The Treaty of Marker I

The Treaty of Marker I was signed at saturation depth in spring 2156, six months after first contact. It is, in the strict sense, neither a peace treaty nor a trade agreement; it is a protocol. It establishes how, where, and on whose schedule the human survey and the Tyrian Court will meet. It does not establish what they will discuss.

What the treaty fixes

The depth of meetings (saturation tier; later extended to ADS depth at the Brassgate). The cadence (quarterly; preserved with rare exceptions for almost thirty years). The composition of the human party (no fewer than three, no more than five, at least one of whom must be a registered translator). The composition of the Pelagine party (left to the Court). The protocol for cancellation (either side may defer without explanation; deferral does not lapse the treaty).

What the treaty omits

Trade. Migration. Political recognition. The treaty's authors believed, by all evidence reasonably, that addressing these matters in 2156 would have prevented the treaty from being signed at all. The Court has, in the years since, been asked at intervals whether it would consent to expand the treaty. The Court has, on each occasion, declined politely.

What is named

The site at which the treaty was signed is the canonical Marker I; subsequent markers were numbered consecutively and are referred to throughout the archive simply by their roman numeral.