Black Silicon

Chapter 1

BIRTHDAY

Outside my little bedroom window, two dogs barked at each other, struggling against the red-faced owners clutching their leashes. I could barely see them, though. They were half hidden behind the three windows filling my vision, displayed by my ReadyNet neural implant.

Having the implant had expanded my room in my mother’s tiny house, giving me access to the whole world. Right now, my friend and mentor Felicity was frowning in one window, concentrating on whatever she was working on. The second window showed me an office, where a lone man sat with his feet up on the desk. His gaze was on the ceiling, or rather on whatever his implant was showing him. If I had to guess, it wasn’t anything safe for work.

The last window held my attention. As I watched, biting my lip, my preprogrammed hacks cleared the second level of security. One last firewall remained: protecting Kildare Concrete from my sticky, digital fingers.

The man in the office video sat up, his gaze going to the terminal in front of him. My heart leapt and hammered against my chest as he tapped at his terminal. If he’d spotted something, I was in trouble. He could trace my connection, if he knew how. I opened Felicity’s gift: the big, red button. It would delete every trace of my hack and scramble the route back to me.

After a moment, though, the man leaned back again. He hadn’t noticed the hack working its way through his systems right under his nose. I let out a breath and closed the big, red button. I was safe.

The final layer dropped, and I was in. I was inside their network, with administrator access to everything. Kildare’s systems were laid out for me to play with. I went straight into their accounting section, finding the billing system. I put in a payment for Miscellaneous Depreciation, sending it to a routing account Felicity had let me know about.

The routing system had been set up by a hacker called Nerman. His whole business was in making money untraceable, for which he took a generous cut of the proceeds. The best hackers had their own systems. For amateurs like me, though, Nerman was costly, but useful.

Backing out of Kildare’s network, I closed down my hacks, bringing their security up. Once I reached the top level, I removed any trace I’d ever been there. If anyone looked later, they wouldn’t find anything.

I gave the man in the video a last glance. His whole job was preventing people like me from breaking in, and he was still busy staring at the ceiling. I shook my head and winked his window closed.

With both Kildare windows gone, I turned my attention to Felicity. She was still frowning, her gaze elsewhere.

I’d contacted her a year before. Back then, I’d known her by her hacker name of Nyxie, and she’d known me as Masterwerk. She’d brushed me off as another male admirer, of which she had dozens. It wasn’t until I’d told her I was gay that she took me seriously. The women on the online hacker boards we frequented were plagued by male attention.

When she’d realised I wasn’t after her for anything other than her skill, she’d been flattered. Or at least, I hoped she was. She was far above my level, but I’d been learning quickly since she’d agreed to be my mentor. In months, I’d gone from knowing almost nothing to making the hacks I’d just used.

After a moment, she realised I was looking at her and glanced over. She smiled, wrinkling her button nose. All done?

Yep, I said.

Nice, Chris. Your first major hack. You’ll be playing with the rest of us in no time.

Felicity had progressed from remote, preprogrammed hacks to on-the-fly, in-person hacking. That took a lot more skill, not to mention courage.

I’m getting there, I said.

Be careful. Felicity flicked her red hair out of her eyes. Don’t run before you can walk.

I nodded. Don’t worry.

You don’t want to end up in prison again.

Juvenile detention, I said. It wasn’t prison. What were you working on while I was busy?

Nothing special. Arguing with a troll. They said their name was Sloom and made fun of my hacks.

I’ve never heard of a Sloom, I said, searching for the name.

It’s someone trying to be clever, Felicity said. It means ‘to sleep lightly’.

So not a million miles away from your own name, I said with a wink.

It’s not the name, it’s what you do with it that counts.

So why did this troll get to you? You normally shrug them off.

She said she’s recruited Balker and Cognytus. They were top of my list.

I nodded. Felicity had been talking about the crew she was putting together for months. The kinds of heists she wanted to pull required more than one person. I’d never told her how much I wanted to be on her crew, but she knew. It was obvious in every longing glance I gave her when she mentioned it.

Balker and Cognytus, I said. They’re great, but is it true?

I don’t know, Felicity said. They’ve been out of circulation for a month. I haven’t seen them on the boards.

Send them a message, I suggested. Find out if it’s true before you let this Sloom get you worked up.

Forget it, she said. You still coming later?

Of course.

Nineteen is huge, Felicity said. Last of your teenage years. A big boy now.

I shot her a frown. She was a decade older, but far from an old lady.

Listen, I have to go, she said. I’ll talk to you this evening.

See you, I said, closing the connection.

Once she was gone, I couldn’t help myself. I opened a window and called up my bank balance. It had a few thousand, enough to pay for a coffee. Then, while I watched, the total jumped to the hundreds of thousands, stopping at just under a million crowns.

A million crowns would pay for anything I could want for the month. I could go to clubs without calculating how many drinks I could afford. Or restaurants for dinner whenever I wanted. I might even replace my creaky old bed with a whisper-soft new one.

A knock surprised me, and I closed my banking window. Trying not to look guilty, I turned and faced the door. Come in.

My mother poked her head in. Chris, I’ve got a surprise for you downstairs.

I jumped to my feet. It would be chocolate ice cream cake. I always got chocolate ice cream cake on my birthday, ever since I was little.

I followed her downstairs and into the dining room.

Take a seat, my mother said. I’ll go get it.

Don’t let it melt, I said. Whatever the surprise is.

My mother smiled and left the room. I sat on my chair and my eyes fell on a small pile of envelopes on my mother’s place. That wasn’t a good sign. No one ever sent good news in a paper envelope anymore. They only sent something when they needed legal proof you’d gotten it.

My gaze on the door to the kitchen, I pulled the envelopes over and glanced inside. The words, Final Warning, were emblazoned across the top of the first one. The others were the same. I put them back before my mother saw me looking.

It wasn’t the first time I’d found warnings like that. Even with how small our house was, my mother barely earned enough to afford it. Despite scraping and saving every crown she got, she still fell behind.

She walked in a moment later, a large ice cream cake on a plate in her hands. The candles on it sparkled, like they always did.

She put it down in front of me and hurried off to fetch two bowls. I counted the candles while I waited. Nineteen. I’d been an adult for a year. I didn’t feel any different, but I guessed you never did.

My mother returned and put the bowls down. Blow out the candles and make a wish.

Taking a deep breath, I blew and wished I could get to the next level with my hacking. I wanted to be talked about in the same breath as Felicity, Ast, Balker, and Mannequin. I wanted people to feel as jealous of me as I was of the top hackers.

Happy birthday, my mother said, kissing me on the forehead.

She picked up a knife and cut two slices of the cake. One was enormous, the other barely a sliver.

Take more, I said. There’s just the two of us.

I have plenty, she said, sitting and picking at her cake. She never allowed herself anything. She’d go hungry so I could stuff myself.

I knew from experience that trying to force her wouldn’t work. Instead, I pulled my chunk closer and dug in.

Sorry there isn’t a present, my mother said. Things are tight this month, but I’ll make it up to you.

The cake is more than enough, I said. You know I can help.

It’s not something you can help with.

Trust me, I said. I have money.

I froze and stared down at my bowl, realising I’d said the wrong thing before I looked at her.

Her eyes narrowed. How much do you have?

I mean, I saved some, I said. And I sold a few old books.

How much?

You’re right, I probably don’t have enough.

Let’s see. Send me a screenshot of your bank balance, she said.

All the trust I’d built up over the last four years was gone in an instant. The suspicion was back.

Forget it, I said. Forget I said anything.

Right now, Christopher. Send me the screenshot.

It’s private. I’m an adult now. I tried not to look at her, instead concentrating on the cake.

I won’t ask again, my mother said. When I glanced up, I met the cold, steeled eyes I hadn’t seen since I was fifteen.

There was no way I could send it to her. If she saw how much I had, she’d never forgive me. I shook my head, my heart frozen in my chest.

She paused for a moment before speaking. Do you know what that cake means?

It’s my birthday.

It’s your birthday, she said. You’re an adult. There are no second chances. If you get caught doing whatever you’re doing, it’ll be on your record forever. Your life will be ruined.

I’m not doing anything wrong, I said. I haven’t stolen anything.

My mother nodded, as if I’d admitted what I’d done. She pushed her chair back and got up. It’s too much, Chris. I can’t do this again. I’m going out for a few hours. Pack your things and get out. I want you gone by the time I get back.

W-what?

She turned and walked to the kitchen door. I heard her take a breath to speak. From the shiver in it, she was crying. She pushed through the door and left without another word.

It’s my birthday, I mumbled, but I heard the front door slamming. How could she throw me out on my birthday? I’d been trying to help.

I pushed my bowl away, anger tearing my appetite to rags. What was so great about her life? She’d lived it in the shadow of bills she couldn’t pay. The same bills she refused to let me pay.

I didn’t need her. My account balance said so, in larger numbers than I’d ever seen before. If she didn’t want me, I didn’t need her. I walked up to my room, found a bag and stuffed my clothes inside.

I hadn’t seen her that angry for years. Not since I’d been caught shoplifting with my friends. It had been over a candy bar, a childish mistake. She hadn’t believed me when I’d said my friends talked me into it.

After that, I’d found new friends. Online friends that didn’t risk everything for a hundred crowns’ worth of sugar. They played for higher stakes, things that were worth it. By their twenty-fifth birthday, some of them were richer than most CEOs were by sixty.

A flash of my mother’s hard stare came unwillingly to mind, and I paused. I could give the money away; donate it to charity and show her a screenshot of the balance when it was empty. I could say it had been a joke. Or I’d been angry at her. She’d let me stay, I knew she would. Until the next time she didn’t trust me.

If I stayed, I’d have to give up hacking. I’d lose every bit of progress I’d made. Felicity wouldn’t drop me at once, but the calls would peter out until we didn’t talk anymore. She’d find another newbie to take under her wing. I guessed there’d be a queue.

Was I willing to give that up? To stay in a tiny house, watching my mother struggle to pay for it? I shook my head and resumed packing. She’d change her mind when I made real money. I’d pay off her mortgage and make her see I was making the right decision. There were risks, but if you were smart they were minimal. And the payoff would be incredible.

I finished packing and zipped up the bag, slinging it over my shoulder. When I took a last look around my room, at the books and mementos on the shelves, I felt myself crumple a little inside. It was the only home I’d ever known. No matter how cramped and small it felt, it was still my sanctuary.

Steeling myself, I took a deep breath and walked out, calling a taxi on my implant as I descended the steps. Dozens of photos of my mother and me watched me leave. The same pictures she’d been so embarrassed to take.

At the door, when I stepped over the mat, I couldn’t stop the tears welling in my eyes. I was a light push from going inside, emptying my account, and eating my cake. But something inside shoved me forward, and I walked out the door, closing it behind me.

The taxi pulled up to the kerb as I reached it. Once inside, I sent the destination at the AI, trying to ignore the jaunty smile it gave me. I told it to take me to the nearest hotel to the club. After the day I was having, I wanted to get so drunk I had trouble walking. A hotel down the street would help with that.

With a happy pling, the taxi pulled away from the kerb. I made myself face forward, not looking at my house. But as we reached the corner, I couldn’t help a glance back.

Chapter 2

DRINKS

The Gin Mill was an upmarket place. A club for people who liked long lines and pretty clothes. I walked straight for the front of the queue, drawing a frown from the bouncer. I didn’t have to worry; it hadn’t taken me long to add my name to the list from my hotel room.

Chris Noonan, I said.

The bouncer checked the list and nodded, waving me past. I took a moment to enjoy the looks of envy from the long queue. A few hopeful glances were mixed in among the jealousy, as if people expected me to take them with me.

Inside, heavy electronic music shook the floorboards. People were trying to dance like they didn’t care who was watching. I already knew that took more effort than it was worth.

I searched the club for Felicity, then spotted her off in the back, behind a velvet rope and a second bouncer. She was in the VIP section, but that should have been obvious, in retrospect. She wouldn’t want to mix with the peasants, when she could rub elbows with a minor celebrity or two.

I walked up to the edge of the section and craned my neck, trying to get her attention. She was talking to an olive-skinned man of Middle Eastern descent.

Give them some privacy, please, the bouncer said, gesturing at me.

That’s my friend, I said.

You can see her when she joins you in the main room, the bouncer said.

I turned, about to walk away, then heard Felicity squeal behind me. He’s with me. His name is Chris Noonan. Check the list.

…835def905ce107a67fa066d…

If I hadn’t had my special monitoring software on, I wouldn’t have seen her hack. It emanated from her, hitting the tablet in the bouncer’s hands.

When he checked it, he frowned at me. Why didn’t you tell me you were on the list?

I did, I said, trying not to blush. I said my friend was in there.

The bouncer shook his head, looking at me as if I’d said the sky was green. I slipped past him and joined Felicity among the rarefied air of the VIP section. I didn’t recognise the other people there, but I wasn’t that up on popular culture. At least not since I’d found the board and started hacking. Movies weren’t important, when your life was more exciting.

We walked back to the olive-skinned man, and I got a better look at him. He was slight and wearing white. His shaggy hair framed a wide smile and thick, bushy eyebrows.

Chris, Felicity said. This is Zohar.

Nice to meet you, I said, shaking the man’s hand.

Or I should say… Felicity paused. Masterwerk, meet Mar Mahi.

It was all I could do not to fall on my knees and bow. Mar Mahi was legendary on the boards. He’d hacked his way into a temp agency and given the lowest paid workers jobs as CEOs for the day. Then he’d hacked into a five-star restaurant and had them deliver to the homeless. From what he wrote online, he did it for a laugh, but there was always something greater to his hacks.

I’m your biggest fan, I said. I’ve been following you for years.

Thanks, Zohar said. I don’t get to meet fans often. You mind keeping it down a little?

Of course, I said, realising I was talking loudly about illegal activity. Sorry.

Join us, Zohar said. Order a drink.

Don’t mind Chris, Felicity said. He was the same when he first met me, but he calms down after a while.

I sat, trying not to crowd Zohar.

I’ve seen you on the boards, Zohar said. You’ve got good ideas. You just need to keep at it and you’ll get there.

I studied him. He didn’t seem much older than me. How was he so far ahead? And how could I get where he was? Any tips?

Chris, Felicity scolded, handing me a drink. Hackers don’t share their secrets.

I wish they would, I said.

I knew why no one shared. If a hack was used too much, it would get patched out. The security firms worked hard to block every hole they found. If something popped up often enough, it vanished. Or worse, they monitored for it and arrested the next person to try it. Using a popular hack would see you charged with the crimes associated with it.

"So what brings you to the Gin Mill?" I asked Zohar.

He’s joining my crew, Felicity said. And I’m working on two more.

Balker and Cognytus? I asked, hoping I’d get to meet them.

Felicity shook her head, scowling. That Sloom woman was right. They’ve joined her. I’m guessing you haven’t checked the boards?

No, I said. Why?

Have a look, she said. I can’t even say it.

I brought up a connection. It might have been old fashioned and difficult to use, but we prized the board. It was hidden away in the dark recesses of the Internet and almost impossible to trace. Dozens had tried, trying to track down their heroes. As far as I knew, none of them had ever succeeded.

I found the thread without any trouble. It had gotten thousands of comments in the last few hours. Right at the top, a post from Sloom included a video. I opened the video, and it popped up in a second window. It showed a small grocery store, with people moving through the aisles, shopping.

At the front door, a dark-skinned woman with a blurred face walked in. I knew that had to be Sloom. She’d disguised herself in the video. Just inside the entrance, she raised her hand, then brought it sweeping down. As her hand dropped, so did everyone in the store. They crumpled to the ground. In a moment, Sloom was the only person still standing.

She walked down an aisle, inspecting the people lying there. Turning to the camera, she waved, and the video cut off.

I closed the two windows and let out a breath. She killed them with a hack?

Zohar laughed. "No,