Economics & Trade
The economic systems that drive the Abeceus system—who makes what, who needs what, and who controls the chokepoints.
Reference
- Master Industry List — Complete catalog of economic activities
The Five Economies
| Power | Character | Core Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Mesulea | Energy hegemon | He-3 monopoly, cheap energy enables everything |
| Nuilea | Industrial arsenal | Volume manufacturing, accepts ugly tradeoffs |
| Atruna | Services & standards | Institutions everyone needs but can’t replicate |
| Freeholds | Resource frontier | Raw materials, flexibility, escape valves |
| Oziri | Shadow market | Strike craft, salvage, deniability |
Trade & Commerce
- Interplanetary Trade Flows — Who trades what with whom
Key Concepts
The Reactor Divide
| Reactor Type | Fuel | Advantages | Disadvantages | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| He-3 Fusion | Mesulea | Clean, efficient, good insurance | Fuel dependency | Mesulea |
| D-T (Tritium) | Nuilea/Freeholds | Cheap, available | Neutron activation, penalties | Nuilea |
The Certification Regime
Atrunean institutions dominate system-wide standards:
- Ship registries (Atrunean = accepted everywhere)
- Reactor certification (“Atrunean Standard” is baseline)
- Insurance (Atrunean underwriters set rates)
- Arbitration (contracts default to Atrunean courts)
Economic Chokepoints
| Chokepoint | Controller | Leverage |
|---|---|---|
| He-3 supply | Mesulea | Fuel contract terms as political weapons |
| Certification | Atruna | Standards determine market access |
| Insurance | Atruna | Can make routes uninsurable |
| Raw materials | Freeholds | Control feedstock for manufacturing |
| Food (to Oziri) | Various | Oziri’s critical vulnerability |
Quick Trade Matrix
Who exports what to whom:
| From ↓ / To → | Mesulea | Nuilea | Atruna | Freeholds | Oziri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesulea | — | He-3 ★★★ | He-3, ships | He-3, goods | (gray) |
| Nuilea | Munitions | — | Mfg goods | Weapons | (cutouts) |
| Atruna | Electronics | Electronics | — | Services | (limited) |
| Freeholds | Metals | Metals | Metals | — | Materials |
| Oziri | (gray) | (gray) | (minimal) | Strike craft | — |
★★★ = Critical dependency