First You Get the ISK, Then You Get the Power

YC114.01.10

ISK is just a tool.

Politics is just a tool.

(A hammer is just a tool, I’m assuming...)

Life, according to James.

And now my life, as a member of RECLT.  Before James, I never would have noticed with whom GR kept company.  Now, I can’t help but notice, and calculate, and figure the angles.  (And try to make a profit - I haven’t changed that much!)

James has quite the tight little group here at RECLT: him, me, and Polix - a chap he managed to hire away from M. Bastian’s group.  Ava’s also a member, unfortunately we haven’t heard from him since I got out of the hole.  Apparently he went scouting and never returned; hopefully he’s alright, and if he ran into Sansha somewhere had a quick and clean end, rather than...  Well, let’s just hope he’s alright.

Anyway, the first thing the three of us did was solidify my relationship with Astral Mining.  Things have been heating up in some of their sectors, and Astral proved suitably grateful for our assistance - so grateful they’ve waived all taxes on refining at their facilities!

(I know GR may have some questionable taste in allies, but their ISK is still good.  I’ve done a few refining jobs for Lina, and hopefully that continues in the future.  The profit may be small, but the effort involved is even smaller; those kind of jobs make sense to me.)

The best lesson to date: the influence of politics on the markets.  

James has found a nice little ice field on the edges of respectable space.  Normally, this would be a middling prospect for profits - however certain mercenary elements have declared economic war on the Gallente!  Their practice of harassing ice miners has scared of a lot of people, and driven prices through the roof.

James - in a move that does my wallet proud - has formed some very strategic alliances and mutual protection pacts with the other miners in the area.  There’s more than enough ice to go around, more than enough ISK to go around, and more than enough drones orbiting to keep away anyone with nefarious intentions.  In fact, it’s such a sweet ISK faucet I didn’t even think twice slapping down money on a new Mackinaw - the St. Moritz.  Not as big as the Nimes II, I’ll admit, but perfectly suited for pulling profits from these frozen assets!

The strangest lesson to date: the influence of politics on the markets.

(I know, I’m repeating myself... Bear with me.)

The market for ice is so riled up right now, prices are all over the map.  Turns out refining the cubes and selling the component pieces are worth more than processing those pieces into fuel for Gallente stations.  I shocked by the number of people that apparently can’t do basic cost-benefit analysis, but hey - never let it be said that I passed up an opportunity to rescue ISK from unsuitable owners!  

Speaking of processing and manufacturing, looks like I might be breaking into a new market soon...