Chapter 1
"Thirty seconds."
"We're never gonna make it."
"Yes we will now let me do my work."
As the time ticks away I can't help but think about how I got into this mess.
It all started two days ago. I had just finished a run for some Johnson I didn't know and probably never will. I got home to a message on my machine. "The Horsemen Ride". This was the code for a big run in which my help was needed. I went to my kitchen to make a sandwich. After eating some of it, I went over to my deck and sat down. I set up my watchers and my walls and then jacked in.
Unlike most people who run in the matrix my persona is myself. I don't mean a likeness of my self; I mean an exact detailed persona of myself. Most rookies see me and don't realize I am a pro. They use these fancy personas like golems or knights and then they see me. Just me. They then think I am a rookie. Then I show them buy sending a feedback surge though their deck. Also the biggest difference is that I don't use these fancy store bought matrix settings. I use a special setting I made my self. It's a detailed scene of a desert. Made right down to the exact detail. But I digress.
After entering the matrix I punched in the address code for the meeting place. When I got there I saw Will, Floyd, and Dennis waiting for me.
"Ren so nice of you to come." Said Floyd
"Frag off slot face."
"Knock that crap off you two. I didn't call all of you just to get in a fraggin'
argument. I got a big run for us." Said Will
"What the frag could the run be that all four of us would be needed?" Asked Dennis
"Renraku."
"What are you smoking Will?" I asked
"Nothing. I got a way into Renraku's accounting computer."
"No fraggin' way. Are you trying to get us killed?" Asked Floyd
"No I got a way in."
"Yea right. There's no way in. The only way into that is though Renraku's Mainframe and the ice on that will kill us instantly. And besides, We'd have to be at the mainframe in Renraku. And that's ten floors below ground with enough security we'd be killed before we even get two floors down." Said Floyd
"I got a way in." said Will
"How?" I Asked
"You know that new VP Warren Michen?" Asked Will
"Yea." I said
"I was running and I found his deck. He created a back door into the mainframe. He is using it to steal funds. And so will we."
"You gotta be out of your mind. First we have to deck though a VP of RENRAKU mind you, then though RENRAKU'S MAINFRAME, then to RENRAKU'S accounting computer. That's not a big run. That's suicide." Said Dennis
"Dennis, we are the horsemen. We are the four best deckers in the world. We are on the top of Fuci's most wanted list. Hell we are Fuci's most wanted list. We can do this. Look we hit Renraku in two days. That's when Michen will be away on business. That way we can use his deck, get the nuyen, and then put the blame on Michen. It can't fail." Said Will
Horsemen, I hate that name. You all know the four horsemen. War, Death, Pestilence, and Famine. The four of us never knew each other until Ares wanted a BIG run done for them. They got eight deckers to hit Fuci. We were the only ones to live though it. We crashed Fuci for about a day. Made headlines all over. After that we were called the four horsemen and have been together since. We only do big runs. You know Ares, Fuci, Hollywood, and even the U.C.A.S. Mainframe. Renraku has been off-limits because of there amazing ice. There have been rumors of a new ice called a black wall. It's supposed to stop a decker cold. We haven't risked the chance yet. But I digress again.
"What about the black wall?" I said
"I got a new program to crash any ice." Said Will
"Yea right. Nothing can do that." Said Floyd
"I made a new attack program that mixes attacks and deceptions. It overloads the ice with attacks and passwords."
"One problem. Black ice are immune to deception so it won't work." Said Dennis
"Just trust me."
"Well I'm in. After all if we fail all that happens is we die. But if we make it, we'll be rich and famous." Said Floyd
"I don't want to be famous" Said Dennis
"Tough." Said Floyd
"All right I'll do it." I said
"Good. Dennis you are the only one holding this up. We need you. Please." Begged Will
"Fine."
"Good we'll meet here in two days. Oh and boys, be ready to die." Said Will
And on those words we all jacked out. I sat there for a good half- hour just pondering what I just did. Then I finished my sandwich.
"Thirty seconds."
"We're never gonna make it."
"Yes we will now let me do my work."
As the time ticks away I can't help but think about how I got into this mess.
It all started two days ago. I had just finished a run for some Johnson I didn't know and probably never will. I got home to a message on my machine. "The Horsemen Ride". This was the code for a big run in which my help was needed. I went to my kitchen to make a sandwich. After eating some of it, I went over to my deck and sat down. I set up my watchers and my walls and then jacked in.
Unlike most people who run in the matrix my persona is myself. I don't mean a likeness of my self; I mean an exact detailed persona of myself. Most rookies see me and don't realize I am a pro. They use these fancy personas like golems or knights and then they see me. Just me. They then think I am a rookie. Then I show them buy sending a feedback surge though their deck. Also the biggest difference is that I don't use these fancy store bought matrix settings. I use a special setting I made my self. It's a detailed scene of a desert. Made right down to the exact detail. But I digress.
After entering the matrix I punched in the address code for the meeting place. When I got there I saw Will, Floyd, and Dennis waiting for me.
"Ren so nice of you to come." Said Floyd
"Frag off slot face."
"Knock that crap off you two. I didn't call all of you just to get in a fraggin'
argument. I got a big run for us." Said Will
"What the frag could the run be that all four of us would be needed?" Asked Dennis
"Renraku."
"What are you smoking Will?" I asked
"Nothing. I got a way into Renraku's accounting computer."
"No fraggin' way. Are you trying to get us killed?" Asked Floyd
"No I got a way in."
"Yea right. There's no way in. The only way into that is though Renraku's Mainframe and the ice on that will kill us instantly. And besides, We'd have to be at the mainframe in Renraku. And that's ten floors below ground with enough security we'd be killed before we even get two floors down." Said Floyd
"I got a way in." said Will
"How?" I Asked
"You know that new VP Warren Michen?" Asked Will
"Yea." I said
"I was running and I found his deck. He created a back door into the mainframe. He is using it to steal funds. And so will we."
"You gotta be out of your mind. First we have to deck though a VP of RENRAKU mind you, then though RENRAKU'S MAINFRAME, then to RENRAKU'S accounting computer. That's not a big run. That's suicide." Said Dennis
"Dennis, we are the horsemen. We are the four best deckers in the world. We are on the top of Fuci's most wanted list. Hell we are Fuci's most wanted list. We can do this. Look we hit Renraku in two days. That's when Michen will be away on business. That way we can use his deck, get the nuyen, and then put the blame on Michen. It can't fail." Said Will
Horsemen, I hate that name. You all know the four horsemen. War, Death, Pestilence, and Famine. The four of us never knew each other until Ares wanted a BIG run done for them. They got eight deckers to hit Fuci. We were the only ones to live though it. We crashed Fuci for about a day. Made headlines all over. After that we were called the four horsemen and have been together since. We only do big runs. You know Ares, Fuci, Hollywood, and even the U.C.A.S. Mainframe. Renraku has been off-limits because of there amazing ice. There have been rumors of a new ice called a black wall. It's supposed to stop a decker cold. We haven't risked the chance yet. But I digress again.
"What about the black wall?" I said
"I got a new program to crash any ice." Said Will
"Yea right. Nothing can do that." Said Floyd
"I made a new attack program that mixes attacks and deceptions. It overloads the ice with attacks and passwords."
"One problem. Black ice are immune to deception so it won't work." Said Dennis
"Just trust me."
"Well I'm in. After all if we fail all that happens is we die. But if we make it, we'll be rich and famous." Said Floyd
"I don't want to be famous" Said Dennis
"Tough." Said Floyd
"All right I'll do it." I said
"Good. Dennis you are the only one holding this up. We need you. Please." Begged Will
"Fine."
"Good we'll meet here in two days. Oh and boys, be ready to die." Said Will
And on those words we all jacked out. I sat there for a good half- hour just pondering what I just did. Then I finished my sandwich.