OK. This came about from a number of things - me working on the Jason's catalog, and realizing that with all of the troubles with the zwilniks and the
Boskonians, the Jason would be wanting something a bit..sturdier than the Lightning to use as a base. Plus, this has
the added bonus of giving a LOT of extra room for experimentation. The downside is that, even with all the work he's put into it so far, there's still
a lot to do. Many of the available levels on this new...ship...are still unfinished, bare spaces for storage until the time and materials can be found to
finish them. *grin* However...it's also very great advertising. I'm still coming up with the write-up for the ship; most of this hit me today at work
while doing data-entry, and I wanted to get it down. Opinions? Too over the top. maybe? I'd like to hear feedback from folks, please?
_____________________________________________________________
Although Operation Great Justice and the fighting with the Boskonians, as well as several actions by various zwilnik 'recruiters' were the final
trigger, the method of the Jason's arrival at Phobos in the summer of 2014 started several years before, back in 2010. He'd created a masterpiece of
biomodification for people to use...and some were, yes. But...none of them were using his creations to their full potential. The clients were always asking him
to suspend the growth phase before things had ever really gotten started. He'd left one growing all by itself, hidden away in a seldom-visited portion of
the Belt...wanting to have something spectacular to show people. Then...when the troubles started, he decided it could serve a different purpose. Oh, he
could...and would...enhance the Fateful Lightning's defenses. But, she'd been built in a time of peace. His
new ship....she'd been designed to carry families...children. In a fashion that HE'D deemed safe...
________________________________________________________________________________
The Jason was up to something - that was nothing new. The Jason was always up to something. But for the last year or so, the rumors were flying fast and
furious that he was involved in something major. Everybody was talking about it...mainly because he was calling in favors and making deals WITH everyone. There
were large orders for Wire Geek and Hephaestus, items requested from the Professor that were just barely short of
insane, a known order for a very LARGE Interwave transmitter, talks with Buckaroo, with Fred...and Kohran Li. And many others. Whatever he was doing, it was
obviously going to be big. So when Fate called ahead and requested an isolated parking orbit, well away from other traffic, the rumor mill at Port Phobos
immediately went into overdrive.
____________________________________________________
Tom settled into his chair, putting his coffee on his desk as he looked over the monitors. Fairly normal morning, everybody actually keeping to their assigned
orbits without problems...though that wouldn't last. It hardly ever did for long. He looked up as Kathy, one of the on-duty techs came up with a
diagnostic scanner and started looking over the long-range scanner on the next desk over. "Problem?"
She shook her head. "Matt said he was getting some odd readings that didn't make sense. He wanted me to look it over." She finished a diagnostic
cycle, then shook her head. "Everything's clear..." She started the machine back up, and then whistled softly. "Great Ghu! I see what he was
talking about. That can't be right...."
Getting up, Tom went and glanced over the tech's shoulder. Incoming vessel, size...Tom's eyes widened. "What the hell?!" The pair glanced at
each other, and then went to activate a visual scanner. Tom shook his head. "Whatever it is, it's on..." He called up scheduled orbits, and
frowned. "...on the Jason's flight path. But that can't be the Lightning." Kathy laughed, a little
nervously. "Not unless he's found a way to make cars and trucks actually grow bigger. Though with him, who kno...." She broke off as the monitor
finally showed a picture of the incoming craft. Neither said a word....as the monitor displayed a majestic, giant tree drifting serenely on its way. A tree
with a silvery trunk and green-black leaves....that was over a mile long. For several long moments, only the sounds of
electronic equipment were heard in the room, until a voice came in over the communicator. "Ahoy, Port Phobos. This is the Jason aboard the Yggdrasil. I'm on my assigned path, and should be there shortly. Everything OK on your end?"
Tom reached out and hit the 'send' switch. "F-fine on this end, Jason. Uh...new ship?"
There was a mischievous chuckle over the speaker. "The Yggdrasil? Yeah, just a...little something I've been
working on."
__________________________________________________________
The Yggdrasil is about 1.25 miles long, and 600 feet in diameter through most of the trunk. The bark and outer layers
are 20 feet thick, and between the metal and mineral content in the wood, the ship could really be described as living petrified wood. Handwaved petrified wood, so it's not exactly fragile. The ship is capable of docking the Fateful Lightning internally.
Boskonians, the Jason would be wanting something a bit..sturdier than the Lightning to use as a base. Plus, this has
the added bonus of giving a LOT of extra room for experimentation. The downside is that, even with all the work he's put into it so far, there's still
a lot to do. Many of the available levels on this new...ship...are still unfinished, bare spaces for storage until the time and materials can be found to
finish them. *grin* However...it's also very great advertising. I'm still coming up with the write-up for the ship; most of this hit me today at work
while doing data-entry, and I wanted to get it down. Opinions? Too over the top. maybe? I'd like to hear feedback from folks, please?
_____________________________________________________________
Although Operation Great Justice and the fighting with the Boskonians, as well as several actions by various zwilnik 'recruiters' were the final
trigger, the method of the Jason's arrival at Phobos in the summer of 2014 started several years before, back in 2010. He'd created a masterpiece of
biomodification for people to use...and some were, yes. But...none of them were using his creations to their full potential. The clients were always asking him
to suspend the growth phase before things had ever really gotten started. He'd left one growing all by itself, hidden away in a seldom-visited portion of
the Belt...wanting to have something spectacular to show people. Then...when the troubles started, he decided it could serve a different purpose. Oh, he
could...and would...enhance the Fateful Lightning's defenses. But, she'd been built in a time of peace. His
new ship....she'd been designed to carry families...children. In a fashion that HE'D deemed safe...
________________________________________________________________________________
The Jason was up to something - that was nothing new. The Jason was always up to something. But for the last year or so, the rumors were flying fast and
furious that he was involved in something major. Everybody was talking about it...mainly because he was calling in favors and making deals WITH everyone. There
were large orders for Wire Geek and Hephaestus, items requested from the Professor that were just barely short of
insane, a known order for a very LARGE Interwave transmitter, talks with Buckaroo, with Fred...and Kohran Li. And many others. Whatever he was doing, it was
obviously going to be big. So when Fate called ahead and requested an isolated parking orbit, well away from other traffic, the rumor mill at Port Phobos
immediately went into overdrive.
____________________________________________________
Tom settled into his chair, putting his coffee on his desk as he looked over the monitors. Fairly normal morning, everybody actually keeping to their assigned
orbits without problems...though that wouldn't last. It hardly ever did for long. He looked up as Kathy, one of the on-duty techs came up with a
diagnostic scanner and started looking over the long-range scanner on the next desk over. "Problem?"
She shook her head. "Matt said he was getting some odd readings that didn't make sense. He wanted me to look it over." She finished a diagnostic
cycle, then shook her head. "Everything's clear..." She started the machine back up, and then whistled softly. "Great Ghu! I see what he was
talking about. That can't be right...."
Getting up, Tom went and glanced over the tech's shoulder. Incoming vessel, size...Tom's eyes widened. "What the hell?!" The pair glanced at
each other, and then went to activate a visual scanner. Tom shook his head. "Whatever it is, it's on..." He called up scheduled orbits, and
frowned. "...on the Jason's flight path. But that can't be the Lightning." Kathy laughed, a little
nervously. "Not unless he's found a way to make cars and trucks actually grow bigger. Though with him, who kno...." She broke off as the monitor
finally showed a picture of the incoming craft. Neither said a word....as the monitor displayed a majestic, giant tree drifting serenely on its way. A tree
with a silvery trunk and green-black leaves....that was over a mile long. For several long moments, only the sounds of
electronic equipment were heard in the room, until a voice came in over the communicator. "Ahoy, Port Phobos. This is the Jason aboard the Yggdrasil. I'm on my assigned path, and should be there shortly. Everything OK on your end?"
Tom reached out and hit the 'send' switch. "F-fine on this end, Jason. Uh...new ship?"
There was a mischievous chuckle over the speaker. "The Yggdrasil? Yeah, just a...little something I've been
working on."
__________________________________________________________
The Yggdrasil is about 1.25 miles long, and 600 feet in diameter through most of the trunk. The bark and outer layers
are 20 feet thick, and between the metal and mineral content in the wood, the ship could really be described as living petrified wood. Handwaved petrified wood, so it's not exactly fragile. The ship is capable of docking the Fateful Lightning internally.