Space Habitat Coalition
Introduction
Unlike the other stellar powers, the Space Habitat Coalition (SHC) has no home world or natural territory. Instead, the SHC is comprised of space stations and remote habitats spread throughout the solar system and beyond.
The SHC’s origins are traced back to a venture by Earth-based private investment firm Shenmi Corporation to build affordable habitats for residential and commercial use in space. Constructed in Saturn’s orbit, Zhu Station would be the first of these habitats. After easily filling its vacancies, the SHC shuttled in thousands of new residents and commercial proprietors to live and operate on Zhu Station. Eventually, the SHC expanded by building more habitats in other unclaimed space near the outer planets. Its growth culminated in the development of the first orbital city, orbiting the gas giant Jupiter: Sun City.
The success of the SHC soon attracted negative attention from the other major worlds. The United Earth Parliament and Venusian Initiative demanded spatial territory and commercial tax royalties from all SHC complexes, citing interstellar laws that state that any profitable ventures in space, owned by non-world governments, could be taxed with the profits split evenly between the major stellar nations.
The SHC fought back legally by taking advantage of vague wording in interstellar law on spatial zoning rights. The SHC’s lawyers challenged the major worlds to produce documentation of the established zoning permits. When the major worlds failed to produce the documentation, the SHC elevated the legal skirmish by demanding evidence to prove ownership of their claimed spatial territories.
Fearing an uncertain verdict, a deal was brokered on May 2120, to give sovereignty to the SHC and recognizing it as an independent stellar nation. Legal challenges behind them, the SHC expanded further with more orbital cities around the planets Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury and the moon Europa.
Despite its rocky origins, the SHC maintains good relations with all the major worlds and continues to produce leading-edge technology for space exploration, terraforming and colonization. In a show of peace, the SHC also pays taxes to the three worlds for the majority of its orbital cities.
The original founding company for the SHC, Shenmi Corporation, was a mysterious organization, whose real ownership and executives are shielded by the use of nominees. Even after its dissolution, the origin of its true ownership is still unknown.
Stellar Geography
CLICK FOR MORE--->
Home World:
N/A
Spatial claims:
(Orbital Cities)
Jupiter Orbit:
Sun City, Lo-Shen City
Saturn Orbit:
Kuan-Ti City & Shang-Ti City
Mercury Orbit:
Chu-Jung City
People
CLICK FOR MORE--->Population:
~373,000 (Exact number unknown)
Population growth rate:
Unknown
Languages:
Chinese 72%, English 25%, other 3%
Government
CLICK FOR MORE--->
World name:
N/A
Conventional long form:
The Space Habitat Coalition
Abbreviation:
The Coalition or SHC
Government type:
Isocracy
Capital:
Name: Sun City
Location: Jupiter Orbit, Sol System
Ministers of Government:
(Since November 2210)
Prime Minister:
Sanjay Zhong
Minister of Finance:
Lliam Zi
Minister of Commerce & Labor:
Joshua Menendez
Minister of Law & Human Services:
Chamile Qiao
Minister of Security:
Zachary Satu
Economy
CLICK FOR MORE--->
The Space Habitat Coalition’s economy is estimated as the smallest of the stellar nations with a GSI of 7.3Tc— however, it has the richest population of citizens, at a per capita GSI of 381Kc.
Trade Value Coins
The SHC also has the distinction of being the sole issuer of Trade Value Coins (TRVs). TRVs are the only form of legal tender not tied to an external financial institution. Rather than having an intrinsic value, TRV’s value is derived from the digitally-stored micro deeds within the coin, which are comprised of a combination of assets such as nation-specific legal tender, commodities, corporate stocks, government bonds, or other assets— enough to give its owner the indicated monetary value.
Due to their nearly untraceable nature, TRVs are the preferred currency for discreet business activities and the black market.
Congregations
The SHC employs a mutualism-derived economy that is run by cooperative firms and organizations called Congregations. The mutualism dictum requires that Congregations be operated by its owners with a matrix-style, non-subordinate organizational structure— similar to the SHC government itself.
The SHC’s Ministry of Commerce & Labor provides support to Congregations via no-interest financial loans, while the Ministry of Law & Human Services ensures that they operate both fiscally and ethically responsible.
SHC law further prohibits the direct employment of a non-shareholder to a firm, thus eliminating the possibility of corporate exploitation of its employees (as they are all equal partners). Congregations are expected to compete with one another, but can procure services or products from other Congregations— however, they are prohibited from purchasing any products or services from a foreign entity if it can be purchased domestically.
Although this cooperative philosophy has given the SHC the richest citizens of all the stellar nations, it has also made obtaining citizenship extremely challenging— as it is required by law that all adults form, or be a part of, a Congregation. The SHC’s economy maintains a balanced trade of approximately 58% exports and 42% imports. This combined with the innovative and competitive nature of its Congregations, guarantee that its economy will continue to prosper for the foreseeable future.
Infrastructure
CLICK FOR MORE--->In the past, the SHC was deeply connected to and relied on The Ocean— this changed after a number of high profile Congregations were hacked with credit losses in the millions. Now, the SHC completely isolates itself from The Ocean— using null fields to block all connectivity from the outside. Instead, the SHC’s infrastructure operates in secrecy, utilizing private transponders to allow its Congregations to transfer resources to each other. Transactions going over The Ocean must be cleared by the SHC customs agency prior to entering the SHC’s internal networks; this has made business dealings with foreign corporations a tedious affair.
Military
CLICK FOR MORE--->The SHC government contracts its police and military forces with private Congregations— soliciting and potentially changing who operates these forces every three years. The military weaponry and vehicle compliment is kept confidential and not published; however, it is estimated that the SHC military and police force are comparable in size and capabilities to UEP Enforcers.
Transtellar Issues
CLICK FOR MORE--->In 2212, an IPA investigation turned up evidence of illegal drug trade being sponsored by elements within the SHC government. After months of denial, the SHC finally agreed to arrest and extradite the then Minister or Commerce, Jerry Lingfield to the UEP for incarceration for multiple crimes involving the Elation drug trade. Since that time, other allegations have been made against the SHC, which are currently under review by a special IPA panel.
.
