There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.
LIU Atlas - Pyxis
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 a Mid-Rim agricultural world called Pyxis. Pyxis is located along the Cibus Hyperspace Route, a route connecting several food producing worlds. Pyxis has a mixed terrain consisting of deserts, semi-arid highlands, and grassy plains. We’re being dropped off in a city that sits at the convergence of these three distinct environments. Let’s head on down.”
Doog: “Alright folks, this is the city of Wec. I think I’m saying that right. W-E-C. Wec. I don’t know. Wec is a relatively large city. Its population is somewhere around one hundred thousand. It looks like a standard city. There’s small businesses, restaurants, and large apartment complexes.”
Doog: “There’s also this guy spinning around a sign. It’s kind of mesmerizing. I’m not sure how effective the sign is though. Is the grocery store there or there? Is it up there in the sky? Oh, wait, it’s over there now.”
Boîte: “Beer belly, distinctive smell, and an antiquated microphone…you must be Doog.”
Doog: “Wow, that’s kind of offensive. I mean it’s true, but most people don’t come right out and say it.”
Boîte: “Sorry, that’s all they gave me to go on. And, you’re like the third person I’ve approached with that line. I’ve been slapped in the face twice – once by a very pregnant woman carrying a power converter. How am I supposed to know what an antiquated mic looks like?”
Doog: “Yikes. As offensive as that is for me, I can only imagine how she felt.”
Boîte: “Indeed. You are Doog, though? I don’t want to do this again."
Doog: “Yes. I’m Doog.”
Boîte: “Thank the Emperor. I’m Boîte. I’m the LIU’s media liaison on Pyxis. Admittedly, the title sounds cooler than it is. You’re literally the first media member I’ve dealt with. Most of the time, I work in the factory like everyone else.”
Doog: “Wow, that’s kind of offensive. I mean it’s true, but most people don’t come right out and say it.”
Boîte: “Sorry, that’s all they gave me to go on. And, you’re like the third person I’ve approached with that line. I’ve been slapped in the face twice – once by a very pregnant woman carrying a power converter. How am I supposed to know what an antiquated mic looks like?”
Doog: “Yikes. As offensive as that is for me, I can only imagine how she felt.”
Boîte: “Indeed. You are Doog, though? I don’t want to do this again."
Doog: “Yes. I’m Doog.”
Boîte: “Thank the Emperor. I’m Boîte. I’m the LIU’s media liaison on Pyxis. Admittedly, the title sounds cooler than it is. You’re literally the first media member I’ve dealt with. Most of the time, I work in the factory like everyone else.”
Doog: “Everyone here works in a factory?”
Boîte: “Three-quarters of them do. The others sell food, supplies, and services to meet the workers needs. The cities on Pyxis are often called Cannery Towns, because large portions of the population are employed by the canning factories. Each city is essentially built around a large cannery.”
Doog: “What’s a cannery? Is that the bird you take with you into a mine?”
Boîte: “No, that’s a canary. A cannery is factory where workers process food and store it in cans. The cans preserve the food, so it can be sold around the galaxy.”
Doog: “So, Wec is a city built around a can factory. Got it.”
Boîte: “Three-quarters of them do. The others sell food, supplies, and services to meet the workers needs. The cities on Pyxis are often called Cannery Towns, because large portions of the population are employed by the canning factories. Each city is essentially built around a large cannery.”
Doog: “What’s a cannery? Is that the bird you take with you into a mine?”
Boîte: “No, that’s a canary. A cannery is factory where workers process food and store it in cans. The cans preserve the food, so it can be sold around the galaxy.”
Doog: “So, Wec is a city built around a can factory. Got it.”
Boîte: "Exactly. Wec is actually an acronym. It means West End Cannery. All the cities on Pyxis have similar names. There’s Cavec or the Confidence Valley Cannery. Mec, the Mountain East Cannery. Pec, the Polar…”
Doog: “I think we get it. No need to name all the towns on Pyxis.”
Boîte: “Fair enough. I was just trying to drive home the fact that all the cities on Pyxis revolve around canneries.”
Doog: “Oh, you drove it home. Cannery Towns all over. Got it.”
Boîte: “Each town is positioned near a convergence of Pyxis’ three environments. This way, the factories are able to can the various products from each region.”
Doog: “Can you tell us about the three regions and what they produce? Also, I’m going to need some stock footage, so I don’t have to wander this whole region.”
Boîte: “I think I can manage that. Look at me! My media credentials are finally useful!”
Doog: “I think we get it. No need to name all the towns on Pyxis.”
Boîte: “Fair enough. I was just trying to drive home the fact that all the cities on Pyxis revolve around canneries.”
Doog: “Oh, you drove it home. Cannery Towns all over. Got it.”
Boîte: “Each town is positioned near a convergence of Pyxis’ three environments. This way, the factories are able to can the various products from each region.”
Doog: “Can you tell us about the three regions and what they produce? Also, I’m going to need some stock footage, so I don’t have to wander this whole region.”
Boîte: “I think I can manage that. Look at me! My media credentials are finally useful!”
Boîte: “Deserts are Pyxis’ most dominant terrain. Huge seas of sand dunes cover large portions of the planet. Despite their barren appearance, these deserts are abundant in life. Sand Crabs are the most plentiful organisms in these dune seas. Millions of crabs bury themselves in the top layer of the desert sand where they eat smaller arthropods. Huge Hover-Trawlers rake the sands and harvest hundreds of crabs a day.”
Boîte: “There are two distinct species of crab, and they are not equal in value. The rarer, tan crabs are worth twice as much as their red cousins.”
Doog: “Some of the crabs I’ve contracted take twice as much ointment to eradicate, so I know what you’re talking about.”
Boîte: “Uh…anyways…when the trawler meets it daily quota, both species are returned to Wec to be processed and canned.”
Doog: “Well, that was easy. One environment down, two to go.”
Doog: “Some of the crabs I’ve contracted take twice as much ointment to eradicate, so I know what you’re talking about.”
Boîte: “Uh…anyways…when the trawler meets it daily quota, both species are returned to Wec to be processed and canned.”
Doog: “Well, that was easy. One environment down, two to go.”
Boîte: “The arid highlands are cooler than the desert, but they are not much wetter. Farms here are highly dependent on the seasonal rains, which bless the highlands once a year. Only deep-rooted, drought resistant crops grow here. Three commercially viable crops are grown in the highlands: Pumpleknucks, Porgand Apples, and Borsch Melons. However, only the Pumpleknucks are native to Pyxis. The others were imported.”
Doog: “And the weirdly named fruits are also canned?”
Boîte: “You know it.”
Doog: “Just one more to go.”
Doog: “And the weirdly named fruits are also canned?”
Boîte: “You know it.”
Doog: “Just one more to go.”
Boîte: “The grasslands of Pyxis are much wetter than the other regions, and can sustain a multitude of crops. The LIU has limited these crops to things that can be canned, like the native Laxil Roots. Other imported crops, like Debu Tubers, Cuttel, and Radcorn, are also grown here.”
Doog: “I’m not a vegetable or fruit guy, so I’m not sure how excited I should be about this. Canned crab sounds like meaty goodness, though.”
Doog: “I’m not a vegetable or fruit guy, so I’m not sure how excited I should be about this. Canned crab sounds like meaty goodness, though.”
Doog: “I think I see the cannery now.”
Boîte: “Yep. There she is – the centerpiece of the city. They say all roads lead to the cannery.”
Doog: “Yet, the road we’re on, seems to be running parallel to the cannery, not to the cannery.”
Boîte: “Uh…this road must curve at some point.”
Doog: “I bet it does.”
Boîte: “Yep. There she is – the centerpiece of the city. They say all roads lead to the cannery.”
Doog: “Yet, the road we’re on, seems to be running parallel to the cannery, not to the cannery.”
Boîte: “Uh…this road must curve at some point.”
Doog: “I bet it does.”
Doog: “As far as Cannery Towns go, where would you rank Wec?”
Boîte: “Clearly, it’s number one. W-E-C, baby.”
Doog: “Have you been to any of the other towns?”
Boîte: “Well, no. But, come on. This place is awesome. We consistently out-can the competitors. We’ve won the end of cycle bonus twenty times in a row.”
Doog: “End of cycle bonus?”
Boîte: “The LIU awards the town with highest production numbers at the end of the year. We get a few extra credits on the paycheck.”
Doog: “So, the LIU pits the towns against each other to increase production. You work extra hard for just a few credits.”
Boîte: “What’s wrong with that? A little healthy competition never hurts anyone.”
Doog: “Nothing, I guess. Unless, the LIU gives every city a bonus and tells them they are the best. They create urgency by creating the illusion of competition.”
Boîte: “Clearly, it’s number one. W-E-C, baby.”
Doog: “Have you been to any of the other towns?”
Boîte: “Well, no. But, come on. This place is awesome. We consistently out-can the competitors. We’ve won the end of cycle bonus twenty times in a row.”
Doog: “End of cycle bonus?”
Boîte: “The LIU awards the town with highest production numbers at the end of the year. We get a few extra credits on the paycheck.”
Doog: “So, the LIU pits the towns against each other to increase production. You work extra hard for just a few credits.”
Boîte: “What’s wrong with that? A little healthy competition never hurts anyone.”
Doog: “Nothing, I guess. Unless, the LIU gives every city a bonus and tells them they are the best. They create urgency by creating the illusion of competition.”
Boîte: “Well, I now have to reexamine my whole purpose for living. Is Wec the best?”
Doog: “Don’t worry about it. You’re free now. Now you can be lazy and do half the work you did before. You’ll still get the bonus. Just you wait.”
Boîte: “If your theory is right, that might be the case. If you’re wrong, I’d be risking my bonus and Wec’s honor.”
Doog: “Do you really think your city has been the best for twenty straight years?”
Boîte: “We work hard. Really hard. Sometimes we come in on the weekends for free to raise production numbers. Maybe the other cities don’t do that. Wow, saying that out loud…maybe we are being scammed.”
Doog: “Free yourself from the illusion. Join the lazy.”
Doog: “Don’t worry about it. You’re free now. Now you can be lazy and do half the work you did before. You’ll still get the bonus. Just you wait.”
Boîte: “If your theory is right, that might be the case. If you’re wrong, I’d be risking my bonus and Wec’s honor.”
Doog: “Do you really think your city has been the best for twenty straight years?”
Boîte: “We work hard. Really hard. Sometimes we come in on the weekends for free to raise production numbers. Maybe the other cities don’t do that. Wow, saying that out loud…maybe we are being scammed.”
Doog: “Free yourself from the illusion. Join the lazy.”
Boîte: “Hey Amanda, do you think the End of Cycle Bonus is a scam?”
Amanda: “What do you mean?”
Doog: “Uh, maybe you shouldn’t tell everyone. If the scam gets exposed, the LIU will still make you work harder, and you won’t get any bonus. Embrace the laziness you’ve unlocked for yourself.”
Amanda: “Scam? What scam?”
Boîte: “What if the LIU gives every town a bonus? We’ve been working extra hard and refusing to take days off because the LIU instilled a false sense of pride with these bonus scams?”
Amanda: “Well, I wasn’t thinking about it before, but I am now.”
Doog: “It’s just a theory! Let’s not destroy the whole system based on a theory, especially one of MY theories. I tend to be wrong…often.”
Amanda: “The bonus could be real, and questioning it could hurt production. Wec has a twenty-cycle streak going on. Do we risk it for this guy’s theory? Who is this guy anyway? He could be a spy from another Cannery Town.”
Amanda: “What do you mean?”
Doog: “Uh, maybe you shouldn’t tell everyone. If the scam gets exposed, the LIU will still make you work harder, and you won’t get any bonus. Embrace the laziness you’ve unlocked for yourself.”
Amanda: “Scam? What scam?”
Boîte: “What if the LIU gives every town a bonus? We’ve been working extra hard and refusing to take days off because the LIU instilled a false sense of pride with these bonus scams?”
Amanda: “Well, I wasn’t thinking about it before, but I am now.”
Doog: “It’s just a theory! Let’s not destroy the whole system based on a theory, especially one of MY theories. I tend to be wrong…often.”
Amanda: “The bonus could be real, and questioning it could hurt production. Wec has a twenty-cycle streak going on. Do we risk it for this guy’s theory? Who is this guy anyway? He could be a spy from another Cannery Town.”
Boîte: “It does seem unlikely that those buffoons at the Mountain East Cannery would be getting a bonus. I’ve always heard they live in squalor.”
Amanda: “Don’t get me started on the Gorge Cannery. I heard no one there has an IQ over 70. You think they’re getting a bonus?”
Doog: “The fact that you guys criticize other canneries – that you’ve never been to – means you have been fed propaganda by the LIU. That sort of validates my theory…I mean…uh…yeah, those guys are so dumb. Let’s continue the tour! Where are we?”
Boîte: “This is the cannery loading dock. You know…he’s right. How do I know Mec is really a shanty town full of squalor or Gec is full of idiots?”
Amanda: “I don’t know. I’ve never been to any of the other cities on Pyxis.”
Boîte: “Me neither.”
Amanda: “I’ll ask around.”
Boîte: “Me too.”
Doog: “Or you could keep it to yourselves. Let’s not start a riot over some theory.”
Amanda: “Don’t get me started on the Gorge Cannery. I heard no one there has an IQ over 70. You think they’re getting a bonus?”
Doog: “The fact that you guys criticize other canneries – that you’ve never been to – means you have been fed propaganda by the LIU. That sort of validates my theory…I mean…uh…yeah, those guys are so dumb. Let’s continue the tour! Where are we?”
Boîte: “This is the cannery loading dock. You know…he’s right. How do I know Mec is really a shanty town full of squalor or Gec is full of idiots?”
Amanda: “I don’t know. I’ve never been to any of the other cities on Pyxis.”
Boîte: “Me neither.”
Amanda: “I’ll ask around.”
Boîte: “Me too.”
Doog: “Or you could keep it to yourselves. Let’s not start a riot over some theory.”
Boîte: “This is a section of the cannery. It’s pretty self-explanatory. We put stuff in cans and seal them up. We box up the cans and sell them to whoever. That wraps up the tour. You can see yourself out. I need to stay and speak with these workers.”
Doog: “Boîte! Boîte! Wait! It’s just an idea. We have no idea if it’s true. If this rumor spreads, the LIU might not be happy. I’m not responsible! Boîte!”
Doog: “Boîte! Boîte! Wait! It’s just an idea. We have no idea if it’s true. If this rumor spreads, the LIU might not be happy. I’m not responsible! Boîte!”
Boîte: “Have any of you been to another Cannery Town?”
Doog: “Alright folks, that’s Pyxis. I want to wrap this episode up as quickly as possible. I might have broken this planet. Pyxis is an agricultural world that harvests numerous products, including crabs, fruits, and vegetables. These products are all canned in large factories. There are cities built around these canneries. People here tend to have a lot of pride in their city and cannery. They work hard to earn bonuses and keep their cities on the top if the production lists. The end of cycle bonus is real! I don’t know what Boîte is talking about! Gotta run! See ya!”
Note: The End-Of-Cycle Bonus IS real. A reeducation squad has been dispatched to West End Cannery to reiterate this to the workers. Work hard for your factory! Work hard for your city! <INSERT APPROPRIATE CITY NAME> is the best!
Doog: “Alright folks, that’s Pyxis. I want to wrap this episode up as quickly as possible. I might have broken this planet. Pyxis is an agricultural world that harvests numerous products, including crabs, fruits, and vegetables. These products are all canned in large factories. There are cities built around these canneries. People here tend to have a lot of pride in their city and cannery. They work hard to earn bonuses and keep their cities on the top if the production lists. The end of cycle bonus is real! I don’t know what Boîte is talking about! Gotta run! See ya!”
Note: The End-Of-Cycle Bonus IS real. A reeducation squad has been dispatched to West End Cannery to reiterate this to the workers. Work hard for your factory! Work hard for your city! <INSERT APPROPRIATE CITY NAME> is the best!
