Astra Pt. 08

She laughed, "I was having a patent infringement issue with one of his patents. He had not seen the case or knew which item it was. He sat down and told me his lawyers where right, but if I changed the base metal and the frequency on the item, I should see a 5-7% Increase in performance and avoid the infringement. I did what he said filed the new patent and we got an 8% increase in performance. He looked at one part to a larger system. I cannot explain it. He is a genius."

Sprits asked, "Would you like me to call in more people who have seen him do this?"

He looked at her, "One of his crew."

She called in the Master Chief who looked across, "Hello, Can I help you?"

He asked her, "You work for him a long time?"

She nodded, "Several years. I was an engineering student when he let me start working on systems being built at the dry dock.

I am currently his Master Chief on his flagship and Super-Dreadnought. When they are together, they are considered one vessel. I am Lieutenant Commander equivalent in our rank structure who oversees 12 Chief engineers and their crews." He sighed, "You work in his research lab?"

She nodded, "On occasion, yes. I am under an NDA on his projects did you have a general question?"

He sighed, "Has he built any more weapons?"

Sprits looked up, "That is not a patent question."

He looked at her, "Quiet. Has he?"

She smiled, "Lots of them for the Tera military while the new contracts still struggle to come up to speed."

The man asked, "Has he designed any?"

She smiled, "That would be an NDA question. I tell you he upgraded to 4 keyboards with 24 screen workstations and every screen is a different product, concept, or idea. He models every ship at 10x speeds. That is how we kept from snapping in half when he did those in system FTL drives in order to destroy 200 Brelan ships with 3 ships and one was a scout. They all came out alive. The Terra military was not ready for that yet. I told him if I was a Master Engineer, he is a Grand Master Engineer. He knows his systems and his ships."

He sighed, "I can see we are not going to get very far with this." His attorney looked at him, "There had to be more questions than how does he do it so fast?" He looked, "Is he getting these blueprints from that archive?"

Sprits called up Astra who appeared on the screen. "I am the keeper of the archives. Shortly after our arrival Jack asked me to make the entire blueprint and technology section, which he had not looked at, and move it to the read-only state for me only. With orders to destroy what was requested if a future Captain tried to countermand the orders.

Where his work has overlapped, he has taken funds from those projects and gives it right back to free dermal regenerators for the poor, and in the case of the collider, he gave them oversight on the use of the patent to create very specific numbers on the smaller particle colliders. Providing the grant for them to add the colliders. He placed control over the facility to the President. He not only earned nothing, but it also cost him giving those technologies to the masses."

She spat a number the man found hard to believe. "He asked, "99.95% of his work is original?"

She nodded, "There were cases where he created something similar in effect to something else but the designs were not a match in any way. He cracked the 5x and 6x Internal Dampener problem which was not even available in 3080 Nobody could get it to work but he did."

He looked at her, "Do you know if he has made any new weapons not known to this committee?"

She looked, "Could you tell me which ones you know about?"

He groaned, "Does he have any new weapon designs that you have seen?"

She looked at him, "When Jack is working projects like that, I am rather occupied sucking his cock repeatedly to collect sperm samples for the bank.

He encrypts his files and stores them on a private offline server until he is ready to send it out. The last items he sent out for the military battle armor and personal shield belts. The battle armor is equipped with a wide array or technical hardware. Are you alright?"

The chairman of the committee had a heart attack. The next person over, looked at them, "We will reconvene at another time. We have a medical emergency."

The head patent lawyer stood, "This meeting in its entirety will be made available to the people to show you had no interest in his patents but only where he gets all of these ideas! Also does, he has more he has not released. Those are not patented. The next summons should list any patents of concern if this is to reconvene.

---

Jack, Aiko, and Grace walked into the Energy and Commerce Committee. The chair looked over, "Your late and in contempt."

Jack shook his head, "What is contemplable is a Congress that wants me to be in 5 separate meetings at the same time. Maybe that is a power I should focus on. Cloning myself. I will warn you as I have the other 3 meetings, that all events will be recorded and released to the people. Now, as nobody put a reason for this summons and I had others that did, I figured I would start with the committees that were worried about the next time-travel event. What is this committee wanting to know?"

The man looked up, "Your business dealings with Traven engines to start with. Why did you select them?"

He looked at the man, "Covered in interviews and recorded already how is that a commerce question?"

He looked across, "Because we say it is. Now answer the question."

He called out. "Astra seize the monitor and play every interview that had asked that question."

He watched them repeatedly until it was finished. "Next question?"

The man grunted out, "You bought into Astounding Shields and have given significant money to them to expand. Why?"

Jack stood there, "It was a sound investment decision. I knew my current contractor failed to deliver on the innovation clause and the new shields were going to a small company that just started up a few years ago but were constantly throwing new innovations into their products.

I gave them money as I bought into the business. I have released a couple of products and I have decided to invest more heavily in the business to have them run with the products. I will work on putting out a book on my investment choices and strategies for the smart investor. Next question?"

He looked at him, "You are introducing a new reactor type for a shield belt, and then 500 terawatts with 8x multiplexers. What do you need with that much power?"

Jack sighed and shook his head, "People ask me about new weapons new shield, engines, and power cores Astra give them the current view of the engine room power cores aboard my flagship."

Astra thru up the image and the committee chair looked across, "What do you need that much power for?"

He sighed, "You ever created a wormhole? It takes a ton of power to increase it from a few grains of sand, like my satellites. To large enough of a portal for a ship to cross through.

That last group of eight got the portal big enough, an extra 30% in size, To bring a caterpillar construction platform big enough to build dreadnaught and aircraft carriers that your Admiralty have asked about. I brought the mean to do it here back with us.

I have the means to do it in Tau Ceti and have projects going to increase their protection force as well as my pet project, Colossus which I showed the President. Astra, give them the images of our fly around of Colossus. Before you ask it is to safely get people to a colony or pack in additions military-grade vessels in order to come and rescue Terra yet again when disaster strikes.

Then Display Tau Ceti Drakor meeting." He let that run and let it get to the end. "Last 30 seconds again."

He sighed, "That was not a veiled threat. They do not operate that way. That was a written guarantee to end me if I fail to live up to being a Justice and a promise to mankind if they refuse to accept hybrids into their society. They are not expecting everyone to become one.

They just want people with that these gifts which have rules and burdens. They want us to live in peace. They are giving you a taste of the way they live their lives and want you to see that is the path. Not to fight your nature. Not to fight me.

I already told the president the Drakor signed the document, AS IT WAS WRITTEN you go and change it the Drakor signature is meaningless. Our races are a long way from open relations with them. I do know those ships I saw were some of the ones used to take out New-Terra.

What is called Geos with a swarm of enemy fighters and landing craft. They left the livestock and most of the structures. They just ended humanity. That is the future we are working to avoid."

He looked at me, "How do we know this?"

Jack had enough. He gathered up as much will as he could and projected the images from the testing he went through and what it meant. The video image of New-terra being destroyed. He sent it out from where he stood to as far as he could get to every mind within 60 km of the capital. Including what he turned down in order to help mankind. He came out of it and stumbled.

The ladies grabbed him and feed him power. He looked across. "I sent that message out to every mind in a 60 km radius of here. I had no camera. No way to record it except in my own mind. You all saw what I went through, the testing I underwent. The destruction of New-terra from the video file I was shown. You cannot see the things I did to block the attack with telekinetic walls.

As this is an energy committee you just got a dose of psych energy sending you an important message from the Drakor. Why I turned down the offer. You can imagine how many minds there are in a 60km radius. I am trying to help.

I am the only one facing the threats we have, financing and organizing colony ships that would have to abide by that treaty as well. Realizing the Home Guard is essentially a moving military and support colony capable or getting aid to any colony in trouble that we have set up.

That is not a problem as we are the only ones doing it. I projected images. I do not read minds. I do not have that talent. The Drakor do for everyone on the planet or planets we occupy. I have a message for Convict Gonzales, The hybrids have vowed to never visit that system.

But the Drakor made no such promise and will try again with your group at some point in the future. They know I cannot save or convince everyone. I do these things because that is who I am. Dispenser of Justice and protector of humanity.

You all just met the Drakor known as Justice Incarnate. I think we are done here. My wife and other attorneys will address the contempt of Congress in the world court for putting this 5-committee spectacle on and expecting me to be at all of them on time. I did not go to your Weights and Means Committee. I have asked nothing of the government and financed these ventures myself.

Grace will be putting forth the founding colony paperwork for the Home Guard. Which has a moon in Tau Ceti, it will be terraformed to have a physical central base of operation as we help with the unimaginable. Send any and all contempt charges to Grace Travus my attorney and we will fight them in the World Court."

Jack turned and walked out of the room with cameras flashing as they walked out of the building, he saw 3 wounded men with explosives being taken into custody. He stopped, "Open it up Astra scan for explosives. He heard her sigh, "The shuttle is clear. I stopped the PD weapons long enough for them to crawl away to the Congressional police."

Jack walked inside, "Tower this is Merlin requesting a 90 degree up angle departure. You are welcome by the way for the 3 men the police have in custody courtesy of the PD weapons for trying to bomb my shuttle yet again."

He heard, "Merlin you are a go for departure. Thank you for not killing them outright."

He let the ladies fly Sprits curled into him. "You turned them down for us."

He nodded, "Of course my little nymph. I want all of you with me at the very least. Not just myself. His vid went off and he opened, He looked at the President and the First ladies. He sighed, "We got an uphill fight on this treaty."

Jack shook his head, "I meant to every mind; man, woman, and child. Let the congressmen and women explain to their own families this is not a real threat, to their staff and security guards, mistress and lovers. All of the press in attendance.

When they have all seen it. He cannot hide this in committee and the families are expecting to be protected. Every reporter can tell what they saw. No exclusive. It should be hitting the airwaves now."

The President looked and checked every channel he shook his head, "You got to the press. They are all up in arms. What else did you do?"

He sighed, "I sent them the image of one of those ships destroying Geos. The last vestiges of humanity the AI's knew about."

The president held a hand over his mouth, "They have all seen what happened in your timeline. From that future."

He nodded, "They wanted answers. I gave them to them. All of them. I don't play politics. I got an interview to give now."

He ended the vid but heard the President in his mind. * I know you are frustrated with all this push back for something they are not spending a dime on. They know we cannot protect against what is coming and some feel you are holding back technology. *

Jack thought back to him, * If I designed a bomb that would wipe out all life on a planet and patented it. What would happen? Patent be damned someone would build and use it. My job is to protect humanity; in some cases, from themselves.

Your Admiral said she wanted a carrier I brought her the tool and design to build it. She just has to get it through Congress. Do you know what I find funny? One of the most effective weapons we deployed were those drones and nobody has asked to make one of those. *

Jack heard the President sigh, * I will talk with the weapon manufactures about those drone systems. They took out the massive guns. Someone must build them we need them for the battleships and carriers. Our airframe designers are nervous that you will replace them all. *

Jack groaned, * All I am doing is giving a choice to the people. I am the one who did not know airframes remember? I built what I needed for 20 years without them at all. I came back with a trove of new innovations. I am but one man. What is humanity doing? Trying to kick me in the teeth. *

Jack hit his vid and got the Tera news. The operator smiled, "One moment."

He saw Randy, "You really fucked with the minds of the reporters there."

Jack shook his head, "Every man, woman, and child in a 60 km radius got those images. They were real and from my memory. That is why I fight every day to do what I do. Is she there?"

She shook her head, "She was at Congress in the crowd wanting to hear what you had to say. She took the day off as she was shaking badly."

He nodded, "It's her or you. Right now, you are the only reporter I trust."

She grabbed her vid and talked to several people. They arrived at his ship, "I will call you back."

He made his way to the bridge and the ladies did not like the way he looked. He called out, "This is the Admiral. I will be on the air with Tera news monetarily. Contact the bridge directly to the comm officer or the XO if it is an emergency."

He called out, "Put the com through on the screen Astra."

Grace looked over, "The colony paperwork was approved for Mixtios. Including our founding charter. Along with the fact we are terraforming it. I got the call in for the 30 terraform ships."

He nodded as the call came up and went from operator to producer, "She is rather shaken up and would rather not conduct the interview."

He looked at her, "Then put on your big girl pants Randy and conduct it yourself."

She laughed, "I look fine as I am. I was hoping you would change your mind for another interviewer."

He sighed, "No."

She nodded, "This will look like a split-screen comm call for us and we will be able to talk."

He nodded, "Have someone set to bring a few callers into the discussion."

Randy nodded, "Not my scene normally but I got someone who can set up the contact info and screen calls."

It took a few minutes to get set up and he split the screen to listen. Sprits took the seat to the left. Finally, Randy came up as he felt the hands of his son Admiral Zander Travus who fed him some more power.

Randy looked at the screen and smiled, "A few faces I have seen before but the man behind you I do not know."

Jack nodded, "This my son Admiral Zander Travus and the second most powerful telepath we have. He oversees our 3rd Dreadnought crew, of which we have 6 of them currently fully armed and ready to take on any aggressor who comes barreling through these distortions in time being the biggest threat.

I made him an Admiral and then put both parts of his ship into dry dock for upgrading to the Mark II variations. I need all the dreadnought to move to a Mark II version but not all the battleships. We do not have enough powerful telepaths to warrant more than 2 for now. It is more important to have them available for the fight ahead."

She shook her head, "He does not look old enough to be an admiral."

Jack smiled, "He is 19. He finished his 3rd doctorate program by the time he was 17. He completed high school material by the time he was 8. Is a hybrid now. Those doctorates he has now are in Engineering, Quantum Mechanics, and AstroPhysics. 9 masters and 24 bachelor degrees. On top of being an ace pilot and top-notch sword fighter.

The difference between him and me is he does not have much in the way to telekinetic power. Most are one or the other. I am both."

She pointed, "Jack, what is your IQ at?"

He sighed, "Could we say higher and leave it at that."

Sprits shook her head, "People want to know how many patents get done by him in fields of study. For a while we had him taking the test every time the kids got tested.

His last recorded test was 11 years ago and it was 242 then. The first one he took was with the wives as part of Carol's baseline evolution of hybrid thinking. That was 20 years ago and it was 222. When he was 17 and before his parents died it was at 197. So that was a pre-hybrid number."

Randy sat back, "Sprits, that does answer a lot of questions. In Congress today you were literally the smartest man in the room. I believe the last 'great mind' was 231 and he went mad by 25. There have been thousands of reports on an increase in intelligence from around the world. Likely your offspring?"

He sighed, "The majority most likely. Same is occurring at the colonies."

She asked, "With that kind of mind and this weight of being a hybrid, how do you keep from going insane?"

Jack chuckled, "Some will tell you I am already crazy. But with 8 wives, 2 labs with work workstations processing 24 projects at the same time in each lab. The key is to get those ideas into a computer in secure storage and get them into the queue to be fleshed out completely when it is needed or as soon as possible."

She looked over, "One of the senators on the committee was asking if you had more powerful weapons out there?'

Jack smiled, "Not built."

She smiled, "But you have more, what is the biggest weapon in your arsenal and no comments from the wives. Wait I know you are not going to answer that."

Jack held up a hand, "It is one I never plan to build, patent, or utilize.

It might be required on an overly aggressive race attacking humanity. When and if that occurs, I will be the only one involved in its making and using it. I call it Hade's bomb. Because I'll go to hell and the entire world it hits will be living in its inferno. I talked with the President about this very subject earlier at a higher level. I put a patent out on something like that. Someone is going to use it on humanity.