Meeting log, Sunday January 31, 29484

[Chrisax]

Welcome to AnarchyOnline
Chrisax shouts: hello all
Dagget: there he is
Bubbacrush: Howdy chris
Delus: Hello, Dear
Chrisax: sorry for being a few minutes late
Aideen nods at Chrisax while opening the small thermos slowly
Nulion hiss-chuckles a little
Jacobi smiles as he lights the cigar blowing a ring of somke into the air
Nulion: Good to sssee you, Chrisss.
Nulion smiles over at Alan...sniffing toward the smoke
Dagget: anyone know of any other reps still incoming?
Nulion: Not that I know of, sssadly.
Silverstone: Guess we lock then
Dagget: think we can, if someone is late, they know how to use the comm
Bubbacrush: Most of them seem to be pre-occupied with other matters, since things are so quiet lately.
Chrisax: lock it simon
Silverstone click on his wrist-pad
Nulion: ...Thank you.
Chrisax: once we are good, I'll explain why I was late
Nulion: Thisss isss gonna be ssshorrrt and sssweet. I'm sssurrre you'll be happy to hearrr that, Sssimon.
Bubbacrush raises an eyebrow.
Chrisax is afk
Silverstone: for once i am glad to hear words comming out of your mouth. i am jumping in joy as you might see
Jacobi smirks
Dagget: ok, are there any new orgs or other alignment changes we need to record?
Aideen finally pours some hot steaming tea from the small thermos into the cup and drinks a tiny sip
Chrisax: so I guess the meeting is now open
Bubbacrush: thats Simon-talk for, would you like to go to the prom with me?
Nulion snorts
Bubbacrush smirks
Silverstone snorts
Nulion: Not much hasss been happening lately that we all haven't been exposssed to forrr a long, long time. We'rrre ssstill worrrking on the leet prrroblem...
Nulion: ...but otherrr than that...*trails off*
Bubbacrush: What sort of... leet... problem?
Bubbacrush: what is problematic about it?
Dagget: well, that is something we are working on
Silverstone: Vermins, what kind of problem can that be
Bubbacrush curls his lips, somewhat.
Dagget: has to do with the Company operating the new orbital Station
Chrisax: I have a report that will be ready for next meeting about the leets situation
Nulion: The one up in The Grrrind. We ssshould have sssomething rrready about that by next month, though forrr now....
Delus raises an eyebrow
Bubbacrush: Oh, Cuggles.
Chrisax: I've been investigating a lot and...
Bubbacrush: Yeah, that is definitely a problem.
Silverstone: Dont tell me i came here to listen to leet problems
Dagget: no, Simon, you'll hear more about leets at our next meeting
Dagget: so you can plan to skip, if you like
Silverstone: Oh fantastic
Chrisax: well you could be surprised by my report next month simon
Chrisax: but it's too early to say
Dagget: however, on a different matter
Silverstone: ok
Delus: I would be very much interested in any reports about exploiting of the native life forms of Rubi-Ka.
Chrisax: I'll just remind you the words of Henry Radiman on OA hill whne Jobe scientists open the gate to SL...
Nulion: We'll have sssomething forrr you M'am, don't worrry...*smile*
Dagget: there have been numerous reports about a new Agency setting up shop on Rubi-ka.  I believe Chrisax has more details
Bubbacrush: Hrm.  There aren't that many natives, most of them were engineered, last I was told.
Delus nods and smiles
Chrisax: this is the last time we saw henry, he was surrounded by leets who FELT the opening of the gate and henry said...
Aideen cautiously drinks some more of the steaming tea
Delus: There are a lot of native species on this planet, Dear
Chrisax: that leets were much more than we thought and they were attuned to this world
Chrisax: so... well... we know a company is not nice to the lets at the moment...
Bubbacrush: some, oh no doubt.  But if were talking about the exploitation of wildlife.  Almost 90% of it already is, to a degree.
Chrisax: but ah well... no, not now... I may be wrong
Dagget: anyway, more on that subject next month
Chrisax: I need more time... it's just... no... strange... next months I’ll be done ... hopefully
Silverstone looks at his comm-pad and snort as he clicks on it
Bubbacrush: Strange? how?\
Chrisax seens disturbed
Dagget: for now, I think Chrisax has been gathering some information about this new Agency
Chrisax: yes taht's something else
Chrisax: and the reason i'm late
Dagget: hello Brahtor
Bubbacrush: Howdy Brahtor.
Nulion smiles
Chrisax: we have heard rumors of some new actor on the scene
Nulion: Wrrr...welcome, Brrrahtorrr.
Chrisax: hi
Jacobi: Well, that was a brief visit.
Jacobi chuckles and takes a puff off his cigar
Chrisax: anyone heard about some organization calling itself "The Agency"? It seems they are present in both clan and omni land...
Dagget: ICC?
Bubbacrush: Not as of yet, but I can do some digging.
Silverstone: Not heard of those no
Chrisax: a kind of private investigators or mercenaries company...
Bubbacrush: Oh really?
Chrisax: but as well providing commercial services... weird
Bubbacrush: Suprising I dunno about them.
Bubbacrush: I'm definitely going to look into it now.
Chrisax: like helping companies to sell products
Dagget: hmmm, might try hiring mercenaries away from our own  combat situations
Delus: I don't know much about this Agency. However, I think its impact on the world needs to be investigated.
Nulion: ...might be a good idea.
Bubbacrush: Are they new arrivals?
Bubbacrush: Or, are they rubi-kans?
Chrisax: well our concern is : are they playing their own game? Are they clan or omni? We are wondering
Chrisax: good question
Dagget: there is an 'under construction' sign up at a long-abandoned building in Old athens
Aideen: If they are... working for the... oppressors as well... they are nothing... but collaborators... and slaves.
Bubbacrush: Well, I can tell you from personal experience, sometimes the money IS the loyalty.
Chrisax: so i was - and that's why I was late- investigating with some scanning equipment and the natural MP skills
Chrisax: trying to locate them
Bubbacrush: and if someone paid them, and can hide from the enemy at the same time, chances are they will do that very thing.
Chrisax: ........ they hide well
Chrisax: sophisticated people
Bubbacrush: then chances are they have been here for a while, and we just never knew about it
Bubbacrush: Mercs are good with that.
Dagget: maybe are just going more public to generate more business
Chrisax: nevertheless I could spot some disturbance in Old Athen and Rome... but it's still vague
Bubbacrush: Its a business move to go public like that.  It means they have good backing.
Nulion taps his claws at his knee...
Chrisax: anyone head of something? Such an "agency" could change many things in our lives...
Chrisax: heard*
Bubbacrush scratches his beard, some, in thought.
Nulion: ...sssoundsss like it could be a good thing though.
Dagget: I'm more interested in whether they are operating under ICC sanctions, or are some rogue outfit
Bubbacrush furrows his eyebrows a bit, before going to a neutral face.
Aideen: A good thing... until the oppressors... outbid us.
Xeavier: Business opertunities through all factions can only be a good thing for the economy and political situation... Assuming it's all above-board stuff.
Dagget: mercenary companies have, for eons, operated both sides of the fence in any area of conflict'
Chrisax: hmmm... an independent company with high technology, playing on all lands and able to give commercial and military jobs as well to Rubi-Kans... we should be cautious
Chrisax: yes we all know Ian Warr
Bubbacrush: Ian Warr is not the poster boy for all mercenary groups.
Dagget: anyway, we are still investigating
Chrisax: but... except for armor making, Warr never had hocgh technology and never gave jobs
Chrisax: high*
Bubbacrush: In fact, he's not been a popular choice to hire for quite some time.
Dagget: but this seesm to be some corporation, not some group of thugs out in the wilds
Chrisax: well... thoughts? Maybe you heard something too?
Bubbacrush: My thoughts?
Jacobi shakes hie head slightly taking another drag off the cigar
Dagget: thoughts, rumors
Bubbacrush: I been a mercenary of some colour or another most of my life.
Bubbacrush: Rare is the day I don't keep up with that part of the world.
Chrisax: by the way alan... maybe they could end up in being competitors for you
Chrisax smiles
Silverstone looks towards Jacobi and smirks
Dagget: Alan mostly sells 'stuff', this outfit sounds like they are more likely to put a crunch on the labor market
Nulion smirks
Xeavier: Nothing like a bit of healthy competition for business.
Dagget: might raise the cost of hiring good help for people like Alan
Bubbacrush: I don't mind competition in the mercenary market at all.
Dagget: in any case, the Council urges all members to keep theri eyes and ears open for additional information on this so-called 'Agency'
Nulion smirks
Nulion: ...I'm sssurrre that won't be a prrroblem.
Jacobi nods
Chrisax: yes... they night be a good or  not... we need to know
Chrisax: but they seems to be a change to our life anyway
Bubbacrush: Good or bad is relative
Jacobi: Profitiable is usually a better measure.
Bubbacrush nods.
Aideen refills his cup with more hot tea from the small thermos
Nulion smirks
Bubbacrush: Money doesnt make people bad, really, or good.  Only what they do with it.
Nulion: ...forrr sssome people, Alan.
Dagget: on a somewhat different topic, I think kudos are due to our people out in the fields, dealing with control of mining operations.  Omni-tek has recently had its' oeprations significantly curtailed due to lose of facilities
Bubbacrush smirks
Silverstone taps his fingers on his knee and looks around in the hall
Bubbacrush: \
Xeavier: Hmm. Can't imagine they'll be happy about that.
Dagget: Omni-tek can publish all the propaganda it likes about controlling this world, but the raw numbes don't look so rosy for them
Nulion: In the end that'sss all they carrre about, eh?
Bubbacrush: They aren't, but they lost a good number of their leadership.  Reports give me intel, that there arent many left that are stil active.
Jacobi nods slightly
Bubbacrush: And two or three cant lead all of them.
Jacobi: We are going to have to keep vigillant though.
Dagget: Aideen and his men are still sitting on the richest deposts and elsewhere Omni-tek minign facilites don't hold up well
Aideen nods slowly
Jacobi: They may get.... testy with this turn of affairs.
Dagget: they have from time to time but theri offensive efforts seem to sputter quickly
Bubbacrush: Sounds to me like were actually experiencing a good deal of success lately.  I've been happy to see people actually get more personal affairs managed lately, instead of constantly having to be on the defensive, which has been the norm in the past few years.
Dagget: anyway, we felt that the Council should give a nod of thanks to the efforts of our people in this area
Nulion smiles
Aideen nods several times
Xeavier: I don't suppose any of you more... militaristic Clans want to turn your attentions towards neutral sites for a bit and at least leave them with something, in the interest of err, fairness.
Xeavier chuckles
Silverstone smirks
Nulion smirks
Nulion: ...fairrrnesss?
Bubbacrush: From what I understand, we leave a good deal of non-militaristic neutral orgs with some of their mines.  Since they don't fight, we're usually lenient on them to a degree.
Jacobi glances sideways at Silverstone
Jacobi: Well, most of us anyway.
Nulion snorts, staring at Simon...
Silverstone looks at Jacobi
Silverstone: what?
Bubbacrush: That may change though, its not certain.
Jacobi blows some smoke at Silverstone
Dagget: now, that was the extent of our planned agenda, does anyone else have any new mattes that need to be brought up before the Council?
Silverstone waves the smoke away from his face
Aideen drinks yet some more tea
Bubbacrush: About the leets...
Dagget: yes?
Silverstone rolls his eyes
Bubbacrush: May I ask a question?
Dagget: go ahead
Bubbacrush: Do we know where they are getting the leets from?
Dagget: mugging them in back alleys?
Nulion: ...They sssay they get them frrrom the wild.
Dagget: ther eis work being done on this, aside from me sending a nasty letter to the parent office of that company
Bubbacrush: But not anythwhere specific?
Delus: I've heard some rumours about how the leets are acquired.
Dagget glances at Delus
Bubbacrush turns to Delus.
Bubbacrush wears a very hard neutral face.
Chrisax: I don't think so... I even thng this company had no clue and made maybe a big mistake... after all they first tried with rollerrats and it was a disaster
Chrisax whispers but maybe leets will be a much bigger disaster
Jacobi: If I remember correctly, there was some action being taken reguarding that question by Minister Cross.
Jacobi: You might want to contact him and see what he has gotten as response.  Since he isnt here today.
Delus: It's nothing official, but the rumour has it they employ so called "acquisition officers" and don't really ask where the animals came from.
Dagget frowns
Dagget: I wonder if those are freelance hirings?
Delus: I don't have anything more specific, I'm afraid.
Delus: I'm very much interested in learning myself.
Bubbacrush: If you're willing to find out more and share it, im willing to work with you on this.
Delus nods
Delus: It would be good to learn what Minister Cross learned so far, first of all.
Bubbacrush nods.
Bubbacrush: I'll pick his brain on it.
Delus: Thank you. I will be in contact.
Nulion smiles
Bubbacrush: that's all i had to ask, really.
Dagget: ok, then, was there any other issues to be brought up today?  usuallty someone has some pet project they want to shed light on.
Xeavier: I have something that may warrant discussion.
Aideen looks over at Xeavier
Dagget: go ahead Xeavier
Chrisax: please tell us
Bubbacrush absently chews on a thumbnail.
Xeavier: I've had reports from some New Dawn offices that some of our members in contact with Omni-Tek are being... how to say...
Jacobi glances at Bubbacrush for a second before turning his attention to Xeavier
Xeavier: Politely probed for information about Clans involved in Notum smuggling.
Dagget: we had this subject up a few months ago.  We've alerted everyone to be very aware of who they deal with in such matters
Xeavier: Tensions are a nit high by the sounds of things. So I wonder what would this council think about sanctions against clans who are found to be involved.
Bubbacrush looks up from chewing his thumbnail.
Bubbacrush: Caveat Emptor
Dagget: I suspect such accusations woudl have a difficult time getting any traction here
Xeavier nods slowly
Jacobi: It would take more than accusations.  They are always accusing of something even if we have nothing to do with it.
Aideen: I don't see... why breaking any... limitations that those... oppressors are putting on... us against our... will should be... punished. I'd much... rather encourage any... such actions.
Jacobi: But if provable, it would put us all in a bad light with the ICC.  And give Omni-Tek more reason to crow at us.
Xeavier: I take it that the general feeling is that we may say things such as "don't do this" but not enforce?
Bubbacrush: Were all grownups here.  People know their risks.
Jacobi nods
Bubbacrush: And their rewards.. such as they are.
Dagget: if Omni-Tek catches someone red-handed, we might have little leverage in assisting that individual
Aideen: Smuggling notum... cuts in the oppressors... profits. How can that... be a bad thing?
Jacobi: Though with the recent victories in the field by Clan foruces, Omni-Tek could be even more sensitive to any percieved threat to their ICC mandated monopoly on the export of the Notum
Nulion quietly listens...tongue slithering out briefly
Silverstone snorts
Xeavier: We could help avert agression, if we announced sanctions. It could be small things, such as a trade boycott for the Clan in question.
Bubbacrush: In which case, only certain clans accused could be held responsible
Xeavier: And that would help avoid unecessary tensions or worse.
Bubbacrush: Unless the ICC wishes to make a broad sweeping trade sanction against us.
Aideen: You mean tensions... like the oppressors... killing us on sight... for speaking our... free minds?
Bubbacrush: Which if they voted, they could do.
Xeavier: Yes... those kinds of tensions, if you like.
Jacobi: Well first I believe we need to see more specifics.  We just have a generalized "wagging a finger" at us as a whole.
Dagget: there are always tensions
Bubbacrush: I also would like to point out, that there are unscrupulous companies on the ICC voting panels, that DO dabble in the black market.
Dagget nods
Bubbacrush: Those companies can still be leveraged.
Aideen: The more we give... in to those... oppressors from... Omni-Tek the more they... will crack down on us... did we not learn... that from the past? Give them... a little finger... and they cut off... your whole arm... then your head.
Nulion: He'sss got a point...
Jacobi nods
Dagget: until Omni-tek actualyl does something other than wave a stick, I think we can ignore them in this regard
Jacobi: Which is why I say until we get soemthing more specific to respond to, any repsonse right now may be premature.
Aideen: Must I remind you... of the hardships our... ancestors had to bear... because they did not... stand up against... them but rather... silently accepted all... inhuman demands made... by Omni-Tek oppressors?
Bubbacrush: I guess im saying I have my doubts.  They call us dirty because one or two of us operate out of the bounds, but there are so many companies that just.. dont get caught.. its a game to them too.  We have to play it no matter whos in control.
Jacobi: One only needs to look at the Wartorn Valley outsife of Athen to realise that Aideen.
Jacobi glances across and nods at Aideen
Xeavier: Well, okay there are always tensions. But I'd say if we don't avoid unnecessary bloodshed early on, we may regret it later when we hear reports of usually peaceful clans being targeted and raided by some overzealous Omnis.
Dagget: If clan openly sold notum on the black market, the ICC would have to take steps, aiding Omni-Tek.  The current situation has been going on a long time and all parties know what goes on
Jacobi nods slowly, taking another drag on his cigar
Bubbacrush: True, but if you target enough of their voting stock and pressure them, Omni-tek could get a vote of no confidance.
Delus: I'm curious if ICC has been presented with even a shread of evidence that any clans have been smuggling notum.
Aideen: Half of the... companies on the... ICC are glad about... every credit that... Omni-Tek does not... earn.
Dagget: Omni-tek can't stop it, and we clans are certainly not going to help them enforce anything
Bubbacrush: Undermining their position is not a bad tactic.
Bubbacrush: or a particularly tough one either.
Bubbacrush: ICC knows they make better profit off of us
Bubbacrush: Undercutting them is how we stay ahead.
Dagget: if Omni-tek arrests someone, we may have to deal wtih that situation on an individual basis
Dagget: but them making noises at us isn't going to make us do anything
Dagget: and them taking concrete actions has repercussions for them, as well
Bubbacrush nods.
Dagget: thee is a balance and I'd rather them take the risk of weakening their own position
Bubbacrush: If they do anything that is overtly violent or dramatic, it will mean whatever they shoot for they feel is most likely a sure thing.
Bubbacrush: And that will mean its a stepping stone to refortify, which is a good indicator they wont stop.
Dagget: the ICC still holds theri lease
Bubbacrush: And in the meantime, brushfire skirmishes are what they are.
Dagget: OT is jsut looking to improve their margin, we're not going to make that easy
Bubbacrush: If there is one thing were good at, its competing with them.
Jacobi smiles
Bubbacrush: Out of everyone that can say that... were definitely the best suited.
Bubbacrush: Which puts us ahead of damn near everyone on the ICC voting panel.
Jacobi: What hurts their bottom line, is usually a benefit to ours.
Nulion nods, slowly...looking around the room...
Dagget: so, bottom line is, the Coucil is not going to rule anything in or out as far as responses to Omni-Tek actions towards so-called smugglers
Bubbacrush: The only thing that makes sense, is to go on about our business until people get caught, then well discuss options.
Jacobi: I think that is a fair statement.  We need to maintain felxability at this point.
Xeavier nods
Dagget: Omni-tek will have to make a move, then we decide our own course
Aideen nods in agreement
Jacobi: That is one thing Omni-Tek tends to lack.  Flexability.
Nulion snickers
Bubbacrush: If you want some sorta preparedness option.. just keep your eyes open for anything that could be considered a greater than marginal threat.
Jacobi nods
Dagget: ok, then, are there any other items to be brought up before the Council today?
Dagget looks around the room
Chrisax: not from me or that I know of
Dagget: very well, then.  I think we can conclude today's meeting on that note