Chapter 1

Synopsis

Case 01, or Chapter 1, is the first episode in MINDHACK’s story. It begins after a routine Mindhack goes awry due to an unexpected BUG manifestation, which kills a HOTFIX guard previously in charge of protecting Doctor. Doctor has their life saved by Captain Rebecca, who they witness killing the reformation target before falling unconscious. The next day, they’re summoned by FORMAT to the Debug Room, although they begin having traumatic flashbacks to the accident from before. As they’re escorted by Rebecca, they meet Newbie Guard, who serves as Doctor’s replacement for the previous guard.

Once they arrive at the Debug Room, they meet the day’s reformation target; Unid, a notorious gang leader who was detained on accounts of a hit-and-run and arson. As Doctor works to uncover the origins of Unid’s BUG, they learn the truth behind the aforementioned incident; that being, while the fallout was unintentional, Unid left the matron of the orphanage he grew up in for dead in a flipped car as revenge for abusing him as a child. The car exploded, causing a huge fire and immense collateral damage, resulting in the matron’s death. Regardless, the Mindhack goes off without a hitch and despite his protests, Unid’s personality is completely rewritten.

Later in their office, Captain witnesses Doctor exhibiting symptoms of their own BUG when they tear off some petals from a flower they’re holding.