Across the capital, agents of every power worked faster.

“ ‘First Supplement: the Consensus Laws, commonly known as Gray Laws. In compliance with Senatorial Order 2144–3, the Universal Free Court has assembled a list of balanced and reasonable laws intended to reflect those laws most commonly recommended by all human beings for the preservation of the common peace. Prohibitions apply primarily to violence against persons or property, theft, deception, exploitation, and other destructive behaviors. All Minors and persons not of sound and mature mind, as well as all adult persons who have not registered to be governed by a different Authority or by the Universal Laws alone, and who are not residents of Reservations, are automatically protected by these Consensus Laws, may demand the enforcement of these laws from the Universal Free Court, and may, in appropriate circumstances, be detained, tried, and punished by the Universal Free Court for violating them. A person who is not a Minor may choose to adopt the Consensus Laws at any time, or to renounce them and be governed by the laws of some other Authority or by the Universal Laws alone, unless the motive for said change is criminal and unjust. [Clarification SC 2144–14: the Universal Free Court will make public a list, known as the Blacklaw Registry, of all persons who have renounced these Consensus Laws and elected to be governed by the Universal Laws alone.]

“ ‘Second Supplement: Minor’s Law. In compliance with Senatorial Order 2144–5 no Minor, unless born in a Reservation, may renounce the protection of the Consensus Laws and be governed by the laws of another Authority or the Universal Laws alone. A Minor is defined as a sentient being, regardless of age [or species], who has not passed an examination demonstrating sufficient mental competency to make moral, legal, and life-or-death decisions, or who has passed such an examination but can be demonstrated to have lost said competency and can no longer pass a comparable examination. No person shall be prevented from taking such an examination for any reason including age [species, or synthetic origin]. No limit shall be placed on the number of times a person may take such an examination. The Office of Minors of the Universal Free Alliance must make the opportunity to take such an examination available to any Minor within 24 hours of request. Such examinations may be offered by the Universal Free Alliance Adulthood Competency Exam Office, or by any other Authority whose examination process is approved by said office.