The air was crisp and clear as the sun set over the sprawling cityscape. From her vantage point, Sammie could see the twinkling lights of the metropolis below, a vibrant display of life and activity. Yet, for her, the view held no beauty, only memories of a past steeped in darkness and loss. She was just a child when her life was shattered by a violent act that left her an orphan. She had watched in horror as a gang executed her parents and siblings, their lives brutally extinguished in a hit gone awry. The terror and helplessness she felt in that moment were seared into her memory, a constant reminder of the innocence she had lost.
In the aftermath, Sammie had been consumed by grief and rage. She was not strong in the traditional sense; her slight frame and unassuming appearance belied the storm of emotions that roiled within her. But what she lacked in physical strength, she more than made up for with her intellect. Even as a child, she had a precocious love for technology, fascinated by the endless possibilities it offered. This fascination quickly became an obsession as she sought a way to avenge her family.
Sammie threw herself into her studies, mastering computer programming and cybersecurity with an intensity that bordered on the fanatical. She became adept at navigating the dark corners of the internet, bypassing digital defenses with ease. Laws meant nothing to her now; they had failed her family when they needed protection the most. If the gang could get away with murder, then she would ensure that she could get away with exacting her own form of justice.
Her initial research was methodical. She tracked down each member of the gang responsible for her family's death, gathering incriminating evidence through careful hacking and surveillance. Using her skills, she accessed secure databases and private communications, uncovering a wealth of dirt on each of them. She sent anonymous threats, manipulating the gang members into doing her bidding. They became unwitting pawns in her game, stealing equipment and data she needed to build her arsenal—all the while remaining oblivious to her identity.
When Sammie had everything she required, she meticulously set the stage for her revenge. Using her technological prowess, she orchestrated a scenario that led to the gang's downfall. She rigged their communications, manipulated evidence, and finally, from the safety of her hidden location, triggered the final blow. It was a carefully planned operation, executed with the precision of a seasoned tactician. She watched through a screen as her enemies fell, one by one, all without a single drop of blood on her hands. She had avenged her family from kilometres away, insulated from the violence by the very technology she had mastered.
But as the last of the gang members fell, Sammie felt no satisfaction. The void inside her remained, a hollow ache that vengeance could not fill. She had thought that avenging her family would bring her peace, but it only left her feeling more empty and adrift. The realization hit her hard: she had lost not just her family, but also her purpose.
In the years that followed, Sammie struggled with this emptiness. She was a ghost in the digital world, moving unseen through networks and systems, continuing to fight against those who preyed on the innocent. Leveraging her love for technology, she built a formidable arsenal of drones, using them as her eyes and ears to monitor, surveil, and intervene. These drones became her silent accomplices, allowing her to take action without ever being physically present. Her actions caught the attention of others in the underworld, earning her a reputation as a shadowy vigilante. She took down corrupt officials, exposed corporate malfeasance, and disrupted criminal enterprises, all while maintaining her anonymity. Her mastery of drones became so notorious that she was known simply as "Drone," a name whispered in fear and respect by those who trafficked in secrets and lies.
Despite her successes, Sammie's life was solitary. She had no friends, no family, no one to share her victories or burdens. Her work as a software engineer provided a convenient cover, allowing her to design security systems for major companies while secretly exploiting backdoors she installed. These backdoors were her eyes and ears, enabling her to monitor shady activities and gather evidence. She used her position to continue her clandestine crusade, delving deeper into the murky depths of corporate and criminal misdeeds.
For a while, this double life gave Sammie a semblance of purpose. She told herself she was doing good, cleaning up the world in her own way. But the toll of her isolation and the constant deception weighed heavily on her. She became increasingly paranoid, her trust in others eroded by years of living in the shadows. The fear of being discovered, of her carefully constructed world crumbling, was a constant presence in her mind.
One day, in a rare lapse of her usually meticulous caution, Sammie let down her guard. It was a small mistake, a momentary oversight, but it was enough. She had been monitoring a large multinational corporation suspected of illegal arms deals. The company had ties to various unsavoury elements, and Sammie had been slowly piecing together the puzzle, preparing to expose their activities. But she had been working on the project for too long. Become too comfortable with her daily routine. There it was. Her mistake.
Routine.