Season 7 - Episode 13 - Nux

LIU Atlas - Nux

There are billions of stars, millions of planets, but there is only one man, Terrance McDoogal. Welcome to LIU Atlas.


                                                                LIU Atlas - Nux

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 hot desert world of Nux. The blazing hot planet sits close to its star, regularly reaching daytime surface temperatures in excess of 200°F. Despite the warm weather, Nux is actually an agricultural world.”

Doog: “The surface of the dry world is covered in a cracked, desiccated soil. These cracks, which open into large canyons, are actually inhabited. We’ll need to descend further.”

Doog: “The Nuxen race, which call this planet home, live in large cities built into the canyon walls. By living on the underside of the canyon walls, they avoid direct sunlight and therefore stay cooler. These canyons are almost a hundred degrees cooler than the surface. There is also small amounts of liquid water in the shadowed soil. Well, I guess it’s time to head inside.”

Nucifera: “Welcome to Nux, Doog. I am Nucifera.”
Doog: “Whoa, what big eyes you have. They’re looking a little bloodshot too. Been hitting the pipe before my arrival?”
Nucifera: “No. As you can probably tell, my biology differs from yours. My eyes evolved to be larger to see in the low light levels of the canyons. The blood vessels help expand and contract my enlarged iris. And…before you ask, yes, I have a large mouth and sharp teeth. They are adaptations for eating the planet’s only native plant, the Dacrima Nut Tree.”
Doog: “Dacrima Nut Tree?”
Nucifera: “Yes. The nut trees used to grow sparsely due to the harsh environment, but now we grow them in bulk. Dacrima Nuts are our largest export.”
Doog: “How did you solve the environmental issues?”
Nucifera: “Follow me into the factory.”

Doog: “The factory?”
Nucifera: “Yes, here on Nux, we’ve taken factory farming to a whole new level.”

Nucifera: “In order to meet the high demands of the LIU, we decided that we would have to automate our farming operation. Factory farming usually involves animals, but here, we use the concept to grow mass amounts of Dacrima Nut Trees.”
Doog: “Gotcha. So what’s this?”
Nucifera: “This is the very beginning of our operation. The first robot stacks the assembly line with growth pots. The next fills each pot with fertilized soil.”

Nucifera: “The final robot then injects each pot with a seed. The pots are then transported upstairs into a growing room.”

Nucifera: “After four days in the growing room, the seeds sprout. They are then lowered into this room. Up to this point, the nut sprouts have been growing in there own containers, but now, they must be removed.”
Doog: “Nut sprouts…had those once after an especially seedy brothel. Get it? Seedy…sprouts…man, do I have jokes or what?”

Nucifera: “Uh...yeah. Anyway, the sprouts are watered to loosen up their roots and then pulled from the container by a robot.”

Nucifera: “He then hands the sprout to that robot on the track over there.”

Nucifera: “Several sprouts are planted together in a floating platform.”
Doog: “Floating?”
Nucifera: “Yes.”

Nucifera: “The platform is removed when full and taken to the growing canals.”

Doog: “Canals?”
Nucifera: “Yes. From this point on, the nut trees are grown with hydroponics.”

Nucifera: “The platforms float slowly in a liquid mixture that contains nutrients and pesticides.”
Doog: “Don’t the nuts get wet? That’s the worst.”
Nucifera: “At this stage, the plants have not matured and bear no nuts.”
Doog: “Might I suggest that we name this period of nutlessness as Timbo?”
Nucifera: “Uh, sure. Whatever that is.”

Nucifera: “The slow moving platforms float in the canals under growth lights for thirty days before maturing. All the while being tended by one of our quality control bots. They search for diseased or dying plants that could ruin the crop.”

Nucifera: “Once matured, the trees are removed from the canals. They are now ready to be moved to the nut picking room.”

Doog: “Is this where the nuts are fondled? Excuse me…I mean handled.”
Nucifera: “Picked, actually. And yes. Our picking robots remove the fully formed Dacrima Nuts as they are formed. They make quick work of it actually.”

Nucifera: “Each tree produces about a hundred or so nuts during its yearlong lifespan.”
Doog: “That’s a lot of nuts.”
Nucifera: “Yes. Everyday we produce millions of nuts. It is an enormous operation.”

Doog: “I guess people eat these?”
Nucifera: “Sort of. But not in the way you think. Follow me.”

Nucifera: “As we head between the factory farm and the mill, you’ll see a small bit of our town.”
Doog: “Finally, a bit of culture. I was going nuts with all the factory talk. I was wondering if this episode was turning into a version of ‘How it’s Made’ with bad nut jokes.”
Nucifera: “Bad jokes indeed.”
Doog: “So, this is it? It’s not very crowded.”
Nucifera: “Well, it’s midday, so most people are at work, but we don’t have a large population, at least on this world. The automation of the factory has taken away many of the jobs here. Other than a few foreman positions, mechanics, and some support staff, there really isn’t much here. Come on, let’s continue on to the mill.”

Doog: “So this is the mill?”
Nucifera: “Yes, we process Dacrima Nuts here.”
Doog: “Process? Into what?”
Nucifera: “The nut’s oils are valuable. Mills crush and press the oils out of the nuts.”
Doog: “So this thing milks all the juice out of  the nuts?”
Nucifera: “Poor choice of words, but yes.”

Nucifera: “The mills are powered by light wheels. Light pressure from our strong sun turns the wheel.”

Nucifera: “The oils are collected and then pumped into containers. The remaining nutmeat is also collected. Most is consumed by my species, but some is shipped off world as well.”
Doog: “Nutmeat…I don‘t even have to touch that one. It speaks for itself.”
Nucifera: “It‘s a real word. Look it up.”

Doog: “So, what is this oil used for?”
Nucifera: “Dacrima Oil is a food additive. It has a earthy, meaty flavor. It is added to artificial meats to make it taste real. It also acts as an emulsifier to bind and stabilize these artificial meat products. It is shipped in bulk to worlds like Foetida.”
Doog: “Making protein sludge taste better. I can get behind that. Well, thanks for having me Nucifera.”

Doog: “Well folks, Nux is an interesting place. They’ve taken factory farming to the next level. Nuts are grown in methods more reminiscent of ship construction or electronics production. Robots have replace most of the farmers. All this to make tasty, meat flavored nut juice. Never thought I’d use those words in conjunction. Well, see ya.”




Note:
That’s factory farming in a nutshell.


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