• Location: Public Services Ring, New Kourou
• Address: NW Public Services Ring Road 2
• Surroundings: Adjacent to the Federal Sewing Shop of New Kourou

The Funeral Home of New Kourou is the central funerary institution of the settlement, dedicated to preparing deceased citizens for their final transition in accordance with sustainable burial practices. Operated by a GAIA-appointed Federal Mortician, it ensures that every funeral aligns with the ecological and cultural principles of the Federal Confederation.

• Construction Materials: Recycled alloys and bulkheads salvaged from the Last Frontier, reinforced with volcanic stone and timber struts.
• Floors: 2
• Design Purpose: Minimalist and functional, with smooth lines symbolizing continuity and renewal.
• Lighting & Ventilation: Natural skylights and bioluminescent fungi provide illumination, while controlled ventilation regulates airflow in the composting chambers.

Ground Floor

• Reception Area: Space for consultations with families and funeral planning.
• Preparation Room: Used for cleansing and wrapping bodies in biodegradable shrouds.
• Composting Chambers: Sealed units containing organic matter (plant waste, straw, wood chips) where the composting process takes place.
• Storage Room: Holds shrouds, herbs, ceremonial tools, and composting materials.
• Restroom (2): Two gender neutral toilets, equipped with AuroraSan System

Second Floor

• Reflection Room: A quiet space for mourning and final farewells before composting begins.
• Mortician’s Office: Administrative center for records, coordination, and ceremonies.
• Staff Restroom (1): A gender neutral toilet, equipped with AuroraSan System

Signage

• A carved wooden sign at the entrance proclaims: “Life returns to soil, and soil to life.”

The interior combines solemn austerity with natural warmth: smooth alloy walls softened by bioluminescent fungi, the scent of herbs and woodchips, and a subdued stillness that reflects the gravity of death rituals. Families experience a space both functional and sacred, embodying the Confederation’s ethos of renewal.

The core of the Funeral Home’s work is the transformation of bodies into nutrient-rich memorial soil:

• Preparation of the Body: The deceased is wrapped in shrouds dyed with natural pigments and adorned with herbs and flowers.
• Placement: The body is laid into a composting chamber with balanced organic matter (carbon/nitrogen mix) and sealed for tracking.
• Decomposition Phase: Microbes and controlled conditions (temperature, humidity, aeration) break down remains within 6–12 months; batch logs document time/temperature for biosafety.
• Sanitization & Certification: Finished compost is heat-verified and certified as memorial soil, sealed in ledgered containers for custody transfer.
• Routing & Distribution: Memorial soil is consigned via the Federal Courier Service to the local Federal Organic Waste Recycling Plant (FOWRP) for quarantine, assay, and blending. From there, plant clerks and FCS schedulers route batches to the Federal Food Plant in Hope for field application and community memorial plantings, following GAIA’s long-range plans. Families may request a token allocation, but the bulk follows FWRS agricultural plans.

This cycle of transformation embodies the Confederation’s vision of continuity between death and life while maintaining strict biosafety and material stewardship.

• Federal Mortician (1): Oversees funerary practices, leads ceremonies, and ensures composting is properly maintained.
• Assistant Morticians (4): Prepare bodies, assist with composting, and handle record-keeping.
• Ceremonial Guides (6): Accompany families through rituals and ceremonies.
• Maintenance Staff (2): Ensure chambers, ventilation, and facilities remain in working condition.

• Access: Open to bereaved families and authorized citizens.
• Hours: 06:00–22:00 daily, with staff available around the clock for emergencies.
• Operational Rhythm:
  • Morning: Consultations, intake of bodies, and preparation.
  • Afternoon: Ceremonies, family gatherings, and record updates.
  • Night: Monitoring of composting chambers and facility security.

• Restricted Access: Composting chambers accessible only to morticians, staff and mourning families. .
• Deputy Patrols: Federal Sheriff Deputies conduct regular patrols.
• Analog Alert System: Equipped with a siren link to the Federal Sheriff’s Headquarters.

Legal (Common Interactions)

• Attend a funeral or accompany a grieving family.
• Consult the Federal Mortician about burial traditions.
• Deliver ceremonial herbs or composting materials as part of courier work.

Illegal / Secretive

• Infiltrate composting chambers to recover hidden items or evidence.
• Forge death records or tamper with funeral documentation.
• Sabotage the composting process to spark unrest.
• Smuggle forbidden relics into coffins or shrouds.

The Funeral Home provides opportunities for somber, symbolic missions:

• Ecological Sabotage: Investigate tampering in composting chambers.
• Ceremonial Intrusion: Protect or mediate during an interrupted funeral.
• Artifact Recovery: Retrieve an object mistakenly placed in compost.
• Cultural Exploration: Explore the beliefs of the Habitual Belt through funerary practices.

• The ExoHuman Way of Life in the Gamma Age
• ExoHuman Funeral Rites in the Gamma Age
• Federal Confederation
• New Kourou

Funeral Homes within the Confederation:

• Funeral Home of New Kourou
• Funeral Home of Firetown
• Funeral Home of Hope
• Funeral Home of Morningstar