The Great Symmetry (7 page)

It had been less than twenty-four hours since the ruling.

She would never forget the worst day of her life. Yesterday. It had been up in a small station near Top Station. Remote and isolated, specifically for the purpose of adjudicating sensitive matters of law, lacking even niceties like generated gravity.

Kate and her lawyer Colditz had taken their places in the appointed box. Some distance away, she saw the flock of plaintiff lawyers, at least a dozen as usual. People filtered in for the next few minutes until only three people were needed. The panel. And then
the judges arrived.

Everyone stood up at the arrival of the judges. It was an awkward thing to do in the absence of gravity, but it was still expected. Plant your feet on the surface that has been defined as “down” by convention in the room. Hold on to the bar in front of you. Straighten. When everyone did this at the same time, it created a momentary illusion of up and down.

“Please be seated,” the bailiff told everyone.

Being seated was easier than standing. There were even seat belts if you wanted them. It was important to stay the right way up, because floating upside down or even sideways was disrespectful and would likely get you ejected from the proceedings.

“In the matter of CoreValue Family vs. DelMonaco Trading, we have reached a final verdict.”

Good. No more maneuvers. No more continuances. No more discovery. Whatever the answer, it was time to have it. Kate listened as the lead judge began.

“First, the case summary. CoreValue Family seeks damages for trespass and refusal on the part of DelMonaco Trading to pay reasonable and accustomed royalties for transit of the hyperspace glome from Green to Cloudcroft.”

The judge continued his narration. “DelMonaco Trading maintains that the royalty term expired over seventy years ago in 2227, since the glome was first explored in 2178, and the royalty perio
d extends for forty-nine years.

“CoreValue presented evidence that it has secured pervasive and ongoing agreements to extend the royalty period, by incorporating these extensions into many other contracts and purchase agreements.”

All of the Sisters had done this for decades, going on centuries. In every contract, covering every transaction with any of the Sisters, there were hidden gems that reiterated and extended their rights. In that way, glome royalty rights had been perpetuated for many years after they should have expired.

Kate’s parents had taken it as a personal mission not to contract with any of the majors. The fine print was not the only reason. Kate remembered it well from when she was a kid. Products everyone else had, but which were denied to her due to their origin. But in at least one instance, Kate’s mother had slipped up.

“Specifically in the case of DelMonaco Trading,” the judge continued, “it was demonstrated that in 2269, M
s. Anna DelMonaco agreed to extend all glome royalty periods by a further forty-nine years as part of the terms of use for her grocery rewards card, and that this extension would also be binding on her child Kate DelMonaco, who was twelve years old at the time. Therefore all CoreValue glome royalties are still in effect and binding on DelMonaco Trading.”

A grocery card. The stupidest, lowest value item a person could have. And CoreValue had inserted their tentacles into the terms.

“One question before the court is whether a minor child can be bound by an agreement made by a parent. The defendants assert that a child should not be so bound. The plaintiffs assert that the defendant received benefits from the agreement and therefore should be bound by it.

“The court finds that the defendant did substantially benefit from her parent’s ability to acquire discounted groceries. For instance, some of the food purchased by Anna was provided to her daughter Kate, and the discounts would allow for more or higher quality food to be provided. In consideration for that benefit, the court finds that all of the obligations in the card agreement are still applicable, for a term of forty-nine years since the date of the transaction. Therefore, the court rules for the plaintiff.”

Defeat. Disappointing, but not unexpected. It was a flier, worth a try. She could try again in another twenty-four years, when she was sixty-one – thus forty-nine years after the purchase in question.

“The next question before the court is of the amount of damages. First, DelMonaco Trading owes the original amount of the royalty, which is 11,400 credits.

“Second, DelMonaco Trading is ordered to pay the legal costs incurred by the plaintiff. Pending a final invoice, the estimated amount of legal fees is 2.9 million credits.”

Also expected, in light of the ruling. And as much as it burned her butt to pay the inflated legal fees, it was not a problem. DelMonaco Trading was still generating healthy margins, if less with each passing year. And a huge benefit of having no stockholders, no outside investors at all, was that there would be no squawking. She would simply pay.

Kate prepared to get up. But the judge was not finished.

“Finally, the court finds that CoreValue Family has suffered substantial damage to its reputation, due to the defendant’s efforts to cast doubt on whether CoreValue was rightfully enforcing its extended royalty period. Such damages have been determined to be a minimum of four hundred million credits. The exact amount of damages will be finalized by an arbitrator who will provide a report within six hours, in time for publication of the ruling in twenty-four hours. CoreValue is entitled to create and enforce liens on any and all property of DelMonaco Shipping, effective immediately. This court stands adjourned.”

As the attendees streamed out, Kate just sat, holding onto the retention bar in front of her. 400
million credits. Or more. Her family was destroyed. It was all going to be taken away, due to the terms on an agreement that her mother had unthinkingly clicked decades before.

“Hey Kate, we’re not done.” Her lawyer Steven Colditz. “As I was telling you, now that we have a ruling, we go to final settlement talks. We have twenty-four hours to settle before the ruling is filed. The judge threw out some big numbers there, but nothing is set in stone.”

Kate refused to look at him. “Oh come on!
We’ve been a thorn in their side, and they came after us, and they won. What kind of appeals do we have?”

“Nada,” her lawyer said. “Appeals past this level were all streamlined away in the reforms of the eighties. This is the end of the legal road.”

“So what kind of settlement can we get now?”

“I think we’re about to find out. Here they come.”

Kate wanted nothing more than to go crawl into a hole. “Do we have to talk with them right now?”

“As your lawyer, I would advise it,” Colditz told her.

The lawyers arrived in formation and perched on the retention bars. Their lead counsel spoke.

“Ms. DelMonaco, shall we talk settlement at last? We have always wanted to settle, as you know, and we still do.”

Kate regarded the opposing lawyer coldly. “You got your ruling, what more do you want?”

“Let me ask you something. Do you want DelMonaco Trading to continue and thrive? Even grow beyond your greatest ambition?”

“It’s my life,” she said.

“Then let’s talk about that. We’ll invest a hundred million credits for a ninety five percent share of the family. A very generous valuation, in light of today’s ruling.”

“A controlling share. Almost all of the
family.”

“Yes. But above all, we want you. Stay on as President, Ms. DelMonaco. Use the investment to expand your routes. You will just need to serve for five years as CEO in order to earn out a ten million credit bonus in addition to your salary. And as a valued member of the CoreValue F
amily, you will receive a waiver on all glome royalties. Isn’t that what you were after?”

“But independence, that’s the whole point. I don’t know if I can be part of − that. You and your whole bunch of crows.” Kate cut herself off before she launched into
a diatribe that she would regret.

“Honesty, that’s a good start to any business relationship.”

“I don’t know if we’re going to have any business relationship, Mr. Crassus. I really don’t.”

“Just think about it, Ms. DelMonaco. You have one day to do the math. Without a settlement, you’re out of business. Settle with us, and you’ll be in great shape. You’ll have a new investment, and you’ll have the entire CoreValue Family behind you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Please do. But think quickly. Feel free to contact me whenever you wish, day or night. No time is too late or too early. You two have a great evening.” Crassus gracefully launched from his retaining bar in the direction of the exit, and then was followed by his attendants.

A minute later, Kate and her lawyer were the only two people in the room. Kate already knew what his advice would be, and he was wisely choosing not to provide it at that moment.

One way or another, it was over.

Kate brought herself back to the present, in her office.
The ruling was history, and it wasn’t going to do her any good rerunning the events of the prior day.

Her family was being dismantled around her. There was nothing she could do about it, unless she gave in and accepted the offer to become a captive CEO. And serve at their whim, for five years.

And now, there was the mystery. Mira, sniffing around for a ship. Holding out a secret. Something to do with Evan’s death – her eyes had given that away. Kate had gone out on a big limb providing Mira with a ship, even the least of what remained to her
.

Everything was happening at once. Even amid the collapse of her family, Kate felt the imperative to find out more about what Mira was up to.

Perhaps there was a way. One of DelMonaco Trading’s ships had just arrived insystem, and was docked at Top Station. Kate knew the captain of that ship well. Once Mira got to Top Station, it might just happen that she would run into an old friend.

Kate started composing a message to the captain of the Descartes, far above the surface of Kelter.

Top Station

The battered little ship was approaching Top Station. Evan was now seated up front, next to Mira as she piloted.

“Okay, just stay here,” Mira said. “Don’t do anything. I’ll be on the station for about ninety minutes. I’ll deliver my package and get lunch. Then−”

Evan was dumbfounded.
“You need to get lunch. While I wait here?”

“Because it’s what any normal person would do with the time until the next flight window with decent fuel use. And I am a normal person, especially today. Nothing dumb, nothing hasty. Nobody in their right mind would stuff themselves into this can for an extra hour that they didn’t have to.”

Evan looked out at the steadily growing form of the station. Once upon a time, it had been an elegant spinning wheel, and that shape could still be seen, just barely. After the installation of the generated gravity system had rendered the spin unimportant, modules had been bolted on
ad-hoc over the course of decades. Any concept of a unified design, or coherent aesthetic, had been lost.

“I guess it’s what we need to do,” he conceded.

“Right you are. Now check this out. Here comes a shuttle from one of the Affirmatix warships, bound for Top Station
. Looks like they will arrive about 5 minutes before we do.”

Evan groaned. “Could things get worse?”

“Sure!” Mira replied cheerfully. “Lots of ways! The warships could start firing on everything in sight. This boat would shred like a beer can. Or, I could turn you in to the highest bidder.
Or−”

“Okay, okay! It’s good to be breathing anyway. I just have a touch of, let’s just say, anxiety right about now.”

“I’ve got just the ticket. Let’
s play a game while we approach – it’s called ‘count the warships!’ There’s one over there, that one’s two. There’s three.”
Mira pointed at the locations where the ships stood off Top Station.

It was impossible to miss the unsubtle reminders of all she was doing for him. “I know I have endangered you,” he said. “The message − at that moment, it was all I could think of. I had just a few minutes to try something, anything, to not die.”

“Evan! If you are apologizing for this, then you don’t know me. Since our last expedition together, I’ve been running freight insystem, observing safe ship spacing
. Speed limits! It’s soul-destroying.”

The other shuttle was preparing to dock with Top Station. Evan wondered who was on board.

Top Station had never been Evan’s favorite place. Mostly it had been an annoyance, a place where he had to stop on the way to the dig on Foray, or back to Kelter. Where he had to explain to ignorant inspectors why his research
tools were not a threat to anyone. It had been such a relief when he had been able to afford the direct shuttle runs with a hired charter, due to Kate, and the funding provided by her family fortune. Still, at that moment the station was tantalizingly close. How great it would be to roam freely there. To get out of this bucket.

Evan turned to Mira. “That’s another thing that we haven’t got to talk about yet. This last expedition, they insisted on supplying the crew, all of them. I couldn’t turn it down. A blank check to work on the most promising Versari site, any supplies I needed. I even asked the sponsors about making an exception for you, but it was no dice.”

“I understand.”
Mira was concentrating on the controls.

“You say that now, but I know−”

“It’s okay,” she dismissed. “Not the first time I’ve been cut from a crew.”

The station was steadily growing, taking up most of the view directly in front of them. Evan could see more and more features. Hatches, antennae, piping.
The Affirmatix shuttle was going into a bay directly in front of them.