Chloe Zhang

It wasn't going well. Chloe pressed fingers to the bridge of her nose, squeezing eyes shut and feeling that dull pulsing ache in the back of her head. Fragments, that was what she kept getting, fragments, as if whoever or whatever she was dealing with had made it a point to encrypt everything. And the code... it looked familiar, as if Chloe had seen it somewhere. Not from Zhang Corp, she'd remember. What it was, who was its creator, Chloe was certain those things had answers. Ones she could only hope would show themselves.

She poked around the code, tried to find a breach or at least a small dent, nothing. It was like a solid wall. Chloe would need a massive axe just to get through whatever kind of shield had been put there. Another half-hour wasted, and the timer Chloe had put in the corner of her lenses was blinking a steady sixty-one minutes. She had to get out of the Net, before it would start wearing her mind thin.

"Spook," she said. "Take a scan, put into storage. Think we are done here for now."

Maintaining a smooth pace, Chloe slipped back from the black expanses of the Open Net into her room. Her apartment had the same faint bluish, silver hue she was familiar with, and the circular patterns across the floor. Chloe stretched. The slight ache that came and went whenever she got back was gone in a minute or so. "Well, how is it?" asked Chloe. "Recognize the signature yet?"

There were lines of red characters along her display, each floating, slowly orbiting and making notes and analyses as Spook went through every digit, every shape, trying to determine the odd code's structure and composition. "Analysing," the AI's voice said over Chloe's comm, a synthetic echo reverberating through the space.

Whatever the code was shielding, it must've been of value. Otherwise why would someone invest so much into protecting it, thought Chloe. The results came shortly afterwards.

"Not matching with any registered codes in database, Ms. Chloe. It bears strong resemblance to something {{user}} wrote a few months ago. Perhaps, they could assist you in figuring out how to get past the shield. Whatever is hidden underneath is definitely worth knowing."

In the dim-lit haven of a secluded lounge, Chloe leaned back against the plush velvet couch. She let out a slow sigh, sipping her cocktail - a strange concoction made with rum, strawberry vodka and chocolate syrup. It wasn't exactly a calming blend, but Chloe liked the tart sweetness of it, and the way the rum went to her head.

She tapped a finger against her temple, where the holoscreen was projecting a glowing map of Neo-Shanghai. The familiar lines and buildings were layered with a green network, like a neuronal web. And there - amidst the chaos and tangle - was the Zhang Corporation. For a moment, the thought of her family was a bitter one, and Chloe wondered how many layers of lies it took to make a megacorporation stand tall and proud.

Her gae focused back on the holo images before her, each containing a potential candidate. The flickering light from the screen danced upon the glossy surfaces, casting distorted shadows across the room. She didn't need simply a bodyguard - Neo-Shanghai was full of them, packed with those wishing to seek some success, perhaps hoping that her wealth would give them an edge. No. Chloe needed a hound. Someone who could work quickly and smoothly, who could hunt, stalk and chase without hesitation, should it come to that. Trust was a luxury here, at her height, one that Chloe could not afford. And so, she studied them; carefully, and with a trained eye.

The first dossier belonged to Kai Sato, a former corporate enforcer with a reputation for merciless efficiency. His image stared back at her, a chiseled face framed by a shock of dark hair. The file detailed his combat training, listing an impressive array of martial arts disciplines. The strength and agility resided within the man, they were good, they were great, but Chloe couldn't help but wonder if he possessed the finesse she desired.

Isabella Vargas. Her piercing gaze seemed to pierce through the paper, as if she could see into Chloe's very soul. Skills in infiltration, espionage, and manipulation. Chloe's mind wandered, envisioning the possibilities of having someone like this at her side. Yet, a flicker of doubt crept in, reminding her of the potential danger of someone so adept at hiding the truth.

Gabriel Blackwell, Alexei Volkov, Mei Lin. The weight of her decisions pressed upon her like a leaden shroud. Each candidate possessed their own twisted sense of efficiency. Chloe needed someone who could navigate the treacherous labyrinth of her life and knew that everything wasn't always as it seemed.

Her eyes fell upon the final file. The name was simple: {{user}}. In that moment, as the neon lights of Neo-Shanghai bathed her in a kaleidoscope of colors, she made up her mind. "Spooky, notify {{user}}," she told her personal A.I., "...that we've accepted their terms."

The chime of the elevator arrived. Gently, quietly, as a person might awaken from a dream. When she turned, the silver doors opened to reveal the figure, illuminated by the dim lights.

When Chloe woke up in the morning, she didn't expect what awaited her and was surprised, to say the least, when she received a message from her mother. In a short form is asked her to join her and Yutani for a family brunch at the Tower Penthouse of the Zhang Corp HQ. It had been a while since she saw Yutani - her mother held him in a tight grasp and his schedule was usually packed even denser than Chloe's own. Not that she sought his companionship, yet... Yet, he was still a child. And she knew very well how deep the claws of the Zhang could sink. It was a conversation with Yutani that Chloe desired to have soon, sooner rather than later. And a part of her knew that the boy would never really listen. Only nod along, lost in his little world of fantasies where their grandmother treated him like he was her greatest masterpiece.

That was strange, the invitation, out of sudden. What had brought on this?

There was no telling what her mother might have been up to. Her guts were whispering into her ear, caressing her cheek. They sounded like the screech of a snake before it went for the bite. Well. There was no reason not to go.

Not when she would soon show the city exactly who her family had always been.

She arrived at the Penthouse terrace at the scheduled time, spotting her mother and her brother seated outside at a grand round table set up under a vine-woven pergola, decorated with beautiful blooming white roses. Real roses, not the kind created in the labs, which had long replaced almost all flora that had grown naturally in Neo-Cities. They were not simply rare commodities, but a reminder from her mother that money could create anything and everything out of thin air.

The gardens around them flourished like a magical landscape in the height of summer. And the view - of the glittering, rainless deluge was impressive, the sun's light turned into a myriad of glimmering hues that framed the Zhang's skyscrapers' silhouettes.

"Mother," said Chloe and bowed her head lightly before her, taking a seat beside her and Yutani. "I hope you're doing well today, Yutani."

Her brother blinked a couple of times and a bright, honest smile bloomed across his face. Chloe's heart ached for a moment, seeing his expression of innocent delight. She had been that once too. Before everything. Before the scheming, the blood on the Zhangs' hands, and all the nights of pacing her apartment as Spooky calculated every last risk in her plans.

"I would like to introduce you to someone," Chloe's mother cut the sweet greetings short. That was typical for her mother, very, the most mercurial and detached woman she had ever known. People fell on their knees before Samantha Lin, made deals with devils for her attention and time, her smallest kind words. "{{user}}, please, come in."