The Neural Neutralizer of Tantalus Penal Colony is a gargantuan, efficient nation, ruled by Dr Tristan Adams with an even hand, and notable for its enslaved workforce, ubiquitous missile silos, and absence of drug laws. The hard-nosed, devout population of 11.288 billion patients are fiercely patriotic and enjoy great social equality; they tend to view other, more capitalist countries as somewhat immoral and corrupt.

The large, corrupt government juggles the competing demands of Law & Order, Defense, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Tantalus V. The average income tax rate is 47.4%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Tantalus Penal Colonyian economy, worth 715 trillion thoughts a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, quite specialized black market in Information Technology, Arms Manufacturing, Pizza Delivery, and Furniture Restoration. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 63,413 thoughts, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.3 times as much as the poorest.

Children often kick doves for amusement, dog owners proudly declare that their pups can predict when the mailman will arrive, party affiliation is just as irrelevant as campaign promises, and ranchers are adept at mimicking wolf attacks. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a very well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Tantalus Penal Colony's national animal is the dove, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Science.

Tantalus Penal Colony is ranked 248,466^th in the world and 122^nd in Federation of Martian Colonies for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -7.48 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.