Is this a story precluding to The Fifth Element, with a slice of Blade Runner like atmosphere and a Matrix Reloaded Plot of bring-down-a-corrupt-computer-system? "Burning Chrome" by William Gibson surely makes readers believe that some of the most iconic Sci-Fi films of all times took a little bit of something from this futuristic short story. The details of this wildly dramatized adventure of a group of guys trying to hack their way into a protected crime family server is so plausible and yet far-fetching from our current cultural realities.
The world of "Burning Chrome" is a bleak and dirty 20 year old gas station restroom of existence. People are suppressed to either do the questionable to survive or break the law to just maintain. Jack and Bobby are internet punk cowboys, or shall I say, outlaws. Their fix, in life, is breaking "ice" and stealing either digits with zeros behind them or information. Government order is out the door. The text mentioned a war and that Jack served in it. However, what is a little confusing is if Jack lost his arm during the war or trying to execute an attempt at smuggling; which was for his sake, an epic fail. This is a cold and dark world, and for me, the world seems like a mix of The Fifth Element and Blade Runner: always cold, raining, the sky is gloomy and the streets are busy with hustling and bustling, packed with people. They are dirty people with worn-out clothes; the clothes show their experiences of struggle just to get by and find enough sustenance. The city buildings, once shiny with newness and superiority, are now covered with a thickness of dirty, gritty ash, covering their once moral and solid foundations. An ironic image for those that now inhabit them. It's a world with corrupt individuals breaking the law through money laundering, illegal virtual-prostitution and a class system that only favors the top 1%! Oh, Gibson wanted his world not as a apocalyptic wasteland, but a drowned out country of struggle and strife. His imagery and details depict technology's advanced integration into the human world--a seamless relationship of wires and flesh. It's similar to Jack's robotic arm and the functionality of it during his hacking jobs. This is a place where tinkers are on a screaming edge of a half-pike, enjoying the ride until black-ice sharks wipe them out.
The power in this world is debatable. Chrome is a technology based system with a mean reputation. One that is not forgiving or forgetting. Her ice walls are notorious and the funds streaming through her circuits have people like Jack & Bobby salivating to score. The humans build the interfaces, systems and locks. But the technology has become entangled with human advancements. The techno brothel, as I like to put it, is the power of human weakness for desire. Chrome is the intellect of reason and funds. Break the bank, break the operations. For Jack and Bobby, the goal for them is simple. A big enough prize like Chrome is a big enough risk. Hence, the power struggle begins with ingenuity and luck.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story and being transported to this futuristic Cowboys-and-Indians world. The plot was foreseeable, but the details of romanticism, human struggle and technology integration into biological interface was beyond captivating. Highly recommended for a second read!
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