by Nick Thacker
There they were. The words Ollo had dreaded most. Shut down production.
At this time, there were few exports from Panna that anyone in the world cared about. Clothing and textiles were only a minor blip to the world economy. And the attempts to build a coffee export had been a huge blunder. Add to that the fact that tourism had dropped off sharply after the tsunamis and tropical storms, and Panna was on the verge of financial collapse.
Panna Water was a trusted brand, worldwide—artesian water from the aquifers of the island, filtered through half a mile of volcanic rock that infused it with minerals. The processing plant was more or less irrelevant, from the standing or actually “producing” anything. The water was brought in, purified and tested, and then bottled right in the facility. It shipped by huge cargo containers, thousands of bottles per load. It was popular in European and American cafes.
And, at the moment, it was keeping Panna from sinking into oblivion.
“Have there been any public reports of this strike?” Ollo said.
“None,” the guide responded.
“Production continues,” Ollo said. The guard looked up, alarmed. “I will talk to Teru personally. Testing will continue, but if we are within tolerances for all known poisons and harmful substances, then there is no reason to make a public announcement.”
The guide nodded, and put the Jeep in gear, driving them back to civilization.
Ollo made his calls as soon as they were within range of a cell tower. Teru agreed with his decision, though Ollo got the sense that what Teru was after was someone to point to if things went wrong.
The production would continue. The element would be ignored. As far as Ollo was concerned, it was just one more mineral. It could actually be good for people, really. He went back to his office and finished out his first week with a large banquet. He stuck to the wine, and politely declined the water.
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