Jack's Righteous Gig

"Taggart is a Tik and does not have the same bedside manner we would. As the Tik is the only one who can speak to Jack directly at the moment, we will deal with these small setbacks until the improved communication method is ready. I'm tracking his healing process, and there are still far too many damaged nerve endings firing signals to his brain. He'd be overwhelmed if the collar opened the connections again."

"When will Hemmarr be able to connect the new drone to Jack's collar feed?" Sahhahr asked.

"You're connecting Jack to a drone?!?" Diana gasped in outrage. A grumbling arose from the group, but Jinnae held up her hands once more. "Please understand, like Rikki, Jack is currently without a sensory feed. Unlike the Tik, we can let Jack rest this way for longer periods without fear of his mind disassociating. But it will eventually happen, so we need an alternative for him while he heals. It will be a long recovery. He heals well, but there was a lot of damage."

"Was his spine broken? Is he going to be paralyzed?" Gee asked bluntly, and nervous sounds went through the group.

Jinnae looked to the former Altarian agents. "I detected no breaks in the spinal column itself, but there was significant bruising, swelling, and multiple broken vertebrae as well as ribs. I don't know what the outcome of this will be. It's a wait-and-see situation, but I expect an extended convalescence period."

She saw she hadn't eased anyone's fears. Well, hers weren't calmed either. She sighed as she was overtired. "While it's early days, we're feeling optimistic. The Tik's zero-gee field is doing wonders for Jack. Once I confirmed the spinal column was undamaged and safe from the breaks in the bones, and Taggart confirmed his mind would be isolated from the pain, the Tik began adding modulated pulses to the field. This eliminates some of the negative aspects of the lack of gravity on the body. He still benefits from the fact that none of the impact areas are being compressed. Blood flow to those areas is excellent and is assisting in boosting his healing."

That seemed to relax some expressions. "I will contact everyone when the drone is ready, and Jack can speak with you directly." That brought smiles of anticipation.

She sighed again. "Jack is sleeping soundly. That means you can get some sleep too. I know that's what I'm going to do."

She was unprepared for the hugs she received from... everyone. Even the Ishilon.

That was an odd sensation.

After everyone left the room to head back to their homes, Leffera going back to her bed in the lab, Jinnae went back to her office and dropped onto the couch. She was out before she stopped bouncing on the cushions.

-=-

A month passed, Jack only surfacing for moments at a time to hear updates on his progress. Jinnae was thrilled with how his bones were mending and expected him to need only another month of zero-gee treatment. Apparently, they were already easing him into partial gravity with the modulation pulses, and aside from the bruising this caused, his body was adapting quicker than they expected.

Jinnae still refused to let him connect to his body as the pain signals his nerves were transmitting from his therapy was too high for him to cope with.

Then came the day he was going to be linked to the new drone. Taggart informed him that Hemmarr had performed miracles. While it was only ten percent larger than the previous one, the bandwidth of its sensory array was thirty-seven percent broader. It also had denser shielding around its power cell to prevent the damage that took Rikki from them.

To assist Jack's Human brain with coping with the drone's optical signal, there was an option for binocular vision.

Jack had a lot of people waiting to talk to him. Mostly family, but he had visitors from Earth, namely Brigadier General Rosseau and Leandro Matais, Special Envoy for the Earth Council, whatever a special envoy did. They were scheduled as his first meeting... if the drone worked for him.

"Good morning, Jack."

He recognized that as Taggart's voice, but his heart still twitched, recalling Rikki's friendly voice. "Good morning, but I'm taking your word for that as I've lost all track of time."

Taggart chuckled. "I believe that will come back quickly enough once you return to your normal circadian rhythms. The drone should allow you to emulate this at the very least. Once you're connected, you can remain so until we can open your connection to your body."

There was a moment of silence, and then Jack cried out as he was suddenly in the center of a vast orb.

"Sorry, Shadeem, I hadn't activated the binocular vision. Here," Hemmarr apologized.

The view snapped to a wide-angle view of a room. There was some distortion due to the wide aspect.

"Better," Jack said and heard his voice outside of his head for the first time in a long time. He saw Taggart, Jinnae, and Hemmarr, the latter two grinning back at him.

"I guess that means you can hear me?" Jack said, and they nodded.

"Can we zoom in a little as the viewpoint is a little too wide," he asked Hemmarr. She adjusted the cameras and watched him expectantly as the view narrowed.

"Ok, that's good, thanks!" In his mind Jack turned his head, and his viewpoint turned to match his intent. He saw he was in the outer offices of the recovery wing of the hospital. "Which of these rooms am I in?"

Jinnae pointed to the window slightly to the right. "You're in there. Are you ok with that? You understand you're just transmitting your mind from your body into this drone?"

Jack grunted an affirmative. "How do I move? Drone's have no legs." Hemmarr made another adjustment, and Jack felt himself lifting. He stopped when the view felt like his normal height. He looked to the window, and the sensation of drifting began, and he got closer. It seemed his intent was driving his mobility.

He looked in the window and there he was. Naked.

"Why am I naked?" Jack asked quietly and turned to look at Jinnae.

She gave him a haughty look. "It's easier to take care of your body's needs when it's not covered by clothing. Hemmarr agrees."

Jack turned the drone to face Hemmarr. Then he wondered if they could tell that he turned as the drone was a featureless orb.

Hemmarr spoke. "It's true. Clothing is unnecessary." Then she shared a look with Jinnae, which destroyed their credibility. They'd been enjoying watching him naked while he couldn't feel his body. Who knows what they'd been up to?

He turned back to Taggart. "Can you tell when I'm looking at you?"

"Not at all," the Tik said.

"The drone's surface has microlenses over its surface. Which lens you see from is controlled by your intent. You want to look left, the cameras in that direction activate. The drone doesn't need to turn." Hemmarr explained.

That didn't make Jack feel any less ominous and creepy.

"Does this mean you're ready for your first meeting?" Jinnae asked.

"Yeah, let's give it a try. While it feels weird, it's much better than feeling nothing. Speaking of feeling, I'm getting the impression of coolness. Is the room cool?"

Hemmarr smiled broadly. "Yes, but the drone is calibrated for Ishilon senses."

Jack had to admit that while it was subtle, the sensation of temperature did give him the impression of having a body. It was enough for now.

He followed the team of specialists out the door, bumping the jamb gently, and down the hall, drifting into an exit sign affixed to the ceiling hard enough to break it from its mount. Each of these impacts hurt, so pain was possible, it seemed.

"Are you having difficulty seeing the collision warnings?" Hemmarr asked in concern.

"The what?" Jack asked in frustration.

"The numbers that appear on the outer edge of your vision represent the location of objects you might collide with," she explained.

"Ah, thanks. I see them now," he muttered. He'd seen the numbers before but ignored them as he was too busy guiding the drone to keep up with them.

They arrived at a meeting room, and they gestured for Jack to enter. He managed to stop himself before he hit the edge this time and went inside. He spotted Rosseau, a handsome younger man, and the Tik elders, Socrates and Plato. He didn't know they'd be here too.

"Mr. Danner?"

Jack snapped his attention back to the Humans in the room. "Yes, hi. Good to see you again, General."

The man seemed a little uncomfortable. "This wasn't exactly how I expected to meet with you."

"Yeah, sorry. My doctors aren't ready to give me access to my body yet. This is better than I've had since I was shot," Jack said.

"May we begin?"

Rosseau gave the other man a look of annoyance but got an impatient stare in return. "Mr. Danner-"

"Jack, please."

Rosseau smiled. "Jack, this is Leandro Matais. He's representing the Earth Council, in the capacity of legal counsel."

"Am I being sued by the Earth Council?" Jack exclaimed in shock.

"On my recommendation, Earth Council isn't proceeding with their case. Instead, they agreed to let me speak to you so that we might find an alternative solution to prevent future... situations."

"I think I'd like to hear what their case against me is before I entertain alternative solutions," Jack said calmly. Inside, he was struggling with his building anger.

Leandro nodded as if he understood completely. "During your last visit to Earth, a small invasion force managed to break what we were informed were unbreakable Tik protocols as they invaded Earth through a Cargo Gate. They were in pursuit of one of their kind, a being named Eve, who was in your company. The invasion force met your group on a busy avenue in Paris and proceeded to cause severe property damage, ultimately destroying a block of historical buildings. Worse than this was the loss of the art gallery your party was standing before and many of the art pieces inside. The loss of the art itself is a tragedy which cannot be overstated."

"Are we getting close to the point where you tell me what the Earth Council is claiming is my responsibility?" Jack asked.

The young man blinked. "Are you claiming none of this is?"

"I can claim to have been there. I can claim to have been injured in the attack. I cannot claim responsibility for the actions of the Nareshk nor the outcome," Jack argued reasonably, while staring at the man.

"Are you stating it was Eve who was resp-"

"NO! Her involvement was the same as mine. She was just there," Jack snapped. "No one in my group bears any responsibility for what the Nareshk did! They chose to invade. They chose to attack us. End of story."

Leandro seized on that. "But that's just it. It isn't the end of the story. This isn't the first time you've been at the center of a crisis involving Earth! First, it was the Allsa Komanae-"

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!" Jack yelled, and the walls shook. Leandro looked like he might make a run for it, but everyone else just winced at the intense volume. "Hemmarr? Can you dial that down?" Jack asked, stiffly.

The Ishilon adjusted his maximum volume level from her tablet. "Apologies, my Shadeem."

"Thank you," Jack said as he calmed himself by picturing himself in a hammock next to a beach. That image hit him right in the feels as he suddenly recalled it was Rikki's first play request. He realized his emotions were still a little sensitive.

"Jack? Are you ok?"

He nodded to Jinnae then realized she couldn't see that. "Yes, sorry about that outburst. The idea that I was anything but a victim in the Allsa Komanae's game is as offensive as it is ludicrous. This issue with the Nareshk can also be traced back to those creepy bastards. They stole a newborn from her murdered mother! Eve was evidence of the crime. That's what those murderous Nareshk were trying to eliminate when they invaded. Proof that their righteous society wasn't so perfect. Don't you dare try to place blame on her!"

Leandro gestured to Hemmarr. "What did she call you? Shazam?"

Jack sighed. "Shadeem."

The lawyer looked to the Ishilon. "What's a Shadeem?

She perked up as she liked talking about Jack. "A Shadeem guides us through life. He provides his wisdom and experience to ensure we do not lose our way. We are his people."

Jack let go of his tension as that answer was as innocent as he'd heard so far.

The lawyer turned his attention back to Jack. "Our investigation determined the Ishilon came to Earth and participated in the battle. We have security camera footage showing some Ishilon arriving on the steps using Gate technology. Did the Tik illegally bypass Earth Customs?

Both Socrates and Hemmarr began to speak, but Jack stopped them by raising two tentacles. "This feels weird," he said quietly then looked to Leandro.

"First off, the Tik had no direct involvement with the abuse of their Gate technology used to circumvent Earth's Customs protocols. The Nareshk managed to capture and horribly mutilate two Tik to use them as tools to open Gates for them. As for the Ishilon, they have no frame of reference for how to interact with the worlds of the Gate Network. They were just discovered in a suspension sleep, which lasted close to five thousand years. They came from a time when they were at war, fighting for their lives. They are very clever with technology, but they missed the critical point of when it should be used. They took Gate Technology from damaged Tik on Callosephia and implemented it for their use. To date, they've only used it once, to protect me. They also used the drone Rikki was housed in to identify danger and send a call for help. Then they pinpointed my location based on the drone. They arrived just as the Nareshk shot up the place and switched to their bladed weapons. I was shot before the battle concluded. As Shadeem for the Ishilon, it will fall to me to inform them of how to live within the rules of the Gate Network." He sighed. "I take responsibility for their transgressions."

As expected, Leandro smiled like the cat that ate the canary. Jack knew there was going to be a hefty cost.

Socrates rose slightly to indicate it would speak. "Before you get too ahead of yourself, Mr. Matias, think carefully before suggesting a grossly punitive punishment. The Tik will take your actions here and subsequently those of the Earth Council into account in future dealings."

Leandro glared at the Tik then at Jack. "I don't know how you've earned so much influence over the Tik, but let me tell you it's made some very influential people on Earth very uncomfortable. When Earth's Tik stopped the Cargo Gates to rush to your side when you were injured, the cost to Earth's businesses was enormous. There are pending lawsuits for that-"

"Once more, I remind you that civil behavior is a prerequisite for membership in the Gate Network and for guaranteeing Tik support," Socrates said sternly.

"Attempting to sue the Tik is a dick move, even for Earthers," Jack admitted. He looked to the Tik. "While I appreciate the support of the Tik, I don't want to be responsible for animosity between Earth and the Tik. I believe Mr. Matias came to this meeting with something he'd already worked out with these very influential people on Earth." A cold smile was in place on the lawyer's face. He nodded. "Let's hear it, but know this; it can only be directed at me. If you try to include my friends or family, that would be... a huge mistake."

Jack was grateful for being hidden by the featureless drone. He was bluffing. Of course, he'd just finished admitting to having the Ishilon warriors on call. With their own private Gates. That thought was visibly crossing the mind of the lawyer at the moment.

Leandro paused as his smile dimmed. His jaw tightened, and a determined look came to his eye.

"Due to the events your... presence was a focal point for, your access to Earth will be revoked. We understand you're already familiar with this from your banishment from Altaria."

Jack half expected something like this, but to hear the words spoken aloud still came as a shock. He couldn't talk for a moment. They were cutting him off from his first home. He considered what it would mean to be banished... again.

Jinnae's voice was not affected. "It's the planet of his birth!" she barked in outrage.

Matias frowned. "That's of no concern. Mr. Danner hasn't lived on Earth for an extended period."

Jack found his voice again. "My family would have no travel restrictions?"

Leandro's smile was back. "There will be no restriction for anyone, but you."

"What about when I'm visiting in my role as Earth Trade Commissioner for Altaria?" he asked.

The lawyer nodded thoughtfully. "For officially sanctioned visits."

"And in my role as Altarian Ambassador?" Jack asked.

Leandro's smile disappeared. "We weren't informed you'd been returned to that position."

"I haven't been..." A slight smile crept back onto the lawyer's lips. "Yet. It's a formality, really. I just need to visit Queen Elissa and be sworn in again." The smile vanished.

Leandro's jaw was stiff once more. "Again, the visits would need to be officially sanctioned."

"Understood. The Queen's office would be responsible for arranging these so Earth Council would be dealing with Queen Elissa," Jack said reasonably. He watched the young man struggling with his frustration and sighed internally. He didn't want this to get stupid. "Listen, I get it. Powerful people are upset and need some assurance that they're still in control. Far be it from me to rock their little boats. I'm not going to abuse my role as Ambassador to rub their noses in it. I will follow the spirit of the banishment as I did with Altaria. I think it's mean spirited and unwarranted, but, again, I get it, important people feeling insecure, blah, blah, blah." That seemed to fulfill the lawyer's needs, but he didn't look happy.

"Just so we're all on the same page, I do have a question as to how you're selling this to the public. In the case of my banishment from Altaria, I'd actually broken one of their laws. Aside from my being the target of bad people, what justifies the banishment? Are you going to make something up? Or were you planning to keep it secret?"

"Why would we need to inform the public?" Matias insisted.

"I'm a little disappointed you didn't do your homework. There are people on Earth who will learn shortly of my reinstatement as Ambassador. That's going to create a demand for visits. Are you going to sanction my visits to a fan club? If not, you're going to need a reason to explain my banishment. I'm not going to lie to them, and they're a vocal bunch." He saw the frown on the man's face. "Listen, work on it, and get back to me once you have a plan. I'm told I have a month before I can begin using my body, so you have at least that longggg..."

The drone suddenly wobbled then dropped from where it hovered above the table, striking the surface with a bang. It rolled off and got wedged between the arms of an empty chair.

"Owww," Jack moaned.

Taggart, Jinnae, and Hemmarr rushed to his side.

"What's wrong, Jack?" Jinnae called out.

"Dizzy... I suddenly feel exhausted. Butt hurts from falling... weird. Sleepy-" A static pop sound emitted from the drone.

Jack's mind faded to black.

-=-

Hemmarr looked at her tablet. "Jack disconnected from the drone. He's lost consciousness. It seems operating the drone was too much for him."

"I didn't get a chance to speak to him about his command of the Ishilon Forces," Rosseau grumbled.

Hemmarr chuckled. "Jack doesn't command our warriors, Lorrem does, and he takes orders from the Sultessa."

"Didn't we just hear that a squad of Ishilon warriors came to his aid on Earth?" the General asked.

"That's true, but the Shadeem wasn't aware we had the drone programmed to call for help nor that we had a squad on standby ready to protect him. The opponents they faced were stronger than we anticipated, so the new squad is much larger," the Ishilon tech explained. "We must protect our Shadeem!"