China Blue III ©

Travis walked out into the hallway and turned left. Not knowing at all where he was going, he thought he would just stumble through department by department. He first walked through Human Resources; he never thought much of that department. They all acted like a bunch of demi-gods with the power of life and death at their fingertips. And if it was your career life, then yes, they did. He always related that department to a morgue, a bunch of stiffs with no life at all outside of the company. He laughed to himself. He dated a girl back in the Dallas offices for a while that was in Human Resources, he always felt as if he was being evaluated each time they went out. Review time used to scare the hell out of him, thinking that something might come up from one of their dates. His level of paranoia started worrying him, so he broke it off with her, hoping she was not the vindictive kind. But those fears were soon squashed as rumors reached him that she was telling everyone she had broken it off with him. She had told everyone she thought it was best to do so, as he traveled all the time and she could not reach the level of trust needed to take the relationship any further. "What ever floats your boat Baby." Travis thought to himself. Leaving the Human Resources department, he found himself in the Accounting department. Walking down the maze of cubes, it amazed him how anyone found their space each morning. It was almost as if you would need a map to find yourself around the place. It was huge. As he rounded a corner, he noticed a very lovely young lady, she could not have been more than 28 he thought to himself and he found himself drawn down her aisle. He was looking around, trying to be nonchalant about what he was doing. Poking his head in cubes and looking up at the ceiling. That is when he noticed she was looking at him. Getting up from her chair as he approached, she said to him, "May I help you?" "Just trying to get a feel for this place." he replied awkwardly. What a stupid answer he thought to himself. "Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you. Lots of halls here one can get lost in." she said to him. "We had a delivery boy come in last week and we have yet to find him." Travis looked down at her and cocked one eye and replied, "Thanks, but I think I can manage." Then continued on his way, he wanted to turn around and see her again, but his male ego would not permit. If he had, he would have seen her looking at him as he disappeared around a corner. He wandered around for the next hour and a half, thoroughly lost. He had wanted to find his way back to Su Ming's cubicle, but for the life of himself couldn't make heads or tails of exactly where he was at. Each row melted into the next, long gray corridors of one cubicle after another. It was almost surreal in it's formal layout. He had found himself thinking of her, which caused him to lose his orientation. Finally he found himself standing in the long main hallway he started in outside of his office. Standing there he looked right and left, trying to get a feel for where he was at. It all looked the same to him. He had crossed back and forth the main hall so many times; he forgot which way his office was at. Taking a chance he turned left, left never failed him and started out walking. It wasn't too long before he decided he was completely lost. Everything looked the same in that sea of gray cubicles. Looking like a lost kid in the mall, he plodded along. Rounding a corner he almost ran into Su Ming. Coming up short, he apologized and smiled at her. "Still finding your way about I see." SuMing said, still gathering her composure after their near run in. "Yes, you could say that." Travis answered, still looking around. A smile crossed her face, "You're lost, aren't you?" Travis looked at her, cocking that eye again, "And you're enjoying this right now, aren't you?" The smile leaving her face and looking, or trying to, a bit more serious, "Where are you trying to find? Maybe I can help you." Travis explained approximately where his office was at without sounding as if he was totally blank between the ears. She looked at him and a slight smile crossed her face, "This is your lucky day, it just happens that I am headed for Human Resources now. You should be able to, how did you say it? Oh Yes, manage from there." He smiled sheepishly and decided that if he had to eat crow, he would rather it be her feeding it to him. They walked in silence for the most part, it was only when they were nearing Human Resources did he find it in him to ask her name. "SuMing, Chang SuMing. " SuMing informed him. "Nice to meet you Ms Chang, my name is Travis Williams. But please, call me Travis." he replied in turn. "And you can call me Ms. Chang, Travis." she answered a bit smugly. "Here we are, I think you can manage from here." Travis knew the cold shoulder when it was presented. He thanked her and went on down the hall.

Entering his office he found Lei still working diligently on the reports he had requested from her. "Still hard at it I see." he directed at her. Lei looked up and smiled, "Oh yes. And I am sure you will be quite pleased with it." Looking at his watch he saw it was a quarter to one. "You hungry?" he asked Lei. "Yes, I was just waiting on you to return." she answered. "Well then, let's go, I am starving." Travis replied holding his hand out to her. She accepted his hand and they walked to the door. They sat down at an empty table and started to eat, making small talk about Tianjin and the surrounding area. Travis looked over at Lei and asked her, "Do you happen to know Chang SuMing, Lei?" "Yes I know of her, why?" came her reply. Travis looked at Lei's face and he could tell she was not very happy with his question. "Just curious Lei, I almost ran into her in one of the halls and she seemed quite distant to me." "Well she is an accountant, an account exec to be exact. She goes over all the accruals that go to the corporate headquarters to look for inaccuracies and makes the corrections." Lei told him. "She is a divorced woman, or so I have been told. She is not of my peer group, so I have not had the opportunity to talk with her." Travis sat silent for a minute. "Does she handle all the spreadsheets that goes to corporate, or just the financial?" Travis quizzed her. "I believe all of them." she answered. "You can ask Lucy, she sits in the cubicle across from her. She is a clerical secretary for Ms. Chang's supervisor. She would know. That is how I know of Ms. Chang, through Lucy, we go out together after work sometimes." Travis sat there and nodded, thinking to himself. Looking up at Lei, he found her staring at him. He smiled, "Food on my chin?" Lei blushed and turned away realizing then that she had been staring at him. Travis smiled, shaking his head. "You like Ms Chang, Travis?" Lei asked. "Now what would you make you even think that Lei, just because I asked about her? Asking questions is what my job description says I must do." Travis returned. Outside of idle talk, nothing else was said or asked about SuMing. Finishing up their meal, they walked back to the office. It was almost 2:30pm and Travis sat behind his desk and reached for his briefcase. Opening, he pulled out the plain manila envelope Ted had given before he had left Dallas. Staring at it for a few minutes, he opened it and pulled out the papers. The cover page had a large red stamp on it "CONFIDENTIAL", that word always sent shivers up Travis' spine. It usually meant that something very serious was in the works and a tedious game of cat and mouse was about to take place. He hated that type of assignment. Turning to the next page was a cover letter from

Ted Michaels, Chief of Security
Memdec, Inc.
1 Memdec Blvd.
Suite 1402
Dallas, Texas
Travis,
What is being disclosed in the following documents is for your eyes only. None of what you read can be divulged to anyone on site. Your direct point of contact will be myself, there is no alternate. Be aware that this assignment has been given the highest priority by the board and is considered highly sensitive. You are not to email any information you uncover or use the phones on site. Any and all communication to me will be from the cell phone provided to you before you left. Do, not, I repeat, do not call on the cell within 3 miles of the site, I cannot emphasize strongly enough how a breach in the operation you have been sent on could be devastating to everything that has been uncovered up to this point.

Approximately four months ago, discrepancies in certain sensitive documents, mainly spreadsheets, had been noticed in the home office. Certain information had been altered concerning amounts on inventory and shipments. Normally, it would have been looked at as an over-sight and the corrections would have been made and forwarded on to the board for the quarterly meetings. But these documents passed through very specific people before landing here. They concerned the development of a new technology working with fuzzy logic and military applications. No one person enters all the information on the reports and spreadsheet, but rather, it is entered in at each log point at the various operations during processing by Research and Development. No one is suspect at this level. There is one however that does have total access to this information at a higher level, the head of Research and Development, Dr. Ching Chaing, the lead scientist on this project. He is one of the original developers of this new technology. Once it leaves him, it goes straight to accounting, to the Account Exec, a Ms. Chang SuMing. She is the person in charge of all reports and spreadsheets concerning this project, no one else in accounting have access to the files except her. At this point, she takes full ownership of all files and information contained in them. You will need to concentrate on these two individuals and see if these are our points of concern to the espionage we have suspected that has been taking place.

Once again, I cannot express at this point just how sensitive this operation is and how any leak in your directive could destroy many months of hard work. Your cover is to be there to inspect the general protocol for security of the facility. An annual directive to evaluate it's effectiveness and to see if there are any weaknesses in the system at all levels. This should make it easy for you to get around without too much notice and keep a low profile while on assignment. If anyone gets suspicious or tries to hinder your inspection in any way, let me know right away, no matter how small it may seem. Do not take on any personal assistants or request any documentation from anyone there. You are to retrieve any information you need yourself. You will be given total access to the entire system, including all databases, employee information as well as to the information concerning the research and development of this project, code name "China Blue".

Respectfully,
Ted Michaels

"Well crap!", Travis thought to himself. "I should have read this on the plane like I was told." He looked over at Lei, working diligently on the various reports he had requested of her. "Damn!", he was thinking to himself again, "Why in the hell do they put me in these situations to begin with. I screwed this one up from go it looks like." Travis turned to the next page in the packet, "Hmmm, employee profiles." It was on Dr. Ching. Born in Shanghai in 49, both parents dead, no siblings, basic education completed and then received his diploma in electronics at MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with advanced schooling in nano technology, specializing in research and development. He held the title of PhD. Been working for Memdec since he graduated MIT in 1975 in Austin, then was transferred to Tianjin in the early nineties, has received numerous awards for his ideas and inventions from Memdec, MIT, Skunk Works, Lucent Technologies and other prestigious concerns. "Impressive." Travis muttered to himself. Lei looked up, "You say something Sir?" Travis had forgotten Lei was in the office, "No, just commenting on your work Lei." he covered himself quickly. "Thank you, I told you that you would be very pleased with it." she said smiling. Turning the page again, it was SuMing's profile. He shook his head as he started to read it. Born in 1971 in a small province south of Tianjin, two sisters, parents still living, twin daughters. Graduated from the University of Beijing in 1995 and has been with Memdec since then. Steadily worked herself up as Account Exec, glowing reviews from her supervisors as a hard dedicated worker, easy to get along with, shows strong ability to continue to grow with the company, takes all directives handed to her without complaint and completes her assignments on or before they are due. Always willing to help out whenever and wherever she can, a definite asset to Memdec. Employee of the month, quarter, year, .numerous awards and commendations..etc..etc.. This wasn't making things any easier for him.

Two people suspected in this and nothing in their profiles to indicate anything unusual. But then again, their profiles would be outstanding. They would want this to seem as if they are the dedicated employees noted in their profiles, beyond reproach and suspicion. It is the ones you least expected he had learned in the past, ones that do not complain or try to draw any type of unwanted attention to them, wanted to be seen as outstanding employees and assets to the company. "Yes." Travis thought to himself again, "I should have read this on the plane. Now I have a bit of explaining and back tracking to do with Ted. And I have a feeling he is not going to be too happy." Ted looked at his watch; it was 4:35pm. Looking over at Lei again, he asked, "What time do you call it a day around here?" Lei looked over at him, "Depends on what time you came in. If you came in on the 7:30 shift, then it would have been 5 minutes ago. 8:30, then it will be another 55 minutes from now. I came in at 7:30 this morning, so I am starting to go on overtime." "Then by all means Lei, let's call an end to a busy day and get out of here. I could use a drink myself, how about you, my treat.", Travis, looking at her smiling, asked . "Oh, not allowed to fraternize with management sir. Sorry. I could lose my job here for such an impropriety." "Nonsense." Travis replied, "Are you not my assistant while I am here? How would it look if you let me wander around the streets of Tianjin lost? And I have been told that there are certain parts of the city I do not want to be lost in." Lei, still looking at Travis, smiled, "Then you are justified in your request and I apologize for thinking it was anything more. Just let me clear my desk and lock the file cabinet and we will be on our way. I know of a nice little place near your hotel where we can get dinner and a drink." Lei quickly cleared her desk and put the reports in the filing cabinet, locking it as she finished. "Ready." she said as she turned around towards Travis. He was already at the door holding it open for her.

As they exited his office, passing Human Resources heading out, they passed SuMing leaving an office. "Evening Maam." Travis said politely as they neared her. She glanced up at him and then to Lei, nodding her head and not saying anything to acknowledge him, she continued on her way. Travis' eyes followed her as she quickly turned a corner. Lei, looking up at him had a disappointed look on her face as she watched Travis looking at SuMing as she walked away from them. As they crossed the parking lot to his car Mark watched them from his office window tapping a pen in the palm of his hand. He had been doing the math, Memdec had just inspected security here about 8 months ago, now why would they want to again so soon? They had passed all specifications and had received a glowing report. No, there had to be more to it than this. He was here for a reason, not just to inspect the security here, if he was here to check security at all. Turning around, he picked up the phone at his desk, "Get me Sammy Wong, I'll hold.", he instructed his secretary.


Friday April 20, 2007 - 07:25am (PDT)