Factory, Consumer Goods

From OPU Wiki

(Eden only structure)

Common Metals Cost: medium

Rare Metals Cost: none

Build Time: medium

Tube Connection Required: yes

Power Required: 40

Size: medium-large

Workers Required: 2

Hit Points: medium

Scientists Required: none

Armor:light

Description

Deciding that Morale is as much a survival consideration as food, water, and air, Eden has designed a special factory for production of consumer goods. The factory is designed to produce small, short-lived, low-complexity items for consumer use. The factory is oriented toward producing a wide variety of items in short production runs, thus increasing the variety of products available, while at the same time increasing the rarity of individual items, and thus their perceived value.

Because of the emergency situation, Eden has never been able to adopt the true free-market capitalist economy that its founders intended, but Workers are paid in chits that can be traded for the few luxuries and privileges that the colony offers, including improved food rations, increased recreational privileges, longer showers, and of course, consumer goods. The Consumer Goods Factory incorporates a small retail shop where products are displayed and sold (Eden Scientists have discovered that shopping for goods has almost as much positive effect on Morale as buying and owning them). A catalog of goods can also be accessed through any colony computer terminal, goods ordered electronically, and delivery made by courier drone, or, in the case of smaller items, by transfer chute.

The factory produces batches of three different classes of consumer goods. The larger and more elaborate the goods, the greater the effect on Morale. The classes are:

Impulse: Small, usually pocket-sized objects, including personal care articles, toys, games, jewelry, clothing accessories, candy, snacks, and small decorative items. They are cheap and easy to produce, but provide only minor, short-lived, improvements in Morale.

Wares: Larger or more elaborate goods, including household items, larger decorations, larger toys and games, entertainment products, simple clothing items and accessories, luxury food items, and jewelry incorporating small natural stones and alloys containing Rare Metals.

Luxury Wares: The most expensive consumer goods, with the greatest impact on Morale. Luxury Wares include large and complex toys and games, natural-fiber clothing, Residence furnishings, larger and more elaborate decorative objects, luxury entertainment products, and jewelry made entirely from natural stones and Rare Metals. Happiness is transitory though. Statistics show that after an average of six months, even most Luxury Wares find their way to the GORF for recycling. But don't worry, the Colonists will already be in line to purchase more.

Operational Notes: The Consumer Goods Factory produces temporary Morale improvements. NOTE: This structure is available only to Eden.

Tales from New Terra

Gloria Watt sat behind the counter of Eden Emporium leaning far back in her chair, her feet crossed on top of a couple of stacked crates. She was intently reading from a ClipCom, oblivious to everything happening around her, which was a lot. Outside, through the transparent storefront, people were racing up and down the tunnel, some on foot, others on vehicles. They raced past the windows without so much as a glance at the displays of toys, clothing, and decorative glassware stacked there. Everyone was in a hurry. Everyone was carrying something. Nobody was coming into the shop. Gloria kept reading.

Milo Berggren, her partner in running the store, was busy stripping only the smallest and most valuable merchandise from the shelves and packing it all tightly into crates, most of which would get left behind for want of space anyway. Finally he looked up at her, stopped what he was doing, and sat down heavily on one of the crates. He gave her the evil eye and shook his head when she ignored him. Finally she gave up and made eye contact. "What?" He frowned in a big, showy way. "Gloria, we have a colony evacuation scheduled in 12 hours. How can you just sit there?"

She put the ClipCom down in her lap and shrugged. "My personal stuff is packed." "You could help me." "Milo, they won't let us take any of it unless we can fit it into our personal allowances, which you will. Last time we relocated, you were ready to sell trinkets the day we arrived, but you had to wear the same underwear for a month. It is not a pleasant memory." His shoulder sagged slightly. "I still have nightmares. Okay, you're right." Then he looked up, a little of the old determination in his face. "But I just can't sit here and do nothing." He stretched his neck up to see over the counter. "What are you reading, anyway?"

She held up the ClipCom for him to see. "You and I are the first people to run a retail store in over a century. I figured it was stupid to reinvent the whole process, so I'm doing some research about old Earth. I found some things in the cultural database that are very interesting." He gestured toward the people running by outside. "Like we're going to be selling anything any time soon anyway." Gloria lowered her feet to the floor, leaned forward, and smiled. "No, what I'm reading may actually be applicable to our current situation. Those old Earthers thought of everything. Ever hear of something called a "going out of business sale?"