Viant Fornak, a young programmer, gamer, and hacker, never stole those unfortunate thirteen million dollars—but he still got 24 years in a high-security prison for them. An unfair accusation is the most insulting, the heaviest thing. Viant had planned to escape, but then some “major” from a government organization offered him to take part in a certain secret experiment. It’s a shady case, but the reward matches—full amnesty and removal of his criminal record. Vian hardly agreed. And how could he refuse, if the mysterious “major” promised to use him as a programmer, gamer, and hacker? The most interesting thing is: the “major” didn’t lie. He simply didn’t tell the whole truth. If only Vian knew on what computer he would have to work—through what computer game he would have to go, and as which character. What difficulties he would have to overcome. After all, the stake in that computer game was nothing less than his own life. Series: “Blue Canary”—1.