There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.
LIU Atlas - Acus
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. This episode might require knowledge of the moon, Acula. See LIU Atlas - Acula, here.
Note: This episode is presented in full screen. The corresponding dialogue is underneath each photo. This episode might require knowledge of the moon, Acula. See LIU Atlas - Acula, here.
Doog: “Welcome to another episode of LIU Atlas. I’m your host, Terrance “Doog” McDoogal. In the last episode, we visited the moon, Acula, which orbits the gas giant, Acus. Acula had a support facility that provides communications and power to an unknown facility on Acus. Today, we’ll be visiting Acus and this mysterious facility. You can’t see much from orbit, so let’s head down below the clouds.”
Doog: “When you think about habitable gas planets, Acus doesn’t come to mind. It has very little oxygen, huge electromagnetic storms, and a ton of radiation. It’s not exactly friendly to life. I can only think of one reason a facility would be located here – it’s not meant to be found. Seriously, if it wasn’t for the support post on Acula, you would never know this place existed. What kind of secrets are hidden on this station? I guess we’ll find out. I’ve been given permission to board.”
Doog: “The station’s odd planetary location said a lot, but this says even more. There are bars blocking the hangar exits, and a large robotic sentry prowling about. Is it too late to leave?”
SR1: “Define your purpose, visitor.”
Doog: “Uh…uh…I have a purpose. I think.”
SR1: “Define your purpose, final warning.”
Doog: “I’m a TV reporter. I think. I mean…I am a reporter, but I’m not sure if that is my purpose. Don’t kill me!”
SR1: “Confirm your designation.”
Doog: “Confirm what? Designation? Do…do…you mean name? I’m Doog.”
SR1: “Standby for processing.”
Doog: “Can I go back to my ship while you process?”
Doog: “Uh…uh…I have a purpose. I think.”
SR1: “Define your purpose, final warning.”
Doog: “I’m a TV reporter. I think. I mean…I am a reporter, but I’m not sure if that is my purpose. Don’t kill me!”
SR1: “Confirm your designation.”
Doog: “Confirm what? Designation? Do…do…you mean name? I’m Doog.”
SR1: “Standby for processing.”
Doog: “Can I go back to my ship while you process?”
Cerritus: “That won’t be necessary. Everything checks out, for now.”
Doog: “For now?”
Cerritus: “As long as you are Doog.”
Doog: “That I am. And you are?”
Cerritus: “Doctor Cerritus, Project Director at ARF.”
Doog: “ARF? Like a dog noise?”
Cerritus: “Like an acronym. Acus Research Facility.”
Doog: “Oh. That makes more sense. What are you researching on a planet like this?”
Cerritus: “Cerebral Reprogramming.”
Doog: “Cerebral reprogramming? Like brain manipulation stuff?”
Cerritus: “That’s one way to put it.”
Doog: “For now?”
Cerritus: “As long as you are Doog.”
Doog: “That I am. And you are?”
Cerritus: “Doctor Cerritus, Project Director at ARF.”
Doog: “ARF? Like a dog noise?”
Cerritus: “Like an acronym. Acus Research Facility.”
Doog: “Oh. That makes more sense. What are you researching on a planet like this?”
Cerritus: “Cerebral Reprogramming.”
Doog: “Cerebral reprogramming? Like brain manipulation stuff?”
Cerritus: “That’s one way to put it.”
Doog: “Why do research on such a bleak planet?”
Cerritus: “Acus offers many advantages. It is remote and private, it’s hard for our test subjects to escape, and it’s close to the source of Blank serum.”
Doog: “There’s a lot to unravel in that last sentence. Tell me about the test subjects.”
Cerritus: “They’re prisoners. Mostly disobedient workers – enemies of the LIU’s production numbers.”
Doog: “It’s hard for lazy prisoners to escape. Got it. Ok, what about this serum? Did you call it Blank?”
Cerritus: “Blank Serum, or Nepenthazine, is a neurotoxin that causes retrograde amnesia. It literally blanks the subjects’ minds. They lose all pre-injection memories, but retain vital information, like social structures, linguistics, and even factual knowledge.”
Doog: “That’s terrifying. There’s a source of this chemical on Acus?”
Cerritus: “Acus offers many advantages. It is remote and private, it’s hard for our test subjects to escape, and it’s close to the source of Blank serum.”
Doog: “There’s a lot to unravel in that last sentence. Tell me about the test subjects.”
Cerritus: “They’re prisoners. Mostly disobedient workers – enemies of the LIU’s production numbers.”
Doog: “It’s hard for lazy prisoners to escape. Got it. Ok, what about this serum? Did you call it Blank?”
Cerritus: “Blank Serum, or Nepenthazine, is a neurotoxin that causes retrograde amnesia. It literally blanks the subjects’ minds. They lose all pre-injection memories, but retain vital information, like social structures, linguistics, and even factual knowledge.”
Doog: “That’s terrifying. There’s a source of this chemical on Acus?”
Cerritus: “No, it comes from Acula.”
Doog: “Wait, is this the stuff that comes from those worms?”
Cerritus: “Yes. Nepenthazine is extracted from the spines of the Aculan Worm.”
Doog: “Wait, is this the stuff that comes from those worms?”
Cerritus: “Yes. Nepenthazine is extracted from the spines of the Aculan Worm.”
Cerritus: “Scientists and medical bots can obtain a few gallons of Nepenthazine from every shipment of spines. It might not seem like a lot, but Blank Serum is usually effective in very low doses.”
Doog: “Of course it is.”
Cerritus: “Nepenthazine’s effectiveness varies between different individuals and species, so an exact dose has yet to be determined. That is part of our research here.”
Doog: “Of course it is.”
Cerritus: “Nepenthazine’s effectiveness varies between different individuals and species, so an exact dose has yet to be determined. That is part of our research here.”
Cerritus: “Nepenthazine research is very dangerous. Incorrect dosages can lead to death. For now, we’ve been limited to experimenting on prisoners.”
Doog: “Prisoners really get the short end of the stick in this galaxy.”
Doog: “Prisoners really get the short end of the stick in this galaxy.”
Doog: “You said the prisoners were disobedient workers, right? So, there’s no murderers or anything dangerous here?”
Cerritus: “No. This is a minimal security facility.”
Doog: “Why the tight security then?”
Cerritus: “Blanking the minds of sentients can be dangerous. Some don’t retain social skills or language. They become quite dangerous and unpredictable when reverted to this primal state.”
Doog: “What do you do with the primal ones?”
Cerritus: “The primal sentients can’t be reintegrated into the galactic civilization, so we euthanize them.”
Doog: “Wait, some of the experiments here lead to death? Is that legal?”
Cerritus: “All prisoners sign a waiver upon arrival making our actions perfectly legal.”
Doog: “They voluntarily agree to maybe die?”
Cerritus: “There might be some…persuasion.”
Cerritus: “No. This is a minimal security facility.”
Doog: “Why the tight security then?”
Cerritus: “Blanking the minds of sentients can be dangerous. Some don’t retain social skills or language. They become quite dangerous and unpredictable when reverted to this primal state.”
Doog: “What do you do with the primal ones?”
Cerritus: “The primal sentients can’t be reintegrated into the galactic civilization, so we euthanize them.”
Doog: “Wait, some of the experiments here lead to death? Is that legal?”
Cerritus: “All prisoners sign a waiver upon arrival making our actions perfectly legal.”
Doog: “They voluntarily agree to maybe die?”
Cerritus: “There might be some…persuasion.”
Prisoner #1: “So…we don’t HAVE to sign these, right?”
SR1: “Correct. Just like I don’t have to let you retain your eyes.”
SR2: “You don’t have to have legs anymore either.”
Prisoner #2: “I think I’ll sign. I rather take my chances with the experimental drugs, then these two.”
SR1: “Very wise. Initiate waiver signing.”
SR1: “Correct. Just like I don’t have to let you retain your eyes.”
SR2: “You don’t have to have legs anymore either.”
Prisoner #2: “I think I’ll sign. I rather take my chances with the experimental drugs, then these two.”
SR1: “Very wise. Initiate waiver signing.”
Cerritus: “On ARF, we have several test chambers, like this. Here, we test variations of the Blank serum. We alter the dosage, potency, and even injection sites.”
Doog: “That’s a big needle.”
Cerritus: “That’s because prisoner #ERO-6188745-00056 is getting a large dose. He probably won’t be with us for much longer, but you never know. That’s why we do the experiment.”
Doog: “That’s a little morose.”
Cerritus: “It’s just science.”
Doog: “That’s a big needle.”
Cerritus: “That’s because prisoner #ERO-6188745-00056 is getting a large dose. He probably won’t be with us for much longer, but you never know. That’s why we do the experiment.”
Doog: “That’s a little morose.”
Cerritus: “It’s just science.”
Cerritus: “I wonder where’s he’s getting this injection? With a needle of that gauge, I’m guessing directly in the brain.”
Doog: “I’m not sure I want to find out. Unlike the guy strapped to that table, I can still turn my head.”
Cerritus: “His death is meaningless without our observation. If we learn nothing from his death, then he will have died for nothing.”
Doog: “Yeah, sure. I’ll just be looking over here. You can be the observer.”
Doog: “I’m not sure I want to find out. Unlike the guy strapped to that table, I can still turn my head.”
Cerritus: “His death is meaningless without our observation. If we learn nothing from his death, then he will have died for nothing.”
Doog: “Yeah, sure. I’ll just be looking over here. You can be the observer.”
Cerritus: “Test subjects are brought to observation rooms, like this, after being injected with the Nepenthazine. They are monitored for any signs of distress.”
Doog: “Distress? Like that primal rage you were talking about?”
Cerritus: “Yes.”
Doog: “Distress? Like that primal rage you were talking about?”
Cerritus: “Yes.”
Cerritus: “A half hour after injection, certain determinations can be made about the success of the Nepenthazine. The subjects are either catatonic or…”
Cerritus: “…experiencing unbridled rage.”
Doog: “They’re easy to tell apart. The violent thrashing is a pretty good indicator.”
Cerritus: “Indeed.”
Doog: “So, what happens next?”
Cerritus: “It depends on the subjects’ result. Catatonic subjects are moved to the next step. Enraged subjects are incapacitated and sent to the autopsy room. That’s where we’re going next.”
Doog: “They’re easy to tell apart. The violent thrashing is a pretty good indicator.”
Cerritus: “Indeed.”
Doog: “So, what happens next?”
Cerritus: “It depends on the subjects’ result. Catatonic subjects are moved to the next step. Enraged subjects are incapacitated and sent to the autopsy room. That’s where we’re going next.”
Doog: “Oh gross! Did they rip their own legs off during this ‘primal rage’?”
Cerritus: “No. The Sentry Reapers are responsible for that.”
Doog: “Those robot guys?”
Cerritus: “Yes.”
Doog: “Holy Kaadu! Isn’t there a better way to euthanize these test subjects?”
Cerritus: “No. The Sentry Reapers are responsible for that.”
Doog: “Those robot guys?”
Cerritus: “Yes.”
Doog: “Holy Kaadu! Isn’t there a better way to euthanize these test subjects?”
Cerritus: “Dispatching the negative test subjects in this matter allows them to be studied much easier. The brain and spine stay intact. There’s no chemical euthanasia drugs present in the blood. We can get reliable data from the test subjects.”
Doog: “Gruesome. They still look half alive…no pun intended.”
Doog: “Gruesome. They still look half alive…no pun intended.”
Cerritus: “Most are half alive. Bisection is a slow death. It allows for active brain scans before the subjects are fully deceased.”
Doog: “I might need a barf bag. The gore is bad enough, but knowing that these people are slowly dying right in front of me is too much.”
Doog: “I might need a barf bag. The gore is bad enough, but knowing that these people are slowly dying right in front of me is too much.”
Scientist: “You can’t make an omelet without cracking some eggs. Or – in this case – skulls. Speaking of which, I get a free breakfast if I make my brain extraction quota for today, so let me get back to work.”
Cerritus: “We’ll leave you to your work. I won’t be responsible for a failed brain quota, especially when its waffle week.”
Doog: “How can you guys be so numb? Who can think about breakfast with all this death and gore…wait, did you say waffles? Are they free?”
Cerritus: “We’ll leave you to your work. I won’t be responsible for a failed brain quota, especially when its waffle week.”
Doog: “How can you guys be so numb? Who can think about breakfast with all this death and gore…wait, did you say waffles? Are they free?”
Cerritus: “When the Nepenthazine works as expected, the subjects are catatonic and open for reprogramming. The subjects are brought here to be re-educated.”
Doog: “Where do you start? Eating? Wiping your butt?”
Cerritus: “Personal habits, like other factual information, is retained. Only memories are lost.”
Doog: “How does that help anything?”
Cerritus: “Whatever event or events that lead to the subject’s inability to function in LIU society is no longer a factor. Were there parents killed by LIU forces? Did they miss out on a promotion? Do they have an abnormal hatred for people that park in two parking spaces? Those are the things we change.”
Doog: “Where do you start? Eating? Wiping your butt?”
Cerritus: “Personal habits, like other factual information, is retained. Only memories are lost.”
Doog: “How does that help anything?”
Cerritus: “Whatever event or events that lead to the subject’s inability to function in LIU society is no longer a factor. Were there parents killed by LIU forces? Did they miss out on a promotion? Do they have an abnormal hatred for people that park in two parking spaces? Those are the things we change.”
Cerritus: “Re-education consists of introducing false memories that make the subjects love their jobs and the LIU. If the process works as planned, the LIU has a loyal, productive worker in place of the lazy, unproductive misfit.”
Doog: “And, if it doesn’t go as planned?”
Cerritus: “There’s another torso in the autopsy room waiting for a brain extraction.”
Doog: “That’s what I figured.”
Cerritus: “You have to remember – this is experimental. While we have some successes, there’s still a lot of work to do. A few years down the road, we might be able to reprogram any sentient in this galaxy.”
Doog: “That’s terrifying.”
Cerritus: “No…it’s science.”
Doog: “And, if it doesn’t go as planned?”
Cerritus: “There’s another torso in the autopsy room waiting for a brain extraction.”
Doog: “That’s what I figured.”
Cerritus: “You have to remember – this is experimental. While we have some successes, there’s still a lot of work to do. A few years down the road, we might be able to reprogram any sentient in this galaxy.”
Doog: “That’s terrifying.”
Cerritus: “No…it’s science.”
Cerritus: “Successfully reprogrammed workers are no longer required to stay in prison. We ship them to wherever their labor is needed.”
Doog: “You send them out in shipping containers?”
Cerritus: “How else could we safely move our product in mass? Besides, successfully re-educated workers don’t complain about anything.”
Doog: “I need to leave this place before I end up a mindless zombie-worker like these guys. Is there anything else to see?”
Cerritus: “I think that’s it.”
Doog: “You send them out in shipping containers?”
Cerritus: “How else could we safely move our product in mass? Besides, successfully re-educated workers don’t complain about anything.”
Doog: “I need to leave this place before I end up a mindless zombie-worker like these guys. Is there anything else to see?”
Cerritus: “I think that’s it.”
Doog: “Well folks, this has been a terrifying experience. On the Acus Research Facility, scientists are experimenting with neurotoxins in order to repurpose unproductive workers. While there are some successes – if you want to call them that – a lot of these experiments end with dead, bisected prisoners. I think I’ll be leaving now. See ya!”
Note: Have an annoying coworker that’s not doing their part? Sick of carrying the load at your job? Nominate your fellow workers for the ARF project. Volunteers are needed.
Note: Have an annoying coworker that’s not doing their part? Sick of carrying the load at your job? Nominate your fellow workers for the ARF project. Volunteers are needed.
