2095, Shadows Within Shadows
Douglas Stamp jolted in alarm and looked up at the empty surroundings. "Who are you?!"
"Don't be afraid. Just a friend..." said a voice from the darkness.
However, Douglas Stamp shook his head. "All right, I don't have a friend like you. If you're here to assassinate me, then I have to admit, you picked the best possible time."
"Well, I have you to thank for that." The person in the darkness spoke teasingly. "If you hadn't suddenly run out, I wouldn't have had the chance to get close to you. And as long as I could get close to you, I naturally had a way to find you."
Douglas Stamp was startled. "You were the one who helped me out afterward?"
"Oh, it's rare that you still remembered me while you were dead drunk. You threw up all over me too, remember?" the person in the darkness said. "Though I did put some thought into making you throw up."
"Sorry, Frank," Douglas Stamp muttered, then raised his voice. "What exactly do you want?!"
"I sincerely believe that we can reach some mutually beneficial agreements. You'll gain a bright future, unimaginable wealth, and status... With a single word from you, countless planets will turn for your sake, and hundreds of billions of people will serve you. Yes, that is what we can offer you," said the person in the darkness.
"The Galactic Empire..." Douglas's voice sank as he looked around once more.
"Oh, my friend, no need to be nervous. I've put the guards here to sleep... peacefully." The shadow said, "No third party will ever learn of our conversation today. I guarantee it."
"You've got the wrong person! I'm just a civilian!" Douglas said darkly.
"But you are still Francis Underwood's most trusted person," the