"Live from London, England, this is Nexlo Newsday," the host announces, rather dramatically, and the intro music plays.

The first story is the one I was looking for: updates on OutlawResolve's hack. Unfortunately, it turns out to all be information I already have, and the reporters are just spinning it to sound more exciting and new. The next headline is about how they caught the perpetrator from an armed robbery two weeks ago, then—

DING...

That must be Roxy and Cayden. They're coming over today to work on our community service project for school. After making sure to close the tabs with anything, well, sketchy — dark web chats, illegal programs, etc. — I head downstairs to get the door.

"Hey, guys, come on in."

"Hey!" Roxanna hugs me and Cayden waves, and they both follow me inside.

"Anyone want tea?" I ask, heading to the kitchen, and my friends nod. I set the water outlet to 98°C then search the overhead cupboard for a box of tea bags.

"So, you up to anything interesting today?" Roxy asks, sitting on the counter.

"Not much, really. I was just watching a newsfeed when you guys got here, kinda boring, though. What about you?"

For the next few minutes, while I make and pour the tea, we talk about our days and what's been going on. Roxanna and her boyfriend broke up, and apparently Cayden and Jezzia are in some kind of argument. For once, I'm kind of glad for my lack of a love life — this all sounds pretty stressful.

The three of us head up to my room with our mugs of tea. The newsfeed is still playing in the background — something about a scientist, Dr. Blayne — as I open up a new document to start planning our project. The journalist rattles on about some controversial plan for experimenting with cybernetics, and I mute it, flicking the window to the side.

"It gives me the creeps," Roxy says, her eyes on the screen, "the idea of some mad scientist experimenting on a bunch of cyborg rats."

"Better rats than humans. I happen to know a cyborg and I'd really rather she weren't a test subject for Dr. Mad Scientist Dude," Cayden jokes.

"Yeah, me neither," I say, chuckling. "The guy does seem a little... off his rocker."

Roxanna furrows her brow. "Where'd that expression come from, anyway? What's a rocker, and how does somebody get off it?"

* * *

"Whoa, be careful up there!" Cayden calls up to me. I'm currently sitting on a structural beam of an overhang above a nearby park's designated picnic area, holding on with one hand. My phone is in the other, the camera app open.

For the project, we're supposed to film ourselves helping the community, to make an advertisement of sorts. We chose the environment as our "area of concern", so we're at the park to pick up garbage and explain about the dangers of littering. When we're done, our video and those of the other groups will be shown at the final assembly on the last day of school, as a way of trying to persuade students from the grades not participating in the project to also do community service.

Oh, right, and as for the overhang thing, I thought I'd be an interesting angle. What can I say, I like climbing stuff.

"I'll be fine, I've got a good grip here," I reassure him. "Besides, that Dr. Blayne seems to think falling won't hurt me. I'm like a shock-proof human!" I joke, and Cayden glares at me, but from what I can tell it's a combination of a pretend, joking glare and an I'm-serious-don't-fall-and-die glare.

He turns back to Roxy, who's re-reading the script we devised on her phone. "Ready?"

"Yep, you can start recording, Kalix," she tells me, and I hit the button.

"Look at this!" Roxanna picks up a foil wrapper from the ground, pretending to show it to Cayden while also keeping it in plain view of the camera. "Somebody littered in the park!"

"Oh, come on, there's a garbage can right there," he replies, remembering to emphasize the last two words for dramatic effect.

"I know, right? Why do people find this so hard?" She shakes her head disapprovingly.

"Maybe they just don't think it matters. Hey, why is littering such a problem, anyway?"

"When litter is left out, it can pose a danger to the health of the ecosystems of our planet, whether in natural areas or city greenspaces," Roxy recites, looking half at the camera, half at Cayden, so she can be seen clearly while also looking like she's having a conversation. "For example, an animal might try to eat that wrapper, and could choke or get sick."

"Oh, that sounds bad."

"OK, cut," Roxy calls up to me. "Next is the walking to the garbage can scene."

"'Kay, hold on, lemme climb down from here..."

With a fair bit of effort, I'm able to get a secure hold on a lower beam and swing down.

We film the next scene, in which Roxy and Cayden walk to the garbage can to throw out the wrapper. She talks about all the litter in the park, and he suggests they help to clean it up.

After that, we just need to take video of us doing the actual cleaning up — I'm in this part, too — and get some photos showing how much garbage we were able to collect. There turns out to be surprisingly less litter in the park than I expected, which I guess is somewhat reassuring, actually.

Oh, and somehow I end up climbing some more, first on a construction scaffold to position my phone for overhead shots of the garbage-collecting process, then up a tree for a bird's eye view of the collected litter. (Technically people aren't supposed to climb the trees — or the scaffolding, for that matter — but hey, no-one's looking.)

* * *

My friends head out after our long day of filming, and after returning home, I sit down on the living room couch and, tired and not wanting to go upstairs to my room, pull my holoscreen projector from my pocket and switch it on, deciding to access the forum from here. I finished the anonymous client's program yesterday and reviewed everything once again this morning, and I'm confident it should work. I just need to set up a meeting to deliver it. Pulling up a map of my area, I go through the various location options. I think I'll stay away from cafés, since the UNBI knows I met U5_Delta at one. Outdoor locations aren't safe enough — I don't like the idea that someone could sneak up on me in the dark. My attention is caught by a nightclub called Chika-Kurabu. It would most likely be crowded, meaning I can blend in easily, and from what I can tell from the building schematics, there are several exits which I could use if the authorities somehow found out about this meeting.

xCodebreaker01: I finished the program. Meet me at Chika-kurabu, 23:00, June 04.

I wait a few seconds in case he's online currently, but there's no response, so I turn my attention to my unread notifications on another window.

WARNING: Xaria Clarke pCard profile has been viewed recently.

Accessed by: UNBI Copenhagen HQ

Time of access: 15:24 CEST (22:24 JST)

Automatic photo deletion program successfully deployed.

What? No, this is not good... The UNBI found out about Xaria... How? I didn't accept payment from my last client directly with that account, obviously I used a temporary transfer card — if the UNBI got to U5_Delta, they wouldn't be able to link the payment from him to my alias. How could they possibly have made the connection?

At least my program worked. They won't be able to run the photo through facial recognition.

Still, now that I think about it, I should be weary of any further contact with U5. He wasn't wearing a mask, and looked to be in view of one of the security cameras at the café, meaning the authorities could very well have scanned him with FaceRec and ID'd him. The newsfeeds haven't said anything about arrests, so if they do have him, it's safe to assume he cut a deal.

Let's see, if I were a UNBI agent, what would I want with U5? First step would of course be to get any physical evidence possible. The transfer card he used to pay me, which I've already established would lead nowhere, then what? They'd ask him to describe me, but I was wearing a mask and hood, so they'd get little information. My gender, a general age range, maybe a few vague attributes about the visible parts of my face. Would he remember my eye colour? It's hard to say.

They'd also ask him to tell the story of what happened, probably. He'd tell them about chasing me into the ravine, how I tackled him... shit, would there be DNA evidence? No, if that were the case, I'd be in jail by now.

I really should've thought that through before, though. I should've known better. I should have—

No. Too late for that now. Focus, Kalix.

OK, what next... What else could U5 offer? Does he know anything else?

"Damn it!" I slam my fist against the coffee table in front of me as the realization hits. He knows I have a cybernetic arm. There are plenty of cyborgs in Japan, sure, but still, that's more distinguishing information the UNBI now has.

Is that all, then? Whatever deal they offered him, was it just in exchange for the information he had? It's not very much. Will they try to use him again? If I'm ever contacted by his account again, I'll have to be careful. They most definitely have access to his computer and accounts.

Taking a breath and running a hand through my hair, I switch off the holo-screen with the other, deciding to call it a day. Nothing more I can do, now.

When I get to my room, I'm met by cool-toned light from my monitors illuminating the otherwise dark space. All Codebreaker-related tabs are closed, since Roxy and Cayden were here but also in case my mother wanders in. With a few hand gestures in front of the screen, I close the two still-open windows — first the one with the school project plan document, then the muted Nexlo feed. The reporter is now waving her hands in front of a traffic map, Dr. Blayne and his questionable experiments seemingly long forgotten.

* * *

xCodebreaker01: Hey, is now a good time?

OutlawResolve: Sure, what's up?

Staring at the messages, two lines of white text on a black screen, I realize I don't actually know what to say. On one hand, I want to talk to him, but also...

OutlawResolve: Something the matter, C?

Only everything. Concern about the anonymous client, Xaria Clarke being discovered, Evan's info about me. Plus, an unusual sentiment coming from reading Outlaw's message — Why is this simple question asking if I'm OK making me want to cry?

xCodebreaker01: Just some work stuff.

OutlawResolve: Are we talking about the illegal sort of 'work stuff', or do you have a day job?

xCodebreaker01: Not like I could tell you about the latter... but, the illegal kind.

OutlawResolve: Want to talk about it?

OutlawResolve: I mean, I know you can't tell me much, but, you know.

Actually, talking might make me feel better...

xCodebreaker01: I might be regretting accepting a job.

xCodebreaker01: It's already a... let's go with 'concerning' hack, but there's some stuff about the client that's making me uneasy.

xCodebreaker01: I just have a bad feeling, but, well, I've learned to trust those feelings. I'm starting to wonder if this was a mistake.

OutlawResolve: You could always cancel if you changed your mind.

xCodebreaker01: I've already finished the program, though. I know I could still call it off, but honestly, this guy kind of scares me.

xCodebreaker01: I know it's stupid, he doesn't even know who I am, but still. I don't want to be making enemies right now, especially with dangerous people like him.

xCodebreaker01: At least, I assume he's "dangerous people". I don't know anything about him for sure.

OutlawResolve: Are you sure that's the only reason?

What? Well, no, but...

xCodebreaker01: What makes you say that?

OutlawResolve: I just get the feeling concern about this guy being mad at you isn't the main reason you haven't called it off.

OutlawResolve: I know, I shouldn't be acting like I know you or anything. It's just that you seem unconvinced.

xCodebreaker01: Fine, you've got me. The real reason's even more stupid, though.

He doesn't write back, and I assume he's waiting for me to continue.

xCodebreaker01: Really, it's just curiosity. Seriously, I'm like that proverbial cat.

OutlawResolve: I've never liked that expression. Always though "stupidity killed the cat, curiosity was framed" sounded more accurate.

xCodebreaker01: Is that your way of defending my curiosity or calling me stupid? /j

OutlawResolve: Hmm, let's just say you have something in common with the cat, you can figure out which one...

xCodebreaker01: Hey!

OutlawResolve: I'm kidding, DW.

OutlawResolve: Anyway, this may be a bit "pot calling the kettle black", but I think you're overthinking this. Trust yourself, you'll figure it out. You've gotten this far.

Ah, a fellow overthinker.

xCodebreaker01: Thanks. I just don't know if that's possible for me. Second-guessing and overthinking are kind of who I am at this point.

OutlawResolve: I understand. I don't know if this helps...

OutlawResolve: But, just know that I believe in you.

There it is again. That bizarre emotion. Why do I suddenly feel like crying?