by Tony Corden
“Thank you. Gèng is amazing and she takes great care of me. I had her meet you because she more often than not deals with the details when I don’t have the time. If Stephen gives his agreement to the idea in principle, then it will most likely be Gèng, Peter and his brother Leon you’d be dealing with if you needed something from me.”
Just then Stephen and Peter entered the room with Gèng, and after introductions, they sat down in chairs Gèng provided. Stephen said, “Emil, Jane, Dae-Jung, Gèng has shared what’s happened so far. Leah, I can’t see a downside except for all the extra publicity you’ll get and I know how much you love publicity. I recommend you agree in principal and then leave Leon and me to hash it out with the Dunyanin lawyers.”
Leah looked at Peter, who said, “In general it sounds like an excellent opportunity to me. My only concern is: what will be meant by you not being involved in the quest? So, for example, I’ll probably be able to unload your loot at above cost because people will want it. Is this going to be seen as profiting from the quest? It’s the small issues like that which concern me. I think all of that can be hashed out by Stephen and Leon but it does need to be hashed out before a final agreement is signed. I know you hate all the bickering but the experience of that last issue with Dunyanin is still too close for me to be overly excited that it’ll all be worked out quickly. If this is going to work then you need to set it in place soon.
“From a marketing perspective I’d like to see some hints of the quests before the first Merkize contest and that is in eight Dunyanin days, so there isn’t much time. The details should come out soon after the contest if you want to ride the promotion. People who can’t participate in Merkize will be able to participate in this. They’ll have a connection to the contest and the two will probably feed off each other. I’m concerned the agreements will take longer to get all the details ironed out than we really want.”
It was evident that Emil had been communicating with his superiors when he said, “Atherleah, I’ve just been assured that these discussions will be given priority and that the negotiators will have firm instructions to be fair. We aren’t going to just roll over and give you whatever you ask for but will negotiate in good faith and provide at least market level remuneration for your assistance.”
Leah looked at Stephen who nodded, she said, “Then I agree. Emil please let Stephen know how to contact the people he needs to. Stephen, I know you have several other things so feel free to find a helper for this if you need to and get Leon and Peter involved. Peter, you know the most likely areas where it will impact my play so please let Stephen and or Leon know what your concerns are. I don’t want to take you away from your responsibilities in-game if that disadvantages you in any way, so if you are disadvantaged then feel free to tell Gèng and either ask for remuneration or let her know of a solution which suits you. Jane and Dae-Jung, I’m willing to work with Dunyanin on this so if you need to do something then do it. You have my word that I will not pull out. If Peter, Gèng, or I have ideas, whom should we contact?”
Dae-Jung said, “I’ll give Gèng both Jane and my contact details. We’d love to hear your ideas, and if we think they can be used, we’ll tentatively include them. We won’t finalise that until the contract is signed off on. I can’t speak for anyone else but my team and me, and we are really excited about where we can take this. We’ve had some amazing brainstorming sessions and I think it’ll really create an additional buzz to Dunyanin and cement it as the number one game.”
Jane was nodding and said, “I agree with everything Dae said and look forward to the next few months. Some of our world quests have fizzled in the past but if we can keep the momentum, I think it’ll be a winner.”
After some final comments, Emil, Jane and Dae-Jung left. Stephen stood up and said, “I’m good to keep working on this. I will need to arrange some help. Are you ok to leave that with me or do you want to meet them?”
“Just go ahead and arrange it, Stephen. I’ll meet them at some stage, and we can discuss any issues I have then. I’m not going to second guess what you decide though.”
Stephen nodded and disappeared.
Peter said, “Our appointment wasn’t for another fifteen minutes. Are you ok if we meet now rather than later?”
“Absolutely, so what have you found out about coins?”
“No one has tried yet, or if they have, they’ve been so solidly squished that no news has ever gotten out. There is nothing specifically mentioned about them in the literature, one way or another. Dunyanin controls all the coins at this stage, and there are over fifty-thousand different types of coins in circulation. It sounds like a lot, but very few people will ever come in contact with even a small fraction of them. There isn’t a process to apply to mint a coin and although we could just ask, I think it’s better to just do it. I imagine if the Lanetli quest gets off the ground then they will issue some type of Atherleah coin. It would be best to have something in place before that is even discussed. I have kept records of my searches and have some designs already saved. That means they can’t claim we are minting coins because we know they are going to use you in a quest. Even so, I suggest we pursue something immediately.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“You have the resources to craft coins. Even if they aren’t ever officially recognised you have the copper, silver, gold and platinum to craft a coin-shaped medallion which you can use for trade. I’ll probably be able to find the diamonds and a craftsman to cut a diamond coin. One downside, if they aren’t official, is that they won’t be included in coin collection quests. Another downside I can imagine is it could undermine the whole economic foundation of the game, especially if other players jumped on the idea.”
“So how do we make it work while minimising the risks?”
“We should mint coins only in the areas where you are the acknowledged ruler. So at present, an Elfaun set of coins and a Dryad set. You could mint a set as the Lady of the Deep Forest but I would have to arrange for the King to agree to that and I don’t think he would. If we make sure that the amount of copper in a copper coin is worth one Copper, then they will be even more desirable than the official coppers which can’t be melted down or changed at all. The same goes for silver, gold and platinum. It is harder with the Diamond coin, but I’d like to suggest you issue a Mithryl coin and maybe an Adamantine coin. The mere fact that they have actual value to craftsmen will ensure their uptake.”
“How do we stop people making counterfeits or shaving value from them?”
“I discussed this with some craftsmen friends of mine, and we think, no, we are certain that after the coins are crafted, we can add an enchantment which will let whoever uses the coin know if it’s an original unaltered Atherleah coin. So the suggestion is, if a person wants to test if the coin they are given is a real Empress Atherleah Elfaun Gold coin, then when they pinch it between their thumb and first finger it will glow and project a miniature picture of you. I wouldn’t be surprised if newer coins have something similar once the Dunyanin administration hear about it.”
“Will it be worth the trouble?”
“Financially, you won’t make anything on the coins themselves. It’ll cost you more than a Gold to make an Atherleah Gold. Where you will win, and I think win big, is in trade. Players will want to own Atherleah coins and will travel to your areas to get them. For this reason alone, I think Dunyanin will come on board and let you mint them. They might even do it for you although I’d suggest you do it yourself. You will be employing craftsmen to make the coin and these will mostly be players who will move to areas you control. You collect a percentage of all trade in tax. When they have a beer at an inn, you will get some income. I project you will double your investment within a few months.”
“OK, go ahead. I think the Mithryl and Adamantine coins are a great idea. I don’t know if it’s possible but I also have a huge supply of dragon scales. I’d like you to try and do the Diamond coins but don’t worry if you can’t
. I have two other ideas about the coins I’d like to run past you but wanted to know first what images you had planned.”
“I’ve discussed this with both Gèng and Wisp. Wisp enjoys drawing and she had some amazing sketches that we could use as your image. If you use what she has done, I’d suggest you reimburse her for it. She’ll probably decline but the artwork is amazing and it looks good on a coin. Gèng’s designs are just as good, but Wisp probably needs the financial help more than Gèng does. That would be the ‘heads’. On the reverse side, it’s best to have a relief of one of your subjects. So maybe have a bust of King Mirasçi. Another idea I had was to include a date, for example, ‘Year One of Atherleah’s reign’. That’s too long but you get the idea. That way people would collect them each year. Now, what are your thoughts?”
“Two things, the first is to make the shape unique. All coins are currently circular, or more accurately, very shallow cylinders. Would it add to their value if they were octagonal, or had a hole punched in the middle? The second suggestion is the option of other denominations. So, what of a ten-silver coin? Or a twenty-copper coin?”
Peter was quiet for a few minutes. Leah knew he was thinking, so she waited patiently. Finally, he said, “I think the octagonal shape is a great idea. I’ll need to discuss it with some craftsmen to see what shape is best. It might be worth having different shapes but I’ll need to do some research. I’m not sure about the denominations. It could work but again I’d like to talk with my contacts who are craftsmen. One of my friends is a Grandmaster Jeweller and a Master Enchanter. If it’s OK with you, I’ll see what he says. What I’m thinking is it might be possible to enchant them so that they automatically clump, or even better stack, in groups of ten. The convenience will make them desirable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Dunyanin buys the idea from you.”
Leah smiled and said, “From us, Peter, from us. You’ve done a lot of work on this. What is a fair percentage if we were to split the profits? Assuming that is that we can get it off the ground and keep it going.”
Peter looked a little stunned at the question, but he did think for a moment before saying, “Wow, you are full of surprises and generous. To be honest, I need time to think about it. You are putting up all the capital, the resources, and any profit will be based on your position as a player. Ballpark, and off the top of my head I think I’d consider ten per cent of profits as well as the usual fee for my time as more than generous.”
“You think about it Peter, as will I. In principle, I agree that I will not offer you less than ten per cent of profits in addition to the fee for your time. Now I have another meeting soon so let’s wrap this up. Send the final images you come up with to Gèng for final approval. Once everything is in place, how long until we can start rolling them out?”
“I sent one of my employees to the Elfaun valley already. Merchants like me often give our factors what are known as Transfer portals. I place something in an enchanted box in the warehouse and it is transferred to the enchanted box with him. They’re expensive but we can’t do business fast enough without them. The other option is to move the coins via the Dunyanin postal network. I’d rather not as they always take a cut. By owning the boxes I save on the postage and they usually pay for themselves within six months or so. I can have coins coming out of the Elfaun region within days. Expect a reaction from Dunyanin three or four days from now.”
Peter stood and disappeared. Gèng walked in and said, “Leon will be here in ten minutes, where would you like to see him?”
“Downstairs is best. I’ll wait for him on my sofa.”
Leah sat for a few minutes then slowly made her way down the stairs to wait for Leon. As she waited, she took time to take some deep breaths and release some of the stress which had been building all day with the different decisions she’d had to make. She felt much calmer by the time Gèng showed Leon into the room. Leah got up to greet Leon with a brief hug and then they sat to talk.
“So Leon, how are you finding the new job, working for me?”
“It’s been great so far. It’s a bit more complicated than I imagined but Gèng and Susan have been a great help.”
“Gèng said you’d found a possible site for a laboratory.”
“I have, but if it is OK with you, I’d like to deal with the Pod centres first.” Leah nodded so Leon continued, “I talked with Jimmy as you suggested and he put me in contact with people like him in each of the capital cities, and I think you’d be surprised at how well known you are. I was able to get a good picture of which areas would be best if we’re focusing on the demographic I think you want to help the most. So far I’ve found what I think are excellent options in Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth. Tomorrow I’m going to visit a possible location in Melbourne. I’m not sure how much you know but some of the people you have helped were from New Zealand. Jimmy suggested I at least investigate options and I do have a good location near Wellington but will need your go-ahead to move internationally. I am struggling to find anything that can be used in Tasmania or in Northern Australia without some major re-zoning. Susan said it is possible, but I thought I’d find out what you think.”
“Are the costs prohibitive?”
“No, the buildings in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth are similar to what I understand you paid for this place. The rest will be a bit more but not even double this. If you can maintain the income from Spectator and with the deal Stephen just discussed with me, you have enough to purchase them, not just lease them.”
“Do you want me to look at them first?”
“Only if you want to. I used the current facilities in Brisbane as a template and am confident the places I’ve chosen will be suitable.”
“What about staff?”
“The biggest problem is that I can interview people virtually but I think the best candidates will come out of the gangs and with them it’s hard to do a meet and greet. I’d like to suggest we have Jimmy organise the staffing. Well, either him or John. They both have a good idea of what is working here and can explain that to the leaders in the other cities. The safest option is to have the best candidates chipped and then meet with them. Another possibility is for Jimmy, or John, to make a live trip. Both ways are just as costly in the end.”
Leah pondered the options for a few minutes, “Go ahead with acquiring the buildings, but the staffing issue needs a bit more thought. I’ll have Gèng remind me, and I’ll get back to you.”
“That will work fine. Now, regarding the laboratory, there isn’t anything close by that is zoned for research of any kind even if we look for educational research. There are three abandoned buildings which have potential within ten kilometres. Furthest away is a collection of old warehouses near the river in Redbank. A developer bought them all when the government was looking to build housing for people on negative tax. For many reasons the area was overlooked and the developer has just left them vacant. I asked Jimmy about them and he says they are structurally sound but are home to about a hundred families of squatters. They have even less than most people in Switch, real outcasts who are too proud to go on negative tax or don’t want the attention. I contacted the owner and they are prepared to sell for one hundred million dollars and have no interest in leasing it out. I asked Susan to inquire about zoning and she says it will be straightforward because the government has been wanting to clean up the area for years.
“The second possibility is about the same distance away. It’s the old Swanbank Power Station. It was finally decommissioned in 2048. For political reasons, no one wants to touch the site. Apparently, the environmentalists and the historical society have been arguing about what to do with it for years. It has a good quality security system and the council maintain two full-time staff to keep squatters out. The council won’t sell it but say they will rezone it for educational research if I can get both the Historical Society and the primary environmental group, the AWE, which stands for Australian Warriors for the Environment, onside. They’re offering a twenty-year lea
se with a starting figure of three million a year indexed to inflation.
“Closer to home but smaller than the others is an old meat works factory. It’s just across the old highway from the Switch. It’s vacant, and ownership reverted to the council when the previous owner died without heirs. It’s been allowed to rot for almost twenty years. It has decent electronic security but no people work on site. The council is asking the same for it as it is for the Power Station.
“I don’t know what to recommend. What is more important to you, privacy, security, or accessibility? I think one hundred is a good price but it is beyond your resources at the moment, especially if you need to relocate the families. Even three million a year is a lot but I think it is possible. The Power station is twenty minutes away by car which will cut into the rest of your day. Are you sure you need such a large space?”
Leah said, “I think so. If I were to replicate what my supervisor is doing then I’d want to be several hundred metres from anywhere just in case something went wrong. Were you able to find out if there was anyone else in the city who was interested in doing real work research?”
“I did, and here you are in luck. There are a number of virtual groups who meet to discuss ways to conduct real-world research. Queensland University is the only institution which still has a research facility but it is in Gatton. I did some investigation, and probably three-quarters of the groups are all talk. I was able to sound out the leaders from the two most serious groups, and they would be very interested in a properly zoned and appropriately managed private research facility.
“I commissioned a legal opinion on what would be required to legally run such a facility. Without purchasing any scientific equipment but just to provide the necessary safeguards and to meet the statutory regulations, including inspections, permits etc. it would probably cost five million dollars and at least a quarter of that each year. Once you add the cost of insurance and equipment, it just blows out even more.
