An excerpt from the very beginning of the book. There'll be more coming later on.
Inside a mansion somewhere in central Europe, a secret society called Fractum has just adjourned its biannual meeting. A glowing hologram globe hangs from a projector in the ceiling, the seven Fractum Chiefs looking at it with the best ominous scrutiny they can manage.
The name of Fractum is well known in public circles. According to the rumours, Fractum is responsible for pretty much everything that happens in the world, and the subject of its biannual meetings is the total enslavement of the human race. These rumours are both true and false to an extent.
Fractum members meet up twice a year to plot global domination – this part is true, yes – but this is pretty much all they get up to.
You see, Fractum has no power whatsoever, and none of its seven leaders realise this. Between them, they've got several châteaus, mansions, a castle, a whole lot of old money, and a handful of loyal servants. They gather to their secret location, discuss the recent developments in world politics, appraise how much they deter or further the Fractum cause, and draw up a plan of action. Each of the members then returns to their own residence somewhere in the world, relays the plan to their closest of servants, and retires to their own private study to gloat.
The loyal servants, a well-meaning bunch, then pretend to contact minions and henchmen all around the world. Some time would pass, and something would appear in the news that either corresponds to or contravenes the given orders. The servants would report to their masters, claiming the mission was either successful or not, depending on what happened in the real world.
At the same time, due to conspiracy theorists and generally uninformed people, rumours would go out that Fractum is responsible for that very same event.
The masters are pleased that their non-existent web of influence is doing their job, the populace gets some obscure sense of satisfaction that the world isn't governed mostly by chance, and the well-meaning servants get to keep their well-paid comfortable jobs. The system took a long time to implement, but it works flawlessly and everyone involved is content.
