A little Grift on the side.Black Omega style
05 Jan 2017Ouberos
Deep inside the Coriolis the business consultants office was lit by Arctic white window lights. The cold, bright type favoured by medical facilities which wanted to give an impression of sanitary conditions. There was very little furniture in the room. Either side of a tall, circular glass table were two black leather, high backed chairs complete with chromed arms and data connections. Some distance in front of them was a solitary, mean looking fold up metal chair.
The kind you only brought out when there was absolutely nothing else to sit on. The kind that just looked uncomfortable.
Absen Molph, Commercial strategist for the Alliance of Hip106072 had quickly discovered how uncomfortable the chair was while he completed the data assessment which had been given to him by the Business Consultants PA. It seemed that no matter which way he shifted he just could not find an easy way to sit on the cursed thing.
The tablet data slate he was using was of a foreign design and was longer than he was used too. He found he needed to rest it on his knees while he inputted the information and that meant he had to lean forward which was adding to the discomfort. The office was really cold as well which wasn’t helping. His fingers were already going numb even as his aching back grew hotter. For what seemed like the hundredth time he stopped inputting the details of shipping forecasts and profit margins by tonnage into the slate and leaned back. The business consultant had come highly recommended but he was beginning to wonder where the small fortune they were spending was going. It certainly wasn’t being spent on luxuries.
He breathed out heavily and realised he could actually see his breath.
Before he could look for the thermal controls he heard a door slide back behind him and the loud click of heels. The PA had returned and he tried to remember her name, Lara, Tara? She was stunningly beautiful and he had quite forgotten to listen to most of what she was saying. He caught the sound of another, heavier set of footsteps and he turned his neck but winced when his back protested.
The PA had shoulder length silver blonde hair, pulled tight in a ponytail. Her white dress was business like and tight looking. It finished just above the knee and Absen found for the second time that day he wasn’t really listening to everything she was saying. He became aware that the Business Consultant had approached and was holding out his hand. He wore a sharp royal blue suit in the old style, complete with white collared shirt, black tie and a crisp pocket square. With his hand extended toward Molph, he caught the gleam of an antique wrist mounted chronograph under the shirt cuffs.
“Kara has filled me in on your predicament Mr Molph. I think we can help,” The Consultant spoke with an unusual accent. He gestured again with his hand, but when Molph still failed to understand he took the slate from his cold hands with an impatient jerk. Then he and Kara moved over to the leather chairs, sat down and took a few moments to scroll through the sensitive information he had shared with them.
Absen clasped his fingers together for warmth and drew his knees up a little. His eyes roamed the room and occasionally he cast furtive glances over Kara.
She looked at him once, catching him with her incredible void dark eyes and smiled, causing him to look away quickly like a thief caught in the act. He looked again just as quickly but she was back with the data. She and the Consultant shared a quiet comment about something of interest in the stream. She smiled and Absen wondered if they were together or if she was single. He hoped she was single. She was a business professional, he began to wonder how much it would take to get her to sleep with him. Within the Alliance he was a powerful man.
Then he came to, shook off the distraction and remembered why he was here.
Absen had been authorised to give the Business Consultant full disclosure of the entire commercial enterprise for the Confederacy. The Alliance of HIP106072 figured they now had nothing to lose. Their approval ratings were in the pan and business was so bad projections indicated a recession and famine were on the horizon. Since Black Omega had arrived on the scene their entire business model had collapsed. It seemed nothing they did went right. The Omega crew were organised and vicious, they had dominated the trade routes and obliterated any opposition, literally obliterated it. The structures of government had collapsed around them and now they held sway with Black market payments, corruption and gangland tactics. The Alliance had tried to fight back but their ships were no match for the Omega fleet in System and on the Coriolis the agents of the Alliance were found dead or just never found again. To say the current situation was bad would be an understatement of Stellar proportions.
“Mr Molph, what were the original ideals of your Confederacy?,” Kara’a question caught him by surprise.
“I’m sorry?” he stammered.
“Does your Alliance have a Principal statement?” she asked again, smiling as she spoke. He found himself suddenly fidgeting on the chair and struggled to think for a moment. He had been with the Alliance since he left education. 35 years and yet he found himself unable to answer her. The Consultant was also watching him now and if Kara’s smile was warm and friendly his face was cold and distant. He watched with calculating intensity that Molph found hard to deal with.
“We are a Confederate organisation built on a number of large commercial operations. Originally dealing in mined goods but now diversified into all areas and drawing taxes from a large proportion of the Systems population. We exist to rule and to make profit,” he replied and found himself hoping the answer would please Kara. He decided speaking to her was easier than the Consultant.
“And what do you think Black Omega’s principle statement might be?” she asked. Molph thought for a moment more and looked between the two of them for some kind of clue. In the end he gave a weak shrug and had to admit he didn’t know.
“Direction, Opportunity, Fun,” she said. “Can you imagine why that might be popular with the citizens of this and other systems like it?”
Molph sagged a little more. His faction, the faction he had dedicated his entire life too were not one of the galaxies great successes and he knew it. Black Omega were famous even before they arrived in his system. For a hundred light years around passing Traders had been whispering their name. System after system had fallen to them and it was said they had the ear of high captains in Delaines Kumo. Intelligence agents, working for the Alliance had gathered what data they could about Omega, but when they finally landed in force the Alliance was poorly prepared to deal with them. They had tried locking down the system. Tried fighting them. Tried raising taxes to fund more ships. They had tried everything and failed. It was all over and now they were clutching at straws.
The Consultant spoke and Molph looked up.
“Black Omega are here to stay, they are well funded and their business model is both popular and profitable. Your position however is currently financially unsustainable. Your costs are too high and although you have some highly commercial shipping contracts you aren’t leveraging the profit correctly and are throwing it away in a pointless opposition to Omega. Kara and I can see there are also areas where you aren’t maximising your commercial ventures. Ships are flying half empty on long circuits with low returns. Deck crews work half a shift and take too much sick time. There is too much stock being damaged enroute or failing to arrive. All of this adds up to a negative nett effect on your position. Frankly I am amazed you have made it this far,” as he spoke Molph seemed to shrink further into the uncomfortable metal chair and he began to visibly shiver.
“However, I can truthfully say that I have seen worse. This situation can be turned around. With the help of Kara and I, I believe we can stem the losses that are draining you and perhaps also gain some ground on Omega,”
Molph’s eyes went misty and he nodded, desperate for some good news to cling to. Right now he knew the leaders of the Alliance would try anything.
“You should know though that I don’t work for free and that on top of the money you have already paid I will require another ten million before I advise you further,” he spoke the words so easily it was as if he had asked to borrow a pen. Molph didn’t hesitate. The Business Consultant had come highly recommended. His intelligence agents had all agreed and reeled off names of systems which had mentioned him, they showed him quotes from exotic places, references on Galnet from far flung systems of renown. They had found their man for sure, he was the saviour they needed and all it took was a measly ten million. Less than the cost of a stock T7. What could possibly go wrong?
Kara stood, all legs and elegance and passed him the data slate.
“If you could just log in from our slate and transfer the money right now we can get started immediately,” she said smiling and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. He joyfully approved the biometrics with a wipe of his thumb. As the money bloomed in the Consultants account a receipt notification spiraled across the slate. Distracted by the closeness of Kara Molph only half read the account name.
Then he did a double take, his mouth fell open and he looked up at the Consultant who had stood and was smoothing his jacket. Like a slack jawed fish who finally sees the net he watched as the Consultant tugged at his shirt cuffs and straightened his tie. Then ran a hand over his slicked hair, smoothing any which were out of place.
“Did, did that say Black Omega?” he asked, his voice slow and confused. The world around him reducing as he spoke to a tunnel of fear that closed tighter and tighter by the heartbeat.
Kara’s hand gave his shoulder another firm squeeze, but then she kept on squeezing until he gasped in pain. Something popped in his arm and his breath left him. He looked up at her and she was still smiling only her smile had become as cold as the room and her once sparkling eyes now seemed dead and flat. The eyes of a shark would have held more emotion.
“Yes,” said the Consultant, taking the Data slate from Molph’s useless fingers “Thanks for the cash by the way. It’s not my largest robbery but it’s been a good one. And thanks for this too,” he said, wiggling the slate. Then he looked at Kara meaningfully.
Curiously Molph suddenly decided they were definitely an item.
“I think we’re through here,” the Consultant said.
Molph’s thin neck made a surprisingly loud crack when she snapped it.
The Consultant and Kara left the room and he locked it behind them. They had paid for enough power to refrigerate the room for at least a month. The cold would stop the decomposing body being discovered for a while at least. They could ambush many ships before news of the manifest theft came to light.
“I think I like being a consultant,” Kara said as they waited for a turbo lift back to the hanger. The Consultant nodded and agreed. They stepped in and were silent for a while as they stood beside each other. Kara checked her makeup in the mirror while he looked at his watch and checked his nails for dirt.
Lift Muzak played lightly in the background.
“Wouldn’t want to quit being a Pirate though,” he asked eventually and looked over at her quickly, a worried frown crossing his face. Kara shrugged.
“Nah,” she said and then the lift ping announced they were back at the hanger. The doors parted to reveal the giant shape of a Falcon Delacey Python, wreathed in steam and bearing the stealth black of Omega.
The Business Consultant offered Kara the door and began to whistle a happy little tune as together they walked back to the ship.
“I like being a Pirate best,” she said and the Consultants laughter echoed around the hanger.
“Me too Kara, me too,”