The Board of Quality Control is an government organization created by The Society for the purpose of monitoring and preserving its caste system. It manages policy to keep the various Colors in line. It is focused on genetic and social engineering.
The Board's reach extends to all Colors, from the lowest (Red) to the highest (Gold). One of its duties is to determine which Gold infants are fit to live and which are to die, aiming for a mortality rate of about 3%.
When a Gold is born, it is usually left exposed to the elements, without nurture or protection, for 72 hours, in order to determine if it is fit to survive. This practice is known as the Exposure. Mickey the Carver had his license revoked after Carving an unlicensed Aureate birth whose parents wished to spare their child the Exposure. Gold mothers often do not receive any aid during childbirth.
The Board also monitors the Institute results, census data of The Society, and can end the life of a child if it deems such actions necessary. One such example is Sevro au Barca, who was born from a Red mother and a Gold father, through illegal bio-engineering.
The Board of Quality Control also has regulations regarding social engineering. It outlines several scenarios for keeping Colors such as Reds and Obsidians in line.
Classification System[]
When Adrius au Augustus became ArchGovernor of Mars, he proposed a new system of binomial nomenclature to separate the Colors, each of them based off of Homo sapiens.
Known species names[]
- Homo flammeus - Red. Lit. "Man of flame".
- Homo bellicus - Gray. Lit. "Man of war".
- Homo logicus - White. Lit. "Man of logic".
- Homo aureate - Gold. Lit. "Man of gold".
Presumed species names[]
Members[]
The Board is managed by highColors - Golds, Coppers, and (presumably) Whites. Browns and other low- and midColors perform manual tasks and labor - one example is turning a knob to release Achlys-9 into a gas chamber as a form of execution.
Known members of the Board of Quality Control[]
- Bondilus cu Tancrus - Questions Darrow O'Lykos about his unnaturally high Institute entry test score.
- Arturius au Vardan - Prefect for the Board, investigates Bryn of Cryssos and Fitchner au Barca.
- Proctor Mercury of the 542nd Class of the Martian Institute - Played the god Loki, stationed at Asgard.