Golgotha Mining Station
 

Location: about 500 years from now, 41 light years from Sol, in and on an irregular iron-nickel asteroid roughly 11 kilometers in length along its major axis (along with a large number of smaller ancillary [faction controlled] bodies in close proximity), one of many similar bodies making up Uroboros, the debris belt dominating the system.

Population: estimated between 4,000 and 6,000. There is no formal census (attempts at such a thing are generally taken as an invocation of '...or else').

What defines citizenship? Being there and taking care of yourself.

What makes a good citizen? Minding your own damn business and keeping your friggin' hands to yourself.

How does one become a citizen? Arriving, with marketable/practical skills and materials neccessary to make use of those skills (having a few erg-creds on hand can only help). A good citizen? Taking care of yourself, minding your business, keeping your hands to yourself.

Are there common characteristics that must be shared among citizens? Yes, In no particular order: self-reliance, gumption, frugality, intelligence, pragmatism, enviro-appropriate skills, a solitary nature, sobriety, micro-gravity adaptation, patience, twin tolerances for confined and open spaces, keen desire to live.

Is the social fabric of the community malleable? As a kind of minarchy, Golgotha is less a community and more a conglomeration of interacting, interrelated (loose) factions. The (One and Only) Law of Golgotha: Mind your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else. Observe the Law, take care of yourself, and you can do as you like.

Are there events in history that are understood by all good citizens? The year (and story of how) Golgotha went independent is known to Golgothans. It's not a requirement to know the story, but, on Independence Day, when the station is locked down, with all essential systems on short-term automatic (cuz the whole of Golgotha is in Bacchanal), it's only natural for a new citizen to ask 'why'?

What is the economic status of an average citizen? Varies, and defintions of 'well off' depend on (loose) faction. Abner Munson, owner/operator of the cargo hauler Make Do, might be considered to be of modest means by one of the pitchblende miners (one of the wealthier factions), while Munson himself considers his autonomy far more important than a few extra erg-creds.

Is there a need for a consensus of opinion amidst good citizens? Only in minding the Law.

From where do citizens draw their inspiration? From wherever they like, as they can, or need to. If there's any shared 'inspiration' it comes from being Golgothan.

Has there been a revision over time of what it means to be a good citizen? Not really. The Law has been the (one and only) law for over two centuries.

Is it important for citizens to live in geographical continuity (in the same place)? Mostly, but haulers like Munson probably spend more time away from Golgotha than in Golgotha and he's considered a citizen in good standing, so...

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Murder: humans being humans there's always gonna be blood. 41 light years away, in the Sol System, the Orthodoxy solved the problem of human aggression by becoming something other than, but Golgothans, being human, are subject to human passions. So: murder happens. theft happens, rape happens, and when those things happen '...or else' is invoked.

Remember, the (One and Only) Law is 'MInd your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else'. It's a practical, on-going self-admonishment born of natural anarchists who labored under the heel of the Union (what was to become the Orthodoxy in the Sol System) too long, who said 'enough of this shit!', who introduced a whole community of Coggish (Union) bureaucrats and managers to hard vac, and declared themselves 'free and clear'.

Sex: leads to babies. Golgothans, taking 'take care of yourself' very seriously, being keenly aware that sex is a monumentally successful way to make babies, and knowing as fact babies are no damned good at doing diddly for themselves, reign in their urges sensibly.

Promiscuity is frowned on; courtship and monogamy is encouraged. Which, of course, doesn't stop randier folks. So: birth control (or M. Stern's Retreat) is encouraged when the will falters.

However, 'mind your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else' is the (One and Only) Law, so if some Golgothan throws caution to the wind and impregnates or is impregnated as result of imprudence, that's on them. There's no enforced social safety net, no one is obligated to finance another or help reduce the consequences of another's self-inflicted mistakes. So, the sexually irresponsible either take care of offspring on their own or they get the hell out of Golgotha. The Union station on the other side of the Uroboros is very welcoming of those who can't fend for themselves.

Sleazy Golgothans: fundamentally, folks who don't abide the Law (who don't last long in Golgotha). Everyone runs afoul of '...or else' from time to time. Most times this means a visit from the Constable (of the moment) and mebbe (if a resolution can't be had) laying your claim or defense with the Arbiter. Sometimes, though, '...or else' means your ass being introduced to hard vacuum (sans vac suit) by those you've wronged. Vigilantism isn't common (cuz if the vigilante is wrong, his ass is the one that'll eat hard vac) but it is practiced.

Theft: takin' what's not yours is serious shit. Golgothans are frugal, with most considering the inside of their vac suits or ships to be 'home', to be Golgotha. Space (in Golgotha proper or in one's private Golgotha) is at a premium, meaning possessions are few, meaning what a body owns a body cherishes (and probably relies on to stay alive and further itself).

Arrests: wholly unacceptable, even if the suspected violation of the Law is egregious. Being detained is another matter.

What happens to Law-breakers? depends on the violation...can range from equal-value compensation to shunning to having your ass kicked royally to deportation to being introduced to hard vacuum minus a vac suit.

Constable: whoever is on hand in the moment, responsible for helpin' folks iron out their differences or callin' an Arbiter. A cultural responsibility, considered odious but neccessary. No one is obligated to stand as Constable but it's considered bad form to refuse.

Arbiter: the court of last resort. When differences can't be ironed out with the Constable, a body lays his claim or his defense with the Arbiter. The Arbiter can be just about anyone the involved parties agree to. No one is obligated to arbitrate, but it's considered bad form to refuse (cuz it's considered a great compliment to be asked).

Militia: every man, woman, and child capable of responsibly (and accurately) using a firearm. Golgotha has it's share of enemies in the Uroboros and has had to defend itself before, and will again.

Religion: Golgothans tend to be irreligious but any and all practice is tolerated as long as it's kept private.

Smuggling: no such thing for a Golgothan. Munson, for example, understands other nations in the Uroboros have actual legal systems and accompanying legal restrictions, and -- as a conscientious Golgothan -- does his best to not haul that which offends, but: a buck is a buck, and some of them non-Golgothans are awfully narrow-minded, and in what sane uinverse is a shipment of force-grown clone-beef a bad thing?

Lawyers: introduced to hard vac.

Politicians: see above.

#

Comments and questions are welcomed.

Absolutely: this shit is my shit...claim it as your own and we -- you and me -- are gonna have a problem.

I will swear on my mother's eyes it's your shit and not mine. :yesnod:

What is the practical difference between a vigilante and a Constable? Aren't they both just somebody on hand at the moment? Is a Constable under any enforceable guidelines when picking a punishment? Or when assigning a value for compensation?


Is the Constable expected to do actual police or detective work if they don't catch someone red-handed, or can they make rulings based on their gut feelings? Or is it considered not to be a crime at all if you aren't caught red-handed?


What is the practical difference between arrest and detention?


If two parties can't agree on an Arbiter, does it devolve to who has the stronger posse?

If a man gets a women pregnant and abandons her, in a place where children are effectively a pariah, what happens to the man? "It's on him" how?

Followup: given the serious risk of pariahdom to mother and child, why would any fertile woman go there at all?

Followup followup: if there are no good choices or fertile women (generally the most desireable), and sex is risky, why are the men there?

Unfairly provocative followup followup followup: Is this a colony of gays and/or incels?

I'll take that last one..

No, it's just hq, his shit and only his shit.

Problem solved.

Follow up

Very interesting read, nice to see you let your hair down and play a little Henry!

Yes,

I don't mean to be negative from the outset, I like the thought experiment and the creativity involved.

"What is the practical difference between a vigilante and a Constable?"

Fine line between the two, mostly established by the Constable doin' what he or she does in full public view and in the moment. Also, most are reluctant to be the Constable cuz such a thing stinks of 'not minding one's own business'. The public nature of the intervention, the general distaste most have for the duty, and the natural Golgothan desire to avoid debt makes the Constable (of the moment) step lightly and, as possible, fairly.

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"Is a Constable under any enforceable guidelines when picking a punishment?"

Only cultural.

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"Or when assigning a value for compensation?"

Equal value is equal value: Joe steals Stan's vac suit. Vac suits are valued at, say 500 erg-creds. joe needs to pony up the original vac suit or the 500 creds. If he can do neither, other options (touched on above) are available.

#

"Is the Constable expected to do actual police or detective work if they don't catch someone red-handed, or can they make rulings based on their gut feelings? Or is it considered not to be a crime at all if you aren't caught red-handed?"

If Stan invokes the Constable, the unlucky guy or gal must make a good faith effort, sumthin' that's largely a matter of trust. A Spacer's life, bein' what it is, Golgothans tend to make good investigators (methodical, fact-driven, problem-solvers).

Let's take murder: Louis is found dead, a six-inch hole bored clear through his head, obviously the work of a miner's charge suppresser (a mining tool...nullifies the electron's charge causing matter to disassociate...works slows, so such a tool used as a murder weapon means the killer literally had to work the tool through Louis's face, skull, brain, and skull over the course of several minutes, all the while Louis is in agony...not a passion killing, but a cold-blooded torture session). Such an event puts Golgothans on high alert. Any number of folks will investigate out of self-preservation if nuthin' else.

That particular crine remains unsolved, by the way.

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"What is the practical difference between arrest and detention?"

Arrest is haulin' someone away to a holdin' cell; detention is a body being kept in place while all involved parties do what they need to do (includin' drafting an Arbiter).

Bear in mind: there is no 'trial set for three months down the road'. The whole of Golgothan Justice happens 'here and now'.

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"If two parties can't agree on an Arbiter, does it devolve to who has the stronger posse?"

Kinda, but no posses. Any one stupid enough to try to drag another Golgothan into such a final solution is pretty much dead where he or she stands.

Understand: Golgothans are unforgving. They're also practical. Just makes sense to get Law violations out of the way quickly. Culturally, heel-draggers are monkeyin' around with people's lives in a way that's damned close to 'not keepin' their hands to themselves' coupled with 'forcin' others to mind your business'.

"If a man gets a women pregnant and abandons her, in a place where children are effectively a pariah, what happens to the man? "It's on him" how?"

Every- and any-thing from nuthin' to eating vacuum.

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"Followup: given the serious risk of pariahdom to mother and child, why would any fertile woman go there at all?"

Mebbe cuz she doesn't see herself as a baby machine and looks to get rich mining uranium (or any other damned thing she sees fit to pursue)?

#

"Followup followup: if there are no good choices or fertile women (generally the most desireable), and sex is risky, why are the men there?"

Mebbe cuz the men don't see themselves as life support for cocks and are lookin' to do what they each see as the best for themselves?

And: sex is not risky when one is responsible.

V,

This is an exercise in world-building.

A question about citizenry (real or fictional) in another place resulted in the first half of my opening post here. The second half of the opening came from follow up questions in the other place.

While I may disagree with most of you about 'everything', none of you (except tw [fuck you, tw]) is a dumb bunny. Questions and comments help me refine the setting, rethink it, and -- eventually -- put the bones of the story I want to tell together.

Normally, I'm the one askin' myself the questions, alone, in front of a typewriter. This public exercise, involving you folks, is new to me.

So, no I'm not lettin' my hair down; I'm ruthlessly, shamelessly, usin' you folks as a sounding board.

And personal, presumably.All vac-suits are identical? Every item has a fiat price? Nothing is haggled for? Also - erg-creds. If the money is credits towards energy, who backs them? Are they managed in a bank?Crimes that would require a professional detective will probably go unsolved, or you may end up with actual professional detectives. Advanced forensic tech may help.Who says they have to drag? Could be a family member, could be a good friend. Could be someone willing to be hired. Could be organized crime. Also, a 'party' is not necessarily an individual. Could be a family against one person.


Could be none of the above - posses and lynch mobs historically have frequently included plenty of volunteers.

So when does the book come out?

When someone is eliminated who gets their shit?

Sounds to me like it's not that difficult to frame an innocent person out of revenge and have them vacuumed before anyone figures it out.

No country for children so have to rely on immigrants.

For the millions of incarcerated people who have no future on release, it could be a chance for a new start.

It has a very low population, but open borders. Is it not an attractive place for most others, or are there space travel restrictions (ie, all settlements in this system are of similar levels of population, and the teeming masses are all back at Sol)?


Limited space is a factor, but if it were attractive enough, people would still try to crowd in.

Isn't Sol the Sun? :confused:

The Sol system, including Earth. I'm assuming several planets and lots of moons and asteroids were colonized there before they set out on interstellar journeys.

So much of this is enforced by societal norms ("Golgothans are" this or that, describing their unique cultural identity). When temporaries and immigrants arrive in bunches, and your nation-state actually depends on them, they will bring their underlying culture and the present norms are threatened.

What they bring may be a net positive or negative, but it will change things. Necessarily.

He mentioned that the Orthodoxy has the ability to modify human drives. Maybe Golgotha has a secret illuminati that makes sure "Golgathans are" a certain way using the same tech.

That's why you bring in what you need as slaves, keep them in their place, and don't let them poison others with their cultures. :whip:

"All vac-suits are identical?"

Golgothan types: yeah. No nonsense, simple, robust. No one skimps on a vac suit. You may be in it for days or weeks. Don't forget, Golgotha is a mining station.

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"Every item has a fiat price?"

No, but there's a range that most products and services fall into determined by tte market (Golgothans, buyin' and sellin').

#

"Nothing is haggled for?"

Absolutely, but again within that market range.

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"Also - erg-creds. If the money is credits towards energy, who backs them? Are they managed in a bank?"

I'm uncertain how to work this. Energy production is decentralized on and in Golgotha with multiple small fission plants all over the damned place as well electricity excessed from various ship fusion pulse drives.

How this translates into a stable currency is a damned good question. I'll have to research the subject.

#

"Crimes that would require a professional detective will probably go unsolved"

No doubt. Fortunately a small, busy population makes for a low crime rate.

#

"you may end up with actual professional detectives."

Mebbe. Early in Golgotha's independent history they dicked around with the ancap notion of private security/law enforcement. Didn't take long for folks to grok that such a thing is one step away from bein' 'regulated' again. They reckoned (rightfully, I think) that sane, self-responsible individuals don't need hired overseers, but they could very well make good use of a Mike Hammer or Sam Spade.

#

"Advanced forensic tech may help."

Indeed.

#

"Who says they have to drag? Could be a family member, could be a good friend. Could be someone willing to be hired. Could be organized crime. Also, a 'party' is not necessarily an individual. Could be a family against one person. Could be none of the above - posses and lynch mobs historically have frequently included plenty of volunteers."

Good points...have to mull over how the balance out against the Law.

"So when does the book come out?"

After I write it.

"When someone is eliminated who gets their shit?"

Family and friends, usually. Sometimes, though, the early Golgothan gets the shit.

#

"Sounds to me like it's not that difficult to frame an innocent person out of revenge and have them vacuumed before anyone figures it out."

True. As I say elsewhere: more safety, less liberty; more liberty, less safety.

#

"No country for children so have to rely on immigrants. For the millions of incarcerated people who have no future on release, it could be a chance for a new start."

Only if, right from the start, such folks can take care of themselves and mind the Law. Seriously, there are no exceptions, no second chances, no probationary period. Folks who come to Golgotha thinkin' they're gonna be the exception are dead wrong.

What happens if two people tap opposing Constables for the same crime?

"It has a very low population, but open borders. Is it not an attractive place for most others, or are there space travel restrictions (ie, all settlements in this system are of similar levels of population, and the teeming masses are all back at Sol)?"

Low pop by design and preference. Not attractive except to a very specific kind of person. Haulers like Munson, folks who have to most contact with non-Golgothans intentionally paint as bleak a picture of Golgotha as possible.

Bit of history: fifty years from now, a lunatic named Blieder discovered the principles for a 'slow' kind of hyperdrive. It was another fifty years before the newly formed Union (ironic the discovery made by a mad solitary was the catalyst for the formalizing of a global communitarian regime) marshalled the global resources neccessary to build the massive Blieder driven Explorer/Colonizers.

HD 69830 was the destination of one of the four Explorers. It was geared to establish mining operations in the massive debris ring that was dubbed 'Uroboros'. Outposts were established throughout Uroboros including on a chunk of iron-nickel dubbed 'Golgotha'.

The Explorer was designed for easy cannibalization with the resources intended, Union-style, to be used equally by all outposts. But, in typical 'from each according to ability, to each according to need' fashion, the Central Planners decided they had the most need and so confiscated the bulk of the dismantled Blieder ship for their own outpost.

Perhaps these Central Planners were prescient and felt at ease violating Union decree cuz the next Blieder ship, expected ten years after the first, never arrived.

The next two hundred years were a royal bitch for just about everyone in-system except the Planners. Things were especially rough for Golgotha. Low man in the totem pole for any assist from the Union station (because of Golgotha's relative position furthest out).

Golgotha, already lean, became leaner, meaner, independent-minded, seeing less and less reason to be 'Union'.

One day, Golgothans formally stopped being 'Union', by introducing all Planner reps to vac.

There was war. No one actually 'won' but Golgotha remained independent.

"The Sol system, including Earth. I'm assuming several planets and lots of moons and asteroids were colonized there before they set out on interstellar journeys."

Yeah, the Union and what it turned into (the Orthodoxy) was well into spreading out through the Sol System by way of fusion pulse drive.

"When temporaries and immigrants arrive in bunches..."

...they observe the (One and Only) Law: Mind your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else

...and...

...they take care of themselves.

They become Golgothan or they die.

Really, it's that simple.

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"your nation-state actually depends on them, they will bring their underlying culture and the present norms are threatened."

Again: within the context of the Law they can practice whatever culture they like. Being Golgothan isn't an 'identity', it's a hard-won way of living. And: Golgotha, Golgothans don't need them.

#

"What they bring may be a net positive or negative, but it will change things. Necessarily."

It's been tried. Ask the residents of the Wahhabist station...oh, wait, Golgothans killed that station when its people began encroaching on Golgotha claims. The Wahhabists had tried memetic encroaching first, found that pointless ('your a fine engineer, Moe, but if you don't shut the fuck up about Allah I'm gonna shove your rug up your keister...this Hariven just ain't big enough for all this propagandizing'), moved on to provocative claim jumps and ended up on the wrong end of mass drivers.

Oh, the waves of horror passing through Uroboros! Stationcide!

Anyway: aint't nuthin' stopping anyone from emigrating away from Golgotha. much easier to leave or never come in the first place.

Golgothan hearts are stone in these matters.

"He mentioned that the Orthodoxy has the ability to modify human drives. Maybe Golgotha has a secret illuminati that makes sure "Golgathans are" a certain way using the same tech."

The Orthodoxy is the Orthodoxy cuz every free will is lobotomized (think 'Borg' [before the introduction of the queen concept]. The Orthodoxy is one mind in billions of bodies. The Orthodoxy is the natural culmination of transhumanist techs converging.

The Singularity is upon us and it is utterly deterministic, mechanistic, hive-like.

If the Uroboros Union knew what the Sol System Union had become they would be horrified.

Sure as shit: Golgothans would freak in a major way.

"What happens if two people tap opposing Constables for the same crime? "
 

Not unheard of, bit redundant though.

Where these two Constables can't see eye-to-eye, An Arbiter gets tapped.

I thought it was a guy I played cards with...

Sol Itaire?

busy with stuff...here's some nuts & bolts to play with
 

Originally Golgotha was to be a minarchy of the night-watchman kind (what I personally favor in the here and now).

If I'd gone that route surely there'd be some kind of constitution, sumthin' extending out of 'mnd your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else'. But I discovered while researching economic systems, and fleshing out Uroboros, Golgotha isn't a minarchy but an anarchy. Much of what I assumed in terms of court, police, military for Golgothans didn't pan out and wasn't needed.

So: beyond the (One and Only) Law, there is no law, no constitution, no courts. What you got is a small population of (essentially) blue-collar miners and haulers and tradesfolk surounded by a variety of polities. Golgotha is self-governing in the purest sense (each 'one' responsible for himself wholly).

Makes for rough times, harsh circumstances, and guns....lots and lots of (coil) guns.

Public forum: The Bazaar is as close to a 'town hall' as you'll get. It's the prime spot for major, public trade and it serves well as a market for ideas. However, anything from a quarter to half of the population is off-Golgotha at any particular time, so the weighing of issues is on-going, informal, more a matter of gossip and grapevine than organized debate and action.

Much of the foundational Golgotha infrastructure was put in place by the Union Central Planners who intially oversaw the place. Since going independent, the place (including all the smaller bodies in proximity) has become a hodge-podge of idiosyncratic styles and engineering techniques. There are frequent (sometimes violent) disagreements on proper 'use' of a particular volume of the interior. Not surprisingly, there's just as much cooperation (motivated by self-preservation) as competition.

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Golgothans don't care how you learned to repair an atmosphere scrubber, or how you learned to figure atmospheric pressure for an irregular volume, or how you learned to target a comm laser, or how you learned communicate -- in writing and speech -- exactly what you mean. They just care that you can.

To that end: there is the equivalent of home-schooling, and apprenticing, along with whatever folks pursue on their own when adults.

#

As I mentioned above: I've rethought certain aspects of things, moving Golgotha from minarchy to anarchy, so constables are off the table. Order, such as it is, is maintained through equal parts of self-direction, self-defense, thinkin' before you act, vigilantism, etc.

As for 'fire' (or explosive decompression): self-preservation over the long haul has taught Golgothans a lot about how to drop everything and go patch that hole...NOW. That guy you hate? Hate him later ('later' bein' sumthin' you won't see if you and that guy you hate don't patch that hole...RIGHT NOW)

Golgothan economy inspired by this essay...

http://www.anarchism.net/anarchism_b...capitalism.htm

Golgothan notions of 'property' inspired by this essay...

http://www.anarchism.net/anarchism_p...asynthesis.htm

Full explanations to follow, as my time gets un-stuffed.

Sounds to me like the mining towns of the wild wild west, with all the good and bad history has shown us.

That's a good comparison.

Those gold rush communities sprang up overnight, weren't really planned, were wholly motivated by profit.

The difference: Golgotha is well established with certain ideas concrete-set. Folks who thrive there are hard and spare. Folks who don't thrive, who mebbe look to ride coat tails, end up dead.

Some one, can't recall who, wrote about a place -- Jackson's Hole -- on a (I think) colony world. It was lousy with all manner of organized crime. The primary difference between that place and Golgotha is a fanatical adherence to the (One & Only) Law. Unscrupulous types arrive all the time...some are even able to get a leg up...the clever ones can hang on for a long time. But if Jane Deuterium miner discovers she's been bilked, she's gonna gonna have sumthin' to say about it. Larry, the one who sold her substandard scrubber parts may wake up dead.

What's preventing organized crime? If the one rule is MYOB, they can target people a few at a time to build a power base, and people trying to organize against them will be accused of not minding their own business. Does the one and only law prohibit them from hiring outside contractors for security to protect against reprisals from people like Jane?

"What's preventing organized crime? If the one rule is MYOB, they can target people a few at a time to build a power base, and people trying to organize against them will be accused of not minding their own business. Does the one and only law prohibit them from hiring outside contractors for security to protect against reprisals from people like Jane?"

But MYOB is not the whole of it.

'Mind your own business, keep your hands to yourself...or else.'

And: you gotta remember context. The Law isn't meant to primarly govern interpersonal interaction, it's meant primarily as an admonishment to those who'd presume to rule, to govern, Golgothans.

Some busybody lookin' to get up in your affairs: that's on you how you handle it.

Some busybody lookin' to establish a conduit on Golgotha wherein illegal (elsewhere) product is moved to and fro, that's on individuals how they wanna deal (some will ignore, some will align).

But folks comin' and tryin' to muscle Golgothans, or develop a power base so as to direct the affairs and finances of Golgothans, well, it won't just be Jane goin' to war.

Let's say Munson is lookin' to replace one of the electron beam initiators on his pulse drive. He's got a cargo box full of spices from a previous run. He knows Lazarus Whey is the go-to guy for refurbished initiators and he knows Whey has a sidebusiness trading in rare organics. A normal transaction would have the two haggle over price and they'd settle on sumthin' mutual or Munson would take his business elsewhere. But suppose Whey wouldn't sell the initiator, or asked for a price way beyond what the market dictates, or just flat out admits he has 'partners' who win't let him deal the way he used to. Munson (cuz he dreads the loss of Whey's products, and mebbe cuz he likes Whey) will make his inquiries. Golgotha is small...some one will spill the beans. Before you know it, Whey is gettin' visits from concerned folks lookin' to help (introduce his 'partners' to vac). Within the confines of the Law this is wholly acceptable and probably even mandated. If Jane has a lucky run and brings home surplus deuterium that will skew the economy but naturally. If Whey's 'partners' skew the economy through artificial price hikes and created scarcity, this is a large-scale event, a major 'not keepin' your hands to yourself' event. '...or else' is invoked with a vengance.

And if Whey goes pussy and refuses to assist Golgothans lookin' to break his 'partners' most surely he's slated for vac. He's already on thin ice lettin' himself be used in the first place.

I understand the Golgothians value self reliance and are solitary minded.

Do they ever need help from the community? Are there ever natural disasters there? Floods? Fires? Earthquakes? Do they age? Do they ever get sick and need care? Do they get early onset dementia in the same proportion that other humans do? What happens when a self reliant solitary minded individual suffers some misfortune that is more than they can handle themselves?

The thing about organized crime is the organization. They can call on outside resources. If they're at all clever, whatever hold they have on Whey will not be directly dependent on any individual enforcer the Golgothan posse is able to space.


The thing about anarchy is it's not organized. It's fine to say that a particular event is an "or else" situation, but you have to actually convince each Golgothan individually that it is the case. If their default mode is FYIGM, that's going to be hard to turn around.

"Do they ever need help from the community?"

Probably. They can ask for help (no crime in asking). Mebbe they'll get some; mebbe they won't. No one is forced to lift a finger.

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"Are there ever natural disasters there?"

Touched on that up-thread...

(S)elf-preservation over the long haul has taught Golgothans a lot about how to drop everything and go patch that hole...NOW. That guy you hate? Hate him later ('later' bein' sumthin' you won't see if you and that guy you hate don't patch that hole...RIGHT NOW).

This is SPACE...SPACE wants to kill you...you do what you gotta to not let it.

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"Do they age? Do they ever get sick and need care?"

They age, they do get sick, they do need care (and they pay for it with their own resources [which they have or they wouldn't be Golgothan]).

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"Do they get early onset dementia in the same proportion that other humans do?"

I'm assuming 500 odd years down the line some of what ails us, won't ail them. But that's okay: there's plenty in the Uroboros that kill 'em dead. The absence of senility isn't even noticed with all the other shit flittin' around.

#

"What happens when a self reliant solitary minded individual suffers some misfortune that is more than they can handle themselves?"

As I say: they can ask for help...best to start with the people who love 'em...mebbe those folks will lend a hand (but that ain't guaranteed).

The ones who made out best in the old west were saloon keepers and general goods suppliers because a large segment of the residents didn't want them to fail or leave.

Oh, and Levi Strauss. :D

"The thing about anarchy is it's not organized."

Not formally, no. But don't equate 'anarchy' with 'chaos'. The two aren't -- in context -- synonymous.

#

"It's fine to say that a particular event is an "or else" situation, but you have to actually convince each Golgothan individually that it is the case. If their default mode is FYIGM, that's going to be hard to turn around."

But the default mode is not 'fuck you i got mine', it's 'leave me be'.

And: in the example laid out above (with Whey) ther'd be little convincing needed. Some one is screwing with the natural economy, this endangers all Golgothans: dem motherfuckers got to go (out the nearest airlock). Absolutely, some Golgothans won't lift a finger, but some will and 'there will be blood'.

"The ones who made out best in the old west were saloon keepers and general goods suppliers because a large segment of the residents didn't want them to fail or leave."

Yep, like Whey, for example. He's 'important' (he best keep in mind, however, he ain't 'that' important).

"The thing about organized crime is the organization. They can call on outside resources. If they're at all clever, whatever hold they have on Whey will not be directly dependent on any individual enforcer the Golgothan posse is able to space."

Then the posse will introduce Whey to vac and wait for the nascent syndicate to make the next move.

As I say: 'there will be blood'.

Since I last posted in this thread...
 

...I course-corrected a bit.

Rescaled some things, retooled others, generally re-thunk stuff.

What follows is an experimental stab at a beginning.

-----

Space (Truckin') Opera

by Henry Quirk (2018, mine, all mine, goddamnit!)

ONE

After decon I made my way across the orbital's Esplanade. 'Bustling' doesn't cut it. It was befuzzlin' after three weeks of just me and V.I.ola, betwixt. Big noise, big color, all manner of people, everywhere. I navigated the fiasco, un-augmented eyes mostly straight ahead. I'm no tourist, got no interest in the orbital's goin's on.

I nearly tripped over and then side-stepped a Brain (in a jar) skitterin' erratic-like on its four mech-legs through the shifty crowd. It wasn't runnin' its ghostface so I couldn't say for sure, but I'd have bet five creds it was drunk. Surrounded by hundreds of bios, mechs, and enfleshed infos, can't say I blame it. If I were gonna be there for more than a handful of hours I'd probably get blitzed myself.

I was relieved when I got to the brokerage and he was at his terminal, all big and fat, plugged in and (mostly) human.

"Trujo."

He swiveled in his chair. Plugged in, it didn't matter much which direction he faced. If he coulda stood on his head at all, then he coulda stood on his head, facin' the wall, and conducted his business with the same greasy efficiency as he did sittin' up, facin' the mostly superfluous ghost terminal.

"Munson! What brings you to Hesperis?"

Trujo knew I was in-system 'bout five minutes after I cleared the Needle (along with a whack of other 'interested' beings, each and every one I hoped to avoid). And he knew why I was on-orbital. And he knew I knew this. And he still acted surprised to see me and curious why I'm on Hesperis. Meh.

We shook hands. I plunked down in the human-form chair that sprouted from floor.

"Same as always. Droppin' off."

He relaxed back in his own grown chair. Seemed to me it groaned a little. Like I say, Trujo is a large man.

"Now you're looking to pick up."

"Yep."

Trujo's eyes irised closed as he accessed his manifests and schedules by way of the optical cable plugged into the top of his shaved head.

"Well let's see what I have... You still flying that old tractor?"

'Course I was flying the 331. *If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Besides, no way I coulda afforded another tractor even if I wanted to. Creds were tight, always.

"You know I am."

Mech eyes opened.

"Hmm... Have a preference?"

I shrugged.

"Nope. I'll go wherever takes me out of Comm Space."

I haul in Community Space (cuz work is work), pay their friggin' fees (cuz that's just one of the prices of doin' business). But I can't cotton to their 'one for all' hooey. So when I can, I fly in Free Space. Business is spare flyin' Free but I breathe easier.

I fly the Gadsden on the 331's nose for a reason.

"You're in luck, then. I have two scheduled for Golgotha."

A mostly defunct mining station in Free Space affixed to a big chunk of mined out rock surrounded by other chunks of whatnot, all orbiting a small, dim, dwarf. Notable mostly as a way-station between Flinx and Lapis 5 (with 1 through 4 bein' long gone I don't know why they just don't drop the numerical). Was a hoppin' place a few years back, then a new Needle cropped up that bypassed Golgotha's. Sparsely crewed, quiet, and about as far as you can get from any place excitin as a body could want.

"Mass?"

"Touch over one."

Decent load for a hauler like mine.

"Pay?"

"Standard plus half, and the out-going Needle toll."

That plus five is for the distance. Like I say, Golgotha is off the beaten and more than just a few AU from its Needle. Most don't wanna travel that far, that deep, in-system. Me, long-haul is what I do.

"That'll work. Load need anything?"

"It's Pseudo Grub..."

"So nuthin' special."

Really, what the hell do processed, compressed algae and yeast blocks need? Besides flavor, that is.

"Just avoid the rocks and the mooks."

"Always."

"Status?"

"I unhitched soon as the creds cleared. Inspected her. Moved off and parked her half a click out. Still gotta re-tank and restock. After that I'm good to go."

"Okay, then. Thumb the plate and you can get moving. Link with my comp when you get back to your tractor for the relevants."

"Will do."

"So, how you've been?"

"Meh... Workin'."

"That's what you been doing. How are you?"

"Alive."

"Hmm... As always, a pleasure."

"Thanks, Trujo."

It occurred to me on my way back to the lock (as it always does) that mebbe the man I meet when I'm Hesperis-way isn't a man at all. Entirely possible Trujo is an A.I. not even on-orbital but tucked away in one of the hundreds of satellites clustered 'round, or a non-human runnin' a proxy body from two offices up-spin. I've never seen him outside of that office, or without that cable plugged into his skull. It's part of the problem I got with Comm Space. Almost nuthin' and no body is what it seems. Flesh gets reshaped or swapped or ridden by remote; ghosts hang on every-thing and -body like a shroud. I thought on it all for five then put it aside. Don't matter much what Trujo is as long as he plays me straight and makes with honest work. Don't matter what Comm folks do with themselves cuz I'm just passin' through.

TWO

Threadin' a Needle is easy. You let the V.I. do it. Nah, strike that. If you're like me you don't 'let' the V.I. do it cuz the V.I 'must' do it. Executin' a spiral around a Tipler Needle can't be done with a natural, unmodified human brain. Not fast enough to take into account the always shifting variables. Between Needles I'm more than competent (if I say so myself) at navigatin' the 331. Needles, they're V.I.ola's.

She's not top of line (not for a long time now), but she knows Needles, knows the 331, knows me, and generally knows a helluva lot about any place we're liable to end up, and that's all I need to get through my day to day.

When I bought the 331 she was already installed, experiential- and data-bases deep and wide. I'd have been a damned fool to wipe her. I didn't (cuz I'm no fool, mostly), so she's got a personality that don't always jibe with mine. which is to say, sometimes she's a royal, Grade-A, bitch. Makes for interesting times, now and again, betwixt.

Looks good. One question:
Is this patois or a typo?

typo...corrected
 

Thanks.

If you are soliciting typos:

actedvsurprised

typo: corrected
 

Thanks.

I've been vsurprised lots o' times.