Earth----Year: 2286, The Helix.
I quickly walk down the mirror-paneled hall while balancing a tray of drinks. The dark blue and pink neon lights create an illusion that I'm walking through a kaleidoscope. I blink heavily. My heart beats in my throat.
This is crazy. I'm going to get caught.
Feeling my skirt rise with each step, I pull it down with a clammy hand. The tray shakes violently and I lurch to keep a glass from tipping over.
I'm in over my head. But I need to do this.
The digital music overhead increases in tempo, making me walk fast toward the heart of the club. Dancers in a zero-gravity chamber float in front of me, making me feel as though I have stepped into outer space when I leave the tunnel. The loud drumming of the music stuns me, creating a piercing sharp pain in my head. I look past the floating dancers to see the lower levels of Helix staggered in a spiral.
On one level there are rows of physical holograms holding street fighter tournaments and a crowd of betters. A great bar is on the level below that, surrounding a pool. I can barely see the level below that with the confetti and flashing lights blocking my view. My head hurts the more I stare.
Enough looking around. You have a job to accomplish.
I quickly walk along the upper level and head toward the golden moon-shaped door leading to the rooftop and bar restaurant, Golden Moon.
My vision flashes red and it takes me a moment to realize it's my health monitor. The biotech software is connected to my nervous system, which is controlled by my chip. My biotech AI assistant, Sky, reports my condition.
"You are experiencing high-stress levels. I suggest you-"
"Quiet," I mutter, hoping no one sees my shaking tray and asks me questions.
I've come this far to get into Helix. I can't lose my cool.
The door parts, turning into two crescent golden moons as it swings upward. I enter and walk through the outdoor lounge. The intimate and upscale atmosphere is without walls and holds a clear and beautiful night view of downtown, Karmin. The wealthy elite talk lowly amongst themselves in the eloquent, ivory seating overlooking the dazzling skyscrapers and air traffic below.
I walk under the great crescent moon overhang and feel more at ease when I see that my attire is matching the other food runners.
I'm okay. No one will notice.
I allow myself to enjoy the golden light fixtures from the crescent moon overhang. They're arrayed in constellation shapes and their glow reflects off the shimmery black stone floor. I admire the beautiful golden sculptures of women in flowing dresses holding planets in their hands. It is quite an impressive place, even the chairs people eat in are artistic. They're made of onyx and have golden drawings of constellations and planets on their backs.
When I get to the center of the room, I look ahead a few tables to see my target. Cypher Wing, the chief cybersecurity officer of Helix...in the flesh. He's quite noticeable in his shimmering suit but has a quiet, serious demeanor.
He comes here once a year for a conference meeting with the other executives. He's the reason I'm here tonight.
Is a little bit of information really worth committing this crime?
I smile softly at a woman who glances in my direction.
Yes, it is. It will be.
My heart beats in my throat as I approach his table. Two executives look up at me and I do my best to quietly place the drinks they ordered in front of them, working my way patiently down to Cypher.
I slowly reach over Cypher with the tray of drinks, feeling my heart again rise to my throat. With my other hand, I reach into my pocket and take out a chip scanner. Only government officials are allowed to possess them but I need it for a personal project.
This is it. I'm either going to get caught or barely escape.
I raise the scanner behind Cypher's head. My heart races as I click it and return it to my pocket. I glance around to see if any of them noticed. None of them gives me a glance but I don't stop to wait if they look in my direction.
I quickly walk away from the table, feeling as though the scanner hidden in my pocket is visible to everyone. Someone had to have seen it. If they didn't, Cypher is going to get a notification that he got scanned any second and I can't be here when he makes the conclusion that someone read his identification number.
After leaving the rooftop, I make a beeline for the bathrooms in the club and slam the stall door shut behind me. I lay my head against the cool door, breathing shakily.
Just get out. That's all you have to do.
This will be for nothing if I get caught. I have to get out. Now.
I climb onto the toilet and pull out my foldable prybar from my vest. I stuffed a change of clothes here for my quick escape. I slide the prybar's edge beneath a tile I loosened before my shift and gently remove it. My duffel bag is in the same place I left it.
I grab it with relief and pull my clothes out. After getting out of my skirt, I jump off the toilet and into my tech gear pants. I toss my hair behind my shoulders before putting on my bomber jacket and motorcycle helmet.
I pause before walking out of the bathroom. I hear their angry voices right outside the door.
Be calm.
I slowly walk out of the door to find Cyprus in front of me, interrogating one of my coworkers. The rest of his executive team is in the club, scanning the room. People wear masks and motorcycle helmets in clubs all the time but I know I could look suspicious to them.
They meet my gaze as I walk by them. I hold my breath and nod confidently in their direction. I'm grateful for my last-minute decision to add a voice changer to my helmet before this operation.
"Nice suits," I say.
They scowl at me in annoyance. When they turn to look away from me, I know I'm in the clear as I walk through the exit.
***
I advance a level on the Air Highway. I zoom in and out of flying cars with my motorcycle. Small orange spotlights trail down the road, serving as a guide to those who are driving at night. Floating telescreens light up the streets, catching the eyes of drivers by displaying upcoming events and trending videos.
My AI assistant, Sky, updates me on the traffic, "Air Highway 113 construction work ahead!"
I did it, I finally got the information I need.
Seeing bright lights reflect off the glossy paint on my bike, I shift my attention to my surroundings. I have arrived at the Lightzone, the center of the city with the most Air Highways and population. Here, strips of neon lights along skyscrapers, buildings, and signs reflect off of mirrored panels. The rays of light intertwine with one another, creating a dome of fluorescent light above our heads.
I find it breathtaking to drive underneath. I like to think that this is what the northern lights looked like long ago. However, I have found myself recently becoming restless underneath those flashing lights. It's as if someone is shining a spotlight on me constantly, and I can never escape into the comfort of the dark. Yet, the beauty still gives me a sense of wonder as well as a strange feeling of security.
I exhale and discover my hands to be clenching the handles on my bike. I loosen my grip and turn my signal on. I accelerate towards the pink hologram sign reading, "Air Highway Exit 94".
I drive off the Air Highway and aim my bike at a downward angle.
It's time to go home. It's time to finish this.
A few more miles and my apartment complex "Loft Apartments" is before me, a twinkling giant welcoming me with her warm lights from within. Relief washes over me at the sight of it.
I park my bike in front of the holographic sign for parking spot seven before approaching the glass dome platform. The door opens as I approach it and the scanner on the ceiling glows green when I stand under it.
"Welcome, Raven. Taking you to the twelfth floor."
I look at the air highways under my feet as it raises me up.
So many people in one spot. So many lights...
I shut my eyes and try to remember where I left off with my coding. This problem has been taking me days to figure out. This has to be the solution.
The platform comes to a stop and I walk down the long balcony.
I will be able to finish it. My virus will work. It has to.
I stop in front of our doorway. Mom is inside typing on her telescreen at our kitchen table. Her eyes meet mine when I approach the glass door. Panic hits me when I see the seriousness on her face.
I'm late!
I walk inside and sit down in the floating chair next to her. Slowly, I reach for my telescreen on the table.
"Late for lessons again?" She asks lightly.
I break out in a cold sweat but manage to look her in the eyes.
"Sorry, I got held up at work."
I look at my telescreen and open our coding project. I feel her gaze glued on me as I move.
"What happened at work?"
"It was really busy."
"It's always busy. It's the most popular club in the city."
I look at her in annoyance, "Well it was very busy tonight. I'm sorry, okay?"
I take my telescreen up again and pull up the Helix server, hoping she will drop it. I enter Cyprus's microchip ID number into the security clearance.
"Raven..." Mother mutters lowly, setting my hair on edge, "What are you doing?"
Ignoring her, I pull up Helix's security software. It's too late to turn back now.
My mother is a professional hacker for HCI (Haven Central Intelligence), the best of the best. She has been religiously teaching me her ways for the past ten years and for all this time I thought it was to entertain my interest. Now, I think she has another reason for it.
I think she wants me to join her in working for the government. If that's the case, then I want to excel at hacking as quickly as possible. I've been obsessed with our hacking sessions. It all gives me a thrill as weird as that sounds. The idea of being able to help someone by breaking into someone's digital home is exciting.
Her latest project for me was to get past the firewall she made. None of my viruses have been working.
Then I had an idea. I'm a hacker. I need to think like a hacker. Why don't I just steal the information I need to get past her firewall? That's what I am doing theoretically as a hacker, anyway. So I decided to steal information from Helix's database. All I needed was the CEO identity to get into their network.
Hack one to hack another. It seemed pretty smart but now with her icy daggers on me, I'm starting to have second thoughts.
But the answer to my problem is just a few clicks away. I bypass Cypher's security quickly. Honestly, I thought it would be harder but it was a piece of cake.
"Raven!" Mother exclaims, "How did you get that information?"
Trapped in my hacking trance, I read the protective coding for his firewall.
It makes sense now why my virus hasn't been working. I kept getting detected by mother's firewall because my coding sequences were different from hers. I need to replicate her sequences so my virus won't get detected.
"I'm going to get through your firewall," I tell her.
Mother opens her mouth but I cut her off.
"This is what hackers do, isn't it? And that's what you've been teaching me to be, a hacker."
I pull up my saved coding from my last tutoring session with her. I quickly edit my virus to look like her firewall coding sequence, then create a command that self-destructs the fire wall.
I run my virus toward her firewall, feeling my heart race.
I stand up slowly when a database portal is before me.
"It worked," I whisper, "I did it! I broke past your firewall."
I slowly look at her, feeling the shame hit me hard when her eyes are wide with shock. It was wrong of me, and it was completely stupid.
"I know, I know..."
I place the scanner on the table, the evidence of my crime of stealing from a government official.
"I'm a criminal. But I don't want to be a bad hacker. I want to exploit bad people, like you do for the government."
Hearing it come out of my mouth, I realize just how stupid it sounds.
"It was dangerous," I admit, "But I know you've been teaching me this for a reason. I needed to learn how to break past it."
Mother tucks a long piece of dark hair behind her ear.
"Never mind that..."
I look at her strangely. Did I just hear her right?
Her sky-blue eyes are glazed as she stares at my screen.
"Aren't you mad?" I ask her carefully.
"No..." She mutters distantly, "It was dangerous of you...but I'm not mad. They're going to come, though."
What is wrong with her? She's not acting normal. She should be scolding me right now. This is worse than me getting yelled at. I seriously crossed the line. What was I thinking?
She continues in her strange trance, muttering softly.
"You're not the only one who has stolen from a government official...I could say you're taking after me, and at a much faster rate than I thought was possible."
I seriously made her lose it. Now she's talking nonsense.
"Mom?"
I slowly reach for her hand. Is she having a meltdown now?
"What are you saying? You work for the government, you wouldn't steal from them..."
When I touch her, her bright blue eyes land on me, and when I see them filled with terror, my stomach turns.
"No, I don't," She whispers.