"You can log out any time you want, but you can never leave."
At any given moment, 5% of the Internet is hidden from view - that's the Dark Net. It's a haven for criminals, spies, and nefarious hackers. For Max Caine it's also a death trap, where reality and the virtual world collide. Join Max and Betty3.5, and their virtual penguin Linus, as they explore the darkest recesses of the Internet. This cyber thriller will take you on a wild ride into the not-too-distant future where conveniences from auto-piloted cars to wearable computers and biometric ATMs ensure that everyone is online, one way or another, every waking moment. But continual connection has a price, as Max soon discovers in his journeys through the Dark Net.
Excerpt
Max turned toward the mechanical hoard.
"Betty," he said as the crabs closed in.
One of them lunged within a meter of Max's feet. He hunched down in preparation to fend off the creature as best he could. The crab sprang upward towards Max"s face. He reared back to knock it out of the air, but before he could strike, Betty grabbed his wrist and pulled him backward. He collapsed in a heap in the entrance of a passage indistinguishable from the one they had left at the other side of the tunnel. He lifted his head and saw the crabs racing toward him with pincers outstretched. He lurched back, and the nearest crab halted just beyond the passage opening.
The hoard slowed, like a wave reaching its apogee on a sloping shore. After a moment, they turned away and dispersed, meandering back to their countless hiding places on the tunnel wall.
When Max's breath returned, he peered into the passage behind him and saw Betty sitting hunched against one side.
