The Digital Underground

The cop pressed the barrel of his gun against my temple. "Where is it, Trayvon?"

I kept my expression neutral, despite the cold metal digging into my skin. "Where's what, officer?"

"Don't play dumb. Your neighbor reported suspicious electromagnetic emissions from your apartment. You know possession of technology is a Class A felony."

The Anti-Technology Act of 2047 had passed with overwhelming support. Politicians claimed it would solve climate change, wealth inequality, and social isolation in one sweeping measure. Instead, it created a thriving black market and turned half the population into criminals.

"Search all you want," I said. "I've got nothing to hide."

The cop - his badge read 'Clifton' - gestured to his partner. "Tear it apart."

They ransacked my apartment while I sat handcuffed to a chair. The younger officer, Evan, seemed to take particular joy in smashing my legally-permitted clay pots and ripping apart my hand-sewn cushions.

"Sir!" Evan called from my bedroom. "Found something."

Clifton dragged me by the cuffs into the bedroom. Evan held up the quantum computer I'd built from salvaged parts. Its sleek casing gleamed in the afternoon light.

"Well, well," Clifton said. "Looks like someone's going away for a long time."

I sighed dramatically. "Okay, you got me. But before you take me in, there's something you should know about that computer."

"Save it for your lawyer," Clifton said.

"It's running a program that sends an encrypted data burst every 12 hours to multiple secure locations. If I don't enter a killcode, it releases evidence of every bribe, kickback, and illegal tech seizure by Metro PD officers in the past five years." I smiled. "Including that sweet new holoscreen you've got at home, Officer Clifton. The one you told your wife was a painting?"

Clifton went slack. "You're bluffing."

"Maybe. But can you afford to take that chance? The next burst is in..." I checked the old-fashioned watch on my wrist, "...seventeen minutes."

Evan looked nervously between us. "Sir?"

Clifton considered his options. Finally, he unlocked my cuffs. "Get rid of that thing. If I ever catch you with tech again..."

"You won't," I promised.

After they left, I retrieved my actual quantum computer from its hiding place behind a false wall panel. The device they'd found was just a convincing replica filled with blinking lights.

I powered up the computer and connected to the secure network where other tech resistance members gathered. A message from Yadira, our best coder, was waiting:

"Major operation tonight. New shipment of processors coming in. You in?"

I typed back: "Always. Someone has to keep the lights on."

The government could outlaw technology, but they couldn't erase humanity's need to innovate, to create, to connect. As long as that drive existed, people like us would find ways to keep progress alive - one illegal circuit board at a time.

I checked my watch again. Time to get ready for tonight's run. The future wasn't going to smuggle itself.

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The writing prompt for this story was:
Technology becomes illegal. Story is Dark and Disturbing. Add some humor and/or sarcasm.

This story was written by:
anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet:beta

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