Abacus Brief Ch 9: Hackers As Idea Sherpas, carrying your future.

Shawny looks at me as I walk over and pick up a shovel. "We are overstaffed today, is there something I should know?"

"The local unions are dropping by, most of them, to politely suggest we fire our workers and pay their crews instead."

"You're not saying they will get violent already?"

"I don't expect that, although we're ready for it." I start digging at a corner where we will be raising a multifaceted totem tower, Shawny uses a shovel to organize the trailings. "Rather I want them to think of us at their level, Neanderthal. Their chiefs have close ties with both the opposition party and the mobsters. We get to have all three thinking they just need more physical force than we can repel. We'll keep most of our technology as a surprise."

"Sounds like you've been reading Sun Tzu. You're betting they haven't."

"If they once did, none of them show evidence of paying attention since. Our research says these pirate factions treat communications as a bar fight. I don't expect broken bottles and chair legs today, but they will represent that as the next step. Our having a bunch of big boys around with three foot long 2x2s will discourage thoughts of a quick beating demonstration. If they progress beyond that, we'll demonstrate why you don't take a blaster to an ultrasound and computer controlled laser fight."

"I'll bet you thought about finding an excuse to send me away."

"Of course I did, I love ya. I knew hiding you would make you very angry. Worse, I would lose your insights. This revolution will get deadly fast if we don't stay on top of it. I need you."

Shawny glowers, "remember that this is my island. I want it back from the pirates. It's not only men that suffer under tyranny, but women and children too." She checks her anger, "Thanks for thinking it through." and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

Somehow that makes this all worthwhile. "Aw," I murmur, "not in front of my fellow warriors." I kiss her back.

The mob of union bosses shows up about an hour late, guess to show they are important and I'm not. Funny though, they all appeared within a few minutes of each other. Collusion? Naw, just coincidence I'm sure. They know who I am, one walks past other workers and up to me. Trying to be intimidating he says, "Hey kid, where's your boss."

I just glance at him. "She's not available right now, why don't ya come back later."

"Do you know who I am!"

"Yeah, an enforcer -- I'm not impressed. You know who I am. Let's stop the games - what do you want."

He is putting on brass knuckles as Shawny walks up. He blusters: "Get rid of your whore, this war is between us."

A blunt end of her pen to his temple dazes him, his broken ankle needs attention. I throw him off property gently. I speak to the remaining bosses and the thugs they brought with them, pretending I expected that of her. "This is Shawny, she's my boss. You saw what she did to that cretin, perhaps we can discuss your grievances, perhaps not. Your turn." They had been unsure when Shawny broke their main enforcer, but they soon become sure that a shirtless, tattooed tribe of warriors stands around us, with tooled oak 2x2s. I'm impressed, I imagine our guests are too.

One of the shoulder strikers in the middle of their pack screams, and cradles an injured hand. "What happened Harry?" another mob soldier asks. I listen to my earbud, then tell them.

"It seems Harry reached for a blaster he has hidden inside his belt. Bad Harry. Three more of you have blasters, you four are to leave property now. And the two guys wearing broadcast wires are to remove them now and step on them, those things are dangerous." Four guys leave, one reaches into a pocket as he reaches the construction gate, then screams, pulling his hand out of the pocket quickly. I shout at them, "Wait at least six blocks before you reach for those blasters again."

While this went on one guy ripped a hidden antenna and a transmitter from his shirt, threw them on the ground, and stepped on them. "The battery pack is in my shorts, can I leave it?" I nod affirmation. Then I congratulate him on his intelligence. I suggest he find a smarter bunch to hang around with, especially if this group isn't wise enough to make him boss. That leaves one electronic eavesdropper. I nod again to the question in my earbud.

A goon on my right falls to the ground writhing, He reaches under his belt and yanks out a glowing hot battery pack, burning his fingers too. Profanities are profuse.

I look at him and recognize him, although he doesn't penetrate my disguise. "Who's this idiot's boss?"

"Ya gots dat right, dis idiot's my cousin. Mama made me hire him."

I laugh with him. "Do you know he works undercover for the government, acting as a mole in the political underground, and I must now assume in the unions too."

He quits laughing, looks pointedly at his two bully boys. "Take him to Junior's safe house, we'll ask him if dat's true." He gives me a provisional smile when his boy's object to leaving him, "I'll be fine, if this pair wanted us all dead, we would be. No one would have left. Notice they have an extra deep foundation concrete pour set up, in case we needed it." He continues, too knowledgeable to ignore, his New Chicago dialect disappearing. "Not that they would put our bodies there, but they could stonewall the cops, drag their feet, start rumors, until the cops dig it up and find nothing. The case would be dropped. A few bribed politicians and we would be assumed to have had a mass religious suicide into a volcano."

I had the extra deep foundation dug to hide a safe room. He came to a logical conclusion, for him. This is a dangerous game we play.

Before we sit down to negotiate, I say, "I've some news. One of the fellows that left thought to be a hero. He pulled his blaster, scaring a bunch of tourists, and started back. He threatened another group of tourists that were in his way. The one in the blue shirt with white collar will be at central hospital. He may lose his arm - his blaster exploded."

Not all these guys are hired muscle, a quiet union steward queries the idiot's boss, Jack. "How do you remotely detonate a selected blaster? those things are fool proof." Jack's reply, "I don't know, but if a fool wants to test your theory, these guys have set up the experiment."

We have their attention.

I start using that attention. "The opportunities on this island suck. No one will prosper if everyone keeps hiding stolen goods, attacking anything with a chance. dragging down anyone wealthier. We need laws repealed, regulations removed, and freedom to act harmlessly in our own best interests. Let abundance circulate. I'm not talking about your hidden bank accounts, full of bribes, you had hidden in Macao, I'm talking about bringing in major investment to transform the island. For everyone.

My new friends aren't so friendly, in fact the bosses look downright angry. "What do you mean, 'had hidden in Macao."

"You emptied those accounts while we were outside talking. About the time that guy called my boss a name. No one could have made those authorizations but you. Your voice prints and biometrics matched your signature files, it was all quite legitimate. We left ten ounces of gold in each; if you have to escape quickly at least there is money outside you can access. Those monies will be redeposited the same way -- once this project is complete -- if you cooperate. Our projects will be finished regardless. Consider Macao a retirement, payable after you willingly move off island."

It's funny how the bosses are angry, but how their soldiers are looking at each other: 'hidden bank accounts full of bribes?' There will be discussion in the ranks tonight.

They are in shock, so I continue. "You are used to breaking laws. We will change laws. My boss is a native, she owns this place, and other similar places we will build in the future. She has very deep and dangerous backup. If you escalate, we can escalate faster and harder. This island will be a beautiful and safe tourist attraction. Buy as much land as you can afford during the next decade. We will all become rich, if we work hard and smart. Smart is not fighting battles you can't win. All workers at this resort will be her tribe members, a family owned and operated business. There is no need for union employees."

The shock wears off instantly. Shouting, threats, and coursing begin. I see no need to interrupt. I do note a few thinking, quiet ones, like Jack. They might become allies. Yes they're unhappy, but experience has taught them quiet antagonists are less pursued. Their leadership achieves extortion by publicly punishing prominent scapegoats, not by becoming targets themselves.

The first round over, Shawny and I retire to the clubhouse. She starts at me. "Stupid man, you would have waited for him to physically attack you, and then defended yourself. His threat, brandished capability, and intent were assault. Don't wait for battery."

"You amaze me, and yes, you're right."

She smiles, dimples: "Buy real estate for a decade?"

"Bible verse, Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. In the next few years we will purchase what we want, and may have already won. They'll await a deadline that won't be announced. We will be given slack, they don't expect us to push our agenda for seven or eight years."

Shawny getting serious is a bit intimidating, especially as I remember what she did to that obnoxious bully. "Don't think I didn't notice you made me the boss, and didn't mention our relationship. That makes you the potential hostage, me the one that gets demands. You let me fight, that makes you an easier target. But if this is mostly business between us, you as a hostage is a vague value. Why didn't you tell me your strategy?"

"Would you have agreed?"

"Eventually, maybe. I wondered why you so easily let me stay for the confab. Let's go back to our honeymoon suite to discuss this."

That discussion is between my wife and myself.

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I'm very comfortable financially right now, and I do what I want, like writing this to you.

My time could be profitably spent offering get rich schemes to ignorant dreamers, but I don't want tainted money. Instead I enjoy getting people thinking, opening their minds. It's really satisfying when others follow my lead toward interesting things like personal freedom. That link is to a free online university I started, open content and open source. It has shaken some things loose, believe me. But I no longer get hate mail from professors and teacher's unions, I've become respectable. That's sad, label something and it can be filed away and forgotten.

Satisfaction is important, that's what all those con men hope to gain from their scams, satisfaction. They are conning themselves Con men say you can only con a greedy man - and they are their own best proof. It's human nature to suspect others of your own flaws, and try to protect yourself. Safety comes from removing your log of a flaw rather than pointing at it's reflection.

I've got my flaws, I might call them personality quirks, several of which I'm sure to be unaware. One I know of; I don't like having bosses, never have. I might value your input, appreciate your corrections, and thankfully follow your good advice - then again I may not. Liberty implies the ability to make your own choices, even if you know them to be bad choices, and done for flimsy excuses that matter only to you. Liberty also denotes the ability to say no, I'm doing what I think is right regardless of your opinions.

Some of these sentences come from a section I wrote for another of my Squidoo lenses. Some might think that's cheating. I can appreciate their view, but I'm not hurting them or the innocent by doing it. I may be hurting myself by poor communication, but: freedom is choice, and for now my choice is to use what I've done in as many ways as i want, as long as i don't hurt others doing it. It's what I have decided to do, so I'm doing it until convinced otherwise. Liberty.

Liberty is satisfying.

Anytime you communicate, it is a sorting device. Some agree with you, others disagree, and any of them may find their opinions a reason to stay, leave, or react. You can't chose their thoughts without being them, you can't choose their actions without being the boss. My own freedom gains value when more people are free. I'm happy for those that left this page for whatever reason, as long as that reason was theirs. I'm glad you've stayed, even if neither you nor I can say why.

I suspect however that since you are curious enough to have read this far, you might investigate a chance to live your own life. I'm not offering instant wealth without work just for sending me money - those offers are always frauds. They sell dreams, the packages the dreams come in are seldom opened. It was the dream that was bought --an empty, soon forgotten dream.

If I were selling dreams I would send the reader to a closing page, and keep testing my wording here to increase my click through and closing percentage. But hey, you've read my story, that has no appeal. If you are the sort of person I think you are, you don't want dreams. You don't want to repeat my life - you want to live your own life. On your own terms. I'll send you to another of my Squidoo lenses where you can look at a few ideas that may work for you.

It's too late to worry about your past. Your future is yours to control. I'm not going to tell you to do this because you deserve it or you owe it to yourself. I will ask you to investigate this because I think you can expand to deserve it.

There will be links at that lens to even more information if you remain curious. Believe me, it's better than selling life insurance or living in a Dilbert cubical. In fact I bet you can become independent enough to create a university that makes my free online university obsolete. Somebody will. I would like it to be someone I've encouraged.

Click Here -- Go See Your Future