Open Source

Tracked and Hacked A source found dead-his skull sawed open by NeuroChip vandals in a Dallas back alley. The sole witness? Reporter Ryker Morris, whose stubborn resistance to a different kind of chip-the globally mandated IDChip-cost him his job, apartment, and credibility. Ryker flees the gruesome scene, a young, homeless technophobe disappearing into a fast-paced city of augmented working stiffs and sexy chipped socialites. But Ryker's reprieve doesn't last long. Under orders from a local hacker and tipped off by an invisible tracking device, the vandals kidnap Ryker's best friend, leaving only a blood-soaked wallet behind. Even worse, they inject Ryker's brain with a refurbished NeuroChip. Without money or resources, he must find his friend and deactivate the corrupt NeuroChip, before the twisted hacker who programmed it gains full control over Ryker's own thoughts. Related subjects include: scifi high tech, scifi thrillers, privacy rights, cybersecurity, freedom of the press, cyberpunk.