Alexei received a status update from Viktor: Target neutralized, but the bad actor cannot be harmed. It came via the secure connection on the Pretzelverse App.

I need more details, Viktor, please call me, Alexei wrote.

Alexei waited a long time, but he didn’t receive an answer. It was getting late, and Viktor was several time zones behind him. It was going to be a long night.

Alexei pulled up the weather forecast for the eastern United States; it looked like it was getting hammered by a snowstorm.

“Sasha, get in here,” Alexei barked over the internal intercom that was connected to all rooms of the cottage.

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Several minutes later, Sasha entered Alexei’s office.

“What is the latest status on the breaches to the Colossal Machine?” Alexei asked.

“There are multiple points of entry,” Sasha replied. “Viktor’s physical presence in the United States stabilized one of the breaches. But more are present.”

“We need to plug them all without taking down the entire network. We don’t have the staff to bring it back up.”

“We need more help. Do you have any more technical resources you can give me?”

“No technical ones, but I may have others.” Alexei then sent a message to Natasha. He didn’t want to bother her on holiday, but this was an “all-hands-on-deck” situation, and he needed as much help as possible.

After a few hours of no contact, Alexei finally turned in for the evening. He would need all his wits in the morning.