Jack's Righteous Gig

Sahhahr smiled at the Queen then looked at the Elder Tik. "I understand you have questions about the Mahrell Drun.

"Yes! We are collectors of knowledge on all lifeforms, even the ones who's purpose seems to be the eradication of all other lifeforms. We've been updated by young 9898. Your knowledge comes from a time when the full contingent of Mahrell Drun still existed. That information is invaluable!"

Sahhahr smiled, pleased with her bargaining position. "Good. I will trade you all I know of them for everything you know about Jack Danner."

Chapter 10

Jack followed the two Tik carrying Tonka into the infirmary at the Tik Enclave. He hadn't expected to be admitted this deeply into the secure complex. The few Tik that seemed to be about to prevent him from continuing all stopped and just watched him pass by. It was a little eerie if he was honest.

The vast chamber was lined with booths, most containing a Tik in some state of disrepair. Most of the damage he saw was some form of contusion like a dent or a deep scratch on their chrome outer shell. He was a little disappointed not to see displays with numbers, lines, and sensor readings above each booth. Instead, a small antenna projected from the top. Tik didn't need visual displays when the medical docking stations sent the data to them directly.

Tonka was lifted into a booth and cables were connected to ports then the two Tik moved away, leaving Jack staring at Tonka's unconscious form.

"Mr. Danner? I'm Taggart. What are you doing here?"

Jack turned to face a Tik covered in tattoos. There wasn't a surface that didn't have some doodle or art piece inked across it. The variety of styles was amazing. Jack thought of Bassdrop, but even it wasn't inked this much. He realized its name Taggart was likely a pun, as it was undoubtedly tagged with a lot of art.

"I came in with Tonka. It seems to be having an identity crisis." Jack heard Tonka's confused confession to Eve and Diana in his mind once more. When he'd seen the Tik holding their hands, he was pretty sure he knew what might be happening. He hadn't expected the Tik to collapse.

Taggart faced the booth and hummed for a moment. Then it faced Jack once more. "Your diagnosis closely matches mine. The last file Tonka integrated was your experience file. It unexpectedly integrated too deeply. Some of Tonka's personality matrix has been overwritten. We are going to have to attempt to roll the file back. The areas which have written over Tonka's matrix must remain. Only once this is done will we see if Tonka remains functional."

"Damn! That's awful!" Jack was horrified but suddenly saw some good might come from this tragedy. "You'll probably have to suspend the use of that experience file to prevent other cases! Maybe recall it?" Jack suggested, hopefully.

The Tik turned its full attention on Jack. "Mr. Danner, your experience file has been shared with over 82 million Tik to date. These Tik are on every world in the Gate Network. No other update has been so widely distributed, so quickly. Tonka is the only reported case where the file integrated with a personality matrix.

"Only reported case! There could be others then!" Jack exclaimed.

The Tik patted Jack's arm consolingly with a tentacle. "We're also aware of your personal discomfort at sharing such sensitive information. It's our nature to share knowledge with other Tik. We can't deny this aspect of our beings."

Jack deflated. "Right... I understand. Still, it's terrible what happened to Tonka. I feel... somehow responsible. If there's anything I can do, please let me know."

"You bear no responsibility for this event. We will do our utmost to bring Tonka back to full functionality," Taggart assured him then moved on, like a human doctor making rounds in the ward. Jack watched it float away then wondered if he was going to be escorted out at some point.

Jack looked around and realized he was going to need an escort as he had no idea where the exit was.

He wandered amongst the booths and stopped before a Tik which looked like it'd gone ten rounds with a plasma torch and lost. Its outer shell was severely scorched. Its smooth chrome skin had become a dark brown texture of rust. Its large optical sensor was just melted slag.

Jack stared in wonder at the damage this being had endured.

"Is someone there?"

The Tik's voice was faint and thin like a sigh but oddly deep, as if the lowest octaves were all it had left.

"Yes, I'm here. Is there anything you need? Can I do something for you?" Jack asked.

The Tik was silent for a time until Jack thought it might have gone to sleep.

"Could you read me a story?"

The request was so quiet and unexpected, Jack almost missed it. He suddenly recalled Joseph as a young boy, lying in bed at the end of a tough day of fighting an ear infection. Jack would read to him until the boy fell asleep. "Sure, what would you like to hear?"

The voice faded a little more. "You won't have... heard of it. Old Earth author. Rudyard Kipling. Rikki..."

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?" Jack smiled as he'd read this one to Joseph a long time ago.

"Yesssss..." The Tik extended two shiny and new silver tentacles a short distance from its body and moved them sensuously like snakes.

Jack pulled out his comm and found the story in his library. He brought up the text and began to read.

As he reached the end of each paragraph, he would check to see if the Tik was still gently swaying its tentacles.

Finally, he reached the end and saw the tentacles retracting inside.

"Thank you. I finally understand how she felt."

"How who felt?" Jack asked, but the Tik remained silent. With its exterior scorched, there were no lights to show it was still functioning, and Jack began to worry. He spotted Taggart moving by and flagged him over.

"You're still here?" the Tik asked.

"I got lost and couldn't find the exit. Is this Tik ok," Jack blurted.

Taggart hummed to the booth then looked to Jack. "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is alive and will live, but it's a long way from ok. Due to the damage the solar flare did to its chassis, we've disabled all of its tactile sensors, which may be destroyed. It can't feel its body, and that is a mixed blessing. It can't feel pain from the burn, but it's now at risk of disassociating. We will try to replace its shell, but how the mind links to the sensors is distinct to each Tik. There is a risk of desynchronized feeds. That might drive it mad. Three of four tentacles had to be replaced."

"Its optics were destroyed, including the circuitry for processing optical signals. Maybe we can bypass that and give it some form of rudimentary vision. Its external audio system for communicating with non-Tik is mostly gone. It's also lost the use of its Gate module, which is completely burnt out. We can't replace that."

Taggart made a noise that sounded very much like a sigh. "The worst damage is to its power circuitry and power cells. It put far too much load on them. It may no longer be able to regulate its power consumption. We're bypassing them now, but it may need to be permanently restricted to an external hardwired power source."

Jack looked at Rikki in shock. "How did it get so badly injured?"

"I have not yet reviewed the mission file. I overheard it mentioned that it was a rescue mission, and Rikki got them all to safety," Taggart replied. It flagged down a new Tik. "Please guide Mr. Danner back to the exit."

"Thank you," Jack said and received a wave from a multihued tentacle as Taggart continued on its way. Jack would have liked to have learned more about Rikki's rescue mission, but he followed the new Tik until he saw his way out.

When he was clear of the building, his comm chirped with an incoming notification. He hadn't realized comm signals were blocked inside the Enclave. He saw it was his Altarian doctor Jinnae trying to reach him. Once he accepted the contact request the comm attempted to open a call. After a few moments Jinnae's face appeared on the screen. He noticed she looked a little stressed. She gave him a smile, but her eye twitched, which put him on guard.

"Hi Jinnae, what's up?" he asked as casually as he could.

"Hi, Jack! I'm wondering if you could come by," she said, equally casual.

Now Jack's trouble radar was beginning to tingle. He did a quick status update on his body, and everything felt normal. His energy levels were satisfactory. His appetite was good. His sleeping patterns... well, he seemed to need less sleep these days, but that didn't really feel problematic. Jinnae had that look in her eye that told him she had extensive tests planned for him. He had no idea what they were for, but he didn't have time for it this week. He had a barbeque party planned for this weekend and an overnight visit on Chrystan beginning tomorrow.

Luckily, he had an out.

"I just returned from Altaria, and I made a bit of a nuisance of myself this time. Queen Elissa is dealing with the fallout from that, so I think next week is the earliest I could drop by," he said regretfully. The doctor's smile slipped away. This set Jack's nerves off once more, but he brutally forced that down. He'd worry about it next week!

"Maybe I could give her a call..." Jinnae said to herself but out loud.

Jack sucked in air between his teeth, and she looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, I'd leave her alone for the next few days. She's trying to avert a general strike. Marina is also on the warpath. I'll come by first thing next week. Things should be cooled off by then," he offered reasonably.

"Yes, I suppose that would be fine," the doctor finally agreed.

"Cool! See you then! Bye!" Jack said quickly, then hung up. Bullet dodged!

He suddenly recalled that when he saw Elissa, they hadn't discussed what she'd initially called him over to talk about. He hadn't been lying when he said Elissa was busy. He quickly banged out a message on his comm, asking her what she wanted to talk about.

Jack ordered a taxi, and soon he was leaning back against the seat as he flew through the air towards home. He heard another chirp. It was a message from Elissa stating they could talk this weekend, but it involved Callosephia and the Sanosians. Jack sighed as those dopes were always making a nuisance of themselves. He wondered if he should insist she get it off her chest now. He frowned and shook his head. She already had too much to deal with without him insisting stuff.

When the taxi dropped Jack at his door, he went in and made his favorite greeting.

"Honey! I'm home!"

"In here," Diana called out from the living room.

Jack wandered in and stopped in the doorway. Diana and Eve were back in the same spots he'd seen them in earlier. Now, however, there were two Tik with the ladies. Both looked relatively new until he looked closer and saw one was showing some minor wear and tear. It turned towards him.

"Greetings, Jack Danner. I'm 4321. Please do not attempt to name me," it stated bluntly. Jack blinked at it in surprise, so it continued. "I will be taking over the first contact mission for the Tik designated Tonka. Please rest assured I will complete the mission according to protocol."

Jack looked to Eve and Diana, then back to the earnest Tik. "Ok."

4321 turned to Eve. "There is the matter of the DNA analysis the Nareshk officials are offering. Will you be traveling to Nareshk-"

"No. If they want to do this, they can come to me. From what I heard about Nareshk society from Tonka, I don't want to be trapped on that planet should I not measure up to their Code of the Righteous," Eve insisted.

4321 raised a tentacle to stop Eve. "Tonka deviated from the protocol. It cannot be considered an accurate-"

"Stop. You are about to make an inaccurate statement yourself," Eellooee asserted. "Tonka maintained a polite discourse with the new race, asked appropriate questions, and gathered important information. Its behavior may have wandered from the norm, but it did its job well. Until its mental breakdown, that is."

4321 made sputtering noises, then turned to address the other Tik directly. "I am the senior member of this team. You will follow my lead, and we will maintain a unified message."

"How many first contact missions have you run?" Jack asked in annoyance.

4321 turned to face him. "This is my first, but I am highly regarded for my ability to maintain focus on a goal and work towards it."

"How many first contact missions have you run, uh..." Jack asked the other Tik, trying to recall if it mentioned its name.

"Eellooee. This is my first," it answered.

4321 was becoming annoyed as well. "Which was not run using the protocols."

"Did you see what Eellooee did just then?" Jack asked 4321.

It stopped and looked between the other Tik and Jack. "It answered your question?"

"Yes, but Eellooee answered my unasked question first. That means it was able to understand my needs, not just my words. This is an essential skill for ambassadors, diplomats, and those making first-contact, don't you think?"

4321 stared at Jack. "But I'm the leader of the mission."

"A good leader guides from the front of its team. A great leader ensures the team members are given the opportunity to use their strengths where needed to ensure the success of the mission," Jack asserted.

This seemed to get through to the Tik. It turned to Eellooee after a pause. "You will take point when we meet with the Nareshk. I will support when required."

"Another sign of a great leader is their ability to adapt. You've shown remarkable progress." Jack smiled at 4321, and it bowed slightly to him.

Eellooee began to speak. "The Nareshk gave us four days. We will bring the representatives here to perform the DNA scan. The Assessor who will do this has reportedly never received a demerit. He reached the Assessor tiers faster than any other. He was introduced as their model citizen, yet the senior-most Assessor did not appear sincere in his praise."

"The top dog might see him as a threat," Jack mused aloud.

4321 was confused by this assessment. "In a merit-based society, one which holds righteousness as the standard, would you not want the most righteous individuals at its peak?"

"The problem with a peak is, there's usually only room for one. Also, once you're on it, you're in no hurry to give up the view to anyone else," Jack said.

"I'm not comfortable about this Code of the Righteous," Eve said to Jack, who nodded with a grim expression.

"Let's see what they have to offer. You're not bound by anything they say," Jack suggested, and she nodded with a smile for him.

"We will contact you before we arrive so you can be prepared," Eellooee said, and 4321 watched the positive reactions to that.

The Tik bowed to them, and Jack followed them to the door as they left.

Diana and Eve headed for the kitchen, and Jack found them there checking on the meal they were preparing. He sat at a stool next to the large island to keep out of their way.

"You're not here for dinner tomorrow, right?" Diana asked to confirm.

"Right. I'll be on Chrystan visiting Tyg, Lyn, and Tanz. I'll be back the day after with the food. Then it's partay weekend!" he exclaimed with energy.

Jack tapped the screen on his comm, and a throbbing beat filled the kitchen. Jack's latest guilty pleasure was digging up vintage dance party music for his weekend get-togethers. His latest fav tune was 'Gonna Make You Sweat' as it made him want to move and foolishly grin as he did. He hopped to his feet and threw his arms in the air as he danced around the island to bump his hips against the ladies until they gave in and joined him. Emily and Joseph wandered in as they heard music. They immediately rushed forward to join in on the fun.

Adina and Zaina came into the kitchen, pulling Doug by both hands. They were soon jumping around like lunatics as Doug swayed at a more relaxed pace.

Jack saw Gee and Bal watching everyone from the doorway, but before he could get to them, they smirked and slipped away. Aaros arrived with Zoe, and Jack grabbed their hands to pull them into the dance party. Mother and daughter giggled at Jack's excited smile.

Benjamin guided his mom into the kitchen, where Jack gathered her in his arms and danced with her. By the time the song ended, Leffera was grinning with sparkling eyes.

The music suddenly stopped, and everyone looked to the counter where Eve stood by Jack's comm with a smile on her face. "Dinner time. Kids, please set the table. Jack, please bring the water pitchers out to the table. Dinner is getting cold. Everybody move now."

Smiles still on faces, they moved.

-=-

Leffera snagged Jack's sleeve as he left the kitchen after the cleanup. His family had scattered to their rooms, the family room, or wherever they hid when it was cleanup time.

Jack smiled at Leffera and followed her to the quiet of the living room. She left the lights off and tugged him down into the conversation pit under the big clear dome to look up at the stars. They just rested there comfortably, neither in a hurry to speak.

Finally, Leffera sighed and pushed herself up to gaze down at Jack. Her eyes were sad. His smile dimmed.

"I'm moving back to Altaria."

Jack's brows rose. "Oh?"

"Lillian wants me to come in for some testing. She said she needs me for the study."

It was such a sudden change, Jack wasn't ready, but he knew he couldn't and shouldn't stop her. He cleared his suddenly tight throat. "What about Benjamin?"

"He's coming back to Altaria with me. I need him," Leffera asserted.

She sounded a little desperate, so Jack pulled her down to rest on his chest as he gently rubbed the thicker fur at the back of her neck and head.

"That's fine. You do what you need to do. I'm still able to make day visits to Altaria, and if Alexander's bill gets approved, the ban from Altaria may be a thing of the past."

"That's great news! Would you move back to Altaria?" Leffera mumbled from his chest, the rubbing putting her into a slight doze.

Jack paused to think about that. If the ban was lifted, he could move back to Altaria, and there were some compelling reasons to do it, like Leffera's departure and Queen Elissa.

He looked up at the domed ceiling and out at the stars. They weren't his stars. His childhood skies on Earth would always define how the sky is supposed to look for him. But recently, he'd begun to realize he remembered some patterns in the Chuuruthian heavens. They were becoming special to him as his new home had become special and important to him. He wasn't eager to lose that, even as his children grew up and moved out.

With the ban lifted, he'd be able to enjoy overnight visits and maybe even vacations on Altaria. Certainly, he'd be able to start doing some of his morning runs on Altaria again. He wanted to tell Leffera this, but he heard her deep and even breathing as she'd fallen asleep.

Telling her tomorrow was soon enough.

Chapter 11

Jessa looked around her office in dismay. She knew Larrisha said there'd be days when there weren't enough hours to deal with the incoming calls, but with the veteran at the helm, Jessa hadn't experienced that. Now that Larrisha was back on Altaria recovering from her emergency surgery, and officially retired, the position of colony leader was Jessa's and with it came all of the headaches.

With the infestation of Sanosian sand crawlers putting the colonists at risk, Jessa was feeling more than a little stressed. She needed help!

Not Sanosian help, however! The Regent of those bastards actually had the nerve to contact her with an offer to send a team of hunters to recapture the livestock the Altarians had in their possession. He implied that the Altarians were purposefully withholding Sanosian property, like thieves! To compound this insult, the Regent suggested that the hunters would remain as protection against future mishaps of this nature. His smug look of satisfaction set her blood to boil.