Carl's World (0336 Diaspora B567844-B)

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Carl's World (0336 Diaspora B567844-B): First claimed and settled during the Terran expansion by geologist-prospector-entrepreneur Carl Sickles, this mineral-rich world quickly became a source of raw materials for the coreward Terran expansion. The world became well-known for its vast supplies of unusually large quartz crystals which appeared very close to the surface and were often exposed by river channels. These crystals were useful for industrial purposes, but also became a tourist attraction, attracting thousands each year to ride rafts through Prism Valley.

Although the mineral deposits would last long past his lifetime, Sickles knew that they would eventually be played out, and wanted to ensure that his world would have lasting value. He began planning to gradually convert the world to a planet-sized amusement park, continent by continent, as each was exhausted of its mineral wealth. Today, 3300 years later, mining still continues, but several large theme areas have been created, including a small continent devoted entirely to genetically engineered dinosaurs from Terra's Mesozoic era. The most popular attraction on the world is the floating crystals. These flying crystalline mountains are each equipped with a central anti-gravity drive, power plant, and several weeks of fuel. They are used by most visitors as flying houseboats to leisurely cruise the skies of the world at a maximum speed of 30 kph, and can be rented in one of three configurations: pre-programmed to fly a certain course to various of the planet's tourist sites, with full controls to allow passengers to fly them wherever they like, or with no directional controls at all, so they float free on the wind.

Larger models are also available for group package tours and executive conferences. -AGD