Mission Objective 1: The Safe House (Part 2)

Ned familiarized himself with the safe house. Nothing fancy, he thought. Actually, it was fairly rustic, but it appeared to have all the tech he might need.

After a restless night, Ned decided he needed to do something about the small critters that kept awakening him. He searched through the bins and found a box of humane traps. “Guaranteed to lure even the peskiest of unwanted guests and then humanely teleport them to a safe wild area,” he read. “This should do the trick. I’m going to need my rest.”

With that task completed, Ned sat down to read Avoiding the Watchful Eye, a book he wished he had read during his sabbatical in StrangerVille. The rumbling of his stomach several hours later reminded Ned he hadn’t eaten lunch. “Yogurt,” he sighed. “I need to find a grocery store. Some agents may be able to survive off of yogurt in their safe houses, but they’re seasoned ones.”

A ping on the computer startled Ned. He was already accustomed to the sounds of the jungle and the steady hum of the electronics. The notification sound pierced the tranquility. Ned quickly checked the incoming message.
“Agent. Change out of those civvies immediately. You’ll find fatigues in your foot locker. Also, quit lolly-gagging around. You have work to do; this is no vacation, remember?

Ned hurriedly changed and went to the courtyard where he sparred for a bit to relieve some of his irritation.

Feeling more relaxed, Ned cautiously opened the gate to access the weather station. He knew from accounts at Future Sims Labs that this equipment was temperamental. Not wanting to end up charred like a few scientists he’d encountered, Ned first installed a few upgrades, pausing only to have more yogurt for dinner and use the rustic bathrooms. After upgrading the gyroscope durability and the moisture vaporator, Ned began the sequence to produce clear skies. “Success!” he laughed loudly.

The moon was rising under clear skies when Ned finally tumbled onto the bed. He was so tired, he hadn’t even bothered to change out of his fatigues and climb under the covers. Not even a squeaking mouse or the howling of monkeys would awaken him this night.