Hi Alex. >> ObTrav: Hadn't thought about this before, but either the Imperium is trampling over "local jurisdiction" like an over-enthusiastic European Union bureaucrat when it comes to establishing identity or it is a mess trying to do anything "official" -- operate an air/raft, purchase a starship, claim an inheritance, pay your "air tax" -- on one planet when you're a resident/citizen of a different planet. >> >> How does the police officer on Regina know your air/raft operator's permit from Rhylanor -- or, heaven forbid, from Dingir in the Solomani Rim -- is valid? Sure, perhaps they can match the DNA sample they take from you with that provided on your Dingir permit but how do they know the Dingir permit itself is valid? >> >> Either that Dinger permit includes security features which align with a standard developed and maintained by the Imperium -- or by an Imperium-wide non-governmental entity like the Travellers' Aid Society -- or you can't (legally) operate an air/raft on Regina without first passing an operator's test in the simulator -- and paying a fee -- and being issued a Regina operator's permit. . . . > > Does "different planet" track differently when the other rock is at intrastellar, vs interstellar, distance? If by "intrastellar" you mean within the same solar system (I'd call that "interplanetary"), sure, especially if the "mainworld" holds jurisdiction over other bodies in the system. > Isn't there precedent for "standard developed and maintained by the Third Imperium" with starship transponders? Well, "space" -- both interstellar and interplanetary -- mostly seems to be within the jurisdiction of the Imperium. There will obviously have to be Imperial standards and practices for activities which happen (mostly) in that domain. Besides starship transponders, Imperial credits come immediately to mind here. Obviously, there is some process in place -- perhaps it's run by an Imperial body, perhaps it's run by a consortium of megacorps and banks -- that ensures the credits you earned on Rhylanor -- or Dingir -- will be accepted without question on Regina. But once you step across the starport extrality "line" (thinking about it now, this must actually be some sort of three-dimensional "space" that also stretches into the airspace -- and perhaps orbit -- above the 'port) you're no longer (solely) within Imperial jurisdiction. You may, for example, be allowed -- or perhaps even required -- to shut off your ship's transponder while transiting through a given planet's atmosphere. . . . > Given comm lags, I can see the 3I either having such local permits (such as air/raft operator) only recognised as valid within some distance of the issuing system (eg a full sector), and/or relying on an aforementioned standard. Oh, I understand the practical benefit here but it runs up against the premise of "local control" once you've crossed the extrality line. Some worlds will welcome this sort of "off-world standardization" -- which leads me to believe a non-governmental entity like the TAS is more likely to provide such a service -- but others will resist it mightily. Law level particularly doesn't help to guide us in sorting out which planets might be more amenable to these sorts of services because it doesn't really grapple with relations vis-à-vis the Imperium. I seem to remember a bit about how the local culture interacts with off-worlders in DGP's "world building" materials; that's the sort of guideline we'd need to heap us here. > In that example, the Dingir air/raft ticket would _not_ be recognised as valid on Rhylanor, as it's over a full sector (ie, 40 pc) from Rhylanor. > > Passports and merchant spacer credentials would probably be recognised at least Imperium-wide, or harmonised with its immediate neighbours. Well, maybe. I suppose there could be sub-Imperial efforts in this regard, perhaps at the Domain, Sector and/or Subsector level. So, it may be more likely that your Rhylanor credential is recognized on Regina than a credential from Deneb or Dingir, but we don't have much insight into this. For example, I don't remember Akidda Laagiir and his travelling companions running into this sort of thing in any domain of officialdom as they made their way from Aramis to Capital. . . . > How does an international driving permit compare? It's mostly just a certified translation of your out-of-jurisdiction driver's licence, not something which "vouches for" the legitimacy of that licence. Helps local law enforcement at roadside understand that you have an out-of-jurisdiction licence -- other than simply something with your photo and a bunch of text they can't read -- if you're allowed to drive in the local jurisdiction while using an out-of-jurisdiction licence. Happy Travelling, David -- "Let's see yours. Draw -- soul! Inspection -- soul!" - Foxx Travis (H. Beam Piper), "Oomphel in the Sky"
