PAUC America, Inc. Key Concepts

Pax Corporacana is a bastardized version of Latin modeled after Pax Romana or Roman Peace. The term referred to the Roman Empire’s prime, from the accession of Augustus in 27 BC to the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD. The modern term refers to the height of the corporate-controlled world now that the majority of conflicts have ended. The era began in 2070 when hostilities between emerging corporations in Africa and South America ceased. Today, only two regions remain mired in strife – parts of the Middle East and the Caucasus mountain region.

There are no armed conflicts in 2088. Corporation disputes are negotiated between parties at a bargaining table; if that is ineffective, they are subject to arbitration by the exchange. Under Pax Corporacana, there is no need for a standing army; thus, they don’t exist. Each corporation does maintain paramilitary security to respond to a crisis should it arise. However, far more resources and assets are devoted to investigative divisions and counter-espionage activities.

Following the Pirate Wars, many maritime powers still utilize naval combat vessels to patrol shipping lanes and secure commerce and trade. Additionally, most corporations with ocean access maintain a coast guard to respond to emergencies and deal with severe weather events.

Pax Corporacana does not refer to detente among the patricians. The elites refrain from hostile actions out of fear of reprisals and consequences under the standards of conduct outlined in the Zurich Canon. Despite this accord discouraging aberrant behavior, some patrician families have amassed a large security force and provided them with advanced tactical combat training and military weaponry that surpasses the equipment and tactics of corporate security organizations.

Imagine a world without geopolitical borders. There are no customs or immigration officers to clear you into a country or checkpoints to prevent your coming and going. That is the state of affairs in 2088. The end of governments meant the end of arbitrary lines drawn on a map during the age of the nation-state. Conquest and power is measured in economic dominance and market share, not square mileage. Even local goverments have been replaced by corporations who are considered subsidiaries large clobal megacorporations.

Power is measured in profit, not military might. Everything in this world is centered around commerce. The question of what is the meaning of life has been answered: It’s business. Nothing else matters, including the overall employee happiness.

The map below shows the spheres of influence as they exist in 2088. Like political maps in the 19th century, the influence one corporation or another has had over a particular area has changed considerably. Stabilization has occurred over the previous decade leading up to The Black Swan Event, but there is still some flux, especially around the edges of each corporation’s sphere. The lines on the map are not corporate borders - they are meant to reflect the edges of the corporation's regional domination.

In fact, border areas often identify with two or more corporations. These regions are fiercely divided, have limited infrastructure support, and can be violent. Many can be characterized as America’s “wild west” as it was being settled. Notable regions of friction are between America Incorporated and Latin America in what was once northern Mexico, the edges of the South American, Brazilian, and Patagonian Companies, India and Persia, and most of Africa.

The idea of a single global currency is not unique. Countless ideas for migrating away from physical currency have been presented in an effort to stimulate the global economy and place nations on a level playing field. Regional currencies are a move to that end, the most notable being the euro, a continental currency created for most European Union members. The notion has been fodder for conspiracy websites that any such standardization was a ploy by the world’s elites to control the money supply.

In 2016, one global currency did exist. It was called Bitcoin, and it used peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins was carried out collectively by the network. Bitcoin was open-source; its design was public, nobody owned or could control it, and everyone could take part. It was not a printed form of currency like dollars or euros and was held in a digital wallet. Countless other cryptocurrencies have also been created, seeking to seize on Bitcoin’s early success.

The introduction of a single currency in the world of America Incorporated serves two goals ― to show corporate commitment to reorganizing the global economic structure to avoid the events that led up to the economic collapse of 2029 and to play on the inherent fears of a group of elites manipulating it. In the saga, this money supply called Bytecoin, the successor to Bitcoin, accomplishes both goals. Like its ancestor, it is a cryptocurrency ― no physical form of it exists. Unlike Bitcoin, it is not an open-source product and is controlled by a central authority based out of Geneva. Although technically not aligned with any corporation or entity, there are rumors that this group is de-facto controlled by Intercorpex, who is leveraging the currency to enhance the stock exchange’s power of corporations and the elites.

All global financial transactions are conducted via Bytecoin. Although gold was the new standard following the collapse, and despite the fact that many Patricians still horde it, the new global currency was fully embraced as a way to enhance trade and commerce and facilitate transactions. It is the only form of payment allowed by Intercorpex and is a tool for corporations to keep control over their employees.

The creation of a global stock exchange had the desired effect on parent corporations. The elites that supported these corporations were eager to participate, and they put significant pressure on each corporation’s board of directors to ensure nothing jeopardized that. Proven incidents resulted in sanctions, and a pattern of abuse could result in delisting. That threat percolated down to the subsidiary corporations, formed to conduct business under the umbrella of each parent corporation, reducing incidents dramatically. It did not completely eliminate them, however. Even in 2088, instances of sabotage and espionage are known to occur.

Each report is thoroughly investigated by Intercorpex Security, a highly-trained professional force dedicated to the impassionate discovery of the truth not shaded by corporate allegiance. Drawn from the ranks of corporate security (after compensation is paid), they spend years in rigorous training before going into the field as junior inspectors. The initial charter outlined these investigative procedures and the consequences for corporations that fail to cooperate. The one thing it did not include was the wealthy elite.

Intercorpex Security had no remit to investigate and take punitive measures with the new patrician class. As a result, incidents and accusations spiked as they jockeyed for influence and power. No ramifications for their actions meant there was nothing to limit their behavior. When espionage and intimidation turned to assault and murder, the exchange made a series of moves to establish order. Modeling a new code of conduct after the one created for the corporations, this new set of rules was developed for Patricians wishing to trade shares on the global marketplace. On October 31, 2046, the Zurich Canon was enacted at Intercorpex Headquarters.

KEY CONCEPTS

PAX CORPORACANA

The End of War

Spheres of Influence

The New National Borders

Bytecoin

The Unified Global Currency

Zurich Canon

The Elite Code of Conduct

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