Jack entered his workshop late at night, the door clicking softly shut behind him. The hum of the city outside was faint through the walls, but the faint glow of neon lights still spilled into the edges of the room. He set his tablet on the desk and exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair.

  “Artemis, you there?” he called out in a low voice.

  The AI materialized instantly, standing poised with his hands clasped behind his back. “At your service, Master. Trouble sleeping?”

  Jack rubbed his temples, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. “Something like that,” he muttered. “I can’t get this damn hacker out of my head. They infiltrated my life, and now I’m just waiting for the next move. I hate it.”

  Artemis tilted his head thoughtfully. “Understandable. Shall I continue our efforts to trace them?”

  Jack shook his head. “They’re too good. Their signal bounced between satellite repeaters, and you saw how cleanly they disconnected. We won’t find them that way.” He sat down at the workbench, his fingers drumming against the surface. “But maybe we can figure out why they chose me. That’s the real question, isn’t it?”

  Artemis nodded, and with a wave of his hand, several holographic displays flickered into existence around them. “I can access all of your accounts, emails, subscriptions—everything—and begin searching for anything out of the ordinary,” Artemis suggested, his holographic fingers poised to manipulate the data.

  “That’s too basic,” Jack said, shaking his head. “Run a scan on them anyway, but let’s narrow the search.” He watched as Artemis dismissed some of the displays with another fluid gesture. “The question is: why would someone target me specifically?”

  “Perhaps they weren’t targeting you directly,” Artemis mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe they were looking for a particular skill set—a military records breach, perhaps. If there were any such breaches, there would be a log. I can check.”

  Artemis moved the displays around with practiced ease, pulling one forward and tapping on the virtual screen. Jack watched as the scan began, searching through military records for any signs of breaches. The screen filled with data, and the usual culprits appeared—logs of UEE hacks, routine attacks that had been documented and dealt with. They were the standard fare of cyber warfare, nothing that pointed directly to Jack.

  “Narrow it down further,” Jack instructed, his mind racing. “Look for random, untraceable attacks—anything that doesn’t fit the usual patterns.”

  Artemis complied, refining the search, but still, there were only a few breaches logged, and none of them seemed to connect to Jack.

  Jack frowned, leaning back in his chair. “The virus left behind by this hacker was intentional, there could have been other breaches in CyberTech. Let’s look there. Pull up everything you can find about their internal security records—breaches, anomalies, whatever you can access.”

  Artemis nodded, his holographic hands manipulating the displays with practiced ease. Streams of data flowed across the screens as the AI sifted through logs and reports. “Most of the recorded breaches were unsuccessful,” he said after a moment. “However, there was one incident three weeks ago that stands out.”

  Jack leaned forward, his interest piqued. “What happened?”

  “Rogue,” Artemis said simply, his voice carrying weight. He gestured toward a highlighted entry in the logs. “The infamous cybercriminal. They breached CyberTech’s employee database during this incident. However, instead of stealing data or altering records, Rogue only observed—monitoring the flow of information.”

  Jack’s blood ran cold. Could it be? Was Rogue tracking him?

  Artemis, noticing the shift in Jack’s demeanor, looked at him with concern. “Sir, Rogue has left his signature on multiple successful breaches within CyberTech’s systems. It’s possible he’s been monitoring you.”

  Jack clenched his fists, his mind racing through the implications. Rogue was no ordinary hacker; his reputation alone made him a formidable opponent. But if Rogue had been tracking him, for what purpose? Was it personal? Or was Jack simply caught in the crossfire of something much larger?

  Jack took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm as Artemis continued to scan through the data. “Artemis, pull up everything we can find on Rogue. I want to know exactly what he’s been up to.”

  “Right away, sir,” Artemis responded, and with another wave of his hand, more holographic displays appeared. Streams of data flowed across the screens—records of past attacks, financial transactions, reports from various corporations, and news articles detailing Rogue’s exploits.

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  “Rogue is a global player,” Artemis began, as he filtered through the data. “He operates on a scale few can match, targeting major corporations all across Sol. His most common method is ransomware, where he locks down critical systems and demands large sums of money for their release. In many cases, the organizations pay because the alternative is more expensive—losing access to their systems or data.”

  Jack studied the information, his eyes narrowing as he saw the vast sums of money that Rogue had extorted over the years. “He’s not just a hacker—he’s an empire unto himself,” Jack muttered, more to himself than to Artemis. “No one’s ever been able to trace the money?”

  “No,” Artemis confirmed, scrolling through the data on one of the displays. “Every time authorities get close, the trail vanishes. The funds are routed through dozens of countries, planets and across numerous shell companies and accounts. Each layer makes it nearly impossible to follow the money back to a single source.”

  Jack frowned, frustration growing. “So, no one has any idea who this guy is? No leads, no personal connections?”

  “Rogue operates in the shadows,” Artemis replied. “There are whispers in underground forums and darknet channels about him, but nothing concrete. His anonymity is his greatest strength. He’s meticulous, covering his tracks and erasing any digital footprint that might lead back to him. No matter how deep we dig, we may never find anything that ties Rogue to a specific individual. There is also the off chance that rogue simply isn’t one person.”

  Jack felt a wave of unease. It was like chasing a ghost. “So we’re dealing with someone who’s made a career out of being untraceable,” he said quietly. “That doesn’t bode well.”

  “No, sir, it doesn’t,” Artemis agreed. “But there is one pattern that might help us. Rogue isn’t targeting just any corporation—he’s specifically going after companies that are directly backed by the Imperial Court. CyberTech, in particular, has been a frequent target of his.”

  Jack’s stomach tightened. “What kind of information was he monitoring during his breaches?”

  “Employee files,” Artemis replied, his expression serious. With a flick of his hand, he brought up a list of names. Jack’s name sat at the top. “Yours was among those accessed.”

  Jack stared at the screen, a chill running down his spine. “So Rogue was looking for me,” he said quietly. “Why?”

  “Perhaps your skills,” Artemis suggested. “Your military background, technical expertise, and new position at CyberTech make you uniquely positioned for certain tasks. Rogue may see you as an ideal candidate for infiltration as he has suggested.”

  Jack’s mind raced, pieces of the puzzle beginning to take shape. “Rogue mentioned a project called Eagle Eye. I already suspected the super cores were being used for something bigger, but this…” He trailed off, rubbing his chin. “Could CyberTech really be developing a superweapon?”

  “It is plausible,” Artemis said. “CyberTech’s influence and resources are vast. However, if this project is as sensitive as it seems, the files will be buried behind extensive encryption layers.”

  Jack nodded, staring at the displays as his frustration grew. “Rogue doesn’t just want me to find the files. They want me to dig through CyberTech’s secrets for them.”

  “Precisely,” Artemis replied. “And they chose you because they believe you’re capable.”

  “I don’t like this. Rogue’s making me their inside man, and I don’t even know their endgame. How do I know what he has said is true?”

  “Do we report this, Master?”

  Jack hesitated, staring at the glowing screens. The right thing to do would be to inform CyberTech, but something held him back. Rogue’s words still echoed in his mind: "You will gain nothing by reporting me. The executives will hunt you down and slaughter you." Reporting this would only make him a target—and it wouldn’t answer his questions.

  “No,” he said finally. “And don’t tell Sophia. She doesn’t need to get caught up in this.”

  Artemis nodded. “What is your next move, Master?”

  “There’s something else bugging me,” Jack muttered, his tone dark with suspicion. “Artemis, pull up everything you can on Kwame Osei.”

  The holographic displays shifted as Artemis complied. Streams of data flooded the air around them—emails, financial records, subscription services. Most of it was mundane, everyday clutter that told Jack nothing about who Kwame really was. He wasn’t interested in Kwame’s grocery lists or entertainment choices. He wanted to know the man beneath the polished fa?ade.

  One display caught Jack’s eye: a public military record. His pulse quickened as he scanned the file. Kwame Osei: Twenty years of service in the Imperial Army, assigned to the Emperor’s Intelligence Battalion on mercury under the Desert Lord.

  Jack frowned, his instincts tingling. The title “Intelligence Communicator” was neatly listed under Kwame’s designations, but Jack recognized the sanitized military lingo for what it was. Interrogator.

  The record delved deeper, detailing Kwame’s later career. He had been tasked with studying the rising cases of psychotic behavior within the Praetorian Guard. Jack’s jaw tightened. The Praetorians—towering super soldiers encased in twelve-foot power armor with cybernetically enhanced bodies—were the Empire’s ultimate enforcers. Over time, however, many of them had exhibited disturbing patterns of sociopathic behavior.

  The file ended abruptly, stating that Kwame had been discharged early under classified circumstances. What followed sent a chill through Jack’s core: Kwame had spent a year in the Institute immediately after his discharge.

  The Institute was infamous, shrouded in whispered rumors and grim speculation. Officially, it was a psychiatric facility for high-risk patients, but the rumors painted a much darker picture.

  People spoke of cybernetic experiments and lobotomies performed within its heavily guarded walls. Some said the Institute didn’t treat its patients—it transformed them. Most subjects were rumored to die during the process, but sometimes, the experiments succeeded, and what emerged was no longer human. Grotesque creatures, twisted by science and stripped of their humanity, were said to walk out of the Institute’s gates, only to vanish into obscurity.

  The Institute’s secrecy was absolute. Every person admitted or employed there was bound by an ironclad legal oath of silence. No leaks, no evidence, just whispers in the shadows.

  “Some of this is… unsettling, Master,” Artemis murmured beside him, his holographic expression unusually somber.

  Before Jack could respond, his hand tablet buzzed sharply, Naomi’s ID flashing across the screen. He swiped to answer, and her voice came through, tense and urgent.

  “Jack, get the hell over here—now. There’s been a breach.”