February 12.2209 ATE
The grand dome of the Imperial Senate shimmered under the moon of Mars as Emperor Hariko Lee signaled the beginning of the Empire’s annual legistive session. Cloaked in obsidian silk and fnked by faith-bound guardians, Hariko sat upon the Throne of Accord, eyes heavy with the weight of wmaking.
Senator Mordred Pendragon XII stood early. Without fanfare, she activated a massive holoprojection: 200,000 curated images from online forums, debates, and social feeds—each centered on discussions of gender identity and body-type transformations. The chamber shifted uncomfortably. Murmurs followed.
Some senators leaned toward their peers, whispering unease. The prevailing opinion quickly formed: such movements, they cimed, operated with religious fervor. Not grounded in science. Not universally accepted. Yet, treated by some as absolute standards for human behavior, like corrupt religious doctrines once condemned by the Empire itself.
Hariko raised his hand for silence.
“The proposal is simple,” he said. “Any collective of belief—when it insists others must follow, when it overrides freedom of thought—should be cssified as a sub-religious sect.”
The chamber stilled.
“If ten or more individuals rally around a belief system and pressure others to comply, they become a sect. If five hundred thousand or more do so and influence ws, business, or behavior, then it’s religion. Religion is a right. Forcing it is not. The Empire will not fund or shield such forces. Businesses and individuals may reject them freely.”
The vote was swift: 80% in favor. The w was passed.
Next Docket Item:A brief proposal on digital transparency. Civilians would now be required to log reasons for blocking another citizen on the Interstelr Internet—even if they'd never interacted directly. No debate followed. Approved.
Third Item:A surge in violence linked to personal disputes led to calls for harsh reforms in property-based trespassing.
Trespassing in a rented room: 200 years in prison.
Trespassing on a home: 400 years.
Assault and battery: 350 years and a fine of 50,000 Martian Star Coins.
Attempted murder: 300 years, no bail.
Murder: Life sentence, plus one million Star Coins per count.
Unanimously approved.
Fourth Proposal:All consumer devices, by Imperial decree, would now include “voice will” technology. If a citizen died unexpectedly, their final verbal wishes—recorded daily—would be sent to Imperial Archives and police authorities.
Hariko, voice solemn, presented a video. It showed a shimmering substance—faith matter—leaving his body during patrol with a Sister of the Order. Together, they used it to revive a husband and wife, barely alive after an orbital accident.
“The happier our people, the more faith matters we generate. It powers our miracles,” he said.
The Senate passed it with no opposition.
Final Matter:A question from Senator Ravn. Should intellectual property lifespans be extended from 50 to 150 years?
Hariko's condition: Only if companies concede that physical products, once purchased, belong to civilians forever—no digital revocation, no shadow licenses. Online services remain theirs to control.
Debate followed. Corporate representatives protested. Civilian advocates cheered. In the end, 55% of the Senate sided with the Emperor.
The w was passed.
Hariko stood, robes brushing the floor.
“This Empire does not serve gods, companies, or ideologues. It serves its people. Let them choose what to believe. Let them live knowing their voices are permanent.”
The Senate’s chamber was quieter than usual—an indication of the gravity of what was on the docket.
First Order of Debate:A new pnetary designation system. Each pnet would receive a unique code number. The central pnets of a gaxy would begin their sequences with 0001.0000 signifying their importance and location. Every pnet would also have the right to fly its fg and dispy its name prominently on official records and trade routes.
There was some resistance from traditionalists who felt Imperial uniformity should take priority, but the motion passed with 75% in favor.
Second Debate:Emperor Hariko Lee introduced a proposal: the establishment of Imperial Record Keepers. These officials would operate under the Imperial Financial Intelligence Agency, but with broader powers of oversight.
Their duties:
Track income data from major corporations.
Fg underpaid hard borers.
Cross-reference data from the Imperial Central Bank, Imperial Commercial Bank, and the Interstelr Transition System Database.
Submit direct reports to the throne and key Senate figures.
Despite worries about overreach, the Senate passed the motion with 65% approval.
Third Motion:A controversial rule was proposed: Companies may now form private banks, independent of the Imperial banking structure. However, these banks would still fall under the investigation authority of the Imperial Financial Intelligence Agency, especially if income discrepancies were detected by the Imperial AI Network—developed by Anna Bke—and verified by the new Record Keepers.
After a short debate, the w passed.
Fourth Debate:Senators introduced a foundational idea: the creation of Pnetary Senates. These regional governing bodies would operate under the Imperial Senate, enacting Imperial w locally. They would not be enforced through direct military power—no S1-S6 starships looming, no boots on the ground. To protect both pnetary and central senators, a new force would be created: the Imperial Sentry.
Hariko raised a question: “How do we vet these senators and their security forces?”
Senator Mordred Pendragon XII had an answer: the Imperial Academy.
His outline was ambitious:
Optional Human Biology Education, including the facts of birth and reproduction, handled concerning cultural beliefs.
Combat Curriculum as the core of education:
Lerium ammo handling
Tactical room clearing
“Red vs Blue” live Imperial trainee exercises
Grenade throwing
K3 Tank firing simutions
Trench construction
Sniper and ambush strategies
Logistics and supply line mastery
Interstelr warfare simutions using S2 material PCs capable of simuting up to 5,000,000 ships
Warp headset training for real-time command of virtual fleets
The Academy would shape future leaders—both political and military—who understood discipline, tactics, and the limits of power.
Despite fierce debate, the motion passed with 59% support.
As the session closed, Hariko stood.
“Let every world know: the Empire does not fear decentralization—it embraces loyalty earned, not imposed. From code number to battlefront, we define identity, we define strength.”
The chamber echoed with silent agreement. The gears of the Empire turned on.
The Imperial Senate convened under the pale gold light of Orbital Beacon Prime. The session was called to order with the usual formality—until Senator James Baker stood. Known for his sharp mind and no-nonsense politics, today he carried something more: frustration.
“We legiste,” Baker said, voice echoing, “but what we ck—what we desperately need—is weight.”
He walked forward.
“A repeat offender should not be offered the same leniency as a first-time criminal. We must show that w has memory.”
Proposal:
Once a citizen becomes a repeat offender of any crime, they lose eligibility for bail.
Each repeat offense will result in a sentence doubling the previous one.
All cases will be reviewed by the Imperial Judicial Council to prevent abuse, but sentencing will no longer be reset.
The chamber fell silent, absorbing the implications.
Some worried about judicial overload. Others feared a disproportionate impact on minor offenders. But the majority agreed: the Empire must stop recycling criminals through the system.
The vote passed: 62% in favor.
Before the chamber could settle, Senator Mordred Pendragon XII rose, unrolling a thin screen filled with reports.
“We can no longer ignore the weaponization of words,” he said. “There are citizens, veterans, and survivors who carry trauma. To deliberately strike them with verbal violence should carry a consequence.”
Proposal:
Any citizen who directs offensive or targeted statements toward another known to be suffering from PTSD or familial abuse-reted trauma may be sued for 100,000 Star Martian Coins.
If repeated verbal offenses cause mental colpse, insanity, or even suicide, the victim’s family or group may file a css action wsuit under Imperial Civil Code 22.9.
A brief wave of discussion rose, mostly around how to define and verify trauma, and whether this could silence free speech.
Senator Elym Vos proposed a compromise: allow a 5% margin of senators to abstain from specific rulings if the topic affects them personally, mentally, emotionally, or historically.
That cuse became part of the rger discussion.
Final vote results:
55% approved the trauma-based litigation w.
45% dissented, citing concerns of abuse, vagueness, or uneven enforcement.
The Emperor remained silent during this vote, a rare show of restraint—perhaps out of respect for the fragility of the topic. As the votes were recorded, he only said:
“Words can heal or kill. Let the Empire choose the former, and punish the tter.”
With the Senate adjourned and new ws added to the growing Imperial Codex, the Empire edged one step further into an era where both actions and intentions held weight.
March 1, 2209 ATE
The Imperial Senate gathered beneath the blue-etched crystal dome of the Gactic Hall, warm light pulsing from sor conduits above. The year’s docket was full. Civil unrest was rising. The Emperor looked on with the restrained rage of a man forced to watch a fire burn in slow motion.
The first proposals were serious. Focused.
Law Proposal #1:Insurance Fraud & Denial Act – Denial rates above 2% on certified medical cims allow wsuits; 10% triggers css action rights.Status: Passed – 51% Yes
Law Proposal #2:False Recovery Act – Companies lying about helping with vehicle/ship rebuilds may face wsuits, stock seizure, or full nationalization if 30 %+ fraud is proven.Status: Passed – 51% Yes
Law Proposal #3:Government Insurance Management Act (GIMA) – All insurers must register with GIM buildings, or risk losing their licenses.Status: Passed – 69% Yes
Then it all went downhill.
The next 1,197 ws? A descent into legistive insanity.
Selected Highlights from the 1,200 Law CatastropheLaw #9:Mandatory daily pushups for all citizens under 60.Rejected – “Enforce this yourself,” muttered one senator, rolling their eyes.
Law #31:Universal Toothbrush Tax: 0.5 Martian Star Coins per brush.Rejected – Too regressive. Also, weird.
Law #76:Official Gactic Anthem to be rewritten in dubstep.Rejected – "No," said Emperor Hariko ftly.
Law #105:Renaming gravity as ‘down energy’.Rejected – On grounds of stupidity and universal scientific shame.
Law #203:Ban left-handed citizens from piloting interstelr freighters.Rejected – Senator was left-handed. The entire row cpped back.
Law #248:Mandatory holographic projection of senators during campaigns, shirtless.Rejected – 84% of the Senate was over 90 years old.
Law #312:Legalize time travel to undo embarrassing votes.Rejected – Not because of principle, but because time travel’s illegal since 283-AX.
Law #420:Mandatory nap hour for Imperial employees.Rejected – “We’d never be awake enough to reject this again,” Hariko commented.
Law #561:Allow senators to own small moons for personal use.Rejected – Conflict of interest. Also, “one senator tried naming theirs ‘Moon Daddy’,” which caused unrest.
Law #610:Make pnetary defense shields py pop music on impact.Rejected – "We’re not dying to a bass drop," said Mordred Pendragon XII.
Law #666:Legalize demon summoning in controlled industrial zones.Rejected – Instantly. Everyone looked at the proposing senator sideways for weeks.
Law #789:All chairs in the Senate must recline.Rejected – Led to “the Great Reclining Debate of 4025.” (3 senators fell asleep and missed 82 ws.)
Law #834:Ban all jokes longer than 8 seconds in stand-up comedy acts.Rejected – Senator immediately booed out of session.
Law #999:Mandate that all animals be given a surname.Rejected – Except on Zentha-5, where they started doing it anyway.
Law #1002:Universal cloning rights to anyone who loses a video game match.Rejected – Called “too chaotic, even for us.”
Law #1015:Award tax breaks to citizens who name their children after senators.Rejected – Everyone hated it except the senator named Zyglor-Famek-X3.
Law #1101:Make it illegal to dislike pizza in public forums.Rejected – Freedom of taste upheld.
Law #1174:Create the Gactic Ministry of Memes.Rejected – Almost passed until someone asked, “Who gets to define funny?”
Law #1199:Require new pnets to be named after desserts.Rejected – Though Nova Crème Puff is now an unofficial colony.
Law #1200:Create a government extension that protects artists by tracking art theft.If a site steals a new artist’s upload:
The Imperial Government will sue for 300 Martian Star Coins.
The site may be marked as a pirate ptform with a toggle: Yes (show) or No (hide).
Status: Passed – 81% Yes
Closing RemarksThe Emperor stood once more. Exhausted. Furious. A little impressed.
“Let this session go into the archives as the most misguided burst of legistion in Imperial history. Let the artists be protected. Let insurance be fair. Let nonsense be remembered—only so it is never repeated.”
And with that, the 1,200-proposal session ended.
The stars outside looked no different, but the Empire, just slightly, was.
The chamber was unusually somber. No fanfare. No pointless opening jokes. This wasn’t about budgets, star routes, or AI licensing. This was about human consequences.
Mordred Pendragon XII stepped into the center ring, his robes dark, her eyes unreadable.
He spoke without flourish.
“We cannot keep pretending this part of our society does not exist. We are an Empire. And Empires don’t ignore sickness, predation, and decay.”
She lifted a data ste. On it: numbers—cold, violent, and rising.
Law Proposal: The Public Safety and Personal Integrity Act
1. Transmission of Unwanted Sexual Diseases:Knowingly infecting another with a sexually transmitted disease:
Penalty: 5 years in jail
2. Unlicensed Prostitution:Operating as a sex worker without registration through the Imperial Health Board:
Penalty: 15 years in jail
3. Public Prostitution:Engaging in sex work in public or unzoned commercial districts:
Penalty: 30 years in jail
Fine: 40,000 Star Martian Coins
4. Criminal Damage:Vandalism or destruction of government, commercial, or residential property:
Penalty: 80 years in jail
Fine: 120,000 Star Martian Coins
5. Private Fraud:Scamming, impersonation, or defrauding someone through private channels—residences, private messages, closed forums:
Penalty: 30 years in jail
6. Burgry:Breaking with the intent to commit a crime:
Penalty: 50 years in jail
Bail Fee: 500,000 Star Martian Coins
Mordred closed her case simply.
“This isn’t moral w. It’s maintenance. We owe it to the civilians who live quietly, work hard, and expect to walk through their streets without fear.”
The vote was taken.The w was passed with 66% approval from the local provinces and 61% Senate approval.
Before the Emperor could rise to close the docket, another senator—unnamed in the transcripts for privacy-—stood to address the most severe offense debated that day.
Statutory Rape:“Let’s be clear,” the senator said, “this crime isn’t about misunderstanding. It’s predation. And it should be treated with the same severity we assign to mass death.”
Proposal:
Statutory rape conviction to carry a minimum sentence of 180 years, with no parole, no bail, and a full criminal mark in the Interstelr Citizenship Registry.
Another senator murmured, “Why not just round it to 2000 years?”
That was dismissed as theatrics, but the point had been made.
The Other senators gave the fellow senator the side eye since 2000, ages will be a life sentence.
The Senate voted on the statutory rape sentence increase.A majority agreed: 180 years minimum sentence. Law passed.
AftermathThe Emperor did not speak when the votes concluded. He simply nodded once.
It was one of the rare times he let the ws speak louder than he could.
Outside the Senate halls, there were mixed reactions. Civil liberties groups asked for clearer distinctions between sex work and trafficking. Health officials pushed for broader reform. But citizens across 120 sectors expressed approval—finally, they said, some lines would not be crossed without consequence.
The Empire didn’t become more brutal that day. It became more defined.
The chamber was dimmed. The mood was tense—not from scandal or spectacle, but from what the docket demanded that day: the redefinition of life, death, and justice.
Senator Larin Vex of Core Sector 11 stood, fnked by two aides and backed by a growing tide of public demand.
He opened without flourish:
“We’ve sentenced people to centuries for theft, fraud, and property damage. But what of death? What of lives stolen, not just goods?”
Law Proposal: Imperial Penal Expansion for Violent Crimes
1. Mansughter (Unintentional Killing):
Penalty: 450 years in Imperial Prison
No bail. Mandatory psychological and behavioral reprocessing.
2. Human Trafficking:
Penalty: 500 years per person trafficked
Assets are seized and AI-monitored for life upon release (if any).
3. Murder (Intentional, not serial):
Penalty: 270 years in jail
Full revocation of Interstelr Travel Rights. No parole.
Senate Reaction:A wave of mixed responses followed.
Some senators argued that 270 years for murder was "symbolically heavy" but fair. Others demanded a cap of 220 years, citing redundancy when many murderers never lived out 100 years in prison.
Emperor Hariko remained silent during the initial debates, watching, gauging the room. The discussion dragged on for hours. A full 22% of senators were reported asleep in their seats by the end of the session.
But the remaining votes were cast.
Final Tally:
67% approved the w.
The 270-year sentence for murder was passed.
The harsher sentences for mansughter and trafficking were locked in.
Before adjournment, Emperor Hariko stood.
He walked forward with no script. No data-ste.
His voice filled the room.
“We legiste blood after it’s spilled. But what of intent without action? Malice without immediate effect?”
He raised a hand toward the central system and issued his proposal directly.
New Law: Device Harm Prevention Act
The unauthorized creation or distribution of a device, system, or software with the potential to cause indirect but predictable harm to others—be it psychological, biological, or environmental—
Penalty: 10 years in Imperial Jail
Surveilnce by the Imperial AI Network for 50 years post-sentence.
“This is not punishment for innovation,” Hariko said. “It is punishment for disregard. Intent matters. So does consequence.”
The chamber did not vote. The Emperor’s w, by executive right, passed without it.
Final Record Summary:Mansughter: 450 years
Human Trafficking: 500 years per person
Murder: 270 years
Unauthorized harmful device creation: 10 years
The ws were updated. The digital stone was carved.
Outside the Senate, the civilians of the Empire didn't cheer. They didn’t riot.
They just watched—quietly, warily—knowing that the system had shifted again, toward something heavier.
The Senate gathered under a gray sky that seemed to match the tone of the day's docket. The chamber was filled not with ceremony but with the cold weight of accountability. This session wasn’t about trade routes or tech taxes. It was about viotion of bodies, trust, and w.
Senator Thal Ren, a hardened voice from the outer colony belt, was first to rise.
“No more soft punishment for violent attempts. No more dismissing the enablers. No more being gentle to the destroyers of people’s safety.”
He read aloud his proposal.
The Imperial Sexual and Narcotic Crime Act1. Attempted Rape:
Penalty: 50 years in Imperial Jail
No parole or sentence reduction.
2. Accessory to Rape (knowing aid, cover-up, or facilitation):
Penalty: 110 years in jail
3. Drug Dealing:
Penalty: 80 years per confirmed transaction
4. Creation of a Drug Criminal Organization (3 or more connected members):
Penalty: 600 years in jail
Automatic Imperial Seizure of assets and communications.
The vote was held swiftly—this was a hard line many were ready for.
Outcome:
75% voted in favor
5% opposed
The remaining senators abstained or were absent.
The w passed.
But the docket wasn’t finished.
The Public Conduct and Domestic Crime AddendumSenator Lysa Quinn took the floor next, her voice unwavering.
“We are a civilization. Not a mob. Not a broken species living off tolerance for barbarism.”
Her proposal:
5. Public Indecency (intentional nudity, sexual acts, or lewd exposure in public):
Penalty: 380 years in jail
No public appeal process allowed.
6. Domestic Abuse (physical or psychological harm to a household member):
Penalty: 370 years in jail
Automatic tracking chip impnt for reoffenders upon release.
7. Rape (per confirmed incident):
Penalty: 40 years in jail per incident
Sentences stack without limit.
Debate followed. Some cimed rape sentences should be higher than attempted rape, while others argued that cumutive sentences would still exceed life spans. The debate grew heated.
Final Vote Tally:
52% in favor
28% opposed
10% did not vote
The ws were approved by a narrow margin, but they passed.
Theft and Property Crime ExpansionA quiet senator from Trade Zone 9 stood and offered a simple addition:
8. Shoplifting:
Penalty: 5 years per item stolen
9. Grand Theft Auto (unwful vehicle theft):
Penalty: 30 years per vehicle stolen
This stirred new debate over proportionality, but others noted that vehicle theft often involved harm or damage.
Vote Result:
60% in favor
40% against
The theft ws were passed.
Summary of New Sentences Enacted:CrimeSentenceAttempted Rape50 yearsAccessory to Rape110 yearsRape (per incident)40 yearsDrug Dealing (per transaction)80 yearsCreating a Drug Criminal Organization600 yearsPublic Indecency380 yearsDomestic Abuse370 yearsShoplifting (per item)5 yearsGrand Theft Auto (per vehicle)30 yearsAs the votes were finalized and the digital codex updated, Emperor Hariko stood.
“There will always be those who call this excessive. Let them. It is better to be feared by the wicked than to bury the innocent.”
And with that, the meeting adjourned.
The Empire grew quieter that week. Not more peaceful. Just...quieter.
The chamber was filled with a rare calm.
Not silence—but seriousness.
The issue today wasn’t punishment—it was process. For centuries, sentencing in the Empire had been passed down by administrative councils, AI-assisted tribunals, and direct regional commands. Now, that was being questioned.
Senator Jyrel Noctis presented the motion.
“There must be a singur, legal arm. Not interpretation by governors. Not punishment by military tribunals. A formal legal branch responsible for sentencing—transparent, structured, and by the w.”
The chamber buzzed in cautious agreement.
Then Emperor Hariko Lee rose.
He didn’t just agree—he defined it.
“It will be called The Imperial Court of Criminal Judgment.It will have:– A jury, selected by AI-randomization from neutral zones.– A judge, trained through the Imperial Legal Academy.– Spaces for both defendant and prosecutor, with all evidence shown in full.– Witnesses, sworn under penalty of perjury.
The judge will sentence according to the ws this Senate approves—nothing more, nothing less.”
There was no need for debate. The proposal passed unanimously.
The court would be built. The ws would now live through structured judgment.
Second Motion: Domestic Abuse ProfiteeringSenator Rhanda Vel of the Venusian Sectors stood next.
“Too many hide behind the term ‘domestic dispute’ when it’s theft—emotional abuse used to manipute, isote, and steal. That’s not personal. That’s criminal.”
Proposed Law:
Domestic Abuse Profiteering (taking items, property, or assets from a domestic partner through abuse, coercion, or psychological pressure):Penalty: 90 years in jail
Sale or transfer of said items for personal gain:Penalty: 180 years in jail
Result:
95% of the Senate approved
5% abstained or were not present
The w passed instantly. Survivors across the Empire saw it as long overdue.
Third Motion: Intellectual Property and Pgiarism EnforcementThe chamber shifted from the physical to the conceptual.
Senator Kaelis Durn raised the final motion of the session.
“We can clone stars, bend warps, and terraform pnets—but we cannot seem to stop people from stealing ideas.”
Pgiarism Law Proposal:
No prison sentence unless other crimes apply.
Financial compensation required:
Based on the profit made by the offender
And the estimated loss of the affected party
Calcuted using total ptform and off-ptform revenue
Using another party’s IP for gain, without licensing or transformation, will trigger enforced revenue redistribution.
“You steal an idea, you pay the price. In credits—not just shame.”
Vote Result:
65% approved
The rest abstained, likely over concerns about creative ambiguity and enforcement complexity.
Summary of Enacted Decisions:ProposalStatusCreation of the Imperial Criminal CourtApprovedDomestic Abuse Profiteering (abuse + theft)90 years in jailSale of abused partner’s goods180 years in jailPgiarism PenaltyFinancial only, based on profit loss, and gainAs the session closed, Emperor Hariko left the chamber with a final note:
“We are no longer guessing what justice looks like. We’re building it. In structure, in substance, and in scale.”
The gavel struck. The court was born. Justice now had a shape—and a voice.
The Senate chamber was packed, the air sharp with anticipation. The docket was short, but the implications were massive.
This was not a debate about theft. It was a debate about ownership.
Senator Varyn Solis, a long-time critic of exploitative digital commerce, addressed the assembly with a tone as cold as the data in his hands.
“We’ve jailed civilians for piracy while letting corporations deny ownership of products that sit, permanently, on civilian devices. A downloaded, offline game. No server dependency. No multipyer ecosystem. And still—they say, you don’t own this.”
He paused.
“If a company says that—then piracy is not criminal. It’s pity.”
The chamber murmured. Some senators smiled. Others adjusted their robes uncomfortably.
Then came the formal proposal.
The Digital Ownership & Piracy Regution ActArticle I: Recssification of PiracyPiracy of offline, single-pyer games shall be considered a petty crime when the company officially denies ownership rights to customers who have paid for the software.
Empire legal doctrine will define a "petty crime" as a civil viotion, not a criminal one, with no prison sentence, only optional mediation or minor fees (if damages are proven).
Article II: FOMO Exploitation in Online GamesAny company that uses Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) tactics to pressure purchases or manipute pyer behavior through time-limited offers, power-locked events, or aggressive scarcity marketing may be subject to Imperial government wsuits.
Viotions will be processed through the Commercial Integrity Division of the Imperial Court.
Article III: Mandatory Physical Ownership RequirementCompanies that only create online games and deny consumers any form of ownership will be under threat of full Imperial commercial review.
If such companies fail to release at least 2 offline games that allow full, physical, perpetual ownership, the Empire reserves the right to:
Restrict their market access
Seize digital licenses
Or force partial nationalization to protect consumer sovereignty.
Senators from the outer colonies were the first to rise in support, where consistent internet access made always-online games unreliable, frustrating, or downright unpyable.
Core-sector senators followed, citing growing protests from tech-savvy younger generations across 22 systems who felt exploited by live-service models.
There was barely any opposition.
Final Vote Tally:
99% in favor
1% abstained or was absent
The w passed. Loudly. Proudly.
AftermathIn a rare moment of commentary, Emperor Hariko addressed the Empire directly through broadcast:
“A product that is bought, stored, and used offline is no longer under the control of its maker. That is the deal. That is the line. And those who try to erase it for profit will answer to us.”
Civilian networks exploded in praise. Pyers, archivists, and preservationists celebrated the shift. Corporations, however, scrambled—many quickly began drafting pns for “Legacy Editions” of games to meet the new two-title offline rule.
In a matter of weeks, piracy was no longer branded an act of criminal rebellion, but a symptom of broken ownership models.
The Empire had spoken. Ownership was real again.
