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

Sunny looks at me with a frown.

Does he know what I did? No way. No one does. He’s just concerned about me. “I’m not sure. Maybe we should backtrack and see if we can find any other connections between the women. I’ll look up Sandra. You look up, Anna,” I say as a holographic butterfly floats in front of my face.

I open my search engine, and an ad appears before me. ‘The NIA protecting freedom and family forever. You—’

I scowl and dismiss it, then search to see what I can find about Sandra. I flip through various information until… “Look at this. Sandra also worked at the Cardinal Post. She was an investigative reporter.”

“Wow, looks like we’re on to something.” She scans and dismisses various mesh-sites. “Wait, I’ve got something here. So, we know Anna was a board member at the Cardinal Post. But check this out, the Board of Directors just voted to sell to Candor News.”

“That’s a big move. And right after they fired Anna.”

“You’re right,” she says. “The Cardinal Post must be involved. What do you think we should do?”

Ideas swirl in my head, but rather than saying them, I look down and shrug. When I was in Silent City, or when it’s just Sunny and me, it’s easy to make decisions. With Nav in the group, I suddenly lose all confidence.

Nav tilts her head and squints. “This is where you normally spout off your awesome plans for how we win.”

But we’re not in the game. I’m just some seventeen-year-old mouse. I almost got Sunny killed, and if I keep making decisions, I may get Nav killed. “I’m not the same in real life, and you’re an adult. You should make the final decisions.”

“You make me sound old. I’m only twenty-six.”

“And already a famous hacker.”

“How about you? A teenager and the leader of FreedomFire, a top ten national guild.”

Not even that anymore. “I’m only a leader in a game. Now, it’s up to you.”

“Wow. I never thought I’d hear you give up command. Well then, we need more information, so we’re going to schedule a meeting with the Cardinal Post’s Board of Directors.”

My stomach flutters at the bold suggestion, and I immediately regret putting her in charge. But what else could we do? I need to prove the Evo is at fault, or I’ll be a murder suspect forever. “They probably won’t tell us much, though.”

“If we’re Federal Trade Commission agents, they will.”

☼☼☼

I lie back on Nav’s bed, trying to dull my nervousness about our plan when my eyes land on Nav’s closet. When I glanced inside before, she pushed it closed, anxiety plain on her face.

I know it’s wrong, but my curiosity gets the best of me. I wait until I hear the pattering rain sound of Nav in the shower and then slide open her closet.

A bunch of clothes, some boxes.

I’m not sure what she was concerned about me seeing. Maybe up here. I stand on my tiptoes to look at the top shelf.

A long, coiled rope with a knot and loop sits on the shelf.

My eyes widen. I quickly shut the closet and slow my beating heart. Could she have wanted to kill herself because of her accident? Is that why the cross-beam was exposed in the ceiling? There was drywall dust on the coffee table. She must have just done that.

I know that I should talk to her about it, but how can I? I’m too afraid to bring it up, and she’d know I snooped if I did. I’ll just have to keep my eye on her. I sit on one of her meditation pillows and touch the cool smooth surface of one of her Buddhas.

Sunny strolls over and sits next to me. “Are you unwell, Fae? Your skin temperature has decreased, and your heart rate has accelerated.”

“I’m fine. It’s just this plan.”

“I don’t like it,” he says. “It will be risky to impersonate federal agents and enter a secured building. We should figure out something else.”

I wiggle my q-link back and forth. “I don’t really like it either, but this could free me. We could settle down somewhere and build apps.”

“It’s a crime to impersonate a federal agent. You could face a fine and up to ten years in prison. Furthermore, you would likely be charged with criminal trespassing, which—”

“What’s going on here?” asks Nav from the doorway, a towel wrapped around her body. “No Foster Buddy I’ve ever heard talks like that.”

A shot of adrenaline punches me. Talk your way out of this, you idiot. But what do I say?

She shakes her head and waves a palm in front of my face. “Hello.”

My heart is pumping, my whole body rocking with the motion. She would kill him if she knew or at least turn him in. Say something! “Umm.” That’s what I come up with? Idiot. Oh… “I upgraded his language program to make him sound smart. That’s all.”

Nav freezes, her face stark. “Is he a human-level AI?”

My hands go cold. Lie. Lie. “No. I told you he’s—”

She glares down, towering above me. “Don’t lie to me.”

My stomach twists. I can’t lose Sunny. That lie would have worked with any of my foster parents. It did work on Barbra. I glance out the fourth story window. If I were in Silent City, I’d grab Sunny, smash through the window, then activate a hang glider or rocket vest to escape. But I’m not.

I lower my head and slump forward. “He’s a human-level AI.”

Nav gapes at me. “Are you kidding me? This is a serious problem. AI are extremely dangerous. Where did you even get it?”

I wilt back, feeling my muscles tighten. The hardness in her eyes reminds me of all my foster demons. Seeing it now sends shivers