
guard is defective. Got another? Previous guard was satisfactory. Is he
available?" Owner looked at him with amusement, and said, "A true
scientist! Defective! Ha! Yes, I'll send him to you. Will you be safe
here?" Chirtop said, pulling a gun from his pocket, "Yes, I have a
weapon." Nods, and they left. Chirtop and I grinned at each other. He
whispered, "You arranged that?" I said, "Yes. Wasn't difficult. YOU did
very well! A defective guard!" He tried not to laugh.
In the car that Chirtop was driving into the city, I told the guard
what had happened. Grins and chuckles. He said, "So you really can
fight." I said, "Good exercise. Good for meditation, too. Not good for
people who want to play hard with me." Chirtop said, "Does the armband
hold any secrets?" I said, "Not at all. Has a stone in it, you know.
a little different. The effort of that is in me, not the band. You know
he won't believe that. You can give it to him, if you want to, without
the stone." In the city, we parked, and went into Chirtop's home lab. I
took off the armband by simply making my arm not real to it, and moving
it away, while holding the band in the other hand. A leather band
appeared in its place, with the stone in it. Their eyes almost popped
out in amazement.
Chirtop said, "You're REALLY more than you seem!" I said, "So much so,
you are not able to know even a tiny part of me, er, except my humor.
I'm recognized more for that, than anything else." Grins. I said, "I
have learned what I should know. I'll be leaving you now. You have the
band, so you won't be in trouble for your guard stealing the slave." He
nodded. I said to the Guard, "Want a new identity?" He said, "I do!
What kind of work will the new me do?" I said, "Translator, with the
requisite skills, good?" He said, "Yes! I would like that." I said,
"And working for people opposed to slavery?" He said, "Absolutely!" I
said, "They're expecting you. The new languages in your mind will
become active slowly, over the course of a month. Now let's select your
appearance. Don't worry about what's possible." I showed him images,
and he selected what he wanted. I said, "You need to be lying down for
this, and asleep. No, it won't hurt. Well, not me, anyway." He looked
at me oddly, and then we grinned. He stood up a new man, really! I gave
him his new IDs, which also included a good credit level. He said, "I
live THERE?" I said, "It was available, and close to work." He said,
"How could you do all this?" I said, "Computers like me. I can talk to
them directly. Your new employers will contact you soon. Yes, I plan
ahead." More grins. I said, "Oh, here's the keys to your new car. It's
parked where this tag shows. Leased spot. Taxi is outside waiting for
you, paid in advance." He hugged, and he left in a daze.
Chirtop said, "Wow!" I said, "Unfortunate. Use that up, then what
will you have?" He laughed. I said, "There is some new and interesting
math in your mind, and you can't forget it. Your computer has a few
things on some of your projects. Tomorrow you can call the slaver and
tell him that I'm gone, and so is the guard. You could mention
defective, if you want. You will have the band, and the place where the
stone was is now solid. There's nothing special about it, and you don't
know how it came off of my arm." He said, "True. You used that band
just to cause all this." I said, "I did." He almost said wow. I said,
"Good restraint." Chuckles. He said, "What will you do now?" I said, "I
will render my judgment the day after you make that call. All the world
will know it then."
one?" I said, "Don't argue effectively." He laughed. I said, "I used to
be one. Now that I know all, that doesn't actually apply to me. No,
that's enough. I don't need to embarrass myself. Too much." We hugged
with love. I helped him to sit. He was in shock, but still managed to
say, "Wow!" I said, "Included." I changed into a sphere of light, and
thinned out to vanish. He stared at that spot for a long time, and then
went to look in his computer. He was at it all night, and almost forgot
to call the owner, who was NOT happy about it, but still satisfied that
the armband was left behind.
The next morning, local to Chirtop, I linked the minds of all of that
species, everywhere in the galaxy, to me, and said, "All of your people
are hearing this. In twelve hours, I will be doing another all species
broadcast, where all will be healed of all illness and injuries,
including the replacement of organs and limbs. Be ready for that, and
do not be doing anything that could cause you danger, to be distracted
during that process." That caused quite a storm of discussion.
On schedule, I did the broadcast, and did the healing. Then I said,
"I am Solomon, the Senior Agent of God for all time and spaces. For a
time, I lived among you as a slave, to experience your society as a
part of it, so that I may judge you. God does NOT approve of slavery!
Hear me slaves! Those of you who wish to be transported instantly to
where you were taken from, with means to support yourselves, and with
your less than adult children, wish for that strongly, and I will know,
and make it happen. Do it NOW, for I may not choose to do this again."
Many did, and I sent them. I said, "There are no shackles, collars, or
chains, for slaves now. Your spaceships are not permitted to land on
planets were you would acquire slaves. There will be interesting things
that could happen to those who try to do that. Any person who harms
another person who works for that person, being a slave or free person,
that person who causes harm, and any who ordered it, will feel it twice
as much, themselves. This will be so for one year. I will return to see
if there are still slaves. If there are, that sharing of feelings will
continue. If you want more healing broadcasts, stop slavery. I am
Solomon. This is my judgement for God!" I stopped the broadcast.
There was REALLY a lot of comment about that, and for a long time.
I was at the door to Macy's home, when he came home from work. He
said, "Solomon!" He hugged, and he almost fainted. I held him up, and
said, "Now you know why we didn't hug before." He said, "Wow!" I said,
should be. I'm still a real person. I still need to be a friend, to my
friends." We went inside. He said, "My wife should he here soon. She
was taken too, but went to a different owner. Thank you!" I said, "It
was my pleasure, really!" He said, "Could you have stopped that here?"
I said, "Yes, but I follow orders. Mine was to be a slave, and then
work from that. I'm trusted to do what is right." He said, "Oh. Hard to
wrap my mind around that." I said, "Yeah, me, too." Grins. I said, "I
should be going. I can stand only so much embarrassment at a time. I
wanted you to know I haven't forgotten you. Actually, I can't forget
anything." We hugged again, and I did my usual vanishing act. He was
still feeling love for me, when he told his wife about the visit.
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Grant
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