Chapter Six (2/2)
Nuklet noticed that the sheer unbridled violence was making several of his crew ill, even though he himself and Fammit were fascinated by it.
”Shut it off, Mitikak. We've seen enough,” Nuklet said.
They all sat in silence for a few more moments before the Judge returned to the com-line.
”I may have a compromise that will be acceptable to both parties. You, being the party of the first, the two competitors being the party of the second,” The Judge said. ”If you agree to my arbitration I will waive all fees as you are a First Contact species in return for the right for full claim to First Contact on behalf of myself and the Judge's Guild.”
Nuklet thought it over. The idea of having to pay a fee to this Judge was an anathema, but having fees waived for something that he did not know the value of also disturbed him.
Still, he wasn't sure what else he could do.
”I agree to waiver of the fees and your conditions,” Nuklet said, taking a risk.
No risk, no profit.
”Both currently tournament engaged players agree to grant you planetary salvage rights once the clones go offline,” The Judge said. ”Additionally, they grant you salvage rights to the debris fields.”
Nuklet's eyebrows raised. Salvage rights, now they were talking.
”In return they receive the right to continue their competition on the planet's surface and within it's orbital area for a period of six more years or until the tournament competition is finished, whichever occurs first,” The Judge said.
”Six years?” Nuklet asked.
”Yes. I am forwarding the timescale according to radioactive particle decay so that we are using the same time scales. Additionally, they grant you license to view the game in raw data without paying license fees, should you be so inclined,” The Judge put in. ”If you need any assistance, just let them know. Their shipboard cloning banks are running at optimum in case you need manpower.”
Nuklet was hardly listening. Salvage rights and free assistance!
”What about the cities?” Nuklet asked.
”Once the clones expire when the license runs out, we'll leave the cities behind instead of disintegrating them, if you want to salvage them too,” the Judge said. ”As for the military equipment used by the clone soldiers, it's old-tech, but you're welcome to the materials. After all, it's just materials, not much use in our post-scarcity Confederacy. The technology is not on the First Contact xenospecies prohibited access and trade list, so there is no legal reason to prevent it from being part of the salvage deal.”
Nuklet didn't understand the last part, but the idea of scavenging and salvaging those huge conical cities made his claws grasp greedily at the arms of his command chair. He also liked this Judge, it spoke a language he could appreciate.
”Very well,” Nuklet said. ”We will exploit the Oort cloud, asteroid belts, and the planets outside the one your, ahem, game is taking place on.”
”Agreed,” The Judge said.
Nuklet rubbed his hands together.
Salvage rights to alien tech!
”I am transmitting the legal documents now. As a gentlebeing's agreement, the game shall continue while you review the terms and conditions of the Judge's Guild legal agreement,” The Judge stated.
”I look forward to examining your terms and conditions,” Nuklet said, feeling the surge of excitement at dealing with an unknown race's legal code and agreements.
”Very well. I look forward to working with you. Please feel free to contact any one of me, should you need further assistance,” The Judge said.
Nuklet barely heard the last part, engrossed in reading the dense legalese of the contract that had just been sent to his displays by Mitikak. The longer he read, the more he hummed with pleasure.
Any rule and technical specific lawyer who could come up with this thick of an agreement was someone that Nuklet was happy to meet.
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When the crew of the Far Grasper returned with word of a game played by masters of cloning technology on whole planets, involving short life clones, the Unified Science Council could scarcely believe it. Despite the technology brought back, crude but highly effective, mostly geared toward war and resource extraction, the Unified Science Council was loathe to believe that this so called ”Clone Directorate” could exist, much less would be so cruel as to create clones just to force them to fight in a tournament.
However, the video logs were incontrovertible and the fact that the crew of the Far Grasper had somehow learned the rules to this cruel and barbaric ”Game” and played it on computer driven holographic boards and EVR, all pointed to the fact that this ”Terran Confederacy” had not given up cloning over its obvious moral and ethical considerations.
The Unified Military Council pointed out that the willingness to create cloned soldiers gave the ”Solarians” and the ”Terran Confederacy” and the ”Clone Directorate” massive manpower advantages.
The words of alarm from the Executors were being listened too more and more.
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FROM: JUDGE'S GUILD
TO: CLONE DIRECTORATE INTELLIGENCE
CC: CONFEDERATE INTELLIGENCE
Encountered a ship outfitted for resource extraction and exploitation at Hartfield-221 System. Previously unencountered xenosapients, seven xenospecies total. Most were unwilling to purchase rulesets or holo-patterns for proper tournament play. However, three species found Tournament play to be fascinating, although they are currently only at the level of holoplay, not Realplay.
Have included recordings of small talk, discussion, and play of those three species.
Are requesting permission to attempt marketing for primary tournament games and a Judge's Guild representative.
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CONFEDERATE INTELLIGENCE
CC: Artificial Biological States; Digital Artificial Intelligence Infonet Worlds; TERRASOL.GOV; Cyborg Cooperative; Clone Directorate; Mantid Free Worlds; Traena'ad Hive Worlds
All subjects within the Long Dark that are not Confederate actor intelligence service agents are ordered to withdraw with the exceptions listed in the attachment.
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FROM: JUDGE'S GUILD, TERRA HQ
TO: ALL JUDGE'S GUILD STATIONS
SUBJECT: LONG DARK TOURNAMENTS
All tournaments must be cancelled. System rental fees will be refunded. Games in progress will be listed as a draw and all points and fees (not including Judge Rental Fee) will be refunded.
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