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Kyper Files 020

I knew I was getting close by the sound of the footsteps rushing about, punctuated by tiny shrieks.

“Oh come on, he's harmless, it's just a skink,” someone yelled.

“Tell that to my sister who got bit and died!”

“Did that lizard have a blue tail?” the first voice responded.

“Well no… come to think of it, I don't think it had any legs either,” came the response. I resisted the urge to slap my palm against my forehead and headed towards the sound of the voices as Kyper streaked past me in the same direction.

"Fauna displacement- Fauna location protocols activated."

"What protocols are those, yell til someone steps on it? Because clearly containment is out," I said dryly as I noted there were no doors to the lab.

“Protocols are… absent.”

“I am not surprised. Alright. Exactly what “fauna” is missing?”

“Fauna is listed as a five-lined skink, plestiodon fasciatus, harmless, found in the Eastern United States most commonly. Juvenile is described as black, with yellowish lines and a blue tail. Adults have a red mouth and a black body with yellowish lines. They will bite in defense but their bite is non-venomous.”

“Well that's a plus,” I muttered and walked inside. It was like a giant terrarium. Plants of all kind— normal by their actions— different types of ground and dirt were found in various places as well. Some areas were contained, other areas were open. It was almost like walking through all of Earth in the space of a moderate gymnasium.

“Someone lose an animal?” I called over the shouting.

“Uh yes… a small lizard. Please don't hurt it,” came the answer. I muttered and began walking through the bushes and other areas. A soft crunching came from behind me and I spun around.

“Fauna has been contained,” AIDE stated confidently. I looked down. Kyper was washing one paw and a tail lay beside him. Blue, and twitching.

“Damn it Kyper,” I sighed softly.

Kyper Files 019 -- Weather

A crackle of what sounded like static electricity sounded very close to my door.

“Danger is imminent Alexia Hale,” AIDE commented.

“Define imminent.”

“Imminent.”

“Helpful. Are people going to die right now if I don't go outside?”

“You have time to exit your dwelling.”

“Can I take a sandwich and eat it on the way.”

“Calculating…. Probability likely.”

“Is anyone actually in danger?”

“Calculating proximity to human and/or flora and fauna within facility… Calculations project no.”

“So why are you telling me danger is imminent?’

“Because electroshock and static electricity can be dangerous in the correct form and function.”

“AIDE… If nothing that can be harmed is in danger of being harmed, I don't need to know about weather.”

“Understood Alexia.”

Kyper didn't return to the room and I kept looking at something on the tablet trying to understand why they had a protocol for knife wielding rabbits, when rabbits didn't even have opposable thumbs.

Someone screamed down the hall.

“AIDE… Please tell me that wasn't an emergency?”

“It was weather Alexia Hale.”

“In the facility?”

“Confirmed,” came the electronic reply. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“AIDE, weather inside the facility counts as an emergency,” I said.

“Protocols updated, will now include indoor weather to the alert system.”

“I better go see who is hurt,” I muttered and got up. I headed out the door and down toward the direction of the scream.

Kyper Files 018 -- AIDE

A door moving and a loud yowl had me standing as a streak of brown and black darted into the apartment and made a beeline for my room.

“AIDE is anything happening you should have alerted me to?” I asked.

“There is no directive for alerting security chief. However, since you have inquired, Dry rain will begin in the next 5 minutes.”

“Yeah, Kyper kind of confirms that. Make a directive to alert me if anything happens within the facility that falls under the heading of ‘emergency failure of any system’, ‘fire’, ‘flooding’, and anything else where anything with a heartbeat and brain waves could be in danger.”

“Directive created, Alexia Hale will be alerted in the event of emergencies.”

Kyper Files 017 -- Imminent danger

DRY RAIN IMMINENT— The warning flashed across the new panel installed in my kitchen. A feminine voice repeated it. Same day, same warning, new interface. Kyper hissed and walked to the new cat door and waited for it to open.

“Unauthorized creature requesting access to small door in a door I have no access to,” the voice stated.

“He's not unauthorized, let him out,” I said.

“Directive override unauthorized.”

“Authorize it,” I said.

“Cannot.”

“Why?”

“There is no protocol for this directive.”

“Make one that says the cat goes out when he wants out, and comes in when he wants in.”

“Under whose authority?”

“Mine, Alexia Hale, security chief.”

“Job title not recognized.”

“If you do not, authorize my cat, Kyper's door, I will fry your circuits and feed them to you.”

“Directive override authorized by Alexia Hale. Creature, identified as Kyper, is authorized.”

“Finally,” I muttered as the tiny door slid open. Kyper mewed as though he won the argument himself and walked out the door. I glanced sideways at the panel. No, letting the cat out wasn't a great idea, but he'd already proven he was safer than half these lab coats.

“Alright computer,” I said, echoing the naming protocol of an old sci-fi movie.

“Aida,” it corrected.

“What's that stand for?”

“It is the preferred designation.”

“What's the actual designation?”

“Actual designation is AIDE, Adaptive Intelligence for Directive Enforcement.”

“Alright AIDE, tell me, how many labs are here?” I asked. Silence.

“AIDE, I asked how many labs are in this facility.”

“Preferred designation is Aida.”

“I don’t care what’s preferred. We have too much ‘preferred’ around here and plants are now eating the inmates. So now, AIDE, tell me how many labs.”

“Exact number of labs has not been calculated for some time, previous number calculated was fifteen.”

Kyper Files 016 -- Backorder

I made it to the lab as quickly as possible. Kyper opted to not come. A lab coat walked out of the room and looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

“I was told there was trouble with the plants.”

“Not exactly. They're just feisty this morning.”

“I was told hostile.”

“Oh please, I bet you saw Corbin. He doesn't like anything that forces him out of his comfort zone. They're not hostile, they're just feisty. A little over affectionate if you will.”

“HELP!” a cry sounded, I pushed past the lab coat to find another one with a vine wrapped around his leg.

“Anyone got a machete?” I asked.

“Machete? Those are on back order, we couldn't get approval until they verified they were necessary,” the lab coat at the door said. I growled and looked for an emergency fireman's axe. Luckily I was able to find one before the lab coat was eaten. I hacked the vine in two and told them the lab was off limits until either the plants calmed down or they could provide a machete.

I could hear them protesting as I went back down the hall brushing at the grass stains on my clothes.

I stopped short when I saw another lab coat trying to pry the key pad off my door.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked.

“I'm getting your system online. We never integrated this door with Aida, nor the storage room, so as soon as I get the door functioning I'll be installing an access panel.”

“I'm sorry, door functioning? The door functions, leave it alone.”

“But we need to…”

“No you don't. Access panel sure, I'll let you in, cat door, absolutely, and you can integrate Kyper's door. My door, absolutely not. I will not have my access controlled by a computer system that probably functions as well as some of you. I will start putting you people through the transporter if you don't listen,” I stated. He started to protest and then looked at my tapping foot.

“Access panel and cat door it is… You know you can't really put us through the transporter right?”

“Hook my door up and find out.”

“I don't have time for that right now, so if you'll just let me in…” he said. 

Kyper Files 015 -- Botanical Gardens

A loud pounding on my door got my attention. I put the tablet down and went to open the door. Kyper stuck his head out of my room to punctuate his displeasure with a hiss, and then darted back inside. I rolled my eyes and looked to see who had knocked, if you could call it a knock and not someone with a rubber mallet.

“You changed the code,” was the first thing I heard.

“Yes because privacy around here is under rated. What's wrong?” I asked.

“The photosynthesis pollen count is up twelve percent and the plants seem to be …hostile.”

“Hostile? You mean more hostile than trying to eat someone just because they walked through the lab hostile?”

“Um… yes?” the lab coat said and glanced back towards the lab.

“I'll be there in a minute,” I said on a sigh. The lab coat nodded and darted off.

I stepped back inside and put my boots on.

“Kyper? You staying here buddy? Probably a good idea, seems the plants are… hostile.”

Kentucky Storms part 2

So later in the afternoon I got a few more pictures of some of the trees and stuff. So much fun to be out in that weather.  You can tell the ice is really pulling on the branches.

Kentucky Storms

Well, here it is january 25, 2026 and I'm feeling like I just went back to the 90s. Snow, "freezing rain", snow, ice. So much fun! I took these this morning.

Kyper Files 014-- Advisory

Another memo on the tablet when I got up for the second time. 

Dry rain advisory: Please be advised that the dry rain conditions can cause multiple types of lightning, static electricity issues, and problems with clothing and/or electronics. Stay indoors if possible. If not possible… good luck.

I glanced down at Kyper, who had already eaten and went back to the bedroom to resume his place under my bed. Presumably.

Kyper Files 013 -- Space modulators

Warning alarms jerked me out of bed and got an alarmed MROW from Kyper.

“What the hell now?” I asked Kyper irritatedly. He hissed and ducked under my bed. “Great. The cat doesn't even want to know.” 

I got dressed quickly and grabbed my tablet. I ran down the hall quickly to find people running in and out of the lab. Some were carrying equipment and others were discussing the problem with their buddy.

“What happened?” I asked impatiently.

“Apple sauce and modulators,” said one of the lab coats watching the door amused.

“So I need Melvin…?” I asked.

“Marvin, and probably. Someone said that he tried to install one in the transporter, and the apple objected, violently,” the other lab coat said. I went in the lab.

“Marvin?” I called over the noise. I heard a huff and walked over to him.

“There was not supposed to be an Earth-shattering boom. It was supposed to work,” came his overly cultured tones sounding very ‘woe is me.’

“Sounds more like it gave an Earth-shattering squish and you had problems. Maybe let's not modify the transporter until we're sure the modulator thingie is working?”

“It did work!” he hissed, “I was sabotaged!”

“You have proof?” I asked.

“No,” he whined morosely, “But all of my notes and research said it would work as intended as soon as it was installed.”

“So we never actually tested this?” I asked, getting irritated.

“Not… Technically no,” he hedged.

“Marvin. Clean up your mess and uninstall the modulator,” I said and turned away.

“What if I don't?”

“I'll send -you- through the transporter,” I said angrily and stalked back to my apartment.

Once I got inside I sat down with my tablet at the small table and documented the incident. I filed it under Marvin. Kyper wandered into the room and gave a quiet mew to let me know that it was both still late and his bowl was, unforgivably, empty.

“My apologies,” I said and got up to rectify the sad situation immediately.

Kyper Files 012--hostile air

My tablet pinged. “Dry rain warning for tomorrow. Known to cause static electricity bursts and ball lighting. Please remain indoors during this event if possible.”

“Great, hostile air,” I muttered, clearing the memo. Kyper hissed. I agreed with him. I found the breaker box in the apartment and flipped the main. The room went dark. I waited longer than ten seconds and flipped it back on and went to my door. It was flashing. I punched in some numbers, the stars and watched as it accepted the code. I double checked it to make sure it worked and then went inside and closed the door.

The “welcome package” lay on my counter, unread and unwanted. It was a ream of paper almost. I knew I'd have to read through it some time but I figured I'd work on it.

I had gone over a list of things that I already saw as containment issues with the suit and the lab coat but I had the feeling neither of them were paying attention. The lawyer just sat there and looked smug through the rest of the meeting. I thought about letting Kyper get fur on her powersuit but I figured I could be petty later, plus I didn't want to dirty Kyper with her suit and makeup. Who knows what that could do to a cat's fur.

Kyper Files 011

Morning, or what passed for morning, came. Kyper and I got up, we took care of our morning details and had breakfast. I picked up the tablet and saw that someone had sent me a message on the inner network. I opened it.

“You are required at a debriefing and welcome package in Conference room 05.”

“Great, politics before coffee,” I muttered. Kyper merowed as though in comment. I sighed and got dressed. I still hadn't found the laundry. I dressed in what I could and then we headed for the halls to find the room. I managed to find 03, but I was still lost when one of the lab coats walked past. Kyper caught a sock and I glared at him. He cleaned his paw innocently and the lab coat huffed.

“Excuse him, his manners seem to be lost. Where is Conference room 05?” I asked. They pointed in a generic direction and turned and continued on the path they were already on. I followed the direction indicated.

I found the room to find a suit, a lab coat, and a generic waiting. I felt like I was walking onto a joke and wondered who the lawyer was.

“Please sit Ms. Hale,” the suit said. I raised an eyebrow and sat down. Kyper jumped in my lap.

“Ah I'd heard there was a cat, someone said he was named after the Kepler belt,” the generic said.

“His name is Kyper,” I responded.

“Are you sure you don't…”

“No, I don't,” I said, cutting her off.

“Anyway, I assume you've been given a tour of the facilities and shown to your apartment in the last couple days?” the suit asked.

“You could say that,” I responded.

“Good, you're in charge.”

“Excuse me what?”

“You're the head of security, you answer to Earth if there's anything necessary for us to intervene. Essentially, you're to save the eggheads from themselves.”

“How long am I here?” I asked.

“We cannot guarantee a viable return window until after the blackout, and then it's up to the instruments and the scientists time constraints.”

“And then there is your contract to consider. Should you back out, I'm afraid the consequences would be catastrophic. Think …never going to recover,” the woman said slyly. Found the lawyer. Didn't like her. Kyper hissed. Neither did he.

“Fine, then I have necessities. Kyper needs access to food and adequate litter. And I don’t mean the cheapest available. I will gladly pay out of pocket for it myself but we are a little short on stores here. I’m sure you have vets in this place. I also want over ride capabilities on anything. If it even makes Kyper’s whisker twitch at 2 am and we are on the other side of the planet I want authority to shut it down. I also want the ability to red flag experiments."

"The cat supplies we can give on, but we can’t do it during black out. The scientists operate on a need to know basis and sometimes you don’t need to know.”

"Then I cannot do this job and you’re breaking your own contract by not providing the tools I need to do it.” 

“We will see what we can do,” the suit said. The lab coat studied his notes and the lawyer muttered under her breath.

“What's this blackout?” I asked.

“Every three months we lose direct connection with Earth. A vessel is supposed to show up for inspection and check in during the noncommunications period and we are resupplied before and after the blackout. Length of blackout can vary due to spatial disturbances, gases and so forth but on average it's rarely long enough to cause real problems,” the lab coat explained. I translated that to mean they don't have a clue how long it lasts because they never timed it or it's not his department, and they had no definition of problem.

“Why is this position necessary now?”

“That has been classified,” the suit said before the lab coat could answer.

“Not like they won't tell her,” he countered. The suit rolled his eyes.

“An incident occurred in which a scientist and an experiment went missing. We would like to prevent other such ‘incidents’,” the suit said.

“Well, without the ability to act when I need to, I'm not sure I could, but we will see what we can do,” I responded. I could almost hear the teeth grinding in the room. Kyper headbutted my hand and I scratched his ears waiting.

“We can make some …concessions,” the suit finally relented. I didn't expect to actually get any but at least if they whined I could throw it back in their faces later. 

“I want my door fixed too,” I said.

“Your door fixed?” came the response.

“Apparently IT needs to make an adjustment,” I answered.

“You can fix that yourself just flip the main breaker in your apartment and let the power bleed out of it, give it like 10 seconds or something, when you turn it back on, there should be a light blinking on the door panel, just put in the code you want and hit star three times,” the suit said. I stared at the lab coat who shrugged.

“Who knew,” he answered.

Kyper Files 010 -- The hunt is on

I followed the markers to the next lab, Laboratory 02. It was a jungle. Literally. There were plants everywhere, the smell of damp earth was prevalent and small cat prints led from one plant and faded out slowly as they led back towards the back of the lab.

“Jungle needs a machete,” I noted and walked through the plants ducking under several broad leafed banana looking trees, some thin bladed palm-type grasses and so forth. There were so many plants. There were deciduous trees, like apple and oranges, and evergreens like pine and fir. Flowers scented the air and I found myself getting lost.

“Hello?” I called. There was no answer. Movement in the plants came from the left, a leathery sound almost like a snake or something pulled through a broad leaf.

I was tackled as a large plant moved forwards quickly.

“What is that?!” I demanded.

“A hybrid. We don't stand where the plants can scent us.”

“Have you seen a cat? Tiger-striped, black and brown?” I asked, worried.

“Oh the furball. Yeah he darted out of the room before the plants woke up,” the lab coat said helping me up, “I think he peed on one.”

I held my tongue as the lab coat led me out of the room. I found the arrow to the next soon-to-be fiasco and made a note about the jungle. “Find machete.”

I headed for the next lab and stepped inside to find space. There were multiple rocks, debris, dust, and a small “scale model” of part of Alpha Centauri… or at least what I thought was Alpha Centauri. It was made from dirt that smelled the same as the litterbox in my apartment. Three lab coats were working at various points in the room. One had a Spartan style helmet on his desk, one had a solar system hanging over the desk, and the third had a pink cup with a bowtie. There was cat fur on her lab coat.

“Has anyone seen a cat?” I asked.

“Oh I have I have!” the girl said excitedly.

“Which way did he go?”

“He went that way,” all three said at once and pointed in different directions.

“Great… What's this place?” I asked absently.

“We study the planets here, George is a geologist, I am an astrophysicist, and I always forget what Melvin is. We just call him the modulator guy,” she said, unhelpfully.

“Melvin” looked up from the desk where the helmet was.

“They're space modulators and they are precision instruments. And my name is Marvin, Marvin Marshen,” he stated in overly cultured tones. I rolled my eyes.

“Right, I've got a cat to locate,” I said and walked out another door.

Lab 04. Weather. I sighed. This would not be good.

I stepped inside the lab and immediately spotted Kyper sitting on a desk. He was angry, and his fur was standing on end. So were the scientists.

“Look out!” one of the lab coats yelled. Kyper hissed and darted off the desk. A crackle and another lab coat at a computer.

“Stablized, it's stable now, you can let go,” he called out. I growled. 

“What is going on?” I demanded.

“Dry rain!” one explained excitedly. Which explained exactly nothing.

“Dry…rain?”

“Yes! It produces moisture without being wet!”

“So… Air? You've invented air?”

“NO! It's dry rain!”

“Right…” I said and looked around. I sighed.

“Which way did the cat go?”

“Cat?” the lab coat asked. I rolled my eyes and left the room.

I'm not sure how long I looked, but I did know my throat was getting dry. I decided to head back to the apartment for water. I wouldn't be long and I could start looking again immediately.

It took me a few tries but eventually I found my way back and opened the door. I really needed IT to fix that code.

I stepped inside and sighed. I shook my head.

“You could have waited for me,” I said. Kyper studied his paw, sitting on my counter. I closed the door and walked over to the sink to get my water, and checked his out of habit.

Kyper Files 009 -- Escape route

I stepped out of the shower as Kyper jumped out of the litterbox that had arrived last night, full of dirt. It smelled funny, like ozone, but it was an immediate solution to an immediate problem. I dressed in the least scented of the clothing I had purchased and went to the kitchen to get Kyper and myself a bite to eat. I filled his bowl but he didn't show up. I frowned.

I looked around the apartment but I couldn't see him anywhere. I walked back to the kitchen and laying on the counter was a tablet with a note.

“A. Hale - For your use.”

I frowned again. Some stupid lab coat had come in here and let my cat out, and now I needed to find him before they decided he was a lab rat. I muttered under my breath and picked up the tablet. It was one of those fancy ones that was thin with its own stylus.

“Well. If my door can be opened by everyone and a cat can escape, let's see what other notes I need,” I muttered and opened a notepad file.

I stepped out my door and walked towards the lab, my boots ringing on a metal floor. ‘Principal walk’ I'd once heard it termed— the walk that lets everyone know someone's in trouble.

I stepped inside the lab and looked around. There was cat hair on a chair.

“Has anyone seen a tiger-striped cat, brown and black, not orange?” I asked. Everyone looked at me like I was insane.

“Right. No one?” I asked as something violently exploded in the background. A milky white substance splattered on someone's goggles and I smelled apples. I needed to find Kyper fast.

Editorial commentary in progress.

Flames of Mercy

Flames of Mercy is available for preorder here. It will be available on February first. 

Kyper Files 008 -- Smoking... uh suitcase?

The apartment was sparse but functional. I set Kyper’s carrier on the floor and opened it. He flattened himself against the back and gave a low growl.

“I know, buddy,” I said. “It smells funny.”

I walked the space while he considered his options. There was a bedroom with a door that closed and a small bed. Just enough room for Kyper, it looked like. A bathroom with a toilet and a shower stall. A kitchen with a stove, a small fridge, and what appeared to be an incendiary device masquerading as a microwave.

It wasn’t great. But it looked like it was going to be home.

Kyper finally emerged from the carrier, sniffing cautiously, as though one wrong cabinet might give him tetanus or prove him right about this place.

I pulled his bowl and a small bag of food that I was able to bring in his carrier, mostly because I didn’t trust the airport to make sure our luggage arrived with us. I set his bowl over near where I was sure I would be eating and fed him. Then got the water bowl out and filled it, placing it beside the sink. 

“Going to have to see where we can find a litterbox,” I said. Kyper merowed. I didn't know if he agreed or not, but he decided he was thirsty and located his water bowl. After a long drink he walked back to me and rubbed against my leg as though to say he was willing to forgive me but only if gravity behaved itself.

I reached down and scratched his head briefly and went to unpack the rest of the carrier. There wasn't much, just a few of his toys and some of my important things. I pulled my phone out and as suspected after they informed me I was on Alpha Centauri, it had no signal. I did have an email it looked like. One that had come in hours ago. It was from the suits. I didn't read it, I'd save it for later when I wanted a horror story to sleep on.

A knock sounded and my door opened. A lab coat walked in, closing it behind him. He looked about and nodded to himself. He was pulling a smoking suitcase that looked suspiciously like mine.

“Looks like you're set up well enough, hopefully nothing in here is too damaged,” he said, confirming it was, in fact, mine.

“What happened to it?” I asked.

“Black out is in three hours. We're lucky it wasn't apple sauce,” he said. I frowned.

“Apple sauce?” I asked again. He waved his hand in dismissal.

“Is this Keplar?”

“Kyper, yes,” I answered. Kyper hissed at the lab coat when he reached to pet him.

“Opinionated,” the lab coat observed.

“No, he just likes his name stated correctly, do you know where we might find a litter box? I'd hate for him to soil your experiments,” I said. The lab coat looked horrified.

“We will find something suitable,” he answered and saw his way out of the apartment. I frowned and retrieved the suitcase he'd left. It wasn't hot but it smelled of burned plastic. It was slightly melted as well. I opened it to find my clothing in decent shape, they stunk but that could be fixed. I took the suitcase to the bedroom and pulled the clothes out to set on top of the small dresser. I'd find the laundry later. I pulled Kyper's second bag of food out and took it back to the kitchen and put it in a cabinet, along with the smaller bag.

I got the last few items out, a notebook, a pen, and some odds and ends. I ripped a piece of paper out of the note book and on it, I wrote:

DO NOT ENTER!

Door broken.

BEWARE OF CAT

Then I fixed it to the front of my door and closed it.

Kyper Files 007 -- Purgatory

One of the lab coats tapped something on his tablet and headed for the door.

“Ms. Hale, if you’ll come this way, we’ll take you to your quarters,” he said, a little too quickly.

Kyper growled. The man startled and hurried past us, giving the carrier a wide berth.

“Where am I?” I asked.

He blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean this sure as hell doesn’t look like Kansas and I left my blue dress back at home,” I retorted, Kyper let out an angry merow that punctuated my sentence.

“Centauri-Prime is the name of the facility,” he said, already moving again. “Most of us just call it Purgatory.”

“What is this place?”

He hesitated. “They didn’t tell you?”

“The suits that hired me didn’t even bother to tell me I was going to space.”

“Ah,” he said, then stalled. “Well. You’re not just in space. You’re about four light-years from Earth. This is Alpha Centauri.”

I paused. Just a little one. Just enough to make Kyper hiss as his carrier bumped against my leg.

I didn’t say anything. I just caught up and kept walking.

“What kind of creature is in there?” the lab coat asked.

“An opinionated feline,” I said. “Right now, he thinks you all need fired.”

“What’s his name?”

“Kyper.”

“Kepler? Like the belt?”

“No. Kyper.”

We reached a door in the facility that had an access code. He punched in some numbers.

“Code is 21598, these are your quarters.”

“How many people know the code?”

“Everyone, these used to be storage rooms until Marvin blew up an apple on one of our sponsor’s suits the last inspection and they decided we need a babysitter. They’ve been fully renovated though. I’m sure you and Kepler will be happy.”

“Kyper, and I want the code changed immediately. Can I do it myself or do I need someone with an IT degree?”

“You could do it yourself yes, but the last person that did put half the lights out.”

“Right, get IT down here. Until then I’ll just wedge the door,” I said ducking inside. The lab coat stood there looking confused.

Kyper's Files 006 -- Missing schedules

My boots echoed on the metal floor as I looked around. One of the signs I hadn’t been able to read before was now clear, an arrow pointing toward Laboratory 01. I turned to address the people who had escorted me, to ask where I was supposed to go next, but there was only blank grey metal where they’d been standing.

I turned back at the sound of footsteps. A man walked down the corridor staring at a tablet in one hand and a white mug in the other. He wasn’t paying attention to anything except whatever was on the screen. I tried to step aside, but clipped his elbow instead. Dark liquid sloshed out of the mug, the sharp smell of burned coffee splattering across his white lab coat.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going—” he snapped, then stopped short. He glanced at the tablet. “Oh. Wait. That was today? Damn it.”

He turned and headed back toward the lab without another word.

“Great, Kyper,” I muttered. “Looks like they didn’t even get the memo.”

His answer was a low mrow that made it clear he wasn’t impressed.

I followed the scientist because no one else was showing up. Voices filtered down the hall, growing louder with every step.

“She wasn’t scheduled for today,” one voice said.

“Tell that to the woman who looks like her breakfast was nails and anvils,” another replied.

“The blackout starts in four hours. They know we usually get apple sauce when they push it like that,” the first voice said, almost plaintive.

“Well, they managed it. And she’s here,” the second said.

I stepped through the doorway. The sound stopped immediately.

“What is a blackout,” I asked coolly, “and what does apple sauce have to do with my arrival?”

Words hit all at once. Temporal issues. Transporter apples. Bad waves.

And the worst of it.

“No contact.”

“Excuse me?” I said. “No contact where?”

“Why… with Earth, of course.”

Kyper Files 005 -- Through the door

 I felt the craft finally slow, followed by a thump that made Kyper hiss as we stopped against something solid. Somewhere in the back, I heard the hiss of air equalizing, sharp and sudden enough to make Kyper jump. I frowned. He was already mad. I didn’t need him thinking there was a bigger cat waiting on the other side.
The captain returned and gestured for me to unbuckle and follow him. I removed the harnesses from Kyper’s carrier and myself, then pulled the carry strap over my shoulder. We followed cautiously. Neither of us wanted any more surprises.
Another hiss had Kyper on alert. I noted the air had changed. It carried a stale, metallic scent. Kyper sneezed his displeasure. A couple of men were waiting on the other side of the doorway.
“Step through the airlock, please, Ms. Hale. These two will escort you to your next connection,” the captain said, his tone purely functional. I stepped through, careful not to clip Kyper’s carrier in the tight space.
Once on the other side, one of the men held a hand forward and the other near my back, encouraging movement without touching.
“Ms. Hale, if you please,” he said. His voice rang slightly in the stillness. Everything was metal and militant, and not for the first time I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
We entered a second room, larger, with a low hum that made Kyper’s ears flatten. He made a sound, and one of the people seated there nodded without looking up.
“Good. We were wondering if the cat would survive. Interesting choice of luggage,” they said, already turning back to their monitors.
I frowned.
A doorway opened in front of me, one where there hadn’t been a door before. Beyond it waited a long metal corridor, identical to the one I’d just left. Signs lined the walls, neat and just out of reach to read. They felt expectant. Like rules that existed whether you understood them or not.
“If you’ll just step through, Ms. Hale, we can get you to your destination.”
I glanced down at Kyper. He was not amused.
I stepped through the door.

The Right to Carrots

The murder-bunnies are officially live on Amazon! You can order them here. Alternatively you can sign up for my newsletter and I will personally send it to you! 

Happy reading!

Kyper Files 004 -- The other shoe drops

“Hey, Kyper? I don’t think we’re on Earth anymore,” I said, vaguely echoing a young girl who later followed a yellow road.

Kyper’s answer was a short hiss. He was still mad.

A few minutes later, I heard something that sounded like a door open. A person in a flight suit floated in just as gravity reasserted itself, landing on their feet with a solid thump. Kyper may have thumped as well, landing on the bottom of his carrier, still offended.

“I’m the captain of this ship,” they said, “and one of the transport techs, I suppose, for this mission. You are Alex Hale?”

“I am. And this is Kyper. He says your flying sucks.”

“I wasn’t made aware we had an extra passenger. No matter. He looks no worse for wear.”

“Yeah, let’s not let him out of the carrier any time soon or he’ll prove you wrong,” I said.

The captain made a snorting sound that could have been laughter or disbelief. Kyper had opinions. He really should have believed me.

“Anyway,” the captain said, “we’re headed to another transport. It’ll get you to your destination with less trouble than an angry feline.”

“Kyper doesn’t like it when things he knows are truths suddenly aren’t. Most rational beings don’t.”

“I’ll note that in your file, Ms. Hale. You know, with a name like Alex, I expected you to be male.”

“With a rank like captain, I’d have expected some courtesy. Guess neither of us lives up to expectations.”

“Point taken, Ms. Hale. I’ll leave you to get your bearings. We’ll be handing you off to the next transport shortly. Please remain seated.” With that, the captain left the room. I glanced down at Kyper in his carrier.

“Think we won that round?” I asked him. His silence was telling.

Kyper's Files update

Kyper’s Files will always be free, and there’s currently no planned ending. That said, I finished the first set faster than I expected, so I gathered them together and published Volume 1 alongside my other books on Kindle.

If you’d like to read ahead, you can find it on Kindle Unlimited or pick it up for a $0.99 support-the-author fee.

If you want to know when the next “season” starts—or if there’s a gap while I’m working on The Alley—feel free to sign up for my newsletter for updates.

Kyper Files 003 -- Where are we?

The pressure stopped and I felt like I was going to throw up. Kyper looked like mutiny was about to happen any second. His claws were lodged in the mesh of his carrier, his tail sticking straight up, twitching but rigid.

When I finally released the armrests, my arms floated.

Maybe it was an experimental transport. That was the thought that came first. But shouldn’t it have been over by now? There was no end to the feeling that something wasn’t right with the world. No attendant to ask. No window to look out of.

I thought about unbuckling and moving, about trying to reach the cockpit and ask what was going on. I didn’t. I wasn’t leaving Kyper.

The cat wasn’t scared. He was offended. I could hear him hissing quietly inside his carrier. There would be hell to pay when Kyper got out of there, and I had a bad feeling I knew exactly who would be scolded first for this indignity.

I didn’t know how long we were left like that. I did know it was taking longer than the “short trip” the people who hired me had implied. Kyper was growing more mutinous by the second, and I was bracing for a full revolt of the cat variety. There was nothing I could do for him with everything behaving the way it was.

Then it registered.

A paperclip someone must have dropped was hovering just above Kyper’s carrier.

Floating.

I plucked the paperclip out of the air, Kyper hissed at it. I dropped it… or tried. And failed. It stayed in the air.

Kyper Files 002 - The plane that wasn't

It was Kyper’s discomfort that alerted me first. He was not happy, his ears flattened and an angry hiss cut through the noise. This was the loudest plane I had ever been on, but the sound wasn’t vibration so much as pressure, a steady force that pressed everything back into itself. My stomach dropped, not from turbulence but from direction.

Why were we moving vertical?

This wasn’t a roller coaster.

“Kyper…” I checked the harness straps. He was secure. Unhappy, but secure. I double-checked mine. Neither of us was going anywhere without being forcefully removed. The noise wasn’t easing or changing. It was sustained.

My shoulders felt pinned against the chair. Kyper wasn’t moving at all, which worried me. Even military transport usually had someone in the back, someone telling you to strap in and be still. There was nothing.

I dug my fingers into the armrest. I didn’t understand what was happening. I wanted to, but something was very, very wrong.

Kyper pressed himself hard against the side of his carrier, anger radiating off him. His eyes flicked to mine for a brief moment. I wanted to reassure him. On a side note, I finally understood why this craft had no windows.

Kyper's Files

So if anyone wonders what a mackerel tabby looks like, here is Kyper complete with his personal files. 

Kyper Files 001 --- Packing Constraints

I checked the email for the third time. One suitcase containing my clothes and toiletries. Check. Already sent on to be inspected and detected to make sure it was safe. One carry-on for personal effects, maximum weight fifteen pounds, subject to inspection.

I glanced down at my carry-on.

It was one of those soft duffle-type cat carriers, solid floor, mesh sides. It held all my important things. Phone. Papers. Identification. Cat. Everything a girl could need to be relocated somewhere without details.

I glanced around at the “airport.” It had all the earmarks of a military relocation, but none of the military personnel. Strange. The gate was less an airline checkpoint and more a security detail with teeth, nothing like a standard terminal. I also noticed there was no one else waiting for this flight. Curious.

I reached the gate and set the carrier on the table. I walked through the security arch, and the people doing the work actually looked inside instead of just glancing at it.

“Um… this is a cat,” the man standing there said.

“Yes,” I replied. “Yes, he is.”

“The cat can’t go,” he said, looking about as dumbfounded as he sounded.

“The cat goes. Policy states that any personal effects I can fit into a carry-on are acceptable as long as it’s under fifteen pounds. It weighs a little over ten. I’m carrying the bag. He’s personal, and he fits.”

He checked his paperwork and then waved us through with a confused look. It reminded me of one of those people who are completely anal when it comes to policy and rules, and then get confused when the rules are vague and policy has no answers.

I climbed into a small enclosed golf cart with darkened windows. Kyper gave a soft, questioning merow. I shushed him and waited. I’d seen secrecy before, but this was a lot.

The cart moved forward. It took a few minutes to reach the plane.

When I stepped out, lights flooded the exterior of the building beside me. I couldn’t see anything beyond the glare except a ramp.

I walked up it carefully. The surface was slick with dew.

Inside, everything was sterile white. The seats were tan, rigid, and deeply unforgiving. I sat and noted the carry-on storage was… excessive. I wasn’t putting my cat there, so I strapped him in beside me as best I could. It turned out to be a harness, which gave me pause. Since when did planes have harnesses? I dismissed it almost immediately. Military transport did. I registered the craft as a military plane, finished strapping in, and let the thought go.

Kyper Files 000 -- Before Deployment

I adjusted my blazer before stepping into the room they’d led me to for my interview. I hated office clothes, but that’s how jobs are won. Not with jeans and a T-shirt.

I wasn’t sure if they could see the cat hair still clinging to the black jacket, but I brushed at it anyway. Ineffectually.

A man stepped in. The kind that reminded me of Secret Service. Military-straight posture. Weight balanced like he expected to move. Buttons aligned with regulation precision. Regulation sunglasses tucked into his shirt pocket instead of worn.

What was I getting myself into?

“Your application and résumé look great,” he said. “Your work history is appropriate. What can you tell us that isn’t on the paperwork?”

“I’m not interested in being right. I’m interested in doing my job correctly, noticing what isn’t being said, and being ready to stop what no one thinks will happen,” I said.

He nodded and made a note.

“How do you react under pressure?”

“Pressure? Define pressure. Are we talking about arresting someone who’s armed, or a bomb in a building with hostages below it and no bomb squad access because someone’s guarding the elevator with an automatic weapon?”

Silence held. He made another note.

“Tell me, Ms. Hale. Do you react well outside your comfort zone?”

“Sir, I work for a government agency. What’s a comfort zone?”

“If we decide to move forward with you, would relocation pose an issue for you?”

“I’m not attached to my living quarters,” I said.

Kyper would disagree.

The man made another note on his paper, then stood and held out his hand. I stood as well and took it, a polite shake of dismissal. He indicated the door and left the room. I followed, heading the opposite way.

I had almost reached security at the front door when someone said my name.

“Ms. Hale.”

I turned.

“Would you please come with me?”

She wore a black power suit and a haircut that suggested this wasn’t a request. She led me to another room with bright fluorescent lights and no windows. A silver metal table stood in the center, papers already arrayed on it, a pen that looked like it came straight out of a Faustian bargain waiting neatly on top.

“If you please, Ms. Hale, this is the contract for the job. Take as long as you like. It’s standard, really,” the woman said in bored, cultured tones.

I moved the pen aside and picked up the top packet. It was a non-disclosure agreement, stating that anything I learned as part of my job would not be shared with the world at large. There was language allowing law enforcement to perform their duties, but for the most part it was boilerplate. I signed it and moved on.

The second packet was vague but not threatening. It covered relocation, I-9 forms, tax documents, the usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. I signed and set it aside.

The third packet was different. Dense. Very legal. Some terms I didn’t fully understand. Other sections repeated themselves later in slightly altered language.

“What is this?” I asked.

“The third packet?” she said. “Standard relocation and maintenance. You agree to take care of whatever property you’re assigned until you either purchase your own housing or leave the position. That sort of thing.” She glanced at her phone. “I can have my supervisor go over it with you if you like, but that could take a couple of days. And if you don’t sign today, they may decide to move forward with another candidate.” I signed, she picked up the papers before I had time to change my mind, and left the room.

Another person. Another power suit. Another room. My hand was nearly dislocated from all the shaking as I was greeted by several individuals. Coffee was offered. I thought I declined, but it arrived anyway. I ignored it.

Several voices spoke at once. I caught fragments. Remote relocation. Minimal communication at times. Think for yourself. Details closer to your start date.

By the time they let me leave, I was mentally exhausted, trying to keep up with everything they’d told me about the job. I couldn’t recall anything specific. Not even the location. I chalked it up to too many voices and drove home, parking outside my apartment.

I headed for the elevator, unbuttoning my blazer and brushing at its stubborn cat hair as I went.

I unlocked my front door and was greeted by a faintly disapproving mrow. Kyper. He hated long hours, long days, long anything that meant his human wasn’t home to serve him as was clearly his due.

I dropped my keys on the table by the door and walked toward the kitchen, already reaching for his food bowl. Dinner first. For both of us. 

He jumped onto the counter like he belonged there, then jumped back down when I glanced at him. He knew better, and I was too tired to battle. He got the hint.

I checked his water and went to the fridge to get my own dinner and a bottle of water. We ate in companionable silence, him at his bowl and me at the small dining table tucked into the corner of the room. He never needed much chatter. He just wanted his needs met.

I moved to the living room and sat on the sofa. He followed, his stripes nearly blending with the rug’s greys and browns. A mackerel tabby. Smart, striped, and king of the apartment. A house tiger in his element.

He jumped onto the sofa beside me and stretched out. I stroked his fur for a moment, then sighed.

“How do you feel about moving, Kyper?” I asked.

He raised his head and rolled onto his side.

Silence was usually disagreement. The alternative meant he wanted to be petted.

“Well, we’re moving soon. I’m not sure where, but somewhere it might be difficult to get to a grocery store quickly, so we may want to stock up on your favorite food,” I said.

That earned a quiet mew. He always answered to the word food, even when it wasn’t being offered. He jumped down and swatted half-heartedly at a ball made of silvervine.

“Yes, buddy. We’ll pack those too,” I said, absently checking my phone.

An email had come in. It suggested I pack only what I needed and that I would be allowed a single carry-on bag for the flight. I starred it so I wouldn’t lose it later and went to my room to see what I couldn’t live without for a few weeks.

I pulled out my suitcase and Kyper’s carrier, then sat down on the bed.

Did I really just sign myself up to be relocated?

It wasn’t the first time, but it was the first time I had no idea where I was being sent. I lay back on the bed, and the cat decided it was bedtime. He jumped up beside me and sprawled out like he owned the place—which, honestly, he probably did. He just didn’t pay the rent.

I lay there and petted him, and eventually fell asleep with my hand resting against his side, him purring like a tiny motor.

Note from the author: I plan to continue these. Eventually I will bundle them up and turn them into a book but for now, enjoy. Curie approves of Kyper by the way.