LIU Atlas - Laceratus
There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.
LIU Atlas - Laceratus
The Ludgonian Industrial Union's galaxy contains billions of stars and billions of planets. Unfortunately, most residents of the LIU could only name a handful of these worlds. In order to improve astronomy grades across the LIU, TV2 has started a new program called LIU Atlas. Follow our host, Terrance McDoogal, as he takes you on a tour across the LIU and some of its more obscure worlds.
Note: This episode is presented in full screen. The corresponding dialogue is underneath each photo.
LIU Atlas - Laceratus
The Ludgonian Industrial Union's galaxy contains billions of stars and billions of planets. Unfortunately, most residents of the LIU could only name a handful of these worlds. In order to improve astronomy grades across the LIU, TV2 has started a new program called LIU Atlas. Follow our host, Terrance McDoogal, as he takes you on a tour across the LIU and some of its more obscure worlds.
Note: This episode is presented in full screen. The corresponding dialogue is underneath each photo.
Doog: “Welcome to another episode of LIU Atlas. I’m your host, Terrance “Doog” McDoogal. Today, were visiting the doomed moon, Laceratus. Laceratus’s orbit is declining and it is fast approaching its planet’s Roche Limit. After this limit is broached, Laceratus will break up and form a ring around the planet. For right now, Laceratus is still intact, but tidal forces are starting to take effect. As one side of the moon accelerates faster towards the planet, the moon is literally being torn in two. Despite these hopeless conditions, Laceratus is inhabited.”
Doog: “Alright folks, I’ve been dropped off on Laceratus’s surface. The tidal forces breaking the moon apart have turned the moon’s surface into a volcanic wasteland. It’s boiling hot here, and the air is laden with toxic gases. I’ve been forced to wear a heat suit for my safety. Ah, this seems to be my guide.”
Adolebat: “Welcome to Laceratus, Doog. I am Adolebat, Director of the Laceratus Mining Corporation.”
Doog: “How are you breathing? I thought the air here is toxic.”
Adolebat: “I’m a cyborg - part man, part machine. My lungs were burned in an explosion of volcanic gas, and now I have artificial, mechanical lungs that filter out toxins. You see, I’ve lost most of my human body working on this dangerous hellhole. Molten lava is bubbling everywhere, earthquakes rock the crust every few hours, and volcanoes erupt with little notice. A man doesn’t stay whole here for a long time.”
Doog: “Well folks, that about wraps it up. I’ll see ya next time. I don’t get paid enough to leave any part of myself here. Heck, I’d cry for a week if my mustache gets singed.”
Adolebat: “Relax. We’ll try to stick to the more stable areas of the moon. Your heat suit should protect you from most dangers.”
Doog: “We’ll see. So, what’s going on here? Why put your life a risk?”
Doog: “How are you breathing? I thought the air here is toxic.”
Adolebat: “I’m a cyborg - part man, part machine. My lungs were burned in an explosion of volcanic gas, and now I have artificial, mechanical lungs that filter out toxins. You see, I’ve lost most of my human body working on this dangerous hellhole. Molten lava is bubbling everywhere, earthquakes rock the crust every few hours, and volcanoes erupt with little notice. A man doesn’t stay whole here for a long time.”
Doog: “Well folks, that about wraps it up. I’ll see ya next time. I don’t get paid enough to leave any part of myself here. Heck, I’d cry for a week if my mustache gets singed.”
Adolebat: “Relax. We’ll try to stick to the more stable areas of the moon. Your heat suit should protect you from most dangers.”
Doog: “We’ll see. So, what’s going on here? Why put your life a risk?”
Adolebat: “Because here on Laceratus, we mine precious metals. Metals that are worth billions of credits.”
Doog: “Surely there are safer places to mine metals?”
Adolebat: “Not in this abundance. When a planet or moon forms, the heavier elements, like precious metals, are pulled towards the center of the body. The stuff you find on the surface, or crust, are just metals deposited after the body forms, usually from asteroids, meteors, and comets striking the body. However, here on Laceratus we’ve been given a unique opportunity. The heavier elements in the mantle and core are being brought to the surface by the volcanic activity. We are practically mining this moon’s core.”
Doog: “So this little lava pool is made up of molten metals from the core?”
Adolebat: “No, this is just a minor pool probably made up of silica, calcium, and aluminum in the crust. The good stuff is closer to where the planet is being pulled apart. Follow me.”
Doog: “Surely there are safer places to mine metals?”
Adolebat: “Not in this abundance. When a planet or moon forms, the heavier elements, like precious metals, are pulled towards the center of the body. The stuff you find on the surface, or crust, are just metals deposited after the body forms, usually from asteroids, meteors, and comets striking the body. However, here on Laceratus we’ve been given a unique opportunity. The heavier elements in the mantle and core are being brought to the surface by the volcanic activity. We are practically mining this moon’s core.”
Doog: “So this little lava pool is made up of molten metals from the core?”
Adolebat: “No, this is just a minor pool probably made up of silica, calcium, and aluminum in the crust. The good stuff is closer to where the planet is being pulled apart. Follow me.”
Adolebat: “As we get closer to the ‘tear’, the landscape starts to transform. Molten rivers of lava flow from the tear. Don’t get too close. These rivers are unpredictable.”
Doog: “Apparently that guy didn’t get the memo. What’s he doing?”
Adolebat: “Ah, looks like we have a freelancer.”
Doog: “Freelancer?”
Adolebat: “Someone not under the employ of the Laceratus Mining Corporation. The promise of riches is too powerful for some to resist. They come here, usually ill-equipped, and attempt to strike gold.”
Adolebat: “Ah, looks like we have a freelancer.”
Doog: “Freelancer?”
Adolebat: “Someone not under the employ of the Laceratus Mining Corporation. The promise of riches is too powerful for some to resist. They come here, usually ill-equipped, and attempt to strike gold.”
Doog: “Isn’t that illegal? It’s like stealing from the LIU.”
Adolebat: “I’m sure it is, but I’m not really worried about it. Most get themselves killed, and those who survive don’t usually make much profit. The lava rivers are a little richer in metals than the pools, but still nothing compared to the tear itself. Let‘s continue.”
Doog: “Yeah, I‘m not sure I want to see this guy burn alive.”
Adolebat: “I’m sure it is, but I’m not really worried about it. Most get themselves killed, and those who survive don’t usually make much profit. The lava rivers are a little richer in metals than the pools, but still nothing compared to the tear itself. Let‘s continue.”
Doog: “Yeah, I‘m not sure I want to see this guy burn alive.”
Adolebat: “Here it is. The tear.”
Doog: “It’s like an endless see of lava!”
Adolebat: “Yes. This molten band encircles the planet. It is the result of the two hemispheres pulling apart. We’ll need to get a bit closer. Be cautious. Everything is unstable here. Volcanoes erupt here regularly.”
Doog: “It’s like an endless see of lava!”
Adolebat: “Yes. This molten band encircles the planet. It is the result of the two hemispheres pulling apart. We’ll need to get a bit closer. Be cautious. Everything is unstable here. Volcanoes erupt here regularly.”
Adolebat: “This is one of our personal transports. It will take us - one at a time- to our mining station in the tear.”
Doog: “There’s a station in the tear?”
Adolebat: “Yes, a floating city in the middle of the molten sea. It’s safer than it sounds. Come on. You first.”
Doog: “There’s a station in the tear?”
Adolebat: “Yes, a floating city in the middle of the molten sea. It’s safer than it sounds. Come on. You first.”
Doog: “Wow, this is some first class air conditioning in here.”
Adolebat: “See you on the platform.”
Adolebat: “See you on the platform.”
Doog: “The Laceratus Mining Corporation is based out of a station that floats on the viscous, superheated lava sea. That’s where we are headed.”
Doog: “I’ve landed on the station. I guess I’ll wait here for Adolebat.”
Adolebat: “Ah, we’ve both made it safe. Shall we head inside.”
Doog: “You don’t have to ask me twice. Standing on a narrow catwalk over a blistering hot lava sea is a little unnerving.”
Doog: “You don’t have to ask me twice. Standing on a narrow catwalk over a blistering hot lava sea is a little unnerving.”
Adolebat: “Welcome to our little mining station. This is our main control room.”
Doog: “It would be easier to see without this stupid helmet. Is it safe to take it off?”
Adolebat: “Sure, but…”
Doog: “It would be easier to see without this stupid helmet. Is it safe to take it off?”
Adolebat: “Sure, but…”
Adolebat: “…keep it close. If the thermal shielding fails, this station will turn into an oven.”
Doog: “Thermal shielding?”
Doog: “Thermal shielding?”
Adolebat: “Yes, this station has an extensive shield system that repels heat energy. Without it, the lava below us would heat this station to critical levels. The infrastructure would begin to bend and melt, and structural integrity would be lost. We monitor the shielding from this control room. We also control the fire suppression systems and air conditioning from this room.”
Adolebat: “Come on. Let’s take the elevator up to the processing level.”
Doog: “An elevator…are you sure there isn’t some stairs or mile high ladder? I never get off this easy.”
Doog: “An elevator…are you sure there isn’t some stairs or mile high ladder? I never get off this easy.”
Adolebat: “Sniff, sniff…”
Adolebat: “Tell me you didn’t unleash one in the elevator! We have another forty five seconds in this thing! It smells like a dead animal that’s rotted in the colon of a Kaadu!”
Doog: “Sorry. I’ve been holding it in forever. I couldn’t let it loose out in the fiery wasteland…I might have caused an explosion or something!”
Adolebat: “Why couldn’t my nose have been melted off…uhhh! Now, if we can make it to the processing area without succumbing to asphyxiation, you’ll need to put your helmet back on. It’s about to get warm.”
Doog: “I may want to put it on anyway, just to get some oxygen flowing.”
Doog: “Sorry. I’ve been holding it in forever. I couldn’t let it loose out in the fiery wasteland…I might have caused an explosion or something!”
Adolebat: “Why couldn’t my nose have been melted off…uhhh! Now, if we can make it to the processing area without succumbing to asphyxiation, you’ll need to put your helmet back on. It’s about to get warm.”
Doog: “I may want to put it on anyway, just to get some oxygen flowing.”
Adolebat: “Pure, molten lava straight from the moon’s mantle and core are pumped up here to the processing area. Resonance beams separate the molten fluid into its various elemental forms. The pure liquid elements are then poured into cooling chambers. As you can see, sample are taken to confirm the lava’s purity. This, Doog, is pure molten gold.”
Doog: “Gold!”
Adolebat: “Yes. We are extracting tons of valuable metals from the ‘tear’: gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. These valuable elements are scarce in a planet or moon’s crust because they are heavy enough to sink towards the center of the body during its formation.”
Doog: “Gold!”
Adolebat: “Yes. We are extracting tons of valuable metals from the ‘tear’: gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. These valuable elements are scarce in a planet or moon’s crust because they are heavy enough to sink towards the center of the body during its formation.”
Adolebat: “This is our quality control room. The nuggets of gold are inspected for impurities. They are then sorted by size.”
Doog: “Yeah, some of these look impure. Maybe I should just take them with me. I’ll toss them back in the lava sea on my way out.”
Adolebat: “Fat chance.”
Adolebat: “Fat chance.”
Doog: “Well folks, Laceratus is an interesting place…at least…for now. A hundred years from now, Laceratus will suffer an unavoidable destruction. Its fate is sealed. But, in the meantime, the molten slice of hell supplies unimaginable quantities of precious metals, including gold. See ya.”
Note:
The Roche limit is the distance within which a celestial body, held together only by its own gravity, will disintegrate due to a second celestial body's tidal forces exceeding the first body's gravitational self-attraction. Inside the Roche limit, orbiting material will tend to disperse and form rings, while outside the limit, material will tend to coalesce.
CLICK HERE FOR NEXT EPISODE: Season 5 - Episode 10 - Anulus Pomarii Belt
Note:
The Roche limit is the distance within which a celestial body, held together only by its own gravity, will disintegrate due to a second celestial body's tidal forces exceeding the first body's gravitational self-attraction. Inside the Roche limit, orbiting material will tend to disperse and form rings, while outside the limit, material will tend to coalesce.
CLICK HERE FOR NEXT EPISODE: Season 5 - Episode 10 - Anulus Pomarii Belt
