141 Quarry

141 Quarry is a mine in The Kingdom of Happyface141 and one of the three major mines in USA, the other two being the one somewhere in Eastshield and in Club Penguin. The quarry goes up to 500ft below ground, and heralds slithers of quartz, amethyst, and rubies deep within the ground. It is one of the reasons why The Kingdom of Happyface141 has such good economy, as 141 Quarry has given access to many trade routes such as Freezeland, Dorkugal, Pengolia, and more.

The mineshaft itself houses miners at the top floor, whilst heavy machinery such as drilling machines lurk at the very bottom of the mine. The very bottom of the mine houses large quantities of gemstones - some large enough that machinery is required to pull them up to the surface. However, there is a downside to the digging as the miners have almost penetrated the outer crust of the planet, so it gets extremely hot down in the depths of the icy ground.

Other problems with how deep 141 Quarry include destabilization of the ecosystem. The region around the quarry has slowly lost all of its vegetation and its natural inhabitants are quickly leaving. The government is issuing a team of experts and scientists to figure out how the quarry can stop and possibly reverse this destruction.

History
Prior to the construction of 141 Quarry, the miner economy was going into a turmoil - it became a rarity that gems would be located withim rough soil, and many miners were losing their jobs. It was so bad, that in some cases miners would dig in random spots across Antarctica. It was discussed in the GourdZoid Council Hall that miners should be permitted to dig in certain states to allow discovery of more gems. Happyface141 offered to nominate The Happyface State as an excavation site, which was accepted.

A few days later, construction of 141 Quarry began in The Kingdom of Happyface141, where miners brought in heavy machinery and other equipment. Rumors suggested that there may be a supply of gems behind some O-Berry bushes, and in desperation both the miners and Happyface141 decided to take a risk and build the mineshaft past these bushes. The mine was originally 100 feet, but a few lucky penguins managed to locate trace amounts of ruby, gold, and quartz in the ground.

Once this news was found out, even more digging began and the mine currently heralds a depth of 500ft below ground. The mine is constantly dug down more for larger gems - however problems that have yet to be addressed are some lava spouts jetting out of the ground and pools of magma located near the very bottom of the shaft. Safety precautions and lessons have been taught frequently, but the main problem is that the lava spouts tend to jet out in random locations.

The Mine
The Quarry consists of a flattened area around the mine shaft that is scattered with dirt and snow. Several shipping containers grouped around the quarry ensure a fence, while the containers have been converted into climate-controlled offices. The reception occupies one container, the canteen in another, and various offices in the others. One container has been converted into a block of toilets and showers since Happyface declared better hygiene standards statewide.

Trucks are ever present at the quarry's entrance, collecting gems and metals and taking them to be processed and cut.

The mine shaft itself is a rectangular hole, 5 metres in width and 11 in length. Ladders and lifts enable passage into the deep mine. Once below, the mine is a warren of tunnels and other smaller mine shafts. Metal beams prop up the roof and walls, and the shafts are lit by super-bright LED Lanterns, generously donated by Dorkugal. Quartz, rubies, silver and gold are mined in different mine shafts, and the loads are brought up by a large service lift.



Workers
The miners at 141 Quarry were mostly prospectors before the mine opened, digging for gold and gems in random places throughout Antarctica. When they heard gold had been discovered at the mine, they all rushed there, eager to have some share in the riches. The site organiser refused to let them in, and for three days they sat outside the gate, chasing off the trucks that came to pick up the gems. The site organiser was stressed and past it by then, and he agreed to let the prospectors come in, on the condition that 90% of their findings are given to the state. The prospectors agreed, knowing that 10% of gold is better than none.

"This is one of the best jobs around, we get awesome food, clean bathrooms and the best dental plan!"

- Limburg Superbacon, one of the miners.

Workers are paid according to how much metal or gems they bring up from the mine, and although this has caused some safety concerns in the South Pole Council, the site organiser of 141 Quarry maintains that the shaft is "perfectly safe" and have emergency evacuation tunnels here and there. For added security safety, the site manager installed security cameras in each of the shafts.

Trivia

 * Link was sometimes seen skulking around there until his capture by Ford Car.
 * The site organiser is paranoid about security, and doesn't trust any of the workers. Metal detectors hang over the entrance to the quarry, security cameras were installed in the shafts and the miners are always searched before they go home for the day. The organiser still says this is a necessary precaution.