Comm ID: Alexander Reed, Concierge and escort pilot, currently onboard the Orbital Spa and Cruise Luxury Liner Infinity (mobile)
To: Sipher Rockwell and other interested parties.
Re: Petition to remove the Luxury Liner Shetland from Gaia Orbit
Mr. Rockwell,
Allow me respond to your petition as a representative of the lower echelons of Orbital Spa and Cruise management. Your petition has been forwarded to higher levels of management, who may respond for themselves once it has been given more discussion. In the meantime:
In short, Orbital Spa and Cruise has no plans to move the Shetland in the near future. Eventually it will wear out and need replacement, but that time has not come. It is a profitable venture, and benefits not only our employees, but Bretonia as well, in the form of taxes, certainly, but also in the form of a unique resort.
As a more detailed response:
As I'm sure you already know, Orbital Spa and Cruise (OSC) operates an array of resorts and luxury liners throughout the Sirius Sector. We have resorts in or near all 4 Houses, including two in or near Bretonia. Labeling us as as a Liberty Corporation has some truth to it, as we do have strong ties to Liberty, but doesn't tell the whole story.
The Shetland has been in operation for many years now, operating within the borders of Bretonia and in accordance with Bretonian law. The Bretonian government has placed Planet Gaia under the protection of the Cambridge Research Institute. We respect this. We are granted by them the opportunity to offer a very small number of our Shetland guests expeditions to Gaia. These are sightseeing expeditions, and the sights are quite magnificent. Planet Gaia is unique in Sirius. Having been to virtually all the habitable planets (including Gaia) in all 4 Houses of Sirius , no others that I have been to compare to Gaia.
Charges of us polluting Gaia are patently false, and furthermore ridiculous. Gaia is a tourist attraction because it is a paradise, with the cleanest air and water in Sirius. Were it to become polluted, not only would that be a tragedy from an environmental standpoint, it would also no longer be an attraction. What is good for the environment of Gaia is good for our business, and what is bad is bad for business. OSC is a business. It is no secret that we make money, or that we charge a high price for these expeditions. Much of what we charge goes back to Bretonia in the form of permits and taxes.
We are keenly aware that there is poaching of Gaian wildlife. We do not sanction this, and notify the Bretonian Police Authority when we catch offenders. However, the planet does not belong to us, we are not a police force, and we do not have exclusive access to it. We, the Bounty Hunters we hire, and our escort division do what we can to aid the authorities, but we do not have ultimate authority over Gaia, or the Edinburgh system. That belongs to the Cambridge Research Institute, and ultimately the Bretonian government.
The radical group called the Gaians are a problem, no doubt. Their terrorist activities in Edinburgh are a constant hiderance to our legitimate activities, as well as our neighbours in Edinburgh, Planetform. We would like nothing better than to have their attacks stop. As we are doing nothing wrong, as Commissioner Thorne has pointed out, there is nothing to be gained by giving in to their demands. Moving the Shetland would only result in more frequent attacks on Perth Station, and would also be akin to allowing a terrorist group to win. As a member of the BAF, I think you can see that allowing terrorists to dictate policy is not in the best interests of Bretonia.
Lastly, the Shetland serves a needed purpose, especially in these troubled times. Officers of the Bretonian Armed Forces need a place to relax in between engagements with Kusari. While the Shetland is surely not the only retreat in Bretonia, it is just as surely the nicest. We take no sides in the war, which is, and has been bad for our business, whatever the eventual outcome. However, we are more than happy to allow Bretonian Armed Forces members to stay at a reduced rate. You should come the next time you have leave, Ensign. I will be more than happy to personally arrange your stay if you are so inclined. Then you can see for yourself that far more good comes of having the Shetland in Bretonia than would come if it moved to, say, New York, or Texas. Feel free to contact me privately with your schedule and I can book a luxury suite for you and your family the next time you have leave.
Graciously yours,
Alexander Reed, Concierge, Oribital Spa and Cruise
Transmission ends...
Taylor.Davis - Zoner - Osprey MkII based off Ames Research station
Dekishima-Maru - Zoner - 'Pelican' Armored Transport co-owned by Taylor Davis and Fumiko Kimura, based off Ames Research
Alex.Reed - OS&C - Firefly based off Planet Curacao
