Kenobi Alvarez inserted the thick cable into a data port on the back of his head, his head jolted back when the direct neural interface injected strings of code straight into his cerebral cortex. He dove into the lower tiers of the Net; the electronic expanse materialised in his mind and continued in all directions. An unfathomable abstract metaverse in the dark subnet of the mind. He followed the dots of lights spaced on the infinite light grid. Fragments of code intersected, interspersed. Glinting in the distance was the main server node belonging to NyxCorp HQ. He moved closer. Rays of information soared by. Transparent planes of programmatic syntax intertwined, interlinked. The server node towered upwards, in the centre a polygonal framework, enveloped by pillars of millions of points of light ascending to the skies. Lines of code weaved in and out, pulsing and dancing and shifting in geometric patterns. Algorithmic countermeasures enclosed the server – an intricate tapestry shimmered in the grid matrix.
He initiated the attack; he directed his energy towards one focal point – streaks of illumination flowed towards the intended target. A rift appeared in the defence, and he was inside. Using the custom code package he had prepared he initialised the handshake protocol. Authentication happened within milliseconds. In meatspace, he smiled. He had performed a successful gridskip and circumvented the security protocols, the server was wide open and handed him all the requested information. Clusters and constellations of decrypted data rippled through the ether, with his thought-hands, he directed the symphony of data towards himself.
He withdrew from the server node and disconnected from the metaverse. He pulled the cable from his head jack, and before disconnecting he erased all transaction logs, not leaving the slightest trace of his intrusion and information theft.
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“I’ve got the intel,” Alvarez turned to Sycamore Singh, who stood watch. The blinking lights of the computer servers illuminated their faces. “Didn’t leave any data dust behind, so it’s impossible to trace back to us.”
“Good job, man. Let’s get out of here — stat,” said Sycamore. His breath formed a mist in the chilly server room air.
Alvarez and Sycamore left the server room the same way they had entered, through a small hole in the wall they had made with a laser cutter. A bankrupt company abandoned the offices next door, making the empty space a perfect entry point into the server room. They had hacked the systems and disabled all surveillance, and they had timed their heist so they would avoid any guards doing their rounds. Sycamore held his gun ready.
They crouched down low and navigated through a maze of corridors until they emerged outside, where neon lights cast flickering shadows on the rain-soaked streets.
“That’s iced, man.” Sycamore patted Alvarez on the shoulder. “The stolen data will make us rich.”
“I don’t care much about the money, but it will help our cause. I left a piece of replicating code, hidden deep within the server,” Alvarez grinned. “A chance to bring the whole corporation down.”