Solomon's Private File #459
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 36 in this story, in the Summer of 2062.
Solomon's Private File #459 "Former Assassin's School"
START Page
I walked into a martial arts school on a different planet. The owner
was supervising a class. He saw me, and managed to conceal his reaction
well. I nodded to show I appreciated that. He tried not to grin. When
he was free, he indicated I should follow him into his office. None of
this was missed by the person who was doing most of the teaching of the
moderately advanced class, who could feel my Ki I was slightly
expressing. In the office, Hownon was grinning. I said, "Greetings.
Your class instructor was jumping a little inside." He laughed, and
said, "I noticed." I said, "You also noticed your consequence has er,
evaporated." He said, "It has. I thank you very much!" I said, "I
didn't cause that, you did. You do have other problems, though."
He said, "I do. Imperials are after me to teach in their academy." I
said, "They have NO idea how bad that would be for them." He laughed. I
said, "You would teach honor, a concept virtually unknown to them. They
discover that, they would try to kill you. I would not like what you
would have to do to defend yourself. Your own students there would be
made to attack you. Bad for all. I'm partially responsible for creating
this situation, so I should er, fix it. There is another problem. Your
students, unlike from similar schools, don't even look at joining the
Imperials. That's noticed. Some are suspecting you're indoctrinating
them with rebel ideas. As if you can give them any more than they
already have. They don't usually come here in the beginning, to play
pacifist." He said, "Yes. It takes some work to reduce their anger."
I said, "I'm going to meet with some Imperials. I ask your permission
to show recordings of you and your classes, identities of students
changed, in support of my actions for modifying this situation." He
said, "Would we have to do any acting?" I said, "I can see and record
the past. Present isn't needed." He said, "Oh! Interesting." I said,
"Sometimes." Grins. He said, "Permission granted. Will I see what you
do?" I said, "Threatening to kill yourself if I don't show you, isn't
necessary." He laughed. I said, "I'll give you a recording. Going to be
funny when they see me. Past Assassin Guild members gave my description
and name to them." He said, "Oh! That I've REALLY got to see! Hmm, did
you anticipate this?" I said, "Did you really have to ask? I didn't and
don't have to use any names, and I can use any appearance. I choose
what I do, very carefully. They know me as Solomon. My appointment is
under the name of Sol Oman." He grinned, and said, "Wow!" I said, "They
will probably say something different." Chuckles.
I walked into the office of the Commandant of the Imperial Service
Academy, who is also Commandant of the Imperial Guard. He recognized me
immediately. He reached for something. I shook my head, and he stopped.
I said, "Yes, I'm Solomon." He said, "The name for the appointment is a
little different. Intentional?" I said, "To avoid publicity, yes. Those
in the outer offices didn't see me as you do now." He said, "Please be
seated." I did, and said, "Did you believe any of it?" He grinned, and
said, "None of it, at first. Then, with all the impossible reports
coming in, we had to believe at least some of it. More, when our
medtechs had access to your er, victims." I said, "So, as a minimum,
you know I'm a true Master of Ki. That's how your office people didn't
see me correctly." He said, "Oh! I see. But there is more about what
you did we don't understand." I said, "And that will remain. You would
only have my words for that, not increased understanding."
I said, "I'm here in support of one of my students. Hownon Mudent."
He said, "Oh, the fighting instructor we want." I said, "If you knew
more of him, you wouldn't want him. The big problem for you with this,
is he has honor. True honor, not the pride and loyalty you use in place
of that. In teaching students, that would show, and you would oppose
that, and try to kill him. That would be very difficult. I don't want
him to have to kill people. That will damage him." He said, "It's been
reported that he's a subversive." I said, "There is some missing
personal intelligence in that. If that's true, why would you want him
HERE?" He said, "We would try to correct that." I said, "You can't
change a Master of Ki like that. Who told you it's even possible?" He
said, "Oh. I'm sensing something. A Master of Ki is almost like a
different kind of being?" I said, "Yes. Good sensing." He tried not to
smile.
He said, "IS he a subversive?" I said, "No. Actually, the opposite.
Most of his students come to him out of anger at the Empire. They want
to learn how to do what you would label as subversive. He has to remove
that anger, or his students can't learn the arts he teaches, which are
mostly not as violent as others." He said, "Not violent?" I said,
"Violent to attackers, absolutely, but they are reactive arts that use
the attacker's own force against them. Would you like to see some
videos of the classes?" He said, "I would! Thank you!" I said, "I'll
project them against that wall. Student's faces are obscured, for their
privacy." I showed him some good scenes. I said, "For those arts to
work, the practitioner has to be calm and controlled. Practically any
emotion in a fight, will put them off balance, and make what they do,
just not work. Balance of the body is critical, in disturbing the
balance of another. Balance of the mind is necessary to see the truth
of the encounter so you can manage it. Most fighters don't see enough
of reality to fully understand what's actually happening. That causes
them to be, well, hit."
He grinned. I said, "Honor is related to truth. They actually require
each other. Experts in those arts you saw, MUST have honor, or they
couldn't have usefully learned them, or use them. You create here
people with no honor. Mean and vicious people like yourselves. The true
cause of subversive people, is the people who drive them to be so. For
every effect, there is a cause. You should know that. You feel I've
insulted you. I didn't. Reality did. I just expressed it for your
edification. It's common to blame the messenger for a message you don't
like, which is against honor, but the message is still there, totally
independent of personal opinions. Think on this. I defeated seven
thousand of the most dangerous people in the Empire, in just a few
minutes. I caused the Assassins Guild to be no more. Why did I do that,
and what else can I do, and what will I do to other organizations that
are just as bad for the public, if they give me reason to?"
He said, "Are you threatening me?" I said with a grin, "Not yet. I'm
trying to help you to think beyond yourself. Try?" He did, and I
nodded. I said softly, "The former Assassins you interrogated were
unable to lie." That surprised him, and he thought some more. He said,
"Are you God?" I said, "You don't believe I am, so why do you ask?" He
said, "How do you know I don't believe? Can you read my mind?" I said,
"I can, but I haven't." He said, "Then how?" I said, "You will reject
it, if I tell you, even though proof is easily obtainable." He said,
"What kind of proof?" I said, "Time, date, place, and I'll show you
what happened. Make it something personal, and that you know wasn't
recorded." He did, and I showed him being bullied in grade school. I
said, "You caused some of that yourself. An insufferable brat you were.
A child of privilege who very much didn't deserve it. You eventually
had your revenge. That made you worse. Power has thoroughly corrupted
you. That little boy is still seeking his revenge, but now he's making
millions suffer for it. Is that just? Is that honor? Is that really who
you want to be?"
He hung his head, and sobbed loudly. I stood, and showed my aura, and
said, "Come to me." He looked up, and was VERY surprised. He came into
my open arms. I gave him all my Ki enhanced love. I helped him to sit.
would have been unfair influence. All things happen in their own time.
Just ask any clock maker." He looked strange, and then had to smile a
little. He said, "You made time?" I said, "At times. Hmm, language is
so limited, but so much fun to play with." He smiled, said, "Do you
always look like this?" I said, "I can take any form, and any number of
them. I have a LOT of students. But very few, in percentage. People
should make their own changes. I just give some people some tools for
that, and maybe a little motivation. Some accept that. You have some
past injuries that give you trouble. Do I have your permission to
repair them?" He said, "You do, please." I said, "Done." He said, "I
feel the difference!" I said, "Well, that's good. Now you are more able
to give others pain. Would you misuse my gift so?"
He said, "I don't want to, but I don't know how much I can change
things." I said, "If your Guard changes, that won't change how the
public feels about them in less than a generation. Inertia. Hatred
often lasts much longer than love, and is much easier to inspire. But
not working for change because of that, is a bad reason. Instant fixes,
while nice in a fantasy, just don't last, and so actually cause more
harm in the long term. Believe it or not, you're more intelligent now
that your mind is more er, realistic about things. Use it. You might be
surprised at what you discover. Well, I hope so. I like to cause
surprises." Grins. I said, "May I tell Hownon he won't be working here
any time soon? His arts aren't really usable for your people, and they
don't need them. Got weapons. And they take years to learn to use them
usefully." He said, "Yes. I have to agree. He's a good man?" I said,
"Would I have a personal student who wasn't?" He said, "Oh. Yes. Thank
you!" I nodded, and did the light-ball transformation exit.
In Hownon's office, I said, "I met with the Commandant. He's calling
off his people. How successful that will be, is yet to be determined.
Local people always feel empowered to abuse people, when their
superiors are so far away in time and distance, and don't actually care
about that. It may change, but that could take a long time." I showed
him the conversation. I said, "I'm going to the Guard station here
now."
I walked into a big Imperial Guard office. I said to the man behind
the desk, "I have information about Hownon Mudent." He said, "Oh. Good.
We've been looking for that." I said, "It's not what you think. I spoke
with the Commandant about him. I'll project on that wall, our
discussion about him." I did, very carefully edited. He said, "I see.
We've heard something of that. He's very respected, and that's made us
suspicious." I said, "His students don't want to join the guard,
because they don't like to hurt people." He had mixed feelings about
that. He said, "Your personal student. Who are you?" I smiled, and
said, "You half suspect who I am, but can't believe I would actually
come here and speak with you." He said, "YOU are Solomon?" I said, "I
think it's best I don't confirm or deny that. I ask that you don't tell
others about me. It's for you. Who would believe you?" He said, "True.
to lie. Must have been a severe strain." He had to laugh. I nodded, and
walked out. He rushed to the door to find me, and didn't. He asked his
assistant, "That man, where did he go?" He said, "What man? There
hasn't been any visitors this morning." Colonel said, "Oh. That's
alright. I was expecting someone. He'll probably call and make the
usual excuses." He went back to his desk, and saw a paper with my
picture on it, with the words, "Good recovery." They faded away. He
grinned, and said, "Thanks."
I said, back in Hownon's office, after showing him a recording of
what happened in the local Imperial Station, "So that's how it went.
You know he's going to want to get friendly with you." He grinned, and
said, "Yes. You want me to civilize him." I said, "Did I ask you to be
intelligent?" He laughed. I said, "What I want doesn't enter in this.
You will be you, and he will be him. That will surely change him, more
than it will you." He looked at me very seriously, and said, "I love
you." I said, "I love each person, always. I don't require it, or even
ask it, but it's nice sometimes, to get some of it back." We hugged. I
helped him to sit, and did the light-ball exit.
I said to CNN, "Got an offplanet action that's an extension of the
Assassin's Guild action. It shows me in a different way." He read the
crystal, and said, "Wow! Right. Different, but great. What you said
before about the other action causing them to change, it's happening!"
I said, "I try to do good work." He said, "We'll run the old action
first, and then the new one. Be there?" I said, "Who's going to present
it?" He said, "I like Mario for this." I said, "I'll be there." Grins.
Mario said, "We're here with Solomon to show a new action on a
different world, but we'll show his first action there, before the new
one, including our comments." After the last break, I said, "He did set
up a martial arts school, and it was very successful. A little too
successful for the comfort of the authorities." He said, "In what way?"
I said, "He taught with honor, and instilled that in his students. That
was very unusual in that society, and so, suspect." He said, "I'm sure
of the answer, but did you know that would happen?" I said, "Yes, I
knew it would happen, and approximately when it would come to a head. I
deliberately started it with giving him those arts, and allowing him to
open a school. I knew what would come of that." I played my meeting
with Hownon. Back from break, he was still grinning, and said, "What
you said before about those Assassins talking about you, really paid
off!" I said, "Much better they learn what I want them to know about
me, from the Assassins, than if I told them. Different outcomes. The
payoff is more than what I just showed."
I played the meeting with the Commandant. Back from break, he said,
"You're right about the payoff. He didn't know what to make of you, but
was afraid to do something wrong. But when you, I don't know how to
describe it other than, you broke him down. Then you built him up
again. That was amazing!" I said, "That's therapy. It doesn't always
work that fast, even with me, and in that way, it seldom lasts, but
being that's it's me who did it, it will last, because of what he knows
about me. I used me, to make my work, er, work." He said, "I see that.
I also see how difficult that is to explain. He loves you." I said,
"That often happens to therapists." He said, "This is more. You
actually deserve it!" I said, "I didn't come here to be embarrassed.
Got family for that." He laughed. I said, "Usually, therapists don't
give their patients their love like I do. It comes back." He said,
"True. Still amazing, how you work, and how successful you are." I
said, "All of my group are like this. I'm showing you my actions,
because they're mine, and I do more of them that are appropriate to
show to the public. There's more. I went back to Hownon's office, and
showed him the meeting with the Commandant." I showed that, and the
visit to the local Imperial. The public really liked the end of that,
which I said to Mario in the break.
Back, he said, "I loved the note. VERY nice of you." I said, "That
was the point. It's who I am, sure, but it's also part of the mission.
What I'm for, with my existence. Lead by example. Want people to be
thoughtful and nice, SHOW them how, with YOU. What could it hurt?
Really don't expect to be mean to people, and have them love you for
it. Will also cause them to take out their bad feelings on others, and
those will do the same, and so on. Call it unconscious paying it
forward. We have a CHOICE in what we do that becomes part of that
paying forward. It's in our own best interests to put into that, what
we want back from it. Doing anything else, is stupid!"
His eyes shining, he said, "That's so simple, but so profound." I
said, "Most good and wise things are simple. But people have a great
urge to complicate things. And then there's selfishness, and all the
other negative attitudes. I'll show the last part now." After that, he
said, "I like him. I like him a lot. A former Assassin. You MADE him
how he is now." I said, "I can only work with what's there, with
people. Now you know why I did the whole Assassin's challenge that way.
I wanted to find somebody like him, and show him he could be good, and
put him in a situation that would help cause that to happen. I put the
right people in the right situation, and they follow who they are, in
doing what they should to make things better. This is what God did with
His Special Avatars. I learn from the best. Should be no big surprise I
copy his very successful methods. That one isn't entirely appropriate
in all situations, but in a small way, it is for most. Where I can, I
cause people to fix their own problems." He said, "You do, and on
behalf of most of our viewers, I thank you for all you do to help us be
better people." I said, "You're welcome." The show closed.
He said, "Critique?" I said, "Well, you asked. A little too much
adoration." He said, "But that's what I felt." I said, "Get your hands
away from that!" He had to laugh. I said, "Remember Rose and the fight
in the GC?" He said, "I DO!" I said, "There's more to that situation,
and with other people. Mom is asking for a show on it. Well, she knew
that's why I mentioned it. Could take an hour and a half, with breaks.
Ending is nice. Also ties into this action. In one part, I showed them
some of the Challenge fights. Producer is going almost insane with a
strange kind of lust." They all laughed.
That was scheduled for the next week. Mom was with me. We showed the
first fight, and the second, where she made the Tsuriss woman claw
herself, and my ship rescue, and my visit to the lizard world where I
showed the Challenge fights, and the Game in the GC offices. Mario had
some good comments, and so did Mom. Lot's of grins, too. I said, at the
end, "So now you know another way we help people, societies, and
worlds. Some actions are bad for us. They hurt. I did one recently in
rescuing a young new student that was being experimented on by the
government. On one world, a group of people were murdering all the psis
they could identify. On another part of that world, a religious
authority had put hundreds of them in a terrible concentration camp.
Some actions I'm involved in, I don't dare try to show to any public.
Horrible. But some actions are a little fun. Such as this series of
actions. No true violence. No hate. Successful outcome. We liked it."
Mom said, "Yes we did!" Grins. The show closed.
Mario said, "You know people are going to wonder about those bad
actions you didn't mention." I said, "Some I won't even show to my
people." Mom said, "He showed me one. He said I would regret it, but I
insisted. He was right. Great action, with great lessons, but you need
a very strong stomach to, er, stomach the setup." I said, "Gruesome
triple pun." Mario said, "Does that mean what I think it means?" I
said, "I'm not going to say. I could cut out that part, oh, that was
bad." Mom said, "You know it was! But it's essential to the story." I
said, "That's why it's not going public. Sure did make the kids want to
be our students!" She said, "True. Dying that way would REALLY motivate
them." Mario said, in sick shock, "Right. Don't show it. You stopped it
for all time, didn't you." I said, "Did you really have to ask that?"
He said, "No, it just escaped me. But thank you! For them." I said,
"Their love already did that. Caused my student who runs the school
they went to, to complain about the overload. Until he saw the action.
Then he demanded all I could get him." He said, "I was sure of that.
Did those you rescued see that part?" I said, "Yes. They had to, or
they wouldn't have come. Not all I rescued became our students. I set
up the others, and their parents, in a country that didn't do those bad
things. They're living well, peacefully."
He said, "You actually showed those children that?" I said, "Had to.
They didn't believe me when I told them what their special schools were
really about, and what would happen to them, but it's not as bad as you
assume. Theirs was a mediaeval society, and brutal. The only real shock
to them, was it was going to happen to them. Just the dying that way
was bad enough, but they would have to actually do it themselves to
came in and added to that. I made a box of tissues with the CNN logo on
them, and passed it around. One said, "Custom made for us!" I said, "I
can, therefore I do. If I like it. Have some more." Piles of boxes
appeared. I said, "Now you can really complain about the paperwork. Or
not." Chuckles. We left.
At home, I said, "I couldn't leave them crying. Oops, they noticed
it." Mom looked, and laughed. Harahm said, "What did they notice?" I
said, "When they pull a tissue out now, a voice they recognize, which
changes, says, 'This is CNN!'. Different boxes, different voices of
people who worked there who had recorded that for their own
commercials." Dawn said, "That was very nice of you!" We all grinned,
at the reference to the show before it. Daren said to me privately,
"The three species trade action in this galaxy. You've showed longer
and more involved actions." I said, "I'll do it, but in a while. Two
weeks in a row is more than enough for now." He said, "Just so they see
it. Good story!" I said, "Well, yes." Shared private grins.
END Page
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant
|
|