• Location: Industrial Ring, Firetown
• Address: SE Industrial Ring Road 1
• Surroundings: Adjacent to the (Federal) Copper Plant and near the Plant of the Firetown Garbage Collection Coop, forming part of Firetown’s industrial backbone.

The Firetown Tool & Machine Works Inc. was the settlement’s central metallurgical and mechanical fabrication site, producing mining tools, wagon fittings, turbine couplings, and mechanical spare parts for the (Federal) Copper Mine and the (Federal) Geothermal Power Plant.

Founded in the Beta Age by the entrepreneur Carlo Ariti, nicknamed “Copper Carlo”, the plant became indispensable for Firetown’s early industrial rise. After the funding of the Federal Confederation and the rise of Communardism, the facility was nationalized in 2631 and merged into the Federal Copper Plant, losing its independence but continuing to serve as a vital workshop within the Confederation’s planned economy.

• Construction Material: Stacked cargo containers salvaged from the Last Frontier, timber beams and wooden walkways treated against frost, welded spaceship hull plating used as heat shields and wall reinforcements
• Floors: Single expansive forge hall (container-fused). Two-storey assembly and office wing (stacked containers). Detached warehouse made from sealed freight containers
• Design Aesthetic: Improvised industrial survival architecture — exposed weld seams, mismatched container heights, external bracing, and constant visible repairs.
• Geothermal Feed Vents: Insulated steel stacks and vent assemblies integrated into the rear façade, channeling heat and hot water from the Geothermal Power Plant to maintain interior temperature
• Air Vents / Heat Recovery Ventilator: The building's air exchange was managed by a centralized, mechanical ventilation system with a central intake on the exterior of the building.
• Power Supply: Quantum Fusion Battery

• Security Fence: 3 m scrap-metal fencing reinforced with timber posts and patrolled by Guarding Bots.

• Smelting Furnaces (4): High-heat copper and alloy furnaces, operated by Forge Masters.
• Molding Floor: Casting pits for wagon axles, gear blanks, and turbine housings.
• Hammer Line: Power-hammers and anvils for shaping semi-finished products.
• Lathe Gallery: Long rows of gear-cutting and shaft-turning lathes.
• Break Corner: Crude benches, hydration urns, and soup vats serving workers between shifts.

• Ground Level: Tool assembly benches (spades, picks, drills) with racks for fittings.
• Upper Floor: Control office, engineering drawing room, and Allotment Agency inspection desk.

• Break Room: Break room inside a repurposed container with a coal stove and soup vats.
• Restrooms (8): AuroraSan System-equipped restroom containers clustered behind the forge hall.

• Sealed freight containers: Stacked two high
• Stockpile Racks: Standardized crates for tool sets, wagon parts, and copper fittings.
• Loading Bay: Direct cart access to the Firetown Courier Station.

• Ground Floor:
• Plant Director’s Office: From here, Carlo Ariti oversaw all operations.
• Clerks’ Room: Managed bookkeeping, payroll, and shipping manifests.
• Sales Reps’ Offices (Beta Age): Coordinated contracts and orders with mining companies and trade partners.
• Upper Floor:
• Meeting room with drafting tables, blueprint racks, and archive shelves for production records.

The Tool & Machine Works never sleeps.

Heat pours from the open forge hall, fighting the Dark Side cold in a constant, losing battle. Sparks burst into the perpetual night like angry fireflies, quickly swallowed by smoke and darkness. The air tastes of scorched metal, oil, and burnt insulation.

Inside, the noise is overwhelming — hammer blows, grinding gears, shouted orders, and the hiss of molten copper hitting molds. Workers move fast and close, faces streaked with soot, hands wrapped in scorched gloves. Engineers lean over oil-stained schematics taped directly to container walls, adjusting designs on the fly.

Wooden walkways creak under heavy boots. Steam vents roar overhead. Somewhere, a furnace door slams shut, sending a wave of heat rolling through the hall.

Outside, the glow of the forge paints the Industrial Ring in a dirty orange haze. In the eternal night of the Dark Side, the Tool & Machine Works stands like a beating heart — loud, ugly, dangerous — and absolutely essential. Without it, Firetown would freeze, grind to a halt, and die.

Exohuman Staff

• Owner & Plant Director (1): Carlo Ariti (“Copper Carlo”), oversaw all operations.
• Senior Engineers (5): Drafted schematics, supervised machine lines, and monitored quality.
• Forge Masters (8): Operated furnaces and mold casting.
• Lathe Technicians (12): Ran gear cutters and shaft lathes.
• Assembly Workers (20): Produced tools, wagon fittings, and mining gear.
• Logistics Clerks (4): Maintained production records and shipment schedules.
• Sales Representatives (3): Negotiated contracts with mining companies, energy plants, and wagon operators across the Dark Side.
• Accountants (2): Managed payroll, procurement expenses, and Carlo Ariti’s private ledgers.
• Apprentices (10): Rotating trainees across forge, lathe, and assembly.

Automated Staff

• Service Bots (≈15): Manual Labor and Maintenance Bots supported heavy lifting before abolition.
• Guarding Bots (2): Patrolled gates and furnace halls.

• Access: Workers and inspectors only. Visitors required clearance from the Plant Director (Beta Age) or Federal overseers (Gamma Age).

Shifts:

• 6:00 AM – 2:00 PM — Forge and furnace runs, primary tool assembly.
• 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM — Lathe machining and wagon-part fitting.
• 10:00 PM – 6:00 AM — Cooling cycles, maintenance, and stock re-allocation.

• Courier Schedule: Outbound tool and spare-part shipments departed daily at 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

• Guarding Bots (2): Patrolled the perimeter fence and main gates.
• Combat Drone (1): Stationed at the warehouse loading bay to deter theft and sabotage.
• Lockdown Protocol: In case of fire or sabotage, furnace dampers engaged and exit gates sealed.

Legal interactions

• Negotiate with a Sales Rep about your orders: Merchants, mine operators, or wagon masters meet Sales Representatives to secure contracts for tools, wagon parts, or turbine fittings. Players might haggle for delivery times, preferential pricing, or priority access to scarce items.
• Apply as Employee: Exohumans looking for steady work can apply as Assembly Workers, Lathe Technicians, or apprentices. This gives players direct access to the plant floor, letting them blend into the workforce, gather information, or rise through the ranks.
• Transport Goods (Courier Service): Players working with the Firetown Courier Service can be tasked with moving tool shipments or turbine couplings. Such duties expose them to ambush risks, delays, or sabotage attempts along the Trade Route.

Illegal interactions

• Bribe apprentices or clerks to mislabel QFB fittings.
• Infiltrate the plant to steal wagon axles or turbine couplings.

The plant provides a dense, noisy, and hazardous environment.

• Adventure Hook: Sabotage in the Forge Halls –  A rival entrepreneur in Morningstar hires saboteurs to infiltrate the Tool & Machine Works. Their goal is to damage the lathe gallery and ruin Carlo Ariti’s contracts with the Copper Mine. When the players arrive, they must navigate the smoke-filled forge hall, identify the infiltrators among exhausted workers, and prevent a catastrophic furnace breach …

• Beta Age
• Firetown
• (Federal) Copper Mine
• Firetown Copper Plant Inc.
• Federal Copper Plant (successor, Gamma Age)
• Geothermal Power Plant