Stardrifter 03

A Little Taste of Corporatespace

Hey There,

This week we'll have a little teaser preview of the content for next "Voice From The Void" podcast episode, on the subject of Corporatespace. It’s just a taste, really, though there's a few tidbits here you won't get with that. I mean, I gotta keep ya honest, right?

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The Montaro Transtellar Commercial Federation, or Corporatespace, is both a tight association of huge business entities, and a collection of star systems governed under a single flag, united as one with pride, patriotism, and a rather unusual version of social capitalism. A Territorial President is elected by the Montaro Board of Directors, and the Board members, in turn, are voted on by the administrators of these corporations. The average citizen of Corporatespace has no say in these elections. So-called Employee Associations, acting much like guilds or trade unions elsewhere, are an integral part of the fabric of the nation. It is a check-and-balance, put in place at the genesis of Corporatespace, which has proven to be somewhat flawed over the years (but then so is everything else made by people).

Education is a big part of life in this Territory. Basic reading and writing skills may be considered universal here, and apprenticeship is a common practice for children looking at most professions, trades, or the arts for their futures. Science, education, and business administration all get special attention.

Education and youth activites are not all grim and money-driven, either (at least, not openly). A very popular organization for children is the Stellar Scouts. This is a nation-wide group which safely involves kids in space-related activities from a young age. Mostly structured like the civilian space flight training schools, though with a much greater focus on fun and achievement, the Scouts even organize annual interstellar voyages for the older kids, who almost completely make up the crews. Comradery, teamwork, self-pride, and basic space safety are all goals with the Stellar Scouts; it's just a coincidence that children who stay in the group until their teen years become highly competent spacers, ready to excel in Montaro commercial and military academies due to long training and experience.

As a nation, Corporatespace has implemented a numerical social ranking system. All Corporatespace citizens have rank. Foreign nationals are assigned rank upon crossing the border. Persons of unknown identity are assigned temporary rank. The minimum for anyone is Zero; the maximum is Ten. You have rank as a child; as you grow and achieve certain goals established by the Company, your rank increases. As a Montaro citizen, your rank is part of your internationally-recognized IDent profile. In theory, all citizens of the same rank are equivalent in standing: a soldier of Rank 3 is supposed to be the same as a floor sweeper of Rank 3. In practice, it's more nuanced than that, but these elements do help establish the pecking order.

Corporatespace partners with, and investments in, other companies throughout settled space. Some outside observers are openly suspicious of this Territory for that reason, while others see the place as a sort of unifying force between the other supernations. Time will tell who's right, but more than likely, there are at least some truths, and some lies, everywhere you look.

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And that's it for this one. Short and tasty. Look out for the next VFTV ep! And if you aren’t already subscribed to the audio feed, please do so. It’s free and it’s fun.

Talk to you next week!

Take care,

-David