The Import Business

The Import Business


“Yes, yes. Of course.” Mathias Rector was annoyed. His reputation was solid and he lacked the patience for stupid questions. “Another half billion tons is scheduled for delivery. You wanted a specific atmospheric density and you’ll have to be patient with…” He was interrupted by a chime in his earpiece. “Hold on. Yes, Olivia?”

Her virtual image materialized in the center of his massive office. “Sir, there are federal agents here.” She was noticeably anxious. “I tried to stop them but they have a warrant and pushed right past me.”

“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it. Oh, and I’ll accept your resignation.”

“Of course, sir,” she regretted. “Sorry sir.” Mathias depressed a button on his desk and she instantly vaporized as her image faded away.

Then, the paired doors to his office swung wide as a stocky man in a wrinkled suit entered, followed by a dozen uniformed officers. “Mathias Rector, we have a federal warrant for your arrest, allowing us access to Rectco’s premises, all files, staff, and technology. We’ve frozen your operations.”

“What judge in their right mind would sign that?” Mathias knew apathy was an expensive though purchasable commodity and he coolly picked the writ from the detective’s hand. “Anderson? Wasn’t he the judge on the news? Leaped out a twelve story window, right? Tragic.”

“Yeah, I’m sure your heart bleeds for him. Anyhow, this warrant is still binding.”


“What’s the charge?”

“Actually, what’s not the charge?” the man explained. “Money
laundering, extortion, tax evasion…it’s all there.”

“So, how am I involved?”

“You’re the CEO – the man in charge. You hid your trail well but we found your off-shore accounts and the amount of money this company is moving is staggering. Problem is, no one’s even sure what Rectco does. There’s trillions of dollars flowing into all sorts of front companies from tech consulting to restaurants and then back again. All the while, Rectco as a corporation doesn’t build a thing…doesn’t directly offer any type of service…isn’t even on the Exchange. Still, you have the largest skyscraper in Manhattan, a fleet of private jets, and ties to just about every country in the world.” He produced a set of handcuffs, moving to restrain the executive.

“You’re making a mistake.”

The agent leaned in, smugly snapping the cuffs in place. “I doubt it. Now, we’ll need access to your server room and all of your staff, of course.”

Mathias chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“I don’t have any staff,” he replied, “and our servers have been experiencing…technical difficulties.”

“What about your secretary? Hell, the doorman? What about them?”

“I’m not sure who you mean?” Mathias feigned ignorance. “Really, I’m starting to think you have no idea what you’ve started. You should have left well enough alone. It would have bought you more time.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Suddenly, the sun went out over New York, unmistakable given the full panorama on the on 250th floor of Rectco Tower. “What’s that? What’s going on?”

“You wondered what we did here?” Mathias chided. “Well, the simplest answer is we’re in the import business.”

“Importing what, exactly?”

“A lot of things, really…hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nuclear waste…some pretty toxic stuff.”

“What? Why?”

“Just business. There’s a civilization on a tiny brown planet in the Plaiedes cluster that’s long exhausted every natural resource. Problem is, they’ve also developed a heavy dependency on a pollution laced atmosphere. I mean, you really didn’t think humans could’ve possibly contaminated the Earth this badly and this quickly on their own, did you?”

No one answered.

“Well, my clients had more than enough effluence to share. You see, humans started this process and I’ve been paid a hefty sum to accelerate it. Seriously, I’m surprised no one caught on earlier, even when the bees disappeared and the last frogs died out.”

They were dumbfounded.

“Don’t believe me? That’s a colony ship up there and you just pushed up their timetable. It’s not ideal, but there’s just enough taint in the atmosphere now.”

“You’re out of your mind!” the agent realized.

“And you’re out of time. Sadly, I don’t think they’re looking to share this world.” Mathias sighed. “Honestly, I’ll miss this place, but clandestine terraforming is a tough business, you know, and I’m long over do for a vacation.” Then, he dropped his human disguise and slithered free of the cuffs. “Guess my ride’s here. Catch you on the other side of the galaxy,” he chuckled before disappearing altogether.


745 words