Morgan Industries

"Human behavior is economic behavior. The particulars may vary, but competition for limited resources remains a constant. Need as well as greed have followed us to the stars, and the rewards of wealth still await those wise enough to recognize this deep thrumming of our common pulse."

- CEO Nwabudike Morgan

Morgan Industries is a Alpha Centauri faction.

Description
The Morganites are organized along corporate lines, and dedicated to laissez-faire capitalist economic principles. They start the game with 100 energy credits and the Industrial Base technology, and receive a bonus to all income from commerce between factions. Morganites have expensive tastes, making it difficult for them to support units in the field, and requiring them to build Hab Complex facilities before the population of any of their bases can exceed four citizens. The Morganites can not make the “Planned Economics” social choice.

History
Nwabudike Morgan should not have been on the Unity at all. Yet as the repair crews moved through the ship during its last days, they found an extra cryocell that was not on any of the ship's manifests. The stowaway turned out to be Morgan, the great African tycoon whose business empire had served as a contractor for much of the starship's construction. Apparently, Morgan had used his position to place himself on the Unity at the last moment, thus escaping the death of Earth.

Morgan proved to be remarkably resourceful. He had no official position in the crew and was not accompanied by any of his Earthside advisors, yet he managed to force his way into the senior officers' deliberations, and persuaded a number of crewmen to follow his lead in the final crisis. After arriving on Planet's surface, many of the crew were horrified at the prospect of living a harsh, brutal existence for the rest of their lives. Morgan won many followers, and eventually worked his way into a position of faction leadership by promising wealth and luxury for all. In the end, he reestablished Morgan Industries on the new world and laid long-term plans for the ultimate monopoly over all human endeavor.

Beliefs
Morgan and his followers are devoted to free-market capitalism. They are strongly libertarian in outlook, advocating the right of individuals to make free economic choices, enter into contracts, and hold property. This leads them to prefer a democratic society, at least in theory. In practice, they have revived the old distinction between tycoons (who have a significant voice in policymaking) and employees (who are generally required to do as they are told). Thus while all Morganites are theoretically equal, the wealthy wield much more social power and influence.

Relations With Other Factions
Morgan and his "employees" are usually willing to deal with any other faction. They will approach other factions to offer trade or contracted services, willing to ensure that both sides benefit.

Naturally, the Morganites are sharp dealers and will strive to win advantage for themselves out of every transaction.

However, the Morganites despise Deirdre Skye and her Gaians, regarding their "green" ideology as dangerous and holding their pacifism in contempt. Morgan and his people also abhor the Planet Cult, although in this case their hatred of the "green theocracy" is tempered by respect for the Cult's military prowess. Relations with the Data Angels and Free Drones are often poor, since both factions regard Morgan as a capitalist oppressor.

Strengths
Morganites are usually wealthy, both in material goods and in energy. The faction as a whole is adept at extracting profit from the exploitation of natural resources and from trade with other factions.

Weaknesses
Much of the Morganite economy is devoted to luxuries and consumer goods. As a result, the faction is unable to maintain large military forces. In any case, individual Morganites make poor soldiers and usually try to avoid military service.

Children are an economic liability under the Morganite social system. They need to be fed, clothed, and educated at their parents' expense, and by the time they reach adulthood they become "independent" (and so make no economic return to their parents). As a result, Morganite bases tend to have relatively low populations and often suffer labor shortages.

Lifestyle
The Morgan way of life is more opulent than that of any other faction. All but the most chronically unsuccessful Morganites enjoy spacious living quarters, plenty to eat, comfortable clothing, sophisticated entertainments, and objets d'art. Naturally, these vary in quality depending on price. An ordinary citizen lives much as a middle-class American might have done before the great disasters on Earth. CEO Morgan and his fellow tycoons live lives of unimaginable luxury.

Upon landing on Planet, Morgan established "Morgan Industries" and set up a system of shared ownership for all of his followers (in effect, he issued shares of stock in the new corporation). Over time, Morgan Industries created new "business units," each effectively an independent subsidiary of Morgan Industries, headquartered in a new Morganite base. Thus, latter-built bases have names such as "Morgan Trade Center" or "Morgan Robotics", each indicating the Morgan Industries subsidiary that dominates the local economy. Morganite citizens are encouraged to set up businesses of their own, pursuing private trade opportunities or acting as subcontractors to one of Morgan Industries' business units.

In theory, the Morganites recognize U.N. authority and have their own elected officials to administer the colony charter. In practice, most decisions of any importance take place in corporate boardrooms. Since almost all citizens hold stock in one or many corporations, they have at least some voice in public policy through shareholders' meetings. Of course, the great tycoons hold thousands of times as many shares as any ordinary citizen, so their influence is considerably greater.

There is a dark side to Morgan's glittering capitalist Utopia. Business competition is almost completely unregulated, and involves all manner of underhanded dealings. Those who are unwilling or unable to hold a job receive no charity, and are likely to be forced out into the wilderness if not supported by a "productive" citizen. Some citizens manage to survive only by taking dangerous or degrading work (medical test subject, deepbore miner, prostitute, etc.).