Vyyda Book 1: The Haver Problem by Kevin Bliss Read Free Book Online

you had done it.
    By the time they reached the comms wedge, Caroline and Stovall were a full fifteen minutes late for their shift.  As she would be the lead agent for the next eight hours, her predecessor at the helm of operations had remained behind until officially relieved.
    "Couldn't be avoided," she said in a low voice to the other G7, who was more than ready to go off-duty.
    Caroline needed to focus on the work.  It was the only thing that could keep her from getting twisted into knots over R oland.  Besides, overseeing coding and recoding, transmitting and logging of messages required complete attention.  The slightest mistake could be costly.  She'd be approving the compilation of "dummy" comms sent out for the benefit of any listeners just on the opposite side of the boundary.  U-Space fringe elements were always interested in what could be gained from C-Space comms.  Most important were the captures coming in from the HSPB's extraordinary über-empfänger .  Located on Mars, the über-empfänger caught messages cascading in from the 'wilderness' of U-Space.  It was the only safe way to measure what was happening beyond the boundary.
    She would check the captures from Mars first.  On the path that led to the comms wedge connection console, delivering every last bit of information from the über-empfänger, Caroline was cut off by an irritating presence, and the only G6 on duty:  Agent Leopold Doone.  Officially, Caroline was Doone's direct superior and he was meant to function as her primary adjutant.  Unofficially, he was more of an obstacle than an aide and the source of endless consternation.
    He was also an Earther.  
    Doon e had the look of a golden boy:  hair never unkempt, square jaw and perfect teeth.  He was the ideal, in the minds of many an Earther, of what an HSPB agent should be.
    As Doone walked in front of Caroline, cutting off her progress to the Mars console, he flapped his arms in the manner of a bird in flight.  He didn't look at her, didn't say a word.  He simply flapped.  Caroline couldn't help but turn her gaze to Stovall, who'd seen the entire thing.  He started to make his way toward Doone, but Caroline gave him a small shake of the head, stopping him short.  Nevertheless, Stovall looked at her for a long moment, as if to say:  "Do you see?  I was right!"
    Caroline, having none of it, proceeded to get the incoming results from Mars.  It was her routine – the way she began every shift at the comms wedge, in no small part because it was a little like going home.
     
    V              V              V              V
     
    Arcadia (the only city on Mars which had direct involvement with the HSPB) was known for two things:  Its über-empfänger and the vessel maintenance/design depot which had been placed there ages ago, before the personnel working on Bureau craft were required to be Academy-trained, full-fledged agents.  There was also a third claim that Arcadia could make:  home of Caroline Dahl.
    Caroline's father, Andrew, had thirty-plus years on the maintenance line, servicing, repairing and refi tting Bureau vessels.  His tenure had provided her with the benefit of always living in the same dwelling (a comfortable, but relatively small spot provided by the HSPB), always knowing her father would make a living and the ability to rely on parents whose concern for her well-being eclipsed all other matters. 
    Not that it lasted.
    Her mother became ill and passed away shortly after her sixteenth birthday.  Caroline did an admirable job taking care of her father (even if her cooking left much to be desired).  Their routine was a simple one:  Andrew Dahl home by eighteen hundred, dinner half-past and, more often than not, a gathering of his friends from work for Martian ale and selenza (the Arcadian dice game which had caused the group of five men to lose small fortunes back and forth over the years).  Caroline disappeared during