Life on Apollo

When the ARC was going to have to make a crash landing, it scanned the nearest solar system to find a safe haven for the colonists. Finding every planet incompatible for normal Earth living, the Arc then began to seek out the moons. It found one, smaller than the homeworld they came from but with a primitive bio-sphere and atmosphere that could support a permanent settlement with extensive terraform works. The emergency systems began to laugh the colonists and the supplies needed to begin the work of creating a society, but before the ship could be launched in its entirety it was pulled into the gravity well of Thor and landed. From the moment the colonists of Apollo woke up alone on their barren moon, they have had a life of struggle.

Lifeforms on Apollo are incredibly close to those found on Earth, there is little genetic drift between the two. Cows and other livestock were bred from stored embryos onboard ARC and those that survived made their way into the hands of the Science Caste. There are technically only 12 species living and "native" to Apollo: Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Chickens, Pigs, Sheep, Pigeons (yes, they survive everything including spaceship crashes), Tortoise, Grouper, Catfish, Ball-Pythons and Goats. Several breeds of each species have been developed over the years, but they all trace back to those original species.

Flora also has a limited supply of genetic stock, and is kept primarily for food and material purposes. Oak, Maple and Redwood tree's exist, as well as kudzu vine and green algae. Corn, Potato, Green Bean, Peach, Peanut, Grape, Orange, Apple, Fig, and Pomegranate are the extent of the food species (though over the last century bio-genetically engineered combination's have begun to fill in the markets of Apolloian homes) available to the populous.

The populous is divided into a Caste system for most efficient use of resources and to bets maximize the potential of the populous. Children are watched and studied till the age of 10, from there they are chosen and split into one of the four Caste they will spend the rest of their lives with. They live with them, marry into them, and their jobs are centered around each caste. The Worker caste is the largest by far, the average human is sent there. They do the manual labor, they are the builders and menial job workers of the moon. The Science Caste is devoted to the higher arts of technology. The most brilliant minds are sent there, and they are responsible for most of the technological leaps and bounds Apollo has experienced. The Warrior Caste is the trained military of Apollo, they are the soldiers and star-fighters of the people. The last, least populous but most influential, caste is the Priest caste. They are the leaders of Apollo, the teachers and instructors on the Way of Humanity as well as the moral authorities and councilors. They keep and protect the traditions that have kept Apollo safe for over 400 years and are the most conservative caste. Each Caste is led by an Elder, selected as the best of those people, and the four elders rule Apollo. One Elder every 10 years is selected as the High Commander, the supreme ruler of Apollo. It rotates amongst the Elders, giving the populous the illusion of freedom.