Chapter 1.5 - "Internal Workings"

"...supplies of Pure Drop have increased by 17%. That'll give us enough headroom to get some extra production time on X-Instinct to make up for that burst of sales."

The three other men and two women around the table all nodded their heads. Such mundane affairs were important but common place. The reactor team of the corporation was immensely knowledgeable and firmly in control of the production schedule. The managers had only to sign off on the process as usual.

"Dr. Juun'shisai, please inform Drs. Goyuam and Ristuk that we need to make some changes to the schedule. Our capsuleers are going off the grid for a time... and the boss has left us with some tasks in their absence."

"Uh, certainly. I will ensure the message is received."

"Good, good. Basically, Dr... we are going to begin real production. We've been whittled off our mountain, chipped away at by small time gangs and bored billionaires. It is time to reclaim our rightful place, to return to being the only drug game in town. The boss, and the founder, and the directors... they all want this done. You know what that means."

"Uhmm, yes sir, I do. But, we have been keeping the reactors above 90% efficiency. I assume there is a capital budget..?"

"Correct. Construction won't begin for some months... not until the capsuleers return from their mission. In the interim, we are going to stockpile raw materials. We aren't privy to their thoughts, but there is something big coming down the pipe. They are expecting to increase sales and market share by a considerable margin. We think it has something to do with some insider knowledge from CONCORD, but ultimately that line of inquiry is irrelevant. Suffice it to say, Dr., but the reactor team has its work cut out for it."

"Yes sir, I understand."

Dr. Juun'shisai jerked forward, almost as if snapping out of some unseen grasp. He walked toward the table where the five figures were seated and picked up the data key sitting on his side of it. He clutched it tightly and dropped it into a self-sealing pocket inside his coat.

"Dr., this directive is perhaps the most important thing to happen to Es and Whizz in years. We can't fail the capsuleers, you know what can happen should that occur."

The doctor nodded, swallowing visibly and slowly. He turned and walked out of the darkened room and into the dimly lit metal corridor. His steps echoed down the hallway before the sliding door silently cut them off.