The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1)

by Brian Terenna

  Nav looks at me again. “Umm. I need to consult with my partner for a few minutes. If you could get us that information while we wait, we’d appreciate it.”

  Mr. Williams frowns. “Let’s take a five-minute recess.”

  Nav motions to me, and we exit the room. We walk a ways away from the secretary’s desk to talk.

  “Do we need anything else?” asks Nav.

  I’m just happy to be out of there. What else could help, though? I pace around while I think. “I’m sure we could use way more information, but I don’t know how to ask for it. We definitely want the news story, though.”

  Mr. Williams bursts through the door. “I called the Federal Trade Commission. Agents McMillan and Blane are at a hearing in Ohio.”

  Crack this. “Run,” I say to Nav.

  “Suzie, call security,” he says. “And lock this place down.”

  I sprint toward the stairs, Nav close behind me. We practically fly down them and explode through the door into the lobby.

  I make it two steps before a security guard grabs me in a rough grip. I tug my arm, but I can’t free it. Nav seizes the guard’s arm and, with a flick of her wrist, tugs it off mine. She slams her cybernetic hand into his chest.

  The man flies backward and crashes into a potted plant. The pot shatters, dumping dirt onto him.

  I try the exit, but it’s locked. “Chim, access the building’s network,” I say in a panic. “Search for anything referring to door locks.”

  The holographic code pops up in front of me. I scan through it, desperate to find a weakness. After a frantic search, I realize it’s too complicated to breach quickly enough. Hell, we’re trapped!

  Wait, the sprinkler system! The doors have to open if there’s a fire. I could breach that easily. “Chim access the—”

  Another guard sprints toward us. Nav grabs him and launches him across the room. He crashes into a wall.

  “There’s no time to hack,” she says. “Move aside.” She smashes her cybernetic fist into the thick plexiglass door. Cracks spiral outward. She strikes again, and the entire door shatters.

  Diablo, she’s strong!

  We sprint into the warm streets toward Nav’s car. Someone shouts to our left. I twist to see three giant cybernetic police officers sprinting toward us, their red eyes shining.

  Oh hell no. “This way.”

  We dash down an alley, unfortunately away from our car.

  The officers’ inhumanly powerful legs propel them three times faster than ours do. And in moments, they’re on our heels.

  No. Not again. I dodge right just as an officer grabs for me. “Nav, save yourself. Get home to Sunny.” I drop to the ground in front of the first man’s legs.

  His foot smashes into my side, and I grunt in pain. He trips and flies forward to crash onto the ground.

  Another one of the cyborgs collides into the first man and tumbles down. The third stops just before me and growls, his enhanced vocal cords amplifying the noise.

  I scramble backward, panicked.

  He grabs my arm and lifts me off the ground, level with his face. It’s inhuman and unforgiving.

  I grunt as pain tears at my shoulder. “Chim—”

  His other hand clamps over my mouth. At least Nav will get away.

  Nav roars and slams into the cyborg with her enhanced shoulder. He stumbles to the ground, dropping me.

  Nav hoists me up as if I weigh nothing. “Come on.”

  We turn to run again, but the other two cyborgs are in our path.

  “Chim, target the two men in front of me and activate protocol three.” A program I made in case Nav changed her mind about Sunny.

  The two cybernetic police collapse on the ground, their limbs temporarily paralyzed. We speed around them and continue to run.

  “Cube, contact the Loyalists,” says Nav. “Tell them the police are after us.”

  “Who’s that?” I ask between huffing breaths.

  “A group that can help.”

  “Freeze or I’ll shoot,” shouts someone behind us.

  I glance over my shoulder to see how dire the threat is.

  Five regular cops point their guns at us. Their laser sights are like stars on my black suit. I freeze, not ready to die. Nav stops next to me, and we slowly wheel around.

  The three cybernetic cops are up now, circling us. Two walk over and throw Nav and me to the ground. My face smacks into the street and grinds into it while they cuff me. Someone rips off my q-link for evidence.

  A police van screeches to a halt beside us. One of the cyborgs snares me, slides a hood over my head, and tosses me inside. I crash into the van’s wall, and then Nav collides into me.

  CHAPTER 6

  ∶ CHAOTIC DANGERS ∶

  Two men, probably cybernetic, based on their iron grips, escort me along. My teeth are gritted against the pain, but I say nothing. I heard other men take Nav somewhere else as she cursed in defiance. I demanded to know where they were taking her. Their only answer was to punch me in the stomach. It doubled me over with blinding pain. I’m used to being hit, but a cybernetic punch is on another level.

  My fear and unease increase with each step. Who puts a hood on you? I’m a minor, and we’re supposed to have certain rights. When I tried to tell them that, they punched me for a second time. After that, I zipped my mouth shut.

  We pause, and it sounds like a large metal door grinds open in front of us. The prison, I suppose.

  The cyborgs pull me inside. I stumble, but their brutal grips keep me upright. The large door clangs shut behind us.

  It’s cold inside, and the place smells new in that toxic chemical way that people like. Someone tears the hood from my face, revealing two cybernetic officers standing before me. Their faces are what you’d expect from any other hard-nosed cop, except for their eyes. The three pupils of their multi-spectrum enhancements make them look more alien than human. Two other men, who appear to be security guards, stand at each corner of the hallway, holding rifles.

  The cybernetic officers nod to another man in a suit, whose round gut protrudes like a pregnant belly. He grabs me with a hand coated in thick hair, then shoves me into a conference room.

  The room is stark except for a table in the center. Another guard stands near the corner, still enough that I almost believe she doesn’t know I’m here.

  Where am I? Certainly not with the police anymore. Based on their uniforms, I’d say a private contractor.

  “You’re going to be strip-searched now,” says the woman.

  I blink at her. The room is lined with cameras, making me even more uncomfortable. “I’m only seventeen, you know.”

  She lowers her rifle at me. “Strip.”

  “Can’t you just scan me or something?”

  “Our optical scanner isn’t installed yet. We have to do it the old-fashioned way.”

  I want to argue, but she looks like she might shoot me if I do. What else can I do? I could launch myself at her.

  No. I’d never make it. At least it’s not a man about to see me naked.

  I tug off my dress shoes, then remove my jacket, button-down shirt, and slacks. A shiver runs through me as I stand in only my underwear, humiliated. For what? I’ve done nothing wrong. Well, at least not what I’m accused of.

  “All of it.”

  Oh hell, really? A challenge is on the tip of my tongue, but I’d rather not be punched again. I unclip my bra and pull off my underwear with a sigh. I do my best to shield my most private areas with my hands. One last line of defense for my dignity.

  She walks over to me. “Lower your hands and spin.”

  Of course.

  “You’re clear. I’m going to scan you now for any electronic devices.” She turns around to grab her scanner.

  I touch my thumb to my pointer finger’s nail in a predetermined command.

  She runs her scanner over my body.

  “You’re good,” she says. “Follow me.”

  I touch my thumb and finger again
, then grab my suit.

  She shakes her head. “There’s a uniform over there.”

  I grumble and put on a blue short-sleeved jumpsuit.

  “If you think wearing the uniform is bad, just wait until the questioning starts. Now come.”

  My stomach twists at the words. If this were Silent City, I’d whip around, grab that gun, and put two in her head. Then I’d sprint from this room and end all of those guards.

  Could I really do that? The memory of my shoplifting attempt and subsequent fall makes me doubt it.

  She shoves me back into the dimly lit entryway, past the guards, and down a hall. We pass several more guards on the way. They leer at me but say nothing. She shoves me one last time into a cell with one tiny window at the top of the door. She slams the door shut, and I’m thrown into darkness.

  ☼☼☼

  I sit on the concrete floor and wrap my arms around my knees. A shiver passes through me, but I don’t know if it’s from the air-conditioning or from the uncertainty. This whole process feels off.

  And what about how Anna had a schizophrenic break right after trying to block Candor News’ buyout? Even though we’re still not a hundred percent sure it was the Evo, the evidence points to it. Especially because the Cardinal Post became Evo compliant only one month ago, which forced Anna to get the Evo before the second vote. What would the odds be of her getting schizophrenia right when it would make such a significant change? And what about the investigative reporter? They didn’t want to talk about her. It sure feels like someone is hacking Evos for some purpose. I’ll have to think more about this, but none of it matters until I figure out my current situation.

  So, what do I do? I feel momentarily powerless, just like the last time I was in jail. Images of inmate demons tormenting me invade my mind. My isolation from inmates is complete here, but who knows what those guards could do?

  Do I trust the legal system? Maybe everything will work out in court. I am innocent, after all. Somehow, though, I know I’ll never see a courtroom. And what about the questioning that she mentioned? It sounded like they were going to torture me.

  Can I trust the people Nav called to rescue us? No. Who knows if they’ll even find us? I can only trust myself. The original plan then. If captured, escape. I rub my left wrist, goosebumps on my flesh. The missing q-link makes me feel naked despite the jumpsuit.

  I pat my ankle and smile as I feel the small flesh-colored q-link I snuck in. The cloaking illusion I devised hid it from her vision, and my quick finger motion to disable its power hid it from the sensors. People always underestimate me. Maybe it’s because I’m petite. Or maybe it’s because I’m young, but it’s a mistake. I put the q-link on my wrist and feel whole again.

  It’s funny that I thought I could hack once and be done. I guess I’m officially a hacker again. I just hope I don’t cause any more tragedies.

  I picture Nav smacking the wall of her cell, her teeth grinding with rage. I brought her into this mess, but she planned the Cardinal Post mission that got us caught. Hell, why did I listen? This is what happens when you trust someone. I let out a frustrated sigh.

  Now, how do I escape? Let’s see what I’m working with first. I locate the prison network and firewall. The code is complicated, like some kind of military-grade protection. Hmm. It’s actually kind of like the Evo’s coding language.

  I had planned on setting off the fire alarm to clear the guards, then shutting down the cameras, but as I look through the code, it’s just too risky. Not only is it protected by several firewalls, it’s also actively monitored. I might be able to do it without them finding me, but maybe there’s a safer way. I’ll still have no choice but to hack the doors, though.

  Wait…invisibility. Maybe I could expand my q-link’s cloaking illusion. It would have to mimic the entire background and would probably take tons of power, but it’s possible.

  My q-link’s battery level is at eighty-four percent. How long would the battery last if I do this? Hopefully, enough to get me outside. What if they have infrared sensors, though?

  I scan the network, and they only have cameras. Maybe they didn’t install them yet. This could work as long as I’m quiet when passing the guards.

  I peek through the window to make sure no guards are nearby, then whisper into my q-link to code the expansion of my cloaking program. Every few minutes, I watch for guards until I finish my work.

  After that, I scan through their detainment records to discover Nav’s cell location. It only takes me a minute to find her file.

  Hell, the location is blank. Looks like I’ll have to search for her. At least I know she’s here.

  I locate the door lock code, but I’m reluctant to start hacking it without a distraction. Maybe there’s another system that’s less defended than the fire alarms.

  “We’re here for Fae Luna and Naveha Jain,” someone says from around the corner. “The captain wants them somewhere more secure. This place doesn’t even have the visual scanners yet.”

  Booooooom. A loud explosion resonates around me.

  “What was that?” asks the same voice. “Over here, come on!”

  More guards shout down the other way, then two run by my cell.

  What the hell was that? Well, whatever it was, I have my distraction. “Chim. Access the network.” I pour through the code, trying to concentrate, but my pounding heart and intense fear, make it difficult.

  The more I read the code, the more similarities I see with others. Yes, it’s like the Evo’s code, but it’s also kind of like Prime…or maybe more like C#. I scan through until I find a mistake they made. My hacking programs go to work on the weakness. In moments, I have access to all cell doors.

  Now I just have to find my door. Here it is. “Chim change line ten in their code to unlock.”

  The locks on my cell door pull back, and the door slides open.

  “Chim, activate extended cloaking illusion.”

  My hands fade away to nothing. Nice. Unfortunately, it only works from the front since q-links have limited hologram ports. If someone looks from behind, I’ll be seen.

  I lean out of my cell and glance down both directions. There’s no one. I walk quickly but quietly down the hall, desperate to find Nav before my battery runs out.

  One hallway is empty of rooms except for what looks like another conference room. The other way has a T intersection at the end. I go that way.

  Two brief vibrations warn me that my q-link’s battery is half-depleted.

  Diablo, it’s draining fast.

  Although it was Nav’s decision that landed us here, I would never leave her. I’ve always thought of my safety first, but this is Blaze.

  Finally, after another turn, I see what looks to be a row of cells.

  My q-link vibrates three more times, indicating that my power is down to twenty percent. My heart beats even faster as I peek into the first cell.

  No one.

  Something metal and powerful bangs against the cell down the hall.

  I reach the second cell and see the bars are bent slightly outward. It has to be her. I look inside to see Nav pacing back and forth, a scowl on her face. Her hair is a frizzy puff, and her jumpsuit’s shirtsleeve is torn.

  I locate her cell in the code and unlock it. The door slides open, and she squints at it.

  “Nav, it’s me.”

  She jumps back. “You scared me. Wow, how did you program invisibility?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Come quick. I can extend the illusion to you.”

  I reach up and put my arm around her waist. Hell, she’s tall. We hurry forward, following exit signs and looking into cells as we pass them.

  We turn a corner. The way is free of guards, but there’s another cell to our right. The exit doors are at the end of the hall. When we reach the one cell, I glance inside, then freeze.

  Inside is a plump, white woman with a familiar face. Wait, no way. It’s Anna McCloud from the Cardinal Post. This is getting even weirder. I want to fr
ee her, but there’s no time since my battery is almost dead. I glance at the exit.

  “We can’t leave her,” Nav whispers.

  I grit my teeth and suppose she’s right. “We’re at five percent battery. We can take her, but I won’t be able to extend the illusion to her.” I open her cell and momentarily show my face. “We’re rescuing you. Come on.”

  She stands there looking dumb for a second, then shakes her head. “Why would I leave?” she asks, indicating the cell around her. “There’s everything I could want here.”

  I look around the barren gray cell. What the…oh no. The Evo. Could they be controlling her?

  I pull on her arm. “Just come.”

  She scowls and pulls back, breaking my grip. “Leave me alone,” she shouts.

  Oh hell no.

  “Over here,” says a guard from somewhere down the hall.”

  I pull Nav’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  She hesitates, frowning at Anna, then follows. I make our backs invisible, and we sprint to the exit. We reach the door and push.

  It’s locked.

  Hell. Hopefully, the outer doors are under the same code as the others. I pour through the code until I find the back door. It’s behind an extra firewall. I go to work on it.

  My battery is at four percent…three, but I’m almost there.

  “Her cell is open, but she’s here,” says a nearby guard. “The other cells are empty. Get help. I’ll track them.”

  Diablo, hurry…. There. “Chim, change line three to open.”

  The steel door pops open to reveal the evening sun. We burst outside into the humidity, surrounded by a field of weeds.

  My q-link beeps three times, indicating a dead battery. We materialize.

  “What the heck. Stop,” says a guard.

  There are tall grasses in the distance, but no nearby cover. I push Nav in one direction to take off in another. “Go.”

  Nav trips, then slams into the ground. The guard sprints outside and levels his rifle at her.

  At this range, she’s dead. Even in Silent City, I’d have no way to save her. Though my mind races too fast for me to grasp a single thought, I’m rooted in place.