Astra Pt. 04

Let them know I got every wife right now working on multiple projects and over 4,000 more patents being filed. Aiko, I want you to get in touch with Hamilton Freight. I want you to acquire 4 of their ships. Work to buy into their company for freight hauling from the mining locations back to Tera. I want 2 of those to become refineries, for polymers and such with particle accelerators on board. That will be 1 for each colony. We will install 8 cores on each ship.

With 4 multiplexed for ship functions and 4 multiplexed for manufacturing and scientific functions. That goes for the mining units that will be deployed separately from there and dock to it. There is a lot of Electrical Engineering work involved in those projects. Along with more structural reinforcements for the new drives. I have a list of 108 5x drives and 40 5x FTL drives that we will need to be manufactured. Some of those are spares. However, that leaves the good doctor.

I want you to get with Admiral Porta Gonzales. They are set to decommission a Nightingale Hospital Ship. I want it and want it retrofitted and reinforced. Then manned with scientists that the good doctor and Astra can clear. It will become our scientific research and hospital ship. All members going must have the cure with at least 7% going to cut down on the need for doctors. However, I want you to have a team to work to examine the changes that are happening with the children and with the mothers.

I also want a Rest & Relaxation section on this ship for mothers to meet all the single men we might have on these other ships. A singles bar if you will. Astra will keep the sperm bank full here while here. Samples will be kept for mothers who wish to have more children en route. Free of charge and free medical services. This will become a cooperative as TCs will have no use out there. Those are your assignments for the moment ladies, Did I miss anyone?"

Sprits looked over, "A week alone and you got pretty bossy coming back."

The ladies all laughed.

Jack picked Sprits up and kissed her, "I did not want a week alone. I had to have it. Free of distraction. To get a myriad of technological ideals out there and out of my head. I have something for my hybrids in my workshop. A surprise for later. Psi-based technology."

They all smiled at that. He looked at the Doctor. "One might even work for you as you are. We will see."

Jack sat back down, "Astra place my call through; we will meet back in 2 hours to see how things are going. Grace will be busy with contracts and funds for everyone. Then all of the new patents will drive another round of bidding wars to manufacture them."

He sat at his desk with his mead in his hand when an older woman with some grey in her red hair appeared on his screen. He nodded to her and tipped his bottle at her, "Mrs. Flanagan, I am one of your biggest fans."

She smiled, "Everyone knows who you are. We are such a small company. What can we do for you? You in need of a large shipment?"

Jack smiled, "Yes. Always. But I am working through your distributors to not overwhelm your supply chain for that."

She nodded. Jack looked at her, "You are planning an expansion of bees into Iceland and a few other island nations to try and save the bee population. I wish to acquire a couple of colonies of your bees and your recipe for your mead from you directly. I could simply pull it from the computer. I have more respect for your fine product than most. I know in 472 years your company will be out of business based upon past historical activity with the viable bee population having been decimated.

You are destined to be the last great manufacturer of the product. I am in the middle of filing over 4,000 patents. One of those is a species-directed insecticide to kill off killer bees. It interferes with their communication and ability to follow orders from the Queen. Now they will eventually adapt, but it will reduce their tolerance to cold weather even further. Narrowing where they can cross over. By that time I would hope half the world's population of this infestation would be gone.

Your bees would have room to expand for another thousand years. I am planning on leading an expedition to Tau Ceti in roughly 6-12 months. It depends on refit schedules. We will be picking up some farm ships locally for this and retrofitting them. I want to take the 2 colonies of bees with us and eventually build a refinery for the production of your mead in Tau Ceti."

She looked at Jack, "You want our receipt and 2 colonies of bees for your ships for this new insecticide to help with the killer bee population?"

Jack shook his head, "No, 4 would be better, 2 for each ship or across 4 ships. That is the start. I am introducing new technology to keep bees and other life alive in long space travel. The ability to have a magnetic field for migratory animals that use it. The ability to irradiate, if you will, the inside of the shields to generate sunlight. These are not technologies of the future. These are my inventions for expanding Terran life as a whole to other worlds, be they birds, cows, or bees.

I would look to include your company as a beneficiary of these patents when used to transport bee colonies to other worlds. You can license out the remote refineries for the other 5 Terran-like worlds that I gave to the President earlier today. All in different systems. I am giving your small company, which has meant so much to my family and myself over the years, the first opportunity to seize a piece of this history. The insecticide will have to go through planetary regulations.

I plan to finance its use across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australia as a start. Let it spread from there. It is not something you will need to buy. It will happen regardless. It is just the right thing to do. I will not hold your business hostage. I did invest in your company and hold roughly 30% of your outstanding stock. I am committed to your company's survival."

She looked at Jack, "You must be the owner of HII LLC. I had not looked at it, I was just glad it bumped up our company value. I would like a comprehensive chemical analysis of any mead you produce to check against my family's brand. If there is a deviation because of something local then your brand of Mead will have to have a separate name. Something to identify it, while still offering homage to the founders if you will. Something to keep it recognized and tied to my family legacy."

Jack smiled, "I will write something concerning the Flanagan legacy for making mead and how the tradition is being continued to other parts of the galaxy. That will be written on the labels of all bottles; regardless of whether it is Irish Mills Mead or Geos refined Irish Mills Mead. Listing what the change might be and what minuscule percentage is involved."

Mrs. Flanagan smiled, "Planet name?"

Jack smiled, "That name is from history but no bees were ever taken there so this would be a new endeavor."

She nodded, "I like the idea of my family legacy continuing. You plan on hiring some of my workers that we had to let go?"

Jack smiled, "I will have Astra look into it. As I explained some people have a greater destiny based on my timeline for themselves or their progeny to have a lasting positive effect on humanity. I do not want to take that away from them or humanity. But others who wish to go. We could probably find work for them aboard those farming vessels. Tending to the bees and collecting honey over the next 3 years before we make planetfall."

She looked at Jack, "You know there are planets capable in that system?"

Jack smiled, "I know of 6 systems. I kept Tau Ceti separate because of the Drakor threat that the hybrids must address. Before it is safe for major colonization of that system. Understand my caution there as it is a human survival concern."

She nodded, "This meeting you talked about occurs in that system. That is why you are being selective and somewhat secretive in your approach about who and what you are taking?"

Jack smiled, "Yes. That is the simple answer."

She laughed at that, "You are quite an enigma. I do have a board to discuss this with but I think we could make an arrangement feasible."

Jack laughed, "Tell your family, I mean your board, that I said hello."

She laughed at that statement as all but 2 of her board members were family by marriage or blood in one line or another.

"As I said my parents drank your product when they were home and when I came of age I figured out why. It is the only alcoholic beverage I drink. I even placed bets with military commanders who wanted cases of Blue Star Whisky. I told them I wanted cases of your mead. I won 2 cases by the way and bought no Blue Star."

She laughed at that, "Alright I will talk with them and get back to you on this. Do you have a lawyer to work with?"

Jack smiled, "Grace Winters soon to be Grace Travus as she and the other ladies have set a date finally. I would also recommend that you look at the cure that is circulating. You are a lovely lady and it could add years to your life and remove the grey from your hair at a minimum. It is also free."

She smiled, "That has been a topic of debate at our family board meetings as well. If we should include it. We have heard of no negative effects and have seen hundreds of documented cases, from Alzheimer's disease to cancer being cured. You have refocused pharmaceutical companies into finding what it does not cure so they can change their research."

Jack nodded, "Not all will take it, I know. I know you sit on a board of 1 or 2 and they should consider embracing these outer colonies. New diseases and such may creep in that the cure does not cover, or cover completely. The unknown if you will."

She smiled, "Thank you for your inquiry today Mr. Travus."

Jack nodded to her as she ended the call. He went and got dressed in a suit after getting cleaned up with the help of Aiko, Sprits, and Ash in the shower. He had 3 hours before the meeting and they all wanted to be serviced fully before he went into his afternoon meeting.

He obliged all 3 of them and was almost an hour behind schedule. He left them wasted on the bed while he finished and got cleaned up. As he walked out Astra walked in to collect samples from the ladies. Jack shook his head and went to the officer's mess on deck 2 which was laid out like a boardroom for this meeting.

He walked around and met all the new ladies and apologized for the delay and the noise. Treven senior had brought his wife as well who seemed interested in what he had to say and shocked by some of the sounds. Jack's ladies, those conscious, provided reports on all the activities they and the other wives had been undertaking that day outside of the bedroom.

Mr. Treven was shocked when he saw the order for all the drives Jack wanted and the engine chassis he needed. He looked at Jack, "When are you wanting these?"

Grace got all 3 NDA's signed while he spoke. Jack smiled, "As soon as possible. I can build the drives; you know this. I have all my fabricators working on other components because I know you can deliver the engines. Whatever you cannot build we will build here or in transit. I have models going to find all the reinforcements we are going to need. The 2 construction ships will be manufacturing those support beams before moving to engine construction.

The other four will be manufacturing the stations. That brings us to the main topic of this meeting. James, Francine, and James senior know this already. The ladies with you Paul and you had to sign an NDA for this meeting. I don't need one for Gloria. It is not technology that is a big concern. It is history. Within the next 25 years, Tera will get approached by a few species. This eventually leads to acts of civil disobedience with xenophobes in the minority.

Yet they will have a strong enough voice that it cools off alien species negotiations for hundreds of years. I am not out to change that aspect if you will. I would hope the leaders will listen to my advice on the matter when the time comes, but I cannot force them to listen. It will likely be altered because of what I have introduced. It would be altered if what I told the President comes about. The colonies I end up establishing in Tau Ceti may separate from the Tera Federation.

A separate human government. These will happen because Tera has no means of long-range or long-term control over vast areas of the universe. Let alone the Tera system or the rest of this galaxy. The reason for the separation is to keep alien species' negotiations and contact flowing. At least until the rest of humanity is ready to accept the larger universe. That is centuries in the making based on my previous history. Paul, you and your ladies have a few generations of children.

Many will become mid-level ranking officers in the Military. This is across generations. Eventually, your line with the ladies dies out before my timeline Paul. Francine and James will eventually marry. Their children will eventually help to produce my mother. I studied a lot about Francine and the struggles she went through to keep the company alive after Senior and James had passed. You were working as a corporate officer for another company Paul.

Not relevant to this discussion. Yes, Gloria, that means you are my grandmother 6x removed. That information would make Francine and James, and their children a target to any who does not like what I am doing. Trying to kill me before I am 'born again' into this timeline. Now knowing this about your future I have 2 options for you. As a separate subsidiary under Treven Engines. Setting up Treven Commercial Port Authority and Space Docks Management.

There would eventually be 6 of them in Earth's orbit. We will start with 1 and move to 3 quickly. Next month President Grendal will announce the growth figures. The fact that the planet will not sustain our population into the next century. Consider that classified for now. These docks will help to build colony vessels of all types. Patents have been sent in. The government has been given 5 systems that humanity could easily adapt to by me. All based upon history. Some are very distant.

It would take 20 years with the new drive to get to the furthest location. This will have to be done in steps. Tau Ceti will have laws against xenophobia and AI bias ingrained into the bylaws of the colonies. They will be home to a lot of hybrids and potentially women who are carrying my children who wish to relocate knowing the hardships of colony life. Another shipyard. Then others will be built in Tau Ceti. To provide itself with protection force and inter-colony transports for local markets.

In short, it will thrive. Those protections being added are in line with the steps I have taken to advance technology in this timeline. Astra can confirm, that 90% of the designs I submitted in the last batch of 4,000 had no comparable product in the other timeline. The other might have had something similar but they are different designs."

Astra chimed in, "Closer to 99% and yes he is correct. He is not pulling and has not pulled from the blueprints in my repository. Those are locked away and referenceable only by me by Jack's direction. I have irrevocably locked that away given his direction. Meaning nobody will access that besides me, ever."

Jack looked over at Paul, "You could run the stations here under this subsidiary. You could do it in Tau Ceti which might provide your lineage with different options that 'could' allow it to exist longer. Both are possibilities and nothing is guaranteed. Now we know how to make hybrids. There are 5 now and 3 more can be created. Until this meeting occurs with the Drakor and is concluded that is the limit. So far, they have all been my wives.

If you decide to undertake this journey to Tau Ceti with us we would offer the opportunity to become a hybrid to you, Paul. After the meeting with the Drakor, you could eventually make your wives hybrids as well if they are of the right mind and disposition. NOT before. That is a fate punishable by death. The Drakor set that requirement. Until we have graduated to a state as a species to be deemed worthy of existence according to the Drakor.

That will occur in roughly 3 years when all hybrids are required to go alone to a meeting with the Drakor. The nature of this meeting is to be discovered by each hybrid. Based on your previous history and your past current history you would most likely be like Ash and Akio, a Red Blade. The one to jump to the front to defend your family and the people. Blue blades are more like our planetary defensive forces. The cautious attackers and brilliant at the defensive side of things at keeping the enemy from getting through.

Then there are the Justice types. Those that are a balance of the two. Extremely rare. I am one of those. Grace may very well be one of those. From what I have been told I am the only hybrid justice they have encountered. They have justices in the Drakor species. We cannot confirm with a hundred percent certainty that this is the case with others until this meeting and ceremony. When this choice is given, it is given only once.

We approach it differently than the Drakor in that hybrids must choose this course. Carol is expecting 7. After she gives birth, she will be the 6th hybrid in our group and the last of the wives who have agreed to go that route. All the other wives have asked to be injected with my DNA. Carol has that now and it can extend your life but not make you a hybrid. It will alter your DNA and internal organs."

Carol brought up the images of her scan versus Jack's scan. "Your first choice is where do you wish to work, Paul, somewhere else, our Starbases, or with us on the Tau Ceti Starbases?"

Paul looked at his wives-to-be and spoke with them for a few minutes. He looked across, "How long do hybrids live?"

Jack sighed, "Meltora and the Justice Drakor I have communicated with talked about hybrids living for centuries. I could very well be alive when I am born. The true answer is we won't know until we live it."

Paul looked across at his parents, "I know you won't necessarily agree with the decision if I decide to go to Tau Ceti."

James Senior looked at him, "I am not 100% sold on the whole hybrid idea, especially for my son."

Jack looked across, "You are getting ahead of the conversation here. The first question is what location. He could go to Tau Citi and choose not to be a hybrid.

It is not a condition of going. The worlds are a botanist paradise, Gloria."

She nodded, "For the young but I understand the allure. I will support Paul in whichever choice he makes. You seem to be doing well as a hybrid. Your being family is a surprise but I did comment on you being like Francine. I can see her in you now."

James Senior sighed and nodded, "If he does go what will you do with the stations here?"

Jack looked across at James, "James is the obvious choice to oversee them locally. Francine belongs with Treven Engines. She is the future of the company because she is an Engineer. She is not a businesswoman, she will travel between locations but Treven will become her home. Not like you guys, James would help you and oversee the Starbases. You are both hardcore business and numbers approach engineers, not creative engineers. By the time you retire and he is running it all he will have children to help oversee the expanded empire if you will allow it. Either of them could do this.

Due to my ties to Francine and James, I could not see pulling them away from Tera. I might not even be born into this timeline for the changes I have done already. My choices are to travel to new colonies. Some of my parents might not meet now. I also understand that risk and it is more likely the more these changes are embraced. I know it and they know it. That is why that option is not available to them, at least for now. You just need to choose a path first, Paul. Where do you wish to work?"