Five hackers—an Anonymous-style rabble-rouser, an Arab Spring hacktivist, a black-hat hacker, an old-school cipherpunk, and an online troll—are detained by the U.S. government, forced to work as white-hat hackers for Uncle Sam in order to avoid federal prison. At a secret complex known only as “the Lodge,” where they will spend the next year working as an elite cyber-espionage team, these misfits dub themselves “the Zeroes.”
But once the Zeroes begin to work, they uncover secrets that would make even the most dedicated conspiracy theorist’s head spin. And soon they’re not just trying to serve their time, they’re also trying to perform the ultimate hack: burrowing deep into the U.S. government from the inside, and hoping they’ll get out alive. Packed with electric wit and breakneck plot twists, Zer0esis an unforgettable thrill ride through the seedy underbelly of “progress.”
First Chapter, First Paragraph
“The train clacks on the tracks, rocking side to side. A hundred smells come together—gar-lic in an iron wok, wet goat, a tin pail of piss—and nausea forms a rolling boil in Chance’s belly. He’s not sure the last time he had something to eat. But he has a water bottle within reach, the clear plastic red with steppe dust. He takes a sip. His throat hurts like a scraped knee. The three men across the table watch him drink. The water tastes sharply of minerals. He’s not sure where it came from—they probably filled it up from some spigot on the train. He hopes where the tourists sit. Not where everyone else sits. Or worse, where he saw that yak. Chance tries to sniff, but his left nostril is blocked with dried blood.”
Why You Should Check This Out…
I just finished the second book in this series, invasive. It was fantastic and recommend checking out the first book in the series to get you started in Chuck Wendigs world.
