Born 2070, died 2174.
Aakash Hryken (Jonathan’s father) was a renowned 22nd century industrialist eager to take to the stars.
Aakash was the first qualified player to bet Mark Heisson’s jump drive would succeed, and he founded Maecenas as a separate space exploration and colonization enterprise.
Maecenas was the first to develop a complete exploration fleet:
star-tracking exploration ship, colony transports, colony cargo transports.
Aakash had long-lead elements of this fleet standing by waiting for delivery of jump drive hardware.
Mark Heisson had already developed the matter annihilation power plant and shield drive, technologies necessary for jump drive.
Mark encouraged Aakash and others to have exploration fleets standing by providing jump drive interface specifications.
2127, Mark successfully demonstrated jump drive initiating the interstellar space race.
Heisson Aeronautics delivered Class-3, C4, and C5 sized jump drive units on a ship-by-ship basis.
Ships passing Mark’s threshold for readiness went to the top of his list.
Only Maecenas had C4 and C5 ships standing by making Maecenas the first to receive large transport class jump hardware.
Maecenas would have a heavy transport fleet ready before anyone else, but a number of competitors had C3 exploration ships standing by.
Maecenas found itself at the back of the line for these critical C3 units.
Aakash took this time to assemble a coalition of independents to handle the challenges ahead.
The Independent Exploration Consortium had the resources and skills to push colonization beyond Sol.
Maecenas discovered Nimbus (11-2137) and Gator (1-2141); both worlds suitable for colonization.
The Maecenas colonization fleet swung into action while the exploration ship continued on, looking for an even better world.
Maecenas focused on exploration (discovery, survey, through basecamp settlement).
Maecenas transport fleet brought independent corporations with colonization skills to Gator.
These corporations remained independent (rather than being absorbed as on the other trunk-lines).
Gator became the hub for independent off-world conglomerates.
Maecenas found White Seed, a near ideal world in 4-2146.
Aakash moved the apex tier of Maecenas to White Seed basecamp in 2149.
Aakash moved to White Seed sharing the dangers and austere conditions.
He considered the expanding colony the culmination of his empire.
2163, Aakash (92 YO) returned to Earth to oversee his earthbound empire.
Aakash remained a Starguild Councilman representing the Nimbus trunk line.
Jonathan had been groomed to lead Maecenas.
Blessed with exceptional charisma and leadership he was a principal board member (2150) long before he became CEO (2160).
Aakash and Jonathan targeted for removal:
Aakash and Jonathan’s opposition to the Council in the 2150’s and 2160’s instigated plans to remove them.
Both openly opposed the caste system in the mid 2150’s.
Aakash was a strong voice on the Council with growing support throughout the Starguild.
He was the only Councilman opposing the caste mandate in 2156.
The Council demanded a unanimous vote for the caste system.
Aakash was warned there would be consequences if he voted against.
Caste system passed with 1 dissenting vote (Aakash) in 2156.
One dissenting vote left the possibility it could be overturned.
Many corporations used that possibility as an excuse to delay implementation.
Council knew that breaking the Hryken faction would induce others to follow.
The Council rallied and imposed the caste mandate on Whalen’s Reach in 2163.
This was during the 2nd Corporate Wars.
Overextended by the war, the Council could not take direct action on the Reach.
But the threat forced Jonathan to comply.
Maecenas implementation of the Caste Ruling on Whalen’s Reach (2163):
Jonathan adopted the caste system by making all members of the Maecenas payroll on the Reach Starcaste.
By 2171, Jonathan was desperately fighting to meet the demands of his caste implementation.
Each year, Starcaste entitlements grew, the Starcaste pulling ahead of the other castes.
Maecenas lacked the means to treat both its star-tech and base-tech employees as Starcaste.
Aakash’s Earth based empire was sold to cover Jonathan’s caste implementation 2167 to 2174.
Maecenas failure on the Reach demonstrated “not everyone could or should be Starcaste.”
The Council was happy to let Maecenas failure run its course.
2174, Aakash dies on Earth (103 YO); his only regret, missing White Seed.
Jonathan was not able to attend the funeral.
Only the original Hryken estate was left on Earth.
2176, Starguild confiscated all Hryken properties.
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