by Paul Dueweke
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Computer War
This new task challenged both engineers and took them deep into the technical operations of COPE. Jenner’s software engineering talents were so exceptional they could reach full potential only in an incubator such as this. And her new access to the COPE computer systems was a trip to hacker heaven. She became so engrossed in the complexity of the system software that she frequently stayed late at night exploring the folds of COPE’s unsung management hero.
Her access to the COPE computers was well beyond what she needed. The Asp didn’t understand the technical requirements as well as she did, so when he asked her what access level she needed, she took a wild shot and said system manager level, the highest operating level. He bought it without question, and she was in.
The system manager of a large computer system is the person responsible for keeping the system and network running flawlessly and coordinates all software and hardware configuration changes and maintenance. But the system manager’s most important role at COPE was to provide for system security. The identity of the system manager was known to only two people at COPE as a way of further insuring their paranoid concept of security. Jenner was not one of them.
Jenner spent nearly every evening exploring system-level operations to a depth that she felt only the real system manager probably understood. During every session, she would learn about at least one new network, database, or level of operation that she didn’t even know existed. She kept accurate notes in an electronic notebook in her secure file. This was the most awesome computer game she’d ever played.