Part one of a four part series designed to build on what little information on EVE currency there is. Unlike Vikarion, I do not have all four parts already written, so you will all have to wait for my inspiration and motivation to catch up with my ambition.
Methods of Currency -The Caldari
Money is the bane and savior of countless trillions in New Eden. Money is, of course, one of the representations of wealth. Wealth (or lack thereof) can determine a person's respect, opportunities, personality, and even their very survival. It has since the dawn of human history been one of the primary definitions of social strata. Yet despite its ubiquitous nature, there seems to be a different type of currency everywhere one travels.
Within the Caldari State, there are eight primary forms of currency, each corresponding to the Big Eight themselves. While they all have different flavored names, they are often simply called "scrip". Corporate scrip is represented in purely electronic form, though scrip cards are issued to allow access to this electronic currency.
Scrip is not valid for use on products or in areas using a competing scrip. If it is, the 'price' is usually much higher for those using the foreign scrip. Scrip
can be exchanged between megacorporations under certain authorized circumstances, but in nearly all of those circumstances it is exchanged at a severe loss. This is not regulated by exchange rates or economic differences between the megacorporate economies. It is a purely artificial set of fees and exchange regulations set by both issuing megacorporations to prevent workers from taking scrip out or in of their carefully managed insular economies. For this reason, wealth is usually kept within the boundaries of the original megacorporation. A typical worker could lose more than a third of their life savings in scrip by trying to exchange it to a different megacorporation.
Scrip cards generally all appear the same, and function both as identification and payroll cards. Each card is printed with the information of the employee. Photo, name, age, employment, occupation, legal status, etc. Everything an officer of the law might need to know is visible on this card, with much more available on a simple scan of it through the computer. Impregnated with nanocircuits designed to counter tampering and provide a constant uplink to the primary banks, these cards are smarter than most personal computing devices available to the common worker. They are also extremely sensitive to tampering, releasing distress signals to the banks and local law enforcement should they be damaged in any way.
Employees of the Big Eight are often subject to far more surveillance through these cards than by any other means. Each card measures various aspects of the card's use and location and report back to the primary banking entities of the Eight. The card's usage patterns are meticulously monitored, even down to the hand pressure applied to the card when in use. An employee gripping his card tightly sends the signal of possibly illicit use or anxiety, and could trigger an investigation. An employee barely holding on to it or swiping it very quickly, could signal the user is freely spending and could be an opportune target for 'variable usage fees'.
The megacorporate banks can freeze or place restrictions on these scrip cards at a moment's notice in any number of ways. Banks can allow or restrict card-to-card transfers of scrip, or restrict purchase of certain categories of products. They could deny double purchases of the same item within a time period, or make on the spot decisions about qualification for high value items... whether or not the worker can actually afford the item. An employee who has a recently recorded request to transfer to a different location could find his qualification for a new vehicle denied. At the same time, an annoying employee who clearly cannot afford a new vehicle could have his purchase allowed and slapped with an automatic high interest loan in order to trap the employee into being unable to pay... and subject to punishment.
On the same note, employees can be swiftly and instantly rewarded for recognized merits through these cards. Time limited 'purchase rewards' can offer lowered prices on goods for that employee alone. Instant bonus payouts for commendable work performed on the job appear
minutes after a supervisor making his report. Nearly any benefit or punishment to a citizen that can be thought up can be applied through these cards, though the primary banks always have the final say in how things go down.
Scrip cards in the State are quite literally the physical representation of a worker's legal status and citizenship. They are treasured, feared, and protected. Without these cards in working order and nearby, a citizen is powerless. They cannot be immediately verified as a law abiding citizen (and since they have no card with them, they are not law abiding). They obviously cannot easily access their scrip, restricting access to even the most basic of necessities... such as access to a public restroom, or food, or transportation. Scrip cards are in many cases the most valuable and important item in possession.
Visibly, they appear in various different styles, all controlled tightly by the issuing banks. Color coding is often a method of fast identification, and is typically controlled by color shifting phosphors embedded in the card's plastic itself. A white card with a red Ishukone triple-crescent might represent a standard citizen of Ishukone. However when said citizen has defaulted on a loan or not shown up for work, that card might turn completely red to signal checkpoint authorities of the illegal status. A high ranking Kaalakiota executive might have a black card with the twin red chevrons one day, and wake up to find his card has turned
white with red chevrons after fellow executives demanded and successfully caused his ouster. A shimmering blue card might signal extrajudicial status, allowing the holder to clear most security checkpoints without having to stop.
Currency in the Caldari State is intimately linked with a citizen's legitimacy and freedoms. The strict and complete control the megacorps have over their employees' wealth is a perfect example of how rigidly enforced Caldari society is. In the blink of an eye, a citizen can lose everything they ever worked for. Yet for most citizens, this is taken as a simple fact of life. The Caldari aren't big on personal freedoms, and they tend to trust in the higher authorities to provide these services.
On that note, the State does. The megacorporate banks are some of the most efficiently run institutions throughout the entire State. They have to be, because the man holding the leash must be reliable...
... else they risk letting the dogs run free and wild.
[spoiler=Alternate "Microchip" version]Within the Caldari State, there are eight primary forms of currency, each corresponding to the Big Eight themselves. While they all have different flavored names, they are often simply called "scrip". Corporate scrip is represented in purely electronic form, though implanted scrip nanochips are issued to all citizens to allow constant access to this electronic currency.
Scrip is not valid for use on products or in areas using a competing scrip. If it is, the 'price' is usually much higher for those using the foreign scrip. Scrip
can be exchanged between megacorporations under certain authorized circumstances, but in nearly all of those circumstances it is exchanged at a severe loss. This is not regulated by exchange rates or economic differences between the megacorporate economies. It is a purely artificial set of fees and exchange regulations set by both issuing megacorporations to prevent workers from taking scrip out or in of their carefully managed insular economies. For this reason, wealth is usually kept within the boundaries of the original megacorporation. A typical worker could lose more than a third of their life savings in scrip by trying to exchange it to a different megacorporation.
Though many megacorporations issue physical card to carry as well, the nanochips generally all function the same, both as identification and payroll access points. Each chip contains the information of the employee. Name, race, age, employment, occupation, legal status, etc. Everything an officer of the law might need to know is on this chip, updated constantly, with much more information available on a simple wave of his wand. Impregnated nanothreads running through the area surrounding the implant are designed to counter tampering and the whole device maintains a constant uplink to the primary banks. These nanochip implants are smarter than most personal computing devices available to the common worker. They are also extremely sensitive to tampering, releasing distress signals to the banks and local law enforcement should they be damaged or relocated in any way.
Usage of the chips typically involves a simple wave of the hand over a scanning device, much like we swipe our credit cards today. Employees of the Big Eight are often subject to far more surveillance through these chips than by any other means. Each chip measures various aspects of the citizen and, report back to the primary banking entities of the Eight. The citizen is meticulously monitored, even down to the heartrate of the citizen when making purchases. An employee showing certain vital signs when spending his scrip sends the signal of possibly illicit use or anxiety, and could trigger an investigation. An employee showing the opposite could signal the user is gratuitously spending and could be an opportune target for 'variable usage fees'.
The megacorporate banks can freeze or place restrictions on scrip at a moment's notice in any number of ways. Banks can allow or restrict transfers of scrip between people, or restrict purchase of certain categories of products. They could deny double purchases of the same item within a time period, or make on the spot decisions about qualification for high value items... whether or not the worker can actually afford the item. An employee who has a recently recorded request to transfer to a different location could find his qualification for a new vehicle denied. At the same time, an annoying employee who clearly cannot afford a new vehicle could have his purchase allowed and slapped with an automatic high interest loan in order to trap the employee into being unable to pay... and subject to punishment.
On the same note, employees can be swiftly and instantly rewarded for recognized merits through scrip. Time limited 'purchase rewards' can offer lowered prices on goods for that employee alone. Instant bonus payouts for commendable work performed on the job appear
minutes after a supervisor making his report. Nearly any benefit or punishment to a citizen that can be thought up can be applied through scrip, though the primary banks always have the final say in how things go down.
Scrip-chips in the State are quite literally the implanted representation of a worker's legal status and citizenship. Without these implants in working order, a citizen is powerless. They cannot even be verified as a citizen at all. They obviously cannot easily access their scrip, restricting access to even the most basic of necessities... such as access to a public restroom, or food, or transportation.
Currency in the Caldari State is intimately linked with a citizen's legitimacy and freedoms. The strict and complete control the megacorps have over their employees' wealth is a perfect example of how rigidly enforced Caldari society is. In the blink of an eye, a citizen can lose everything they ever worked for. Yet for most citizens, this is taken as a simple fact of life. The Caldari aren't big on personal freedoms, and they tend to trust in the higher authorities to provide these services.
On that note, the State does. The megacorporate banks are some of the most efficiently run institutions throughout the entire State. They have to be, because the man holding the leash must be reliable...
... else they risk letting the dogs run free and wild.[/spoiler]
Author
Topic: Methods of Currency - The Caldari (Read 2982 times)