An Engineer is a variety of inhabitant of Griddish. Engineers comprise primarily the technocratic ruling class of Griddish, known as Engineer Class Citizens.
Members[]
Description[]
Engineer Class Citizens reside mostly with the boundaries of the Council of Engineer Class Citizens, which is a crystal-domed area that is home to the governing function of Griddish. The Council is divided into two distinct areas, called Administration and Development. Within Administration, the Council conducts the formation of government policy. Within development, the Engineers experiment on new technology inside a complex system of laboratories.
Origin[]
The origin of the Engineer Class Citizens is unknown. Within the historical timelines of Griddish, they are considered the first pioneer inhabitants of Griddish and the ones who constructed the original dome and established the Slipshot technology as well as the earliest versions of the Vérkatrae.
We get a glimpse of the origin of Griddish and its technology infrastructure from Opal Fremmitty in her last, dying moments.
She saw the beginning of Griddish, the vast, rocky disk and people in protective suits, scaffolding, and machinery. She heard the words, “We shall build this for you, and all that you see, you shall have dominion over.” She saw Griddish, its small, squat, dome-like buildings scattered along rugged gorges and high upon cliffs. She saw the grand dome of Griddish, its dank, gray underside, transformed to a source of gentle illumination that spread a quiet, soft light to all its surface below. She saw machines, clunky, mechanical things, early versions of Vérkatrae before they became the weird, organic hybrids that they were today, march-ing in orderly lines as they built wide, grassy plains in their wake. She saw the Slipshots erected one by one as they littered the landscape of Griddish, their needle-like tips stretching ambitiously towards the dome, and beyond, to new worlds swirling into existence, and then returning to dusty matter, scattered by marching hordes of Vérkatrae.[1]
Politics[]
Although the Engineers established Griddish with the intent that the early versions of the Slaves would manage all technical functions, over time, the Engineers and Slaves fell into a state of political strife. The leader of the rebellion against the Engineers is Rive Amber, who is a Bestiar Class Slave.
In the period depicted by Slipshot Vol 1.0, Matere Songgaard and Betel Longshrew Piper have left Griddish and live on Var 8. Their main purpose is to thwart a dismantlement project targeting Var 8. Although this would temporarily align them with Rive Amber and the Bestiar Class Slaves, they nonetheless remain enemies.
Matere and Betel Face off against Dr. Jeremiah Onu
Dr. Jeremiah Onu, who wants to see the end of all of Griddish, is also seen in constant battle with the Matere and Betel.
“Everything that the Council [of Engineer Class Citizens] touches is corrupt,” said Jeremiah, holding one arm up in the air, as if he were starting a lecture. “Nothing that comes from it must be left whole. It is only when its influence is fully obliterated that we can be free to meet our full potential.”[2]