Earth wasn’t a small planet. Well, sure, compared to many other planets out there, it was extremely small, but to those that lived on it it seemed pretty big.

  That was a problem for the Mirror Containment Bureau. They’d been founded only recently, and while, with the help of most governments worldwide, they’d managed to expand at a speed that would put to shame the greatest magnates in history, they were still too small. They had the money, but the world didn’t have enough experienced people ready to work for a secret society. Or rather, there were lots, but the amount of those that could actually be trusted to keep the secret was so low it made the Employment Department sweat profusely each and every day.

  Another department that was sweating just as much, if not more, was IT. Those poor bastards had to work on a worldwide network using a newly built coding system, making sure it worked perfectly and, at the same time, that it was safe. There weren’t enough people, as stated, and while those that worked for the Bureau were, in fact, among the best, they still needed mundane things like food and sleep, and even then one could keep an eye on only so many tabs.

  Which meant that enterprising hackers kept havng field days in their databases.

  But, you may be wondering, how could someone know about the Bureau if it was supposed to be such a big secret.

  Well, the answer to that question was to be found in the number of guts the Employment Department was sweating through. There had been a mistake, someone untrustworthy had been hired, and that someone had leaked information to the outside.

  Now there were hackers constantly attacking the Bureau’s network in search for a challenge and some useful information. It was an outright war, and the Bureau was keeping ahead for now. But not every battle was won.

  In fact, today, one such battle was lost.

  “Fuck yeah, we’re in boys!” shouted the one that had finally managed to hack into the network.

  “Don’t cheer you idiot, start downloading anything you can.”

  “Who do you take me for, a rookie? Already at it!”

  “There’s so much shit here boys!” said a third.

  Around a dozen different files were downloaded. To the right buyer all of this information was probably worth actual gold.

  Sadly, before they could get more, someone found them and kicked them out of the system.

  “Found us! Time to skeedadle boys!”

  And so they ran.

  While in the car, one of the three friends opened one of the files they’d found on a safe computer. The other ones had been destroyed, chips fried and motherboards melted for good measure.

  He began reading.

  “Guys, the moment we stop you have to read this shit. It’s like reading a sci-fi!”

  “Well, I’m not driving, give that here.”

  “Put your hands down wanker, use your own goddamn computer.”

  Their car took a left back towards more used roads and they finally relaxed completely.

  “Well boys, we did it. Now we’re totally outta trouble.” shouted the driver to a general cheer from the other two.

  And then a police car appeared in front of them, a policeman waving a signaling disk towards them, asking them to stop.

  They did and, a moment later, the same policeman reached towards the passenger window and with a slight smile, asked: “Licence and vehicle registration please.”

  The man gave him both.

  The policeman walked back towards his car and, together with his colleague, began checking that everything was alright. The three boys didn’t worry, since they knew everything was right.

  That is, until the policeman walked back towards them and, while handing them their documents, said: “It’s a shame, you know. You nearly managed to escape.”

  And then a team of twelve armed soldiers appeared seemingly out of nowhere and surrounded the car, weapons raised and ready to shoot.

  Among the twelve, one walked towards the driver’s window and took off the protective glasses, smiling brightly.

  “Good morning gentlemen. We noticed you snooping around the Mirror Containment Bureau’s database not thirty minutes ago. You even managed to surpass the securety and get yourself some files. Impressive!”

  He nodded with satisfaction, then extended a hand towards the three hackers.

  “My name’s Adriano Vespucci, head of the Bureau’s Employment Department. And I’m happy to announce to you that, like it or not, you’ve just been hired. Welcome to the Bureau! Take them.”

  That said, he turned around, and not three minutes later the road was again empty except for the police car, while Site – 03 had just gained three new recruits and a car.