There is the world wide web. There is also the deep web. A Google search will never let you into its depths because access requires codes and passwords. Corporate LANS and online banking are part of it. And then there is the DarkNet, where the encryption is massively advanced and special software may be required. It is the marketplace for drugs, arms and child pornography, and many services are available. One day there is a knock on Alice’s door. A man from Police Intelligence introduces himself. The police have learnt that an assassination has been booked via the DarkNet and she is the victim. They do not know who commissioned the hit. They hope to find him by acting as if the killing has taken place. The policeman has brought a bag of theatrical make-up. He tells Alice to lie on the floor while she is bloodied up and has her photo taken. Alice is deeply into the world she can explore via her computer. When she gets off work she enters into the fantasy world of the MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) where she has been evolving her character for three years. In the fantasy world she meets a man whose real name is Kasper and who lives with his mum. He dropped out of college when he started making big bucks on the web. Known online as Horror Pirate he is active on the DarkNet, where he has created Military Road: The biggest portal in the world to everything society’s would-be masters try to stop us from getting our hands on. Meanwhile Alice’s brother, who is mentally ill, has discovered a secret community where people live perfectly authentic lives behind a giant shield of magnetic waves that blocks any electronic communication. The DarkNet is a fantasy for anyone who has wandered into a virtual world that feels bigger, more beautiful and more exciting than everyday life.
