The Hallowed Governance of Electrical Infrastructure
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| Type | Private, monopolized company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Communications, Utilities |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Headquarters | Centriepistula, Centriepistula |
| Area served | Universal monopoly |
| Key people | Patriarch of Phone-based Expansion |
| Employees | 2725 |
| Website | electric.org |
The Hallowed Governance of Electrical Infrastructure, also called "The Governance", is centuries-old enterpise that has had an absolute monopoly over the telecommunications, utilities, and any other major infrastructure for the past 128 years. It was, and is, by far one of the most powerful forces in the determination of technology.
The monopoly the Governance holds over telecommunications and utilities is critisized by many. Several countries tried to go around the rule, but some failed due to unknown reasons. The Patriach of Phone-based Expansion, the leader of the Governance, also does not know why.
History
Founded in 1881 by a female Dorkugese penguin addressed as Saint Alexa Graham Cracker Belle the Magnificent, The Hallowed Governance of Electrical Infrastructure was created to "properly and respectfully administer the Telegraph and all of its successors for the benefit of penguin-kind". Alexia assumed the position of leader, and after donning some snazzy garments, she and her new administration seized all control over the new invention. As technology grew, so did the Governance, continuously seizing every cable-based item that came up in the world. An unknown power played a significant role in the expansion of the Governance. Governance employee would regularly precede any actions they do with 'in the name of the Board, the Bureaucrats and the Holy Electricity'. No one knew what this meant, with the majority of people presuming that it referred to the High Penguin Confederacy's bureaucrats, the Board being the Governance's Saints (an unofficial Board of Directors) and the Holy Electricity simply being electricity. She died peacefully in 1902.
After the invention of usable electricity and later the telephone, the current leader of the Governance at the time, Ben John Edict, realized that one penguin couldn't run it alone, as the Governance continued to expand by buying out rival companies. The High Penguin Confederacy had declared the Governance 'the state utilities provider' and the Governance required significant expansion. By signing the Juvoinopiapluspopuliutlaborcummea Edict (Latin, literally meaning "Help, I need more people to work with me!"), he established the modern The Hallowed Governance of Electrical Infrastructure Hierarchy, giving himself the title of Patriarch of Phone-based Expansion, or P.O.P.E. for short. Along with the title came new responsibilities, P. Ben John Edict was now in charge of a huge group of folks of all walks of life, each of which administered a portion of the grid. This system had great success, being approved by Triskelle, who was overseeing the Governance's plan with great approval. The Governance was able to expand to other countries and began sending missionaries, many of whom were greeted with delight by several other countries for bringing reliable and sustainable energy.
Sadly, Ben died a month after the Edict was created, in 1903. The next successor, P.O.P.E. Pieus I (pronounced Pie Us), bought some land and created a palace to work out of. He called it Centriepistula (Latin, literally center of communications). It was funded with the profits from the quick expansion of the Governance. Critics claimed that the amount of funds used to fund the palace went against the Govenrnance social doctrine of 'using all available funds to help those who wouldn't usually have access to utilities to gain access, with each employee being selfless in helping others'. The palace was built near what was going to become the seat of the Snowman Empire. However, it would become a popular tourist attraction and the Governance profited greatly from this. This was P.O.P.E Pieus I's brainchild and many were pleased with the palace. It became a major centre of technology and many of the greatest innovations came from Centriepistula. The Governance didn't seem like that it would die out. However, the Khanz were a great threat. Whoot Smackler Whoot spoke against the Governance, criticising it for being an instrument of the High Penguins. However, the P.O.P.E and Whoot managed to come to an agreement at the beginning of the war, with the P.O.P.E adopting a policy of 'utilities neutrality', that he would be neutral to both sides and would maintain his promise of a stable utilities supply.
However, many Governance employees actively fought against Khanzem and it was said that most supporters of the Governance fought for the Good Guys. Many low-ranking Priests and Bishops, whilst doing their duty, would often help prisoners escape from Concentration Camps. This lead to many employees being imprisoned in Concentration Camps. However Whoot didn't want to agitate the Governance as it would turn many supporters against the Khanz. Secretly, he was planning to seize Governance infrastructure and cause a schism in utilities but he listened to his advisors and went against it. Even to the Khanz's last stand, the Governance maintained their promise to provide a stable supply to both sides. A notable feature was the Governance providing medical services to Penguins on both sides, with employees using new revolutionary to assist them. These monks and knights usually belonged to an order called the Order of the Knights of St Johnny of Melta. The St Johnny's Ambulance still exists to this day.
After this period, P.O.P.E Pieus I died peacefully and P.O.P.E Alexa II came to power, from the Borja family. Alexa II was a controversial figure. He promoted his family members to key positions in the Governance and used his influence to ensure his family rose to power. He raised tariffs, bills and extorted from the poor. He grabbed up many smaller utilities providers and annexed them into the Governance. Tech-Time was disregarded and efficiency thrown into the bin. Instead, employees became extorters, regularly demanding bills. He bribed the right penguins and deleted those who stood in his way with the help of the Bureau of Fiction. Poor administration contributed to the rise of Snowme, as the Governance aggravated many of it's customers. The Snowmans promised to take-over the Governance, which they successfully did. P.O.P.E Alexa died before he could see it and P.O.P.E Citi I came to power, supported by the Snowmans. He most notably assisted victims of the Concentration Camps during Khanzems with lower tariffs and bills and set the Governance back to a path of efficiency. However, P.O.P.E Alexa II's reign made it hard to rollback the damage made by him. After the fall of Snowme, IBM-style computers appeared in remote Olde Antarctica government buildings and universities. The Governance expanded its power by routing power lines and dial-up cables from place to place.
When PCs became huge in business during the dawn of Colonial Antarctica, the Governance gained more power, to the point of totalitarian control. The P.O.P.E. who reigned in the early 1990s, P. Pieus II (pronounced Pie Us), encouraged the workers in the Governance to focus on helping and working with the people instead of just telling them what to do. He feared totalitarianism and was highly conservative, looking back at various old-school Governance traditions such as Tech-Time with Bishops which began fading after the invention of the radio and television. Seeking to have some fun with the commoners, Pieus II reestablished Tech-Time as a major event every Wednesday. Bishops (a lower rank) would come out and share what they know about technology, where the people would respond with questions and other such things.
The current reigning P.O.P.E. is P. Bobzin, who routinely speaks out against Darktan. Darktan doesn't dare attack a penguin of the Governance, it's too risky.
Snoss Schism
Governance Hierarchy
The following are the positions in the Governance hierarchy, from highest to lowest. The administrative positions mainly manage the Governance, while the physical positions do more physical work in actual Telenacle locations.
Administrative
- P.O.P.E.
- Cardinals
- Teranarchs / Gigabishops
- MetroCERNs
Physical
- Megabishops/Bishops
- A Bishop is a rank above Priest. Bishops are in command of the Priests and the Datacons. Bishops hold Tech-Time for a minimum of one to four hours. The Bishop is responsible for administrating the Telenacle and providing utilities on the order of the district MetroCERN. Roles outside the Tech-Time include hearing confessions (like avoid paying bills) and forgiving them for the P.O.P.E. (hey the P.O.P.E. isn't everywhere). Usually that is the job of the Priest but if there are no Priests then the Bishop does it. The Bishop also has a handful of Providers to check up every week. Sometimes Bishops visit schools that request a Tech-Time over half an hour or when a Priest can't visit it.
- A Megabishop is the same as Bishop but they have a larger Telenacle and more people visiting. Many Megabishops were originally Bishops who needed their Telenacle expanded due to the increase in population. Others were Megabishops from the start who were promoted from Priest.
- Priests
- Priests have minor roles compared to Bishops or Megabishops but are still important. A Priest runs a Provider which helps provide utilities from the Telenacles to it's local area or when the Telenacle connection fails it contacts another Telenacle to help provide utilities. Providers also have several Datacons which help keep the utilities going. The Priest sends them orders either from himself or the Mega/Bishop. The Priest serves Tech-Time for half an hour either in the Provider or the Telenacle. The Mega/Bishop is responsible for the Priest and the Priest is administrated by him or her. A Priest must also hear confessions and go to schools which request half an hour Tech-Time.
- Sometimes a school may have a small Provider where the Priest works alone (no or only one Datacons). He supplies the utilities to the school and the students attend the half an hour tech times.
- Datacons
- Datacons is the lowest rank in the Telenacle hierarchy (and in the whole hierarchy). They either work in the Telenacle or one of the Providers. A Datacon sits in front of a computer or a control and supplies a certain utility to igloos and buildings. Sometimes a Datacon supplies all the utilities. They must follow the orders of the Priests, Bishops and Megabishops. A Datacon assists the Priests and the Mega/Bishops with Tech-Time. They set up, carry things needed etc. If there is a minor problem with the utilities in a building (not a Telenacle or a Provider failure) the Datacon comes and tries to fix the problem. The Datacon also issue the bills in local areas. After a year a Datacon becomes a Priest.
Monopoly
The Hallowed Governance of Electrical Infrastructure's biggest and only controversy, that originated more than 100 years ago, is how it has an absolute monopoly over all telecommunications, utilities and other major infrastructure. The USA legalized this monopoly and this further sparked tension. Many theories and stories appeared regarding this, but there is no evidence to support it.
AP&P Fold
See AP&P Fold
In 1987, a telecommunications company based south of Penguville folded despite profiting significantly. The case was not brought up until 1988 when AP&P phones across the country suddenly dissapeared. An investigation started in September 1993 to discover the cause of such dissapearences.
During the investigation, it was found out that AP&P's founder, Calvin Bellhop, dissapeared, along with all the CEOs that worked there. A third of the employees somehow had 'trauma'. Initially, theorists suspected the BoF of such doings, but BoF had not played a part in it at all.
Eventually, the investigation revealed that during the holiday season of 1986, then-CEO Williams Duke quarelled with Alexander Harig, the to-be CEO. Duke raged a war against Harig. AP&P was then 'divided' into two, Harig controlling one, Duke controlling the other. During the process, Duke faked AP&P's bankruptcy through removing its listing from the stock market. As AP&P was divided into two while still existing as one company, and that neither two sides will communicate, this caused it to fall apart and finally fold officially in January 1989.
However, the Governance took advantage of this period and terminated the company's official registration, which was then still legit. The Pope had no part to play in this, though, as he was on holiday to the Snowzerland. The Governance also secretly spread rumors that AP&P phones contained pinhole cameras inside, and the consumer public had no reason not to believe. The Governance was sued for anti-competitive practices and illegal termination of contracts, but the cases never came to court.