NETIZEN

NETIZEN: AWAKENING

So this was it; they were officially dead.

Hye Mi checked on a few channels and the web where people glorified the lord for having wiped out all the scum. Topics like Da Ran got a Nose Job replaced the atrocious comments.

The Seos were dead, and nobody cared.

Hye Mi was angry; how dare they forget them and carry on living happy-go-lucky lives. Her mother had come home bewildered as she discovered she had died.

"Eomma, let's leave Seoul. We can, now. We are dead; nothing is holding us back."

Hye Mi then explained her encounter with Jared to her mother, carefully ignoring the exact circumstances. She told Sae Ha how they died and who they were now. As Hye Mi explained, she understood why Jared insisted on learning English; she was an American citizen named Park Soo Yeon.

The women moved to Incheon, close to China Town, and it was in a small Jajamyeon restaurant that the idea came. Hye Mi boiled; she couldn't shake off the frustration of having been baffled.

Looking around and seeing all these people responding to notifications while being on a date or with friends annoyed Hye Mi.

Was the internet God?

They acted like they could not disconnect; otherwise, they would lose their lifeline. Insta, Twit, Snop, WatsUp, Face, Vibs these apps enslaved the population. People believed everything that the web put forth.

The spider had caught the whole population on its web. People trust the internet.

People worship the web; the web creates and destroys. The thought kept playing on the teen's mind. Jared had taught her, and Hye Mi witnessed how citizens were quick to pay spam mail fees when they received mails stipulating that their software was infested with viruses, and the only way to save the equipment was to pay for a wipeout.

There and then, while staring at her black of the Jajamyeon sauce, a weird yet viable idea popped into the teen's mind. It was black, and it was going to change the game and this imperfect world.

It took her a month; she tested the beta versions night and day. The teenage girl was playing doctor Frankenstein, and she created a monster. Hye Mi knew for it to work; she would need help, so she searched on the Dark web for dark dwellers who were up for anything which would stir society.

Hye Mi regularly checked their names did not appear on the net. She had nothing to fear, the public already moved on to the next hot topic. Jared almost did a total wipeout. Someone else's face replaced all her school photos.

The hacker modified medical records, injuries, visits; everything changed. Anyone who searched for them would found themselves led to a dead-end. The beta dummy Seo Hye Mi created by the cracker was perfect. It would be challenging to associate Park Soo Yeon with the dead girl unless you had spent a considerable amount of time with her.

That was something not many did. Shy Hye Mi, as many called her, talked little. People who noticed her liked her for her resigned character. The teen was the type of person who quickly followed people, letting them have their way. When she went to Satelite, she would hide behind her father like a shadow. The scandal brought the limelight on a girl who had no desire to be under the tabloid spotlight. This girl was no more.

All was almost ready; there was only one more thing left to do.

"Mom, I want you to go to live in America."

"Why, Hye Mi-a? What will we do there?"

"No, mom, I'm not coming."

"무슨 소리 하는거야? [museun suri hanen geo ya=what are you talking about], you are 15 I'm not-

"Okay, okay, I'll come."

"Don't lie to me; tell me the truth, Hye Mi."

Sae Ha was not well. She suffered from depression, could not hold an argument, and felt like her 15-year-old had the upper hand. She owed it to her mother, yet she lied openly about her motivations.

"I will take care of you; mom, you'll never suffer again," Hye Mi reassured. Sae Ha needed treatment and to be in an environment where no one would know her.

Their old chauffeur Mr. Dong had remained faithful and true; he invited Hye Mi to stay at his place in Seoul. But the girl had other plans. She rented an apartment in Gangnam with the tricks Jared had taught her.

Hye Mi registered herself at the prestigious GA Global Academy, where she was accepted since she had recommendations from Professors who had worked at Juilliard and Broadway New York. There too, she did not thank her lucky star but the little skills she acquired.

One night Hye Mi received the answer to the job offer she had posted on the Deep web; the whiz kid had cracked her equation. The person's pseudo was FIXXIT, which was fitting for someone able to break and fix almost anything.

FIXXIT seemed more than happy to jump on the spaceship though he did not know what Galaxy Hye Mi was planning to take him. For the computer geek, Hye Mi's project was from another dimension. Focus was the keyword; no one could slack off it would be ride or die. The Grey hat loved the idea and was proud to challenge this mysterious commentator, who appeared to have some excellent skills.

On May 25th, 2015, a strange website appeared with one sentence:

Become a cyber citizen, welcome to NETIZEN

Become a cyber citizen, welcome to NETIZEN

 투 비 컨티뉴드>>>>To be continued    

안녕하세요

So there you have it, guys, it's the end of the flashback concerning the advent of NETIZEN. 

☟

Music: Backyard with Victoria Monet ☛

Thank you for reading, and see you in the next chapter.