Robert walked into Hanger noticing that it was temporarily quartered into four distinct working areas with security around the perimeter. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Kevin standing over to the side with his arms crossed. Robert started walking towards him while watching all of the rest of the activity on the large floor.
“What’s up with the tables and everything Kevin?”
Kevin McCoullagh looked over to Robert McCarty, his senior member for the Corps of Engineers on the base and answered, “The company is doing a security check of everyone that came on board and wishes to stay since the main building is completed.”
Robert stood next to Kevin and watched for a couple of minutes, “I see them going into the two offices, but it doesn’t look like they are in there for more than a couple of minutes.” He turned towards Kevin, “Do they have some sort of lie detector device?”
Kevin kept his face focused out towards the floor and lied through his teeth. “Don’t know. I’m to understand that it is some of the new technology from one of the companies the General is over-seeing. So, for all I know he brought it back with him.”
“You didn’t have to do this?” Robert asked.
“In a way, mine was a lot longer and more thorough. I’m sealed from disclosing anything about my experience, but I’m pretty sure they got all of the truth out of me they wanted.”
Robert turned back to the floor, “What happens if they don’t pass?”
“Released with four months’ pay. Or they’re given the option of working for another company, if a position they are qualified for is available. In that instance all moving costs for the employee and their family will be paid. So far I’ve heard of six taking the package without even going through the security check.”
Robert asked, “Scared to take the test?”
Kevin laughed, “No! They were just tired of the cold weather and found out the company has some operations in Southern California and Florida.”
“That sounds nice, my bones are starting to seize up mid-summer just thinking about some of the cold we get here.”
Kevin grunted, “Well, if you want warmer climes, I’m not going to hold you back, but you need to help me find a qualified candidate or two if you can.”
Robert watched the people entering the offices, “You say the company will pay the moving expenses?”
“Yes, for you and one household to go with you. Although for you, I imagine the opportunities are pretty wide-ranging.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, they are building in other areas as well, plus in Europe.”
“No shit?”
“Nope.”
Robert seemed to be thinking for half a minute. “I’ll be back in a bit. I need to go call Tricia. She keeps on my ass about living near the water and if I don’t tell to her about this moving option and she finds out …” Robert left it hanging.
Kevin simply nodded his understanding as Robert started walking towards the door heading outside and pulled his cellphone out.
Kevin hoped Robert’s ‘wife’ chose to move, because it would really suck to have to fire the guy for taking money to pass along base secrets.
Or bury him, depending on who he had sold out to. Kevin understood that behind door number two over there, was Michael. And he was just passing time with most of these simple mind reviews waiting to see if Robert really wanted to try and become a mole in the organization.
Something that Kevin McCoullagh wasn’t going to allow. Tom Billings had found evidence on three computers. Software had been installed to start passing information outbound in three weeks. Tom had deactivated the software and upgraded the firewalls, stopping information going outbound without authorization from the special data transfer rules now in place.
It would be good enough until ADAM brought AGILITY online, the refined version of himself capable of being run on the massive number of servers Tom had installed and fired up in the past three weeks.
Which was good, because when Kevin first learned that Robert was guilty of setting up all of the snooping software, he wanted to leave him a bloody wreck. It took everything he had to act as if he didn’t know of Robert’s duplicity. Knowing they were mere days from AGILITY going active had stayed his hand.
Just barely.
