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Bander
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“…Calling himself the “Hack-a-Mattack” Hacker.” Over the past several weeks, this unknown individual has caused substantial loss of business for dozens of local companies by infiltrating their computer systems and corrupting data storage. A call for police action has be raised by the public, however law enforcement agencies are finding themselves unprepared to deal with this new wave of “cyber criminals”…”Having heard enough, MacGyver stopped fiddling with his tie and snapped off the TV. As tempting as it was, he was glad he hadn’t taken Pete up on the offer of vacation so soon. This ‘Hack-a-Mattack Hacker’ was quickly building speed, and putting off the computer upgrades at the Foundation could prove disastrous.
He had spoken with Willis several hours before to get the latest details on the upcoming job, and make arrangements for the following day. There were still several dozen computers that needed upgrading and than the entire system needed to be tested. If it worked, the experimental program would help protect the Foundation’s cache of databanks and secure accounts from the latest outbreak of hackers and information thieves. Willis had asked for MacGyver’s help personally, insisting that if anyone could find a system’s weakness, it would be him.
“And
then I can go on vacation…” he sighed, dropping back against the couch cushions and shutting his eyes. His head hurt, the dull ache he’d woken with that morning was on its way to becoming a full-blown migraine. The aspirin and hot shower he’d taken had done little to improve how he felt, and if anything had accentuated how worn out he really was. All he wanted to do was climb back into bed and forget about formal banquets and computer upgrades.
A loud rap at the door startled MacGyver from his thoughts. Shaking the haze from his mind, he stood and went to the door, not surprised to see who was waiting on the other side.
“Hey, Pete. Come on in,” he greeted, stepping back to allow his tuxedo clad friend in. “I’m almost ready to go.”
“Take your time. I’m a little early,” Pete said, taking a seat at the small kitchen island. “So, how are you feeling? Any better than yesterday?”
Mac shrugged as he worked to tuck in the tails of his dress shirt. “I got some sleep, if that’s what you mean.”
“How about your head?”
“Last I knew it was still between my shoulders.”
Pete smiled. “That it is.” He watched as Mac pulled on his gray vest, noting the lack of color in his face. “You sure you feel up to going tonight?”
“Yep.” He fastened the vest’s buttons and gave it a sharp tug to smooth out the wrinkles. “No nail in the head is going to keep me from missing out on a stuffy auditorium full of overdressed people.”
“You can sit this one out if you want. Lori will be disappointed, but she’ll just…”
“Pete, I’m fine,” Mac insisted, hoping this wasn’t how the whole evening was going to go. “And the sooner we can get this over with, the better.” He wandered over to the small storage area by the stairs and began wading around in knee-deep piles of hockey gear.
The older man spotted the bottle of aspirin on the counter. “Any chance you’ve given more thought to seeing someone about your headaches?” he asked, picking it up and shaking it.
“Nope,” he replied simply, finally spotting his dress shoes beneath a well-dented helmet.
“What about someone at Phoenix? Like Ferris Harper.”
“We’ve been over this be…”
“You know her, right?” the older man pushed.
“I know she works at the University Hospital and is doing some sort of research project with the Foundation. Other than that…”
“She’s the neurologist in charge of a large research project being conducted by the Foundation and the University Hospital here in LA. They’ve got several different studies going on at once, but Ferris is most involved in the one dealing with the causes and treatments of migraines.”
“Pete, I really don’t…”
“Just hear me out,” Pete insisted, pretending he didn’t see his friend buffing his shoes with an old jersey he’d found on the floor. “I’ve been working closely with Ferris for a few weeks now getting the financial needs of the project down on paper for the budget meetings. She’s a wonderful young woman – very smart, caring, and devoted to her work. She said she’d be more than willing to take a look at you and see what she could offer.”
Mac stopped mid-polish. “Wait -- You told her about me?”
“Well not you specifically. I said I had a friend who was having some trouble with bad headaches,” he said, continuing quickly when he saw doubt creep onto the younger man’s face. “Just think about it, MacGyver. That’s all I ask.”
“Is that all I have to do to get you to drop this?”
Pete folded his arms across his chest and waited expectantly.
The troubleshooter held his gaze for a moment before sighing loudly. “Fine. I will
think about taking Dr. Harper up on her offer,” he conceded at last, feeling that his emphasis on the ‘think’ part fell on deaf ears.
“Good.” A satisfied smile touched Pete’s lips. “Now that that’s out of the way, shall we go?”
Still wearing a frown, MacGyver tossed aside the blackened jersey and stood to get his coat. “You ready for the budget meeting tomorrow?”
“I think so. We have all our numbers in order and everything’s looking good,” he replied, as they made their way to the front door. “Rumor has it that The Powers That Be are going to be a little more stringent with the funds than they have in the past. I’m just hoping they’ll at least give us our minimum requests.”
“Me too,” Mac agreed, switching off the lights and opening the door. Pausing to lock up, he shivered slightly when an unseasonably cool sea breeze washed over him.
“It’s going to be a nice night,” Pete commented, looking up at the vibrant yellows, fuchsias, and oranges of the slowly setting sun.
As Mac turned to look at the beautiful Californian sunset, a fiery pain pierced through his skull. Barely able to conceal his grimace, he quickly retrieved a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and slipped them on.
No…he thought, following his friend to the awaiting car.
It’s going to be a long night. A very, very long night… *
The Hillenburg School sat on a sprawling 200-acre lot of fields and forest several miles past the LA city limits. The property belonged to Lori Hillenburg, a special education teacher who believed in the benefits of immersing her students in the natural world. While most of the land was dedicated to trails and animal habitats, she had kept a 20-acre parcel for her students to explore. The campus itself was old, consisting of a large renovated farmhouse and an abutting barn that had been turned into a gymnasium.
Lori, with the help of sponsors, brought the grounds up to code and opened as an alternative school for young children with disabilities. For the first few years, the school enjoyed great success. The classes of 10 to 15 students flourished in the natural setting, and parents raved about the mental and physical improvements they saw in their children. But then the economy changed and the private funds dried up. It became harder and harder to keep the old buildings maintained and the programs running. Having been denied state help, Lori had been certain it would be the final year she could keep the school open. At least until she met MacGyver.
“I thought for sure I was going to have a heart attack when I saw him picking it up. I’ve never seen anyone act so nonchalant around those frightful things, let alone convince eleven young children to touch it! You’d never catch me doing that! I’m terrified of…”
MacGyver was only half listening as Lori exuberantly recounted the story of their meeting to the people at their table. He swore every time she retold the tale the harmless garter snake got a little larger and a whole lot meaner. It had been a chance encounter about 6 months before. He’d been out hiking on the property when he heard a small child crying. He followed the sound and came across one of Lori’s students huddled against a tree, horrified of a snake that was sunbathing on the path.
“Poor Allie! She’d always been frightened of anything of the creepy crawly sort. But by the time I got back to her, MacGyver had managed to calm her down and even had her
touching it!”
The people at the table shared a murmur of approval and admiration.
“Can you believe it? It was like magic. The kids absolutely love him. And he’s been helping me make improvements to the school ever since. The new ramps, the swings…” Lori paused and gave Mac a beaming smile. “He’s the one responsible for that beautiful pond too.”
There were more mutters of approval and even a few pats on the back.
“And now with the grant from the Phoenix Foundation, we can finally…”
Mac’s attention shifted again. He was uncomfortable, and it wasn’t just from the lavish praise or stuffiness of the gym. The nagging headache he’d had all day was slowly building into an awesome crescendo, the pain worsened by the loud noise and bright lights of the large room. Dark spots hovered in the corners of his vision and his stomach threatened to return what little of the catered meal he had eaten.
Laughing along with some of her guests, Lori stood up from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to go find out where our dessert is.” As she left, the others seated at the head table began to converse quietly amongst themselves. It was a mixed crowd of people ranging from parents to private donators. The gathering was an annual event to publicly open the school and show off the program’s success. It was usually a small affair, but the school’s tenth anniversary and acceptance of the Foundation’s grant were reasons to celebrate.
MacGyver hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes until he had to open them to see who was nudging his hand. “What?”
“You okay?” Pete asked from across the table.
The troubleshooter sighed and nodded, but the pain lines on his pale face said otherwise.
“Your head bothering you?”
“A little.”
“Do you want to go?”
“No. I’m…” Mac’s automatic reply ended abruptly when a member of the wait staff appeared and deposited a large wedge of strawberry cheesecake in front of him. Normally such a fine dessert would be a welcome sight, but in the wake of a blossoming migraine, just the sight of the rich cake was more than his already unsettled stomach could handle. He stood abruptly, the glasses and silverware clattering noisily on the table. “Excuse me,” he uttered and quickly made his way out of the large room.
“Is everything all right?” Lori asked, returning just in time to see MacGyver’s hasty exit.
Pete took the napkin from his lap and stood. “He’s been feeling a little under the weather lately. I’ll go check on him. Pardon me,” he said, and hurried off to find his friend.
Another great chapter, Bandersnatch! 
