THE UNITED CONSTITUTION OF MELLOASIS

*While each mer-person understands the constitution, it is not a formalized, legalized document. Rather, it is something that can be orally recited and referred to through song. While it is recorded below in English (human form), it only exists in Mermish as a beautiful melody. Often times, you will hear bits and pieces of this beautiful song throughout the villages as a constant reminder and celebration of the mer-people’s unified endeavor to be in tune with nature.

PREAMBLE
We, the citizens of Melloasis, hereby declare ourselves to always strive to be harmonious with nature, maintaining the equilibrium between our society and our surrounding environment.

CHAPTER I: SOVEREIGNTY
Article 1: MELLOASIS
This utopia is officially known as Melloasis, a combination of “mellow” and “oasis”. 

Article 2: FOUNDING PRINCIPLES
Melloasis is founded on the principles of respect for nature, the preservation of ecological harmony,  the communal bond, and the pursuit of nondestructive happiness.

The reasoning behind the mer-people’s passionate respect of nature dates back to an old fable concerning a land-species, named humans, who destroyed its mother nature over the course of thousands of years, Eventually, humans’ actions and behaviors brought about disturbances in the global climate, sea levels and water temperatures, the atmosphere’s chemical makeup, and were directly held responsible for the unnatural extinction of many animals and plant species. Therefore, the forefathers of this society determined that a peaceful co-existence with nature was a crucial necessity for their species’ long-term survival.

Article 3: POLITICAL SYSTEM
Melloasis shall be an oligarchy of five Elders, composed of the oldest (and therefore, wisest) merman or mermaid from each of the five villages.

Article 4: LANGUAGE
The mer-people of Melloasis shall communicate in their original language, Mermish. This language consists of squeaking and squealing intonations, similar to that of dolphins, as well as beautiful song, similar to that of humpback whales–but in their distinctive Mermish dialect.

CHAPTER II: RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF INDIVIDUALS
Article 5: NONDESTRUCTIVE FREE WILL
Melloasis encourages an atmosphere of free-will, in which individuals have the right to be relaxed and in a blissful state of mind, as long as equilibrium with nature is not affected. Although there are no written, strict laws and rules of conduct, cheerfulness and productivity is highly encouraged. Thankfully, in this society, most members are naturally inclined to behave and perform in this manner, and a pessimistic or dangerous character is rarely found.

Article 6: EQUALITY OF MER-PEOPLE
All mermen and mermaids are equal before the law. There is never any negative discrimination concerning gender, age, nor status. Elders are looked upon in a slightly more favorable light, however, because society relies on them to peacefully exist in equilibrium with nature.

CHAPTER III: RULE AND LEADERSHIP
Article 7: THE OLIGARCHY
There are five Elders who work to preserve harmony in this utopia with nature; they are the most wise mer-people in society at any given time. One’s wisdom is measured solely by age, and Elders often live up to 200 years old. The oldest mer-person in each village holds this position for life. Once an Elder passes, the now (new) oldest member in that village becomes the Elder.

Article 8: ELDERS’ LEADERSHIP
The Elders do not create solid, strict rules, but there are certain types of behavior that are celebrated. It is easy for them to encourage a harmonious relationship with nature, both individually and communally, because the mer-people of this society are already predisposed to behave in this way.

Because they are the most wise mer-people of this society, each Elder is trusted with the task of making decisions that affect each mer-person. Whether it is deciding to pause hunting on a specific species of fish, or exiling a rare rogue member out of society (which happens once in a blue moon), they always work to maintain a balance with nature.

CHAPTER IV: SECTORS WITHIN SOCIETY
Article 9: ECONOMICS
Mer-people specialize in roles such as fish hunting and gathering, medical assistance, and reproduction caretaking. However, these roles are not set jobs that are worked on the daily for a specific number of hours. For example, while a certain group of mer-people may be great hunters, this does not restrict others from hunting on their own free will. These skillful hunters, also, are not obligated with the responsibility of feeding their entire village.

Their roles can also easily change depending on the situation. If there is not enough food for everyone in this society, everyone (who is able) will focus on hunting to feed themselves and other members.

Everyone in each village will share the food and other goods, either obtained through earning, gifting, or bartering. There will be no form of money.

Article 10: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Fire and electricity do not exist in this underwater world. Their technology depends on the natural behavior of the sun/sunlight, water and waves, and the surrounding species with special characteristics. Most importantly, the water functions as a medium for communication. Sound travels father in water than in air, and about six times more effectively. The mer-people communicate while hunting, mating and reproducing, trading, and playing.

Because their technology is limited by water, the mer-people use surrounding materials to benefit their lives. They use things they can discard back into their environment, always in a way that is not harmful to nature.

Article 11: ECOLOGY
Melloasis’ ultimate goal is to maintain harmony with nature. With every action completed with careful and thoughtful consideration, the inseparable bond with nature always strives to be kept at equilibrium. Therefore, it is this society’s responsibility to maintain harmony with nature by not doing anything beyond natural preservation.

Article 12: RELIGION
Members of this society do not practice any religion that idolizes objects or unseen gods, mainly because “religion” is a human concept. The only omnipresent force they believe exists is nature– but they understand that they cannot influence it with prayers and incantations. They do not worship nature, but are often in awe of it. They admire the natural beauty of their environment, and are thankful to be living as witnesses to it—such as the stillness of the deep, blue sea; the colorful illustration marked on sea creatures and marine life; and the natural wonders of whirlpools.

Article 13: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SEXES
There is no discrimination based on gender, and gender roles are nonexistent. Any merman and mermaid can specialize in any role depending on their availability, capability, and aspirations. A mermaid may be an excellent hunter or a respected Elder, while a merman may be a wonderful nurturer and caretaker.

The distinction between a merman and mermaid is simply based on their role in the mating and reproductive process. The mermaid carries and lays the eggs, and the mermen fertilizes them.

There may also some physical differences, in which mermen are inclined to expose their bare torso, while mermaids favor placing some kind of ornaments on their torso (such as a starfish).

Article 14: FAMILY AND REPRODUCTION
Mermen and Mermaids choose multiple partners for reproduction (approximately between 3-5 in their lifetime), usually based on genetic compatibility. Love is not an important factor in mating.

Most mermaids lay an average of five eggs, via external insemination, per each successful mating. Not all eggs are guaranteed to hatch, because of accidents, predators, and by chance. The eggs are cared for by the entire community, with extra attention given by the specialized nurturers, and once born, the mer-children are raised communally as well. Furthermore, the mer-people live communally in underwater caves and are not organized into nuclear families.

Article 15: ETHICS AND LAW
Mer-people are instinctively inclined to understand and appreciate nature; everyone automatically behaves appropriately—in a way that is positively helpful and valuable to nature. In this society, everyone puts in an equal effort to sustain harmony with nature.

Punishment does not exist in this society because: 1) no one is intentionally bad, and 2) there is absolutely no good that punishment would bring to nature. If problems arise, the mer-people work together to re-establish the peace, and continually encourage a sense of community through expressive and meaningful interactions.

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Expanded Information:

Physical Setting
Melloasis exists somewhere off the coast of an area that echoes Hawaii. Thriving in warm-water temperatures, the mer-people live near the surface of the water, up to 200 meters (656 feet) below the surface—which is known as the euphotic or “sunlight” zone. Melloasis approximately spans a territory of a comfortable seven cubic miles, they rest in underwater caves, which are found in sporadic clusters. These underwater caves are categorized into five different villages, with 100 mer-people belonging to each village. They live in peaceful co-existence to other marine life within this territory.

Physical Appearance
Adult mermen and mermaids both range in height from 5’4” to 5’10.”  A typical weight for them ranges from 120 lbs to 180 lbs.  There are no malnourished or overweight mer-people, but each merman and mermaid has its own individual body shape and size (they are not cookie-cutter or cloned-looking creatures).  On the whole, mermen are slightly larger than mermaids but only by an inch or two at the most and ten pounds to twenty pounds heavier.  There are no appreciable differences between the sexes in terms of strength that would affect the types of jobs they can do.  Neither sex has nipples nor belly buttons, and they gestate their young externally like sea horses.  Both sexes are human from the waist up and fish from the waist down (with legs-length tails, covered in scales).

The scales are the same colors as the particular mer-person’s hair, which typically vary from different hues of blue, indigo, and coral.  This is a genetic occurrence that happens naturally. Because of this natural, geneticoccurrence, if some mer-people choose to dye their hair in a different color, they will most likely dye their individual scales into a similar color as well, to keep their head-to-tail appearance consistent.  Some mer-people like to have different color patterns on their scales such as a striped black-white pattern to show their personality and individuality (their hair will mostly likely be some sort of incorporation of both black and white/blond as well).

The dye is an oil that is excreted from the leaves of the Sea Cress plant.  The plant grows plentifully on the sea floor outside their caves.  The Sea Cress Plant come in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, brown, and purple.  One application of the oil into a mer-person’s hair or scales will dye them the color of the oil and a second application of the same oil will wash it out.  Because the dye is oil based, the ocean water will not wash out the dye though the color will fade slightly over time.

Mer-people live to the advanced age of 200, they age a bit slower than humans.  Mer-children reach physical and mental maturity at the age of 25 instead of 18.  Their correspondent growth as children is slower in proportion to this fact.

Government
Melloasis is divided into five villages with roughly 100 members each. Each of the five villages has one Elder who is the oldest in his or her village. The Elder’s age ranges from 150 to 200 years old and holds the position for life. Once a mer-person reaches the age of 150, he or she is qualified to be an Elder if there isn’t already an Elder in place. As a mer-person ages, their wisdom also grows with them so it would only make sense that the oldest mer-people are the Elders and they are in charge of their villages.

The Elders do not create absolute, strict rules, but there are certain types of behavior that are celebrated. For example, being idle is not looked down upon, but being productive is celebrated. The mer-people are free to explore their territory and be playful, while being generally productive. Being productive is considered hunting for fish, swimming around finding trinkets or shells to collect, observing other maritime species, exploring the territory, taking care of and feeding the young, and grooming themselves.

Economics
There are mer-people who specialize in roles such as fish hunter/gatherer, doctors, caretakers, etc. but their roles can be easily changed depending on the situation. For example, if by chance a shark enters their territory and some of the mer-people are hurt. There are mer-people who are doctors but that may not be enough to help these injured individuals. At this point an announcement will be made and caretakers and fish hunters will come and help out the doctors. Another example is if a hunter is injured or deceased. In this society everyone is free to find their own food but the hunter is their main source of food. Since the hunters are very efficient fish hunters within the society, the absence of one hunter can largely affect the food supply. In this case the mer-people will automatically chip in help lend additional support.

As a mer-child grows up he or she shadows or is an apprentice to an expert in the field of his or her choice. This is to prepare the mer-child for adulthood. The Elders delegate the responsibility of having an apprentice to the experts. When a mer-child reaches the age range of 18-25, he/she has a meeting with the Elder to discuss entering adulthood and the specialized role he/she may possibly fulfill. The specialized roles are ultimately chosen by the Elders because they are the most wise, but if a mer-person dislikes the role, he/she is allowed to suggest a different role to fulfill and explore other options.

Everyone in the village shares the food and other goods will be obtained by bartering with other members. Different levels of value are not placed on traded goods/services. Rather, whatever a mer-person needs/wants and does not need/want at a particular moment dictates what they trade. For example, a mermaid may trade a fish (when they are not hungry) for a coral “hairbrush” because their desire for smoother hair is higher than their current appetite level. Once her hair is smooth, however, she may later trade it for bunch of seaweed because her hunger has grown.

There is no form of money. The mer-people do not have many personal belongings because that would crowd up their caves. They are allowed to keep maybe one or two trinkets such as pretty, shiny objects like pearls, or shells. These items should be able to be found naturally in the sea. A mer-person should not be keeping anything that is foreign or human made. If an individual desires an object that another mer-person has, the individual can offer to trade an object for the desired object. Each item in the trade must be considered equal or around equal value just to make sure it is a fair trade.

Science/Technology
Fire and man-made electricity do not exist in this underwater world. Their technology depends on the natural behavior of the sun/sunlight, water and waves, and surrounding species with special characteristics.

The sun/sunlight gives natural lighting to their environment and gives an indication of the time of day. They spend most of their day performing activities while the sun is out, and they usually spend the night resting or sleeping after the sun has set. The water offers hydration and sustainable life to the ecosystem’s species and food sources. The characteristics of the waves offer indication of the weather of the current and surrounding environments (e.g. hurricanes). The water also functions as the mer-people’s medium for communication. Sound travels farther in water than air (and about six times more effectively). The mer-people are able to communicate with each other while they hunt, mate, and play—through cheerful squeaks that are similar to dolphins and in beautiful song that is similar to whales.

Other underwater creatures inherently offer help to the mer-people. Bioluminescent marine life, such as plankton and small fish, offer lighting underwater. This is particularly useful to the mer-people on cloudy days where sunlight is unable to penetrate through the water’s surface. This also enables the mer-people to continue tasks and explore their environment even after the sun has set—they do not necessarily have to go to sleep right away.

Because their technology is limited by water, the merpeople use surrounding materials to benefit their lives. Driftwood becomes a hunting spear and seaweed becomes a temporary net—things they can discard back into their environment in a way that is not dangerous to nature. With careful and constant observation of their environment, however, they are able to enhance some of their daily activities. They pick up seashells from the sand and use them as megaphones—they are able to project their sounds not only from a farther distance, but also at a greater volume. They also use coral to comb their hair and smooth out their scales.

Ecology
This utopia’s ultimate goal is to maintain harmony with nature. With every action completed with careful and thoughtful consideration, the inseparable bond with nature always strives to be kept at equilibrium.

The underwater world is a place for all maritime creatures. Nature has its ways for recycling and reusing natural waste, therefore, preserving life. Nothing supplementary is needed to sustain the beauty of marine life. Therefore, it is this society’s responsibility to maintain harmony with nature by not doing anything beyond preservation.

At times, the mer-people are very interested in observing their environment, discovering new species, and gaining stronger understandings of marine life—but it is always in a way that does not disrupt nature. Anything “(mer)man-made” does not cause permanent damage to nature, always considering environmentally-friendly values. The reasoning behind their passionate respect to nature dates back to an old fable concerning a land-species, named humans, who destroyed its mother nature over the course of thousands of years. Slowly, and then all at once, humans’ actions and behaviors brought about disturbances to the global climate, sea levels and water temperatures, the atmosphere’s chemical makeup, and were to blame for the extinction of many animals and plant species. Their destruction ultimately made earth an un-livable planet for the humans, and they eventually sought refuge on other planets within the Solar System. Therefore, the forefathers of this Melloasis determined that a peaceful co-existence with nature was a crucial necessity for their species’ long-term survival.

The mer-people’s population is controlled by predators (larger fish, sharks, whales), accidents, and natural occurrences (death by old age), and they, in turn, keep other species’ populations in check—it’s the natural circle of life. Also, unlike similarly-intelligible humans, the mer-people do not domesticate animals nor enjoy ownership of pets.

While mer-people may hide from (in caves or seaweed fields), swim out of reach of, or use distraction techniques against predators, they do not set up physically dangerous traps of any kind because it is not natural– they are not the predator. Their village is not an optimal swimming location for their predators (mainly due to insignificant sea level for whales, or unsatisfying food options for sharks who prefer seals), but predators will occasionally cross borders since there aren’t any definite “fences” of any kind. Moreover, any mer-person who swims outside of Melloasis also risks being in an area where predators are more likely to be around.

Religion
Mer-people never developed a religion in the sense of believing in a god or gods. This is an abstract idea to these creatures because religion is a concept developed by humans.  They don’t need to rely on idols or gods because the only power underwater is nature– a natural force that cannot be swayed through faith. They are not spiritual and see no need to create blessings or prayers.

They do, however, have an awe of and appreciation for nature.  They are also very observant of their surrounding environment– understanding the circle of life, the food chain, and existing predators. Because of this, they appreciate nature in the sense that they recognize the full worth of the fish they eat, the sharks they fear, and their own part in the larger whole.  They accept that each part is vital and necessary to the health of the whole. They show this by taking great care in their hunting to keep the food chain in balance and being very concerned with the ecology of their environment in the whole.

They also find joy appreciating the natural beauty of their world– from naturally occurring whirlpools, the presence of colorful coral reefs, and the hypnotizing way the sunlight reflects off certain objects.

The Relationship between the Sexes
Mermaids and mermen do not have defined gender roles.  Since mermaids and mermen are physically very similar; the main difference being an inch or so of height and only a few pounds in weight, there are no jobs that physically, only mermen or only mermaids can do.  Also, since mermaids to do not gestate their young internally or breastfeed, care of mer-children from conception can be done by either sex.         Because there are no gender roles, there is no discrimination based on gender either.  Any mer-person can have any job specialization they want including Elder once they hit 150 years of age.

There are minor physical and role differences when it specifically comes to reproduction; the mermaid lays eggs and the merman fertilizes them.  However, since mating is only for survival of the species and both mermaids and mermen have multiple partners in order to maximize egg hatching potential, there is no jealousy or other negative relationship-based problems among the sexes.

Sexual Reproduction
All mer-people start reproducing when they hit the age of sexual and physical/mental maturity at 25 and have started their adult lives.  They have a natural urge to mate when spring starts and the weather gets warmer because the changes in the temperature of the ocean affect their hormones.

Since there are only 100 mer-people in each village and mer-people can reproduce from the ages of 25-55, only about about 20-30 mer-people are fertile and able to mate each year.  In order for the best chances of the eggs to hatch, mermaids and mermen choose multiple partners based on which physical and mental characteristics that they have and which characteristics a genetically compatible partner would have to have in order to produce viable children.   In order to have the best chance of viable eggs, merpeople will conceive with all available genetically compatible partners within their village.  The relationships between one mer-person’s choices of partners and other mer-people’s choices of partners will intertwine to form a spider’s web.  Because of this and the small selection from which they have to choose from, each mer-person will average between 3-5 different partners.

By the end of spring, most mermaids have produced an average of five fertilized eggs via external insemination.  Because not all eggs hatch, and mer-children are raised communally, birth control is not practiced and most mermaids will produce approximately 30 fertilized eggs over the course of their lifetime.  The eggs are kept in special incubator rooms in the childcare cave which is a specific complex within each village of 100 merpeople.  Approximately one to two eggs hatch from each mermaid’s conception for a total of about 15-20 new mer-children a year.  About the same number of merpeople die from old age or accidents per year so the communities even out in terms of population numbers.

The reasons not all eggs hatch are infertility/egg/sperm problems in a particular mer-person, various genetic defects in the fertilized eggs that make them non-viable so they never hatch, improper handling by the childcare workers in charge of the eggs that would cause them to break or become damaged, environmental problems in the ocean that would affect all the eggs for that year, predators managing to swim into the childcare center and eat the eggs, or just plain bad luck.

Family and Reproduction
Mer-people are a hybrid of different species of fish that have slowly developed intelligible thoughts and behaviors similar to human intelligence. Through millions of years of evolution, mermen and mermaids have come to exhibit mental abilities (e.g. emotions) that differentiate them from most simple marine life.

Mermaids and mermen both have the same degree of emotional attachment with their children, which, since they are produced and gestated externally, are weaker than human bonds.  Therefore, they have no problem swimming over to the childcare center in early May with their freshly fertilized eggs for them to be raised communally by other mer-people.  Some mermaids and merman are born with stronger bonds to children so it is their calling to work in the childcare center and communally raise all the children of their particular village.

Because mer-people are a hybrid of fish (simple animals that gestate very quickly), and humans are much more complex (and therefore take nine months to gestate), it takes on average between 2-5 months for fertilized eggs to hatch. Mer-children are born similar to infant humans (being a small, naive form of adults that undergoes much development with time) but instead of needing breastmilk, they eat plankton and other small fish that don’t require chewing. They are already born able to swim as it is an innate necessity (like sharks).

They grow up in the childcare center and stay there while they prepare for adulthood by shadowing or being an apprentice to an adult mer-person who has a job they might want.  After the mer-child reaches the age range of 18-25 and met with an Elder to discuss their specialization, they are allowed to move into the communal adult cave system.   Each village of 100 mer-people live communally as a whole since they are not organized into individual families (in multiple clusters of caves, not just one cave).  Mer-people do not have individual homes but will sleep in whichever cave in the village they want and may change caves as often as they like.

Mer-People Rights
In Melloasis, it is ideal that everyone contributes to the society, but that is not always the case. There may be one mer-person who has been influenced in a certain way that what he or she does in his or her daily life will negatively impact the community. If any of the mer-people suspect another mer-person to be adversely affecting the village, a report should be made to the Elder. The Elder will have a personal conversation with the said mer-person and if the suspicions are deemed true, the Elder will have the power to exile him/her from society. However, some suspicious reports could happen from misunderstandings and miscommunications– that is why all reports go to the wise Elders.

If a mer-person finds an unnatural object (such as a human-made object), he/she must report it to the Elder. This object could be harmful to the society. The Elder will have a meeting with the Elders from the other villages and come up with a way to properly dispose of this object.

Ethics
Mer-people are instinctively inclined to understand and appreciate nature; everyone automatically behaves appropriately—meaning they behave in a way that is positively helpful and valuable to nature, or in a way that is neutral. In this utopia, everyone puts in an equal effort to sustain harmony with nature. Inappropriate behavior is anything that negatively harms nature– such as over-hunting, or developing tools that cannot be recycled back into the environment. However, it is not in the mer-people’s nature to act inappropriately (although there are random, rare exceptions due to genetic mutations).

Punishment does not exist in this utopia, simply because: 1) no one is intentionally mischievous, and 2) there is absolutely no good that punishment endured by mer-people would bring to nature. The only problems that arise within this utopia come from accidental misfortunes, such as an accidental harpooning of another hunter while catching fish, or an unintentional overhunting of a small fish species. In the case of a “friendly fire” death, the entire community may mourn over the lost life, but the “killer” is not punished. Instead, everyone works together to re-establish the peace by putting in slightly more effort to make up for the lost work of one body, and by encouraging a sense of community through expressive interactions such as hugs and smiles. Everyone works to take care of the nuclear family “left behind” collectively, because they are all part of one larger family– everyone in its community is entwined. With a loss of a life, there may be a memorial, but never a burial (because it is an unnatural action).

If someone accidentally hunts too much of a fish species to the point that its population becomes endangered, the mer-people lay off hunting that particular species until it naturally repopulates itself to a safe level. However, if it becomes extinct even after the mer-people have stopped hunting that species, it is looked upon as a natural and inevitable termination.

Now what if someone deliberately breaks the code of being one with nature? Although this is a species where everyone is innately born with the understanding and appreciation for nature, there is an extremely rare occurrence of an outlaw. It is natural for a species to experience some individual abnormalities, such as a clownfish born with a deformed fin (e.g. Nemo). Although very uncommon, a merman or mermaid born without an appreciation for nature is possible. Once an Elder realizes that an individual mer-person does not follow the natural code, they have the power to exile him/her out of the society. Once cast out, this mer-person is soon expected to die because they are incapable of surviving by themselves. It is nearly impossible to survive on their own because they come from a species that significantly relies on one another. No remorse is shown by any mer-person inside the society because they only uphold equilibrium with nature.

OGS

Philip Kubiak, Domanique Borges, Laila Metjahic

BE IT DECLARED, HEREIN LIES THE CONSTITUTION OF OUR GREAT SOCIETY, TO BE FOLLOWED TO THE VERY LAST WORD, LEST WE ENDANGER THE PERFECTION OF THE BROTHERHOOD THAT IS OGS

1. Any citizen who follows the rules set forth by The Constitution Of OGS is considered a good and right citizen in the eyes of our governors, The Sanitation. All such good and right citizens are considered equal in OGS, regardless of sex, creed, height, or girth. The Professors are a force sworn to protect and respect all the good and right citizens of OGS as well as finding out any citizens who are not good or are not right.
2. Each citizen shall belong to one of five districts of OGS: District Adrenaline, District Sadism, District Knowledge, District Authority, and District Sin. Citizens are required to keep within their district, associate amongst their district, live, sleep, and work in their district.
3. Every citizen over the age of sixteen years must report to their assigned work stations at 800 hours and may not leave before 1800 hours. This time is reserved across all districts every day for every citizen to contribute to the well-being of OGS. Citizens under sixteen years must study their trade and the glory that is OGS during this time.
4. Every citizen must spend the hours between 400 and 700 in their Vitality Chambers. This is necessary for each citizen to be properly rejuvenated after a night of excess and ready to serve OGS at full capacity.
5. Outside of these times, citizens are required to participate in extreme activity as mandated by the heads of their own respective district. Any moderation will be met with severe punishment.
6. Each citizen has the obligation to observe his fellow citizens and report any suspected moderation to a Professor.
7. The Sanitation reserves the right to relocate any citizen who is not good or is not right to District Sadism so they may learn to adjust their behavior.
8. Citizens must not speak of, or associate with, the sect of criminals known as “The Moderates.” Any knowledge of the whereabouts of any suspected member must be reported to a Professor immediately.
9. There are to be five districts in OGS: District Adrenaline, District Sadist, District Knowledge, District Authority, and District Sin
10. All citizens must follow the laws and statutes created by OGS
11. All citizens are created equal under the law and must be treated as such.
12. No citizen’s life is worth more than the other, and the loss of a life is not consequential.
13. There is to be no established religion in OGS.
14. Murder, theft, rape, and arson are morally apprehensible and banned.
15. Any action seen as morally apprehensible by OGS or The Sanitation is prohibited.
16. Any such action that violates the liberty of another citizen is prohibited.
17. Any such action that physically harms another citizen is prohibited.
18. Any violation of criminal law can and may result in the revocation of citizenship.
19. Only citizens are guaranteed equal protection under the law and the benefits the law provides.
20. The citizens of Our Great Society are only to engage in sexual intercourse or carnal activities if approved by the governors, The Sanitation.
21. If approved for carnal activities by The Sanitation, citizens must commit at minimum three (3) of their nights a week after 1800 hours to engaging in carnal/sexual activities.
22. If a citizen who has not been approved for carnal activities by The Sanitation, is caught engaging in sexual acts at any time they will be considered outside of the law and relocated to District Sadism as set forth by Section 7.
23. Whether or not a citizen is permitted to engage in carnal activities no citizens are to engage in carnal activities outside of their districts.
24. All students will be required to spend a minimum of 6 years within the Educational System of Our Great Society, The Direction
25. Concerning matters of the health all citizens are to be examined one time per week by an appointed citizen from their district- known as the Health Guardian (HG). During this weekly examination all citizens will be examined for any defects physical or otherwise that may deem them unfit for our glorious society.
26. As per moderation is not allowed it is absolutely necessary each citizen be implanted with a small device that will detect the adrenaline level of citizens during the hours which work is not being performed, this device will also be monitored by the appointed health guardian of their district during the weekly health check, who will report lower levels of adrenaline to The Sanitation.

Our dystopia, Our Great Society (OGS), is riddled with numerous laws created to govern society. The primary objective of the government, referred to as The Sanitation, and its laws is to ensure that each citizen lives entirely without moderation for a period of the day. After centuries of dissatisfaction with their mundane lives, The Sanitation rose in power over the nation. The government has now been created in order to prevent this same dissatisfaction and boredom that characterized daily life throughout the previous 21 centuries.

The community is divided into five districts: District Sadist, District Knowledge, District Authority, District Sin, and District Adrenaline. Each society has developed their own interpretation regarding how to live life to the extreme. Those who break any law are sent to District Sadist, where the sadistic followers use the criminals as a means to pursue their extreme desires. The punishment may be extreme, but that is the aim of the government. District Knowledge pursues intellectual studies and art to the extreme, while District Authority contains the rule-enforcing body, called The Professors. The Professors serve as middlemen between the other districts and OGS. They serve as the enforcers of the law and watchmen over the citizens. District Sin is a society of those who pursue their extreme life following the seven deadly sins: lust, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth, pride, and wrath. District Adrenaline is a society of thrill-seekers who pursue daredevil acts as a means of extremism. Citizens are required to keep within their district, associate amongst their district, live, sleep, and work only within their district.

Each community lives independently in harmony beneath one overarching authoritarian regime, referred to as The Sanitation. Each citizen works at a job determined best suited for them by OGS and performs these tasks from hours 800 to 1800. From hours 1800-400 each citizen is required to engage in extreme activity. This workday serves as a reminder to citizens of how life was before OGS took control and perpetuates their desire to release through extreme activity at the end of the day.

Laws and extreme activity are created and enforced by The Sanitation; with each patrolman called a “Professor”. Each citizen is obligated to observe his fellow citizen and report any suspected moderation to a Professor. The Sanitation reserves the right to relocate any citizen who is not good or is not right to District Sadism for behavior readjustment. Citizens must not speak of, or associate with, the sect of underground criminals known as “The Moderates.” Any knowledge of the whereabouts of any suspected member must be reported to a Professor immediately. Any moderation will be met with severe punishment. All citizens are bound to follow the laws and statues created by the OGS. There are no elections, and there is no system of private property. The society is a communist, totalitarian oligarchy run by The Sanitation. This does not mean, however, that the citizens are unhappy or dissatisfied with their government or lives.

Our Great Society exists many years into the future, and it funnels most of its resources into research and technological development in order to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing it heavily relies on for economic wealth. In addition to industrial innovations, Our Great Society uses new technology as a primary means of controlling its citizens.

One of the several scientific breakthroughs that has allowed for the success of Our Great Society is the ability to clone. There are complex facilities located in each district where humans are produced by the thousands every day. These clones do not necessarily all look alike or have the same personality; each clone inherits random genes from a master gene bank that is separate for each district. There are some traits that every person has in common, such as sterility and a penchant for excess. Humans in our society skip early stages of development and are cloned into ten year old children, with each person having basic language and life skills already programmed into their brains. They are born as empty shells; the school system they attend for the first six years of their lives will complete them with an assigned role and a passion for extremity, often through the use of propaganda.

Cloning is understood by all citizens as a huge benefit to OGS. An explanation lies in the fact that the society suffers from an extremely high rate of mortality. This is not because of disease, malnutrition, or killings, but actually comes as a result of OGS encouraging extreme lifestyles. Accidental deaths are a commonplace occurrence across all districts. Citizens of District Sin may drink in excess until their liver fails to function. Citizens of District Adrenaline may die in freak accidents. Suicide is also something that is not forbidden in OGS, it is seen as another extreme means to an end. These kinds of ethics inevitably lead to a shortened average life span in addition to a high rate of mortality. A sizable proportion of OGS citizens die everyday, and they all die young.

Thus it was at one point decided by the Sanitation that large-scale cloning was necessary for the constant replenishment of OGS’ population. The crucial block in cloning research before this was an argument over the ethics of the practice. Once OGS declared its necessity, the science was quickly developed and perfected. Cloning is now a vital aspect of the society as it allows its rulers to control the amount of citizens living in each district. With no need for reproduction, citizens are sterilized and have no need for any structured family.

Another facet of technology heavily relied upon in our society is the vitality chamber. All citizens are required to spend three hours every night inside of this device, which is present in every home across all districts. The user of a vitality chamber is placed in an extreme state of rest in which this short amount of time rejuvenates the body and mind with the same effectiveness as would eight hours of sleep. This machine allows a vast majority of a citizen’s hourly activity in the day to be spent working or occupying themselves in their respective district’s necessary activities.

The use of these vitality chambers was found to be of such benefit to OGS that its use was quickly mandated and written into the constitution. Since all citizens need only three hours for their sleep cycle, hourly activities in a day could be standardized throughout all districts. It was thus declared that the period between 400 hours and 700 hours should be spent in vitality chambers, and the period between 800 hours and 1800 hours is the designated work day for all citizens. All other hours are left for citizens to follow the rules of the constitution as they wish. This daily routine was developed by the Sanitation to maximize production while simultaneously allowing citizens free time in their districts.

Our Great Society places a heavy emphasis on their manufacturing industry. The focus of our society on large-scale production contributes to OGS enjoying a strong, constantly expanding economy. Most people work in huge factory complexes, where they manufacture goods for use in the districts and for trade amongst other countries outside of our society. Other, more competent citizens are trained from a young age to devote their work hours to science or engineering in order to continue the development of the technological advances that are crucial to maintaining order in OGS.

The working life of a manufacturing employee is not something to be envied. The work is incredibly labor intensive, there are long hours to be worked without breaks, and there is no possibility of advancement. Factory life is also very dull and monotonous, as the routine is the same for those ten hours of work every single day. The working lifestyle of most OGS citizens is extremely undesirable, and this is not by mistake. Herein lies one of the great secrets as to the economic success enjoyed by OGS: the laws demanding the exercise of extremity are designed to distract each citizen from their unsatisfying work lives. A good and just citizen of OGS is one who serves in his industry for ten hours every day and is too distracted with satisfying the extreme desires instilled in their minds by their government to notice the terrible conditions of their lives. Anybody who acts otherwise is found out and severely punished, and anybody who dies in the process is quickly replaced. Thus production is kept at the highest possible level at all times, and Our Great Society prospers thanks to the manipulation of its citizens.

Our Great Society owes much of its success and efficiency to the use of several controversial practices, such as cloning and harrowing work conditions. Another scientific breakthrough that allows OGS to prosper is the recycling of the human body. A high mortality rate inevitably leads to an abundance of corpses to dispose of. Instead of burying the dead in the ground or cremating them, their bodies are processed by the Sanitation, harvested of their proteins and nutrients, and repackaged to be sold as quality cuts of meat. This all ensures the nutrition of OGS citizens, eliminates the need for domestication, and takes advantage of a resource that is readily available. The possibility of citizens questioning the ethics of such recycling is what has lead Our Great Society to keeping this miracle of science a secret. The product is simply labeled as a certain cut of red or white meat and citizens of OGS may obliviously enjoy their hearty dinners. This is an example of how the Sanitation will set any rules to manipulate and control the citizens of OGS, even if it goes against the very same values of honesty that citizens are told to regard highly.

Human rights are convoluted in our great society. All citizens are created equal under the law and must be treated as such. All citizens have a duty to respect their neighbor and are obliged to do no harm to another citizen. No citizen’s life is worth more than the other, and the loss of a life is not consequential. Human life in our great society is disposable and the loss of a life is met with celebration, awe, or apathy, but never sadness. Actions that violate the liberty of another citizen is prohibited. Additionally, any action that physically harms another citizen is prohibited. Only citizens are guaranteed equal protection under the law and the benefits and securities the law provides. Violation of criminal law can and may result in the revocation of citizenship. Those who lose their citizenship are sent to District Sadist for rehabilitation. Those who are not citizens may be physically harmed or treated unequally under the law by citizens of Our Great Society, or by The Sanitation and Professors. Citizenship may potentially be reinstated after a sufficient period of correction within District Sadist, but it is not guaranteed.

Citizens within Our Great Society share a strong code of ethics and morality. All actions declared immoral by The Sanitation are hereby banned in the society and may be treated with punitive measures. Honesty is one of the most highly regarded moral standards within Our Great Society. Without a strong code of honesty, society would fall apart and citizens would not be able to trust one another in their daily life. In addition, honesty is required in order to continue the system of citizen’s watching one another as they ensure that each citizen is living to the extreme. Theft, murder, and all acts that violate the liberty of another citizen or physically harm another are regarded as morally apprehensible in this society. While The Sanitation maintains complete control over the population, no citizen is morally allowed to assert themselves in a position above another citizen.

Religion in Our Great Society is abolished. Before The Sanitation took control, religion served as a stratifying force in society and created a sense of superiority amongst certain groups. This stratification and feelings of superiority violate the strong system of equality created by OGS. Thus, living as a brotherhood with citizens sharing all goods and wealth in common, there is no room for religious beliefs. The only religion heard of in Our Great Society is that which belongs to the group of fugitives known as “The Moderates.” The Moderates seek to destroy all that we have created in trying to live fulfilling, extreme lives by doing all things through moderation. The Moderates hold that balance is the key to a fulfilling life. There is no place for them in our society and any knowledge of their activity or whereabouts must be divulged to Division Authority within 48 hours. Any citizen who fails to do so is liable for treason and will immediately be sent to District Sadist for rehabilitation without a trial.

Since there is cloning in OGS there is no need for health checks for the purpose of checking for presence of disease or other gene mutations that may occur with old age, during childbirth, or during conception between opposite sexes. However, it is imperative that the Sanitation is able to bring to justice any member of the society that does not engage in extreme duties every night. Although citizens are expected to be vigilant and report any signs of behavior that indicate another citizen is not participating in their extreme duties, the Sanitation cannot expect that citizens will always be aware of the lack of extreme behaviors in others, as they will be consumed with their own extreme activities.Therefore they employ the help of trusted Health Guardians- appointed by the Sanitation. The Sanitation monitors the Health Guardians work ongoingly but it the Health Guardians role to be proactive and diligent in their very trusted role. Subsequently, each student that successfully graduates out of the education system of Our Great Society is implanted with a special chip, the size of exactly 6 ½ rice grains, that monitors and stores the data about their adrenaline levels for the past 8 days.

The major role of the Health Guardian in each society is to check the levels of these chips referred to as “Membranes”, and report directly to a Professor any findings of a citizen who has had adrenaline levels lower than expected during times of expected extreme behavior. If caught with lower than expected levels the Health Guardian will contact a professor in their direct vicinity when the findings are discovered. Following this the Health Guardian must complete a full report outlining their findings that will be submitted to the Sanitation for usage during the prosecution of the citizen in question, before they are sent to the District Sadist as prescribed by the Great Constitution of OGS.

The Health Guardian in each district will work an additional two hours per day because of the overwhelming population in Our Great Society. However the Health Guardian will still be responsible for completing their extreme duties at the end of each shift. This causes Health Guardians themselves to perish at a quicker rate than the other citizens, and on average each district has a new Health Guardian every year because of the amounts of work they are completing each day to check all of the citizens on a weekly basis.

The citizens of OGS appreciate the work of the Health Guardian in their individual district and are thankful to the Sanitation for providing them free health care. They are unaware of the many checks that are happening during these visits but do understand the importance of attending the appointments each week. The citizens who are taken in by the Sanitation for lack of extreme behavior are not missed because people are always dying in OGS. This helps in the Sanitations efforts of covering up the true purpose of the frequent health checks, so citizens are not aware that this is an actual spot check for ensuring extreme behavior.

Another role of the Health Guardian is to ensure that the citizens who have passes for carnal activities don’t become infected with a virus called Revelations (RLS) that allows for reproduction. Although the citizens are cloned and unable to reproduce there was a rare case where a male citizen and one of his female partners were able to conceive. The cause was never determined and there have been no more cases, but, the Sanitation is convinced there was a sort of new growth of the reproductive organs. Of course this was a cause for great concern, causing the sanitation to do all that they can to proactively prevent and detect this regrowth phenomenon from reoccurring.

The education system in OGS is known as The Direction. All citizens, when created at the age of ten years old, are to be educated by the Direction for a period of no less than six years and no more than six years and six months. Students are called Lost Ones. Lost Ones who stay  in for the longer period of time may show potential in more than one area of passion and therefore need more time to be sorted. Otherwise the longer period may be for Lost Ones who have not assimilated well and are on course to being exiled from Our Great Society and sent to the Sadism District and later to be consumed by the remaining children.

During the six years in the education system children will be educated on matters concerning the extremist lifestyle. The children are to spend ten hours per day focusing on their education just as the adults in the society spend ten hours working. Two hours of each day will be used specifically for the training of life in a specific district. Year one the two hours will focus on the District Sadism. This is helpful because if a Lost One does not end up in the District Sadism more time has elapsed and it is easier to “help” them forget what has been learned about this area of the society. Year two is spent focusing on the District Sin, followed by the District Knowledge, which is followed by District Adrenaline, and lastly District Authority.

The other 8 hours of the day which the children are required to be engaged in educational activities are spent on different brainwashing activities that have been approved by the Sanitation. These activities help to shape the minds of the children around the many ideas of Our Great Society. The sanitation also requires that the Lost Ones spend three hours focused on the constitution every day for the entire six years they are in the education system. The Sanitation believes it is important for each member of the society to know their rights, and restrictions. In this light each citizen is born into the society with the laws ingrained in them. So there be no confusion down the line in case of some unfortunate event in the future where a citizen violates the laws.

The Direction is responsible for helping Lost Ones find a path to follow once in the society. Mentors who are known as Enemies are there for guidance and help with adjusting with the many ideas that the citizens of Our Great Society subscribe to. This is very useful in ensuring that the Lost Ones are being properly brainwashed and assimilated into the ways of the society as Enemies are required to report back to the Sanitation if they believe that a student will not be susceptible to the ways of Our Great Society. These Lost Ones which have been identified as potential non-followers are then put on watch and closely monitored in case it be necessary to eradicate the child.

The Direction plays a huge role in shaping the society and is closely monitored by the leaders of the Sanitation for issues and for quality and assurance purposes. The majority of the Lost Ones actually do enjoy the environment in The Direction as it is made to be otherwise a friendly place outside of the strict learning environment. The Lost Ones also know they could be separated at some point so they really do enjoy their time together.