Free Mind Games by Teri Terry Page A

anyone else?
    His words feel truthful, and there is something about him that makes me want to trust him. But if he were delusional, he’d believe what he was saying. Is he sick, like Nanna? Part of me wants to run away from the dark eyes staring at me intently just now; part of me needs answers.
    And worse: something in his eyes waits – waits for me to say something to his claims. Somehow I can’t lie to those eyes. ‘Maybe you’ve got delusions of grandeur,’ I say.
    Hurt flashes across his face; fleeting, then gone. He shrugs. ‘Maybe I do. What is it you wanted to talk about, anyway?’
    I search his face for the silver I know I won’t see in daylight. ‘There’s something I need to ask you. Last night, when the clouds lifted, I saw silver around your eye. You’ve got silver Hacker marks. What do they mean?’
    His face stills. ‘They’re not that usual, and they’re kind of secret. But most people can’t see them, even in starshine.’ He stares at me.
    ‘I’ve seen them before. My mother had them,’ I say, the words dragging out of me, slow and reluctant. I never talk about Astra; I rarely refer to her as Mother. Never, ever Mum. It hurts too much.
    His eyes widen. ‘The mother they said killed herself?’ he says. The one thing he could say that will make me answer.
    ‘She didn’t kill herself! At least, not the way it sounds. She was a Hacker; her life support failed. They said it was her fault, that she set it to fail when she died virtually in a game. That she was so convinced it could never happen that she raised the virtual stakes, gambled with her life, and lost.’ I say the words that defend her, unable to stop myself. But isn’t what happened only marginally better than choosing to take her own life, choosing to leave me? The Game was more important to her than anything else. Including me.
    ‘Who was your mother?’ His voice is oddly strained.
    I don’t want to tell him. He’s a Hacker; it always freaks them out when they find out. Even Hex couldn’t believe it, and for ages tried to ask me questions about her until he finally gave up when I wouldn’t answer.
    ‘Please tell me, Luna. Who was your mother?’
    ‘Astra.’
    He stares at me, wonder in his eyes, and I shake my head.
    ‘Don’t give me that hero worship thing just because Astra was the best space game Hacker, ever. I’ve heard it all before, and I’m nothing like her.’
    ‘I can’t believe I didn’t see it. You’ve got her eyes.’
    Oh, great. Not only is he potentially delusional, he’s also one of those freaky fan club Astra-worshippers. He’s probably got her picture on his bedside table.
    Most of me wants to run, to get away from him, but I have to know . ‘Please tell me. What do the silver marks mean?’
    He stays silent a moment, and I don’t press. Finally he looks around and leans in close. Lowers his voice. ‘All right. Because of who your mother is, I’ll make an exception and tell you something I’m sworn not to tell. But you have to promise to keep this to yourself.’
    ‘I will, I promise.’
    ‘It’s like…’ He hesitates. ‘A different type of hacking. A different level. Undetectable.’
    ‘But you said PareCo lets Hackers in, lets them do their thing so they can observe.’
    ‘Not this. They can’t see this; can’t control it; can’t stop it.’
    ‘So how’d they catch on that you’re a Hacker? You’ve only got the silver marks, no black marks everyone can see.’
    ‘I don’t know. Somebody must have sold me out.’ And there is cold, controlled anger in his voice.
    ‘Maybe they worked it out for themselves. Marks or not, it is obvious you’re a Hacker. You dress like a Hacker, you’ve got a weird Hacker-name, you hang out with Hackers.’
    He smiles. ‘ Now I do. I gave up masquerading as a regular student once it became apparent they knew. There was no reason to hide any longer.’
    ‘Why haven’t you got any black Hacker marks? My mother had both.’
    ‘I’ve