While New Terra is rich in mineral resources, refined materials are still precious and must be recycled as much as possible. The Garbage and Ore Recycling Facility is an advanced facility for converting waste, garbage, building rubble, and unused structures into usable raw materials.

While residential and industrial wastes are processed through the GORF, their contribution to its output is statistically minimal. Its real importance is in recycling buildings, and other large items such as starship components.

While the GORF is capable of dealing with chunks of material of fair size, structure kits must first be disassembled by the Structure Factory for further processing (high-value parts are also stripped out and used for spares), starship components and satellites are disassembled at the Spaceport storage facility, and buildings must be demolished using a ConVec. Most building rubble is small enough for direct recycling. Larger rubble can generally be broken into manageable chunks by the Cargo Truck's loader-manipulators as it is placed in the truck.

The GORF incorporates a fusion/electric smelter and an advanced hot-cracking column for separation and condensation of Rare and Common Metals. This is the same process used in Magma Wells, and thus is not without its risks; however, the flow from the smelter is much more constant and pure than that of a Magma Well, and thus much easier to manage. Multiple safeguards have been put in place to provide a safe shutdown in case of process instability. In addition, several Workers man the facility at all times to monitor GORF systems and carry out a constantly ongoing series of safety inspections. As a result, there has never been a major accident in a GORF facility.

Operational Notes: The GORF recycles structures, structure kits, starship components, satellites, and rubble into usable Common and Rare Metals. Cargo Trucks carrying Common or Rare Rubble can dock at GORFs to unload; other materials to be recycled are sent through the Tube system.

Tales from New Terra

"They want to recycle what?" Elton Bree stared at the man who'd just arrived at the Spaceport with a truck.

He shrugged and passed Elton his ClipCom to examine. "It's all there. We're desperately short of metals for vehicle manufacture, and I'm supposed to haul the Skydock kit to the GORF for immediate recycling."

Elton couldn't believe what he was hearing. His beautiful Skydock, finally ready for launch, was to be turned into Robo-Dozers and trucks? "This has got to be a mistake. It will take us months and months to rebuild this kit, even if we could get the metals, which of course we can't." He waved his arm at the bay where the kit was stored. "This is the foundation of the whole starship program. Without the Skydock, we can't even begin construction. What can the Council be thinking?"

But then his stomach tightened, and he realized exactly what the Council was thinking. The program had fallen too far behind. They were giving up. Sending his Skydock to the GORF for recycling, and with it, his dreams.

Elton signed off on the man's form and immediately left the building, moving like a sleepwalker. He needed a drink, possibly several. There were dark days ahead. Dark days indeed.

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