Ch 1: Rig of metal and rust.

Over the large hole on the moon of Gluttony, lies a large metal structure that’s being held there by a series of large steel cables. The structure was called a Rig. It was made out of mostly iron and serves the purpose of mining the rare minerals at the bottom of the abyss. The rarest mineral found at the bottom of the abyss was Glutonium. A metal specific to the moon of Gluttony, named after the moon itself. It was found to be a rather ravenous metal with the highest conductibility of electrons, making it the best material in the galaxy to be used as electric cables.

The inhabitants of the Rigs were all in rags. They all looked like beggars. Only the official staff of the Rig wore a blue uniform. Every morning, the staff would lead the laborers to the middle of the Rig where a large elevator lies. They are brought down to the bottom of the abyss at high speeds. It still takes an hour and a half just to get to the bottom though. The elevator was large enough to fit at most three hundred people with mining equipment. There is a large conveyor belt bringing up the crushed rocks up to the Rig for shipping. The raw crushed rocks are shipped to Wrath for further purification.

People are brought to the Rig from all over the galaxy. They were the convicts, regardless of how severe their crimes had been. The things people have committed range from shoplifting to mass murder and even treason.

Even with the sheer number of convicts being brought to the Rig every month, there still isn’t enough workers. So some people are even born on the Rigs. They were called Riggers. They have no rights at all since they were the offspring of people who no longer have rights too. Many of these Riggers were immediately put to work around the age of eight. Most die before they hit adulthood. They were mostly quick disposable laborers for the company Metallurgy INC.

Today, marks the second year that Crule started working. He turned ten last month. His face covered in dirt and dust, his body thin and malnourished. He looked like he was on the brink of death. His hair was short, wild, and was as dark as night itself. His eyes were a shade of hazel, but were bloodshot due to the work conditions.

[Woman with hair in a bun]: Hey Crule, did you eat breakfast today?

[Crule]: No I didn’t, Ms. Burnst. It all taste like dirt.

[Burnst]: You’re a growing boy, you gotta eat even if it’s bad. Your body needs the nutrients and with all the work we gotta do, you need to be on a full stomach.

[Crule]: But…Ok… I will start eating breakfast more often.

[Burnst]: Good lad, now run along now, tomorrow you and I are on mining duty.

The large amount of residents of the Rig only have to mine four times a week and rotates on the bi-daily schedule. They work two days, rest two days. But even during the “rest” days they still had to perform their daily duties like packaging rocks to be shipped or cleaning the equipment. It was constantly busy and people had very little rest.

Ms. Burnst was a middle aged woman who came to the Rig five years ago. She was convicted of tax evasion, although it was all just misplaced paperwork by the government, but they don’t care. They needed more laborers for the Rigs anyways.

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Tomorrow morning marks the start of another two days of continuous mining. Crule work up in the morning and downed the dust stew they called breakfast. He took one of the vitamin pills and caught up with Ms. Burnst on the way to the elevator.

[Burnst]: Didja sleep well lad?

[Crule]: Yes Ms. Burnst.

Crule’s parents died when he was five and Ms. Burnst have been taking care of him ever since. Their death was caused by an accident with mining equipment going haywire. They were immediately killed but manage to push Crule away.

[Blue Uniformed Employee]: Line up you Riggers, single file line onto the elevator.

The people one by one entered the elevator and got into their seats. Due to the sheer speed of the elevator, seatbelts were necessary in order to prevent immediate injury.

_______

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

The hour and half ride down to the bottom of the abyss was as scary to Crule as always. The walls were pitch black and the only lights were the occasional flood lights they attach to the wall by the team that went down the abyss in the first place. Those lights were also managed by the Riggers on rest days. The temperature drops steadily until halfway down the abyss when the temperature starts to rise again. Lower they went, one can see caves with rivers of molten metal flowing through them. This lit up the cave in an incandescent orange glow. The abyss is constantly getting deeper and wide due to the mining.

If one were to see a long time exposure of Gluttony, it would seem as if the mouth was slowly opening bigger and bigger.

There’s only one type of creature found on the moon when the pioneers first set foot on it. It was a large slugs and snails around a meter tell and two meters long. They were mainly found on the grassy prairie area of Gluttony but a shelled variant can be found at the bottom of the abyss. They generally ignore the miners and are often scared away by the mining equipment.

_______

When they reached the bottom, each Rigger went and got their equipment. Some carried electric jackhammers, some shovels, some pick axes. Some privileged Riggers who gained the favor of the staff even get to use heavy machinery like bulldozers and excavators.

Crule got his shovel and helmet with a lamp on it and hurried and follow his group. People mined in groups for both safety and entertainment. Talking and gossip was allowed during working as long as you do not stop working.

[Crule]: Ms. Burnst, please tell me what your old home planet was like?

Since Crule was born on Gluttony, he never saw anywhere else and can only rely on the stories of others to get a glimpse into other places.

[Burnst]: Boy, my planet was called Earth. It has a long history of several tens of thousands of years of mankind. From ancient civilizations to modern times, mankind’s creativity sparked many creations.

[Crule]: What does your planet look like?

[Burnst]: From space, it’s a wonderful ball of blue and green, brown and white. Full of life and wonders. We humans have covered all over the world, created huge cities of metal and concrete. Nearly everything was automated and life was great. Best of all, we have solved world hunger so no one went hungry in decades.

[Crule]: *with a sparkle in his eyes* Wow! No hunger at all?

[Burnst]: You couldn’t even be hungry if you wanted to. With the development of easy to access food, you can even buy a full course meal from a vending machine.

[Crule]: What is a vending machine?

[Burnst]: It’s this wonderful machine that spits out whatever you want when you put in money.

[Crule]: What is money?

[Burnst]: Lad, I’m sure I have told you what money was before.

[Crule]: Oh, those simple paper strips and plastic cards?

[Burnst]: *sighs* Yes boy, those “simple” paper strips and plastic cards.

[Crule]: I hope one day I can have money.

[Burnst]: *with pity in her eyes* Boy, I’m sure one day you will.

With burning inspiration, Crule worked up the enthusiasm to work hard, so that one day, he too may have this “money”.

_______

Twelve insane labor intensive hours later, it was time for the first break period. The days on Gluttony lasts 18 hours. They get a six hour period to sleep and rest after the first period.

Crule was completely tired out after twelve hours. His enthusiasm still haven’t died down but his body can’t work for so long on enthusiasm alone. Sleep hit him hard and fast like a rock to the forehead. Tomorrow, will be a new day of stories. Even in his dreams, Crule imagine the wonderful metal box called a vending machine that just spits out food when you put in paper.