Alliances, Contracts, and Trade Agreements:

  Carbon, Data, Energy, People, and Rare Elements

  With the distances involved, it just isn't practical to trade most manufactured goods," says Eire. "Instead, manufacturing is classified as a service, exactly like what we do. Go to a location and make exactly what they ask for in exchange for raw resources. Usually, capital goods are used to expand their own capacity, and then move on. Manufactured goods are treated a bit like a currency, rather than a trade good, as it is the primary way in which most worlds pay their tithes."

  Brigid sips on her drink, then says, "Why carbon and not something vital, like water for reaction mass and its many other uses?"

  "That's to do with tithes," says Eire. "It is a complex and contradictory issue, one driven by the classification of worlds. For example, a Hive world will be required to produce manufactured goods and people for their tithe. Because the tithes are so heavy due to corruption, errors, accidents, piracy, and other inefficiencies, many worlds have little spare capacity to focus on anything other than what is demanded of them. Investment is rare, and much wealth is squandered.

  "Some worlds even have high tithes that are well beyond what is practical to pay because of whom they sided with during the Horus Heresy, or other rebellions. Tithes are as much a method of control as they are a way to distribute resources around the Imperium."

  "For a Hive world, this means that most of their carbon goes towards plasteel, fuels, plastics, and other goods. They don't always have enough carbon left to grow the food their population needs. You'd think they'd use the plasteel to build new mining barges and gather the required resources, but not all systems have gas giants, or the remaining resources orbiting their star would cost more to gather than they'd gain. Instead, they must trade what they make with agri worlds, or hope that an agri world tithe will be assigned to them by a vigilant and proactive high administrator."

  Brigid frowns, "So, because of the tithes, their manufacturing is stagnant? They cannot expand or easily replace what is lost? That would mean all worlds rot over time, no matter what they do."

  Eire sighs, "Yes, that's correct. It is why Rogue Traders and the Quest for Knowledge are so important. They bring new wealth and lost knowledge to the Imperium, which it can then use to restore itself. Rogue Traders don't pay tithes or tariffs, as that's like syphoning fuel from your generatorium to sell and use the bytes to pay for your energy ration. Most worlds still have to pay tithes, though. It's also another reason why manufacturing is considered a service; factory ships can go from world to world, injecting capital into stagnant economies."

  (c0150)

  The Harlequins will depart without further violence to you and yours. No Harlequin will obstruct the Stellar Fleet and Stellar Corps for a century, and we will strongly discourage other Aeldari from doing the same, so long as you are not the one who is picking a fight. We will also aid you one time, in battle only, against a foe you cannot defeat alone. Time Frame: 857-957.M41 Marwolv Date (c0160)

  Our arrival at Lickspittle is met with much joy and relief. The mining barges are exchanged for two megatonnes of rare ores, including adamantium, putting a big smile on Eire's face.

  The station's residents are less happy when we deploy an entire Void Assault regiment to comb through the whole station looking for more Simulacra. The locals quickly change their minds when we uncover a whole nest of the beasts and incinerate them. We also executed nine miners and an overseer who had also been replaced after checking every individual on the station.

  To take the sting out of the operation, we replace their soylent viridans manufacturing with a newer, more abundant and efficient system, as well as some aquaponics. We also give them a portion of the equipment for scanning for Simulacra so they can test the crews of their old mining barges when they return. This secures a promise of further trade from Lickspittle, who agrees to set aside their most valuable minerals for collection and payment in secret at a much later date.

  We also provide a single luxury meal for everyone aboard the void station. They have only about 5,000 people, so it is a tiny expense for me, but for most people on board, this is likely the only time they will taste real meat, beer, and fresh vegetables in their whole lives. It does much to wipe away any discontent at having their lives disrupted by our strict and harsh searches and gives the Stellar Fleet a good name.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Over a hundred people try to stow away on our shuttles, but they are all caught, and there is a minor riot when we leave them behind. This ends with twenty-seven executions by the station's authorities, and is a horrible end to my attempt at generosity, one that really rams home how alien the Imperium is compared to the Stellar Fleet. (c0151)

  The Stellar Fleet Bytes currency is a temporary script, available for five years. It is a Ration Credit used to ensure the efficient distribution of resources across all populations under Aldrich's control. Each Byte represents a simple unit of energy, the kilowatt-hour. Making it easy to understand exactly what everything is worth, from the labour of machines to every breath of air taken. Anyone can look at any process and appreciate its value. It facilitates internal and external exchanges. The main reason it is a temporary currency boils down to stability, security, control, and consistency. Bytes are not a traditional currency, as even a small amount of inflation or deflation is undesirable. The currency deletion is a method of controlling inflation. In practice, due to the monopoly on power production, deleting bytes is mostly unnecessary. Bytes expire when people pay for the power that they use, allowing a near-perfect control of the currency in circulation. The primary goal is for people to spend their money on their own education and implants.

  If one knows their money will become worthless, they will spend it all and invest in tangible goods that maintain and build their wealth. The policy has the added benefit of circulating the economy as fast as possible, preventing stagnation. Even now, the internal economy remains small, so if people don't spend, the currency's temporary nature prevents rapid stagnation of wealth. Leaders making arbitrary changes is an undesirable outcome for all, especially as no one likes it when their governing body interferes with their livelihood. A small mistake by foolish leaders, combined with the people's efforts and savings, could render them worthless overnight.

  While one could waste their bytes on luxury food, sex, and entertainment, and many do, the only way to build personal wealth in an area with limited space and private industry is to invest in oneself, personal security, or research. These are areas the Stellar Fleet prioritises to improve productivity, high-tech production capacity, and its security over time. Rather than making a bunch of regulations that few would want to follow, which would erode authority over time, we have a much higher percentage of Magi than most Mechanicus enclaves and worlds. Based on the historical data we have, only Mars may be superior.

  A shared currency ties people together. They can't spend their money anywhere else. While this had little relevance at first, as our holdings and the fleet grow, it has become increasingly important. It doesn't stop people from converting money into goods, but that's something I actually want. Similar to the Stellar Requisition Credits we introduced for large purchases, this allows our currency to enter the Koronus Expanse, where others can then spend it with us. Bytes do not change in value, regardless of distance, time, or location. In a galaxy where uncaring gods control these variables, bytes are a massive stabilising influence.

  That most Imperial currencies use precious metals, or fiat currencies backed by the tithe, like Throne Gelts, is archaic and ridiculous. The only one that makes any sense to me is the exchange of favours among the nobility, but that's no good for buying one's daily bread.

  Essentially, it's really a hydrogen standard. Using metallic hydrogen pellets or atomic metals as coins would be pretty silly, and using energy as a universal currency is convenient in any system. Saying that it is easier to transport between stellar systems, though, is foolish. If one must go through the Warp to transport something, it is equally challenging, regardless of its container or state of matter.

  "Calling a ration credit a byte is hilarious, especially when your account balance is stored digitally." - Aldrich Isengund

  (Stellar Fleet Bytes is the currency for all areas controlled by Aldrich Isengund, not just on void ships.)

  (c0175 and c0176)

  The Stellar Fleet Requisition Credit, "SR" or "SRC" for short, is an official External Currency that does not expire as authorised by the Custodes of the Emperor.

  One SRC is equal to one Sword-Class Frigate, one of the most common and standardised vessels in the Imperium. While it does include my high build quality, it does not include the many rare extras, like Castalan Shields, or Federation-grade Jovian-Class engines, just the standard imperial designs. As such, any Sword-Frigate or other vessels I create are always going to be more expensive because neither the Space Marines nor I consider 'average' an acceptable option.

  Only the party who earned the SRC can cash it in, though the client can tell us to give the goods to a different party if they wish. An SRC is not divisible into smaller units than one when completing a trade, but the party can exchange any excess for bytes. The SRC byte value fluctuates depending on the current cost for the Stellar Fleet to build a Sword-Class Frigate. One can't exchange bytes for an SRC either, so if they don't spend them immediately, the buyer would be on a 5-year time limit.

  (c0150)

  Source Chapter: “(c9999)”

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  Thank you,

  Brian