QSFer Natsuya Uesugi has a new book out in the Grydscaen series:
The short stories that make up the science fiction anthology grydscaen: tribute focus on the hackers in the series. Intrusion, infiltration government overreach selling data, smuggling psi inducer drugs, and social engineering – it is all covered. When the young adult Faid is solicited by George, the rich and powerful member o the corporate board of the SenseNet, Faid’s life in the Echelons drastically changes. Besides being George’s host, Faid starts the Packrat hackers and embarks on his mission of taking down the government and stopping them from rounding up psychics for experimentation. Faid recruits Acolyte from the Terror Hack to run an elite group of hackers called the Acolytes. When Raven a hacker known for getting away clean gets confronted on a job with Faid, it is not too long until the government tracks him down. And we meet Rom, the homeless psychic. But he is hiding something. He just might be the most elite hacker the Packrats have. Intrigue, fast-paced action and technology grydscaen: tribute shows where the hackers rule. Whose side are you on?
Excerpt
Faid looked off into the night. The streets of the Echelons were busy in Haven 15, the Red Light District of the Pacific Territories. The sun set over the horizon and the neon lights of the district glared into the darkness hocking girls, teenage boys, technology all screaming for your attention as the cars hovered down the streets and the people took in the seedy shop windows with the scantily clad girls and barely legal boys dancing to electronica music for a show. Faid was waiting for a pickup.
It was 2055 and data was everywhere, the gridscan was the ubiquitous solution to your every need. Query the net, the gridscan as it was called by hackers and find just what you were looking for. The neon night danced in front of Faid’s eyes and he sighed from his perch in front of The Hole X-rated magazine shop with the other hosts. Today he wasn’t working like usual, today he was waiting to get paid for a hack he had done. The pay couldn’t come soon enough, he needed some neurocyne, a psi inducer drug that helped him control his psychic power. He had been in withdrawal for the last six hours.
Faid was wearing Packrat garb, the black tight fitting Runner’s shirt and black shorts with combat boots half way up his calves, and long fingerless gloves with buckles on them. He stood out from the other hosts dressed in trendy clothes trying to pickup a john. Faid sighed and took his handheld out of his pocket and engaged it. He started playing Senso Indulgence, a ware game and jacked in. He touched the jack at his temple and the terminus cable came out of his head and moved around searching for the jack port on the handheld. It moved around influenced by his psychic power and engaged the port. Faid blinked as the connection set and the game booted up to the handheld screen. The game asked for a password and Faid sent his thoughts out using his psychic power. The thoughts translated into electrical signals through the jack and engaged the game getting past the authentication. Faid leaned up against the window with his foot up and his leg bent just playing. He was getting bored waiting.
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Author Bio
Natsuya Uesugi is a systems analyst and has worked in the design of aerospace, semiconductor and financial systems. With a Master’s Degree in International Management and a minor in Japanese, Natsuya has been around computers most of his life. He also studied animation and game design in art school where he finalized the character designs and personalities for the main characters of grydscaen. He enjoys skydiving cosplay, anime and writing poetry. He is currently working on a graphic novel for grydscaen.