The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1)

by Brian Terenna

  Nav looks at me and then back to Americus’ grave with a frown. “My father was a proud man with strong principles. He was a student of history and knew more about the revolution and past government than anyone I know. He was a patriot and a leader. America will forever be in his debt…”

  Her lip quivers, and tears well in her eyes. I reach up and rub her back, my hand gliding on her silky shirt.

  She wipes at her face. “I haven’t been very close to him for a long time, but in my childhood, I adored him. He used to tell me about tragic government cover-ups, his ideas about freedom, and about the revolution and why we needed it. I’d sit there for hours listening to him, and it wasn’t just because I was interested. It was because he was my father. Dad, I’ll always remember you as the man who told me stories as a kid. I love you. Goodbye.”

  I’m silent for a moment, then say, “Sunny, do you want to say some words?”

  He steps up to the grave, his green mouth frowning. “Americus tried to kill me once.”

  Well, that’s a strange opening.

  He continues, “It’s because he thought that I could be a threat. He decided I’m not and welcomed me to the team. He even defended my life when it was at risk. It was good to feel like I belonged. I’ll miss you, Americus.”

  I look at Sunny. Sometimes he amazes me. I programmed him to want to spend time with humans and relate, but he’s gone so far beyond what I imagined. Does he really care that Americus is dead, or is he just saying that?

  Alexander holds his fist out to the grave as if he expects Americus to climb out and bump it. “Americus was a heroic leader in the mold of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-king, and Navin Briggs, the freedom-lover and liberator. He was the founder of our great Loyalist Militia. He trained us and galvanized us to fight. Navin Briggs once said, if I fall, you must pick up the torch and burn the corruption…no that’s not it. Pick up the torch and spread the fire of change because…”

  Nav cocks her head to the side.

  “I don’t know. Something about starting anew. Americus would have known,” says Alexander.

  Sunny waves to us. “It’s, if I fall, you must pick up the torch and spread the fire of change because, through this fire, we will scorch the corruption clean and start again.”

  “Yes. I knew it,” says Alexander. “Americus, we’ll rebuild, and we’ll burn the corruption.”

  Ron Paul flaps his wings on Alexander’s shoulder and says, “Burn.”

  Alexander pets the bird, then nods to me that he’s finished.

  I wring my clammy hands while I think of what to say, then step up to the grave. “I didn’t know what to think about Americus at first, but it wasn’t long before I saw his kind side. He made sure I had food, taught me about history, and gave me a home. I really wish things could have been different. I owe a debt to you, Americus. I’ll keep Nav safe no matter what. Goodbye.”

  Nav smiles at me, but it’s a sad smile. She turns to leave, her shoulders slumped. We all walk back to the camp in silence, the mood dour. Alexander sits at the base of a tree, his bandaged head lowered. Sunny wanders toward some boulders and summons Bean.

  “I’m going to the tent,” says Nav.

  “I’ll be there in a little while,” I say. “I want to be alone for a minute.”

  She frowns and trudges toward the tent, dragging her feet.

  Poor Nav. It must be horrible to lose a husband and father in the span of a few months. At least Americus said he loved her. I can’t imagine what she must be feeling. When she lost her husband, she had almost killed herself. If I didn’t call, she’d—

  A worry twists my stomach, and I jog to the tent. I throw the flap open. Nav sits on her cot, her eyes wet and puffy. Her huge handgun rests on the bed next to her.

  My heart drops, and I freeze, not wanting to spook her.

  She glances at her gun and shrugs. “I’ve lost so much. I’ll always miss Ty, and now Yumi and Astrid are gone. And then I was finally reconnecting with my dad, but now…” She lowers her head to cover her face.

  A sick feeling grips my stomach. “I miss them all too. You still have me, Sunny, Brandon, and Alexander, though.”

  She rubs her temple. “I can’t talk about this now. Can we do it tomorrow?”

  I look at her gun. “Yeah, but at least assure me you won’t hurt yourself.”

  She closes her eyes and says nothing.

  “Alexander and I couldn’t handle losing you. Promise me.”

  She hands me her huge gun. “You’re right. I won’t do anything until we talk.” She turns away and begins to sob.

  My heart goes out to her, but I give her the space she needs and leave to check on Alexander. He lost his mentor and was injured. I can only hope he’s holding up better than Nav.

  “I was in an accident, Mom.” I hear Alexander say from around the corner of my tent.

  I start to leave but then pause. Is it wrong for me to eavesdrop again? Maybe. I peek to see him still sitting at the base of a tree.

  “My baby. Are you okay? I’m going to come there and take care of you.”

  Aww.

  “No need to come, but I got badly burned and lost my eye,” he says.

  His mom starts to cry.

  Ooo. This is getting private. I should probably leave.

  “I should heal fine except for my eyes,” he says.

  “You lost both?” she asks in a shaky voice.

  “One, but the other is damaged. I won’t be able to shoot in the Olympics,” he says, his voice thick with emotion.

  So he’s not dealing with this as well as he pretended.

  “I know that was your dream, but now there are more important things. Can you still fight to save us?”

  “I won’t be able to shoot as well,” he says. “I don’t know if I can do this anymore. I thought that if I believed enough, I could do anything, but…”

  “It’s okay to worry, but remember who you are,” says his mom. “You’re a Fiore. We never give up.”

  “Maybe I’m not a hero,” he says, sounding defeated.

  My stomach drops. If Alexander feels that way, what hope do we have?

  “You’ve done incredible things. You saved Americus.”

  “He’s dead now.”

  “You saved Gabriel, Naveha, Sprite, and many of the other Loyalists.”

  What? He calls me Sprite to her?

  “I know, but I don’t know if I’m that person anymore.”

  Oh hell. He sounds vulnerable and real. That’s not Alexander. I want to run over and hug him to take away his pain, but that’s not what he needs.

  “Don’t say that. You’re Alexander Fiore, and the country needs you.”

  “I’ve got to go, Mom. I’ll call tomorrow.”

  I wait a few minutes, then leave my hiding spot and walk over.

  He sits slumped over, covered in bandages, looking like he’s on his deathbed. A shadow lies under his exposed eye, and a deep frown tugs at his lips. The lingering smell of charred flesh invades my nose.

  “Hey, how’re you feeling?” I ask.

  “Oh hey, Sprite,” he says, sounding more cheerful than I know he is. “I’m fine. This is nothing.”

  I don’t want to reveal that I heard him talking to his mom, but I need to address this. “I...accidentally overheard your conversation.”

  He looks down, and after a long hesitation, he says, “I’ll never win a gold medal now because of my eyes. I can’t get vision enhancements in the Olympics, but if I don’t, I can barely fight with you guys anymore.”

  “I’m sorry. This is terrible. Maybe you—”

  He holds up a hand to silence me. “I can’t talk right now,” he says. “I need to rest.”

  He looks so defeated that it makes me sick. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”

  ☼☼☼

  I wake up on my cot with a groan, my body sore from my recent beating and the uncomfortable bed. Nav sits against the wall of the tent, talking quietly to Sunny.

&nb
sp; I blink my eyes several times, stretch, and then drink water. “How’re you holding up, Nav?”

  She shrugs. “Not great. I’ve been talking to Sunny, but losing my father is crushing.”

  “Sunny, do you mind if I talk to Nav alone for a bit?”

  He shakes his head and leaves.

  “You know why this is extra hard for me,” says Nav. “It’s my fault my dad is dead. If we didn’t delay, we could have saved him.”

  I shake my head adamantly. “We all would’ve died without the bullet shield and the variations you made in my hacking program.”

  “Maybe,” she says, “but that changes nothing. We’ve lost far too much.”

  I didn’t think I’d ever need to quote Alexander. “It’s true, but remember what Alexander told us? You can change your thinking, and it will change your life. Focus on me and what we still have.”

  “How do I even know that you’ll stick around?”

  Hell, not long ago, deciding that would have twisted my brain in knots, but there is no question now. “I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I am committed to you no matter what.”

  She looks up, her sad eyes fixing on me. They linger as if she’s trying to determine the truth of my words.

  “Besides, don’t you want to save everyone?”

  She sighs, then nods, conviction returning to her eyes. “You’re right. We need to.”

  Relief flows through me. I sit on the floor and settle my arm around her.

  She twists and hugs me as she silently cries.

  After a while, she pulls back. “It’s just so hard sometimes,” she says, her head lowered.

  It sure is. “Always remember we all need you. Suicide is never the answer. I’m always here to talk, but you should see a counselor when this is over.”

  She rubs her orange headband and smooths her tight curls. “I will. I’m also going to take my meditation to the next level and work on acceptance.”

  Nav’s determination wakes something inside me. Something that has haunted me longer than anything else has. It’s time to open up about the Archfiend. I’ve never spoken about the experience to anyone, not even with Sunny. But I can’t think of a better way to connect with my closest human friend. Or a better way to finally move forward.

  “I want to tell you something…” I say, staring at the knotty burn scar on my wrist.

  “Anything. You know that.”

  Where to start? “I consider all of my former foster parents, besides Barbra, to be demons. And all of my foster homes to be levels of hell. Six in all.”

  Nav’s eyes widen. “Aww, Fae. I didn’t know it was that bad.”

  “My first foster father, the Archfiend, is worse than all the others. I was only seven when it happened, but my fear and memories are just as real today.”

  Nav squeezes my hand. “What happened?”

  “The Archfiend probably wasn’t as big as I remember, but I’m sure he was as mean. He was a raging alcoholic, although I didn’t realize it at the time. I had a sister then. Her name was Nyx.”

  Nav winces.

  “She was younger than me, and I always tried to protect her. One day, when we were home alone, Nyx ate leftover chocolate cake but dropped some frosting on the carpet. I helped her clean her face and brush her teeth, then I did my best to get the stain out. It wasn’t enough. When the Archfiend came home and saw the smudge, his temper exploded. We tried to blame it on the dog, but he didn’t believe us. I took the worst of it at first as he beat me. I didn’t tell him the truth until he burned me with boiling oil.” I show her my wrist.

  “Oh my God. He did that?” she asks, incredulously. “What did he do after that?”

  “He pummeled my sister. I tried to stop him, but I was small and weak. Then he held me down and poured liquor down my throat. It was so much that I got sick for hours.”

  Nav gasps.

  “When I could move again without the world spinning, I left the bathroom to find my sister. She was on the carpet, blood coating her face, her arms sprawled out. I shook her, and when she didn’t respond, I kept shaking her. She was only five.”

  “That son of a fascist.”

  “He tied me up next to her when I wouldn’t calm down. It took me hours to escape the ropes, all while next to my poor silent sister. I called the cops, and the Archfiend is still in prison today. If he wasn’t, I might have gotten revenge by now.”

  She rubs my back. “It’s horrible you had to go through that.”

  Her kind eyes and support make me feel more connected to her than ever. “I think I’m finally ready to move on.”

  “That’s why Ty and I wanted to start a counseling agency, to help people deal with things like that.”

  “Soon this will be over,” I say, “and we can live the lives we want, but for now, we need to fight. I can do this, but I need my Blaze.”

  “You have me,” she says, her eyes burning with determination. “Let’s do this.”

  I grab her gun from my bag and hand it back. At least part of the team is ready. Now for Alexander.

  I exit the tent into a humid, sunny day and shield my eyes. I head over to our rations. A squirrel scurries up a thin pine tree to escape me.

  I gather up breakfast and make some tea, then walk up to Alexander’s tent door. “Knock, knock. Mind if I come in?”

  “Come back later,” he says, his voice hollow.

  “I have breakfast.”

  A moment passes, then he says, “Come in.”

  I enter to see him propped up on his cot, his head lowered. What’s left of his hair covers his face.

  I hand him his tea, put mine down, then remove the breakfast bars from my pocket. We eat in silence for a while.

  Eventually, I ask, “Feeling better today?”

  He shrugs. “I’m not in pain.”

  “That’s not what I mean.”

  He rubs the bandages covering his chest and sighs. “What are your darkest fears?”

  The question surprises me, but I know the answer. “I’m most worried about losing Nav, Sunny, and you.”

  He meets my eyes and holds them for a moment, then gives me a fond, if somewhat sad smile. “Mine was failing Americus.”

  It’s more honest than I thought I’d get from him. He doesn’t like to show vulnerability. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

  “Not really.”

  But we need to if we have any hope of moving forward. Maybe if I open up about myself, he’ll follow suit. “Can I tell you something?”

  He turns to me, looking interested. “Of course.”

  At first, I think I’ll just tell him some small parts of my past, but it’s not long before I open up about everything. He listens intently, asking follow-up questions and grimacing at the details. When I’m done, he squeezes my hand.

  “I had no idea things were so bad for you,” he says. “I don’t think I could have dealt with all of that. It must have been hard.”

  I squeeze his hand back, grateful for his empathy. “Thanks again for saving me. When I saw you get hit by that rocket…” I shake my head. “I just don’t know what I’d do if I lost—”

  “You won’t lose me that easily.”

  “Still, I’m sorry I didn’t hack the Obliterator suit in time.”

  He lowers his head, a gloominess washing over his face. “I had two dreams. To win gold like my father, and to save America. I can’t do either if I can’t see.”

  I fidget with one of my curls as I consider what to say. He’s always been the confident one. How do I bring him back? He can’t get unfair vision enhancements, but… “Can’t you just get an unenhanced eye or one that can be set to normal for the Olympics?”

  He shakes his head with a huff. “Oh, duh. I guess I could. That accident must have scrambled my brains.” He sits up straighter, and the shadow seems to recede under his eye. “But even that pales in comparison to losing Americus and failing to free the country.”

  He’s right, but I need to convince
him that this isn’t over. “I’ve been thinking about what you said before…about creating your reality.”

  He frowns and lowers his head again. “I was wrong. I believed in myself entirely, and I still failed.”

  His words are like a punch in the nose. “No, you were right.”

  “I would have saved Americus then.”

  Hell, what do I say to that? Losing Americus is a tremendous blow to our cause.

  “I also would have stopped them from torturing you.” He looks down, ashamed.

  “You stopped them from installing the Evo. You came when I needed you most.”

  He considers that, then nods slowly.

  “What if this setback, no matter how large, was what we needed to win?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What if this was part of the path to victory?”

  “How could it be?”

  Hmm. “Well, not only did you rescue me, maybe losing Americus and your injuries will drive us on even stronger.”

  He rubs the stubble on his jaw and purses his lips as if in thought. After a moment, he nods, looking determined. “Maybe you’re right. No, not maybe, you are right,” he says, his voice more upbeat. “It’s not over. What was I thinking? I’m Navin Briggs reborn.” His shoulders push back, his half-bandaged, muscular chest puffing out. A smile stretches on his face, and his eye regains its fire. “I am creating my reality. It’s just not exactly how I planned it.” He faces me squarely. “I’ll destroy the NIA for hurting you, and I’ll fight on in Americus’ name until everyone is free. This I vow.”

  A surge of pride overtakes me, and I grin back at him. Hell yes, Alexander. Hell yes.

  CHAPTER 23

  ∴ THE EYE OF PROVIDENCE ∴

  Three days later, I sit alone in my tent, thinking of ways to topple the NIA after listening to Nav and Alexander argue about it relentlessly. A couple of days ago, I managed to hack a small government archive and learn about the NIA’s robust defenses. When I told the others what we’re facing, their arguments got even more intense. I didn’t want to get involved until I had something real to contribute, and as of yet, I’ve had no breakthrough ideas.