Beginning

It all started with one question, 'How did hackers hack?' Since I was 13, I have been curious about how hackers hacked the system. I was an orphan. And living in the orphanage is a bit… messy. Different attitudes with a lot of children. And there are only a few people to guide us and look for us. They can't accommodate all the children alone. Then one day, I saw some news about a group of students hacking their university's site. The school said that they would make the students punished, but the professor defended the students and said that it was part of the curriculum to let them hack the system to see the vulnerability on the university's site. There is even a debate about whether it is legal to teach students how to hack and entered the university's system. They said that hacking is a bad thing.

And that is how I got curious about how those bad guys hacked?

At the age of 15, I was still living in the orphanage. They said I was too old to get adopted, and most parents want to adopt babies. Since they want them to grow up with them. Unlike me, who has her own mind already, I cannot be brainwashed that easily. Kidding. I mean, a part of it hehe. So yeah, the orphanage's director, Ms Liu, gave me a gift. She said, this is the only thing she can give me on my 16th birthday. Oh yeah, I will be turning 16 by then, and my birthday? Well, they just decide when I was born and how old I am. Since I was left with no record and the data on the computer was deleted. So… yup, back to Ms. Liu, she gave me special gift. And that is… a laptop. She said the orphanage can't afford to send me to college. And take note, they wanted me to enter college at such a young age because they said I am intelligent enough to qualify for college. And since no one would sponsor me, and most colleges are expensive, the orphanage's budget can't let all the children around my age send us to college at the same time, she recommended me to take a home-based course. She said I can choose what course I want online and if there's money needed, she can afford it. Since I won't be needing any allowance, dormitory fees and transportation fee.

I was thankful for her. Because of her, I studied a lot of computer related course. I manage to be advanced in cybersecurity and ethical hacking. I even made a program and learned everything I need to learn about hacking. At the age of 19, the orphanage closed. The reason? Well, it's because Ms. Liu died, plus there were only 5 children left. Well, not that kind of child anymore. There was Me, Jonathan, who is 24 years old, Alexis, who is the same age as me, and Kianna, 20. And Chole, 22. All the children below 18 found a family to adopt them first before the orphanage closed. Mr. Reeves, the helper, gave me money to start a new life outside the orphanage. He didn't leave us until he was sure that we could be independent. He helped me find a job as a waiter in an exclusive restaurant. He also helped me find an apartment. A small room with a cheap price.

One day, I found a job online. I was curious if I could find a job since I studied online as well. And I saw a job post saying "Hiring Ethical hacker". I was curious, and I wanted to apply. I have some knowledge of hacking. Though I lack the qualifications they are looking for, I know I have the skills.

After landing my first job, I was happy because hacking job earned a lot. I moved to a more spacious apartment, a condominium.

While exploring the darkweb, I met Python. I have never met her in person. I don't even know if she's a she or he. But I assume she's a woman or a man? Whatever. I will call her or him anything. Anyway, Python helped me to dig deeper in the darkweb. She never teaches me to enter illegal activities, but, she teaches me more about that. I mean, not illegal. Python serves as my mentor in the cyber world. She/he will call me anytime if she saw a vulnerability in the program I made. She's a genius, I must say.

I do jobs in the dark web, only in selling guns. I never sell any illegal things there, like stolen ID's, drugs, videos, or anything. I only sell guns since it gives me a lot of money. Then one day, I entered a site where I needed to download a file. I am just curious about what it is. Then, I tried to decrypt the file. It has a password in it. I got curious since it was a new challenge for me. To decrypt an encrypted file.

When I opened the file, the dark secret was also exposed. It was like a pandora's box. The dirty secret of politicians all over the world was there, the secrets of scientists, the formula on how to make a bomb that is stronger than nuclear. It could erase the entire planet earth. Everything was there, even the secret of the priests, CEOs of big companies and billionaires. Even popular artists all around the world. I think this is what they use to blackmail the highest-ranking people. While looking at the file, I made a folder with encrypted code and transfer it from them. I can use this as an investment in the future as well. Or… I can just hide it.

And then a warning message pop up and covered my whole laptop. And the data alarmed the other parties that the file had been transferred, and I opened it.

And that… how my life started to become a mess.

One day, the men in black came to my house. I saw some of them holding a gun when I peeked at the door. When I looked at the window, there were a lot of police cars and a black van in front of my condominium. And that's how I realized I was doomed. They saw my location as soon as I opened and transferred the file the other night. I used the fire exit beneath the carpet. It was a hidden exit my agent instructed me about in case of an emergency. It will lead me to the back door of the condominium where I can escape. I took my laptop with me and just left the other things behind. I can earn money as long as I have a laptop. When I went out, I ran to the forest nearby to hide. I saw a cave, a small one. Then I opened my laptop, using a different VPN for me not to get tracked by them. Then I messaged Python that I was doomed. Python replied and offers me help. She sent me a file. She said that if I opened it, it would help me find a better place to hide. But the thing it, there's a password that I need to crack. I messaged her and asked about the password, but she wouldn't answer me! She only replied 'If you are worth the help, you will open that file that will help you to hide.' In the end, I cracked the file myself but first, I needed to answer the riddle. I think the answer to the riddle will be the password. Good thing, my favorite books to read when I was a child were about riddles.

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?"

I typed my answer. Then viola! I opened the file. It was a GPS map that would point out the place where I could hide and, good thing, it was not that far from the cave. Maybe it is still inside the forest. Maybe there's a bunker or a hidden house underneath the forest ground. I heard footsteps on the way here. I needed to run away before they could kill me. I saw some helicopters with lights just to look for me. Argh! Am I a wanted person now or something? I follow where the GPS leads me, I am near, so near now, but I can hear footsteps coming near me as well. I needed to run faster. As I was running faster, I stumbled on something and then I fell.

I know I am doomed.