Kyper Files 005

“Please be aware, fauna displacement has occurred. Designation: low-grade dangerous, non-venomous,” AIDE stated as I got near the closed lab.

"How did it escape? I closed that lab until they had proper containment facilities,” I said irritably.

"Deputy Alistair Graves opened the lab. He said that there was no known protocol for continued closure.”

"Shut it back down. Insert protocol; lack of containment. Decision lab is closed until proper containment exists. Lab will not be opened again until head of security, myself, says otherwise. And find that creature,” I demanded.

"Authority acknowledged Alexia Hale. Protocol inserted. Lab is now marked closed until further notice.”

“Has he reopened Lab 20?" I asked.

“Lab 20 is closed until further notice as well. Only operable under surveillance and authority of Alexia Hale.”

"Good. Find the creature, I’ll see what I can spot,” I said, began my patrol again, only this time looking for a non-venomous creature.

Kyper Files v2 004

I was doing a patrol of the labs when Kyper streaked past me with a bit of silver in his mouth and a labcoat on his heels. I shook my head and continued my patrol. I passed the next lab as Alistair walked up to me.

“Ms. Hale, what is Dry Rain?" he asked stiffly.

“I don’t know some mess of eons or something that mesh together and cause static issues," I said offhandedly.

“Why isn’t the memo for it more serious?" 

“Because until Kyper starts going nuts, there is no need to worry," I explained.

“The cat?" he asked skeptically.

“Yes. The cat. You will see," I said with a shrug. He gave me a hmph sound and left. I continued on my way, yet again.

Kyper Files V2 003

"Dry rain warning, 05 days til impact.”

"Impact?” I asked AIDE.

"Impact Alexia Hale,” AIDE insisted. The tone wasn’t defiant but I could almost sense it.

"Right. Protocol progress?” I asked.

"Protocals are now 30 percent complete, including updated protocols for Dry Rain."

“Ah huh. I didn’t authorize any updated protocols." 

“Deputy Alistair Graves has." 

“Define protocols," I said rolling my eyes.

“Full shut down of every facility." 

“Override. Only shut down labs that center on electronic research," I said rubbing my temples.

“But the deputy…" 

“Is not in charge, I still have the authority to override him." 

“Understood Alexia Hale."

Cover sneak peak

Book 3 of The Alley

I will post the full cover as it gets closer to completeing.

Kyper Files V2 002

I decided to look for Kyper in the apartment. I knew I had seen him so I began looking in his known hiding spots. One of them was a drawer that I was constantly closing. In the drawer were hundreds of bent up paper clips. I closed my eyes and sighed. Why, Kyper, just why? I thought. A grudge against paper clips. Explains why everyone went to staples.

I cleaned the drawer out and told AIDE to put an order in for more paper clips. I also sent a memo out for them to not be left in the open. As though paper clips were some top secret piece of hardware.

There was a knock at my door and I went to open it to find my new deputy waiting for something. I invited him in but he didn’t seem enthused with the idea as he stepped inside.

“Ms. Hale, did you know that over 80 percent of the protocols are incomplete for Aida?" 

“Yes. How would you like the job of entering them all. My only stipulation is that you don’t override any of her current protocols until I can get them sorted." 

“I can do that Ms. Hale," he agreed and I handed him the manual that I had been making edits in.

“This has been written in," he said, sounding irritable 

“Yes, good to know you’re observant. If it’s been edited, there is a reason, use the edit," I said.

“Yes ma’am," he said with just enough of something in his voice to make me note I might want to double check later. He walked out of the room, stiff, as though I had asked him to rewrite Newtonian Science or something.

Kyper Files V2 001

“Alexia Hale, incoming arrival due in five minutes," AIDE the less than helpful AI informed me.

“Yes AIDE, I was on my way," I said. Kyper was out exploring again. I made my way to the arrival area, something that I had worked hard on turning into an actual platform—not just a spot in the hall—and waited on the arrival of one, Alistair Graves, unwanted and unnecessary deputy. Ordered because one Marvin Marshen nearly blew up the lab. He was my punishment for not stopping it. Nevermind that I’d been put in charge of herding geniuses who acted like feral housecats that refused to be housebroken the moment someone tried to impose rules… No offence Kyper.

To be fair the Suits didn’t say he was my punishment, they wrapped it up in pretty words like "assistance in garnering the trust of the scientists” and "more help enforcing protocols.” Yeah. I was being punished.

The portal opened and a young man with dark hair cut in a standard military style cut, a stiff suit—black—and a suitcase.

“Deputy Alistair Graves reporting ma’am," he said immediately on spotting me.

“Alex Hale," I said, offering my hand. He looked almost offended and for a moment I thought he was going to salute. Eventually he shook my hand though.

Kyper streaked by then, something silver in his mouth. I rolled my eyes.

“Let me show you to your quarters?" I said, ignoring the cat’s dramatics.

"What was that?”

"Kyper. My cat.”

"Kepler?”

"Kyper. He gets offended if you call him Kepler,” I said.

"Ah,” he responded as though he couldn’t imagine a cat being offended.

I handed him a tablet and turned to lead him toward his quarters.

"We have a resident AI in the facility named AIDE, who is…incomplete. AIDE has been informed that you will have similar authority to mine, including the call to shut down anything dangerous. Quite frankly, that covers the whole facility but we aren’t really allowed to shut down anything that isn’t actively harming anyone. The tablet should get you up to speed,” I said as we walked. I led him near lab 005 and stopped outside a door.

"AIDE,” I said calmly and the door slid open. The apartment inside was just as sparse as mine, functional but nothing to write home about. The panel for AIDE lit up as we stepped into the kitchen where he put his suitcase down.

“Welcome Alistair Graves, I am AIDE, however my preferred designation is Aida." 

“Yes and that lapse is part of what causes problems," I muttered.

"Understood,” he said to me.

"The protocols aren’t quite filled in completely. It’s a work in progress. AIDE can help you. Any questions?”

"None so far Ms. Hale.”

"You can call me Alex if you want, since you will likely be here for a while. I will leave you to settle in,” I said. He nodded and I headed back to my own quarters.

Kyper Files

Volume 1 has ended, stay tuned for the beginning of Volume 2! I hope you enjoyed the adventure so far. 

Kyper Files 031

I sat down in the chair at my kitchen table and Kyper jumped in my lap. I sat there petting him for a few minutes before pulling my boots off. The audit was complete, except for the incoming lab coats. AIDE had orders to get their information upon entry to Purgatory. 

Lab 01 had been mostly repaired thankfully. The transporter was still making apple sauce. Leonard was making a new drill.

“Communications with Earth are restored Alexia Hale.”

Kyper Files 030

“AIDE access the venting shafts and release the pressure and heat on that drill, stop it if you can,” I said.

“You can't stop it. It doesn't exactly have an off switch… Or vents.”

“So that gives me two questions. What failsafes does it have, and how long until catastrophic is catastrophic.”

“I have no idea because if you cut all the power to the room, it should have cut the drill too. I know I made some modifications to the wiring but I thought it was on the same circuits as the rest of the room. And I can't access my data because my lab is shut down!”

“All you had to do was finish the audit.”

“What part of classified don't you understand?”

“The classified part.”

“Oh that's ridiculous.”

“Yet here we are with a drill we can't shut down because someone tampered with wiring they weren't actually supposed to access.”

“Alexia Hale, temperature levels are getting dangerous. I cannot stop the drill without harming it.”

“Can you stop it without harming the humans?”

“I believe that outcome is possible yes.”

“Authorized.”

“You can't destroy my drill!”

“You know, I keep telling people not to do things, or to do things, and people keep telling me what I can't do. I'm telling you what we're going to do because you didn't do what you were ordered to do. Shut it down AIDE, now!”

“Shutting down the drill,” echoed AIDE. A grinding sound was heard below the facility. A hiss sounded directly after, like metal cooling.

Kyper Files 029

“We can do this all day. Or til the friction machine blows up, whichever comes first,” I said. The lab coat huffed.

“It's a planetary core drill. We're looking for geothermic channels and trying to see what the planet is made from. Generating too much heat is bad because it can cause the bits to malfunction. When they malfunction they can slide, if they slide it's catastrophic. They need constant cooling at this level of operation.”

“Oh that's perfect. And you're running this alone?”

“Yes well, I know what I'm doing.”

“Clearly not. Finish the audit so I can turn the power back on,” I said. The lab coat crossed his arms mutinously.

“I was able to access the drill's data streams Alexia Hale, sensors are showing rising temperatures around the drill.”

Kyper Files 028

The lab coat began reciting information in a monotone. I could tell he didn't want to, but he knew there was no choice. His name: Doctor Leonard Pryce. His lab: 20. No, no one else was assigned to his lab but occasionally he collaborated with other doctors. Experiments still classified, and lab still shut down.

“How long do you think we have until that thing explodes?” i asked curiously. The lab coat rolled his eyes again.

Kyper Files 027

I left the apartment and headed back to lab 20. The lab coat was sitting in the dark.

“I thought you'd relent,” he muttered.

“What do you think your response will be next time I tell you we're auditing your experiments?” I asked.

The lab coat rolled his eyes.

“Where's your four footed shadow?” he asked, avoiding the question.

“Kyper doesn't like disasters. What are you working on?” I said.

“It's classified,” he muttered.

“Like going to blow up the planet classified or just the facility classified?”

“That depends on how long the power will stay shut off and how hot it gets.”

“Hot? Are we talking nuclear?"

“Not exactly,” he hedged.

“What exactly?”

“It's a friction device, refrigerator cooled.

Kyper Files 026

“Alexia Hale, the timer has reached fifty nine minutes and compliance has just started.”

“Great, start shutting the power to the lab at the hour mark. He can finish the audit before we allow access again.”

“Confirm lab shutdown.”

“Yes shut it down.”

“Lab shutting down,” AIDE echoed, a rumble echoed somewhere in the facility.

“AIDE did anyone list the experiments in the lab?”

“Not as of yet. Compliance still ongoing, complaint is registered.”

“Do I want to hear the complaint?”

“Probably not.”

Kyper was missing. I wasn't surprised.

Apologies

I apologize for the gap in Kyper's Files, we were dealing with a loss in the family and some other things. I will get one posted today! 

Kyper Files 025

“That was rude,” came the voice in the doorway.

“So is violating my orders,” I retorted and pushed my way past him to find out what was inside the lab. Kyper hissed and followed me.

“You can't bring that animal in here, he will get fleas all over my experiments.”

“His name is Kyper and he goes where he pleases. He's been audited, you haven't.”

“I choose not to be.”

“You don't get that choice.”

“It's in my contract.”

“And mine says security chief so I don't care. The cameras will be operational in the next hour, you will comply with the audit by giving AIDE everything required, or I will shut down your lab until communications with Earth are restored and you are returned,” I stated and turned to leave.

“We never had to do this before,” he stated.

“Before? Before what? Before people nearly died? Before someone blew up a lab? What does it take to make you people realize you have to follow the rules?” I asked coolly.

“I'm sure you're exaggerating,” he said and walked back to his desk.

“You have exactly one hour. AIDE please mark the time, and if he has not complied in one hour let me know so that I may return,” I said.

“Hour noted, you will be informed,” AIDE said. I left the room on a sharp growl from Kyper as the lab coat stuck his tongue out at my cat. I didn't bother to add anything else, Kyper said enough.

Kyper Files 0024

I got to the door and I found it locked. Kyper swatted at it as though he were saying the door was rude.

“AIDE open the door to lab 20.”

“I cannot Alexia Hale, access is restricted.”

“AIDE override access directives.”

“Alexia Hale does not have the authority to override access directives for lab 20.”

“I swear I will let Kyper use your circuit board for a litterbox.”

“Override still rejected.”

“Then get someone to open the door,” I growled.

“I am unaware of who is in the lab at this current time. Audit incomplete due to refusal.”

“AIDE… “

“I am aware that I am being unhelpful Alexia Hale, but I have no ability to comply.”

“Alright. Can you tell me if it is safe to lock down the lab?”

“Conditions within the lab are unknown.”

“Can't you use the security cameras or something?”

“Security cameras disabled and noncompliant.”

I wanted to beat my head on the door. I used my fist instead. No response. Kyper found something on the floor and began batting at it. I ignored it at first and then I looked closer to find it was a string of some sort. I picked it up and jerked it. I could hear things fall behind the door. A curse.

The door opened.

Kyper Files 023

The lab coats insisted that the blackout would be over in a couple days and communications with Earth would resume. They are insulted that I wanted to do an audit of the facility and were highly resistant to the idea until I informed them I'd let Kyper use their experiments as a litterbox or hunting ground. They were surprisingly cooperative after that.

I had a list of requisitions that I wanted filled as soon as the path was available and a rough idea of how many labs were in the facility. Twenty-five used labs with the capability of another five to ten, depending on how big they needed it to be. There were around one hundred scientist, with more scheduled to arrive after the next blackout.

AIDE was instructed to compile the name, lab number, degrees and experiments of each lab coat. I was informed it would take “some time”.

I found out where the protocols for AIDE ended and the gaps began, and noted that I was going to have someone hand feed the rule book through a scanner so that we could upload the rest.

“Alexia Hale, there is a problem in lab 20.”

“Emergency problem or just a problem?”

“Directives state no one is in danger, there is no ‘weather’, and nothing out of the ordinary is happening. The doctor in charge of the lab is refusing to be audited.”

“Got it, I'm on my way,” I said and headed out to find the lab. Kyper decided to follow me. 

Kyper Files 022

It was Kyper who first raised the alarm. I glanced at him. His tail was in full bottlebrush mode and he was staring at the door in a hunched and sideways position like he was ready to attack. I frowned. We'd had days without any issues, now what was wrong.

An explosion rocked the facility.

“Warning, warning, incendiary retardant activated. Please be advised and stay back from Lab 01 until it can be cleared,” came AIDE over the intercom. I didn't just roll my eyes, I rolled my entire head back to lean against the back of the chair I was sitting in out of exasperation. I got up and headed for the lab. Kyper stayed in the apartment. Smart cat.

I got to the lab, smoke was still billowing out. People outside were coughing. It looked like the flames had been put out already by the dry powder that some companies thought worked better than water. Around here, they were probably right.

“Is everyone accounted for?” I asked. Several people stared at one another blankly as though a head count hadn't occurred to them.

“AIDE, how many people work in this lab?”

“At once or any given time?”

“Any given time.”

“The entire facility staff.”

“How many people is that?”

“Calculations are from the same time as the base knowledge of the labs, data says 56 people existed on base.”

“Has that number increased or decreased?”

“Increased.”

“Fine. I'm going to go look. Please remind me that after this we need to do a full audit of the facilities in the future.”

“Acknowledged Alexia Hale,” AIDE said. I took a deep breath and darted inside to look around.

The fire was officially out. I could hear groaning from the far corner of the lab. I headed back there as quickly as I could and moved the debris off the person laying on the floor.

It turned out to be two people, and one was Marvin.

“AIDE, please send a medic in here immediately.”

“Medic notified and dispatched.”

Marvin groaned and sat up, slowly as I checked the other man. Breathing, heartbeat, just unconscious, best not to move without a trained professional, I assessed.

“Aida please note that version ex dash thirtytwo was not ready for installation either,” Marvin groaned.

“Your note is recorded Doctor Marshen.”

“Back up a second. Did you test this modulator like I told you to before installation?”

“Doctor Marshen is injured Alexia Hale, you cannot interrogate him.”

“Try me,” I snapped.

“All of my research said it would work,” Marvin said defensively.

“Right, did your research also tell you that it would blow a hole in the lab that risked the life of one man, and possibly the entire facility if you'd damaged life support? Hm? Did it?”

“My calculations did not, no.”

“Of course not. This is why we test things in simulations, small scale, and explosion proof rooms, not on the very device that we depend on to transport supplies and other goods from Earth until we know for an absolute fact it's not going to explode,” I said angrily.

“I knew it wasn't going to explode. My research said it wouldn't,” Marvin said stubbornly as the medics ran inside the room. The unconscious man was placed on the stretcher.

“Yeah. Tell that to the LACK of wall behind you. I think you need to keep your modulators in your own lab until you learn how to test them without blowing us back to Earth the hard way. AIDE revoke access to lab 01 and the teleporter for Doctor Marvin Marshen until further notice.”

“Directive authorization access required.”

“Alexia Hale, security chief is your authorization.”

“Alexia Hale still not recognized as authorization override.”

“AIDE, would you like to see what happens to an apple when they go through the transporter,

 personally?”

“Override accepted.”

Kyper Files 021

“Dry rain warning, sensors are reporting dry rain all over the facility and part of the planet. No failures to report." 

“Thank you AIDE. Do the scientists know?" 

“Warnings for the scientists not to exit the building have been administered and received." 

“Well that’s something," I muttered. I glanced around for Kyper and decided that I should walk around and make sure everything was alright.

Armed with my tablet, I left the apartment and began a leisurely walk around the labs and through the halls. A crackle sounded close by.

“Lab 06 reports a static discharge has damaged his tablet. No living beings were harmed."

“Make a note to replace it and verify that there were no injuries," I said. A couple minutes passed.

"I repeat, no living beings were harmed.”

Kyper arrived on my heels a few minutes later, greeting me with a tiny mew. 

"Fauna has escaped containment.”

"What now?”

"Unknown, fauna is not a species found in lab records.”

I groaned and then paused.

"Are you talking about Kyper again?”

"That is fauna’s designated name.”

"Kyper is a cat. My cat. He is allowed outside of the apartment.”

"Understood.”