Astra Pt. 03

Grace nodded, "You're not sleeping for the next week."

Jack nodded, "Not likely. Not unless I got a lot of help. Sarah can help to put wiring bundles together. I could order the computers I need. I just have to get them shipped here. The problem is, are they going to fit in the design? I will have to pull up the specifications for those pieces. Hybrids do not require sleep; you prefer that I do. I will tell you that the fighters should be ready to test in around 10 days."

The ladies glared at Jack as he walked out. He got to the lab and kicked off the engineering bay fabricator to run for 20 hours generating the wiring he would need.

He pulled up the computer specification of all computer systems used during this era. His eyes focused on one manufacturer and he thought, "That would work." He called out to Astra, "Astra I need to speak with the President of Hitchi Computers."

Astra sighed, "I will connect you."

Another beautiful secretary or receptionist. He smiled and spoke in Japanese, "I would like to speak with Utano Lee."

The lady asked, "Does she know that you are calling?"

Jack smiled, "Not until you connect me with her."

She chuckled, "One moment."

The call connected and Utano looked at him, "Jack Travus. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He laughed and continued in Japanese though she had spoken in English, "I wanted to know about the latest model of supercomputer server blade farms you have?"

Utano smiled and switched to Japanese, "Our latest retail one is the TB-8478 blade system."

Jack shook his head, "No I am talking about the TC-1400 Series with the triple cobalt processors that have half the footprint and are ruggedized into the Black Titanium G-shock cases that are said to be able to survive a drop from 6 km up. Certificated space worthy."

Utano looked at Jack, "How do you know about that?!"

Jack chuckled, "The name is Jack Travus. I am from the future. You are supposed to have a big reveal for those next week with them going to distributors 3 days after that. That means you have them in the warehouse. I need 30 of them now and would like to know how to make that happen."

Utano sat back, "What do you need with those computers? Certainly, the ship you are on has better computers."

Jack nodded, "They are not for my ship. They are for government systems. Systems that must be reproducible by existing technology. This way ship installations could be done by whomever the President selects to do that work. I am in the middle of mocking up some designs and I want to include those units in this design and include the price per unit. I need them for some prototypes I am working on. You must have seen the Ravager debacle."

Utano nodded, "You are building a new ravager?"

Jack chuckled, "Sorry. I found the Ravager completely lacking in just about everything. I was going to get some of the computers they used in their destroyers for part of this project but they will not scale into the design I have in mind."

She sat back, "The chassis can be had for 20,000 TCs each blade is 30,000 TCs."

Jack nodded, "Now I need 30 of those chassis with the full 24 blades per chassis. I do not need your rack system, as it will not fit. That makes 2,760,000 TCs all fully loaded with the stable, not alpha or beta, STABLE Yeti software. I need 2 sets that are configured in a 6-stack configuration and then 6 sets in a 3-stack configuration.

One-third of each stack is to be hot backup boards. They are to be spread evenly across all chassis for an extra level of redundancy. When I build a mockup for something, I do not take chances on a failed board or chassis. This goes well and I will call out the systems in the interview I would likely have to give afterward. I am parked near Tera-4 and I would like those delivered in 36 hours?"

Utano sat up and smiled, "You know a lot about my computers."

Jack smiled, "I also know enough that I do not want Alpha and Beta Yeti software. Until it's good enough for your baseline It is just not good enough. I need a stable baseline."

Utano laughed at that, "I can get my accounting department to work on the arrangements and payment."

Jack smiled, "Give me a reference number and payment will be there before we finish talking." She laughed and gave him a reference number. He heard Astra, "Contacting them now, you want me using the account I have access to, don't you?"

Jack laughed, "Yes, Astra. Thank you."

Utano looked up from her system and shook her head, "You got good people working for you."

Jack smiled, "Astra is more than people. She is the heart of this ship. A 30th-century android who handles all of the systems, and internal security. She has eyes everywhere. She has a small account with a couple of hundred million in it she can access for stuff like this so I don't have to wake Grace Winters up, my lawyer and Business Manager."

Utano looked across, "What would it take to get a look at her?"

Jack smiled, "Astra conference yourself in." She did and the woman was shocked, "You are stunning."

Astra smiled, "Thank you. Jack is a good man. Who recently redesigned my body for me."

Utano asked, "How do I know she's an android?"

Astra stripped off her top and opened her chest panels. The woman was shocked. Jack called out, "Thanks Astra you can repair it now." She looked at Jack, "Real-life AI and lifelike."

Jack nodded, "Before you ask, she is packed with explosives and will self-destruct if she feels truly threatened. That includes leaving the ship. Taking the ship with it if she is so inclined. She would be inclined as she is the guardian of the historical and technical archives."

Utano sighed and nodded, "I would have asked that too. I assume that her software security is unbreachable?"

Jack laughed, "She finds security, top-of-the-line security, of this age to be a joke. I have never attempted to break in or override as she would be alerted. That is tampering, so that is an explosion I never want to see. As it would be the last thing I would see. The first time I asked her to join a conference call with the President and he had the call secure. It was an eye-opening experience for him."

Utano laughed, "I bet. I will be sure this gets out to you soon."

Jack nodded and disconnected. "Astra, monitor her for any reference to you, any of the crew, the Excalibur, or AI. These corporate computer types might try something stupid."

Astra laughed, "She was on the phone with her R&D department the second she got off the phone with us. She was just asking about the latest hacking software and if it would be advanced enough."

Jack laughed, "Astra you join her call and let her know in no uncertain terms that it would NOT be capable enough."

She laughed. 20 seconds later and Astra laughed, "You have an incoming call from her."

Jack laughed, "Put her through."

Utano looked across at Jack, "Your AI scared the crap out of me!"

Jack smiled, "How did Astra do that?"

She sighed, "You know how."

Jack nodded, "She is capable of monitoring every security camera, computer system, messaging system, biometrics system, and satellite while not even using 10% of her processing power. I warned you she is explosive. That was no lie. She is not hackable; your people would not begin to understand her operating system. She is the eye in the sky.

She can even connect to systems with no communication interface. I enjoy it when I walk into a location and she destroys all the illegal electronic surveillance equipment from space. She has done that across a facility or 2 for me at my request."

Utano sighed, "I get it she could make my life hell."

Jack laughed, "Not in her nature. Now my wives who love her to death including my lawyer Grace Winters. They are another matter. They would live to make your life hell; it just might not be very long. You know how vindictive some women can get."

Utano nodded, "Take care, Jack."

Utano ended the call. "Monitor her internal camera feeds and all visitors in and out. Also, listen in on her office. If she mentions those again. Let me know. Track her movement going forward. When the equipment arrives, Deck 7 and then deck 5, and leave it in a vacuum, check for bugs, trackers, and stowaways."

Astra sighed, "You are saying she doesn't like to be told no."

Jack smiled, "That is correct. I would not put it past her to write it down and send a personal assistant out to try and get someone to infiltrate the ship. Any ships show up unscheduled, open all weapon doors and contact me. I know you cannot fire the systems. They do not know that and it does not stop you from aiming."

Astra laughed, "Alright. Keeping hard shields in place as well. That will throw them off."

Jack laughed, "Yes it would."

His fingers flew over the keyboard as he laid out the structure for the new craft in under an hour with all the dimensions. He started running the modeling simulations using standard titanium armor and ran it through the Death Valley Flight course and the Mojave Desert combat training course for their fighters to get an idea as to how much damage the thing could dish out. He started up all the power cores and standard drives he needed to fabricate.

He had the FTL drive from the Ravager available for his scout. Along with the two engines. They would need slight modification and new housing. Including 6x retro thrusters. He added in the power core multiplexer for each ship. Jack scheduled in for creating the shield generators to follow. He looked over the run results and nodded to himself as he ran the courses at 5x, twice normal speeds. The frame was solid.

Jack went through and added all the point laser defenses, 2 rail guns with ammunition dispensers, and a full complement of his 20 mm pulse laser Gatling cannons. He then designed the cockpit and maintenance bay accesses. He had ample power so he added a rack of drop-down streaming lasers underneath. An ammo-reload module for putting more railgun rounds into the craft quickly when it needed to be reloaded. He tipped the scales on it fully loaded at 12,500 kg.

He transferred everything onto his pad and unsecured his lab. He went out and sealed it up. Jack went to deck 7 to see the family working, including Sprits who smiled at seeing him. She ran into his arms. Jack held her tightly, "Things going well?"

Sprits pulled back some and nodded, "We should be through all of the beams today. They will be ready to add your engine housing tomorrow."

He smiled and released her, "I will have Tim install the engines into the housing today if I do not do it myself. We might work it together." He walked over to Vincent. He hooked in his holovid and displayed the pad data on the wall. Vincent looked at it, "How heavy is it?"

Jack smiled, "12,500 kg, 20 meters long from engine housing to bow point. 16 meters wide. 10 meters tall from the back-center engine housing to the ground. I want 3 of them in titanium. I have the material to allow for them.

It is 5 meters longer, 4 meters wider, and 3 meters taller than the existing fighters.

Vincent nodded, "Modeling numbers for the Death Valley course on the hull strain?"

He nodded as Jack smiled, "At twice air breather engine speeds."

Vincent looked again and chuckled, "She is solid. What about armament?" Jack flipped up the next image and Vincent looked, "What are all of these guns here?"

Jack smiled, "Point defense lasers. They are designed to shoot down rockets and missiles. They will also light up and eat through trailing aircraft shields, hulls, and people's body parts. Then you have 6 full-up 20 mm pulse laser Gatling cannons 3 per side, another rack of 6 12 mm streaming laser cannons below the ship that lower out from the underbelly. They can fire in 360-degree with up to a 20-degree tilt with auto-tracking system software that can identify friends or foes. Then coming out next to the nose will be a pair of 20mm railguns.

I am even installing tractor beams in these first 3. They will not be on the official blueprint. Protected by the armor, and dual shield system. As one gets hammered, they can switch to the next and let the first recharge. It has retro thrusters designed initially for a Ravager, which were designed for the Excalibur in the atmosphere. This thing can spin like mad, corner like mad, and it has an ID system in it I designed for the Ravager. The pilot will never feel it.

They can wear a standard G-suit EVA model, it will plugin and support one, but it would only come into play if they managed to shoot through the 7.5cm of titanium armor around the maintenance bay. Because the rail gun ammo is nonexplosive it can be belt-fed, with these canisters, for 4,000 rounds before having to get more ammo loaded. The 2 6B multiplexed power cores will handle all the systems. Including the as-yet-unannounced TC-1400 Series computer server arrays.

With the triple cobalt processors server array dual 3 stacks. They will handle all of the navigation, sensors, point defense lasers, and automated tracking systems. Meet the Lancer heavy fighter. The mockups I will deliver to them so we will use standard battleship level titanium alloy for the frame and plating. It has all of the bracing needed to keep it solid and not fold. All the test numbers are for those materials. What do you think?"

Vincent nodded, "It would rip holes through a fighter, destroy, cruiser, and battleship if you lined the four of them up; End-to-end. I am glad you are on our side."

Jack nodded, "The material cost estimates. Have no idea how much the weapon vendors are going to try and gouge the government on the weapons."

Vincent nodded, "Around 8 million TCs a plane."

Jack nodded, "That leaves 4 million weapons wiggle room and your profits. I spent the evening in the lab cranking these out with the parts for this and the Stingray on all the fabricators. The computers should arrive around this time tomorrow. Wiring is coming off in the one in the Engineering Bay. Astra, is our mischievous computer manufacturer behaving?"

Astra laughed, "She tried to set up a covert meeting with some rather unsavory fellows. She spent a few hours at the local police station when a silent alarm was tripped. Her friends got taken away because all of their outstanding arrest warrants from around the globe mysteriously showed. When the local police looked into their system. She tried to stop and use a restaurant phone and have a few others show up at her house. I sent pizza and a male stripper.

Letting her know Astra would always care about her welfare. She tried calling you earlier and I answered it. I told her you said I would not make her life a living hell. That would be reprogramming her vehicle to crash from 3 km up. That would be hell. Those were friendly reminders and more would come if needed."

Jack laughed, "I will be sure to spank you later for the male stripper. Otherwise, well done, and keep tabs."

Jack looked at the group, "Our new computers. The owner wants Astra. Told her what would happen and that she was unhackable by anything they have. This ship is impenetrable. It has defenses from the 30th-century that would curl their toes. Because that is all that would be left of them. I should get to my room to change for the meeting."

---

An hour later, Vincent, Grace, and Jack had just gone over system specifications and modeling numbers. He had a general and an admiral with his Defense Secretary sitting in the meeting. Admiral Stiller commented, "It's too big."

Jack asked, "Too big for what?"

He looked, "It is too big to be any good against a regular fighter let alone something that will knock it out of the Sky."

Jack smiled, "Astra can you find a copy of the footage from Crazy Eights when I played target for Wildcard using my shuttle. Then conference it in."

The Secretary of Defense spoke, "This is a secure call."

Jack nodded, "I know, that is what the President said when I had her do it the last time. Astra is a 30th-century android. Secure for her and you are two different things."

The footage came and they watched the two minutes of combat footage along with the commentary. "They are both good pilots. They have crap for equipment. If you said too big for a carrier you are building that would be one thing. THAT was against a shuttle. I can take a rookie pilot and myself. Put the two of us into 2 of the 3 I am building.

Run them through the Death Valley course. Then head out to the Mojave Desert range and destroy every offensive weapon on the ground. Before you could put a mark on the armor. Astra, show us the image of your construction in 3080. The one that has a carrier in the background with the Starbase in Tau Ceti."

She threw the image up and they all looked at it. Admiral Stiller looked at it, "Good gods that Starbase is big."

Jack interrupted, "Compared to today. Compared to the Drakor, they walked all over it all. I mentioned I was a certified Fighter pilot trainer. I was 16 when that occurred. You could see what I did with a shuttle and not firing. Everything on that craft is available. The lasers and other weapons are awaiting a live-fire test before the blueprints will be patented. Once that happens you have everything in that file.

I will ask again, what is it too big for? Not the budget for what you are paying for your current overpriced fighters. Do you want a space-based aerial dog fight? You can fire live rounds. I will swap out the rail guns and set them to fire a metallic paint shell. Put the point defense lasers on a low-power setting that will scorch the paint off your birds. Give me the odds you want to make. I will leave the pulse gantline cannons off. How many fighters are you going to lose in the simulation?

I will select one rookie pilot to fly with me. Two weeks from today and you can decide if they are too big. I asked Vincent here what he thought. He said it would shoot through a fighter, destroy, cruiser, and battleship from end to end if they were lined up. Admiral, just have a curiosity question here. How many hours do you have in a space-based fighter?"

He looked at Jack, "I still do not like it."

Jack nodded, "Give us the live-fire test. You're not spending a credit on these fighters. I am. Just tell me how many fighters you want to put up to the task, a scout, a destroyer, a battleship. What would satisfy you?"

President Grendal looked at the Admiral, "You going to give him a fly-off?"

Admiral Stiller sighed, "12 fighters against your 2 and 2 of my destroyers."

Jack nodded, "Then we will turn on the pulse gantline canons for dropping your destroyers' shields. Or I can bring in my scout to drop your ship shields."

The Admiral sighed, "Just fighters?"

Jack nodded, "Once the fighters enter your AOR they will neutralize 10 of your fighters. At which point they will drop down to your 1x speeds and neutralize the last 2. The rookie I will train is Death Blossom. She got her call sign from me. She flew with Crazy Eights. Roughly 2,000 hours in space.

All your 12 need to know is this is a live-fire against 2 bogies. If they cannot see out of their canopies or they are covered in soot from lost paint they should head for Tera-4 and land safely on instruments if needed. I will have my scout ship airborne and manned. In case you decide to get creative Admiral."

He nodded, "I might just do that to see what your scout could do."

Jack chuckled, "It will eat battleships for breakfast. Do you have a couple of spares? What do you say, General? Do you want a test against your Mojave range; live fire on both sides?

We can pull the rail guns, install others, replace the ammo, and have them back in the air in 30 minutes if that. They say that is where they send all good fighter pilots to die. Is that true in this age?"

He nodded, "Alright, we will see if these things are as good as you claim them to be."