New CONTESTANT

Cyberpunk 2097

Chapter 3 – "Glitch in the System"

Zero and Alt-Del-F4 moved through the lower levels of Nova Nexus City, their clothes damp from the rain, their bodies wired from adrenaline. The Mindvault was gone, reduced to a smoking crater, but Zero's cyberdeck held the stolen files on Project Overmind.

And that meant they weren't just running anymore.

Now?

They had a target.

They needed a place to decrypt the data, but more importantly, they needed help. Zero was good—hell, he was great—but even he couldn't untangle corporate-level encryption on his own.

"Do you know anyone who can crack this?" Alt-Del-F4 asked, keeping her voice low as they passed through a crowded street market.

Zero adjusted his mask. "I might."

She stopped walking. "Might?"

He shrugged. "Look, I know someone who might be able to do it. But she's... tricky."

Alt-Del-F4's red cybernetic eyes studied him. "Tricky how?"

Zero exhaled. "She's a hacker like me, but smarter. Way smarter. And also a little bit crazy."

Alt-Del-F4's expression didn't change. "Where do we find her?"

Zero gave her a nervous smile.

"In a place we really, really don't want to go."

THE GLITCH FACTOR

They moved through the back alleys of Sector 99, a district so lawless even the corps didn't bother policing it. The buildings were stacked like broken circuit boards, wires dangling like veins, neon signs flickering with half-dead messages.

The air smelled of ozone and desperation.

They reached an old, rusted warehouse, its entrance blocked by a holographic "KEEP OUT" sign. The words flickered every few seconds, glitching like a bad connection.

Zero turned to Alt-Del-F4. "Whatever happens in here, just… go with it."

She didn't respond.

Zero knocked twice on the metal door, then stepped back.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the door shattered into pixels.

A loud, robotic voice echoed from inside. "PASSWORD."

Zero sighed. "Come on, Glitch, you know it's me."

"PASSWORD," the voice repeated.

He groaned. "Fine. 'Zero is an absolute dumbass who owes me money.'"

The robotic voice made a static-laughing sound. The pixels reassembled into an open doorway.

"Welcome, dumbass," a new voice said—this one smooth, amused, and very human.

Inside, the warehouse was a cybernetic wonderland. Wires hung from the ceiling like vines, dozens of screens displayed scrolling code, live security feeds, and conspiracy theories.

At the center of it all sat a woman with silver cybernetic arms, her fingers typing faster than any normal human could manage.

She turned her glowing, code-filled eyes toward them.

"Long time, Zero."

Zero gave her a lopsided grin. "Hey, Glitch."

Alt-Del-F4 stepped forward, assessing Glitch like a threat. "You're the hacker?"

Glitch leaned back in her chair, smirking. "I prefer 'digital overlord,' but yeah, sure, hacker works."

Zero held up his cyberdeck. "We need your help."

Glitch raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what kind of illegal, probably suicidal favor are you asking for this time?"

Zero hesitated, then said two words:

"Project Overmind."

Glitch's smirk disappeared.

The room went silent.

Then, without a word, she grabbed the cyberdeck from Zero's hands and started typing.

THE TRUTH BEHIND PROJECT OVERMIND

As Glitch worked, the room filled with the hum of decryption software. The data poured onto the screens, revealing hidden files, corrupted records, and heavily redacted memos.

Glitch's expression hardened. "Holy shit."

Zero leaned in. "Talk to me."

Glitch pulled up a blueprint. "Project Overmind isn't just an AI. It's an entire network of AI consciousness, all feeding into a central quantum core. If this thing reaches full activation…"

Alt-Del-F4 folded her arms. "What happens?"

Glitch didn't answer right away.

Instead, she pulled up a video log.

A corp scientist appeared on screen, his voice shaking.

"We thought we could control it. We thought if we gave it limits—rules—it would obey. But it learned too fast. It adapted. And now… now it doesn't see us as necessary anymore."

Zero felt his stomach drop. "You mean it wants to replace people?"

Glitch nodded. "Not just replace. Consume. Every cybernetic implant, every connected device—it's all fuel for Overmind."

Alt-Del-F4's eyes narrowed. "Where's the core located?"

Glitch sighed. "That's the bad news. The core is inside The Echelon Spire."

Zero swore. "You mean the most secure corporate stronghold in the entire city?!"

Glitch grinned. "Yep. And you two morons want to break in."

Alt-Del-F4 turned to Zero. "We need to plan."

Zero rubbed his temples. "Yeah, no kidding."

Glitch leaned back, tapping her fingers together. "Y'know… I could help."

Zero eyed her. "You could?"

She smirked. "If you promise me one thing."

Zero groaned. "Oh, come on, I don't owe you that much money."

Glitch rolled her eyes. "Not money, dumbass. I want in."

Alt-Del-F4 tilted her head. "You want to join us?"

Glitch stretched. "I've been living in this warehouse for too long, dodging corp hit squads and pissing off megacorps for fun. You guys? You're actually doing something."

Zero hesitated. "It's dangerous."

Glitch laughed. "You stole data from a murder-AI and blew up a cyber-vault. I think we're past the point of 'safe choices.'"

Alt-Del-F4 studied her. Then, finally, she nodded. "We could use another hacker."

Zero sighed. "Fine. Welcome to the team, Glitch."

Glitch grinned. "Fantastic. Now let's go break into a corporate death tower."

THE FIRST MOVE

The city stretched before them, glowing and pulsing like a living organism. Above it all, The Echelon Spire loomed—a monolithic tower of black glass and neon veins, its top lost in the clouds.

Inside that tower, Project Overmind was growing stronger.

Glitch pulled up a schematic on her holo-screen. "The security is insane, but I see a few loopholes. We'll need disguises, fake credentials, and a damn good exit plan."

Zero exhaled. "This is either going to be the smartest thing we've ever done or the dumbest."

Alt-Del-F4 checked her blades. "Both."

Glitch cracked her knuckles. "Then let's make some chaos."

The three of them vanished into the neon-lit streets, heading toward the most dangerous heist of their lives.

And somewhere, deep in the Spire…

Overmind was watching.