Business Unusual

Posted on Fri Jun 17th, 2011 @ 4:28pm by Paul "Paulie" Hampton-Indio & Khiy Tal'ehrihn & Hensel Rubin & Kira Martin & Morgan Damron
Edited on on Sun Jun 19th, 2011 @ 12:29am

3,244 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: A Fresh Start
Location: Paulie's Quarters
Timeline: Morning - Day 2

Paul had sent out the invitations the night before, hoping that several of the other area business owners would have some input. He had sunk his life savings and the small stipend he got from Zorn's death into the creation of Oceana, and he wasn't about to have Captain Bonehead destroy it.

The hefty man ran about sitting out plates of appetizers and a tray of drinks. He desperately wanted to impress so he could enlist the support of other business owners.

Kira was the first to arrive. She'd pulled a baggy top over her tights and leggings to look more presentable; but as she had a jazzersize class in an hour, she didn't want to change into street clothes. "Hi," she said softly. "I'm Kira Martin."

Welcoming the woman with a warm smile, Paulie began. "Welcome Ms. Martin. I hope this won't take long." He politely offered appetizers. "I just want to create a united front against these oppressive security operations on the civilian business owners. We have to stand united and make him see what's going on."

Kira looked through the appetizers for something nutritious. There wasn't much, but she did find a piece of fish that looked decent. She took a bite and smiled. Not bad at all. "I'm all for rules, but I agree things have been a little crazy lately. Has anyone asked why security is so tough right now?"

"Apparently Captain Hawkins found it necessary to bring everyone into line, or that's the rumor. But Aeshia was put in the brig along with Rubin. Which one of us is next?" Paulie quizzed as he took a drink of sweet-tea.

"I'd still like to know why the new Captain needs tighter security. Surely there's something more going on?" She hoped, anyway.

Khiy, still dressed up from work, arrived a few minutes later looking a little tired from the day's activities.

Though not feeling much like coming at all, Khiy viewed it as an opportunity to get a pulse for what some of the vendors were feeling. He didn't attend functions nearly enough and was often surprised to find he was the last to know what was happening in his own backyard. Such a feeling of being in the dark was somewhat foreign to him; he didn't like it.

Putting on a smile he entered into the room. "Good evening." He outstreched his hand in the traditional terran greeting to the gentleman he knew to be the host and a somewhat underdressed lady. "Khiy Tal'ehrihn. Trans Galactic Trading."

Paul smiled pleasantly, shaking the man's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Paul Hampton-Indio, owner of Oceana. We're glad you could make it." The large man extended his arm inviting the man further into the living area. "Please, have an appetizer or a drink. We'll get started in just a few moments."

Khiy, never picky when it came to food, took the opportunity to sample the table in front of him. Although this wansn't the kind of food he was accustomed to, he had to admit that some of it was reasonably good.

"Aeshia Dew." Aeshia said, nodding. "Oriental Tea Room."

"Hensel Ruben, Owner, Operator, sole share holder, Chief Executive Officer, and head chef, of Crabby Bob's Crab Shacks, Incorporated." Hensel said, nodding.

"Kira Martin, I run Xanadu. You should come see me sometime. I'll give you all a free aerobic class."

"So now we're waiting on the elusive Ms. Damron." Paul noted.

Just then the door opened and two large, burly Samoans entered the room. The looked around, stepped to the side and folded their arms. A second later, Morgan Damron sailed into the room, smiling benignly. "Thank you for inviting me to your little gathering."

"Impressive." Khiy said while dusting his hands off "I admit, I`m suprised you decided to come." He said to Morgan.

"I came to greet the new Captain," Morgan informed him. "It was the least I could do as head of the largest corporation in the Federation." She smiled at Khiy. "I hear your business has expanded recently. GOod for you."

He gave her a polite nod. He knew very well that his operation amounted to a drop of water into the bucket in comparison with hers.

"We all have an interest in this..." Paul muttered.

Aeshia nodded. "We shall need tanks, and trebouchet." The soft-spoken Asian woman said. "We shall storm the operations center, and remove this crazy man's head!"

Khiy's eyebrow raised. It was starting to look like this would be a waste of his time afterall.

"Ridiculous," Morgan pronounced. "Too messy. You need finesse when working with military types." She looked Aeshia up and down. "But then, aren't you the one who dumped tea on the Captain? I would like to have seen that."

"Was not tea. Was Brandy." Aeshia clarified.

"The question remains, how do we get to him so that he stays out our business." Paul tried to get the conversation back on track.

Kira was growing increasingly alarmed. "We follow the rules. If we aren't breaking them we won't get in trouble."

"If we remove head, he cannot stick in business. Simply solution to me." Aeshia said.

"Hmm... Human heads... I wonder if you could deep fry that..."

"Is it riots or protests you are trying to encourage?" Khiy asked sceptically. He shook his head. This was a waste of his time.

Paul pondered. "I'm afraid that protests or riots might go too far. There must be an alternative."

Morgan seriously wondered how most of these people remained in business with their attitudes. She looked at Khiy speculatively. He might be a good business contact. She would have to look him up later. The little dancer was of no consequence. The others were dangerous because they didn't know how to go about forcing change. And, from what she'd heard so far, Morgan didn't think she wanted to enlighten them. "Can I recommend Diralia IV? I hear they're not picky with whom they do business."

"If you're willing to buy me out, then I can consider other alternatives Ms. Damron. But until then..." Paul was not pleased with her dismissive attitude.

Khiy sighed quietly to himself. His newest company was designed specifically to finance struggling companies and he was sure some of the people in this room would be seeking his advice soon enough.

Khiy addressed the room. "If it's financial assistance you are looking for, there are places on the station you can go for that. No one wants to lose their livelihood by being nickel and dimed to death."

"In the meantime, the best way to fire back at them is to make sure our operations are running faultlessly." It seemed very odd thing for him to say considering what he had done for a living. "Likely this will mean some of us may have to raise prices to accommodate the added cost of doing business, but that's the cost of operating on a Federation spacestation."

"Bravo, Mr. Tal'ehrihn. Well said." She looked at Paul. "Your business does not interest me. Listen to the only sensible person in the room -- besides me. Make your business run flawlessly, don't break the rules that count and don't bother me with your petty complaints." She waived a hand to her bodyguards who opened the door and walked out, followed by Morgan who bowed with a flourish and sailed out of the room.

Her comment seemed a little harsh to Khiy, but she understood what it was like to live under the microscope of the Federation.

Paul shook his head, glad the horrible woman was gone. "The rest of us unfortunately don't need to take loans to improve our business in a climate that business is not likely to increase. It makes little sense."

"Once the initial frenzy dies down, business will build again," Kira said, always the optimist.

"Sometimes it isn't about improving so much as it is surviving. Khiy pointed out. "As owners we have all experience lags or setbacks before. Why not view this as one of them."

"In the next little while I'm sure a number of operators will struggle to stay afloat with the new regulations, some may even have to face the harsh reality and pack up shop. The difference will be in how they act right now. Instead of looking for a way to strike back at the Captain, we should be utilising what we have right here in this room, networking, to trim the fat off our operations and run them more efficiently."

"Take shipping and freight for example. Now it's true that some vendors import their goods from a very specific location and it can't be helped, but how many of us could be importing from a central location or hub? Shipping costs would be cut dramatically and goods could potentially come in fresher and faster if the freighters were on a set run. All it would take is everyone to sit down together and figure out what needs to come from where and adjusting it."As the owner of TGT, we will be prepared to work with you as I'm sure the other fright companies on the station would be as well." Khiy knew very well that as the largest transport company on the station he was the only person set up to make daily runs right now. It was a sales pitch to be sure, but one that could benefit everyone.

"Shipping costs are only one aspect. I'm sure that if we really talk it through we could find a number of ways to cut our overhead by working together."

"What we need to remember is that we all agreed to open up shop on a Federation starbase run by Starfleet. At the end of the day we are subject to their whims. So, we make the best of the situation we are in and ride it out like always." Khiy concluded.

"I agree," Kira said. "I buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. I wouldn't mind sharing shiping costs."

"Fruits, vegetables, tea, and alcohol is all I buy." Aeshia noted.

"I uh... well... I'm packing my bags, actually." Hensel said. "They've got a great opening, on a Klingon Defence base... and the Klingons appreciate my cooking more than anyone else seems to."

"Will not comment." Aeshia said. "No, must not comment."

Kira looked at her chronometer. "This has been lovely, but I have a class in ten minutes and i have to run. Good luck." She picked up her gym bag and walked quickly out of the room.

Paul shrugged. "Fine. I guess this was a waste of time. I thought people would actually want to unite against this sort of thing."

"Best of luck. On Typhon, it has always been fight for your own, in the civilian sector. Command staff not care, if you go bankrupt." Aeshia said, with a scowl. "Besides, he not big loss, anyways. Sell icky food. Make people sick."

Paul had decided, at this moment, he was dealing with some fairly incompetent people. If he wanted to get noticed. Get some respect around here. He was going to have to expand. And expand he would.

An older, british man entered the room. "Oh damn, I seem to have missed it." He said, looking about. "And hear, I thought I might actually get to meet the illustrious Morgan Damron. Your face, I know. Trans-galactic-trading, right?" The man asked, nodding to Khiy. "Jacob Thomas, Callisto salvage incorporated."

"You didn't miss much." Noted Paul, referring to Damron.

"A pity." Thomas said, nodding.

The owner of Crabby Bob's took this moment to depart the room. Aeshia scowled. "Good riddance."

"Surely the gentleman can't be that bad." Thomas noted.

"He sell deep fried gagh. He sell deep fried crab. He sell deep fried slime devil. He sell deep fried human head. Aeshia worries about having her own head deep fried." The tea lady noted.

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose that's justifiable." Thomas said, nodding. "And you are?"

"Aeshia Dew. Oriental Tea Rooms." She said. She nodded to Paul, and Khiy. "They have good ideas. You listen to them. Aeshia just knows how to make tea."

"Well, quite right, then, I suppose." He nodded, and turned to Paul, and Khiy. "So, what was the useful topic at hand, or had we not got started on one of those?"

Paul shook his head. "I've basically been told that I need to be a bigger fish to make a difference in station policy. Basically they don't much care about the effect the security crackdown is having on our businesses. So I tried to get some of the other owners organized. That effort has failed miserably."

"Well, lad, that's because some of the other business owners simply don't understand how to run a business." Thomas nodded. "I routinely have a ship, with large amounts of empty time, between salvage hauls. Rather than leave it docked, it is out there making cargo hauls, transporting diplomats, and, on occasion, lending it's overpowered mining laser-drills to planetary defenses. I've decided to set up shop, here, largely, though, because I need more storage space, and the commerce in this area seems to need a little spice in it's technology."

"I sell tea. Tea is good. People like tea. I sell alcohol. Alcohol is not so good. People like it anyways." Aeshia said. "Simple business plan."

"Which is precisely why I purchased it, from your creditors." Thomas countered.

Aeshia scowled. "We not discuss that here, please."

"Oh, it was only 50.001 percent of the company." Thomas noted, dryly. "Besides, it gives me a place to sell off my scavenged, or barter-priced edible wares, without having intermediaries. AND, it'll all be properly cleared, unlike that monstrous fried-food place. I'm always glad to watch incompetent opposition companies fold, rather than buy them, when they are that notorious, as a 'heart-clogging hell hole.'"

Paulie laughed. These people were no real competition for him. But the other extra-curricular activities intrigued him. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was time for a little adventure.

"So, lad, what business do you run? Trans-galactic Trading, I know of. Damron, I've heard of. Even Sir Heart-attack, I've heard rumor of. Yours is a face I don't recognize." Thomas asked.

"I'm currently running Oceana, a cajun/creole based seafood fine dining restaurant. But after the current talk I'm pondering expanding..." Paul grinned slightly. The big teddy bear had a love for the finer things, and if he could get them quicker...

"Wise. Do not worry, lad. I'm not expanding into your field, beyond a singular tea house, which may be liquidated, if someone does not begin turning a profit, shortly, and converted into a curious finds bar." Thomas said, with a stern look at Aeshia.

"Over my dead body." Aeshia noted.

"If you fail so horribly, that I am required to liquidate your holdings, then I suppose I could understand you committing honor-based suicide, yes. I know enough of your culture to almost expect it." Thomas retorted.

An exceptionally vile Japanese Cursive word was tossed at Thomas.

"Now, now. That's not very nice. I could just fire you, and replace you." Thomas noted. "I know of a few people who would be happy to run the tea shop. Without wasting valuable merchandise as a hair-styling product, to boot."

Aeshia remained silent. She finally got the picture that in this game of poker, she had a busted flush, and the other man had a royal one.

Paulie nodded. "This whole ordeal is about to get even more interesting."

"Now, how about we all sit down, and have a civil conversation about how to better this promenade, with a nice cup of tea. I'll foot the bill." Thomas noted. He nodded to Aeshia. "I believe that is your duty, yes?"

"Make yourself, if you so big, and smart." Aeshia countered.

"Oh, good heavens no. I don't know how to make tea. That is the sole reason you are needed, while my wife isn't around." Thomas retorted, bluntly. "Your duties, are replacable, Miss Dew. Remember that."

Aeshia scowled, and went off to make everyone some tea.

Shaking his head slightly, Paul continued. "I know that it's important to have unity. It's the only way we can influence the decision of the commanding officer. I learned this information while working at Starbase 47."

"Quite right. We need to establish some form of chamber of commerce." Thomas noted. "One, with sufficient backing, as to actually garner attention."

"Well, I tend to agree. But who are we going to get to run the chamber of commerce? It needs to be the most honest looking character of the bunch." Paulie continued.

"Well, Damron is always under scrutiny, likely for good reason. The next largest company, would of course, be trans-galactic-trading." Thomas noted, looking to Khiy, who had been markedly silent.

"I appreciate the vote." Khiy said with a nod. "However, with the amount of time I spend running my operation there is little left to devote anywhere else. This could easily become a full time job in itself." He didn't want to add that his past was nearly just as colourful as Morgan Damron's. "The idea has potential, though."

"The trick will be making the guys upstairs recognise this entity as something to be listened to. This is a military base first and foremost and in my experience the military types tend not to jump when a civilian tells them to." Khiy noted.

"Well, of that, I'm afraid, I have no idea how to orchestrate." Thomas said, shaking his head.

Khiy thought on it before speaking again. "I guess if we incorporated ideas of a better business bureau into our plan, it would be something we could bring to them. They could stand to gain a lot if the promenade is self governed."

"As long as it's sanely so." Thomas said, nodding.

"They're going to want someone with a good reputation." Paul noted. He pondered the savory nature of the remaining owners in the room.

"What if it was done as an elected group of business owners? Khiy wondered. "That way one owners reputation may not be as important as the groups combined."

"True." Paul continued, nodding.

"If a figure head out of them is needed, an appointed official can be chosen within to be the 'voice' of the board or council." Khiy reasoned.

"You know, a fairly comprehensive and detailed plan will need to be drawn up before this idea can be taken anywhere. We would be talking about the mandatory compliance of hundreds of shops all over the base. The benefits for them are certainly there, but you can be sure more than a few will buck against having someone else breathing down their neck as part of the buy in."
Khiy knew he would be one such person.

"I suppose that's an understandable issue, Mister Tal'ehrihn." Jacob nodded.

"Then we begin..."

__________

Paul Hampton-Indio
Owner - Oceana
Starbase Typhon

Khiy Tal'ehrihn
Owner - Trans Galactic Trade
Starbase Typhon

Jacob Thomas
Chief Executive Officer, Callisto Salvage Operations, Incorporated, Owner of Oriental Tea Rooms, a subsidiary of Callisto Salvage Operations, Incorporated, and Ship's Captain, SS Callisto.

Aeshia Dew
Tea Lady

Hensel Rubin
Getting out of Dodge. (Previously Owner, and operator of Crabby Bob's Crab Shack)

Morgan Damron
Chairman
Damron Group

Kira Martin
Proprietess
Xanadu

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