
A weary corporate secretary in a bustling interplanetary office is interrupted by a nervous, Martian‑serviced emissary bearing a tiny vial of a strange blue fluid. The liquid, harvested from the shattered remains of a distant planetoid, promises an effect that bypasses ordinary drinking—infusing the body through the skin and delivering a heady, almost intoxicating rush. As the secretary tests the mysterious substance, a wave of euphoria spreads from fingertips to mind, making ordinary concerns melt away in a dazzling sense of bliss.
The encounter spirals into a moral dilemma: the powerful Universal Liquors conglomerate has strict policies against potent intoxicants, yet the vial’s potential could reshape consumption across the colonies. The emissary, eager to demonstrate his find, hints at a lucrative, if risky, future for the company. Listeners are drawn into a tense negotiation where curiosity, corporate ambition, and the lure of an unprecedented experience collide, setting the stage for choices that could reverberate far beyond the office desk.
Language
en
Duration
~24 minutes (23K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Nov 14, 2020
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1908–1999
An Austrian-born American writer and longtime literary agent, he moved between pulp science fiction and the practical world of publishing. He is especially remembered for running a Milwaukee agency for decades while also writing short speculative fiction.
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