Under the Flickering Light — Russ Linton

A singularity which knows no equal rules the Earth. Life is perfect. Efficient. Monitored. You can be anything, do anything…in the VR worlds of the Nexus.

For M@ti, that isn't enough. She wants to tear it all down.

An experiment from birth, M@ti sees the Manhattan Preserve differently than the teeming millions who inhabit the city. With her eyes to the stars instead of hidden behind VR gear, she uncovers their caretaker's secret plans for galactic expansion.

But when a deadly hunter finds out she's hacked the networks, M@ti must decide if her unique skills are a curse or a blessing and choose sides in a centuries-old war which pits hackers against their AI overlords.

Can she cling to her humanity long enough to deliver the world from AI domination? Or will old wounds finally bring the human race to extinction?