Page 3 of Neon Flux

Beneath the tower was one of five POM-owned data centers. I swore I could feel it even through the leagues of concrete and steel, my Flux erratic in anticipation of playing in the most advanced portion of cyberspace that existed.

As we walked closer, the Stellarium signs lighting up every building slid over one another, merging and dancing along with the Vector in my system. The tower suddenly looked like one of the tarot cards Mercy had been trying to read for me. What did the Tower mean again? I don’t remember it being something good.

Next thing I knew, that shining monstrosity was out of sight, and Taos pulled me into an alley. She knelt next to a maintenance access panel, using her virtual keyboard to override the security system. A few moments later, a hatch popped open with a hiss as steam rose from below the ground. She threw the door all the way open, and a ladder descended into the darkness below.

“Ready?” Taos asked. She threw me an anti-facial recognition mask, and I strapped it on.

“Destiny calls,” I drawled sarcastically.

CHAPTER 2

EON

The steel ladder creaked underfoot, the rungs spaced at a distance that made the climb treacherous. My grip tightened, the cold of the metal soaking into my fingers as the surrounding air heated. Above me, the maintenance hatch shut with a hollow clang that echoed down the shaft.

“Don’t look down,” Taos said below me.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” I muttered, but I risked a glance anyway. The light from above barely reached the bottom—just darkness yawning beneath us, faintly illuminated by the soft white glow of the Stellarium-infused panels that lined the walls. The Vector that had been happy to bask in the saturated lights above cowered in the dark. My breath started coming faster as every part of my body felt like it was vibrating. My palms were slick with sweat and my grip on the ladder slipped. I wrapped an arm over my current rung, trying to find a modicum of stillness.

Hot air rose up the shaft, like a great exhale from the server farm below. It was like descending into the belly of some sleeping beast.

“Almost there,” Taos called from below. She hurried, her boots clanging against the metal rungs in a steady rhythm. Rightnow, I envied her certainty, her enthusiasm. I may have been mildly suicidal, but I had some pride. I wasn’t about to let a ladder be the thing that did me in.

I finally found the will to move, carefully wiping one hand and then the other on my jacket before descending. I dropped to the floor, the expanded sheet grating comfortingly solid beneath my feet. The faint hum of servers filled the air, vibrating through the walls. We were in a narrow maintenance corridor, barely wide enough for either of us.

“Should we expect security?”

She shook her head. “No, the other group made sure this way was clear. As long as we get through the security doors, we’re good to go.”

She led the way, her footsteps soft and measured. The corridor twisted and turned—the gut of the beast, ducts and wires snaking along the ceiling. The air smelled faintly of ozone, which I found a strange comfort in. The power inside me rose, like it knew it was coming home.

We stopped in front of a heavy metal door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY in bold red letters. Below it, a keypad blinked expectantly. Taos knelt in front of it, pulling a small device from her belt—the Chinese ICE breaker.

“This’ll just take a second,” she said, connecting it to the panel. She wasn’t wrong. Less than ten seconds later, with a quiet blip, the door before us popped open and Taos spun around with a grin. I didn’t return it. Her eyes crossed as something popped up on her Vysor.

“The boys are on their way.” Her grin faded into a frown. That wasn’t part of the plan.

We stepped into the server room. It had a low ceiling, but the space stretched out beyond imagination, no walls in sight. Only towering racks of Stellarium-powered processors, storage, and servers were visible. Each unit glowed faintly, their lightsflickering in an endless dance of activity. In here, the air was hot enough that sweat built on my neck, and everything thrummed with energy.

A few minutes later, I heard the hallway rattling with footsteps. Four bodies rounded the corner, all dressed in mismatched jackets and pants, heavy with straps and pockets. They wore the same anti-recognition masks but had painted them to look like skulls. They looked like they’d stepped out of a virtual reality punk sim. Just kids playing rebels.

Lock stepped forward. I knew it was him from his cocky stance and the stray curls that lay over his forehead. A knife dangled casually from one hand before he flipped it in the air and caught it.

“Lock,” Taos said, her tone flat. “You’re supposed to be running interference topside.”

“Interference is boring,” Lock replied, twirling the knife lazily. “We took out all the guards—nothing to worry about. Figured we’d join you for the fun part.”

“This isn’t a group outing,” I snapped. “We don’t need you messing things up.”

His gaze flicked to me. His grin widened. “Maybe I just wanted to see the wiz in action.”

“Think you can handle me, easymode?”

The boys laughed, the sound bouncing off the server racks.

“Feisty,” one of them said, nudging Lock. “I like her.”

Taos stepped forward, her voice sharp. “We’re not here to play games. If you’re staying, you’re following my lead.”