Transcript For Strip 1994

Bok explains it all:

Bok: In the 11th Century of the space age, the city of Novo Paolo, a.k.a. ‘bubbleopolis,’ is a shining jewel of free humanity.

Thirty million souls inhabit this artificial, prosperous world, unburdened by kings, or presidents, or anything resembling a monopoly state.

Of course, no state doesn’t mean no law. Here, the law is a matrix of contractual agreements, based on a covenant all residents are asked to sign.

Like the old English common-law, our law develops organically from decisions rendered by reputable arbitrators, one dispute at a time.

Sure, there will always be those who resort to violence to get what they want. This is why self-defense is regarded as not only a right, but a duty.

Murders, rapes and robberies are fairly rare here, as those who do such things are quickly removed from the population. or existence.

Now, one might reasonably ask, ‘without a state, how is the law enforced?’ Or more to the point, how are disputes peacefully settled?

To answer that question, please allow me to tell you a story about how one very major dispute was settled recently.

I like to call this story, ‘The trial.’

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