Zane flew by, his black hair whipping in the air. Sarah and Stillman stood at the corner of a warehouse, one of many that surrounded them. As Zane flipped his bike around, she leaned into Stillman. He looked down at her and smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“It won’t help if you keep getting mad at him, he’s gonna do it anyways,” Stillman said.

She laughed halfheartedly, but didn’t open her eyes. Zane had been doing these stunts for as long as they had known him. He was always racing down the street on his bike, a leather jacket and a smile the only protection he had. That and his Plasmod, the small stunstick that had saved his life more than once.

Zane drove up quickly, squeezing on the brakes as his bike leaned onto the front tire. He skidded to a stop, and the back tire thumped down to the ground. He pulled the scarf from around his neck and hung it around Stills’s shoulders.

“Is she still getting worried about my wee little head?” His voice was high pitched, sounding how a mother speaks to her tiny baby. He reached up and pinched Sarah’s cheek, and she swatted his hand. After he pulled it away, she swatted his face, leaving a red circle on his cheek.

“Ow, Sarah, why!” he halfway yelled in the darkness. His hand came up to rub the red mark as he pouted. Sarah’s face softened, but when his eyebrows came together in mocking, she slapped his other cheek just as hard.

Zane jumped back, rubbing the other side of his face. Stills laughed, hand on his stomach and hunched against the wall. His glassed slid down his face, and he barely caught them before they fell off.

“Alright, alright, let’s just get outta here, okay?” Zane asked. He scowled at both of them and started walking towards the dark alley just beside them. Both Sarah and Stills followed, their hands naturally finding each others. They walked all the way to the end of the alley to a blank door with no handle. Above it, spelled out in Serapan were the words NO ENTRY, a red neon sign buzzing quietly in the darkness. Small moths flew around the tubes, each trying to get to the light contained within.

Zane knocked on the door four times, then three times, then one time. After a moment of silence, two knocks resonated from the other side and the door slid into the wall, revealing a short, fat man on the other side. He smiled at Zane and offered his hand.

“It’s nice to see you again Zane. After the last raids, I thought you were a goner for sure!” He snorted and chuckled deep within his gut. He motioned for them to walk on past. “Go on, then, have a good time. Never know when it’ll be your last.” He snorted again and slid the door back into place.

They walked through the dilapidated hallway in single file. The wallpaper, a dull maroon, hung in tatters all along the drywall. Beneath, there were holes the size of boots and fists, each showing the equally rotting rooms behind. The carpet was most likely once very beautiful, but it’s golden trim and red diamonds were now faded and worn down to the concrete. They passed doorframe after doorframe, each with splintered wood and missing nails. The dust hung visibly in the air, tasting acrid and old.

The reached the end of the hall and came to a flight of stairs. Many of the steps were broken, the wood missing in certain places or cracked beyond repair. They ascended, one-by-one, up the broken staircase and into complete darkness. Above them, they could hear a deep, dull thudding grow louder. Soon, near the top of the stairs, the light started returning. The stairs came out to a hallway with only one door. Light poured out from all the seams, and the music was now blaring through the walls, vibrating the whole building.

Zane turned back to Stills and Sarah. “Alright, I know you guys haven’t been here before, but it’s really just like hanging out with anybody. There are going to be a few… strange people, but just let them do their thing and they’ll leave you alone.” He turned and started walking towards the door, but only after a few steps turned back around. “And for the love of Christ, the Mother, Rhyn, whatever gods, don’t touch any of the computers.”

They walked through the door. On the other side were hundreds of people, all squeezed into the wood and concrete storehouse. Some wore suits made of leather and metal, others wore normal clothes that had lights stitched into the seams. The music was so loud the air seemed to vibrate with the pulses of the bass, and lights hanging from the ceiling rotated and flashed in all directions and in all varieties of color. Zane led them through the gyrating throng of people, trying their best not to make any form of contact with them, though the intoxicating music started to break down the barriers of their inhibitions. On the other side of the room, adjacent to the place they were heading, there was a line of computers, each exactly like the one neighboring it with bundles of cables coming from below the monitor. Stills froze as he took in the scene.

In front of the farthest computer to the right, a woman sat in front of the monitor. The bundle of cords that came from the tower extended to behind her head, where they connected to her scalp and were locked into place with sharp pins. Around the connection site, a purple and yellow goo oozed from the seams, and the covered the cord down to the base. Stills started gagging as he watched the woman insert one of the smaller, thinner cords into her mouth, pushing it down into her throat. She smiled around it as the wire lit up with pulses of green, purple, and blue.

He reached out and grabbed Zane’s sleeve, whirling him around so that they were face to face. He pointed to the woman. “What the fuck is that?” he mouthed, words lost in the music. It was a simple question, but the confusion on his face and the paleness of his skin held the millions of others he wished to ask.

Zane looked to the woman and then back to Stills, his eyebrows furrowing. “Well, she’s a Glitch.” Stills stared at him uncomprehendingly. Zane shook his head and grabbed Stills and Sarah, both by the sleeve. He led them through a door into a small bathroom. The music, once thundering inside their heads, was more subdued.

“Look, I told you that there were going to be some weirdos here. That woman is a Glitch, one of the people from Glitch Street. They have neural implants that allow them to do some really strange stuff.”

Stills looked almost angry. “Why the hell was she shoving a computer cord down her throat then?” he yelled.

“She was… she was eating,” he said, looking down to his feet.

Sarah grimaced, her face going pale. “What do you mean she was eating?” she asked. “Was the computer giving her food or something?”

Zane shook his head, turning to lean against the wall. He took a deep breath and turned back to face them. “Look, you two have never been a part of this kinda crowd, you have always been more of the stay-home-and-program types, but these people, they go out and get parts of them cut off just so that they can have a robotic arm. People will remove parts of their brain and replace them with super computers. That woman, she was feeding herself a piece of food she most likely programmed herself, something that you can’t taste with a human tongue. These people aren’t hackers like you two, they are Glitches, augmentation junkies.” Zane pulled back the hair by his right ear and showed them the small, metallic depression there. “They’re Glitches like me.”

Stills pinched the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes together. “Hey, I’m sorry man, I was just kinda freaked out. I didn’t know what type of place you brought us to.”

There was a pounding on the door and some muffled words. Zane walked over and grabbed the handle, opening the door. On the other side was a sickly thin man, half of his shaved head a metal plate with flashing lights on it. He pushed past Zane and collapsed into the bathtub against the wall. Before they could jump to his aid, the soft sound of snoring filled the silence underneath the music, now blaring inside the small room.

They all exited, Sarah and Stillman following Zane to a series of couches that were crammed full of people. They found a smaller couch and fit their way in between the people sitting there. One man, sitting in the plush armchair to their right, was the obvious center of attention. He was clad in all red, a color darker than blood. He had in one hand a glowing blue drink and in the other a small tablet phone.

“So I says to him, you ain’t got an implant do ya, you just wan the company to help with your fucked up genes. But he showed me ‘is scar an the data readin’ from his last sofware patch. I’ve seen a hunred odder like him too!”

The woman sitting to his left grabbed the drink out of his hand and took a large sip. “But why would Asher-Bailey sell people viruses in their augments? Seems like a bad business plan.”

The guy snatched his drink back and swallowed whatever was left in one quick gulp. “Ow the fuck shood I know? I jus know that the guy wasn lyin’.”

Zane leaned forward, getting as close to the man as he could. “Did you say that Asher-Bailey is selling malware’d tech?”

The man looked at Zane, taking him in with a look of disgust on his face. “Wot are ya, deaf? Thas exacly wot I jus said. The fuckin compny is selling viruses to its customrs.” They man leaned back into the arm chair and started laughing, finally succumbing to his alcohol.

A woman to the man’s right leaned forward and looked at Zane. “It wouldn’t be the first time a company did it. Subiyashi sold neural translators with inhibitors built in, tried to pon it off as the basic version you had to upgrade from,” she said.

Stills leaned over to Zane. “Do you really think that’s true?”

The woman grabbed the phone out of the man’s hand and started playing with it. “You better believe it. If you’re gonna jack up anytime soon, make sure you have a secure connection. I hear it’s pretty easy to catch.”

Zane stared between the man and woman for a moment, biting his lip in frustration. “I don’t know, but I think I know who to ask.” He stood up and both Stills and Sarah followed.

Zane led them to a small hall adjacent to the main room. They took the flight of stairs there to a small door. Before entering, Zane turned to them. “This party is hosted by a guy named Cyndris, he should have some answers.”

Sarah looked at him, scowling. “What makes you think he has answers?”

Zane smiled and looked at the door. “It’s kinda his business to.” He reached forward and opened it.

On the other side, there was a round table with a few people sitting around it. At the head of the table, where the biggest chair was, sat a man with blue hair and blue eyes. His clothing was pure white except for a few streaks of light, neon blue, and the white cornrows on his head hung just below his ears. He looked up as the door opened and smiled, standing to great them.

“Zandriel! It is so nice to see you. And you’ve brought some friends, how lovely.” He smiled, showing off his silver and white teeth. His voice, while genuinely happy, was too high pitched to be completely authentic.

Stills nudged Zane in the back. “You know that guy?” he whispered in his ear. Zane nodded and walked over to the guy in white and embraced him, though his muscles were still tight and unrelaxed.

“Cyndris, it’s nice to see you as well. May I have a word?” Cyndris looked to the people at the table, each one holding a hand of cards. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden rel, placing it on the pile of chips in the center.

“You go on without me, I will only be a moment.” He turned and led Zane through the door behind his chair. Zane motioned for Stills and Sarah to join him, and they all walked into the small room. They sat down on the couch while Cyndris poured himself a drink, the black bottle seemed to glow with the fluorescent blue liquid inside. He put the bottle away and almost collapsed into the armchair across from them.

“Alright, Zane my darling, what is this about?” He smiled at all three of them and swirled his drink in his hand.

“Cyndris, I want you to meet Stills and Sarah, my two greatest friends. Guys, this is Cyndris.” He motioned between them, but as he spoke Cyndris’s name, there was a noticeable tone of disdain.

Cyndris gulped down half his drink and offered his hand to them, shaking each one quickly. “It is a pleasure, truly.” He turned to Zane. “Now, what is this all about. As you could see, I was in the middle of a spectacular game, and you may have just cost me all the money I have. Doubtful, though, since I never lose.” He smiled wickedly, gulping down the other half of his drink.

“I’m sorry to take you away from such important matters, but there is something I need to know. There was a guy out there, downstairs, who said that Asher-Bailey Cybernetics is selling malware’d tech.”

There was a moment of silence before Cyndris sat forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “I fail to see how that is a question.”

Zane sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I just want to know if it’s true or not.”

Cyndris stood and walked over to the bar again. “I’m going to need another drink if we’re to get into this discussion.” He poured another glass of the glowing blue liqour. He turned, waving the bottle in front of him in offering. Stills and Zane both shook their head, but Sarah nodded.

Cyndris came back and handed her the drink, downing a third of his glass as he did. He settled back into his armchair and looked at Zane. “You know, I usually charge quite a handsome fee to answer the questions you are posing me.” He took another gulp of his drink. “But, since you are such a darling and I owe you, I guess I could fill you in. It is quite a long story, so I hope you are comfortable.”

Sarah put her drink down, looking between the two. “Why does Zane owe you?”

Cyndris looked at Zane, the humor on his face frozen. “Let’s just say that when I was in a pickle with some droids in Dreza, Zane was there to act as a… mediator.”

Zane leaned back and crossed his arms, “Are you going to tell us what we want to know or not?”

Cyndris smiled and put his drink down on the table next to his chair, crossing his legs. “Well, it starts off a few years ago. You know the CEO of Asher-Bailey Cybernetics, correct? Well, if you don’t, his name is Asher Corigan,” he said to Stillman and Sarah. “While a CEO is generally just a overinflated title that says give me a lot of money for doing no work, this man is very different. In all of White Walk, you do not want to cross this man. Do any of you remember Bailey Mandolin?”

Stills sat upright, his eyebrows furrowing. “Yeah, he was the co-founder of The Bailey Foundation for Cybernetic Prosthetics. He died a couple years ago. Car accident or something.”

Cyndris took a sip of his drink and set it back down. “Ah, that is what you, and the general public, are supposed to think. The truth is, he died in his office when Asher Corigan put a blade through his skull. The thing about Mr. Corigan is that he will make sure he gets what he wants. Though I do not know all of the specifics, it seemed that Bailey Mandolin found himself in the unfortunate spot that lies between what Asher wanted and what Asher had. So after the death of Mr. Mandolin, Asher gained controlling interest in their shared company, Asher Bailey Cybernetic Enhancements, opening up the door for him to do whatever he wished. This, by itself, is not a very empowering thing, as it only gives him a big say in what his company does.”

Zane leaned forward. “But if you have more money than the gods, it makes you almost unstoppable.”

Cyndris smiled and gave a silent clap for him. “Very good, Zane, you’ve been paying attention. And you are one hundred percent correct. Asher Corigan is the richest man in White Walk, maybe even in Mekia, and he most definitely knows how to use his wealth. Tell me, have you noticed any changes in Cyber-Rom the past few years?”

They sat in silence, each trying to find an answer. Sarah spoke first.

“There haven’t been as many police here lately, but only in Cyber-Rom, none of the other districts.” She looked at Zane and Stillman, then back to Cyndris. “I travel to Blue Light and Milan a couple times a month, and they have police forces on the streets like normal. But not here.” Sarah stood, pacing next to the couch. “Come to think about it, the only time I see police anywhere is when there is a raid.”

Cyndris broke out into a huge grin. “Why, aren’t you just an absolute wonder.”

Stills leaned forward, placing his hands on the table in front of him. “Wait, are you saying that Corigan bought the police force?”

Cyndris nodded. “That is exactly what I am saying my dear boy.” He turned to Sarah. “Please sit my dear, there is quite a bit more to discuss.” Sarah sat down next to Stills, laying her head on his shoulder.

“So now you know, Asher has the police and his company right in his pocket. Now, to answer your initial question, yes and no. Yes, Asher-Bailey is selling tech that is not what it seems. No, the tech is not sold with the virus already on it. What is happening is more sinister than that. Asher Corigan is selling tech that has extra-neural connectors, kind of like extra connections to the nervous system. And this virus, it isn’t a common bug that saps money or disables systems, it shuts off neural activity.”

“But how are they getting this virus out if it isn’t already on the devices?” asked Sarah.

“Well, these extra-neural connectors are kind of like hot-spots that are directly linked to their HQ. So there are no viruses on the headpieces, not really. It is all the same virus, originating from a single place at Asher-Bailey Cybernetics.”

They sat in silence for a moment, taking in the information. Zane stood up and started pacing around the room. Sarah gulped down the rest of her drink, shivering as the alcohol burned its way down her throat.

“But, how is that possible?” asked Stills. He took off his glasses and started cleaning them, a habit developed long ago. “How can a virus operate on only a single platform if there are thousands, no, millions of people affected?”

“Isn’t that the question,” said Cyndris, smiling. He stood and placed his glass back on the bar. “Now that we have this matter all cleared up, I have a game to get back to.” He smiled and started to walk back over to the door.

Zane stepped forward and grabbed the back of his jacket. “Wait, after all of this, you’re just going to let it continue? You won’t even try to stop it?”

Cyndris whirled around, grabbing the front of Zane’s jacket. All of the playful humor of the moments before replaced with a terrified anger. “You’re damn right I’m staying out of this. Asher Corigan is a dangerous man, and I will not get caught up in something this big.”

Zane pushed Cyndris’s hands away. “But there are people dying out there! How can you stay out of something this…this evil!” Zane was shouting, his chest heaving with anger.

Cyndris’s face softened. He placed his hand on Zane’s shoulder, leaning in close. “I know you care about the people in Cyber-Rom, but I am just an information associate.”

“More like an information salesman,” Stills said with a sneer.

“Be what it may, I don’t get into anything. It may seem like I have power in this district, but my power lies in information. And if I give out my information, then how much power will I continue to have?”

Zane pushed his hand away, grabbing Sarah and Stills and directing them out the door. Before the door closed behind him, he turned to Cyndris, a scowl on his face. “You are pathetic, you know that?”

Cyndris smiled and waved. “Have a good night Zandriel. Good luck.”