The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1) Brian Terenna (best novels to read to improve english txt) 📖

Almost time for the third law, but first. “Sorry, sir. I just really need this money. Can I keep half?” I ask, hoping that, somehow, he has a heart.

He laughs. “Give me it now.”

I knee him in his groin as hard as I can, but rather than continue my attack, I whip around, grab Sunny, and plant my foot to run.

Intense pain shoots through my ankle as it gives out. I sprawl on the ground. Sunny flies several feet forward and clatters on the sidewalk. I push myself up, fear driving me on.

I take two steps toward Sunny, and I’m jerked backward off my feet. I’m momentarily hovering in the air as I scream in shock, then I’m smashed onto the concrete.

Pain overwhelms me. I clutch my body and cringe as I rock back and forth. I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my fists until the pain subsides. I open my eyes and look up.

The man looms over me, holding my bag with the money. The other bag is still on my arm. He leans down, his face inches from mine, his warm acrid breath blowing on me.

I crinkle my nose and twist my head away.

“You shouldn’t have hit me.”

I feel like I’m ten again with my brute foster father standing over me, chewing me out and smacking me around.

The hooded man says nothing as he wraps his rough hands around my neck. My eyes widen as I struggle for breath. I punch at him, weakly, wishing I had my Trexstar K10 laser.

The world darkens around me.

He suddenly stops and yells. “What the heck?”

I gasp for breath as my vision returns. Sunny is next to him, poking the man with what looks like a boy’s finger, but it’s probably his soldering gun.

He turns and kicks Sunny in the head. Sunny clangs to the ground and scrapes along the concrete. The man pulls out some type of baton.

At least Sunny has a chance against that.

An arc of current sparks around the end of the baton.

Oh no. Stun baton. That could short out Sunny’s neural net. Even if I reprogrammed him, it would be like starting over. He’d be dead.

I reach into my bag and grab the knife I stole. With a grunt, I push myself up, grab Sunny’s bag, and charge the man, ignoring the spikes of pain in my ankle.

Sunny’s seal, Bean, flies from the bag, but I pound forward.

The mugger doesn’t turn around.

I lift my knife to his exposed back. I could easily kill him, and we’d be safe. I’ve done it a thousand times in-game, but my arm won’t move. It just feels wrong to sink the blade into flesh instead of holograms.

The man wheels around. His eyes widen at the knife, but his baton whips up and smacks it fifteen feet out of my hand. A surge of electricity stuns me until his other fist crashes into my face.

Stars explode around me, and I collapse limply on the ground. I open my eyes after a second of darkness and touch my face where he hit me. Blood smears on my fingers.

The man is a few feet from Sunny, scowling and sparking his baton. “You’re going to get it now, you little punk.”

He’s going to kill him. Still dazed, I look around for help.

A couple walks hastily away on the other side of the road, only sparing us a glance.

Of course. “Sunny,” I yell.

The man turns, lowers his eyebrows at me, then sparks his baton over Sunny.

In a panic, I force myself to think of a plan, my gaze darting around the area. The woman with the drone eagle gets up from her bench, and an idea comes to me.

“Chim, access the nearby drone pet, and activate attack program delta.” In an instant, my program breaks through the simple defenses, and I control the drone. I target the mugger.

It speeds toward him with an eagle’s screech. He looks up just before its beak stabs into his face. His stun baton flips into the air and clatters to the ground. The eagle crashes next to it.

I grunt and push myself up to run for the baton. I take only one step before tripping and falling. My palms scape on the ground.

Stupid ankle.

Sunny jumps up, his green eyes flaring with determination. He grabs the baton, shoves it against the mugger’s face, and shocks him. The man spasms and collapses.

Thankfully, Sunny looks like a boy instead of a robot, or someone might have realized what he is. He jogs over and helps me to my feet. I take a step toward the man to get my money back.

The man groans and pushes himself up.

I frown, not wanting to mess with him again, and pull the other bag’s strap further up my shoulder. At least I still have my toothbrush. I grab Sunny’s hand and jog the other way, leaving the money behind. Hell. I probably won’t be able to pull off another ATM hack.

I glance at my q-link to check my power.

Diablo, it’s at ten percent. If my face-shift hologram fails, I’ll be screwed. I had to run away from the charging tower to escape. Should I go back?

Police sirens blare somewhere in that direction.

I can’t go back. I hustle down another street as quickly as I can manage with my injured ankle. This latest disaster definitely set back my healing. I pass by a bank that certainly has cameras outside and check my q-link again.

Five percent.

Oh hell. “Come on, Sunny.” I jog again and wince in pain at every step. We turn down an alley and then two more.

My q-link beeps. One percent. I rush up to the house and climb into