There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.
LIU Atlas - Amplecti System
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 Galaxy, 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.
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, we’re visiting the Amplecti System, a set of binary asteroids in the Opifex Sector. These asteroids, Eurydice and Orpheus, orbit each other as they orbit their star. Their gravitational embrace is now permanent due to artificial structures linking them together. These structures are home to a mining colony. Let’s head inside and check it out.”
Doog: “Alright folks, I’m inside a mining facility on the asteroid, Eurydice. I can immediately tell that this place doesn’t have a lot of funding. It’s too cold in here. I’m guessing that proper heating must be too expensive. And, I can feel the asteroids’ spin, meaning there’s insufficient inertia dampeners.”
Doog: “Also, all the people I’ve run across look like this guy. Are you my guide?”
Guy: “D’pends. What’s it pay?”
Doog: “It pays nothing. You show me around out of the goodness of your heart.”
Guy: “Sounds too similar to my current job. And…yer uglier than my current co-workers. So, I’m a gonna pass. Good luck finding someone, dirtball.”
Doog: “Hey! Who are you calling a dirtball?!”
Guy: “D’pends. What’s it pay?”
Doog: “It pays nothing. You show me around out of the goodness of your heart.”
Guy: “Sounds too similar to my current job. And…yer uglier than my current co-workers. So, I’m a gonna pass. Good luck finding someone, dirtball.”
Doog: “Hey! Who are you calling a dirtball?!”
DK: “Calm down. Calm down. He means no offense. Dirtball is a term of endearment around here. The dirt miners call each other dirtballs.”
Doog: “So you wouldn’t be offended if I called you a ‘dirtball’?”
DK: “I wouldn’t be too offended, although technically, I’m the Dirt King.”
Doog: “Dirt King?”
DK: “Yes. I’m Aristaeus, head of the mining operations on Amplecti System. Everyone calls me Dirt King or D.K. for short.”
Doog: “I’m in the presence of dirt royalty, huh? I’m not sure if I should be impressed.”
DK: “There’s not a lot of upward mobility in the dirt mines, so, for me to reach the pinnacle, I would say that’s impressive. Speaking of being on top, let’s get this tour started. I don’t have much time.”
Doog: “So you wouldn’t be offended if I called you a ‘dirtball’?”
DK: “I wouldn’t be too offended, although technically, I’m the Dirt King.”
Doog: “Dirt King?”
DK: “Yes. I’m Aristaeus, head of the mining operations on Amplecti System. Everyone calls me Dirt King or D.K. for short.”
Doog: “I’m in the presence of dirt royalty, huh? I’m not sure if I should be impressed.”
DK: “There’s not a lot of upward mobility in the dirt mines, so, for me to reach the pinnacle, I would say that’s impressive. Speaking of being on top, let’s get this tour started. I don’t have much time.”
DK: “There’s two mining stations in the Amplecti System. There’s a facility on both Eurydice and Orpheus. Each facility can hold twenty thousand workers, but neither is at capacity at this moment. The number of workers present depends on the labor demands of the rest of the Opifex Sector.”
Doog: “How so?”
DK: “As you may or may not know, the Opifex Sector is a collection of approximately one hundred highly industrialized worlds in close proximity. A centralized hub, known as the Otiosus Station, coordinates labor exchanges between these worlds.”
Doog: “Yeah. I’ve been there. They move workers around. Demand goes down on one world, the workers are picked up and taken to a planet with labor shortages.”
DK: “Exactly. There’s a catch though. Sometimes, there’s not another planet for the workers to go. When there are extra workers with no where to go, they come here. Think of the Amplecti System as the Opifex Labor Overflow.”
Doog: “We have nothing for you to do, so go dig dirt.”
DK: “More or less.”
Doog: “How so?”
DK: “As you may or may not know, the Opifex Sector is a collection of approximately one hundred highly industrialized worlds in close proximity. A centralized hub, known as the Otiosus Station, coordinates labor exchanges between these worlds.”
Doog: “Yeah. I’ve been there. They move workers around. Demand goes down on one world, the workers are picked up and taken to a planet with labor shortages.”
DK: “Exactly. There’s a catch though. Sometimes, there’s not another planet for the workers to go. When there are extra workers with no where to go, they come here. Think of the Amplecti System as the Opifex Labor Overflow.”
Doog: “We have nothing for you to do, so go dig dirt.”
DK: “More or less.”
DK: “Regolith and dirt have many uses, from farming to construction. Generally, it’s cheaper to
acquire dirt from your own planet. It costs too much to have it shipped in.”
Doog: “No one wants to pay too much for dirt. Got it.”
DK: “Yes. The Amplecti System has a few advantages though. Its weak gravity well means there’s a lower escape velocity for cargo ships. There’s little shipping cost. Also, we have access to low wage workers. We can sell dirt for profit.”
Doog: “Lucky you. I feel for these not so lucky workers, though.”
DK: “It’s not an ideal job, but it’s better than being unemployed. Besides, most of the workers are here temporarily. If they work hard here, they’ll get shipped elsewhere when a spot opens up.”
acquire dirt from your own planet. It costs too much to have it shipped in.”
Doog: “No one wants to pay too much for dirt. Got it.”
DK: “Yes. The Amplecti System has a few advantages though. Its weak gravity well means there’s a lower escape velocity for cargo ships. There’s little shipping cost. Also, we have access to low wage workers. We can sell dirt for profit.”
Doog: “Lucky you. I feel for these not so lucky workers, though.”
DK: “It’s not an ideal job, but it’s better than being unemployed. Besides, most of the workers are here temporarily. If they work hard here, they’ll get shipped elsewhere when a spot opens up.”
Doog: “Yeah, but it looks like they live in squalor while they’re here. The rooms don’t even have doors.”
DK: “Housing is meant to be temporary. We don’t want workers getting settled in or personalizing the dorm.”
Doog: “I didn’t know doors were “personalization’.”
DK: “Sigh. We also need to be cheap. We have a very small profit window.”
Doog: “Speaking of cheap, this spin sensation is giving me nausea. Turn up the inertia dampeners.”
DK: “Very small profit window. Very small. You’ll get used to the spin. Everyone does.”
DK: “Housing is meant to be temporary. We don’t want workers getting settled in or personalizing the dorm.”
Doog: “I didn’t know doors were “personalization’.”
DK: “Sigh. We also need to be cheap. We have a very small profit window.”
Doog: “Speaking of cheap, this spin sensation is giving me nausea. Turn up the inertia dampeners.”
DK: “Very small profit window. Very small. You’ll get used to the spin. Everyone does.”
DK: “This is the airlock. Workers prep here before entering Eurydice.”
Doog: “Entering?”
DK: “Yeah, we don’t mine the surface. We’re mining the asteroid from the inside.”
Doog: “Why?”
DK: “It’s cheaper. Workers don’t need full environmental suits. We keep the inside pressurized, so they just need rebreathers. Rebreathers are cheap. We also have a community system where the rebreathers are shared. At the end of your shift, you hand off your rebreather to the next worker.”
Doog: “Ew, nasty.”
DK: “It can be. Face herpes is prevalent here.”
Doog: “Entering?”
DK: “Yeah, we don’t mine the surface. We’re mining the asteroid from the inside.”
Doog: “Why?”
DK: “It’s cheaper. Workers don’t need full environmental suits. We keep the inside pressurized, so they just need rebreathers. Rebreathers are cheap. We also have a community system where the rebreathers are shared. At the end of your shift, you hand off your rebreather to the next worker.”
Doog: “Ew, nasty.”
DK: “It can be. Face herpes is prevalent here.”
DK: “Well, let’s get suited up.”
Doog: “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What about the face herpes?”
DK: “It’s a roll of the dice.”
Doog: “Ah, who am I kidding. The person using this after me has a lot more to worry about.”
Doog: “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What about the face herpes?”
DK: “It’s a roll of the dice.”
Doog: “Ah, who am I kidding. The person using this after me has a lot more to worry about.”
Doog: “I can smell the face herpes in this thing. Yuck!”
DK: “I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but I think that’s your breath.”
Doog: “I…uh…let’s start this tour.”
DK: “I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but I think that’s your breath.”
Doog: “I…uh…let’s start this tour.”
DK: “We’re now inside Eurydice.”
Doog: “Dang! It’s cold in here.”
DK: “Just give it a few minutes. When Eurydice spins towards its star, it’ll heat up.”
Doog: “Dang! You’re right. It’s hot in here.”
DK: “You’ll get used to the fluctuations eventually. Follow me.”
Doog: “Dang! It’s cold in here.”
DK: “Just give it a few minutes. When Eurydice spins towards its star, it’ll heat up.”
Doog: “Dang! You’re right. It’s hot in here.”
DK: “You’ll get used to the fluctuations eventually. Follow me.”
DK: “Each facility has three dorms, A, B, and C. Each dorm is connected to an internal cavern within the asteroids. We mine from within these caverns.”
Doog: “I can’t listen to you talk. The spin is getting worse.”
DK: “There’s almost no inertia dampeners inside the caverns. There’s little gravity too. Make sure you stay on this grav-path.”
Doog: “Grav-path?”
DK: “Yeah. The path is the only thing with artificial gravity.”
Doog: “I can’t listen to you talk. The spin is getting worse.”
DK: “There’s almost no inertia dampeners inside the caverns. There’s little gravity too. Make sure you stay on this grav-path.”
Doog: “Grav-path?”
DK: “Yeah. The path is the only thing with artificial gravity.”
Doog: “The Escher-like sidewalks are not helping the nausea.”
DK: “We have to make use of the low gravity. It allows us to mine Eurydice’s interior evenly.”
DK: “We have to make use of the low gravity. It allows us to mine Eurydice’s interior evenly.”
DK: “Watch out! There’s a mine train crossing!”
Doog: “I see it. I see it.”
DK: “You almost stepped right in front of it.”
Doog: “As bad as nausea is, I’m not suicidal…yet. I’m just a little dizzy.”
DK: “Maybe we should wrap this up.”
Doog: “No, it’s ok. I didn’t contract face herpes for half an episode. What are we seeing here?”
Doog: “I see it. I see it.”
DK: “You almost stepped right in front of it.”
Doog: “As bad as nausea is, I’m not suicidal…yet. I’m just a little dizzy.”
DK: “Maybe we should wrap this up.”
Doog: “No, it’s ok. I didn’t contract face herpes for half an episode. What are we seeing here?”
DK: “Just some standard dirt mining and a mine train carrying dirt.”
Doog: “How is the dirt staying in the cars without gravity?”
DK: “The same way you’re standing here. Artificial gravity.”
Doog: “Hmm. That’s good enough for me. Looks like we have a full episode now. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pass ou…”
Doog: “How is the dirt staying in the cars without gravity?”
DK: “The same way you’re standing here. Artificial gravity.”
Doog: “Hmm. That’s good enough for me. Looks like we have a full episode now. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to pass ou…”
Doog: “Whoa. Where am I?”
DK: “You passed out. I dragged you onto the mine train. We’ll be at Dorm B in a few minutes. We’ll get you out of the mine as soon as possible.”
Doog: “I feel a lot better already.”
DK: “I don’t think it was the spin, gravity, or temperature fluctuations. You didn’t have your oxygen turned up high enough. You were breathing too heavily for that low of a rate.”
Doog: “Oh, good. Being out of shape strikes again.”
DK: “You passed out. I dragged you onto the mine train. We’ll be at Dorm B in a few minutes. We’ll get you out of the mine as soon as possible.”
Doog: “I feel a lot better already.”
DK: “I don’t think it was the spin, gravity, or temperature fluctuations. You didn’t have your oxygen turned up high enough. You were breathing too heavily for that low of a rate.”
Doog: “Oh, good. Being out of shape strikes again.”
DK: “This is Dorm B. Just take the tunnel behind you back to the Mining Station.”
Doog: “You’re not coming with me?”
DK: “Nope. I have to get back to Dorm C. I’m going to take a short cut. Nice to meet you.”
Doog: “Wait, did you fix my regulator?!”
Doog: “You’re not coming with me?”
DK: “Nope. I have to get back to Dorm C. I’m going to take a short cut. Nice to meet you.”
Doog: “Wait, did you fix my regulator?!”
Doog: “And, he’s leaving. Great. Well folks, that’s the Amplecti System. There are two asteroids spinning around each other. Emphasis on the spinning. These asteroids have cheap dirt. Surplus workers, from around the Opifex Sector, are shipped here to mine dirt when they don’t have anything better to do. Now, it’s time for me to get back before I pass out again. See ya!”
Note: Doog passed out fourteen steps later, but was rescued by his fellow dirtballs. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Note: Doog passed out fourteen steps later, but was rescued by his fellow dirtballs. He is expected to make a full recovery.
