Altcoin Boy

I woke up in the middle of the night, cold sweat beading on my forehead. My laptop screen still glowed with that digital map, red dots everywhere. The brightest one, blinking, was Jakarta—me.

I tried closing all the apps, unplugging every cable, but the screen wouldn't turn off. It felt like someone was watching from behind the terminal.

My Telegram group, "Crypto Underground," popped up.

CryptoGhost: "You need to start getting ready. This isn't about tokens anymore, it's about the system. And the system is being messed with."

My hands trembling, I typed, "What do you mean?"

CryptoGhost: "Have you ever heard about the Nemesis Protocol?"

I waited, but there was no reply. After about five minutes, a new message finally appeared. Not from Ghost.

UnknownNode47: "If you're reading this, then Genesis is active. Nemesis is the correction. And you... you're a wild variable that needs to be eliminated."

I tried to delete the message, but my hand accidentally hit a hidden folder icon instead. The folder hadn't been there before.

Its name: /Nemesis_Logs/

I tapped it. It contained only one text file.

nemesis_protocol_readme.txt

I opened it.

"So, the Nemesis Protocol wasn't built to attack, but to wipe things out. The system flags anything weird, then zaps the network back to 'clean.' If you're reading this, you're the weird thing. Countdown starts: 72 hours."

The clock in the corner of my screen suddenly changed. Not Jakarta time. It was like some weird, modified system clock. It read:

71:59:58

I slammed my hand on the desk. "An anomaly? I'm just some regular kid who works in a freaking kitchen. What did I even do wrong?"

But deep down, I knew. This whole mess started the moment I opened that file named '0.' The moment I became part of something way bigger than just markets and coin prices. This wasn't just crypto anymore. This was a hidden revolution.

My Telegram group buzzed:

CryptoGhost: "You need to head to this address." [GPS Attachment: 6.2297° S, 106.6894° E]

I copied the location into Google Maps. Some old, empty warehouse on the outskirts of Jakarta.

I shot back, "What is that place?"

CryptoGhost: "That's the last node that was active before Miner Zero vanished. Now, it's yours."

My head was pounding. It felt like I was being pulled into some cheap sci-fi movie—but it was all real.

I called that unknown number that had contacted me yesterday again. It connected.

"Hello?"

A monotone voice answered from the other end.

"Your access code has been accepted. You are now directly connected to the Genesis core. But you are not the only one."

The call died.

My Telegram group:

NodeRunner23: "We all used to believe this system was neutral. But Nemesis changed everything."

I typed, "What is Nemesis, really? A person? A group? An AI?"

NodeRunner23: "Nemesis isn't an entity. It's code. But it has control. Whoever activates it has the power to erase nodes—or people."

I froze, staring at my sweating fingers. And now, I was part of this.

I made up my mind. Tomorrow, I'd go to that location.

The next day, the Jakarta sky was overcast. I took an online motorbike taxi to the outskirts of the city, carrying only a small backpack and my laptop.

The old warehouse stood silently. Its walls were covered in moss. No CCTV, no signs of active electricity. But the GPS showed: this was the place.

I kicked the old iron door. Locked. I tried the padlock. Also locked. But below the handle, there was a small hole with a retina scanner.

I leaned in close.

An electronic voice:

"Access recognized. Welcome, successor."

The door opened automatically.

Inside, it wasn't a normal warehouse. It was an underground lab. A small elevator descended one floor. No other options.

Just one button: DOWN.

I pressed it.

The elevator moved, neon lights flickering. Once it reached the bottom, the door opened to a huge room filled with terminal screens. Everything was connected to a strange network.

One screen showed the activity logs of an unknown blockchain network. Not Bitcoin. Not Ethereum. Not any of the altcoins I'd been studying.

The network's name: N-Chain.

Another screen displayed a list of active and inactive nodes. Most of them were deleted. The only active node in Southeast Asia was:

JKT-ANDI-ZERO

I touched the screen. It came to life on its own.

Suddenly, a voice from the speakers:

"Miner Zero has been designated. Genesis Protocol complete. Nemesis Protocol in active phase."

A section of the wall opened up. Behind it, server racks full of liquid coolant, flickering. I swallowed hard.

My Telegram group:

CryptoGhost: "That place used to be called The Cold Chain. But ever since Nemesis activated, it's become a protection bunker."

I quickly replied, "What am I supposed to do here?"

CryptoGhost: "You have to cut off Nemesis before the countdown runs out. Otherwise, it's not just you—everyone who's ever been connected will be erased from the system. Including us."

The main screen changed its display:

NEMESIS PROTOCOL – Command Interface Active

Target: JKT-ANDI-ZERO

Status: Anomaly Confirmed

Time Remaining: 68:03:22

I knew it. I had to fight code with code. But alone?

Then, a black screen opened up, and some text appeared in the terminal:

"Don't be afraid. I'm inside the system too. We can work together. But you have to cut off the Omega Network connection before they find us. Sign this block—and everything begins."

I hesitated, but then I hit ENTER.

The bunker door clanged shut behind me. I was alone in that cold room with weird machines, digital screens, and the endless hum of server fans. My hands trembled as I touched the main terminal keyboard.

The countdown kept ticking.

67:52:10

My Telegram group:

CryptoGhost: "If you can deactivate the Omega Network before they track the bunker's location, you can stop the Nemesis Protocol."

I shot back, "But I don't even know where to start."

CryptoGhost: "There's one name that might be able to help you. He used to be part of the Genesis Protocol's core team but disappeared after an internal conflict."

I waited. Then a message popped up:

CryptoGhost: "His name: Dr. Setyo Rinaldi. He used to be a cryptography lecturer in Singapore. Now, he's a digital fugitive."

I immediately ran a local search on the N-Chain system right in front of me.

I typed: Dr. Setyo Rinaldi.

A single directory popped up. Locked.

I tried decrypting it with some simple tools. Failed.

But the system immediately displayed a prompt:

"If you're looking for the key, you must unlock Miner Zero's memory."

I walked over to the server racks. On the very bottom shelf, there was a small device that looked like a virtual reality helmet, but it was labeled: Cerebro v1.7.

I quickly read its brief manual. The device could access the brain's data layer from previous nodes—Miner Zero—if it was connected to the system.

This was insane. But it was the only way.

I tapped the helmet, then put it on. Its cable connected directly to the central terminal.

The screen lit up:

ACCESSING MEMORY FRAGMENTS: MINER ZERO

Suddenly, the room was gone. It was like I was pulled into another world.

My eyes opened in the middle of a snowfield. A virtual world. Just white in every direction. I couldn't hear the wind, but the cold bit at my skin. Ahead, a tall figure in a black robe stood facing the horizon.

I walked slowly.

"Who are you?"

The figure didn't turn around, but its voice echoed directly in my mind.

"If you've made it in here, it means I'm dead. But my memories are stored, and you can use them."

"Who are you, really?"

"The one you knew as Miner Zero. But that's just a title. My name... Setyo Rinaldi."

I was stunned. "You... you're the one Ghost called?"

"Ghost is just a shadow. I'm just a trace. But listen closely, Andi. The Genesis Protocol was created for freedom. But someone twisted it into Nemesis."

"What is the Omega Network?"

"That's the dark side of all the nodes. It monitors, filters, and... deletes. If you don't cut off its connection, it will erase everyone who's ever touched Genesis."

"Including me?"

"Including all your friends in the group. Including Ghost. Including this system."

"What do I need to do?"

"There's one code. Hidden behind a directory called ROOT_JKT. But it can only be opened by someone who recognizes two keys: genetic and experience."

"Me?"

"You've been connected. You're the only one left."

Then, the world started to crack. The virtual snowfield twisted into a black vortex. The helmet blazed bright. I was thrown back into the bunker room.

My breath hitched.

Cold sweat drenched me.

I looked at the main screen.

The ROOT_JKT directory was active.

I hit enter.

Inside, there was a single file with a .sig extension—a digital signature.

Its name: zero_signature.sig

I quickly examined its file structure. There was a unique algorithm I'd never seen before. Like a mix of SHA256 and some quantum algorithm.

My Telegram group:

CryptoGhost: "We're detecting a massive shift from your node. Did you manage to get into the memory?"

I typed quickly. "Yeah. I found Zero's signature. But... how do I use it?"

CryptoGhost: "Send it to the nearest relay node. You have to use the mesh network. If you send it over the internet, Omega can intercept."

I took a deep breath. I knew the risk. Once I sent it, my location would be detected.

I typed the transfer command via the mesh network to Ghost's relay address.

./send_signature --to=relay://gh0st-node.net --file=zero_signature.sig

The screen flickered. Transfer initiated.

Countdown: 65:43:01

My Telegram group:

CryptoGhost: "Thanks. We're gonna recompile the Genesis Key from this signature ASAP. If it works, we can reboot the system. But you gotta be ready, Andi. They're coming."

I shot back, "I'm not scared."

CryptoGhost: "They're not coming to wipe your data. They're coming to wipe you."

The room lights flickered. A soft siren blared from the right side of the room. On the screen, a notification popped up:

INTRUSION DETECTED – PHYSICAL ACCESS – LEVEL 1

Someone was trying to get in from the surface.

I clutched my backpack, grabbed a USB with the signature backup, then frantically looked for a way out of the server room. The elevator was locked.

My eyes darted to an emergency panel on the floor. I slammed it with a screwdriver. It popped open, revealing a narrow passage, like a ventilation shaft.

I squeezed in, holding my breath.

Behind me, I heard the main door being forced open.

Footsteps.

Then... that familiar, deep voice.

"The Nemesis Protocol has identified you. Your time is up, replacement Miner."

My body crawled slowly through the emergency ventilation shaft. The metal beneath my knees felt cold. The room outside was silent, but I knew they were there. The sound of footsteps shifted slowly, almost rhythmically, like a pattern.

They weren't ordinary humans.

I still held the USB drive containing zero_signature.sig—the master key to stopping the Omega Network.

But to use it, I had to get out of here alive and connect it to a central node.

The countdown on my watch kept ticking: 65:29:11

I kept moving until I found a loose air vent at the end of the passage. I pushed it gently. It opened. Behind it was an old storage room—filled with metal shelves and empty boxes.

I lowered myself down slowly, my feet landing on the floor with hardly a sound. But just as I was about to take a step, the room lights suddenly flickered on.

That deep voice returned, this time coming directly from the loudspeaker system.

"You think you can run, Andi?"

I didn't answer.

"You think Zero gave you everything because he believed in you? Wrong. He ran out of options."

I pressed myself against one of the shelves. My eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for an access panel or another vent.

"But it's not too late to give up. Give us the signature, and we can let you live."

I thought to myself, They always say that. Until you're no longer useful.

I stepped out from behind the shelf and ran to a metal door on the side of the room. I hit the emergency button. It opened partially. Beyond the door was a corridor leading to the central control room.

I hit the button as fast as I could. The door closed behind me.

The central control room wasn't large—only about the size of a small studio apartment. But in the middle, there was a large console with a holographic screen. The main terminal was lit up, showing a map of active nodes across the world.

I plugged in the USB.

ACCESSING GENESIS CORE…

VALIDATING SIGNATURE…

MATCH FOUND – ZERO_SIG AUTHENTICATED

The screen changed. The world map turned into a layer of black code with red streaks. The Omega Network began to vibrate.

INITIATING COUNTERMEASURE…

BUILDING DEFENSIVE NODE: N-GUARD

Suddenly, the screen froze.

ERROR: THIRD-PARTY PROTOCOL INTERFERENCE

SOURCE: /OMEGA_CORE/GHOST.EXE

An unknown file was entering the system.

My Telegram group:

CryptoGhost: "Andi, you have to cut off that intervention. Omega is trying to overwrite Zero's signature with its own version."

I shot back, "Can I do it manually?"

CryptoGhost: "Only from inside the Genesis Layer."

The Genesis Layer. That digital world I could only access through full brain synchronization—like when I used the Cerebro helmet before.

I stared at the helmet. Still in my backpack. I quickly pulled it out and put it on. The cable plugged directly into the N-Chain's digital brain port.

I put it on, took a deep breath. One more time.

I hit enter.

The real world vanished.

I was back in the snowfield. But this time was different. The sky was red. And the snow around me was slowly turning into data fragments—like a digital glitch. Ahead, two figures stood.

One in white robes: the Miner Zero I'd seen before. One in black robes: their face was hidden, but the cold aura was incredibly familiar. It was Nemesis.

"So, is this our end?" I asked.

Miner Zero turned.

"Not the end. But the turning point. If you lose, Omega will become the default layer for the world's blockchain system."

I looked at Nemesis.

"And if I win?"

Nemesis laughed—not a human sound at all. More like an echo.

"If you win, you'll replace me. Become the new 'Nemesis'."

Miner Zero took a deep breath.

"I entrusted Genesis to you, not because you're perfect. But because only those with wounds... can resist the temptation of power."

Nemesis began to move forward.

"In that case, let's test that conviction."

The battle inside the Genesis Layer wasn't like a physical fight. Every command, every thought, generated lines of code. We were firing "strings" at each other—complex code attacking vulnerabilities in each other's nodes.

I was protecting Zero's signature. Nemesis was trying to overwrite it. But I was losing energy. My brain system was overheating. My heart rate was spiking in the real world.

The countdown on my watch kept ticking down: 63:17:44

On the bunker's console screen, my body was still sitting there with the Cerebro helmet on. But my body temperature was rising drastically. My veins were bulging.

In the digital layer, Miner Zero began to fade.

"I can't hold on much longer..."

I steeled my resolve.

I glared at Nemesis and screamed in my mind:

"If I have to be destroyed with this system, as long as you're also wiped out—I AGREE!"

The code around me merged. Zero's signature wrapped me in a new layer:

NODE: ECHO MINER

Immediately, the entire Genesis Layer trembled.

In the real world, the bunker exploded with light. The central node rebooted. On the main screen, all the red dots on the map began to fade out one by one. The Omega Network... died.

The countdown stopped.

SYSTEM NEUTRALIZED

But Andi's body—my body—still lay still.

The Telegram group was silent.

CryptoGhost: "Andi? Hello? Are you still there?"

No reply.

The last screen displayed:

Status Miner: Unknown

Genesis Protocol: Standby New

Node: ECHO_MINER – Location Hidden

Somewhere far from Jakarta, an old laptop turned on by itself in a dark room. A message came in:

"The Echo Node has formed. But the Nemesis Protocol isn't truly dead. It's just... dormant."

"The next battle... will be darker."