I’m sitting at the desk almost delirious with boredom. I’ve been sitting here for hours, waiting for the call to come in. Waiting, and wishing I was anywhere else. I understand the importance of this mission—it could mean the difference between world peace and a nuclear war—but I really need a break. My eyelids start to get heavy, and before I know it, I’m dozing.

I wake up to the sound of the machine spitting out Morse code. I scramble to translate the message: This is Agent One requesting immediate backup for operation in Prussia.

I spin my chair and relay the message to headquarters.
This is Agent One requesting immediate backup for operation in Russia.

After the message is sent I lean back in my chair with a sigh of relief. Thank God I didn’t screw that up.