A conference room where silence often descends on Taro's vague questions in some ways. Each one shows how seriously everyone has thought about it, and Taro remembers with satisfaction the atmosphere. There is no snuff talk on the spot, and everyone is looking for serious answers.
"May I speak?"
Try to break the silence and raise your hand, Clark. In contrast, Taro snorts back.
"It is the networks and resources at issue, but this is an error. To be precise, I was wondering if you could consider it to be only one of them."
"What about that heart?
"Yes, the government of the Enzio Alliance was tightening it with food, resources and networks, but unlike the other two when it comes to networks, it seems to have a strong aspect that it is only a means to control them"
Clark with a hazy voice. Looking around like he asked for consent, some nodded as they were convinced.
"I mean, if we even solve the food and resource problem, he says the network itself doesn't mind staying gripped?
Try to think about it, Alan. And "Yes," said Clark.
"It may need to be resolved sooner or later, but it is not mandatory in the present situation. On the other hand, if you do something about the network, you can keep the other two under control."
To Clark's explanation, "I see," said Taro.
"Once the network is free, companies can live on their own by doing business in the back market. On the other hand, if you have food and resources, you should just do a dignified deal in a controlled tabular market...
Arm up, hmm, snort Taro. "I can't network," Marr said in such a tall way.
"As I said before when I was talking about neural nets, the network itself is a conceptual thing. I can't believe we're going to do something about the information infrastructure itself, which is what we're going to be talking about at the level where we're going to spend years reviewing facilities across the region."
To Marl's opinion, "I agree," Alan said.
"I did a lot of research when I hacked at the ottostation, but quite a few physical locks were set up. Even if some genius tries to do something with just a system on the network, that's impossible. Critical parts need to be operated mechanically"
Each of them has a convincing look on Alan's words. "Genius is about Alan?" Don't tear it up, Admiral, "said Alan.
"Maybe there's some way, but at least you're good for me. Any ideas would be welcome, but I don't know."
To Alan's question, he shook his head in such a way that no way. Everyone knows Alan's knowledge of the network, and he says he's good at it. I didn't think anyone else could do anything about it.
"Then don't talk about doing something about resources... even with resources, Razor Metal is the only thing that's in question. What is it?
Resources such as iron, titanium, water and various chemicals can be harvested anywhere in the galaxy. That's why we can get enough metal from the floating asteroids, and we can carry a lot of water in from the ice meteorites. They exist everywhere in the galaxy, and it cannot be an obstacle.
"It's not such a simple story, but if you dare to differentiate it, you will. General resources are what you can do if you need them, even if they don't match the cost."
Liza, the head of the transport sector, answers, looking at the terminal at hand. Next to that, Makina, the head of the development department, was nodding to agree with her, apparently without a doubt. We both know more about ore resources than anyone here.
"I see. Well, of course you will. As a first opinion, transporting and selling from the EAP side and the Imperial Center... well, you can't"
While speaking, Taro denies to butt blushes. Raise your voice of consent with such expressions as naturally.
"I don't know that transportation can be managed to some extent using secret routes, but quantity and funding would be a problem. As everyone knows, all mineral resources are rising in price with the revitalization of the wind. Even the Imperial Centre is in no time at all supplied to demand. If we were to supply Enzio at a realistic price, EAP would be bankrupt along with transportation costs."
With that said, Phantom turns his gaze toward Liza. By contrast, "Right," Liza said.
"I tried to come up with an estimate once, but you're not going to talk about it. You'll need roughly five times the estimated economic margin of the EAP as a whole. Unlike food, it's got a lot of mass, so a simple transport cost would be quite a neck. Especially from the Imperial Center."
Taro convinces Liza with a bitter face that she is, after all. Because metal is very heavy, it takes a lot of energy and time to transport. With more energy, fuel consumption will increase, and with more time, labour costs will rise proportionately.
"If so, local production… do we at least need to do something in the peripheral area of the EAP? What are the problems if you go in this direction?
A shimmering tranquility comes to Taro's question. I thought the pointer to all the problems would come sooner rather than later, so Taro is taken for granted.
Bella opens her mouth "I can't help it," as she clutters in an atmosphere where everyone seems to have difficulty saying something.
"Boys are born and raised, because they're a little special. I can't help it."
Bella scolds out the cigar she was wearing in an ashtray and exhales. "With Doyuko?," Bella continues, "Razor metal, right?" with a question mark floating around.
"The ore itself is quite common. Compared to other ores. Ah, maybe some rarity. Of course, there's a wide variety of razor metal ores that can be mined in EAP territory, and they're actually mined."
I put it between once, and I said, "Is that good?" But Bella turns her gaze. When Taro answers by snorting at it in detail, he speaks the natural question.
"Uh, so what's the problem?
Taro with a neck and a decent look. Bella turns to such a tall, spread palm. When she confirms that Taro has shifted her gaze to that hand, she says, "Fifty companies."
"There are currently only 50 companies that know how to refine Razor Metal from ore to metal. In this broad galactic empire, only fifty companies. You know what this means?
To Bella's explanation, Taro pulls her face with a flashing look. It was a completely unexpected issue and I hadn't even anticipated it.
"Fifty companies..."
Taro with his mouth and looking up to the ceiling, there are only fifty companies refining the ore that only meets that demand in the huge galactic empire where as many as 120 trillion humans live. I could still fully understand how unusual that was to the short Taro of life in the Empire.
And we didn't have to see how big the market was, and we didn't have to think that 50 of those companies would be some of the galaxy's leading supermassive companies (mega-corps). Probably Rising Sun, but it would be EAP, but from those companies, it was easy to imagine that they would only be able to fly if they blew it, and even if they cooperated, they wouldn't be able to look at it.
"Uh, can you tell me more about it there for once? I know I can't seem to... for later school."
Sigh and mix, don't drool and be tall. "Rumor has it," said Marr.
"Fifty Materials... I'm talking about those 50 companies, but they say they're tightly tied together. It's collusion in a critical market, so if it's normal, the imperial government shouldn't leave it alone, but you're pretending not to see it. Maybe the Imperial government is involved in that collusion, too. Associated companies in the military are among them."
"Right," Clark said in Marl's commentary.
"I have never set prices or imposed supply restrictions that would cause dissatisfaction in the economy. Rather, it's quite cooperative with industry… I mean, it's doing good."
To Clark's words, Alan with some laughter.
"That's an easy way to put it. Yes, I'm doing good to protect my monopoly at 50 companies. Thanks to you, the voice of condemnation is hard, and there are many allies. Marr just touched it, but one of the Fifty Materials has Marshal Dan Cornelius's breath hanging. You're one of the most powerful men in the galactic empire."
When Alan says so, he shrugs his shoulders and shows them all the time asking him to give up. When Taro exhaled a long sigh again, he decided that it seemed impossible to explore there. The opponent is too powerful.
"The refining of Razor Metal itself has been going on for thousands of years, so I imagine it's not even technically difficult. This is probably the case because there is no registration of all kinds of technical copyrights. You have to explain how to register, so you don't want to do that."
That's what I say, and I add, "It's just imaginary," Makina. "I guess," Taro returns to it, convinced. Even if I'm in the same position, I probably should be. Whether liquidated damages due to copyright violations can be recovered is a delicate matter, whereas refining methods can undoubtedly generate profits. The benefits of publishing do not exist at all.
"Hmm, this doesn't seem possible. Some other way... hmm?
Taro thinks with his hands on his chin to the thought that came to mind. Together we come to such a darling, some caged surprise glance of expectation.
"You don't have copyright... if it can be achieved, no matter how much refinement, no one will complain to you."
Not to anyone, but alone blurry and tall. "That's right," Alan calls out, looking in trouble, but he keeps thinking about Taro without worrying.
…………
In a quiet conference room, Taro gathers everyone's gaze while still silencing. He stood still for five minutes, but eventually opened his mouth like he was determined to do something "OK".
"It might be a little ridiculous, but I was wondering if you could go ahead and talk about specifics on the assumption that refining is possible. Even if there was purification technology, it would be the same if there were others... What if? If it's only a matter of refining methods..."
Taro separates words and creates a self-derisive grin.
"I'll take care of it. I hope you don't ask me how."