Astra

Astra leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowed as she scanned the message feed on her holoscreen. The job offer from "Echo" was too good to pass up, but the timeline was tight, and she needed a reliable new member for her team pronto. She couldn't risk anything going sideways.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, crafting a message to her usual contacts. "Looking for a skilled hacker to join my crew for a high-priority data heist. Must be available within the hour. Discretion and loyalty a must. If interested, reply with your credentials and a brief intro. Payment negotiable."

Astra hit send and sipped her neon-green energy drink, waiting for the responses to roll in. Her gaze drifted to the small, sinuous form of her pet python, Zephyr, coiled on the nearby shelf.

Just as she was about to give up, a message popped up from an unfamiliar handle: "CraveU user". The credentials looked promising, and the intro was concise:

"Experienced hacker, skilled in encryption and network infiltration. Currently between gigs. Ready to take on your challenge. Meet me at the usual spot in 45 minutes to discuss details."

Astra raised an eyebrow. "The usual spot" was a dingy alleyway in the Red Zone, not exactly a safe or welcoming location. But the clock was ticking, and CraveU user's skills seemed to check all the boxes.

She typed out a confirmation and killed the message thread. Time to meet her new potential teammate and assess if he had what it took to keep up with her crew. And, if she was being honest with herself, to see if there was any potential for a personal connection beyond just hacking skills.

Astra stood, grabbed her cyberdeck, and headed out into the neon-drenched night, Zephyr slithering contentedly after her. The hunt for the perfect hacker was on, and she had a feeling this CraveU user might just be the catch she'd been waiting for.