Hard Wired Trilogy Read online

  Complete Hardwire Series

  Hooked - Glitched Reality - Synched - Hacked

  DeAnna Browne

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright © 2018 by Celtic Moon Press

  All rights reserved.

  Hooked - Hard-Wired - Book 1

  Celtic Moon Press

  ISBN: 978-1-948884-00-6

  Cover Art: Copyright © 2018 Bukovero

  Copyright © 2019 by Celtic Moon Press

  All rights reserved.

  Glitched Reality - Hard-Wired - Short Story

  Celtic Moon Press

  Copyright © 2019 by Celtic Moon Press

  All rights reserved.

  Synched - Hard-Wired - Book 2

  Celtic Moon Press

  ISBN-13: 978-1-948884-26-6 (e-book)

  Cover Art: Copyright © 2019 Bukovero

  Contents

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  Hooked

  Hardwired Book 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Glitched Reality

  A Hardwired Short Story

  A Hardwired Short Story

  Synched

  Hardwired Book 2

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Hacked

  Hardwired Book 3

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Dark Rising Series

  Also by DeAnna Browne

  About the Author

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  Hooked

  Hardwired Book 1

  Chapter 1

  This isn’t real.

  Ari stood on a nearby hill above the familiar carnival with her brother, Marco. Rides spun endlessly in the distance, and neon lights flashed, illuminating the dark night. It stole her back to a time when the world was a different place, a place full of laughter. An uneasy sensation crawled along Ari’s skin as she thought of her body tucked back in reality with wires streaming from the port in her neck.

  “Remember how you puked on the Spinning Hammers?” A wide smile lit up Marco’s face. Marco and Ari both took after their mother with their tanned skin, dark wavy hair, and chocolate eyes. Except for the smile—Marco wore their father’s smile.

  She couldn’t figure out how her brother always appeared so put together, in and out of the virtual realm. Ari wore a flannel shirt and beat up jeans, and not on purpose. The Virtual Reality, or VR, program let people change their clothes, but Ari never stuck around long enough to bother with fashion.

  She turned back to the carnival, the rides antiquated and shedding their paint even in this computerized replica. The carnival had come around every spring when they were little. People lined up all day and night for rides, an event so popular someone made it into a VR.

  “Please, Marco, I feel like I’m about to lose it.” She dug her nails deep into her palms and welcomed the pain as it grounded her in reality.

  “What? You don’t like it?” Marco acted surprised. “I had to ask them to dig into their storage to find this virtual for you. Come on.”

  Marco grabbed Ari’s hand and pulled her down the hill towards the rides. The cool night air brushed against her face as they raced down the grassy path, and she fought to keep her fear from bubbling over. She had never lasted more than two minutes in one of these programs, but today she needed to. Her future depended on it. Assignments for their continued education were coming soon, and if she couldn’t pass the VR simulation, she might as well sign up for a life of kitchen duty.

  Her breath came in rapid pants as they reached the entrance. A disfigured clown face with exaggerated eyes and teeth welcomed them, his mechanical voice scratchy. Her throat tightened as she tried to breathe. She panicked at the idea of being stuck here forever, trapped in this virtual world, spiraling into a VR coma like her father. The government limited the hours kids could be inside a VR, but people, young and old, still slipped, which left their family paying the bill in hopes they would return.

  The clown image frizzed momentarily into a dark void with specks of light replacing the creepy face. “Marco, what’s going on?” She pointed at the distorted image. There had to be some sort of glitch.

  Marco glanced at the clown. “What are you talking about, Ariana?” He tugged on her arm. “Snap out of it. I told Mom we would have fun.” He yanked her toward the Tilt-a-Whirl.

  An elderly man worked the empty
ride, or so her brain told her. He wore a plain blue uniform and a smile that was a touch bigger than necessary. Holding the gate open, he welcomed them inside.

  The virtual showed its age as the computerized character blinked constantly and tilted his head every three seconds like clockwork, but they couldn’t afford anything more sophisticated. Ari wasn’t sure if it was the uncomfortable memory of wires hooked into her unconscious body or this man’s creepy behavior that made her want to run away.

  She froze with fear at the gate. “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can.” Marco’s dark eyes locked onto her with a firmness that didn’t suit him. “You don’t have a choice. Get used to VRs or get used to cleaning toilets while Mom tries to marry you off. Is that what you want?”

  Normally she would have smacked her older brother for talking like that, but the truth hit its mark. Biting her lip, she stepped toward the small compartment built for two. Marco climbed in and slid across the faded blue vinyl bench. She squeezed in beside him and fastened the thick black strap.

  “I thought you loved being here. I always did.”

  Every spring, her father would empty the jar of coins on top of the fridge and treat Ari and Marco to a fun day at the carnival. They would fill up on fried bread and cheese curls, watching the night descend into a blur of neon lights. But, unlike her brother, this reminded Ari of what they didn’t have anymore: a father and a jar full of savings. In a VR coma, their dad was more dead than alive, and the chipped jar now sat empty on top of a rundown fridge.

  Chest tightening, she pushed back the memories. “I’m sorry. I can’t, Marco. I gotta go.” She clawed at the thick black safety belt as the ride surged forward.

  “Are you really going to waste Mom’s money? You know this is your last chance before your tests.” If he saw the fear in her eyes, he ignored it. “Whatever. Go. I’m staying and getting my money’s worth.”

  She bit her lip and faced forward, holding back her rising hysteria. The cart picked up speed and pushed her against Marco, who screamed in delight, arms raised high in the air. She wanted this so badly, wanted to let go of reality, to let go of the gnawing sensation in the back of her neck. As the cart continued to spin, Ari closed her eyes, hoping to endure. By the time her cart approached the aged man a second time, she was gone.

  Her eyes opened to a water-stained ceiling. The stench of old cigarettes and filthy bodies welcomed her back to reality. She strained to turn her head. Her neck pinched from the cords in her port. Disgust tasted sour as she clawed the base of her neck, pulling at the thick cable.

  “Hey, girlie. You’re going to tear your port, and I don’t have the stuff to fix it.” A man’s thick hands turned the cable until a click sounded, and then he gently pulled the wires out. She wanted to scratch at the insertion site, to tear away the mechanical feeling that lingered inside of her. Instead she undid her ponytail and covered the port site with hair, smoothing it down.

  Her brother lay next to her in a reclined chair, a smile pasted on his handsome face. His wavy, thick hair, often kept short, curled around his temple. He always appeared more innocent while unconscious.

  Glad to see he’s enjoying himself. She pushed back the bitterness boiling inside. He had been trying to help.

  The large man, covered in old tattoos and smelling of yesterday’s beer, winked at her. Revulsion rolled around in her gut. Before he could speak, she rushed out of the room. She detested this shop as much as the virtuals themselves. The VR center stood only a few blocks from her house, a permanent fixture in her rundown neighborhood.

  Ari hurried through the metal doors, squinting as she welcomed the sun. The real sun.

  Her sun.

  “Missy, want to catch a trip with a real guy?” A withered man sat outside, his dirty clothes hanging off his body. “Trust me. I look a hell of a lot better on the inside.”

  She snapped her head back to the road in front of her, ignoring him.

  “Don’t be like that,” the man said.

  Someone reached for her, grabbing at her arm, but she swatted it away, quickening her step. Please just leave me alone.

  The jeers of the strung-out VR addicts followed her for the rest of the block.

  She tried not to imagine how her father had used to be there, hanging out with the bums to catch a free VR. She tried, but it didn’t work.

  Chapter One

  The next day, Ari’s final exams approached faster than she expected. Leaning back in the vinyl chair, Ari flinched as the examiner slid the cable into her port. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the image of metal claws burrowing in her mind. The cable clicked shut, and she was drawn into another world.

  The empty white room gave off a sterile feel. A lone light in the ceiling illuminated the square space with not a dust mite to be found. In the center of the room, a simple table held three objects. As she moved closer, they each took a distinct and unique shape: a silver pyramid, a black oval, and a red square. They must represent some type of puzzle, like the chains of knots she’d often played with as a child.

  Ari drew a deep breath. I can do this. She had spent hours at home repurposing and reprogramming tech. This wasn’t much different. She reached for the pyramid, or what looked like it could be a pyramid. Yet instead of only flat surfaces, portions were twisted and inverted. It took several minutes for her to solve the puzzle, but eventually she snapped the last piece in place.

  As she completed the puzzle, the image flashed. She jumped, surprised by the bright light. The puzzle slipped through her nervous and clammy fingers. The silver pyramid now morphed into something black with numbers scattered along the surface. An uneasy feeling prickled the hairs on her neck, and her pulse picked up. Was this part of the test? It felt ... off.

  Three doors hissed open in front of her. Three separate voids of darkness, each door standing at a different height. Some psychological reason probably loomed behind this choice, but she couldn’t seem to care. Her purple sneakers felt as heavy as lead. She picked at a cuticle as she inched her way toward the nearest door. Every step pushed her closer to the unknown, not only in the VR but in life. Her eyes burned as she blinked back the tears. Dread and terror snaked up her spine and landed in her weighted limbs. Which step was too far? Which step would push her towards something that she could never escape?

  With a tortured gasp, she snapped back to reality. Ari swiped away at the river of tears on her face. Intentionally or not, she’d done what she always did. She’d fled.

  7 minutes 42 seconds. Yes, a measly 7 minutes and freaking 42 seconds.

  That was how long she’d lasted in the VR final, instead of the normal hour or two. Back in the examiner’s office, Ari tried to explain to the woman that she knew the information, that she’d studied the text just not in the VR. Her perfect grades must count for something.

  Instead the stern examiner just stared at Ari like she was a freak, and then, after checking the computer, the woman offered to allow her to try the VR again. A second chance, something Ari had never heard of before. She declined. Her hands shook just thinking about it.

  By the time lunch was over, the results were in, and the students lined up in the cafeteria-turned-auditorium, awaiting their assignments. The principal stood at the front, along with two testing authorities from the education department. The lone school security guard stood beside them with the usual tired expression on his face. Backed up against the wall, metal chairs were lined up for family members and friends.

  Ari’s mother slipped in late through the side door to join the other families. Her hair wrapped up in a bun, she donned the familiar factory uniform. With two jobs, she had to work through the three-day weekend.

  Clamping down on her emotions, Ari stared at the worn brick wall at the back of the room. The cafeteria had once been a factory, remodeled years ago as a school. They threw white paint on the old brick walls, but the smell of oil and metal still lingered. Ari tried to maintain her composure, not wanting others to
see the fragile hold on her control. How could she be the only one troubled with all of this? Their future decided by a machine, controlled by people they didn’t even know.

  The computer announced the first assignment: mechanics. A collective sigh spread through the audience, followed by enthusiastic clapping. Everyone took it as a good sign when the first announcement was non-military. The Never-Ending War took more than its share of young men.