FedEx to Fresh Aire: Part Three

     Three fax machines, top of the line for 1992, running non-stop. Each printed document, communique, or product image cut and falling into a neat bin at the base of the table. Each fax sliding onto the top of the 12 inch stack below then disappearing as the next fax followed it, signaled by a squeal and then a high pitched tone that another million dollar deal was being delivered to Fresh Aire's international trade division just off of Nowy Swiat Street in Warsaw, Poland.  I watched this fax production facility for a few minutes as I could hear Artur and Toby screaming behind the bedroom door.

     The first document I pulled out of the bin was a formal sales offer in English...good for 72 hours... emblazoned across the top of the cover page. It was for two 40 ft containers of raw Robusta coffee beans from Kenya...FOB Lagos, Nigeria. Price:  $25,000. Payment by Letter of Credit to a bank in Switzerland or by cash at the port where the containers were located. Quality Inspection allowed only after Letter of Credit received or cash in hand...hmmm.  Interesting...Artur into coffee from Africa. That fits. Nowy Swiat had the best cafes in Poland. He could sell it right from the flat. Cultural guy doing some business in markets that Poland has lagged behind in since all the changes began in the 80's.  "Bet he's into wine, too."  I thought.

     Next fax:  From Russia...some kind of raw material...AU...Gold!...Shit!  20 tons of it! Looked like something about UAE also in the deal. Delivery from UAE to any European port. This fax was in very bad condition. I would say that the fax had been faxed from a fax from a fax from a fax. The "tail of intermediaries" in this deal looked like it was long. But then again...20 tons of gold might cover the tail.

   Next fax:   Ten Russian MIG fighter pilot helmets that had the latest eye sensor targeting material in the face plate. Unheard of, at least by me at the time, it apparently allowed the pilot to target bombs and other weaponry using eye movements to activate the release of missiles or whatever. The English in the fax was marginal but the fax looked very fresh with Russian seals and old Soviet stamps with the hammer and sickle.  Price:  $10,000 per helmet...negotiable.

Heat seeking missiles...10 truckloads of Lithuanian rough cut lumber...10 containers of men's bikini underwear from China...162 BMW 320i's...Rare Earth metals from Siberian research institutes...ten different requests for Portland cement from Turkey and from the Ukraine...Steel from China...Night Vision Goggles from Russia...1000 AK 47's...High Purity titanium...and, for those looking for various inputs to the nuclear industry, military, terrorism, and possibly dirty bomb making, there were offers and requests for plutonium in varying quantities...zirconium tubes for Russian style nuclear reactors...heavy water...U235...U238...depleted uranium in various forms and, the most disturbing, a short fax in Russian that could be translated as follows:

******

Available in any quantity:  

Russian and former Soviet weapons of ANY type (including nuclear). Price and delivery NEGOTIABLE.

******

     While Toby and Artur's argument raged, I took about 30 of the most interesting/disturbing offers and request for offers and put them in my FedEx courier pouch. Sensing that this round of fighting was going to go on unabated for a while, I scribbled out a note to Artur:

"Artur, we need to talk about some stuff...possible cooperation in the future. 

My FedEx gig is probably ending soon. I've got some ideas. 

Oh...and I took a few of your more interesting faxes. By the way, there some stuff there that you need to be careful with.  Will call tomorrow...Billy"