Astra Pt. 05

Jack smiled, "I had planned on that and leaving a few hybrids behind to help watch over them. The question is what would that accomplish? If they want to go the means are there. Correction, not for everyone. The locations are there. If they do not want hybrids being a part of it then hybrids should not help them to get there. I will say when I leave for Tau Ceti again I will set up a trust with what I leave behind to help finance terraforming to other star systems.

Provided they are going to one of the five I gave the president. Better odds for humanity. I have done what I can to make the colonies here come up to speed faster. That is the closest I would come to help those who want nothing to do with hybrids and our 'alien influence.'"

She nodded, "Thank you for taking the time."

Jack nodded, "Again I apologize for hijacking your interview but to block that debatable subject from the people was wrong. Unjust if you will. Especially when it was led with an outright lie. Therefore, I acted. Take care now."

Jack ended the connection. He looked back to see his wives and Francine. He stood and Francine wrapped her arms around him. "I know you said we have a destiny here. If we pushed to come on your voyage would you stop us and leave us here unprotected?"

Jack sighed, "I have no way now to know if any of the other players are still around for my arrival. I would consider it at the least if it were something you and James both wanted with your children."

She nodded, "Also the second wife we added."

He nodded, "Yes, you were flirting pretty hard with Sprits when you met."

She laughed about that, "Oh I had forgotten about that."

Sprits shrugged. I haven't."

The ladies laughed. Jack sighed, "You do decide on that route you have to let me know who will be behind to handle the businesses you have and the stations."

She nodded, "I will talk with James and Yaeko."

She left the shuttle. Jack sighed, "Aiko second chair." He sat in back, "Fly over the north pole we are going to Ireland."

She nodded, "Island hopping the hard way. Where?"

He smiled, "Limerick Ireland."

He heard Astra, "You have a call."

He sighed, "Put it through." As he grabbed a seat in the back. He saw the president there in his office with his wives. He shook his head, "You put it all out there for the people. The switchboard has been lighting up about those other 5 locations. I will release them later."

Jack nodded, "I am waiting to get my hand slapped."

His wives laughed and he shook his head, "I warned her and when she called while you were still on the air, I told her I warned her. She wanted to see about getting you arrested for hijacking the airwaves but the station would not press charges. Not after that exclusive."

Jack nodded, "I gave her every opening and tried for her to see where I was coming from. I finally just decided I could not hide the reason why I brought so many with me. I figured she would say I did it to try a coup against her so I went ahead and preempted it. Even telling people they should stand behind those they elect."

He shook his head, "Are you really going to do that with the patents?"

Jack looked at Grace, "How far off is the paperwork?"

She looked at the President, "He had me on with the lawyers before he found out she was on the air. He just has to sign the forms."

He sat back, "I do not know what to do about that."

Jack smiled, "What she expects you to do. Not what she wants you to do. She expects you to leave those decisions to her when she gets into office. Yet, she wants you to try and stop it for her. Yet, that was why you told me you could not act at that point when I briefed you.

Because she was going to come in to start transitioning in about 6 weeks for when she takes over in January. Those would be her decisions when she takes over. I hope to be gone by then and she won't have any plays left short of sending her military on a suicide mission. You did not check on us while we were gone for 19 years.

Her only reason for doing so now would be to 'put down the rebel.' She does not have the forces or technology to do that and protect Terra."

He nodded, "True. She does not."

Jack looked at him, "Be cautious. If she can rally support by something happening to you? Right now, I would not put it past her."

He nodded, "I will talk with my AG about options but by the time that happens it will be too late I am sure."

Jack sighed, "Still history is an unknown and desperate people with desperate measures. You might want to remind her I could simply have Astra shut off all power on the planet and all military craft to a halt. You have no answer on how you could stop that. If I took the same kind of drastic actions she is proposing."

He nodded, "Fair point. That and what you did to those 2 ravagers with your mind."

Jack nodded, "Have done 6 that way at once on my scout designs. Putting all the pieces together and getting them built. Took about 2 hours but when you have a colony being shot up all the personal death weighing on you. Just wanting to get back into the fight to finish it. Had to do something to get those ships flying.

On my way to Ireland. When I get back, I will move out to Jupiter. Right now, nobody but you really knows how to get ahold of me."

He nodded, "True your ship name is not well known yet. You have traffic going to the port which is getting sent to your ship."

Jack groaned, "Astra what is the count at?"

She laughed, "84 million messages and spooling."

Jack sighed, "How close was the election? Did they include the colonies or just Terra proper?"

He looked over, "Technically everywhere. Actually, I think it was 'decided' before then in the press. The final count had her at 55% in a three-way race. One was 8% and 37% for the others."

Jack chuckled, "Let her know I asked that question and wondered where our colony ballots went? In particular, which candidate got all of our votes."

The president's wives laughed at that while he shook his head, "If she asks If I have spoken with you."

Jack shook his head, "For your own safety voice a little frustration that I cannot be 'controlled' and you will be happy when I am just her problem."

He laughed at that and then nodded, "Show some distance."

Jack nodded, "While you can also say you have these locations for other colonies and because I insisted you release them or I would for those who want to get away from her."

He laughed, "She is not going to like that."

Jack shrugged, "Tell her I only see her as a potential impediment to my departure. You are working on getting everything ready for her to take over in January. You do not have time for 'Jack Travus' games and getting her up to speed at the same time."

He sighed, "I will think on that last one."

Jack smiled, "To quote a President I knew who was new to the office. "At least that wasn't a no."

That got the 3 of them to laugh. Jack nodded and ended the call.

They got contacted by the tower and Aiko handled it. When they asked about the ID his son used 'Merlin' and the glide path was given. He looked back, "Sorry working the impediment."

Jack nodded, "Done some of that myself. Astra, start filtering wife requests against the selection criteria we had. We knew we would get some. No way of avoiding paradox issues anymore."

Grace looked at Jack, "I still do not like that you want all candidates being sword users."

Jack nodded, "I know, It is a start though."

She called out, "Astra filter based on my criteria and give me a list as well."

Jack laughed, "You heard her Astra. She wants another girlfriend or 5."

He heard his sons laugh at that. Aiko looked around, "Best place to land is outside of that barn."

He nodded, "Then do it." They landed and Jack looked over, "Boys grab those two crates for me." They nodded and each took one. They walked toward the home when he saw the woman from last night. She smiled, "You really did a number on her."

Jack nodded, "I know. Probably not wise but a course of action."

She shrugged, "The latest polls seem to think you handled her well. There were some who wish you had run for office. The gun lovers were up at arms at first. Said as much and then you told them they could all make them and they fucking loved that idea. She got called into a board meeting with a think tank that consisted of weapon manufactures. They are still there."

Jack sighed, * Astra I do not want to hear anything. Just let me know if I should be concerned. If it is something the President should be concerned about, then send the files to a few small newsgroups and the President routed through a hundred different servers. At least. *

Astra sighed, *Working it. *

He walked up and hugged the women and shook hands with the men. His sons handed off the mead to two big strapping lads. They walked inside and shared a drink or two and she nodded, "Your right the Meos is a bit better than the other. It would be harder to guess with those two. The boys took it as a challenge. Between the six of them, they only got it right half the time.

Jack nodded, "I am glad it meets with your approval. Did you like the bottles and labels?"

They nodded. Saddie, the grand-daughter spoke, "Yes, matched what Gran said you would put on them. She is dancing in heaven seeing this actually worked."

Jack nodded, "She had the vision to save your family name even if you lost all the bees here. Did the insecticide help?"

She nodded, "Immensely. We got a 700% growth in the first 15 years. Each year. Farmers were happy as well. They are stable and separated for the moment." He nodded, "Good." He heard a loud horn from outside he looked over. Both men chuckled and Saddie sighed, "That would be Katlyn. My daughter. She is in college in Dublin. That noise is her hoverbike. She is probably trying to get it in the barn."

Jack got up, "I can help with that."

The guys snickered at him as he went outside. She looked over, "This black ugly thing yours?"

He nodded, "Is that whiney little thing yours?"

She looked over, "Tis not whiney!"

He looked at her, "I was talking to the Bike."

He heard the guys laugh and she came at Jack and threw a left which he dodged and she spun around and tried to kick him in the balls.

He caught her foot and lifted it up until she fell on the ground. She was right mad at that point. She flew at him with both hands. He grabbed one twisted her around and grabbed the other. She tried for his balls again and he spun her away onto the ground. She walked over to her bike and pulled a laser sword in her left hand.

She walked toward him and he summoned up his blade and squared off. "When I kick your ass young lady, I just might spank it."

That threw her into a rage as she started cursing at him in Gaelic. Jack twisted her blade around and sent it flying into the door of her barn. She looked at him, "Just who in the fuck do you think you are?"

Jack called her blade to him and tossed it at her feet, "At the moment I am the one taking you to school."

She picked up her sword. She came in with several aggressive strikes that he deflected away easily. He shook his head, "You need to learn better form."

She growled and came at him with an overhand shot. He slid to the side, rolled away and swept her feet out from under her. He held her 6cm off the ground. She looked at him, "Let me go you freak!"

Jack waved his hand and sent her up into the loft of the barn and then sent her hoverbike up there and balanced it on a ceiling rafter. She looked over, "What did you do that for?!"

He smiled, "I was under the impression you were riled up because you could not get your Bike in the barn."

She looked over, "Des me no good up here. I need it on the ground, you idiot."

He pulled it out of the barn and then sent it flying into a field. She looked over, "What the fuck was that?!"

He looked over, "Figured you are going to get yourself killed on the thing it might as well be buried in the field now."

She growled, "Just wait until..."

He yanked her down screaming in shock rotated her around. He took her sword from her and smacked her ass with it a few times after shutting it off.

He then dumped her on the ground and brought her bike back. "It never hit the ground darlin. Unlike you."

She looked at her mother, "Who the fuck is this OX?"

Her mother looked at her, "Jack Travus the one who took our bees to Tau Ceti and set up two of our breweries there."

She looked over, "You are the bloke they are talking about on the newscast I was listening too."

He shrugged, "Probably. A lot of people talk about me."

She nodded, "I can see why."

He pulled her to her feet and kissed her. She tried to protest and then she just sort of melted into him. He let her loose. "Right now, I think you'd make a better lover than a fighter."

She shook her head, "Should not have left your guard down." She took her knee as hard as she could into his sack and slammed it into shield from his belt.

She screamed bloody murder from the cracking sound. He picked her up and put her over his shoulder, "I never let my guard down, Unless I am in bed, darlin."

He walked her over to Grace. She smiled, "I like this one."

He looked at her mother, "She has the cure in her?"

She nodded, "Yes she will be fine. Think it made her a bit reckless."

He nodded and handed her off to Grace. Grace smiled at her, "What are you studying at your university?"

She sighed, "If my mother had her way psychology. She keeps saying I need one."

Grace kissed her and the girl was shocked at this but seemed more open to that. Grace smiled at her, "He was interviewing you."

She looked at him, "What for?"

Grace helped her stand and Aiko took her arm and flipped her around rapidly into a dip. She then kissed her. Then Sprits did while she was still down. Ash helped her back to her feet and grabbed the girl's ass and kissed her. The girl was at a complete loss. The Travus boys just laughed as did Katlyn's mother Saddie. Grace pointed, "Grab her sword for her Timothy."

She asked again, "What the bloody hell just happened."

He looked over, "You passed the first stage of an interview."

She looked at him, "For what?"

He smiled, "You listened to the radio. I told the ladies while I was back I would work to get a few more wives. I had 3 of them die in my travels."

She looked him up and down, "You were interviewing me for a potential wife?"

He nodded, "Is that not how you find your girlfriends or boyfriends. You are mad at them one minute and kissing them the next?"

She nodded, "Alright I could see that I guess. When you put it like that...but you need how many wives?"

Jack pointed to the boys, "Back inside. Ladies you talk to her."

He walked Saddie inside with the lads, "What is she studying."

She groaned, "She wants in on the family business. She is studying about becoming a brewmaster and botany."

He nodded, "She any good at it?"

Saddie shrugged, "Won't let her near the brewery to find out."

He walked over and poured three shots. One from each bottle.

He waited for them to walk in." Studying to be a brewmaster and botany. Let us see if you know your stuff. Three shots of mead. Three different breweries. Tell me which one is yours and then which one is better. Then give me your best guess as to why?"

She walked over with a limp and took the first one, "Not ours." She drank the second one, "Tastes like ours." Then the third. "Wait the last two were nearly identical if not identical. The first one somethin off with the honey used. Might be the climate. These two. I could not tell the difference. It was from three different breweries?"

He nodded, "Two different worlds in Tau Ceti. The first is from Geos the climate is warmer and a bit dryer there. The second was yours. The third is from Meos. Cooler climate about the same humidity. less than one-tenth of one percent difference in the formula."

She looked, "Show me the bottles." He handed her the bottles and she looked at the list of differences. She pointed. "Never heard of this pollen before."

Jack nodded, "Flower native to the world. Fiery red petals bloom in the afternoon sun and grow out of standing cool water or snow. It must be cool at the very least."

She nodded and read the back, "Grams mentioned these labels. She would have liked the Meos, not so much the other."

He nodded, "But there are hundreds of wild bee colonies there now."

She looked over at her mother, "Really? It all worked?" She pointed to what was in her hands, "Think so don't you?"

She rolled her eyes. Jack pulled up a vid for each of the refineries. Katlyn nodded, "Yea, definitely too hot there. No cooler places on that planet?"

He smiled and showed a comparison of the world to earth. She shook her head, "These places are massive! How many people!?" He sighed, "Approaching 500,000 between the two. Jacob go grab my coffee beans."

He nodded and brought in a small box with a couple of bags, "You got a grinder? Try a cup of each. Tell me which is better."

She made a couple of pots of coffee for everyone. She looked over, "The one from the red bag hand down is better."

He nodded, "Geos. For coffee. Meos for Mead. Start my day on Geos and travel over to Meos when they are close and stock up." He pulled up another image for her and she turned 12 shades of red before shutting it off.

She handed it to her mother who opened it and smiled then shut it off, "The man has assets."

He looked at her, "No nude beaches in Ireland?"

Katlyn shook her head and looked at all the ladies and then back at Jack "Wait you said these two are your children."

He nodded, "Conceived in route and Born on Lady of the Lake."

She looked at me. "That a ship?"

He nodded, "Hospital and research ship."

She looked, "You do not look old enough to be there parents, any of you?"

He nodded, "I have 180 children with me on the ships the eldest children are 19 and a few closing in on 18, like those 2.

I am 45 years old. 16 and up lets them serve in the Home Guard. Our version of a Military. There is no money, no malls, it is a simpler way of life. Clothes are made on a fabricator. There are farmers and ranchers who took cattle and sheep to both worlds. Also, goats. They trade every now and then to kick up the gene pool. Hybrids do not age the same."

Timothy looked up, "Or at all depending."

Jack sighed, "There is some truth to that statement. There is a small number that can become eternal. Death in an accident or murder. But not by natural causes. The ones who don't could live for centuries."

She looked at her mother, "You heard this before?'

Jack interceded, "Not many know about that. I get enough people looking at me for throwing bikes in a field and the like."

She nodded, "Your wives then?"

He sighed, "Some. We were told two of each blade color. I am missing one wife with a blue blade. You would be red. Hot-headed. Fiery Temper. More so than Holly was."

He pulled up a picture of Holly and showed it to her. She looked, "Gorgeous woman."

He nodded, "Her and Carol died in the attack they talked about in the news. The lady behind her and to your left. Danyelle was the first to die in a shuttle accident. She and Holly were not hybrids. They were not interested in learning the sword. It is a requirement. You need lessons."

She looked at him, "You think I could not take you?"

He smiled, "My two 17-year-old sons, hope to be hybrids in a few months. They have laser swords. See if you can beat one of them. You choose."

She grabbed Jacob by the arm, "Alright little man. Let us see what you can do." He pulled a pair of blue laser swords and went into a Kata and spun toward her and backed her off. He nodded. She looked up, "Alright, what about the other one."