Collective Course

[MrDrankum 0]

COLLECTIVE COURSE

An Ambassador Drankum Profitable Production

Copyright © 2011, Drankum, LLC.

 

 

A segment of the Ferengi government were providing resources to the Tjurakh.

 

They, the Ferengi, were somehow involved in what was going on. They were the suppliers being searched by intelligence sources throughout the quadrants.

 

And the other segment of the Ferengi government were about to find out.

 

As anticipated, forces had been manipulated to suit his desires. He had been able to once again utilize an arsenal of belligerence, stubbornness, shakedowns, bribes, threats and all other forms of political diplomacy to get the desired outcome. Plans had been possible due to the continued inexperience of the many youthful faces in Tower of Commerce on Fereginar. It really was a shame his people’s education system had dropped the requirement all males take “Manipulation 101” and “The Art of Leverage: A Historical Perspective” from the secondary school curriculum. In some respects it had been a little too easy, a thought that made him smile.

 

Ambassador Drankum had been able to secure a combined meeting with the three most powerful people in his government, something that rarely ever happened since two of them really hated the third. Grand Nagus Rom, no longer the arrogant newcomer he once was, had been literally forced to sit next to Chief Economies Officer A’rioum for the first time in years. The later was a leftover from the previous regime, someone who had made every effort to undermine the cultural reforms pushed by Rom. It wasn’t as if he was alone, but A’rioum was, in fact, a front. His name and title were the only real valuables he had left, with many insiders knowing full well the businessman's net worth had collapsed during recent market volatility. In reality, this Ferengi was about as smart as a Pakled who was dropped on their head as a child. Younger than any other person to hold the position; his father was the real brains behind the operation and everyone knew it.

 

His title made him the de-facto head of the Board of Liquidators. The ruling body over the Ferengi Commerce Authority, it featured nearly five hundred commissioners who represented the most powerful interests within the Alliance. Individuals such as the Chairman of Slug-o-Cola, Galactic Business Machines (GBM), Venture Lotus Software, the head of the Ferengi Trade Guild and more continued to have great power over things such as the appointment of a new Nagus. The “selected” leader of this group historically served as someone people were looking to make the next head of the government. In the past this had led to the placement of people like Grand Nagus Zek, who had a brilliant economic mind which drove prosperous times. Then again, well placed manipulation had also resulted in Grand Nagus Smeet. The only leader ever to be assassinated in office, his inability to do anything during the 2nd Great Market Crash of 2290 had shown that his election had been nothing but a plot for GBM to gain market share.

 

Of course, the power of this position had changed ten years ago with the introduction by Grand Nagus Zek of the Congress of Economic Advisors. It had been one of his final acts before stepping down, introducing an elected legislative body that had the authority to restrict the powers of the Nagus. Comprised of thirteen members and chaired by the Grand Nagus himself, the second most senior Ferengi on it acted as the Grand Proxy during the absence or sudden death of a Nagus. Within the new social atmosphere that was becoming Ferengiar in the later part of the 24th century, this post was now the second most powerful one in the Alliance. It still held the former pre-reform title of First Clerk, and the person still remained the Chief Financial Adviser to the Grand Nagus. Although historically appointed, the election had supposedly brought greater balance to the government.

 

Right, and Vulcens were suddenly going to want to buy stock in Orion Slave Girls Inc.

 

From Drankum’s perspective, the current First Clerk was quite possibly the last of his generation to ever hold such an office. Jint, an aged businessman who had accumulated respect from almost every single Grand Nagus in the last eighty years and was seen as one of the most profitable businessmen in modern times. He had retired from his profitable position as Chairman of Clarus Mining Corporation to take the job. The planet Clarus, home to massive mining operations near the homeworld, remains responsible for forty percent of the Ferengi Alliance’s GDP. Jint had a shrewd business and political mind. He had acted as an advisor to many of the most important people over the past century, to the point one section of the Ferengi Market Exchange building was even named after him. Jint hadn’t even paid or bribed for it!

 

Jint had seen it all. He had been through it all. He was a relic, but one no one dared to touch or challenge. His unexpected support of Rom when he came into office was seen as something of a coup, but those who knew him had not been surprised. Clarus Mining had used the excuse of interaction with non-Ferengi interests to explain why some workers were given “health insurance” two decades before its time. The FCA had not challenged it because, well honestly, did you want to be responsible for screwing up almost half of the economy?

 

This had created a question and a challenge. How does one relic play the game of chess with another?

 

The answer was simple.

 

You don’t.

 

Who would have thought that both Drankum and Jint would be unable to tell time properly, both arriving outside the Chamber of Opportunity for the meeting two hours early? It was really shocking that secretaries could not get appointments right in this day and age. And so there had been a meeting, before the meeting.

 

It was here that Drankum had, for the first time since reading the reports weeks earlier on Aegis, told another breathing wallet how the wheels were turning.

 

It was here that Drankum had given his every last effort to preserve all that he held important.

 

When the real meeting had occurred, it had lasted only twenty-two minutes. He really was going to miss the game. The look of shock by A’rioum was something internal security would eventually sell to the news. When his own father was arrested thirty minutes later, the beginning of the last chapter was now underway. Of course, politics being what they were, all would not be as it seemed…especially in the press.

 

The day Ambassador Drankum left Fereginar, Chief Economics Officer A’rioum announced his resignation from the Board of Liquidators. He cited “increasing personal financial burdens given the expanding markets of the Alliance.” After all, what was he supposed to say?

 

His departure was not the only one. A full one third of the Board of Liquidators would resign in the following days. Two Congressmen would leave Congress as well. Most would cite similar circumstances, although some were strangely unable to give a public statement because they had fled to places unknown. Something things never changed.

 

Discussions between Grand Nagus Rom, Jint and Drankum had locked in their collective course. The timeline of events had been confirmed and now all pieces were moving effortlessly. Truth was, he was no longer moving them but was fine with that. The Ambassador had found a willing party, one not concerned with forcing the Ferengi system to attack itself. If the new reforms that were being pushed were to mean anything, there really was no other decision. The fact that an old relic was the one pushing it meant that, perhaps, in some fashion, you could still teach…who was he kidding? It was probably because of long term exposure to humons! Geesh.

 

As Drankum looked over the computer monitor before him, it estimated he was now only a few hours away from Aegis. When the dust settled, the Ferengi government would come away looking quite good to the outside. They were dealing with corruption, instead of tolerating it. Grand Nagus Rom would likely get some party thrown for him by the humons or something. For his part, Drankum had done is job. Of course, there was one last part left.

 

The dust would settle, but not for awhile. At first, the galaxy would see it as an unprofitable example of everything wrong with his people. Retribution would be sought, problems would develop. The need for some self righteous pompous politically bankrupt person to take advantage of the situation would result in scrutiny. Given what had happened in the past, it might be all that was needed to finally pull the plug.

 

No, there had been too much invested. The cost had been too great to try to get a return now. To avoid it, to keep it safe from the political avalanche that was coming, Drankum would use the one, last, piece of leverage he had left.