Pwned

City Park East Recycle Bin 256 was like most of the other recycle bins: Green, rusted, and operated by a control panel set into a lockbox on the side of the device. It ran on a principle similar to a vacuum dumpster, except that it preserved its contents for reuse.

I made my way to the lockbox, looked at the key once in the midmorning light, and attempted to open the lock.

Success.

Acrylic hid the chip well. I spotted the telltale seam of a false cover to the panel only after several attempts at finding something and pried it off with a small screwdriver. The square chip was inside, covered in not-quite-opaque black with a silver connector. I marveled at how much information must have been contained in something so small.

A synthesized voice snapped me out of it.

"Put your hands up and turn around slowly. You are under arrest for unauthorized tampering with a public service."

I did as I was told. The drone's blades buzzed as it hovered, aiming a taser right at me.

And just like that, I was pwned.