Good Morning Sunshine...

[Feinan]

This particular creation of the Jason's came about after his first meeting with Wire Geek, and was also heavily influenced by the need for the Vitamin Man.
The human body can manufacture vitamin D on its own...but requires sunlight to do so. Sunlight is also needed anywhere people want to grow plants...which can
be a problem depending on where you are in Fenspace, and how your habitable space is set up. Grow bulbs aren't exactly self-sustaining, and are fairly
expensive as well. The Jason came up with this to adress the problem.

Sunflowers:



These plants resemble regular sunflowers to some extent, but with extensive modifications. They are everblooming, with usually two or three blossoms present at
any one time. The flowers are crystalline in nature, the petals resembling thin pieces of faintly milky quartz. At the base of the plant, the stem expands into
a bulb; wiring can be inserted here to supply the plant with electricity. When powered, the flowers actually emit full-spectrum sunlight, suitable for growing
other plants...and supplementing their own growth as well. There are both tall and dwarf versions of the plant, the taller one reaching around six feet, while
the dwarf can fit neatly into a small flower pot and reaches only a foot or so in height. There are currently four varieties of sunflowers, all of them
available in tall and dwarf versions.

Turning Seasons - This version exhibits a temperate zone day/night cycle if continuously powered, with changing day lengths. The starting point can be
manipulated, but the default is winter solstice.

Tropical Days - This sunflower has an equatorial day/night cycle, with days and nights of roughly equal lengths.

Midnight Sun - This version simulates the day/night exremes seen in polar regions - generally around the same area as Alaska. One of the first
successful plantings of this type was given as a gift to Wire Geek.

British Empire - As the name suggests, this sunflower will continue to supply sunlight as long as power is applied.

[Black Aeronaut]

Whoah! Cool! This is perfect for Ben's office on 36 Atalante. ^_^

[LynnInDenver]

*buys and sets one up in the common room aboard Starbug 1.*
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[Ebony]

It would also be useful for greenhouses/hydroponic gardens, and the perfect gift for people who suffer from Seasonal Depression Disorder.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

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

[robkelk]

It would also be useful for greenhouses/hydroponic gardens

And Noah now has a rather large greenhouse... Dozens of each (excepting Midnight Sun) for Wonderland, please - British Empire for the accessways and emergency lighting, the others for croplands.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

You know, I have to wonder how Daneside biologists and such react to the Jason's creations. I'm sure there's a lab somewhere where they're
desperately sequencing their DNA, trying to figure out how the hell such things are possible.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

Heck, Leda is desperately sequencing the Turning Seasons Sunflower's DNA.

It's for her graduate degree work at the Vesta Institute of Biochemistry.

("No, Jason! Don't tell me! I'll fail the course if I get help!")
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Ebony]

The Banzai Institute is also attempting to reverse engineering them, although they're doing it more in cooperation with the Jason as much as anything.
Buckaroo will point out the unique question of what happens when you consume roasted seeds from these hybrids. Nezumi finds them adequate for dealing with
nicotine cravings, provided they're roasted with enough curry powder. The fact that they glow while she eats them is just a bonus.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

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

[Black Aeronaut]

Ebony wrote:

---

Buckaroo will point out the unique question of what happens when you consume roasted seeds from these hybrids.

...

*Shatters, giggling madly*

"Benjamin, have you been working with Lilo again?"

"No, Milady. Why?"

"Your eyes are glowing."

[robkelk]

Buckaroo will point out the unique question of what happens when you consume roasted seeds from these hybrids.

"No can do - right now, I don't have a place where the sun don't shine..."
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Ebony]

Y'all think that's funny? I (and therefore Blackstone) like cooking with sunflower oil from time to time.

"Blackstone?"

"Yeah, J.?"

"Why are my french fries glowing?"

"That's a funny story."

"I'm sure."
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

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

[Bob Schroeck]

what happens when you consume roasted seeds from these hybrids.

Why, you get a healthy glow, of course.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Feinan]

*chuckle* First off - I love the various ideas for what the seeds/sunflower oil can do. Definitely some fun thoughts there. And glowing French fries have got
to have a market SOMEwhere in Fenspace. Quite possibly Kandor, if you can figure out a way to make green ones. Food coloring, maybe? I'm sure Kryptonite
Fries would be a big hit....

You know, I have to wonder how Daneside biologists and such react to the Jason's creations. I'm sure there's a lab somewhere where they're
desperately sequencing their DNA, trying to figure out how the hell such things are possible.

In response to this...is it wrong of me to hope that they greet each new creation with whimpers and pullings of hair? *snicker* Though gods
know, the gene-pool will never be the same after the Jason gets done with it. I'll provide them with stuff to work on for the next few
centuries...especially if they manage to isolate some of the more 'interesting' genes.




Finally...all of the talk about food got me to thinking. So you lot are at least partly responsible for THESE...






Pie Trees



The first of this line was created for some Xanth fans, and has been slowly expanded by the Jason as he has time. He was asked to create a
pie tree similar to those described in the Xanth novels. While these aren't quite the same, they're close enough that the requesting fans were
satisfied.


Dwarf trees suitable for potting, these plants are about five to six feet tall when mature. Another everbearing type, they usually have five or six
'ripe' pies at any one time - not enough to feed a large party, but handy for snacking or a meal for a small group of friends. The tree actually
fruits large half-moon pods that turn bright red when ripe. When a ripe pod is plucked from a tree, a chemical process is triggered that heats the contents
of the pod, baking it. The heat also causes the pod's shell to thin/become papery, and it splits open when the pie is ready. The ready-to-eat pie is a
sealed half-moon, with the pastry holding one of a number of different fillings, depending on the tree variety. Pods that are not plucked will turn brown
when they are no longer edible, and shrink and harden. These dried pods can be planted to grow a new tree.


There are currently several different varieties of pie-trees available, one filling type per tree. Currently available trees include steak-and-mushroom,
chicken pot pie, apple, pecan, cherry, peach, and blackberry. The Jason is also willing to take requests to try and create a specific new variety.






Roasting Corn



Roasting corn stalks rarely hit more than five feet high, and can be grown in pots. They are everbearing, with several ripe ears available
at a time. The ears are enclosed in a pod rather than husks, and turn bright red like pie-tree pods when ripe. When plucked, they also self-heat, roasting
the contents. The pod will become more husk-like as the corn roasts, and will split apart when the corn is done to reveal a roasted ear of corn that is
dripping in butter. Several small nodules at the base of the corn pod contain salt crystals; crush them between your fingers to pulverise the salt and split
the nodules open partway so that the salt can be sprinkled on the roasted corn. As with most of the Jason's everbearing plants, the pods will turn brown
and dry out when no longer edible, and at that point can be planted to grow a new plant. Roasting corn also usually bears one or two ears that are in husks,
not in pods. These can be pollinated, allowed to ripen, and then dried for seed corn - to more rapidly produce roasting corn plants, as well as to provide a
means for cross-breeding experiments and introducing new qualities without further biomodding.


Note: Yes, the Jason is looking into self-popping popcorn as well, but hasn't gotten a version that quite works...yet.




Heh - again...this is all the fault of you lot. Enjoy.

[robkelk]

Though gods know, the gene-pool will never be the same after the Jason gets done with it.

"The Jason quickly took a dive into the Terran gene pool, and hasn't come up for air yet."
- Who's Who in Fenspace, 2011 edition

Note: Yes, the Jason is looking into self-popping popcorn as well, but hasn't gotten a version that quite works...yet.

"Oh, I can help with that."

"No, Kohran. Jason said self-popping, not self-exploding."

"It's the same thing!"

Yayoi sweatdropped. "In the same way that a stick of TNT and a kaboomite warhead are the same thing, I suppose."

"Exactly! I'm glad you agree!"

After that, it'll take the Word of Noah to keep Kohran away from the project. That, and a promise that he'd ask the Jason for some "pineapple" grenades for her. (Note that he isn't promising that the Jason will succeed, or even try, just that he'll ask...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Duane Peters]

I just want to know: are you mellow and have the munchies occasionally after eating a pot pie?

[Feinan]

*snickers at the pot pie idea* No...though as a means of getting the drug lord after his services off his back, the Jason did once threaten to turn
Cannabis into cannibals...saying it'd give a whole new meaning to getting a case of the munchies from marijuana. I SO desperately need to write
that scene up. Full-blown mad scientist rant from the Jason....and the drug lord learns why you don't threaten mad scientists if you want to stay healthy.

*laugh* Um....you might not like the result if you ask the Jason that, Noah. He'd already be trying to do it if he thought he could work around the
weapons-lock on handwavium. He might still be playing with it. I'm not a huge fan of Xanth, but it occupies me for an hour or two of reading, and I've
been reading Piers Anthony since I was in middle school. I'd love to create pineapples and cherry bombs.

[Norgarth]

Well, you could hav Pineapples/Cherry Bombs with slapstick effects easily enough, mostly concussion wave and far more spattered juice/pulp than should fit in
the fruit. (Sorta like those 'Gushers' commercials)
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

[Black Aeronaut]

In regards to suggestions for pies...

---

Regina Langley-Rhodes watched her husband as he rubbed his hands together gleefully while waiting for the crew of the Blue Midget to finish unloading the crates. She knew that he had placed a 'special order' with The Jason a few months back, but that was all she knew about this special delivery.

"Momma, what's Poppa doing?" asked Mayonaka.

Gina eyed her daughter. "You never saw him do that before?"

"I have," replied the dark-angelic girl slowly, "but I never figured out why."

"Ahh," said Gina, thus enlightened. "He's just anticipating something that he's really looking forward to, though I'll be damned if I could figure out what it is. Your Poppa's a weird guy like that."

"But we love him anyways!" added Mayonaka cheerfully.

Gina shook her head with a rueful smile and sighed. "Yeah, we sure do."

Finally, the last crate was unloaded, the inventory double-checked, and the crew of the Blue Midget was bid a good day before they left.

"Okay, Ben," said Gina as she and Mayonaka approached him. "What did you get this time?"

Ben only grinned as he tossed a crow-bar up, letting it spin a few times before catching it. "Let me show ya. Don't know if you'll like it though. It's not one of those things that's really popular." Mayonaka and Gina looked at each other and shrugged while Ben got busy cracking open the shipping crate. Soon enough, he had it open.

"A Pie Tree?" said Gina, arching an eyebrow. "I don't know whether to be interested or very afraid."

"I would hope for interested," said Ben. "Let's get this guy situated and we can go ahead and try one."

---

Later, they were all in their quarters just finishing up dinner when the pie-pod sitting on a hot-pad on the counter split open of its own accord. "Pie's ready!" said Ben cheerfully as he got up to get the dessert plates. Soon enough, Gina and Mayonaka were both looking at slices of pie with a pinkish filling.

"It's Rhubarb Pie," said Ben. "The flavor is supposed to be very tart and tangy, but it's also sweet, too. It's my Dad's favorite - he introduced us all to it back when we used to live in Washington State. I ordered another tree for him as well - he's probably enjoying it now, though I don't know how it compares to his family's recipe - at least not yet." Ben punctuated that remark by jabbing his fork into the pie and scooping out a bit. He paused to take in the aroma, then promptly put it into his mouth. The result was a contented sound from deep in his throat.

"Now that," he said after he swallowed, "is some good rhubarb pie." He then took in Gina and Mayonaka's curious stares, which caused him to grin. "Well, don't just take my word for it. Try it yourselves."

Mayonaka and Gina looked at each other, and Mayonaka shrugged as though to say, Eh, what could it hurt? The two then turned back to the pie and both tried tentative bites. Mayonaka's reaction was a close-mouth peal of delight - she was still getting used to different foods - and she began to devour her serving with fervor.

Gina's eyebrows shot up. "Now that is different," she said once she swallowed. "I like it."

Ben only smiled and enjoyed his own pie, happy to have one of the few bits of his childhood that he actually enjoyed back in his life. The fact that he could share it with his wife and daughter just made it that much better. Now, he thought to himself as he watched Mayonaka suddenly rush the counter for a second helping, if only I can keep her from eating too much of that stuff. She's gonna be bouncing off the walls tonight if she keeps it up. Sometimes I regret it was me she got her genes from.

---

That's right.  Little Mayo-chan is prone to hyperactivity.  Just like dear old Dad.  Good thing she's got all her uncles around to wear her down by teaching her things like Taijutsu, mechanics, and magic.  (It's gonna be really fun when she learns the art of Bad-Ass from her Grandpa - the fact that his biomod turned him into a Romulan helps a lot in that respect.)

[LynnInDenver]

Let it be known The Jason has to have at least one JMC Blue Midget specifically assigned to shipping product from him.

We may have to arrange a deal or something in a decade when the Next Big Project comes up for the JMC. *grin*
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[robkelk]

Well, you could hav Pineapples/Cherry Bombs

Did somebody say "http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyle ... index.html]cherry bomb"? Yum... and I suppose one might be able to adapt that to pineapples, with a lot of work.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012