Council | Featured in Citadel21 | Vol.11

Originally published in Citadel21, Vol. 11 on May 21, 2021. Art by Deathburger

No one could pinpoint when exactly the Plebian Council formed.

Best estimate is a few years before the Directora was written by the Founders Council of 2028. The Prima Directora was based on the Constitution of the United Republic (the document governing the former United States of America) and Bill of Rights. The document embraced principles that despite best efforts, no system was immune to corruption or decline, and, while general accord was good, retaining individual sovereignty was of the utmost importance.

Each Citadel forms its own bylaws and each Citizen abides by these. Broadly, Citizens' rights are similar to those of old-English Freemen, a concept existing across all Citadel Worlds. Bitcoin is the primary currency as it is the strongest money, and best reflects the Founders cypherpunk ingenuity and ideals. Each World is fully and truly sovereign. Many were settled as is, some terraformed and 3 constructed. There are currently 35 Citadel Worlds. ParaBeam, the private beam service, connects many of the worlds and no world is farther away than 18 days transit in a hyperlight.

The Council formed on Old Earth and held its first Leadership Council in 2029. Leadership was voluntary but limited and a seat at the table could be purchased for 10 bitcoin, nowadays the equivalent to an entire year's worth of transaction revenue on any one of the Worlds. The 3rd Leadership Council purchased the southern portion of the country formerly known as New Zealand in late 2037 and there they formalized the Cannons which would follow to the first Citadel World and to each World thereafter.

The entire contents of the Cannons, which is the single largest body of knowledge in the known galaxies, is stored in a secure vault system in the ice caverns on Saturn. Eight additional copies are kept at undisclosed locations, known only to The Nine. Summary copies are pegged in at multiple blocks on the Bitcoin blockchain and are updated approximately every 28,000 blocks. The transaction cost is split evenly between all Worlds and the transaction fee is granted to each World on a lottery basis.

---

Founding Cannon

Prima Directora

ratified: January 3, 2029

block: 1,085,253

Every Plebian Council Member must acquire a large body of knowledge, verify all sources, and attend with diligence and discernment every premise and situation. A pleb may not hold or run for political office, undertake military endeavours, be employed in religious leadership of any denomination or hold more than 4% in any one private entity. 

Unbonded plebs are welcomed at any of the established Citadels during initiation and are required to choose, pledge and swear a bond-oath payment to one Citadel only. All bonds must be recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain and are valued for the duration of one's life. Generational memberships may be purchased at a 40% discount with an additional cumulative 5% discount per generation up to seven generations. If membership lasts seven generations the family will retain Founder status and generations going forward will be exempt from paying bond-oath fees.

Payment of the bond-oath is in the amount of .0000001 BTC or 1% of the value of one's holdings in Bitcoin. In certain circumstances a bond may be revoked with the member relinquishing all investment to the Citadel he or she has chosen, however, the member is forbidden from pledging any other Citadel unless a Special Council considers and approves the request. 

Each bonded pleb will receive and may choose to wear a white on black Guy Fawkes pin along with the flag or glyph of their Citadel. Disclosing oneself as a pleb is not mandatory however ZKP identity verification through a microsat confidential transaction will be required to access all Citadel property, events and archives. 

Every pleb must read: Plato's Republic, The Sovereign Individual, and 1984. To maintain membership, a pleb must adhere to the bylaws from his or her Citadel and the Principles within the Prima Directora and its Amendments.

Vires In Numeris.

Signed, by proxy and cryptographically verified, 

The Founders

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Cannon Archive

Cavern 6, Saturn 

August 5, 2288

block: 14,738,181

original art by Deathburger

[Access portal] Hello, please verify identity.

[unknown] Agent 237, Covert Division, Citadel 16, sending 240 msats

[Access portal] Received ... verifying .... confirmed. Thank you Jaco, please enter and proceed with your query.

Jaco activates the artificial environment, sets the temperature control to tropical, takes off his suit and acclimatizes. An autonomous bot greets him, prints a glass of Kava and takes the chair beside him. Reading from his profile that Jaco is not much for small talk the bot goes into passive ready mode and awaits instruction.

[Jaco] Read Founders Cannon, summary. Include members present at first, second and third Councils and following actions, skip ratified decisions.

[autobot] (lists names and the Citadels represented) Proposal to create a founding document and Charter, Proposal to draft a Bill of Rights, Vote to formalize Representation and establish a Leadership Council, Proposal to ratify the Prima Directora. Following actions found in second, third and fifth Leadership Councils.

[Jaco] Skip to Leadership Cannon, 3rd Leadership Council, Opening Assembly, Summary. Skip readings of the Opening Statement and PD, include vote summaries and proposals, analyze verified signatures for criteria 'masked' and 'R. Kiwasaki'

[autobot] reading Plebian Leadership Council, January 3, 2037, block 1,506,021

.....

Agenda

* Opening Statement

* Reading of the Prima Directora

* Vote to include in Required Readings: A Pale Ghost - on Synthetic Intelligence, Androids, and Collectives

* Vote on the Amendment to modify the number of Representatives on the Leadership Council

* Vote on the Amendment to establish 1 Representative and 2 Alternates from every Sovereign Citadel

* Vote on New Zealand Purchase

* Proposal for Skill Development Directive and establishing an Academic Cannon

.....

Vote to include A Pale Ghost in required readings passed.

Vote to increase Leadership Representatives from Five to Seven passed, 2 new members accepted and bounties paid.

Vote to designate 1 Representative and 2 Alternates from every Sovereign Citadel passed.

Vote to purchase the southern portion of New Zealand passed, bitcoin transferred to Tesla Bank to be converted to Swiss Francs and wired.

.....

Proposal for Skill Development and Academic Cannon

Every pleb must acquire and maintain knowledge at levels, Basic (required), Advanced (suggested), to Mastery (if proficient), in ten of the following areas:

Advanced Cryptography

Advanced Genetics

Advanced Mathematics

Advanced Physics

Advanced Statistics

Advanced Weaponry and Defensive Arts

Air, Land, Water or Cosmos Navigation

Austrian Economics

Bitcoin and Lightning Node Configuration and Maintenance

Basic Physiology and Rehabilitation

Carpentry, Masonry, or Metallurgy

Civil, Mechanical, Maintenance or Electrical Engineering

Combat Defensive Skills

Computer Science, Hacking, Networking, Penetration Testing and Security

Conflict Resolution

Cooking, Grilling, and Food Preservation

Covert Information Gathering Techniques

Creative Arts

Doctor of Medicine, Specialized Medical or Pharmacology Training

Doctor of Nutrition or Naturopathy

Emergency Medical Training

Gunsmithing / Marksmanship, Archery or Drone Navigation

Homesteading

Hostage Negotiation

Hunting, Fishing or Gardening

Light Photonics

Logic and Reasoning

Machine Learning and Synthetic Intelligence Interaction Protocols

Maglev System Construction and Maintenance and Vehicle Maintenance

Meditation / Contemplation / Devotional Arts

Memetic Warfare

Mesh Networking and Field Maintenance

Musical Arts: Instruments, Audio Engineering, Soundscape Creation

Non-Combative Defensive Skills

Permaculture

Philosophical Discourse, Principles and Arguments

Physical Conditioning

Robotics

Western and Eastern Civilizations, Military, War and Political History

Wilderness Survival Training and Heartiness

.....

Broadly, it is recommended that each Citadel self organizes with suggested designated Specialists, Generalists and Trainers in the following professional arts:

*Covert and Cryptographic

*Defense

*Science and Environment

*Biological

*Engineering

*Physical

*Permaculture

*Music and Creative

*Space and Navigation

Skill development, levels and maintenance of these will be recorded and administered by a newly established Academic Cannon.

.....

[autobot] zero verified signatures for criteria 'masked' and four for 'R. Kiwasaki'

[Jaco] Locate Emergency Councils, relevant to Citadels 22, 26, 28 and 29. Read from the beginning entry, full.

[autobot] Located 8 records, reading first record.

.....

Emergency Council

November 5, 2248

block 12,647,589

[Rep. Thomas] Conflict on Citadel 22 worsens.

[Councilor Vega] What is your request?

[Rep. Thomas] Repeal your decision to construct the new ParaBeam port.

[Councilor Strong] The vote carried majority.

[Rep. Castillo] Few in our world use ParaBeam, we are fine with our hyperlights.

[Rep. Thomas] Beyond the cities, our world is largely agrarian. We have little use for high-time preference toys.

[Rep. Castillo] Nothing can threaten our vines or wheat fields, it's our primary currency in the Republic. The additional power required will draw too much from our solar arrays. 

[Rep. Thomas] We will not take the chance of disrupting power to our nodes. If we lose even ten days of natural sun, we will not have enough power for our artificial light systems. Future wine and whiskey vintages will be harmed. 

[Councilor Strong] A port will give you better shipping options.

[Rep. Thomas] No one will buy pale vinegar at the price of fine Varushkan wine.

[Councilor Vega] Leave it with us. We will get back to you in 3 days.

.....

[Vega] There has not been this level of internal conflict since the colonies formed.

[Strong] They must compromise to better their shipping position. Not only their world is affected. Citadels 24, 25, 28 and 29 were clear.

[Vega] It is their world, we cannot ask them to sacrifice for the greater good. The Founders warned us of the evils of collectivism and compromise.

[Strong] Would Citadel 29 pay the extra cost if it were closer to their world?

[Vega] The electric storm affected their nodes. They are still recovering.

[Strong] Would Citadels 24 or 28 loan funds?

[Vega] Citadel 28 is specific in their Charter, they will not loan funds unless there is a catastrophic event. Citadel 24 will not loan on principle.

[Strong] Well, I think the storm disrupting their nodes would be considered catastrophic.

[Vega] We can ask. Citadel 28's Charter is clear about Absolute Sovereignty. Perhaps they will understand.

.....

Citadel 28, Farago City

[Chet] Vega reached out. She asked if we would loan Citadel 29 funds for a ParaBeam port.

[Zack] If a Citadel is not fiscally responsible or prepared for disaster scenarios they should lose their Charter and become part of the Republic. Why would they want one all the way out there anyway?

[Chet] The farmers on Citadel 22 don't want it.

[Zack] This is not our problem.

[Chet] The farmers are worried about splitting power between their nodes, artificial light environments and new power requirements for the port.

[Zack] This is still not our problem.

[Chet] How much was the last case of '28 you bought?

[Zack] 0.00211 bitcoin, why?

[Chet] What if another case costs more?

[Zack] If I'm in the black, I'm buying. I don't care. What's your point?

[Chet] What if it cost the same but the quality was more like a '23?

[Zack] How much does Citadel 29 want?

.....

Citadel 29, Elm City

[Diego] Citadel 28 is willing to loan funds.

[Margarete] We lost half a year's profits, one hundred twelve of our nodes are fried and the port will take valuable resources. It's too risky.

[Diego] They've given us incredibly favorable terms. Once all our nodes are working they will give us 5 years to pay it back and will charge us only 1 bitcoin.

[Margarete] I don't trust them. What else do they want?

[Diego] Once construction is complete, 5 additional beams per week for three years and priority admission to Sevance.

[Margarete] Fine. Take it. Let their vices be our good fortune.

.....

Emergency Council, Response

November 8, 2248

block 12,648,021

[Councilor Vega] Citadel 29 will bear the cost for a port to be built on their world.

[Councilor Strong] It did not sit right asking you to infringe on your sovereignty.

[Councilor Vega] How are the crops looking this year?

[Rep. Thomas] Good. We lost 2 days of sun but had a spring freeze.

[Councilor Strong] Ohh, potential for good ice wine?

[Rep. Castillo] Yes. We will be sure to send you a case on the house.

[Councilor Vega] Thank you but that is not necessary.

[Rep. Thomas] We will also send the Varushkan red you like.

[Councilor Vega] We will send 2 mini-forms to repair the structures in Silverlight and Saris. Were any of the farms damaged?

[Rep. Castillo] No, just a few structures in the cities.

[Councilor Strong] We will transmit our decision now and record it in the next block.

.....

[Jaco] (places call to Sera)

[Sera] What did you find?

[Jaco] No mention of Eve.

[Sera] Nothing?

[Jaco] Nothing. 

[Sera] And Robert?

[Jaco] He was present at the Founders Councils, blocks 1,506,021, 12,647,589 and 12,648,021. No additional members or guests with her signature, all private identity verifications check out.

[Sera] Damn. I was certain. Were any deleted records, anomalies, or micro-payments detected?

[Jaco] Two deleted records but neither were a match.

[Sera] Why did he spend so much time accessing her feeds? There's no record they ever met.

[Jaco] Robert always had a reputation for his appetite. She was very beautiful.

[Sera] Maybe he deleted a record or two, but there would be a trace. There's nothing. It doesn't make sense.

[Jaco] I'll keep looking. If there's something I'll find it.

[end transmission]

.....