CHOAM Director's Meeting (11/15/98)

[Crist Clark <asaf_nor@yahoo.com>]

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Tolben
He is a tall thin man. His cheeks are sunken below deep set eyes. The 
dark shadows in the recesses of his face give him a ghoulish
appearance. 
His lips are large and full, and wet from his constant licking of them. 
His skin is palid and lightly wrinkled. His age is not too easy to
gauge 
from his face, but his gnarled and veined hands give the impression of
a 
man in around his first centry mark. 
He wears very plain grey clothes. Loose pants with flaired bottoms 
occasionally reveal sandalled feet. His buttoned shirt has no collar
and 
hangs out over the pants. Over the shirt is a cape which only partially 
covers the Spacing Guild emblem on the left breast of his shirt. 

Board Room -- CHOAM Headquarters (Kaitain) 
20 meter-high windows line the western wall, but they are covered by 
think grey curtains which allow only slivers of light through. A few 
glowglobes hover throughout the room, but are at very low levels. Only 
two glowglobes give off significant light, directly over a square oak 
table with a missing center, around which are only four chairs. One 
corner of the square is missing to allow access to the core of the 
table. 
Players: 
Tolben 
Exits: 
Inlayed Door <S> leads to Offices -- CHOAM Headquarters (Kaitain) 

Cesare walks in from Offices through the Inlayed Door. 

Cesare walks gracefully into the Board Room, nodding curtly to some of 
his staff as they stop at the doorway. He whispers something to them
and 
then enters, straightening his lapels. 

Nils walks in from Offices through the Inlayed Door. 
Nils walks in slowly, and nods regally to His Excellency the Count. He 
does the same for Director Tolben. 

Cesare strides quickly to the table and places his leather briefcase 
upon it, removing some assorted folders and documents before taking a 
seat and placing the case on the floor next to his chair. 
Cesare sits at the table. 

Tolben stands at one of the windows. He holds back the curtain looking 
out upon the city. Golden light streams over his shoulder into the
roo,. 

Nils pulls out a chair, and lowers himself slowly onto it. 

Cesare looks up from his pile of papers and nods curtly to the
Viscount. 
"Good day, Alvstad." 

Tolben releases a slow deep breath and gently guides the curtain back
to 
its resting place. He turns to the Diretors who have entered and moves 
towards the table. 

Tolben stops when he reaches his chair and bows to both Siridars before 
he silently takes the Prime Director's position. 

Cesare gives a slight, strained grin to the Guild Representative, "And
a 
good day to you as well, Prime Director. 

Nils takes a stylus from his pocket and a tablet from his attache case. 
He raps the stylus impatiently on the edge of the table, glancing 
occasionally towards the door. "Tap-a-tap-tap." 

Tolben glances abruptly to Cesare's words which have broken the silence 
that surrounded the Guildsman, "Thank you, Count Cesare. I only hope it 
remains a good day when your motives for recalling a meeting of the 
Directors is presented." 

Arturios walks in from Offices through the Inlayed Door. 

Arturios
What you see is a tall young man, of thin build. He skin tone is 
slightly swarthy and his longish, straight hair is jet black. His 
features are aquiline and his bearing is straight and proud. Blue eyes 
stare at you from under a wisp of hair, revealing a confidence that is 
either born of long years of command or a product of noble-born 
arrogance. 
He is dressed in an all black uniform, without any sign of decoration
or 
rank. Connected from his belt is a gold-plated holtzman shield
generator 
decorated with miniture cat like ingravings. Opposite to the shield is
a 
short, thin duelling sword. 

Cesare shuffles his papers and places them all in a neat stack on his 
left side, declining to give retort to the Guildsman's comment. 

Arturios staggers in looking somewhat ragged. He waves a hand, 
"Cousines.." 

Arturios takes a seat on the table. 

Tolben rises from his seat and looks over the Baron Venhei slowly and 
deliberately as he bows, "A pleasure to meet you, Baron Arturios." 

Nils stands and acknoledges Arturios's perhaps inappropriate greeting. 
"Good day, Director Venhei. Are you quite well?" 

Ballinore walks in from Offices through the Inlayed Door. 


Cesare says bitterly at the arrival of the Venhei, "Ah! Baron Arturios! 
Fashionably late as ever, I see." 

Arturios coughs and offers a weak smile. "Good day Count Moritani, 
Viscaount Alvstad...Director..Excuse me I'm a tad tired. Matters of 
state you know.." 

Tolben gives an apethetic shrug of his shoulders and scans the room. He 
nods to a CHOAM staffer at the door who clicks it closed, "Are we ready 
to begin, Directors?" 

Nils stifles a chuckle. "Yes, of course. Why, the other day, I almost 
nodded off at the Imperial Theatre during a performance! That would
have 
been embarrassing!" 

Cesare nods in concurrence with the Prime Director, "Yes, let's do 
begin." 

Nils nods to the Guildsman, but remains silent. 

Arturios rubs his temples and says, "Yes, let us." 

Cesare smiles at the Viscount and opens his mouth to say something, but 
quickly clamps it shut. 

Arturios coughs again and removes several papers from his leather bag. 

Tolben reaches into a fold in his robe. There is just audible click 
heard as the whisper field powers up. The old Guildsman raises a fist
to 
his mouth and clears his throat, "This meeting of the CHOAM Board of 
Directors is in session. It has been called for by the Count Cesare 
Moritani and seconded by the Viscount Nils Alvstad. Since it has been 
requested by the Count, I turn the floor to him." Tolben sits. 

Nils' hairs do their little dance once again as Tolben activates the 
whisper field. 

Tolben sit at the table. 

Arturios looks about somewhat in alarm, then settles back into his 
chair. 

Cesare rises from his seat, clearing his throat as he reads from the
top 
sheet of his stack of papers, "Fellow Directors, I have called this 
meeting to ask for a...modification of our previous meeting. I maintain 
that the Ginaz must be given a contract and believe that the other 
Directors may have acted too hastily in denying them. I know that the 
good Viscount and Baron are men of integrity and incredible 
intelligence, but our last meeting was a hectic one, and minds may have 
been too heated to think with full rationality. I should like to
justify 
this by stating that it has come to my attention that the Atreides will 
not be able to avoid a substantial decrease in the Essen Contract
profit 
for at least one, mayhap two economic periods. This was made known to
me 
after our last meeting, else I should never have suggested them for the 
contract." 

Cesare stands up from the table. 

Arturios frowns, looking at the rising man. 

The Guildsman sits expressionless, motionless watching the Count. 

Cesare looks from one Director to another as he adds, "The Shareholders 
need not be told of any changes here tonight. It has already been
leaked 
by someone in this room that the Ginaz were denied contract, and as
such 
it would serve right to prove these mongerers wrong. I do not feel that 
giving a contract to the Ginaz would violate CHOAM Policy. Nowhere is
it 
stated that contracts must neccessarily be issued to only Houses who 
place bids. Fellow Directors, I suggest two possibilities. Either 1. We 
give the Basal Contract to the Ginaz and distribute the Essen Contract 
to the Harkonnen or 2. We issue Basal to the Harkonnen and Essen to the 
Ginaz. As for myself, I favour the former proposition. What say the
rest 
of you?" 
Cesare lets his gaze stop longer on the faces of the Viscount Alvstad 
and the Baron Venhei than he does on the Prime Director. 
Cesare seats himself back down, having made known his petition. 
Cesare sits at the table. 

Tolben slowly turns his head to each of the other two Directors. He 
stares at Arturios for a moment, "Is the Director Arturios familiar
with 
the precedings of the previous meeting of the Directors?" 

Arturios nods. "Yes, I recieved a full breifing.." 

Nils grits his teeth for a moment. "I have been approached by 
representatives of several houses--and of the Imperium 
itself!--expressing their displeasure that the Ginaz were left fallow. 
Our decision, despite being the best we were capable of at the time,
was 
apparently not acceptible to the Shareholders. I am not averse to 
altering it, if it serves the needs of the Shareholders and Emperor." 

Tolben nods in comprehension to Nils's words then turns to Arturios, 
waiting for any words he may have. 

Arturios coughs yet one more time and says, "I agree with the words of 
the Viscount. Several sources pointed out that such an oversight would 
not be good for the stabilitay of the Padishah Empire..Thus, we need to 
rectify the situation." 

Cesare smiles amicably at the words of his two colleagues, "Excellent!
I 
am indeed pleased to see that the two of you agree. What about you, 
Prime Director? What are your thoughts on this matter?" 

Tolben waits for a moment of silence to fall before he leans forward on 
to the table. He looks down at his hands, clasped together, "Unlike my 
honourable collueges, I cannot help but maintain my earlier position on 
this matter. It seems completely..." He grips his hands more tightly, 
"It seems most irregular, unwise, and perhaps reckless to present a 
contract to a House that has shown no formal interest in aquiring the 
said contract. If the shareholders would wish to take such bold steps, 
then let them do so at the Shareholders Meeting." He clears his throat 
again before continuing... 

Cesare quickly darts his head back around to the other two Directors, a 
pronounced scowl on his face at the words of the Prime Director. "It 
appears we shall not be unanimous in this, but we can at least have a 
majority." 

Nils looks across the table at the Guildsman, awaiting his
continuation. 
Tap-a-tap, tap-a-tap-tap-tap-a-tap. 

Tolben's face is growing mildly flushed. He licks his lips and nods 
along to Cesare's remark, making eye contact with no one in the room, 
"Yes, it does seem that the other noble Directors have had a change of 
heart. The honorable Siridar-Count Cesare previously argued how the 
Directors must act in CHOAM's best interests, the Shareholders opinions 
be damned. Now, when he feels the Shareholders, most notably the
Emperor 
himself, are on his side, he speaks of the will of the Shareholders." 
Tolben looks up at Cesare, Nils, and then Arturios, "The Guild's vote 
will not change. I have seen no evidence to warrant it." 

Arturios waves in a dismissory fashion. "Well then lets get to it.." 

Cesare nods to the Prime Director, his eyes staring cautiously into the 
Guildsman's. "Thank you for your opinions and concearns, Prime
Director. 
They are, as ever, valued highly." He then asks the others, "Well then, 
what do you two favour as far as the redistribution of contracts?" 

Arturios turns to Cesare. "Have you spoken to all the parties involved, 
including the Harkonnens?" 

Cesare raises an eyebrow, "Pardon? You shall forgive me for saying so, 
but there are, in my estimation, no parties involved. All contracts are 
tenative until such time as the Shareholders approve of our decisions
in 
distributing them." 

Nils taps the stylus against his lower lip. "I am still not entirely 
sure that the Ginaz should continue to hold Basal. While most concerned 
believe that the Ginaz should hold some contract, that does not change 
the fact that the Basal yards did poorly this last period under Ginaz 
control. Let us not forget why we awarded it to the Harkonnen in the 
first place. Perhaps we should consider your second suggestion, in
which 
the Ginaz are given an...easier contract." 

Arturios says, "I'm asking. Do the Harkonnens still want Basal? You
said 
the Atreides were overstrectched and could not use Essen properly..Did 
the Harkonnens have similar concerns?" 

Cesare listens to the opinion of the Alvstad Director and then turns to 
at the words of the Baron Venhei. "I am willing to agree with Lord 
Alvstad and let the Harkonnen keep Basal. Would you agree to giving 
Essen to the Ginaz then, Director Venhei?" 

Tolben leans back and watches the others. The his jaw muscles flex 
visibly beneath is pale wrinked skin. 

Nils purses his lips. "If it were not for that blasted leak"--he looks 
around annoyedly at his fellow Directors--"no Houses would know /what/ 
our decisions were. There is no need to consult the Harkonnen since
they 
do not yet have Basal, and should not even know that it was ever
awarded 
to them." 

Arturios narrows his eyes at Nils. "Yes. We should begin an 
investigation into that immediately." Looking at the Count he says, 
"Viscount Alvstad's suggestions seems suitable." 

Cesare grins widely and turns on a recording device, "Excellent. Then 
let us formally vote on it. The present motion is to give the Essen 
Contract to the Ginaz, removing the present pendation of the contract
to 
the Atreides." 
Cesare states firmly, "My vote is aye." 

Nils waits for a moment, watching the Baron Venhei. 

Arturios gives a wicked grin. "Aye." 

After a moment's pause, Nils nods hesitantly. He echoes his fellow 
Directors: "Aye." 

Cesare looks to the Prime Director, his being the only vote left
uncast. 

Arturios turns to look at the director. 

Tolben waits silently. Even after Cesare looks, he sits for a moment. 
Finally, he looks to each, "The Guild sees no reason to change its 
position. Awarding contracts to Houses that do not even seek them out
is 
a dangerous precedent. I only hope the Shareholders and CHOAM will be 
understanding for all of your sakes... or perhaps it would be best for 
CHOAM if they are not. The Guild votes 'nay.' 

Cesare switches off the recording device and states, again declining to 
comment on the statement of the Guildsman. "Very well then, fellow 
Directors. The motion passes." 
Cesare jots something down on a piece of paper and, on looking up, says 
"My business is concluded, and as such I turn the meeting back over to 
the Prime Director." 

Nils closes his eyes for a moment. "As concerns the recent security 
breach, I wholeheartedly support a full investigation. There as, as I 
see it, three possibilities. Firstly, one of us could have leaked the 
information. Secondly, a fifth party could have compromised CHOAM 
security on its own, discovering the results through subterfuge. 
Thirdly, although it is unlikely, both could have occured." He looks 
around at the Board. "Have any of you input on this?" 

Cesare shrugs and shakes his head. "I haven't the slightest idea who 
could have leaked this information." 

Arturios holds up his hand and shrugs. "I've no knowledge of the
leak..I 
know as much as I was told by you." 

Tolben shrugs, "I would have no reason to spread any such information. 
The fact that it has spread has only injured my position on one vote. 
Perhaps one would look to see who could have benefited." He
deliberately 
keeps his eyes on Nils. 

Arturios follows the director's eye, looking at Nils for a moment but 
then shrugs. "Well I'm sure the investigation will reveal the culprit." 

Nils catches Tolben's gaze, not blinking. "I remind the Prime Director 
that I was he who brought this problem to the Board in the first place, 
and, furthermore, it is I who have weathered the most critisism for our 
decision! Again and again have ignorant diplomats approached me, 
censuring me personally for allowing the Ginaz to lie fallow! As if it 
were not the Ginaz's sheer incompetant in not bidding that caused our 
decision!" Nils takes a deep breath, and continues, turning his gaze to 
the Lord Moritani "I would wonder why I, who voted against the Ginaz, 
would let such information out? Who, do I recall, was the only Director 
who wanted the Ginaz to keep Basal?" 

Tolben smiles for the first time as he looks at Nils, "I never
suggested 
you, Director. But your point is very intriguing." 

Cesare snaps in bitter retort, "House Moritani would never sink to such 
base measures. I have taken tremendous amounts of flack for this, 
gentlemen, and it has hurt House Moritani in ways which you cannot
know. 
I suggest that we stop the accusations and suspicion until such time as 
this matter can be brought before the Shareholders." 

Tolben lets out a huff, "What concern does the Moritani Director have 
for the Shareholders. Everyone here knows whose interests are served by 
the holder of the Arrakis contract." 

Arturios nods. "I agree Count Moritani. All these suspicions could 
certainly be baseless. We know of the intelligence capabilities of 
Ginaz.." 

Cesare stares daggers at the Guildsman, "How dare you! When I walk 
through that door, all personal agenda and motive disappears. I am 
within the confines of these walls a man simply of CHOAM, not the Count 
of House Moritani, not the Siridar of Grumman, not the holder of the 
Arrakis Contract." 

Nils keeps his gaze on the Count. "I am sorry, cher cousine; this
entire 
incident has weighed on me heavily. Let us save the accusations for 
later--or, hopefully, for never." He bows slightly in his seat. "Yes,
an 
investigation is needed first. Shall we have the Shareholders vote upon 
this? An investigation is a long and costly--not to mention 
messy--procedure, and we ought not take up the Company's time and money 
before first checking with the Shareholders. 

Cesare nods in exasperation at Nils, his temper quickly evading, "I 
agree. Let us let cooler minds prevail and bring this before the 
Shareholders." 

Arturios says, "Brilliant idea Viscount. Take careful note of those who 
vote nay against it or whom agree with it too vehemently."" 

Nils turns to the Prime Director. "Let us vote upon bringing this
before 
the Shareholders before we destroy what good will we have left." 

Cesare states annoyedly, "Aye." 

Nils nods. "Aye, as well." 

Tolben shakes his head and speaks under his breath, "Bringing an 
investigation of a security leak before the entire body of the 
Shareholders before an investigation has been started is essentially 
quashing any possibility of ever finding the true source of the leak." 
He turns to Arturios, "Perhaps you should note whose opinions are too 
strong in this room, Baron, and not wait to watch the Shareholders." He 
looks back to the center of the room and no one in particular, "the 
Guild votes nay." 

Arturios shighs. "Aye..Well is that it?" 

Nils nods. "Motion to adjourn?" 

Tolben looks to Cesare, "Is that all you wished to bring before us, 
Director Cesare?" 

Arturios says, "I second the motion." 

Cesare nods, "That is everything." 
Cesare votes, "Aye." 

Tolben lets out a sigh and falls back in his chair, "Ajourned." 

Arturios files his papers back into his leather bag and nods to the 
group. "Well if that's all, I must be going, some, uhm matters of state 
are pending." 

You have unlocked the door. lockdoor to lock. 

Arturios stands. "Its been a pleasure gentlemen.." 

Cesare starts placing his papers back into his briefcase. 

Tolben rises and gives a weary bow to Arturios. 

Cesare stands up from the table. 

Arturios says, "Director a good night to you. Cousines, fare thee 
well.." 

Cesare rises and picks up his case. "Good night to you all. I am glad
we 
could, for the most part, agree on these changes." 

Arturios gives all a tired grin and exits the room. 
Arturios walks to the south and passes through the Inlayed Door. 

Cesare strides out the door. 
Cesare walks to the south and passes through the Inlayed Door. 

Nils nods to the Guildsman as he makes his exit. "Good day, Director." 
Nils walks to the south and passes through the Inlayed Door. 


==
Asaf'nor @ DuneIII MUSH           Code and Building Admin
Crist Clark                            asaf_nor@yahoo.com

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