The command centre was buzzing with voices when Hortan and Fluffy entered. As the last pilots to arrive, they took the last two seats to the rear. Ecka and Surbius were standing to the front discussing something. Surbius noted their arrival on his board and scouted around the room. He looked at Vardonx and nodded. Vardonx stood, turned and faced the crowd.
"Attention Front. We are all gathered except one pilot. I know you are all worried, but please stay calm and listen to the commander." With this he nodded to Ecka and sat.
Ecka, grim looking, walked up to the centre.
"Thank ye Vard. Weel, I cannae even try tae put ah lid on yon here kettle o bad news. The quick version be this un. Somebody crashed all trade routes that TGFT kent. All of 'em. Needless tae say, this has some blerry awful impacts on all o' us. We'll be now 275 million short o' meeting our weekly expenses, and this means we arr gunna have tae ask TPG for more loans, before we can sell some items even at a loss. Any and all information ar help will be appreciated. Surbius."
Ecka looked sternly around the room, making sure he made eye contact with every member before nodding to Surbius. He then sat in his command chair and focused on his XO.
"Gents, this is an attack on TGFT, and a very serious one indeed. If we cannot come up with 220 million within this afternoon, we are bankrupt. Somebody with inside knowledge has effectuated this attack at our most vulnerable time, where, as far as I can see, all published trade routes were coming to fruition. This means that you all have immense assets tied up in goods on various stations, and very little cash. The guild was due a lot of money today, but this looks impossible now. If you by any chance have not tied your assets into goods, come see me afterwards. The second matter is an arrest warrant on the former TGFT member Tufan Oreminer. He is the only pilot that has not responded to this call, and we would like to talk to him. He may be the mole that stole this data."
"I'll fucking kill that bastard," John rose, all red in his face with rage.
"Not if I see him first," Waldoze had risen as well.
Now more pilots started rising and shouting, effectively turning the command centre into a cacophony of angry voices.
"Silence lads, Surb is nae finished." Ecka's voice, powerful like the turbo thrusters on a Valkyrie X-1, cut through the chatter like a Teradon class plasma canon through a govbus.
"Thanks Ecka. This is most important; we need the money this afternoon. Whatever you have will be appreciated and paid back naturally. As soon as we know more we will inform you further. That is all, dismissed."
Hortan looked around the room at the white-faced pilots, well mostly white faced, some of the pilots were crimson in their faces, mostly John and Dozer. If it hadn't been for the reasoning voice of Neagoth who held them back, they would have stormed out of the room, found the first combat ship available, and torn a large hole in the Universe. The only pilot that was appearing to be normal was Fluffy. Well apart from the usual distant semi-mad glare in his eyes, but that was quite the regular thing with him. He turned his head to Hortan and smiled.
"Paranoia, the ultimate survival trait my friend. Just because nobody is oot for yoo now doesn't men that they woon't do so at one time."
Hortan looked at Fluffy without getting it, and it must have been apparent because Fluffy reached over and ruffled Hortan's hair.
"Not all of us have logged oor trade routes in the mainframe, so some of us have all our ill begotten wealth still."
He got up, and with Hortan trailing him he walked up to Surbius, who was trying to calm John Eldritch.
"I know John, but if it comes to the worst solution we are going to have to sell anyway and take the losses. We cannot afford that this gets leaked to the press. We have to carry on regardless, even if we have to kill your trade route."
John looked at Surbius with eyes that were flaring with an anger so deep that Hortan felt sorry for whomever was going to be on the receiving end. Even if they deserved every bit of it.
"Let's not get too hasty Surb, I think that I can handle at least a weeks worth." Fluffy interrupted before John had time to retort. "I have been running my roote ootside the mainframe, and I can realise that for aroond 800 million tomorrow. I have about 100 million in cash you can borrow now and pay the vultures from TPG with."
Surbius and John looked at Fluffy first with incomprehension, and then with joy. John punched Fluffy lightly on the shoulder and then hugged him.
"I have some money too."
They turned and looked at Hortan who looked very concentrated at Surbius, and John smiled for the first time in a day.
"Okay buddy, but we are talking serious money here. I am.. "
"I can supply the remaining money for today up front Surbius." Hortan interrupted John. "I just need to find my TGFT cred stick, it has about 200 mill on it. I usually have it in my pocket, but it seems to be missing"
John looked at Hortan and slowly shook his head.
"You need to find it? How, what do you mean you need to find a 200 mill cred stick? Let's go right now Hort. Where did you last see it?"
Surbius and Fluffy observed John lead Hortan towards the dormitories with Pasquel in tow. It wasn't until they had walked out of the room that they both shook their heads and turned towards Ecka for the immediate rescue plan. One week was not a long time, but it was breathing space, and a lot could happen in a week. Assuming that Hortan found the cred stick.
NP was slowly digesting the daily trade report from UIT with closed eyes via the implant he had installed three months ago in Sol II, while leaning back in his favourite chair and listening to Requiem by Verdi. He was not looking at anything in particular, nor was he looking for specific pieces of data, he was mapping trends. Nothing that was worth noting so far, the fluctuations were well within the normal values for...oops. He opened his eyes in surprise, pure reflex. The data disappeared and he cursed an oath that would blister paint or be used as a sonic weapon. Fortunately he was alone, so no damage was done. He closed his eyes again, and the data popped back on his retina. A person or entity called TATE was launching a hostile take-over bid on TGFT at a price that was around 40% lower than the actual value of it's assets. Actually, it was only two percent above the debt that TGFT had, and immensely undervalued. Something was wrong, very wrong. He checked the data available on TGFT but nothing showed up. Well, almost nothing. A lot of assets were right now tied up in tradeable goods, just around...35 percent. He opened his eyes once more and cursed even harder causing his computer to crash. He needed some answers, and he needed them now. He texted Tohasandra Chi and asked her to join him in the docking bay ASAP. Another day that was supposed to slog along and be remembered by its complete lack of excitement just joined the imaginary league of days that meant massive work to NP. He lived for those days....
