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ALL FEATURES
At 15 cycles, a Korainian completes intermediate schooling, undergoes their Adulthood Initiation and Inauguration and formally enters adult life. Then comes the difficult question:
What am I going to do for quartz?
For some new-adults, the answer has already been decided long before they receive their ‘A’ mark. Family vocations are commonly inherited, with children expected to learn a household trade and eventually continue it. Other Korainians compete for apprenticeships, apply for employment within their region, or attempt to secure one of Uji’s highly sought-after Government positions, while a much smaller number enrol at The University.
Officially, every new-adult is free to pursue whichever path best suits their talents. In practice, however, talent is rarely considered...
Vocational inheritance is deeply embedded in Ujian working life.
Fishermen raise future fishermen. Farmers pass land allotments to their children. Market traders teach younger relatives how to manage stalls. For young Korainians with an established family practice, this offers a relatively clear route into employment. However, inheriting a vocation can also feel like inheriting a limitation.
Those who choose another path must secure an apprenticeship, compete for an open trial or find an employer willing to train an inexperienced new-adult. Apprenticeships are fiercely competitive, particularly when attached to a respected craft, institution or professional association (like Raymond Nykia, a clocksmith). An introduction from the right relative can be considerably more useful than enthusiasm alone, and the importance of well-connected kin does not end with academy admission.
Employment in the Lower Region is shaped by the industries surrounding each territory.
The Lowest Lower Region, commonly known as The Pits, is primarily known for its extensive factory and farmland work. Many Korainians are employed in farming, plantation labour, and industrial production sites that dominate the landscape. In addition, some individuals in The Pits engage in informal or under-the-table trading with Colony settlers, exchanging goods outside of official Mainland taxation.
In the Mid Lower region, fishing communities are especially prevalent, with many Korainians working as fishermen. Alongside this, market culture is strong, and traders operating market stalls form a key part of everyday commerce.
Other common forms of work include:
The Factorylands provide a particularly significant source of employment. Companies such as Tassan Electronics recruit technical workers, particularly graduates from the family-funded Tassan Technical Intermediate School. These roles provide necessary work for thousands of Korainians. Luckily so, as regional employment can be infamously difficult to escape.
A Government position is one of the most desirable routes available to an ordinary Korainian. The Mainland Government is led by the Universe-ordained Chief, a position held by Chief Ieday in 267 AL. Beneath the Chief sit eight ranked Elders, each responsible for overseeing four Government departments from The Ovum. Every department is directed by a Head Planner and staffed by the many administrative, institutional and public-service workers that keep Mainland life functioning.
Korainians cannot simply apply to become a Chief, Elder or Head Planner. These upper-ranking positions are reached through Government appointment and Universe-guided internal promotions. An ordinary Korainian can, however, enter through a regular departmental role and gradually work their way through the ranks.
Departmental roles include:
Government employment enjoyed by Korainians like Lynette Umi offers regular wages, stability and the prestige of contributing to Mainland civic life. Unfortunately, openings are rare. When a position becomes available, an applicant generally requires a reference from an existing Government employee. Tedi Kedar, for example, depends on his father to gain his dream role as a Records Keeper. Without one, even a qualified Korainians struggle to have their applications seriously considered.
Of course, if you are determined to enter the Government, you could become a Law Enforcer. This is the most direct entry into Government service and is frequently advertised through radio broadcasts and magazines. Law Enforcement is the most visible way for a Korainian to begin a Government career, and in fairness, some Korainians prefer it over the more opaque progression routes associated with The University.
Situated in City Korai, The University is Uji’s only institution of higher education.
Its sleek glass structure overlooks manicured gardens, an athletics field, a race track, and spectator stands. At the heart of the building is The Center Garden, where prospective students and their families are welcomed during Open Days, as well as during occasional visits from high-ranking Government officials such as Elder Gorton, Honorary Head Consultant for Education and Learning at The University.
From these glass halls, Uji’s next generation of professionals prepare to enter public life. The University offers access to careers that are extremely difficult, or entirely impossible, to enter through family practice and ordinary apprenticeships.
Graduates may become:
Education on Uji is often described as priceless. It is also infamously expensive.
Enrolment deposits at The University begin at approximately 40,000 quartz, while a single cycle of study commonly exceeds 120,000 quartz. These costs do not include every incidental associated with student life, specialist equipment, events or simply maintaining an existence in City Korai.
The application and enrolment fees place University study far beyond the reach of most new-adults without substantial household support, although scholarships are available for the highest achievers on Uji. Even so, approximately 80% of students who progress to The University previously attended City Korai Academy, Uji’s most prestigious intermediate institute.
Students from The Ujian Scientifics Academy may progress into scientific study, while exceptional applicants from Mid Region Academy and the Lower Region’s other intermediate schools can also secure places.
Mrs Trist attended The University and graduated as a Law Keeper. Her daughter Dora later worked towards following in her footsteps. However, admission does not remove every obstacle. Thus, to students from elsewhere on Uji, the institute can appear less like an educational establishment and more like a system created to justify careers already reserved for the Upper Region.
The University is not solely an academic institution. It is also one of Uji’s most influential social environments. Students, alumni and donors are invited to private gatherings, industry showcases and professional job fairs held throughout the grounds. These events are widely recognised as places where Government placements, casting opportunities and commercial partnerships begin to take shape.
Beyond its academic and professional reputation, The University is famous for its sporting culture. The University Athletics League represents the highest level of organised competitive sport on The Mainland. Some even gossip that the institute's obsession with sporting events is what has resulted in some of their... less than stellar students.
Either way, competition days draw spectators from across the sloping island, with University students and alumni competing before audiences of hundreds. Events include:
For Government positions and formal professions, wages are issued every eight days, a period referred to as an eight. These roles include administrative posts, research positions, institutional work and professional employment throughout the Upper Region. They generally favour long-term placement and regular payment.
By contrast, apprentices, retail workers and manual hands are more commonly paid at the end of each shift or day. Regardless of profession, wages are directly deposited into a Korainian’s Depository Account by automatic transfer or manual deposit. With manual deposits, the recipient places their hand on a palm scanner to confirm the transfer. Account balances can then be checked using Information Boxes in the Mid and Upper Regions, The Quartz Depository in City Korai or through quick-deposit Depository kiosks positioned across The Mainland.
By the Modern Era, according to Korainians like Nykia, social mobility on Uji is notoriously constrained.That said, these are largely Mainland problems; beyond its borders, Colony settlers live by an entirely different set of rules and realities. Some would even say life in Uji's colonies is far rougher, and more consequential than anything The Mainland has to offer.
