THE ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICA
BIO FACILITIES
By an unwritten convention most biological research and production facilities are confined to otherwise uninhabited worlds. The tradition started after a few unfortunate accidents in early laboratories and became pretty much de-rigeur after the Drascue incident.
In that incident the Drascue facility on Proycon IV was developing a strain of bacteria intended to eat food waste. Unfortunately, a mutated strain got loose. The mutation damaged the terminator mechanism and the bacteria was able to multiply unchecked. The original strain was intended to cope with dead bone, the new strain was not so discerning, and within a very short space of time all the organic beings in the facility were reduced to boneless masses of flesh. All of them rapidly died of asphyxiation, leaving only inorganic beings, who were, fortunately, able to seal off facility in time.
The result was that the entire population of the planet had to be evacuated as a precaution while the facility was destroyed with a hellburner. Even so, some of the bacteria managed to survive and the planet has been off limits ever since.
A Galactic Administration investigation later concluded that the problem was caused by cost-cutting on the part of the Drascue Corporation. The cost-cutting resulted in sub-standard, badly maintained equipment and ill-trained staff. In the resulting riots the entire board of the company were lynched by an angry mob.
Rumours persist that the bacteria was part of an illegal bio-weapons development program, but given the destruction of the facility and the state of the planet now the chances of resolving this issue are minimal.
Since that time bio facilities have tended to be built on otherwise useless asteroids or minor moons as a precaution against accidents.
