The Spacefold Treaty

[500/1/104][SenEn][PUBLIC][1]

Spacefolds are naturally-occurring and somewhat random in placement. Being essentially points in space, they can't be directly manipulated although they can be surrounded and defended, as any position can be. Thus access to them can be controlled, with enough military strength and political will. On the other hand, navigation through them is vital to the conduct of business in the empire and so member planets can claim the right to use spacefolds. Conflicts easily arise, not only with use but also over who funds discovery, policing, and similar matters.

The Spacefold Treaty attempts to address common points of contention and reduce conflict. It is one of a few treaties defining the structure of the Empire, in a class that dates all the way back to the original Treaty of New Mecca. All factions represented at court are signatories of the treaty, and withdrawal from it amounts to seccession from the Empire. It can be seen as a collection of separate agreements, moderated by a few central principles. Its nature is similar to single-planet treaties governing the use of shared rivers or lakes between planetary divisions, or to complex trade agreements.

General Provisions

1. Spacefolds listed in the treaty are divided into different schedules, delineating access rights and restrictons.
2. Schedule 1 spacefolds are those open to free movement of all civilian and commercial traffic
3. Schedule 2 spacefolds may be used by any vessel upon payment of a regulated fee.
4. Schedule 3 spacefolds restrict access to specific groups.
5. Administration of the Spacefold Treaty is by the Imperial Survey Office, and its officials must be given free access to all listed spacefolds at all times. The Survey Office also administers surveying and colonization efforts.
6. Spacefolds may not be listed on schedules 2 or 3 (unless in exceptional circumstances) if they would block access to a treaty signatory. In effect, any world which joins the empire will have at least one of its spacefold routes upgraded to schedule 1 automatically.
7. Disclosure of newly-discovered spacefolds is entirely voluntary. However, no rights are given to surveyors who choose not to register their discoveries.

Schedule 1

It is not much of an exaggeration to say that the schedule 1 systems are the Empire. Although there are many worlds in the Empire not connected to any Spacefold, some ancient and prestigious, almost by definition these are regarded as backwaters. Any world joining the Empire (which really means signing the Spacefold Treaty and similar agreements) must have a schedule 1 spacefold connection to other members, if possible. Through precedent and tradition, this effectively means not that unconnected worlds are refused entry, but that any well-behaved world will be let in and upon entrance spacefolds connecting it are registered as schedule 1 (and promoted if necessary).

Schedule 2

The main purpose of the second schedule is to encourage surveying of new spacefolds. A group which discovers a new spacefold may apply to have it listed, specifying tolls for different classes of traffic wishing to transit it. They must publish the spacefold parameters for all to use, but in return can claim damages in Imperial Courts against any vessel which is observed to skip payment. Thus, groups sponsoring schedule 2 applications practically always will also maintain transit and policing facilities. Claims are occasionally voided if inspection shows sponsors are not maintaining presence or interest in their listed spacefold. The Survey Office approves or denies applications, primarily judging on the proposed tolls. They will generally approve higher tolls for spacefolds which carry traffic a farther distance, or which are more strategically located. Through long precedent, the rates the Survey Office will approve are largely standardized, based on the difficulty of discovery and ongoing maintenance costs. If a spacefold is promoted to schedule 1, the survey office may compensate its former sponsors depending on the length of time the system was registered under schedule 2, and the profit estimated to have been gained from it.

A lesser purpose of schedule 2 is to cover the cost of defending spacefolds of particular importance, or which are in particularly risky locations. For such spacefolds (usually located in frontier regions), costs are assessed on a case-by-case basis, to be paid partly through tolls but mostly through funding from local and Imperial governments.

Schedule 3

This schedule is practically a banishment list. It is thought to contain very few spacefolds, but the actual schedule is secret so no definite numbers are known. Currently the most famous connection known to be listed here is that to the Demon home world. Others listed are mostly temporary placements, in response to local rebellions and violatons. Systems on schedule 3 should not be confused with unregistered systems; although their locations may not be publicly advertised, vessels approaching schedule 3 spacefolds will always receive warning signals. If ignored, military force will generally be used to stop the vessel or deny it access.

The Imperial Survey Office

Both because of its official role and its system-spanning organization, the Survey Office wields considerable political power. The Director is appointed directly by the Emperor, upon advice from a governing council made up of senate representatives. The Director makes most day-to-day decisions, which can extend in scope even to registering systems under schedule 1 or 2 (under normal circumstances). Decisions can be appealed to the governing council. Registry and de-registry under schedule 3 require approval of both the Director and a majority of the governing council.

The Colonization Registrar

An annex to the Spacefold Treaty created the Colonization Registrar, a branch of the Survey Office. The purpose of this is to co-ordinate survey and colonization efforts, to reduce conflict and wasted effort. Participation in the registrar is semi-optional; signatories must register any newly-discovered spacefold in a system which is already connected by a schedule 1 or 2 spacefold. The new spacefold will also be placed in schedule 1 or (more usually) 2. In return, exclusive colonization rights are given for a limited time period (usually 50 years) to the newly-connected system. These may be used or sold, through the Survey Registrar and are enforced through spacefold transit checks. This latter is an important detail; one of the weaknesses of the system is that it does not (because it cannot) address direct-drive colonization ships. Occasionally it does happen that colonists arrive by direct-drive at a world where exclusive rights have been guaranteed to somebody else through the registrar. Such disputes might be settled within the Survey Office but often escalate, sometimes all the way to the Imperial Senate. The possibility of this happening is one of several reasons why survey and colonization efforts concentrate primarily on spacefold networks, often ignoring direct-drive possibilities. Also because of this, the registrar lists ongoing direct-drive colonization efforts even though these are outside its official brief. It is rare but not unheard of for groups to ignore such entries. When it does happen, these conflicts are rarely resolved easily.

Effectively, the Survey Office through the Registrar is the central clearinghouse for almost all official colonization efforts. Settlement rights are distributed through "assignments" in which groups of colonists will be organized and transported to new colonies upon completion of terraforming. Such assignments originate from the factions holding colonization rights. The registrar retains a percentage of the fee for settler groups. The proceeds from this program provide most of the funding for the entire Survey Office.