ERAM – The defection of Zainou scientist Hilen Tukoss has provoked calls for sanctions against his new employer Eifyr & Co. in addition to the offer of a 750m ISK bounty for his assassination.
Only a day after giving his interview to The Scope, former Zainou employee Hilen Tukoss issued a communication to the Intergalactic Summit. Titled Arek’Jaalan, the release notified the capsuleer community of his intent to establish two communications networks:
“I’d like to establish a series of communication networks to enable a greater flow of information between various capsuleer individuals and organizations. This network serves the specific purpose of unifying capsuleers with an interest in researching and discussing Sleeper technology and history, Talocan technology and history, Wormhole Space exploration and archiving, as well as any matters that relate to those.”
For his actions so far, including this latest offer, Tukoss has been met with some strong responses from the small subset of the capsuleer community that frequents the Summit. Despite the well-wishers and offers of support, Tukoss’ release was quickly followed up by two others of a decidedly more antagonistic nature.
Lai Dai partner Lai Dai Infinity Systems (LDIS) issued a call for capsuleer sanctions against Eifyr & Co. products. Although this cause is unlikely to garner widespread support without increased publicity and pressure, the communication is understood to have rattled some Eifyr & Co. employees and investors nonetheless.
“A widespread capsuleer boycott on Eifyr & Co. products is the absolute nightmare scenario. Eifyr depends to a significant extent on capsuleer income to sustain their other projects,” said a senior consultant with Irukemi Financing, a hedge fund that specializes in biotech products across the empires.
In addition to calling for a boycott of Eifyr & Co. products, LDIS CEO Dex Nederland also advised against participation in the Arek’Jaalan project.
“All State loyal corporations and capsuleers should minimize their trade in and use of Eifyr and Co. products and avoid supporting the Arek’Jaalan project.”
Despite these actions, LDIS has not yet promoted the idea that capsuleers should actively work against Tukoss or his followers, although their press release arguably set the stage for more violent condemnations.
In another conversation on the Intergalactic Summit, capsuleer Vikarion of the State Trade Consortium offered a 750m ISK bounty for the permanent death of Tukoss, and double that for his successful capture and return to Ishukone for trial under State and Corporate laws. Vikarion offered the following rationale in the same communication:
“Hilen Tukoss-hnolku had many options besides treason. He could have moved to another corporation. He might have appealed to higher authorities. He could have asked any Caldari loyalist for employment or funding. I personally would have been happy to contribute billions towards pure research, which is what he claims to want. And yet, he chose instead to spit in the face of his country and aid its enemies.”
Both the LDIS boycott and bounty contracts are expected to reach limited numbers of capsuleers, but that has done little to assuage the fears of some.
“So far, Tukoss has probably only reached a few hundred capsuleers at most,” said one participant in the Arek’Jaalan project, “with even less actually getting directly involved in the sharing of research and information. He will have to raise that number significantly if he really wants to affect the sort of changes he speaks about. At this early stage, any kind of well-organized resistance could slow that task down considerably, or even kill interest in it entirely.”
Given his recent actions it would appear that Tukoss is trying to build a capsuleer coalition; an understandable goal for someone who has made as many enemies as he has. Yet in addition to that overarching problem, it seems Tukoss now must also fight for attention and goodwill in the few public arenas open to him, such as the Intergalactic Summit.
If the varied, and at times violent, capsuleer reactions are any indication then the honeymoon of positive attention and PR for Eifyr & Co. is waning, and the reality of increased tensions is making itself hard to ignore.