- "The only legal writ in Rodeo local space is GalacTech regulation. I fear this has less to do with foresight than with Dr. Cay's successful blocking of any interference with his schemes."
- ―Apmad's opinion of the Cay Project's special circumstances[src]
The Cay Project was a semi-secret foray into bioengineering by the Earth-based company GalacTech. Inspired by the opportunity to experiment presented by the invention of uterine replicators, two doctors and a largish staff set out to create a new species of free-fall dwelling people, Quaddies.
They chose an out-of-the-way location, Rodeo, where they could avoid being observed for the roughly twenty years that it would take to produce skilled workers.
As it happened, however:
- When the founder, Dr. Cay, died, the company chose to promote an incompetent bureaucrat named Bruce Van Atta to head the project instead of the other founding doctor, Dr. Minchenko.
- The lease on Rodeo got squeezed by the neighboring planet of Orient some years before its time was up, making Rodeo no longer a congenial place to stay.
- Artificial gravity was invented/discovered just about the time the young quaddies were to begin proving their value to GalacTech.
The combination of these three events resulted in the cancelling of the project with plans to simply cashier the quaddies on the planet. Rather than face this unappealing future, they fled with the aid of their welding instructor, Leo Graf.
Cay Project employees[]
- Dr. Cay
- Dr. Warren Minchenko
- Bruce Van Atta
- Sondra Yei
- Liz Villanova
- Mr. Wyzak
- Leo Graf
- Dr. Curry