Mandolin Partnership

JJE 02/11 The group that Rivka was sent to investigate. Ankh, the Crenellian who is helping Rivka solve the problem of the complexity of this group, has been enlisted for his help, along with his AI, Erasmus, who has, in turn, enlisted the aid of all of Plato’s stepchildren. Seven of the most powerful AIs in the universe are combining their computing power to resolve this puzzle. There are three entities that twist billions of transactions a day. Now that we know what to look for we will root them out and shut them down, especially when we validate our countermeasures by confirming information within the systems of six of the planets remaining on your list.”

“The Mandolin Partnership has substantial real estate holdings and is the primary import/export business on Show Low. On the face of it, they look legitimate, paying their taxes and employing a small army of locals, but the bills of lading don’t match up. Between internal manifests and the signed bills of lading that are a matter of record, a solid twenty-five percent of all material disappears.”

“Breedin is on Zaxxon Major. We will need to access their systems to determine how they get the credits to Mandolin. When I backtrack, Mandolin is one of the richest organizations in the entire universe, but there is no trail for how they have gotten or maintain their wealth.” “There is always a trail, but here there isn’t. There is a cover-up on a scale unheard of when it comes to the Mandolin Partnership. Oscura Mandel has traveled to all the worlds in question, and personally negotiated the agreements that forced early cancellation of Bad Company contracts. Seven is the lucky number, Magistrate.” “There are seven companies between Mandolin and the recipients. There are three layers of companies after the first four shell companies. There is a deliberate disconnect between the fourth layer and the third

“How do they get the money if they’re not associated? You’re killing me, Ankh. My little brain can’t comprehend what you’re trying to explain,” Rivka complained. “Just because I said they weren’t associated doesn’t mean they’re not associated!” Ankh declared. His whole body shook in the way his race laughed.

“Cash sales from buyers. It’s simple money laundering for the final three players. Untracked cash purchases on a planetary scale. Without the credits passing through a Federation monetary facility, we lose track.” “All credits have to pass through. Otherwise they are delegitimized.” Rivka sat down and rubbed her chin. Red started to snore. She could use more sleep, but her head hurt. Ankh was talking her in circles. “The final transactions pass through official channels in billions of small transactions, each with a unique buyer and unique seller, but nothing changes hands. The credits come out the other end squeaky clean. “We can stop a hundred or a thousand transactions in the trillions of day-to-day exchanges, and it won’t mean anything to Mandolin. Three layers of billions of transactions?”

“Yes. Erasmus has enlisted the aid of all of Plato’s stepchildren. Seven of the most powerful AIs in the universe are combining their computing power to resolve this puzzle. There are three entities that twist billions of transactions a day. Now that we know what to look for we will root them out and shut them down, especially when we validate our countermeasures by confirming information within the systems of six of the planets remaining on your list.”

“Erasmus and I believe those six planets house the distribution systems by which the whole operation exists. The money laundering. Without the money, the organization would be significantly handicapped. If you go straight to Morinvaille, you may remove Mandel, but you won’t kill the organization. Kill the money first, then when you cut off the head, the creature will not come back to life. Without the money, there will be no bribes. Without the bribes, the contracts that the planets have signed will be shown as less advantageous than the ones they had with the Bad Company.”

“Less advantageous contracts are not illegal. The intimidation is sketchy, which makes the bribery less compelling. Was it really a bribe, or did Mandolin find willing compatriots? What about the shipping, not accounting for all the goods aboard. That’s called smuggling, which is also illegal, but does it rise to the level of a predicate crime? I think it does. The smoldering fires around this cesspool known as the Mandolin Partnership suggest we may be able to establish a new legal precedent applying to monopolies, racketeering, and corruption. Whodathunkit? Rivka Anoa writing precedential case law.”

“He will continue his attempts to kill you, but not directly. It will be through third parties, as we have already seen. This will make it more difficult to predict details regarding the attacks.” “Six more planets,” Ankh began, “and then we will have to go to Morinvaille in the Corrhen Cluster with the evidence we will present for you to judge Mister Mandel and the entirety of the Mandolin Partnership.”

JJE 02/13 Rivka asks Miss Lauton about Zaxxon activities, and Lauton shrugged. “I’ve never heard of Mandolin. We deal with Gargeath for our interstellar shipments of goods, and Lameeris for the digital billing, which is the most lucrative enterprise on Zaxxon Major!” Lauton spoke proudly, but the looks on the others’ faces dampened her enthusiasm. “That was last week, before I knew all of it was a sham.” She was sad, as Zaxxon was her home.