Zeph shut his eyes. Normally, this act brings about darkness, but for him, it was quite the opposite. The dimly lit office of the Red Vipers faded away, as did the smell of stale beer and ozone. Instead, he was greeted by a grid of dazzling white light.
"Connection Established," announced the Omega Cortex. In this digital realm, its voice was no longer a whisper but a resounding, god-like voice. "Welcome to the Global Net, Host."
Zeph cast a glance at his "body," now a construct of shimmering, translucent blue code. Around him, towering data structures rose like skyscrapers, pulsating with neon streams of information.
"Okay," Zeph thought-spoke, "Where's the bounty database?"
"Sector 7, heavily guarded by Black Ice firewalls and Hunter-Killer protocols. Probability of detection: 92%."
Zeph grinned, quoting, "Never tell me the odds," before launching himself into the air.
He maneuvered through data streams, skillfully avoiding packets of encrypted mail and financial transfers. Upon reaching a fortress-like wall of black static - The Bounty Board, red lasers swept across its surface.
"Intrusion countermeasures active. If you touch the red light, your brain will liquefy," the AI warned.
"Then I won't touch it," Zeph assured.
With his hands extended, blue streams of code sprouted from his fingers, weaving into the black wall. He wasn't trying to break the door down; he was picking the lock. Click. Click. SNAP. A hole appeared in the static, and Zeph dove through.
Inside, a countless number of faces scrolled on infinite screens. Murderers, thieves, jaywalkers.
"Search: Zephyr Vane," Zeph commanded.
A screen close-up revealed his face, along with Kaelen's.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
BOUNTY: 5,000,000 CREDITS.
"Delete it," Zeph ordered.
"Negative," the AI replied. "Deletion leaves a trace. A 'file missing' error will alert the System Admin. The Hunters will know someone tampered with it."
"Then what do we do?"
"We do not delete. We modify."
The AI highlighted the biometric data attached to the file—DNA markers, retinal scans, height, weight.
"I can rewrite the DNA sequence. I can change the retinal pattern to match... a random corpse found in the sewers three days ago."
Zeph hesitated. "So... the bounty will still be up, but when they scan us, we won't match?"
"Correct. To the system, Zephyr Vane and Kaelen Thorne still exist, but you are no longer them. You are ghosts."
"Do it."
The code flowed. The DNA markers on the screen shifted. The retinal patterns rearranged themselves.
Process Complete.
"Nice," Zeph breathed. "We're free."
Suddenly, the virtual floor turned red.
"ALERT. TRACE DETECTED."
A massive, burning eye opened in the sky above the data city. It looked down at Zeph. A beam of scorching heat slammed into the ground inches from his feet.
"They found us!" Zeph screamed. "Jack out! Jack out!"
"Emergency disconnect initiated..."
REAL WORLD
"GAH!"
Zeph convulsed wildly, arching his back off the leather sofa, screaming. Blood sprayed from his nose, splattering onto his shirt. His eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.
Kaelen watched from the desk. He didn't rush over. He didn't call a medic. He took a sip of his whiskey and watched the seconds tick by on his watch.
"Three... two... one."
Zeph collapsed, gasping for air. He rolled onto the floor, clutching his head. "Ow... ow... my brain feels like it was microwaved."
Kaelen stood up and walked over. He looked down at Zeph, who was trembling in a pool of sweat and blood.
"Is it done?" Kaelen asked.
Zeph looked up, wiping blood from his lip. "Hello to you too, Kaelen. Yes, I'm fine, thanks for asking. Just a minor cerebral hemorrhage."
"Is. It. Done?" Kaelen repeated, his voice devoid of patience.
Zeph glared at him. "Yes. It's done. I rewrote our biometrics. The scanners won't recognize us anymore. We're invisible."
Kaelen nodded, satisfied. He extended a hand—not to help Zeph up, but to check his watch again. "Good. We have a meeting in ten minutes."
"A meeting?" Zeph groaned, pulling himself up onto the sofa. "With who? God? Because I think I just saw him."
"With the lieutenants," Kaelen said, walking back to the window. "We need to expand. This warehouse is just the start. I want the manufacturing plant next door."
Zeph stared at Kaelen's back. "Kae, I almost died just now. A Hunter-Killer program found me. If I was a second slower, I'd be a vegetable."
Kaelen didn't turn around. "But you weren't slower. You're efficient."
"I'm your best friend!" Zeph shouted, his voice cracking. "Not a tool!"
Kaelen turned slowly. The shadows in the room seemed to stretch toward him, darkening his features.
"We are at war, Zeph," Kaelen said softly. "In war, soldiers are tools. Commanders are tools. Even friends..." He paused. "Even friends have a purpose. You fulfilled yours."
Zeph felt a cold chill that had nothing to do with the AI.
"Observation," the AI whispered in Zeph's aching head. "Subject Kaelen shows 0% empathy response to your pain. He values the 'Result' over the 'Cost'. This is a leadership trait."
"It's a sociopath trait," Zeph thought back angrily.
"Get cleaned up," Kaelen said, dismissing him. "You look weak. And nobody follows weakness."
Zeph wiped the blood from his nose with his sleeve. He looked at the man he had grown up with, the man he had shared every meal and secret with.
And for the first time, Zeph didn't see a brother. He saw a boss.
"Aye aye, Captain," Zeph whispered bitterly.
He stood up, his legs shaking. As he walked to the bathroom, the AI spoke again.
"Suggestion: Monitor Subject Kaelen closely. If he becomes a liability to your survival... I have protocols for neutralization."
Zeph stopped at the door. "Neutralization? You mean killing him?"
"I mean solving the problem."
Zeph didn't answer. He walked into the bathroom and locked the door. He looked in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot. The blue circle in his left iris was glowing brighter than ever.
"We're not killing him," Zeph said to his reflection.
"Not yet," the AI agreed.