MHA #6, Thursday Night
Sarah locked the doors of her apartment, turned on a rodent-repelling device guaranteed to scare away squirrels, and logged into her video conferencing system.
"Agent Walker!" General Beckman looked pleased. That was new, and nice to see again. Sarah smiled in return. "Good to talk to you. You're getting 2009 off to a good start, hmm?"
"I am doing my best, General," Sarah agreed.
"We were worried, but you've turned a corner. Top-notch work out of your recruit so far." The general flicked through her notes. "Have you heard from Ms. Mars lately?"
Sarah shook her head. "She wanted time to think." The lack of communication was disappointing, though the next bit of news was not. "But just today I ran into a high school friend of hers, Cindy Mackenzie. I'm looking at her for a possible analyst-tech support role."
"Oh, very nice." Potential analysts weren't nearly as exciting to find as potential field agents, but that still garnered a smile. "We had the chance to look at the data you sent back from Tony Stark's apartment. Nice work, by the way. Any problems getting in or out?"
"I have my ways," Sarah said, and she was not going to blush.
The General smirked. "Riiiiiight. I know how you suffer for your work, Walker. Anyhow, we can't get into the computer data. His security system is beyond what we can crack, but we're working on it."
"Those computers are in a semi-public area," Sarah pointed out. "It's probably just an encryption system he's testing. I think the real gold is in his other room. Did you get a better resolution on the images I took?"
"Yes, and you're right, it definitely looks like the lower leg of a suit of armor of some kind," the General told her, as the picture flashed on the screen with the leg enhanced and outlined. "That's as much as we can tell. We need to see if he's made the rest of it. Can you get back in?"
"I can try," Sarah said. "It's in my report -- he has an AI system installed that serves as a security alarm, but I think he trusts me a little." Or thought she was pretty, anyhow.
"Keep on that, then," the General decided. "The fact he's retired from the arms business at home could be a smokescreen." She flipped through her notes. "I think that's it for the week, Agent Walker. Got plans for the weekend?"
"I'm free to work?" Sarah tried, because that was what she would always say. Rusty and Daisy could be put off, maybe she'd claim she had the flu ...
" ... it was a social question, Sarah," the general clucked, suddenly motherly.
"Oh! Yes, I have plans with two friends. Non-work-related."
"Perfect. We wouldn't want you to work too hard."
They logged off a few minutes later, and Sarah turned off the squirrel repellent before readying herself for bed.
"Agent Walker!" General Beckman looked pleased. That was new, and nice to see again. Sarah smiled in return. "Good to talk to you. You're getting 2009 off to a good start, hmm?"
"I am doing my best, General," Sarah agreed.
"We were worried, but you've turned a corner. Top-notch work out of your recruit so far." The general flicked through her notes. "Have you heard from Ms. Mars lately?"
Sarah shook her head. "She wanted time to think." The lack of communication was disappointing, though the next bit of news was not. "But just today I ran into a high school friend of hers, Cindy Mackenzie. I'm looking at her for a possible analyst-tech support role."
"Oh, very nice." Potential analysts weren't nearly as exciting to find as potential field agents, but that still garnered a smile. "We had the chance to look at the data you sent back from Tony Stark's apartment. Nice work, by the way. Any problems getting in or out?"
"I have my ways," Sarah said, and she was not going to blush.
The General smirked. "Riiiiiight. I know how you suffer for your work, Walker. Anyhow, we can't get into the computer data. His security system is beyond what we can crack, but we're working on it."
"Those computers are in a semi-public area," Sarah pointed out. "It's probably just an encryption system he's testing. I think the real gold is in his other room. Did you get a better resolution on the images I took?"
"Yes, and you're right, it definitely looks like the lower leg of a suit of armor of some kind," the General told her, as the picture flashed on the screen with the leg enhanced and outlined. "That's as much as we can tell. We need to see if he's made the rest of it. Can you get back in?"
"I can try," Sarah said. "It's in my report -- he has an AI system installed that serves as a security alarm, but I think he trusts me a little." Or thought she was pretty, anyhow.
"Keep on that, then," the General decided. "The fact he's retired from the arms business at home could be a smokescreen." She flipped through her notes. "I think that's it for the week, Agent Walker. Got plans for the weekend?"
"I'm free to work?" Sarah tried, because that was what she would always say. Rusty and Daisy could be put off, maybe she'd claim she had the flu ...
" ... it was a social question, Sarah," the general clucked, suddenly motherly.
"Oh! Yes, I have plans with two friends. Non-work-related."
"Perfect. We wouldn't want you to work too hard."
They logged off a few minutes later, and Sarah turned off the squirrel repellent before readying herself for bed.