Getting A System In A Modern World

304  Plummeting

In a sprawling mansion overlooking the Mediterranean, a group of Black Hand executives convened in a hidden conference room.

The atmosphere in the room was extremely tensed, and the tension was palpable. Frowns and creases painted the faces of everyone in the room.

Screens displayed the chaos erupting worldwide, from stock market plummets to burning effigies of corporate CEOs.

A screen was displaying a news channel broadcasting the protest going on outside the headquarter building of a major company.

"This is unacceptable!" barked Cortez, one of the member of the organization's core circle, the Dark Council.

"Whoever did this has access to classified data. We've been compromised at the highest level. Who is the person that betrayed us?!" He bellowed and studied the looks on their faces, but he saw nothing.

The truth is that he knew that whoever leaked the information that's circulating outside isn't among the individuals gathered in the conference room.

No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way it was possible. They have too much to lose by leaking out such sensitive information.

If this is so, then how did such closely guarded and highly confidential information get out to the public? This was w question that no matter how much Cortez thought about it, he couldn't find an answer to it.

"Cortez, this isn't the time for us to be suspecting each other and fighting amongst ourselves. We need damage control.

We can't allow this to continue or things are bound to get worse," another of the executive said, her voice tight with frustration.

She's the owner of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world and she's one of those who were deeply impacted by the information circulating.

Her company's stock has plummeting by the seconds and if nothing is done about it soon enough, she would have nothing.

Cortez completely agreed with Selena just said. This wasn't the time for infighting, it was time to take action and fix everything that has gone wrong and will ever go wrong.

"Damian, contact the media outlets we control, they will know what to do. Also, contact the social media companies' heads and tell them to flood the internet with counter-narratives. Make it look like these leaks are fabricated. And why we are at that, I want the source of this leak to be investigated."

Immediately, the Black Hand's disinformation campaign began.

Social media accounts, many controlled by bots, pushed conspiracy theories claiming the leaks were an elaborate hoax. They claimed that this was an attempt by a group of conspiracy theorists, competitions of the companies listed, to sabotage these companies.

They also didn't stop there as they got paid influencers to spread false narratives, accusing rival corporations of orchestrating the scandal.

Major news outlets controlled by the Black Hand downplayed the leaks, framing them as overblown or misinterpreted.

The world was in chaos and there was no end of it in sight.

Despite their efforts, the Black Hand couldn't fully contain the firestorm. The sheer volume and detail of the leaked documents made them difficult to dismiss. S

No matter how many times the bot accounts kept spamming posts online, the social media space still remained ablaze with hashtags like #BlackHandExposed and #WeWantJustice.

Protests grew larger and more volatile. In New York, the headquarters of a major energy corporation became ground zero for the outrage.

It has only been less than a few hours but tens of thousands of demonstrators had already gathered outside the building, chanting slogans and waving signs that read:

"Stop the Black Hand!"

"Profiting from Death!"

"Justice for the Victims!"

Police in riot gear formed barriers around the building, but tensions were rising. A few protesters began throwing bottles, and soon clashes erupted. Tear gas filled the air as chaos engulfed the streets.

In London, activists projected the words "Black Hand Kills for Profit" onto the side of the headquarters of a company that was named in the document that was leaked.

In Paris, protestors marched in silence, each carrying a white rose to symbolize the millions who had died because of the Black Hand's schemes.

Even in smaller cities, the outrage was palpable. Community leaders organized town hall meetings to discuss the revelations, and grassroots movements began calling for global accountability

.....

Back in the mansion, the Dark Council reconvened to assess the damage.

"The counter-narratives are holding, but barely. Too many independent outlets are running with the leaks. We can't silence them all." Damian spoke first, his tone grim

"My company has lost 40% of its market value in less than 24 hours. Do you have any idea what that means?" Selena's voice trembled with barely restrained anger.

Cortez slammed his fist on the table again, silencing her. "Do you think I don't understand the stakes? We're all bleeding right now. But panicking won't solve anything. We need to focus."

Damian hesitated before speaking again. "There's something else. Our sources in law enforcement have reported that several governments are launching investigations. They're being pressured by the public."

Cortez's eyes narrowed. "Which governments?"

"The usual suspects—France, Germany, and surprisingly, even the United States. It seems the leaks have given the opposition parties enough leverage to push for action."

"Don't worry about that. The president of these countries won't allow anything to happen. They won't want to lose the immunity they have right now. We all are in his together.

Even though Cortez said that, he felt very uneasy inside. The Black Hand had weathered countless storms over the years, but this felt different.

The sheer scale of the leak, the global outrage, and the relentless coverage. It was all spiraling out of control.

For the first time in his life, Cortez felt what could be called fear.

"How did this happen?" he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. "How did someone penetrate our defenses?"

Selena leaned forward, her voice low. "Whoever they are, they're not just lucky. They're strategic. They knew exactly where to hit us."

Cortez straightened, his fear replaced by icy determination. "Then we'll find them," he said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"And when we do, we'll make an example out of them. No one crosses the Black Hand and lives to tell the tale."