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The Wypoc Tourism Authority welcomes you to Wypoc. For your own protection, and ours, we request that you read the following brief guide to Wypoc, including a survey of the physical and cultural features of our republic. Keep in mind that local laws vary; but if you don't like the local laws, feel free to say so. Also, should you pay residential air tax, you are entitled to grid access, and an emmail account as long as your air tax has been paid. Hunting Permits are available at any police station for a fee of Cr100. Entry fees run Cr100, and docking fees are Cr10 per ton per day at the low port. The Baron's Huscarles constitute the sole legal authority at the starport: if they instruct, please obey for your own, and our collective, safety. Please check all guns with the Customs Officers; they can also arrange for you to pay your air tax, arrange for any ongoing medical needs, provide hunting permits, and make arrangements for you to pick up firearms and heavy weapons on your exit from the dome.
Wypoc is a hostile world, best noted for being only jump 2 from Regina, and being basically a hell hole of a world. Standard vaccum suits will be irreperably damaged within 4 hours, and experience lethal failures within 8 hours, due to the combination of acids, high-speed sand, and temperature. The population is focussed around 3 public activities, which include mining, orbital manufacture of electronics, and expedition hunting.
Wypock has become a mecca for jaded individuals desiring a real challenge: The Dragon. These and other dangerous and armored beasts run free and wild, and are known to hunt the hunter. Some have even claimed that air-rafts have been dragon-snacks! The Pen-jooin, the dragon, the bopper, and other large creatures have a thriving ecosystem, and apparently, the predators hunt by metalic ions released by the bodies of their targets. The local creatures are edible, as a general rule, but are not particularly tasty.
Wpypoc is 14,570m in mean surface diameter as of the 1066 second survey, although specific accuracy is questionable. Local gravity is 1.3 G's standard, with local variation of up to 0.05 G's. The core is molten nickle/iron, with a dense silicate crust.
The atmosphere of wypoc is an insidious mix of hydroflouric, hydrochloric, and sulfuric acids, plus a small ammount of prossic acid is also prensent. Atmospheric pressure at surface is about 2.5atm, and the orangeish haze is everpresent, and leads to a noteable lack of useful visibility.
The liquid which passes for an ocean is a rich soup of amino acids, plus some of the acids above. The amino acids and protiens of Wypoc's life, however, are definitely incompatable with H. Sapiens, and also with Vargr, digestive capabilities. This hydrosphere has a major problem for life: most of the proteins are immediately broken apart by one or more of the available acids.
Wypoc is a hellish place. The acidic atmosphere can defeat almost all personal protective gear in a little over 8 hours. The occasional blowing sand can cut this in half, as it grinds away at joints and sliding seals. But this is far from the worst threat.
Wypoc's life follows fairly standard conventions, despite being on a much different protein set than most known life. The apex predator, native to the coastal uplands, is a viscious beastie, known as the dragon. Almost all land life is vaguely reptillian (both cool and cold blooded, and even a few warm blooded) or insectoid, size dependant, and most higher forms are hexapoidal. Some of the insect analogs are hexapoidal, the rest are dodecapoidal or duodecapoidal (12 or 20 limbs).
Some of the land beasties have developed nasty defenses. The "Tuk-Tuk" is a hexapoidal land dweller, which concentrates bases in a chamber in a hollow bio-ceramic horn; a non-digestive pouch above the mouth feeds eaten and ground stones into the horn, plus a measure of atmosphere, and then ejects bicarbonate of soda solution into the breech formed by closing the aperatures tightly; this throws gravel for ranges of several meters at significant velocities. The Dragon is simply dangerous; the bio-cerametal of which it's teeth are formed is quite capable of doing significant damage to many other creatures; the metalic content, however, results inneeding to replace them often, and the ceramic is also somewhat brittle, so like terran sharks, new teeth are formed, then moved to the lips. 44 tons of flying shark with claws is quite the intimdation, but like most predators on wypoc, the dragon is a keen hunter, tracking by sound, sight, and smell, as well as seeming to be unerringly able to sense life and danger. The IISS has rated them non-sentient, possibly protosentient (but as yet, insufficient data exists for any proper judgement).
Local vegetation is typically simmilar in nature to mosses, lichens, and grassoids, albeit all with acid resistant skins. There is a lack of tall plant forms, and little to reccomend these plants as industrial or pharmaceutical research basis, as their bichemistry is adapted to a strongly acidic environment; all local flora yet tested have been found to be toxic to Humans, Vargr, Aslan, and Darrians. Eiboken, Virush, Newt, and Dandy subjects have not been forthcomming.
While local law prohibits all firearms, this applies solely within colony walls. Outside the walls, but in line of sight, it is still unlawful to ready firearms. Alchohol is legal, but is restricted to within residence or in public establishments licensed to serve. Limit is 20cc alcohol by volume per person per day in public establishments. All forms of smoking are prohibited within colony domes. Narcotic and hallucinigenic substances are restricted to in-home use; public use, or noticeable impairment in public is a major offense.
Law enforcement is polite, unasuming, and prone to use of less than lethal weaponry; all officers of the government carry both a snub pistol with tranq rounds, and a police standard polycarbonate baton. All officers wear a one piece combat environment suit, with sealable helmet in case of minor leaks. Uniform color denotes primmary duty: Sky Blue is for internal patrol, Red for Emergency Services (which include medical, fre, and leak control), Black for Customs (ground and space), Light Green for High Command, medium blue for COACC, and Grey for Troops. Internal Affairs and Military Police are combined, wearing dark green. The Penal Company, when called up, wears camoflage CES's, but all are equipped with remote controlled sedative autoinjectors.
Wypoc has no standing army; the extensive police presence is made available to the Imperial government for use in case of war, per the reuirements of the membership agreement. The local police space presence is counted as the System Navy for Imperial purposes; four standard type T patrol corvettes are on duty at all times as high-guard; these are manned by the COACC division of the Police. Troops are carried as well, but most troops are trained as internal security and boarders, not field infantry.
Crimes on Wypoc come in 4 grades: Minor, Major, Capital, and Treasonous.
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Trials: All trials are conducted by elected judges, save those of Imperial nobles. A three judge panel will sit in judgement, reviewing the taped trial, as edited by a 4th, Proceedural Judge; assignments for a given case are by lot. Imperial Nobles will be held until a jury of 3 uninvolved nobles can be empanelled; again, a proceedural judge oversees the arguments, and edits out any evidence not admissible prior to presentation to the Jury. Nobles may waive right to Noble Jury. The baron may reduce any sentence for any crime by one level. He has, however, seldom done so. Appeals go through the full panel of judges who did not sit on the case in the same dome, then the Proxied Judge from each dome, then to the Chief Proxie, and to the Baron. All appeals are made in writing. Reciprocal discovery is enforced; failure to disclose discovery documents in a criminal trial is a Capital offense. All Capital offenses are tried by the High Court, rather than the dome court. The 3 verdict judges assign sentence.
Civil Laws: all civil law is by contract examination; any recorded contract is admissible, unrecorded oral contracts are not. If failure to comply is found, the specified breach fee will be awarded. If no fee is stated, the fee shall be computed by the Jury judges. Trials are conducted in the same manner as for criminal offenses. Marriage is considered nothing more than a form of contract; divorce therefore is dependant upon the specifics of the marriage arrangement. Marriage only provides autommatic proxie to the spouse in the case of incapacitation, and full asset transfer in case of death. Children inherit if there is no spouse; each recieves a share based upon age.
Children and the Law: Children below the age of 6 are not considered capable of criminal intent, and thus punishment is levied on the custodial parent(s) in the form of remuneration alone. Children aged six through 11 are considered to be incapable of full responsibility; punishments are full restitution, plus 1 month correctional custody. Children 12 through 17 are considered minor liable sophonts; crimes are punished as if 1 level less serious, with a minimum of 1 month correctional custody. Children are never assigned hard labor, but instead recieve 1 month correctional custody in lieu of 1 year of hard labor. Persons 18 years of age are considered adults; if in correctional custody at their 18th birthday, they will be submitted to the Imperial Selective Service in lieu of further punishments.
Parole: There is no parole. Hard labor in the mines has a set quota per work day; meeting half or more is counted as a day of labor. Exceeding the quota is counted as serving two days; for every 6 days served, one day of rest is earned, and counts as 1 day served. If a prisoner works 6 days, with less than 6 days service counted, he still recieves a rest day, but any days of less than half quota and the rest day do not count as days served. Prisoners may bank rest days, but not to more than 7 days rest in a row. Sick call days do not count as time served, but up to a day of rest per each day (to a maximum of 28 days) of valid sick call is allowed to be taken, simmply not counting as days served. Prisoners incapable of meeting the standard quota or performing the hard labor may be assigned tasks and quotas in keeping with their physical ability. Prisoners are granted a free day served toward their sentence on Holiday, The Emperor's Birthday, and the Baron's Birthday. Exemplary Prisoners may be transferred to Starport Duty, at the concurrence of the Baron and their Warden. Prisoners may not use their proxie card themselves, but those who have not lost their franchise may have their proxie card assigned. Prisoners are allowed read-only grid access, and may file short (1000 character) email petitions to the Baron; there is no censorship of prisoner communication, although it is all read. Prisoners may recieve emails, and may write one short response per rest day earned, plus one on each of the holidays.)
Censorship: It is unlawful to censor communications on Wypoc. Freedom of communication is the only gauranteed civil right besides life. There is free email and grid access provided as part of the air tax to all residents.
Privacy: Wypoc respects the privacy of its citizens, within limits. All grid communications are considered public record, and may be read by the courts or the Police at any time, whether written, audio, visual, or other transmitted material; any local commmunication sent via the grid is also publicly owned, and intellectual property rights revert to the Republic of Wypoc. No person shall be searched without due cause and due process; a judge or the person being searched must authorize all searches. Detention in place while a search warrant is requested is normal. Once a search is authorized, the person, their current residence, and all their belongings are subject to search. Siezure of evidence must again be authorized, by the same judge who authorized the search; permission to sieze evidence is implicit upon a citizen granting permission to search. So, please, wait for the warrant. It saves the administrative staff the hasssle of logging excessive amounts of evidence.
Intellectual Property: Unless transmitted by grid or otherwise abridged in advance by contract, all forms of durable expression are the property of their author/creator. Each replication is subject to a Cr1 royalty per useage. Failure to pay is a trivial offense, handled by a 1 judge hearing, and if found guilty, the fee shall be ordered paid. Note that for replications, the fee is per copy. Non-grid replication of materials on the Grid shall be considered to be royalties owed the Republic.
The form of representative Democracy is an evolution from the early corporate days. Each citizen is issued a "proxie card" upon completing 4 years of legitimate work or Imperial serice. The proxie card may be signed over to a "Proxie"; the card may be revoked and resissued not more than once per year. (Theft of a proxie card is considered election fraud, and is always considered treason.) Each proxie holder votes on 363 of each year for the Proxie Civitas. The Proxie Civitas is a combination of mayor, chief justice, and head of the police. Additionally, on 181, the proxies elect the judges, who will number 1 per thousand citizens, with a minimum of 5. Any person who holds their own proxie card may run for office. On Judicial elections, the top vote-getting candidates recieve office, to the limit of the available seats. On day 2 of any year, all proxie cards are to be returned to the owner, in common practice, most are retained upon reciept of an email allowing such.
The Proxies Civitas, based upon all proxies counted in their favor, vote on 364 for the Chief Proxie. The chief proxie serves annually, and may not be a Proxie Civitas nor a Judge. The Baron is inelligible for public office as well, but holds 3 proxies cards for the Chief Proxie.
The High Court is elected by the judges. There are 5 seats on the high court; the judges are elected with each judge holding votes equal to the nummber of proxies counted for them when elected. The high court has judicial review rights over any law; they may repeal any law upon proof of violation of the Treaty of Imperial Membership, upon proof of common unenforceability, or upon request of any Proxie Civitas or the Baron Wypoc. They also hear all Treasonous Criminal Cases, and hear appeals on lesser cases.
Laws: Local (dome) Laws are drafted by the local Proxie Civitas, and go in force 90 days after recieving the majority approval by the proxie holders in a Referendum. Law Impanelments are held on 31, 122, 213, and 304. If less than a majority of proxie cards issued for the dome is recieved, the law dies. The Republic's laws are drafted by the Chief Proxie, reviewed by the high court as a whole, then put to the Proxies Civitas; these are held on the same days as the Local Laws Referenda. They go in force after 180 days. Repeals of prior laws are laws themselves, unless judicially revoked.
The Baron Wypoc is the administrator of the Starport, which is his Imperial Fief, and serves at the pleasure of the Emperor. He is, by charter, holder of 3 proxies, not one, and may adjust sentencing judgements for criminal trials. Once per year, he may request one person be freed from prison; said person is then restricted to the starport or exile until the full sentence would have been filled. Additionally, wardens may suggest prisoners for special consideration, who may be voluntarily transferred to penal servitude under the Baron, who may credit 0 to 2 days of labor for each day served. Fleeing penal serivitude is considered to be taking permanent exile, under penalty of death upon return. Traditionally the Baron has been succeeded by the third child, but if their are fewer, the youngest takes the seat. In cases where the Emperor does not confirm the heir, or the heir is a minor, the Duke of Regina is asked to provide a Regent until the Emperor fills the title.
"The people of Wypoc, incorporating under their own free will, have brought forth their corporation Henceforth Known as the Republic of Wypoc. Every suitibly employed citzen shall have a share, and may assign such shares to proxies; each settlement shall have one Elected official, to make laws, and oversee services, both subject to approval of the shareholders." "No living being may be above any law posted 30 days, then approved by a majority of the shareholders residing in the jurisdiction of that law, unless the vote was less than 90 days from popular approval. Should a law be unenforceable, or otherwise improper, the judges of the juridiction shall have right to strike it out of the books of law." "The Rebublic shal never raise an army, for that is a way of madness, and leads to coups and juntas, where it doesn't lead to the murder of civilians. Likewise, any who gravely abuse their offices shall be punished by loss of all rights." "Each jurisdiction, be it domed city, collection of interlocked domes, cave city, or unified combination of these, shall issue share, no more than one to a person. No juridiction shall enforce its will over another jurisdiction, nor shall it take over another jurisdiction save by both separately agreeing to join, as evidenced by poll of the shares. Each Jurisdiction shall maintain a body of no less than five, and no more than 1 per 1000 shares issued, judges, to sit in review of laws, and to make judgements of those who stand accused of breaking them. Each jurisdiction shall also elect their chief proxie, who shall write laws upon their behalf, and marshal the employees of the Republic for the common good within the jurisdiction. None may use more sharess than were proxied to them. All votes shall be public record." "Any Elected office shall be held for no more than one year without reelection. Elections shall be held annually, by counting the share holders each; they may use a proxie should they choose to, and unless they vacate their share by gross criminal action, may not be deprived of the use of their share. In the event of a criminal, the people may elect to take away the share upon his conviction." "The Republic shall also maintain a High Court of Judges, to review laws of the Republic, and a Chief Proxie to make good laws with the aid of the Court. These shall be elected by those assembled judges of the juridictional courts, and the Proxies Civitas, respectively, each carrying only the weight of those shares which put them in office." "The Republic shall insure these rights: That no shareholder shall ever be denied the right to speak their mind by threat, nor by censorship, nor by force nor by law; that no man may hold a proxie for more than a year without the consent of the shareholder; that no shareholder may be deprived of life without due process; that no person shall be permitted to take a life without punishment; that education shall be provided by the corporation to all who seek it within the limits of their duty; That species nor gender may be issue before the republic, should one be working one should earn one's share; and that all contracts shall be enforced whence proven." "The Republic shall have two branches of government employees. The first shall be the legal and emergency services branch, who shall be referred to as the constabulary, and shall provide law enforcement, public defense against all threats, and shall handle the issuing and enforcement of any permits enacted by law. The Second shall be the Tax and Essential Services Branch, which shall see to the collection of taxes, the availability at reasonable cost of breathable air of good quality, and the handling of any other services deemed essential by law. Either branch may have appropriate duties assigned to them by law or the courts." "This we declare, by vote of 795 to 338, as the written record shall attest, that by my hand, I, Alyas Wypoc, First Chief Proxie, do set this perpetually binding contract before the people of this Corporation, as is their wish." |
Since the war ended, tourism is beginning to return. The scant 3 years since the 5FW have brought a new life to Wypoc. The number of war veterans is a boon to hunting excursions, as well as people looking for a clean start with no army around. We met our obligations by providing 2 battalions of Military Police, plus one conscript company to serve at the pleasure of the High command. We organize our police & public service force along military lines using the following ranks:
| Enlisted | Officer | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E1 | Recruit | O0 | Officer Candidate | |
| E2 | Constable 3rd Class (C3C) | O1 | Corporal | |
| E3 | Constable 2nd Class (C2C) | O2 | Sergeant | |
| E4 | Constable 1st Class (C1C) | O3 | Lieutennant | |
| E5 | Senior Constable (SC) | O4 | Captain | |
| E6 | Lead Constable (LC) | O5 | Station Chief | |
| E7 | Senior Lead Constable (SLC) | O6 | Jurisdictional Chief | |
| E8 | Master Constable (MC) | O7 | Assistant Chief | |
| E9 | Senior Master Constable (MC) | O8 | Commandant | |
| Enlisted grades have the abbreviation for their grade upon their badge. | Officer Grades wear one chevron per grade, point up, on each sleeve. Their Rank abbreviation is also on their badge. | |||
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Wypoc is proud to maintain excellent medical facilities, due in part to a long standing medical technology trade agreement with Regina. Medical assistance is available at all police stations. Medical evacuation to Regina s available at established need, and will be provided by Police Corvette. Medical care will be charged for on a standard fee scale, with reduced rates available upon proof of inability to pay.
Wypoc has been evaluated recently by the IISS, in the 1107 Census Update, and released the data to us. We are pleased to share it with our visitors.
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Second Survey Catalog Data Wypoc SM 2011 E9C4547-8 Ni Fl, A922Im M3 V |
1107 Population: 972,000 920,443 humans rest mixed | ||
| Government Details | |||
| Social Outlook | Progressiveness Progressive Advancing | Agressiveness Unagressive Peaceable |
Extensiveness Harmonious Xenophillic |
| Government | Division Two Branch |
Representative Authority Executive and Judicial | Organizational mode: Executive - Rulers Judicial - Elite Council |
| Legal Details | Subcodes Weapons: 7 Trade: 5 Crimminal: 4 Civil: 4 Personal Freedom: 1 | Uniformity: Territorial | |
| Technological Details | |||
| UWTP | 87-99999-9799-99-C | ||
| General High Common TL: 8 Low Common TL: 7 Novelty: 13 |
Quality of Life Energy: 9 Computers & Robotics: 9 Medical: 9 Environment: 9 | Transportation Land: 9 Water: 7 Air: 9 Space: 9 |
Military Personal: 9 Military: 9 |
| Religion Notes | |||
| Preface | Two religions comon: Dragon-worshipers and Alyassians. The latter are a sect founded by the First Chief Proxie (Local cheif executive). Neither sect will reject any sophont, and both have significant minorities of the population; | ||
| Dragon Worship: | URP 766993-4 |
God View: 7 Crisis Monotheism Spiritual Aim: 6 worshipers recieved into Paradise after death Devotion Required: 6 Weekly Liturigcal Formality: 9 Communal Teaching and limited ritual Organization: 9 Loose hierarchy with individual decisions Missionary Fervor: 3 Active, willing to convert any sophont Adherants: 4 (23,000) | |
| The Dragon Worshippers believe that the Wypoc Dragon is the physical embodiment of the hand of god. They claim that the first leder was given the word of god by a dragon, because he was "nearly sinless enough". | |||
| Alyassians: | URP 9859E-4 |
God View: 9 Deism, god univolved since creation Spiritual Aim: 8 Ethics and morals own reward, afterlife unimportant. Devotion Required: 5 several days per week Liturigcal Formality: 9 Communal Teaching and limited ritual Organization: E Loose, highly informal Missionary Fervor: 4 Active among limited range of sophont races Adherants: 4 (68,000) | |
| The Alyassians actively preach to Hummans, Aslan, and Vargr. They preach a type of personal self-improvement based upon the values of adherance to the principles of honesty, sharing one's opinions, respect for all sophonts, and hard work for the common good. They also follow a strong ethic of lead by example. They do make frequent invitations to study groups, wherein they study the collected writings of Alyas Wypoc. Some additional 1200 followers are known off world, mostly in imperial service. | |||