Jax jumped, spinning his chair. It was Kael, a freelance netrunner who shared the floor space. Kael’s skin was a patchwork of chrome and scar tissue. "Hienzo’s legit. Mostly. Just gotta watch for the backdoors they leave in the code." Jax turned back to the screen. He clicked.

"Kael?" Jax whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs.

"Welcome to the dark future," the monitor chimed in a cheerful, corporate voice.

The door kicked open, and the room was flooded with the red lasers of tactical teams. Jax didn't get to play the game that night. He was already living it.

The neon sign flickered, casting a sickly green glow over Jax’s cramped apartment. On his cracked monitor, the cursor hovered over a link that promised the impossible: