I took it that Ludro's rant does have basis in fact, but I wouldn't say the plot threads evaporated. There are other hints elsewhere in the game that Powell-Mercer is pretty ruthless and up to some sketchy stuff, but it doesn't pay out as part of the final conflict. It might be a sequel hook, but it might just be another worldbuilding detail. I don't think the author is going to respond to comments on the game page any time soon though; I had to track down his youtube account in order to get in touch with him.