Free The Confederation Handbook by Peter F. Hamilton

germinating a
habitat in orbit around Kulu’s gas giant Tarron, and setting up
their usual He3mining operation. He did this under the guise of
religious devotion, although he had never before in his life
demonstrated any religious tendencies. It is arguable that he was
himself considering the establishment of an He3mining corporation to
rival the Edenists, though Kulu at that time could never afford to
match what was already the largest industrial enterprise in
existence, and Saldana must have known this. Whatever the true
reason, the Kulu Kingdom remains completely independent of the
Edenists for its supplies of He3(see Gas giants, page
17 ).
    With extensive modern manufacturing systems available in orbit around
Kulu, Saldana was quickly able to provide a sophisticated
infrastructure on the planet itself, attracting the kind of
middle-class professionals who would otherwise have remained on
Earth. With its burgeoning economy, Kulu was swiftly recognized as an
excellent investment, and capital poured in—with many of the
wealthier individual investors following it, raising its appeal still
further. The economic upward spiral of Kulu’s first century is
one that has never been repeated, despite innumerable attempts; the
economic and social factors both on Earth and across the
Confederation have changed too much since then. Richard Saldana was
simply the right man at the right time with the right idea.
    Richard Saldana died in
2248, and his son Gerrald inherited what had become the Kulu
Corporation, which then consisted of the asteroid settlement and its
associated orbital industrial stations, the Tarron cloudscoop
operation, planetary utility services, a starship fleet, and various
planetary factories. In a move no less inspired than his father’s,
Gerrald called the settlement’s first election, but refused to
stand for any post. Instead it was a simple matter to ensure that his
placemen secured a majority in the Parliament, and the first action
of the new president, Dennis Mason (later Lord Mason), was to
introduce an act creating the position of a constitutional guardian
who would remain outside politics and safeguard the Kulu system’s
new-found liberty. The logical choice for this post was someone who
simply could not be bribed, so Gerrald Saldana’s appointment
was approved unanimously by Parliament, and his coronation was held
in 2250.
    Constitution
    The head of state is the
King, who has the right to levy taxes in defense of the Kingdom, and
is responsible for enforcing the Crown’s justice. In return for
fealty, the sovereign guarantees all his subjects the following
rights: (a) an elected assembly which can offer advice to the Crown,
pass laws subject to the royal seal of assent, and raise taxes to pay
for the said laws; (b) an independent judiciary and police force not
subject to Parliament’s control; (c) the right to own and use
property (widely referred to as the Capitalism Pledge, necessary to
placate investors and wealthy would-be colonists becoming nervous
that Gerrald was establishing a dictatorship).
    Religion
    The sovereign is also the
defender of the Christian faith throughout the Kingdom, a position
which wasn’t ratified by the Vatican until 2343. Although
atheists are allowed to immigrate, the devout of all other faiths are
refused entry. King Marcus granted considerable estates to the Church
in 2312, which have provided the synod with an independent income
ever since. Kulu priests are frequently assigned to Christianizing
missions on recently colonized planets.
    The Monarchy
    Gerrald Saldana took his duties as head of state very seriously,
virtually handing over management of the Kulu Corporation to his son
and daughter, Alastair and Cheloe, so that he could devote his
energies to proper government. He established a socialized health
service and several universities, as well as overseeing the formation
of a genuinely independent judiciary. In