Corporate Territories in the Sprawl

Corporate border checkpoint at night, different colored neon districts visible - cyan Nexus, orange Ironclad, green Helix

The Sprawl isn't governed by nations—it's divided among corporations. After the Cascade killed 2.1 billion people and collapsed traditional governments, megacorporations filled the vacuum. What emerged is a patchwork of corporate territories, each with its own laws, currency, and sovereignty. Where you are determines whose laws you follow, whose currency you use, and whose enforcers can legally shoot you.

Territory Types

Primary Corporate Territories

Direct corporate control with full extraterritorial sovereignty

In primary territories, corporate law supersedes all other law. Corporate currency is default. Corporate security has arrest, detain, and execution authority. Citizens receive full benefits; non-citizens require visas or sponsorship.

Nexus: Nexus Central, The Lattice Ironclad: The Foundry, Highport Station Helix: The Spire, The Gardens

Secondary Corporate Territories

Corporate majority control with shared governance

Multiple corporations share sovereignty through inter-corporate agreements. Mixed currency systems operate, and security responsibilities are divided by zone or rotation.

The Reclaim (Environmental Consortium) The Neon Mile (Entertainment Consortium)

Contested Territories

Multiple corporations compete without resolution

Laws shift based on which enforcer finds you first. Currency acceptance varies block by block. Highest danger from corporate conflict—but also opportunities for those who navigate power vacuums.

The Stacks (dozens of overlapping claims) Sector 12 border regions

Ungoverned Territories

No corporation claims or can profitably control

No corporate law—but no protection either. Barter economy or pre-Cascade currency. Self-governance by communities, clans, or gangs. Corporate extraction operations may occur without claiming sovereignty.

The Wastes Blackout Zone 7 The Margins

How Territory Is Claimed

The Scramble Years (2148-2160)

Most current territorial boundaries were established during the Scramble Years, when corporations rushed to claim valuable infrastructure from collapsed governments. Success required:

  • Control of Critical Infrastructure: Whoever kept the power on owned the grid
  • Population Provision: Whoever fed people owned their loyalty
  • Military Capacity: Whoever could hold ground kept it

The 2160 Treaty of Boundaries formalized most claims, creating the modern territorial map. It also established the Arbitration House in The Veil as the venue for territorial disputes.

Modern Expansion Methods

Acquisition

  • Purchase land rights from smaller entities
  • Buy out competing claims through Arbitration House
  • Absorb bankrupt competitors

Development

  • Build infrastructure in ungoverned zones
  • Establish "service corridors" that gradually become sovereign
  • Create special economic zones that mature into full control

Conflict

  • Direct military action (rare since Three-Week War of 2171)
  • Proxy conflicts through gangs, militias, sponsored actors
  • Economic warfare to force competitors out

The Annexation Process

1
Service Provision

Offer power, water, security to ungoverned area

2
Contract Lock-In

Residents sign service agreements with territorial clauses

3
Infrastructure Investment

Build corporate facilities, housing, utilities

4
Security Deployment

Enforcers establish presence "for protection"

5
Sovereignty Declaration

Once 60%+ of residents are under contract, declare formal claim

6
Arbitration Registration

File claim with Arbitration House, pay registration fee

The whole process can take 2-10 years. Rushing it invites resistance; patience creates legitimacy.

Border Mechanics

What Constitutes a Border?

Corporate borders aren't always physical walls. They're defined by presence, surveillance, and control:

Hard Borders

  • Physical checkpoints with security verification
  • Walls, fences, or geographic barriers
  • Energy shields (rare, expensive, high-security only)

Soft Borders

  • Signage indicating jurisdiction change
  • Network boundaries (different surveillance systems)
  • Service transitions (whose power, whose water)

Checkpoint Types

Type Security Wait Time Documentation
Citizen Gates Low Minutes Corporate ID auto-scanned
Visitor Checkpoints Medium 30min-2hrs Visa, sponsor, purpose
Commercial Ports Variable Negotiated Cargo manifest, fees
Restricted Access High Days+ Background check, clearance
Denied Entry Maximum N/A No legitimate crossing

Border Enforcement Authority

Corporate security at borders has broad powers:

  • Deny entry without explanation
  • Search persons and cargo
  • Detain suspicious individuals
  • Use lethal force against "unauthorized infiltration"

Inter-corporate agreements prevent most abuses against other corporations' citizens—but residents of ungoverned zones have no such protection.

Movement Between Territories

For Corporate Citizens

Business Travel

  • Sponsor from destination corporation required
  • Limited duration (typically 30-90 days)
  • Monitored movement, restricted zones
  • Automatic reciprocity for equivalent-level employees

Personal Travel

  • Tourist visas available for stable territories
  • Requires proof of return transport and funds
  • May be denied for security reasons
  • Shorter durations, higher monitoring

Permanent Relocation

  • Requires renouncing original citizenship
  • May lose accumulated benefits
  • Non-compete clauses may restrict employment
  • 5-10 year loyalty bond common

For Non-Citizens

Residents of ungoverned zones or minor corporate territories face harder barriers:

Work Permits

Requires corporate sponsor. Tied to specific employment. Lose permit if job ends. Can lead to permanent residence after 3-5 years.

Service Contracts

Accept indentured service in exchange for entry. Terms typically 5-15 years. Rights significantly restricted. Common during Migrations.

Illegal Entry

Smuggling networks operate at all borders. High cost, high risk. Immediate deportation or detention if caught. May be sold to corporations as contract labor.

The Documentation Layer

Every border crossing generates data:

Standard Documentation

  • Corporate ID (citizens)
  • Visa/permit (visitors)
  • Biometric verification (universal)
  • Neural scan (high-security zones)

What Gets Tracked

  • Location history
  • Financial transactions
  • Communication metadata
  • Association patterns

Corporations share data through bilateral agreements. Your travel history in Nexus territory may be visible to Helix security if they have a data-sharing arrangement.

Notable Contested Zones

Sector 12 Border Region

Nexus-Ironclad dispute since 2171

The Three-Week War started here over aquifer rights. Never fully resolved; now maintained as a buffer zone with shared patrols. Both sides claim it; neither controls it.

The Stacks (Lower Levels)

Dozens of overlapping claims

Below Level 50, effective governance collapses entirely. The Depths are contested in theory, ungoverned in practice. Survival depends on knowing which gang controls which corridor.

New Singapore Harbor

Helix-Nexus dispute

Biotech port facilities with strategic value to both corporations. Currently operating under "joint administration" that satisfies no one. Frequent "incidents."

Life in Contested Zones

Multiple Authorities

Different blocks may have different rulers. Enforcers from competing corporations may clash. Residents must navigate between powers.

Legal Ambiguity

Which laws apply depends on who catches you. Smart residents carry documentation for multiple jurisdictions. Crimes may be prosecuted twice if both parties want jurisdiction.

Economic Flexibility

Multiple currencies accepted. Less surveillance (systems don't integrate). Black market thrives in legal gaps.

Higher Danger

Corporate conflict affects civilians. Security response unpredictable. Infrastructure may be disputed (whose power, whose water).

Territorial Economics

Corporate Scrip

Corporation Currency Exchange Rate External Acceptance
Nexus Data Credits (DC) Floating Medium
Ironclad Forge Marks (FM) Materials-backed High
Helix Life Credits (LC) Service-pegged Low
The Veil Standard Units (SU) Universal reference Highest

Scrip Dependency

Corporate territories often require local currency for rent, basic services, employment wages, and government fees. This creates economic captivity—leaving territory means leaving savings.

Conversion through The Veil's Banking Consortium costs 2-15% depending on currencies and political climate.

Trade Across Borders

Raw materials: 5-15%
Manufactured goods: 10-30%
Technology: 20-50%
Restricted items: Prohibited or 100%+

The Big Three maintain reciprocal trade agreements reducing tariffs for authorized commerce. Smaller corporations and ungoverned zones face full rates. High tariffs create smuggling opportunities—moving prohibited items, transporting people without documentation, information trafficking.

Special Zones

Neutral Territories

The Veil (Banking District)

No corporation may deploy military forces. Banking Consortium provides security. All corporate currencies accepted. Arbitration House handles disputes.

Highport Station (Orbital)

Joint Ironclad-Nexus administration. Critical infrastructure protections. Limited military presence. Transit hub with relaxed documentation.

Free Zones

The Free City (Zephyria)

2.3 million population. Self-governing since 2154. Trade relationships without sovereignty surrender. Corporate operations permitted but not sovereign.

Quarantine Zones

Rad Zones (Wastes)

Radiation from Cascade-era failures. Entry forbidden, extraction operations only. Unofficial populations exist but unprotected.

Outbreak Zones

Helix authority in disease response. Temporary sovereignty during active outbreaks. Questionable return-to-normal timelines.