Free Athena Lee Chronicles 0: The Lost Pilot by T S Paul

Prologue
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    In the early 21st century, computer technology was at its pinnacle. Almost everyone in the world had some sort of electronic 'gizmo' that they either wore, carried, or communicated with. Miniaturization was the name of the game. The machines that we used were getting smaller, faster, and cheaper to produce. Electronic advances allowed man to reach for the stars and to explore the deepest darkest depths of the Earth. Private space travel although still in it's infancy was booming. Groups such as Space X, Orbital ATK, and TQB enterprises, dominated the industry. Space planes that could carry passengers and carry necessary freight could now fly exo-atmospheric and what once took hours, now took minutes of travel time. Rocket assisted pods were now being launched and were replacing the major freight companies. These new pods used a form of safe nuclear fuel. The various world governments were rushing to incorporated all of these new and exciting technologies into their own military. It was only natural that someone would begin to use it for nefarious and anti-government purposes.
     
    The governments of the world called them Cyber Terrorists. The media called them digital freedom fighters. The man on the street called them a-pain-in-the-ass. The first and most infamous was a 12 year old boy in Valdosta, Georgia, Neville Maske. Neville was a child prodigy who really liked computers. He liked them so much that he began to write his own computer languages before he was 10 years old. As he grew older, Neville became more and more reclusive. He had tested out of mandatory schooling. His parents, both teachers, allowed him extraordinary freedoms not normally given to preteen children.
     
    His on-line business would have been Fortune 500 material if not for the government's interference. Social workers are the bane of many families lives. So are busybody neighbors. Child Protective Services descended on the Maske household one afternoon and took poor Neville, from a 'dangerous situation.' His parents, lost their jobs and their financial security trying to fight the 'system' to get Neville back. Not one government employee asked Neville if he was endangered or felt threatened. Trapped in an officially sanctioned group foster home, without even computer access, Neville longed for his parents to come and save him. The day before his court date both were killed in a freak hit-and-run accident.
     
    Neville,was heartbroken over the death of his parents. Revenge against the system that killed his family was the only thing that kept him going. The foster school that he was committed to had a computer lab, access was not much of an issue. Most of the students wanted out of the school, not to stay in and work. And work he did. Neville still had 'his' on-line accounts and his business contact lists. It was a small matter to hire someone to eliminate certain key workers at the CPS service. A little judicious hacking and Neville was set 'free' into the arms of hired actors who played his parents. Three days. Three days was all it took for young Neville Maske to bring the local Government to a grinding halt. Three days for state investigators to realized that something was wrong. Everyone involved with his 'abduction' from his parents were punished. Computer systems crashed, bank accounts were cleaned out, and lawsuits were filed. All of that was small potatoes. Neville wanted and needed to do more. To hurt them as much as they had hurt him. The Valdosta government buildings were new, their automated sensors and electronic controls were top of the line. A valve left on and a switch turned off was all that was needed to start a fire. Every fire alarm sensor at been deactivated. The fire was not even noticed until it was too late. The entire complex was already engulfed when the alarms went out. At the fire station no alarms were received. Firefighters only knew of the blaze by seeing it on the Vid. Gasoline