The gut of the High Spire was a place where the sun was a forgotten story. It was a world of metal, steam, and the endless, angry hum of machines. Here, deep beneath the beautiful gardens and the golden casinos, the city’s heart was made of wires.The air was so hot it felt thick, like a heavy blanket made of wool and spice. It smelled of ozone, that sharp, electric smell that makes your nose sting, and the sour scent of old grease. Giant pipes ran along the ceiling like the ribs of a dead whale, hissing out clouds of white vapor. The noise was constant. Whirrr. Hummm. Thump. It was the sound of a billion seconds being chewed up and turned into gold.In the middle of this chaos, hidden in a small room behind a wall of vibrating server towers, sat Glitch.Glitch was a very small man. He looked like a bundle of sticks wrapped in a silver foil coat. On his head, he wore a helmet made of copper mesh. It was supposed to block the signals of the Bank, but right now, it was just catching

The rain in the South District was not like the rain in books. It did not wash things clean. It was a heavy, oily blanket that smelled like wet metal and old smoke. It fell on the Plaza of Zeros with a sound like a million tiny hammers hitting a tin roof.Evan Kennedy stood at the base of the Grand Jackpot. Up close, the machine was even more terrifying. It was a tower of brass and glass that reached five stories into the dark, smoggy sky. It hummed with a low, deep sound. The ground beneath Evan’s boots vibrated. It felt like the machine was breathing. It was a monster made of gears and stolen lives.Around the Plaza, thousands of people were still staring at the giant spinning wheels at the top. They were "The Hooked." Their eyes were wide. They did not blink. They were waiting for a miracle that the Bank had promised but would never give.Evan looked at his left wrist. The black steel bio-watch was gone, replaced by the glowing purple mark of the Glitch. But the skin around the m

A high-pitched whistle echoed through the Plaza. Suddenly, a black van skidded around the corner. The side door slid open.Silas was there. He wasn't wearing a dealer's vest anymore. He was wearing a combat harness. He was holding a massive, old-fashioned shotgun. "Get in, kid!" Silas roared.Silas fired the shotgun. BOOM.The lead Scorpion was thrown back twenty feet. The slugs from the old gun were heavy lead, meant for mining, but they punched through the Bank’s armor like it was paper.Marco jumped out of the van, firing his rifle. He grabbed Evan by the collar and hauled him toward the door."The logic gate, Glitch!" Evan yelled as he was dragged. "Is it done?""I'm rewriting the heart-rate protocol now!" Glitch’s voice was full of frantic energy. "I’ve decoupled the machine from Viper! But the Oracle... she’s fighting me! She’s trying to delete my consciousness!"They dived into the van. Silas slammed his foot on the gas. The van shot forward, splashing through the mud.Behind t

Evan saw the drop. It moved like a slow-motion falling star. 3... 2... 1..."Actually, Madame," Caspian said, stepping forward. He moved his foot, blocking the spot where the blood was about to land. "We should move to the Payout Vault. The sights there are much more... rewarding."The woman pulled her hand away. "Very well. Lead on, Caspian."The group began to move away. The sound of their boots grew faint.Evan slumped against the wires. He was shaking. The purple blood was all over his chin."That was too close," Marco whispered. "They’re moving toward the vault. Evan, you have a sixty-second window. The cameras are resetting their sweep.""Go, Sunshine!" Glitch yelled. "The lever! Pull the lever!"Evan didn't wait. He lunged across the small space. He ignored the heat. He ignored the pain in his ribs. He grabbed the red handle behind the nitrogen tank. It was heavy. It was rusted."System," Evan wheezed. "Give me the Spark."[NOTICE: TEMPORAL OVERLOAD RISK][DEDUCTING 10 YEARS FO

Evan did not look at him. If you make eye contact, you become real. If you look down, you are just furniture.Evan pushed the cart to the giant glass window. He sprayed the blue liquid onto the glass. Skhhh. Skhhh. Skhhh.He raised his hand and began to wipe the glass in slow, boring circles. He let his shoulders drop. He slouched. He dragged his feet."Stupid rich people," Evan muttered out loud. He made his voice sound rough and angry. "Always breaking things. Always making a mess. Now I have to work double shifts. Not even extra pay."He sprayed the glass again. Skhhh. Skhhh. He wiped. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.The sound of Caspian’s boots stopped.Evan’s blood ran cold. His hands wanted to shake, but he forced them to stay steady. He wiped the glass. He looked only at the blue liquid moving across the window."You," Caspian’s voice was sharp. It cut through the air like a knife.Evan stopped wiping. He turned his head slowly. He did not stand up straight. He kept his shoulders low.