Reticulum

The Reticulum is an interstellar government that includes many human planetary colonies. It has existed for more than 400 years. The human homeworld Stralea is the capital.

The Reticulum was formed in order to maintain the starships that supply and trade with the colonies with their schedules and regular stops. The Reticulum maintains a fleet of city-sized Reticulum Capital Ships that run the established trade routes moving goods, services, passengers, communications traffic, other data, and physical mail.

More than 400 years into its existence, the Reticulum Scouts constantly look for habitable worlds. Space exploration and colonization advanced to extreme levels and vast areas. Communication and transportation can't cover them as fast as desired; there is no formally established system of interplanetary communications, and starships function as mail carriers. Courier Drones were developed to fill that gap.

As the Reticulum expands, available colonies become sparser, while the Reticulum has to extend the Circuit out in longer branches. Worlds considered previously uninhabitable eventually are colonized, but the cost of doing business on such worlds is higher than it was acceptable; consequently, newer colonies turn smaller profits.

## Philosophy

Stodgy and conservative, it doesn't represent any philosophy or ideology, other than "the inherent supremacy of individual determination." The colonies are widely different from each other, as some are successful and self-sustained but others are dependent upon goods and services from other colonies, some are utopian and others dystopian; each has its right to self-determination.

The Reticulum maintains a precariously balanced relationship with the independent colonies, benefiting and strengthening them but also imposing its will upon them.

In cases of conflict, the Reticulum cares only when trade routes are jeopardized, and settles the matter with military intervention. But at all other times, the Reticulum tries to appear impartial (a cause of criticism) as it waits for them to either establish peace or leave the Reticulum.

The Reticulum enforced ethical use of technology and science, which was often inhibited by bureaucracy and economics. This rigid structure conflicted with the more liberal and aggressive ideals of the Mondites, who operated covertly outside the laws of the Reticulum.

## External relations

Other colonies exist beyond the Reticulum -- some new or tenous, some with low population, and some weak or secessionist. Unable to survive alone or to hire small and expensive private ships, they sustain themselves by trading through a planet that is on the Reticulum Circuit. Since the markup can be prohibitive, such worlds have banded together to form collectives, which have neutral relations with the Reticulum.

The major political opponents are the Mondites, who have been known to use unethical scientific practices to operate on a higher technological level than others. Their secretive organization mainly operates outside the Reticulum's sphere of influence, however the Mondites have used subversion to covertly establish control over a dozen Reticulum worlds, and also some of the Reculum’s most vital trading partners). No world is entirely free of Mondite influence, propaganda, and agitation.

## Membership

Member worlds have some required standards and obligations. Failure to one of them means expulsion from the Reticulum.

1. They must pay an annual tribute to maintain their part of the Circuit Reticulum.
2. They must establish a basic level of law and order
3. They must provide goods and services that contribute to the economic development of the Reticulum.
4. They must guarantee a basic level of human rights because it is felt that in the long run, this maintains the basic stability of the business environment.
5. They must accommodate a base of the Reticulum Guard
6. They must send a representative to the Reticulum Parliament

The colonies must adhere to financial standards to balance the cost of the Reticulum maintaining the capital ships and their services. To prevent any “domino effect” that might damage other members’ economies, all colonies must pay on time for services from ships -- as well as added fees for ship's scheduling.

Social prerequisites ensure essential order and human rights. This is for the safety of Reticulum representatives when they disembark on a member world, and also to discourage unrest, revolution, or unfair trading practices that might lead to boycotts.

## Organization

The Reticulum is led by a Prime Minister. At present, he is a decorated military man, and -- in places where it still exists -- his likeness is featured on paper money. In general, this official has a responsibility to raise key issues, as well as to act as a tie-breaker if there should be an impasse or conflict in the government based at Stralea. Laws are made by the Parliament. The Ministry of Security studies intelligence information to maintain an awareness of what the Reticulum’s colonies are doing.

* RMF
* Reticulum Guard
* Reticulum High Guard
* Circuit Reticulum
* Reticulum Scouts

## Ships

* Reticulum Capital Ships
* *Rescue and Recovery* (RMF)
* *Stolanoi Agrippus* (RMF)
* *Ambassadoria* (Reticulum High Guard)

## Locations

* Stralea
* New Freedom's Port
* Bormag

## Trivia

* Reticulum is the latin word for "net, network".