The Astraeus Accord
Technical Information
Full Name: The Astraeus Accord
Aliases: The Accord, The Pact, The Astraeus Act, and ‘dammit, that.’
Date Established: December 21, 2721
Affected Parties: All Conglomerate Citizens, all citizens of ‘the Dregs’
General Description
The Astraeus Accord outlines the relationship between The Conglomerate and the dregs. The accord details political roles and responsabilities of both parties as well as social and economical concerns and relationships.
Under the Astraeus Accord, it is unlawful for any member of either party to engage in open fighting in any public location. Dissidents are afforded basic human rights by the accord, meaning they cannot be simply disregarded by Conglomerate citizens. This means that no dissident individual (Dissident being defined within the accord as a non-citizen of the Conglomerate) can be denied assistance when truly warranted, and cannot be openly harrassed, or their property taken or harmed without due cause.
Additionally, They Astraeus Accord outlines trade agreements and provides the ability for a limited number of dissidents to apply for and acquire Conglomerate citizenship, although it does severely limit the social and political heights to which these individuals can climb within the Conglomerate. This ability to maintain dual citizenship creates a conduit through which trade can be orchistrated to keep both parties supplied with any unique goods and/or technologies that they cannot otherwise acquire, or are unwilling to produce on their own.
Caveats
First and foremost, the terms and conditions, indeed the very existance of teh Astraeus Accord are kept secret from the general populace and citizens of the Conglomerate. Almost all Dissidents know of the accord and what it does for them, but the Conglomerate does not want its citizens knowing that they are suffering the pressence of another political party in the Sol system.
The accord uses such loose terminology in some places, particularly in the rules and guidelines concerning interaction between Conglomerate and dissident peoples, that harrassment, theft, and general disreputable treatment of dissident people is still easily overlooked. Conglomerate forces are given tremendous leeway in how they interact with dissidents and all but the most grevious offenses are quickly swept under the proverbial rug.
Dissident currency (citizens of the Dregs use semi-precious metals formed into standard-sized ingots as hard currency) is not considered legal tender in any Conglomerate facility.
Conglomerate currency (digital credits managed by a centralized computer banking network and tied to citizen accounts by their biometric near field ID implant) is not able to be used in dissident facilities as they are ‘off the grid’ by design. Person-toperson transactions are still possible and will be updated as soon as one of the involved parties reenters a Conglomerate facility or vessel.
In a strange peculiarity, due to the digital nature of the Conglomerate’s currency, the only place where a currency exchange can be effectively made, is in a Conglomerate facility or registered vessel. This is typically done via black or grey market transactions or illegal currency brokers, who charge an unreasonable percentage for their services.
Those who apply for and are granted dual citizenship, are never allowed to hold jobs within Conglomerate facilities or vessels. These individuals are treated as pariahs by official Conglomerate citizens who know or discover their identities (with a few exceptions, of course). Further, if these individuals make one transgression, break one law, or even miss a payment on any goods, services, or rented space, they can be severely fined at best, or have their Conglomerate citizenship revoked and any assets confiscated at worst. They are not legally allowed to be executed for such an offense, although the accord does allow for dissidents to be legally harmed or killed during the commission of a crime, so it is a fine line that is easy for Conglomerate personnel to cross and difficult for those few brave dissident souls who try, to walk.
History
In the wake of the Battle of Titan, tempers were hot and there was little desire from either side to truly make ammends or work together. It took more than six months of bickering and fillabustering to arrive at a document that could get anywhere close to being approved by both sides. The Conglomerate worked diligently at keeping verbiage loose enough to give themselves enourmous leeway and opportunity for interpruitation of the accord. Particularly in how dissident people and their property were able to be dealt with.
In the end, it was threats of witholding new technologies and expensive resources by the dissidents that finally brought the Conglomerate around on a few key points. In particular the ability to trade with and maintain citizenship in Conglomerate facilities.
Signed on December 21, 2721 after The Battle of Titan.
Signatories include all five CEOs of the Conglomerate at the time, and the heads of the ten largest households of the Dregs at the time.