Lines

By Daniel Troy Dickson

A pair of spies are tasked with taking down a galactic senate. As they make their way across the galaxy they embark on a mission to stop an oncoming war. In order to do this, they must stop a man known only as The Senator.

In this story, we meet two women. Raised together from birth trained to be one thing... spies! Set on an epic journey

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Dickson
• Release date: Oct 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781087812885

Book preview

cover-image, Lines Typeset

Lines

Daniel Dickson

© Daniel Dickson

I hope you enjoy it this as much I as did writing it.

Daniel Dickson

San Diego California

Instagram: @dtdninja

Cover Design by Nolan Yalda

nolanyalda.com

Dedicated to my Best Friend, you know who you are.

Part One

One

 Dingbat Diamonds

No one likes waking up, I'll never know anyone who does. I don't associate with assholes.

My eyes and cheeks were still wet with tears when I woke, it must have been a sad dream but I can't remember it.

The tiled floor was cold like glass and I couldn't find my slippers with my feet. Olivia was still sleeping in her rack across from me. She looked like a cute little beetle wrapped up in her fluffy blanket. She had dyed red hair and light brown eyes, like a little cherub without a care in the world.

Olivia was my best friend, I've known no one longer. We trained as spies together, we had the same nanny and always slept in the same room together. I've been told since birth but my first memory is when we were four and I was playing in laser tag in the corridors with her. She snuck up from behind me and yelled, I got you, Ames, I got you! Her cheeks were just as chubby then and she was laughing as she ran around the corner.

Still, in my PJs, the bathroom lights sprung on by themselves. My hair was black this time forcing the natural hazel of my eyes to seem brighter. For a long time I wished I could keep my natural hair color but now I don't even remember what it was.

Showered and dressed in standard gear (head to toe, ankle to wrist, matte black with a blue stripe running the length, with flat matching plimsolls) made for stealth not fashion or even comfort for that matter.

The suit, seemingly simple wasn't, with a single tap to the right cuff the suit magnetized, very useful in zero G. Double tap on the right and it became a wing-suit. Single tap to the left created a noise-canceling bubble, complete silence. Double-tap to left completely hardened the suit, immobilizing you but also shock and bulletproof.

All identifying marks on my skin (scars, tattoos irregular moles, etc.) had been cellularly removed. We were supposed to be ghosts, but I only ever felt like one between missions dressed like this.

I gently rolled Olivia to wake her, she pulled her blanket up and covered her face. She did not like to be woken up, ever. Left to her own devices she would sleep another 10 hours.

Why are you doing this to me?

It's time to report in and debrief we only had 24 hours after the last mission and that was twelve hours ago.

Ugh, how many is this? She flung her covers off and sat up eyes still closed.

How many what? No idea what's she's talking about.

How many days?

How many days what? Still, no idea what she could be talking about.

How many days have I been alive?

The Heads Up Computer (HUC) chimed in with its clinical voice You have been alive 9598.1 days Olivia.

I slipped my arms under hers and lifted her. Oh my god! Olivia, just get ready! Shoving her into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. I waited till I heard the shower come on before I went back to my rack and laid down to read a bit.

Pulled out my slate it spun to life once it scanned my face, I started to scroll through the Unit News Feed. As a side note; the agency I work for has no official name but refers to itself as The Unit. The idea is that if we have no official name it makes us harder to find. The official way to receive information was via your slate and The Unit News Feed. It never had the names of other operatives or why they were doing what they were doing. It only gave locations and their outcomes, not even a mention if it was successful or not.

Only three items down I found our last mission it was titled Sentinels of The Senate Taken Out it was bold like the rest. I clicked through, what it said wasn't inaccurate, just without any real details.

Operatives of The Unit tore through the front to locate Sentinels. Three were destroyed the mission proceeded as expected.

Which was the best anyone could expect, as far as accolades within The Unit.

What the News Feed didn't mention was that it took us three months in deep cover as Senate soldiers to make it to the front. It didn't mention that Sentinels were actually people in giant machines. It didn't mention, we had to eliminate 37 people to get close enough to plant our explosives. It also didn't mention how many times we had to change our identities and the 4 months it took to get back. Using black market smugglers and traders to get across half the damn system.

Olivia started singing in the shower. I got up and pounded on the door.

Hurry up! We have to start to debrief in like 20!

She was going to make us late again I could feel it. A few minutes later she came out dressed and ready to debrief.

I hate debriefings they are always so fucking boring. Ugh they just suck. Here hold this for me. Olivia handed me her slate to tie back her hair. She was right though, debriefing did suck, never thought it was smart to say anything though.

In the hall, there were no windows or doors just on long corridor black tile white walls and fluorescent lights. At the far end was a grey door waiting for us.

Once inside, the room is small and there are two doors on either side. HUC will tell us which room we are assigned. In our own rooms, there is always a chair, hard cold, metal. A small table made of the same material. Four metallic cables descend with a cap, except for a slight humming, there is no sound. Then lights out and our mission is replayed for us before our eyes as they debrief us.

The door opened, where there was no door before and a table and now three chairs. A hiss and the door closes, HUC says. Please have a seat The Hlysnan will be in shortly.

HUC, who the fuck is that? Olivia shouted, sat down and started pouting.

Although this was unusual it was the silence that made things worse. HUC did not respond.

O' just be cool, let's see what happens. HUC who is The Hlysnan?

There was no response, opposite from the door, a thin line formed out of the wall and slid open. A tall beautiful woman with blond, almost white hair and bright blue eyes came in and sat before us.

Hlysnan is an old word meaning ‘to pay attention' or ‘to listen' I oversee everything that goes on here.

Two

 Dingbat Diamonds

Olivia was transfixed, mesmerized by The Hlysnan, I was skeptical. Grabbing the seat of my chair I squeezed as hard as I could, it's metal edge creasing my palms.

I know you two have lots of questions, but please allow me to finish before you ask anything. Now, will you please follow me.

A door just like the last opened behind her, this lead to a large hall.  There were glass panels with the last 10 years of our missions being played and displayed as we walked. There seemed to be people behind the glass but it was hard to tell.

Allow me first to apologize for all the secrecy, we all appreciate your work, it has shown us so much. As you can see around you everything has been documented and very little has been missed. What you may not know Amelia, is that you and Olivia have been our star candidates. Amongst all of the others you two are the best and most efficient.

The screens changed and scenes from other missions with other operatives started being displayed.

You two were raised like sisters, this was our doing, we saw how you needed each other. As she gets better so do you and vice versa. Normally, we only train one at a time, but you two could not be separated.

For a moment Olivia and I were doing each other's hair giggling and singing in our bedroom. Little girls innocent and full of life, she pulled out Red Rope licorice and stuck it in my mouth. We fell asleep in the same bed, woke up with ribbons and licorice in our hair.

As the Hlysnan spoke, I could only think of these moments.

It was decided that we would train the two of you together. Being as successful as you two are this is now how all future operatives are being trained. You two, were the first.

Pairs of girls and boys, etc., now being displayed from all ages and types of missions. The corridor seemed to stretch out forever and the indistinguishable sounds of others talking were becoming louder.

The debriefing of your last mission can wait. What is being asked of you now is something we have never tried to do before. It is for this reason that I have come to speak to you personally.

Finally, at the end of the corridor, the next room was huge, well decorated and full of topiaries. Stunningly beautiful, there was a window looking out into space. The stars streaked by as I looked at my own reflection.

Breaking the silence, what is it you need? Olivia grabbed my arm and squeezed it gently.

The Hlysnan turned and before her a map of the galaxy hoverd.

I know your knowledge of our history is limited. For 2375 years our galactic alliance flew under the banner of peace and exploration. Known to one and all as The Integrated Alliance. Your home planet, Earth, joined the Alliance during its infancy exactly 1290 years ago, forming with the other 46 star systems at the time. Now with 64 star systems making up 832 planets. Each of our star systems providing its own specialized role, some are dedicated to science, others are dedicated to commerce. As you know, Earth is now the hub of entertainment, media and knowledge.  Throughout the Alliance, it is also the home of the largest single body of knowledge, The Library.

As the Hlysnan spoke the map drew lines showing the connections to the other stars forming an odd and asymmetrical shape on the map all more or less on one side of the galactic center.

"37138.75 days or just over 100 years ago we made contact for the first time with a small planet rotating around a twin star just