Free The 2084 Precept by Anthony D. Thompson

but enough is also enough. And so I followed him back to the
office, back to the meeting room, sat down, declined his offer of a
drink and looked him straight in the eye.
    He pulled unnecessarily at his shirt cuffs.
He tugged on his cufflinks. They were expensive ones, no doubt
about it. He was nervous. Wondering whether I was convinced
enough—or greedy enough—to continue being an actor in his fantasy
theater.
    "As you now know and hopefully accept," he
said, "I can cause certain things to happen. Only with people,
their brains. I could not, for example, cause this building to fall
down, or have a bottle of water fly over from that corner table. No
physical objects, no material, no matter. But I can influence the
brain's electrical impulses. I can use Jeremy’s small inheritance
and have a bank manager authorize me a small amount of credit. I
can influence the owner of a small loss-making company to sell it
to me for very little in return for me taking over the company's
crippling debt burden. I can meet with potential customers and have
them order from me instead of from my competitors. And, having
expanded my company and made it extremely profitable, I can buy
other companies and create a strong business group whose stability
is reinforced by the fact that it operates in a variety of
different manufacturing and financial sectors. Diversity, you
understand. More than one leg to stand on."
    He ran his hands through his short blond
hair. Tugged on his cufflinks again. Gave me a querying look.
Received a blank stare in return.
    "Nobody was hurt," he continued. "I repaid
the bank loan. I saved the business owner from bankruptcy. And my
customers buy products and services which are as good as, and
frequently better than, those they could obtain elsewhere - and,
more often than not, cheaper. In addition, they can change their
supplier whenever they want to, and some have done just that, I
undertake nothing to forcibly retain them. And I personally receive
more money than I need. Salary, bonuses, expenses, stock options,
dividends, and so on. And I use it all freely for my research
purposes, in addition to providing my physical self with a pleasing
standard of living while enjoying the hospitality of your planet.
Hopefully this answers most of the remaining open questions we
had?"
    "Interesting, Mr. Parker, and understood," I
said, "but if you don't mind, I have a couple of additional
questions. For example, why are you studying this particular
planet?"
    "No problem. I simply form part of a student
group which will eventually join the bureau responsible for
monitoring life forms throughout the universe. In order to complete
our doctorate studies, we are required to choose a current life
form and write a thesis about it. I just happen to have chosen
yours—for no particular reason. I could have chosen somewhere
else."
    "O.K. Next question, can you read our minds?
Can you read my mind?"
    "Ah, another unavoidable question! No, I
can't do that, Mr. O'Donoghue. Furthermore, I would consider it
highly undesirable were such a thing to be possible, and presumably
you would also." Another chuckle.
    "But you could make me say and do
things against my will, is that right?"
    "Yes, that is right, I could. But I
wouldn't. First of all, we would never manipulate the minds of
research interviewees; that would be counterproductive and
self-defeating. Secondly, we are in any case not allowed to; it
would be contrary to our university code of ethics. And thirdly,
our particular species is a benevolent one, as you would naturally
expect of an intelligent species—as opposed to one like yours—and
any use we make of this capability with regard to third parties is
always harmless. May only be harmless in fact, not that, by
our very nature, we would be otherwise inclined. So on that front,
you need have no fears at all for yourself personally, nor indeed
for anybody else."
    "But back to the girl I spoke to just now,
down in the street, I've been