I LIVE IN an isolated rural house, that was willed to me by my late uncle. I run businesses, from the house that I inherited. The businesses that I run are very profitable. However, I must run them from the house in which I live. Inside (I think) of my house is a portal. The portal is a connection to an advanced civilization, from somewhere off Earth. I know really nothing about the portal, save that it works. I deal with whoever operates the other end of the advanced civilization portal. With one exception, I have never met anyone from an advanced, civilization, from somewhere off Earth.
I have a computer terminal, that lets me talk to the advanced civilization portal operators. The computer terminal operates in English. I tell the advanced civilization portal operators what I want, at least in general. The advanced civilization portal operators tell me what they want.
From time to time, I get a list of things that the advanced civilization portal operators have to send me. From time to time, I have to get an explanation as to what some of the items that they offer are and do. In turn, I give the advanced civilization portal operators a list of what I have to send them. Frequently I have to send small samples of what I have to offer, for the advanced civilization portal operators to evaluate.
The advanced civilization portal operators never offer me anything that even begins to resemble a weapon. (Apparently there are inspectors who won’t allow that sort of thing.)
I send the advanced civilization portal operators mostly botanicals. I have a list of what my late uncle sent and what I have sent before. I send orders for the existing stuff, if I can get it, at the time of year. From time to time, the advanced civilization portal operators ask for new stuff, mainly botanicals that are close to what I have been sending. If it’s new stuff, it goes out in sealed glass containers. (The evaluation of off planet botanicals can be harmful to the health of the alien evaluator.)
