The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1)

by Brian Terenna

  Hell. “I’m activating the turrets. They’ll fire at anyone who isn’t you or the director. Get him as fast as you can. I won’t have long before they fight me for control of the system.”

  “It’s game time,” says Alexander, gunfire and screams echoing behind him.

  “Everyone, reverse your bullet shields and ready your weapons,” I shout.

  “Move, Knights,” says Gabriel. “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

  “The turrets have taken down most attackers,” says Alexander,” but there are several agents hiding in protected alcoves. I’m going in.” His cannons fire in the background. “They’re nothing compared to me. I’m almost there.”

  I check my hold on their system just as fifty cybersecurity personnel locate my interference and combine their power into four attacking programs. Each one is super complex and easily more powerful than anything I’ve faced.

  A sense of dread rushes through me. If I lose control, Alexander will be killed.

  “I have Tempton,” says Alexander. “I’m ready to extract.”

  I planned on opening the lower door, but there’s no time. “Go out the roof hatch and hurry. I’m about to lose control of their system.”

  Their four-pronged assault is relentless. I switch my focus from one of them to the next, bolstering code anytime they start to breach my program’s walls. Every time I switch, it takes a moment to get up to speed again. I can’t keep it up.

  “Nav, help me defend my system,” I say.

  She joins the fight, filling in where I fail. She patches code after code, but it’s like trying to hold up a crumbling bridge.

  Alexander appears on the roof in his twelve-foot suit, holding a white-haired man. He leaps.

  My stomach twists as he falls the forty or fifty feet to the ground. I know the suit can take it, but what about the old man in its arms?

  Alexander lands, absorbing much of the impact in the suit’s legs. The man jerks in his arms, but not as bad as I worried.

  “Run,” I shout. “You’re still in the missile blast radius.”

  My third firewall collapses, and they’re attacking my last one at an insane pace. It would have taken me an hour to break through, but it’s taking them seconds. I can’t switch my focus between the attackers quickly enough.

  I try splitting my thoughts to plan a defense for two groups at a time. I can almost see how to do it, but it’s like trying to focus on the present through the smoking ruins of my past. Every horrific death that I experienced crawls into my mind, like mutated zombies looking for blood. I can’t let Alexander be one of them…but if I don’t fire soon, I’ll lose control, and we’ll all die.

  I increase my hacking speed, but my tortured mind disrupts my focus. I touch the Evo around my neck.

  I can’t.

  Alexander sprints forward with giant strides, but he needs to go faster. My jaw clenches, and panic surges inside me. It’s happening again.

  “Fire the missiles,” shouts Gabriel.

  Alexander is still too close, but if I don’t fire now, they’ll take over. One missile strike will blow us to pieces and end our rebellion. My gut wrenches with the decision.

  I can’t have Alexander end up like Barbra, Astrid, Yumi, and Americus. My hacking slows as my mind clouds even more. And then, in a flash of insight, I realize that my obsessions on the past are the problem. I always thought I had to relive my past horrors to avoid them in the future, but by reliving them, I never escaped them. It’s time to let go.

  As I do, my head clears as if a mighty wind pushes aside the obstructing smoke. A burst of understanding sparks in my brain. Whereas before, I couldn’t fathom how to split my mind, it’s now as obvious as a children’s logic puzzle.

  My mind splits into two pieces and then four, each equally as powerful as the others. I still can only hack one section at a time but can solve all the problems at once. I push back against their cybersecurity and strengthen multiple sections of code in my firewall, stalling their attack. An intense feeling of pride and amazement at my skills surges inside me. I am the greatest!

  Nav’s eyes widen as she sees what I’m doing. “How?”

  My firewalls hold, and Alexander must be far enough away now.

  “Chim, target the NIA structure with all six missile turrets,” I say. “Fire.”

  The six missiles slam into the roof in a deafening boom. We’re far away, but the shockwave blows my curly hair into a wild mess. An immense churning cloud of fire and smoke plumes upward as if the devil himself has unleashed hell on earth.

  The black cube collapses in on itself, becoming a towering pile of rubble. Alexander disappears in a cloud of smoke.

  My breath catches as I wait for him to emerge. Nav raises a fist to her lips, worry written on her face.

  Alexander bursts from the smoke and charges forward, the director squirming in the suit’s grip.

  Yes. We did it. It’s over!

  “Praise God!” says Gabriel. “We have the Antichrist.”

  His Knights of Christ whoop and thank the Lord.

  Brandon lifts his rifle overhead and cheers. “Thank Navin. I knew you could do it, Commander.”

  Nav hugs me with a broad smile on her face. “You’re the best hacker the world has ever known. You thrashed those noobs.” She turns and looks up. “It’s over, Dad. Like your hero Navin, we did it.” She kisses the wedding ring on her finger. “This is for you, Ty. We have our revenge.”

  Brandon walks over and holds his arms out to Nav. She glances at her ring, then back to him, hesitating. Just as it looks like he might lower his arms, she steps in for a hug. He grips her tight, and she molds into his arms.

  She deserves it after all she’s been through.

  “Miriam,” says Gabriel. “Take B squad and surround the building. If anyone yet lives, kill them.”

  The redhead squeezes the cross around her neck and jogs forward. “B squad, fan out around the perimeter,” she shouts. “Kill the beast’s minions.”

  Alexander stops in front of me and opens his cockpit, holding Director Tempton by the waist in his suit’s hand. The man’s white hair sticks up, and his rumpled shirt is missing several buttons. He struggles to free himself, all his former composure gone.

  “Victory,” says Alexander. “A perfect ending to my first legendary adventure. I’m looking forward to the next one,” he says and winks at me.

  I shake my head at the goofball. I want to hug him and not let go. He was so close to death that seeing his smile again is like basking in the sun after a month of darkness. And now that we’ve won, I can be with him without worrying, assuming he even likes me, of course. I’m too shy to hug him, though, so I hold out my knuckles.

  He bumps them, then looks back at the smoking rubble. “America is saved because of our brilliant planning.”

  I feel the weight of the world fall from my shoulders.

  “Like David slaying Goliath,” says Gabriel. “I believe you’re blessed by God, Fae.”

  Diablo. That’s a lot to live up to.

  A few gunshots bang in the distance, presumably the Knights killing anyone who survived the explosion.

  “Now let’s get what we need out of this trash and end him,” says Alexander. He drops the director to the ground.

  The old man leaps up to flee, but before he can take three steps, Nav grabs him with her enhanced arm and lifts him over her head. He twists around and strikes her in the face. She gasps, scowls, and then slams him to the ground. He grunts and gulps for air.

  Gabriel’s Knights raise their rifles and Nav rubs her face, her eyebrows lowered.

  Once Tempton catches his breath, he says, “You’ll never get away with this.”

  I ignore him. “Chim, scan the area for non-friendly life-signs.”

  “There are no NIA operatives remaining except for the director,” says my q-link.

  The shameful loss of life makes me sick. I step up to
the man, my fists clenched. “You killed countless people in your quest for power. You killed Barbra, Astrid, Yumi, and Americus. You think you can enslave us? You’re wrong. We’re FreedomFire, and we’ll always keep America free.”

  The director stares at the ruined and smoking NIA building, then looks at me. His eyes are but a shadow of the reptilian ones I saw back at my last prison. “I won’t try to run again,” he says, then stands and adjusts his blue suit and tie.

  “Everyone, stay sharp,” says Gabriel.

  “I see that I’ve underestimated you again, Fae.” Tempton chokes out a sad laugh. “You beat the most complex cybersecurity in the world. Your mind must be waking up.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask. “Tell me what you know.”

  Gabriel touches his cross and speaks to the sky. “We’ve done it, God. I praise your glory. And now, we purge the Antichrist in your name.”

  The director squints at Gabriel, ignoring me. “What are you talking about? I’m certainly not the Antichrist.”

  Gabriel steps up, grabs the man’s shirt, and pulls him close. “You dare lie in front of our Lord?”

  The director’s eyes widen, and he clutches at Gabriel’s steel grip. “Put me down. I’m not in charge, and there are many others.”

  Nav deflates, suddenly looking worn. Alexander nods like he’s ready to keep fighting right now.

  Gabriel shakes Tempton, the veins popping out of his bulging muscles. “You lie, demon. Tell me the truth.” He shoves the director with a growl.

  The man sprawls on his back in the dirt, his tie flipped over one shoulder. Gabriel whips out his pistol and targets the man. Director Tempton raises a shaky hand.

  I hustle in front of Gabriel and touch his shoulder. “Gabriel, wait.”

  He eyes me as if he’s considering swatting me aside.

  “Maybe he’s not really the Antichrist,” I say. “We need to know.”

  Gabriel looks at me for a long time, then lowers his gun. “He does seem awfully weak. Maybe you’re right.” He steps back and swigs his flask.

  I wheel on the director. “Tell me what you know.”

  “I’ll tell you if you let me live.”

  Nav turns to me. “He’s responsible for so many deaths, and I hate him, but we can imprison him instead of killing him.”

  Gabriel scoffs. “This abomination killed your father. He needs to die.”

  “I agree,” says Alexander. “We need to balance the scales.”

  And I agree too. Even if just for Barbra, Director Tempton should suffer a horrible death, but… “If this really isn’t over, we need information. Of course, he should die, but our main goal is to save America, not get revenge.”

  For a moment, no one says anything as the director looks at us hopefully, and Gabriel prays.

  “Let God judge him, Gabriel,” I say. “We need this.”

  Gabriel nods to me, then lowers his eyebrows at the director. “Tell me who the Antichrist is, and you can live. You’ll still burn in hell anyway.”

  Alexander shakes his head but says nothing.

  For all I know, Gabriel will kill him afterward anyway, and I wouldn’t stop him.

  Tempton gazes up at us, suddenly looking old and weak. “Why do you even care about humans, Fae? You’re so much more than we are.”

  Gabriel inspects me as if I just grew a third eye.

  More than human? He’s crazy.

  Nav scowls at him. “Your tricks won’t work, scum. Tell us what’s going on.”

  Tempton sighs, slumping forward. “You’re just beginning to awaken, Fae, but you have no idea what you’re up against. I’m a victim too. Was I supposed to turn him down?” he asks, his face going pale. “He likes to play games, but when he gets serious, you’ll burn.”

  My body goes rigid. Him…. I’m suddenly back in Barbra’s room, her torn-up body in front of me. Bloody words drip down the wall. ‘I can’t face him.’ Although I just thrashed the entire NIA, I shudder at the similarity. “What do you mean him? I can take on anyone,” I say, my voice less steady than I would like.

  He shakes his head, his fear melting into sadness. “I hope you’re right. I really do, but you just don’t understand. When you do, you’ll cower in fear, and your mind will reel at the implications. There are ancient forces at work, and they’re more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

  The gravity of his words passes through me like a ghost, chilling me to the core. “Who is he?” I demand. “Tell me.”

  “He visited my nightmares in many horrifying forms,” says Tempton. “I don’t know what he really looks like or who he is. He commanded me to obey, and I couldn’t resist. Others did, and they died horribly. No matter what form he took, though, he always had one symbol on his chest.” He starts to draw something in the dirt.

  “Commander,” says Brandon. “The Air Force is inbound with Liberator and Executioner drones. We’ll be able to escape with our infrared shielding, but only if we leave within five minutes.”

  Despite the urgency, I can’t pull my eyes away from the director’s finger as he draws in the dirt. He etches two curved lines into the shape of a lens on its side, a dot in the middle.

  My eyes widen. It can’t be.

  But rather than draw a brow above the eye and the lines below it. He draws a triangle around it with lines like the sun’s rays pointing outward.

  Although it’s different, the bloody symbol above Barbra’s lifeless body flashes in my mind.

  My blood cools, and I freeze, staring at the image. I had convinced myself it was just a crazy hallucination, but now? “What does it mean?” And why did he draw the eye of providence instead of the eye of Ra?

  “The all-seeing eye of God,” says Gabriel.

  His Knights step back and make the sign of the cross.

  “I don’t know what it means,” says Director Tempton. “This is the evil that’s in charge, but there are other powerful players. The only thing I know about them is—”

  His body jerks, and he collapses, his eyes bulging. He howls in pain and tears bloody scratches into his face.

  Diablo! “Stop him.”

  Brandon and Alexander rush up to the director, who slams his head into the ground, screaming and writhing. They try to secure him, but the old man struggles with greater strength than he should have.

  They finally manage to grip his arms and hold him steady. The director screams frantically as he jerks around. His eyes bulge even more, then burst, spraying fountains of blood. He falls limp and silent.

  CHAPTER 24

  RENEWED DETERMINATION

  A holographic sun shines in the main hall of the underground bunker that one of Gabriel’s wealthy followers donated to the cause. Tropical trees, vibrant flowers, and exotic birds surround me. It transforms the expansive bomb shelter from a sterile tomb into a hope-filled resistance base. It’s deep enough underground to shield its heat and could withstand a bomb blast. Above ground, the rest of Gabriel’s large holo-emitters mask our vehicles and the bunker’s entrance.

  Alexander sits at a table, methodically cleaning his large revolver. Next to him, Ron Paul pecks at a handful of blueberries with relish. Nav and Sunny wait for me in our room, and I think Brandon is resting in his own.

  Gabriel’s followers group around him.

  I stop to listen, curious as to what he’ll say. I still can’t believe I stood up to him, but my confidence has come a long way. And it will grow even more as I continue to trust in myself and my friends.

  Gabriel raises his hands, and his followers quiet down. “Today, we lost our sister, Martha. She died in the fight against the Antichrist, but her soul lives on in Heaven. Let’s take a moment to pray for Martha.”

  The Knights bow their heads and clasp their hands.

  It was a miracle that we lost only one person during the battle, despite the number of injuries. Maybe it was divine intervention.

  “Our fight against the Antichrist goes on, but do not lose heart. Though our outer se
lf is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial.”

  The Knights cheer and praise God.

  His people love him; they’d follow him into hell. He may be imposing, older, and more experienced, but I’ll never let him control FreedomFire.

  The Knights disperse, chatting amongst themselves.

  I walk up to Alexander’s back, his muscles showing through his military button-down as he brushes the barrel of his forty-four magnum. The smell of gun oil touches my nose, and I smile at the familiar scent.

  “Hey, Sprite. Let me just finish this one part.”

  “How’d you know it’s me?”

  “I can tell from your footsteps,” he says. “They’re quiet since you’re a fairy.”

  I shake my head with a chuckle. He puts down his revolver and turns his green eye and eyepatch on me.

  “Nav, Sunny, and I are going to hang out in our room,” I say. “Join us if you want.”

  “I don’t know…I was going to figure out who the main boss is and end him, but maybe I can do that later,” he says with a mischievous grin.

  I giggle. What a nut.

  “I’ll be there in a bit, Sprite.”

  I leave for my room to find Nav sitting on the cot and Sunny standing nearby. A hologram that looks like Sunny stands next to him.

  “What’s that?” I ask, pointing to his doppelganger.

  “This is Moon. I wanted another bond like we have after going through this. I realize now I could lose you,” he says with a frown.

  Aww. I rub his dented head but shake mine. It’s just like when I programmed Sunny after years of isolation. “You won’t lose me.”

  He shrugs, unconvinced.

  I look back at Moon. He’s nearly identical to Sunny. Same short legs, expandable arms, and little eyes. Only his eyes are red.

  Sunny’s mouth curves upward. “I wanted a better friend than Bean, so I made him self-aware, like me. All I had to do was copy my base program.”