Jack of Harts

The Socialist Republic of Juneau ran into the same problem that every socialist nation ran into during the centuries before we developed fabricators. There were never enough resources to feed and clothe those who did not wish to work to generate them. They could always expand and acquire other peoples’ resources for a time, but sooner or later, they always ran out of other peoples’ money. Juneau ran into that problem within a decade of the formation of Pacifica, and those who formed their workers’ paradise had to quickly decide how to encourage people to generate more resources Juneau needed to survive. Luckily for those involved, the government employees they used to be were always exceptional at labeling and organizing things. So if resources were becoming increasingly expensive, and if human life was becoming comparatively cheap, the only way to balance the two was by putting an expensive price on human life. The medical costs to keep a person alive. Their food costs for a lifetime. What it would cost to keep them entertained. The average cost a person would impose on Juneau over the period of an average life. The debt every person owed Juneau for giving them life. They called it the Life Debt.