my name is Ásgærðr Varðrdottir, doctor of xeno-biology and general genetics. We have not met yet and i daresay we are unlikely to meet in person in the near future. But if these negotiations succeed, you are likely to regularly get in contact with some of our groups representatives.
I am head of the JIVA group, a scientific corporation that has chosen the benefits of untethered guidelines of the outer rim as a basis for progressive genetic research. Currently we are engaged in growth research and genetic isolation of genes that determine resistance to radiation longevity hibernation in space on micro organisms found in varoius systems of Sirius.
In the past we have also experimented on sentient bio remains of biological spacebound organisms of classes I, II and III. But those experiments have ceased due to the upredictable results and unprofitable progress.
Right now we have set off to the uncharted regions of the Kappa, Zeta, Delta sector to research various radiations, growth patterns and gravitational anomalies.
Because research is not cheap, our sponsors are in desperate need for regular and detailed reports. Due to our contracts I am not able to disclose the exact sponsors, but it should suffice to say that they are generally members of the largest research groups in sirius as well as other organizations. None of them are in any way remotely unlawful, but anonymity is a gift we bestow upon our clients by default.
What we need of you, mr Parkes, is the following
My men have scouted out a perfect business premise for a long range communication office. Freeport 11 has the unique feature of direct link to a hypercommunication satelite which we will use to make our reports.
We also require utmost confidentiality. Industrial espionage is ever present. Our work is secret and must not be disclosed to 3rd parties - no matter who they are. But even so, all reports are encrypted and send on a narrow datastream.
The personnel I wish to stage on Freeport 11 includes
- 6 communication experts
- 2 computer experts
- 3 private security staff members
- 8 minor staff members
I would prefer to actually buy the premise rather than rent it - but i am not aware of the protocol for Freeport 11. If buying is impossible, renting is an acceptable alternative. In either case - the staff acknowledges the station administration as the highest command of operations - which does not include documents and company information though.
I am sure there are more things to clear up before we can settle an agreement, mr Parkes - but i am also sure that in the end, we will come to an amicable agreement.
This communication is only visible to Ásgærðr Varðrdottir.
Ásgærðr Varðrdottir,
I have just returned from a meeting where a lot of talking took place and I am rather tired from it, so I might be a little short. I need to know a little more about your company; your clients however may be kept anonymous. Specifically, are you a civilian or a Zoner? There is a difference between the two you know. Are you someone else? How much extra traffic is Freeport 11 expecting to receive from your organisation's ships?
Unfortunately, the legal ramifications of buying space on Freeport 11 are too great, so we only rent out space. I have a place slightly larger than you requested, which is fit for around 25 people after conversion. Conversion will have to be at your expense however.
On the topic of our communications, our own communications array is quite vast. In fact I daresay our communications system here rivals the houses considering exactly what we can pick up. However, we have been looking to split into two dedicated arrays for some time. If you can help ship certain materials to help with the construction of the array I can arrange your accommodation with use for a period of 8 months free of charge.
If you can answer my questions and find my conditions acceptable, we may start negotiating more specifically.
I am genuinly delighted to speak to you, even if only via messenger service. I will try to answer all your questions as much and detailed as possible.
As you correctly guessed, our sponsors wish to remain anonymous, it is part of the client confidentiality, a necessary measure when larger sums of money are transferred.
Now - is the JIVA staff and myself a Zoner or a Civilian. Since the term Zoners is coined by those who are not Zoners or maybe these days even by Zoners themselves, it is hard for me to say what we are.
Are we civilians? - I can clearly say "yes" we are - but only from the roots of the term itself as we are not members of active military, naval, police or fire fighting profession.
The people in the coreworlds would probably call us Zoners as we decided to conduct our work outside their authoritative grasp and to play by our own rules.
But we do not share the original believe of the first settlers that were the Zoners, who ventured out into self appointed exile seeking new space and opportunities. We do not venture into the unknown, we ventured into the known and we have not cut all our ties to the coreworlds.
But you may of course also be interested in our protective capabilities, as it is often the array of weaponry that can cause trouble. It is not the gun that kills but the wearer of the gun - but it is the gun that makes it so easy to kill, hence increasing the possibility for a fatal escalation.
Our ships are configured for defense - and as with all weapons, defense and offense is but in the eye of the beholder. Our protocols dictate that we must not engage unknown contact untill their hostile intent is clearly confirmed. Each situation however must be individually considered and we do not seek confrontation. When in doubt, the use of weapons is the last resort. Our ships carry trained security personnel as well as veteran crews who served on capital ships, often even capital warships.
But what does that mean for Freeport 11.
Freeport 11 will function as a communications office. The expected traffic is low. Our ships are unlikely to make contact more often than monthly for resupply - possibly even less. However smaller Courier ships may increase the traffic every now and then. Those ships are usually shuttles to deliver sensitive data that cannot be send via a datastream.
I myself will most likely travel back and forth from our mobile base more frequently.
I am glad to hear that the communication array is not only state of the art but also improved. We will dispatch one of our freighters to assist with the supply lines once omicron-74 is open again.
Furthermore we do appreciate a longer term renting of property. We did not exactly expect to purchase the offices. We will also deliver our own supplies and consumer goods so it does not derive from the general stations storage.
Now i do have some questions myself though.
As you may have noticed, privacy is our greatest concern. We must be sure that industrial secrets are not shared, - with no one. So we assume that your position does not answer to a superior - and that the stations staff is reliable.
I would also like to inquire about rumors of alien incursions in the past years. Have their been any? - has the station ever been compromised? How did the staff deal with it.
Do the Bounty Hunters or the Corairs ever become a troublesome element in the region? - and lastly - how great is the Orders interest in Freeport 11.
Does Freeport 11 provide patrols or should we deploy our own escorts.
I am sure I can think of more questions in time, mr Parkes - but that should suffice for now.
In order to reply to that message, you need to narrow the communication to a triangulated grid of -56/189/-83 for our ship is currently far off the charted space.
This communication is only visible to Ásgærðr Varðrdottir. Triangulating communication point: -56/189/-83 Delta.
Ásgærðr Varðrdottir,
I feel that one day, when both of us aren't running around so much, we should have a talk about Zoner philosophy. But now is not the time for such idle chatter.
I am the highest authority on this station and I have been here for some time. My second in command is Mio Akiyama, who also functions as my administration assistant and record keeper. She's a bit greener to our station, but she seems to understand the law of the land out here. Our head of security is non-existent. All station staff carry guns and are authorised to use deadly force to protect us from any nomads or terrorist threats. There's not many staff though and the guns are a hazard of life on the frontier.
As long as you are outside the 10k limit of the Freeport, I care little for whether your ships shoot in defense or offense. Inside these limits, a defensive approach is appreciated. I am glad though that there will not be too much disruption to the traffic flow either, since I want to make it easier for trading vessels to land as quickly as possible. Our lifeblood are these traders.
It is my belief that Omicron 74 is once again open. If your ships have any problems, contact me once more and I will send a message to David Dvir, who appears to be heading the Zoner Alliance after Lee Begrat was "replaced". That should allow things to go smoothly.
I am glad the 8 month period for help with array works for you. I will draw up a list of things needed to construct a second communications array system in the meantime, in anticipation of a successful negotiation.
The station has never been breached by nomads. There are attacks daily by the squids, but local defending patrols and our weapon defense system work well. The Bounty Hunters and Corsairs both assaulted the base in the past, when Grand Admiral Marvin Ophelia was the base administrator, but we are still standing. They get troublesome from time to time, as they both seem to have "interests" in nearby areas, but nothing we cannot handle.
Unfortunately, I do not know much about The Order's interests. Sometimes their agents land, sometimes no-one shows up. They usually shoot at raiding nomads nearby and keep moving. I admit, the second communications array will help The Order as well, as we act as a repeater station for their communications sometimes.
And your patrols would be a wiser choice. There are Zoner patrols about, but most center around the Freeport, and would take too long to get to you if anything should happen.
I do hope I covered everything, but if not, please point it out.
Freeport 11's automatic channel bot logged this transmission. The bot logged that a reply was expected.
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"I am terribly sorry, mr Parkes. We are kind of busy here and it does take some time to get back to my correspondence. I am glad that we seem to be on an even fairground and i think we can proceed with the negotiations.
Part of our trading fleet will be dispatched presently to assist with the delivery of materials to Freeport 11 and we have booked an armored transport vessel to bring our staff to the station. their ETA should be 3 to 4 weeks depending on the security conditions of the journey.
If the premise is not prepared by that time yet they will rent some rooms in the guest quarters.
We would need to come to an agreement of monthly payment for the premise past the delivery period, the patrons rights and priviledges. Maybe you do have a standard contract there, maybe you wish to draw up an individual one. If you do not have one, we can propose one for you to review.
This communication is only visible to Ásgærðr Varðrdottir.
Hello again,
I'll save us both some time then and get into it.
What we need:
500 units of Pharmaceuticals.
250 units of HazMat Canisters.
250 units of High Temperature Alloy.
2000 units of Super alloy.
2500 units of Superconductors.
2500 units of Optronics.
1000 units of Robotics.
1000 units of Optical Chips.
500 units of Nanocapacitors.
500 units of Xenobiotic filters.
1000 units of Quantum Multiplexors.
In return: You get the space for the lab for a period of 8 months rent free.
Of course, as we discussed, you will need to renovate the space yourself and bring your own materials to do so.
The material you supply Freeport 11 will allow us to build a second communications array, which will also benefit your long distance communications by ensuring we always have a free long-distance transmitter and receiver. This should take 1-2 months, as labour out here takes time.
After the 8 month period, I have been advised that 10 million credits per month ought to suffice as a rental agreement.
I am unsure what you mean by patrons rights and privileges though, and I'll need you to clarify that one for my old eyes.
"Your terms are agreed on and i have ordered my ships to prepare the supply run. I am glad about that agreement and looking forward to a beneficial stay on Freeport 11.
Oh by priviledges i meant the usual patron rights like protection from unjust eviction and compensation should disaster strike that was not casued by the JIVA group but by the station staffs decisions. It is the usual clause in such contracts as i remember.
Supplies will start to come in once our logistics staff has calculated the safest and most efficient routes for the required commodities.
Every incoming and delivered shipment will be send via this channel.
This communication is only visible to Ásgærðr Varðrdottir.
Greetings,
You're very thorough and very corporate. I suppose that is the tradeoff for your business avenue.
You won't be evicted unless you cause danger to Freeport 11 or it's inhabitants, directly or indirectly.
If you actively and purposely cause danger, we will remove you immediately without compensation.
In the case of you indirectly causing danger, we will notify you of the situation, ask you to rectify it, and if you cannot or do not, we will give you two weeks to remove yourselves. We may consider compensation if this danger has come about as a result of contract frustration and is the fault of neither parties.
If I evict you for a reason not borne out of the safety of Freeport 11 or it's inhabitants, you will be compensated for your investment, as a percentage of the period of time unused in your negotiated payment.
In the event of Nomads or idiotic humans attacking this station, I cannot offer much in the way of compensation, only basic medical aid. The risk of living so far from the laws is that you are no longer controlled, but you are no longer protected.
Your staff can essentially do what they want in your allocated space and our security patrols will not intrude unless we detect explosives or blaster fire in your rented space. Each person however will have to leave the rented space once a day to be scanned for infection and security purposes; this will take less than a minute per person. A small price to pay for us to safeguard the station.
Your staff cannot enter personal quarters belong to others, command quarters or security quarters, but are welcome in public spaces like the bar, equipment and commodity dealers and the hangar.
I do hope I covered everything. Let me know if I did not.
Freeport 11's automatic channel bot logged this transmission. The bot logged that a reply was expected.
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