Chapter 1
London settled into his ergonomic chair, the soft leather cushioning his back as he leaned forward. His gaze fell upon the wooden desk before him, a relic from a bygone era. In a world dominated by sleek, synthetic materials, this piece of natural wood grounded him, a tangible connection to the past.
He pondered the path his life had taken, a stark contrast to his youthful dream of becoming a Doctor. The memory of his internship at the cancer clinic resurfaced, a bittersweet recollection of hope and despair. He had vowed to revolutionize medicine, to eradicate disease and prolong life. Yet, the harsh reality of mortality had tempered his idealism. The faces of his patients, each one a life cut short, haunted his dreams.
In a desperate bid to escape the emotional toll of his profession, London had turned to the cold, logical world of computers. Here, he could treat his digital patients without the burden of empathy. He could diagnose, prescribe, and cure with clinical precision, unhindered by the complexities of human emotion. The allure of a world devoid of suffering, a world where every problem had a solution, had drawn him in.
London tapped the button on his earpiece, activating the call.
“Go for Pierce,” London replied, his voice a calm contrast to the urgency in the air.
“Dr. Pierce, we have a strange one for you,” the voice on the other end panted, the speaker struggling to catch their breath.
London, unfazed, began to prepare his digital examination. With practiced efficiency, he opened his troubleshooting and analysis tools, each keystroke a step closer to solving the mystery.
“Give me the W’s, Baker,” he requested, his tone steady.
Baker, the harried network engineer, rattled off a list of symptoms: “Stores all across Texas, random reboots of network equipment, starting at 11:38 AM. It’s still ongoing, and we’re completely stumped.”
London listened patiently, mentally noting the key details. He commended Baker for his preparedness, a rare quality in such chaotic situations.
“IP’s, my man, give me the IP’s,” London prompted, his voice taking on a rhythmic cadence.
Baker recited a string of IP addresses, his voice filled with hope.
“Okay, I can work with this,” London assured him. He initiated his custom troubleshooting package, a powerful tool honed through years of experience. As the script ran, automating the analysis process, London leaned back, ready to dive into the digital labyrinth.
“Start the clock!” Baker shouted, his voice echoing through the Network Operations Center. A network administrator, a first-line soldier in the war against downtime, initiated a timer on the massive screen, a stark reminder of the ticking clock. The room, filled with tense technicians, watched and waited.
“Okay, the tools are running, but I have to ask, what troubleshooting steps have you taken? Did you check the logs?” London inquired, his tone measured.
“The logs didn’t show anything unusual. We tried rebooting, but it didn’t help. They just kept rebooting randomly,” Baker explained, a collective groan rising from the NOC.
“Tell me, what happens to the logs when a network device reboots?” London asked, a hint of a smile in his voice.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“They’re erased!” someone shouted from the background.
“So, no logs, how do we figure out what caused the reboot?” London pressed.
“Did you check for power outages? Did you look at the network room cameras to see if someone unplugged something? Remember that time the cleaner unplugged the router to plug in her vacuum?” London asked, a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
“No, we saw the problem and called you right away!” Baker exclaimed, frustration evident in his tone.
“Okay, I get it. Everyone’s panicking. But while my tools are running, can you check those two things? I don’t have access to those systems,” London requested, trying to guide the team towards a solution.
“We’re on it. You, you, and you, check the cameras. You, you, and you, check the power systems,” Baker ordered, attempting to regain control of the situation.
Ping! A notification sounded, signaling the first breakthrough. London, a master of the digital realm, delved into the raw data, his eyes scanning lines of code. He compared the current state of the network to a previous snapshot, searching for anomalies.
“Got a hit, boys. What’s the status of the cameras and power?” London inquired.
“Nothing yet. What did you find?” Baker asked, his voice filled with hope.
“I checked the Change Log and found a configuration change specific to the affected stores. Comparing the configurations of those switches to a known good one, I discovered a single character error on line 2318: a period where a comma should be,” London explained, sharing his screen with the NOC team.
“Four minutes and seventeen seconds!” someone shouted, stopping the timer on the wall.
“Okay Class, what are our next steps?” London asked the group.
A nervous chuckle filled the room as someone suggested, “Revert the changes, delete Facebook, hit the gym?”
“Let’s prepare a rollback package, file a bug report, and request a change to the configuration change module to prevent similar errors in the future. But I do see the appeal of hitting the gym,” London replied, a wry smile on his face.
“Got it. You’re the best, Doc!” Baker said, disconnecting the call.
London glanced out the window at the rolling hills of Northwest Arkansas, a stark contrast to the digital world he had just conquered. An alarm sounded, interrupting his thoughts. “Google Stop,” he commanded, silencing the device. He finished his case notes and logged off for the day.
Reflecting on his workday, he realized that he had spent only an hour or so actively working. The rest of his time was consumed by meetings, paperwork, training, and staying updated on the latest threats. As a consultant, he enjoyed the freedom and flexibility that came with the role. No more performance metrics or arbitrary deadlines. He could choose his projects, set his own hours, and command premium rates.
With a satisfied sigh, London grabbed his phone and headed to his garage. He secured his mountain bike to his Jeep, checked his supplies, and set off on his next adventure. The digital world could wait. For now, it was time to embrace the great outdoors, Indoors, World Wide Cave?
“Go for London,” he said, tapping his earpiece. The wind whipped through his hair as he navigated the winding road.
“LOOOONDON, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE CAPITOL OF EEEENNGGGLLLAAANNNNDDD,” a voice boomed over the line, a playful British accent dripping with sarcasm.
“Just leaving now. Had to finish up some paperwork before I could head out,” London replied, mirroring the accent with equal absurdity.
“Pip-pip, cheerio, good mate. We’re throwing another shrimp on the barbie!” another voice chimed in, this time with an exaggerated Australian twang.
“That’s Australian, not British, you dingus!” London laughed.
“Isn’t Australia just a British prison?” a woman’s voice asked, adopting a stereotypical British accent.
“I think that’s a bit racist,” London joked, a wry smile on his face.
“It’s okay, I’m one-thirty-second Austrian,” the woman replied, switching to a robotic, Terminator-esque voice.
“Wrong side of the planet, Elly,” London chuckled.
“Google Maps says I’ll be there in twenty-two minutes. I expect a cold one waiting for me,” London said, ending the call and glancing at his rearview mirror to ensure his bike was securely fastened. The thrill of speed was tempered by the fear of losing his prized possession. He knew that one careless moment could turn a fun weekend into a disaster.