Interconnectedness Unlimited

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Interconnectedness Unlimited
Interconnectedness-Unlimited.png
Corporation Profile
AffiliationFederated Suns
HeadquartersGranite Falls (Rosamond)[1]
LeadershipCEO
Product(s)Media
Division(s)

Somewhat of an enigma, Interconnectedness Unlimited was a massive and mysterious conglomerate within the Federated Suns.[2][1]

Overview

When or how the company was founded is unknown, IU first appearing on Marlette in 2971 virtually fully grown. The company's first acquisition was the popular Triple-F fast food chain, observers shocked that totally unknown company that seemingly formed overnight had enough capital and assets to swallow such a large and profitable company as Triple-F. From this start, for the next 50 years Interconnectedness Unlimited slowly acquired yet more companies seemingly without rhyme or reason, all almost completely unrelated, all rapidly improving productivity thanks to both extensive IU funds and an almost brutal lack of patience for labor problems, selling off any companies that didn't quickly perform.[2]

The fact Interconnectedness Unlimited could expand during the depressed economic conditions of prior to the Fourth Succession War startled many. The company's mystique was only enhanced by its almost totally reclusive CEOs. In the early years of IU, its then young and flamboyant company founder Elric Von Steffelbus IV claimed the philosophy of his company was about the interconnectedness of all things which he attributed to an ancient book he'd read in his youth, but by 3010 he had gone into almost total seclusion and was never seen in public again.[2] Save for his participation in an annual religious festival outside Granite Falls on Rosamond, the elder Count's son Elric Von Steffelbus V adopted a similar level of secrecy.[1][3]

Despite its early success, strangely just when the FedSun economy bounced back in the wake of the post–Fourth war recession with increasing links to the Lyran Commonwealth, Interconnectedness Unlimited began to suffer cash flow and management problems compounded by public scandals affecting Triple-F in early 3030s. Forced to sell off many of its lesser performing divisions, by the mid-3040s the company was a shell of its former self, surviving on the strength of its three major divisions and four smaller subsidiaries.[1]

The company managed to reclaim some degree of notoriety in 3066 when it won the 2.8 billion C-bill contract to build an SLDF-sponsored Class Six arena stadium on Solaris VII. That the almost unknown company was able to beat out bidders from all the Great Houses, including the famed Chandrasekhar Kurita, caused considerable comment that Interconnectedness Unlimited only secured the bid as part of a pro-Davion agenda, supposedly supported by the fact the arena was being built on land formerly belong to Black Hills and the mammoth dome covering the construction site featured the House Davion logo. With the project quickly falling behind schedule, unfortunately the collapse of the Second Star League abruptly ended payment to IU and was rumored to put the company in dire straits, the ongoing problems of the Word of Blake Jihad dealing near mortal blows to the divisions it retained.[1][4][5]

Starling Report

Principle Divisions

By the start of the Fourth Succession War, Interconnectedness Unlimited boasted twenty-three major divisions.[1] Some of the most notable were:

Holy Order Press

The Federated Suns' third largest publisher of religious books, while not formally affiliated with either the Unfinished Book Movement or New Avalon Catholic Church, several of their notable authors had their works published through Holy Order Press, giving the division significant market penetration.[2] This was further enhanced by an ongoing agreement to place religious material in every hotel room with the Golden Star Hotels and Casinos.[1]

Unlike the other IU divisions, Holy Order Press was rumored to have thrived during the crisis of the Jihad, both off the back of a large contract to print pocket-book editions for the AFFS as well expanding its services to quickly meet the needs of the various new faiths and sects that cropped up.[5]

Golden Star Entertainment Group

Acquired in a hostile takeover in 3013, Golden Star Entertainments was the larger producer of the holo-films in the Federated Suns while the Golden Star Hotels and Casinos, a chain of 50 high-end hotel and gambling casinos scattered across Davion space.[2] While the division had started to rebound thanks to IU funding, its improvement was not fast enough with the corporation selling the Golden Star Entertainment Group in 3034.[6]

D.Gently's Detective and Information Agency

Division Head: Dirk Gently IX (circa 3025) A centuries-old detective agency, D.Gently's specialized in marital cases. Aside from following spouses and kidnappers the division's many agents also espoused heartfelt sermons on the interconnectedness of all things, a homage to the company founder and what prompted Count Steffelbus to acquire the company in the first place. The fate of this division by 3067 is unknown.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Handbook: House Davion, p. 161: "Interconnectedness Unlimited (IntUnl)"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 House Davion (The Federated Suns), pp. 170–171: "Corporate Profiles - [Interconnectedness Unlimited]"
  3. Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, pp. 40–41: "Elric von Steffelbus V" profile
  4. MapPack: Solaris VII, p. 18: "The Solaran Spectator - New Class Six Stadium"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Jihad Conspiracies: Interstellar Players 2, pp. 83–84: "Interconnectedness Unlimited - Taking the Fall"
  6. Handbook: House Davion, pp. 161–162: "Economy - Civil Industry - Golden Star Entertainment Group"

Bibliography