Howard Hobbins

Hobbins is a worker in the recycling factory, at the Eyrie block. He works under Gilbert Lamb for 30 years, 120 meters above the ground.

He is operating a laser lathe. His workshop has a postcard from Treeworld, and an insurance certificate that expired years ago. He believes that the days before LINC were better, with less problems. He enjoys a sandwich with thick sausage, blue cheese, mayonaise and glycerin.

Hobbins shows utter contempt for authority. Numerous complaints have been made against him for attitude maladjustment and antisocial behaviour, but never pursued by the Union Security Council. Several ongoing cases pending. He was considered a possible case for social indoctrination bio-lobotomy. Although he was not suspected as a serious threat, the Security Service was adviced to maintain surveillance and report any further behavioural abnormalities.

One time Daniele Piermont called him to flush her overflow pipe.

He didn't have time to fix again the Transporter robot that broke down again; he was working on a drive shaft needed for Lamb's pipe factory, when Robert Foster hid into his workplace. A Security guard warns him about it, and that Stephen Reich is after him; just with the mention of this name Hobbins understands how big it can be.

Foster appears, pretending to be an inspector, and asked about it, says that the Transporter isn't working perhaps because of the doppler charge inducer, this helping Joey to fix it. Triggering the elevator alarm, Foster also distracts him in order to steal his sandwich and wrench. If Foster tries to show them to him, he will refuse to take back the sandwich and allow him to borrow the wrench.

Hobbins will be punished very hard later because of the things Robert Foster did. Blunt accused him that he was abusing Piermont's dog Spunky and she lodged a complaint against Hobbins for cruelty. Blunt interviewed Hobbins on four occasions and he never confessed. When Hobbins was fixing one of the cooling pipes (because Foster had cut a power cable and overloaded the steam release in the power stations) it burst and soaked Blunt while he was investigating. Hobbins laughed seeing at him and Hobbins was judged by Chutney for gross contempt and assault of a Security Officer. Hobbins chose Foster as his defender. He was condemned to life imprisonment but due to his service to the Union City this was minimized to 2 hours of community service.

In the end it turns out that he will get a good job by teaming up with Ken who joins LINC. Before Robert Foster leaves Union City, he returns to him his wrench he stole, and Howard says that it will prove useful if Ken reacts strange.


 * Address: Granville Heights 338