You'd think the life of a hacker would be a glamorous one — with lots of money and fast cars and always surrounded by pretty people.

It's not.

Okay, so it may be if you're working for the bad guys… or you are a bad guy. Whatever.

I'm not.

I was hired by C-Sec as a "Cyber Security Specialist" because of all the spiffy awards and commendations I got while in their Advanced Programming school. In the beginning I knew they had hired me because I was human, and they needed to diversify — I showed some potential in school, so I was a shoe-in, not really expected to amount to much of anything.

Boy, did I prove them wrong.

I've been here ten stinking years and now I'm the top hacker. Okay… "Cyber Security Specialist"… because paid hacker doesn't sound as nice. But it's what I do.

See, the automated security protocols around all sensitive data are really good, but not the best. I'm here to try and get around those automated defenses and firewalls, and then write the programs to prevent anyone else from doing the same.

I'm also responsible for finding the scumbags trying to hack anything else in the system, and notifying the right C-Sec department so said scumbag can be put behind bars.

While it's boring most of the time, it can be pretty satisfying — knowing I'm helping to make the Citadel a safer place.

But that's just my day job.

Five years ago I was contacted by an agent for the Shadow Broker, who told me that the Broker himself wanted to meet me for an "interview". I was young and stupid and was pressured into going by the agent, not realizing that I really had a hit on me. Any number of things could have happened, but luckily fate was on my side.

I work with all different sorts of aliens on a daily basis, and I'm not afraid of any of them.

I was afraid of the Shadow Broker.

I'd never seen his species before, and I haven't since. I assumed he must be ancient — long lived like the Asari — and my respect, out of fear, was high; because this guy was huge. And scary… like, straight from hell scary.

Once I got past my initial fear — and believe me when I say I was scared shitless the entire time I was there — the Shadow Broker told me he was impressed by my skills; said they were the best he'd ever seen. He told me I was the only person to have ever hacked his intel network. When I admitted I hadn't realized the system I had gotten into was his, he seemed surprised, but he believed me. I felt honored that he was impressed with my abilities, and even moreso when he asked me to become an agent for him.

The alternative was a slow, painful death, which he described in great detail on how it would be carried out. So I took the job.

But I'd put enough of his information brokers in jail because of how some of them got their intel, as well as how they distributed it. I wasn't going to be one of them. I told him I'd only give the information to the people who it would benefit the most — even if it meant a lower amount of money. He agreed, amused that I had the audacity to put terms on my employment. I was to collect information for him with my position on the Citadel.

I didn't like it, but in my line of work, there were things you came across and couldn't do anything about. Having a direct link to the Shadow Broker would change that.

So fast forward five years to present day. I'm still in this mundane job, spiked with occasional bouts of fun and a feeling of self-righteousness at being part of the greater good.

I led a good life, had great friends, and although I wasn't uber rich, I was comfortable. My life was pretty normal — as normal as can be for someone living on the Citadel — until I went back home to Eden Prime to visit my dad.

My whole world changed that day…