0o0
As I mentioned earlier, during dinner we discussed our plans for the immediate future. The discussion was reaching a conclusion when I then asked, "Anyone have anything to share before we break up the meeting?"
Captain Barnes spoke up, "I have been informed today that Zoie and Wanda had their babies, both boys, a few weeks ago. Everyone is doing well. Also, I just heard that Mary is due any day now."
"Thank you Barnes, I will get in touch with them as soon as we are done with this meeting."
"Cheech and I have been working on a few projects that will greatly enhance the defensive capabilities of the Embassy. We have developed plans for a variable energy, variable focal length, 5,000 KW class pulse laser and a micro/mini 6,000 MW(e) class fusion reactor."
"We found a way to use layered carbon nanotubes filled with paramagnetic iron oxide particles to create magnets that are 100 times more powerful than REBCO magnets which allows for a 1/800th size ARC fusion reactor the size of a softball. Combined with a lithium breeding blanket and spin-polarized fuel, it requires only salt water to fuel it."
"A small, exterior deuterium extraction plant, about the size of a small desalinization plant, is all that is needed to pull the naturally occurring deuterium from the salt water and with half a gram of Tritium, costing around $20,000, as a startup fuel for the reactor, it will be self sustaining and produce 6,000 MW(e) of electricity which is enough to run a city of 800,000 people for a year."
"The reactor and it's supporting equipment would take up only about 9 square feet of floor space each and power the ship even after powering the four Gatling guns and with adding four variable energy, variable focal length, 2,500 KW class pulse lasers. Those would be mounted on quick twitch rotating gimbal mounts topped with their own AN/APG-82 radars at each corner of the helicopter landing deck which we have also developed."
"There is also space available aft of deck four for 75 4-cell Mk-57 Peripheral Vertical Launching System (PVLS) Modules which can house 4 RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles in each cell giving the ship 1,200 medium range (out to 15 nautical miles) anti-air/sea skimming missile or drone protection. The outer surfaces of the Mk-57 modules would be covered with layered Cubic Boron Nitride infused graphene nanotube scrim for additional protection attached over transparent aluminum skin panels."
"We would also like to build two battle bots with layered Cubic Boron Nitride infused graphene nanotube scrim attached over transparent aluminum skin panels and supported by a titanium frame. The skin would provide almost 500,000 pounds per square inch of impact protection as well as high heat, gamma radiation, and magnetic resistance."
"They would incorporate magnetic muscles made of ferromagnetic particles and shape memory polymers, making the bot 1,000 times stronger than a human."
"Powered by a one gigawatt cool fusion reactor wrapped in a paired n-type and p-type polycrystalline Tin Selenide blanket which surrounds the reactor and becomes an ultra-efficient thermoelectric generator, making them ultra efficient. The outer surface of the blanket would be cooled by the ionized, spin polarized water that feeds the reaction of the catalyzed fusion reactor which I have been able to micronize to fit into a human sized torso with a micro turbine, condenser, cooling system, and associated pumps and water reservoirs."
"The battle bots would also sport a pop up 300 KW class laser at the center of the top of each wrist, incorporate a bandwidth enhanced folded unipole antenna for VLF transmissions to maintain contact with the Embassy, a satellite communications suite, a petabyte of universal memory, and a 2 NM, 384 core, 768 thread, 5 THz carbon fiber processor."
"They would also have enhanced hearing and selective vision ranging from the low ultraviolet to high infrared."
"While these battle bots would be semi-autonomous, they would not be fully sentient and a fail safe mechanism would cause a self destruct should communication with the Embassy be blocked for more than 2 hours."
I sat back with a raised eyebrow, "Damn fellas! And you have developed all the needed engineering to make this all happen?"
Chong nodded, "We have had preliminary contact with the companies that can create the power supplies, lasers, computer systems, and body parts. They were more than eager to provide working units in exchange for a 70 percent share of any profits for sales to the private sector, military, or other governmental agencies."
Cheech added, "We also contacted the U.S. Department of Defense about the battle bots and they are extremely interested. We gave them the names of the potential manufacturers as a way to sweeten the deals with them and they added free lifetime maintenance as a thank you for the referral. The DOD has also offered to install the lasers, MK 57 launchers, Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, and power supplies as well as fast track their approvals by the Atomic Energy Commission."
"We are hoping we did not overstep, but we wanted all our ducks in a row before mentioning it to the group for approval to move forward. The next step would be to provide the schematics after signing the agreements. That would need to be something you do, Harry, as we are not recognized as being sentient beings by the legal system in America."
I nodded and smiled, "I will contact Bill and explain all that to him. I am sure he will want to meet with the two of you, along with some specialists, but I am confident he can get Congress to pass a resolution recognizing you both as fully sentient beings with human level rights and responsibilities. That will mean you will have to pay taxes on your income now, though."
Cheech raised an eyebrow, "What income?"
"From the sales of your inventions of course! You didn't think we were going to steal those earnings from you did you?"
Chong's jaw dropped, "We, we just assumed you would be the beneficiary."
"Then you now have a deeper understanding of what it means to be accepted as a part of the family."
Cheech nodded, "Yes, this has been an eye opening development that will merit a good bit of thought and integration. Thank you all for this wonderful gift we are still learning to appreciate. You are all special people."
Barnes then spoke up, "Actually, Cheech and Chong, the two of you are proving again and again how special the two of you are. Thank you for being you, fellas."
"Barnes, set a course for Norfolk and let them know we are coming, please."
"Dad, can you get hold of Bill and set up a time where we can meet him at the White House? Let him know he will need to have some professionals on hand to evaluate the boy's levels of sentience and cognition with the understanding we will be asking for recognition by Congress of their being sapient living organisms recognized as American citizens."
"Doc, please get with the boys and determine a time of birth and consider giving them birth certificates and apply for social security cards? We want to make them legal as possible."