make some real money!”
“You’ve got the console!” Hack shouted back. “Just take it and go!”
Hui laughed. “That’s not how things work in my business. We tie up our loose ends!”
Hack pulled Jonesey into another cubicle. Hui fired again – cutting through the wall where they’d crouched seconds before.
“Go for the fire exit,” Hack whispered. “I’ll keep him distracted.”
Jonesey opened his mouth to protest, but Hack pushed him out of the cubicle and went in the other direction, moving towards the escalators where he knew Robert was waiting.
“You’re gonna have to do better than that!” he shouted.
Hui responded with gunfire, more prolonged this time. Hack threw himself onto the floor of another cubicle as computer manuals exploded above his head.
“I can keep this up all night!” Hui screamed when he finally stopped firing. There was a click as he ejected an empty clip and slotted another into the Uzi.
Hack looked up. Bullet holes riddled the cubicle walls and paper fragments filled the air. He rose into a crouch, ready to run, but a hand touched his shoulder…
“Let’s get out of here,” Robert said.
Hack pulled away. “Not until I know my friend’s safe!”
Robert began to argue, but was cut short as Jonesey’s voice called across the floor.
“Hack! He’s got me!”
Robert and Hack looked at one another. Hack sighed and moved to the cubicle entrance.
“You’re not actually going out there?” Robert hissed. “He’ll kill you.”
Hack thought it over. Then he said, “You’ve still got a couple of teleports in you, right?”
7
Hack walked between the cubicles with his arms outstretched. Dead ahead, Hui stood with the snub-nosed Uzi pressed into his friend’s ear and the PS5 tucked under his
other arm. Jonesey’s face was drenched with sweat.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “He was too fast.”
“Don’t worry,” Hack replied. “It’s going to be okay.”
Hui pushed Jonesey down onto his knees and placed the gun against the back of his head.
“I’ll give you one last chance to walk away,” Hack said. He held Hui’s eyes this time.
Hui actually smiled. “You’ve got a lot of spirit, kid. But not much of a brain. What a waste.”
He raised the Uzi at Hack…
…who closed his eyes and scanned the surrounding electronics that hadn’t been destroyed by Hui’s bullets – hard drives, LCD screens, adapter sockets stuffed with far too
many plugs, even the PS5 console. Summoning all his strength, he prepared to send a blast of mental energy to every device.
“Jonesey!” he yelled. “Hit the deck!”
The other boy flopped face down as Hack threw his arms forward. An invisible wave of energy swept out in all directions from his body. Every piece of machinery within a five-metre radius
overloaded, as if their electrical supply had increased tenfold. Tower casings burst open in showers of sparks… Screens exploded… Electrical sockets spewed fire… Broken
components filled the air, tearing through the cardboard-thin walls of the cubicles…
In the path of the shockwave, Hui threw his gun hand up to protect his eyes from the flying plastic and metal. Something was burning his other arm. He looked down at the casing of the PS5, which
was glowing red-hot. With a cry of pain, he tried to throw it from his grasp, but the plastic had already melted around the skin of his hand. Dropping the Uzi, he desperately tried to pull his
burning fingers free, but they had fused into the machine. It had literally become a part of him.
Someone materialized out of nowhere by his side. Hui looked round and saw a European-looking kid. The kid grabbed his elbow.
“Bet you wish you’d left while you had the chance, huh?” Robert said.
The world shifted and Hui blinked in surprise as the shattered cubicles shimmered and faded away. He had the strangest feeling he’d travelled some distance. The unfamiliar kid let go of
his arm and slapped his hands
“You’ve got the console!” Hack shouted back. “Just take it and go!”
Hui laughed. “That’s not how things work in my business. We tie up our loose ends!”
Hack pulled Jonesey into another cubicle. Hui fired again – cutting through the wall where they’d crouched seconds before.
“Go for the fire exit,” Hack whispered. “I’ll keep him distracted.”
Jonesey opened his mouth to protest, but Hack pushed him out of the cubicle and went in the other direction, moving towards the escalators where he knew Robert was waiting.
“You’re gonna have to do better than that!” he shouted.
Hui responded with gunfire, more prolonged this time. Hack threw himself onto the floor of another cubicle as computer manuals exploded above his head.
“I can keep this up all night!” Hui screamed when he finally stopped firing. There was a click as he ejected an empty clip and slotted another into the Uzi.
Hack looked up. Bullet holes riddled the cubicle walls and paper fragments filled the air. He rose into a crouch, ready to run, but a hand touched his shoulder…
“Let’s get out of here,” Robert said.
Hack pulled away. “Not until I know my friend’s safe!”
Robert began to argue, but was cut short as Jonesey’s voice called across the floor.
“Hack! He’s got me!”
Robert and Hack looked at one another. Hack sighed and moved to the cubicle entrance.
“You’re not actually going out there?” Robert hissed. “He’ll kill you.”
Hack thought it over. Then he said, “You’ve still got a couple of teleports in you, right?”
7
Hack walked between the cubicles with his arms outstretched. Dead ahead, Hui stood with the snub-nosed Uzi pressed into his friend’s ear and the PS5 tucked under his
other arm. Jonesey’s face was drenched with sweat.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “He was too fast.”
“Don’t worry,” Hack replied. “It’s going to be okay.”
Hui pushed Jonesey down onto his knees and placed the gun against the back of his head.
“I’ll give you one last chance to walk away,” Hack said. He held Hui’s eyes this time.
Hui actually smiled. “You’ve got a lot of spirit, kid. But not much of a brain. What a waste.”
He raised the Uzi at Hack…
…who closed his eyes and scanned the surrounding electronics that hadn’t been destroyed by Hui’s bullets – hard drives, LCD screens, adapter sockets stuffed with far too
many plugs, even the PS5 console. Summoning all his strength, he prepared to send a blast of mental energy to every device.
“Jonesey!” he yelled. “Hit the deck!”
The other boy flopped face down as Hack threw his arms forward. An invisible wave of energy swept out in all directions from his body. Every piece of machinery within a five-metre radius
overloaded, as if their electrical supply had increased tenfold. Tower casings burst open in showers of sparks… Screens exploded… Electrical sockets spewed fire… Broken
components filled the air, tearing through the cardboard-thin walls of the cubicles…
In the path of the shockwave, Hui threw his gun hand up to protect his eyes from the flying plastic and metal. Something was burning his other arm. He looked down at the casing of the PS5, which
was glowing red-hot. With a cry of pain, he tried to throw it from his grasp, but the plastic had already melted around the skin of his hand. Dropping the Uzi, he desperately tried to pull his
burning fingers free, but they had fused into the machine. It had literally become a part of him.
Someone materialized out of nowhere by his side. Hui looked round and saw a European-looking kid. The kid grabbed his elbow.
“Bet you wish you’d left while you had the chance, huh?” Robert said.
The world shifted and Hui blinked in surprise as the shattered cubicles shimmered and faded away. He had the strangest feeling he’d travelled some distance. The unfamiliar kid let go of
his arm and slapped his hands
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