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[Draft] The Jason's Catalog
[Draft] The Jason's Catalog
#1
I'm still filling in entries for this one, but I thought I'd go ahead and put up what I had, along with the outlines for what still has to be filled
in. I'll edit this as I have time until it's complete. If anybody sees anything that's missing that they desperately want, please let me know.
Enjoy!



Custom Biomodifications

by

The Jason

Spring 2014 Catalog

Welcome. Here is a listing of my latest biomod creations, as well as all of your old favorites. As always, if you don't see what you need, I am
perfectly happy to do custom work. Just contact me with a description of what you want, and we can negotiate a deal.

Ship Hulls

Treeships - For all Tenchi Muyo fans and for those who prefer something other than the usual handwaved car or bus, we have treeships
available. Hollow and able to live in space, these hulls include various interior compartments that can be fitted out however you desire. They also supply
water and natural sewage treatment/reclamation, as well as a limited supply of electricity from photovoltaic leaves. You will need to outfit the rest of the
ship yourself, including engines, navigation, and whatever additional power your systems might require.

Worldtrees (Yggdrasils) - These are similar to our regular treeship line, but much larger. While the treeship line resembles the ships from
Tenchi Muyo, the Yggdrasil line resemble gigantic free-floating trees. The smallest would serve as a good hull for a ship with a large crew, and the
largest can contain a small colony expedition. We currently have two of these growing and of sufficient size for use; once those are gone, it will be
approximately a year before the next seedlings are ready. If you want a colony hull, reserve one of these now for a year or so in advance.

Giant Pumpkin - With a rind that concentrates metals to form a sturdy, handwaveable shell, the giant pumpkin is an interesting choice of vehicle for
those interested in fairy tales or something different. Sizes easily reach those of large carriages, and the rinds can be hollowed out and fitted with the
necessary equipment to create a workable vehicle. They can also be grown for storage sheds, and several of them can be connected for a small living area.



Life Support/Maintenance


Smoker's Friend - this hardy potted plant is a must for smokers in space, as well as being extremely useful for air filtration in general.
Several of these plants scattered around a room will keep the air within fresh and sweet, even if one of your crew is a chainsmoker. They make a wonderful
backup for any mechanical air filtration that you might employ, and help ease strain on such systems.

Sealing Shrub - Another potted shrub that can be grown aboard stations and other large facitilies, these bushes bear large, balloon-like fruits in
bright colors. Normal ventilation is not enough to disturb them, but the more intense air movement caused by breaches to space will cause the fruit to detach
and be carried along on the air to the point of leakage. Provided that the leaks are small enough, the fruit will burst around the hole, sealing it with their
sap and skins. The bright colors of both will leave an easily-identified spot for repair crews afterwards.

Unicorn Weed - Looking like a small version of kelp but made for freshwater use, this plant serves as a strong water filtration system. It can be
grown in tanks, and will remove both organic and metal contaminants from the water. Organic contaminants go towards plant growth, while metals are stored in
bulbous fruits that can be harvested and stored for later reclamation of the metals. The plant serves as another source of CO2/O2 exchange, and excess growth
can be harvested for use as compost in other gardening systems.



Cable


Fiberoptic Grapevine - When one of my customers says that he heard it on the grapevine, he means it quite literally. Grown in silica-rich soil, these
vines can be grown to pretty much any needed length.

Copper Kudzu - For those who need copper wiring, we have the copper kudzu. The latex-rich bark serves as a natural insulator, so very little needs to
be done to prepare the vine for use.



Housing and Storage


Giant Pumpkin - See Hull entry



Grocery


Beefsteak Tomatoes - Appearance-wise, these tomatoes appear typical and can be grown either in pots, in regular gardens, or hydroponically. The fruit
are large and red like typical beefsteak tomatoes would be, weighing in at one to two pounds. However, removing the thin fleshy rind of a ripened tomato will
reveal that the interior is actually a large chunk of beef

Eggplant - Not the usual purple vegetable, but actual eggs. Since most people don't have the space or the environment needed to raise chickens,
this fills a needed gap. The eggs develop in a purple shell that turns papery and opens when they're ready to be picked. Available in both white and brown
varieties.

Milkweed - As with chickens, cows aren't a common resource in Fenspace. For those who like milk, the pods of the milkweed plant will supply your
needs. Currently available in whole milk and chocolate. If there is enough interest, I will work on developing lower-fat versions.

Maple Syrup Shrub - This medium-sized potted plant has large, succulent leaves vaguely resembling those of a rubber plant, but somewhat thicker. To
use, break off several leaves, score the tops and let them drain into a pitcher. Pure maple syrup....or something very close at least.

Hens and Chicks - These are the poultry version of the beefsteak tomato. The small 'chicks' very closely resemble the original decorate plant
from which this plant was created, and the propagation is the same - a larger 'hen' will develop 'chicks' around it. As the hens mature, they
gradually lose leaves until only four remain arranged in a compass formation. These get much thicker, and when they turn white, they're ripe. Peeling off
the outer husk will reveal four boneless chicken 'breasts' ready for cooking.

Wine/Liquor



Bacchus Bush -

Champaigne Shrub -

Pets

Bonsai Ents - These tiny mobile trees stand about eight to twelve inches high and act much like ornamental birds, though much calmer and slower. As
long as fertile soil, water and sunlight are supplied, they can pretty much take care of themselves. Currently they are available in sakura, and a magnolia
version is in development.

Firebirds -

Stormcrows -

Holidays



Christmas/Yule/Solstice Trees - We are happy to supply evergreens for those who want a traditional holiday season even in space. Currently, we are
limited to the number of trees that can be grown each season, so reserve yours early. We typically deliver the trees three to four weeks in advance so that
they can reach the desired size in place. If you want a tree delivered closer to the actual holiday, please make arrangements at the time you reserve your
tree. Available in standard evergreen varieties and new for this season - trees with blinking bioluminescent 'lights'.

Aluminum Trees - For those who want something a bit more unusual and retro, we now can supply aluminum trees as well as the standard varieties. They are
currently available in silver or pink, no lights.

Ornamentals

Space Dandelion -

Roses

Canvas Rose -

Psanky Rose -

Polgara's Rose -

Starlight Rose -

Stained Glass Rose -

Corwin's Rose -

Jack Frost's Kiss Rose -

Moonlight Rose -

Clarke's Rose -

Elemental Heart Roses

Life's Flame Rose (Fire), aka Heart of the Flame - The petals of this rose are transparent, and colored in shades of red and
orange and yellow, appearing to be richly-colored stained glass. The rose is also bioluminescent; within the petals, light flickers back and forth constantly.
The effect can be seen during the day, but the true power of the effect is at night, where the light shining through the colored petals actually makes the rose
appear as though it were made out of flame. Each rose generates the faint sound of crackling and popping (an enlarged chamber in the stem, just below the
calyx, serves as a sound generator), and threaded through the scent of rose are the smells of cinnamon and woodsmoke. The flowers are also thermogenic; while
in bloom, the petals hit 105 degrees Fahrenheit, making them nicely warm to the touch to non-biomodded humans and most others. The petals ARE edible, though if
enough are eaten by a normal human, they will trigger a biomod. If candied, they taste of rose and cinnamon.

Thor's Laughter Rose (Air), aka Storm Rose, aka Heart of the Storm - Another stained glass rose, this one has petals that are
colored in various rich shades of blue. It too is bioluminescent, but unlike the Fire rose which is pretty much constantly emitting light, the Storm rose
flashes at random, and in brighter bursts - sometimes all over the rose, then at other times in streaks and bolts within the petals. It has a spicy rose scent,
overlaid with mint and a sharp tang. It actually emits negative ions and the occasional molecule of ozone; not enough to be a problem in an enclosed system,
but two or three potted roses in a regular-sized room will give the same feeling to the air that it has after a thunderstorm has passed. This is possible
because the roses are weak bioelectric generators; they can generate just enough charge to give a light electric shock, the same as you might get after
scuffing your feet on the carpet in the winter and then touching something metal. If something metal is brought VERY close to a petal, you might even see a
faint spark jump the gap. The sound generator is present on this rose as well, and produces faint cracks and rumbles, such as you might hear from a distant
thunderstorm. If tasted, most organic lifeforms will get the same reaction as if they stuck a weak battery on their tongue - it gives the same tingle/bite.
While not exactly an interesting or pleasant taste for most, some biomodded humans and sentient robots might find them so.

Sea Fire Rose (Water), aka Heart of the Sea - Appearing made of deep aquamarine stained glass with hints of pale sea green and
turquoise, the tips of this rose's petals fade to a frosted, translucent white. This rose doesn't exhibit any bioluminscence during the day at all, and
shows a slow, rhythmic pulsing of light at night - glowing faintly deep within the petals then growing brighter over the space of a minute or two, then fading
back to the background level. This is accompanied by the sound of crashing waves, white noise produced by this rose's sound chamber, and the pulsing is in
time to the waves. If grown in a system that exhibits traits of weather, the pulses/sounds become stronger and more intense during windy weather, as if the
waves were being storm-driven. The flower has a rose fragrance, but it's strongly overlaid by that of the sea; imagine a rose growing among the dunes on a
beach, and that's just about the scent produced. The petals actually secrete tiny drops of water, just enough to give a wet sheen and feel to the petals,
and tasting the petals reveals a faintly salty flavor.

Guinness Crystal Rose (Earth), aka Heart of the Land - While the other three Elemental roses are transparent stained glass, the
Earth rose is a deep, translucent emerald green (exactly the shade of the Guinness Emerald crystal). It lacks the others' flashier light displays, just
showing a steady, low-level glow by day and night. To the touch, there's only the normal softness of flower petals. But what it lacks in sight and touch,
it more than makes up for in the other three senses. It smells of roses...but also of deep forest, with rich earth and fallen leaves. Traces of honeysuckle,
apple, pear and other fruits can be detected in the scent as well, shifting - first one comes to the fore, then another. Candied petals of this rose are a real
treat, because the flavors are as varied as the smells. There's always the faint taste of rose, but some petals taste more of maple syrup, others of honey,
or apple or even faintly of wine or anise. If any of the roses will tempt a person to eat enough of the petals to cause a biomod, it will be this one. The
flavors differ even between the petals on a single rose, so it's always a surprise. This rose also has the largest, most elaborate sound chamber of the
four, and the sounds and their duration vary at random. Listening closely, you might hear the gentle sound of a babbling brook, or the wind rustling through
the leaves of a wood, or the soft drone of a bee in flight. Although very faint, this rose can even generate more elaborate sounds, like the drumming of a
woodpecker or birdsongs. Standing next one one of these rosebushes and closing one's eyes, it's quite easy to imagine that you're walking through
the woods in summer.



Martian Farming


Martian Cotton -

Wool Plant -

Martian Flax -

Silk Plant -

Wheat (Quadrotriticale) -

Sweet Corn (Martian Queen) -

Tomatoes (Red Planet) -

Peas (Canalside) -

Lettuce (Polar Cap) -



Medical


Blood Oranges -



Handwavium Strains


Basic -

Quacamole -

Mnemosyne's Honey -

Expresso -
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#2
Quote:Giant Pumpkin

ITYM Great Pumpkin.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
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#3
Giant Pumpkin - With a rind that concentrates metals to form a sturdy, handwaveable shell, the giant pumpkin is an interesting choice of vehicle for those interested in fairy tales or something different. Sizes easily reach those of large carriages, and the rinds can be hollowed out and fitted with the necessary equipment to create a workable vehicle. They can also be grown for storage sheds, and several of them can be connected for a small living area.

I can see somebody making a vehical out of one of these and naming it "The Great Pumpkin", maybe with Peanuts characters painted on the outside. 8)

Some neat ideas here, Feinan.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin
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#4
Woah. Momma Jones is really gonna have a ball with this catalogue, especially since everything is going on The Roughriders' tab. Her 'Dane gardens have
evoked the sense that she's some kind of white witch before, but this stuff will definitely make some people wonder (especially once she gets her biomod).
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#5
*laughs* We could call them Great Pumpkins, Mal. Though if one of them were to develop sapience and rise out of its pumpkin patch under its own power, I'd
have to blame it on you. Smile I think I like Timote's idea, though. Leave them as Giant Pumpkins in the catalog...and have some fan out there actually set
up a Peanuts-themed vehicle for the Great Pumpkin.

*grin* And Ben - these are just the biomods. The Jason IS a neopagan after all, and supplies normal seeds and such as well to the pagan community or for those
interested - herbs, both medicinal and cooking, as well as various other plants. He doesn't have a HUGE stock of them on hand, but he keeps enough for
regular customers and can get more as needed. If your Mom wants a nice selection of things for her gardens, she'll find more than enough here.

What's going to be REALLY fun are the next few catalogs after the Spring 2014 one. Because then the Jason will have the storage space in the Yggdrasil available, and will be able to offer even more seeds and such. Since he uses a lot of regular plants as starters for his
biomods, one of the things that he's planning is setting up a seed vault aboard the ship - tons of various heirloom varieties, levels set aside to keep
them propogated and so on. He's going to really NEED farmhands soon. Especially since he's got enough space to set things up in quadruplicate for the
regular farming levels and stagger seasons...one level has certain plants in spring, another has the same plantings in summer, and so on. Should be able to
keep the ship fully supplied with everything the crew will need, as well as supplying a few things that are unusual for Fenspace. I'm being VERY tempted by
heirloom apples right now....and Ranier cherries. Ahem...excuse me. I think I'll just nip along to the fridge for a Honeycrisp apple I got earlier today...
Smile
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#6
Hmmm... Maybe Jess can be persuaded into parting with her mass-production strain of Handwavium. After all, The Jason can surely be trusted not to distribute
that, right? The mass-production strain is idea for creating a mass workforce of Dumb AIs, which sounds like what you pretty much need right now.

Of course, they'll need supervisors to keep them from going to stupidville, because they will if you give them enough leeway to do so. It's the GIGO
programing principal: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Or, what you put in is what you get. Humans or Smart AIs will do as supervisors as they will easily catch such
problems.
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#7
Quote: blackaeronaut wrote:

Hmmm... Maybe Jess can be persuaded into parting with her mass-production strain of Handwavium. After all, The Jason can surely be trusted not to distribute
that, right? The mass-production strain is idea for creating a mass workforce of Dumb AIs, which sounds like what you pretty much need right now.
Hmmm. Actually, while I wouldn't mind the strain to experiment with - I collect them if I can...and yes, I do have the undifferentiated
version too, rob. Smile- I'm not sure that it's quite what I'm looking for in the way of farmhands. I've been contemplating the quirk Gregarious
for Yggdrasil; after all, the line was developed to be a colony ship (or at least for large crew capacity). It would be a reasonable quirk that the
ship would work better with people aboard. And I'm not sure that dumb AIs are the way to go for that. Besides, I wouldn't mind other people around
either.

*laughs* Oh - and I found out tonight that they've created a computer game based on the Jason. Or at least, it certainly looks that way. All the thing
would need would be the actual presence of handwavium in game, and they could probably get an endorsement. Smile If you get the chance, check out Plant Tycoon (another review here).
Reply
 
#8
Based on a thread that occurred a while back....

Riot Vines

A fast growing liana or hybrid creeper, this plant is a joint development between the Jason and the Banzai
Institute. The plant is a fast growing vine that sends out runners as long as there is space and available soil for roots. Any runners that extend into rocky
terrain or onto hull plating where no soil is located will die within a matter of minutes, forming a tough vine that requires a great deal of effort or powered
equipment to cut. For practical use, cuttings of the riot vines are sealed in an airtight cannister that has been purged of as much carbon dioxide as possible
and filled with a super-saturated solution of fertilizer and plant food. This cannister serves as the core of a grenade often used by the Space Patrol and
other agencies to subdue criminals in a non-violent fashion. Pulling the pin releases a timed "detonator" that, after a standard 3-second timer runs
down, cracks the cannister and exposes the cutting to air. The vine, already exposed to plant food, grows with an amazing rapidity, filling a space of
approximately 8 to 10 cubic feet in approximately 20 seconds. Objects within this space are surrounded and entangled in flexible and durable vines that, after
about a minute, begin to dry out and die off, becoming hard and rigid. While still growing, the vines exhibit a constrictive reaction, holding fast to anything
within the area of growth. This allows the plant to be used as as an effective restraint and riot control device, thus earning its name.

The drawbacks of riot vines are few, but important. First and foremost, there is an effective shelf life of approximately 30 days, before the vine cuttings
lose their vitality and their effectiveness. After 45 days, the cuttings are completely dead, and must be recycled. In addition, topical plant allergies to the
riot vines have occurred in less than 0.001% of the population. It is recommended, both by the Banzai Institute and the Jason, that any agencies using riot
vines make sure that their riot squad kits include epinephrine distribution devices (i.e., "epi pens") to prevent abducted subjects from suffering
from anaphylactic reactions. Finally, given the standard manufacture of oxygen from carbon dioxide that plants undergo during regular growth, use of riot vines
within a small, confined space, or in great number may temporarily constitute a fire hazard.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."
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