New Relations

[RingoW]

Two days later.

Georg was entering the bureau rooms of Dortmund. "Good Morning Frau Schmidt", he adressed his greetings to the assistant of the ALG director.
She was busy and had the back to Georg, but was turning arround imediately after his greeting. "Huh, must that be, Her Paulsen. You have scared me to death."
He faced a smile. "I'm sorry. It will not happen twice."
"Ja. You say that every time, when you have done this."
"Really? Seems i have forgotten it. Well, i'm getting old", he was kidding. "By the way, i have a meeting with Herr Stuermer at 08.00."
"Ja, i know. He is in his office and is waiting for you. You can go in."
So he smiled again, "Thanks Frau Schmidt." and entered the directors office, after knocking on the door.
Karl Stuermer was ending a holo call and stood up from his chair. "Ah, Herr Paulsen. Good morning."
"Good morning Herr Stuermer."
With a hand move the director was pointing to a chair. "Please take a seat. I'm with you in a moment."
So Georg was sitting down, while Karl Stuermer went to his office door and opened it again. "Frau Schmidt. I want to be not disturbed for the next hour at no circumstances. Even if a whole Hessian fleet is attacking Dortmund!"
"Jawohl Herr Stuermer. Got it."
"Thanks"
He was closing the door and went back to his desk and taken a seat on his chair.
"Herr Paulsen, you are looking well rested."
Georg lifted one eyebrow "I have tried to make the best of my day off. It was a short time to chill, but it has helped much."
"Ja, i know about the Liberty tours. Its not only you, who has to suffer. All crews on these tours, forgive me my words, are pissed off. I know times, these tours were beloved. Short and not to dangerous. Times have changed, but enough of this. I heard you are reunited with your family" Karl Stuermer was changing the
topic.
Georg had to smile "Well, reunited might be the wrong term. I have met my wife and brother several times on New London, while on the Bretonia Tour. I missed her and my children very much and next time i will meet my children too. I'm a bit anxiuos how my son will react, when he see me, hm."
"Head up Herr Paulsen, i'm sure you make it. I must say, the first time i have read your datas i was in doubt and thinking to fire the head of the employments office, after fireing you. You have prooved me wrong and today i'm proud to call you a well serving ALG employee. Good god, you were running through the ranks, but you have deserved every promotion and as i told on the meeting, your behavior to Kusari authorities has given us more opportunities. I never thought that we could ever get the same contract for Yokohama shipyard as we have for Yukawa shipyard. Today i'm optimistic we can also get a contract for all Kusari Battleships. I wish all our employees would act like you."
Karl Stuermer was taking a deep breath, while Georg had to smile once more.
"Thank you for praising me Herr Stuermer, but i cannot believe, you wanted to speak with me, just to praise me and to talk about my family. If i remember correct, you have spoken about, well, a delicate task."
The ALG director was shaking his head, but also with a smile. "Why all the time you must be so direct? You have deserved the praises and promotions. Enjoy it."
"Well, first i'm a, how to say, traditional Rheinlander? Means i don't like smalltalk. Second, the only thing that counts for me, is my family. Third, we are here for waste and not time disposal. I have wasted to much time when i layed down in my depressions and been selfish."
"Well, then let us come to the reason for this meeting." Stuermers face was becoming very serious "What we will speak about now, will never leave the walls here." He was entering some values on his desk and a holographic sheet showed up above the desk.
"What you can see here, Herr Paulsen, are the profit diagrams of our contracts."
Georg, who had some knowledges about economy, already had noticed it. "And?"
"You see the growing line at the very top? This is our contract with Liberty."
Georges eyes were becoming a bit wider. "I had no imagination, this contract would be that profitable."
"Ja. When it comes to waste, no one does notice, how important it can be. You can see all other contracts too."
Georg noticed the other very slow growing lines at the bottom.
Karl Stuermer continued. "Even if we summarize all other contracts, together they just are a bit more than half as worth as the Liberty contract."
"Whats about the Rheinland contract?"
"It isn't on this sheet, because we make no profit with, but you can imagine now the setback, when we loose the Liberty one."
"Sorry Herr Stuermer, but you mean, if we loose the Liberty one.", Georg was breaking the director.
"No,....., no, when we lose the Liberty one. When you was comming into my office i finshed a call, i had with our bureau on planet Manhattan. They were contacted by the Liberty gouvernement, because a request, what a conventional punishment would cost, when they cut the contract before the official end."
"Sorry, Herr Stuermer, to break you again, but why should they. As far as i have seen on my Tours, they have no possibility to recycle their own waste, except that one prison in Texas. In contrary they would been rather in need of a bigger contract with us."
"Don't worry Herr Paulsen i'm aware of the huge scrap fields in Texas and New York and the recycling possibilities of Liberty. Personally i guess, Liberty is preparing for an armed conflict."
Georg was sceptikal. "Do you really think. I mean, i've heard the rumors on both side of the border, also have read the news in the daily posts and yes, i felt the new hostile attitudes to Rheinland companies, but all of this is far away from an armed conflict or a war. Additionally i hope our gouvernement can lay down the crisis with political ways, because Rheinland cannot afford another war. Even today we have still to suffer under the results of the Eighty Year war, the Nomad crisis and the recent heavy border conflict with Corsairs."
The ALG director could not agree. "Call me a pessimist, but we will get an armed conflict, not a full scale war maybe, but an armed conflict, and i think Liberty doesn't take care, if Rheinland can afford such a conflict, but this is staying outside of our possibilities to take influence. It is the part of Daumann, but they are interested in Daumann only. They will make high profits with a war, by building warships.
Never mind, we have to ensure the surviving of ALG, to keep our employees and to provide the Oder shipyard with all supplies, they need. Fortunatly, our good connections to IMG and Gateway Shipping may help a bit. They have offered to ship the waste from Liberty to Rheinland via Bretonia, in the worst case. A verry expansive solution i may add, but we are in need for."
Georg looked at his director "If it is really that bad, what can we do?"
"Thats why you are here. The delicate task." The ALG director made another break, while Georg, verry curious, just looked at him.
"Before i continue, Herr Paulsen, let us something make clear again. I will state my intention and explain the task, i'm in hope you take. Right after you can decide, if you want to take it or not. Your decision, wether pro or contra will have no influence to your contract. If you don't agree, you will forget immediately what you have heard and this meeting never has taken place."
The ALG director lifted his eyebrows and his eyes were questioning Georg.
"No problem Herr Stuermer. I got the picture."
Georgs face was verry serious now too. The speech of the ALG director could have one meaning only. Something illegal.

to be continued......