Welcome to Columbia, the capital of Fredonia. Columbia acts as a magnet for young people and starship crews from all over the Chinese Arm. Its reputation as a recreation center with a relaxed and tolerant attitude means that many people come here to live and work.

RED TAPE AND VISAS

Visitors from any nation or colony can enter Fredonia on a valid passport. The official time limits for stays in Fredonia is ninety days, but enforcement of this is fairly lax: it’s unlikely, for example, that your passport will be date-stamped on arrival. If you want to extend your stay beyond 3 months, visitors are expected to register with the local police. You will need a registration form (PRF-294), available from local police stations for Lv2, and inaccuracies in filling out this form will only complicate matters.

WORK

IF you don’t mind what you do (or what hours you do it), and are prepared to work ‘black’ (without a contract, taxes or insurance), finding work in Columbia shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. Work permits aren’t required for Texas Citizens, though everyone else will need one- and, theoretically, should not even look for a job without one.

The paperwork and bureaucracy can be complicated and tedious. The following notes cover only the initial stages of the process you’ll need to follow: it’s essential to seek advice from an experienced friend, especially when completing official forms. Writing the wrong thing could land you in a lot of unnecessary trouble.

If you are a Texas Citizen and want to stay in Columbia longer than three months, you only need to prove that you have a roof over your head to satisfy the authorities. Do this by completing RD-4475, available at the local immigration office. Fill in the address details and get it signed by your landlord or equivalent. You then go to your local police station and get it stamped. Texas Citizens don’t need a work permit to look for a job if they have a RD-4475. The next stage is to get a PTS-799 form from the local Employment office. Officially you can’t get one until you have a job - but you can’t get a job till you have one. The loophole to this Catch-22 is that most employers aren’t too concerned about the PTS-799 if you are a Texas Citizen. One must also deal with the fact that you can only get a PTS-799 six months after you register your PRF-294 with the police.

For non-Texas citizens finding legal work is much more difficult, unless you’ve secured the job legally before arriving in Fredonia.

There are 3 main regions to the city of Columbia.

Oldtown

Oldtown is the oldest part of the city and occupies the majority of Seguin Point. Within the Oldtown region visitors will find the Columbia Downport, the Capital District, the Seguin Heights Residential District and several others.

Columbia downport is the main interface facility in the Department of Fredonia. The downport complex sprawls along several miles of coastline and is the oldest and largest section of the Texan Colony. Within the downport complex you will find the main terminal areas, landing strips, hangars, maintenance areas, warehouses and other facilities connected with the booming interface business. The terminal complexes house many types of shops and small eating establishments. Unlike many downport complexes, there are no hotels at Columbia Downport. Due to the maglev lines as well as taxis and rental vehicles, access to the hotels located throughout the city very easy.