[Earth Orbit - The Debt Collector]
The 24-hour deadline was almost up. [Time Remaining: 00:05:00]
The massive Black Monolith began to charge its weapons. A purple light gathered at the tip of the ship, aiming directly at the Pacific Ocean. Auditor 741 projected his hologram onto the balcony of the Pantheon.
"Time is up, primitive," The Auditor's mechanical voice boomed. "You have failed to produce 10,000 Galactic Credits. Prepare for liquidation. We will harvest your planet's water to cover the default."
Alex sat on a lawn chair, sipping an espresso. He checked his watch. "You're early," Alex said. "I still have five minutes."
"Irrelevant," The Auditor scoffed. "Your planet produces nothing of value. You cannot generate 10,000 GC in five minutes."
"Luna," Alex snapped his fingers. "Load the cargo."
[The Shipment]
From the Pantheon's launch pad, a single heavy-lift drone shot up into the sky. It wasn't carrying a nuke. It was carrying a golden shipping container stamped with the "Neo-Atlantis" logo. The drone flew straight toward the alien ship.
"Scan it," Alex ordered.
The Auditor paused. A beam of red light scanned the container. [Scan Complete.] [Contents: 10 Kilograms of Class-C Organic Stimulant (Arabica Variety).] [Purity: 99.9% (Master Grade).]
The Auditor's holographic eye widened. The purple weapon powering up in the sky suddenly powered down. "This... this is High-Grade Stimulant? Ten kilograms?"
"Market value is 1,000 GC per kilo," Alex stood up and buttoned his suit. "Ten kilos equals 10,000 GC. Debt paid."
[The Scam]
The Auditor hesitated. Greed flickered in its digital eye. "The market fluctuates," The Auditor lied smoothly. "The price has dropped. This is only worth 5,000 GC. You are still in default. I will take the coffee and the water."
Alex didn't blink. "Dawn. Check the Galactic Trade Terminal. Current spot price for Class-C Stimulants."
"Current Price: 1,100 GC per kilo," Dawn announced loudly. "Trend: Bullish."
Alex glared at the alien. "You're trying to short-change me? I know the law, Auditor. If a Debt Collector falsifies a valuation, it is a Class-A felony under the Banking Guild charter."
Alex raised his hand. "Dawn, prepare a report for the Galactic Audit Oversight Committee."
"Wait!" The Auditor shrieked. If he was reported for fraud, he would be dismantled for scrap. He thought this human was a primitive savage. He didn't know the human understood Bureaucracy.
[The Receipt]
"Fine!" The Auditor grumbled. "Valuation accepted. 10,000 GC received."
[System Alert] [Debt Cleared.] [Earth Status: Solvent.]
The red countdown in the sky vanished. The purple weapon retracted.
"Now," Alex walked to the edge of the balcony. "Get your ship out of my sky. You're blocking my sun."
The Auditor looked at the golden container floating into his cargo bay. He looked at the planet below. "Human," The Auditor's voice changed. It was no longer hostile. It was... eager. "You have more? My Guild... we consume vast quantities of this substance for data-processing efficiency. We would be willing to open a trade route."
Alex smiled. It was the smile of a drug lord looking at a junkie. "Oh, I have mountains of it," Alex said. "But the price just went up."
"Why?"
"Because," Alex pointed at the massive ship. "I don't like your attitude. Next shipment is 1,500 GC per kilo. Take it or leave it."
The Auditor calculated. Even at 1,500, he could resell it for 2,000 in the Core Sectors. "Agreed," The Auditor bowed slightly. "We will return in one week for a bulk purchase."
The Black Monolith hummed. The engines flared, and the ship warped away into slipspace, leaving a sonic boom that shook the clouds.
[System Notification] [Crisis Averted.] [New Route Unlocked: Intergalactic Export.] [Current Balance: 0 GC.]
Alex slumped back into his chair. He let out a long breath. "We survived," Luna whispered, sheathing her sword.
"For now," Alex looked at the sky. "But we are broke again. We need to upgrade this planet before they come back."