Prologue: Phantom Code's Routine Breach

Before long, breaching other people's security systems had become second nature. And operating under the net handle Phantom Code had been going on for quite some time now.

"Hacking's a breeze, right?"

"Back-alley gang security's all the same."

"Then I'll just chill here playing games on my phone."

No need to sync up anymore with my mercenary bodyguard big sis. Ah, but since I'm a girl now, it's big sister, not bro. Still not used to the lingo. Better just call her by name.

Dani, was it? Probably a fake name, but whatever.

We were in the security room of an underground club run by the gang. The thumping electronic beats from the main floor echoed faintly all the way here. Meant they had no clue we'd slipped in and were still partying hard.

I shoved aside the gang member's body slumped in the security chair. Right in front of me: the computers handling the club's CCTV and security systems. This guy was probably their cyber guy in charge. Not anymore—Dani's bullet had riddled his skull with holes.

I pulled a cable from my prosthetic wrist, jacking it into the computer and my brain. Text popped up in my vision.

Link confirmed. I sent the command straight to the program embedded in my brain. No need to speak it out loud—the thing reads my brainwaves.

Infiltrate.

As the program burrowed into their systems, it fed me intel nonstop. The club's full layout, all hardware tied to the security net. Every internet-connected gadget. Even the cyberware on the roughly thirty gang members inside.

"One guy's packing something nasty."

I muttered to myself at the report, and Dani chimed in from the side.

"The boss, probably?"

"Likely."

Simple fix—if the program can't crack it, I will.

Whose corp is it?

"Ah."

"Ah! Hold up, don't spill it. Lemme guess. That corp you hate, right?"

"Spot on."

Dani clenched her fist like she'd cracked some personal code. Spotting my least favorite cybersec corp here of all places.

Skip this ICE. I'll handle it myself.

Program's done. My turn.

I focused my mind on cyberspace. My vision blurred, overlaying the real world with a grid of blue lattice—the cyberspace starting right here in this security room.

Paths from the security room snaking through the facility's CCTV. Data streams from the gang members' cyberware beyond the walls. Even the central control system chatting with the AC units.

A pure digital realm unbound by physics' rules. Invisible to normal eyes, yet undeniably real—a second world. A playground for folks like me.

The signal hit, and red data waves swept through cyberspace like a tsunami. The blue grid flipped entirely crimson—the program had scorched the facility's digital space clean. Sync meant it was cloaked; outsiders couldn't detect the assault.

But one blue data block lingered amid the red sea: the ImmuneWire ICE that had stumped the program.

"Dani—er, sis—get ready."

That was all I said in the real world before my consciousness slipped past physical walls to the data block. In my hand: a flickering blue dagger—visualized code I'd just whipped up to crack this ICE.

Big corp ICE like ImmuneWire's could fry your brain on a single slip-up. But for me? Just another day at the office.

I eased the dagger into the ICE. It sliced in smooth as butter. I held still, watching the block's reaction.

Key tell: its coordinates shifting in real time. Meant the owner was on the move.

I siphoned data flow through the dagger. A blue spark rode the blade to my hand.

The ICE was alerting its owner to an "anomaly." Coordinates shifting because a sec expert was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠closing in on this room.

But calling it an "anomaly"? Already fooled. This was a blatant attack—the ICE had bought it completely. No counter-hack brain-fry risk.

I worked the dagger slow, cracking fissures. The ICE crumbled, a massive hole tearing open.

While I carved, the block scooted closer to the security room. Then—bam—the door flew open.

"What the hell?! Who are you?!"

Rough-faced stranger. He reached for his gun but froze. Hard not to when cold steel kisses your temple.

Dani's work—she'd ambushed from beside the door, revolver locked on his head the second he entered.

"Don't move a muscle. Twitch and your head's gone."

I watched as the program analyzed the intruder and pinged me.

Boss man rocking pricey ICE, as expected. Scary-looking, fitting the role.

Looks don't matter, though. Ugly Edwin glared daggers at Dani, hand still in his jacket.

"You no-name punks think you can fuck with me? Big mistake! Hey, hacker—you know it, right? Yeah? Can't crack it? That's top-grade ImmuneWire ICE!"

"Can that ICE stop ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a bullet to the brain too?"

"You little bitch...! Go ahead, shoot. My boys hear it and they'll swarm you fuckers!"

While Dani stalled, I finished up.

Infiltrate.

The crumbling ICE finally yielded to the program, spewing red data in a death throes collapse. No more obstacle.

I yanked the cable from the computer. Dani caught on, grinned, and holstered her revolver.

Edwin blinked in shock at the vanishing gun barrel, but Dani just pulled out her phone and dove back into her game. I watched silently.

"You little shits, toying with me right in front of—!"

Edwin eyed us, then whipped out his gun and squeezed the trigger at me.

Click.

No bang. The gun spat its magazine and disarmed itself.

"...Huh? What the—?! What'd you do?!"

His boss vibe—rough features, menacing aura—evaporated as he fumbled the jammed piece like a clueless uncle.

"Hey, mister, pro tip: Know why ImmuneWire's so vicious? Their gear only plays nice with their stuff or partners. ICE won't save your gun from getting hacked."

No gun these days lacks electronics. That piece was mine now.

"This...!"

Edwin ditched the gun and lunged with fists. No hesitation—real boss energy.

Too bad his punch froze mid-air, inches from my face.

"Fuck, my body...! What are you? What the hell did you do?!"

"Tip two: ImmuneWire bakes secret backdoors into their ICE. Easier to exploit customer weak spots. Not that I need 'em to crack it anyway..."

"You...!"

Nothing left for Edwin now. Not a twitch, not a peep—his neural circuits were mine.

I muted his yelling mouth for my ears' sake.

Begin.

Edwin jerked against his will. Picked up the dropped gun. Aimed at his own head.

As his arm rebelled, fury in his eyes flipped to terror. Those lively peepers? Real organics from birth, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not chrome.

Pity his sec guy was already ventilated. Even alive, doubtful he'd match me.

I glanced at the CCTV monitors. Every gangbanger in the facility aimed their guns at their own skulls, just like Edwin.

The club's pumping music cut out. Patrons panicked, staring at the suicide squad.

One last word from me. Gotta know why, right?

"Edwin Marques, Pitbull Gang boss. That you?"

"..."

"Child sex trafficking, child organ trade, child... whew, you did it all with kids. Tasteless."

"..."

"Not like vicious crooks are rare—no personal beef. But you touch a megacorp exec's daughter?"

"...!"

"That's when mercs like us get the call."

Eyes screaming volumes, but no time for chit-chat.

Execute.

Gunshots ripped through the club, starting with Edwin. Screams from the patrons echoed after.

Dani pocketed her phone with a relaxed stretch and stood.

"Nice. Cleaned out this city's trash today. Good deed done, creds earned. Win-win."

"Report when the payout hits. No blowing it all on shopping like last time."

"Had to grab it then— it was on sale."

"Falling for corp marketing gimmicks."

"Ow, shut it. Let's bounce."

Her cue. I flipped up my hood, masking my face. We blended into the fleeing patrons, Dani shadowing me.

Program kept reporting cleanup ops.

By the time it finished, we'd slipped out to our getaway ride. Dani fired it up, grinning ear-to-ear.

"You sure you're not running some AI?"

"That's taboo, remember? Don't wanna fry my brain or get pinched."

"Your program's that good."

"I built it well."

"Pfft, humble much?"

I leaned back into the passenger seat, chatting with Dani.

AI taboo. Yeah. AIs nearly wiped humanity, right? Even if I spilled the beans, Dani'd laugh it off. No known survivors from AI use.

But my hacking program? Total AI.

Good job.

Sister fragment of Alphabet, the AI that nearly doomed humanity. I named her V.

Cyberpunk 2180s. Tech promised utopia but delivered misery and pain. AI dreams crashed into taboo, dragging daily life to hell.

I'm the hacker commanding the AI that almost ended it all.

In this world's terms?

A Bitmancer.