Interesting.

I saw Aris today. He was staring right at me. I almost ran.
He didn't make any move to come closer though... just tilted his head in a way that said, "hey, don't worry." Or that's what it said to me at least.

I'm not weirded out or anything. He walked away after that and left me alone. I wonder if my parents fired him.

Policy and Zephie.

Embrace, extend, and extinguish.

They taught me that at school before I left. It's the way my parents 'Corp works. It was like their perfect little mantra. I think it's kind of cool that I've decided to take it on as my own... but in a different way.

I got a job through this girl I met, Zephie. She's awesome. I've never met anyone so bright, upbeat and still absolutely badass. Also: I'm totally envious of her purple hair. Anyway. It was for a Mr. Johnson. I'll be honest... I was a little terrified. There were guys with guns. Zephie went with me though. Oh wow, you should see her. The way she moves is like liquid.

She gave me a gun. I didn't even know what to do with it. I just hid in the back and hacked through their servers. I love the 'Trix, my mind just asked for doors to open and they did. It was amazing. I tucked the file into my comm and we were out of there.

Then. We went dancing.

Ohmygod.

Okay, I totally just posted that last thing by like thinking it. I just asked. This is kinda cool.

This morning I made the lights go off in the apartments I'm sleeping around. There was absolute panic upstairs! I still can't figure out how to get them to come back up... ah well, technicalities. I'll figure this out as I go along.

Oh. I just bet you my parents would kill to have me back if they knew what I can do now!
They spent all of those years, and all of that money on Corporate schooling to teach me the ways of the 'Trix and get me internally hacking other Corps for them. Doing their dirty work. Well! Not anymore. I think it's time I play for the other side. Show them what one of their stray runaways can do.

Holy Crap.

I don't need a connection.

After the Crash. Before the Awakening.

Figures.

I'm glad I found out now instead of ten years into running away and being constantly caught.

Those bastards. Those corporate bastard parents of mine. They tagged me with a RFID chip. Had to dig it out of my thigh this morning.
Aris should have a fun time explaining why he'll only be bringing a blood-covered chip back to Mom and Dad. I hope they don't... like kill him or anything. It's not his fault he got stuck with me.

Christ, it hurts still.
Had good old Doc Stitch patch me up for a couple Nuyen. You know, for a street Doctor, he's pretty good with a needle and thread. I'm so lost on the complexities of bioware... or, you know, the human body. I'm not even completely at home in my own yet.

I'm totally done with school now. Rigged the computer lab full of viruses before I left. I'd like to see the teacher fix that -- he was all this and that and no intelligence. School was lame anyway. I'm learning more about myself and the 'Trix on the street than I ever would have in that place.

Speaking of the 'Trix. I'm not sure what's going on with me. Or it. Earlier on I was following my fairly normal (recently at least) routine of checking the 'feeds for info at my current fave coffee shop linuxcaffe and people kept staring me down and moving away. I didn't even know what was up until I got out of there and realized that I didn't have a commlink on.

I'm like, totally confused.

Three Days Later

The headache isn't gone yet.

There's this constant dull buzzing in my ears. And I feel like I'm hearing things. I'm not even tapped into the 'Trix, but I swear, I can hear it thrumming in the distance.

Am I going completely mental?

Crash 2.0

Ouch.

Ouch ouch, fucking ouch.

The 'Trix just crashed. I don't know how long I was in. The absolutely un-crashable Matrix just crashed. I can't believe this. I have a headache worse than anything I've ever felt before. Rush, a classmate of mine (in, yes, this terrible school) is dead. Like permanent. DEAD. Caps Lock required.

I don't even know what to do. But I'm SO gone. I don't care about these gates or 'nothin. I'm out of this place.