ELASTIC Act

The ELASTIC (Elevator Land And Surrounding Territories Integration Compact) Act, passed after the death of Ronan Marcenas in May 0097, designates all land within 100km of each Orbital Elevator as a new special district administrated by the Benerit Group, a major business conglomerate primarily based on the Orbital Ring, with military and policing duties in the hands of Cathedra, its militarized security organization.

Variations on ELASTIC have been raised every few years for the last few decades. The passage of ELASTIC significantly upsets the balance of power within the Federation, though at this time it does not change ownership of the Orbital Elevators or bloc stakes in their shipping profits.

ELASTIC also contains provisions for designating additional critical infrastructure under its purview. The Photon Power Labs are currently under review for designation as critical energy infrastructure.