Code Walkers

By Sonny Laguna

The first chapter in a planned trilogy, "Code Walkers" paints a grim picture of the future. Set centuries from now, the world is controlled by a powerful A.I program to maintain the peace, but nothing lasts forever. When a terrorist group claims to have the means to hack their way into The Code's network and finish mankind, one man is put on a mission to stop them by becoming a deadly hacker himself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781678108137

Book preview

Code Walkers

Prologue

At the turn of the 22th century, World War IV broke out. No one could foresee the outcome of such an enormous conflict. Following each iteration of the same cataclysmic idea of a war to secure peace, this time the weapons at the forefront of battles, eventually became an enemy in itself. The artificial intelligence put in them  turned against us, eradicating civilization as we know of it. Many leaders felt forced to combat the turn of events by using nuclear missiles. A world in ashes became a reality over night.

When the dust finally settled, and the machinery of war was destroyed, all surviving world leaders rushed out to proclaim victory together. A vote to erase the world's country borders was successfully put through. A single, unified state called The Circle was born. Most projectile weapons were eradicated, and work began to rebuild a nuclear radiated world.

A century later, the world was populated with tens of billions of people. With most wildlife gone from the planet, gigantic cities had taken form in its stead. As technology continued to advance over the years, and  synthetics replacing  everything missing from traditional ecosystems, something odd began to happen; our genetic structure began to crumble at its core.

Spreading like a disease, some were born with strange mutations. At first, they were dismissed as nothing more than freaks that had no place in the world.

Scientists argued what the cause could be, and many early attempts to eradicate these mutations were tested, but none were successful. As time passed however, the public perception of what was considered normal began to change.

After many violent demonstrations on both sides of this new group of people, the leaders of The Circle had to accept a new era for mankind, where scientists would have to categorize these mutations. After years of chaos, the eruption within ourselves seemed to have settled on a few variations.

Media outlets called these variations by fairy tale names, such as elves and orcs. Scientists and politicians had found their answer in the public voice. These new names became terms for new legal races, living together in peace.

Elf, orc, dwarf, to name a few, became part of what seemed normal.

Sometimes even cross breeds occurred. In many religions, these new types of human were all still seen as God's creations.

The mutations had range, such as increased muscle mass and height.  Superior healing capabilities and heightened hearing.

Some rare instances of mutation went beyond what what was seen as normal. Some were born with psychic abilities, some with the power to manipulate the laws of physics.

These individuals were simply called magic users, even though the medical names for their conditions were far more complicated.

These magic users would not easily give up using their powers, and eventually, to protect man and orc alike, a degree of weaponized self defense was legalized. Soon, large amount of weapons were in circulation as the threat from these strange powers grew in numbers.

To prevent any future large scale conflicts from happening and maintain peace through all of mankind's remaining days on earth, a  concept of control was developed in secret. Using Artificial intelligence last used in world war IV, a computer program  called The Code was developed. Custom made nanomachines were mass produced to be injected directly into a person's bloodstream.

The nanomachines have the capability to capture data on a person's overall health, location, behavior etc.

That data is then uploaded  every second  to an enclosed network, connected to The Code program. All incoming data is then monitored and interpreted via a beehive of super computers that has the program installed.

The idea was pushed to the general public via infomercials, promising peace and security  for everyone. In time, people started to believe in the idea and before long, plans were set in motion. Every adult, child and newborn were injected with a set of nanomachines at special clinics.

To protect the system from any potential threats, the network of computers was placed inside a massive fortress, hovering high up in the sky. Equipped with an arsenal of cannons, missiles and other means of defense, it would be near impossible to penetrate it from the outside. This impossible-to-breach system was put in place by a special group of intelligent minds.

After it's insertion, every programmer, scientist and war general in the group agreed to self-terminate in order to protect the system from the knowledge they had on it, letting it quietly operate on its own. What the system actually do, is taking all the data it receives, and translates it into necessary steps in order to ensure peace.

If a person takes on violent measures, drones equipped with efficient tactical weapons are sent out to stop that person. The drones are controlled by the program, and sentences are carried out on the spot. Murder means execution. Smaller crimes usually lead to a few years in a storage facility, supervised by the program via security cameras and special types of drones.

No other personnel are involved in the control it has over the public. The idea of any kind of weaponized revolution would quickly be put down, if it ever comes to it.  Medical illness, accidents or victims of violence will lead to automated medical support.

No courts. No judges. Only justice.  Anything mankind needs to stay alive, be safe and  free.

For the common man, The Code network would provide absolute security and comfort. The perfect blend between technology and human life, freedom under observation. No one gets away with murder. Magic users have to keep to the shadows. To have power is to be dangerous, to yourself.

It wouldn't be long however, before some would try and oppose the system. A revolution against technology. To try and attack the system from the outside was pointless. Instead, this newly formed group would hack the network, The Code within.

Hacking in itself is not something new. On networks  used in people's daily life, there's always the risk of being hacked.

To hack The Code network however, could mean the end of anyone's life. There's the risk of manipulating the data on a person's nanomachines, framing them as a murderer. It would mean getting killed by the system built to protect them.

For some time, The Circle managed to put a lid on the problem, denying their existence. The word on the street sounded different, and  whispers about a mysterious terrorist organisation that moves around   like cyber ghosts were quickly spreading.

Eventually, the leaders of the world had to let people know about these mysterious hackers. Downplaying the level of threat these represent, the majority of the population continued to live their lives unaffected of what was happening behind closed doors.

Some would say that a final war was eminent, and that the very existence of mankind was moving rapidly towards its own doom. One day, a publicly released video came from the hackers themselves, announcing their revolution to come. They would come to call themselves Code Walkers.

Pointy Ears

It was close to midnight. I woke up carrying an exploding headache. After having an argument with a snitch who kept dancing around whatever information he had, I grew tired of him and decided to land a fist on his face. His associates didn't appreciate that. Something must have hit me from behind, because I can't remember much after that. Somehow I managed to crash land back in my apartment.

I've been working a case, a disappearance. After a week of chasing cold leads, I can safely say that I am nowhere near a solution.  I was hired by this guy, Ditch. His wife had disappeared out of thin air. No trace of her Com, and no incoming verdict from authorities either. It could be just a random case of insanity.

His wife might have left him years ago, who knows. He strongly believes she might be dead, but that should be impossible, considering he would have known that by now.

If that was the case, her killer would have to be very careful in removing her nanomachines without The Code noticing. Then, there's the cybernetic implants, which almost everyone has these days.  Washing away all digital tracks would require some masters in both the fields of cybernetics and hacking. It doesn't seem likely.

My employer's bank account is fat though, which could mean we are looking at a kidnapping scenario. There might be jammers in place, making her invisible for the time being. If she really is missing, something is out of place.

As I took a shower, my thoughts wouldn't come together as they used to. Maybe my severe alcohol use was beginning to finally burn holes in my brain. Chasing  leads that went nowhere didn't help. Ditch had paid me plenty already. I was the only winner in this so far, but didn't want to throw in the towel without making any progress at all. I was a contract killer once.

It was many years ago, before the insertion of nanomachine control. Now, I've labeled myself a private detective. I wasn't the best, but could still produce decent results. Now, I felt my time on this case was running out. The first 48 hours were always crucial in the pursuit of the truth.

Ditch kept tossing me coins with no questions asked. He could  provide me with rent for months to come.

In this business however, the word on the street is everything, and I for one wouldn't want to see my good reputation gone over a gullible idiot.

I put some clothes on. A gray t-shirt with the words guns used to mean something printed on it. Brown  pants with a gold-colored belt holding a holster and a revolver. I grabbed my brown coat to conceal it. I put a pair of custom made scanners over my eyes, my favorite piece of equipment. They were usually always on me, but I had to have them cleaned once in a blue moon.

They have the ability to collect environmental data and displaying it before me. Tactical suggestions pop up, to be used  however I see fit. This tech has saved me a dozen times now. There's a lot more tinkering that goes on under my hood, mostly medical equipment to curate my bad lifestyle habits.

Before leaving my apartment, I took one last look at myself in the hallway mirror. I changed my eye color to yellow, matching my light yellow skin. I was born with pointy ears, and an unusual thin appearance.

One would think I am an elf, but the result of a blood test told me I only have the look of one, but none of the powers that elves usually possess. When I was younger, I felt cursed.

I was never accepted among elves, and often became the laughing matter for most normal guys. I adapted to the situation in the only way I could. With lies. I can talk my way out of anything, pretending to have powers I don't. It was the one way I could survive on the street, fooling anyone to believe I am something more than the sum of a genetic disorder.

For a long time, elves and orcs would be subjects to research in enclosed facilities. One can only imagine the horrors that went on in there, in search for the truth about our contemporary genetic evolution. Those days are thankfully history, but people  tend to forget what is real and what is hearsay.

This can in turn be very useful to me, since most people aren't that apt in the teachings of genetics, believing all sorts of crazy shit about us weirdos. Not to say there hasn't been some crazy developments for the past hundred years.

There are people with magic skills now. Now, the days of having to deal with their deadly force is long gone, so I guess we should all be grateful for The Code program monitoring our every movement. However, one combination of genetics is by far the most dangerous thing put on the planet.

Dark elves. The combination of the genetics of an elf, combined with any, or all of the skills magic users possess.

Those are very rare these days,  most being killed at an early age. Sad thing to think about. Being born with those kind of powers must have feel as if they inherited a curse. Any attempts of putting their power to use will send them to an early grave. A crime more serious than murder.

To not be able to be yourself, stored away, forgotten. I can relate with just my embarrassing elf ears. These days, I carry a gun only to scare people off. It's still legal to carry one, holstered.

It's a statement. Don't fuck with me, or else I'm too stupid not to shoot you. If bullets starts to fly though, it's still kill or be killed.

Drones can't teleport to your location, so you might have to hold the fort for a few minutes. It's the fact that nobody can get away with murder that stops most from even confronting another person. It's easier to tell someone to fuck off, then walk away and continue on with your life.

Most magic users have chosen a life of solitude, resorting to only using their powers in underground, non-violent businesses.

All of this leaves it open for me to play up my pretend-abilities, a key to success in the private detective business.

I need to have the upper hand, even when I don't. Tricks and lies is what keeps this world ticking. The deeper a person dig in to this giant slum of civilization, the clearer things get.

There's no such thing as justice. There's only the truth, and that gets warped into something new every day.

Bouncers

It had been weeks since I last saw the sun behind the smog looming over the skyscrapers.  All the  neon colors from thousands of signs, billboards and street lights spreads out like a rainbow, crawling and bouncing off every reflective surface, a constant noise for the senses. The rain keeps flooding the streets, a never ending flow of polluted water in circulation. A side effect of the broken ecosystem. So ingrained into our memory, we feel weird when it's dry weather.

The streets are always wet, but the rain can't wash away the black stains that are embedded into the streets of Area 426. All the cities on earth are just installations now, areas to uphold as many people as possible under one banner. This area is most known for being the pilot program for injections of nanomachines. Referred to as Blood City, even though the history books tells of a massive success on the topic. Everyone walking hand in hand to salvation. The real story is much more complicated.

It is said that the streets turned red from all the blood being spilled during the most violent week of forcing people to bow to the new world order. When a handful of people decides the fate of the planet behind closed doors, there's bound to be skepticism. It was 14 years ago, I can't recall much of it. Getting the nanomachines installed was something we were all forced to do, so I complied. Afterwards, I left the city for a month, so I guess I missed all the crazy shit that went down.

I've never seen anything besides areas like this, and the wasteland in between them. I've read all about our old history in the public database, but it's hard to grasp. The old world feels like a different planet to me.

I grew up here, a hundred block neighborhood filled with distractions for the mind. It's an expertly designed cage for us rats to wander around in, looking for breadcrumbs. Thousands of cameras and drones watches over us all. Not all belong to the brain in the sky however, and you could tell by the size of them.

A lot of the smaller ones are corporate owned, designed to analyze our needs and know in which direction the cash flows. The data is then sold to other business partners who will make the most of it, squeezing every last coin out of us.

A place designed to make you spend and forget in the most elaborate ways. There's the giant malls where people can burn through restaurants, stores, VR parks and find just about everything to buy. There's the pleasure houses, designed for lousy fathers who want to sneak away for a little while to have a moment to themselves and a woman, or man, of their choice. It's a ferry wheel 24/7, where happiness is bought, not created.

As much freedom as we have, we are slaves to our own needs. I guess it's been like that since the dawn of time. The systems in place might protect us from war and sickness, but who can protect us from our own limited minds?

A wet note in my hand  tells me to go back to the biggest bar in the city, Snake Poison. I'm not very popular among the bouncers there, so a little smooth talk might be required to get in this time. I have a lead, or the imagination of one. One of the bartenders had seen a woman that fit the description of the person I am looking for, having a drink two nights ago. This sounded too good to be true. Might  be a trap. It's still better than nothing, so I traversed down the streets, eager to refill myself with some alcohol. It usually helps with the headaches, but also tends to create new ones. I approached the front swing doors, and could already hear the techno punk music inside. Beat after beat, chugging away like a cole train.

Two bouncers were guarding the entrance. I gave them my biggest smile. Two giants, so tall they blocked the entry sign behind them.

The purple color bled out on the sides, bouncing off their dark green orc skin. Their faces were decorated with scrap metal, anything they could find to mark their worth as warriors. Their bullet proof vests were home made. It was just the way orcs liked to do things. To buy custom made armor was a sign of weakness.

The orcs felt tribe-like in their culture and was looked down upon everywhere. Idiots, freaks, losers and pukes were some of the adjectives used to describe them. These bouncers however didn't need to equip themselves with guns or knives. Their fists alone would be enough to break  bones if needed.

'On this glorious night I welcome you', I said. Confused by my own wording, one of the bouncers called Trash, approached me while gently putting his knuckles to the forefront of his body.

'What do you mean, elf? You are not welcome here punk.' The bouncer mumbled.

'Hey, the joke flew past you? I simply mean, we are all welcoming here. I'd be happy to put you two fine guards into the center of my investigation.' I said with the utmost confidence, as I was the ruler of the city.

The other bouncer