“We already have the SEC on our asses at work, and now we’ll have to deal with this shit outside of it?” he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disgust.

A specter of fear hung heavy over the city in recent days. The fifteen year anniversary of 9/11 was soon approaching, and with it came the constant reminder that death could arrive at any moment. The end of the world seemed to lurk around every corner—at least if you listened to the voices clamoring for greater national security.

Each new policy passed or proposed promised to provide greater protection while silently whittling away at people’s privacy and civil liberties. A more prominent police presence in the streets attempted to assuage the fears of a nervous public, but it was a superficial effort at best; if anything...

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