Episode 69

In the meeting with Rin that followed, Taro officially pledged to form a military alliance with the EAP. The formal ink wasn’t dry yet—that would require the terrifying double-stamp of approval from Bella and Liza—but the deal was essentially done.

Then again, as long as the Alpha Star System remained the strategic center of the universe, it was hard to imagine any other option than shaking hands with the EAP and their relatively "not-totalitarian" vibe.

Besides, even if he was drinking buddies with Rin, the guy was still the head of a massive organization with a lot of necks on the line. Taro knew that if the TRB Union ever actually crossed the EAP or played footsie with their enemies, Rin wouldn't hesitate to crush Alpha under every form of pressure imaginable.

Personal feelings aside, it’s the right move, Taro thought. If the shoes were swapped, I’d probably do the exact same thing.

"Man, being a big shot is a massive pain in the ass..." Taro muttered to the empty air.

Inside his decidedly cramped private room, Koume—still in her sphere form—chirped back. "[WAS THERE A REQUEST, MR. TEIRO?]"

"Nah, just thinking about how nothing ever goes the way you want. I thought being a boss meant I could do whatever I felt like, but it’s actually the complete opposite."

"Oh my, look at that face. You look like a man who’s finally grasped the deep, dark mysteries of the universe, Mr. Teiro. It doesn’t suit you at all," Koume teased.

"Shut up and leave me alone. Oh, right—the Doctor’s observation data. I heard the second batch finally arrived from the EAP."

"Huh, really? Well, that’s one more step closer to Earth, then."

Marl’s voice drifted in from behind him. She dropped the terminal she was holding onto the floor and immediately began poking at Koume’s spherical chassis. Koume had been complaining about some "weird lag" in her movements lately, so Marl was performing a bit of impromptu surgery.

"Hope so. Did the Doc say anything else?"

"Yes, Mr. Teiro. He said he’s going to be buried in data analysis for a while. He also sent over a budget request for a new high-performance computer," Koume reported.

"Another one? Didn't we just fork over the credits for that massive scanner he wanted?" Marl asked, not looking up from her work.

"[AFFIRMATIVE, MISS MARL. HOWEVER, SINCE WE CAN NO LONGER RELY ON DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING VIA THE NEURAL NET, WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.]"

"Ugh, that’s still affecting things? Well, whatever. If money can fix the problem, I guess we should just pay up and be happy about it."

"My, how generous of you," Marl said with a smirk. "Just so you know, we aren't exactly swimming in cash right now. Between the condolence payouts to the families and the ship repair bills, our accounts are looking pretty thin."

Taro let out a choked noise at the back of his throat. In reality, he wasn't legally obligated to pay a cent to the families of the deceased—the Galactic Empire’s general stance was that "getting blown up" was factored into the salary—but he had insisted on paying out a staggering amount. It was his way of trying to balance the scales of his own conscience, and he planned to keep doing it. No one blamed him for what had happened, but he knew.

"Just... just bear with me, okay? It’s not all bad news, right?"

"I mean, I guess. On the bright side, we aren't hurting for recruits. Even if the Personnel Department is currently screaming in agony."

"[WE ALSO RECEIVED A FORMAL COMPLAINT FROM THE IMPERIAL INSURANCE UNION,]" Koume added. "[THEY ASKED IF WE WERE TRYING TO STEAL THEIR JOBS.]"

"Ugh, those guys. I told them to shove it. They charge 'state of war' premiums that are basically highway robbery."

"They just want us to sign up for the corporate plan," Marl said. "Should we make it mandatory for everyone instead of just an option?"

"Hmm... nah, let's stick to the current plan. It might be cheaper to use insurance in the long run, but if we do that, it won't feel like we're the ones actually taking care of our people, you know?"

"I hear you... but man, we really are starting to sound like a proper Security Company. Normal transport firms don't spend this much time talking about life insurance."

Taro gave a weak, "Tahaha..." laugh. Marl was right. The company’s structure and daily operations were now about 90% PMC work. Still, in his heart, Taro clung to the idea that they were a transport company—this was just a "modern" version of the job. It wasn't like his company was the only one turning into a private army, anyway.

"Well, the Speed Carrier guys are handling the actual hauling part. It doesn't look like Liza has any plans to build her own fleet of armed ships yet."

"Of course not," Marl said. "You can't learn how to run a warship overnight. Plus, if she started arming up, it would create friction with us. Liza’s too smart to step on our toes like that."

"[IT IS LIKELY A CALCULATED MESSAGE OF TRUST TOWARD RISING SUN. GIVEN THE REVENUE SCALE OF SPEED CARRIER, IT WOULD NOT BE UNUSUAL FOR HER TO MAINTAIN A MASSIVE FLEET.]"

"I see. I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess that makes sense... oh, speak of the devil. Incoming external call from Liza."

Taro saw the [EXTERNAL LINE RECEPTION] notification flash across his BISHOP interface and pulled his terminal from his pocket. He navigated the brainwave-link controls with an ease that would have baffled his past self and flicked the feed onto the wall-mounted screen.

"Good day, Mr. Teiro! Marl! Miss Koume! I thought you’d be on the station, but it looks like you’re still on your ship. I haven't seen a departure notice yet?"

Liza beamed from the screen, looking remarkably chipper. Taro gave her a wave.

"Hey, Liza. We’re sticking around for a bit. Just doing some maintenance on Koume. What’s up? You run into some trouble?"

Liza shook her head vigorously, her smile widening. She pressed a hand to her chest dramatically.

"Oh, Mr. Teiro! I knew partnering with you was the right choice. Our first meeting might have been... unconventional... but I truly believe it was destiny!"

Taro backed away from the screen slightly, weirded out by the sparkle in her eyes. Marl leaned in and whispered, "Watch yourself," into his ear.

"Uh, thanks? I’m honored, I think? You seem to be in a great mood—did something happen?"

Liza acted surprised, as if she’d forgotten why she called. She tapped at her terminal, and a long string of digits scrolled across the screen.

"What am I looking at? One, ten... 3.4 billion? Is this the Speed Carrier budget or something?"

Liza shook her head, grinning like a shark.

"That is the surplus fund currently pooled in the TRB Union. You haven't checked the accounts, have you? As per our contract, 41% of that belongs to you."

Taro and Marl both froze, their eyes turning into dinner plates. Finally, the gears in Marl’s head clicked into place.

"The customs revenue!! From the New Route!!"

"Customs... Oh! Right, that! We were supposed to get a 10% cut, weren't we? But wait... it’s that much!?"

"[IT IS ENTIRELY LOGICAL, MR. TEIRO. EVEN THE EAP’S OWN TRADE FLOWS ARE SUBJECT TO OUR CUSTOMS PERCENTAGE. GIVEN THE SHEER VOLUME OF WAR PREPARATIONS, THIS IS A NATURAL RESULT.]"

"Exactly!" Liza chirped. "And it’s not a one-time thing. As long as trade continues and no better routes are found, that money is going to keep rolling in!"

Taro let out a very un-badass "Whoa," his heart finally slowing down. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about the budget anymore.

"This specific amount is likely a spike due to the initial war consumption, so it might level off later. But still, having a consistent stream of income like this is monumental!"

Liza looked like she was in a trance of pure financial bliss. Taro muttered a "Well, good for you" under his breath, only to realize that the person standing right next to him had the exact same look on her face.

"About 1.5 billion..." Marl whispered, her eyes glazed over. "What do I do... even if I approve every single budget request from every department, we’ll still have a surplus. Our personal shares alone are over 100 million... what do I even do with that?"

Do they all love money this much? Taro wondered, exasperated. Then, he started thinking about how he was going to spend his cut.