Astra Pt. 09

Jack landed the shuttle and looked at everyone. "I need volunteers to put this all back."

Grace jumped into his arms and asked, "What about the time events?"

Jack sighed, "They could stop them. They saw how I adapted. Even under that threat, I kept a balance between the sword and the shield."

He went back to his room with all of his wives following. He connected to all of them and shared the 7 years of hell and heartache they put him through, including Astra. He opened his eyes and there was not a dry eye among them, including Astra.

Jack looked at them. "Never to be shared with others that you know of these events. Only to be done by me and only for a damned good reason. If anyone ever asks, I only gave you pieces of that time. They took elements of every wife and merged them into new configurations; even Astra. New and old. They showed me Geos as a failed desolate ruin when Astra said there should have been over 5,000 people there.

A lot did not make sense to me but I rolled with it to see where they wanted me to go. Astra went nuts; if her brain was cracked it would have shut down or exploded. They did not understand how she functioned. They wanted to see what extremes I would go to protect humanity; even from them."

He answered his holovid and President Grendal looked at him, "What the hell just happened?"

Jack smiled, "I need to have another interview. We are taking my battleship and we are on our way back to you. The time events have been fixed by the Drakor as a 'parting' present."

President Grendal looked at Jack, "They are gone?"

Jack shook his head, "Justice Incarnate still plans to fulfill his role of that contract for the Eternals. Otherwise, the threat to humanity is what it always has been. A real possibility, 'from something.'"

---

Jack had them slow the return journey so he could appreciate every moment with his wives in bed. Except for 3 and he looked forward to seeing his Irish Rose and 2 island girls again. It also took time for him to adjust to being called Jack instead of John.

He went to the lab and had Astra administer the IQ test to him. He completed the testing in under 10 minutes. He went to the Capitol and had a press conference with a few members of Congress in attendance. He refused to speak of the details of the 21 minutes that felt like 7 years.

Jack simply stated, "That was 7 years of hell I would only readily share with my wives in pieces unless I saw a really good reason to change my mind."

Jack told them several key pieces appeared to play a part in their graduation, "One was that we made the meeting with the Drakor. It was moved up and the location changed for us because of the actions I took. Two, we embraced our roles and the sword. Three, we had to get a majority of the people to believe in the fact that we are here to help humanity. That last part was likely satisfied by the majority of congress backing that treaty and possibly the polls ran by the news.

They then tested me to see how far I would go to protect humanity, even from them. They also ensured no Drakor technology was in the systems occupied currently by man remained before departing. They have asked us to keep an eye open for any derelict ships or other species abusing their technology. They could have stopped the time-hopping events at any point after the first. They let it run to speed up the testing of humanity because of how fast I was coming along for humanity.

My assumption but it would make sense. Yes, that means they had an indirect hand in allowing many of my children to die. They wanted to see what I would do to protect the people. I was very conservative about weapons technology 20 years ago. I came back with technology that could turn your battleships inside out in a single shot. I fixed the issue with the shields. I brought the sword and shield back into balance. I went after corruption in the procurement of your ships by becoming your airframe manufacturer.

There was not a single great airframe until the 30th century. Created by AIs, The Excalibur. It could handle Jupiter's gravity to allow us to mine from it. Then my designs could do it as well now. Taking over airframes became the logical choice when they wanted to steal my designs instead of innovating. The Drakor fixed the issue and told me I was within the 'right timeline' to save this humanity. I saved humanity from them by getting the answers right; again. We are not ready for their level of firepower.

They have more self-control in using it on themselves. They gave us hundreds of years in the other timeline to get it right. Humanity failed twice. I do believe I got a couple of hints out of the process. How to get a Dreadnought, and how to get Colossus moved through a wormhole. Short answer, More power on the technical side. A lot more willpower in the case of the Colossus."

Jack answered a lot of questions, but the one he got and wanted to answer came from a congresswoman in attendance. The same one who asked him if they backed off, 'Could he fix the time problem.'

She asked him, "You expect us to believe that you spend 7 years in hell in 21 minutes? This was not some stunt to get us to approve your treaty?"

Jack looked at her and remained quiet while she held onto her head in her chair. He sent the entire 7 years over the next 21 minutes. Jack finished and looked at her, "I will never lie to you, Congresswoman. You just got all 7 years in 21 minutes. What I have denied others you have seen."

She looked down for several seconds and then she looked up with tears in her eyes, "Years of depression and loneliness then everything seemed to go along so smoothly but it all felt off to you. Then all that anger and rage at the end. They did a fucking mind job on you!"

Jack nodded, "Except for all of my parts I had to interact. I had to make choices. You just got to watch the events. I had to live it. Compared to here, in the 'real world,' it was all too easy in that environment. Even the vote with congress was not even close. The failures we had with jumps I was never contacted by grief-stricken parents. It was making repairs and trying it again. On our first jump here we broke two pylons. I added more power to make it bigger. I applied that to both ships I wanted to jump.

I went straight to the largest ship. The first time I did it, the very next jump, and in the largest configuration, we did it without wanting to pass out. I felt the willpower coming into me to make that jump and it was beyond anything I had gotten here with the existing telepaths. Getting the large ships out, should and would never be that easy but it worked the first time for Colossus. There was so much that was off that I finally pulled all those pieces together. I had enough to know I was being mind-fucked.

I just lashed out at the hell they put me through. I fixed the time problem. My going back would have likely fixed it. The Drakor fixed it regardless. Congress asked me to take this on. In my mind, it took 7 years to complete that task on my own. There is one other thing. My mind is not as active as it was before. I do not feel like I need to get something out of my head every 10 seconds or I would burst.

Now it is about every 60 to 120 minutes. My IQ is still up there. I checked it; it was still the same at 242. I completed the test in 10 minutes. I believe they fixed the spiraling issue of it continuing to raise during that 'visit.'"

The Congresswoman looked at him. She started to walk away and stopped. She turned back as she remembered his words when he stood before Congress, "Thank you." She then left the room.

---

Over the next year, he did get Colossus through with the extra colony ships to get the Penal colony sent on its way. Jack did not follow but figured out how to jump there through his son's eyes. He brought in the 180 additional ships for those that wanted to follow them away from alien influence. Including the additional military vessels manned by the former or retired military. In total, 5 million people went including another 32,000 who had capital murders or rape convictions.

That was the last he saw or even thought of that group. President Lucas Grendal, only a year after leaving office, announced he was taking up the offer to become a hybrid presented to him. He would never again seek public office as he wanted to spend a lifetime with his wives after giving a lifetime of service to humanity. He moved to Tau Ceti. He told them how the offer came about. The loss of years of his life because of his extension in office and his work to be as honorable a leader as he could.

Yet compromising with Congress always took a toll on him. He would compromise no more. He became the elder statesman whom leaders contacted. They asked about how he dealt with things that seemed to be spiraling on future presidents, senators, and colony leaders. He was another justice as were his first 2 wives. The third wife, Rita the weapons master was a red blade. Wendi, the top-heavy blonde, was a blue blade. The former president had a lot more children with them over the coming years, his children.

Jack and Astra did honor their kitchen passes when the time came. He ensured they were pregnant already at the time. Jack traveled to all 4 colony sites in a row. Taking a Dreadnought with him in each case. Then jumping back to get the colony ships loaded. The farm vessels were kept on the backside of the moon or behind Jupiter to let the plant life and animals acclimate to the new star's spectrum of light. He took 90 ships to each of the 4 sites over the next several years.

In-between he took 270 ships to Tau Ceti. Then 60 more to each of the other 4 colonies before turning that part over to his children and spending a few years with his family in Tau Ceti. He had organized the Terraforming of all 3 moons as he said he would do. They spent another 20 years helping others to expand their skills. Including a couple of judges who developed empathic abilities. They helped to become humanities diplomatic corps; including the former President, who Jack put in charge of that effort.

Designed for first contact situations and to find out how to achieve peace without compromising their positions. All of them justice types. When civil wars arrived, the Home Guard moved in to mediate. In some cases, they form a line between the 2 sides; even in Tau Ceti. The disputes died quickly because the hybrids got to the source of the problems quickly in their 'home' systems. Jack took command of the Colossus again after it became a mark 5 version with upgrades. He had ships built for the HG and at every other system through the shipyards they had built during establishing the colonies.

He took The Colossus on a 20-year exploration of all systems surrounding Tau Ceti. He identifies several systems ripe for mining activity but no habitual worlds. He found some of Meltora's relatives and let them know where it was located; that they were safe from hunting in that system. Some even traveled back with him inside the base. Upon his return, the Colossus was taken to each of the other 4 systems and spent 20 years exploring the surrounding systems with different groups of his children.

The group found a Gaia world 20 times the size of Geos, 100 times the size of earth, with three massive moons inside the habitat zone of a young yellow star. Before they expanded there, they ran a 5 years search of nearby systems using Dreadnoughts to spread out from that location. They encountered one pre-FTL world that had not even gotten into space. They kept their distance. Then a great migration from Tera occurred and some from other worlds.

The Terran population on Tera dropped back to 5 Billion people, while humanity had grown to 80 Billion across 7 colonies and many mining facilities. Jack spent 30 years in Tera space during the years he was born. He privately checked all of the wives' maiden names from his 7 years of hell and found none of them. He had to know for certain as it still gave him nightmares even years later. His parents were still the party animal and sex-starved people he found them both to be.

They were there when he graduated college though. He watched one of his couriers deliver a message to the boy, himself following his graduation from college for his 5 Master's Degrees. He had them all hinged on one set of overlapping classes to complete them at the same time. The message offered a position in the Home Guard if he was interested. Along with the personal message that was set to play only once and he was warned the file would destroy itself when completed and was meant for him alone.

He went to his shuttle and played the message. He then understood the invitation and why Jack had not given it to him 'himself.' He was given the option to find a life of his own; to follow his path and his own heart. Giving him a warning that wives would find each other and it was better too, 'Just get a core group and go with it. Be glad for the changes because Jack saved him from losing his parents 2 years earlier.'

The younger one sent a message back to Jack. Thanking Jack Travus for the advice. He had grown up thinking just how fucked up Jack's life must be to be doing this for centuries and then to find out it was him from an alternate timeline. He thought one of them working that path was enough. He thanked Jack for enabling his parents' survival. They were just as surprised when he told them. He had gone to work for Treven Engines. Glad to know what drove that passion in him is what drove it in 'Jack Travus.'

He commented, "You got to meet her, and that had to be a surreal moment. You managed to still get to see me born even with all the changes you did to this timeline. Some things are meant to be. You were meant to give me a better life and for that, I thank you."

Jack checked on him every few years and did so until he was 30. Glad to see him with his 3 wives living his life. He did not have the heart to tell him that 2 of them were his granddaughters and the other a great-granddaughter. He learned more at a family reunion that was held. He still looked 20, from the cure, and Jack still looked 26.

Jack Travus took him aside, "You know how hard it is for you to find a woman who is not related to you after all of the children I have had?"

The younger man, Jack Scrogum, laughed, "Yes, that was what they told me when we got married and I told them who you were to me. They all laughed at that then they fucked me silly until I had them all pregnant within the first month. I still found it odd but did a search and found out you had a biological connection to 80% of the population across the different worlds. So bad you would find it hard not to find another who is not related to you at least distantly."

Jack laughed as Astra stepped over, "Not true. He has me. I have 4,000 candidates lined up at any time just in case; spread across the colonies. Grace insisted."

Jack nodded, "She would."

Sprits came over and Jack introduced him, "Sprits this is the other me."

Her mouth fell open as she had not put it together yet. She nodded. "Seen him around the shipyard on a few occasions talking engine specifications."

He let Astra take him away and Astra held onto the younger man, "He is happy to see you did not get damaged by a GS engine, or get taken by a future bot into another past. That you did not enter the Tera military early. That gave him hope for the future. That would have happened over 3 years ago. He wanted me to tell you a couple of things in private. Another android did some serious modifications to his genitalia to need so many women. He wanted to let you know you could have those.

Except for the 30% nerve reduction as that one sucked if you want it, keep it to 10% or below. The Drakor DNA did not fix it as they still existed, they just got relocated and then changed by the Drakor DNA in a hybrid. The AI Jada knew he would regenerate and took that additional step. He also wanted you to know that his stake in Treven Engines was signed over to you yesterday. You are Josephine's partner in the business. He bought into the business years ago when the family got smaller.

He just ensured it did not fail before you were ready. He has been impressed with your work on improving the fuel consumption by 20% and getting the other line to 6x speeds as well. Still well ahead of what occurred in his timeline as that did not occur until the 30th century by bots. He is proud you are your own man."

The younger Jack looked at Astra, "What did he recommend?"

She smiled and handed him the list and he found his wives and showed it to them. They all nodded at that. He went off with Astra who fixed him up to fuck like Jack Travus. Just not as long. Within a year he added a fourth wife and Astra sent him a candidate that was not related to him; as she knew him best.

He laughed and met the woman who did hit it off with all of them. Jack backed away from his 'other' life. It was several years later when the wives came to him after Katlyn's passing; only a few days prior. Velma and Pela had passed 20 years earlier with Olivia 7 years before that.

He looked at them, "I know what you are going to say. She left me a message saying the same thing. Respect her and the others. Find another wife or 2, you Big Ox."

The ladies laughed and hugged him as they knew he was at least thinking about it. His new Super Dreadnought class ship with a new battleship was finished. He introduced a new fighter and bomber line to go with them. He Built Camelot. A 24-pilon Colossus dreadnought base built with a caterpillar VII rig housed inside. It was twice the size of the original Colossus and modeled after the original Excalibur design with the engine oval. He built the Excalibur Battleship after retiring the miner with that name.

With its 12 engines and ski-based legs for connecting to the docking mechanism. They could expand to connect to any existing Dreadnought base if required. He had increased power cores for this unit and going forward to 1,000 terawatts and 1,200 terawatts units. With new power couplings and advanced multi-layered heatsinks. It still employed the same number of engines, larger in size, but the wormhole drive was spread across 24 pylons extended out and retracted from above each engine in 2 directions each. He ensured these were retractable into the ring when not in use.

They were made of stable metallic hydrogen and not the alloy he had used in the past, yet they all had the black powder coating. What he used on his shuttle in the 7 years of hell without the coating. He had not heard from the Drakor since the day they left. He had not tried as he had not discovered any more of their technology. He checked every system they traveled to and every time they traveled to them.

He told his wives, "Time to go in search of wives."

He got them loaded onto his new ship and Astra felt more at home than she had in years. This base could mine and had 400 fighters and 20,000 drones. Manned almost exclusively by his progeny of one level or another. He had 24-tier 9 telepaths and 24-tier 9 telekinetic practitioners on board. Along with 2-tier 10 empaths. Jack was considered a tier-12 in both and a tier 8 Empath though these facts were a secret from all except his wives. His wives were counted in those numbers though they were all closing in on tier 10.

All except Aiko who was one of the tier 10 empaths. She evaluated and trained Jack in this as well. They finally had 800 Hybrids in service. Only 600 worked in the Home Guard fleets; the others were known presences in their respective colonies. 100 of them worked on his ship including the specialists he had. He had others as guests and support for this maiden launch, another 112 of various levels. Most in the Home Guard were still 'strictly' humans.