It's amazing how well people behave when they realize the station is protected by security officers who are Pax Humanis members! -- DaniAndShali
[AN: Given the general sociopathy of Pax Humanis, these would have to be the milder cases]
Welcome to the Edge Territories. Welcome to New-held Station. Things can get a little wild whilst the Alliance protocols do some catching up. To that end, every cogniscent in this newly-acquired area has access to a full explanation of the Alliance's rules. Including some that are plastered over every available surface in every known language[1].
In nice, big, friendly letters, it says, Removing an adult Cogniscent's freedom to make rational decisions is a punitive offence. This will be enforced by Pax Humanis.
They're easy to spot. Not only do they wear the Security colours of Purple (for the rule of law) and orange (for Station Personnel), but they also wear the hazard colours of yellow, red, and black. The uniform of Pax Humanis. Deadly contents here.
Some of them have more regular members of Security present. Armed with the heftier variety of tranq gun. Not for offenders against the law, but for their Pax Humanis partner. Just in case the Enforcer in question takes punitive measures too far. They are there to intimidate wrongdoers into changing their ways. Not, as they are frequently reminded, to be judge, jury, and executioner.
That's for after everyone knows the rules.
Free copies of the Rights and Responsibilities of the Alliance have been flying into datareaders all over the station. Some traders let their cargo holds of cogniscents loose on New-held Station in hopes of being able to flee during the confusion.
Pax Humanis will catch up with them later.
The smarter ones call for an amnesty and peacefully comply with the orders given to them.
The really dumb ones vent their cargoes into cold vacuum.
Pax Humanis is allowed to 'play' with those ones, unsupervised.
It's not always this vicious on the Edge. It doesn't have to be. Some polities are worse than others. Some organisations are more vile than many could imagine. Some just believe they can get away with anything they want to do.
Until they can't.
That is when they either suddenly behave themselves, or suffer the consequences.
[1] Keep looking, yours is in there somewhere.
[Image by Aldebaran S on Unsplash]
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