The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1)

by Brian Terenna

  Alexander grips his holstered sidearm, his knuckles white.

  “Man. They’re nuts,” says Brandon.

  Gabriel and the protestors march onward.

  “Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you,” says Gabriel.

  “You have been warned,” comes from the speaker.

  I zoom in with my tactical glasses. The armored outer door slides open, revealing ten Mark2 Security robots. The inner door is shut behind them. “Get ready, Brandon. As soon as you hear gunfire, take the shot.”

  The Mark2 bots pour out onto the grassy field, sunlight gleaming off their chrome bodies. They fan out and charge toward the protesting Knights. The Knights of Christ don’t retreat, continuing to hold their signs proudly.

  Brandon places his rifle on a tripod and puts his eye to the scope.

  “Wait for it,” I say.

  “Be strong, for the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you,” says Gabriel as he drops his sign to reveal a rifle.

  The other Knights chant, “God is wise and powerful! Praise him forever and ever.” They raise their rifles.

  The robots close like a mass of soulless demons, their blood-red eyes threatening death and their machine guns ready to deliver it.

  Someone fires, and then the serenity of the blue sky and chirping birds transforms into a nightmare of smoke, gunshots, and screams.

  Bullets tear into several Knights, and they collapse on the ground. The others scatter like a herd of antelope facing a lion.

  “You were right, Fae,” says Nav. “We did need Gabriel. His holo-emitters tricked them into thinking he’s really there. We would never have gotten that range with q-links.”

  I smile at the successful ruse and zoom in on the robots. “Take the shot, Brandon. If this doesn’t work, we’re not going to get a second chance.”

  He pulls the trigger on his sniper rifle to deliver an adhesive bullet that holds a small computer.

  Nothing happens.

  Brandon curses. “It jammed.”

  Alexander groans. “It’s because you never clean it. I told you.”

  Brandon scowls at Alexander.

  “Hurry up and clear the jam,” I say, my stomach tight with anxiety.

  His hands fumble as he opens the gun to remove the jammed bullet. It seems like an eternity while I watch the holographic Knights and robots battle it out.

  Brandon positions himself and fires again. A red streak appears in my glasses. It strikes a robot’s chest but drops to the ground.

  “I hit it, but it didn’t stick,” says Brandon.

  “That definitely should have worked. Take another shot,” I say, feeling sick. At least we prepared multiple adhesive rounds.

  He shoots, and the bullet falls to the ground again.

  Hell. “The robots must have a coating that makes the bullets not stick.”

  “What do we do?” asks Brandon.

  I let out a tense breath, and as my eyes land on the machine gun barrels, an idea comes to me. “You’ll have to shoot it inside their weapons the second they’re done firing.”

  He raises his head from the scope and stares at me, his eyebrow cocked. “That’s impossible. Those are half-inch holes, and they’re five hundred yards away.”

  I pull at my shirt. “You have to. There’s no time.”

  “I’ll take the shot, Boss.” Alexander steps up, looking just as confident as ever and grabs Brandon’s rifle with an athletic arm.

  For once, Brandon looks happy for Alexander to save the day.

  I glance at Alexander’s eye patch and then his other eye. “But you can’t see.”

  He raises his chin, looking supremely confident. “I can see well enough. I got this.”

  I may have doubted him once, but no longer. “Do it.”

  He kneels in position and lowers his eye to the scope.

  All but a few holographic Knights are on the ground. The robots move in to ‘kill’ the last few. The remaining holograms drop until there’s only one. All twenty robots turn on it and fire.

  Alexander shoots. The bullet streaks red in my vision and slips into one of the robot’s gun barrels.

  Hell yes, Alexander! “This shot will make you a legend.”

  Nav pats Alexander’s back. “Amazing.”

  Sunny holds out his fist.

  Alexander stands, bumps Sunny’s fist, and raises the rifle above his head. “For you, Americus.”

  Brandon lowers his head, looking defeated. With the last fake protestor on the ground, the robots jog back inside.

  Now we wait.

  “What was the point of that diversion exactly?” asks Gabriel.

  I turn to see the huge man, sipping his flask. Fifty other Knights crest the hill behind him, all wearing crosses and bearing rifles.

  “Their entire compound is a shielded fortress with an inner door that prevented direct access,” I say. “I needed to get a computer inside to transmit a Trojan horse. It will send everyone at the NIA an email about updating their communication software. If one person clicks to update, I’m in their system. From there, I can shut down their defenses and open the building.”

  Nav smiles and pats my back. “Isn’t she’s brilliant?”

  “She is,” answers Sunny.

  “Huh,” says Alexander. “It’s like a Trojan horse taking in another Trojan horse. The bullet is like the horse the Greeks gave to Troy, but the virus is another one, right?”

  “The bullet isn’t much of a gift. It’s actually more of a stowaway,” says Brandon.

  Alexander dismisses him with a hand gesture. “You don’t get it.”

  “I’m sorry about your father, Naveha. He was a remarkable man and my best friend.” Gabriel raises his flask in a toast. “Rest easy, old friend.”

  Nav purses her lips and looks down for a moment, sadness in her eyes. “Thank you for coming today.”

  “No thanks necessary. I’m here on God’s work,” says Gabriel. “I wish I could have been there for Americus at the end. We’ll get them back for this.”

  If you didn’t shoot our prisoner against orders…

  My q-link chimes to indicate success.

  “Hell yes,” I say.

  Everyone stares at me.

  Was that the first time I said that aloud? “I own their systems. Alexander, get in the Obliterator suit, and take the ladder to the roof. Cloak yourself and make sure to activate Sunny’s updated infrared shielding. Send me a message when you’re in position, and I’ll open a hatch. Everyone else, stay sharp.”

  I activate my stealth programs and begin to download the NIA’s database of encrypted files.

  “Don’t screw this up,” says Brandon.

  “I’m too skilled to screw it up, unlike some people.” Alexander jumps in the suit, lowers his cockpit, and disappears. The ground crunches as he runs by.

  “You didn’t tell me this part of the plan. What’s going on?” asks Gabriel.

  The memory of him gunning down our evolved captive runs through my brain. I know that he thinks they can’t be saved. It’s probably best to lie to him.

  “We figured out a way to destroy the Evo using electricity,” says Nav.

  So much for that.

  “Impossible,” he says. “God will not forgive anyone who has taken the mark.”

  “He might not forgive them,” I say, “but they won’t be our enemies anymore. Most are being controlled like puppets.”

  “They’re abominations,” he says. “We have to kill them all.”

  “Gabriel, please,” says Nav. “For my father, let us try this.”

  Gabriel grabs his cross. “Their blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. We must—”

  “No.” I stand tall and meet Gabriel’s eyes. He’s four times bigger than I am, but I’m not intimidated anymore. “I’m not going to kill people that we don’t have to. Besides, this will create mass confusion and make our mission easier.”

  His eyebrows dip in anger, making him loo
k twice as imposing. “When did you get so bold?”

  I stand there unwavering but say nothing.

  After a moment, he sighs and nods. “I’ll give you one chance. God can judge them in the end.”

  My q-link chimes, signaling a successful data download. At least there’s that. I upload it to my cloud storage, which will be sent to the world for someone to decrypt if we die.

  “I’m in position, Commander Luna,” Alexander says through my q-link.

  For this next step, I have to activate part of their system, but it shouldn’t be enough for them to locate my control program. “Chim, open the hatch and engage the building-wide sprinkler system,” I say. “Now, Alexander.”

  He activates the electric gun that Sunny built for the suit, sending millions of volts into the water pouring down on everyone inside.

  “All targets successfully shocked,” says my q-link.

  We all wait in tense silence to see how many were being compelled and how many will still be combatants. Then Alexander can slip in during the chaos and take the director.

  “None of the Evos were shorted out,” says my q-link.

  Gabriel frowns and swigs his flask. Nav and Brandon look at me.

  What? That’s not possible.

  “What happened, Fae?” asks Sunny.

  “I don’t…unless. Oh no. Maybe they have a different version of the Evo. Like a shielded military version.” All of a sudden, the entire plan falls apart. There will be no chaos, no distraction. Instead, thousands of angry and armed operatives will be gunning for us.

  Maybe by some miracle, they didn’t update the Evo’s firewalls. I activate my hacking program and check. I groan as I look over the code. The military version has a much more robust firewall. It would take hours to crack, assuming I could even do it. Looks like it’s plan C.

  The ground crunches nearby, Alexander’s cockpit opens, and his suit materializes. “Did it work?”

  “No. Their Evos are probably shielded,” I say. “We’re going to have to fight them.” At least they didn’t locate my program.

  “Fine with me,” says Alexander.

  Nav rubs her headband and frowns. “How can we possibly win now?”

  I wring my hands. “I control their defenses. I can pummel them with their own missiles. But first, we need to take Director Tempton to make sure there’s no one else working for him. Who knows how long this data will take to decrypt or even if we’ll ever be able to do it?”

  Alexander’s one exposed eye lights up. “I can still get him.”

  It was the plan before when most of the operatives would have been out of commission, but now, he’ll be facing everyone. I couldn’t bear to lose him. But what choice do I have? We need the director.

  I meet Alexander’s determined eye, sick with worry. “Bring him out, legend.”

  He clasps my hand, his skin rough and warm. His intense gaze meets mine and lingers. My hand tingles, where he touches it, and I don’t want to let go.

  “Don’t worry, Sprite,” he says. “I won’t die here. Our story is just beginning.”

  I nod at his certainty, hoping it’s true. “Be careful.”

  “I always am.”

  Yite. “Your mission is to get the director,” I say into my q-link. “Do not try to take on every combatant. Do you understand?”

  He shuts his cockpit. “That’s boss. You really want me to take them all out?” comes through my q-link.

  “No. Alexander, I—”

  “I’m kidding. I got it, Commander.”

  But who really knows what he’s going to do? Alexander loves danger. “As soon as you’re detected, let me know, and I’ll trigger the indoor turrets to support you. That should help with your escape.”

  I grab my hand where he touched me, hoping it’s not the last time. “Is everyone ready? As soon as he’s out with the director, we hit them with everything we have.”

  Something buzzes in the distance and grows steadily louder as it approaches. My skin crawls at the all too familiar sound.

  I look behind me to see a dark swarm of drones. It’s hard to tell how many there are, but it seems like enough to kill us all, especially with Alexander inside the building.

  Our only chance is if it’s not the Air Force. Their advanced drones would obliterate us. “Chim, what is the drone classification?”

  “Trexstar LR7 Defense Drones,” says my q-link.

  So my diversion is still delaying the military. Good. It’s time to use Gabriel’s second gift. “Spread out and activate your bullet shields. Fire as soon as they’re in range,” I say, loud and clear. “We’ve got this.”

  Nav inflates a shield in front of us and readies her hand cannon. Brandon raises his sniper rifle. Most of Gabriel’s Knights spread out and activate their own shields. Gabriel frowns at me, then barks my order at the few who didn’t move.

  I control the base turrets and could shoot a missile at the drones, but then they’d locate my program easily. I can’t do anything like that until Alexander is closer to getting the director.

  The bullet shields won’t protect us when the drones get overhead, but I only need so long to network and hack them. “Chim, access the closest drone.”

  “They have no mesh connection,” says Chim.

  Oh hell. “The drones are fully autonomous. I can’t hack them.”

  Sunny frowns. “I never thought about that.”

  The world seems to crumble around me as more of my plan unravels. I need another way, but what? Our weapons are poorly matched for the drones, and there are just so many of them.

  A whirring grinding noise sounds nearby. I look around, confused as to what it could be. The ground twenty feet behind us opens, and a platform rises with thirty or so heavily armed operatives in full body armor.

  Diablo! This wasn’t in the report.

  “Kill the abominations, my Knights,” shouts Gabriel. “Cleanse the world.”

  “Everyone in front of me, turn your bullet shields around,” I command. “Everyone behind, keep them in place for the drones.”

  Then two more whirring noises sound as more troops rise from the earth. Bullets strike our shields and fall to the ground. We shoot back while Sunny dazzles their eyes. A few attackers scream, but none drop.

  A bullet zings by, and I duck lower, adrenaline pumping through me. I can barely keep myself from rolling into a ball behind the shield as I return fire. An older Knight lurches back with a grunt, then a young woman is riddled with several rounds. She screams as she collapses.

  A series of bangs ring out behind me. With a start, I whirl around to see the drones upon us. Their bullets drill into the ground, thump into bullet shields, or strike flesh. Several Knights fall and clutch their wounds.

  Our people scramble to get behind cover. Some fire at the drones while others shoot agents, but we’re doing far too little damage.

  Oh hell. I have to do something, or we’ll all die, but I can barely make myself twist back to the soldiers, my heart racing.

  Our people scream in pain or rage as they unload their weapons. Although I hold my Torg, I can’t even make myself pull the trigger as I watch another Knight lurch back from a gunshot. It’s all over. We’re dead.

  One of the NIA agents throws a grenade that arcs directly toward me. I stare at it, my eyes wide and my body rigid with terror. If I could only move, I could dodge out of the way.

  Something zips by and grabs the grenade, then throws it back at the agents. It explodes, sending several attackers flying. I twist to see Brandon, his wrist drone re-attaching to his arm. He gives me a quick nod as he continues to fire.

  I rip myself from my panic. The last time I froze, Alexander was nearly burned to death. I won’t be that scared girl anymore. I’m a leader; it’s time for me to lead.

  I dash over to a supply crate that’s beyond our shields, bullets slicing by me. My fingers fumble at the clips, and then I have it open. I grab the rocket launcher and sprint back to our shield.

  “G
abriel, take this,” I shout. “Fire at the troops.” I toss him the rocket launcher as my brain spins through options to deal with the drones.

  Gabriel catches the weapon with a grunt, then fires several rockets into groups of agents. The munitions explode, throwing mangled people and body parts in all directions. The smell of blood and smoke fills the air.

  My racing mind lands on Gabriel’s Xyphotech rescue, giving me an idea. A battery-draining grenade could wipe out the entire drone swarm, but how do we get it up there? I glance at Nav’s arm. As strong as she is, it’s still too far.

  Oh! “Brandon, zip a battery-drainer up with your drone. We can disable the swarm.”

  Brandon tugs a grenade off his belt and attaches it to his wrist drone. “These noobs are finished.”

  His small drone zooms toward the swarm, then cloaks. The drones detect it at the last second and surge away from it. The grenade explodes before they escape. The drones pause in the air and then drop from the sky all around us.

  Way to redeem yourself, Brandon! “Excellent work, TigerShadow.”

  He beams as Nav pats his back.

  The smoke clears to reveal a bloody field of devastation. Every attacker is down, but a few injured ones still groan with life. Disabled and burning drones litter the area.

  The female Knight who was shot several times lies pale and lifeless. A burly Knight kneels at her side, praying, his eyes wet with tears.

  Another Knight pulls himself from underneath a drone, gripping his leg. Several more Knights are bloodied and injured, agony showing on their faces. Brandon and Nav are fine, so I look to Sunny.

  “I’m undamaged,” he says.

  “Miriam,” says Gabriel to a thin woman with pale skin. “Take the first division and finish off these abominations.”

  Miriam motions to five other Knights. They dash around, executing any agent who moves.

  “Joshua,” says Gabriel. “Take the medics and treat our people.”

  I lift my q-link. “Chim, disengage the infantry elevators.” We don’t need any more surprises.

  “They’ve disrupted my cloak. I’m engaging,” says Alexander through my q-link. “There’s a huge mass of troops between me and the director’s office. Looks like they have rockets.”