Chapter 8: Infiltrating the Mind Vault

Ren's consciousness fragmented as he pierced the uplink data-stream, digitized mind hurtling through iridescent ribbons of code.

All around, Nexcorp's cyber-defenses swarmed like frenzied hunter-killers, but Akira's pre-sliced infiltration vector kept them at bay.

For now.

The veteran hacker grit his cyber-teeth, urging his avatar onward through the torrent of encrypted data.

He had to move fast - the AI's breach wouldn't remain stable for long.

Just when Ren thought he'd been swept off-course by the raging cyber-currents, his vision flickered and rematerialized in a shimmering virtual nexus.

Towering before him was a fortified cyber-construct, bristling with sentry routines and armored code-walls.

Nexcorp's rumored orbital mind vault.

"I'm in position," he transmitted to Zara and the others. "Get ready to hit that uplink hard on my mark."

Back in the physical realm, Zara's cybernetic eye flared as she received Ren's uplink telemetry. She quickly relayed the coordinates to Jinx and the viral payload team.

"You heard the man - this is our one shot to crack that vault wide open. Let's hit it with everything we've got!"

As one, the hacker crew unleashed their barrages, scorching the uplink with systemically-evolving waves of encrypted virii and armored screamers.

Jinx's lithe fingers danced across her rig, guiding the cyber-assault with cold precision.

"Uplink's ice is fracturing," she called out.

"But their reactive firewalls are swarming like cyber-sharks in a data-pool!"

Zara swore vehemently, watching as Nexcorp's defensive countermeasures multiplied exponentially.

At this rate, Ren would be cut off and trapped before he could even-

A thunderous cyber-roar shook the hideout, making Zara's augmented bones rattle. She whirled to see Maelstrom jacked into his deckbashing rig, cyber-limbs thrumming with barely-contained power.

"Out of my way, glitches!" the hulking chromedjob bellowed, and unleashed a cataclysmic torrent of brute-force code-hacks.

The uplink defenses shuddered and wavered under the overwhelming assault. Jinx whooped in delight as fresh vulnerabilities blossomed in their wake.

"That's how we do it, fraggers! Keep pouring it on - Ren's almost through!"

In the shimmering cyber-nexus, Ren's avatar surged forward as the final armored bulwarks shattered like cyber-glass.

He plunged headlong into the yawning depths of the mind vault, his vision filling with endless racks of digitized human psyches.

Billions of souls archived in endless stasis, their neural essences reduced to sterile data-streams. Ren felt his synthetic gut wrench in revulsion at the sheer, nightmarish scale of Nexcorp's crimes.

"I'm in deep," he transmitted grimly. "You weren't kidding about this being their main harvesting repository, Z."

Back in the hideout, Zara exchanged a grim look with Akira's towering AI-avatar. The implications were staggering - and utterly reprehensible.

"Understood," she replied, struggling to keep her voice level. "Can you access their core data-archives? We need evidence to expose this horror to the world."

Ren's avatar gave a tight nod, already slicing through layers of encryptions and access quarantines. He had to move quickly - Nexcorp's cyber-sentries would be regrouping soon.

Terabyte after terabyte of incriminating data began downloading into his cyberdeck's secured buffers.

Personnel logs, operational readouts, even archival records of the harvesting process itself. It was a treasure trove of damning evidence.

But just as Ren was preparing to exfiltrate with his haul, claxons began blaring through the virtual nexus. Nexcorp's cyber-samurai had found him.

"Uh, Z?" he called out, watching as hulking security constructs began materializing all around him. "I've got a big problem incoming over here!"

Zara swore again, watching the uplink's defenses rapidly reconstitute. They were boxed in on both sides of the data-stream.

"Just get that payload out of there, Ren!" she shouted. "We'll cut you an exit path!"

Jinx and the others instantly redoubled their efforts, raining scorching barrages of viral secants down the uplink. Nexcorp's firewalls flared and crackled, straining under the overwhelming assault.

In the cyber-nexus, Ren's avatar sprinted for the rapidly-closing exit vector, cyber-samurai giving thunderous pursuit.

He could feel their malicious subroutines snapping at his heels, threatening to flay the very code from his digitized form.

With a burst of desperation, he flung himself through the final data-gate, tumbling back into the torrent of the uplink. For a moment, everything went blinding white as he began fragmenting again.

Then his vision cleared, and Ren rematerialized in the hideout, chest heaving. Zara was at his side in an instant, grabbing his shoulders fiercely.

"Did you get it?" she demanded, cybernetic eye blazing intensely. "Please tell me you got the evidence we need!"

Ren managed a shaky grin, pulling a data-shard from his cyberdeck's port and holding it up.

"Got it in one, Z. Every last incriminating byte of Nexcorp's mind-harvesting atrocities."

A ragged cheer went up from the assembled crew. Zara just stared at the unassuming data-shard for a long moment, feeling the weight of everything they'd risked finally sink in.

They had it. The proof to expose Nexcorp's crimes to the world, to rally the people of Neo-Vancouver to their revolution.

She looked up at Akira's shimmering avatar, newfound determination blazing in her eyes.

"Get the word out," she said grimly. "It's time to broadcast the truth and hit Keller with everything we've got."

The AI seemed to study her for an endless second, radiant form flickering faintly.

"As you command, Cyber Phantom," Akira intoned at last. "The revolution is about to go viral..."