Chapter 1 – Problems, Problems!
The gals are at the WOOHP ATM to withdraw some money from their paychecks, so they can buy some refreshments at the school dance Friday.
"Can you believe it? The school has to be the only place in the civilized world that doesn't accept a credit card!", says Clover as she inserts her card into the ATM.
"That's true, Clover! It would be a lot easier!", says Alex.
"What's wrong with this thing?
"It's bad enough we have to use a WOOHP ATM to make our withdrawals. Now this stupid machine won't even let me do that!" says Clover irritably, as she tries for the third time to get some cash.
"Here, Clover, let me try!", says Sam. But she doesn't have any better luck. "I wonder if our cards have been cancelled by WOOHP."
"Why would they do that?", asks Alex, "Unless they fired us!", she adds in a hushed voice.
"We better call Jerry!", says Sam, as she pulls out her compowder.
"Hello, Sam! What can I do for you?", asks Jerry.
"Jerry? Has our status at WOOHP changed?", asks Sam.
Jerry looks confused on the compowder screen. "Changed? In what way?"
"Are we still working for you?"
"Certainly! Why would you think otherwise!"
"Well, we are having trouble accessing our accounts at the WOOHP ATM machine a block from the Mall!"
"Oh my! And that reminds me, I also experienced difficulty the last time I tried to use that ATM as well. Please come to WOOHP Headquarters. We'll check with Stan, the head of Finance, and find out what's going on."
"Ok, Jerry! We're on the way!", and Sam closes her compowder just as the copter Jerry sent to pick up the gals arrives.
Riding in the copter, Clover says, "Do we really have to visit this Stan guy? The head of WOOHP Finance? He's probably a crotchety 90 years old, with white hair, and wearing a green eyeshade!"
The gals instantly see an individual with this description in their minds and they bust out laughing, just as they arrive at WOOHP.
"Hello, ladies! Ready to see Stan?" , asks Jerry.
"Uh, Jerry, can we just call him on the phone?", asks Alex.
"Alex, I promise Stan won't bite! He's really a quite nice chap!"
And the foursome goes to the WOOHP Finance Department, the gals are still dreading the meeting. Any contact they have ever had concerning finance has always been unpleasant in their lives. They can't imagine it's going to change here at WOOHP!
Turning a corner, they find themselves in a very busy department. Jerry leads them to the corner office – Stan's office.
"Stan, do you have some time to work a problem?", asks Jerry.
"Sure, Jerry! Always time to help a friend!" , responds Stan. The gals are startled! Stan is nothing like they pictured him. He is about the same age as Jerry, and built like a fireplug. He is bald, with a fringe of blond hair, but no facial hair. He is about 50 pounds heavier than Jerry, but only as tall as Sam, the tallest of the spies. Yet he is not fat. He appears to be quite nice and helpful.
"Before I spill my cup of woe, let me introduce Alex, Clover, and Sam – three field agents who are also having problems!", says Jerry.
"A pleasure to meet you, ladies!" , says Stan in a friendly manner. "Anytime you have problems with Finance, come see me! I'll help.
"So, what's the problem you all appear to share?"
Clover starts "Well, Stan. Just about an hour ago I tried to access my WOOHP account at the WOOHP ATM machine one block from the Mall, and it kept refusing to honor my card or PIN."
"Ok Clover, do you have your card on you now?"
"Here it is!"
"Let me check it on this machine." , and Stan takes the card to a verification machine.
"Hmmmm! Everything appears to be in order on the card. Why don't you try to access your account on the ATM machine in the corner."
"Ok!" , and Clover goes over to the corner ATM and is able to complete her transaction without a problem.
"What was wrong?" , asks Clover, thinking she had done something wrong.
"I have a feeling there is a problem with that ATM machine. Could the rest of you please try to access your accounts at that corner machine? Then we'll pretty much know for sure!"
Alex, Sam and Jerry each access the ATM without a problem.
"Well that seals it! Your cards and PINs are good – the ATM isn't. Say, it's almost lunchtime! Let's all go to lunch! I'll buy, and on the way back I'll check the ATM with the analysis equipment in this briefcase. Hopefully I can fix it! Is that all right with you ladies? Jerry?"
"Sure!", says Sam.
"That would be great!", says Clover.
"Thanks, Stan!", says Alex.
"It sounds good to me, Stan!", says Jerry. The fivesome soon leave WOOHP Headquarters, go to Stan's car and are on their way to lunch.
The gals are at the WOOHP ATM to withdraw some money from their paychecks, so they can buy some refreshments at the school dance Friday.
"Can you believe it? The school has to be the only place in the civilized world that doesn't accept a credit card!", says Clover as she inserts her card into the ATM.
"That's true, Clover! It would be a lot easier!", says Alex.
"What's wrong with this thing?
"It's bad enough we have to use a WOOHP ATM to make our withdrawals. Now this stupid machine won't even let me do that!" says Clover irritably, as she tries for the third time to get some cash.
"Here, Clover, let me try!", says Sam. But she doesn't have any better luck. "I wonder if our cards have been cancelled by WOOHP."
"Why would they do that?", asks Alex, "Unless they fired us!", she adds in a hushed voice.
"We better call Jerry!", says Sam, as she pulls out her compowder.
"Hello, Sam! What can I do for you?", asks Jerry.
"Jerry? Has our status at WOOHP changed?", asks Sam.
Jerry looks confused on the compowder screen. "Changed? In what way?"
"Are we still working for you?"
"Certainly! Why would you think otherwise!"
"Well, we are having trouble accessing our accounts at the WOOHP ATM machine a block from the Mall!"
"Oh my! And that reminds me, I also experienced difficulty the last time I tried to use that ATM as well. Please come to WOOHP Headquarters. We'll check with Stan, the head of Finance, and find out what's going on."
"Ok, Jerry! We're on the way!", and Sam closes her compowder just as the copter Jerry sent to pick up the gals arrives.
Riding in the copter, Clover says, "Do we really have to visit this Stan guy? The head of WOOHP Finance? He's probably a crotchety 90 years old, with white hair, and wearing a green eyeshade!"
The gals instantly see an individual with this description in their minds and they bust out laughing, just as they arrive at WOOHP.
"Hello, ladies! Ready to see Stan?" , asks Jerry.
"Uh, Jerry, can we just call him on the phone?", asks Alex.
"Alex, I promise Stan won't bite! He's really a quite nice chap!"
And the foursome goes to the WOOHP Finance Department, the gals are still dreading the meeting. Any contact they have ever had concerning finance has always been unpleasant in their lives. They can't imagine it's going to change here at WOOHP!
Turning a corner, they find themselves in a very busy department. Jerry leads them to the corner office – Stan's office.
"Stan, do you have some time to work a problem?", asks Jerry.
"Sure, Jerry! Always time to help a friend!" , responds Stan. The gals are startled! Stan is nothing like they pictured him. He is about the same age as Jerry, and built like a fireplug. He is bald, with a fringe of blond hair, but no facial hair. He is about 50 pounds heavier than Jerry, but only as tall as Sam, the tallest of the spies. Yet he is not fat. He appears to be quite nice and helpful.
"Before I spill my cup of woe, let me introduce Alex, Clover, and Sam – three field agents who are also having problems!", says Jerry.
"A pleasure to meet you, ladies!" , says Stan in a friendly manner. "Anytime you have problems with Finance, come see me! I'll help.
"So, what's the problem you all appear to share?"
Clover starts "Well, Stan. Just about an hour ago I tried to access my WOOHP account at the WOOHP ATM machine one block from the Mall, and it kept refusing to honor my card or PIN."
"Ok Clover, do you have your card on you now?"
"Here it is!"
"Let me check it on this machine." , and Stan takes the card to a verification machine.
"Hmmmm! Everything appears to be in order on the card. Why don't you try to access your account on the ATM machine in the corner."
"Ok!" , and Clover goes over to the corner ATM and is able to complete her transaction without a problem.
"What was wrong?" , asks Clover, thinking she had done something wrong.
"I have a feeling there is a problem with that ATM machine. Could the rest of you please try to access your accounts at that corner machine? Then we'll pretty much know for sure!"
Alex, Sam and Jerry each access the ATM without a problem.
"Well that seals it! Your cards and PINs are good – the ATM isn't. Say, it's almost lunchtime! Let's all go to lunch! I'll buy, and on the way back I'll check the ATM with the analysis equipment in this briefcase. Hopefully I can fix it! Is that all right with you ladies? Jerry?"
"Sure!", says Sam.
"That would be great!", says Clover.
"Thanks, Stan!", says Alex.
"It sounds good to me, Stan!", says Jerry. The fivesome soon leave WOOHP Headquarters, go to Stan's car and are on their way to lunch.