by Mark Walden
‘How are you liking your first field trip then?’ Otto asked, sitting down on the camp bed next to Lucy. Shelby and Laura were busy trying to teach Wing how to play poker with a pack of cards that Raven had found, while Franz sat chatting away happily to Nigel, who looked like he just wanted some peace and quiet.
‘Never been shot at before,’ Lucy replied with a worried smile. ‘Just another first to add to the list from the past couple of days.’
‘You mind me asking something?’ Otto said.
‘No, go ahead.’
‘How did you end up here?’
‘I told you, I got invited by our friend over there.’ Lucy jerked her thumb at Raven, who was gathering equipment from the lockers around the room.
‘No, I mean, what did you do to deserve this?’ Otto said with a smile.
‘What do you mean?’ Lucy replied, frowning slightly.
‘Well, we’re all here – well, not here in this basement, but at H.I.V.E. – for a reason,’ Otto said. ‘Shelby, Laura, me . . . we have what you could call talents, things that might make us useful to G.L.O.V.E. in the future. Nigel, Franz and Wing, on the other hand, got sent to the school by their parents or they had family ties to G.L.O.V.E. though they didn’t all know that when they first arrived. Now, you can tell me to mind my own business if you want, but I’m just curious how you ended up being stuck with us lot.’
‘Honestly?’ Lucy said. ‘I have no idea. As far as I know there are no super-villains in the family and I don’t have any special abilities that anyone might find useful. If there’s a reason for me to be here, I don’t know what it is.’
Otto liked to think that he could tell when someone was lying and Lucy seemed to be being completely truthful. He could only imagine what it must be like for her to be taken from what sounded like a quite normal existence and thrust into their world with no idea of what it was that marked her out as a G.L.O.V.E. operative of the future. The fact that she’d been put into the Alpha stream meant that there had to be considerable potential that Lucy had or part of her history that G.L.O.V.E. knew about but that she didn’t understand. Not yet, at least.
‘That must, to use a technical term, suck,’ he said with a slight smile.
‘Big time,’ Lucy responded with a grin. ‘I will say this for life at H.I.V.E. though, it’s certainly not boring.’
‘That much is true. Unpredictable, dangerous, potentially lethal even, but never boring.’
‘You have any idea what was going on back at the Dreadnought?’ Lucy asked. ‘Like, who those guys were and why they were shooting at us? Doctor Nero didn’t really tell us anything.’
‘I honestly have no idea,’ Otto replied with a sigh. ‘Never quite knowing exactly why people want you dead is pretty much par for the course around here, I’m afraid.’
‘Just something else I’m going to have to get used to then.’ She smiled at Otto. ‘You know, I really appreciate the way you guys have been letting me tag along and explaining how things work around here.’
‘It’s the least we can do,’ Otto said. ‘We all remember what it was like when we first arrived at H.I.V.E. It’s a bit like being dropped into a tank full of sharks while you’ve got a nosebleed.’
‘That’s one way of putting it,’ Lucy laughed, putting her hand on Otto’s knee, ‘but seriously, thanks, you’ve been really kind.’
‘Hey, are you two going to come and join in?’ Laura called, gesturing at the cards that lay on the table in front of her, Wing and Shelby. Otto thought he had seen her frown for a moment, but it had vanished now and was replaced by a friendly smile.
‘Yeah and a big thank you to whoever thought it was a good idea to teach Wing how to play,’ Shelby said with a grin, ‘the guy with the natural poker face. We could do with some help. He’s cleaning us out here.’
‘I have a poker face?’ Wing asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow. ‘I thought you were just really, really bad at this game.’
‘Oh, you are so going down now, karate kid,’ Shelby said, punching Wing in the shoulder.
There was a sudden clunking sound as the safe-house door unlocked and Nero walked in carrying several large bags. He placed them on a table and turned to face his assembled students.
‘Mr Malpense, Mr Fanchu, a moment of your time, please.’ Nero gestured for them to follow him as he walked back across the room to where Raven was waiting. Various pieces of equipment were arranged in front of her, some of which Otto recognised, but there were others he had never seen before.
‘I require your assistance, gentlemen,’ Nero said, a serious look on his face. ‘I’m sure you both already appreciate that it is imperative we discover the location of the Dreadnought if we’re to regain control of it and rescue Diabolus. Raven and myself believe we have come up with a way to retrieve that information. The assault on the Dreadnought was masterminded by a man called Jason Drake. You may well have heard of him before now as the CEO of Drake Industries, but what you won’t have been aware of is that he has been a senior member of the G.L.O.V.E. ruling council for some time. Recently he has left his position on the council and now seems intent on destroying the organisation he once served. His motivations are unclear, beyond the fact that he did not believe we should have acted against Number One in the way we did.’
‘But Number One was Overlord,’ Otto said, frowning. ‘Surely he doesn’t believe that psychotic thing should have been allowed to carry out its plans. Drake would have been just as dead as the rest of us if Overlord had got its way.’
‘Unfortunately the only people who witnessed what happened on Overlord’s satellite are you and me, Mr Malpense. There are some on the ruling council, Drake especially, who have always been sceptical about our account of events. They believe we merely concocted a story to excuse a coup d’état, that in reality we were just making a ruthless grab for control of G.L.O.V.E. Unfortunately we have no hard evidence to prove that our version of what happened is a true account of events that day and Drake is taking advantage of that fact.’
‘So what do we need to do?’ Wing asked calmly.
‘The global headquarters of Drake Industries is here in New York, and I believe that if we can get access to their central mainframe that you, Mr Malpense, might be able to acquire the location of wherever the Dreadnought is being hidden.’
‘Surely it’s unlikely that Drake would keep that information on the network of his legitimate front company?’ Otto asked.
‘Of course,’ Nero replied, ‘but if the Dreadnought is being concealed at the installation where it was built, or at some other hidden location, there may be some evidence of the construction of that facility hidden on their servers,’ Nero explained. ‘I know from my own past experience with the construction of H.I.V.E. that it’s almost impossible to keep all records of such a project completely disguised.’
‘Ghost data,’ Otto said.
‘Exactly,’ Raven replied. ‘If we – or more specifically you, Otto – can put those traces together, it’s conceivable that we can discover where Darkdoom is being held. You are the only person who can do that quickly enough. We have to stop Drake now.’
‘Indeed,’ Nero agreed. ‘It is highly unlikely that the assault on the Dreadnought was Drake’s endgame. I’m sure he’s planning something else, which would unfortunately mean that this is just the beginning.’
‘So how are we going to do this?’ Otto asked.
‘We’re taking the direct approach,’ Nero said, gesturing at the equipment that lay arranged on the table.
.
Chapter Five
Drake strode into the control centre of the underground facility and made straight for the giant high-definition tabletop display screen in the middle of the room. He stared down at the surface that was currently displaying an incredibly detailed real-time satellite view of the majority of New York’s metropolitan area.
‘Where are they?’ he asked, scanning the display.
‘We picked Nero up here,’ Furan said, poi
nting at an area of central Manhattan. As he touched the glass surface of the display it zoomed in and a smaller window popped up showing a man walking through the front door of one of the shops that lined the street they were looking at.
‘You’re sure it’s Nero?’ Drake asked. From this overhead angle it was impossible to make out any details of the man’s face.
Furan pressed one of the interface controls at the edge of the display and the image of the man walking into the shop zoomed in still further. A wireframe overlay appeared on the long shadow that the man cast on the sidewalk, capturing the shape of his profile over the course of several seconds. These silhouettes were then overlaid on a pre-existing image of Nero’s face and reference points were matched up. The whole process took only a matter of seconds before a box appeared reading ‘Match Probability: 93.8%’.
Drake smiled. The system had cost billions to develop for the US government but the investment had been worthwhile. Overwatch was the most sophisticated surveillance system that had ever been built and it gave the US government the unique ability to quickly track down a single man in a city of over twenty million people. Of course, what the government did not know was that Drake had built his own back door into the system that gave him total covert control of the watchful satellites orbiting far overhead. Not only could he find anyone he wanted almost anywhere on the planet but he could also ensure that the government never found anyone that Drake wanted to remain hidden. It was the best of both worlds.
‘With a match probability that high I think it’s safe to say that’s him,’ Furan said.
‘Where did he go after this?’ Drake asked.
‘We tracked him to this location on the other side of the river,’ Furan replied, pulling up an image of Nero walking into the basement of a nondescript apartment building.
‘And he’s still there?’
‘Yes, he’s been inside for the past ten minutes.’
‘Excellent.’ Drake smiled. ‘Dispatch a retrieval team. Make sure they are fully prepared. Raven’s in there with him, remember.’
‘Of course.’ Furan nodded. ‘I shall send my best men.’
Otto looked at himself in the small mirror on the wall of the safe house’s small bathroom. He had changed into the clothes that Nero had bought for him and been surprised by just how weird they felt. He had become very used to wearing his familiar Alpha jumpsuit and now, as he stood there in jeans and a long-sleeved black top, he couldn’t decide if he actually liked it or not.
He ran his fingers through the mess of spiky white hair on his head. He’d never really thought about this most obvious physical side effect of the cloning technique that had given him life, but he knew that it marked him out as something strange or different and he wasn’t sure any more if that was something he wanted to be. He’d been created as a new body for someone else, constructed instead of naturally born, and the full realisation of that fact had left him feeling slightly alienated from the people around him. The only people who knew the truth of his origins were Nero and himself, and while he had debated telling his friends what he had learnt about his creation, something had stopped him. He hadn’t even told Wing.
The other significant consequence of his encounter with Overlord was that he was becoming increasingly reluctant to use his ability to interface directly with computers and other electronic devices. It just seemed to remind him of how he himself was closer to being a machine than the others, just a manufactured item, a tool.
Unfortunately, Nero’s plan called for him to use exactly those abilities and, under the circumstances, there was no way he could refuse. Otto took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Standing there brooding about these things wasn’t going to help anyone. He opened the door and walked out into the main room, throwing his H.I.V.E. uniform on to the table next to Wing’s. Wing smiled at him as he walked over.
‘Does this feel as weird to you as it does to me?’ Wing asked.
‘Yup,’ Otto said with a grin. ‘I never thought I’d actually miss wearing a jumpsuit.’
‘You know, you two almost look normal,’ Laura said as Otto and Wing joined the others.
‘Thanks . . . I think,’ Otto replied, raising an eyebrow.
‘Ja, you are looking like the real people,’ Franz said happily.
‘I want some new clothes,’ Shelby said with mock indignation. ‘I can’t believe I’ve been wearing the same thing for this long. Back home I used to be a three-outfits-a-day girl. I thought that villains were supposed to get the best outfits, not the most boring and practical ones.’
‘I quite like not having to worry about what I’m going to wear,’ Nigel said, ‘but I can see how a H.I.V.E. uniform might look a little bit odd out on the street.’
‘So, you guys gonna be long?’ Shelby asked.
‘Shouldn’t be,’ Otto replied, ‘if everything goes according to plan we should be straight in and out.’
‘Like that’s going to happen,’ Laura said, grinning. ‘Since when do things go according to plan for us?’
‘There is nothing more boring than a predictable outcome,’ Wing commented with a slight smile.
‘Hey, I like boring and predictable,’ Otto said quickly. ‘It’s less likely to end in, you know . . . pain, death, all that stuff. We need more boring and predictable in our lives.’
‘Are you two ready?’ Nero asked from the other side of the room, where he was busy packing pieces of equipment into two identical black backpacks.
‘I think so,’ Otto said, glancing at Wing, who gave a tiny nod.
‘Good, we should leave,’ Nero continued as he zipped up one of the backpacks and held it out for Otto. ‘You are clear on the plan?’
‘Yes,’ Otto replied, taking the bag.
‘Be careful,’ Raven said, picking up the second bag and handing it to Wing. ‘This may be a civilian facility but security will be tight. Be prepared to improvise.’
‘Time to go,’ Nero said and gestured for the two boys to follow him as he headed for the door.
‘Nero and two others are leaving the building,’ one of Drake’s operatives reported, turning away from the screen he had been monitoring. Drake quickly walked over to the man’s station and examined the display.
‘Who’s that with him?’ Drake asked. The man at the console punched in a series of commands and far above them in orbit the cameras of one of the Overwatch satellites obeyed, zooming in and refocusing on the three tiny figures in the centre of the screen. The system began to perform the same calculations that it had used to identify Nero, trying to attach names to the two anonymous figures who now accompanied him. Only a few seconds passed and then two profiles popped up on screen next to each other.
‘Otto Malpense and Wing Fanchu,’ Drake said quietly as he read the information. He was not familiar with either of them but it was clear from the G.L.O.V.E. records that they were both students at H.I.V.E. Where was Nero going with them, and why wasn’t Raven there too?
‘They’re heading for the subway, sir,’ the operative reported, just as Nero and his companions disappeared down the stairs leading into one of the numerous underground stations throughout the city. ‘We can’t track them in there.’
‘I’m quite aware of that,’ Drake snapped at the man. Overwatch was capable of many things but it could not see beneath the ground. He doubted that Nero had any idea he was being tracked, but even if he had he could not have chosen a better way to evade detection. ‘Monitor all exits from the subway system. I want to know the moment they resurface.’
‘But, sir, there are over four hundred stations in the city,’ the man replied. ‘Monitoring them all is nearly impossible. With the number of passengers coming and going, even Overwatch can’t hope to sort through that many people.’
‘I don’t care how hard it is!’ Drake yelled angrily. ‘Just find him or he won’t be the only one underground, do I make myself clear?’
‘Yes, sir,’ the man said, swallowing nervously.
‘How f
ar out is the retrieval team?’ Drake asked, turning to Furan.
‘Just under an hour,’ Furan said, checking his watch.
‘And the hunter drones?’ Drake asked.
‘The launch vehicle is in position and awaiting targets,’ Furan replied.
Drake nodded and a slight smile flickered across his face. He had wanted to capture Nero intact, but if push came to shove at least he could make sure that he would never leave New York City alive.
Nero walked up the stairs leading to the street above. The city was properly awake now and the streets were filled with cabs and buses, the sidewalks packed with jostling crowds of people all rushing to wherever it was that they worked. He watched them and felt nothing but contempt for the way in which they slavishly followed the routines that others forced upon them. At least he and his students would be able to pass unnoticed among this seething mass of commuters. Nero’s face was unfortunately not completely unknown to the forces of law and order, so the less attention they drew to themselves, the better.
‘How far is it?’ Otto asked as he followed Nero on to the sidewalk.
‘Just a few blocks,’ Nero replied. ‘You are both clear on your roles?’
Otto and Wing nodded. There had not been much time to refine the plan, so they had been forced to keep things simple, but sometimes that was the best way.
‘If we’re forced to improvise, then follow my lead as best you can,’ Nero said quietly, scanning the crowd ahead for any sign of the police.
Otto tried to avoid looking like a tourist, but it was hard to resist the urge to goggle at the spectacle that surrounded them. In this part of town at this time of day it was like being stuck in a concrete canyon while an army and a circus passed each other in opposite directions. The sights, sounds and smells of the heart of the city were almost overwhelming, especially when he was used to the relatively calm surroundings of H.I.V.E. Otto frowned as a man pushed past him, bumping into his shoulder roughly without a word of apology. Nero had no such problems. Nobody seemed to jostle him or get in his way; he sailed through the ill-tempered crowd as if it wasn’t even there.