You have the answers you were seeking, but can you handle what you have learned? -- BKF
The pursuit of ethical food sources has to stop somewhere. There is a line that should not be crossed, no matter what. Unfortunately, Humans do not like lines, drawn in sand or otherwise. A barrier that must not be crossed is a challenge to their egos, or something of the sort.
So, when Humanity was told that there was no purely ethical nourishment, they established the deep-time colony[1] of Ethica. With the goal of creating purely chemical nourishment with no living sources whatsoever. That was several centuries ago and the rest of the Alliance dreaded what they might find when the colony resurfaced.
Many bets were on a graveworld.
Fortunately, those bets were completely wrong. The colony of Ethica was technologically advanced. The people healthy. The industry so green that it practically grew its own canopy.
Yes, the food was heavily processed, but it had to be. According to the citizens, everything edible was sourced from minerals and chemical processes. The raw materials for all their food were in a sealed complex dominating the south-eastern continent.
Those who worked there stayed there. Never leaving it for the rest of their lives. They studied hard for the prestige to go, even though they knew they'd never see their family or loved ones again. The industrial complex kept its proprietary secrets, even from satellite surveillance.
Naturally, the Alliance Safety Inspectors had to be sure that the complex was compliant with Standard Safety Standards.
Inspector Rae Tracer had to sign a non-disclosure agreement before she could cross into the complex. She could only report that the complex was safe, or whether it needed improvement. The secrets would destroy the rest of Ethica if they knew, and they could never be allowed to know.
The industry that shipped out the "raw materials" were the final part of the process. The starter was... farms. Farms of plants. Farms of animals. All cared for intensely by the people who had worked so hard to be there.
"So... your ancestors failed in their goal," said Rae. "They couldn't source everything through chemistry."
"They could, but it was ludicrously expensive," said Plant Administrator Kev. "We spent centuries learning that the best organic chemical plant was... an organic plant. The same with animals. They were already complicated suites of chemical processes to turn minerals into edible products."
"Why not admit that? Come to terms with the truth?"
"Because eating living things is abhorrent to us," said Kev. "We have such a high staff turnover because many who come here can't live with the knowledge of what they're doing." Kev stared into the middle distance, not seeing the waves of grain or distant orchards. "We need therapists. Desperately. Therapists who can keep the secret."
"Therapists who can help you out of this ethical oubliette?" suggested Rae.
"If they exist... yes please."
[1] Deep-time colonies are those sent down one-way wormholes to create a civilisation in their own image. They generally resynchronize into the current era with severe trauma and an interesting society.
[Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends! Or visit my hub site to see what else I'm up to.
My Prompt Forum is currently down, but if you want to send me a prompt, post it on my Discord's emergency prompt supply.
