Tom has found the best ever role playing game on the internet. It seems better than real life, although it has some strange similarities. Just who is Tom playing with ?

Tom sat in the base where he was supposed to be researching some new KORPS technology which the technical team had passed on to him and Frank. What he was actually doing was playing a new online role playing game he had found. It was epic ! The characters had to find their way round a maze of buildings, locating hidden treasures and escaping capture by robotic guards. There were other people playing characters in the game and he was really enjoying it. He was so engrossed, he didn't hear the lift doors opening and got a fright to find Aneisha, Dan and Zoe peering over his shoulder.

"What's this one Tom ?" asked Dan sceptically. "Blade Quest and Dragons ?"

"No !" said Tom, trying to close down the window to hide it from their view. "If you must know it's called 'Spy Game' and I thought it might be useful for picking up some tactical hints in case they come in useful for future missions." He was quite pleased with that. Unfortunately it showed on his face and the others started laughing.

"Yeah. That's definitely why you started playing it !" teased Aneisha. "Where's Frank ?" she asked.

"Why ?" asked Tom.

"He called us down here. Paying attention Tom ?" asked Dan, sounding exasperated. He pulled Tom's pencil communicator out of his pocket, which was flashing, and waved it under his nose.

Frank came out of the shadows at the back of the room. "Ah, good. I need to brief you on a mission," he said. "Tom, there should be some files through from HQ," he prompted.

Tom turned back to his computer and at top speed, closed down his game and pulled up the email. He found the files from HQ and played them on the large display for everyone to watch. The first was a video taken at some kind of industrial facility. Lorries were arriving and unloading goods into a bay at the back of the building. "This is surveillance footage taken at a suspected KORPS factory," said Frank. "We've been tracking the deliveries made here and they are a wide range of electronics and chemicals. MI9 are concerned that it might be some kind of weapons factory. We need to infiltrate the building and find out what is going on. That's where you come in," he told them. "Tom, can you pull up the next file please ?" he asked.

The next file was a schematic of the building. It was complex with many rooms and corridors. Tom thought it was quite like his role playing game setup. This was going to be fun ! He could try out some of his new tactics.

"How are we going to find our way round in there ?" asked Dan.

"You won't have to will you ?" asked Tom, grinning. "I'll do the hard work for you. You'll just have to get round without getting caught."

"Well, thanks for that," said Aneisha sarcastically. "On the other hand, why don't I sit here eating biscuits and you can risk your neck creeping round enemy headquarters trying not to get caught," she said.

"But I'm not any good at that," said Tom.

"No, so don't act like it's all a big game then please," said Aneisha. She sounded really annoyed.

Frank cleared his throat. "Well, I'm planning on the usual arrangements. Tom is to work as comms and control from here, and the rest of you will infiltrate the plant and find out as much information as you can."

"What are we looking for ?" asked Zoe.

"We want to know what they are making there and if possible, what they plan to do with it," explained Frank.

Tom handed out Spy-pods, camera contact lenses and proximity detectors, known to the team as 'thingies'. Dan put a few other items into his backpack. He liked to be prepared, and it was the sort of stuff that Tom wasn't interested in, like rope, bungees, duct tape and a spare torch. "Do we know anything about their security ?" asked Aneisha.

"No, unfortunately not," said Frank. "We're hoping to smuggle you in with some of the supplies," he explained. "That should be the trickiest part of the operation, with luck."

Sitting in the black van on the way to the secret KORPS plant, Aneisha was still cross with Tom. "I wish he would stop treating this all like some big game !" she complained. "He's sitting in HQ all the time playing on his computer. I sometimes wonder if he knows the difference between fantasy and real life. I'm starting to feel like I'm a character in one of his games."

"Don't worry. He knows the difference," said Dan. "It's just that he thinks differently to us, well to me anyway. It's the playing that gives him the ideas. We need the ideas don't we ?" he asked. "He worked out how to stop that Dark Wizard bloke from turning the world into a giant Blade Quest Convention didn't he ?"

"I think we helped as well Dan," pointed out Aneisha. "You got a good few bruises for your efforts didn't you ?"

Dan shrugged. "Tom worked out how to stop the gravity machine, and Tom took a few risks too didn't he ?" he pointed out. "We can't all be the same. It's because we're all different that the team works."

Soon they had arrived at their destination and were dropped off close to the KORPS factory. The three agents were wearing their ear-pieces and head cameras. They arrived at a large wire fence. Tom's voice came over their ear-pieces. "Right, you're at the fence. Whatever you do," he began. Dan reached out with cutters, but as soon as he touched the fence an electric charge shot out, sending him flying backwards, crashing to the ground. "Don't touch it," finished Tom. "Who touched it ?" he asked.

"Dan," said Aneisha, leaning over Dan, who was lying on the ground looking dazed.

"I have got to stop doing that," muttered Dan. Aneisha helped him to get up.

"Are you alright Dan ?" asked Tom. "There's quite a hefty voltage on that fence."

"Yeah. I know," said Dan, staggering to his left slightly. "How do we get through it ?" he asked, staggering to his right. After he nearly toppled over, Zoe leaned up against him on one side, and Aneisha leaned up against the other. "Thanks," said Dan.

"I haven't done anything yet," said Tom.

"Not you," said Dan.

"Oh. Well, I've got access to the electrical supply for the site. I'm going to turn it off for about 60 seconds. That should give you just enough time to cut your way through. Then I'll have to turn the electricity back on. Are you OK with that ?" asked Tom.

"Sounds good," said Dan. He handed the cutters to Aneisha.

"You're stronger than me," said Aneisha, looking puzzled.

"I can't feel the ends of my fingers at the moment," said Dan. "Can you do it ?"

"Oh, alright. Give me a countdown will you Tom ?" she asked.

"OK. Electricity off in three, two, one, NOW !" shouted Tom. Zoe, Dan and Aneisha all winced and put their hands over their ears. Then, a bit flustered, Aneisha started cutting through the wires of the fence, first up in a line and then across. Once she'd made a decent sized cut, Dan grabbed the wiring with Zoe and they pulled it open. Then Zoe climbed through, followed by Dan and Aneisha. They pulled the hole closed again and Tom repeated his countdown before turning the electricity back on. "Are you all in ?" asked Tom.

"Yes. You don't need to shout Tom. We're all wearing ear-pieces," Zoe reminded him.

"Oh. Sorry about that," Tom apologised.

"OK. Let's go find some baddies," said Aneisha.