The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1) by Brian Terenna (best ebook reader .txt) 📗

“This is for everything. If we succeed here, we break the chains enslaving America. If we fail, the people will be choked by them for a thousand years. We won’t fail.”

Alexander thumps his chest. “Four heroes risk everything to achieve the impossible. That will be the tagline of our movie.”

I shake my head. “Five, and don’t forget about Gabriel’s fifty.

Alexander dismisses that with a flick of his hand.

“Are you ready, Brandon?” I ask.

The brawny man gives me a quick nod and adjusts his sniper rifle. “Ready, Commander.”

Commander Luna. I suppose it’s official now. “Don’t shoot until the robots fire to mask the sound.”

“Activate your hearing protection, everyone,” says Alexander.

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so into protecting his friends’ hearing. Good call, though. I activate mine.

Alexander frowns at Brandon, who holds the sniper rifle.

I know it’s killing him that he can’t take the shot, and I’m sure he hates it even more that it’s Brandon who will, but Alexander said it himself, his good eye isn’t a hundred percent.

A murmur of distant voices catches my attention. A large group of protestors, holding crosses and signs, march toward the NIA structure.

As they get closer, Deacon Gabriel Ignatius O’Brien III preaches to them, his voice booming and passionate, “They have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image. We will cleanse the earth of their foul presence, for God is our champion, and we cannot lose.”

His followers cheer and hold up signs that read: ‘The NIA is the Antichrist,’ ‘The No Intelligence Agency,’ and ‘Stop Devil Worshipers.’

Alexander clenches a fist. “Here we go.”

I harden myself for the coming conflict. It’s something I’ve done a thousand times in-game, but none of them compare to this moment. This is for everything.

“This is an illegal protest,” comes from a speaker on the NIA building. “Protests have been banned under the National Defense Authorization Act. Additionally, trespassing on NIA property is a capital offense. Turn around immediately or face summary execution.”

Diablo!

“And people think I’m crazy because I don’t want psycho politicians in charge,” says Nav. “I wish my dad were here to see us take down these scum.”

“You have ten seconds to depart,” comes from the speaker. “This is your last warning before we open fire.”

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