Malcom Rickenbough



Malcom Rickenbough‏‎

3646 - 3702

Engineer and Inventor (developer) of the Hyper Jump Gates.



In 3600 a top engineer at Omni Planet (SII) developed a new idea of using the old and deemed obsolete hyper jump technology in a so called external enticed Hyper Jump. While SII engineers are highly encouraged to develop new and out of the box ideas, the Senior Project manager at SII Tech Development saw the proposed technology as a major competitor to the Space Train Technology, exclusive to SII. This senior project manager was also heavily involved in a scientist and engineer team project “Cross Section 2”. A project directly ordered by Rex Schwartz himself. [1]



This lead engineer (Dr. Swodyr Swidar) stopped all funding for the project of the young engineer and ordered him to scrap all his research.



This engineer quit his job at SII and with his savings he started his own company Intergalactica Inc. On his home planet Gold Dust in 3604. He met his future wife, the daughter of a very rich Mining Company owner Gaylord Dugal (Gaylord Mining of TZ Arietis) Gaylord believed in the young engineer Malcom Rickenbough and his son in law so much that he sold his company and managed to get further financing from other mine owners. To build two scaled down proto type gates from near Arietes to near Sol. Since Malcom had to operate the gates, Gaylord mate the first test jump himself.



It was a success and worked. Gaylord Dugal made the trip from Arietis to Sol in less than 1 minute and suffered only very little from Hyper jump Sickness.



Rickenbough approached the Hive of Minds and demonstrated it again. The Hive of Minds championed his invention as the Invention of the Year 3607 and approached the Assembly. The Military Council immediately saw the value of these Gates as it would allow to move full sized ships fast.



The Assembly voted to fund two full size gates and at the full distance, and if it could be proved reliable and safe, a Union spanning network of Hyper Jump Gates.



SII sued the same claiming that Rickenbough developed the technology with SII funds and on SII time.

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<p class="MsoNormal">A Union Court argued that Rickenbough was ordered to scrap the idea and thus by SII judgment as worthless and ruled in favor of Transgalactica.

<p class="MsoNormal">In 3622 Gaylord Dugal suddenly declared the company would become a Corporation, even though he declared it to remain an Inc. and in private ownership only a year before. He said that the Gate System technology belongs to the Union and everyone should be able to invest and be part of it. He also declared that his controlling stock share of seventy percent was given to a personal friends of his, while he would retire from all business affairs and follow his religious calling. [3] His friend he introduced as John Jameson of Mansa planet, no one of his family had ever heard of, owned a small investment firm, Jameson Investments. Jameson Investments was worth billions of credits overnight,

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<p class="MsoNormal">Malcom Rickenbough and his wife were unable to explain the sudden religious fervor of Gaylord Dugal and tried to reverse the sale of the controlling stock in court. Malcom explaining that he was no business man and signed his agreement to make Intergalactica a corporation, trusting Gaylord's advice. The court investigation could not find any evidence of Gaylord being forced and dismissed the law suit.

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<p class="MsoNormal">John Jameson became infamous in 3651 for large scale fraudulent embezzlement of private investors moneys and miss appropriating federal funds meant for the Hyper Jump Highway project his company was bailed out by Obsidian Holdings Inc. [4] and John Jameson sent to a Penal Colony.

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<p class="MsoNormal">In 3702 Malcom Rickenbaugh dies shortly before his wife, leaving his share of stock to his children; Gaylord Jr and Melissa. Gaylord Jr. joined the Gal Drift movement during his University time and rejects all Union rules and denouncing his Union Citizenship. His sister taking full control of the remaining stock becomes the CEO of Intergalactica and announces a strategic alliance with SII. While Intergalactica Inc. would remain running the gates. The gates would be manufactured at a new company SII Gate Systems Inc. .. . Jointly operated by Intergalactica and SII.