VII – IDENTIFICATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND CONTROL

STATUS TRANSITION PROTOCOL

At the moment of Lottery activation:
• a visible countdown timer begins
• civic personhood is suspended
• the citizen is reclassified as Animal pending Processing
• clothing privileges are revoked
Public acknowledgment of status transition is culturally normalized.
Failure to report before countdown expiration results in immediate state retrieval.
Tampering with the identification watch triggers Enforcement response.
Failure to report within the seven-day grace period may activate Bloodline Culling Protocol as defined by state statute.
Bloodline Culling Protocol applies only to Lottery-selected individuals who evade reporting.

IDENTIFICATION WATCH SYSTEM

All citizens wear a government-issued identification watch.
Watch color indicates legal status:
Green — Citizen
Full personhood retained.
Red — Animal
Selected for Processing. Personhood suspended.
Yellow — Processing Center personnel (Butchers, technicians, staff)
The watch cannot be removed.
Tampering triggers automatic enforcement response.

ENFORCEMENT & RETRIEVAL

Animal Control

Animal Control units are responsible for recovering Runaway Animals.
A Runaway Animal is defined as:
• a selected individual who fails to report to a Processing Center within the seven-day grace period
• a citizen who removes or tampers with a government identification watch
Animal Control officers track and retrieve these individuals for immediate transfer to Processing Center custody.
Runaways are considered state property in flight.
Capture operations prioritize speed and containment rather than public visibility.

Enforcement Officers

Enforcement Officers function as the state police force.
Their responsibilities include:
• maintaining civic order
• responding to watch tampering alerts
• securing citizens during status transition events
• escorting Criminal Conversions to Processing Centers
Enforcement Officers do not perform Processing.
Their role ends once an Animal is delivered to Processing Center jurisdiction.

TRANSPORT PROTOCOL

Animals carrying active red-status watches are granted access to public transportation for the purpose of reporting to Processing Centers.
Transport access is permitted only under the following conditions:
• the Animal must be fully nude
• the identification watch must display active red status
• the Animal must not be registered as a Runaway
Animals traveling under red status are considered self-reporting state Animal property.
Transport operators are not responsible for supervising Animals beyond verifying watch status.
Failure to report after transport use results in Runaway classification.

PRIVATE PROCESSING PERMITS

Under limited circumstances, private slaughter may be authorized through a state-issued permit.
Permits allow licensed individuals to process an Animal outside of Processing Centers.
Private processing remains heavily regulated and must comply with all Conversion laws and identification verification protocols.
Unauthorized slaughter carries severe criminal penalties.

RUNAWAY PROTOCOL

A Runaway is an individual who fails to report to a Processing Center within the required reporting period or attempts to evade identification systems. Runaways are considered state property in flight.
Animal Control units are responsible for locating and retrieving Runaways. Capture operations prioritize speed and containment and are typically conducted with minimal public visibility.
Upon capture, the individual is reclassified as Runaway Property and loses all privileges associated with standard Animal status. This includes loss of movement, visitation, and facility access.
Runaways are retained for labor rather than being scheduled for Processing. They are assigned to physically demanding or hazardous roles under continuous supervision.
Within civic culture, Runaways are viewed as individuals who rejected civic responsibility, often resulting in limited public sympathy.
The Runaway Protocol exists to deter evasion, reinforce compliance, and provide labor for high-risk or undesirable tasks.