“A few hundred years after the Exorthium Colonial Wars, the Ministry granted the Eleven Corporations the licenses to explore space and control the portals. The number eleven has no significance in any religion, business text, or any other place other than we have always had eleven Corporations. We’ve blindly assumed that eleven is the perfect number – that some balance of power or some control exists in eleven. The Ministry has even bailed out Corporations when they have absolutely failed. The assumption of “eleven” has led to stagnation, lack of innovation, and most importantly – an absolute stranglehold on profitability. The time has come to leave those false assumptions behind.”
Tomar stopped speaking and let his gaze wander around the room. As he expected, some of the board members, especially those whom he had been unable to replace, had either a look of indignation or of shock. Society long ago seemed content with the concept of The Ministry of Interplanetary Corporate Relations and the Eleven Corporations. The Ministry was a five-member committee made up of two members from Koranth and two from Zoranth. They were elected on an eight-year, rotating basis. A fifth member, the Chief Executive of the Ministry, was elected every eleven years and could come from either Koranth or Zoranth.
The Ministry was actually something of a point of pride among the people of the two planets. It was the only place that the two worlds worked in harmony with one another. On each planet, governments continued to quarrel, with occasional wars, trade disputes, and the like, but the Ministry remained strong.
The boardroom stayed quiet for a few moments. One of the members, whose face had shown a bit of shock, rose to his feet. He was an older gentleman, with a few extra pounds on his body. A sense of relief swept across the faces of those members who had been shocked and concerned by Tomar’s statement. All eyes in the room turned to Greylorent Lamrainkia, as he spread his arms in a grandfatherly fashion. “My friends and colleagues, we are part of a wonderfully profitable system that has handsomely lined the pockets of our family and friends. Our new Chairman, young as he may be, means no disrespect to the system we have in place.”
Tomar looked at the man with the respect that was expected. Greylorent Lamrainkia was a man of high standing and had been on the board longer than any other member. His position was nearly unassailable, and the members of the board whom Tomar had not replaced, looked to him for leadership. He had attempted to stop Tomar Donovackia’s takeover, and some members of the board expected that he would maneuver a change soon that would oust Mr. Donovackia.
Everyone’s eyes shifted back to Tomar, who acknowledged Greylorent with a nod of his head. It appeared as if Tomar was encouraging him to continue. The gesture further emboldened Greylorent, so he proceeded. “Our Chairman is young and has much to learn about leading one of the Eleven. I am of certainty, that with our wise guidance, this young gentleman will be successful.”
