Caustic (The Seraphim Network - Everyday Series Book 1) Read online

  Caustic

  (The Seraphim Network - The Everyday Series, Book 1)

  By Yasmin Hawken

  Contents

  Copyright

  Acknowledgement

  Caustic

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  Copyright © 2017 by

  Charlotte Head & Kay Hawken as Yasmin Hawken

  All Rights Reserved

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cover Art by:

  Anya Kelleye Designs

  Edited by:

  Lauralynn Elliott

  Seraphim Network logo:

  Daniel Buckley

  A massive thank you to everyone who helped bring Caustic into existence including but not limited to: Laura, David, James, Adam, Emily, Phil, Francesca, Michelle, Andrew and all our wonderful GoFundMe donors who got this project off the ground.

  To the Husband. We thank you for your wholehearted support, even after our continued neglect as we sequestered to the dining room muttering about Angels and Nexus. You excused random bursts of book speak at the table and even made drinks as we stressed.

  The greatest thanks goes to our number one fan Roxy Sterling. Without her, Caustic would never have made it out of the gate. Her constant enthusiasm and support has seen us through our darkest days.

  To our cover artist, Anya Kelleye, and editor, Lauralynn Elliott, a.k.a our hand holding team. Without your tireless patience and guidance, Caustic would not be the quality it is today and we would no longer possess our sanity.

  Also thank to James for his creative influence over Jacques and SUN. The roleplay between Venom and her roommate was always interesting.

  A thank you to Daniel for the creation of the Seraphim Network logo. It’s everything we envisioned.

  Special thanks goes to our beta readers who gave time out of their busy lives to check our work for plot holes and gave excellent feedback. James, Brett, Katrina, George and Sasha.

  And finally, we have to thank those who sparked our interest in reading long ago. To our parents, the joy you showed us with those first few books we hope to pass onto others for years to come.

  Chapter One

  ::User CryptoMike Disconnected::

  ::User NexusReaper Disconnected::

  ::User DataDream Disconnected::

  One by one the pixelated avatars of the hacker team flickered from existence leaving Venom standing alone in the Nexus access point. With a satisfied sigh, she flicked through the menu activating her own disconnection procedure. Suddenly, an almost blinding artificial light shone down upon her. Blinking a few times, she sat up from her chair, rolling her shoulders to abate the ache she had from six motionless hours in Nexus-space. Exiting the Nexus always felt like waking up from a good dream. She understood why people got themselves addicted to virtual reality. The dreamscape was a brilliant alternative to the harsh reality they inhabited. Wires tracked from the implant in the side of Venom’s head to the Nexus Gateway, a simple black box that acted as her link into the dreamscape. She unplugged them and rose from her comfortable chair.

  Sliding on her Augmented Reality glasses from the bedside table, she was greeted by a host of images bouncing and pulsing across her bedroom walls and floor. Augmented Reality was the projection of the Nexus icons onto the real world either through holograms projected by an AR gauntlet or AR glasses that layered the virtual over the physical. AR had revolutionized the world, meaning you never had to completely disconnect from the dreamscape.

  With the hack going on a lot longer than expected, it meant she didn’t have time for a nap before work. Maybe a shower if she was quick. Glancing at the clock in the corner of her AR glasses, she realized she didn’t even have time for that. With the water prices at the moment, maybe that was a good thing. Instead, she chose a fresh set of clothes and drowned herself in a can of deodorant. Short day today, she promised herself knowing that she likely wouldn’t keep to it. Her work was her life.

  Before exiting her room, Venom stopped at the cracked mirror hanging on her wall. Bags were evident under her tawny brown eyes, her skin pale, and her long, vivid, lime green hair was a mess. She had been spending far too much time on the dreamscape lately. Running her hands down her heart shaped face, she sighed a little. She could at least look presentable for work even if most of her colleagues would just be jacked into the Nexus. She grabbed a brush and dragged it through her hair until it lay flat and double checked her clothes. Simple jeans and t-shirt combination with a hoody thrown over. Screw the military and suit clothing trends; it was far too hard to keep up to date with the fashion. Zipping up her hoodie, she quietly exited her room.

  On her couch was a figure wrapped in a dark blanket. Jacques was a friend of hers currently residing on her couch or in her bed, depending on how much alcohol had been consumed. Casual sex with her temporary housemate was certainly something she should be doing, right? In the end, Venom was nothing but a ball of social insecurity and bad life choices wrapped in a brightly colored wrapper making her look confident and together.

  Grabbing her satchel bag from the breakfast bar, she scrawled an Augmented Reality note on the wall explaining where she had gone. After crashing here for a couple weeks, she was sure he would assume where she was; her habits were pretty simple. She worked as many hours of the day as she could then went drinking or played laser tag before finally crawling into the pit of her room to sleep. Although, sleep was often forgone for work from home. That was her life, simple and repetitive.

  Slipping soundlessly out of the apartment, she forwent the elevator—it had been broken since she moved in three years ago—and ran down the stairs. As she exited the door the scent of trash, smog, and basic human detritus struck her. The scent of the city.

  It was raining as usual, the misty haze engulfing everything. The vivid AR signs of Virtual Reality bars, strip clubs, and backstreet dealers punctuated the mist, their blinking pop-ups filling her glasses as she passed, calling out to people. It seemed like those establishments were the people’s bread and water, the need for food and clothing secondary to virtual gratification, sex, and drugs.

  As she reached her car, she noted the new graffiti scrawled over the wall. CorpDeath, Rebel Nation, VirtualRealist. The ‘beautiful’ artwork of the usual gangs that operated in the area; the ‘rebels’ that believed they were fighting the corporations by drinking, fucking, and generally irritating any of the populace that had the bad luck of crossing their path. They were the reason she carried a 9mm.

  Even though it was a little past two in the morning, the roads were busy; the 24 hour society they inhabited meant the city never truly slept. There were people who lived the night cycle or the day cycle, and even schools were open 24 hours, catering to the lifestyles of their students. Time was money.

  As she crossed the border from the Tacoma district to Central, she could see the mark of social divide. The corporations had a lot more presence in the Central area, which went hand in hand with the amount of money spent on city services. A stronger city security meant that crime was lower, while c
ity services kept the area looking relatively clean and presentable. There were even a few parks. Tacoma was rougher around the edges, but it was habitable compared to some of the slums that existed in the city like The Fringe. Maybe one day she could get the apartment in Central that she desired. Venom was one of the lucky few; with her job, there was a chance it was possible.

  Venom parked her car in a tall parking structure and hit the street again. Soon she came across a daunting building of black steel and privacy glass toting the sign ‘Little Angel’s Orphanages’. Her workplace. A beam of hope in the general darkness of the corrupt world. That was until you started pulling back the layers. The business was a cover for something a lot darker and more necessary. The Seraphim Network. It was an information network that's sole purpose was to dismantle the corporate control and take back something for those not ensnared by the corporate regime. Unfortunately, gathering information was a tricky business and was rarely able to be done legally. This meant they hired those with questionable morals who were willing to do what was needed to better the world.

  As she headed inside, there was a nod of acknowledgement from the receptionist before Venom climbed into the elevator with a group of other people. Pressing the button for Basement Five, she then scanned her Network mark for clearance. On induction each Network employee had a UV mark tattooed on the base of their wrist, a chained building with angel wings. The intricately layered lines of ink acted as a unique barcode identifying her to other operatives and contained everything from her clearance level to her history with the company. As she tugged down her hoodie sleeve, Venom didn’t miss the questioning looks from others in the lift. Basement Five, more commonly known as the TechPit, was a restricted access zone. Only third tiers and above with the correct clearance could even step onto the floor. Venom had worked hard to get promoted to her third level status.

  Stepping off, Venom waited until the elevator door closed and turned to the clouded glass barrier hiding the TechPit from possible onlookers. Venom scanned her mark, pushed open the clouded glass door, and stepped onto the floor. The TechPit was very different from the other floors of this building. There were ten rows of desks with hardline set-ups, huge multiscreen AR capable hardware for standard Nexus access. Nexus Gateways built into the side of the desks and padded recliner style chairs allowed them comfort during full immersion.

  Venom’s eyes automatically adjusted to the dim lighting. Unlike the glaring artificial lights in the rest of the building, down here they kept all lighting low to prevent discomfort for the hackers that were jacking out of the immersive state. The floor was also kept slightly cooler than the rest of the building. She guessed that was likely due to the aircon keeping the massive server farm at the end of the floor cool.

  As she settled at her desk, Venom glanced to the cubicle beside hers. Her co-worker, Vara, was currently in full immersion, a timer on the gateway reading a little over four hours. It wouldn’t be long until someone was sent to pull her out. Venom settled at the manual setup to check her email. After the hack last night, she needed to give her mind a break before encountering the Nexus-space again.

  “Good morning, Venom. What are we fancying today, job validation or operative data delves?” asked a voice from behind her. Venom span in her chair to see the smiling face of her boss, Micah, beside her. Fuck, she hadn’t even noticed him approach; she really was tired. Maybe she should have napped today. Around his wrist was an AR gauntlet, a thick black cuff that projected an AR interface read through the use of specialized glasses. He glanced between it and her.

  “Gimme the data delves,” Venom responded cheerily. There was a lot to be found when digging deep into someone's past. There was a part of Venom that enjoyed unearthing dirty little secrets that were hidden by the people who had been marked as possible Network operatives.

  “Alrighty,” Micah said, giving her a smile before tapping away on the interface projected by the AR gauntlet. He turned and walked away from her desk in the direction of another arriving hacker. Her eyes traced his movements as she admired him from afar. She had no idea why, but she liked him.

  A ping alerted Venom to the incoming stack of jobs that Micah had sent her way. It was an impressive list and would easily fill her shift. The beauty of the TechPit was there was an endless supply of jobs, which was a blessing and a curse. Venom set to work; without immersing, the work would take a little longer, but she didn’t want brain damage from overuse. She had heard all the horror stories before. She’d even witnessed someone dying in the office through a severe shot of Neural Feedback. A good hacker knew their limits, and she knew hers.

  It appeared like no time at all had passed when, suddenly, a figure appeared on the edge of her vision. Pulling her attention from the search, she looked up to see Fenric, one of the other TechPit hackers, perched on the edge of her desk. She raised an eyebrow as she leaned back in her chair, regarding the man before her. In school, he would have seemed like the perfect jock—a chiseled chin with well sculpted honey colored hair and a smile that would make most girls weak at the knees. You wouldn’t expect that he was as intelligent as he was pretty.

  “Mornin’ V. Productive shift?” Fenric asked, sipping from his coffee. The bitter aroma caused a sudden craving to take hold of Venom. She hadn’t even bothered to caffeine up this morning when she got in. What the hell was wrong with her today? She would just get through this interaction and then coffee, lots of coffee.

  “Yes, thank you. Now what do you want?” Venom responded. She and Fenric didn’t interact often; they operated in very different groups within The Pit. Also, he usually worked afternoons, and it was rare to see him around here at night or in the early hours.

  “Straight to the point as usual,” Fenric said with a grin and a mischievous twinkle that played in his nut brown eyes. “Well, down at the OwnPlace VR bar in Tacoma, they have a challenge night. Exploit, server break, that kinda deal. Winner gets a thousand bucks. I need a champion, and for that, I need you.”

  Venom’s brows furrowed a little in confusion. Why the hell did Fenric want her? He had shown no interest in her in the past, so why now?

  “Alright, gonna need a little more information here. Why are you asking me, not one of the other hackers here?” Venom asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “‘Cause you are one of the best exploit based hackers here, and I need to get paid. Plus, if you come, it means I can finally buy you a drink,” Fenric said with a cheeky smirk. At least that explained it. Female hackers were in short supply, which meant she got a lot of attention from the men who worked here. She wanted to refuse on that alone, but at the same time, she could do with some time out, and what better than drinking and hacking.

  “You know what… sure. But the drinks are on you,” Venom said as she got to her feet.

  “Done. I’ll see you at 9 pm. Get some rest, my beauty, because I need you in full working order,” Fenric ordered playfully as he pushed himself off the desk and headed back to his own workspace.

  Venom headed for the breakroom kitchen, the need for caffeine clawing at her from the inside. Coffee was the only addiction she suffered from. It was her best friend, and a lot of the time, it was the only thing that kept her remotely functional. Well, coffee and the occasional cigarette, of course. Returning to her desk, she settled in for a couple more hours of work.

  As usual, time passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was two hours over time. So much for that short day she had planned. If she wanted to get some rest before hitting the bar with Fenric, then she needed to actually get home. She finished the task she had been working on, powered down her set-up, and collected all her things. In the twelve hours she had been at work, the only person left who had been here when she arrived was Micah, but that didn’t count; she was almost sure he lived here.

  The drive home had taken a lot longer than she expected, because an accident on the I5 had brought traffic to a standstill across the city. By the time she had reached her apartment bl
ock, she wondered whether it had been worth coming home. She could have done a few more hours of work and then headed straight for the bar.

  The apartment was just the way she left it except Jacques, her housemate, wasn’t here. An AR note scrawled across the wall told her he had gone out with the other members of his team. It was strange to have someone staying at her place after living alone so long. She doubted he’d stay long—the couch wasn’t that comfortable—but until then she would enjoy the company. If she hadn’t taken him in, she didn’t know where he might have ended up. His apartment had been destroyed by fire, and he hadn’t had the money to move into a new place. So for now, he stayed here and kept her place clean in return for food and board. It worked for her.

  Stripping quickly, she left her clothes where they fell and headed for the bathroom. A quick shower to humanize herself, and then she would take a nap. If she was going to win this stupid challenge of Fenric’s, then she needed to rest. The shower was quick; the price of water at the moment was ridiculous. It was cheaper to buy a liter of Nexus Cola than getting a glass of water from the tap. From start to finish, the shower was only 150 seconds. Two and a half minutes was enough for her to wash her hair, body, and rinse.

  With a towel wrapped around her, she headed into her bedroom. Switching on her manual set-up, she checked through her emails and messages before flipping over to Sanctuary, the Seraphim Networks hub. Pacing the room, she allowed her body to dry as she responded to messages and requests for help on hack jobs. With a ping, a new incoming message popped up from Fenric.

  ::How is my hacker queen? All ready for the big competition tonight?::

  Venom’s eyes darted to the time. It was nearly five. Fuck! She had spent over an hour on the sanctuary server; she had been dry a long time ago. At least she still had a little time to get some rest before having to get to OwnPlace. It was only a short drive from her apartment. She typed out a quick message to Fenric saying she was getting her head down. Stripping off her towel, she climbed into the mess of blankets on her bed and closed her eyes, falling asleep instantly.