Morag

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Morag is a metal and mineral rich planet in the Grethion Union. It is recognized as the most efficient non-makebian industrial planet in council space. It also has one of the highest populations of all Grethion planets.

The planet itself is inhospitable, having no life sustaining elements, however it is known for being extremely rich in minerals, metals and ores. It is being strip and core mined by the Grethions and is also used as a production center for many base materials such as weapon parts, vehicle parts, ship parts, and so on. These are manufactured in massive automated foundries and factories using materials mined directly below them from the planet.

For all but the uppermost echelon of executives on the planet, sunlight is inaccessible year round, as the exosphere’s outer layer is comprised entirely of solar plates, to absorb and provide energy to the massive production and mining facilities. Even that energy is not enough, however, so thermal plants absorbing heat from the core are also operating within the exosphere.


Population[edit | edit source]

Civilian[edit | edit source]

The entire population on Morag is comprised of workers and executives, all of which live on the giant metal exosphere encompassing Morag. Their chief purpose to maintain the mining and production facilities. The population on Morag is the most diverse in the Union, and sapients of all species can be found working and living in Morag's exosphere.

The official population on the exosphere is in the tens of billions, however, all censuses and records of individuals living and working on Morag are inaccessible to the public and Morag does not have a civilian communication buoy from which the inhabitants can communicate with other planets or even connect to the internet. The military communication buoy may only be used by the local garrisons and executives.

Military[edit | edit source]

Morag's military garrison is comprised of only the most hardened warriors in the Grethion armed forces and overseen directly by GULAG, they are widely known as the toughest and most loyal in the Union. "The planet will break before the garrison will" is often said about them. Many of the Grethion Union's most elite units came from Morag's Garrison, such as the Reaper Corps and La Tigra's Cadre (Though the latter is no longer affiliated with the Union). Their main roles are to maintain order at all costs and defend the planet against the Union's enemies.

Geography[edit | edit source]

When discussing Morag's geography, the meaning is always for the exosphere surrounding the planet, as mining has stripped away all geography from the planet itself. The exosphere of Morag is divided on two axis – Layers and Sectors. The Layers divide the exosphere vertically, while the Sectors divide each Layer horizontally. While each Layer has a different function, sectors are mostly identical in their purpose.

Rivers of Morag[edit | edit source]

The Workers of Morag have metaphorical “Rivers” flowing throughout the layers, and often reference them in their daily conversations as if they were part of the local geography –

  • Acheron – The sewer pipes draining downwards through all the layers to the recycling plants in Tartarus. (i.e. “Taking a dip down the Acheron” would be akin to rowing up shit creek without a paddle)
  • Cocytus – The tears of the newly arrived (i.e. “Freshly docked from up the Cocytus” is often used to describe someone new)
  • Phlegethon – The molten metals and minerals, like a river of lava, ascending from Tartarus, transforming until it reaches the top and shipped out. (i.e. “Phlegethon’s flooding today!” to describe a productive day).
  • Styx – The path of promotion from Tartarus to out of the planet. (i.e. “He went sailing up the Styx” is often used to describe someone who got promoted.)
  • Lethe – Alcohol smuggled and traded on Morag. (i.e. “Got some fresh bottles of Lethe water today” when referring to a new shipment of Alcohol).

The Layers of Morag[edit | edit source]

Morag’s exosphere is divided into four layers, each with a different function and population. The workers have named these after mythological places within the underworld.

Elysium – The top layer, Executive, Military, Financial.[edit | edit source]

The top layer where actual Grethion overseers, the enforcement units and regular Grethion citizens live. Anyone in charge of finances, operations, "HR" and so on. This is the only layer on Morag with actual law and order. It functions completely normally and maintains a facade of innocence, much like all other Grethion worlds, the true face lies beneath.

Asphodel – The 2nd Layer, Computers, Dock Workers, Solar technicians, pilots.[edit | edit source]

The 2nd Layer has no law enforcement, but it maintains order due to the Unions. The Unions are basically all of the workers of a given profession unionizing. If one goes on strike, it's a problem for everyone else, therefore a fragile balance of power is maintained, where any and all hostility is kept completely in the dark. Crimes happen in abundance, but always under the table. Always in ways that make it impossible to pin the blame on a certain union. The union leaders are ruthless, and fuckups are dealt with severely.

The only profession that isn't really unionized are the engineers rising from the 3rd layer, they must be endorsed by a union and are always treated as 2nd class citizens. Clever engineers may gain the favor of their union by learning the Union's trade and eventually becoming a full member. Union Leaders are the only ones who can "promote" a 2nd layer worker, in this context that would mean to have them go to the 1st layer and be interviewed by an executive.

Though that is the end goal of all workers, it is also a gamble, Grethion Executives sent to Morag know how helpless the workers are, and that they may be used or discarded as they see fit. It's widely known that there's about a 30-70 chance against the worker to end up dead, a slave, or much worse.


Erebus - Engineering, Electric, Water, Mechanical, etc.[edit | edit source]

The 3rd layer is basically in charge of the operation of the important machines, thermal generators, water purifying and heating\cooling, water pressure, steam, etc.

The workers here are organized by their school of labor. Electric engineers stay with electric engineers, mechanical with mechanical etc. Mostly, the work is cooperative, but also very competitive. Workers who arrive here always start as interns, and must quickly find a mentor, as interns are not given jobs. Basic needs are not provided for any worker on this layer unless they pay for them from salary earned through work. They must rent a bed or a room, pay for food and utilities and protection. Interns who cannot find a mentor are rarely able to obtain a job, and often end up dying, either by starvation, dehydration or simply lack of protection. Even if one is somehow able to afford protection without a mentor, senior members of the school may still target them, as they are not attached to a senior mentor who may retaliate on their behalf.

The chain of mentors run from the newest intern up to the highest position in a schools. Mentors with successful students are more likely to be promoted or gain seniority or prestige, therefore mentors only choose prospective candidates they believe will work hard and consistently achieve good results.

Often, workers are swapped around between to learn multiple professions, usually in trade deals between mentors and offices from different schools. This arrangement is beneficial to all sides involved, as the more professions a worker knows, the more useful and efficient they are likely to be.

The emphasis in this layer for workers is proficiency, when a worker is proficient enough in multiple fields of engineering, they achieve seniority in their school and can also petition the school to apply for a promotion to the Asphodel layer. Such a promotion must be accepted by The Unions in order for the request to be granted. The Unions on the Asphodel Layer will only consider the engineering workers who are most proficient in as many fields as possible, to maintain a minimum amount of engineers in their layer so as to preserve the balance of power between them.


Tartarus[edit | edit source]

Tartarus is as its name implies – a form of hell. It is dark, hot, filthy and terrible.

Tartarus doesn't provide basic needs to the workers, there is no law, no enforcement, and no communication. More people die in the Tartarus a day than in most systems a year. Grethions always have new "workers" to bring in. These “workers” sent to Tartarus are often ordinary people who have in some way either angered the Grethions, or are simply deemed ‘overpopulation’ and sent away.

Tartarus is governed by the "Officers" in each sector, who are in essence glorified and untouchable gang leaders appointed by the Executives. Officers hold all the power in Tartarus and are considered untouchable. An officer can only be appointed by the Executives, and as they are kings of their own little slices of Morag, most if not all have no interest in leaving the planet. If an officer dies, Enforcement comes down to investigate the occurrence, something which usually results in a lot of suffering and death for all gangs in the sector, including other officers. Therefore the only way to hurt a competing officer, is to cripple their work, meaning targeting their workers and their work areas. If a sector is doing badly enough, it will be purged, meaning all people in it will be exterminated, officers included.

Sectors in Tartarus are more fluid than others, often sectors will try to increase their production number by hijacking work areas from other sectors and increasing their borders. Often, Officers’ sectors will overlap, causing friction and tension.

On top of gang wars, lack of hygiene, overworking and crime, workplace accidents are very commonplace in Tartarus as there are no work safety standards. Most residents of this layer (that have been around for more than a week) are heavily cyber implanted, but almost solely with homemade, or old defunct models of cybernetics. They are also often severely disfigured, crippled, or worse.

In Tartarus, Officers can select workers they like and push them up to the layer above, this provides incentive for workers to work hard and get results.