• Location: Civic Ring, New Kourou
• Address: NW Civic Ring Road 1
• Surroundings: Adjacent to the Federal Attorney’s Building and the Federal Sheriff’s Headquarters.

The Federal Court Building houses the headquarters of the Federal Court, the highest judicial body of the Federal Confederation. The Court interprets and enforces the Common Constitution, the Civil Code, and the Criminal Code.

The Civil Code was introduced in the Gamma Age as a foundational complement to the Common Constitution and the Criminal Code, regulating private rights and duties among citizens, organizations, and native residents of VOI 700 D. It emphasizes sustainability, collective welfare, and coexistence under the principles of the Peace Treaty with the Alliance of Native Tribes of 2631. The framework for the Civil Code was first outlined during the Communard reforms under Aisha Patel and refined by the Federal GAIA Agency, with GAIA providing data-driven insights to balance a multicultural and resource-conscious society.

Oversight and compliance are additionally subject to the scrutiny of the Permanent Supervisor and their deputies, who ensure that ExoHuman behavior remains aligned with the Peace Treaty and the ecological balance of VOI 700 D.

Cases arrive at the Federal Court after being prepared by the Federal Attorney or escalated from local sheriff jurisdictions. Verdicts are issued by panels of judges, often informed by GAIA’s predictive analytics and precedent models, though final judgment rests with human authority.

Constructed in 2632 as part of the post-Great War reforms of the Communard government under Aisha Patel, the Court Building became one of the central institutions of Gamma Age governance.

Its establishment marked the abolition of independent local courts from the Beta Age, consolidating all judicial power under a single federal authority in New Kourou. This centralization was justified as a safeguard against corruption and factionalism, but critics argue it reduced community autonomy.

• Construction Materials: Alloy plating and structural frames salvaged from the Last Frontier.
• Floors: 3
• Design Purpose: A solemn, transparent space designed to project impartiality and authority.

Its austere design mirrors other Civic Ring buildings: durable, minimalist, and resource-conscious. Courtrooms are arranged to maximize visibility, with raised benches for judges and public galleries for observation.

Ground Floor

• Courtrooms: Civil, criminal, and constitutional cases are heard here, with galleries for public observation.
• Public Viewing Galleries: Citizens may observe trials, reinforcing the principle of transparency.

Second Floor

• Judges’ Chambers: Offices for Federal Judges, where evidence is reviewed and verdicts are deliberated.
• Legal Support Offices: Clerks and archivists manage case files, documentation, and communication with other agencies.

Third Floor

• GAIA Integration Center: A secure chamber where GAIA provides insights on precedent, sentencing guidelines, and risk analysis. Access is limited to judges and authorized clerks.

The Federal Court Building conveys both austerity and renewal. Its walls are pieced together from salvaged plating of the Last Frontier, giving the structure an improvised, almost patchwork quality. Yet this very construction symbolizes a new age of rationality and fairness after the chaos of the Great War.

Inside, the atmosphere is solemn and restrained. Courtrooms are stark and functional: wooden benches, alloy-paneled walls, and narrow windows admitting shafts of pale light. There are no decorations beyond the seal of the Federal Confederation, reminding all present of the law’s authority.

The soundscape is equally sparse — the measured voices of judges, the shuffle of paper slips, and the occasional echo of boots across alloy floors. While Shellac Records duplicate rulings for archive purposes, this process takes place behind closed doors; in the courtroom itself, justice is rendered on paper, witnessed by citizens in the galleries, without visible machinery mediating the process.

• Federal Judges: Preside over trials, interpret law, and issue verdicts.
• Clerks & Archivists: Manage case documentation on paper and Shellac Records; coordinate filings from attorneys and sheriffs.
• Judicial Analysts: Operate the GAIA Integration Center, presenting predictive insights to judges.
• Court Deputies: Provide security in courtrooms, protect judges, and handle evidence custody.

• Public Access: Citizens may enter viewing galleries during open trials; all other areas are restricted.
• Operating Hours: Mon–Sat, 08:00–18:00. Trials are scheduled in morning and afternoon blocks.
• Operational Rhythm:
  • Morning: Opening of court sessions; GAIA updates reviewed.
  • Midday: Hearings and witness testimonies; verdicts on minor cases.
  • Afternoon: High-profile trials; preparation of rulings for archive.
  • After Hours: Clerks secure verdict slips and Shellac Records in locked archives.

• Guarded Entrances: Deputies of the Federal Sheriff verify all entrants.
• On-Site Deputies: Each floor has stationed deputies; two per courtroom during sessions.
• Evidence Vault: Secure storage for legal evidence under dual-key control.
• Analog Alert System: An analog siren system, linked directly to the Sheriff’s Headquarters.

Legal (Common Interactions)

• Attend a public trial from the viewing galleries
• Submit petitions or evidence for a case
• Receive a formal sentence or ruling from the Court
• Request certified copies of past verdicts or legal documents

Illegal

• Bribe a clerk to “lose” or alter case files
• Smuggle evidence in or out of the vault
• Attempt to influence or threaten a judge
• Forge GAIA data to sway sentencing

The Federal Court is a stage for high-stakes intrigue, where verdicts shape lives and power balances. PCs are often sent here by the Federal Sheriff to safeguard justice or expose corruption:

• The Lost Verdict: A critical sentencing slip disappears before archiving. The PCs must recover it before it is falsified or destroyed.
• The Silent Witness: A key witness vanishes on the morning of a major trial. The Sheriff orders the PCs to locate and deliver them to court before the session begins.

• Gamma Age
• Federal Confederation
• Federal Court
• Federal Sheriff’s Department
• Federal Attorney
• Federal Compulsory Attorney Law Office
• Federal Council
• ExoHuman Legal System in the Gamma Age
• Exohuman Legal System in the Beta Age (predecessor)
• Native Supervision