From Revoked Access To Cyber Queen

Synopsis

My name was Sophie Shaddock. At the World Hacker Competition, our once-high-flying team crashed and burned, all thanks to Emily Bright's underhanded interference. Then came Alex Grant, my boyfriend, who was also our team captain. Instead of seeking the real culprit, he pointed an accusing finger at me. In a public display of humiliation, he stripped me of my precious access rights. "Can't even hold the fort on the firewall? You'd be better off in the back office, answering phones like a common clerk." Emily joined in the mockery with a sickeningly sweet laugh. "Poor Sophie. Age catches up with us all. It's no wonder her reflexes aren't what they used to be." Fast forward to later, and the city's entire government system was under siege by hackers. And here's the kicker: the very access right that was my key to saving the day, the only one capable of patching those critical security holes, had been ripped away by their own hands. As the shrill alarm bells echoed through the NSA headquarters, I sat there at the switchboard, a serene smile on my face. I picked up the phone, my voice calm and professional. "Good day, you've reached the main switchboard of the National Security Agency. How may I direct your call?"