The Dyson File by Jacob Holo

Author:Jacob Holo [Holo, Jacob]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, time travel, Action & Adventure, Crime & Mystery
ISBN: 9781982193010
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2023-11-07T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Susan trudged into her room in the Plume Tower, which was decorated with an assortment of abstract and physical artwork tied together with a fire theme: paintings of stars and nebulas, a glowing vase that changed shapes and hues like a flame burning in slow motion, and the abstract image of a crackling fireplace, which cast a virtual sensation of heat over her skin. The walls were a smoky gray, and the lighter gray carpet was patterned into flagstone shapes.

She took off her peaked cap, tossed it onto an iron table and let out a long, tired sigh, then brushed fingers through her hair until her fingertips came to rest on the back of her neck.

“What a day,” she breathed, making her way into the bedroom. Her small travel case sat on the nightstand next to the bed, and she opened it and rummaged around for a T-shirt and shorts.

She stripped off her uniform, folded it onto the bed, and initiated its autocleaning cycle, then stepped into the bathroom. She set her hands on either side of the sink and gazed into the mirror, not truly seeing her own reflection. Instead, her imagination conjured people and places on its own accord: Trooper Parks and his timid demeanor, Xian’s sense of indignity at being forced to speak with her, Ruckman’s initial outburst upon learning she was from the Admin, even Nautila’s lack of grace with a fellow synthoid.

All of those had happened because she’d been present.

“Am I slowing him down?” she wondered aloud.

She didn’t have an answer to that. She didn’t believe her presence was a burden to Isaac, but then again, it seemed like her presence caused unnecessary—and unhelpful—friction with every other person they met. That couldn’t be making his job any easier.

Resentment for the Admin didn’t bother her. Not alone. Not really. If anything, it was worse back home where centuries of fomenting tension between the central government and the states under its control would bubble up with little notice, often in violent terrorist attacks.

Here in SysGov, the prejudices were fresher and less severe, often stemming from the newness of SysGov’s relationship with the Admin. That, and people’s ignorance about how their multiverse neighbor conducted business on the other side of the transverse, as well as why laws and enforcement were so different over there. People here lacked perspective on the Admin’s history, which was only natural. A problem time and exposure could solve.

So, no. The resentment by itself didn’t bother her, but if her presence became a burden to Isaac, well . . . that was a whole other matter.

Maybe she wasn’t hindering his progress, but simply staying out of his way wasn’t enough. What was the point of her serving as his deputy if she wasn’t helping him? At least a little. Sure, she could act as a bullet sponge from time to time—and had—but was that really enough to warrant her presence? They were detectives, not frontline combatants, and she needed to contribute accordingly.

That’s why

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