The Elite had full control of 90% of the world's population, the rest were those outside of this control loop, those who hadn't been implanted, who didn't want to tamper with their brains. Some of these were allowed by the Elite. They were a mixture of scientists and academics that they knew they needed in order to advance their technologies further. These scientists and academics were far from free though. Their research was handed over and controlled by the state, their movements watched continuously. But they were allowed to be internet free, it was semi-freedom, but without being afraid for their lives every moment of every day. It was the only option they realistically had. The others were a mix of different groups, those who saw the un-revolution beginning to happen and banded together in small groups of resistance. The first week was an intensive effort to escape from the clutches of the Elite, a few influential people inside the Elite's social group tipped off people they could about what was going to happen just before it did, giving them time to plan their escape, and spread the word to whoever they could.
The fighting at the beginning of that first week was intense, small guerrilla battles sprung up sporadically, fighting to get away. It was a mad scramble to escape the Elite’s grasp. Others scientists, academics and professionals, who didn't want to be monitored all the time, and had no allegiance to these neo-barbarians, knew they had to go completely underground into hiding. The different factions that had already made it underground were able to communicate with each other through secret channels, through deep web services. The scientists left out in the open had to plan a way to get out or be ensnared by the Elites control. A lot were caught by surprise, but continued with what they did, as the Elite's armed forces hadn't yet come knocking. It was a difficult few days, everyone who could still think fully for themselves had to make a choice of whether to run or not. Each decision was a personal one, depending on their own circumstances and their moral compass.
There were sympathetic scientists out in the open, still in contact with their underground colleagues. It was a brave move, but they couldn't just stop being human. They never divulged their colleague's whereabouts, choosing a painful death instead. In their minds they were doing their very best to salvage what being human was, and if that meant a sacrifice then that was necessary. Within a few days, most the scientists who were sympathisers had been found, but not all. There were even those who hid none 'Neuro-Net' users, keeping them safe, away from the authorities, until the time was right for them to escape to the underground. The Elite had put years of work into all this, careful strategies put in place, trying to account for all eventualities. They were aware of people being hidden. Their network of billions of humans meant that some key piece of information would be processed at some point, and so the hunt for the rogue factions began, as well as the final phase of bringing all intellectuals under their dominion.
SHERYL
Sheryl sat at her desk, chewing the end of her pencil, clearly frustrated. She was scanning through her companies' documents, checking carefully for anything that could be seen as non-conforming. She knew those in the Elite well, she had crossed paths many times. They tried to recruit her into their game of world control, telling her that all the riches in the world could be hers as well. She declined, and they respected that. She wouldn't stand in their way, she knew better than that; she would just look the other way. Or so they thought. The Elite respected her, she was a self-made billionaire who started out with nothing and built her empire from scratch. She was well thought of and had financed early ventures for the Elite that helped build what they had now. She didn't know this at the time, the whole process being shrouded in smoke and mirrors. She didn't like being taken advantage of or manipulated, which is exactly what had happened, but she was clever enough to know when the time was right to do something or say something, and when it wasn't. There was no need for a quick payback; she had to wait until the time was right for it to be effective. This was now her time.
There was a knock at her door and she told whoever it was to come in. A short bruising looking man entered, looking very serious, dressed in a suit that was far too expensive to let out the closet.
“Hi Rashid, please sit” Sheryl said, pointing to the empty seat across from her desk.
Rashid had worked for Sheryl for over fifteen years; he was one of her most trusted members of staff, the head of security. She had known him since he was born, as she went to school with his mother. She had to have a team of security because someone always wanted to take a shot at her. Her wealth attracted the psychotic loners or 'Let's get-rich quick' kidnappers, hoping to snatch her away and get some kind of ransom. She had been building up her security the past year, carefully vetting all of the men herself, and leaving no stone unturned about their private lives and whether they could be trusted. She had felt it necessary when she was informed of what the Elite were planning. She told them it was because she would feel like even more of a target once their plan was in action, but the truth was quite different. They were going to be her own private guards, her own resistance, so she needed men who had an unquestioning loyalty. She was able to persuade the Elite to keep them all off the 'Neuro-Net'. She needed proper soldiers she
