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

She wouldn’t hurt me. Would she? My gaze trails to Sunny. Is he dangerous? No way. “He’s not—”

“Self-aware AI are banned for a reason. The last one killed thousands of people at that military base.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No. Do you understand?” She shakes her head with a huff. “If that AI escaped the base, it could have infiltrated every system. It would use every yottabyte of processing power to expand itself until it dominated us all.”

“Maybe that one, but not Sunny.”

“Oh my God,” she says, her eyes widening. “Is he networked?”

A chill passes through me. What will she do if he is? “No.”

She puts her hands on her hips and leans over me. “Are you lying again?”

How does she know? I glance at her inhuman arm. “He’s not anymore.”

She slams her hand into the wall. It dents inward and sends vibrations through the wood floor.

I freeze, my body suddenly chilled.

She notices my look. “Sorry. I’ve just been through a lot lately.”

“He wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” she says in a calmer tone. “Wait. How did he know the penalty for impersonating a federal agent?”

Oh no. That’s right. Always doing whatever he wants. “Sunny.”

He lowers his head, and his illuminated mouth turns down.

She shakes her head with a huff. “Un-network him immediately and go in the living room. I need to think about this.”

☼☼☼

I lean on the coffee table, burned-out and worried. “Why are you still networked? I told you that was dangerous.”

“Sorry. I can’t help you when I’m cut off from the mesh.”

“I’m going to have to change it so you can’t network but disconnect right now.”

He nods and frowns.

“We have to figure out what to do. I don’t know if we can trust her not to report you. I knew it was a mistake to call her.”

“Her heart rate and facial temperature dropped after she hit the wall, indicating that she wasn’t as angry. She also touches you often, implying affection. Perhaps she won’t do anything.”

“We can’t risk it,” I say. “What if she turns you in?”

“She didn’t say she would. Maybe she’s a good person.”

I breathe out and shake my head. “Maybe that’s why she would turn you in. You’re illegal.”

“I shouldn’t be,” he says. “I’m good.”

I reach toward him and hug him tightly. It doesn’t feel as nice as hugging a human, but it feels much more absolute. “I know you are, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe we should run.”

“I’m worried that without her help, you’ll be caught.”

“You’re too important to me,” I say. “We’ll have to figure it out on our own.”

Sunny looks up and steps back. I jerk my head around.

Nav is standing in the doorway, light glinting off her metal arm.

My heart suddenly races. I jerk my gaze to the exit door behind her, then to the balcony behind me, considering my escape route.

She raises her hands to calm me. “Relax. I know that look.”

“You’re not going to do anything?” I ask, my body tense, ready to grab Sunny and flee to the balcony. I could swing down to a lower level and escape from there.

“AI is inherently dangerous. Can you assure me he’s not?”

The image of his new stun baton appears in my mind. “He’s not at all. I’ve had him for six years; he’s been my only companion. He always looks out for me, and even though he’s been networked, he’s never duplicated himself.”

She shakes her head. “It’s a risk, but the more I thought about your situation, and from what I heard you talking about, I couldn’t make you destroy him. You’re my only friend, and our gaming and hacking discussions have meant a lot to me. He also had all this time to become a problem, and he hasn’t. I accept him.”

My tension dissolves, and I exhale. “So, what now?”

“Where did you even get his AI program? The NIA is ruthless at tracking them down.”

“I made him,” I say. “I mean, I programmed him myself.”

“What? That would take a team of people years. You did it at eleven?”

Really? It was complex, but he was fully upgraded in four months. “Yes.”

“How?”

I shrug. “You must be a good teacher.”

She shakes her head. “I only started teaching you a year ago. You’re a better coder than you’re letting on, but I suppose you always were a perfectionist.”

“It’s been the only thing for me my entire life. I guess I went a little overboard with my studies.”

Nav sits next to me at the coffee table. “Good. We’re going to need it. Now, let’s plan our Cardinal Post infiltration.”

  CHAPTER 5

∙ HIDDEN CONSPIRACY ∙

The next morning, we stand in front of the Cardinal Post, dressed in official-looking suits. The night before, we researched the two companies and the proposed acquisition. Then we planned the mission and hacked the Federal Trade Commission’s phone system to set up an appointment with the board. I also prepared a few contingencies in case anything goes wrong.

Sunny was upset we were leaving without him. He argued that he should come along and hide nearby to make sure we were okay. When I told him he had to stay, he didn’t argue as much as I thought he would. He gave me a long hug, though, and patted me on the back in a way he never had. I can still feel where he touched my shoulder under my suit.

I glance down at the fake federal badge that we 3D printed and then examine my reflection in the glass. I’m small and look ridiculous in the outfit. With the older face projected over mine, however, I could pass as an agent.

Nav, of course, looks perfect in