[Meta][RFC] Fen-Dane Relations

[robkelk]

I promised over in the "Spot Cleaning" thread to write an article about Convention-Danelaw official relations. This is not that article... yet. It is, however, a collection of notes for that article.

Comments and suggestions are not only welcome, they're encouraged.

---

[size=larger]Fen-Dane Relations[/size]

draft 0.02alpha - lines marked "**WHITENOISE**" need content - should any other nations be listed?

Earthbound nations tend to treat the Convention as a monolithic entity; there are very few cases where someone's faction makes a difference how he's treated by any given 'Danelaw nation.

The Americas

The United States of America: Neutral, mixed - Official policy is to assist Fen of US descent who want to return home, unless they're biomodded. TSAB buys handwaved equipment; no other government agency is allowed to use handwavium. (NASA space operations sold to Artemis Foundation because of this.) US Navy claims it isn't a government "agency" and has at least one 'waved submarine and a base in the Main Belt. Biomods officially frowned upon, usually held in "protective custody". Unofficial reactions range from "sometimes useful, I guess" to "lock 'em all up in Gitmo".

Canada: Neutral-to-friendly - Would be "friendly", but don't want to piss off the USA. Handwavium controlled but not illegal; 'waved devices licenced much like automobiles are. AIs distrusted but not shunned (better off than Native Canadians, but not by much). Unofficially, treated like any other tourist or ex-pat.

Mexico: **WHITENOISE**

Columbia: Neutral - Assists with anti-drug-cartel operations and expects the same assistance in return, wants Gervasio Faustino de Leon extradited if he's ever arrested, otherwise ignores Fenspace.

Brazil: **WHITENOISE**

Chile: Neutral - Has a treaty with the Convention that allows emergency landings on Easter Island, otherwise ignores Fenspace.

Europe

The United Kingdom: **WHITENOISE** (note: BBIs have an office in London)

France: Neutral - Would have been "friendly," but The Professor is a Fan. Anything that even seems like Mad Science is monitored very closely

Denmark: Friendly - They actually like The Professor.

Ireland: **WHITENOISE** (the Irish members of the Collective should have the most input here)

The Middle East

OPEC nations: **WHITENOISE** (mention uneasy "truce" between OPEC and Stellvia Oil)

Israel: **WHITENOISE** (the content here depends heavily on the content of the line immediately above)

Asia

Russia: **WHITENOISE**

Kazakhstan: Friendly - Love the VVS. Allow Fen to use Baikonur Spaceport at reasonable rates.

Japan: Neutral-to-friendly - Treat the Convention much like any other nation that isn't Japan. Unofficially, JAXA and "Fen-spasu" otaku like the Fen while conservative parents forbid Interwave access to their children.

China: Very Hostile - Handwavium devices, AI, and biomods are classed "seize on sight". Interwave blocked. Broadcasts from Babylon .5 jammed.

India: **WHITENOISE** (coordinate with Seraviel to make sure we don't step on his toes with regard to Spot Cleaning)

Indonesia: Neutral-to-friendly. Watches Ganymede to make sure the Indonesian ex-pats there are not mistreated.

Oceania

Australia: Very friendly - Puts no additional requirements on Fen flights into or out of Oz, actively cooperates with the Big Six factions, the VVS, the Roughriders, and StellviaCorp in areas of mutual concern.

New Zealand: Friendly - Likes the VVS, officially likes StellviaCorp (but some mandarins in the bureaucracy hold a grudge).

The Solomon Islands: Friendly - SSA works with Fen space-lift companies rather than working with the ESA.

Africa

Nigeria: Hostile - Never forgot or forgave The Island "land theft". Nigerians in Fenspace are on their own.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Foxboy]

United States: Some prominent BNFs are officially on anti-terror watch lists due to overzealous investigators or blatantly amoral politicians trying to be seen "doing something about the Fen." Subsequently, they have difficulty getting OFF the lists when the political climate stabilizes after Rudy's term.

Known characters on the "terror lists:"

Vulpine Fury

Most of the crew of the Gnarlycurl Wave Convoy, Shuko, Lechevalier, etc.

The Professor

Tellingly, the Junior Senator from New Hampshire got his office by ramping up anti-Wave hysteria and, not incidentally, setting up Vulpine Fury by indirectly providing Eljay with his "seed strain" so he'd have a "Media Devil" to trot out and raise fear.

Mexico:

Hoo boy, what a kettle that one is. The time frames we're looking at have, in our timeline, Narcotraficantes assassinating competent cops, DAs, etc., pretty much at will. So, officially? The Mexican government toes the N. Am. party line about handwavium to keep their relationship civil enough to get US aid against the organized crooks. What local Policia do OTOH....
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[M Fnord]

An argument could be made that the Professor really should be on a terrorist watch list.

Um, general thoughts...

OPEC Nations: Variable, depending on the member's government. The Libyan government has the most favorable view of fen, thanks to assistance the Benghazi transitional council received during the 2011 civil war(1). Venezuela has a complicated relationship with the VVS, and the other nations are generally too busy with their own problems to worry about Fenspace. Once Stellvia becomes a full state, the members will put what diplomatic pressure on them they can, in order to present a united front to the world's oil consumers.

(1) An idea Dartz was kicking around in IRC, all credit goes to him.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Black Aeronaut]

Hrm. Thoughts on Fen goodwill forces helping to stabilize other governments, such as Egypt and Syria?

[M Fnord]

From what I remember of the IRC conversation (have logs, but it's late) the idea was to provide communications and intelligence support to various protest/rebel groups, kinda like what Anonymous (claims they) did during the Egyptian protests. Anything more strike me as "Fen save the poor oppressed peoples yay!" which feels insulting to the real people doing this stuff while we're bullshitting on the internet, y'know?
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[HRogge]

About Syria/Lybia/...:
I think the Fen support actions will be limited between "we have to do something for them" and "hey, there are NATO combat jets bombing lots of things down there".

So providing communication and orbital recon can be really useful while staying out of the direct conflict. The people down there are working themselves to get rid of their oppressive governments, the Fen can only offer a little bit help.

I think the final state of this area should not be fixed until the whole thing is over in the real world.

About Europe
We might mention that the contacts of Europe with Fen are good enough that ESA can easily hire Fen to handle their surface to orbit transfers to Nouveau Paris.

About US
I agree about the US... they are not openly hostile, but they are paranoid and have some very strict anti-Handwavium laws... which will make working with them and their companies at least difficult for Fen.

[Black Aeronaut]

From what I remember of the IRC conversation (have logs, but it's late) the idea was to provide communications and intelligence support to various protest/rebel groups, kinda like what Anonymous (claims they) did during the Egyptian protests. Anything more strike me as "Fen save the poor oppressed peoples yay!" which feels insulting to the real people doing this stuff while we're bullshitting on the internet, y'know?

How about teaching them useful little things like small squad tactics and how to properly use anti-tank rockets?  One of their problems, from what I saw on the TV, is that they'll fire off rockets at the sound of gun or tank fire without even having a visual fix to go by.
Besides, if you give them the data, most of them probably wouldn't know what to do with it.  It's either teach them or have someone on the ground to say "SHOOT THAT WAY!"

[Cobalt Greywalker]

The United Kingdom: Neutral-to-Friendly, mixed - While Handwavium is restricted much like in the US to government control, it is possible to get licenses to use it/transport it/own handwaved equipment. The BBI office in London helps out with such things (A.C. has to have one covering all three to even enter the country, given what she's made of). Several conservatives (not the political party) in Parliament want to restrict handwavium further but there is enough trade to make it uneconomic to do so, plus there are several military projects going on using the stuff.

[LynnInDenver]

I read 'uneconomic' to be 'politically inconvenient'.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[robkelk]

From what I remember of the IRC conversation (have logs, but it's late) the idea was to provide communications and intelligence support to various protest/rebel groups, kinda like what Anonymous (claims they) did during the Egyptian protests. Anything more strike me as "Fen save the poor oppressed peoples yay!" which feels insulting to the real people doing this stuff while we're bullshitting on the internet, y'know?

How about teaching them useful little things like small squad tactics and how to properly use anti-tank rockets?  One of their problems, from what I saw on the TV, is that they'll fire off rockets at the sound of gun or tank fire without even having a visual fix to go by.
Besides, if you give them the data, most of them probably wouldn't know what to do with it.  It's either teach them or have someone on the ground to say "SHOOT THAT WAY!"

So... Hacker Underspace provided intel, Roughriders provided cadre (and only cadre), and everyone else stayed out of the fracas?
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

OPEC Nations: ... Once Stellvia becomes a full state, the members will put what diplomatic pressure on them they can, in order to present a united front to the world's oil consumers.

Which will work about as well as the pressure they put on Canada...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[HRogge]

OPEC Nations: ... Once Stellvia becomes a full state, the members will put what diplomatic pressure on them they can, in order to present a united front to the world's oil consumers.

Which will work about as well as the pressure they put on Canada...

They will try anyways... *G*

[Dartz]

About the Libyan thing....

I just had a mental picture of the SS Ciara parking herself in orbit above Libya, first chartered by some people who want a radio station somewhere where it can't be shut down and jammed.... and steadily expanding to include some form of downlink, and maybe observing the movement of Gaddafi's armies and relaying that somehow.... probably over the open airwaves or on Google maps. The Stellvians might know it's them doing it... they've been ordering diesel and radio and interwave equipment, but otherwise they're doing it on the quiet in case someone takes exception to them siding with the rebels. Or in case they've been duped by someone more sinister...

The only thing the world might know about them is a hazy telescope camera image of a grey ship-shaped thing, and someone with a strong accent explaining to a Sky News on the phone that "Well, we thought it was the right thing to do."

Getting information in and out, recording army movements and generally just observing.

-----

The Irish Government's attitude to Fenspace is best described as changing and changeable. (I wrote out a tonne more incase it ever became necessary for that old story thread, but never mind)

The failing Fianna Fáil/Green Party coalition first sought to use handwavium as a political hot potato, enacting some pretty tough laws to divert attention from other more pressing issues. Handwavium possession was classed as a scheduled offence. Had Ciara's crew been arrested, it's likely they would've have been tried using organised crime laws in the Special Criminal court, and imprisoned in Portlaoise. The launch of the Ciara, and some of Jet Jaguar's filmed overflights embarrassed the government. Jet's escape made a mockery of an airforce still using turboprops as front-line fighters.

Although a new government was elected in 2011, it wasn't until after the Boskone war that attitudes began to shift. President David Norris is notably pro-Fen. The president intends to visit Fenspace, but has yet to receive permission from the government to do so. The Government has taken a more pragmatic approach, repealing many of the stricter laws to facilitiate the housing and land sales in 2014. As part of the negotiations, a blanket pardon was enacted by the President forgiving most handwavium-related crimes. Others are still technically wanted fugitives for supposedly unrelated reasons. (Eg. Jet Jaguar had built a railgun in his shed, which was technically classed as an illegal firearm due to the vagaries of the law.[1]) The Government shows little interest in pursuing them.

Handwavium Law enforcement is handled by the Garda Unit for the Bizarre and Unprecedented. The Irish Government is attempting to market itself as a gateway to the European economy, and has noticeably relaxed handwavium import restrictions do to so. Corporate taxes are also kept low, to entice Fen into establishing a presence on Irish soil. The Government is attempting to emulate Australia in it's own unique way.

Owning handwavium requires the completion of a mandatory recognised safety course and a Garda-issued permit. Spacecraft and vehicle must maintain proper registration documents subject to inspection and in theory, pilots overflying Ireland would require a legally recognised license. Nobody bothers to check. Many choose to just use ocean-landing craft and dock at seaports.


1) This is actually true. Until recently, if it fired anything at all it was classed as a firearm and technically required a license. Including those piddly little sucker-gun things and spug-guns. Airsoft used to be illegal. A recent change in the law permits a maximum muzzle energy of 1 Joule for a projectile before it's legally classed as a firearm. Technically, owning an 'unlicensed firearm' is a potential 10-year prison sentence, regardless as to whether that's a machine gun, or a cheap Chinese AEG shooting at 2J rather than 1.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[LynnInDenver]

Owning handwavium requires the completion of a mandatory recognised safety course and a Garda-issued permit. Spacecraft and vehicle must maintain proper registration documents subject to inspection and in theory, pilots overflying Ireland would require a legally recognised license. Nobody bothers to check. Many choose to just use ocean-landing craft and dock at seaports.

Myk-El Miller, being one of the better known people doing Handwavium handling training, has taken the effort to be one of the "recognised safety trainers", partly for his business as a trainer, but also so that Jupiter Mining Corporation can be completely covered through his regular safety training for their personnel.
Jupiter Mining Corporation does maintain scrupulous registration and safety inspection documentation for any country that sets that up, assuming it's not an obscenely high hurdle to jump over. The Blue Midgets can be used as 'wet navy' style delivery craft in a pinch, but it's definitely not preferred, especially for larger cargo.
In Britain, JMC tends to liase with the Blue Blazers contingent if there's any sort of trouble, although this tends to be because someone outside the JMC has caused an issue. The only real contention has been with the BBC, and that's only because of the Red Dwarf copyright issues. That was smoothed over by cutting a deal to provide transport for some shows 'pro bono', the first being the somewhat amusing, and controversial in some parts of the world, Special Fenspace Episode of Top Gear.
JMC treads very carefully in the United States, following as many ordinances and laws as they can, unless they're completely out there. There are a couple of states they won't land any ships in, just because they have a couple of completely outlandish - and likely completely unenforceable - laws on the books regarding handwavium exposure.
--

"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor

[robkelk]

That might be a bit too faction-specific for this article, JFerio... but it's excellent content for the JMC article that already exists.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Black Aeronaut]

From what I remember of the IRC conversation (have logs, but it's late) the idea was to provide communications and intelligence support to various protest/rebel groups, kinda like what Anonymous (claims they) did during the Egyptian protests. Anything more strike me as "Fen save the poor oppressed peoples yay!" which feels insulting to the real people doing this stuff while we're bullshitting on the internet, y'know?

How about teaching them useful little things like small squad tactics and how to properly use anti-tank rockets?  One of their problems, from what I saw on the TV, is that they'll fire off rockets at the sound of gun or tank fire without even having a visual fix to go by.
Besides, if you give them the data, most of them probably wouldn't know what to do with it.  It's either teach them or have someone on the ground to say "SHOOT THAT WAY!"

So... Hacker Underspace provided intel, Roughriders provided cadre (and only cadre), and everyone else stayed out of the fracas?

*Double checks the definition of cadre*  Yep, that works.  Although I wonder if anyone would be opposed to the idea of setting up MASH units for the rebels.
Wait... What year was SOS-Con again?  2012?  Yeah, Roughriders don't exist yet.

[Dartz]

Did Roughriders exist in Fenspace' 2011? Or do we want to move this to Present Day of Fenspace?

I think part of the original log was that the involvement of Fenspace would have to be kept anonymous, it can't be known who's involved.

EDIT: I didn't mean to squish like that. There's got to be some way to do things.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[robkelk]

*Double checks the definition of cadre*  Yep, that works.  Although I wonder if anyone would be opposed to the idea of setting up MASH units for the rebels.
Wait... What year was SOS-Con again?  2012?  Yeah, Roughriders don't exist yet.

Ah, right... Replace "Roughriders" with "Ben and Gina" (and "Hacker Underspace" with "a coalition of Fen who would become the core of the Hacker Underspace"), then. Which makes more sense, IMHO - two people can't be everywhere, so there's no question that Fen involvement in the revolution was minimal.

I think part of the original log was that the involvement of Fenspace would have to be kept anonymous, it can't be known who's involved.

And this change covers this point, too.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[HRogge]

Ah, right... Replace "Roughriders" with "Ben and Gina" (and "Hacker Underspace" with "a coalition of Fen who would become the core of the Hacker Underspace"), then. Which makes more sense, IMHO - two people can't be everywhere, so there's no question that Fen involvement in the revolution was minimal.

Thats might be how the Hacker Underspace started... just a group of people doing interesting stuff together and recognizing they were all interested in computer security... some just kept a loose connection, others met regularly to exchange some ideas and experience.

Most likely the Hacker Underspace in 2014 is a large and 'loose connected' group meeting around a core of known and capable members.

[Ebony]

Ah, right... Replace "Roughriders" with "Ben and Gina" (and "Hacker Underspace" with "a coalition of Fen who would become the core of the Hacker Underspace"), then. Which makes more sense, IMHO - two people can't be everywhere, so there's no question that Fen involvement in the revolution was minimal.

Thats might be how the Hacker Underspace started... just a group of people doing interesting stuff together and recognizing they were all interested in computer security... some just kept a loose connection, others met regularly to exchange some ideas and experience.
Most likely the Hacker Underspace in 2014 is a large and 'loose connected' group meeting around a core of known and capable members.

The Underspace existed in 2011, if only because a few AIs were out there, saying, "Internet security? What Internet security?!"
Until the Institute formally joins OBJ as a full participant in 2014, it has main offices in London, England, and Irving, Texas (a suburb of Dallas, approximately halfway between Dallas and Ft. Worth). A third office is opened in Alice Springs in 2012. All three offices shut down once the World Crime League's existence is confirmed. After that point, all Institute dealings are handled through Internet communication, or through the offices at Stellvia or Renny's (the "music recording/production facility" at Savage Memorial, which doubles as the Global Frequency main hub - this is NOT known to most Blazers, to say nothing of the rest of Fenspace).
Relationships between most nations and the Institute are neutral to friendly. The Blazers rapidly develop into a worldwide organization of volunteers and philanthropists, and by 2012, the Blaze is a common sight at disaster aid stations, charity events, and public hospitals and other similar facilities. It's hard to hate a group that shows up, brings fresh water and food supplies, and sticks around to help fix things. Only regimes that cause disasters have problems with them, because the Institute is all about information dissemination, using its own network of people. If there are Blazers in Libya (and there probably are), they're in with the rebels, serving as liaisons with the media and UN forces, as well as providing humanitarian aid.
Relationships with the US are a little frostier than you might expect, because the Institute has a tendency to solve problems without informing the government first. Also, there is a subpoena that the courts have been trying to serve to "Buckaroo Banzai" since he walked through the RIAA's collective music archives and copied everything he could find there. This colors the view of some parts of the American government towards the Institute as less than congenial.
  
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."

[robkelk]

I think we've got enough for a first draft of the actual article... so here it is. Mind the wiki markup.

---

{{TOC right}}Earthbound nations tend to treat the Convention as a monolithic entity; there are very few cases where someone's faction makes a difference how he's treated by any given 'Danelaw nation.

Similarly, the Articles of Convention set forth particular rules about how factions can interact with the 'Danelaw in order to keep the earthbound nations from becoming completely hostile to the Convention.

==North America==

Officially, the North American governments act as a bloc with regard to Fenspace: [[handwavium] is a restricted substance throughout the continent, and 'waved technology requires a local permit in every state, province, and territory. Unofficially, Canada and Mexico don't always go along with their more powerful mutual neighbor.

===The United States of America===

Neutral, mixed

While the USA is not openly hostile to the Convention, they are paranoid about Handwavium to the point of having very strict anti-Handwavium laws. These make working with American companies at least difficult for Fen.

The [[Transrationality Science Assessment Bureau] buys handwaved equipment from the Fen; no other government agency is allowed to use handwavium. ([[NASA] space operations were sold to the [[Artemis Foundation] because of this.) The US Navy claims it isn't a government "agency" and has at least one [[Stingray|'waved submarine] and [[1625 The NORC|a base in the Main Belt].

Official US policy is to assist Fen of US descent who want to return home, unless they're biomodded.

Biomods are officially frowned upon in the United States, and biomodded people are usually held in "protective custody". Unofficial reactions to biomods range from "sometimes useful, I guess" to "lock 'em all up in Gitmo".Or, in at least [[Shuko|one tragic case], "shoot on sight".

Some prominent BNFs are officially on anti-terror watch lists due to overzealous investigators or blatantly amoral politicians trying to be seen "doing something about the Fen." Subsequently, they have had difficulty getting off the lists when the political climate stabilized under the current administration. BNF on the "terror lists" include [[Vulpine Fury], [[The Professor], and most of the crew of the ''[[Gnarlycurl]'' (especially [[Wave Convoy], [[Shuko], and [[Marcel LeChevalier]).

Tellingly, the Junior Senator from New Hampshire got his office by ramping up anti-Wave hysteria and (not incidentally) setting up Vulpine Fury by indirectly providing Eljay with his "seed strain" so he'd have a "Media Devil" to trot out and raise fear. His machinations are often opposed by [[Mary Wildman|the newest Congresswoman from Colorado], who otherwise has not expressed any public position on the Fen.

===Canada===

Neutral-to-friendly (Would be "Friendly", but don't want to piss off the USA)

Canada has a slightly more open policy to Fenspace than the United States does. Handwavium is controlled, but is not illegal, and 'waved devices are licenced much like automobiles are. [[AI]s are distrusted but not shunned.Canadian AIs are better off than Native Canadians, but not by much. Unofficially, Fen are treated like any other tourist or ex-pat in Canada.

The Convention maintains [[Fen Consulate to Canada|a Consulate] in Canada.

===Mexico===

Neutral, mixed

officially, the Mexican government toes the North American party line about handwavium to keep their relationship civil enough to get US aid against the organized crooks. What local Policia do, OTOH...

==Central and South America==

===Columbia===

Neutral

Columbian authorities assist with anti-drug-cartel operations and expect the same assistance in return. The government wants [[Gervasio Faustino de Leon] extradited if he's ever arrested; they otherwise ignore Fenspace.

===Venezuela===

Neutral, mixed

''**WHITENOISE** Venezuela has "a complicated relationship with the VVS."''

===Brazil===

''**WHITENOISE**''

===Chile===

Neutral

Chile has a treaty with the Convention that allows emergency landings on Easter Island. They otherwise ignore Fenspace.

==Europe==

In a reaction to the United States' policies, the European Union and other European countries tend to have good relations with the Convention. ESA regularly hires Fen to handle their surface-to-orbit transfers to [[Nouveau Paris].

===The United Kingdom===

Neutral-to-Friendly, mixed

While Handwavium is restricted much like in the US to government control, it is possible to get licenses to use it, transport it, or own handwaved equipment. The [[BBI] office in London helps out with such things ([[A.C. Peters] has to have a licence covering all three to even enter the country, given what she's made of). Several conservatives (not the political party) in Parliament want to restrict handwavium further, but there is enough trade to make it uneconomicRead: "politically inconvenient". to do so, plus there are several military projects going on using the stuff.

===Ireland===

Neutral-to-Friendly, mixed

The Irish Government's attitude to Fenspace is best described as changing and changeable.

The failing Fianna Fáil/Green Party coalition first sought to use handwavium as a political hot potato, enacting some pretty tough laws to divert attention from other more pressing issues. Handwavium possession was classed as a scheduled offense.Had [[Ciara]'s crew been arrested, it's likely they would've have been tried using organized crime laws in the Special Criminal court, and imprisoned in Portlaoise. The launch of the [[Ciara] and some of [[Jet Jaguar]'s filmed overflights embarrassed the government. Jet's escape made a mockery of an air force still using turboprops as front-line fighters.

Although a new government was elected in 2011, it wasn't until after the Boskone war that attitudes began to shift. President David Norris is notably pro-Fen; he intends to visit Fenspace, but has yet to receive permission from the government to do so. The Government has taken a more pragmatic approach to the Convention, repealing many of the stricter laws to facilitiate the housing and land sales in 2014. As part of the negotiations, a blanket pardon was enacted by President Norris forgiving most handwavium-related crimes when Ireland ratified the Kandor Treaty. Others are still technically wanted fugitives for supposedly-unrelated reasons.For example, Jet Jaguar had built a railgun in his shed, which was technically classed as an illegal firearm due to the vagaries of the law. The Government shows little interest in pursuing them.

Handwavium Law enforcement is handled by the '''Garda Unit for the Bizarre and Unprecedented''' (GUBU).

The Irish Government is attempting to market itself as a gateway to the European economy, and has noticeably relaxed handwavium import restrictions do to so. Corporate taxes are also kept low, to entice Fen into establishing a presence on Irish soil. The Government is attempting to emulate Australia in its own unique way.

Owning handwavium requires the completion of a mandatory recognized safety course and a GUBU-issued permit. Spacecraft and vehicles must maintain proper registration documents subject to inspection. In theory, pilots overflying Ireland would require a legally recognized license.Nobody bothers to check. Many Fen choose to just use ocean-landing craft and dock at seaports.

===France===

Neutral

Thanks to [[The Professor]'s antics before he moved to space, France has a decidedly cooler attitude to the Convention than do most other European nations. Known supplies of handwavium or 'waved equipment are inspected regularly, and anything that even seems like Mad Science is monitored ''very'' closely by the French. However, they are the major backers of the ESA's [[Nouveau Paris] orbital facility, and routine business is not restricted anymore than in other parts of the EU.

===Denmark===

Friendly

''**WHITENOISE** They actually like The Professor, letting(?) him use their royal yacht.''

==The Middle East==

Middle-eastern opinions of the Fen range from friendly to hostile. Once Stellvia became a full state in late-2014, the OPEC members put what diplomatic pressure on them they can, in order to present a united front to the world's oil consumers; this has worked about as well as the pressure they've put on Canada.

===Israel===

''**WHITENOISE** (won't be in lockstep with their Arab neighbors)''

==Asia==

===Russia===

''**WHITENOISE**''

===Kazakhstan===

Friendly

Kazakhstan loves the [[VVS], and allow Fen to use Baikonur Spaceport at reasonable rates.

===Japan===

Neutral-to-friendly

Officially, Japan treat the Convention much like any other nation that isn't Japan. Unofficially, JAXA and "fen-speisu" otaku like the Fen while conservative parents forbid Interwave access to their children.

===China===

Very Hostile

China has closed their borders to the Fen ever since members of [[Hermes Universal Deliveries] brought a train-load of willing people out of Beijing without government permission. Handwavium devices, AI, and biomods are classed "seize on sight". The Interwave is blocked. Transmissions from ''[[Babylon .5]'' and other near-Earth Fen broadcasters are jammed.The Chinese probably use some of the seized 'waved equipment to jam orbital signals.

===India===

''**WHITENOISE**''

===Indonesia===

Neutral-to-friendly

''**WHITENOISE** Watches [[Ganymede] to make sure the Indonesian ex-pats there are not mistreated''

==Oceania==

This is likely the friendliest part of Earth, at least as far as the Fen are concerned.

===Australia===

Very friendly

Australia was one of the first nations to sign the Kandor treaty, managing to ratify the agreement even before the [[Wizarding World] and the [[Supers] chose to do so.

The Australian government puts no unusual requirements on Fen flights into or out of Oz, and actively cooperates with the Big Six factions, the [[VVS], [[the Roughriders], and [[Stellvia Corporation] in areas of mutual concern. Australia let Stellvia declare independence without any fuss, and were the first Earth country to recognize the new nation's existence. Rumours about the existence and activities of the Lollipop Guild that might or might not work on behalf of the Convention in Australia are never acknowledged.

===New Zealand===

Friendly

''New Zealand likes the VVS, and officially likes StellviaCorp. (Unofficially, some mandarins in the bureaucracy hold a grudge against the Stellvians.)''

===The Solomon Islands===

Friendly

Since the Solomon Islands never signed the Outer Space Treaty, spaceflight and space colonization have been very good for their finances. The [[Solomon Space Agency] works with Fen space-lift companies in matters of mutual interest.

==Africa==

African opinions of the Fen are mixed.

===Lybia===

Friendly

Of all the OPEC nations, the Libyan government has the most favorable view of Fen, thanks to the communications and intelligence support provided from the group that would become the [[Hacker Underspace] and the cadre provided by various [[military Fen] that the Benghazi transitional council received during the 2011 civil war.

===Nigeria===

Hostile

The Nigerian government has never forgotten or forgiven [[The Island] "land theft". Nigerians in Fenspace are on their own.

==Fenspace Convention Policies Regarding the "Danelaw==

On the whole, the Convention takes a hands-off policy toward Earthbound nations. The [[Trekkies] call this their "Prime Directive," pointing out that no 'Danelaw nation has yet developed FTL travel despite the existence of [[handwavium] and the [[Whole Fenspace Catalog]. Many idealistic factions (such as the [[Senshi]) prefer to let people solve their own problems, providing assistance only when it has been requested. Pragmatic factions (such as the [[Jossies]) point out that the Convention does not have the resources, the ability, or the training to solve humanity's problems.

The only Fen group that routinely acts on Earth is the [[Banzai Institute], who make a point of providing humanitarian assistance wherever and whenever they can. Relationships between most nations and the Institute are neutral to friendly. The Blazers rapidly develop into a worldwide organization of volunteers and philanthropists, and by 2012, the Blaze is a common sight at disaster aid stations, charity events, and public hospitals and other similar facilities. It's hard to hate a group that shows up, brings fresh water and food supplies, and sticks around to help fix things. Only regimes that cause disasters have problems with them, because the Institute is all about information dissemination, using its own network of people. Relationships with the US are a little frostier than one might expect, because the Institute has a tendency to solve problems without informing the government first. Also, there is a subpoena that the courts have been trying to serve to "Buckaroo Banzai" since [[Buckaroo] walked through the RIAA's collective music archives and copied everything he could find there. This colors the view of some parts of the American government towards the Institute as less than congenial.

==Notes==

[[Category:Government]
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[robkelk]

http://www.fenspace.net/index.php5?titl ... _Relations]The article's up - have at it.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Dartz]

I'm beginning to think I over-write these things.

Especially considering how much of a big deal Australia and the US are supposed to be. (Speaking of Oz, as a break from Shadowrunning, I've got something on the boil set on Lake Gairdner. Just a quick one)

I'd imagine Isreal's relations are heavily faction dependant.... rather than seeing Fenspace as a whole, they tend to weigh in behind a couple of factions and corporations with a strong Pro-Isreal ethos. Isreal neither confirms nor denies the use of handwavium within it's military, but it's pretty much an open secret that at the very least, the rocket defence systems around Haifa and most border towns are waved. Reports of flying Merkavas however, are treated with mild derision on most forums.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[robkelk]

I'm beginning to think I over-write these things.

Meh. It's just as valid to say everyone else under-writes these things... especially in an article like this, where the whole idea is to provide all that information.

Besides, while Australia may be important to that nebulous assemblage known as "Fenspace", Ireland is very important to the Ciara and Jet, and that's who you're really telling stories about.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Dakota]

I'm beginning to think I over-write these things.

Especially considering how much of a big deal Australia and the US are supposed to be. (Speaking of Oz, as a break from Shadowrunning, I've got something on the boil set on Lake Gairdner. Just a quick one)

I'd imagine Isreal's relations are heavily faction dependant.... rather than seeing Fenspace as a whole, they tend to weigh in behind a couple of factions and corporations with a strong Pro-Isreal ethos. Isreal neither confirms nor denies the use of handwavium within it's military, but it's pretty much an open secret that at the very least, the rocket defence systems around Haifa and most border towns are waved. Reports of flying Merkavas however, are treated with mild derision on most forums.

Flying Merkavas, that'd make a good fen myth. I see a waved Merkava as being more mountain goatish in mobility then flying. This could be lending to the flying Merkava myth when people see them in odd places.
_______________________________________________________________
Characters
Sabre Fang
Dakota