"This is gonna hurt!" As straightly, as carefully as her unsteady hands could manage, she pushed Malvis aside and allowed the blade to slide out.
David spasmed and moaned. "No!" he whimpered. "Finish what you started."
"You need my help!"
"I'll be alright. The blade missed my heart. I can feel it. I have time..."
Jessica bobbed the tip of her foot non-stop, chewing her finger at the sight. He wasn't going anywhere, which was a bitter pill to swallow. Death became an intrusive acquaintance long ago, interfering in her life wherever she went. His impending arrival froze every trepidation in her throat as she examined David's burnt wound. She felt almost as sorry as he looked, and her body tensed with enough regret to make her realize she was on the tip of her resolve.
"Three more keys... Just three more keys and I would have stopped him. If I had been faster—"
"Stop, Jessica," he coughed. "I finally get to meet the Lynx. Now that we're here, she can't accomplish one task? C'mon."
Jessica withheld a snivel and panic long enough to notice David's optimism.
"Confession," he coughed. "Someone snuck a backdoor into SK-3, but I never found the bug I thought I was meant to find. No one did. I think he was looking for someone." His chuckle had a painful mewl. "Before I told anyone—before Malvis could accept SK-3 was compromised, I used your discovery, stole everything, then gave a zip to Sub Terra. Now, you're here.
"The best candidate never knew the offices of a corporate machine."
"I'm just a retro geek." Lament overburdened any sort of surprise. Judging by the look in David's glossy eye, he spoke the honest truth. The truth was surreal.
"Now then," David continued, "you can't broadcast across mainstream channels, but there's a super corporation at your disposal, Lynx... You control the invisible hand; land, space, and cyberspace are yours. Do something."
He's right...
Jessica left her new source of inspiration to rest.
After touching hands on the kernel's holographic interface, her fingers danced one last time, and manipulated command consoles across the world and beyond, accounting for every available marvel under the umbrella of the world's largest corporate entity. Satellites appeared on the holo-screen, swiped from image to image, model to model, toggling via whim. Soon after she began her great endeavor, every eye in the sky fell where she chose. New Sumer, the modern bastion, was at her disposal.
"Synching your TPU to the network now, Babel. Take Spearhead, Asgard, and every photovoltaic cell and point them at every viable centrifuge. Lock every smart LED to that drive, and make sure it bounces back to every satellite and every device on earth. So long as there's light, they will have nowhere to hide. Circulate the contents of that chip through everything – I don't care if it's a toaster."
"And just what are you doing, Jessica?"
"Hacking the sun."
Every light in the city and elsewhere illuminated in a cascade. Their bright resonance grew; Christmas had come early. Jessica patiently stood by as all of New Sumer became a single beacon.
Deep breaths.
Everywhere, in all directions and all places, light. Code streams and static invaded all utility and hardware across the sprawl. The code was erratic, transformative, and then cohesive.
The record played. It played and echoed a sea of echoes as billboards and advertisements spilled images of Goliath, its executives, the black sites, and more to the discerning eye. The devil's secrets spread across the city's multimedia devices, streaming dissent.
"I would announce something to the city if I could," David grumbled.
His meaning was obvious. Despite her nerves and ever-present aversion to public speaking, Jessica bit the bullet and lifted a finger over the right button. Then, she pressed and held.
"If you're someone sitting, standing, busy—if you're someone, then listen. Over the next few days, you will see evidence of corporate treason. I can't give any proof beyond what makes its way into the multiverse today, but here's an easy way to get started: Pine Rime.
"The explosions on July fourth were nothing less than a Goliath conspiracy to remind people of fear, and use that fear to spark international conflict. The big-bigs of the Transnational Eden Network want more than they have. Every fragment of data that escapes Goliath today will hold a piece of truth. You may not believe it, but that's the beauty of freethinking, yea? So, take advantage of it while you still have that much. Our world's leaders and their puppets have had over one-hundred years to mold a planet of lies, and it starts with the secrets that spill from cyberspace today. Me though, I don't care enough to lie...
"This is Lynx. Share, comment, subscribe."
Connection cut.
Data streamed across the city, sundry lights flashing along the vast slither of urban boughs. Exhausted, Jessica inhaled a whirlwind and fell back against the node, settling alongside David.
"That's a nice necklace," he said.
Jessica snickered, repressing the aches and murkiness. She felt content to lay there until it all came crashing down. Perhaps, she felt fulfillment. The weight of the world just fell off, anxiety banished from mind and body.
"I got it from my friend," she replied, ogling the necklace around her neck. "It's weird. If not for her, if not for you, I wouldn't be here. I never told her what she did for me before she died. Me meeting her, my friends, it's like they all just meshed into this perfect... luck, I guess. I almost said algorithm, heh. You're going to think I'm weird, but I think of life as this weird algorithm. Then I think, what were the chances of coming to this moment?"363Please respect copyright.PENANARXODNydEKb
363Please respect copyright.PENANAyAVDaFfWVn
363Please respect copyright.PENANAtfIXgGmMoO
363Please respect copyright.PENANAPRtg3xn2qT
363Please respect copyright.PENANAZzjTtRrMzA
363Please respect copyright.PENANAFuEQqIYAkd
363Please respect copyright.PENANAPRRuts4N7L
363Please respect copyright.PENANA6sFDSjxm8k
363Please respect copyright.PENANAAshhXkKEe9
363Please respect copyright.PENANANvcoUUuRtX
363Please respect copyright.PENANAXD9zOmV09M
363Please respect copyright.PENANABAcT4N7wuA
363Please respect copyright.PENANA60Z3Xcuo48
363Please respect copyright.PENANAl1Asc71lvc
363Please respect copyright.PENANA49B6oyEmpE
363Please respect copyright.PENANAUhEqz09BzC
363Please respect copyright.PENANA4ka1wt6aDf
363Please respect copyright.PENANAMrGyseoTtw
363Please respect copyright.PENANAF3TkB6s6py
"David."363Please respect copyright.PENANA2krmfoCteU
363Please respect copyright.PENANAXGROjKXDua
363Please respect copyright.PENANAYjRwVNUkXt
363Please respect copyright.PENANA7QyWSa4dxg
363Please respect copyright.PENANAjYND1KWwrR
363Please respect copyright.PENANAHOug40IiuI
363Please respect copyright.PENANAQsqNWJl3oV
363Please respect copyright.PENANAKggfyxLZKH
363Please respect copyright.PENANA2fFoepOlOq
363Please respect copyright.PENANASkru8esaMW
363Please respect copyright.PENANAa2IFUz57US
363Please respect copyright.PENANARLJQuivztL
363Please respect copyright.PENANAx5ZLmpv31y
363Please respect copyright.PENANAqkzZclVfwZ
363Please respect copyright.PENANAuGcYLZx2dF
363Please respect copyright.PENANAQIYlKuHOU4
363Please respect copyright.PENANA0a40fRj3hI
363Please respect copyright.PENANACbNAShs5PT
363Please respect copyright.PENANAXaBJT7oCo1
363Please respect copyright.PENANAq0tMOg70uV
363Please respect copyright.PENANAGsJTavpQ7U
363Please respect copyright.PENANAu6ZPRrvxP4
363Please respect copyright.PENANAvfXBNURFcT
363Please respect copyright.PENANAjdJoFD2j2F
363Please respect copyright.PENANAES3uxpJEM8
363Please respect copyright.PENANAIpC9BqgFwh
363Please respect copyright.PENANA9nnHG1Ivrh
363Please respect copyright.PENANA5H41oZySbE
363Please respect copyright.PENANAUsV7UtZyAl
363Please respect copyright.PENANASBZ2W3FZsx
363Please respect copyright.PENANAAsKLHlUbnr
363Please respect copyright.PENANA6IOcUnfVmR
363Please respect copyright.PENANATLypQGWkt0
363Please respect copyright.PENANAL4NsBvyrj9
363Please respect copyright.PENANAZfSOArxsWm
363Please respect copyright.PENANASK0mfZol3a
363Please respect copyright.PENANAhs6e7LN87P
363Please respect copyright.PENANAJ20IYgbJRw
363Please respect copyright.PENANAI70lshVkW4
363Please respect copyright.PENANAy40ejoLICZ
363Please respect copyright.PENANANL1GSd6H7i
363Please respect copyright.PENANAQr580kTeZ8
363Please respect copyright.PENANA6EwyAG9uOR
363Please respect copyright.PENANAGXIrRuZXfO
363Please respect copyright.PENANAtrhZAGjYrk
363Please respect copyright.PENANAr98OjcqLVB
363Please respect copyright.PENANAIBOVtGeDys
"David?"363Please respect copyright.PENANAZGywaUr4nL
363Please respect copyright.PENANAkwtUKwJjc7
363Please respect copyright.PENANAfm0yExr08g
363Please respect copyright.PENANABBWFwOKqpS
363Please respect copyright.PENANAOXbtqmZY82
363Please respect copyright.PENANA4NKbqhQKLD
363Please respect copyright.PENANAKkerjGDERd
363Please respect copyright.PENANAqDfsJn3JJK
363Please respect copyright.PENANAVyU35DhSUl
363Please respect copyright.PENANAtjmuqiu8nb
363Please respect copyright.PENANACv6Il0UISs
363Please respect copyright.PENANAPHXCufu1QJ
363Please respect copyright.PENANAbmBVJ7Rms0
363Please respect copyright.PENANAXx8M0Y1sDT
363Please respect copyright.PENANAfZnIVgTxze
363Please respect copyright.PENANAO4e77PjQNc
363Please respect copyright.PENANAtG4RQeGQhy
363Please respect copyright.PENANAlzqWpGFGaT
363Please respect copyright.PENANA0wXlmcqn9G
363Please respect copyright.PENANA1nuMToJhwk
363Please respect copyright.PENANAz5b4AGyPUx
363Please respect copyright.PENANAo3RTWNcIQ8
363Please respect copyright.PENANAtJJuu7n4VP
363Please respect copyright.PENANAtC6pp1p4vE
363Please respect copyright.PENANA7bLfKrWYVE
363Please respect copyright.PENANAIZiKPiw1rH
363Please respect copyright.PENANAJjXKMDVZJv
363Please respect copyright.PENANAns2TcZ236v
363Please respect copyright.PENANAySvZgJ6qps
363Please respect copyright.PENANAKWeW0r96A9
363Please respect copyright.PENANASpUrw64WmJ
363Please respect copyright.PENANAC6nBwCGpMQ
363Please respect copyright.PENANAkJfXjEPo6F
363Please respect copyright.PENANAX9xXAq8wcW
363Please respect copyright.PENANAfY2n6LSpQA
363Please respect copyright.PENANAhTh8vX3zc5
363Please respect copyright.PENANAieCsMlmpQm
363Please respect copyright.PENANAJJFcplT23g
363Please respect copyright.PENANAqrUVNiHTCN
363Please respect copyright.PENANAD57VtsRIRo
363Please respect copyright.PENANAPUDOSPpPKy