"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?"730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFwZSQBAgD
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTY7PZTVX1V
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqtmX1ma1z
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvTYurnXNM
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡresH0PufDF
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpBDuBGd3I
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlcXmEkhXf
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTjwZWderS
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29tG0eoMPh
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm1mYbmuSU
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp4fafvUEZ
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUxXR6guRH
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWNOs7JMH0
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXJ42XkCR5
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxdyaDtWs2
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2GpSl8qr8
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDzeYyvCMw
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tHV45eRZY
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRD0TYqgcM
"David."730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuisVQVB5n
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3amRRYVEEX
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8NQiz72Mq
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo4bQYz7M3
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mUJeca0ni
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RadYU0hof
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCE47Z6Ibz3
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Q6zbhmKqS
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvu0d8CqWp
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2OenzZyLT
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdAEKtyo1F
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdAl8TvKS1
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6FabuN6DU
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJmUmvNGtP
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBZbBnHzRa
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCabyE6llb
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyZbqww9WU
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3AcsQUMKs
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWMLUOG6S7
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6aSfeZZn4
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LiinZHaht
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7QkYlfUXP
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXkWEuyz3Q
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW0R3t003D
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXUWidmLWA
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYQS1qyEeR
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOzynmGavV
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLydgXFprAm
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbiYIcBHec1
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNQsTo0t7z
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kzVrRkh0n
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQhj8jtE4J
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCZrP00pmM
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPgwWb3lXm
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehKYws6cEz
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfreKkl7Ta
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRPomNeIru
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWISzsBlsWx
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVH9UOxuBXa
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgQ3JlBtr5
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzsZ0dTmDA
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv1Z2yeqYC
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbZggLHpk1
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02HyfEwC5B
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6l1YupEMb6
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUhSFpC7CD
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQLeAeaDRb
"David?"730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTvARJzmXt
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk4YzICKyx
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLJmyxEx5T
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufvyAslZ8n
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xnLFGcEOY
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy6mw9bdUC
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnI1tvU0EM
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmt8VJyaBe
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCNO0nF4nm
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMoGT5QKyA
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpITrU3Xns
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23Kh8Phjao
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGt6GkErLoa
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaNlox4uLP
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQDIcM7wFi
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpdM4qiI8P
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5BI05ixU8
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7zwQn822B
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesXVgjgkuo
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPrCJS0PuT
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaDVb7K9ar
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNADfGJXhw
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIAgkzFbge
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1NahQDhBm
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9mFFR9Sti
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPUE8AUQi8
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0CvJZh6Us
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpuuGkjAXQ
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQwX08zeF5
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhhaOuLFUA
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJorDuxZS9p
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJQSADyLX4
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXOKOebZHL
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2CNBvC6gV
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZthGPjxYQ
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCZd2SQq1P
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWKKjgGlLw
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qvXpHLb8K
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEpYRLuT8O
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWiQtGrs0c
730Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8iFQE3Y6Q
