Chapter 3: Building the Transfer Pod

Now that Jason had some information about the process of translating between probability levels and what to expect in some of them he began making plans for a transfer pod which would be large enough to carry him between levels. While he had some idea of what he might encounter during a transfer he thought it would be prudent to be as prepared as possible for anything he might encounter. To this end he set to work designing and building a suitable vehicle which would allow him to visit and explore the new territories he had discovered.

The first consideration Jason needed to make was the possibility there wouldn't be any air or perhaps the atmosphere would be un-breathable. To counter this possibility he would need to make something that could be sealed and which would carry its own air supply. He would also need some means to test the air to ensure it was breathable before he exited the pod. While his earlier animal tests indicated there was breathable air in the nodes he had sent them to, Jason wanted to be sure he was prepared if he encountered a node that was different.

Jason started searching the local junk yards for anything that might be useful for constructing his transfer pod. He was fortunate to discover sitting in a salvage yard a trailer which had formerly been part of a propane delivery truck which he decided would be perfect for the main pressure hull. After carefully examining the tank to ensure it would at least hold an atmosphere of pressure Jason bought the tank and had it delivered to his workshop. To the outside of the pod he attached compressed air and water tanks to store air and water.

Once Jason had the pressure hull for his vehicle he began by using a powered wire brush to remove the accumulated dirt, rust, and old paint. Next he welded on a set of metal skids which would support the transfer pod when it was not translating between different probability nodes. Finally he cut an opening in the side large enough for Jason to squeeze through to get inside. To this opening Jason fitted and attached an airtight door. He also cut several smaller holes in which he placed thick Plexiglas windows which would allow him to see outside the pod independently of the video cameras he also planned to use for external viewing.

Inside the tank Jason welded flat metal plates a quarter of the way up from the bottom to provide a flat floor with the empty space under the floor for storage and mounting certain equipment. Next he installed a metal control panel at one end with a comfortable office chair bolted to the floor. A large flat panel television along with a smaller backup provided a means for monitoring the cameras which would provide a view of the outside.

For the ventilation system of the pod he installed plumbing for two different methods of ensuring fresh breathable air inside the pod. For those occasions when he was sure of the quality of the air outside he has a simple blower which pulled air in from the outside, with the waste air then being exhausted to the outside through a second port. For situations where the quality of the outside air was uncertain he had a simple system which slowly released compressed air into the cabin which then was exhausted from through the same exhaust port. The ventilation system was controlled by a switch and two valves mounted on his control panel.

In the other half of the tank Jason installed a metal shelf for use as a bunk if he needed to sleep inside on longer expeditions. Below this he installed several lockers which would store food and other supplies he might need during a trip. There was room for almost a month worth of food and other supplies in the storage area allocated for it. While he wasn't contemplating making any trips of that length at the moment, it seemed prudent to lay in a significant reserve in case something unexpected happened.

On the exterior of the pod Jason carefully wound the same type of coils he had used for the initial units, except in this case they were much larger. He was very careful to ensure every part of the tank and exterior fittings were inside the field created by the coils, so that nothing would be cut off and left behind when he made his first translation. He installed a set of rechargeable batteries inside the tank to power the circuit, with a second backup battery of equal size that he could switch in to replace it if needed. A third, even larger battery provides power for his interior lights and other equipment.