Dead eyes stared up at the red sky above the towering buildings of the city. The corpse's jaw wide open in what could have been a wail perhaps in response to the hole in its head from where a blaster bolt had smashed into its skull and fried its brain. Its features emaciated from being dead for weeks, bacteria already starting to decompose it even as yells and weapons fire could be heard in the background. This wasn't the only sight where this was happening though. All of Carcosa was being ravaged by this chaos as BioCorp security forces scoured the cities for supplies for their own use while most other humanoid life had become ghouls, the name given to someone infected with the Kaine virus. The Cain virus itself was a weapon that had been under development and heavy guard by BioCorp in one of their deep level medical facilties built into the crust of Carcosa to ensure its safety and security where there was generally no means of spreading infection if something was released, allowing BioCorp to practically purge any such facility with ease. Yet somehow the Cain virus had gotten out...

BioCorp Headquarters, Hastur City, Carcosa

Look at all of the carnage and mayhem this virus has caused on my homeworld. People are going insane, public order is completely non-existant. The only individuals who can do anything are our own security forces who've been immunized to the virus. Its beautiful...

Anton Tsar turned towards the board room where the others members of the board of directors of BioCorp had gathered to have their weekly status update over the problem with their world. Carcosa was in the Outer Rim, ignored by most of the governments who were too busy fighting eachother directly or by other means to pay attention to the world or its affairs. All anyone knew was that it was under heavy quarantine by its own government, most of which was dead or completely insane by now.

"Gentlemen, its seems to me that the virus has began to burn itself out..." Anton stated, drawing the gazes of the other board members.

"That's all good and well but those ghouls are everywhere! How are we supposed to rebuild with those maniacs running about trying to rip people's throats out?" Snarled the elderly Edol Syar, Director of Administration.

"Well, Edol, we'll just have to make due with what we have. Plus this is the perfect chance to test the Atlas treatment," Anton said with a sly smile.

Several other board members smiled as well because they were the ones who tended to side with Anton, his so-called lackeys by the other board members. They were the reason Anton was the Chairman of the board; he had convinced them that backing him would benefit them the most and had kept his word. Their areas of the company had received the most attention when it came to funding and support, which had in fact lead to the development of both the Cain virus and the Atlas treatment.

"We don't even know if the damn treatment will work to return people to normal. We might just end up making a bunch of stronger ghouls who could have a better chance of getting at us," Edol muttered darkly.

"None the less, the treatment is viable and we are acquring new test subjects for it. I've had recovery teams seizing ghouls when they viewed it as possible. We have an good test group now."

"This is inhuman! You can't just start testing it like that! Its unethical!" Edol yelled angrily, his face reddening a little.

"Says who? The government is gone, this planet is ruined. As far as I'm concerned, we're in charge," Anton stated with a grin.

Most of the board nodded in agreement, BioCorp was the only surviving structure of civilization left on Carcosa after the virus got loose. The entire planet was more or less a giant leper colony to the rest of the galaxy. No one would dare go near it if they ever heard of it. Carcosa was alone in the night to fend for itself and only BioCorp had managed to survive the onslaught, giving out anti-virus as quickly as it could, but it wasn't fast enough, couldn't make enough in time. All of Carcosa was engulfed in the mind warping madness of the Cain virus which turned a normal person into a psychotic, ravening lunatic otherwise called a ghoul due to their tendency to eat the dead. Most of Hastur City was in ruins save for the BioCorp tower which glowed in the night due to his protective shield. BioCorp was no big name on most worlds, but on Carcosa where it had been formed it had power.

"Its still not right. We need to reestablish the old order if we have a chance. A new legislature and government," Edol said, almost pleading.

"I don't see a need for them. We'll run things much more smoothly if we do it," Anton said with a chuckle before turning back towards the window.

"That's all for now, you may return to your stations. We'll reconvene in a week when you've all had time to consider our situation more carefully."

The board members stood and left, Edol speaking animatedly with several other board members who tended to agree with him.

The old think they can still run this world, but I'll show them otherwise. The virus has purged it of those who would be useless. Once we start to treat ghouls with Atlas, I'll have a viable workforce and population. This entire planet will become our new corporate headquarters.

2 Months Earlier

Anton Tsar sat in his office, looking over his usual daily business reports of BioCorp's operations across the planet as well as its small investments in nearby neighboring systems, most of which were starting to rake in small amounts of income for themselves, sending the rest back to the home office as a sign of their success. BioCorp was very small time compared to some of the immense galactic giants of the corporate world who didn't even know about this Rim company and its exploits. However someone from closer to the core had noticed. Something called the Crozia Trade Union had recently made contact, showing an interest on carrying BioCorp products into the Core to be sold.

I never would have suspected anyone to have interests in our products, but then again I guess we do have some uses for our medical products if them might end up cheaper than what some of the bigger companies are putting out on the market... Though that's just a likely to lead to some sort of pricing war and buyout.

"Sir, a Mister Xim is here to see you. He's the representative from the Crozia Trade Union," commed his secretary.

"Thank you, Zya, send him in."

The door to the office hissed open and Anton turned to face a rather fierce looking man dressed in a nicely tailored black suit. It looked far too expense to belong someone merely representing a group of small time merchants.

"Ah, you must be Mr. Xim, I'm happy to see you made it to Carcosa with little trouble. We sometimes have problems with the Leng pirates who operate on the borders of the system," Anton said with a confident smile as he sized up this man who seemed almost predatory in his nature.

"Oh yes, we had a nice chat on the way in when they pulled my ship from hyperspace while on my way here," Xim stated in an almost off-hand comment as if it were nothing.

"What?! Is your ship alright? Did they take anything?" Anton mentally cursed the damn pirates. He'd told them not to interfere with shipments today, no matter how lucrative it was to pack the group behind the scenes.

"Oh yes, I simply explained to them who I was and they let me go."

Anton stopped dead and looked at this man before him. The Leng pirates never just let anyone go, they always at least took something. The only other time they'd ever done that was when they had grabbed a shipment belonging to some big time Hutt, Plurga or something like that.

"What did you tell them?" Anton looked at him in disbelief.

"That several individuals would be rather upset with my delayed arrival, including Plurga that Hutt, whom sold them most of the ships they use right now," Xim said with a cold grin.

"What are you, some kind of lawyer? You represent a Hutt?"

"Oh no, Mister Tsar, I represent the Union."

"No trade union has that kind of influence."

"You misunderstand me, Mister Tsar. There is no such thing as the Crozia Trade Union. It doesn't exist. Its a shell company I use to travel under so that I may carry out work for my real group," Xim said with a chuckle.

"So, what are you? Black Sun, Hutt desilijic, Exchange, Jutraalian Syndicate?" Anton looked on at this man, realizing this situation did not seem as pleasant as before, yet there might very well still be some chance at profit.

"All of them."

Anton blinked.

"What?"

"I said I represent all of them," Xim stated, keeping a very straight face.

"Is this some sort of fucking joke? None of those guys work together. They all hate eachother," Anton snarled, looking at the man whom he did not find amusing in any way possible.

"Yet they all belong to the same organization, Mister Tsar. They are all part of the Union."

"You just said the trade union was a shell," Anto said with a cold glare.

"And I told you, you misunderstand. I do not speak of the trade union, I speak of the Union. We are what you might call a network of organizations, all working towards gaining wealth and power. We have a number of members; corporations, criminals, terrorists, freedom fighters, governments..."

Xim shifted in his seat some and continued.

"And we wish to incorporate BioCorp into the Union, make it a member."

"How exactly do we benefit from becoming part of this so called Union?" Anton said as he considered calling security and having this man thrown from the top of the building for wastng his time.

"You benefit from our influence."

"Oh? How so?"

"Say you have someone causing trouble, we can make them disappear," Xim stated in a very business-like manner.

"So can I, maybe you don't realize this but BioCorp practically runs Carcosa even with the elected government. I can do as I please without your help."

"Can you sell your goods in the Core?" Xim grinned a little wickedly.

"No, the big companies would push us back out."

"Unless you had help. A bribe here, a payment there. Trade commssions voting in your favor. Tariffs suddenly rising on competitor products...."

"You can do that?" Anton looked a little surprised and still couldn't believe this. It had to be some sort of a scam.

"And more, but for you to gain, you must join. The offer stands here and now. The Union will have BioCorp. The question is whether or not you'll still be its CEO."

Anton suddenly felt very cold. The man had just made his position clear. Membership was compulsory or they'd force the company into it, likely by getting rid of him. It was hard to argue that point when the man had just gotten away from the Leng pirates unscathed. That itself was a scary thought because the Leng pirates were notoriously unafraid of challenging the authority of underworld figures save for some major players. This man had scared them enough to let him go without a single bother.

"I guess I have to accept..."

"Good, which leaves your initiation. We require this world to be completely under BioCorp control. We feel it is unnecessary to have a government in charge. Your job is to make that happen. We don't care how. Just do it."

Xim stood, having tossed his order out tersely and turned to leave, only stopping to speak once more.

"Oh, and one other thing. You have four months to achieve this. Then we'll take actions into our own hands and liquidate anyone not necessary."

Xim departed and Anton sat there cold and shocked. He needed to do something, find some way to carry out this wish. But how? BioCorp was basically a medical and biotech company. They only thing they could possibly do was unleash one of their more vicious viruses they'd been cultivating in the innards of the planet's crust for their new weapons project...

There was the Cain virus...