Discovery Gaming Community

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Sender: Ikeda Yume
Recipient: Nomura Station
Subject: Discovery

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Greetings and Konnichiwa Ikeda Yume,

Thank you for your communique, I am very pleased that you have reached out in open dialogue.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is John Silver and I'm the Director of Risk Cargo Operations for Kusari and Gallia Space for Interspace Commerce based at Roppongi Station in New Tokyo.

What that actually means is that any cargo shipped by Interspace Commerce or any of our contracted appointees in or through Kusari and/or Gallia space which poses any type of potential danger has to be cleared by my team at Roppongi. I appreciate that this is a rather wide remit, however one of the reasons that Interspace has such strong diplomatic relations with all of the main Houses and beyond is that we take every precaution when shipping any cargo that could be construed as hazardous to life in any way. This includes combustible materials - typically energy grade fuels such as H-Fuel, Promethene, etc - or radiating or radiated materials, Plutonium, Thorium MOX and so forth, and even standard materials like Oxygen, some ores or oversized Hull Panels or Gate/Lane Parts which if shipped or handled incorrectly could pose a danger to life.

Interspace Commerce doesn't only ship cargoes Sirius-wide, we also insure them, and that's what makes us different from other transportation companies. For us it's not only a moral imperative to reduce all risk to life wherever possible, it's also good business. I'm personally invested in the safety of this part of space as my parents arrived in New Tokyo in the days when all foreigners were mandated to remain off-planet, so although I'm a Libertonian by birth, I've lived at Roppongi for more decades than I care to recall. When other executives in the company lobbied for an Energy Commodities Exchange to be built in Liberty, I lobbied for it to be built in Kusari, well away from all centers of population. To simultaneously reduce the risk of accidents in the orbital area around New Tokyo docking ring by mandating the removal of all energy commodities away from Roppongi to the new Kobayashi exchange, which has thirty kilometers of empty space around it in every direction, this provides further ongoing safeguards to human, animal and planet life in Kusari. Nomura Station in Kyushu is, for all intents and purposes, a supply depot for Kobayashi Station in New Tokyo.

Some of my fellow directors have urged me to take a military approach to your outreach, describing it as a threat and a matter which should involve the Kusari government. They argue, rightly so, that Interspace Commerce as a lawful corporation is subject to the Kusari Legal Codex and that under Section 5.4, "Äny and all ships of Golden Chrysanthemums technology" are "not welcome in Kusari and will be considered hostile targets if encountered".

If I was to acquiesce to their demands, we'd just play matters along and let the chips fall where they may. However I think there is a larger opportunity here, and in the hope of identifying a more conciliatory approach, a number of female directors and senior executives at Roppongi have expressed to me their desire to find a more culturally sensitive and positive way forward.

Many of them stated that they had been introduced to the ideology and literary works of Matsuda as children by their mothers, and that they, in turn, have passed these sentiments on to their daughters. They argue that Matsuda elevates the feminine with the aim of promoting balance and harmony in society and that far from being an 'outlaw', Matsuda is a cultural icon and modern hero of Kusari. Furthermore, they assert that, as Interspace Commerce is a long term resident corporation in Kusari, we should have considered the cultural impact of building a space station in Kyushu prior to seeking construction approval from the Kusari government, and that to construct another 'Little Tsushima'/Space Factory station outside Planet Kyushu displays not only architectural insensitivity, but a lack of appreciation of the broader concerns of the populace and history in Kyushu system.

Notwithstanding the legal obligations we have as a lawful corporation, I find myself in agreement with my female colleagues and have requested that the rather unimaginative and uninspiring 'Little Tsushima'/Space Factory design originally intended for construction outside Planet Kyushu be changed, as per their recommendation, to the more inspired 'Sea Shell'/Spike design when the station is upgraded to a Core Two installation. My female colleagues have also stated their desire that a room with a view south to the dual suns of Kyushu be set aside on Nomura Station as a memorial chamber and have asked me to ensure that lines of verse penned by Matsuda, appropriate in their gravitas, are set in stone wall plaques at eye level by way of commemoration, and to aid in quiet contemplation of Matsuda's achievements and ongoing contribution to equality and harmony in Kusari society.

Given the legal complexities, it is with regret that you and your Golden Chrysanthemums colleagues will be, prima facie, unable to visit this memorial chamber on Nomura Station, and therefore I have been urged to find a suitable mechanism which would allow your organization the opportunity to create or redevelop an existing location as a private sanctuary in honor of Matsuda and to continue to respect and venerate her significance within Kusari society.

I doubt that any such mechanism can be found which would not raise the ire of our legal team, however the very phraseology of the Kusari Legal Codex where it uses the term "Golden Chrysanthemums technology" reminds me of the technical sophistication and ingenuity present in your organization and causes me to recall an incident last month where one of our contracted shipping affiliates lost a number of cargo pods from their train and, upon tractoring in the strewn cargo, encountered a quantity of Scientific Data in their hold when they reached their final destination. The marginal amount of lost cargo was recompensed by our insurance actuaries and a cursory examination of the 400 or so units of Scientific Data was inconclusive and therefore recorded as a 'zero line item' in our accounts. I had rather intended to pass on these units to our technology team for further assessment, although they are reluctant to re-examine the data, preferring instead to rely on the initial assessment of it being unworthy of additional consideration.

I am only too keenly aware that every year a certain, yet variable, number of Interspace Commerce transport ships are 'approached for inspection', primarily in Kyushu, but also in surrounding systems, by Golden Chrysanthemum pilots. Perhaps the possibility exists that your more technically astute colleagues might be interested in examining these units of Scientific Data as a matter of technological curiosity, and, at the same time, Interspace Commerce transports which, as I am sure your repeated inspections have confirmed by now, present no risk to the safety of the Kusari people, and therefore might be considered immune from further inspection?

My female directors and senior executive colleagues have urged me to provide resources to enable Golden Chrysanthemum leadership the ability to also construct a similar 'sister' installation to Nomura Station with the same 'Sea Shell'/Spike design, however you will appreciate that this is entirely out of the question as Interspace Commerce being a lawful organization cannot provide the necessary SC1.2billion investment required to fund construction of such a custom design space station installation to an unlawful organization.

It is therefore with regret that notwithstanding the matters commented upon above with respect to a memorial chamber on Nomura Station, we are unable to support any aspects pertaining to furthering the development of unlawful organizations in Kusari or elsewhere.

In conclusion, and in the interests of peace and cordiality for all the Kusari people, it would be our honor to hear that you may be interested in continuing the open dialogue between our two organizations, and as an extension of this, we would be gratified to learn of any discoveries your technical colleagues might chance upon when examining the Scientific Data alluded to above. More importantly, we would be very grateful to receive from you and your colleagues, a number of pertinent lines of your choice penned by Matsuda for the the memorial chamber to be constructed on Nomura Station.

I appreciate that this reply may not have been all you were hoping for when discussing the new Interspace Commerce station in Kyushu system, however I hope that I have managed to present the aims and desires of my female colleagues, and myself, faithfully and accurately. For what it may be worth, and as a long term resident and citizen of Kusari, whatever happens, I am glad that you have reached out to Interspace Commerce, and to me in particular as the executive responsible for Nomura Station, as the ensuing dialogue and pertinent issues raised through discussion and debate around Matsuda in particular and the Golden Chrysanthemums more generally, has deepened my understanding, and I hope I can state this sincerely, advanced the broader understanding within Interspace Commerce to the multiplicity and diversity of views and appreciations across Kusari, her people and her systems.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course as to what you and your colleagues may determine with respect to Nomura Station in Kyushu, and it is our deepest wish that peaceful co-existence and mutual understanding be the product of our discussions.

It is my hope that I have presented a proposal which is attractive, expansive and can be utilized as a firm foundation for ongoing constructive co-operation.

Yours sincerely,

John Silver

Director of Risk Cargo Operations for Kusari and Gallia Space
Interspace Commerce
Roppongi Station
New Toyko System




References:

Kusari Legal Codex - https://discoverygc.com/forums/showthrea...#pid746347

Space Station Designs - https://discoverygc.com/forums/showthrea...tid=186164

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Sender: Ikeda Yume
Recipient: Nomura Station
Subject: Discovery

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Greetings and Konnichiwa,

Thank you for your correspondence, Ms Yume.

I appreciate you taking the time to set out your position in clear language or should I say invective? - look back upon your first written missive, did you or did you not threaten to "rain destruction on your installation and ship the survivors to Malta"?

Whatever sensitivities you think you are displaying with your outreach, they are not diplomatic, quite the contrary, you speak of war and slavery, so if these discussions are to continue in any form, you'll need to stop speaking out of both sides of your mouth. Is it any wonder than some of the directors I work alongside are haranguing me to contact the Kusari Naval Forces immediately? No, it is not.

So you don't like my tone and I don't like yours. Get over it or any goodwill that you think exists between our organizations will evaporate like a mist on Kyushu. Consider the words between us, I have spoken of conciliation, opportunity, sanctuary, honoring cultural heroes; you have spoken of destruction, threat, conflict, aggression and servitude. If a neutral bystander had to choose one of us as a partner to work with, which one of us do you think would be chosen?

The harshness of your communiques do not improve your position, they weaken it and make it far more difficult for me to be able to offer constructive and mutually agreeable outcomes. You speak of absolutes, of black and white, of for us or against us - these terms are insufficient to create nuanced, beneficial and positive proposals.

Interspace is a corporation, ideas need to be substantiated, information must be collated, business cases must be produced and supported, political and organizational capital needs to be spent - I do not have the luxury of lolling around in an orange Maltese haze, scooting through the Seiran Dust Cloud with dreams of matriarchy, and quite frankly, when you are dealing with an intergalactic corporations like ours, neither do you.

You need to get your head in the game, stop messing about with low level political constructs and instead see what is being offered to you. Please re-examine our proposal, please do not do a disservice to my fellow female directors and senior executives who have pushed so hard to pave the way for continuing mutual co-operation, do not let them down by proving the warmongers correct. Please allow their broader, more inclusive propositions to advance the appreciation of not only Matsuda and her work, but also the work of today's champions. This is a landmark opportunity to construct a memorial chamber in central Kyushu to honor Matsuda and inspire future generations. The design of Nomura Station has been altered to ensure the memorial is at the very top of the station with uninterrupted 360 degree views over Kyushu system allowing devotees and visitors alike to take in vistas of the two suns, the planets and all the beautiful surroundings.

Look underneath terms like 'prima facie', look at the resources being extended to you, see how a positive approach would not only open possibilities for your organization across Kusari, by elevating your thoughts into constructive actions you could inspire another generation of strong Kusari women and men, and bring the more inclusive aspects of the political platform of the Golden Chrysanthemums into the mainstream.

The alternative is conflict, and squandering this opportunity to work positively together would do neither of us any credit. We are serious about these proposals, the memorial has been designed, funding has been secured and construction will continue in due course and therefore we would be very grateful if you are able to forward us a number of the most significant or poignant lines of Matsuda chosen by your organization to enable the carving of the wall plaques to commence. Of the lines that you supply, one will be chosen by our female directors and senior executives on Roppongi for the information file of Nomura Station, visible to all pilots by selecting F9 on their flight control.

I hope that this clear and constructive reply answers your question in the affirmative that not only are Interspace Commerce committed to upholding the friendly relations we have had in the past with the Golden Chrysanthemums, our aim is to strengthen these relations into the future and I hope that this intent is clearly reflected, not just by words, but also in deeds, with the Nomura Station redesign and the construction of a memorial chamber honoring Matsuda at the very top of the station with uninterrupted views, and her words proudly displayed for all to see on the station information file.

If you do seek to advance positively, I'd be very grateful if you could supply your preferred quotes of Matsuda at your earliest opportunity and also please nominate either a vessel or a station we can deliver to if you have any interest in receiving the Scientific Data mentioned previously. We'll continue construction of the station and memorial in Kyushu and remain cautiously optimistic that positive relations between our organizations remains more substantive and important than any 'tone of voice' or potential diplomatic misunderstandings.

Language is only a vehicle for meaning, it is not the meaning itself.


Sincerely,

John Silver

Director of Risk Cargo Operations for Kusari and Gallia Space
Interspace Commerce
Roppongi Station
New Toyko System

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Sender: Ikeda Yume
Recipient: Nomura Station
Subject: Discovery

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Greetings and Konnichiwa,

Excellent, Ms Yume, most excellent.

Before we spoke I was warned that you were a tough, principled, focused but fair negotiator and our Intelligence Division certainly didn't get that wrong. I am honored that we have reached an accord and am delighted that the tenets of our discussions are agreed upon.

I must also apologize for not having been able to contact you before now, not everyone was delighted and a number of newer executives at the firm, mostly from Liberty, misjudged the circumstances around our discussions and took it upon themselves to contact various authorities claiming an escalation in aggressive pirate activity, even going as far to assert that not only was Nomura Station but also Planet Kyushu itself under imminent danger, and that this required a mobilization of substantial defensive assets.

Those fanning the flames also asserted that the Liberty Rogues were involved and after a number of explosions at the boron mines on Planet Pittsburgh the overall level of threat did appear to be elevated, however their story unraveled when Kyushu system remained quiet and prominent Liberty Rogue leaders denied having anything to do with the disruption to operations on Planet Pittsburgh.

Sensing obfuscation, an internal investigation of our transportation contracts with DSE on Pittsburgh was conducted and it was discovered that a certain percentage of mined ore was unaccounted for, not only missing from our vessels, but also missing from planet-side stockpiles. This resulted in a wider forensic audit of mining transportation contracts and it was ascertained that a number of these executives were involved in a substantial level of corruption not only in Liberty where they hoped that the explosions they triggered would obscure their theft on Pittsburgh, but that niobium and hydrocarbon facilities in Kusari and the Tau regions had also been targeted.

The reason I am revealing this information is that the Golden Chrysanthemums were being set up to take the blame for the disruption and loss planned for the niobium facilities in Tau-29, as well as the hydrocarbon facilities in Tau-37. These corrupt executives, who have now been removed and arrested, were waiting for your attack on Nomura Station, prior to their intention of setting off devastating explosions in the Kusari and Tau mining depots to hide their skimming operations. They hoped that the resulting chaos would bring an overwhelming military response and by killing enough mining and transportation staff in the explosions, there would be no way to uncover their corrupt 'disaster capitalism', while those being held responsible, the Golden Chrysanthemums and Liberty Rogues, would be brutalized by assaults from the navies of Kusari and Liberty.

I am particularly pleased that this corruption has been uncovered and cauterized, not only for the reason that substantial loss of life and resources has been prevented, but also as it explains why there was such resistance to peaceful co-operation between ourselves with respect to Nomura Station. There will always be those that seek to advance a stern line as there are times when negotiations reach a point where they are unviable, however that was never the case with our discussions, and if it had not been for a unified effort from my fellow female directors and senior executives at Roppongi, those championing the case for a military response may have prevailed.

Therefore, given these circumstances, it further solidifies my resolve to press ahead with the memorial to Matsuda at Nomura Station and I shall keep you informed of progress in this regard. I have provided authorization for the other aspects of our agreement to be put into place and expect these changes to be carried out forthwith. Please let me know if any have not been enacted upon, I will ensure that any discrepancies are rectified to your satisfaction at the earliest opportunity.

In closing, I would like to commend and congratulate you on the manner in which you conducted these negotiations and I look forward to our continuing positive relations. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance in any way.

Yours sincerely,


John Silver

Director of Risk Cargo Operations for Kusari and Gallia Space
Interspace Commerce
Roppongi Station
New Toyko System

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Sender: Ikeda Yume
Recipient: Nomura Station
Subject: Discovery

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Konnichiwa and warm greetings to you Ms Yume,

Thank you for your informative and helpful message, it is very much appreciated and yes, I entirely agree, I do think it is important to keep this channel of communication open, there is a great deal in flux with the simmering tensions between Kusari and Gallia, so I am very pleased that our diplomatic outreach has been formalised in this manner.

It is difficult to say if the backdrop of war is a contributory factor, or if it was inadvisable for the recent instruction for Interspace pilots to rescue pilots and passengers found in open space be brought to Nomura, but it is safe to say that the enormous inflow of people from this humanitarian amnesty and the visitors and devotees who were attracted by the Kusari Cultural Memorial to Matsuda, that the station is at breaking point and normal commercial operations are being negatively impacted.

If shipping and cargo transportation continue to be disrupted, we've been advised by our head office in Newark, NY that a team of 'trouble shooters' will arrive to physically take control of the base and forcibly remove all non-IC or commerical shipping personnel. Therefore, we have initiated an evacuation order for all refugees, devotees, adventurers, freelancers, outlaws and visitors of any type, so that we can commence on a Core 3 upgrade of Nomura to ensure that we can mitigate against any future capacity constraints and that normal commercial operations be restored imminently.

Special flights have been timetabled to transport devotees and other approved travelers to Noshima Freeport, and I'd like to extend our appreciation and thanks to a few of your colleagues who have remained on Nomura to ensure only vetted and appropriate persons are able to board these flights to Noshima Freeport. All other non-IC or commercial shipping personnel do have time to make their way organically on a multitude of IC flights to the four major houses and, within reason, we are able to transfer these refugees and others to the planet or base of their choice. There's not been a great many leave the station yet admittedly, however once word spreads that all remaining non-authorised personnel will be forcibly removed to the Kusari State Police run Planet Kyushu, I feel sure that many of them will not wish to interact with the authorities there, and we're very grateful to many of the non-IC commercial shipping companies who have also extended a humanitarian hand of friendship and accepted passengers to various parts of Sirius already.

That's really where we are at the moment and I feel if we can restore normal cargo volumes and operations in the next couple of weeks we'll keep the destiny of the base in local hands. The station will move to restricted docking status to screen out and prevent any non-commercial visitors to the station, although I have given instructions that your organisation must maintain full docking privileges even throughout the construction phase which is due to commence after the 'mercy flights' taking rescued pilots, passengers and others to various destinations have concluded.

This brings me to the other matter that you raise and that is the 400 units of Scientific Data which I have set aside for your technicians to have a look at. I recently moved this consignment to Kobayashi Station in New Tokyo as I did not want it to 'disappear' during the station upgrade at Nomura. We have acquired a new 'Civilian Reinforced Train' which we are currently undergoing space trails with and although it is unwieldy in some aspects, it will find a place in our fleet alongside the more traditionally employed Advanced Trains that we favour, so this high value cargo will ideally be transferred to you using this vessel. The call sign on the vessel under trial is 'Californie', so if you or any of your trusted colleagues would be good enough to hail this vessel, we will happily ship this cargo to you or transfer it locally outside of Kobayashi if this is easier. Alternatively, if there is a specific vessel that you'd like us to hail, please let us know and we can co-ordinate in this way too. In order to ensure integrity of communications, we ask that prior to transfer, a quick direct message is sent via this neural net to validate the identity behind the transfer of the Scientific Data, to ensure your safe receipt of the cargo.

I think that brings us up to date on all pertinent matters and with luck the drums of war may be silenced soon and conditions return to normal. I will keep you abreast of any significant news or changes in circumstances and please do not hesitate to advise me of any significant matters.

Wishing you the very best of fortune.

Yours sincerely,


John Silver

Director of Risk Cargo Operations for Kusari and Gallia Space
Interspace Commerce
Roppongi Station
New Toyko System

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Sender: Ikeda Yume
Recipient: Nomura Station
Subject: Discovery

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Ms. Yume,

Thank you for your communique, I really thought we were getting somewhere.

I'll be brief. You've failed to hold to your side of the bargain.

I was advised that Interspace transports would not be apprehended or impeded by you or your colleagues yet that is exactly what happened in Tau-23 some hours ago. The captain of the IC-flagged Dax.Rambouillet was commanded to stop under threat of violence while traveling empty across the system on their way to collect a regular consignment. When the captain referred to the arrangements that had been agreed upon by you and I, your colleagues declared, "Oh, you know Yume-san?" so I can only assume they were part of your group. If they were not part of your group, my apologies, I cannot negotiate with a many-headed hydra.

I have made every effort to extend all courtesy to you and your colleagues, however excessive your demands have been. Rather than building consensus, you still use words of violence and seem to have no desire to take part in the political process other than via the barrel of a gun. This is disappointing and unacceptable. When will this coercion end?

It ends now. You'll retain landing rights and you'll respect the rights of all Interspace transports to travel unimpeded. That's fair.

What is unfair is not upholding your end of the bargain and still attempting to coerce 1.2billion SC by way of some ex-gratia payment based on 'good faith' which you've never displayed. I'm sick of reading your communications which repeatedly reiterate, "You'll have nothing to fear... etc, ad nauseum."

We're drawing the line here and if you have any intention of honoring the agreement as it stands, landing rights for non-apprehension, you'll make this clear to your colleagues and we'll endeavor to build upon matters from here.

Perhaps you'd like to give me 1.2billion SC or 400 Scientific Data? What do you think of that? What if I threaten you? Would you like that? Would that be a sign of dealing with someone in good faith? No. It wouldn't.

We've reached an accord, landing rights for non-apprehension. Let's see if this can be maintained and respected. The whole idea of the Memorial on Nomura Station was to use it as a bridge to bring you and your group into the political process, to provide you with leverage which was beyond that of the outlaw, beyond simplistic threats. Your cause is just, the manner in which you go about it is not. I would be very grateful if you could reflect upon that however, I feel that even mentioning will not be well received by you as your narrative is so very narrow, and seemingly your vision is too.

For a long while these discussions have been out of balance. The balance needs to be restored, the rights of our people and property needs to be respected, however much hatred is in your heart.

Yours sincerely,

John Silver

Director of Risk Cargo Operations for Kusari and Gallia Space
Interspace Commerce
Roppongi Station
New Toyko System