Chapter 9

Everyone’s Fake on the Net

Riley clenched a joystick on his Angler’s control panel, wishing he’d chosen a more maneuverable fighter. If he had, maybe Eaglewing, in his smaller but faster Barracuda, wouldn’t have done so much damage to Riley’s ship during their last encounter. As it was, all Riley could do was hope Eaglewing wouldn’t find the crater his Angler was hiding in until after the repair bot finished patching up the ship.

Riley aimed the cannons upward. If Eaglewing flew over, he could destroy the Barracuda from below. With the generators in their present state, though, he couldn’t fire without compromising the life support systems.

The green communication light blinked. Riley pressed an icon on the control touchscreen to put it through.

Eaglewing’s face appeared in a rectangle on the viewscreen. “Give it up, Corsair.”

Riley shared enough physical traits with Eaglewing that a stranger might mistake them for cousins: same pale complexion, similar slanted black eyes. Except Riley wasn’t lame enough to gel his hair into stupid black spikes. Or dumb enough to show his real face; the face Eaglewing saw was a swarthy avatar Riley had created.

Riley relaxed his expression, hoping it would make his square-jawed avatar appear cool. “Don’t bother trying to find me. I’m the best demon in the galaxy, so when I veil something, it might as well not exist.”

“Veiling doesn’t help when your ship’s bled a trail of particles.”

Shit!

Riley looked at the tracker screen and saw the Barracuda headed in his direction. He shoved the steering bars forward. Better to put up a fight with a damaged ship than sit there waiting for Eaglewing to get him. The Angler shot up out of the crater, and Riley turned it toward the oncoming Barracuda. Eaglewing had wandered right into his line of fire.

“Fire all!” Riley unleashed a volley of missiles.

Eaglewing yelled in terror. The video cut out as his ship exploded into a flaming cloud of debris.

Riley pumped his fists. “Hah! Gotcha, buddy! Looks like—”

Eaglewing reappeared in the viewscreen, laughing his head off. “Dude, did you really think it’d be that easy?”

Riley’s jaw dropped. “What… How…?”

“You’re not the only demon in this duel.”

The debris field in front of Riley vanished. The Barracuda appeared in the rear view, cannons pointed right at him. He gasped.

Eaglewing fired his torpedoes. “Later, loser!”

Riley twisted at the controls, trying to evade the missiles.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

In that instant, all Riley could see or feel was a chaotic jumble of blinding flames and scorching heat and—

Text flashed in his visor: Game Over.

Riley blinked as the mocking orange letters flashed before his vision. It took him a few seconds to remember what was going on. The so-called “experts” claimed that leaving a virtu-world was like waking from a lucid dream.

Heh. That’s an understatement if there ever was one.

Riley felt as if he’d been yanked from one reality to another. There had been nothing surreal or dreamlike about that game.

He pulled the VR visor off his face, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the light. The sun was at that annoying angle where it shone straight through the glass wall of Jim X’s mountain mansion. That’s it. We’re moving to the canyon.

The elderly former tech tycoon had hired Riley as his security chief, but Riley knew the job was an excuse to keep him around. Riley actually liked hanging out with the old guy and listening to Jim X’s tales of former glory. Even though he was barely twenty-one and Jim X pushing eighty, they got along like old pals. And the perks were awesome. As the only surviving member of the Thiel family, Jim X owned the entire estate, which Riley was in charge of.

A beep emitted from Riley’s slate, which lay on the gray carpet beside him. He picked it up with a grimace. Ugh, Eaglewing.

A video window displaying Eaglewing’s smug face appeared. “Man, that was epic! Who’s the best now?”

Riley crossed his arms. “You may’ve won a round of Space Duels, but you’ve got nothing on me. Later, nov.” He hung up with a smirk, knowing Eaglewing would stew over the insult. Experienced demons hated being called by the term usually reserved for newbies.

Riley glanced up at the large control screen, which displayed a list of various machines and bots. The words “ALL SYSTEMS NORMAL” shone in bright green letters across the top. As long as he was available to respond in case they said anything else, he considered himself to be on the job.

I love it when I can work without working. Riley yawned. What should I do next?

A thought poked at his mind, a yearning to figure out what the hell was going on with the Colts. Devin and Jane were as close as siblings got. What freaky forces could have pitted them against each other?

Riley tried to push the thought away. Not gonna get involved.

He opened a window on his slate and glanced over a list of Netsites, which Acuitas had ordered according to his preferences. Nothing appealed to him, so he opened a new window and browsed the forums of his Netcrew, Citizen Zero. “My” Netcrew? He bobbed his head as he considered the validity of that statement. Yeah, that’s about right.

The Citizen Zero guys weren’t too happy with Riley’s claims to taking charge. Still, Riley’s role in the whole Pandora thing had granted him godlike status on the Net, so they’d begrudgingly accepted his rule. Rule? Hah! King Riley. I could get used to that.

The thought poked at his mind again. No! Not my business!

He tried to turn his attention back to Citizen Zero. The poke became a smack. As much fun as he had with those guys, he didn’t know what most of them even looked like. They knew him only as Corsair, the brilliant, authoritative demon who always had his shit together. He knew them only by their Netnames, and for all he knew, they were as screwy as he was. Everyone’s fake on the Net.

If something happened to him, would they respond? Would they impersonate a merc to save his life, as Devin had eight years ago? Would they spend hours engaging in wickedly fun rant-fests with him, as Jane had countless times? Would they patiently listen to his grief, as Adam did so often?

Those three were the only real friends he had other than the old guy. Their business was his business.

Riley pulled up Devin’s contact info and tried calling him.

No answer. There hadn’t been an answer for weeks, even when Riley used his special skills to try less conventional routes of communications. ISARK seemed to have swallowed his pal whole.

“Right where I left you.” The voice was Jim X’s.

Riley looked up. The old guy had his usual amused grin on his wrinkled face. Seemed like he found everything Riley did funny.

“Yo, Jah-Mex!” Riley flicked his hand in a sarcastic wave. “Fancy seeing you here. Need something?”

“If I did, would you do it?”

“Uh… Sure. Later. I’m kinda busy.”

Jim X raised his gray eyebrows. “Riley, do you ever do your job?”

“Hey, the bots keep this place running, don’t they?” Riley crossed his arms. “Who do you think made that happen? Now, scat! I’ve got stuff to do.”

Jim X chuckled. “Do I want to know what?”

“Nope.”

“That’s what I thought. Don’t get arrested, okay?”

Riley snickered. “Like they’ll ever catch me. Riley Winklepleck’s record is spotless. It’s that demon Corsair you’ve gotta worry about.”

The old guy let out a laugh, then left. Riley waited for him to close the door behind him, then turned back to his slate.

Anyhow, where was I?

Logic told him to try Jane instead of Devin. She’d be more forthcoming. Riley pulled up his communications log. A few cyber maneuvers later, he was able to call back the slate she’d contacted him from previously.

“Riley?” Her confused expression turned to fear as she widened her eyes. “How’d you find me?”

Whoa, she’s spooked. “Chill. I’ve no idea where you are. I just pinged you through that app you used.” Riley tried to make out her surroundings. A bluish glow lit her face, and the background was dark. He guessed that the screen she looked at was her only source of light. “Anyhow… Uh… I was just wondering if everything was all right.”

“Thought you wanted to stay out of it.” She cocked her head with her familiar funky smile.

Riley huffed. Smartass. “I’m worried, okay? I learn that Adam’s on some creepy ISARK list, that you’re on the run with him, that Devin’s the one after you…” The worries built upon each other as he spoke, until they exploded into a flaming ball of freak-out. “Just tell me what’s going on!”

Jane dropped her smile. “I’m all right. So’s Adam. When this is all over, I’ll have a helluva story to tell you.”

Her words did little to calm Riley. “What’s happening?”

“You pretty much covered it. Everything’s messed up.” Something out of view caught Jane’s attention. She knitted her eyebrows. “I’ve gotta go. Talk to you later.” She reached forward as if intending to end the communication, then stopped. “Hey, you don’t think of Adam as a machine, do you?”

Riley gave her a you’re-dumb look. He’d chosen to ignore the vagaries of science and philosophy and who-knew-what-else surrounding the question “What makes you human?” and accept the simplest answer. “Uh… No.”

Jane smiled, but her eyes seemed kind of sad. “That’s good to know. I don’t know who’s on my side anymore. Anyway, later.”

The transmission ended.

Riley leaned back on his elbows and gazed blankly at the purplish gray mountains outside. It didn’t seem like Devin to turn against not only his friend, but his sister as well.

Maybe ISARK actually brainwashed him. They’ve got tech that can do that.

Almost a year ago, the Netcrew known as the Collective had leaked a bunch of secret government memos. One of the memos had mentioned the development of a brain implant that could control a person’s thoughts and actions. It could basically turn a person into a compliant robot.

Riley’s brain ran wild with possibilities. Maybe ISARK was bringing in anyone who’d ever worked for them, implanting them, and turning them into drones to do their dirty work.

An alarm blared. Riley bolted up. “THREAT DETECTED” flashed in red letters across the control screen.

Outside the glass wall, a trio of black, fan-shaped Betta attack drones flew straight at him.

Holy shit!

 

Devin whirled as two gates, one on either side of him, slammed down from the ceiling of the Manta’s corridor. Trapped in a narrow space, he instinctively drew his weapon. What the hell?

I told you there would be consequences. Rourke’s voice was a low rumble in his mind.

The screen on the wall beside him lit up, displaying an image of a glass and steel mansion. Red lines formed a grid, and the view zoomed in rapidly. Devin realized he was watching a flying drone’s visual feed. As the drone drew closer to the mansion, he saw someone inside.

Riley stared in the direction of the camera, mouth open and eyes wide with fear.

“Riley!” Devin raised his gun with the intention of blasting his way out. His arm dropped to his side. He tried to raise it again. His hand shook from the effort.

There’s nothing you can do. From the tone of Rourke’s voice, he had to be sneering. Even if you get out, your Manta’s light-hours from Shimshawhenn.

Red crosshairs appeared over Riley’s face.

 

An explosion boomed. Riley stared, frozen in terror. Black debris rained down outside. Two Bettas spiraled away from the mansion, avoiding the fire of a swarm of flying security bots.

Whew, that was close! “Get ’em, bots!”

Riley had programmed those new bots himself. They were way better than the average drone. Faster, more agile. Equipped with powerful laser cannons. They were small, but man, did they pack a punch.

Riley lifted his chin. Just like me.

A Betta abruptly veered, heading back toward the mansion. It zigzagged as it evaded the bots. The terror returned, and Riley dashed to the exit. I’m outta here!

Glass shattered as blasts pierced the window. Searing pain shot through Riley’s thigh, so intense it spread through his entire body. He screamed as he fell. Shit!

Tears blurred his vision. He tried to get up, but his leg collapsed beneath him.

Boom. Heat from an explosion seared Riley’s skin. He attempted to stand. Pain shot through him, he collapsed again. C’mon, bots…

More blasts. Riley tried to contain his panic, but couldn’t. Though he’d faced danger before, he’d never been alone and injured before. His leg throbbed. The wetness of blood pooled around him. Someone help me… Please…

Boom. A third explosion thundered. Scorching heat and stinging debris blasted him. Riley curled up on the ground and grabbed his head with both hands, covering his face with his arms. There would be no “Game Over” if the world went dark.

Silence, disturbed only by familiar mechanical whirring.

Is it over? Riley slowly uncovered his face. The bots hovered in a neat line outside. No more alarm, no more blasts. Black debris lay scattered among the broken glass and on the ground outside.

He shifted his gaze over to the screen. “THREAT ELIMINATED” flashed in green letters. He exhaled in relief.

He tried to get up, but didn’t have the strength to push off the ground. His face felt cold, and dark spots splattered across his vision.

“Computer.” He meant to yell, but his voice emerged as a strained whimper. “Medical… emergency…”

The computer beeped with acknowledgement. Wouldn’t be long before a med team arrived from the city. Nauseous from pain, Riley felt as though he was sinking into the ground.

What about the old guy? With much effort, he lifted his head. “Computer! Show me Jim X!”

The computer beeped again. “PENDING” appeared on the screen in bright blue letters. A few seconds later, a video from a security cam replaced the letters.

Jim X stood in a small, windowless room. A confused frown wrinkled his already crinkly face. “Riley! What the devil is going on?”

He’s good. Riley relaxed, resting his head on the floor. Awesome. I’m the best security chief ever.

Riley had equipped each mansion with guard bots, programmed to escort Jim X to safety the moment they detected a threat. And “escort” means “pick the old guy up and shove him into a blast-proof room.” Hah! I’ll have to review the bots’ visual feeds so I can see the look on his face!

Like anyone who had ever been important, Jim X had plenty of enemies. Some self-righteous dumbasses even blamed him for Pandora’s existence. The list of people who might have sent the drones after the old guy was pretty long. Riley groaned at the thought of having to go through it.

Engines rumbled in the distance. He caught a glimpse of an approaching air transport. Through his watery vision, he made out the remnants of destroyed drones scattered outside.

I win, assholes.

 

Devin let out a breath as he watched two paramedics attend to an unconscious Riley. Outside the mansion, a police vehicle landed.

The gates lifted.

Apologies for the trap. Rourke’s words dripped with insincerity. You needed to see what your failure has caused. That kid’s lucky to be alive. Remember, luck runs out. Get the AI.

Devin clenched his fist around the handle of his gun. Yes, sir.