Miguel

System Name : System – Dumassas
Location : The District of Garcia
Population : 735

The landhold at Miguel consists of two important parts, the various Timber Camps, and the village of Miguel itself, which hosts an important bio-diesel plant, and a large lumber processing plant.

Timber Camps : The region around Miguel has long been an important timber area, providing lumber to the city of Ciudad Garcia for construction and export. When the region underwent the industrial development in the last decade, demand from the local timber camps led to an extensive revitalization of the technology involved in extracting raw timber from the surrounding forests. Vast swaths of timber were being taken from the forests, and the resulting areas were converted into small-scale sugarcane plantations to hold the soil in place and take advantage of the clearings created.

Today, the result is that in addition to large quantities of timber being extracted from the forests around Miguel, the region also produces large quantities of sugarcane and bio-produce being mulched and used as fertilizer in the fields nearby. The technology being used in these camps is fairly standard, with a handful of “modern” equipment, but much of the work is done by temporary workers “imported” from both Ciudad Garcia and Cartera on a daily basis, using hand tools and simple mechanical means.

Efforts are on-going to combine several of the larger clearings into a massive series of open fields inter-connected to provide space for the Iron Dingoes Agricultural Robot (Small) to operate. This has improved the local production of sugar and provide a resource to further increase production of the local bio-fuel distillery.

Miguel Village : One of the oldest villages to be found in the region, the village of Miguel has an ancient feel to it, which was carefully cultivated to make the place something of a tourist attraction. Among the primary attractions, is the ancient mission church, cared for by an ancient order of Catholic nuns, known as the Order of Santa Rosa, a local saint. In early-3029, the Iron Dingoes donated a large sum of funds to the Order, in an effort to modernize their education facility. The Order used these funds to send several of their younger sisters to Ciudad Garcia for various courses, and invested in several new computer systems textbooks and other items to improve their facilities. They also established a scholarship fund for members of the local community to attend advanced courses at the university in Ciudad Garcia.

The village consists mainly of a dozen small tourist shops, several wood-working facilities, and a handful of support facilities for the local industry, namely an industrial tire store, a pair of vehicle repair shops, and a Solaro Oil Company fuel station for the large number of vehicles in the area. In addition, a pair of general stores (namely selling timber-related goods and tools), a typical Banco Nacional de Sangria, a soccer pitch, and a pair of local bars and pubs. A Dingo Brand Corporation store also opened in late-3026, and has proven valuable to all the local farmers.

Miguel Timber Mill

The most important economic factor in the local community, is the timber industry, and its center is the modern timber mill that churns-out lumber for export to the capital. The local favorite among harvested timber, is the Dumassas Cedar, noted for its dark color in mature trees, resilience and scent. A fairly substantial complex, it is easily the main source of technical employment for the area, and dominates its economy. The facility had long been a family-held resource by the district governor, but with the independence of the workers, the industry has fallen under independent worker management, and the lumber-mill’s workers operate it as a communal holding.

In late-3023, the mill officially incorporated, uniting its workers and out-lying timber camps under the name “Colaserrios”. As a group, they have been requesting better access to purified water and medical attention. The Dingoes quickly responded with their “dispensary” located off the main market, and this has gone a long way to satisfying the new union. The company remains a small player in the national markets, but it has some clout, being capable of producing 1100 tons of long timber per month, though they generally produce only a fraction of that.

Also of note, the many small wood-working facilities are family-run shops that produce “Native Handicrafts” for the tourists and export. As a result, there are many Terramatrix natives present in the village, working in the surrounding timber camps, and in the various shops in town, lending the place an even greater feel for local tourism. Increasingly, the company ships its finished products to both Ciudad Garcia’s market, as well as the Almacom Trading Company out of Telacaibo.

“Fuel Rats” Bio-Diesel Refinery, Miguel

A recent venture, employing the wealth of wood and sugarcane waste in the area, is the Iron Dingoes construction of a methanol-based bio-diesel fuel refinery. Consuming the local free technical expertise, the facility went active in late-3024. Its fuel production is further supported by efforts to develop improvements to local sugar production.

Originally installed aboard “The Factory”, the facility underwent a lengthy expansion process, that eventually seemed better to “ground”, so the process was halted and the entire facility was dismantled once more, and shipped for reassembly in a new small facility in one of the town’s fallow northern cane fields. This facility, at peak production, could produce 500 tons of bio-fuel every month, fulfilling much of the district’s missing production requirements. All products are sold through the traditional Solaro Oil Company, though under The Fuel Rats brand.

In addition, the facility produces its bio-diesel with the “Hydride Fuel” qualifier, meaning it uses a non-explosive fuel additive for IC engines. ICE units that employ this fuel do not suffer catastrophic explosions from fuel hits, and ignore the critical. This ability makes it particularly valuable among military procurers.

“Dingo Spit” Label

Just north of this facility is also a small “micro-brewery” of Vodka, complete with stainless steel tanks and specialized water filtration equipment. Producing a small quantity of hard liquor, known as “Dingo Spit”, the facility tends to feed the troops of the Iron Dingoes more than as an export, thus provides little in the way of a large-scale trade good. This liquor is shipped via aluminum barrels produced out of Mercado.

“Dingo Blood” Label

Recent profits from the Dingo Spit production have led the company into expanding into wine production, under the “Dingo Blood” wine label. The ancient Al Este vineyards that were largely abandoned after the civil disorder in Médanos, Tragnar, were scavenged in 3028 for cuttings and planted across a cleared timber camp. The site was further fenced-off and a small winery established. The first vintage is expected to be harvested in early-3033, and expectations are high for its quality.

Typical Sugarcane Plantation

Although many of the local citizens work the timber camps, the sawmill, and the proposed refinery, there is still a sizable portion of the economy dominated by agricultural pursuits. In fact, the conversion of forest clearings into sugarcane fields has proven a boon to the local ranch and farm harvests, with its rich waste products improving the regular land quality. Traditional local farms harvest corn, cotton and pork, and are located along all the edges of the main community.

Another recent improvement to the local agricultural efforts is the establishment of a small horticultural station in late-3023. Consisting of little more than a small lab space with an attached greenhouse and small barracks space for its scientists, the facility is studying the effects of local forestry and sugarcane industry, and assists local efforts to replant trees in key locations, as well as improve farming techniques and sugarcane stocks. A very new effort, results could take years to improve local agricultural work. The facility, although primitive to off-worlders, is a real effort to understand local agricultural needs.

Village Services

As expected, the local area is serviced by Aquatech, who maintain a small, but vital, water purification facility on the western edge of town. As there is no expected community growth, this facility is likely to remain sufficient for some time.

Electricity is supplied by Garcia Electrical Authority, routed from the nearby fusion power plant built by Blue Planet Utility Services in Garrison. The wood-working and fuel refinery facilities tend to dominate electrical demands, and have a history of causing blackouts from irregular maintenance, though Blue Planet techs have since rewired this service hub, due largely to its importance to Dingoes landhold income.

There has been a recent discussion regarding development of a local wind farm to meet both the community needs, as well as supply supplemental power to the southern farms near the capital, but there are pressing needs elsewhere in the district for electrical generation development, namely in the mining area around Diablo Mines, so interest in this project has been shelved.

Miguel Grade School

The local school is typical of the district, housing room and educators sufficient to teach its roughly 200 enrolled students. In addition, an older, but still valuable, collection of textbooks and teaching materials sufficient to teach 600 Grade School students was supplied by the Iron Dingoes in 3021. These materials have been stored in the school’s cellars until needed.

Education in the school involves basic language skills (Spanish and some English), basic mathematics, local history and agricultural processes. Some exposure to “advanced” science (primarily water purification and food preservation) are provided, but is universally practical in application. Most teachers in the school are nuns from the local cloister, so their education tends to have a religious bent to it.

In addition, due to the technical needs of the area’s economy, there is a special course involving small engine repair and a nearby workshop has been converted into a tool shop for the school. Students that prove their interest and skill, are able to enroll for extra credits, and eventually can be hired by the local timber mill, though some move to the capital and find basic employment in the local industries.

In late-3023, the Iron Dingoes established a small “dispensary” north of town. This facility, consisting of little more than a steel building with storage and a simple vehicle maintenance facility, as well as a small office, serves local Dingoes interests. It has access to independent fresh water and a temporary waste treatment plant, and provides separate access to the electrical network, a military aid station, and has a small administrative and technical force present to assist in whatever capacity they might be required. Military (or registered civilian) personnel can access emergency supplies (standard military ration kits) and first aid from this facility in need.

The following Iron Dingoes assets have been assigned to the community, all part of the FIDO organization:

Two (2) Light Utility Transports
One (1) Administration Squad (Reg)
One (1) General Tech Squad (Grn) – (w/ access to a Light Vehicle Bay ).
One (1) Paramedic Squad (Grn)
One (1) Agricultural Robot (Small)
One (1) Fusion-Powered Waste Treatment Unit (500 people waste processing per day).
Three (3) Water Treatment Units, each w/ a 250-Rated Fusion Generator (Total – 3 tons of water each day).

Combined, the landhold is effectively a 600-sq mile Farming Village, providing 200,000 Cs in cash and services to the Iron Dingoes coffers as profits. In addition, the timber camps bring in an additional 60,000 Cs in cash due to local demand. There is a technical expertise locally in maintenance of heavy machinery (primarily low-level mechanics), though not many can be taken from the holding without harming its economy. There is also something of a labour overage, allowing other industry or agricultural opportunities to be engaged locally. Once the local industries are improved, this number could more than double.

Communications

While communications across the planet remain difficult without access to microwave transmission and spotty satellite service, traditional cable communications at the local level are a staple on Terramatrix. Locally, these services are generally provided by Telefónica out of San Succi, and maintained by ComStar.

In mid-3025, Telekom, a company out of Garrison managed to complete laying cables north through Izpek and is providing a consistent and regular connection with its proposed satellite facility, and * “The Iron Dingoes” closed military network. The lines have since been surveyed to expand the network north into Ciudad Garcia, and Universidad Nacional de Sangria, Garcia (UNS-G), though it is awaiting funding for further expansion.

Transportation

The main road network runs through the town from Ciudad Garcia and over the Darién Gap south to Izpek, along a rough improved road that rises over the Salto Range of hills to connect with the rest of the Iron Dingoes landholds. Built in late-3024 by the Iron Dingoes own construction and engineering force, the road has proven vital to connecting the landholds into one homogeneous structure. It bypasses the former route along the coast over Mercado, which added several hours to the journey.

The major supplier of transportation and goods to the community is the Mercado Industrial Logistics, from the Mercado Industrial Group. The company hauls timber from the community and brings in supplies and equipment for its industries, though the more remote timber camps are visited by Bertling Logistics on a fairly regular basis.

All other transportation efforts are dominated by independent haulers, including all of the shipping of raw lumber from the forests into Miguel.