Hermes Universal Deliveries

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Hermes Universal Deliveries
FoundedFall/Winter 2007
HeadquartersPort Phobos, Phobos, Mars
Number of locations4 offices (2012)
Area servedSolar System
Key peopleNikodemus Riddle
Quincy Rosenkreuz
J.S. Yzak
Katz Schrödinger
Seth Reilly
ServicesPassenger transportation
Freight and package shipping


It was not, strictly speaking, what you'd expect from a summit meeting.

On the other hand, the small pocket cruiser Uncertainty was floating around in geo-synch, hooked up the the first true orbital habitat. That this habitat consisted of an old Greyhound, a Winnebago, several trailer homes, and a number of old train cars that desperately needed reupholstering, all hooked together, was being ignored at the moment.

The simple fact that they were still there after the last few days meant that the structural integrity fields were holding fast, and deflectors were still working too. None of the Geiger counters had as much as twitched, which was an added measure of comfort.

It was about as close to being a summit, literally, as things got.

For once, the meeting wasn't to discuss some new and innovative way of applying Handwavium. There was plenty going on in that direction anyway ... and most of the discussion consisted of enough shouting to make a person want to space someone after a while. No, this was a more civil group, gathered around the small table sitting in the middle of the boat's equally small cabin with cup ramen and ideas steaming.

Logistics, they said. Demand, they said. The need to provide supply, they said. There were plenty of things that people just trampled over in their haste to get here, and would be willing to pay to have handed to them without much of a fuss.

In the fumes of miso flavoring and brewing coffee, the first, the first Universal Delivery Company of the New Age of Spacefaring (*drumroll*) slowly took shape, born out of necessity, opportunity, and the want to make a quick buck.

Well, no. Not really.

They were mostly just tired of cup-ramen, by this point, saw that the others were too busy to think about this sort of thing but would likely shell out for pizza and chinese take-out, and went from there.

Not quite as dramatic, or awe inspiring, but it worked.

Summary

Founded: Fall/Winter 2007

Formed because 'it seemed like a good idea at the time' the company was the first to capitalize on Fennish materialism and desire to be able to, oh, order out for chinese when still in orbit but doing 'Something Important'. In a short while, both scope and range of effective delivery increased, and the original group that had come together in the early days started contracting out and networking with other Fen in a position to do the same. As a result, and after hiring on the first dozen or so 'retaining members', it became the first organized logistics company in space.

When anti-handwavium laws began to make the rounds, 'daneside relations with the US and most of Europe were discontinued, and business rerouted through Australia. Their 'daneside office is attached to Kingsford Smith International Spaceport.

Currently, Hermes consists of offices on Phobos, in Venus orbit, and on the Island, a steady flotilla of nearly three dozen small craft, five larger utility haulers, and a space-train, with more in production. That, and a standing subcontracting offer for indie Fen, should their own assets become unavailable for some reason, at a negotiable middle-man fee.

Founding Members

Listing pseudonyms:

  • Nikodemus Fargo - now Nikodemus Riddle - aka Scales or The Jovian Lizard
  • Quincy Rosenkreuz - aka Quinn or Ricky
  • J.S. Yzak - currently J.Yin and S.Yang
  • Katz Schrödinger
  • Seth Reilly - aka Gecko

Trivia

  • N.Riddle, Q.Rosenkreuz and K.Schrödinger are silent partners and initial backers of Fenbucks and Fenway - first coffee house and sub-eatery in space, respectively.
  • Just Yin and So Yang are/is currently on sabbatical from pretty much everything, and was last seen debating Life, the Universe, and Cheese with the Discordians.
  • Seth Reilly is also known as The Amazing Spider-Fan, and is banned from taking part in cosplay as a certain group of Marvel Characters. When not doing delivery runs, he moonlights as an architect and runs a small design company named The Web.