Gamma Sectors in the Fosterite Empire have varied forms, according to its architects' particular exegesis of The Foster Manifesto, as well as material pressures & their particular phase in the process of the empire's decadence: the Apollonian and Dionysian (Also called Golden Age and Decadent forms). Many societies gradually progressed from the former to the latter as the empire decayed and social control became more tenuous.
Apollonian (Golden Age) Gamma Societies
The Apollonian configuration is prevalent in most of Early Fosterite Society. It is characterized by highly spartan and militarized accommodations, elimination of public spaces, sexual segregation and near-equality, saturation with propaganda, and general impermeability by other sectors except when necessary.
Lifestyle
The early Empire was in constant conflict, first in the AI Wars and later with neighbors as it continued to expand. Gamma Sectors were high-turnover staging grounds for preparing massive populations of clones for field training. Mutiny and insubordination were rare to nonexistent.
All eating, sleeping, elimination and copulation were done in shared spaces [if there were any private spaces here, I can't really think of any]. Masturbation was allowed but generally discouraged and unnecessary. There were no family units, parental attachments or forms of marriage to speak of. Interpersonal attachment and connection were still possible, but generally freeform and limited in duration to what circumstances allow.
Many luxuries were provided to the Gamma population during intervals of peace, but they were curated to only those which had some benefit to their society and its members:
- Sports leagues were the overriding social activity in Gamma. Participation in professional leagues was one of the only career alternatives to military service, and the exhibitions were often displayed to other castes.
- Drugs that might expand the mind or hobble the dopamine system were a complete non-starter, but those deemed conducive to downtime without impacting uptime were provided.
- Orgies were encouraged due to their contribution to fitness and esprit de corps (see the Sex in Gamma section for a level of detail that I have to assure the reader I typed with both hands above the desk).
- The arts were encouraged as well, but generally only those subservient to structure - military bands, theater companies, etc. But even then, their content was generally limited in scope to panegyrics of society, expressions of solidarity, and any other content that contributed to making Gamma society and its members stronger and more cohesive.
- Above all, the avoidance of Avolitional Disorder (AD) was paramount. Time left idle combined with the particular neuropathy of Gamma conditioning and lobotomy could be a dangerous mixture, leading to a positive feedback loop of wall-staring. Keeping Gammas active with a constant flow of directions is the optimal preventative measure to avoid AD.
Sex in Gamma
Early Gamma phenotypes were close to sexually monomorphic, as the female half of the population was used as much as the males for combat roles. But living accommodations and combat units were for the most part sexually segregated for the purpose of eliminating distraction during training.
Apollonian society allows sexual intermingling at intervals (here referred to simply as "Intermingling"). As all Gammas are sterile from birth, STIs are nonexistent in their population, and females are very nearly as strong as males, many of the usual hazards of militaries being allowed access to women were not issues in Gamma sectors. It is highly unusual for a Gamma, being neurologically deprived of many executive functions, to either deny or violate consent. As a result and by design, these interminglings almost always took an orgiastic expression with an often ritualistic or regimented character, e.g. Competitive Fuck-Offs, Fuckathons, Fucklympics, and Greco-Roman Combat-Fucking. Sex was so readily available on a regular basis in some Gamma sectors that its administrators reported that zero masturbation occurred.
Since everyone in Gamma is practically optimized in genetics and environment for sexiness, and the childrearing component of pair-bonding eliminated, jealousy and by extension monogamy were unheard of.
Sex is an important aspect of keeping Gamma sectors under control. Early attempts tried to simply eliminate the desire for such, but those ended up in revolt or collective listlessness.
Sector Permeability
Apollonian Gamma Sectors are fully permeable where necessary, generally to the Alpha and Beta officers and scientists who administer the population. Other than this, no permeability is allowed and Gamma is sequestered from the rest of the caste society. This was a design to insulate Gamma from dangerous ideas and conflicts of interest that might threaten mission readiness.
This is not to say that such rules were never broken. Male Gammas were a particularly popular target of Alpha Sector sex tourism. Female Gammas were to a lesser extent, since they were nearly as tall and highly-muscled as the males, not fitting quite as neatly into traditional standards of beauty. This is not to say they were unattractive - male Gammas generally preferred female Gammas, being attracted to their strength and confidence rather than the waifish softness preferred in other sectors.
Life Cycle
Gammas are clones without the capacity for natural procreation.
Gestation
Early Age
There are no parents or family units in Gamma. Children are raised in militaristic environments reminiscent of Ancient Sparta, enduring deprivation and discipline to strengthen them. Self-denial, simplicity and loyalty are paramount to Gamma upbringing.
Intermingling begins as soon as puberty, as with no risk of pregnancy there are few risks. Cultural taboo against this is nonexistent in Gamma (I know this is gross, but it's not without precedents in real cultures).
Pathing
At the age of 18, Gammas are subjected to trials that determine their lifepath. As the vast majority are intended for the military, this is where most end up. Those who are deemed unfit for the military are consigned to social support roles and designated Gamma-2, enjoying the same amenities as Gamma-1 but a lower social status.
Middle Age
When Gammas age past prime military service age, they are generally allocated to one of several other paths. This is the main population pool from which military officers and Beta-Sector Enforcers are drawn. Others become auxiliaries and support personnel for the military.
Old Age
Law & Order
Legal violations in Gamma are few but not unheard of - as lobotomized homunculi, many give into failures of inhibition despite ubiquitous propaganda and conditioning. The most frequent violations are violent crimes.
As Gammas are considered disposable, they are given an option between execution and life as a gladiator. Some Fosterite societies found this aspect barbaric, but it was still the norm during Fosterite Golden Age Society.
Executions were public events, and attendance considered a civic duty.
Dionysian (Decadent) Gamma Societies
The Dionysian configuration is prevalent in most Fosterite Golden Age Society and Post-Imperial Fosterite Society, and is generally considered one of the criteria for identifying a society's phase in that development.
This configuration is characterized by highly hedonistic accommodations, sexual integration, sexual dimorphism (the engineering of females into hypersexual rather than soldier phenotypes), greater extent of lobotomy in Gamma executive functions, and unofficial but sanctioned permeability from other sectors generally for the purposes of sex tourism.
Lifestyle
The Dionysian configuration arose as the Fosterite Empire entered a less warlike phase of its arc. The soldier caste was more idle than before, and so greater amenities were deemed the solution to keep them from experiencing an itch for conflict that might result in revolt, or from outbreaks of Avolitional Disorder (AD).
This entailed the creation of some private spaces. Marriage and cohabitation were allowed if desired, and were not limited in terms of sex or number of members. This period saw the rise of competitive and jealous sexuality, and the encroachment of monogamy.
Gladiatorial combat was instituted as one outlet for the bored sector. All participants were voluntary, or criminals who chose it over execution. Most fights were limited in scope, though some cultures evolved obsessions with the sport and developed increasingly bloodthirsty tendencies like late Rome.
More drugs were introduced to Gamma that would have been proscribed under the Apollonian system. This kept Gammas busy but contributed to minor declines in mental and physical health. It turns out that homunculi with limited executive function are particularly susceptible to addiction.
The sexual culture of Dionysian Gamma sectors made the Apollonian orgies look prude in comparison. Taboos against fetishes and degeneracy were eroded, and Gammas went to further and further extremes to seek supernormal stimuli.
Sexual Dimorphism & the New Role of Women
Whereas the Apollonian societies chose tall, strong female genotypes in order to serve as equal to males, Dionysian societies developed geneseeds of diminutive, weak, and hypersexual female bodies to serve as objects for sexual gratification of the male population. They were similarly mentally stunted as any Gammas, and now lacked the physical strength to assert themselves against domination.
Women's role in Gamma society became the new linchpin for social control. Males competed for mates and guarded them jealously, often coming to conflict. Women were often kept sequestered in private spaces and denied most social roles other than service.
Sector Permeability
Not coincidentally, the Dionysian society saw a new increase in sector permeability. The new hypersexual female geneseeds were a particular favorite for Alpha & Beta sex-tourism.