The hacker's voice crackled through the cybercafe's secure comm channel. "The fee for all this work will be $150,000."
Oliver's eyebrows shot up. "That's too much. Can't you lower the amount?"
A sigh came through the speakers. "I'm not taking any cut myself. That money goes to my team members and others. The video will need to be posted across all major platforms - Assbook, Facebutt, Youtap, Instacrap, Snapshot and others."
She paused before continuing. "Are you still part of the news bulletin club at the academy?"
Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I am."
"Good. The academy will probably take down the video within three hours. Before that happens, we need to make it go viral. To do that, I'll have to pay multiple teams to run coordinated campaigns across different platforms."
Oliver rubbed his chin. "I see why it needs to be that much. You're paying everyone involved, and they're taking a risk going against the academy."
Xavier raised his hand. "Won't the academy just pay the social media platforms to take down the videos?"
The hacker's voice took on a lecturing tone. "Deleting something from the internet is impossible. That's exactly why we need to make it go viral first - by having thousands of accounts repost and share it. I'll also pay news and media channels to cover the story."
Oliver frowned. "Will news channels risk going against the academy like that?"
A pause filled the booth before the hacker responded. "Of course they won't do it for free. But they like money. Some might even pick up the footage for free initially, just so they can later ask the academy for hefty sums to take it down."
Xavier and Oliver exchanged impressed glances. The hacker had clearly thought several steps ahead.
"You don't have to pay now," the hacker continued. "You can pay later, even if it takes a month. I'll explain everything to my teams."
Xavier straightened in his seat. "I'll transfer $10,000 right now, and more within a week."
The connection terminated with a soft click. Xavier and Oliver left the cybercafe, walking back to the academy grounds. The morning sun cast long shadows as they moved through the futuristic campus, its sleek buildings and holographic displays shimmering in the light.
At the academy entrance, Oliver turned to Xavier. "I'm a second year, so I'll head to my department. You be careful today."
Xavier nodded, watching as Oliver walked away before turning toward his own department.
Since there were no theory classes, Xavier checked the schedule on his academy device - a sleek, holographic tablet that projected the day's activities. The sports class was already in session at the playground when he arrived. The first event was sprinting, which Xavier immediately ruled out. He couldn't stress his body physically before what he was about to do next.
As Xavier watched from the sidelines, a student sitting next to him turned and asked, "You're not going to participate?"
Xavier shook his head. "No, I'm not much of an athlete."
He turned to the student. "What about you? Are you going to run?"
The student sighed, his gaze dropping to his lap. "I want to, but it won't be fair. So many students have cybernetic enhancements or genetic mutations. They've surpassed human limits. For normal humans like me without any cyberware modifications..." His voice trailed off.
'Money can even take care of weakness and disabilities,' Xavier thought, watching the enhanced students effortlessly outpace their unmodified peers.
Just then, a beautiful girl with short, silver hair approached. Xavier thought she might be coming to talk to him, but she stopped in front of the student he'd been speaking with.
"Hey, Kael," she said, handing him a can of glowing blue juice. "I brought you this."
Kael took the drink with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mira."
Mira sat beside Kael and asked, "Are you going to participate in the sprint?"
Kael shook his head, repeating the same reasons he'd given Xavier earlier.
Mira's expression softened as she looked at him. "I really want to see you run," she said, her voice taking on a playful tone. She gave him her best puppy-dog eyes. "Please participate? For me?"
Kael sighed dramatically but couldn't hide his smile. "Alright, alright. But if I score under the top three - even with my disadvantage - you owe me a reward."
Mira grinned. "Deal."
As Kael walked toward the starting line, Xavier watched their interaction with a pang of longing.
'There was one more thing besides money that could make someone do things unconditionally,' he realized. 'A relationship.'
The countdown ended with a digital chime, and the race began. Twenty students surged forward in a blur of motion, their enhanced bodies moving with unnatural speed and grace. Kael ran with determination, his unenhanced body pushing against its limits, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to keep pace.
Ethan and Maximilian were among the competitors, their cybernetic enhancements making them nearly blur as they sprinted. The track shimmered with holographic markers, and the air was filled with the hum of the academy's advanced timing systems.
Xavier watched from the sidelines, his mind wandering. 'Could I ever have a relationship like that?' he wondered, glancing at the groups of girls cheering on the participants. He took in their animated faces, their glossy lips, the way their uniforms hugged their curves. His gaze lingered on the way their breasts bounced with each jump and movement.
A heat rose in him, but he pushed it down. 'Now isn't the time,' he reminded himself. 'I have something serious to take care of first.'
On the track, Kael pushed himself to his absolute limit, his face a mask of determination. He wanted that reward Mira had promised. The finish line approached, and in a final burst of effort, Kael crossed it in third place. Maximilian took first, his cybernetic legs carrying him effortlessly to victory. Ethan came in fourth, his face twisted in anger as he slowed to a stop.
Mira rushed to Kael, her face alight with pride. "You did it!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Before Kael could react, she pulled him into a passionate kiss, her lips pressing against his.
Xavier watched the scene unfold, a pang of jealousy twisting in his chest. 'Why can't I have that?'
At that moment, Ethan and Maximilian strode past, their attention elsewhere. Xavier tensed, expecting them to take their anger out on him, but they walked right by without a glance.
The sports instructor's voice boomed over the PA system. "Attention students! The next activity will begin shortly. Remember, participation in at least one sport activity is compulsory today."
Xavier's stomach dropped. 'Not good,' he thought, his mind racing for a solution. The last thing he needed was to be forced into a physical activity when he was about to execute his plan.