Hostile Takeover

Exam week is over.

I’ve never even felt anxious about an exam. I know I’m always going to pass.

Now, I'm up against summer break. Most of it will be spent being unproductive. I just wish my dad would drop by or send a text, though I know deep down that's never going to happen.

For now, I’ll just head to the basement and practice shooting with my AM7.

My own recreation of the KRISS Vector submarine gun: The Akari model 7, shortened to the AM7, is a superior model in terms of weight, power, and maneuverability. It uses 5.56 rifle cartridge and 30 round magazines. The selector switch offers just two options: semi-automatic and safe.

buzz…

…buzz

Someone calling me?

I grab my phone to see who’s calling.

It’s Helena, my stepmom.

When I was a child, my mom passed away due to unknown circumstances. Not even a year later, this woman named Helena appeared and seduced my dad. From the moment I met her, I knew that she married my dad to get his money.

She hasn’t called me since I was forced to move here.

“Hello?”

“Akari, you need to come back home now. It’s urgent.”

“Hi, Helena. I hope you’ve been well. Unfortunately, I still have to attend college to get my degree. I won’t be coming home anytime soon.”

“I know, I know. But you need to come home now.”

I hate Helena. All she cares about is pleasing men like my dad so she can benefit of their wealth. If only she didn’t exist.

“I think someone is at the door. I’ll call you later.”

“Akari. Your father is dead.”

…

Oh.

My dad is dead?

…

Wait.

…

What?

…

No.

My dad is dead?

Why would I care?

…

What is this feeling?

Why do I feel an intense pain in my chest?

Why are there tears forcing their way out of my eyes?

I thought I hated him.

“Akari?”

“Y- Yes. I’m still- here.”

“Come home, now. A private jet will take you from the airport.”

click

I collapse onto the floor. Tears endlessly leak out.

Why am I having such a strong reaction? I thought the world was already colorless because of him. But when he’s gone, I feel sad?

This whole time, I needed him?

No.

I have always known that!

This is cruel.

***

As I sit in the private jet, I can't help but think about my dad. It's been so long; I can barely remember his face.

After collecting my luggage, I step outside to find a daunting lineup of armored cars and humanoid androids dressed in military attire. They held rifles and wore bulletproof vests. I assume they're here for me.

These androids were invented by CyberShield, one of my dad’s subsidiaries. They offer private military contractors in the form of androids. Cost-effective and easily manufacturable, depending on the model. They imitate humans very well in terms of appearance, feelings, and sound.

I've read about these androids on the hidden web. They’ve committed a number of atrocities in the conflicts they fought in, the majority in third world countries. One hidden web article revealed that entire towns were brutally destroyed by these androids. All of the civilians were tortured, mutilated, and killed to set an example. Since the news is also owned by Luceria Corp, no one ever hears about it. Censorship is widespread by these news companies. The hidden web remains my sole source of reliable information.

If I were to ever get into a confrontation with these androids, it would be a difficult fight.

“Ms. Luceria, your mother is waiting for you. Let us escort you to your home.”

The drive was at least an hour until I arrived at the family mansion. I don’t know how to feel being back here. There is nothing but fake memories of a happy family in this house.

Helena welcomes me, although I feel very uneasy being around her again.

“Akari, I’m glad you’re back.”

She kisses me on the cheek and leads me to the living room. Outside, the mansion is infested with androids with rifles. I don’t know if I should feel safe or not.

“I’m happy you were able to come. How is school?”

“Great. How is your yoga business?”

“Great, we finally broke-even last month. I almost declared bankruptcy but thanks to your father, I was able to keep the business solvent.”

“I see.”

A smile passes between us as an awkward silence hangs in the air, stretching seemingly for an eternity.

“Don’t you miss it, Akari? The memories of the three of us in this house.”

“What happened to dad? How did he die?”

Helena appears surprised by my sudden straightforwardness.

“Your father was found dead in his office. I think he was sick and just died.”

“That’s it?”

“You knew he was an old man, Akari.”

“I see, that makes sense now. Thank you.”

I find it hard to believe. My dad owned numerous medical clinics worldwide. There's no way he wouldn't seek medical treatment if he were ill.

“I’ll give you some time to settle back in. We’ll be leaving soon for your father’s funeral. Get dressed and wear appropriate clothing.”

***

The funeral was hard to get through. Seeing my dad’s body in the coffin was depressing. Enduring the speeches by countless middle-aged businesspeople I’ve never seen or heard of was tedious.

But one thing stuck out that was somewhat bothering me. Usually, I would be treated like a princess due to my dad’s influence. In this case, I was ignored. I never liked the attention, but it felt strange not having it.

At the end of the funeral, one of my dad’s business associates introduced himself to me.

“Hello Akari. I worked with your father. We should speak to discuss the future of Luceria Corp.”

The future of Luceria Corp…

What would my dad want me to do?

***

I’m going to meet with the board of directors today. An oligarchy of rich businesspeople who pretty much control the world. I'm not sure what they'll want from me, but I'm playing it safe and bringing my AM7. I conceal it in my briefcase.

I step into the Tower of Babel, where my dad used to work. It's a ginormous place, an unbelievably tall building, standing at 9,717 feet. Armed androids guide me to a meeting room on the highest floor. All the executives are there.

As I enter the room, the CEO sits in the central seat. The room is smaller than I imagined, but the glass walls reveal a breathtaking view of the sky and clouds below.

“Akari. Please, take a seat.”

I take a seat; I widen my smile as I face the entire board. There are at least 40 middle-aged men in this room wearing high-end suits. I can't shake the feeling that I'm in an interrogation room. 

“Akari, I regret to inform you that Luceria Corp is going to be dissolved.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I apologize. While we would have liked to appoint you as the board chair, your age and lack of experience are concerns. Your associations with Luceria Corp will have to be severed. Despite never being an employee here, we offer a severance package of $666,000 in hopes that it will suffice to keep you uninvolved.”

“Last time I checked, according to the current stock price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding, Luceria Corp is worth $48.3 trillion. You’re not even giving me a percentage of that market value.”

I could feel a wave of displeasure from the executives. Maybe they had assumed I was just a clueless college student who knew nothing about business.

“Akari, your father built this empire through constant hard work. You should be proud of that. Are you seriously expecting us to hand over his former position to you, considering you've never earned a single penny in your life?”

I suddenly realize my smile had faded.

“I’m his daughter. I have the right to be his successor. Please.”

…

It’s that feeling again.

That pain in my chest.

I try to hold in my tears.

“I deserve it.”

“No. You don’t, Akari.”

“You can’t do this, what would my dad think?”

“Your father rarely spoke of you. That's reason enough for your detachment.”

A boiling rage wells up inside me after that comment.

“Sign the document in front of you. Your signature will legally ensure you and your family will never be associated with this business or its affiliated subsidiaries.”

“No. I will not! I refuse!”

The executives laugh at my protest.

The CEO is not amused.

“Sign it. Or we will MAKE you sign it.”

Suddenly, two androids burst into the room, encircling me. They're armed with rifles, their presence pressuring me to sign.

“My family’s name is in the business! You can’t do this!”

“Don’t worry. Demergers will occur, breaking apart Luceria Corp. We will rename it to remove any association with your family.”

An android yanks my hair and forces my face onto the table. The executives respond with cynical laughter as I lie there, compelled to sign away my family's legacy.

“Fine. Tell your androids to back off, and- I’ll sign the document.”

“Good. You’re making the right choice, Akari. Your father would be very proud of you.”

The androids exit the room as swiftly as they had entered.

“Can I- use my own pen? It’s in my briefcase.”

“Whatever, just sign it.”

A smirk crosses my lips as I anticipate the impending downfall of everyone in the room.

I set my briefcase down onto the table.

“Quickly now, our time is more precious than yours.”

“Certainly.”

In a split second, I snatch my AM7 from the briefcase, aiming it at the CEO. I mag dump the entire magazine using bump fire, his head becomes deformed with a pink mist filling the atmosphere. All the executives scream in terror as they scramble around the room like panicked fools.

“Guards, get in here!”

Quickly reloading with a fresh magazine, I change into a kneeling position, facing the entrance as the two androids burst in. Without hesitation, I begin firing, targeting their hearts, the source of their power.

I eliminate one of the androids, taking the second by surprise as it starts firing erratically around the room. In the ensuing chaos, several executives are comedically caught in the crossfire and lose their lives. I transition to a prone position and quickly eliminate the second android before it can get a clear shot off.

The room becomes hazy with smoke, the sharp scent of gunpowder and the metallic tang of blood once again assault my senses.

My ears ring painfully, and I have a terrible headache. As I begin to rise, a sharp pain sears through my left shoulder. I’ve been shot. There’s a hole in my left deltoid, and I start to feel dizzy. I drop my rifle and hurry to my briefcase.

I pull out my first aid kit and inject myself with morphine and carefully bandage my wound. The pain slowly fades. Judging from my self-treatment, it seems the bullet passed straight through me.

I’m furious. These bastards just tried to steal my family’s company from me.

“Wait, don’t shoot!”

Hands from surviving executives cautiously emerge from their hiding spots beneath the table. Reacting hastily, I reach for my AM7, grip it tightly, and level it at them.

“Come out!”

“Don’t shoot! Please!”

“Everyone who is still alive, stand!”

Four heads emerge from beneath the table.

“I want answers. How did my dad die?”

The executives exchange puzzled glances with each other. I point my AM7 at one of them, and with a swift pull of the trigger, his life is extinguished in an instant, punctuated by a resounding gunshot and added blood splatter in the ceiling. My headache returns fueling my anger further.

The remaining executives huddle in fear.

“Answer me! How did my dad die?!”

“Wait!”

One of the directors finally speaks up.

“Your father- he- might have been assassinated.”

I knew it. It wasn’t possible for him to have died from an illness. He was the richest person in the world. He could afford the medicine to anything. Why didn’t Helena tell me this?

“Who did it?”

“We don’t know, honestly! Please! Spare us!”

“Very well.”

I transition to a low ready position with my AM7. The remaining directors in the room visibly relax, their tension easing.

“You’re no longer useful to me alive.”

Instantly, I unleash rapid gunfire, striking each of the remaining directors with deadly precision. As the clatter of spent bullet casings echoes to the ground, a deathly silence blankets the room.

I search through the bodies of the directors, hoping to find something valuable. Among what was left of the CEO’s corpse, I retrieve a tablet with the label CyberShield, but it's heavily damaged.

An easy fix.

I head to my briefcase and pull out my CUBE.

CUBE - Collaborative Understanding and Binary Entity; is an intelligent system encapsulated within a cube. This device has the ability to mend bullet holes and perform various other functions. Invented by the same company that made the smartphone, another subsidiary of Luceria Corp.

I have the CUBE fix the tablet and treat my wound.

After familiarizing myself with how to use the tablet, I gain access to the controls for the androids scattered throughout the building. I reconfigure their settings to be passive towards me, ensuring they no longer pose a threat.

Don't worry, dad. I won't let anyone tarnish your legacy. I'll do my best to uphold and preserve your empire.

I take in a final deep breathe before I leave, as for now, I have many questions for Helena.