Lugs

lugs were one of the few specialized gengineering projects that was a resounding success. Off-world colonies had the need for a beast of burden that could survive in the harshest of climates. Lugs were developed and finalized, and quickly spread throughout the system on frontier colonies as well as everyday life. Appearence-wise, they look something like a cross between a sloth and an elephant. They stand upright about 3 meters tall and weigh about 1.5 tons. They are immensely strong, capable of lifting up to 2 tons from a deadlift, and pushing or dragging up to 8 tons at a time. Despite their imposing size, they are docile, gentle creatures, naturally friendly and bashful. They are intelligent, learning quickly and capable of comprehending spoken commands and audio-visual cues. Originally made and marketed as "Bobs" (Beasts of Burden), the name "lug" stuck because of their size, trundling gait, and occasional thick-headedness. The slow, lumbering beasts are easily sated, and despite having a natural tendency to laze about and conserve energy, they are eager to work for food and coddling approval from their masters. They are extreme omnivores, eating just about anything they can get their hands on, and eat about 2/3s their own body weight in food every day. Their bodies are designed to be extremely efficient, so they are a poor source of fertilizer, unfortunately, but they will take care of most piles of garbage. On civilized planets and off-world colonies, it is not uncommon to see businesses have a resident lug for heavy lifting, and they are often outfitted with massive, custom-tailored clothing. On off-world colonies, it is much more common to see them unclothed. In an effort to encourage post-war colonization, unlike most gengineered beings, lugs are not made sterile and can be easily bred the old-fashioned way, making them a cost-effective gengie to own, and lug ranches are commonplace on frontier colonies.