LIU Atlas - Saxa Asteroid Belt
There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.
LIU Atlas - Saxa Asteroid Belt
The Ludgonian Industrial Union’s galaxy contains billions of stars and 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 - Saxa Asteroid Belt
The Ludgonian Industrial Union’s galaxy contains billions of stars and 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, we’re visiting the Saxa Asteroid Belt. The belt, a remnant of a failed planet, consists of billions of asteroids ranging in size from dust to dwarf planets. These asteroids contain significant volumes of valuable minerals, and they are currently being mined. Mining operations are based on the belt’s largest asteroid, a dwarf planet known as Saxa.”
Doog: “The Saxa Mining Station, tethered in a crater on Saxa’s surface, oversees mining operations in the belt. The station contains facilities and dorms for over two thousand workers. It also houses the mining control center, several hangars, and a foundry for processing ore.”
Doog: “Surprisingly, the station is mobile. Four large thrusters allow the station to reposition itself in the asteroid belt once mining operations have been exhausted in the immediate area.”
Doog: “The station’s roof has three large landing platforms. That’s where we’re headed. Unfortunately, the Magellan does not have a connectable airlock, so I’ll have to suit up to enter the facility.”
Doog: “Our guide today is Mining Director Pav Elderhest. I believe he may be the oldest guide we’ve encountered thus far, but a spring chicken in comparison to Oldie.”
Pav: “Watch all this ‘old’ talk, boy. I may have aged a bit, but don’t think I won’t bend you over my knee and paddle your behind.”
Doog: “Just relax Pav, it was a joke.”
Pav: “I know what a joke is boy! I was making jokes when you were still (bleeping) in your diaper. Heck, I was making jokes when your daddy was still (bleeping) in his diaper.”
Pav: “Watch all this ‘old’ talk, boy. I may have aged a bit, but don’t think I won’t bend you over my knee and paddle your behind.”
Doog: “Just relax Pav, it was a joke.”
Pav: “I know what a joke is boy! I was making jokes when you were still (bleeping) in your diaper. Heck, I was making jokes when your daddy was still (bleeping) in his diaper.”
Doog: “Wow, ok. Let’s get back on subject. Tell me about what you…”
Pav: “And what the heck are you wearing?”
Doog: “Excuse me?”
Pav: “Are you stupid or something boy? I mean, who in tarnation wears a giant glass bubble around their head in the middle of an asteroid field. One micrometeoroid impact and you’re a dead man.”
Doog: ‘Hmm, I guess I never thought of that.”
Pav: “That’s the problem with you youngins, never thinking. In fact, come on over here. I have something for ya.”
Doog: “Uh, ok…”
Pav: “And what the heck are you wearing?”
Doog: “Excuse me?”
Pav: “Are you stupid or something boy? I mean, who in tarnation wears a giant glass bubble around their head in the middle of an asteroid field. One micrometeoroid impact and you’re a dead man.”
Doog: ‘Hmm, I guess I never thought of that.”
Pav: “That’s the problem with you youngins, never thinking. In fact, come on over here. I have something for ya.”
Doog: “Uh, ok…”
Pav: “GUT PUNCH!”
Doog: “Huuuuh, cough, cough. What was that for?”
Pav: “I bet you’ll think of that next time you decide to be stupid.”
Doog: “Huuuuh, cough, cough. What was that for?”
Pav: “I bet you’ll think of that next time you decide to be stupid.”
Pav: “Now, what were you sayin’?”
Doog: “Gasp, gasp. What…what do you do here?”
Pav: “I’ve been working these here fields for about fifty or so years. I’ve since retired from the field, but stayed on the operation as an overseer. I didn’t want my experience to go to waste. Besides, if I left it up to you youngins, this place would be destroyed in a week.”
Doog: “Do you think you could show us around? Let us get a feel for the operation?”
Pav: “Yeah, I guess that’d be alright. Try not to be too stupid, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Doog: “Gasp, gasp. What…what do you do here?”
Pav: “I’ve been working these here fields for about fifty or so years. I’ve since retired from the field, but stayed on the operation as an overseer. I didn’t want my experience to go to waste. Besides, if I left it up to you youngins, this place would be destroyed in a week.”
Doog: “Do you think you could show us around? Let us get a feel for the operation?”
Pav: “Yeah, I guess that’d be alright. Try not to be too stupid, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Worker: “Pav, we’ve been looking for you. We had a meteoroid strike on deck six. It slipped through the shielding and struck the power conduit. Decks six through eight are currently running on back-up power. We’ve lost elevator power to all floors.”
Pav: “Get it fixed now! In the mean time, it looks like we’re taking the ladder.”
Doog: “Uh, I’ll just wait.”
Pav: “If you thought that gut punch hurt, you should feel my motivational kick to the @#%! Get a move on!”
Doog: “Yes sir.”
Pav: “Get it fixed now! In the mean time, it looks like we’re taking the ladder.”
Doog: “Uh, I’ll just wait.”
Pav: “If you thought that gut punch hurt, you should feel my motivational kick to the @#%! Get a move on!”
Doog: “Yes sir.”
Pav: “The Asteroid Deployment Unit, or ADU, is in charge of selecting which asteroids to mine. Truth be told, I can’t stand these white-collar smarty pant sons of (bleeps). They’ve never worked a day in the field, and they think they can tell us what to do.”
Pearson: “I thought I smelled decay. What are you doing here Pav?”
Pav: “Watch it boy. Doog has me wound up, and I might just teach you a thing or two about gut punches.”
Pearson: “It sounds like Doog’s already learned about a gut punch. He’s still panting.”
Doog: “Actually, that’s the ladder’s fault.”
Pav: “Enough of the chit chat. If you’re not to busy styling your hair, I thought you could show Doog what you do here. Whatever that is…”
Pearson: “I thought I smelled decay. What are you doing here Pav?”
Pav: “Watch it boy. Doog has me wound up, and I might just teach you a thing or two about gut punches.”
Pearson: “It sounds like Doog’s already learned about a gut punch. He’s still panting.”
Doog: “Actually, that’s the ladder’s fault.”
Pav: “Enough of the chit chat. If you’re not to busy styling your hair, I thought you could show Doog what you do here. Whatever that is…”
Pearson: “Well, let’s take a look at the horizontal mapping screen. Computer, bring up the map. Ah, there we go. Currently, we’re mining arc 13 of the asteroid belt, which is the immediate area around Saxa. The screen is showing the asteroids larger than one hundred miles in diameter. This large asteroid here, known as F88-2106, is our mining target for the next few months.”
Pearson: “Spectral analysis indicates that F88-2106 contains large amounts of iron, indium, lead, and silver. The asteroid contains moderate amounts of titanium, nickel, tin, and cobalt. There are also negligible amounts of platinum, zinc, gold, and copper. The mineral worth of this asteroid is worth several billion credits.”
Pav: “Well, Doog, did you catch all that? Fancy pants is studying rocks with his equipment.”
Doog: “Yeah, but, honestly, I’m more interested in this screen. It’s like a big game of asteroids. All we need is a spaceship.”
Pav: “Still not taking this seriously are you? Hmm, you know what? Yeah, there is a game on this screen. Go ahead, take a close look. It’s real small. Look real close.”
Doog: “Yeah, but, honestly, I’m more interested in this screen. It’s like a big game of asteroids. All we need is a spaceship.”
Pav: “Still not taking this seriously are you? Hmm, you know what? Yeah, there is a game on this screen. Go ahead, take a close look. It’s real small. Look real close.”
Pav: “FACE SMASH!”
Doog: “Ahh!”
Pav: “Do you see any games now boy?”
Doog: “No, no. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”
Pav: “Are you sure? Alright then. If you’re ready to be serious, we’ll head to the foundry.”
Doog: “Ahh!”
Pav: “Do you see any games now boy?”
Doog: “No, no. I’m sorry. I’m sorry!”
Pav: “Are you sure? Alright then. If you’re ready to be serious, we’ll head to the foundry.”
Pav: “Unlike most mining operations in the LIU, we process our ore on site. There are several foundries, like this, on the lower decks of the station.”
Pav: “Using magnetic pulse furnaces, raw ore and small asteroids are melted down into a liquid. The various minerals separate and settle to different levels. After that, it’s just a matter of usin’ resonance beams to extract the various elements.”
Pav: “Well, you made it through this whole explanation without doing anything stupid. Either you’ve gone mute, or you learned your lesson.”
Doog: “A little of both I guess. My face feels like it’s melting off making it hard to speak. I’m also very afraid that you may dunk my head in the molten ore if I say the wrong thing. Silence seems safer.”
Doog: “A little of both I guess. My face feels like it’s melting off making it hard to speak. I’m also very afraid that you may dunk my head in the molten ore if I say the wrong thing. Silence seems safer.”
Doog: “Where are we now?”
Pav: “Ah, we’re finally to the best part of the operation, the actual mining. This is hangar 4. Here, workers ship out into the asteroid belt to mine the various asteroids.”
Pav: “Ah, we’re finally to the best part of the operation, the actual mining. This is hangar 4. Here, workers ship out into the asteroid belt to mine the various asteroids.”
Pav: “This mag-lev shuttle transports mining crews and their equipment to the mining site. Now that you seem to be acting more responsibly, I going to let you ship out with one of our mining crews.”
Pav: “You’re going to need this. This helmet is much stronger than that fish bowl you were wearing on your head earlier.”
Doog: “Thanks Pav.”
Doog: “Thanks Pav.”
Pav: “Open the bay on shuttle 4.”
Pav: “This is the real deal Doog. One mistake could kill you and your fellow miners. Don’t be stupid.”
Doog: “I’ll try…”
Doog: “I’ll try…”
Doog: “Well folks, it’s time to ship out. See ya in a few minutes.”
Ten minutes later, on the surface of F88-2106:
Ten minutes later, on the surface of F88-2106:
Doog: “Alright folks, I’m now joined by Field Mining Supervisor Kovaz. What’s going on here Kovaz?”
Kovaz: “My crew and I have been assigned the task of surface chunking P88-2106.”
Doog: “What’s surface chunking? Sounds dirty.”
Kovaz: “That’s just what we call it. The process has some fancy technical name, but I can’t recall what it is. Essentially, we drill a certain depth into the asteroid, deposit explosives, and blow a chunk of the surface off the asteroid. There, it is retrieved by the collectors.”
Doog: “Makes sense, I guess.”
Kovaz: “You can see some of my crew beginning to drill into the asteroid.”
Doog: “What’s surface chunking? Sounds dirty.”
Kovaz: “That’s just what we call it. The process has some fancy technical name, but I can’t recall what it is. Essentially, we drill a certain depth into the asteroid, deposit explosives, and blow a chunk of the surface off the asteroid. There, it is retrieved by the collectors.”
Doog: “Makes sense, I guess.”
Kovaz: “You can see some of my crew beginning to drill into the asteroid.”
Kovaz: “Once a certain drill depth is achieved, explosives will be lowered into the hole. This container is heavily armored to prevent micrometeoroid damage. It contains the explosives.”
Kovaz: “Although this appears to be dynamite, they’re actually highly explosive anti-matter cylinders. Dangerous stuff.”
Doog: “I’m just going to step over here, far away from the dangerous stuff.”
Doog: “I’m just going to step over here, far away from the dangerous stuff.”
Doog: “What’s that?”
Kovaz: “This little guy here is the mobile surveying platform. Samples are gathered and placed into the spectral analyzer. The analyzer determines the make-up of the asteroid. Basically, it confirms the scans done from the control room.”
Kovaz: “The rear of the surveyor has a scale formatted to the asteroids gravity, and spare tools and supplies.”
Doog: “Now this looks cool.”
Kovaz: “Yeah, this thing is a beast. Its called the Gorilla Mining Suit. The miners start drilling with small tools, but the
majority of the drilling is done by this suit.”
Kovaz: “Yeah, this thing is a beast. Its called the Gorilla Mining Suit. The miners start drilling with small tools, but the
majority of the drilling is done by this suit.”
Kovaz: “Once chunks of the asteroid have been blown off, they’re collected by the LIU Asteroid Collector Clamp and transported to the foundry.”
Doog: “Well folks, the Saxa Asteroid Belt is an interesting place. Billions of tons of minerals are mined daily and shipped out to meet all the material demands of the LIU. I even learned a little bit about respect and responsibility too. See ya next time.”
Note:
Note:
Pav: “Glad you learned something today boy.”
Doog: “Yeah, me too. Hey, before I go. I thought of another joke.”
Pav: “Be careful boy!”
Doog: “You’re so old, you were making jokes when this iron ore was still (bleeping) in its diapers!”
Doog: “Yeah, me too. Hey, before I go. I thought of another joke.”
Pav: “Be careful boy!”
Doog: “You’re so old, you were making jokes when this iron ore was still (bleeping) in its diapers!”
