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

“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;