Page 19 of Unbearable Player
The bouncer’s expression didn’t change, but he stepped aside, allowing them entry. As they passed, Brianne couldn’t resist adding, “By the way, love the hardware. Very Y2K chic.”
Inside, The Neon Nexus was an assault on the senses. Pulsing electronic music throbbed through the air, accompanied by the clicks and beeps of dozens of computers and gaming consoles. The walls were covered in graffiti-style artwork depicting famous hackers and video game characters. Holographic displays floated in the air, showing scrolling lines of code and fantastical digital landscapes.
Brianne’s eyes widened as she took it all in. “Holy motherboard,” she breathed. “It’s like Tron and Blade Runner had a baby, and that baby threw up all over a LAN party.”
Reid leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear. “Focus, Brianne. We’re looking for anyone who might have information about The Glitchers or your prototype.”
Brianne nodded, scanning the room. Her gaze landed on a group huddled around a table covered in high-tech gadgets and multiple screens. “There,” she whispered, nudging Reid. “I recognize a few of them from online forums. They’re big players in the hacking scene.”
They made their way through the crowd, Brianne acutely aware of Reid’s presence behind her. As they approached the table, one of the hackers looked up, his eyes narrowing.
“Fresh meat,” he sneered, his voice carrying over the music. “What brings you to our humble abode?”
Brianne stepped forward, summoning all her gaming bravado. “Just a couple of coders looking to level up our game,” she said coolly. “Heard this was the place to be if you wanted to... push the boundaries a bit.”
The hacker leaned back, studying her. He was young, probably early twenties, with neon green hair and more piercings than the bouncer. “Is that so? And what kind of ‘boundaries’ are we talking about here?”
Brianne smirked, falling easily into character. “Oh, you know, the usual. Firewall breaches, data extraction, maybe a little corporate espionage on the side. Nothing too crazy.”
The green-haired hacker’s eyebrows shot up. “Bold claims. Got anything to back that up, or are you all talk?”
Brianne’s mind raced. This was the moment of truth. She glanced at one of the screens on the table, recognizing the code displayed. “Well, for starters, your SQL injection attempt there? It’s good, but it’ll trigger any half-decent intrusion detection system. Now, if you nested your queries and used a time-based blind technique...”
She leaned over, her fingers moving across the keyboard as she demonstrated. The hackers crowded around, murmuring in appreciation as Brianne’s code flowed across the screen.
“Holy shit,” the green-haired hacker breathed. “Who are you?”
Brianne straightened, grinning. “Name’s Pixel,” she said, using the alias they’d agreed on. “And this strong, silent type is my partner, Bear.”
Reid nodded, his expression stoic but his eyes dancing with amusement.
“Well, Pixel,” the hacker said, extending his hand. “I’m Glitch. Welcome to the party. Looks like you might actually belong here after all.”
As Brianne shook his hand, she caught Reid’s eye. They were in. Now came the tricky part - finding out what these hackers knew about her stolen prototype without giving themselves away.
“So, Glitch,” Brianne said casually, leaning against the table. “What’s the hottest item on the black market these days? We’re always looking for our next big score.”
Glitch grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh, you know, the usual. Corporate secrets, unreleased tech... but word on the street is there’s something big coming down the pipeline. A game-changer, if you’ll pardon the pun.”
Brianne’s heart raced, but she kept her expression neutral. “Oh? Do tell.”
As Glitch launched into a vague description of a stolen game prototype that sounded suspiciously like her own work, Brianne felt Reid tense beside her. They were on the right track.
But before she could press for more details, another hacker at the table - a girl with purple dreadlocks and cybernetic implants along her temples - cut in. “Enough shop talk,” she declared. “If you’re really one of us, Pixel, prove it. Let’s see you take on the VR challenge.”
She gestured to a corner of the club where a group had gathered around a person wearing a VR headset, their hands moving frantically in the air as they navigated some unseen digital landscape.
Brianne hesitated for a split second before her competitive spirit kicked in. “You’re on,” she said, flashing a confident grin. “But fair warning - I’ve never met a game I couldn’t beat.”
As they moved toward the VR setup, Brianne felt Reid’s hand on her arm. “Be careful,” he murmured. “Don’t lose sight of why we’re here.”
Brianne nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. “Trust me,” she whispered back. “I’ve got this. Sometimes you have to play the game to win the prize.”
With a deep breath, Brianne slipped on the VR headset. The real world faded away, replaced by a dizzying digital landscape. A neon-drenched cityscape materialized around her, skyscrapers twisting impossibly into the sky, their surfaces pulsing with lines of code.
“Welcome to the Grid,” a disembodied voice announced. “Your mission: hack the central mainframe and escape before the system deletes you. You have five minutes. Begin.”
Brianne’s fingers flexed, muscle memory kicking in as she interfaced with the virtual environment. She sprinted down a glowing street, dodging firewalls that materialized as crackling barriers of energy.