Yes, the title is a take-off on a Next Generation two-parter, yes, I’m hopeless, and yes, you can take a long spacewalk with a short oxygen hose if it bothers you.

For those of you that have never been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, let me explain the concept of “3-Card Monte’”. An independent businessman with three playing cards and a small folding table sets up shop, starts mixing the three cards around on the table, and offers to bet you that you can’t pick which of the three cards is the King (or the Queen in the popular “Find the Lady” variation, which has been in place since the last Con Artist Content Update). You’ll win the first few, and then suddenly…suddenly you won’t be able to find the right card with X-ray vision and a stethoscope, until you get caught up in the action and “Eddie” walks away with all of your money, your watch, and your girlfriend’s phone number.

If he’s good at moving the cards around.

If he sucks at it…well, that’s usually when he either loses his shirt, or runs quickly afoul of the law.

Ah, Perpetual. Developers of such fine games as 80% of Gods & Heroes, and at least one screenshot of Star Trek Online. You guys really should have practiced your hand-eye coordination a bit more. As reported at Ten Ton Hammer, it’s lawsuit time!

The plaintiff, Kohnke Communications, alleges that Perpetual transferred valuable assets, including the Star Trek Online license, before liquidating its assets; intending to defraud creditors like Kohnke out of fees for services previously rendered.

Oopsie. They could have sworn they had palmed that queen while you were looking at the STO screenshot they released. It gets better…

“Kohnke alleges that the scheme to defraud Perpetual’s creditors goes far deeper than paper transfers to a malformed corporation. According to Kohnke, Perpetual canceled Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising in large part due to the more than $280,000 in incentives that would be owed to Kohnke upon the launch of the moribund game and the subsequent financial impact on the development of Star Trek Online.”

Okay…let’s try the shell game. Try to find the ball…it’s under one of these three cups. Keep your eye on it!

“Star Trek Online Executive Producer Daron Stinnett published comments on November 28, 2007 at startrek-online.net, flatly denying that Perpetual was in the process of liquidating and representing that Perpetual was still an ongoing concern: ‘There was also a report about PE liquidating our assets. That report relates to a transaction that took place a while back. And while I can’t go into details right now, I want to assure the community that the entire Star Trek team is still here working hard…’

“Just one day later, the story changed dramatically. On November 29, 2007, Keene [Joseph Keene, an officer of both Perpetual and P2 with a 'significant equity stake in the company'] confirmed to counsel for Kohnke that Perpetual had executed the ABC, and that all of Perpetual’s assets were in the hands of Perpetual ABC. However, Keene also admitted that, prior to executing the ABC, Perpetual transferred certain assets to P2.

Ooooo…you told them you let the ball drop out of the cup into your lap while you were moving them around.

Perpetual…you’re not doing it right.

Does this mean the end for Star Trek Online? Well, we have to remember that everyone and every company is innocent until prove-OF COURSE IT DOES…WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THE DEBATE ABOUT?

At best, it’ll take quite a while for this to be settled. At worst, Perpetual will go down quicker than a sponge sailboat.

And then what?

Damn good question, and on that one…we’ll have to wait and see. But no matter what happens, I wouldn’t look for a Star Trek MMORPG anytime soon.

(Also on the “wait and see” pile…will the folks from the non-Perpetual-owned startrek-online.net be dragged into this (at least to testify in come capacity), as the “unofficial” official forums? And if so, will this cause a few more people to become gunshy about signing on as the “unofficial” official forum-keepers for a company that doesn’t believe they should have their own forums for their MMO? And will Brad finally find out about Margie’s torrid affair with his Viagra salesman? Tune in next week, for “The Perpetual Days of Our Lives”.)

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