Tavi is an intergalactic cab driver trying to hold on to his NYC cab driving job and make ends meet. However, when he picks up an octopus-looking alien that commits suicide by jumping out of his cab, Tavi could lose his job.

His employer offers him a new cab to cover up the suicide, but Tavi is reluctant to take it. Tavi gets a visit from another alien of the same species who shares he is the co-sponsor of his dead kinsman. The alien wants to know from Tavi exactly how the suicide happened before the legal authorities get involved. Tavi and the alien have an informative conversation and create clarity about the incident.

Buckell writes a charming, futuristic story that examines when corporate interests and alien culture collide to create an unexpected result. The Galactic Industrial Complex appears in the New Suns Anthology edited by Nisi Shawl and The Year’s Best Science Fiction Vol. 1 edited by Jonathan Strahan. This is recommended for science-fiction fans who are looking for an original story involving human-alien relations.