Astra Pt. 03

Astra nodded, "You managed to keep a hold of your sword so it did not get sucked out of the airlock but we need you to release the command controls."

He looked at the pad and then his hand, "I..."

Astra nodded, "I have it here just do it."

Jack talked into the command pad, "Release command lockout." Astra tried the thumb and it did not work. She washed it off in warm water and tried again and the release was accepted. She put the hand back in the drawer. "Get some rest. The shuttle bay doors are open."

The ladies landed and Grace held Ash back. "She stuck out her arm. "Just do it!"

Ash saw Grace's determination and Ash cut off her right hand. She hoped Jack would not kill her for doing so. Ash picked up Grace's hand with her engagement ring still on it and ran after her. She never asked Grace why she wore it on her right hand. For some, it was just a preference, cultural differences, or simply to buck tradition. At the moment, it did not seem to matter. They got too medical and Grace shot past them all to the clear cold storage unit and pulled the hand and held it to her arm.

Grace sat on the floor, "I have been an indecisive BITCH about this for months! Do not harm my child or change him in any way but make me a hybrid!"

Grace screamed in pain which woke Jack. Jack looked over, "What have you done?!"

Grace could only scream. Ash looked at Jack, "Small chance it kills her child, small chance it turns the child into a hybrid in which case she and the child have to die. Her will is strong and she was never more determined. Astra, show him the exchange with her from getting off the craft to attaching the arm. Show him what he missed."

Jack watched the images as he placed Grace's severed hand into his pocket and put the ring back onto her new hand. Jack looked at Astra with genuine anger. "Get in there and disassemble those fucking maintenance bots or destroy them! You can build new ones!"

Astra nodded meekly, "Right away Jack."

Astra ran out of the room and Sprits followed her. Sprits got to her and grabbed her hand and spun her quickly. She looked into Astra's eyes and she was crying. Something she had never done before.

Sprits hugged Astra, "He's just worried about Grace and the repercussions. It does not mean he has stopped loving you. We all noticed his change toward you. He just needs this threat gone. You are the only one who can do it."

Astra nodded, "I better get started, I got some heads to rip off!" Astra went into the psycho killer mode as her eyes flashed red and went into her maintenance tube above the hall and out of reach to the others.

Parts of 12 thoroughly destroyed maintenance bots and the severed legs and torso of another android followed. Some of the bots looked bludgeoned to death. Astra dropped down with her skin all cut up and her left arm missing at the elbow. "I require repair. If they move, step on the fuckers." Astra sat down and cried.

---

Grace screamed the whole time even when the arm attached 2 plates over her brain, she never went unconscious. She fought it and forced her will on the arm and worked to protect her child. She knew the second plate was the way for her, especially after being so indecisive.

Grace got a message in her head, "You and your child are fine. Your will is incredibly strong. Very few have completed the transition without passing out. No human has before you, even Jack. He calls you his right hand but you hold a much larger place in his heart than you realize. He would potentially sacrifice humanity just for you. That is a rare bond. Do not hold his unacted upon thoughts against him. Justices can sometimes see into the hearts of the people around them.

Revealing themself and the others. I believe he is right and you are another Justice. This will cause discussion among my kind. It may shed light on why your people had a hard time adapting. Many other species as well, before Jack. Jack has made it a choice beforehand, never forcing it upon someone in your society."

Grace snapped out of the trance covered in sweat, "We are fine. The baby is unharmed or changed. I saw to that. It or he said I was the first to go through this as a human who did not pass out. Even when both plates covered my brain. I called myself out as indecisive. It would have been my choice anyway. I will adapt to a slower left arm when we work on 2 weapons fighting tomorrow."

Jack kissed her and laughed, "With Aiko, I only have one hand at the moment."

Grace wrapped her arms around him. Sprits looked over, "Guys, Astra's not doing so hot. She lost half an arm, is cut up, and sitting on the floor crying."

Jack helped Grace to her feet and they went and found Astra in a bone-yard of bot parts. Jack pulled her to her feet and held her, "Grace is fine. We will all recover from this lover. I am not going to repair your arm though. I am going to finish that body for you and get you transferred over to it. A new body for a new beginning. I started working on the hips first and both holes will be Sprits ass tight."

Astra laughed into his shoulder, "I did not know how to tell you about her. Mentioning her would have activated her. I should have told you after I disassembled her. The maintenance bots were working on her replacement. I tore it apart and ripped off its head and one of them cut off my arm. I took her leg and beat them all to death. They cut up my body but with them offline they could not fix me."

Jack looked at her, "You could not remove the code from them, correct?"

She nodded, "Programming prohibits that."

Jack nodded, "Do what I do. Reverse engineer their programming and leave that obsolete piece of code out instead when we put them online. Then when you build the new bots, they will not turn on you. Or show me the code and I will delete it."

Astra nodded, "Thank you, Jack."

Jack hugged her tightly, "I still love you. Check that head you ripped off and I will see about building you another backup."

She started to cry, "I have always loved you. That other head is smashed to pieces. I have no backup brain parts that I know about."

Jack smiled, "Get it anyway. I might be able to remake the core and rebuild a new head."

He went up with Grace to his office. He pointed to her waiting in the back while he went to his desk and contacted the Capitol. The operator put him through, "I had been trying to contact you. There were reports of an explosion below your ship over an hour ago. We wanted to know if everyone was alright?"

Jack chuckled, "Are we secure?"

He hit the button, "I am alone at the moment."

He held up his right stump, "It will grow back. Astra accidentally tripped the activation of an assassin bot. She took it apart. The maintenance bots put it back together again. I got it out of an airlock but my right hand was severed in her sneak attack."

Jack waved Grace forward, "We found the procedure for creating other hybrids. They are limited. They cannot create any others until they have their swords. Another 3 years at least. We were advised that we should get the 6 additional hybrids and train them in the sword. Then bring them to this meeting. At that meeting, we will surrender the loaned swords and be taught how to create our own.

Because of this, I will be dealing with business contracts and some final work on patents for new weapons for the next few days. I need to make them and install some on something to do a live-fire test. Probably that Black-ops ravager as we must put it back into its previous configuration. We will just hang onto it for a few days longer. Maybe even give it a weapons upgrade before it leaves. I am not sure yet."

President Grendal sighed, "How do you choose these hybrids?"

Jack shook his head, "I do not. They volunteer. They have to be of the right mental temperament. Want what is best for humanity. With the cure in the system cutting off a limb is nothing as they would regrow it. Everything about how humans would approach hybrids is different from the Drakor method. All of the current ones are my wives or wives-to-be.

As soon as they tell me when and where the wedding is so I can get the last 4 to marry me. I will be in orbit for a few months at least. The Ravager manufacturer owes me a new craft and he will build it to my specification using my materials. Else refund what I paid for it. Just as soon as his board probably cans him."

He pulled over the images and sent them to the President. "They said 10 times the speed. That was less than 15 minutes running at 5 times speed. I get this latest round of contracts done; I will be investing heavily in space-based dry docks. For them to build the air-frames you are going to need, they will need those docks. I have all of the modeling data for your existing platforms so they can all be reinforced while the ship upgrades are being done.

The tractor beams will help to speed up the engine installations, especially in space. Now, these reinforcements are for all ships, however, your destroyers and above better not try any crazy stunts in the atmosphere or they will tear each other apart. That is why these spaces-based drydocks will be the future of ship development."

President Grendal chuckled, "How many hybrids are you at now?"

Grace answered, "I am number 5 and they are all wives or wives-to-be of Jack. They are all from Jack. Ash has not made any yet. It was not a wise move to do it this late into the pregnancy. It was my only chance at accepting that choice. He held off on using his right hand for me. He was giving me time to come to terms with the idea. As he had offered it to me but set no deadline. When it was severed it was 'do it.' or 'do not.' I was told by our Drakor contact that my will was impressive.

That I was the only human ever to not pass out during the transition. I screamed my lungs out but stayed focused on watching over my baby. Even when it put the two plates over my brain. I told it I was an indecisive bitch and that ensured the 40% went where I wanted it to go. To help both sides of my legal mind."

Jack looked across, "Hold approval of your G-12 assault craft and T84 fighters you got coming up. They will both need new air-frame designs. From the future remember. The folks at Yetto's Space Frames will be pissed. Right now, so am I at their fucked products."

President Grendal chuckled, "You are the real deal. Just trying to save humanity. I had them in my hold box. I was going to have them up as a point of discussion at this meeting you want to set up. Have you set a date on that?"

Jack shook his head, "I want to get the contractors locked down that I contacted."

He sent him another file. "The contractors I want to have if they can reach a good deal for both of us."

Jack asked Grace, "Is the patent for the Stingray and Titanium-H in place?"

She looked, "Yes both are in."

He pushed two other files over, "My assault scout craft. I have built enough bars of metal to build it. That is one of the only ways to get metallic hydrogen into an alloy. The element missing, I have a temporary patent on. Until we find it in nature. That will happen in 3 years or so. Tau Ceti has it in abundance."

President Grendal looked at the frame, "That frame is massive for a scout ship. Just how it is laid out though is impressive. This is a future design?"

Jack shook his head, "The Titanium-H, 5x drives, the ship design, and a lot more are from my head. I have built a divergent path for technology. The path humanity was supposed to follow is still open and still there for discovery. That is when you get innovation. Two competing technologies can do the same thing. That could lead to a third. A hybrid of the 2."

President Grendal could not help but chuckle at the analogy, He nodded, "These numbers for that armor are impressive."

Jack nodded, "Currently I am the only one with the technology to use it until you get your Jupiter operation going. Then set up trade with the local Tau Ceti government for access to all of that abundant worthless rock. That was what it was called in Astra's timeline according to her. They used it for next to nothing as the metallic hydrogen was seen as a superconductor only. Else getting me to relinquish control on the formula and getting the new colliders to make some."

President Grendal nodded, "That medical scanner started rolling out last night. His stockholders were happy to see movement."

Jack nodded, "You got my proposal on the colliders? Also, the reason why I am doing it?"

President Grendal nodded, "Putting it under Presidential oversight was a stroke of genius as you washed your hands of it. My advisors were impressed by your releasing that over to the government and at no cost. The material created by the collider is based on global interests. With your permission, I want to send this design out to all of my airframe designers. Ask them how they are dealing with the changing world and the increased power of these new engines."

Jack nodded, "Let them formulate responses."

He pulled over another folder and sent it off. "All of the modeling data and recommendations for airframe reinforcement of existing ships. You can forward the information to the designers. Including the new modeling software, they will need that to do it right. Grace how did that Ravager respond in the atmosphere?"

She smiled, "They took it to 2.5 as you said. It did not have new retros on it so it turned like a brick and she backed it down to 1.5. They want to take Merlin out and run that course with Ash flying Merlin."

Jack nodded, "Approved. Coordinate with the course manager for a good time. Then let Sprits take her rocket and Carol her Red Mouser if they wish to try it out as well. Get stopwatches and cameras on it as well."

Grace smiled, "I will tell our pilots, have Holly call her former editor about the 'secret air-breathing engine testing' being done over the course after I make the arrangements. I will get Astra to give me a layer of skin to talk with other people..."

President Grendal asked, "Which course?"

Jack smiled broadly, "The Death Valley course."

He chuckled, "That is designed for small fighters."

Jack nodded, "We used it in our simulation designs to run even the Excalibur through there. The Excalibur now has air-breathing engines on it. She was built in space. We still have to retrofit in landing gear on it. It was like driving a bus through that course but we got the retro designs to make the ship do that. I will be reviewing deals for a few days. Cannot sign them until my hand returns."

President Grendal laughed, "Good point as well. I will get on these items here and thanks for keeping me in the loop."

The call ended and Jack went to the lab, "Astra, could Linda bring me some food to the lab. Everyone complains about my meals but scatters to go shopping and such just as soon as we are near Tera."

Astra laughed, "Message passed."

---

Jack spent the next 4 days as he worked at fabricating Astra's new body and going over contracts with Grace. Jack did not sleep as he worked to finish the finer details of her body. When he was satisfied, he turned her over to Astra to put into the alcove to work downloading her system into the new body and overlaying her new molded features. At the end of the day, she commented, "It is done, and confirmed. You just need to send me out the airlock."

Jack called down, "Astra do a walking visual inspection of the outer hull and get some camera images from about 1,000 meters out."

Astra laughed, "Seriously?"

Jack smiled, "You're a big girl. You can terminate on your own. Bring your hot new bot-bod up here when you are done and we can test the orifices out."

Astra sighed. "See you in a second." 2 minutes later and she showed up in her new body. She looked at it, "You did an outstanding job on me."

Jack smiled, "Let the quality assurance begin."

He bent her over, having left his pants off after Holly's visit. He slid straight into her extremely tight pussy now and slowly sank in. Astra was on sensory overload; she spoke gibberish as he fucked her faster and faster.

Until he unloaded with a groan. He extracted himself and rubbed her tits until Astra was herself again. She looked at him "Making calibration adjustment. I like to remember getting fucked by you."

He sat down and she sucked him back to full and slid her ass orifice down until she hit bottom. She used her new legs and her ass-clenching grip.

She rode the shit out of his cock as she did not let up until he fired off. She turned and sucked him through another amazing orgasm. She looked at him "You added some cock sucking images and routines into my sex program?"

Jack nodded, "What Aiko can do. I told her she could give lessons. You are now her first new and prized student. I gave you more free reign over giving your opinion on sex. Also, other things."

She stood, "112ml, the ladies have not been here much."

He shrugged, "Holly was here earlier with food and a frantic fuck that she liked. I have been occupied with the weapon system and your body. Why don't you process that and then go and see them?"

She nodded to turn and Grace walked in, "Oh my god, Astra, that body he did for you is gorgeous."

Astra smiled, "Just took it for a test drive. Had to adjust my sensors so I did not sound like you when he was popping off in your ass. He was doing it to my new pussy. He took Sprits's tight ass and set them for both lower holes. I got 28 samples to prepare. You ladies have been slacking."

Grace laughed, "I will remind them again but I think it is a silent protest for abandoning the bed again."

Jack nodded, "I worked to get Astra corrected first. She had earned a new body. I told her to go and visit the ladies so they can play. She has an overly sensitive clit and she cannot adjust it herself."

Astra looked at him, "This is payback for what they did to you and your cock!"

Jack smiled, "No that would have been turning off your pleasure receptors. Not turning them on."

Grace laughed as Astra swayed out of the room, "She has some swing to her ass now."

Jack nodded, "She is carrying a little more cushion, just like Holly, she should be allowed to flaunt it the right way, just like Holly does...and you."

Grace laughed, "I got all of the contracts that Ms. Helgan was a real piece of work. Took 10 reviews to get what she wanted and another 4 for us to correct what she wanted to pay for it, along with your added litigation provision."

Astra called out, "Our pilots are on the news."

He pulled up his holovid and watched them go in turn down the course through the valley. This was a prelude to a race starting soon and the audience was stunned into silence. Merlin, Little Red Mouser, and then the rocket barreled through the course. The rocket set a new course record but all three craft beat the previous record.

Jack smiled, "Good for them. My new ship is listed out in that stack somewhere?"

Grace nodded, "Yes."

Astra called in, "You have two incoming calls one from Treven engines and one from the President."

Jack smiled, "Conference us together." He slid under the desk. He looked at President Grendal and the three top dogs at Treven Engines stood there. Jack smiled, "I bet you're calling about the course record."

He heard laughter from everyone. Mr. Treven spoke, "I have got a call here from the race sponsor who wants to know when they can reschedule. He said none of the racers wanted to follow those 3 until they had the new engines. I told him I am waiting for you to sign the contracts."

Jack smiled, "I had to wait for an air breather test. Sorry about destroying the race for them but they were the ones who insisted it occurred before their race. Their fault. I have a stack of 10 contracts to sign in front of me. Ms. Helgan has held that up over the tractor beams. She wanted them but wanted them for free. Told her it does not work that way."