The Lion’s Den: An Opco Boone Adventure: Difference between revisions

{{a|opco|}}Signum flipped the safety on his piece and placed it on the table. He lifted his hand and stepped back slooow. “See? We’re cool, Felix; it’s all cool. Safe. We’re off the record. For old time’s sake.”

Felix regarded the Dictaphone. He played it aloof. “Automatic. Five-speed. Nice gat, Martin. I — I’m impressed.”

Martin swallowed. “We are tracking a cache of FWMDs. We know they made it into the EU. We believe they used a CP conduit.”

“But how? The perimeter — it’s — I mean, the borders are MiFID patrolled for Chrissakes ...”

Felix whistled.

“Look, these guys are professionals. They know what they’re doing.” Signum smiled. “But we picked them up. We traced them down the clearing chain.”

“This isn’t the normal fake equity, Felix. This is hard stuff. CO2. Nitrous Oxide. This stuff kills people.”

“Collateralised freaking emissions, Felix.”

Signum shifted. He caught a vibe. “Wait a minute.”

“It is done, Martin. It’s too late. The trucks are rolling. But you have to admit, it is elegant.” Felix tittered. “We have extracted the pure price of governmental regulatory permission to discharge greenhouse gas into the air.”

The temperature dropped. Signum puckered up and let rip a ring of frosted breath. “It’s a derivative of…”

Felix brightened. “Only, it’s five times levered! And Martin?”

Signum froze. “Oh, Jesus. You can’t be serious.”

“I can’t… it’s just… Oh, dear… It’s just –” He stopped, abruptly, and regarded his old protégé. “It’s priceless! Literally!” Once again the old broker erupted, gales of blackened laughter cascading from that gruesome maw. “You better hold on, Martin.”

It was only at that moment that Signum understood everything. The enormity; the horror; the forthcoming apocalypse. Bitcoin. They had denominated this goddamn thing in bitcoin.