View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
"Certainly." He pulls out a smartphone-ish thing and makes a hand gesture from it at Cam, and only then realizes that Cam doesn't have the same kind of device. "Uh, if you conjure up a blank version of this it'll hook into our local network automatically. Or I could verbally summarize for you."
The United Systems is itself a federation, and the parts of the law it enforces upon members basically boil down to 'enforce the universal bill of human rights, pay your 3% taxes, plus economic regulations.'
Mr. Green Skin chuckles. "Yeah, the special interest laws exist for a good reason."
Basically, lobbying is heavily restricted, at least on the federation-wide level. It's ostensibly designed so no amount of money or violence can change the rules - only legitimate 70% majority vote. One representative per system minimum, but otherwise weighted by population.
"Ah, so I'd have to run around lobbying populations," Cam concludes.
His new device beeps. The process seems reasonable, though some parts of it are slightly sketchy, in a badly-organized sort of way more than an actively malicious way.
Cam reads that, then idly investigates how likely he is to be elected representative of Cloudbank just for being so damn angelic or if there are other requirements.
Too soon to tell. The local referendums will choose the requirements. He'll have some fairly significant responsibilities if he does get himself elected, though.
The list is a bit long. The most time consuming would be that he's expected to be well-versed in United Systems law, current issues, etc, and actively contribute to the discussion thereof. There's no 'must make ten comments a day' rule but if he's particularly non-participatory he could be booted out completely. At least most congress seems to take place electronically, he'd only be required to be physically present in a specific place for twenty days out of a year.
"Anything else I should read up on or shall we proceed to the next order of business, whatever that is?"
"I have a list of everything you'd need to... Make, to jump-start the referendum process here." Ping! New file. "Will you be keeping ownership of this gate or turning it over to the United Systems? The advantage of the latter would be that you aren't locked out of the referendum process. If you still control the gate you could conceivably threaten to close it if you don't like the results, so the law is set up to prevent that. Either way, we'd like to install a maintenance drone flock and a skeleton crew of three people. Just in case."
"What's the law set up to prevent exactly - me closing the gate at all, or anyone responding to the threat?"
"The second thing. If threatening to close it won't get you anything, you have less reason to threaten to close it."
"Very tidy. I think I'll keep it anyway for now. It's not often I have an object I can't just replace."
"Alright. And the drones and skeleton crew?"
Jones asks, "You see any problems in the comms distribution plan?" The distribution plan is basically 'Cam makes a large quantity of this and that model drone, as well as the space station that has server room and coordinating systems for them, and also a self-deploying satellite network.' It's very detailed and apparently almost completely automated once the dronephones exist.
"Looks okay to me. I can't make an object already in motion, so if you need your station in a specific orbit that will require finagling."
"Geosynchronous. We could probably tow it, but it might be better to fly to the right orbit after we give the orbital-clearing drones time to work."
"I can do geosynchronous if you don't mind the exterior having a few thrusters on it, just need to know in advance."