Astra Pt. 05

From 800 Million TC's a brick to 800 thousand TC's a brick 35.2 Billion TC's for 44 million bricks of the alloy. 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. Because 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 literally be standing on the surface of the sun. The shot would lose over half of its velocity. 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. He 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 40mm on battleships. 10mm on fighters. The reason. 400cm of surround 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 your 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 three times before I am wiped out and I am much more powerful in my mental disciplines than before. Those new satellites between Tau Ceti and Terra are using crystal, matched and paired and attuned by a strong telepath, ME.

To be the focuses lensed to generate the micro-wormholes on each side. The power cores are a perpetual core 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 is the other and he will soon be an Admiral in the home guard at 19 years of age. Ash is getting closer."

Grace stepped up, "Most hybrids become more telekinetic or more telepathic as time went on. Most it is 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."

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 vid 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 justices hybrids in Ceti and 2 of them head up the courts. One on each colony. Those positions are elected and hybrids make up less than 1/10,000^th 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 here.

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 who is close to her boards being done to be licensed as a doctor at 19 years old. 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 Ceti who asked and was granted the right to be a hybrid."

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

The president 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 next month. The decision to pursue some of these items have 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 the office. How is the population control going?"

He sighed, "Mixed. I am hoping your return will convince another million or two to move out of the system."

Jack smiled, "We get these latest rounds of contracts completed to get my business working aspects dealt with and 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 system with material and to work for the next distant colony. The terraforming effort in the system doing better?"

The President 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 Terra. The moons are twice the size for Geos and 3 times the size at Meos compared to Luna. They are working 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."

He nodded, "We will leave you to it and thank you for the information."

Jack nodded and had his sons who got the doors for the ladies and existed last. Timothy asked, "That did not go as well as you hoped it would."

He 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 hears 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 build 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 captains 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, "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."

He 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 into the Terra patent office. If my mission parameters have changed then we will work on collect those who essentially opposed your position if they wish to go to Tau Ceti.

We will return there as soon as the craft needed to make the ships and drives needed to take them there. My plan had been 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 that Tau Ceti would become independent and go its own way 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 that were derived from combat with a time-traveling space-faring race that at this time just got FTL drives.

What we learned from them I brought back to help Terra. You are telling me you do not wish alien influence. Then all of the patents I have that were drawn from alien influence will not be filed here."

She 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 Terra. Contact me back. Astra will put you through."

She nodded and disconnected. He 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 gave him a hug, "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 twenty-something wife that they both enjoy and when he is not fucking his wives he is here. He's been fucking off a lot lately."

The ladies laughed at that. She 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 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 Terra to their own fate. The colony leaders put that in the charter.

I just gave the president 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 a return visit back to Tau Ceti until Terra elects responsible leadership in two 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 shield that would need the increase power cores. What have you gotten them up too?"

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

Jack nodded, "50 % and 60% with the 7a."

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

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

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

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

He 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 that brief with the World Court in regards to emanate domain. Find out how likely they are to back her."

She 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."

He 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 me, "What are those options?"

He 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. 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."

She looked at him, "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 weapons 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. Unless they built something new. Just about everyone 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."

He 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 own peril."

She 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."

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

He nodded, "I will file the patents for the new multiplexer device as an extension of the existing contracts in order 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 vid on the desk and blew it up on the wall. "Astra, when I walk out, display to her 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."

Francine nodded, "I want to see you before you leave."

Jack smiled, "You can and you likely will again and again."

She nodded. Jack walked out and left the ladies with Francine.

His two sons followed him out to the shuttle, "Jacob you will take the first chair to our next destination and Timothy the destination after that. With Aiko riding the second chair for both."

They nodded. He went into the shuttle and brought up a vid and contacted the Flanagan Family. He realized it was late after he sent the call to them but it was a much younger woman who answered.

She started with, "Do you know..." Then stopped. "Wait you probably did not realize it being off in your own little world as it were."

Jack laughed, "No system, we have two worlds. With three moons. Two worlds with heavy bee populations and two Irish Mills Refineries going."

She smiled, "You got the bees there and they took hold!"

He nodded, "There are hundreds of wild colonies across Geos and half as many across Meos because of the narrower area of warmth for them." She smiled, "My grandmother would have been pleased to hear that. She passed 3 years ago. She never took the cure like most of us did."

He nodded, "I understand. Life is about choice."

She laughed. "Yes. I am glad to see you and happy to hear about the bees. What about the mead?"

He smiled, "There were small, less than a fraction of one percent difference in the production version but I followed our agreement. Geos or Meos refined Irish Mills Mead. We do not have a credit system it is more of a co-op but because of the quantity we could market it at maybe 10TC's a bottle. For the big ones."

She laughed, "You can barely get a shot here for that." He nodded, "I have two cases one from each planet to bring to your family. I live on Geos but I like the Meos just a bit better. Something about the cooler environment affects the taste."

She nodded, "Closer to ours."

Jack nodded, "You could pour two shots of it and one of yours and you would be hard-pressed to tell where they were bottled. At least the Meos."

She smiled, "Something to do during our next board meeting."

Jack sighed, "I did want to say the refinements to the farm ships worked great. I am concerned where this new president-elect is going to take things and it may curtail my leading expeditions to another system as I had hoped."

She sighed, "That alien aspect crap she campaigned under?"

Jack nodded, "She called out 'my kind' in our conversation and I reminded her that she had some of that same DNA in her system. She did not like me saying that."

She laughed, "You sure? She said she never took it."

Jack shook his head, "I am not in politics. She is the one the people chose to lead them here. I warned her what would happen if she went that route. She had a lot of cosmetic surgery or she took it. I am betting she took it.

We put it in the bylaws filed that we would declare Tau Ceti an independent Human society. I will protect those humans who wish my protection. They put a leader in office who apparently does not want that. I will respect the will of the people and find those who wish to have a well-armed Home Guard and plenty of space to grow and learn from a good thing.