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

arm to grab his seal and holds him in one arm. “Maybe that would be for the best.”

I wring my hands. “Is this treatable? Could she be normal again?”

“Yes, there are several effective medications. Trioxidine, Statrenadol—”

I wave my hands. “That doesn’t matter now. I don’t want to risk calling child services.” Barbra cares about me, at least.

“Take her to the doctor then.”

“I can’t drive until I’m eighteen. Plus, we’d have to get her to agree to go.”

“Sounds dangerous,” he says.

“And scary.”

Sunny nods.

“Ambulance,” I say. I’ve never called one and, somehow, it makes me even more anxious. I suck it up and lift my q-link closer to my mouth. “Chim, call nine-one-one.”

After the call, I rub the dent on Sunny’s head that he got protecting me. I flash back to my fifth hell.

An old burly demon raises a belt. Sunny leaps in front of me to block the strike. The demon growls and swats him aside. Sunny smacks his head on a metal table. I try to run to him, but the demon’s claws gouge into my arm.

He leans in, his breath sour. “Don’t do it again. Go pick up your toy.”

I jog over to Sunny and help him up. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t feel pain, but you do. I didn’t want you to get lashed by the belt again.”

The memory fades, but Sunny’s love and dedication remain. I rub the dent again, and tension flows from my body.

  CHAPTER 2

ENTERING HELL

“Fae? It’s me. I’m home,” says Barbra from the front door.

I tense up. It’s only been a few hours since she left for the hospital, and I’m still wary from her outburst. At least when I called the ambulance, I was composed enough to lie to them. I left out the violent details and didn’t mention foster care in case that would cause us issues.

I peek out of the room. She walks over slowly as if not to startle me. I wilt back but hate that I’m scared of her.

A pained expression touches her face, and she holds up her hands. “Everything should be fine now. They put me on Trioxidine, which is a schizophrenia drug, and on a minor tranquilizer. Even if I have a relapse, I won’t get angry now.”

I nod hesitantly.

“When I came to my senses, and you told me it was you I attacked, I was so mortified. I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s all right,” I say, but I’m not sure if it is. It was terrifying to have Barbra’s rage directed at me. I never thought she’d do anything like that.

“I don’t think I’ll have a relapse, but I want to make sure you’re safe,” she says. “If you want, I’m sure we can find you another good foster home. It would only be for a year.”

Panic grips me. The thought of having to risk another home is more than I can bear. All my foster homes have been hell, but this wasn’t her fault. Even though it might take me time to feel comfortable again, I want to be here for her.

My fifth law of survival pops into my head. Only help people if there’s no risk. I ignore it and say, “I want to stay.”

Relief floods her face, and her chubby cheeks puff out as she smiles. “Just in case, I’m going to fix your door and put a lock on it. I’ll also get rid of the baseball bat.”

☼☼☼

I place my q-link on my chair and stand to the side. “Chim, access my game, Silent City.”

An interactive post-apocalyptic city materializes around me. The holograms are so seamless that it’s blissfully easy to forget there’s any other world.

My mind drifts as the rest of the game loads. It’s been a few days since Barbra’s episode. Fortunately, the prescribed medication has been extremely effective. Despite that, I decided to read about the disorder so I can help her if something else happens.

She made good on her promise to spend time with me. We watched TV and movies, played holo cards, and board games. She even showed me how to paint. Unfortunately, my painting looked like a two-year-old painted it with her toes.

It’s still strange to hang out with an actual person, but it’s definitely enjoyable.

Now that things are back to normal, I can enjoy my summer again, by playing Silent City and programming my foster care blockchain. For a moment there, I was worried that I slipped into the sixth level of hell. I avoided that, but I’m still no closer to deciding if I’m going to do the hack for Blaze. I’ll have to ask Barbra what she thinks soon.

Sunny sits on my bed, building something new with his electrical and mechanical parts. His seal, Bean, lies next to him.

I take a second to admire my poster of the four-time world champion of Silent City, Jack Trackton, and wonder if his eyes are that mesmerizing in real life. It’s too bad he plays on a different server.

“Watch out,” says Sunny, pointing behind me.

I whirl around to my game and flinch back as two holographic zombies speed around the corner of a building, their mouths wide and frothing.

I whip out my holographic Trexstar K10 laser, and with two pulls of the trigger, their heads disappear. Their bodies stumble forward with their necks still smoking, then collapse.

I march in place, but the holograms pass by like I’m walking forward. I reach our guild headquarters, a large building draped in green and white banners. Two guards, dressed in bulletproof vests and holding the latest military rifles, salute me.

“Commander, thank God you logged in,” the smaller one with a beard says. “You better talk to Blaze. The you-know-what is hitting the fan.”

“StarFeather,” Blaze says in greeting from across the room. She’s