Town Planning in the First Degree
03 Feb 2024Lambast Mercy
.. means the living space will have to be expanded moving into year three. Basic water and sanitation needs could fall short .. Lambast looked towards the minster as he read from his report. She was careful to wear an expression that said she was listening and interested in what the man was saying. The fact could not be further from the truth. She watched his fat wet lips make shapes as his chin wagged up and down, causing his jowls to ungulate.
All she had wanted to do was build a little spaceport near the village her family was responsible for on behalf of the Imperial crown. Yes, the nearby towns and cities would be able to use it too, but mostly Lambast wanted to build it so visiting her mother and father would be easier. Landing her own ship close to home would be much less bother than catching a shuttle from Chelomey Orbital, and then having to use local transport from the city to the village.
Unfortunately, having the money and the right to build a spaceport on her family's land wasn’t enough. The port would be a large project that a little village couldn’t support, so a new estate to house the workers would need building first. More homes and people meant that more support infrastructure and businesses were required too. Before Lamb knew it, her little spaceport had twice as many landing pads as she envisioned so it had room for the transports the fledgling dock would need, and the workers' estate was becoming its own town.
A development of this size called for the attention of the greater Cubeo government. Local politicians were excitedly rubbing shoulders with planetary representatives in a little village hall more accustomed to hosting amateur dramatic productions than VIPs and multi-billion-credit developments. The project had turned Lambast’s privet world into a barely organised cacophony full of men and women like the wet lipped minister.
She dispassionately observed everyone sitting at the U-shaped table, and their assistants buzzing around the hall like bees tending to their individual queen. All of them but one were soft, unaccustomed to hardship or strife. They had shuffled themselves into a rut within a government run by a liberally mined Princess, and none of them had been challenged by the troubles the people they were supposed to represent, had to deal with.
Banning slavery looked great on the interstellar stage, but no one outside the Empire talked about how that policy had crashed the economy of every system where it had been enacted. A flood of refugees fleeing Thargoid infested systems further compounded the problem. An older, more inwardly thinking leader may have allowed for a disaster exacerbating the situation before plunging their systems into economic turmoil.
If the ministers and members of parliament were lethargic old vultures that had found their spot in the flock, then Jayce Faraday-Drake was a maggot. The larva of another unwanted parasite that fed off other people's misery. To Lambast, he may be lower on the food chain than a maggot, because Jayce was a consultant. He had been a last-minute addition to the guest list, choosing to replace the consultant he was going to send once he found out one of the two noble women paying for the new development in Cuebo was single, and not too unattractive for someone of her age.
Lambast had four successful companies under her belt, so she had, in the early years, used consultancy firms. She stopped using them the moment she realised they were charging her hundreds of thousands to advise her that she should A) Use common sense, and B) Use obfuscation to encourage her employees to work more, for less compensation. To her mind, consultancy firms were leeches that specialised in feeding off the greedy, and Jayce Faraday-Drake ran the most suck-cess-full consultancy firm in Aisling Duval controlled space.
"Can I be of service to you, lady Mercy?" asked Jayce.
A pointed heel pressed itself into Lambasts' foot. It was the heel on her mother's expensive shoe. Lambast must have forgotten to wear an expression fitting for the situation, as she was contemplating just how pointless mister Faraday-Drake was. Her mother was usually very good at keeping her daughter on track, but this gathering was far more intense than a simple party or unavoidable engagement a family serving the crown had to attend. This time, Lambast couldn't find a quiet place to hide because the port was her idea, and she was financing well over half the coast of the entire development.
"No" came the plain response to Jayce's question. This time, her mother landed a kick landed on Lambast's shin, reminding her she had to play nice today. Arranging her face into the unfamiliar shape of a pleasant smile, Lambast tried again.
"I do apologise, I should have said I am sure this committee will have everything in hand, thank you"
"Hey, forget it Lady Mercy. We are supposed to be listening to the Minister for Boredom and Spending Other People's Money, right?"
"Quite so" said Lambast, happy to have a reason to ignore Jayce, but her mother giggled like a teenager at the man's joke, causing Lamb to give her matron some serious side eye.
Leaning back in his seat, confident he was the most impressive person in the room, Jayce smiled at Baroness Lisa Mercy, and pointed at her.
"This Baroness knows the fact when she hears them, right?" Said Jayce with a mock bow.
Unlike her daughter, Lisa was very much a social person, voluble and flirtatious. Although in her mid-fifties, money had helped her wind back the sings of ageing a decade or two. Besides, Lisa's personality hadn't changed much since her mid-twenties, and her young flamboyant attitude hindered the marks of entropy further. The Mercy's had been elevated to a Nobel position from the most humble beginnings, and a sure fire way to get in Lisa's good books was to use her given title.
"Oh do behave yourself.. .. Jayce" said Lisa, leaning forward to read the name plate in front of the man. "You're an advisor, not the entertainment. Ah ha ha ha"
Planting an elbow in Lambast's ribs, Lisa imparted an important detail by way of the hissed, side mouth whisper.
"Darling, darling look. No ring Lamb-Bam. No ring"
The excessive winking and nodding towards Jayce cause Lambast a small headache as she tried in vain to pretend her mother didn't exist. If there was one thing the Baroness valued as much as her daughter's happiness, it was the prospect of grandchildren, even if it cost Lambast her happiness.
Jayce somehow managed to smile wider and upped the charm a few degrees.
"So I guess its confession time, ladies. I came to this thing just to meet you, the real drive behind this new town. The government are stepping up, but only because the Barony of Wymondham stepped up in the Empire's time of need"
It was all Lambast could do not to groan. It was clear he had read a file on Lambast and Lisa. He was laying the butter on a little thick for her, but Lisa was lapping it up.
"Really Jayce darling, it's the least we can do as we have done so well. Ah ha ha ha"
Lisa's laugh was a bit too loud this time, and the report reading minister stopped talking, shooting a perturbed look at the Baroness.
"Sorry minister, I was distracted" Said Lisa playfully slapping Jayce's hand "Do continue, you have my full attention" she lied.
After a suitably short moment, both looking sheepish, as well as pretending they were listening, Lisa and Jayce continued their chat.
"You say it's the least you could do, but I did my homework. Both of you fund a number of charities and trust funds for the unemployed and, refugees. Your daughter isn't happy with only one multi-billion credit company; she's diversified into mining, search and rescue, and fast response Anti-Goid fleets. Whatever you did Baroness, you installed some great values"
"Oh, my little Lamb-bam did most of it herself, you know? I just gave her a nudge in the right direction here and there, didn't I darling? Didn't I?"
More elbow encouragement coaxed a reluctant, but polite, response from Lambast. The woman was annoying, but Lisa was her mother, and that allowed her to be as annoying as he liked.
"Yes mother. You were instrumental in my success. Thank you" said Lambast, sounding as convincing as a wrestler-turned-actor in a cheap advert.
"Don't get me wrong, Lady Mercy" said Jayce, giving Lambast his attention. "Your achievements are outstanding. Looking at your portfolio, I can't help but be impressed at how you diversify your investments. Vigilia Freelance, Vega Logistics.. "
Her patience was wearing thin. She had read a file on everyone that was sticking their fingers in her spaceport, and Jayce Faraday-Drake, formally Jason Maddison, loved sticking his fingers in other people's pies to see what he could pull out. What's more, Jayce had been deeply involved with the Sirius Corporation while they played mediator in a situation they had no right mediating. The Sirius Corporation owned the system Lambast operated out of, meaning they collected an obscene amount of tax from her. The only thing about Jayce that interested her was his connection to Sirius, and his assistant. If that man was a personal assistant, Lambast was a starry-eyed debutant eager to meet mister right.
"Mister Faraday-Drake, I am well aware of what I have in my portfolio. What are you aneling for? I do have a town to plan, so out with it" said Lambast, dashing her mother's hopes for grandchildren once again.
The file had told Jayce Lambast would be a tough nut to crack, but this was just the softening up period of negotiation. Jayce hadn't even hit his stride yet.
"Ok so I won't waste your time. I guess a woman as shrewd as you knows my company is on retainer with Sirius, and yeah, they have asked me to investigate, because they feel company earnings are being cleverly diverted"
"Fully in compliance with the laws, the Sirius Corporation uses" said Lambast plainly.
"Yeah" answered Jayce with a knowing smile "Using the law is very important, right? I gotta say I was impressed whit what I've seen, and I think I can learn a thing or two from you"
Lambast had stopped listening as soon as Jayce confessed he was working for Sirius, although it wasn't really a confession as it was almost public knowledge. Another minister had started voicing his concerns about the rising crime rate in the developing estate. That drew Lambast's attention.
" .. gangs moving in raising the use of drugs, and introducing illegal prostitution. Being outside a major metropolises, the current law enforcement is unaccustomed to dealing with organised crime on such scale.. .."
Day dreams of stepping from the shadows and introducing a blade to vital organs of nasty men carried Lambast away from the meeting. Making a mess on ones own door step was foolish, but imagining organised crime invading her family’s quiet little parish was disturbing. Perhaps a would-be-gangster or two, found murdered wouldn't be cause for a thorough investigation form a police force unaccustomed to such crimes.
Maybe if she kept the numbers low, or happened upon a clever way of getting rid of the bodies, Lambast would be able to attend more of these meetings without feeling the need to bleed Jayce like a trophy buck.
Lambat had slowly turned her face to him again. He couldn't put his finger on why, but Jayce didn't like the way Lady Mercy was smiling at him right now.