So, as I've been watching this show with my 9th grade son and walking him through many of the topics covered with him, I came to my own realization about it that it is a giant metaphor for US slavery.
Their own people (their outie) sell them into it.
They are given monotonous, mind numbing work.
Regular punishments for being "uppity".
Horrible rewards made to seem like these great things.
They are kept separate from other departments, as the slaves were, so little communication can happen to spur on escapes and revolts.
And some other stuff that will come to me. But I had a great litany of things at one point that really did convince me that this is what it's about.