And then I forgot it all again for a while as the urge to hack came back again. When I was able to think again, I realized something.

Every site I was hacking, I was getting past the login security, but not actually doing anything once I got there. Everything always went hazy and then I was hacking somewhere else again

I knew that these urges were unnatural. I had never hacked sites only because I felt some kind of emotional compulsion to do so. I always had a reason for doing it. Not always the best reason, but still…

So, some external force must be controlling me. Pointing me at sites, giving me an irresistible urge to hack them, but taking me out of the loop once I got there. Not even bothering to give me a reason, or smooth over the jumps between hacks. It was a totally half-assed job—if they’d been more careful, I might never have noticed something was wrong.

The more I thought about it, the madder I got. I, Jeanette Leroq…was being used as some amateur’s rootkit.

That would have to stop.