Interspace Commerce

**ALLIES:**

Liberty Navy, Liberty Police, Liberty Corporations, LSF, Gas Miners Guild, Bounty Hunters Guild

**ENEMIES:**

Lane Hackers, Outcasts, Corsairs, Criminals

Interspace Commerce (IC) is one of the "Big Three" Liberty companies and insures cargo carried within the colonies and into the Border Worlds.

## Rumors

* The mess in Leeds is complete now. The Kusari invasion already did severe damage to various of the Trade Lanes in the system, to the point where we had to reroute communications to the Tau systems over Kusari. Control of the Tau lanes is now handled from Roppongi, not us. I can only guess at the state of the Gate/Lane network in Leeds itself. Best guess? Total loss.

* We work in tandem with the Bounty Hunters. They perform the unpleasant job of criminal disposal, much like the Deep Space workers handle the manual labor of building and maintaining the Trade Lanes and Jump Gates for Ageira, and ultimately, us. We offer more bounties then any other company out there, and tailor them to specific regions. We know where the hotspots are since that's where most insurance claims get filed.

* The Tau-31 to Tau-23 Jump Gates are functional, but with two subsequent wars plagueing the region, the gates were never turned over to the Bretonian government officially. There's going to be one massive claim by Bretonia, since the liability for the project failing lays with us. A Gallic military invasion wasn't in any of the exclusion clauses. I suppose we knew it was a risky venture when it was started.

* Few people understand what Interspace Commerce really does. We are primarily in the insurance business - specifically, hazard insurance for ships and cargos that use Ageira-manufactured Jump Gates and Trade Lanes in the Sirius Sector. Stations like this one are both major trade hubs, and control stations from which we keep track of insured cargo.

* Bretonia has been quite agreeable to the terms of Interspace, unlike Kusari and Rheinland, who defaulted on our perfectly legal Trade Lane financing terms in 521. Because Liberty was not ready to back us up, we lost significant leverage and were forced to transform our company from finance to insurance. If you ask me, Liberty has only hurt itself with that - If Ageira had simply deactivated the gates remotely, we'd have had all the leverage we need.

* Ageira was able to retarget the gates leading to Leeds in Newcastle and New London to eachother after Bretonia lost control of Leeds. That was a smart move by those eggheads. With Newcastle still tied to the Bretonian network, the economic might of that system will keep this house alive. It won't be enough to save them from the coming storm I fear.

* We developed USI technology in tandem with Ageira. It allows us to track shipments anywhere on the Trade Lane grid using powerful ship-sized scanners. There is no easy way for shippers to cheat us by overstating the value of their cargos in case of loss, or attempting to ship high-value cargos without our knowledge. This allows us to set our rates at a premium and minimize fraud.

* The Lane Hackers' theft of our proprietary technology has been most unfortunate. Ageira is in the process of patching the software and modifying the hardware scanners to make it Lane Hacker proof, at which point we feel that full confidence in IC and Ageira will be restored. Problem is, so far they seem to keep up with the changes we make. I don't like it, it suggests either Ageira or ourselves have a leak quite high in the organization.

* There is currently one hotspot in this sector. The Trade Lane stretch through the Keswick Cloud in the Cambridge system has been the site of several successful attacks during the past few weeks. Several repeat Molly and Corsair offenders have been identified and marked for termination. Once there is a decent price on their heads, it is only a matter of time.

* We have information that the Corsairs and Hessians are engaged in some sort of territorial dispute in the outer Omega systems. This has distracted them somewhat from fully exploiting the vulnerable position of the Trade Lanes through Omega-3 and Omega-7. Apparently, there are no Jump Holes directly linking those systems.

* If you are looking to get into Bounty Hunting, either as a freelancer or as a Bounty Hunters Guild member, feel free to check the roster over there for any available missions. There are always troublemakers out there, and we pay good credits for anyone willing to help remove these threats to commerce.

* We use this station to monitor the Trade Lane network within Kusari, Tau-29, and Sigma-13. The Tau Lanes are most affected by the Outcasts, who seem to have been disturbed by the opening of the Tau-29 Jump Gate in Tau-23. Sigma-13 is threatened by Corsairs and Outcasts, though the two groups do not seem to be acting in concert.

* Kusari would have minimal criminal problems if the government agreed to some of the reforms proposed by Blood Dragon and Golden C. sympathizers some time ago. The new government insists on those groups laying down arms first, more likely they just don't want any radical voices in the government.

* Unlike our other House bases, Bounty Hunters Guild members are not allowed to base themselves on our station, at the request of the Kusari government. So we must make frequent visits to Deshima to communicate with the Guild management -- a process that I find distasteful.

* The Tau-53 Jump Gate project has not been insured or sanctioned by IC. We view the Hokkaido affair as a deliberate deception plotted by the Kusari government against its own people. They need an enemy such as the Blood Dragons to justify their enormous public expenditures incurred when opening up the Hokkaido system for Samura's personal gain. There is no better evidence for this than the fact the 'Chugoku Gate' never ended up connecting to Chugoku at all! All this money and fighting, and hey presto - the gate now links to Samura's brand new holdings in the Tau-53 and Tottori systems.

* The most troubling development in this sector is the growing strength of Gallia in the Tau sector. The military seems distracted by the Blood Dragons, and Kusari has a peace treaty with Gallia - but for how long?

* We've never been allowed to establish permanent offices anywhere except on Deshima and Roppongi. Kusari is very distrustful of outside influences. Roppongi was closed for a short duration following the Trade Lane Dispute of 521, when all Liberty representatives were evicted from Kusari space. However, eventually deals were worked out - Kusari needed Liberty's cooperation to maintain the gates and lanes. We're despised by most of Kusari, but they know they need us to keep their empire running.

* Non-Kusari companies based in Roppongi had a rough time dealing with Kusari for centuries. Roppongi was established in 321 AS, when the Hideyoshi dynasty was more open too foreigners - perhaps too open, and we've had to suffer the consequences for the past five centuries. With the current regime backed by Kishiro, things might turn out better, but make no misstake. Kusari does not like outsiders.

* We allow the Golden Chrysanthemums to land here, since they do not attack shipping indiscriminately. Their dispute is with the Kusari government and industry, and its stifling, paternalistic traditions. We at IC would view any reforms of Kusari society as beneficial to IC's interests.

* Okinawa is really starting to pay off for Interspace now. We don't get harassed on a daily basis like we do in Kusari. And now with the new gate to Sigma-19 we can ship directly to Rheinland, bypassing Kusari and their ridiculous tax laws. Sure it's more dangerous, a lot more in fact, but our risk analysts are confident we can make it work. At least we are self-insured!

* Damn the Hogosha! They might be legally tolerated by the authorities in Kusari, but Okinawa is still a frontier system in most respects, and the police and military are busy with the war in the Tau systems. We seem to get a raid every week or so now on this base, and I heard that one of Fujisawa's gas miners was destroyed recently after the Hogosha broke through the GMG's defensive perimeter. Furyoku's manager contacted the Golden Chrysanthemums recently in order to request their aid in clamping down on the Hogosha issue, but it appears they and the blood Dragons have their own problems of late. Something to do with a system called Tohoku, I heard.

* The gas miners who work out on Furyoku are decent sorts overall. Definitely not like most of the Kusari we get in here. They're definitely a lot more liberal in their thinking, and some of their managers are even female. I've made a few good friends here, and I'm thinking about moving to Kusari maybe.

* There's some real strange stuff going on around here lately. A lot of transports have reported seeing ships with unknown transponders and anomalous energy signatures following some of the GC patrols lately. They aren't Outcast and they aren't Dragons. And that's aside from the recent rash of other 'anomalies' that have been popping up. Lots of mysterious lights and random sensor pings. Something's going on out there, thats for sure.

* I miss my wife and kids back on Manhattan, but I can still appreciate the serene and majestic beauty of Kusari. I never envisioned anything quite like it when I agreed to take a job out here on our new base, a few years ago. You should see the Keiun cloud in Shikoku on the journey back to Liberty; it's beautiful.

* Interspace takes a 5 percent cut in the H-Fuel profits within this system, although sometimes the GMG lets us take our cut in H-Fuel itself, rather than credits. We usually store it here until it can be shipped to Liberty, where we sell it for more to the Liberty Navy. Hey, we've all got to make a living, right?

* The Golden Chrysanthemums occasionally dock here for supplies, just as they do at Roppongi Station in the New Tokyo system. However, there is less risk for them out here as there are no police or navy patrols in the entire system. It is a shame really, because the Hogosha wouldn't be nearly so audacious with the navy around to keep an eye on them. Either way, the GC girls are friendly enough, and always eager for stories and news from beyond Kusari.

* Don't try to hit on the Golden C. Girls when they're in the bar, buddy. They might all look stunning, but they're tough women, for the most part. Still, I managed to get chatting with one the other week and it progressed to the point where we...ahem...best not say here, my manager is watching. But it was really something, let me tell you!

* We had the CEO of the entire Interspace Commerce corporation, Jennifer Gale, out here last week. She was overseeing the reports of several lost cargo shipments to the station that were apparently politically sensitive in regards to our business dealings within Kusari. I'm not high placed enough within Interspace, but I've heard enough on the grapevine to know that Samura would just love to get their hands on them.

* I am the IND press officer, it is a non-stop job. Cleaning up after this group is going to put me into an early grave. Ted alone has taken fifteen years from my life.

* I have found the Ships Inn to be the best place for me to relax, besides, Sophie makes the best coffee in Sirius. At least when I am here it is only a quick shuttle trip to Wall Street; when I am out on a run sometimes I have to go weeks without a fresh pot.

* Gallia? Of course we already have our own people up there, it is what we do, but do not quote me on that.

* The former Kusari government used some rough tactics in trying to keep foreign investment out of Kusari, so we have had to use some rough tactics to make sure we can do our business. With the fall of the Samura backed Emperor we have high hopes for a blossoming of our interests in Kusari.

* The IND's buyout of Renzu is only the latest in a series of moves to solidify our position in Kusari. We have put significant resources into the Gas Miners Guild's development of the Okinawa system, in addition to some more, ah, discrete support of some of Kusari's less than reputable organizations. All perfectly legal, of course.

* They say I am an optimist, and that I am always looking for a way to do business with the people who hate us the most, but that is just how we do things in the IND.

* This base is the corporate headquarters of the Renzu Corporation. The IND built these yards so Renzu could move its offices out of Roppongi and free itself from depending on Kishiro and Samura for facility space. The first ship fully developed and built here is the Shukensha Liner. The Shukensha's pre-order deposits alone have already paid for the building of these shipyards, and word has it that Orbital Spa and Cruise is considering purchasing a small fleet to spice up their tourism in the Tottori and Sigma 19 systems.

* I have worked for the IND for quite some time, and they keep saddling me with more and more corporate responsibility... But the thing I like best about working for the IND is meeting new people, at the least getting out into the field to open new doors to find new clients gives me a chance to stay ahead of the desk and keep to the adventure.

* Any pirates who attack Trade Lane shipping or Jump Gates deserve to be exterminated, whether their motives are greed or politics. Terror and piracy must not be tolerated.

* Outcasts, Corsairs, Red Hessians, Blood Dragons, Golden Chrysanthemums, Liberty Rogues, Unioners, Xenos, the LWB, the Farmers Alliance, Gaians, and Lane Hackers -- all these groups attack Trade Lanes. And that's why IC will pay any Bounty Hunter top dollar to kill them, any of them. But especially Lane Hackers.

* The LPI, though sanctioned with policing the Trade Lanes in Liberty, is as corrupt as many of the criminals it is supposed to be arresting. The LPI can be bribed and coerced by almost any criminal with a little cash. The IC does not put any trust in the LPI.

* Any Trade Lane construction venture that begins is insured by us. If it isn't, then the Trade Lane doesn't get built. No one can risk losing the enormous capital required for the construction.

* The Lane Hackers must be destroyed. They know which shipments to hit that hurt us the most. Once they are gone, IC will double its current profits; the increase in revenue will be enormous.

* Interspace Commerce began as a banking institution formed to supply other Houses with the capital necessary for the construction of Trade Lanes within their space. Over time we became an insurance agency.

* The Lane Hackers are a bunch of California boys who split on Ageira and became the worst possible enemies of IC. They have Trade Lane technology, which allows them to punch ships out of the Trade Lanes. Once that happens, the shipments are basically theirs.

* The tolls that Kusari and Rheinland had to pay us were not nearly the full amount that we had put up to fund their Jump Gates. The compromise reached in the Sirius Commerce Pact was not a compromise for our corporation, but unfortunately Liberty didn't have the military clout to enforce the payment of Rheinland and Kusari's debts to us.

* The Bounty Hunters Guild, though perceived as not entirely trustworthy by some, is very helpful to us. They handle all of the nasty work that goes into insuring the progress of Sirius and Liberty.

* After the Rheinland-Kusari Embargo of 521, IC lost millions of credits as both Houses nationalized their Trade Lanes. The massive debts that those Houses had incurred were wiped away, and the Trade Lanes became theirs.

* Our relations with Kusari and Rheinland have never really recovered. They have banished our company from residence in their major planets, and we cannot even build bases in any of their minor systems. The irony is that we were the ones who lost all the money.

* The Lane Hackers' illegitimate use of our Universal Ship Identification system is infuriating. A technology created for the good of Sirius commerce is being exploited by a bunch of hedonistic junkies! That is why IC has begun hiring the Bounty Hunters in force.

* The Bretonian authorities, the LSF, and the Liberty military are stalwart allies in our crusade against piracy upon the Trade Lanes. They can be trusted not to take bribes or be lenient upon the scum that plague the dark places in Sirius space. If only the Rheinland Federal Police or the LPI could be relied upon...

* IC's plans for Texas have gone sour -- too many criminals in that area. Hudson and Bering have their fill of criminals, too. The Liberty to Rheinland Trade Lanes have been trouble for IC as long as I can remember.

* The Universal Shipping transport Chesapeake was hijacked several months ago and flown into the Komatsu Cloud. It is rumored to still be there, serving as a Pharmaceuticals storage depot for the Lane Hackers and Rogues.

* The Harrisburg office is responsible for Interspace interests in Pennsylvania, but we're only a small branch as there is not that much commercial activity in this system. We try to keep tabs on the biggest troublemakers in each system and post bounties on the worst offenders. The Bounty Hunters Guild then often removes these for us.

* While we do have a small transportation branch ourselves, Interspace generally specialises in financing and insurance. Large projects such as jump gates and trade lanes cost so much that lump sum payments are often impossible, even for house governments. Interspace often finances these projects in return for concessions or payment in installments.

* Interspace Commerce monitors the Trade Lane network of Rheinland from this station. If repeat offenders involved in Lane attacks can be identified, the Bounty Hunters are sent off to dispose of them.

* Bonn receives most of its basic supplies from New Berlin, with the exception of food. That's brought in from Stuttgart by Synth Foods. This station is also the exclusive Rheinland distributor for spare Trade Lane parts -- always in demand in the Omega systems.

* The Rheinland government asked IC to leave after the trade dispute of 521. We were not able to return to New Berlin until the agreement between Liberty and Rheinland following the Eighty-Years War. Liberty companies were granted free access to Rheinland space at that time.

* IC is very concerned that the Rheinland Military has proven unable to patrol the Omega-7 system satisfactorily. That is a crucial shipping route between Rheinland and Bretonia. Many of the precious metals in the Sirius sector are found there. In particular, the future Copper supply for Ageira's plant in Colorado.

* The Sigma-13 Trade Lane attacks have attained crisis status. The Corsairs and Outcasts grow stronger with every passing year, and the GMG seems to be unable to effectively defend their territory as they did during the Eighty-Years War. The Edge World pirates have proven to be far more formidable adversaries than the Rheinland Imperial Fleet.

* Rheinland and its adjacent Border Worlds now suffer the dubious distinction of having the highest shipping insurance rates in the Sirius sector. We have advised the Bretonian and Kusari militaries of the situation in the hope that a special arrangement can be made to keep the Border World Trade Lanes operating in this area.

* Rheinland is plagued by a wide variety of criminals, some political, others engaged in common piracy. It is the latter group that interests us. Excessive insurance claims made by shipping companies and damage inflicted to the physical Trade Lane infrastructures can lead to decreased profits.

* The Eighty-Years War was a colossal mistake for Rheinland. The nation was fairly self-sufficient and prosperous, yet Kruger was not content. They had fallen behind Daumann, and hoped that the gases of the Crow Nebula would be their salvation. It was Daumann that actually persuaded the government to step in, for reasons of cynical self-interest. They knew that fat military contracts would head their way once the fighting began in earnest.

*NOTE: Page generated on the 28/10/2023 at 17:59:46 UTC*