Janus-Hermod Treaty

The Janus-Hermod Treaty is the legal / diplomatic framework which establishes the use of the Hermod Gate Network and provisions for each member government to control their own gate network and maintain compatibility with the rest of the network. The most basic premise of the treaty is that the free trade and transport of individuals, goods, and services across the gate network is for the benefit of all races.

Gate Locations

The consortium places gates on high traffic and worlds which do not have ready access to warp travel. Primarily for planetary transit the gates reduce the general interstellar traffic significantly, thus reducing the need for resource-intensive Antimatter production. Generally a star system gets one or two gates at most, though most often a single gate is used for an entire system. Interplanetary travel does not require warp drive and thus the existence of a single gate in a star system is able to reduce resource costs on travel considerably. Multiple gates in a star system are entirely possible, though there is concern for running out of potential address space. Since 6 cardinal gates are require for a relative gate address, having multiple gate locations within a single system is not efficient.

Supergates are not generally available, though the consortium will allow a political power to construct 1 or 2 within their territories, they must get special permission to do so.

Shared Use

The primary provision of the treaty is that signatories recognize a legal framework within their own boarders which allows the gate network to be used and provides for security of that network. Under the treaty a signatory must ensure that the gate network is not damaged and gates are not destroyed or illegally experimented with. In return for this principle each signatory allows for the shared protection of the gate and the sovereignty of each signatory to manage their own network as they see fit. In this way the treaty ensures a shared autonomy.

Management

Under the terms of the treaty the Hermod Consortium is established and composed of elected officials from each of the signatories. The Consortium operates as an international body which manages the overall health and usability of the gate network. Acting as a political authority the Consortium does not have the ability to meddle in the internal affairs of a government but does have authority to manage the installation and construction of new gates. Any new gate being constructed, installed, or moved must be approved by the Consortium to ensure the entire network is able to operate smoothly. If a gate or series of gates within the boarders of a consortium are somehow causing problems in the rest of the network, the Consortium has the authority to blacklist those gates and disconnect them from the network.

Preventing Abuse

The gate software itself makes all attempts to prevent abuse of the gate system. Anomalous behavior, such as using a gate to transmit directed energy weapons, explosives, projectile weapons, and any other hazardous material should be caught by the gate software and blocked. The Hermod Consortium is tasked with providing investigative personnel to ensure the gate network is not abused, though local governments are responsible for monitoring and maintaining operational security at gate locations. Usage of gates as a weapons platform is strictly prohibited. The consortium has set up "safe gates" in regions of deep space far from inhabited worlds which are used to divert blocked wormhole traffic to if the gate software detects it is being used as a weapons platform. In such cases the wormhole is automatically redirected to these "safe gates" where, in theory, no one will be harmed.

Other prohibited acts include; using the a gate for time travel, using a gate to block travel to/from another gate in the network outside of ones political authority, using one gate to destroy another gate, and any other hazardous gate activity. Governments wishing to use the gates experimentally must have their experiments approved by the consortium to ensure they will not prove potentially harmful to other gates in the network.

Use of military personnel is not prohibited by the gate work, though the local government must authorize and take responsibility for such travel. In addition the carrying of weapons through the gate is not prohibited by the treaty. Local governments have the responsibility of ensuring that gates are not used to stage a coup, deploy military forces for offensive purposes, or commit illegal acts under local / interstellar law. Governments may use the gates in military action within their own boarders, though may not deploy military assets through the gates without local government permission outside their boarders. The consortium generally takes a hands-off approach in order to not get embroiled in political disputes, but will take action on such allegations if requested. This is another reason transfer points are preferred at boarder crossings to allow governments to maintain boarder security.

Boarders & Transfer Points

While direct dialing any gate on the network is possible, without special credentials the Hermod network will not permit the direct dialing from one government's gate network to another government's gate network. Transfer stations or hubs are set up a political boarders that allow for each government to allow for customs, immigration, and general boarder control. On a basic level the transfer stations simply have a gate on each side of the boarder. One can arrive via a gate from one government and petition to enter the gate on the other side of the boarder according to the laws of the other government. The treaty provides for exactly where the boarder of each signatory begins and ends as well as a central space which falls under interstellar law to act as a buffer. These areas are demilitarized by their very nature and help to ensure conflicts between the government representatives on each side have much lower chance of occurring.

Blocking Travel

Governments wishing to block travel from an individual, group of individuals, or even an entire government need not seek approval from the Consortium to do so. Understand that, no government is permitted to illegally hold or detain a person attempting to leave their territory through the gates, so long as they have a valid and verified passport permitting travel. Any person who wishes to return to their home government and has valid / verified documentation (usually by means of an appropriate passport) is permitted to do so unless the government said person is leaving has established the legal right to detain said person. The primary means of identifying personnel as prohibited to leave is when the government in question has a valid and legal arrest warrant. This is subject to the laws of the country the individual is in when they are detained.

Anyone may be detained to verify their legal identity and government affiliation but may not be blocked from returning home unless there is a valid arrest warrant or other legal document (such as order from a judge, magistrate, or other official) stating the person is to be held. In such cases, the government claiming the right to detain said person must prove their right to do so under the treaty. The person in question must be held by a neutral 3rd party while any dispute is settled. Governments may also choose to provide permission for an individual to be detained by a foreign government, which is entirely up to the legal framework any signatory government has for doing so within their own boarders. The treaty simply assures that due process is ensured for anyone attempting to return home or to a friendly government.

A persons home government (the government which has provided their passport and claims the individual as a citizen) has the right to demand a person traveling must be detained by a foreign government until officials can retrieve their citizen. In addition to this, those with multiple citizenships may request a hearing to determine which "home" government is to retain their rights to detain a citizen. In such cases, the governments in conflict are encouraged to resolve the issue amongst themselves, though the Consortium can be called upon to provide a formal hearing.

Inter-Reality Travel

The treaty provides for governments to be able to use the gates to travel between realities. So long as no government attempts to initiate hostilities or claim space already claimed under treaties, laws, or otherwise by governments native to those realities, governments are permitted to use the gates to explore and travel to other realities. Treaties and other agreements with governments in other realities also require the Consortium to sign off on such a treaty for it to be recognized and valid. Exploration and scientific missions are permitted so long as they are done so with the permission of whomever controls the space for which the wormhole connects.

Under the terms of the treaty all signatories are bound to respect the laws and customs of realities they travel to, even if they disagree with those laws.

Penalties for Violation

Signatories who pull out of or otherwise violate the treaty can have their gate networks severed from the rest of the network. Gates within the network will continue to operate in most cases. If the non-aggression provisions of Inter-Reality Travel are violated, the gates themselves can be deactivated by the Consortium and have their ability to travel between realities blocked. Under the most extreme conditions, violators of the treaty can face retribution from governments represented by the Consortium. Such retribution can be political, economic, or even military if the Consortium approves such actions.