[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220627/37b7b6501a7c90de28130bd7adaae519.png[/img][/center] [b][:: The Day Before | The Last Drop ::][/b] Mae felt comfort in familiar places, and the quaint coffee shop that seemed to have been a landmark within New York City since the beginning of time was no exception. It was simple, not over-the-top like most flashy establishments in the area, and it just had a warm, homey feeling even in the busiest of hours. The girl sat in her usual spot, the corner booth near the rear of the room, just across from the bar. She'd been there going on two hours, with a black laptop, a plate of half eaten fries, sliders, and her third root beer, which was already screaming inside her bladder. But, despite the fact that she had to piss like a racehorse, Mae Galanis was in the middle of an online business transaction... With multicolored lights glaring from the laptop screen against the girl’s olive skin, and fingers poised against the keyboard typing furiously with the ease and efficiency of a professional, she continued through endless code of the online game's infrastructure. A deep dive through several layers of firewalls and various security protocols that seemed to constantly change every few seconds was no simple task, but also not impossible for someone who knew where to look for work-arounds. [color=8dc73f]:::::::::::::::::::::::: [b][J!nX]:[/b] Yo, when should I expect the shit I paid for? [b][J!nX]:[/b] u ain't holding out on me, right? [b][J!nX]:[/b] I know u got my deposit through paypal. O.o?? [b][ΝØ∀Δ]:[/b] Patience. ::::::::::::::::::::::::[/color] The “client”, some kid who apparently found her through the dark web as a potential dealer in all kinds of virtual gear for just about any online game on the market. Of course the more rare the commodity, the higher the price tag, but if it meant less grinding for drops and unlocks and more time showing off all the latest hardware and looking like a badass doing it, then gamers would pay up. A few times in the past she’d been caught, had a few slaps on the wrist and was told to “stay out of trouble and keep a low profile”, but a girl needed to eat regardless. Besides, no one is getting hurt and her real identification is always hidden under countless layers of digital security that would take a massive [i]jackhammer[/i] program to rip apart. An email marked “urgent” popped up on her phone, but she was too far gone and embedded into penetrating the game server's database to have even noticed. [color=8dc73f]:::::::::::::::::::::::: [b][ΝØ∀Δ]:[/b] Done. Check your IG mail. [b][J!nX]:[/b] NICE!!!! omg thx!!! ur teh best!!! ::::::::::::::::::::::::[/color] Before any further communication took place, Mae carefully backed out of the multi-level firewalls, and when it was safe, severed the connection and trace of her even being there. At least she had hoped so. Breaking various cyber-laws wasn’t exactly what she had planned for her young life, but at the same time, it was easy money and she did what she enjoyed: [i]Tinkering.[/i] Sure it happened to be at the expense of someone else, whether it was changing grades via a low security system or accessing confidential documents from a Fortune 500 company’s mainframe, Mae enjoyed the challenges that came with it. And if things went sideways, which happens, she would always make sure there was a way out. Mae rubbed the sides of her head, feeling the twinge of a headache forming as it typically did from prolonged diving, as she closed her eyes for a moment to refocus her mind. A few moments later, the vibration from her phone caused her eyes to open and see the unopened “Urgent” email beckoning to her. The sender? Who knew, because the domain wasn’t anything she was familiar with. Spam? Probably. Yet she read the email and couldn’t help but wonder if this had been a joke. But days went by as she sat on the thought of what was being said within the text. Mae always had a feeling things were not altogether right with her. There was something inside that certainly wasn’t considered normal for a human to have. For years she figured her mind was simply playing pranks, or perhaps it was just too much reading into fantasy and science fiction hype. But even the digital Visa Gift Card that had been attached to the email came up as valid, which had been more than enough to cover any travel and food. Intuition eventually took hold, and she continued to feel the pull of whoever this “benefactor” was, urging her to travel to GPS coordinates indicated in the email. [b][:: Present Day ::][/b] The Honda Civic stopped at the foot of the pathway that led up to the house, and the Uber driver turned a bit and pointed. “Looks like a few people have already shown up to [i]whatever[/i] this is”. He said in slightly fractured English and shrugged. “Is this like a rave?” “No idea really, but I’m here, so-uh, thanks.” Mae half-smiled and stepped out of the back of the car. “Just be careful, okay?” The driver said as the door closed. The guy was nice, and seemed to genuinely care, or maybe just hoping for a bigger tip. Either way, the girl traversed along the path flanked by tall trees and thick brush, turning the flashlight from her cell phone to illuminate the way. She eventually made it to where others were gathered, and before she could even take in the sight of the old mansion, a light beamed from her peripheral and she turned her head to see a figure stepping out of what could only be described as some kind of portal or gateway. “Holy shit.” She mumbled, curling a lock of her dark hair around an ear, and not quite sure what to do at that point, but at the same time, there was really no turning back.