by AJ Vega
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Dagiri knew patience was not one of his strong suits, but he was up against the odds and his competition— his nemesis, the corporations—was already so far ahead of him. He needed to expand his empire into the territory of the corporations or he would be left behind.
The corporations sat at the top, smugly, knowing they were the ones who controlled the destiny of the galaxy; little did they know what was coming for them. Jack Dagiri, the man who commanded the underground drug syndicate, was going to topple them.
Sitting in his office, Dagiri glanced at the latest business news on his holographic screen. As he scanned the headlines, he came across the news he had hoped not to see: Galacorp, a defense contractor, was buying MK Enterprises. He could not control his anger.
Dagiri sprung from his chair, kicking it into the wall. He threw all manner of paper and objects from his desk across the room, cursing and screaming all the while. He pulled a flicker pistol from his desk drawer, aimed it at the holographic projector, and fired at it. The accelerated protons penetrated his desk, sending sparks and wood chips flying. He felt a few of the pieces graze against him, cutting him, but he did not care. He kept firing at his desk until there was nothing left of it but a burning pile of cinders.
At that moment, the door opened, and in walked Hargo.
“You okay, sir?”
Dagiri lowered his pistol slowly, dropping it to the floor. He then casually walked over to his chair and sat down. On the floor, he could see his Elation gun lying under what was left of his desk drawer. He reached out and took it. It looked undamaged and had a fresh magazine loaded. He pressed it against his neck and injected it. He sat silently for a moment before speaking.
“Hargo,” he said finally. “I think it’s time we cracked the whip on our hackers. I want you to pay them a visit soon.”
Hargo nodded, and then left the room without saying a word. Dagiri let a little smile play on his lips. Hargo would send a clear message to the hackers that they would never forget. Then, perhaps, they would be better motivated to get the job done. If Dagiri could just get control of one of the big three, then he could squash MK Enterprises, Galacorp, and anyone else who stood in the way of him and his destiny.