Astra Pt. 05

He threw up the side-by-side dry dock images, "Both day 1 of repairs after the battle. I gave up on Excalibur. The frame was fucked, the armor, I lost two wives with 8 unborn, and 6 children and it got hammered. I have new shields that are not even half of the ones on the Excalibur. The frame is 10 times stronger and 18x stronger plating, This image of the scout Lancelot with the black armor from the same battle. Tim, my engineer that I trained, flew it after losing all but one of his wives.

His last succumbed to injuries while he was fighting them, and all but one of his sons died to these monsters. The marks you see are the impact taking off the black powder coating. All the plating was intact and he put the death nail in 3 of those ships with this scout. Without any better shielding than what was on King Arthur. Those two factory base ships up there have enough of that element I needed to create synthetically, Vironidite. I mined in Tau Ceti, it is like dirt there. All the titanium and other miscellaneous elements.

Finally, dual mining rigs go into each half of those factories to extract the metallic hydrogen and hydrogen from the gas giants. Over a million bricks of that armor and framing metal sit in bars per factory. Each base has two factories. There is enough material if we add more metallic hydrogen, to create another 10 million bricks per factory. 44 million bricks of that alloy. We can generate the onyx coating and apply it to the plating at any Space-based shipyard with the formula.

It has common enough materials, and the bonding process to make it adhere to the finished plating. I came back with the method to make that alloy affordable to retrofit and design your entire fleet in whichever type of ship you want. From 800 Million TCs a brick to 800 thousand TCs a brick. 35.2 Billion TCs for 44 million bricks of the alloy, based on current market values here. Now let me ask, your space-based rail guns are at 400-500 megajoules of Kinetic force?" The new Admiral in the room looked over, "The information is classified but within that range."

Jack smiled, "400 megajoules then is what you are hitting. I left you at 360 when I left. That new rail gun design hits at 5,000 megajoules of Kinetic energy. A weapon design I will not put out there unless all space-based military craft is using this new armor. As your shields will not be enough, as shown, to get what you need to protect your forces from each other. The sword and the shield must be balanced, Mr. President. Every fighter on up is equipped with that new railgun.

They disarm in the atmosphere. Or if the hull temperature is too high; fighting too close to the sun. No, you cannot use it for a rifle or tank General. Even with liquid nitrogen encased barrels. One-shot and your soldiers would be standing on the surface of the sun. The shot would lose over half of its velocity as the barrel warped and its final destination might be way off-target.

The typical cooldown time on a gun is 10 to 60 seconds in space. Those are all single barrel guns because we do not have the heatsinks in our imagination to deal with a tenth of what this weapon generates. Every thousand rounds, there is a timer on each gun as the ammo is packed in and cannot be added to it without remanufacturing it. The weapon must be pulled and forged again to straighten out the barrel are reload the weapon."

Jack showed a slow-motion clip of the Excalibur being hit.

"The shell was the size of a golf ball that hit my ship. We have built nothing larger than 40mm on battleships. 10mm on fighters. The reason. 400cm of the surrounding barrel and 100cm of the surrounding barrel. Anything thicker, even in space, the barrel never cools enough to make the rate of fire any better. The fighters are every 10 seconds. The battleships every 60 seconds for a 40mm projectile."

The Admiral shook her head, "The power required."

Jack nodded, "150 and 200 terawatts power cores. The fighters have 2x 150 terawatts power cores. The battleships 8x 200 terawatts power cores multiplexed. Same as the Dreadnoughts. Yes, that is a larger multiplexer. When I said I came back with 37,000 patents I was not lying. Those rail guns are also forged as titanium-based guns. Metallic Hydrogen being a superconductor and even in an alloy, does not cool fast enough.

We were lucky it was only 20 ships that made the jump into our time and only 4 battleships in that group. If it were not for hybrids, we would not have beaten them. Telekinetic walls. You saw the images of me stripping down those Scouts. Holding a wall over the end of a 40 mm barrel to force it to blow apart will knock most telekinetic specialists on their asses and out cold from the effort. I can do it 3 times before I am wiped out.

I am much more powerful in my mental disciplines than before. Those new satellites between Tau Ceti and Tera are using crystal, matched, paired, and attuned by a strong telepath, ME. To be the focus lens to generate the micro-wormholes on each side. The power cores are perpetual cores using a synthetic biological process to use space particles to feed the core, the focus, and the hard shields. Modeled after Meltora's biological functions. One goes down and they both explode.

We only have 2 hybrids who can make those crystals. I am the only one in this system. My eldest son from Ash, Zander, is the other and he will soon be an Admiral in the home guard at 19 years of age. Ash is getting closer to being able to do it."

Grace stepped up, "Most hybrids become more telekinetic or more telepathic as time went on. Most of them become more telekinetic. Jack, it is both. He is balanced, even if you will, but he works the hardest of any of us on his mental disciplines. Some of our offspring between hybrids gained abilities, Zander was telepathic at birth and Cheyenne is an empath from birth."

Aiko looked at them, "That is not to say his physical disciplines have suffered. He has mastered every form of martial arts I know on top of it all."

She threw up her list of martial arts from her holovid display so they could read the list. "Before you ask, only a third of the top tiers of officers in the Ceti Home Guard are hybrids. No hybrid holds a colony rank, no leaders, or council members. The exception is the courts. There are 4 other lawyer-type justice hybrids in Tau Ceti and 2 of them head up the courts. One on each colony.

Those positions are elected and hybrids make up less than 1/10,000th of a percentage point in the population in that system. They would have no chance at being that high in the military here as officers have to get political in Tera. To be fair I should point out I picked up some empathic abilities and I could sense the fear or trepidation about the level of power being described to you in some hybrids. Jack, in particular, is a concern to you. We only have 2 who have developed empathic abilities.

One is Carol's eldest daughter Cheyenne who is close to her boards being done to be licensed as a doctor at 19 years old. It is a great place for an empath and it was the path she chose. She is one of 4 of Jack's eldest who stayed behind and only 1 of 2 in Tau Ceti who asked and was granted the right to be a hybrid."

Jack decided to change the subject, "Who won the election?"

President Grendal laughed, "You know who. I called her and talked for a couple of hours after our after-hours conversation. She was glad to hear you are alright. I will playback this meeting for her as she is gearing up for the transition to start the month after next. The decision to pursue some of these items has to be hers."

Jack nodded, "I will leave that to you and your cabinet to brief her on. It was good to see you again before you left office. How is the population control going?"

He sighed, "Mixed. I am hoping your return will convince another million or 2 to move out of the system. No other colonies. After we lost contact with you interest stopped."

Jack smiled, "We get these latest rounds of contracts completed to get my business working aspects dealt with, Then we will look at leading a colony to the next star system on the list. When I return, we will build up for another round at Tau Ceti.

With the new engines and ship designs, we will get them there in 3 years at 5x speed. I will leave a few hybrids in the system and set up 2 satellites one back to Tau Ceti and one back to here.

By the time I return the next two Super-Dreadnoughts will be in the system with material and to work for the next distant colony. The terraforming effort in the system doing better?"

President Grendal nodded, "Very much so, still a lot of dependencies but we should make it to the end of the next century now. Your efforts with these colonies are much appreciated. Will each colony be one of these Home Guards?"

Jack shrugged, "It works for those in Tau Ceti. We have 3 moons in the belt there as well and the planets are almost 5 times the size of Tera. The moons are twice the size around Geos and 3 times the size at Meos compared to Luna. They are working on infrastructure over the next 10 years to support the next wave of colonists. I have more people to go and see, starting with Treven Engines and then the Flanagan family in Ireland."

President Grendal nodded, "We will leave you to it, and thank you for the information." Jack nodded as his sons who got the doors for the ladies and Jack existed last. Timothy asked, "That did not go as well as you hoped it would."

Jack shook his head, "No. I will see what I can learn from Francine."

He nodded and they got to the shuttle, "Tower, this is Merlin need Glide Path to Treven Engines."

He heard a laugh, "Not trying to go straight up this time."

Jack laughed, "That would be the long way to my next stop."

The tower responded, "Glide path set for you Merlin. Good luck." Jack took off and took it straight to max on his shuttle which was 2.75. He was there in under 5 minutes, Sprits sighed, "I will have to pull my fighter and see If I can reclaim the record at Death Valley."

Jack nodded, "Take your eldest with you. Make a race of it."

She groaned. "The pair of them would try and kick my ass in the air."

Sprits looked up, "They beat my record by making the course tighter and shorter. I only had it because of the fighter you built me and you did not fly against me. They had a stupid excuse, something about scouts should not be able to fly the course so they narrowed it."

Jack shook his head, "Astra while we are inside kick off a model or the new course layout. Then search news archives for Xenophobia concerns and percentages." He landed at Treven Engines and took the President's parking spot.

He walked out with everyone armed. Both Lieutenants donned body armor at their mother's suggestion. Black and shiny armor, made from the same material as the ship hulls, hiding their age some but giving them more protection. Astra closed up the ship as he left and thought to him, "Jack, it is on the uprise. Admiral Gonzales ran on a platform of trying to limit alien influence."

Jack shook his head and thought, "Not what she ran on in the past. Connect me with her."

Jack stopped and she answered the line, "Hello Jack."

Jack nodded, "President-elect. I just had Astra scouring the news about the election. Told me you ran with a platform to limit alien influence."

She nodded, "Correct."

Jack sighed, "I will have Grace hold off on submitting any new patents to the Tera patent office. If my mission parameters have changed then we will work on collecting those who essentially opposed your position. If they wish to go to Tau Ceti. I will return as soon as the craft needed to make and build the FTL drives needed to take them there. I had planned to take others to the next colony location and establish it. Before taking another group back to Tau Ceti.

I warned you before I left. If you approached a period of cooling down with Alien contact, Tau Ceti would become independent. They would go their separate ways in dealing with alien species. Before answering that question, you might want to get the briefing I just gave the President and his cabinet a few minutes ago."

She sighed, "I had not meant you and your type."

Jack asked her, "Which type?"

She sighed, "Hybrids."

Jack nodded, "Everyone who took the cure is a hybrid to an extent. That was alien technology and influence. I brought back new weapon and armor designs derived from combat with a time-traveling space-faring species that at this time just got FTL drives. What we learned from them I brought back to help Tera. You are telling me you do not wish for alien influence. Then all of the patents I have that were drawn from alien influence will not be filed here."

Gonzalas sighed, "You are holding me hostage."

Jack shook his head, "I told you before the lesson from the Drakor is everything is a choice. You embrace it or you do not. That is your choice to make. Every choice has a cost. Even the right ones. You must determine what the right choice is for the people of Tera. Contact me back. Astra will put you through."

She nodded and disconnected.

---

President-elect Gonzalas was furious. She had been on the phone with weapon manufacturers she had sat on the board for after leaving the service. They had just been cut off from existing patents. Now Jack Travus returned before she was in office. With enough forces to destroy the Tera military if he went rogue. She needed a plan. First, she needed to know why now?

Why with all of these ships. She contacted the President to get briefed on whatever Jack told them. Then she would look to take it to the press. Cut off his balls if she had to. She had no weapon to target them, her research efforts found nothing to use as a biological agent to kill these Drakor hybrids, or avoid doing damage to others who had their blood. Including herself.

---

Jack walked into Treven Engines and walked to the back office. The lady at the desk nodded, "They said you might stop in." Jack nodded and walked into the office. He saw Francine who walked over and hugged him, "Hello Jack."

He nodded, "Astra phase 1." There were a few popping sounds and Francine went and located the devices. She sighed, "I missed that. I have my office swept every few days for bugs. James's father is semiretired. He got the cure as did she and he has a second 20-something wife that they both enjoy. When he is not fucking his wives he is here. He's been fucking off a lot lately."

The ladies laughed at that. Francine smiled, "I heard you have a lot more patents for us."

Jack groaned, "Only a few for now. I will see about the patent for the new ID device that will let your 5.5x drive upgrades come online. Everything else is on hold until I hear back from the president-elect. I have 37,000 patents out there and now I have to ascertain which ones were not 'alien influenced.' She calls me out as an alien and the list will shrink to nothing."

Francine groaned, "Not that."

Jack nodded, "I warned her before I left, she would likely follow the president, and if she took a stance against Alien influence that Tau Ceti would declare independence and leave Tera to their fate. The colony leaders put that in the charter. I just gave President Grendal a bone-chilling reality check. If she refuses to listen to that briefing then I will not be filing a bunch of patents or leading any colonies.

Except for a return visit back to Tau Ceti until Tera elects responsible leadership in 2 centuries or more. There is the improved multiplexer I will add to that list but not the new power cores. You do not have the weapons or shields that would need increased power cores. What have you gotten them up to?"

She sighed, "I managed to increase them both by 20%."

Jack nodded, "50% and 60% with the 8a."

Francine sat back, "I sure in the hell hope she knows what she is doing."

Jack nodded, "Grace, brief her. I got a call coming in."

Grace nodded as he stepped out and looked at his holovid at the President, "She said you threatened her?!"

Jack called out "Astra replay the conversation with the president-elect for the President."

President Grendal watched the exchange and he shook his head, "The military is wanting those new weapon designs. They believe in the threat. She has threatened to come in on day one and go for eminent domain on your patents."

Jack sighed, "She would not win going that route. She cannot get out of a hole by digging deeper."

President Grendal nodded, "I know that. I will let her know you record every conversation so her trying to say that you threatened her would just blow up in her face."

Jack nodded, "I will put Grace to work in the meantime. She will file a brief with the World Court to gauge what their reaction will be to her request for eminent domain. It will give me an idea of which direction to take."

Jack ended the call and walked back into the office, "She fired the opening salvo. Grace, emergency legal contingency. File the brief with the World Court in regards to emanate domain. Find out how likely they are to back her."

Grace walked out, "Give me 10 minutes while I check the information of who's on the court and which of them had records on the subject. Astra can help me with that. Then I will speak with some law clerks in the court and get a feel for the current attitude and alliance with Gonzales."

Jack sighed, "Astra, send word to my law firm. Prepare the paperwork for options 1-30 and send them to Grace. Prepare the nuclear options for 31-40 and send her the paperwork."

Francine looked at Jack, "What are those options?"

Jack smiled, "All of the existing contractors outlined 1-30 would get patents signed over to the listed person, persons, or companies to do with as they see fit in Tera only. James would have all the spaceport operations. You would have the rights to all my engine and power core patents you are working on, called out by name. The others are called out by the company. 31-40 would terminate all offensive weapons contracts across the board."

Francine looked at Jack, "You would do that to us?"

Jack shook his head, "I would then send out a perpetual free right to use for personal, military, or business purposes on all of the weapon patents listed. Noting that it does not stop the actual creator from using this either. In any star system. That means grandmothers and school children would have the right to manufacture weapons from those patents.

There would be no weapons contractors; the existing ones--all top management would be barred by name. As would the company or those who buy the company or rename it. Unless they built something new. Just about everyone else could be one."

She sat back and thought about it. "You said you were not political and the money was a means to do things for humanity. You have been about justice since then."

Jack nodded, "I also made it known when I broke my story humanity could accept that these gifts were out there or they could turn their back on them to their peril."

Francine sighed and nodded, "I know. I hope it does not come to that."

He nodded, "I just had them put the paperwork together on the matter in case I have to pull the trigger on that option."

Francine nodded, "Thank you for the heads up."

Jack nodded, "I will file the patents for the new multiplexer device as an extension of the existing contracts to advance the technology. But I would move the new ID devices to your company as the other failed to innovate and you needed it."

She nodded and then shook her head, "Is it safe for us to remain here? Grace told me about what happened."

Jack sat his holovid on the desk and blew it up on the wall. "Astra, when I walk out, I want you to display the incident with Danyelle, then the Brisen incident including what we found on the surface. Along with the recorded briefing I gave the President. I will be out in my shuttle making some calls."