Hacker Academy

Heights

The dark coolness of the night has become a reoccurring memory to me. But perhaps it's just been a blend of the dark days in my life and the days that I've spent living underground in HackCity. They're the same to me. 

I look at my watch. 10 o'clock in the morning. But when I crane my head upwards, all I see is a vast expanse of nothingness. With the neon lights of HackCity absent and the panels which used to coat HackCity in an artificial atmosphere shut down, the darkness is even more prominent.

As the three of us run towards HackCity Commercial Mall, Domain is cackling wildly.

"I can't believe we're about to break in!"

"We're just going to borrow some of their... assets," I say.

Unix opens the door and we race to the third floor of the mall. The entire place is pitch black, with no signs of light or people. I remember the day Cyber brought me here, almost as if it was a date. But that's all in the past, and it's ironic to think that I'm coming here to use something that will foil his plans.

I run into the computer hardware store and pick up Flash 2.0. I smirk.

"If you wanted the latest laptop, you could've just said so," Unix mutters.

I pass the laptop to Domain who quickly sticks a USB and starts pandering away.

"Only Flash 2.0 is compatible to alter the code with physical transportation objects. Like a train, car... or helicopter," I explain.

"And where are we going to find a helicopter?"

"Everything we need is here," I say. But before I can elaborate, the sound of shattering glass pierces our ears, and hollers fill the mall. I turn to Domain.

"We can't stick around." I pull Unix out of the store and Domain follows with the laptop. As soon as Domain steps out of the store, the laptop starts blaring loudly and sends echoes throughout the mall. Black-hooded figures look up at us and point, shrieking in delight as if they found prey. They start to run towards us.

I want to slap myself. In the midst of unusual quietness in HackCity, why hadn't I thought that there would be chaos in the stores now that everything was shut down?

"We have to go to the top of the mall," I shout.

I lead Unix and Domain behind me, in and out between stores so that the people following behind us can't keep up. We duck behind a store. Once I make sure the people are gone, I run to the elevator that will take us to the top of the mall.

"Seriously, the elevator?" Domain yells.

Suddenly, I catch a few dark hoodies turning to the sound of Domain's loud voice. Some are still on the ground floor, but three are just across from us. One of them points at us, and I glare daggers at Domain.

"You just had to blurt that?" I quickly press the close button on the elevator. "I don't know where the stairs are!"

~~~

We run out of the elevator. Sure enough, everything is the same as the day that Cyber brought me to eat at the Ferris Wheel restaurant. I thank my memory for not failing me as I point to the helicopter on the side.

"50%," Domain says.

"Go," I say just as the sound of metallic doors fling open effortlessly and three people emerge. Luckily, they came further from the elevator, so they don't see Domain and Unix disappearing towards the helicopter. But they see me. I would be a fool to go in the same direction as Domain and Unix. We wouldn't have enough time for the program to load. 

Grumbling, I run into one of the booths that will take me into the sky. I close the booth and look around the plush seats and glass table. Over the edge of the booth is a glass platform, and although there isn't much space, I could use that much to jump over to the next booth. But that would be crazy.

I look behind me, and the hoodies are already catching up. Not being crazy doesn't seem to be an option right now. I slowly slide myself from the inside of the booth to the glass extension. I only hope this platform will sustain me. With an endless abyss underneath me, I take a shaky jump from the glass platform to the next one. I barely have time to catch my breath before I glance behind to see them climbing to the closest booth.

The good thing is they've occupied their attention on me so that Domain and Unix have time to boot the USB drive to the computer, and then to the helicopter. The bad thing is that I've got three people on my trail. I grunt as I hold onto the edges of the booth for dear life as I take small shuffles from the edges of the glass platform to the next one.

The booths move quickly. Soon, I find myself at the peak of the revolving restaurant. Each hooded figure has taken a booth, and one is just one booth away from me. Strange. It seemed as if there were more than three figures when we were inside the mall.

"What do you want?" I shout.

The closest figure towards me takes his hoodie off. He's a burly guy with a mohawk and a sly smirk.

"Some agility for such a small girl. We saw you take Flash 2.0. There's only one of them in all of HackCity."

"I think you'll be disappointed when you find that I don't have it."

"Bullshit," he spits. "Hand it over, and we'll be done here."

Yeah, I think to myself. And then you'll throw me off.

I'm backed into a corner here. This guy will catch up to me in no time if I don't start moving onto the next booth. If I make it to the ground entrance of this Ferris Wheel restaurant, the other figure could easily catch up to me. What are Domain and Unix doing?

I hear an ear-piercing scream in the direction of the helicopter. It steals everyone's attention. The helicopter has sputtered to life, swirling multiple times in the air as it ascends to the dark sky. I see Unix being grappled by another hooded figure, latching onto her arm. The helicopter does another erratic fling, and with one swift throw, Unix knocks the figure back down to the helipad.

For a moment, I think my eyes are playing tricks on me, but the helicopter comes towards my direction. I hear Domain's voice in the distance. I can't make out his words at first. But soon enough, his words become clear.

"Jump!"

This is crazy. I've done a lot of crazy things in my life already. I've stopped in front of an oncoming train. I've lived in a world where hackers are everywhere. I've fallen in love with an arrogant hacker. But this?

I see Domain trying to control the helicopter, and Unix extending her hand out to me as she throws down the ladder. I glance back and see the burly guy already on the edge of the glass extension and ready to jump towards my booth. 

There's still a lethal gap between me and the helicopter. One wrong move, one shaky jump will cause my fall. I'll never make it back to Domain and Unix. Or mom and sister for that matter. The helicopter swings dangerously close to me, and in a flash, I know I have to make a decision now.

Should I jump?

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Should I stay?

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The choice with the highest comments will be written in the next chapter.