<USS Avalon> Rule of Acquisition #85: Never Let The Competition Know What You?re Thinking

Rule of Acquisition #85: Never Let The Competition Know What You?re Thinking

by Lieutenant First Class Alder Shimbrodus

The night went slow for Alder as he laid on the couch looking at the stars 
streak by slowly. He couldn?t sleep as his mind wandered. For the innumerable 
amount of times. He shifted his head to see Anthony here- sleeping, never had 
he left since things took for the worst. Alder felt closer and closer to him 
and now it was as if without Anthony, life wasn?t bearable anymore. 

As for Alder...

He couldn?t sleep. He just couldn?t rest. This would be, what? The fifth time?, 
he thought to himself. He didn?t know what was wrong, but he didn?t give it 
much concern. He was fine, and despite recent events, he could hold his own. He 
got of the couch, and quickly got a cup of hot chocolate. It tasted more like 
coffee, but it would do. 

A beeping sound shifted his attention, as the computer terminal came to life 
with the words, "Incoming Message," flickering. Alder placed the mug back into 
the replicator and went over to the table. Quickly punching in the access 
codes, a man appeared on the screen. Alder didn?t recognize him.

"Who are you?" Alder asked without so much as a greeting.

"Alder, I?m Andrew Capelan. I was a close friend of David- your father. We need 
to talk." From what Alder could make out behind Capelan, the stranger was in an 
office, and it was daylight. 

Alder took a chair, "alright. But just because you?re my father?s friend 
doesn?t tell me anything. How did you get me? And how did you know I was on 
this ship?"

Capelan gave a small smile, "it?s not that hard to track you, Alder. Especially 
since Alicia talked a lot about you and how proud she was that you entered 
Starfleet. But," Capelan hesitated a little, "that?s all past now. What we need 
to talk about is the your father?s... business."

Alder frowned, "what about my father?s business."

"I assume you are away of how many companies have joined his business?"

"No."

"Well there are six companies."

Alder?s facial features betrayed nothing, but he was surprised that his father 
had that many. And he was only aware of the three that his father directly 
owned. Not the this six others. "What of it?"

"Alder, these six companies will go down if your father?s company has no 
leader. No one is qualified to do the job. I can, but it?s hard work, and 
frankly, I?m not ready for such a responsibility. You see Alder..."

"Alder what?s going on?" Anthony came right behind of Alder who looked up. He 
didn?t even hear Anthony. 

Capelan looked at the other man, "did I... interrupt something?"

Alder shook his head, signaling Anthony to take a seat next to him. "Go on."

"David?s will has left the company to the family. Whoever was next in line 
would be the owner. You are it, Alder. But people are working against you."

Alder nodded, but he didn?t know these people he spoke of, "and these are my 
dad?s partners, right?"

Capelan nodded, "that?s right. We?ve split even. Three on this side, three on 
the other side. Recently, I have come across a... contract that will break the 
Shimbrodus Company six ways. It will retain it?s name, it?s employees, but 
really, it is nothing anymore. Like a ghost, it will no longer exist.

"Here is where you come in. By being the only Shimbrodus left, you are the sole 
owner. I ask you come back home and run the company. There are a few problems. 
One as I say- we are split in our decision. Two- since I?m the most senior 
aside from David, I have enough time to stall the contract negotiations. Three- 
the second most senior- Arissa Torien- is pushing for a vote now. Denevan Law 
has its ways when it comes to business. And one of those just so happens to be 
that any sole owner who cannot carry out the duties and responsibilities of a 
company, the Denevan Government or any other affiliated company to the 
originator can inherit it."

Alder didn?t know how to respond to this, "but... won?t a will stop them? I 
mean, I?m now the owner, they can?t just take it away. If it was a will that 
stated I have control, I?m under the belief that the will alone can stop any 
attempt of such an action."

Capelan nodded, "of course, in three weeks. But there are exceptions to that 
rule Alder. I have no time to explain it, we cannot delay this. Torien was the 
one to set up the contract, she is the one that is pushing for the company to 
be dissolved. And just recently as well- I lost the argument of stalling until 
you come back. So I have to submit to the negotiations effectively immediately. 
And also, you have to be there to officially represent the company. If you 
can?t the negotiations are fruitless and your father?s company will be divided 
equally."

Alder shook his head, "I can?t drop everything to get to Deneva. Besides, even 
at maximum warp on some passenger liner, I?ll never get there in time to be an 
official representative of my father?s company. I?m in Starfleet, retiring just 
to go into my father?s business is not what I had in mind. Ever. It?s one of 
the reasons I never followed the footsteps like my Jake did." Alder shook his 
head again, "I can?t."

"How about requesting for the Captain?s assistance?" Capelan inquired.

Anthony responded, "Starfleet," he simply replied, "not a private transport."

Capelan refused to acknowledge this, "there is a way, we can set up some sort 
of conference with holo-projectors that way you can appear to be here."

Alder frowned, "you just said that I?m suppose to be there, in real person."

"Ah yeah, required by law that you are to be there in real person. Holo- 
projectors have always made a firm ground to dismiss this law since it?s help 
Deneva business countless of times. Especially during the Dominion War."

"And everyone is aware that I won?t be running the company? I can?t, I won?t. 
But you can, you can maintain it."

"I can?t- won?t actually- run it. I refuse the responsibility. And everyone 
isn?t aware that I?m in contact with you. As far as they see it, they?re 
winning. I?m just hoping that you could somehow tip the balance in our favor."

Alder groaned in frustration, "I don?t want the company. You don?t want to lead 
it, but you want it saved." Alder shook his head, "It doesn?t make sense, just 
let them have it."

"No, they?ll destroy it. Your father worked too hard for this. It?s the least 
we can do to keep the company going. And I thought that you, as a Shimbrodus, 
could maybe convince someone outside of Deneva to help us. Your family is big, 
surely one of them would be interested."

Alder thought for a moment, closing his eyes, "I have to get back to you. You 
sure no one knows about this?"

Capelan nodded, "I?m under the communication?s department of the Company. We 
have our ways."

"Alright, give me time."

"As much as I can, please hurry. I?ll see what I can do about the 
holo-projectors. There?s been a limit on them since the War ended, and business 
laws have been a little tighter." Capelan nodded, and the screen went blank.

"Well, and here I thought everything was settled."

Anthony took his hand, "we?ll get through it."

Alder nodded, "we will."


                
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