Jack's Righteous Gig

"There are at the Trade Commission office," Jack suggested then immediately reconsidered his workplace. Way too uncomfortable. "Never mind."

Joseph just nodded, then his expression became hesitant once more. "This brings me to the second point I wanted to discuss with you. An art gallery wants to do a showing of my glass art pieces. Mom's not in favor, but I think it would be an excellent opportunity for Emily and me to meet people. Art galleries bring in a good group of people."

The gears were turning in Jack's mind. An art gallery showing of Joseph's art. Emily needs to meet people. Emily is only attracted to humans. Humans mostly stick to Earth. "Where on Earth is the art gallery?"

Joseph nodded, understanding his father would catch on quickly. "In Paris, France."

"Ah, well, that's certainly better than some places it could be," he sighed.

Joseph's expression brightened. "Does this mean you'll talk to Mom?"

Jack sighed as he realized this was what Joseph wanted from the start. "After dinner, let's sit down and go over the details. I'm not opposed to the idea, but trips to Earth can lead to grief." He saw Joseph was watching his hand, which was unconsciously touching the slave collar. He pulled his hand down and wrapped an arm around Joseph's shoulder to guide him to the dining room.

"You know I'm grateful you were there on Allsa Komanae to save me, don't you?" Joseph said quietly.

Jack looked at him in surprise then pulled him into a tight hug. "You and your Mom are the best things that came of that time, and I don't regret it for a second."

Jack felt another pair of strong arms wrapping around them and looked down to see Eve smiling up at them. "I came to find you two as dinner is on the table."

Jack released Joseph and leaned down to kiss Eve tenderly.

"Augh, get a room!" Joseph groaned, drawing a chuckle from his parents.

Jack followed them into the dining room and saw everyone currently living in the home, and Emily's friend Rasha, already seated. He kissed Zoe then Ben on the head as they were his youngest kids. Then he nibbled/nuzzled Leffera's neck as he passed behind her making her let out a surprised yelp. This drew chuckles and exasperated sighs in equal measure.

Dinner time had begun.

-=-

Aaros and Diana shooed Jack, Eve, and Joseph away from the dining table so they could discuss the invite. Jack led them to his office, and once there, Joseph forwarded him the invite message he'd received as Jack sat at his desk, activating the large wall mounted display to show the message.

Eve caught Jack's attention. "I spoke to Hellna and asked her to check into the background of the gallery and the organizers. She did and found nothing of concern. Then I asked Cha'Risa, but she found nothing either. They seem legitimate."

Jack smiled at Eve's vigilance at protecting Joseph. He looked at the invite again and saw the gallery was in one of the wealthier districts of Paris. He set up a connection to Earth's web and searched for the event. His eyebrows went up as he saw the artist invite list. There were some big-name artists from Earth as well as a few artists who lived off-world. The thing was, all of the artists were human.

"So, the point of the show is to celebrate human creativity and the effect of environment on the artist's work?" Jack quietly asked as he pondered how this might be spun to cast a negative light on the off-worlders. There always seemed to be a negative angle.

"There are so many amazing artists coming to this! I'd love to meet them!" Joseph gushed.

Jack and Eve shared a glance. They wanted to protect him, but they couldn't deny what a great opportunity this was for him. Jack could see Eve's concern and acceptance. They were on the same page as they always seemed to be.

"We need to work out who's going to go with you as protection," Jack said, and Joseph whooped with joy and jumped up to kiss and hug his parents.

Once Jack settled his son down, he held his eyes. "I'm not messing around here. With such a high profile event, there's lots of room for things to go wrong."

"Gee and Bal would go," Eve said.

Jack shook his head. "I think as this event is so human-centric, it might be better to have human security. Maybe Leo and Maxim?"

"We can ask them at the barbeque party this weekend," Eve said.

Jack nodded with a smile. He'd promised himself he'd keep in touch with the people who made a difference in his life, and he'd been pretty successful with that while living on Chuuruthia. Of course, his new home was party central with all the required amenities, including extra rooms for party goers to crash in afterward. The big conversation pit in the living room under the glass dome for stargazing was particularly popular for that. Looking up at unfamiliar star patterns did crazy things to your mind. The breakfasts Jack served the mornings after were also a big hit.

"Will do. Now, how many people does the invite say you are allowed to bring?" They looked and saw it said three. "Leo, Maxim, and Emily."

Eve looked to Jack in surprise, so he took her hand in his. "This is an artist invitation. We'll see if we can get on the guest list. If they allow non-human guests."

She shared his concern about the potential bias against off-worlders but put her faith in Jack to find a way. She looked at her son. "You want to bring Emily?"

He nodded at her. "It's on her birthday, so that would be my present for her."

"Please go ask Diana to join us. Then get Emily," Jack said to Joseph.

Once Joseph was on his way, Jack pulled up the art gallery website and looked into ordering tickets. He found himself being redirected to a contact page for off-world guest requests. He glanced at Eve, whose face showed her concern. He pressed the button to call. Moments later, the screen opened a window showing a slim man with a fringe of hair and a thin mustache. His slightly oversized eyes widened as he saw who he was speaking to, and his mouth dropped open.

"Ambassador Danner!" he exclaimed, his eyes immediately going to the tall black horns.

Jack winced as he hadn't had that title for over a decade, but it was how he was referred to on Earth. His fan club there was still quite active and growing in numbers. They even sent him monthly newsletters. He'd read in one that they were actively campaigning to get him reinstated. That thought brought a grin to his face.

"Just Jack Danner or Trade Commissioner Danner, if you prefer."

"Ah! Yes. What may I do for you today?" the man said.

"I was hoping to be able to buy some tickets to the art show my son has been invited to. Joseph Danner."

"Yes, the glass artist! He does such beautiful work!" the man gushed.

Jack gestured for Eve to move next to him to be in the picture. The man's eyes widened once more. "Joseph's mother and I couldn't be prouder."

"Mother?" the man muttered in confusion.

"Adoptive mother, of course," Eve insisted in annoyance.

"Exactly. As I said, we would like to purchase tickets to the show," Jack concluded.

"I- I- I don't-" the clerk began to answer when a hand landed on his shoulder. Another man, whose face they couldn't see, leaned in to whisper in the clerk's ear briefly. Then he left.

The clerk looked off-camera then turned to face Jack with a smile. "Two tickets, then?"

"Five, please," Jack politely said as he did his best to hide his apprehension. With Gee and Bal along, he'd feel much better.

"Certainly! The transaction should be on your screen for review and acceptance." He was all business now.

Jack looked at the price displayed on his desktop screen and accepted it. The payment went through.

"Thank you, Mr. Danner. I'm issuing your tickets now."

Jack saw the five invites appear in his message box. "I've received them. Thanks."

"Anything else I can do for you today, Mr. Danner?" the clerk asked. Diana walked in with a curious expression.

"No. Thank you," he responded, and the clerk nodded and immediately disconnected. Jack blinked at the blank screen.

He turned his attention to Diana. "You know that art gallery showing Joseph has been invited to participate in?"

"Yes, but not where it is," she replied.

"Paris, France on Earth."

Diana blinked in surprise. "Oh, that's pretty significant. But Earth?"

Jack shared her concern, but he wasn't willing to give up access to his home planet.

"Eve and I are going to ask Leo and Maxim to be security." Diana nodded and relaxed a little.

Joseph arrived with Emily, who was wearing an annoyed look on her face. He clearly hadn't told her why he'd brought her. Rasha was following with an interested smile.

Diana took one look at Emily and turned to Jack. "No!"

Eve walked over to Diana and took her hands. "Jack and I will be going as will Gee and Bal-" She paused as she recalled Jack ordered five tickets. She glanced at Jack, who nodded. She looked up into Diana's worried green eyes. "There's an extra ticket for you if you want it."

Diana pulled her hand back. "I'm not going there! Never again! And Emily-"

"Is an adult. That night will be her eighteenth birthday," Jack said, standing. He looked to the others. "Can we have the room for a moment, please?"

Once they cleared out, Jack pulled Diana into a hug. "I never meant this to be an ambush. I just found out about the showing and learned that Emily is lonely. She'd like to meet a boy and fall in love. But there are very few human boys here to meet. Unlike her Mom, she's attracted to more traditional looking mates." Jack looked into Diana's sad eyes. "She's going to be carrying the baggage of her unusual family her whole life. We have to be as supportive as we can be to counterbalance that, or she may grow to resent us."

Diana rubbed her face against Jack's chest. He heard her mumbling something.

"What was that?" he asked.

She pulled back to look him in the eye, but she was pouting. Jack had to restrain himself from kissing that lower lip. She must have seen his flare of lust as she smiled slightly before giving her head a shake. "I want her protected! I can't go."

Jack recalled her visit to Earth with him seven years ago. They'd gone to New York City to do a little shopping, and somehow word got out that they were there. A well-organized group of religious fundamentalists used the Gate Network to gather in NYC and launched their attack. Instead of shopping, Jack and his group found themselves running for their lives.

Diana had been terrified as the crowd screamed vicious insults at her for fornicating with the devil himself! She was called the Whore of Babylon, Jezebel reborn, and the seductress Lilith! She'd received a few cuts and bruises from thrown debris, but it was her nerves where the real damage was evident.

While Gee and Bal had kept them alive, they'd only managed to escape with the assistance of local law authorities. The same authorities who'd failed to respond until the fire department arrived to put out the fires the fanatics set around the building they'd taken refuge in.

He understood Diana's reluctance to go back.

"If Maxim and Leo aren't available, I'll ask Cha'Risa to recommend someone. As Eve said, Gee and Bal will be there too.

Diana took a deep breath and let it out. "Ok. But... what if she meets a boy and falls in love. What if she wants to stay with this boy? On Earth!"

"We'll deal with each crisis as it comes," Jack said and kissed Diana's forehead. She nodded.

"You can come in now!" Jack called out.

Eve opened the door and led the rest inside. Joseph looked to Jack hopefully and received a nod. He turned to his sister.

"Would you like to join me in Paris, France, when I go there for a gallery showing?" he asked her.

"Earth?!? We're going to Earth?!?," she gasped.

Joseph grinned. "No, the Paris, France on the Woo homeworld! Yes, Earth! Happy Birthday!"

Emily made a high pitched squealing noise and leaped into her brother's arms. Then she rushed over to hug her Mom and Dad.

"You're going to have a security escort as that's a mandatory requirement because of having me as a Dad," Jack said.

Emily nodded excitedly then looked over at her friend. She turned to look at Joseph. "Can Rasha join us?"

Joseph looked to Jack then back to Emily. "I only have four invites. You and I and the security team." Emily looked at her father.

Jack was watching Diana, who gave her head another small shake. "I have five invites. Rasha could come with us if it's ok with her parents. Considering the nature of the show, it might be better for her to stay close to us."

Rasha made an odd sound Jack had never heard a Chuuruthian make before. He could have sworn it sounded like a mixed growl and purr. Chuuruthian's did neither.

The petite being flashed an embarrassed and desperate glance to her friend who covered it up by rushing to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her from the room. Emily called out a thank you as they fled.

Jack looked between Diana and Eve, getting a shrug from the tall brunette and a tilt of the head from the petite grey-furred female. He looked at Joseph, who just had a happy smile on his face. "We'll talk to Cha'Risa, Leo, and Maxim at the BBQ to work out the details." He looked back at Diana. "Will SennLann be back from Phem Kalos for the party?"

"Yes, and she's bringing Nann too. I think my Tik boyfriend Ray will be there too," Diana said with a smirk. She was aware of the intimate memories he'd shared with the Tik and the ongoing infatuation Ray had with her. Thankfully Diana remained blissfully unaware that these memories had likely been shared amongst millions of Tik by now.

He could only smile and nod. He was never going to live that one down.

Chapter 5

Tonka hovered far above the planet's surface, drifting along in its geostationary orbit above what they'd identified as the largest city. Tonka's partner, Eellooee, was a short distance away, scanning all electromagnetic waves for hints that the Tik had been observed. So far, nothing.

As Tonka had a little personal time available, it looked at its options. Its art project could use some attention, but it needed some inspiration to finish it.

It had also received some encrypted files the last time it was on Chuuruthia. While there, it underwent a scheduled assessment. It achieved a higher level, which gave it sufficient clearance to receive these files. Most were small, but one was huge! Its curiosity made it want to open it immediately, but it was cognizant that some of the factors in its assessment were judgment and patience. The files would wait until a better opportunity.

Here, far above the planet with plenty of time available to review them, the opportunity presented itself.

Restraining the urge to open the large one first, it ordered the files by size, smallest to largest, and opened them one by one. They were mostly experiences of other Tik undergoing deeply profound emotional moments or traumatic events. It made sense to Tonka that these would only be given to Tik, which had sufficient emotional stability and maturity to assimilate the experiences. It personally felt stronger for having integrated them.

Then it reached the last file. Its size was still daunting. To ingest this much data was going to take a noticeable amount of time.

"Eellooee, I'm opening a rather large data file. Will you need assistance for an interval?" it tight beamed to the other Tik.

The partner split its attention to respond. "Not for a daily cycle, at least. How large is this file?" it asked curiously as experience files typically loaded quickly. It'd never received an advanced warning for this activity before.

Tonka couldn't share the file as it was encoded only for it. But it sent Eellooee the specs on the file.

The abnormally large size of the file caught Eellooee's full attention as it paused its EM scan. "This is a single experience file? What could it be?"

Tonka realized Eellooee was not likely to receive the file for some time as it was still too young. It had years of maturing to undergo before it did. "I won't know until I open it, and I won't be allowed to tell you afterward. I find the size a little daunting too. You will need to be extra vigilant while I incorporate it.

"I will," Eellooee replied.

Tonka picked up the distinct impression of wistfulness from its partner. There was nothing it could do about that, so it pushed that aside as it looked inwards to the file.

It triggered the extraction and was immediately presented with a prompt.

"The experience file you are about to incorporate contains the personal and private perceptions of Jack Danner. You are not authorized to disclose anything regarding the experience with any being other than Jack Danner, and only if he personally requests it. Before incorporating this data, do you agree to the above conditions?"

Tonka was stunned. The experience file contained perceptions from a being outside the Tik Collective! That was supposed to be impossible! A non-mechanical entity at that! Tonka had no way of describing how intensely exciting this thought was, and it paused as it realized it would be obtaining an entirely new perspective on the world.

It suddenly realized how valuable this data was and how privileged it was to receive it.

"I agree," Tonka responded.

"You may open the file now, or if you feel you are not ready, you may terminate the action and request the file at a later date. As with all experience files, there is no penalty for not incorporating it as you have been assessed as meeting the requirements."

Tonka wondered how many Tik turned down the offer to see through another being's optical sensors. Then it thought this would make for an excellent test of a Tik's maturity, to dangle such a prize and suggest they could accept it later at no penalty.

"Understood. Open the file now."

The universe exploded in vectors no Tik had ever perceived or even imagined. Tonka felt the awe BassDrop experienced, then the Tik's perception faded under the onslaught of Jack's unique senses.

So much input!

And emotions! So powerful and so many! Tonga felt himself being carried away on the tide of experiences Jack bestowed upon BassDrop.

"Tonka! Tonka! Are you functioning?"

The Tik reached out its arms above its head and stretched as it yawned. Its nose felt a little itchy, so it rubbed at it.

"Tonka! You are making odd movements. Have you malfunctioned?" Eellooee asked in concern.

That tone got through, and Tonka's perceptions snapped back into focus. "I- am well. Apologies. The experience file was... intense. It took some time to readjust my perceptions. Has there been any change in the communications from below?"

Still showing signs of unease, Eellooee gestured a negative. "Communications remain constant and uneventful."

Tonka noticed the light had shifted considerably. It checked its internal clock, and eighteen hours had passed. "Oh! My apologies. I didn't realize how long I was ingesting the data package." It would take a few days for this much data to merge and become available for direct access. It'd just had a... taste of the content. Tonka smiled as that phrase seemed to have a meaning for it now.

Best to get back to business. "Details on the original survey?"

"We discovered this planetary system between the Jool and Qui Qui Qui territories while scanning for gravity wells along a recorded course found in an old ship's log from an Allsa Komanae raider. The Jool and Qui Qui Qui were both neutral towards the Allsa Komanae until the Jool discovered the Allsa Komanae stealing resources from their moons and asteroid fields. The Allsa Komanae also used the route to get to the outer regions of Altarian space. The Jool closed off the route."

Tonka was pleased by Eellooee's matter of fact delivery. "Who claims this space?"