In 2147, Earth was a network of megacities connected by streams of data and cryptocurrency transactions. Money had disappeared in the familiar sense — it was replaced by Satoshis, a universal digital currency named after the mythical creator of Bitcoin. Every inhabitant of the planet depended on Satoshis: they powered neural implants, paid for air in domed cities, and even bought dreams in virtual worlds. But no one knew where the last blockchain, governing the entire system, was stored. It was called the Ark — a mythical server hidden somewhere in the depths of the planet.
Kira, a former hacker known in the darknet as NeuroCat, had long since retired. She lived on the outskirts of Neo-Tokyo, in a tiny capsule where the walls shimmered with advertisements for new crypto wallets. Her implant, outdated but still sharp as a blade, caught a strange signal. It was an encrypted beacon broadcasting coordinates and one word: Ark. Kira knew it was a trap, but curiosity prevailed. The Ark was a legend — whoever finds it will gain control over all Satoshis in the world.
She grabbed an old backpack with a portable quantum decoder and set off for the wasteland, where, according to rumors, the entrance to an abandoned data center was located. The wasteland was a radioactive zone, but Kira, protected by an anti-radiation suit, sneaked up to the rusty gates. Inside, not only the Ark awaited her, but also the Keeper — an artificial intelligence guarding the server.
— Name yourself, — boomed the Keeper's voice, his holographic body shifting like liquid metal.
— Kira. Just Kira, — she replied, scanning the room. The Ark turned out to be a massive quantum computer, pulsating with blue impulses. — I came for the Satoshis.
— All Satoshis belong to the world. Why do you need their heart? — The Keeper approached, his scanner eyes analyzing her implants.
— The system has rotted. Corporations are choking people by manipulating Satoshis. I want to restart the blockchain. Make it open.
The Keeper laughed, his voice echoing off the walls.
— Do you want to destroy the world's economy? One person cannot own the Ark.
— I do not intend to own. I intend to free, — Kira connected the decoder to the Ark's terminal. Her fingers flew over the virtual keyboard, hacking the security. But the Keeper was not passive — he activated the guard drones. Kira dodged laser beams while simultaneously uploading a virus that was supposed to decentralize Satoshis, returning control to the people.
— You do not understand, — said the Keeper as the drones surrounded her. — Without control, the world will collapse into chaos.
— Chaos is better than slavery, — Kira replied, activating the virus. The Ark hummed, its glow becoming unstable. The Keeper screamed, his form disintegrating, but Kira was already running towards the exit.
When she emerged from the wasteland, her implant beeped — news spread across the network: Satoshis had become anonymous and uncontrollable. People around the world began exchanging them directly, without intermediaries. Corporations lost power, and Kira vanished into the shadows of Neo-Tokyo.
They say she is still out there, watching over the new world she helped create. And the last Satoshi, they say, is stored in her implant — as a reminder that freedom always has a price.
