Aaron connected with a slew of like-minded creatives (some of whom would go on to form the network of gray hatters known as the Trace), developing social bonds, something he’d never managed to achieve in the real world. This was one of the many benefits of an online existence. He could explore, interact, and infiltrate without ever needing to leave his house. PTSD and agoraphobia did not exist in an environment of clients, servers, and protocols.
