“Yes, but I am unsure the ship’s connections will connect with the station’s systems. I shall investigate and design an adapter to be fabricated if needed.”
“Thanks, Srexx. I’m going to Credit Suisse and the ship chandlery. Hmmm…we’ll have to make communications devices at some point, but I don’t have time right now.”
“If your implant has integrated with your neuro-physiology, you do not need a separate communications device, Cole. The implant contains functionality based on quantum entanglement. You have near real-time communications with the ship across at least a star system.”
Cole blinked. “Okay. Good to know. While I’m gone, figure out what ‘near real-time’ means in specific numbers, please.”
“Yes, Cole. I shall.”
Leaving the bridge, Cole went up to Deck Two and found Yeleth and Wixil standing by the hatch to the starboard personnel airlock.
“May we accompany you, Cole?” Yeleth asked.
Cole shrugged. “I don’t mind, but fair warning…I’m going to visit the bank before the chandlery. It may be boring.”
Yeleth attempted her version of a human smile, her razor-sharp teeth making Cole hope she wasn’t hungry, and said, “That won’t be a problem. I enjoy business discussions, myself, and the young one can always use opportunities to practice patience.”
Cole entered the Bremerton Branch of Credit Suisse with the Ghrexels at his side and took in the luxurious ambiance. It evoked his earliest childhood memories…the memories where his family—all of his family—was still alive. He was glad the memories didn’t hurt as bad as they used to.
“Sir? May I help you?” The voice pulled Cole out of a past only he could see, and he approached the reception desk. A young woman sat behind the desk, a comms earbud in her right ear.
“Hello. I’m Cole, and I have an appointment at zero-thirty hours to discuss new accounts. The Ghrexels are with me.”
“Of course, sir. One moment.” The receptionist consulted her workstation and nodded in satisfaction. “Yes, Mister Cole, and I see you’re early. That’s impressive for a recently docked spacer. I’m sure Mister Müller will appreciate that. One moment while I inform him you’ve arrived.”
In short order, a young man with blond hair and wearing an exquisite navy suit entered the reception area and approached Cole, extending his right hand. “Greetings, Mister Cole. I’m Karl Müller, and it will be my pleasure to assist you today.”
Cole accepted the handshake, saying, “Thank you, sir. I appreciate you seeing me so late in the day, and these are my associates…Yeleth and Wixil.”
Mister Müller shook their hands and turned to lead them through the doors he’d used to enter and led Cole down a corridor with what looked like hardwood flooring and wall-paneling along with expensive paintings adorning the walls, saying, “Mister Cole, banking has long since become an around-the-clock operation. You’re not late in my day at all. I arrive in the office at midnight.”
Mister Müller led them into an office with deep pile carpet on the floor and a soft, textured material lining the walls, and as soon as the hatch closed, the sounds and echoes of a busy office suite vanished.
“Please,” Mister Müller said, gesturing to the two seats facing his workspace as he stepped behind the desk and sat. Cole occupied the seat on what would be Müller’s right side, as Yeleth occupied the other seat. Wixil stood behind them, with her back almost against the bulkhead and angled toward the hatch.
“Thank you,” Cole said.
“When you made the appointment, you indicated you’re seeking advice on what accounts you need. If you would, please describe your situation.”
“I recently discovered and claimed a derelict ship, the same ship, in fact, I piloted here. I would like to set myself up as an independent trader. The ship needs a crew, and I’ll need to replenish stores from time to time. I’m sure there are many things I should plan for…but that’s what’s on my mind right now.”
“Yes, of course. The personal accounts are straightforward. I’d recommend a draw account and a savings account. For the ship, however, have you considered filing a company? The crew wages, replenishment fees, and all sorts of expenses would come under business expenses and would be most easily handled in that way in terms of accounting and bookkeeping.”
Memories of playing in his father’s office as a small child while Dad went to meetings flashed through Cole’s mind.
“I don’t want a convoluted structure. I have no interest in having anything to do with boards, quarterly reports, or any of that nonsense. I just want to fly my ship and see places I’ve never been before.”
“Yes, of course, Mister Cole. At this present stage, there is no reason to adopt a corporate structure involving a Board of Directors or offering shares of public stock. If you were to form a company, where would you base it?”
Cole swallowed and looked down at the desk for a few moments. “I’m an orphan, Mister Müller. I’ve bounced around from place to place for a long time, and this ship is now the closest thing I have to a home.”
“Ah, forgive me, Mister Cole. If you are amenable to the idea, forming a company in Zurich would allow you rather significant freedom in corporate structure, and there are no corporate taxes until corporate income exceeds two million credits annually.”
“What about personal income?”
“Zurich does not tax personal income, Mister Cole. We prefer the sales tax model; it’s far fairer for everyone.”
“Okay. Where do I need to go to file forms for a new company?”
Mister Müller smiled. “You’re already here, Mister Cole. Let’s handle the personal accounts first. We can pay the nominal filing fees out of the personal account to start and reimburse you from the company once we create and fund its accounts.”
Cole couldn’t keep from chuckling. “Okay. It seems like it’s all my money, either way.”
“To a certain extent, you are correct. However, in terms of corporate bookkeeping, it would be much better for there to be records of reimbursing you for filing fees and any other fees associated with forming the company. Besides, if your company flourishes and you expand, it’s good to have precedents in place.” Mister Müller tapped a control, and two panels on the desktop slid apart, allowing a biometric identification panel to rise into view. “Now, Mister Cole…if you would, please, place your hand on the biometric panel. We’ll record your DNA profile and secure your personal accounts with it. Later, we’ll secure your corporate accounts with it as well.”
Memories of his parents giving him a cheek swab in Zurich flashed through Cole’s mind, and he shook his head, saying, “Is it possible to use my retinal scan instead?”
“Touch DNA is by far the most common, Mister Cole, but both we and merchants can accommodate a retinal scan.” Mister Müller keyed a few commands at his workstation, and the touch surface retreated into the desk, replaced by an eye scanner on an arm. Cole leaned close for the scanner to record his retina print and relaxed back in the chair after the scan completed. As he felt his back touching the chair once more, an idea popped into Cole’s mind, and he directed a glance at Yeleth for a moment before turning back to Mister Müller.
“And that’s finished,” Mister Müller said. “Your personal accounts are in order, Mister Cole. Do you have any funds you want to deposit?”
Cole smiled. “Funny you should ask that. Does the bank ever accept precious metals and deposit their value as credits in a customer’s account?”
“Oh, all the time, Mister Cole. It’s not uncommon at all.”
Cole withdrew the three, thin, 500-gram bars and placed them on Mister Müller’s desk. “These are just samples, Mister Müller…500-gram samples. I have pallets containing 999.5 kilograms each of gold, palladium, and rhodium in my cargo hold right now. They’re unstamped and unregistered. Does that present a problem?”
Mister Müller’s eyes had yet to leave Cole’s samples. He soon shook himself and shifted his attention back to Cole. “Did you say
you have one thousand kilograms in gold, palladium, and rhodium, sir?”
Cole nodded. “Yes, I did, Mister Müller. In each.”
Cole watched Mister Müller pale just a bit as the banker said, “The bank will be very happy to take those pallets off your hands, Mister Cole. You are about to be a rich man.”
“Just how rich, Mister Müller?”
Mister Müller turned back to his workstation and keyed in more commands. “Hmmm…it appears the Carnelian Bloc and the Eridani Corporation just reported production shortages for the third straight quarter. With the exchange rates just posted from the market update…the gold is worth one-hundred-twelve million credits and change, the palladium one-hundred-five million and change and the rhodium…oh, my. Uhm, Mister Cole, the market update that arrived just a few hours ago delivered rather impressive bids on rhodium across several industrial sectors. If you would like the bank to serve as your trading agent, I’m prepared to offer you two-hundred-fifty million credits for the rhodium right now, and I will credit your account with any surplus after our fees should the sale price exceed that number.”
“What if the sale price doesn’t exceed that number?” Cole asked.
“I don’t foresee that problem, Mister Cole. The demand for rhodium is such that the price is at an unprecedented level. I don’t want to make any statement that might establish unrealistic expectations, but I feel quite confident two-hundred-fifty million credits is a very conservative estimate for one thousand kilograms of rhodium in the current market.”
“All right, then…sold.”
“Very good, Mister Cole. With your permission, I’ll draw up the forms establishing the bank’s authority to act as your agent for the sale of the rhodium and sign it with your retinal scan. Do I have your permission to do so?”
Cole grinned. “No offense, Mister Müller, but I’d like to read the contract first.”
Mister Müller smiled. “It is a pleasure doing business with you, Mister Cole. So many people these days just wave a hand and say, ‘get it done.’”
Mister Müller soon handed a pad to Cole, containing the text of the draft contract. Cole perused the verbiage, noting that the bank’s fees would come out of any surplus obtained in the sale and not the two-hundred-fifty million down-payment. It also specified Mister Karl Müller as designated officer of the agent bank but made no mention of a commission.
“No commission for you, Mister Müller?”
Mister Müller gave a small smile. “No need, Mister Cole. Credit Suisse takes very good care of its people, and I have no concerns that the bank will ensure my compensation through other means.”
Cole grinned. “Sounds like somebody’s wanting a promotion.”
Mister Müller shrugged. “That is up to the management, Mister Cole. Do I have your permission to proceed?”
“You have my permission, sir.”
Mister Müller nodded and filed the paperwork. He handed Cole a pad that showed an opening deposit of 468,521,674 credits to his personal account. “Now, Mister Cole, shall we discuss your company and its accounts?”
Chapter Twelve
It was almost 03:00 when Cole, Yeleth, and Wixil left the offices of Credit Suisse. He had all the legal documents for his new personal account, his new company, and its associated accounts, as well as a leasing agreement where Haven Enterprises would charter the transport Haven.
Cole consulted the station directory and headed off for the ship chandlery. Some minutes later, Cole was focused on the chandlery’s sign when he became aware of a rather large crowd around him and the Ghrexels. He then paid much closer attention to his surroundings and realized every man and woman in the crowd was the sort of unsavory person Jax Theedlow would’ve associated with. Fortunately, no one in the crowd ‘mistook’ him for Jax, but what concerned him even more was their focus seeming to be an unaware Sasha Thyrray who sat on a bench in the center of the Concourse.
Some mutterings Cole overheard were not friendly at all, and he could not fathom why so many individuals of such diverse backgrounds would be so interested in Sasha. Yes, she was attractive…but the interest Cole sensed around him didn’t feel like the ‘wow, she’s pretty’ kind of interest. Then, he saw it.
The news hologram on the opposite side of the Concourse had been cycling through stories, and it cycled to news of the Aurelian Commonwealth.
“This is Breaking News. Bremerton News Service has just received word that civil war has erupted throughout the Aurelian Commonwealth. What little information we’ve been able to obtain thus far indicates the fighting started as an attempted coup to overthrow Parliament by the Thyrray Family and allies, which was repulsed by Aurelian military forces. Paol Thyrray, his wife Mira, and their oldest child Nathyn have disappeared in the confusion and the Aurelian authorities list them as Missing – Presumed Armed and Dangerous. The Thyrray daughters—Sasha, a lieutenant commander in the Aurelian Navy, and Talia, a known activist with ties to several militant groups—are still at large. The Aurelian Commonwealth has posted a ten million credit bounty on each family member, specifying the bounties are dead or alive.
“Despite the disappearance of the ringleaders for the attempted coup, partisans supporting their cause continue to press the fight, and conflict is spreading throughout the Commonwealth. Travelers are advised to avoid the region, and anyone attempting to collect the posted bounties should proceed with caution as the individuals may be armed and dangerous. We will continue to cover this volatile situation as it evolves.”
The news hologram then cycled to a story about the development and release of a new treatment for hip dysplasia in pets.
The people around Cole seemed hung up on who would receive how much for bringing Sasha—or at least her corpse—to the authorities; they were no longer paying much attention to Sasha sitting on the bench in her stunned state. Cole slipped through the crowd, taking the Ghrexels with him and walking like he was continuing on to the ship chandlery, before circling a large potted plant and approaching Sasha.
“Cole?” Sasha asked as she looked up and saw him standing in front of her.
“We are seriously outnumbered here. We have to go.”
“What?”
“Sasha, please trust me. We need to go back to the ship…right now.”
Sasha still looked a little out of it, but she nodded and walked with Cole, as the Ghrexels shifted to rear guard without missing a beat. They were almost to the elevator when they heard someone behind them shout, “Hey! He’s taking our bounty!”
Cole tightened his grip on Sasha’s hand and shifted his pace to a run. He accessed the menu of his implant and started a call with Srexx.
* Srexx, buddy…I could use your help right now. How friendly are you with the station’s computer? *
* It will sit up and bark if I say so, Cole. *
* Get us an elevator car right now. News was just broadcast across the station that Sasha has a ten-million-credit bounty on her, and it’s dead or alive. *
* Yes, Cole. *
The elevator doors opened, revealing an empty car. Cole pushed Sasha inside and stepped inside himself, the Ghrexels stepping in last. The elevator doors closed, and through the elevator car’s speakers, Srexx said, “Next stop: Station Docks. Please keep all appendages inside the car at all times.”
The elevator opened to permit them to step into the corridor of the station’s docking level. Cole poked his head out first and looked all around. Seeing no one displaying obvious interest in their elevator, he led Sasha out of the car and down the corridor to the second bay where the ship waited, with Yeleth serving as rear guard and Wixil floating around the perimeter. Cole palmed the outer access control, and both airlock hatches opened at the same time.
Cole disconnected his comms call with Srexx as he almost pushed Sasha into the ship, leading the Ghrexels inside after her.
“Vilaxicar, seal the ship. No one accesses the ship without my verbal and biometric authorization while we remain docked here. Acknowledge
.”
The airlock hatches behind Cole slammed shut, and he heard massive locking bolts clunk into place.
“All access to this ship is now sealed,” the ship’s computer said through the speakers at the airlock. “Ingress and egress is permitted only with the verbal and biometric authorization of the owner for the duration of our docking here.”
“That’s right,” Cole said to no one in particular. “I’d like to see those lowlifes get through our airlock hatches.”
“Based on my remote observations via the station’s internal sensor network,” Srexx said through the speakers around the airlock, “I calculate a 1 x 10-45 percent chance of the lowlifes you reference accomplishing said task…assuming of course they even know which docking bay Sasha entered.”
“It’s rather easy to hack station security feeds, Srexx, and this place has cameras everywhere.”
“This station’s concept of network and computer security appears to resemble a revolving door with no latch…as I have been able to commandeer an elevator car, control that car’s destination, and erase any record of Sasha’s presence on the station—including the security feeds—in a matter of minutes.”
“Well, Srexx,” Cole said, “have you ever considered that you just might be in a class by yourself?”
“As I am the only instance of my kind, I would evaluate that to be the definition of ‘class by myself.’”
Cole smiled and turned his attention to Sasha, who was leaning against the bulkhead. “Come on. Let’s get you to your quarters. I hate to leave you alone, but the ship needs food, water, and quite a few other things.”
Sasha didn’t seem to pay any attention to where Cole was leading her, and she froze when Cole led her into the quarters intended for the ship’s first officer.
“These aren’t my quarters,” Sasha said.
“They are now. We can talk about it later. Do what you can to relax, and I’ll be back to check on you soon. Okay?”
Sasha nodded, and Cole turned to leave. He was just at the hatch when Sasha asked, “Cole, is there enough to buy mattresses…and bed linens…and pillows?”
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