The Data Traders

Data Ark Ownership Structures

While there is no direct guild regulation regarding ownership structures for Data Arks, there are two primary ownership structures prevalent in the Guild. The most common one is a common stock corporation. This structure allows the Master Traders who maintain a controlling interest in the vessel to manage the operations of the Data Ark while still allowing for a distribution of profits to the data traders who are members of the ship’s company. In most cases, these structures allow for long term viability for the ships they govern and last for the duration of the ship in question. The second is family-based ownership where only members of an extended family hold shares in the company and the remaining traders are employees of this family owned company. These Data Arks tend to be smaller ships serving tertiary markets due to their less generous distribution of profits among the traders.

Excerpted With Permission

Data Trader’s Handbook

Copyright 3250, Interstellar Data Trader Guild

Ollu flopped down in a chair at the conference table that Leo, Ramona and her had been using as their unofficial boardroom. “Well, that’s an even hundred ship handlers signed on. If I interview one more I’m gonna kill someone.” She looked over to Leo. “And you’re the closest.”

Leo laughed. “OK, perhaps we should hold there for a bit.”

“Yeah. All we need now is the new antimatter for the reactor.”

They had discussed the cost associated with the new reactor at great length. It was easy enough to print out a new reactor vessel, but without antimatter materials, the reactor core was just a lump of ceramics and metal. Antimatter material was one of the few things a modern fabricator couldn’t make along with “biologicals” which was a fancy way of saying you can’t print out living things. While it was theoretically possible to print antimatter, it was much more common and safer to “breed” it in a special facility. Usually, these facilities were well away from other infrastructure as they were highly reactive. Any sort of failure would result in a massive explosion.

“Can we afford it?”

Ollu looked at her financial calculations again. “Yes, barely. That takes us down to almost zero of your initial investment. The ship is fully stocked, but we won’t have a running reserve if we make the buy.”

“What about payroll?”

“I’ve already put aside three month’s payroll so we should be fine there.”

“OK, let’s do it. I don’t want to jump again without all our reactors running.”

Ollu initiated the transaction with the local system’s only antimatter breeder reactor. “Delivery in twenty hours. We should still be able to hit our outbound leg against number three buoy.”

“How long to print the reactor housing?”

“Already done. Just need a work gang to install it. Should be done by the time the antimatter gets here.”

Leo looked down nervously. He wasn’t sure how to broach this next subject with Ollu. He still thought of the Theo as her ship, but he owned half of it so they were partners and it was technically half his. However, they hadn’t gotten around to writing bylaws or anything like that yet so there were no formal agreements about how to run things. “Ollu, I have something to discuss before Ramona gets here.”

Ollu closed her eyes and smiled. “About time. Out with it.”

“What?”

“You’ve been moping around since we interviewed Craig. Something’s on your mind. Out with it.”

“Well, I’ve been thinking that we should add Ramona to the board of directors.”

Ollu opened one eye. “She doesn’t own any shares. How can she be on the board?”

Leo looked down again, strangely unsure of himself. “I would give her some of mine, like 1% of the ship or something.”

Ollu opened the other eye and gave Leo a good long look. “What, for like services rendered or something?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Jesus Christ Leo, please tell me you’re not sleeping with her!”

“What? No! I mean she’s been working super hard and it would be helpful to have her officially in on command decisions.” Leo realized what Ollu had meant by “services rendered” after a few moments. “Oh, Jesus Ollu! Not like that, I just mean she’s been a big help to the ship!”

Ollu laughed and lounged back in her chair. “Just checking, kid.”

“So, you’re OK with it?”

“Sure Leo. You wanna give away part of your share, it’s no skin off my nose. Knock yourself out.”

“OK, great.”

Ramona chose that moment to walk in. Looking at Leo and Ollu, she immediately got a concerned expression on her face. “What’s up?”

Leo looked at Ollu, who shook her head. “Don’t bring me into this Leo. It’s your idea.”

Leo nodded. “Right. Ramona, I’d like to offer you a position as a member of the board of directors for the Theo.”

Ramona looked confused. “We have a board of directors?”

Ollu smiled. “You’re lookin’ at them. Try not to look so impressed.”

Ramona sat down. “I’m happy to help out as I can, what does being on the board mean?”

“It means helping to decide what the ship is going to do. Pretty much what we’ve been doing so far, but more formally. Now that we have crew, we have to have an official org chart and all those things so people know who has the authority to make decisions.”

Ollu pulled out a data pad and started making notes. “It’s also helpful that there are an odd number of us. Prevents ties.” She slid the data pad over to Ramona. “Read. Sign.”

Ramona started reading. “Wait, it says here I will own two percent of the ship.”

Leo was confused. “Uh, I think that’s just a type-o.” Ramona nodded. “I meant to offer you one percent.”

Ramona looked up from her perusal of the contract. “Leo, that’s like ten million guilders, right?”

Leo shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. If you figure the ship is worth roughly a billion.”

Ollu laughed. “No, it’s twenty million. One percent from me and one percent from Leo.” Ramona just stared at her. “You know, for services rendered.”

“Services rendered?”

“Yeah.” She looked at Leo who looked as stunned as she did. He hadn’t expected Ollu to match his offer.

“Right.” Ramona signed the contract and with that signature became the richest person from Rayburns World.

Ollu smiled again. “OK, first board meeting. First order of business. Do we hire the asshole?”

“Craig?”

“Who else?” Ollu shook her head. “He just pisses me off by breathing.”

Leo nodded. “Yeah, he’s pretty abrasive. I’m not sure we want someone with such a poor attitude working for us. “

Ramona absently tapped her stylus on the table. “Well, I dunno. I’ve worked with worse.”

Ollu shrugged. “You wanna manage him?”

Ramona thought about it for a moment. She had literally managed worse. Her time in the militia meant she had experienced both the best and worst of Raeburn’s population first hand. “Sure, hire him on and he reports directly to me.” Her face shifted to a concerned look. “Wait, is that possible? I’m just an apprentice.”

Leo just shook his head. “You’re a journeyman now.” Ramona looked surprised. “Anyway, he works for you as a member of the board, your trader status doesn’t really come into reporting. We can do whatever we want for reporting. In the end, it’s your funeral.”

Ramona smiled. “Or his.”

They had allowed Craig to remain onboard while they made their decision. No point sending him back to the local polity and then making him a job offer. “Timur to Linton. Report to briefing six. Immediate.”

Leo wondered how long it would take him to report. Normally an “immediate” reporting instruction was met with prompt compliance, even a master trader would feel obligated to drop what they were doing. Since Craig literally had nothing else to do, he should arrive quickly.

Much to Leo’s surprise, he did.

“Master Trader Linton, reporting as ordered.”

Ollu grimaced. “Sit your ass down Linton. You’re not fooling me with that tin soldier crap.”

Linton grinned and sat down.

“OK, Craig. Here’s the deal. We’re inclined to offer you a standard contract. Fifty percent of your IP buys and one percent of the ship over ten years.”

Linton nodded. Very standard terms. “One year cliff?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Twenty and two.”

Ollu looked a Leo and raised a hand slightly. “Forty and one but we get thirty percent of your existing IP.”

“Forty, one and ten.”

“Deal. Ramona, record it.”

Craig cast a hard look at Ramona. “Why her?”

“I’m you’re new boss. You sign on and you report directly to me.”

Craig made a point of looking her up and down, even leaning over to look at her ass again. “I get to work for miss honey hips here?”

Ramona casually got up from her seat, walked over to Craig and struck him full in the face. The blow knocked Criag backwards. He and his chair fell to the deck with a loud clatter.

Leo jumped up. “Jesus Christ! You can’t strike your employee like that!”

Ramona looked at Leo casually. “He doesn’t work for me. Not yet anyway. And he won’t with that kind of attitude.” She leaned over to Craig and offered a hand. “Well gramps, what’s it gonna be? You going to behave or shall we just put you ashore now?”

Craig reached up and wiped a smear of blood off his upper lip. “You people are nuts.” He picked himself off the deck, studiously ignoring Ramona’s helping hand. “I can’t imagine a ship better suited for my unique skills. Where do I sign?”