Astra Pt. 07

He then drew out the personal defense systems including miniaturized 20 terawatts kinetic powered shield belts and his unit's combat armor having these functions built into them within. Advance sensor sweeping computer that could do life signs and metallurgical scans inside the arm of the armor. Using a new holovid 3D projector to give better ground threat assessments.

He had all of this on his screen with his private offline server when he felt Astra's hands on his shoulders. "I could not seem to get a hold of you so I came to check on you. Our night prowlers are still going at it."

Jack nodded while she looked at each design. She shook her head, "All new designs, another 12,235 patents. I brought you food, you are not eating enough again. Here are two of your meads and your morning coffee. Now eat while I eat. Tell me what is troubling you."

He ate but did not talk about what was on his mind. He needed to talk but it was not Astra he needed to talk to.

He finished his food and set back and thought, "Justice, you have been watching what I am doing. What do you make of all of these technology upgrades and new weapons, defenses, and engines? This is not normal and I am trying to figure out if I need to get away from humanity to protect them from the level of defenses and weapons I have been building"

Justice replied, "You got them out of your head. It does not mean you have to put them all into the hands of humanity yet. The choice is yours. You are building designs of weapons and defenses for an unknown enemy from the future. You want to protect and defend your species but also worry about conflicts you know are coming from the previous timeline anchors. You cannot change them from happening completely. You could work to minimize the damage that is done during those times.

The choice is yours. Your concept for your forces to protect humanity is interesting. Most have met resistance to this approach where it was tried. Your people are divisive amongst themselves, it might be the only solution to put forth. Your thoughts are not misguided. You just have to decide which pieces to hold back. In the coming days continue to do what you do.

You have the plan in hand, this might be the time to present it. The choice is yours. You are correct, as an individual, you have advanced in power in years what others would have done over centuries. Build project file 764125zmi. It could come in handy sooner rather than later. The choice, again as always, is yours."

Jack came out of it and Astra looked at him, "That was 6 blow jobs and not so much as a grunt and you did not talk with me or them."

He looked behind to see all his wives. He stored all his project files and pulled up one file and started transferring parts to different fabricators still without saying a word until he finished.

He smiled, "Was getting answers from Justice. Grace I am going to need that Home Guard Agreement today. Astra, activate Bastra and queue up Castra. You are going with us today."

Astra smiled, "A trial run of how this would work. Thank you for including me in this."

Jack nodded, "Right now you are the leader of your kind. Like I am."

Astra looked at Jack, "You plan to keep Bastra online?"

Jack nodded, "Yes, with an instruction order for Castra to activate through Faxtra if a serious threat to the repository is detected. You are the only one to share my bed."

Astra looked, "Unless I am irretrievably destroyed."

Jack nodded, "At which point Bastra becomes Astra."

Grace asked, "How many backups did you make for her?"

Jack looked at Grace, "Not enough probably. Nastra is the last one in this series; 14. They have slight appearance modifications to incorporate my new wives into the designs. Astra is unique in she is with the first wives. All the others are based upon the current wives mixed in with the wives who have passed. That was from all the material I had to create up her cybernetic brains. She talked to me about becoming the 'Father of AI.' I want that to come back naturally.

She cannot have more than 4 active currently and they can only be activated by my direction, directive, or emergency contingency which could bring them all online. If Faxtra comes online and it gets down to one it will destroy the archives and all other models which are explosive; based on the material their minds are made from. They all receive periodic updates from the units that are online. I can also order the destruction of the archives.

Built into the backup server it would trigger all alarms and the archives would blow. Connected into my implant. Astra knows this as do the others. They are barred from tampering with those fail-safes. Each of them has a tattoo on the arm with a sword and shield with the letter of their designation on the shield. Only Astra, the current one, can change it if a backup comes online to replace her."

Jack stood and got his pants up. Grace asked Jack, "More weapon designs?!"

He nodded, "Stored for a rainy day. The new battle armor and personal shield belts will come into play as soon as we do the mockups. They will stack with the telekinetic shield. Hitting the belt one first I believe."

Jack was saved by the Bridge, "Admiral this is the XO. Income communication from Security Services."

He thought, "Astra, patch them through."

He got a familiar image, "We are here to do the pre-visit inspection."

Jack asked, "What does that consist of?"

He laughed, "In your case, I am not sure. Normally, to ensure the first family has a safe room and no obvious signs of insurrection."

Jack laughed, "Nothing hostile but a few surprises he knows are coming. You normally bring the President in on his shuttle and escort it up. We will allow 2 of your guards to accompany the family. We have so much going on that having room for more on the bridge with the other guests.

Some defense contractors and their families as well. It will be secure for the President. Also, one reporter and camera operator, you are familiar with already. Unless your guys can strip weapons and put up telekinetic barriers to protect the first family, I do not see a need for more than that."

He nodded, "The President said you would have 2 hybrids with them at all times. Also, two of us including myself. Two destroyers off to the side."

Jack nodded, "I am going to ask that those 2 destroyers be docked on the forward airlocks of the ship. Some of the items we will be testing will mess with your ships if they are not under proper shielding. You will get that docked to the ship. You can remain powered up and weapons hot they get in through our shields. It would be a miracle."

The agent laughed, "I heard you got a new shield contractor."

Jack smiled, "They are still ramping up to get the new ones. Bridge, drop shield 2 so they can get through the shield."

The guy laughed, "For real?"

Jack nodded, "The second shield is electrically charged and carries a random frequency which is synced with a module on physical weapons so they can penetrate when being fired. Else it would be like ramming a ship. But it does no physical damage to us unless you hit it hard enough. Your beam weapons will work fine through them."

He nodded, "Anything else we need to know?"

Jack smiled, "You will see a lot of weird technology today, and a few things you have never seen before. No itchy trigger fingers and no reason to panic so please remember the shields when charged will keep your ships inside with us. You want to disembark the President will have to authorize before I lower that secondary shield."

He smiled, "Lots of rules with you."

Jack smiled, "I have had my shuttle bombed how many times? Tampered with? I keep my guard up aboard my ships."

He laughed, "We are docked on the forward nose."

Jack went down and met them in the corridor where two of his security people in full body armor stood. The guy shook his head, "I feel stupid saying this but your internal security cannot carry sidearms or rifles."

Jack smiled, "Just swords. We have saved him from assassination attempts, treason, and invisible assassins. It was in the best interest of humanity. He is a stable progressive figure who can affect change in a changing universe. Astra has control over internal laser turrets for security so no human interference."

He laughed, "Some say the same about you but references to stability are not in their statements."

Jack nodded, "How many groups have launched violent attacks against me for no other reason than I am a hybrid or I destroyed corruption? People or businesses? Our people needed a wake-up call on the larger universe and the threats we do not know about. We need those who want to look after the interests of the people as a whole. Leading the people; not hybrids. We cannot compromise."

He nodded his understanding as Jack walked him to the quarters' section, "Those rooms beyond that door belong to myself and my wives. All hybrids. Even the new ones."

He nodded, "Nine protectors behind that door."

Jack smiled, "Astra has a room in that section as well and she can activate all the internal security defensives and is well versed in martial arts and swords.

We are the only ones who should be traveling this section of the hall. This door down here has a separate security code. My wives know it as does Astra. That brings down the bulkhead. There are rooms across the way for your people as well."

He nodded, "You got them right next to the big guns. Got it."

Jack then chuckled and asked, "I can show you my bridge, my office, and the briefing room which will get used a lot on this trip."

He shook his head, "Engine Room first please."

Jack smiled, "This way."

He took them to the lower level, "Right and down to the left."

Jack pointed, "Right through that doorway."

He opened the door and they bounced off the shield. Jack smirked, "Master Chief lower Engine Room shields."

She called, "Lowered Admiral."

The guy shook his head, "Shields on an Engine Room?"

Jack nodded as Astra stood there, "NDA agreements concerning the design, technical, and security configuration are required. Also, if he shows you his lab."

He smiled as he signed. As did the quiet man behind him. "How did she know we were coming here?"

Jack smiled, "I have a comm chip that she can communicate with me quietly, I modified one and added in the technology that allows my telepathy to interface with it."

He nodded as did his buddy, "Like the ones we have but we have to talk."

Jack nodded, "Exactly."

He walked them in on the third-floor gantry way. They looked out and the quiet man's mouth fell open. He asked, "How much power are you running there?"

Jack smiled, "Just there, 200 terawatts by 40 power cores."

He shook his head, "8,000 TERAWATTS?!"

Jack nodded, "Yes but the back two are interconnected. That is 3,200 terawatts dedicated to all the auxiliary systems and the engineering shields.

My lab shields, my living quarters shield--the whole section including the President's room, and the core exterior shields augmentation. The rest is for external shields, weapons, my lab equipment, and all propulsion systems.

This whole section also had 10cm thick interior armor. As do the other three sections I mentioned that have internal shields and those facts are covered by the NDA. Not counting the external plating, shields, and massive amounts of firepower. Built to fight the future of an unknown enemy. Is our engine room secure enough for you? Remember your NDA."

The head agent looked at Jack, "This place is more secure than the Presidential compound. Setting up internal shields and thicker armor would be too much to talk about?"

Jack shook his head, "Where those are on this vessel, the number and size of our power cores are classified, at least for now. All of the internal shields are armor thickness are classified under the NDA as this ship is a one-off configuration.

Each set of 8 power cores has a multiplexer. The 1 set of 2 in the back share 1 power regulator to share across multiplexes. The middle set has 2. They are controlled from the station on the bridge as well as here in engineering. Shields running low? We can funnel energy from the other cores to speed up shield recharge rates.

I upgrade my lab like crazy then they can funnel more power to it. My lab equipment is tied into the middle set, as I stated. Engines are split across the 2 outer ones. As we are down here, we can stop by my lab for a second."

They nodded and they went up 2 levels and then they watched him go through 4 layers of security. He went to the fabricators and pulled the three bracelets. He walked over and grabbed a bar of stable metallic hydrogen. He took it and made it into a liquid blob. Then he designed an open pendant on an ultra-thin triple rope chain with no clasp. He placed the 3 crystals inside and sealed the edges.

He hung it around his neck. He sealed one crystal into each of the 3 bracelets given socket. The guard looked at the design of the shiny square shield in the center of the oval pendant. It had a darker sword partially hidden behind the shield. The heraldry had 3 worlds on it and the fourth spot blank. Around the outer edges were written the words. 'Nos clypeum donec opus sunt gladii destricti' in a scripted font.

The guard asked, "What does it say?"

Jack smiled, "Wait until the President asks that question."

He smiled and the quiet one of them pointed, "That is your workstation?!"

Jack nodded, "Now that I have more room I can expand it and use bigger displays."

He looked at the workstation, "12 displays and 3 keyboards?"

Jack nodded, "I thought about 4 for the upgrade on the keyboard and 6 monitors per keyboard. Yes, I wrote over 12,000 patents last night in things I invented."

He looked at Jack, "Seriously?"

Jack nodded, "Ideas start flying at me and I have to get them out of my head and into a computer. Some I had already started but I locked onto the missing answers. I will have a separate project going on each display. I like what I got and I can kick it to the fabricators in here to create the items. Store it for the future as I mentioned, it all depends. I have 3 labs and the other 2 are on my base and at my home in Geos. The security is even stricter at those locations."

He put what was left of the bar and made a globe on a small but wide pedestal. He looked over, "I need to create more little things, I can merge some of the trinkets in the room. The necklace is not a trinket."

He walked them out and took them to the bridge, "Astra, please inform the wives, the other hybrids, and our guests to come to the bridge. Please meet me down by the shuttle dock and get chairs for our President and his now 4 ladies in front of mine. XO you can get everyone situated. Lower the 2nd shield, let me know when he lands and the dock is secure."

He took the guards who mumbled into their comms as he approached the dock he got the message, "Dock secured and the President has arrived. Call sign DF-1 Presidential in use."

Jack shook hands with everyone and even saluted the President, "Welcome aboard."

He nodded, "I brought Admiral Grant along."

Sylvia nodded, "Impressive ship."

Jack smiled, "This is just the docks." Sylvia laughed at that. "Set a course for our dummy ship and raise shield 2."

Sylvia shook her head, "We cannot wait to get our hands on the shields."

Jack nodded, "They are working on getting tooled up for it. Nobody was ready for that big of a change in shields."

Sylvia nodded, "True and Ms. Helgen is in so much hot water. Your patent lawyers are like sharks, shutting down production of other products she had out."

Jack nodded, "I know. I told them if she declares bankruptcy to go after the other items' outstanding patents. Those needed components and send them over to the new shield people. They can add that into the contract of things to build and innovate upon."

Sylvia shook her head, "I heard what she did to you. You kept it together even with 18 shooting at you."

Jack nodded, "There was no jumping in my shuttle to get away which is what they would expect. I knew with that many that it had been rigged to blow. The police were very slow on the uptake to get what they needed there; especially for a courthouse."

They went straight to the bridge and President Grendal was shown to his seat as soon as everyone was there. He looked over, "Keep the still on the crowd, widened out and everyone can watch what is going on. Tactical take 'oh my 1,' aim it at 6m in at the bow 1m above the midline. Take 'oh my 2' 6m in from stern, 1m below the midline. Fire simultaneously when ready. They had two balls of green lights cross and hit on the marks.

The shells exploded and then ate away at the ship until the plasma cooled. "Tactical, nothing fancy here. 5 meters on each side of the centerline. Both of the 'oh my god,' Fire when ready." Both hit the ship and nearly chewed it in half. The Admiral shook her head, "Devastating."

He nodded, "Requires a lot of power. I told your security they could not release these details. I have over 8,000 Terawatts of power running on this ship. But it is not for those weapons. Helm, point us at the moon."

Once it stopped, "Split screen, nose cameras to stern. Master Chief, Deploy pylons."

The Master Chief got them out and President Grendal asked, "What does this do?"

Jack smiled, "You will see. Masters Chief, quarter power."

The Moon was a good backdrop to show the stars. "Half power." He nodded as the other focused on him, "Full power." They saw the expanse of stars as Jack pushed them through with kid gloves.