CORPORATIONS

    THE BIG FIVE

BIO-NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL “BIO-NAT”
     Bio-National is the largest medical conglomerate around.  They stationed their primary headquarters on Earth like many corporations with several other locations on Micor, Starview, Arcturus, New Eden and Hilo.  They are also known to be the most ruthless.  Bio-National has always been under a watchful eye by its competitors because of their committed posture to being the only medical supplier to the colonies.  They have achieved most of that already.
     Their military force for BioNat is the largest proportional to their size.  The corporate population is the smallest of the big five even though its military is just slightly smaller.   They are bent on sabotage, murder, and out right terrorism to make sure they are the leaders in medical technology.  They also spearhead the movement in biological experimentation.  When the Alien appeared, they were all over it.  By CL4, they shifted more than 40% of their operating budget into experimenting and studying the new life form.  They were the first corporation with a sanctioned hive even though they secretly had one on Earth well before any legalization existed.
     This position was not looked on highly by the other large corporations, all of which had a vested interest in the new species.  But the bigger they are, the harder they fall. At first, there were some limited strikes between BioNational and the CSC, then several direct incursions between them and the UPP, but when they butted heads with Grant Corp, all hell broke lose.  Neo-Pharm, which created xeno-zip, cornered the industry with its superdrug.  Many attempts to leak out the formula failed and many alternative designs fell on the market.  GrantCorp was only two miles from the Bio-National headquarters, but in space they kept well away from each other.
 Bio-National is the source of many of the most lucrative and violence contracts for mercenaries.  Only the most ruthless men and women are wanted.  Bio-National answers to no one even though it still tries to follow the basic rules the ICC put down.  Their controlling force consists of a board of eight members and a President.  At CL5, Bio-National’s main headquarters was destroyed and the corporation started to fray.  By CL6, the CMC made sure it was no more.

GRANTCORP
     Daniel Grant’s Corporation started his childhood dream in his basement when Weyland Yutani was controlling the spacelanes.  As he acquired mining rights and medical grants, he and his staff developed advanced technologies that were more than just effective, they were cheap.  GrantCorp offered low-grade alternatives to the huge marked-up products of larger corporations that cornered the market in their field.
     GrantCorp was not considered a threat until it patented the smallest plasma generator on the market.  This Phased Plasma Drive was quickly used in more than ten different fields of expertise.  This included propulsion, defense, and assault.  GrantCorp’s real strength lied in its security.  Every attempt to steal their designs proved fruitless.  GrantCorp’s security measures prevented their designs from being lifted.  Soon the Phased Plasma Infantry Gun was purchased in the thousands by the CMC.  The Plasma Energy Drive became the standard backup drive to most ships in the ICC.  Later, the Plasma Cannon and Plasma Rifles hit the market.  GrantCorp’s fingers stretched into new fields including spacecraft manufacturing, colony management, and medical technology.
     When the Aliens appeared, GrantCorp’s approach was that of defense.  Unlike most groups, GrantCorp was committed to destroy all sources of the alien infestation except for areas where control was assured.  GrantCorp butted heads with most other corporations as a result but not as bad as Bio-National that physically tangled with GrantCorp on more than one occasion.  Daniel Grant, who controls the Corp without an inner circle, believes the creatures to be too hostile to remain in existence.  Even GrantCorp’s sanctioned hives are committed to their extermination.  To that end, the CMC received more than 50% of their operating budget from donations from GrantCorp.  GC also offered indefinite leasing of their military technology.  This first started with the basic Plasma Rifle and Cannon but when the Alien threat increased, GC responded with Nutra-Gel, the first substance that would easily and cheaply counter-act the alien acid.  This was used  in many fields including research and in defense in the form of the state of the art Acid Neutralizing Combat Wardrobe.
     GrantCorp enlists the help of the CMC and mercenaries often but not usually for infiltration or sabotage missions unless it serves to eliminate the alien presence.  GrantCorp often sent CMC missions to alien infested worlds at CL4 to recover alien Royal Jelly.
     GrantCorp survived through most of the war.  Their main headquarters on Earth was evacuated and spread out, with Grant himself, stationed on the USS Razzia.  After the war, GrantCorp resettled, as of the few corporations left, back on Earth.  However, GC has hypocrisy.  That is one of its subdivisions
             NOTABLE SUBDIVISION:  NEO-PHARM:
                    Neo-Pharm is the only major medical group threatening Bio-National’s hold on the R&D of medicine and surgery.  Their ideals on the alien organism are mirror opposite.  Bio-National contains a bio-weapons division but Neo-Pharm only uses the alien for Xeno-Zip (See next chapter), which uses the alien Royal Jelly as a prime ingredient.  The Xeno-Zip formula was kept under tight wraps even though the Nutra-Gel technology was stolen by ZCT.  Luckily, after ZCT’s demise, that formula became GC exclusive again.  Neo-Pharm utilized more than 70% of GC’s budget but the demand for Xeno-Zip made the investment worthwhile.  When the aliens were eliminated at CL6, Neo-Pharm had spread out its interests and remained afloat.

WEYLAND - YUTANI (“The Company”) 
    Weyland - Yutani is a joint stock corporation that works closely with world governments in the areas of space exploration, commerce, colonization, and military trading. The many branches of Weyland-Yutani work together under the close scrutiny of the shareholders to ensure that all projects meet Company standards.
     In order to maintain control of large amounts of colonies settled on distant planets, the government commissioned the Weyland-Yutani Colonial Administration. The Colonial Administration deems which planets are rich in enough in raw material to begin the terraforming process. The Atmosphere Processors are set up by Company employees and must be maintained over several decades in order to make the planet's air breathable.  Because of the long-term contracts involved, Company employees have the option of bringing family members with them to the terraforming colonies.

HYPERDYNE SYSTEMS
     Hyperdyne was once the largest corporations around until Weyland Yutani sprouted.  At first Hyperdyne and WY conducted a prosperous relationship for many years.  When Weyland Yutani started encroaching on Hyperdyne territory, Hyperdyne closed off their doors and attempted to curtail the progress of their “partner.”  At about the time the ICC was formed, Hyperdyne sabotaged certain critical operations at Weyland-Yutani, and attempted to take full control of the Sector for itself. Weyland-Yutani recovered from Hyperdyne's treachery, however, and now holds a critical position in the Sector. There has been no open warfare between the two Corporations in many years, but there is a certain tension in their dealings with each other.
     Hyperdyne builds many spacecraft designs and controls more worlds than any other corporation.  They spearheaded the development and is still the controlling force in the manufacturing of Synthetics.  Even though Synths are constructed by almost ever corporation, none produce them in the volume of Hyperdyne.  The are responsible for every new technology in the field including the AdCap synth, the Xenomorphic production model, and the Liston and Jerry type combat synthetics.
     Hyperdyne still maintains an iron fist control over the colonies under their funding. Essentially, Hyperdyne is a twin of Weyland Yutani, with fingers in almost every field of modern life.  The twelve board members command the corporation in secrecy.  They operate within their own sector and often follow their own rules, including setting up the Arcturus loop to avoid ICC regulations.  They also have the largest military to enforce its control.
     When the xenomorphs arrived, Hyperdyne struck hard to acquire research.   They were committed to the study of the alien purely as the ultimate evolution of a natural killing machine but their research did not delve into the desire to control, exterminate or simply extirpate the species.  Hyperdyne truly believed that the alien species would be a limited threat like the Harvesters on Tarturus and would only be a danger to the members of poorly defended rim colonies.  Since Hyperdyne had a substantial military force with good relations to the CMC, no bad could came out of it.
     By CL5, many of their colonies had been infested and when their home planet was struck  (Hilo, not Earth), they realized that they had underestimated the threat and the greed of mankind.  Hyperdyne considered itself a close knit family of people and colonies, and if the entire universe fell apart, they would care less.  Even when the aliens were walking across White House lawn, Hyperdyne hardly lifted a finger.  Hyperdyne was the last force to be actively involved in the war.  Hyperdyne’s military never left the sector during the war.  Even when huge colonies fell to the infestation, Hyperdyne kept their forces on their colonies for personal defense.  When the inevitable attack occurred, Hyperdyne was overrun because of the lack of reinforcements from other sectors.
     After the war, little of Hyperdyne survived.  They size shrunk so much, they bore little resemblance of the empire before.   Hyperdyne seldom hired any external forces even though they sometimes employed CMC personnel for missions that involved expeditions outside their sector.  Hyperdyne seldom sends their military outside their own space.  Mercenaries and Retainers are slim.

CENTRAL SPACE CONSORTIUM “C.S.C.”
     A baker's dozen of corporations felt the tight arm of their huge brethren clenching tightly.  Large conglomerates covered many fields but these small corporates specified their areas.  A number of them gathered together to combine their interests and protect their backs.  Within a few decades, their combined income managed to secure a large number of worlds in the ICC, which they all co-funded and maintained.  A couple had exclusive rights to some planets but all the corporation personnel had free-reign over the CSC colony worlds.  They commonly shared technology to serve their purposes.  There have been reports of infighting between some groups but these conflicts had all been resolved internally.
     CSC had one major problem and that is a major lack of military in key positions.  Almost 80% of their operating military is contained around their rogue planet of Alexandria.  This made them vulnerable on their border from rival groups.  When the Alien infestation arrived, the CSC tried to pool its resources but in the end, when more than half of the founding Corps vanished, the CSC disbanded, splintered in to a handful of fighting members, which was easily absorbed by other groups and even Alexandria.
            NOTABLE CORPORATION: ANTIOCH
                  Antioch is the largest of the CSC sub groups.  It handles the largest job of any corporation, that of terraforming worlds for the CSC.  Most of their projects start off under Antioch before handing over to other corporations to finish the job.  Antioch lands first, sets up atmosphere processors and leaves with a breathable atmosphere for colonization.  Antioch barely survived the war.  Weyland-Yutani often tried to destroy the reputation of Antioch because it was one of the few corporations with the funds and technology to build these processors.
            NOTABLE CORPORATION: SYNSOUND INTERNATIONAL
                 Synsound constructs the only exclusive synth not designed or built by Hyperdyne, the Musical models.  Synsound resurrected the music industry, and promptly destroyed it by flooding the field with wall to wall noise.  Synsound’s music is heard all across the ICC and its name is household to even rim worlds, making it the most well known but smallest of the CSC corporates.  Synsound was totally wiped out by the end of the war even though many alternative versions of the same group popped up after.  There was a report of Synsound actually using aliens in their music but the music probably never caught on.
             NOTABLE CORPORATION: SKANK INC.
                  Skank is the prime consumer corporate of the CSC and also produced the main brunt of consumer products to the CSC colonies and a large chunk of the ICC as well.  Skank is run by the infamous Ivy Derringer, who controls the corporation like her own personal cruise line.  Skank fell apart and splintered when Celeste fell and Derringer was reportedly killed.
             NOTABLE CORPORATION: ARMAT INC.
                  Armat’s size increased substantially when it was given one of the most exclusive contracts around.  Armat builds and maintains the CMC weapons.  They created the popular M41A Pulse Rifle as well as the M56 Smart Gun.  Whatever reduced stocks occurred in other corporations, the CSC will always be satisfied with the funds from Armat.  Armat couldn’t keep up with the demand of firearms during the war and continued to make the weapons in the thousands, even when their brother corporations fell.
             NOTABLE CORPORATION:  ACCURACY INTERNATIONAL
                  AccInt is the other military contractor in the CSC building and maintaining weapons for the Colonial Marines.  AccInt is more than half the size of Armat with half the service contracts with the CMC.  There was some controversy when some weapons were transported with faulty firing mechanisms.  AccInt was absorbed into Armat after the war.

    THE SMALLER BOYS

ZAJER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES or
    ZAJER – COMM – TECHNIC.
     ZCT is a R&D group that develops high technology for outer colonies.  They take existing designs and builds upon them, perfecting other companies’ models.  They tried to jump on the Alien bandwagon by developing technology to control the species. GrantCorp stocks bottomed out when the Nutra-Gel technology was stolen by ZCT.  They soon developed many anti-alien technologies and made a fortune selling to beekeepers and smugglers.  GrantCorp funded the CMC’s investigation in ZCT’s activities when their sanctioned hive was destroyed.  By the time the war started, ZCT requested bankruptcy protection and was later bought out by GrantCorp, which continued to make their products under ZCT’s name.

AERODYNE INC.
     One of the larger corporations that sometimes is considered on the short list for being on equal stature with Weyland Yutani, Hyperdyne, and the others, Aerodyne runs colonies and builds spacecraft, making them very self-sufficient.  They are committed to expanding their space and when Borodina fell through, Aerodyne quickly moved in to take control.  They have working relationships with all the big corporations, in hopes in sometime joining them.  Aerodyne is not known for stepping on other’s toes.  They even have such lucrative agreements to actually supply Hyperdyne and Weyland-Yutani corporations’ colonies with supplies and spacecraft.  The three even worked together to set up the Arcturus loop.  It seems certain that Aerodyne would soon become a major contender.  Unfortunately, when the war started, Aerodyne was unprepared.  There were rumors that Weyland Yutani tired to use the war to take control of the Arcturus loop.   To this end, the aliens totally overran the colonies of Aerodyne.  When the Homeworld fell, Aerodyne crumbled.  Too bad.  Up until, CL5, they were considered the most popular of all corporations.  The founding member of Aerodyne, Jonas Weir, works for Hyperdyne now.

FREDRICK CONGLOMERATE “FREDCO”
     Another conglomerate like the CSC but substantially smaller.  Their stock was reduced to pennies because of controversies over their business dealings.  They dabbled in most fields not acknowledged by society.  This included nuclear waste containment, decontamination, and hazardous material transporting.  Fredco was a necessarily evil, doing all those duties most hate to have in society but if business was to continue, must exist.  Fredco's headquarters survived the alien assault.  After the war, they were restructured.  However, the six board members and the president were reported killed.  FredCo has one major subdivision.
            NOTABLE SUBDIVISION:  SCHILLER BIOLOGICAL
                  Schiller Biological was a Genetic Experimentation division of Fredco with absolutely no morals.  They experimented on all forms of life in many conditions.  When these tests went bad, Schiller simply disposed of the result, a job they were more than experienced with.  Schiller experimented on alien life forms, experiments that would later blow up in their face.  Bug Men (See Plug In) overran the corporation in CL5.  Even though FredCo still exists, Schiller fell apart.

NEW EDEN / JV
     The corporation which was formed around the colony of the same name, New Eden/ JV has a strange Corporate structure that is like a smaller version of the ICC, with the New Eden/JV entity itself functioning as a sort of umbrella and the various components retaining their own identities and goals. Control of New Eden/JV is determined along democratic lines, with each Member Corporation receiving votes based on its wealth and rate of growth.  New Eden prospered but took a pounding during the war.  New Eden became isolated after and New Eden accepted little help or intrusions from anyone.  They still considered themselves part of the ICC, but their personal security increased to the extent that virtually no one was allowed to even enter their space after CL5.5.  That isolationism remained until the end of CL6.  New Eden/JV committed itself to keeping the alien threat away…even if it meant turning away ships that needed emergency aid.
             NOTABLE CORPORATION: MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES “MEDTECH”
                  MedTech was the only corporations under New Eden / JV that had a corporate headquarters outside the New Eden Sector.  Medtech’s Earth location proved disastrous.  Medtech already had a few sanctioned hives on perimeter New Eden worlds.  When the war started and New Eden itself was infested, New Eden / JV cleared out their infestation and promptly wasted all of MedTech’s investments, driving them into bankruptcy.  They then had to deal with the alien infestation.  They found themselves trapped and broke.  They didn’t stand a chance.  Before the war, they were considered one of the leaders in the research of aliens.  They even kept a few drones as specimens in the Earth Headquarters.  They perfected a very effective way to transport adult aliens without danger…obviously…it wasn’t without risk.

ALPHATECH HARDWARE INC.
     Alphatech was, and still is, a major military contractor but usually for other corporations, not the CMC.  Alphatech supplied many weapon systems to corporate forces, but kept the most advanced weaponry for their own.  Most of Alphatech’s military outposts were untouched by infestation.  It was very hard for them to stick.  When the war broke for real, Alphatech started releasing their heavier designs to the CMC.  BY CL5, Alphatech was a heavy supplier of CMC weapons.  Soon, Alphatech would be one of the prime suppliers of heavy weaponry for the Marine services.   Alphatech butted heads with many other corporations because of their refusal to disperse their massive arsenal when the aliens attacked.  Many corporations subscribed their fall to Alphatech’s refusal to help when they could.  Alphatech still survived the war when many didn’t.  The CMC unofficially never complained about Alphatech’s cold attitude to its corporate brothers because Alphatech continued to open its door to the CMC.  Alphatech often called upon the CMC to help them with their defense of systems and was the most common corporation to work side by side with CMC forces in hot zones.  Even when Alphatech wasn’t sharing weaponry, their forces still got along.  Alphatech answers to a board of one chairman and eight seatholders, half of which are ex-military.

FALCON INDUSTRIES
     Falcon Industries spurned out of nowhere recently when their stocks soared.  This spiral came from the amazing colony world of Astyanax.  Flacon Industries ran its headquarters on the moon and all of its subsidiaries from this system, making Falcon very small. Most corporations don’t even have a world of their own even though they have headquarters over the ICC.  Falcon resides exclusively on Asyantax’s moon and commits their entire budget to maintaining that world.  To that end, Falcon Industries supplied itself with a substantial military force with grants with the CMC for security.  This made Astyanax the most fortified world of its size.
     Falcon Industries does not play ball with other corporations.  They don’t trade much with any corporation and only deal with those that can supply Falcon with the necessities of life.  Flacon’s seclusion protected it during the war.  After, they rose from the ashes.

THE TRADEX CONSORTIUM
     A large corporation which expanded recently due to the increasing trade on its main planet, Lobo, to and from Honeycomb.   There are eight corporates under this conglomerate but they continually push and shove among each other, making the Tradex Consortium continually unstable.  Then there is the problem on Lobo over Colonel fi Castel (See Known Universe)
     When the war broke out, Tradex couldn’t mold its individual elements into unified force.  They fought more with themselves than with the infestation.  They were overrun quickly and the CMC moved in to dispose of the situation.  Tradex fell with a thud.  Most didn’t even feel the change over then Tradex fell through.  Anyone with half a brain abandoned it before the war even started.

SUMMIT
     Summit is a family-owned corporation, if anything can be called family in this day and age.  It resides and operates solely from the planet of the same name.  The corporation was founded and is run by the original founders of the colony, many years ago.   Summit was a tightly woven group that accepted few newcomers.  When they are, they are treated like family.  Summit was very loyal to its employees and has never betrayed even a sole individual for greater glory.  Summit failed to improve its stature appears to have little goals beyond the borders of the Summit system.  Its morals have crossed the line with other corporations that have tried to muscle in on the rich world of Summit.
     The one joker in Summit’s deck is the CMC.  Summit has a very prominent and loyal military force accentuated by one of the largest CMC forces ever loaned to a corporation.  Summit offered few funds because of their limited size but did offer a planet free from corporation hounds, free for leisure and for free for training.  The CMC took this opportunity to make it a anchor for CMC patrols.  Summit has almost three CMC squads in its system at any given time with one division permanently loaned on the planet.  Marines here are loyal and among the best since many marines ask for a tour on Summit.  It is a cakewalk; only the best are allowed to go.  The last time a rival military force entered the system, they didn’t get past the outer perimeter before a regiment of Colonial forces flanked them and sent them on their way.  When Summit was infested, the hive barely lasted a week before an armada of CMC forces cleared it out.  Summit survived and became one of the major CMC supports before, during, and after the war.

PINDEL INC.
     Byron’s Hope‘s cancelled terraforming program spelled doom for Pindel.  Jon Walker, head of Pindel, died in the disaster (see Known Universe) and the new council left the planet and their assets.  Their headquarters on Micor seemed untouched during their crisis until the infestation arrived.  Pindel hardly could lift a finger before all their external assets were liquidated.  When Micor was stabilized, Pindel was nowhere to be seen.  The building was evacuated, gutted with all machinery missing.
     It was thought they packed up when the infestation arrived at Micor and left the ICC on whatever ships they had left.  Some say they dropped by Byron’s Hope on the way out, but there was no reasoning why they would do that.  Pindel’s fate still remains a mystery.

BIOZONE ALPHA (B.Z.A.)
     BZA was once a prosperous corporation with the potential to grow the size of the big five.  However, when the Harvesters appeared on Tarturus, their resources were stretched to the limit, evacuating the world.  BZA transported people from Tartarus to Devil’s Peak, straining the colony and the corporation.  Their requests for aid fell on deaf ears.
     By CL6, BZA was broke.  It tried to regain its posture but stumbled.  Its stock was bought up by other corporations and splintered into a thousand pieces.  Eventually, the CMC moved in to secure Devil’s Peak and Tarturus.  After the war, BZA vanished.

REPUBLIC SYSTEMS ELECTRIC / DYNAMIC
     Republic Systems goes by two subdivisions, Republic Electric and Republic Dynamic.  They are both weapon manufactures originally separated, but recently bought out and merged even though they still produce products under their distinctive logos.  They construct mostly heavy weapons for spacecraft and armor.  Their most lucrative contract is supplying the primary and most popular weaponry for the M577 CMC Armored Personnel Carrier: The 20mm Gattling Cannon and the 40 mW Free Electron Laser.  They produced the weapons in numbers before, during and after the war, but recently found their stock slumping because rival groups like Alphatech were stealing most of their new designs off their drawing broads.  Even though they had a good reputation with the CMC, they couldn’t persuade the CMC to drop the Alphatech contracts in protest.  Republic Systems still survived to construct the primary weapons for most ships and vehicles in the ICC.

BOYARS INTERSTELLER INC.
     Boyars doesn’t exists as of CL4 but it was of no fault of the aliens.  Boyars was the spearhead corporation in phased plasma design but their prototypes to improve their models continually failed startup tests.  Some rumors pointed to sabotage from rival groups like Republic Systems and Alphatech but no proof could be offered.  Whatever the case, Boyars held only a few military contracts.  They construct a large number of weapons for the Conestoga and Bougainville class frigates for the CMC as well as producing the primary weapons for the GrantCorp’s massive Razzia vessels.  However, soon their only surviving contract was of the Boyars 150 Phased Plasma Cannon for the M577 APC.  Boyars was bought out by Republic Systems before the war and still contract their weapons under the Boyar’s name.

DIGITAL ARCH TECHNOLOGIES (DIGARCH)
     DigArch won the lucrative CMC contract for a high superior trans-atmospheric fighter in the AD-17 and found them on the corporate map quickly.  They proved their designs valid and made a fortune very quickly.  Still used today, the AD-17 never showed to be defective and DigArch grew.  They still exist, producing the single design in numbers.  Unfortunately, few of their other supplemented designs have ever caught on.

VENTREL SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL
     Ventrel was the other major small-arms manufacturer and often is considered the sole thorn in the back of Alphatech Hardware.  Ventrel cornered the market by concentrating on smaller easier designs when Alphatech worked on heavier weapons.  Ventrel hit it big when they snagged the contract to supply the CMC exclusively with small arms.  The jewel here is the VP 70, produced in the hundreds of thousands.  They also constructed older designs like the Shotgun.  Their largest designs was the Automatic Sentry Gun system with is almost infinite variations.
     Ventrel refused to fall even under the heaviest of pressure from Alphatech and even picked up a few more military contracts over the CMC.  Their inexpensive weapon designs resulted in many of their weapons appearing on the outer rim colonies.  Ventrel’s headquarters were located on Micor but the building itself was surprisingly untouched during the infestation.

 
 
 

LOCKMART STARCUB INC.
     Lockmart currently stands as the oldest corporation still in business.  Lockmart built the original spacecraft to venture outside the solar system and also built the first craft to reach the nearest solar system.  They constructed the first interstellar drive and was considered the king in space travel.
     However, they never ventured into colony management.  Soon, they found themselves under pressure from growing corporations like Hyperdyne and Weyland-Yutani, encroaching on their field of expertise.  Lockmart builds few designs now, relaying on its older ones.  The only new model they have produced in the last few years is the Inter-System shuttle.
     Lockmart still has small buildings on almost ever worlds. People have nicknamed Lockmart the “Cessna of the Space-Age.”