Astra Pt. 07

This all started the week before he left as he sought answers to some outlying problems. It was best to find him and get private time with him while he went through this phase. The rate he was going dealing with different projects and having the factories working the construction of these new colony transports.

Grace worked all the terraforming and farming vessels planned construction efforts. Sprits took teams out and took care of the communication upgrades at the Starbases they owned with technicians at the other ports shadowing them to get pointers on how to install it on the military-controlled stations. The new transponder system tied into the Terra and Ceti spacecraft registration computers.

Registration costs had to drop as a part of the contract to kill that revenue stream as there was no charge to register a ship in Tau Ceti. If they wished to have a bunch of Tau Ceti registered ships then they would have to work something out. They cut registration fees by 80% and transponders were included in the prices.

Jack got the frequency part for the rail gun working. He also created a module that would let other projectile weapons work, even missiles. He patented the module with the shield Technology as a package as they would be required components together. This made it a hot topic for bidding. The President chose Admiral Sylvia Grant for his new admiral. It happened to be Jack's first choice but he never told anyone. Patents started flowing as did the new contracts.

---

Jack shook his head, "Ms. Helgan when I set up the patents for you on the shields and the tractor beams, I asked one thing of you; innovate them. You have made no effort according to your own R&D reports making any changes to those designs in almost 20 years. Why should I consider your firm for the new shield designs?"

She looked at him, "Because with that design we became the only major firm left to build them."

Jack nodded, "I am sending a letter to revoked your exclusivity on 6 components in that shield. I use them in the other shield design as you know. My other option is to pull your contracts for failure to comply. I am not that upset about the tractor beam because it is still way before its time.

The shields though. You failed to meet innovation subclause on the contract that we required. I am going with Astound Shields who have been working like mad to create a better product than what you have. Goodbye, Ms. Helgen."

He ended the call, "Who is she calling Astra?"

She laughed, "Her attorneys she wants to fight your pulling those pieces away from being exclusive. They told her she had no chance at doing that unless you were dead. She screamed it might be a good idea before slamming the phone down. She then called an escort service for 5 men and 4 ladies in her office for 8 hours. Apparently, she sleeps in her office."

Jack sighed," Just let me know if there is a threat to me or my family. Do not need her sex life."

Jack pressed the contact information for Hillary Zeeman, He got a receptionist and he looked at her and she looked shocked. "Hillary Zeeman please."

She nodded he got transferred to a Personal Assistant. He looked young and buff could be one of his sons. The man spoke, "Mr. Travus. Nice to finally meet you."

Jack smiled, "Let me guess about 19 years old smart, probably just graduated or are getting ready to graduate from college."

He smiled, "Yes, you would be my biological father. Degrees in physics, and molecular biology. Three months until I graduate. This position pays the bills and she has me lined up for a position in her company when I do."

Jack smiled, "I am sure she has got you lined up."

The guy turned red, "What can I say, I am attracted to smart talented beautiful women. She has a lovely twin sister. I heard you just married a set of twins."

Jack nodded, "Entertaining pair. Is she in?"

He sighed, "She is furious with some of your lawyers right now wanting to claim a patent infringement on one of her components."

Jack nodded, "Tell her who is on the line and I wanted to discuss patents."

He smiled, "Alright, your funeral."

He was passed through about 2 minutes later. His son sitting off to the side. She looked at Jack, "I am not infringing on your patent!"

Jack sighed, "My lawyers have not sent me the details. Send me what you filed."

She sent a copy of it along with the complaint. His lawyers were right but it was one of the exclusive pieces he did not need.

He looked at her, "Technically they are right. However, you may not need it. I came to talk about these patents."

He pushed her the folder. She looked at the information in front of her and her eyes lit up, "You want me to build your next-generation shields?"

He nodded, "It comes at a sweetheart of a deal. Ms. Helgan failed to live up to her contractual obligation. The six non-exclusive patents are the only overlap between the shield she is building and that shield. I just took away her exclusive rights to those six patents. Which means I can assign those patents to any contractor I wish."

She looked up, "We are a small firm,"

Jack nodded, "I know, what is your assistance name he failed to give it."

He smiled, "Simon Sheppard." He looked her over, "I want a 40% stake in your company. 20% in the name of my son Simon Sheppard. The other to me. Then the 10% per unit cost of course.

There is a clause in every contract I sign with a company. It is called the innovation clause. If you innovate, I still get my share even with the changes.

But I expect every contractor to try and innovate the fuck out of my designs. I try to inspire people and your struggles with eking out a market share have been noticed. But more importantly, is you are constantly trying to innovate. She sat on her hands for 20 years. I told her what I would do.

Now, this also includes an 80 Billion TC buy-in from me. As investment capital to bring your facilities online to meet the demand as soon as possible. Now the other patent issue is still out there. Change your core design to use stable metallic hydrogen. I have the formula up online and it is non-exclusive and I will add your right to use the metal.

Then you can cut your voltage in half because it will not lose as much going across it. That will also cut down power consumption by 5-7%. I do not know the rest of your design to answer that question accurately. That is your work. That is one line you can continue to pursue.

Innovate and learn from the other line. Some items you build for one might work for both. You know how it works. That would be a new design and I am giving you that one and that lesson for free."

She sat back in her chair, "He is one of your sons?"

Jack nodded, "There are thousands out there but I knew it as soon as I heard him speak. He mentioned you had a twin. He heard I had married a set of twins. I told him he should seriously consider it, and soon."

Simon laughed at that, "I want to finish school first."

Jack nodded, "Then practice until then."

She blushed at that, "You this forward with your wives?"

He smiled, "I was balls deep in Aiko's ass when she told me she wanted to marry me that night. I married us aboard my ship in Japanese while slowly nailing her ass and we both climaxed together and she reached and around and kissed me.

Being a captain of a vessel gives you that right going back to maritime law. Now Grace my business manager and lawyer. Also, my beautiful wife is not talking right now because she has half my cock in her mouth. Wait, she has the whole thing into the throat. Here you go, baby. As he climaxed into and on Grace's mouth face and tits.

She looked up, "I sent for Olivia and Sprits to come to clean me up now. I wrote down all the notes I needed."

Jack looked at her, "Two things. If that does not get you in the mood for sex in the office, nothing will. Second, have we reached an accord, Ms. Zeeman? By the way, if you marry him, I would make him take your name. It feels more modern than Shepard. Unless you are moving to a colony."

Simon laughed at that, "My mother would find that hilarious. I will have to tell her that when I have time in a couple of hours."

He looked at her and she looked back, "Alright. I will take your sweetheart of a deal, and probably your son. For now, anyway."

She ended the call while Grace laughed. The two ladies showed up Aiko who took Grace's place worked to get it all out of him again. She did. Twice. Before he started his next call.

Astra interrupted, "She made a move. She had a judge friend file an injunction on you concerning the exclusivity rights. It also bars you from taking action on any other patents she may hold until the hearing."

Jack looked up, "When is the hearing?"

She looked over, "It is set for 3 months from now."

He called out, "Grace get it before a judge that I want that hearing in 3 hours. She is not holding us up for 3 months. Get the termination of all patents she holds together. We will put an end to this."

Grace looked over, "I was told she was busy."

He looked over, "Astra, send the Judge a file on her actives that could likely get disbarred. Especially this illegal activity. Send it under your name as Astra Travus."

Grace looked over, "She could hit you with contempt of court."

Jack nodded, "At which point what Astra has is released to the press."

Grace looked over, "She is fucking furious. She wants you in her court in 30 minutes."

He sighed, "Tell her that is physically impossible. I will attend the hearing in 3 hours as I am 2.5 hours away from earth now." She told the lady what Jack said and she growled into the comms to Grace. She nodded, "Hearing in 3 hours."

Jack looked back, "Backtrace the movements of Ms. Helgen and find out where the two of them met."

Astra laughed, "Oh I found it all right. A swinger's club. She even gave her the pad with your name on it while wrist deep in her ass and she signed it then."

Jack nodded, "Be ready to grab screens."

Jack sighed as he sat down, "I hate doing this to a Judge. She overreached on the wrong person."

Grace shook her head, "I sure hope you know what you are doing."

Jack took off, "Review her contract again and look at section 9."

She laughed, "I forgot you had me stick that in there."

Jack nodded, "I had my reasons with all the back and forth crap you went through with her."

---

Jack got to the courthouse and found a shuttle spot in Amsterdam. They walked into the building and were stopped for the swords which the guards could not get out. "Jack pulled up his vid and got the Capitol switchboard. She smiled, "Just a moment Mr. Travus."

He looked at the President, "Can you issue an executive order concerning our swords in government buildings. Otherwise, we are never going to get to this illegal hearing."

He sighed, "Where are you?"

Jack smiled, "Amsterdam our shield manufacture is switching."

He sighed, "They won't honor it."

Jack growled, "Fine, Grace give me the pad and you hang on to my sword."

She sighed, "You know the points."

He nodded, "If there is a problem get my law firm in Australia here."

She nodded, "Jack went into the courtroom and saw the massively big breasted blonde and shook his head. "What are you, EEEE now?"

She did not respond she was well into her 60s now and had not taken the cure it appeared. She had an evil grin about her today.

The judge came in and did not look amused, "Where is Astra Travus?"

Jack smiled, "Her name is just Astra but she is family. Astra monitor behind me."

Astra appeared on the monitor, "Hello your honor."

She looked at her, "Why are you not in my court?"

She looked over, "One I was not requested; two I am unable to leave the confines of the ship. Jack is working on that but it is still a restriction. Oh, reason 3, I am not human or subject to your laws."

She took her shirt off and opened up her chest panels, "I am the Artificial Sentient Terraforming Robotic Automaton, Astra. I sometimes do things on a whim. Like, find out why people are doing things to Jack all the time when he brings so much to humanity."

The Judge looked over, "Shut that off."

He thought to her, * Give her the video clip on the screen and tell her she is a meany.*

Astra, hmmrp at her, "You're just a meany."

Then the video of the judge getting fisted in the ass by Ms. Helgan played. She played it with an English translation. Jack looked back over. He thought *Astra when I tell you to stop just stop the image. *

The judge just agreed to sign and Jack yelled out, "Alright Astra stop this."

She stopped the video as she signed the order. "Take it away, Astra."

She asked playfully, "Should I take it and play it on another monitor?"

Jack looked back "No Astra. One in your quarters if you must."

She replied, "Not with those surgical scars, I am guessing 6 boob jobs."

Jack sighed, "She has not been totally herself since the Excalibur's destruction. If you watched the news, your honor. This is the part where we plead our case?"

She sighed, "Yes."

He nodded, "Motion one regards the fact this injunction is illegal, Section 9 of her contract states where patent disputes have to be settled. In Australia. Point 2.

He pressed, "I accept." Then. "I accept. Now that removes her rights to those patents for failure to innovate. Almost 20 years and she invested nothing in it to try and make it better. The wording of the order was I could do nothing until the hearing. I did it just now during the hearing.

Point 3. As you had a quid pro quo arrangement with ex parta communications and not conducted in an official manner. You should not be hearing this case as you are romantically involved or just possibly one of her occasional fuck buddies."

She looked at the court reporter, "Strike everything after ex parte communication. It is inflammatory and borders on contempt. Your first point is enough to dismiss the injunction. Leave point two to a court in Australia if they are stupid enough to hear it."

She hit the gavel and walked out. The bailiff and stenographer started smirking and giggling. He looked at Ms. Helgan. "That concludes any business we have."

She yelled, "I am not done with you."

He looked back, "I have that one image up there that Astra is debating on releasing to the press. I wonder how much she has gathered on you since you filed that injunction. Do you want to end this or find out?"

She gritted her teeth, "It is over."

He nodded, "My lawyers, on the other hand, are just getting started. You are losing a good portion of your business. My lawyers are sending cease and desist order for every product that uses a component of mine. I return to the ship I will announce you are no longer involved with my company other than my patent lawyers are all over infringement of my patents now that you lost the right to use them.

He walked out with the pad and found Grace and took his sword. "The judge was probably wishing I had my sword so she could fall on it and end here suffering. Dismissed on point 1. She struck half of point 3 for bordering on contempt.

Astra gets a good spanking when we get back. She called the Judge a Meany and ran that video with an English translation. She just said point 1 was enough and she would leave it to any judge stupid enough to take the case."

Grace laughed, "Good job Astra."

They walked out to the sound of automatic weapons fired in their direction and bouncing off their shields. There were 18 of them spraying the area. He knocked one over who shot four of his buddies in the process. All while having a wall out at the street blocking it all. He finally just reached out and grabbed them all and put them in one box with their wounded comrades. He looked over, "You might want some assistance officer, I count 18 and some are wounded when one fell."

He looked over, "You're that guy that does things with his mind."

Grace looked at him and moved him closer to the action, "Do your job officer, he is not the only one."

She checked and they got lucky that nobody else got hit. The cop called in for backup. Once they had enough cops and the goons inside dropped their weapon.

Jack released them through a doorway one by one until they had them all. The news crews arrived and asked a lot of questions in Dutch. Jack looked over, "Can I get a bomb disposal unit here. My shuttle would have been the secondary target."

He heard Astra called out "The entire bottom of the shuttle."

He looked over at the reporters. "You need to clear the area."

He looked at the cops. "Disregard. They got it rigged to blow seven ways to Sunday. The entire bottom of my shuttle. Could someone get everyone away from my shuttle over there." Jack put a box over it.

He walked over to his shuttle, "The landing gear was rigged, It has some mercury switches Astra has already taken out the remote detonator and the timer by now. He focused on locking the gear in place and lifted the shuttle straight up and put it eye level, "You're EOD guys can come in, I got in a box." Grace if they tell you to cut a wire telekinetic snips She walked over and talked with them.

They explained what the problem was. "It looks like it is a complex collapsible switch. One is cut they all go." Jack looked at them, "Move back and find a tarp," They moved back and he put a box under it and tried something new. Instead of a wall, he made it move like water. "Grace your help."

She nodded and moved over and fed him some more will and he ran it like it the rest of the way. He made it solid and then sent it in every direction to fill in the holes. The bomb exploded and Jack stumbled a little and moved his shuttle away for the containment box. He got it down and looked at them, "You want the parts or should I just drop them all over the place?"

They laid out the large tarp and he set it down for them and dissipated the wall. He looked under the shuttle, some scorch marks, some pockmarks. She should be flyable."

He sighed, "Open her up Astra." The back ramp and a second bomb went off around the seams. He looked at it. "We will wear EVA suits just in case."

She nodded. They closed it up and he went over and turned on power and shields first. Then got his EVA suit on. He got in the copilot seat he pressurized the cabin and they heard the hiss. He nodded, "I'll fly."

She nodded, "You look like hell." He sighed, "Holding that thing for so long and then that last wall. First time trying it. Running it like water then making it solid. Finally closing all the holes in all directions as fast as I could."

She sighed, "I felt your shield; your belt dropped."

He nodded, "Needed it." She shook her head and he contacted the tower, "Amsterdam Tower, this is the Danyelle near the Amsterdam courthouse. Admiral Jack Travus declaring an emergency. My ship is making a 90-degree vertical ascent at full speed. We had two bombs on the shuttle and it is not holding an atmosphere. Using EVA suites."

He scanned the ship and found no more bombs. "He rose up 200 ft and shot straight up not even waiting on a tower response. He called out, "Terra 7 this is Merlin. We are in an emergency status. Exceeding port speed. Getting to my carrier base." They did not respond.

He sighed, "Comms must have got damaged or sabotaged. He ran the design in his head. He asked Astra, * Send messages to towers explaining comms damaged craft was bombed. *

Astra called out, "Got with both and explained you declared an emergency not realizing comms were out."

He nodded, "Take control. He opened the comm department was undamaged. Cut from the inside. He checked the one for the power core and it had been tampered with. "Grace, we got a problem. They got inside the shuttle."

Astra responded, "I detected no breach."