Early Birds

Bulgaria

It had been a couple of weeks since Simon had set off on his team mission. With the continuing freezing weather, there was no more outside work, so Cassie spent a lot of time working on small contracts for different agencies. 

She loved the variety of work, the mental processes involved in some of the more complex problems she encountered, gave her a real challenge which was immensely satisfying.

Completing another case file and sending it off to the agency with her report, Cassie noticed a new notification from Laswell, she sent back an okay to meet on video conference.

Seeing the woman appear on screen, Cassie smiled and asked her about her Christmas break with her wife's family.

'It wasn't as bad as I suspected Worm. We actually had a good time this year even though she gave me a thorough telling off because I was getting alerts while I was there' Kate explained with a sigh.

'That's good to hear Kate, you work so hard, I'm glad you both got to have a relatively work free break' she replied chuckling. 'So what's up, Kate?' she asked interested in what she had for her.

'Worm, we have a problem at one of our listening stations in Bulgaria. The agents there are having access issues with their database and servers. They're having the system shut them out or bring back error codes, so you can imagine how much it's disrupting their work' she explained.

'So what do you need from me, Kate. You know that when I set up the system I wouldn't have any remote access, as I don't have the security clearance?' Worm mused wondering how she could help.

'Yes, I know. I need you to go out there and do a full system maintenance, find out what the issues are and repair any registry errors you find and get the system fully functional again' Kate said cautiously, suspecting Worm wouldn't be keen.

Worm looked at the woman on the screen with a frown 'Kate, you know I don't like to do on site work, and you're asking me to go to some station in Bulgaria? Can't you find someone else to go and check it out, you have enough talented tech specialists at your disposal' Worm stated with a serious tone.

'I understand your hesitation Worm, but I need it to be you. You designed and built the system, you know it better than any of my techs, it will only be a short trip, maybe a couple of days. You're my best hope to get this system functional again Worm. We can't risk this station going offline, too many agents depend on it' Kate reasoned.

'I appreciate that Kate, I really do, but I wouldn't feel safe working on a site that far from home with no security. We agreed that I would never accept a contract that posed any risk to me, I can't take that chance' She said emphasising safety.

Laswell sighed, she needed to get Worm on board or else they risked losing the station 'Worm, the station is in a non combat area, the few agents that are stationed there are armed and the server room is secured with a sentry. I can assure you that you would not be at any risk, you have my word' Kate pleaded hoping it would be enough to convince the young woman.

Worm paused and looked at the woman on the screen. She'd known Laswell since college and had grown to see her as a friend and a colleague. Kate was a strong, capable chief and Worm liked her and had always trusted her judgement.

Walking into a job not knowing what the cause of the issue was, always had the chance of throwing up some unexpected problems. The last thing she wanted was to get there and find a shit show that would end up taking over a week to fix.

Worm, hoping Kate was right about the server issues, took a deep breath and nodded 'okay Kate, I'll do this for you, but only because you've given me your word and assurance. It can only be a couple of days then I'm flying back home'. She said firmly.

Kate brightened up immediately at her words 'Thank you Worm, you're the only person I really trust on this job. I know you will find out what the problem is and get it fixed. I have faith in you. Where can you be picked up from, I'll get a chopper to pick you up tomorrow night?' she responded feeling relieved.

'I'll go from Hunter Base, Georgia. I can be there for 17.00 tomorrow' Worm stated.

'Leave it with me, Worm. Thanks, you're a real life saver' she said before signing off.

Worm sat and looked at her screen thinking about heading off to Bulgaria. She'd never been to that area before, so needed to check it out before leaving tomorrow. Suddenly thinking about Simon, he was currently on a mission. She wasn't sure where exactly or when he'd be back, so she sent a quick message to his number so that he'd know where she was if he came back before her.

Checking out the region of the listening station, seeing it was pretty mountainous and cold, she put aside her Winter coat, ready to pack the next morning, before heading off to bed.

---

The next day, Cassie packed up her overnight bag and laptop bag, before checking around her cabin, making sure everything was secure and protected while she was away. Looking over at her cabin, she felt a pang of worry about leaving home, before shrugging it off and getting into her truck for her long drive.

Worm arrived at Hunter Base in good time, checking in with the guard at the gate before finding a parking spot not too far from the main building. Making her way round to the designated area for her pick up, she saw the helicopter on the tarmac, the pilot doing final checks.

Worm introduced herself to the pilot before boarding and getting herself comfortable. She wasn't keen on flying, only embarking on such a journey when absolutely necessary, always preferring to drive everywhere. She knew that going to Bulgaria required a flight, so she steadied her breathing and her nerves ready to take off.

Arriving in Montana, Bulgaria, the pilot set down not too far from the listening station and Worm was pleased to see that there was a car waiting for her. The agent drove her to the station, explaining the issues they were having. Entering the main building, he showed her around the station corridors, before taking her to the server room.

True to Laswell's word, there was an armed sentry at the server doors, who checked her ID before showing her in. He explained the security protocols and how to use the sentry call system when she wanted to leave the server room for any reason. She was given a small room with a cot not far from the server room, which was extremely bare, but had a toilet and shower.

Eager to get on with with the job and get home, Worm got straight to work. Working late into the night, Worm conducted a full system diagnostic, looking for any corrupted registers and any possible conflicts and system bugs. Feeling tiredness envelope her till she couldn't concentrate, she decided to call it a night and start again early next morning.