A caravan of materials begins from the primary station to Zal-leg outpost. In time it will repay the investment and one day may even be self sufficient but for now it is a slight drain on your finances.
In the meantime reams of print outs grace your web, trying to find a few good solutions to the many problems which plague the world.
Year 2, leg 4 of the Space AgeAtrician society is still very much in the grips of the biological needs of the reproduction cycle. From the earliest times protecting broodlings in the first dozen years of their lives from the harsh radiation and dust of the surface was a major limiting factor. Until filter sacs and a hardened exoskeleton form they need to be kept inside, and once only in the wirewood caves would they be able to mature. The first fortress-cities were not for defense against each other, but for the broodlings out on the plains.
Learn, eat, grow. Into the male form, in a dozen years or twenty. Recent studies have shown that environments too free of radiation and dust leads to weaker males who never fully develop the defense mechanisms. The male form is obsessed with fertilizing eggs once a clutch is laid by a female. In past times this was a source of conflict, with few males surviving due to attrition.
Modern society started when cooperation began, rather then fighting for dominance instead providing gifts for the mother and children became constant. The drive was harnessed to produce a hard working, ever growing populace seeking to get rich.
Of course there are those who are outside the gender dynamics. The tertiary female cycle once brought only egg laying and caring for but now the heads of most divisions are female, decades of experience culminating in masters of their career. Some do not mature through the same cycle, or rebel against it. Such things are still not openly discussed, but it is more profitable to simply take the best employees, regardless of gender.
Brood mothers however have had a hard time getting out of their role. Much too large to fit in most areas, covered in deadly blades, thick armor and acids and growing steadily more aggressive. Most hang on to their positions long enough to secure their offspring's well being, particularly if they can work as mercenaries or leverage their fortune to assist. It is traditionally the duty of a child to finally put down their maternal parent when the last vestige of sanity falls and they are turned on themselves. Whole legal fields exist now to determine this of course, and few wealthy children do the work personally.
"Wait, why was this review relevant again?" You ask your aide Nasauric. They are a Ketheric, one who forestalls the male form with chemicals in order to continue learning and working with a 'clear mind' as they say. It leads to an early death (or growing into a catch-spider) currently, but many choose this alternate form now that it is available in order to pursue an interest or career or because the male form change feels wrong to them.
"Underground rings have been discovered, where males fight, often to the death, in the old way. Several different groups are sponsoring it, but it has lead to more aggression and conflict in the lower class and even skilled employees abandoning their positions. One of the rings was broken up in this very hive-city!"
Yes, this seems like a good place to start trying to fix things. Or turn a quick buck.
Choose one:A)
Sponsor universal education for the broodlings. They are all your children now in a way.
!!!B)
If they want to fight they can do it in the army. Draft the poor, train them, then have the army units fight it out until the best is left.
C) What a great idea.
We can make a profit off this. Except it needs to be televised and have sponsored ads.
D)
Reduce disorder by beginning a campaign to encourage hard work among the male population and responsibility among the female.
E) Provide assistance for work and living for the most downtrodden so they are not forced into this kind of behavior.
!!!F) Appeal to a council of broodmothers to put their moral and monetary might behind creating jobs and opportunities for the population.
!!!Note: Immoral choices go against your chosen ethics.
Author
Topic: Rapid Fire Spacefaring Spider Empire (Read 4392 times)