Zeroes

by Scott Westerfeld

  Maybe it was time for Ethan to go home.

  Though there were probably better ways for this morning’s vigil to end than Scam being dragged out by the cops.

  Nate said to Detective King, “If I did know where he was, what exactly do you need him for? Is he wanted by the police?”

  “He’s a material witness,” Fuentes said. “But thanks to his, uh, ties to the prosecutor’s office, there’s no warrant for his arrest. We just need to talk to him.”

  King nodded her agreement and said carefully, “I think his mother gets him first. In other words, at the moment we just want to give him a ride home.”

  Those words made Nate smile.

  “I think that’s what he wanted all along. Wait here, Detectives. I’ll see what we can do.”

  © Niki Bern

  SCOTT WESTERFELD is the author of the worldwide bestselling Uglies series, and the Leviathan series, the first book of which was the winner of the 2010 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. His other novels include the New York Times bestseller Afterworlds, The Last Days, Peeps, So Yesterday, and the Midnighters trilogy. Visit him at ScottWesterfeld.com or follow him on Twitter at @ScottWesterfeld.

  © Steven Dunbar

  MARGO LANAGAN has been publishing stories for children, young adults, and adult readers for twenty-five years. Her work has won numerous awards, including four World Fantasy Awards. Two of her books have been Michael L. Printz Honor books, and she has been short-listed for the Hugo and Nebula awards and for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the young adult division. Visit Margo at her blog, amongamidwhile.blogspot.com, or follow her on Twitter at @margolanagan.

  © Vicki Skarratt

  DEBORAH BIANCOTTI has written two short-story collections, Bad Power and A Book of Endings. She’s been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award and the William L. Crawford Award for Best First Fantasy Book. You can find her online at deborahbiancotti.com or on Twitter at @deborah_b.

  SIMON PULSE

  Simon & Schuster, New York

  Visit us at

  simonandschuster.com/teen

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Scott-Westerfeld

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Margo-Lanagan

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Deborah-Biancotti

  ALSO BY SCOTT WESTERFELD

  Afterworlds

  Uglies

  Pretties

  Specials

  Extras

  Leviathan

  Behemoth

  Goliath

  The Manual of Aeronautics:

  An Illustrated Guide to the Leviathan Series

  * * *

  Thank you for reading this eBook.

  Find out about free book giveaways, exclusive content, and amazing sweepstakes! Plus get updates on your favorite books, authors, and more when you join the Simon & Schuster Teen mailing list.

  CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

  or visit us online to sign up at

  eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com/teen

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  SIMON PULSE

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

  1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  This Simon Pulse hardcover edition September 2015

  Text copyright © 2015 by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti

  Jacket photograph copyright © 2015 by Thinkstock

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.

  The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.

  Jacket designed by Regina Flath

  Interior designed by Mike Rosamilia

  The text of this book was set in Adobe Garamond Pro.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Westerfeld, Scott.

  Zeroes / by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti.

  p. cm.

  Summary: Told from separate viewpoints, teens Scam, Crash, Flicker, Anonymous, Bellwether, and Kelsie, all born in the year 2000 and living in Cambria, California, have superhuman abilities that give them interesting but not heroic lives until they must work as a community to respond to a high-stakes crisis.

  [1. Ability—Fiction. 2. Interpersonal relations—Fiction. 3. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 4. Superheroes—Fiction. 5. Science fiction.] I. Lanagan, Margo, 1960– author.

  II. Biancotti, Deborah. III. Title.

  PZ7.W5197Zer 2015 [Fic]—dc23 2015001667

  ISBN 978-1-4814-4336-4 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-4338-8 (eBook)