• 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: Volcanic stone blocks quarried locally, reinforced with hull plating salvaged from the Last Frontier.
• Floors: One expansive forge hall, adjoining two-storey assembly wing, plus single-storey warehouse.
• Design Aesthetic: Functional industrial brutalism — exposed rafters, soot-stained walls, and hammer-scarred iron doors, contrasted with gleaming lathes imported from New Kourou.
• Power Source: Direct feed from the Geothermal Power Plant

• Security Fence: 3 m stony wall with iron gates, 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: Furnished with crude benches, a hydration urn, soup vats, and a coal stove. Walls decorated with hand-drawn sketches and production tallies.
• Restrooms (8): Genderneutral toilets with AuroraSan System.

• 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 is alive with heat, noise, and grit. The air hangs heavy with the metallic tang of molten copper and scorched oil, while soot drifts from ceiling beams and settles on every surface. Sparks arc from hammer lines, showering the stone floor where apprentices scurry with buckets of water to cool billets.

Workers in patched overalls shout above the roar of furnaces, their faces streaked with sweat and coal dust, while engineers lean over blueprints smudged with grease. The break room smells of boiled soup, smoke, and damp work clothes, with laughter and arguments bouncing off iron-clad walls. At shift changes, the gates spill open with weary exohumans trudging home, their boots leaving black prints in the dust.

In the eternal night of the Dark Side, the glow of the forge paints the Industrial Ring in a red-orange haze, and the rhythmic hammering carries far across Firetown — a constant reminder that survival on the Ralar Region depends on the labor inside.

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 wall 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.

• 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 night workers, and prevent a catastrophic furnace breach …

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