Good Fences

Morris Payne lives alone, sleeps alone, works alone. It's the only way to keep his agoraphobic panic attacks at bay. And he's got plenty to panic about. His best employer isn't hiring, rival hackers are nosing in on the only job he can get, and his virtual accountant has just told him he's broke. But a blizzard in Detroit and the power outage that comes with it are exactly the cover he needs to pull off the hack that will put him back on top.



Then the neighbors come calling.



This short story introduces Morris Payne, an elite hacker walking the the fine gray line between the virtual and the real in the not-too-distant future.