Banned Worlds


    While the Guild attempts at all times to remain neutral in any political or military dispute, there are times when the very foundations of interstellar commerce are threatened.  In those cases, the Guild retains the right to ban a world or worlds based on a strict set of criteria laid down in the Guild bylaws.  The Guild may ban a world under the following conditions:


    <ol>


    <li> If it is shown that the world, worlds or other political entity has no respect for intellectual property and/or refuses to enforce intellectual property laws as agreed to by the Interstellar Commerce Pact.</li>


    <li> If it is shown that the world, worlds or other political entity participates in human trafficking or refuses to enforce human trafficking laws as agreed to by the Interstellar Commerce Pact.</li>


    <li> If it is shown that the world, worlds or other political entity refuses to allow Guild members free transit of their space, dominion or other special and national boundaries.</li>


    <li> If it is shown that the world, worlds or other political entity has traded intellectual property to any banned world, worlds or other political entity. </li>


    </ol>


    Petitions for bans or ban relief are heard at the quarterly Guild security council meeting.  Banned worlds have up to five tenths of a Terran year to respond to petitions and have the right to be represented before the security council.


    Excerpted With Permission


    Data Trader’s Handbook


    Copyright 3250, Interstellar Data Trader Guild


    The trip to Proxima Centauri seemed to take even longer than the month it actually took.


    During the entire voyage, Craig was insistent that the only way forward was to destroy the guild in one fell swoop.  No warnings, no negotiation.  Neither Leo or Ollu were comfortable with that.  For all the Guild’s issues, it worked and there were hundreds of thousands of people working within the Guild that had done absolutely nothing wrong.


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    In the end, Ollu and Leo owned the ship and had full control of her course.  They could simply refuse to take the ship to Proxima Centauri.  Craig was their employee and was also at their mercy while the ship was underway.  He was overruled and had to promise to take no action without the approval of both Ollu and Leo before they agreed to enter the Proxima Centauri system.


    During all this, Ramona was strangely silent.  When asked a direct question, she would answer, but she didn’t offer any unsolicited opinions during any of the strategy meetings.  She seemed to be withdrawing into herself.


    Finally, Leo pulled her aside and asked what was wrong.  “Leo, regardless of what you decide to do, I’m going back to Raeburn.”


    “What, why?”


    “I’m a Seeker Leo.   A Seeker.  Don’t you understand?”


    “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”


    “I swore an oath to find the secret of Quantum communications and now I’ve found it.  I have to take this knowledge back home.  I have to fulfil my oath.”


    “Oh.”


    “Oh?  That’s all you have to say, OH?”


    “Oh, I see that.”


    “Leo, I’m going to punch you right in the mouth.”


    “What do you want me to say?  You took an oath and you’re going to fulfil your oath.  I can’t say I understand all that, but I can understand keeping your word.  I think I would keep my word, so I understand that you want to also.”


    “And?”


    “And what?”


    “And do you WANT me to leave?”


    “WHAT?  NO!  Of course not.  I mean, uh.”  Suddenly confused, Leo’s feelings for Ramona rushed to the surface.  He had managed to not think about things like that since buying the Theo.  He just didn’t have time and no relationship was possible between a master and journeyman anyway.


    Ramona really looked like she was going to punch him.


    Leo took a deep breath.  “Ramona, if you’re asking about us, about our relationship, I don’t really know what to say or what to do.  Could we be a couple?  I think so.  Are we going to be a couple?  I don’t know.  You work for me here, so I just don’t see how that could work.  If you leave, then you leave.”


    “Wouldn’t you be sad about that?”


    “Yes.  Yes, I would be very sad about that.”


    “Then why the fuck didn’t you say that?”


    “Ramona, I don’t know how to feel or what to do.  I just don’t know.”


    “Tell me not to leave.”


    “How do I do that?  Ask you to break your oath?  For what?  To work for me?  To not have a relationship on this ship?”


    “Come with me.”


    “To Raeburn?”


    “Yes, come with me to Raeburn.”


    “What are you asking me?”


    “What you should have asked me months ago.”