Under Pressure
[April 19. Leipzig, Germany.]
In a room, behind the most advanced computer systems, sits a bald woman with fine features and a tranquil air.
She types incessantly while her gaze alternates between windows and screens that unfold in front of her.
She has been perfecting the system’s barriers non-stop for days. The lack of rest doesn’t affect her: since she’s been connected to the machine by the back of her neck, she no longer needs to sleep and the fatigue feels different.
Tastes like metal.
A call on the high-priority line breaks her concentration. Her eyes fall on the pop-up window: “Nightress”.
Argiope exhales a heavy sigh. Nightress never uses that line.
- I listen.
- Argi! — The sound of an alarm spells trouble — I went in where I wasn’t supposed to and the alarms went off. I’m having trouble getting out of the building — Nightress and her team had been infiltrating the WPD facility for a couple of months. They had the important mission of tapping into the building’s communications to use their communications network as a remote resource for our own surveillance networks. So far everything had gone well and most of the links had been established. Some of them are even operational.
- I have not finished working on the security of our communications. It is not safe for you to contact me from there. — interrupts the Martyr.
- You know I wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t urgent. — The high-priority call alert comes on again, this time the pop-up window shows the name “Von Koenig”.
There is usually no more than one of these emergencies per month. Two in the same minute can only mean one thing: Related events.
- I have to hang up, give me a minute to find a solution. — Argiope says as she hangs up and answers Von Koenig.
- Argiope, I just lost my link with half of the guys, I need you to re-establish our communications, I have to order a recall! — The weakness of the system erected at the expense of other organizations becomes evident: Nightress activated WPD’s defenses and thereby cut off Von Koenig’s cell. — I will take care of it. — Argiope says as she cuts the call and one of the screens displays WPD’s plans along with the real-time location of the transmitter Nightress is wearing in one of his piercings.
The situation is critical.
Without robust security it is impossible to support both at the same time. The best chance for Von Koenig and his team depends on asking Nightress to turn around and, instead of escaping, break through the facility to disable the alarms from the security room and re-establish Von Koenig’s communications. A mission that is extremely dangerous considering the context of the little Junklord.
On the other hand, Von Koenig was affected by operating a few blocks away from Nightress. I could tell Von Koenig to redirect the forces still listening to his orders to make an attack on the WPD facade, making them believe the alarm is due to an outside attack, this will redirect their defenses and allow Nightress to neutralize the alarms and come out unscathed… But Von Koenig would find himself in a lousy battle position and with half of his men still heading for a target that has become a trap.
Argiope closes her eyes and shakes her head, thundering her neck.
She must make a decision.
