.

Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Berlin and New York First published in Great Britain in 2 " by Bloomsbury Publishing Pl# $% &oho &'uare, London, ()* $+Y ,e-t #opyright . /ark (alden 2 " ,he moral right o0 the author has been asserted ,his ele#troni# edition published in 1uly 2 ) by Bloomsbury Publishing Pl# 2ll rights reser3ed. You may not #opy, distribute, transmit, reprodu#e or otherwise make a3ailable this publi#ation 4or any part o0 it5 in any 0orm, or by any means 4in#luding without limitation ele#troni#, digital, opti#al, me#hani#al, photo#opying, printing, re#ording or otherwise5, without the prior written permission o0 the publisher. 2ny person who does any unauthorised a#t in relation to this publi#ation may be liable to #riminal prose#ution and #i3il #laims 0or damages. 2 67P #atalogue re#ord o0 this book is a3ailable 0rom the British Library 7&BN 8"9 ) : 99 )$$$ ) www.bloomsbury.#om ;isit www.bloomsbury.#om to 0ind out more about our authors and their books. You will 0ind e-tra#ts, authors< inter3iews, author e3ents and you #an sign up 0or newsletters to be the 0irst to hear about our latest releases and spe#ial o00ers.

. 2lso by /ark (alden . =.7.;.>.? =igher 7nstitute o0 ;illainous >du#ation =.7.;.>.? ,he @3erlord Proto#ol =.7.;.>.? >s#ape ;elo#ity =.7.;.>.? *readnought =.7.;.>.? Aogue

. For &arah, 0or /egan, 0ore3er

g Prologue 6hapter @ne 6hapter ,wo 6hapter ,hree 6hapter Four 6hapter Fi3e 6hapter &i6hapter &e3en 6hapter >ight 6hapter Nine 6hapter ,en 6hapter >le3en 6hapter ,wel3e 6hapter ,hirteen 6hapter Fourteen 6hapter Fi0teen 6hapter &i-teen 6hapter &e3enteen 6hapter >ighteen 6hapter Nineteen 6hapter ,wenty

6ontents

. ,he sho#kwa3e 0rom the e-plosion threw @tto tumbling out o0 #ontrol through the air. =e #ould hear his own 'ui#k pani#ky breathing, suddenly loud within the #on0ines o0 the helmet. ,he stars in the night sky spun past #raBily, huge pie#es o0 burning debris whistling past his 0alling body, #lose enough to tou#h. =e thought ba#k to his training and tried to #ontrol his plummeting body, attempting to break out o0 the #haoti# spin that he 0ound himsel0 in as he 0ell. &lowly he brought the tumbling under #ontrol and now he was Cust 0alling, albeit in a slightly more #ontrolled way. =e glan#ed at the pale green 0igures 0li#kering a#ross the headDup display in his helmet. =e was 0alling too 0astE he needed to slow his des#ent or he<d ne3er make it. =e spread his arms and legs, his body a#ting as an airbrake, redu#ing his speed. F,wenty thousand 0eet,< a so0t ele#troni# 3oi#e #himed in his ear. F*es#ent 3elo#ity beyond a##eptable parameters.< 2ll that @tto #ould see below was bla#kness. =e knew that the target was down there somewhere, but without any lights or 3isible landmarks by whi#h to orientate himsel0 he Cust had to hope that the GP& numbers on his 3isor display were #orre#t and that he #ould use them to 0ind the drop Bone a##urately. FFi0teen thousand 0eet,< the 3oi#e said, Cust as #almly as be0ore. @tto<s brain immediately translated the delay between the announ#ements into an a##urate #al#ulation o0 the speed at whi#h he was 0alling. &till too 0ast. =e didn<t know i0 anyone else had sur3i3ed the e-plosion. 7t was too dark to see i0 he was alone. 7t wasn<t Cust the 0rigid air temperature at this altitude that sent a shi3er running down his spine. =e #ould 3ery well be on his own out here and he doubted that he #ould su##ess0ully #omplete the mission solo. F,en thousand 0eet.< 2s the 3oi#e #almly reported the sho#king speed o0 his des#ent @tto started to 0eel a slight sense o0 pani#. ,here was still no sign o0 the target, the numbers on the display all looked right but there was no 3isual re0eren#e to support them. &uddenly a green #rossD hair popped up in the middle o0 @tto<s 3isor. ,he onboard na3igation systems had determined that was the drop target G @tto Cust had to pray that they were right. 70 the instruments< #are0ul #alibration had been at all a00e#ted by the #haoti# e3ents o0 the past 0ew minutes, i0 the targeting was out by e3en a 0ew 0eet, then he really was approa#hing a 3ery, 3ery terminal 3elo#ity. FFi3e thousand 0eet.< ,he #rossDhair was growing larger and larger. @tto made tiny #orre#tions to his body<s position, trying to keep the #rossDhair #entred. =e #ouldn<t a00ord to miss by e3en the tiniest degree. ,he wind #ontinued to roar past his body, almost seeming to su#k him towards the ground. FFour thousand 0eet.< @tto was in the 0inal stages o0 his des#ent now. 2ll o0 his re#ently a#'uired knowledge about making a Cump like this seemed 3ery deta#hed 0rom the a#tual terri0ying e-perien#e. F,hree thousand 0eet.< ,he target stayed #entred in the headDup display, getting larger with e3ery passing instant. ,he plan had to work, @tto thought to himsel0 G there was no other option. (hat he was doing was insane, by any reasonable measure, but there was no way @tto was going to let whoe3er was responsible 0or the e3ents o0 the past twentyD0our hours get away with it. F,wo thousand 0eet.< &omewhere below him was the man responsible.

Prologue

F@ne thousand 0eet.< &omewhere below was the man that @tto had to 0ind. FFi3e hundred 0eet.< &omewhere below was the man who had murdered (ing. FFour hundred, three hundred, two hundred, one hundred.< @tto #losed his eyes. FHero.<

6hapter @ne
,wo weeks earlier
Nero strode down the street towards the opera house. =e did not like lea3ing the s#hool unattended and was e3en less 0ond o0 the regular meetings o0 G.L.@.;.>.<s ruling #oun#il, but he understood that they were a ne#essary e3il. Number @ne had issued his usual in3itation to the world<s elite 3illains 0or one o0 their regular #oun#ils and he knew that it #ould be a 0atal mistake not to attend without a spe#ta#ularly good reason. 2s he approa#hed the huge building he turned away 0rom the main entran#e and headed towards a narrow alley that led down one side. =e noted with amusement that e3en the ba#k alleys o0 ;ienna were s#rupulously maintained as he rea#hed the opera house<s stage door. ,he elderly doorman behind the desk looked up 0rom his morning newspaper as Nero entered. F7<m sorry, sir, but only per0ormers and produ#tion sta00 are allowed beyond this point,< he said, one hand rea#hing beneath the desk. F,hat<s 'uite all right,< Nero replied, noting the subtle #hange in the man<s posture, F7<m here 0or the audition.< F2udition, sirI< the doorman replied, his eyes narrowing. FYes, 7 belie3e that the auditions 0or the new produ#tion o0 Faust are taking pla#e today, and 7 would hate to miss them.< ,he doorman<s hand #ame ba#k out 0rom under the desk as his pre3iously guarded e-pression broke into a slight smile. F@0 #ourse, sir. ,he rest o0 the per0ormers are already here. 70 you would Cust 0ollow me.< ,he doorman rose to his 0eet and gestured 0or Nero to 0ollow him along the #orridor and into the gloomy e-panses o0 the ba#kstage area. Nero noted with interest the props and s#enery whi#h were #rammed into e3ery nook and #ranny, reli#s o0 per0orman#es past. ,he old man #ontinued to lead him through the twisting maBe o0 dis#arded sets until e3entually he stopped in 0ront o0 a dusty s#enery 0lat painted with a depi#tion o0 a rusty iron port#ullis. =e slid the #an3asD#o3ered board to one side to re3eal a solidDlooking wooden door in the wall behind. =e unlo#ked the door and stood aside. F,here you are, sir. ,hey<re waiting 0or you Cust inside,< he said. Nero opened the door and entered a small, steelDlined ele3ator #arriage with no 3isible #ontrols. ,he door shut behind him and a so0t, #omputerised 3oi#e 0illed the ele3ator. FPlease remain stationary while identity #on0irmation takes pla#e,< the 3oi#e instru#ted. ,here was a brie0 0lash o0 bright white light, 0or#ing Nero to blink hard to #lear the spots that were suddenly swimming in his 0ield o0 3ision. FAetinal s#an #omplete. (el#ome, *o#tor Nero,< the 3oi#e #ontinued as Nero 0elt the ele3ator begin to des#end. Nero o0ten 0ound himsel0 wondering on these o##asions Cust how many o0 these se#ret 0a#ilities G.L.@.;.>. maintained around the world. =e knew that he had ne3er attended a #oun#il meeting in the same lo#ation twi#e. =e wondered i0 perhaps they were used Cust a single time and then demolished. 6ertainly, it would be absurdly waste0ul to use su#h a 0a#ility only on#e, but money was one thing o0 whi#h G.L.@.;.>. had ne3er been short. ,he ele3ator doors slid silently open and Nero stepped into another steelDlined #orridor whi#h lead to a large pair o0 0rosted glass doors a short distan#e ahead. >ngra3ed in the glass was the 0ist and shatteredDglobe logo o0 G.L.@.;.>., the Global League o0 ;illainous >nterprises. Nero walked down the #orridor, the sound o0 his 0ootsteps e#hoing o00 the brushedD metal walls. ,he glass doors hissed apart to admit him as he approa#hed and suddenly

he #ould hear se3eral 0amiliar 3oi#es engaged in animated #on3ersation. @ne 3oi#e rose abo3e the others. F. . . 0or the last time. 7 told him that 7 did not tolerate in#ompeten#e in my organisation and had him thrown out. Jn0ortunately we were at thirty thousand 0eet at the time.< Nero smiled as he heard the deep AussianDa##ented 3oi#e and the booming laugh that 0ollowed. 7t belonged to one o0 his oldest 0riends, i0 there was su#h a thing in the trea#herous world that the people in this room inhabited. 2s he entered the room se3eral 0amiliar 0a#es turned in his dire#tion. FNeroK (e were beginning to think you were not #oming.< ,he 3oi#e belonged to Gregori Leono3, one o0 the longest sur3i3ing members o0 G.L.@.;.>.<s ruling #oun#il, ha3ing ser3ed Number @ne loyally sin#e almost the #reation o0 the organisation. Physi#ally he was a mountain o0 a man, his grey hair sha3ed #lose to his rounded skull. =e strode towards Nero and gripped him 0irmly by the shoulders be0ore kissing him on both #heeks. F=ow are you, my 0riendI 7t has been too long. 7 suppose those little demons in training are keeping you busy, yesI< F7t is good to see you too, Gregori,< Nero replied, smiling. F2nd yes, =.7.;.>. is still keeping me 3ery busy.< F@0 #ourse it is,< Gregori grinned. FYou are a more patient man than me, /a-. 7 think 7 would ha3e been dri3en mad by those #hildren long ago. But a0ter seeing how my son has #hanged sin#e he returned 0rom your s#hool 7 am thinking that you must be a mira#le worker, noI< FYuri was one o0 my best pupils, Gregori, you know that.< 7n 0a#t, Gregori<s son had been one o0 Nero<s tougher edu#ational #hallenges. =e had been #easelessly hostile when he 0irst arri3ed at =.7.;.>., re0using to a##ept that he was going to ha3e to remain at the s#hool until his edu#ation was #omplete. Nero had immediately re#ognised the signs o0 a boy who had been used to getting whate3er he wanted 0rom an early age and that it would be hard work turning him into a suitable heir 0or one o0 his oldest 0riends and one o0 the most power0ul men in G.L.@.;.>. ,he #hallenge had been to #hannel that rebellious anger in better, more produ#ti3e dire#tions without eliminating it altogether. =.7.;.>., a0ter all, was not in the business o0 produ#ing model #itiBens. FYou are too kind, /a-. =e was a monster when he was sent to =.7.;.>., but now he is one o0 my most trusted and #apable lieutenants. (hy, Cust last week he led a highly pro0itable raid on a gold train in the motherland. ,here were no #asualtiesE the team got away #lean and se3eral o0 the more e-perien#ed men on the team said it was all down to his leadership. Like 7 say, a mira#le, and now 7 ha3e enough money to buy one o0 those >nglish 0ootball teams that it seems e3ery member o0 G.L.@.;.>. owns these days.< Gregori grinned. F7<m glad that you<re pleased with the results,< Nero replied with a smile. 7t was always satis0ying to hear o0 the su##ess0ul e-ploits o0 0ormer pupils. &uddenly a so0t but insistent beeping #ame 0rom the #onsole at the #entre o0 the #on0eren#e table and the 3arious members o0 the #oun#il started to take their seats. 2s the assembled master 3illains settled into their pla#es, Nero was pleased to see that so many o0 the doBen #oun#il members who had attended the last meeting were also present here today. 7t was an un0ortunate #onse'uen#e o0 their #hosen line o0 work that it was not unusual 0or a #oun#il member to be suddenly repla#ed by a new and o0ten un0amiliar 0a#e at these meetings. &ome were #aptured and in#ar#erated, some were killed in the line o0 duty, some 0ell 3i#tim to their own doomsday de3i#es and some were more a#ti3ely repla#ed by the new attendees. ,he most un0ortunate ones were those who had displeased Number @ne, the leader o0 G.L.@.;.>., and their 0ates were best le0t unimagined. ,here was one member o0 the #oun#il, howe3er, that Nero was not pleased to see, a

man who was be#oming an in#reasingly irritating thorn in his side. =e sat at the opposite side o0 the table 0rom Nero, his e-pression unreadable, his 0a#e #on#ealed by a smooth o3al mask o0 0lawless bla#k glass. =is name was 6ypher, and o3er the past years he seemed to ha3e made it his business to attempt to undermine the #redibility o0 both =.7.;.>. and Nero himsel0. 7t was unusual 0or Number @ne to allow one o0 his senior #ommanders to #on#eal their identity 0rom the other members o0 the #oun#il, but in 6ypher<s #ase he appeared to be prepared to make an e-#eption. ,hat was probably due in a large part to the 0a#t that his re#ord sin#e he had Coined G.L.@.;.>. had been so e-emplary. =e was a te#hni#al genius and his elaborate and #unning s#hemes had netted G.L.@.;.>. enormous returns, both in money and power. 7ndeed, many now saw him as the brightest rising star on the #oun#il. Nero howe3er disliked not being able to look into the man<s eyes. ,here was something unner3ing about seeing only the distorted re0le#tion o0 your own 0a#e in that bla#k mirrored glass. 6ypher would doubtless ha3e mu#h to say about the re#ent e3ents at the s#hool. ,he heads o0 all o0 the #oun#il members turned as one as a large s#reen des#ended 0rom the #eiling at the head o0 the table. 7t 0li#kered into li0e and, as usual, the silhouetted 0igure o0 Number @ne appeared on the s#reen. ,here were no distinguishable 0eatures to the man, Cust the enigmati# shadowy 0igure to whom all o0 the assembled 3illains had sworn their unswer3ing loyalty. FGreetings, ladies and gentlemen. 7 am glad to see that you were all able to make it,< Number @ne said, his 3oi#e betraying no hint o0 a dis#ernable a##ent. =e had ne3er attended one o0 these meetings in person and there was no reason to ha3e suspe#ted that this would be the 0irst time. F7 ha3e studied all o0 your preliminary status reports and 7 am pleased to say that 7 ha3e been satis0ied with your o3erall le3el o0 per0orman#e sin#e our last meeting,< he #ontinued. F,here ha3e been a #ouple o0 un0ortunate in#idents, but nothing that would Ceopardise the ongoing sur3i3al o0 the organisation.< Nero had no doubt that the near destru#tion o0 =.7.;.>. by the rampaging plant monster that the *arkdoom boy had #reated was one o0 these Fun0ortunate in#idents< and he was not keen to dis#uss the e3ents 0urther at this meeting i0 he #ould a3oid it. 7t was not wise to show any sign o0 weakness to the men and women in this room, Cust as it was ne3er wise to be the slowest antelope when lions hunted. F7 ha3e also re3iewed your preliminary proposals 0or new initiati3es in the #oming months and 7 am largely pleased with what 7 ha3e seen. 7 do, howe3er, ha3e a #ouple o0 spe#i0i# 'uestions that 7 would like answers to.< 2s Number @ne said this Nero #ould dete#t a subtle #hange in the atmosphere around the table. (hile G.L.@.;.>.<s #oun#il members were gi3en a relati3ely 0ree hand in the running o0 their more minor dayDtoDday operations, it was re'uired that they all present their plans 0or any grander s#hemes to Number @ne 0or this type o0 re3iew. 2ll o0 them knew that Number @ne had an un#anny ability to 0ind any 0laws in these proposals and none o0 them wanted to see their bestD laid plans pi#ked to pie#es in 0ront o0 the rest o0 the #oun#il. F/adam /ortis, 7 ha3e re3iewed your proposal 0or using #yberneti#ally #ontrolled sharks as an undete#table assassination method. You make some interesting points, but 7 do 0ind mysel0 wondering e-a#tly what one is supposed to do i0 the target in 'uestion doesn<t go swimming in the sea.< /adam /ortis shi0ted un#om0ortably in her seat. &he was a pain0ully thin woman, her CetDbla#k hair pulled ba#k so tightly that it looked more like a method o0 torture than a hairstyle. F7 also #an<t help but 0eel that a0ter the 0irst su##ess0ul elimination o0 a target any subse'uent uses o0 these animals may attra#t unwel#ome attention. 2s the saying goes, one shark atta#k is an un0ortunate a##ident, two shark atta#ks is a #onspira#y.< F,here were additional plans to use other animals, but G< /adam /ortis protested

weakly. FYes, 7 re3iewed them too. 7 0ear that a sudden rise in wild animal atta#ks on our enemies may draw rather unwel#ome attention . . .< ,he meeting #ontinued in a similar 3ein with ea#h o0 the #oun#il members detailing the su##esses and 0ailures o0 their organisations o3er the past 0ew months. 7t was soon Nero<s turn to gi3e his report on the status o0 =.7.;.>., and he duti0ully reported the 0igures on new student intakes and the 3arious su##esses o0 re#ent graduates. =e had de#ided not to go into more detail on the re#ent e3ents at the s#hool, knowing 0ull well that the other assembled 3illains would ha3e read the report that he had submitted to the #oun#il with an e-planation o0 the e3ents surrounding the #reation and e3entual destru#tion o0 the mutated plant #reature. =e hoped that would be enough to satis0y the other members o0 the #oun#il, but as he #ompleted his report with a summary o0 the repairs that had been ne#essary a0ter the in#ident he was interrupted. F7<m sorry, *o#tor Nero, but 7 think we all deser3e a 0uller e-planation o0 Cust how you allowed this #reature to nearly wipe out an entire generation o0 0uture G.L.@.;.>. operati3es,< 6ypher said #almly, his 0eatureless mask turning to 0a#e Nero. F,he report that 7 submitted pro3ides all o0 the ne#essary detail, 6ypher,< Nero replied. =e had e-pe#ted this. F7ndeed, that report was most re3ealing. (hat it showed me is that maybe it is time that we either pla#ed #ontrol o0 =.7.;.>. in more #apable hands or perhaps 0inally #onsidered that your s#hool has outli3ed its use0ulness to this organisation.< Nero #ould ha3e sworn that he dete#ted a note o0 smug satis0a#tion in 6ypher<s 3oi#e. F,he s#hool has been training G.L.@.;.>. operati3es 0or many years without anything o0 this kind happening be0ore,< Nero replied, trying to keep the note o0 irritation 0rom his 3oi#e. 6ypher had made it #lear on many pre3ious o##asions that he was not a supporter o0 the s#hool. F7 see no reason to o3errea#t to what was an un0ortunate but un0oreseeable a##ident.< F1ust like the a##ident that led to the s#hool being relo#ated a de#ade ago, 7 suppose,< 6ypher replied, Fan a##ident that #ost se3eral billion dollars to re#ti0y and almost led to the dis#o3ery o0 the 0a#ility by at least one law en0or#ement agen#y. (hen you add that to the repair bill 0or the re#ent 0ias#o it appears that =.7.;.>. is be#oming rather an e-pensi3e indulgen#e, wouldn<t you say, *o#torI< FPerhaps you would rather that we le0t the training o0 0uture members o0 this #oun#il to #ommon #riminals, then,< Nero replied, Fbe#ause that is what would happen i0 =.7.;.>. did not e-ist.< F/y dear *o#tor,< now the note o0 sar#asm in 6ypher<s 3oi#e was unmistakeable, Fthis organisation e-isted long be0ore your pre#ious s#hool. 2re you suggesting that this #oun#il is in#apable o0 ensuring its own 0uture sur3i3alI< Nero was used to this 3erbal 0en#ing with 6ypher at #oun#il meetings, but this was 'ui#kly be#oming annoying. F7 ha3e no doubt that this organisation would sur3i3e without =.7.;.>., 6ypher, but would it be as su##ess0ul without the training that new operati3es re#ei3e at my s#hoolI< FYour s#hool, NeroI 7 was under the impression that it was G.L.@.;.>.<s s#hool, not yours G< F>noughK< Number @ne said sharply, breaking into the argument. F7 tire o0 listening to you both bi#ker like #hildren. =.7.;.>. has not yet outli3ed its use0ulness to G.L.@.;.>., but 7 ha3e made it abundantly #lear to *o#tor Nero that 7 will not tolerate any more in#idents o0 this type at the s#hool. 7 e-pe#t that to be the end o0 the matter, unless you 0eel that 7 am handling this matter in#orre#tly, 6ypherI< FNo, sir. 2s always, the 0inal de#ision is yours.< For all o0 his re#ent su##esses 6ypher appeared to know better than to openly 'uestion Number @ne<s de#isions. Nero had been a loyal G.L.@.;.>. operati3e 0or more years than he #ared to remember,

but 0or the 0irst time he was starting to e-perien#e doubts about the dire#tion in whi#h the organisation was heading. 6ypher was Cust one representati3e o0 a new breed o0 3illain that seemed suddenly to be 0illing the ranks o0 G.L.@.;.>. ,hese new members seemed to la#k all o0 the gra#e and 0inesse o0 the older generation. 2ll too o0ten the answer to their problems lay in 3iolen#e and #haos. ,his was not the way that it had always beenE Nero had always been impressed with the way that Number @ne had kept the more homi#idal e-#esses o0 his #oun#il members under #ontrol. 7t was this dis#ipline that had stopped G.L.@.;.>. 0rom be#oming Cust another bloodthirsty #riminal #artel, but in re#ent months that #ontrol o3er the #oun#il members seemed to be slipping. No, Nero mentally #orre#ted himsel0, what worried him most was not that Number @ne<s #ontrol o0 the #oun#il was slipping, but that #ontrol was being deliberately rela-ed. F7s there any other businessI< Number @ne asked as the meeting drew towards a #lose. None o0 the assembled master 3illains seemed to ha3e anything to add. F;ery well,< the shadowy 0igure #ontinued, F7 shall see you all again in a #ouple o0 months. Jntil then . . . do unto others.< F*o unto others,< the members o0 the #oun#il replied, e#hoing the G.L.@.;.>. motto as was traditional at the end o0 these gatherings. ,he s#reen went dark and as 'ui#kly as their audien#e with Number @ne had started it was 0inished. Nero rose 0rom his seat as Gregori approa#hed. ,here was a look o0 irritation on the big Aussian<s 0a#e. F,hat was unne#essary,< he said 'uietly, glan#ing o3er in the dire#tion o0 6ypher, who was now engaged in hushed #on3ersation with Baron ;on &turm on the other side o0 the room. FYes, but not une-pe#ted,< Nero replied. F6ypher was ne3er going to pass up an opportunity to #riti#ise me so publi#ly.< F/aybe so, old 0riend, but you need not worry. ,he #oun#il know how well you run the s#hool. No one pays any attention to his #omplaints.< FYou may not belie3e him, Gregori, but some people will.< @n the other side o0 the room 6ypher was still talking to the Baron, both men o##asionally glan#ing o3er at Nero. ,here was little doubt as to the topi# o0 their #on3ersation. 2s Nero walked away 0rom the opera house he #onsidered the e3ents o0 the meeting. ,he atta#k by 6ypher had been predi#table but he #ould not help but be worried by his masked ad3ersary<s dire#tness. @n#e upon a time 6ypher would not ha3e dared to 'uestion Nero<s authority so openly at a #oun#il meeting, but it seemed that he now 0elt no su#h relu#tan#e. Nero had always disappro3ed o0 open hostility between #oun#il members. =e had seen too many petty arguments e3ol3e into dangerous and #ostly blood 0euds, but 0rank #on0rontation between the two o0 them seemed more and more ine3itable e3ery time they met. 2s he #ontinued walking he started to 0eel a growing sense o0 unease. 2ny 3illain who had sur3i3ed as long as he had de3eloped a si-th sense that warned o0 danger and Nero had learnt long ago not to ignore it. =e slowed down and stopped to look into the window o0 one o0 the many e-pensi3e shops that lined the street. ,here, on the other side o0 the road, #learly re0le#ted in the window, were two men who were trying a little too hard to appear in#onspi#uous. =e was being 0ollowed. =e set o00 again, now a#utely aware o0 his two unwel#ome #ompanions. =e #ontinued down the street until he #ame to a 'uiet alleyway and 'ui#kly turned down it. ,he alley was a dead end, e-a#tly as he had hoped. Behind him he heard the sound o0 0ootsteps as the two men 0ollowed him into the shadowy passageway. Nero deliberately slowed his pa#e, hearing his pursuers getting #loser as he walked 0urther into the shadows. F&top,< one o0 the men said. ,hey were now Cust a 0ew metres behind him. Nero did as

he was instru#ted, slowly turning to 0a#e the two men, one o0 whom was now pointing a large pistol 0itted with a bulbous silen#er straight at him. F,here<s really no need 0or that,< Nero said #almly, F(hy don<t we Cust all ha3e a little #hatI< F&hut up,< the man holding the gun replied. FNo talk. ,he amulet, now.< =e held out his other hand. F2muletI< Nero replied. F7<m sorry, 7 don<t know what you<re talking about.< =e knew e-a#tly what they were talking about, but what he needed to 0ind out was how they knew about it. F(e know you ha3e it with you. Gi3e it to us now or we<ll take it 0rom youK< ,he gunman pun#tuated the threat by #o#king his weapon. FGentlemen,< Nero said so0tly, Fea#h and e3ery one o0 us makes de#isions in the #ourse o0 our li3es, some good, some bad, but you at least will ha3e the dubious pleasure o0 knowing that this was the absolute worst one you<ll e3er make. Natalya . . .< ,he throwing star seemed to simply appear in the gunman<s 0orearm. =e dropped the weapon, howling in pain, as a shadow deta#hed itsel0 0rom the roo0tops abo3e and dropped into the alleyway. ,he unwounded man was 'ui#k G he had been trained well. =e had drawn his own weapon and almost raised the gun to a 0iring position be0ore there was a 0lash o0 sil3er and the pistol 0ell to the ground, neatly sli#ed in two. Aa3en ad3an#ed on the startled men, her dual katanas drawn. FGentlemen, 7<d like you to meet a 0riend o0 mine,< Nero smiled. F&he seems to take it rather personally when people threaten my li0e.< ,he two men #ontinued to retreat as Aa3en ad3an#ed, their #on0iden#e repla#ed with pani#. FNow,< Nero #ontinued, Fa wise man on#e said that li0e was nasty, brutal and short and, unless you want to 0ind out Cust how nasty, how brutal and how 3ery, 3ery short, 7 suggest you tell me who sent you.< Fear o3ertook pani# in the two men<s eyes as Aa3en mo3ed #loser to them. FNo, please . . . we don<t know who hired us . . . it was an anonymous #ontra#t. Please, don<t . . .< &uddenly a beeping sounded 0rom one o0 the #owering men. =e appeared surprised as he looked down to see a small red light 0lashing in the #entre o0 his own belt bu#kle. Aa3en a#ted without hesitation, sprinting towards Nero and di3ing into him, kno#king them both to the ground as an e-plosion 0illed the alleyway, instantly 3aporising the two wouldDbe assassins. Aa3en rolled o00 Nero as the smoke #leared. F2re you @LI< she asked as Nero sat up slowly. FYes, 7<m 0ine. ,hank you, Natalya. (hi#h is more than #an be said 0or our two new 0riends.< ,here was no tra#e le0t o0 the two men, Cust a bla#k s#or#h mark on the #obbles where they had on#e stood. F(hoe3er hired them #ertainly didn<t want them talking to us, that mu#h is #lear.< F,hey were with you 0rom the moment you le0t the meeting,< Aa3en said. F,hey knew e-a#tly where you<d be.< F7 know,< Nero replied. ,here was only one ine3itable #on#lusion that #ould be drawn 0rom that. (hoe3er had hired them had known about the #oun#il meeting. F7t has to be him,< Aa3en #ontinued. FNo one else would dare to a#t against you as o3ertly as this.< FPerhaps, but we ha3e no proo0. (hoe3er sent those two saw to that.< 7n the distan#e sirens wailed. Jnsurprisingly the e-plosion had drawn the attention o0 the ;iennese authorities. FFor now we need to get out o0 here and ba#k to =.7.;.>.,< Nero said, brushing the dust 0rom his suit. F,hen we<ll de#ide how to pro#eed.<

. @tto took one o0 the hea3y ball bearings 0rom his po#ket and looked along the brightly lit #orridor to the steel blast doors at the other end. =e<d been impressed by the 0a#ility<s se#urity measures up until this point and he had no reason to belie3e that getting to the door would be as straight0orward as it appeared. =e knelt down and rolled the ball bearing slowly down the #orridor. 2t 0irst nothing happened, but as the small steel sphere rolled 0urther down the #orridor there was a #li#k and a so0t hiss as two large guns dropped 0rom the #eiling on either side o0 the door and 0ired simultaneously. 2s the proCe#tiles hit the ball bearing they e-panded instantly, en#asing it in sti#ky 0oam that 'ui#kly hardened into a worryingly solidDlooking blo#k. @tto smiled to himsel0. ,his would be easier than he<d anti#ipated. =e rea#hed into another po#ket and pulled out his latest #reation. 7t was a metal dis#, about ten #entimetres in diameter, and it had taken se3eral hours in Pro0essor Pike<s labs to per0e#t. =e had suspe#ted that it would #ome in use0ul and now his suspi#ions were pro3ing #orre#t. =e pressed a tiny stud on the dis# and the de3i#e rose smoothly into the air, ho3ering Cust abo3e his palm. FFlight pattern /alpense /us#a *omesti#a, engage,< @tto whispered to the tiny ho3ering dis#, and it shot o00 down the #orridor towards the waiting guns. 1ust as be0ore the guns whirred into li0e, 0iring at the buBBing dis#, but the results this time were 'uite di00erent. 2s the guns opened 0ire the dis# began to bob and wea3e #raBily in the air, its 0light path wildly unpredi#table. ,he 0irst shots 0rom the guns missed the darting de3i#e, the proCe#tiles impa#ting the walls and 0loor o0 the #orridor, the 0oam e-panding and hardening as the dis# #ontinued to dan#e through the air. ,he guns kept 0iring, their sensors dri3en #raBy by this wildly dodging target. @tto had written the #ode #ontrolling the 0light o0 the dis# himsel0. 7t was based on the e3asi3e #apabilities o0 the #ommon house0ly and, Cust as he had hoped, the motion sensors #ontrolling the guns were 0inding it impossible to hit. ,hey would be designed to hit an obCe#t that was mo3ing in a predi#table way and anyone who had e3er tried to swat a 0ly would know that this was e-a#tly the opposite o0 what the tiny dis# was doing right now. @tto wat#hed as the dis# buBBed down the #orridor and swept up between the two guns, #oming to a per0e#t stop in the air between them. Both guns 0ired and the dis# twit#hed upwards, e3ading the shots, ea#h o0 whi#h hit the other gun and e-panded to en#ase the twit#hing ma#hines in sti#ky, rapidly hardening 0oam. ,he me#hanisms #ontrolling the two roboti# turrets whined in protest as the 0oam set to the #onsisten#y o0 #on#rete, rendering the twin sentries useless. ,he tiny dis#, meanwhile, #eased its #raBed 0light and settled into a stationary ho3er as its onboard sensors #on0irmed the absen#e o0 any 0urther in#oming proCe#tiles. @tto walked down the #orridor, #are0ully a3oiding the numerous biBarrely s#ulpted 0oam lumps that now de#orated the walls and 0loor ahead. 2s he rea#hed the steel blast doors that the guns had been guarding, the tiny dis# 0lew towards him and landed gently in his outstret#hed palm. @tto set to work 'ui#kly dismantling the panel on the wall that #ontrolled the doors, and within se#onds had bypassed the lo#king me#hanism, 0or#ing this 0inal portal open with a low rumble. Aesting atop a pedestal in the #entre o0 the huge dimly lit room beyond was his target, a simple plasti# key#ard. Getting to the pedestal, howe3er, would not be as straight0orward as he had hoped, surrounded as it was by sweeping green laser beams, their random mo3ements seemingly impossible to predi#t. ,here was no easy way to tell what would happen i0 he was to break one o0 these beams, but @tto was willing to bet that the #onse'uen#es would not be pleasant. =e wat#hed the beams dan#ing around the room 0or hal0 a minute, tra#king their

6hapter ,wo

mo3ements, trying to dis#ern a pattern. ,hen @tto 0elt a 0amiliar sensation, almost like a swit#h tripping in his skull, and now the beams were no longer Cust a 0orbidding light show. &uddenly, to his eyes, the beams were simple sets o0 traCe#tories and #oordinates, the numbers that de0ined their mo3ement almost seeming 3isible. =e #losed his eyes and the numbers kept mo3ing and #hanging in his head, their mo3ements redu#ed to mathemati#al 0ormulae. =e would not ha3e been able to e-plain how he did it, but slowly these strings o0 numbers resol3ed down to the simple #ore algorithm that the #omputer that must be dri3ing the beams was using to gi3e their mo3ements the appearan#e o0 randomness. 2s he opened his eyes again the dan#ing lasers seemed to him to now be mo3ing with total predi#tability. =e took a long deep breath, pi#ked his moment and walked slowly through the beams towards the pedestal. ,o an obser3er what he was doing would ha3e looked impossible, like walking between raindrops, but to him it was as straight0orward and as natural as breathing. &e3eral times it looked ine3itable that he would break one o0 the beams but ea#h time it would miss by millimetres as he #ontinued a#ross the room. =e rea#hed the pedestal within se#onds, the elaborate se#urity system still bliss0ully unaware o0 his presen#e. =e rea#hed 0or the key#ard, but as he did so a dark shape des#ended 0rom abo3e with a highDpit#hed whirring sound. &helby ,rinity, suspended 0rom the #eiling on an almost in3isible wire, suddenly hung upside down abo3e the pedestal. &he grinned at him, winked and snat#hed the #ard be0ore @tto #ould rea#h it. &he hit a button on her belt and the tiny motor atta#hed to the line whirred into li0e again, pulling her rapidly ba#k into the darkness abo3e. F&e#ond pla#e is Cust the 0irst o0 the losers,< she laughed as she 3anished into the shadows. &e#onds later alarm bells started to sound and a steel #age shot up out o0 the 0loor surrounding the pedestal, trapping @tto, as blindingly bright 0loodlights illuminated the entire room. @tto bra#ed himsel0E whate3er happened ne-t was bound to be unpleasant. ,he steel blast doors on the opposite side o0 the room slowly rumbled open and a 0amiliar shape trotted a#ross the room towards him. 7t was a 0lu00y, white #at wearing a Cewelled #ollar, not what one might normally e-pe#t to see in a situation like this, but there was 3ery little that was normal about li0e at =.7.;.>. ,his was no ordinary #atE this was /s Leon, =.7.;.>.<s =ead o0 &tealth and >3asion training, who had been trapped in the body o0 her #at e3er sin#e Pro0essor Pike<s e-periment to gi3e her the instin#ts and agility o0 her 0eline #ompanion had gone horribly wrong. F@h dear, /r /alpense, it would appear that you ha3e been pipped at the post,< /s Leon said. ,he blue #rystal at the #entre o0 her #ollar pulsed in time with her words as =.7.;.>.mind, the s#hool<s omnipresent superD#omputer, worked to grant her the 3oi#e that her new body would ha3e otherwise denied her. F7t would appear so,< @tto replied as &helby des#ended 0rom the #eiling again and walked o3er to the #age that now surrounded @tto. ,he huge grin she was wearing made it 'uite #lear that she 0ound the whole situation highly amusing. @tto didn<t really mind that he had been beaten to the obCe#ti3e by &helby. &he may ha3e looked like a typi#al ;alley girl, but, as was so o0ten the #ase at =.7.;.>., appearan#es were de#epti3e. &helby was a#tually the worldD0amous Cewel thie0 known only as the (raith and had pro3en on numerous pre3ious o##asions that getting past se#urity systems like this was all in a day<s work. 70 he was going to be beaten, at least it was by the best. F@h, @tto, you #ame so #lose,< &helby said, still grinning. F,hat stunt with the lasers was #ool, but sometimes the oldD0ashioned ways are the best, you know.< FYou both did well,< /s Leon said, slipping between the bars o0 @tto<s new #age and Cumping up on to the now empty pedestal. FNot many students make it this 0ar through the /aBe on their 0irst attempt.< ,he /aBe was the most elaborate part o0 the s#hool<s

&tealth and >3asion training, #onsisting as it did o0 an e3erD#hanging array o0 highly sophisti#ated se#urity de3i#es that were designed to test the pupils< abilities to the limit. F=owe3er, /iss ,rinity appears to ha3e won the day today,< /s Leon added, #learly pleased that &helby, who e3eryone knew was her star pupil, had beaten @tto to the target. FNow, &helby, i0 you would be so kind as to use the #ard to release /r /alpense, we #an reset the /aBe 0or the ne-t pair.< &helby walked o3er to the panel ne-t to the blast doors and inserted the key#ard into a slot, but nothing happened. FJmm, /s Leon, the #ard doesn<t seem to be working,< &helby said, looking #on0used. &he inserted the #ard again and the panel 0li#kered with red lights, indi#ating that the #ard was not being a##epted. F@h, sorry,< @tto said #almly, Fyou<ll probably need this.< =e produ#ed an e-a#t dupli#ate o0 the key#ard 0rom the po#ket o0 his uni0orm and held it out between the bars o0 the #age. &helby took this new #ard, looking #on0used, and inserted it into the panel. ,he indi#ator lights on the panel 0lashed green and the steel bars surrounding @tto slowly sank ba#k down into the 0loor. FBut how G< &helby started. F7ndeed, /r /alpenseK Perhaps you would be good enough to e-plain the meaning o0 this.< F(ell,< @tto ga3e a sly smile, F7 Cust happened to #ome a#ross this key#ard last night, and it looked like it might #ome in handy.< F,hat key#ard was se#ured in the 3ault, /r /alpense,< /s Leon said sharply, Fa 3ault that is supposed to be impregnable, 7 might add.< F&omeone must ha3e le0t the door open,< @tto replied, a look o0 0alse inno#en#e on his 0a#e. F,hat<s the only e-planation 7 #an think o0.< /s Leon looked @tto straight in the eye, her bright green 0eline eyes narrowing. F@n#e again, /r /alpense, 7 0ind mysel0 unsure whether 7 should report you to *o#tor Nero or #ommend you.< ,hey all knew, a0ter all, that le3elling a##usations o0 #heating at students o0 =.7.;.>. was rather missing the point. F(ell, you said that we should always try to stay one step ahead o0 the #ompetition, /s Leon, 7 was Cust 0ollowing your ad3i#e.< @tto had known that he was taking a risk when he had stolen the key#ard the pre3ious night, and he had little doubt that it would be rather more di00i#ult to get into the 3ault again in 0uture, but it was all worth it 0or the pri#eless e-pression on &helby<s 0a#e. F;ery well, 7 shall ha3e to think about how 7<m going to mark you both 0or this run,< /s Leon said as she leapt 0rom the pedestal and headed ba#k towards the door. FAest assured that the ne-t run will not be so straight0orward.< &he trotted out o0 the room with her tail in the air, @tto and &helby 0ollowing along behind. F&o, &helby, you were saying, the 0irst o0 the losers . . .< @tto and &helby strolled into the assembly area at the e-it o0 the /aBe and 0ound their 0ellow 2lpha stream students, sitting around #hatting. ,he 2lpha stream was the group o0 students within =.7.;.>. who were being groomed as 0uture leaders. &ome were there on merit, others be#ause o0 their 0amily ba#kgrounds, but their bla#k uni0orms marked them out as a 'uite separate and distin#t group within the s#hool. ,he large 3iew s#reen on the wall was dark now but @tto knew that they had all been wat#hing his and &helby<s progress through the labyrinthine training e-er#ise. @tto was pleased to see that (ing and Laura were still there, sitting talking on the other side o0 the room. ,he 0our o0 them had be#ome 0irm 0riends o3er the last si- months at =.7.;.>., e3en more so sin#e their 0oiled es#ape attempt and nearD0atal en#ounter with ;iolet, the hideously mutated plant monster that had almost destroyed the s#hool. ,hey both

looked up as @tto and &helby approa#hed. F(ell done, @tto,< (ing said with a slight smile, Falthough 7 suspe#t that you may ha3e rather missed the point o0 this e-er#ise.< F,hat<s one way o0 putting it,< Laura added. F7<d Cust #all it #heating.< &he too was ha3ing trouble keeping a straight 0a#e. F(ell, 7 re#kon 7 won 0air and s'uare,< &helby said, pushing past @tto and 0lopping down in the seat ne-t to Laura, Fand 7 didn<t ha3e to #heat.< F2ye, de0initely a moral 3i#tory 0or you, &hel,< Laura replied with a smile. F7<ll Cust ha3e to settle 0or the immoral 3i#tory, then, 7 suppose,< @tto said, grinning at (ing. F&o how did you two get onI< F7 #ould not get past the lasers,< (ing replied with a slight 0rown. FYou really must show me how you do that one day, @tto.< F/aybe 7 will,< @tto replied, though the slightly worrying truth was that @tto really had no idea himsel0. >3er sin#e he<d been a young #hild his brain had e-hibited #ertain unnatural abilities, whether it was the #omputerDlike un#ons#ious #al#ulations that he had Cust per0ormed or his ability to simply absorb in0ormation 0rom any sour#e without any #ons#ious e00ort to learn or memorise it. F(hat about you, LauraI< &helby asked. F6ould ha3e been better,< Laura replied, looking slightly 0ed up. F7 took a di00erent route and 0ell into one o0 the pit traps.< Now that she mentioned it @tto #ould see that although she was wearing a 0resh, dry uni0orm her hair was still slightly damp. F7t #ould ha3e been worse, though,< she said with a grin as a door opened on the other side o0 the room and two o0 =.7.;.>.<s se#urity guards wheeled a pair o0 trolleys into the room. &itting on one o0 the trolleys was Nigel *arkdoom, son o0 the in0amous *iabolus *arkdoom, and on the other was FranB 2rgentblum. ,hey were both en#ased 0rom head to toe in the hardened 0oam 0rom the /aBe<s automated sentry guns, with only their 0a#es e-posed, and they appeared to be engaged in a heated #on3ersation about e-a#tly whose 0ault this was. 7t had been up to the pairs o0 students to de#ide i0 they would #ompete to rea#h the obCe#ti3e, or work together. Nigel and FranB had de#ided to work together G they had been roommates Cust like @tto and (ing 0or the past 0ew months G and the #onse'uen#es were ob3ious. F7 said that the #orridor was trapped,< FranB said indignantly, his 0a#e turning a pale shade o0 #rimson as the other students in the room started to laugh. FYes, you did, but you 0orgot to mention that your plan was to trip me up and run 0or it,< Nigel said, #learly irritated. F*o not blame me 0or your #lumsiness,< FranB said inno#ently. F70 it were not 0or you 0alling o3er 7 am sure we would ha3e made it.< FFalling o3erK< Nigel e-#laimed angrily, FYou tripped me up the moment those guns appeared.< ,he two o0 them #ontinued to argue as (ing and @tto wandered o3er. F=i, guys,< @tto greeted them #heer0ully, trying 3ery hard not to laugh. F@h, hello, @tto,< Nigel said gloomily, F7 don<t suppose you know how long it is till this stu00 breaks down, do youI< F/s Leon said that it takes about an hour to de#ompose naturally in the air, so you shouldn<t ha3e to wait too mu#h longer,< (ing replied. >3en he seemed to be 0inding it hard to keep a grin o00 his 0a#e. F,hat is being good,< said FranB, Fbe#ause 7 am needing to go to the bathroom and 7 would not want to trigger an un0ortunate #hemi#al rea#tion with the 0oam, CaI< /(2=, /(2222= , /(2=KKKK ,he s#hool bell rang, its three trumpet notes sounding loudly around the room, signalling the beginning o0 the lun#h hour. FranB let out a low moan and rolled his eyes towards the #eiling.

FNow we are going to be late 0or lun#h. By the time we get there there will be nothing but salad le0t,< he said plainti3ely. F7 think you #an stand to miss one lun#h, FranB,< Nigel sighed, For we #ould always get someone to wheel us down to the dining hall and spoonD0eed us, 7 suppose.< FranB<s eyes lit up at the suggestion. F,his is being an e-#ellent idea. @tto, you and (ing #ould help us, CaI< ,he hope was e3ident in his tone. F>rm, we<d lo3e to help, guys, but we<3e got to . . . erm . . .< @tto looked at (ing desperately. =e doubted that either o0 them would be strong enough to wheel FranB all the way to the dining hall G there was an aw0ul lot o0 hardened 0oam en#asing his ample 0rame. F(e ha3e to go to the library,< (ing stepped in, Fwe ha3e . . . erm . . .< F6hess #lub, yes, that<s it, #hess #lub,< @tto said suddenly, ba#king away towards the e-it. F@therwise, you know we would be happy to help,< (ing smiled. @tto and (ing walked 'ui#kly towards the door. F7 was not knowing that @tto and (ing were interested in #hess,< FranB said as the other two boys beat a hasty retreat. Nigel Cust sighed. Nero sat in his o00i#e re3iewing the latest status reports 0rom his department heads. 7t looked like being a good year 0or =.7.;.>. G the a3erage per0orman#e o0 the pupils was up and it seemed that the s#hool would ha3e little di00i#ulty hitting its annual targets. @0 #ourse that was assuming that they had no more in#idents to mat#h the s#ale o0 the disaster with Nigel *arkdoom<s monster earlier in the year, but Nero was #on0ident that measures had been taken to ensure that there #ould be no repeat o0 that 0ias#o. ,he 0a#t that *arkdoom had managed to singleDhandedly, i0 a##identally, #reate su#h a monster was indi#ati3e o0 the 'uality o0 this year<s 2lpha intake. ,hey were an e-#eptionally strong group and he had high hopes 0or them all. =e did ha3e slight #on#erns, though. =e had no idea, 0or e-ample, why Number @ne had taken su#h a #lose personal interest in @tto /alpense. Nero had been told that /alpense<s #ontinued wellDbeing and his own were ine-tri#ably linked, but he still did not know why G.L.@.;.>.<s leader was so keen to prote#t the boy. =e knew better than to pursue the matter too a#ti3ely. =e did not want to gi3e the appearan#e o0 snooping on Number @ne. &e3eral members o0 G.L.@.;.>. had tried that on pre3ious o##asions and things had not ended well 0or those responsible when Number @ne 0ound out, whi#h he always did. ,here was a so0t kno#k on the door o0 his o00i#e. F6ome in,< Nero said. 2s s#heduled, it was Pro0essor Pike, the head o0 the s#hool<s &#ien#e and ,e#hnology department. ,he man was brilliant, i0 slightly e##entri#, and none o0 his G.L.@.;.>. re#ords ga3e any indi#ation o0 his a#tual age beyond F3ery old<, though that mu#h was ob3ious Cust 0rom looking at him. =is age was no impediment, though G he still had a mind that was as lightningD'ui#k as it was #unning. F7 ha3e the status report you re'uested,< the Pro0essor said, taking a seat on the other side o0 the desk. F>-#ellent,< said Nero. F7 hope you ha3e good news.< FGood news and bad news,< the Pro0essor replied. =e looked more tired than usual and Nero suspe#ted that the problem that had been re#ently o##upying him was not a simple one to sol3e. F;ery well. Please #ontinue, Pro0essor,< Nero instru#ted, settling ba#k into his #hair. FFirst, the good news. (e<3e 0inished the work on the new beha3ioural inhibitor routines 0or =.7.;.>.mind and it looks like we<re 0inally ready to bring him ba#k 0ully online.< ,he Pro0essor and his team had been working 0or months on the new #ode in an e00ort

to ensure that there was no repeat o0 the display o0 rebelliousness that =.7.;.>.mind had displayed during /alpense<s 0ailed es#ape attempt earlier that year. ,he s#hool had been managing to 0un#tion 0or the past 0ew months using Cust a small per#entage o0 the superD#omputer<s true power, but it was be#oming in#reasingly di00i#ult to keep things running smoothly without the 27 running at 0ull #apa#ity. F2nd the bad newsI< Nero en'uired. F,he bad news is that we still ha3e no idea why the original beha3iour #ontrols didn<t work. =.7.;.>.mind is a 0irstDgeneration arti0i#ial intelligen#eE he should not, in theory, be #apable o0 the emotional responses that he e-hibited. =e was not built with that le3el o0 sophisti#ation G it seems that he is displaying true emergent beha3iour.< ,he Pro0essor remo3ed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Nero 0elt a #hill run down his spineE he<d heard something 3ery similar many years ago and the memories o0 what had happened then set alarm bells ringing in his skull. F7 hope you<re not saying what 7 think you<re saying,< Nero said, an un0amiliar note o0 worry in his tone. F7<m sure 7 don<t need to tell you o0 all people, Pro0essor, that we #annot a00ord a repeat o0 the @3erlord in#ident.< F7 know, /a-.< 7t was unusual 0or the Pro0essor to address Nero by his 0irst name, but he was #learly worried. F70 7 thought that there was any #han#e o0 history repeating itsel0 7 would ha3e erased =.7.;.>.mind<s #ons#iousness mysel0, but he was designed to deliberately a3oid anything like that e3er happening again. @3erlord was an order o0 magnitude more sophisti#ated than =.7.;.>.mind, and with hindsight it was perhaps ine3itable that it would e3ol3e in the way it did, but =.7.;.>.mind should not be #apable o0 it.< F2nd yet it would appear that =.7.;.>.mind was #apable o0 rather more than any o0 us anti#ipated,< Nero said #almly. F1ust tell me this, Pro0essor? is it sa0e to bring him 0ully ba#k onlineI< F2ll o0 our tests indi#ate that he should now be 0ully 0un#tional, but until 7 know what #aused his pre3ious beha3iour 7 #annot guarantee that it will ne3er happen again.< Nero stroked his #hin 0or a 0ew moments, deep in thought. ,he s#hool #ould not #ontinue to 0un#tion mu#h longer without =.7.;.>.mind ba#k at 0ull operational #apa#ity, but he also knew that bringing the superD#omputer ba#k to 0ull sel0Dawareness might mean that they were taking a terrible risk. (hat had happened with @3erlord must ne3er happen againE too many li3es had been lost, too many 0riends. But there was one key di00eren#e? Nero had spoken with =.7.;.>.mind on many o##asions and he had ne3er 0elt 0rightened, ne3er 0elt the #old, #lawing dread that he had as @3erlord<s true personality had be#ome apparent. F;ery well, Pro0essor. (ake him up,< Nero said 'uietly. ,he Pro0essor nodded and rose 0rom his #hair, heading towards the door. FPro0essor,< Nero said suddenly, as the elderly man opened the door to lea3e, Fwat#h him. (at#h him like a hawk.< ,he 0inal lesson o0 the day 0or the 2lphas was Politi#al /anipulation with the 6ontessa. &he was one o0 the most senior members o0 the tea#hing sta00 at =.7.;.>. and she had the un#anny ability to simply #ommand people to do as she willed. ,here was something about her 3oi#e that demanded obedien#e and @tto knew that it went beyond Cust natural authority, ha3ing 0elt its e00e#ts himsel0 on a hand0ul o0 prior o##asions. (hen the 6ontessa ga3e you an instru#tion it was as i0 you literally had no #hoi#e but to obey, regardless o0 whate3er you might a#tually want to do. =er subCe#t o0 #hoi#e, howe3er, was not one o0 @tto<s 0a3ourites, although it was o##asionally interesting to see Cust how many o0 the e3ents o0 the re#ent past had been in0luen#ed or set in motion by the unseen 0or#es o0 global 3illainy. (ing sat ne-t to @tto in the le#ture theatre and the e-pression on his 0a#e suggested he was 0inding the

#urrent subCe#t less than thrilling. (ing was more interested in the pra#ti#al training that they re#ei3ed at =.7.;.>. and lessons su#h as this one generally held little interest 0or him. Laura and &helby sat Cust in 0ront o0 them and Cudging by the elaborate, i0 less than 0lattering, #ari#ature o0 the 6ontessa on &helby<s notepad she was not gi3ing the lesson her 0ull attention either. Laura, on the other hand, seemed genuinely interested. &he had de3eloped a #urious admiration 0or the 6ontessa and would o0ten go to great lengths a0ter one o0 these lessons to e-plain to the rest o0 them that they should pay more attention to her #lasses. @tto wasn<t sure what it was about the 6ontessa that had stru#k su#h a #hord with his 0riend. Gi3en Laura<s un#anny e-pertise with #omputers one would ha3e perhaps e-pe#ted her to show more a00inity 0or Pro0essor Pike and the te#h department. ,he 6ontessa #ontinued with her le#ture. F&o, 7 hope you #an now see that the best way to engineer 3i#tory in an ele#tion is not to en#ourage your own supporters to 3ote but rather to deny those same 3oting rights to people who would oppose you. ,his has pro3en histori#ally to be highly e00e#ti3e and 0rom your point o0 3iew is signi0i#antly easier to arrange than many other 0orms o0 go3ernmental takeo3er. 7t is always best to lea3e the publi# with the illusion o0 ha3ing parti#ipated in a demo#rati# pro#ess G they are easier to #ontrol that way. For e-ample, let us #onsider the re#ent e3ents in G< ,he 6ontessa stopped in midDsenten#e as the door to the le#ture theatre hissed open and a se#urity guard walked into the room. ,he 6ontessa raised an eyebrow and walked o3er to the guard, and the pair had a brie0 whispered #on3ersation be0ore the 6ontessa turned ba#k to the banked seating, s#anning the rows. 2s she looked towards where @tto and (ing were seated she spoke again. F/r Fan#hu, will you please a##ompany this guard to *o#tor Nero<s o00i#e.< (ing looked 'ui#kly at @tto, and their brie0 e-#hange o0 glan#es spoke 3olumes. 7t was rarely a good thing to be summoned to *r Nero<s o00i#e, but neither o0 them #ould think o0 anything that they had done to re'uire a summons like this . . . at least not in the past twentyD0our hours, and the rule o0 thumb at =.7.;.>. was i0 you hadn<t been punished within that time then you<d probably got away with it. (ing stood up and with 'uiet apologies s'ueeBed past the other pupils and down the stairs towards the waiting guard. ,he guard gestured 0or (ing to 0ollow him and the pair o0 them le0t the le#ture theatre. ,he 6ontessa #ontinued with the lesson but @tto 0ound that he was paying little attention to what she was saying. =e was 0ar more #on#erned about (ing and what he had done to earn an audien#e with Nero.

. (ing 0ollowed the guard along the #orridor towards Nero<s o00i#e. =e had no idea why the s#hool<s headmaster wanted to see him and the guard had o00ered no more in0ormation during the 0i3eDminute walk. 2s they approa#hed, the door to Nero<s o00i#e hissed open and the guard stepped aside to let (ing enter alone, the doors sliding shut behind him. Nero sat behind an imposing wooden desk that had se3eral displays and #ontrol panels mounted in its sur0a#e. ,he walls o0 the room were lined with photographs, paintings and 0ramed newspaper 0ront pages, ea#h displaying the image or proudly announ#ing the a##omplishments o0 0ormer pupils o0 =.7.;.>. ,he do#tor looked up as (ing entered and gestured 0or him to take a seat in one o0 the #hairs on the opposite side o0 the desk. 2s usual Nero<s e-pression was unreadable but (ing #ould ha3e sworn that there was a hint o0 sadness on his 0a#e. FGood morning, /r Fan#hu. 7 am sorry to remo3e you 0rom your lessons but 7<m a0raid that 7 ha3e Cust re#ei3ed some 3ery bad news.< Nero looked unhappy, and (ing began to 0eel genuinely worried. F,here is no easy way to say this.< Nero looked straight at (ing. F,here has been an a##ident. 7<m a0raid your 0ather is dead.< Nero had seen many di00erent rea#tions to de3astating news su#h as this G raw grie0, anger, denial G but he had ne3er seen a rea#tion 'uite like (ing<s. ,here was the brie0est look o0 surprise on the boy<s 0a#e, a slight widening o0 the eyes 0or a moment, and then nothing. (ing sat on the other side o0 the desk looking ba#k at Nero as i0 he had Cust been told that the weather was ni#e outside. F(hat happenedI< (ing asked #almly. F,here was an e-plosion at our 1apanese resear#h and de3elopment 0a#ility,< Nero replied. FYour 0ather and se3eral other te#hni#ians were killed. 7t is still un#lear e-a#tly what happened, but initial in3estigations suggest that one o0 their e-periments went wrong and #aused a #atastrophi# #hain rea#tion.< F7 see,< (ing said, still with no hint o0 emotion. F(ill 7 be allowed to attend his 0uneralI< Nero was slightly taken aba#k by the measured way in whi#h his student was taking this news. &ome within G.L.@.;.>. may ha3e been impressed by his apparent 0ortitude, but Nero simply 0ound it disturbing. FYes, arrangements are being made as we speak 0or you to tra3el to ,okyo. 7t is normal in these situations 0or students to be allowed to sele#t someone else to a##ompany them. You will ha3e to de#ide who you wish to go with you.< F@tto,< (ing replied immediately. F7 would like him to #ome with me.< ,his was no surprise to NeroE the pair had been inseparable sin#e their arri3al at =.7.;.>. and, relu#tant as he was to allow two o0 his most de3ious students to lea3e the s#hool together, he had made arrangements 0or Cust su#h an e3entuality. F;ery well. 7 shall see to it that /r /alpense is gi3en #learan#e to a##ompany you. 7<m sure 7 do not need to remind you that you are e-pe#ted to return to your studies immediately a0terwards. 7 will not tolerate absenteeism.< FJnderstood.< (ing nodded. F70 there is nothing else, 7 should like to return to my #lasses.< F6ertainly,< Nero replied. F,he 0uneral will be taking pla#e in two days< time G you will be #onta#ted with more details when tra3el arrangements are #omplete.< F,hank you, *o#tor Nero.< (ing rose 0rom his seat and headed 0or the door. Nero wat#hed as (ing le0t his o00i#e, still apparently un0aBed by the terrible news that he had been gi3en. (ing had rarely displayed mu#h emotion sin#e his arri3al at =.7.;.>., but Nero still 0elt that there was something odd about his rea#tion. =e glan#ed down at the display mounted in his desk that was showing the G.L.@.;.>. 0ile on (ing<s 0ather.

6hapter ,hree

/ao Fan#hu had been a department head at the organisation<s 1apanese resear#h 0a#ility 0or the past ten years. =e had an e-#ellent re#ord and had been in3ol3ed with some o0 the most prestigious te#hni#al de3elopments with whi#h the 0a#ility had been #redited. ,here was something odd about his 0ile, though. ,here was no photograph atta#hed to his re#ords. ,his was not unheard o0 G a0ter all, many G.L.@.;.>. operati3es 3alued their anonymity G but Nero had @mega Bla#k se#urity #learan#e and he was still not authorised to see what (ing<s 0ather had looked like. /ore disturbing, perhaps, was the 0a#t that /ao Fan#hu seemed to ha3e simply popped into e-isten#e ten years pre3iously, when he had started work at the resear#h and de3elopment 0a#ility. Normally a G.L.@.;.>. operati3e would ha3e e-tensi3e histori#al re#ords atta#hed to his 0ile, but here the details o0 Fan#hu<s past li0e were either entirely absent or had on#e again been withheld 0or some reason. Nero would ha3e liked to ha3e looked into the matter 0urther, but he knew 0ull well that there was only one person in G.L.@.;.>. with a se#urity #learan#e higher than his own. 70 Number @ne had de#ided that these details were to be kept hidden, there had to be a good reason, and Nero knew better than to 'uestion his superior on su#h matters. For now, though, Nero needed to turn his attention to a more pressing matter G (ing<s imminent departure 0rom the island. ,his was ine3itable under the #ir#umstan#es, but his #hoi#e o0 tra3elling #ompanion had #ompli#ated the matter still 0urther. @tto /alpense had already displayed a willingness to go to almost any lengths to lea3e the island without permission and now Nero 0a#ed the prospe#t o0 ha3ing to let him do so. =is only #onsolation was that the two boys had had the opportunity to lea3e the island earlier that year dire#tly a0ter the in#ident with *arkdoom<s #reation and they had not taken it, though he had no idea why. Aegardless, i0 he was going to willingly unleash Fan#hu and /alpense on the outside world, he had to be sure that they were under #onstant super3ision. Fortunately he knew the per0e#t person 0or su#h a task. ,he entry #hime on his o00i#e door sounded. F>nter,< Nero said, and the doors opened to admit a 0amiliar 0igure. FGood a0ternoon, Aa3en. 7 ha3e a Cob 0or you.< @tto sat reading at his desk in the room that he shared with (ing. ,he #lean white li3ing spa#e was #om0ortable, i0 a little #ramped, and o3er the past #ouple o0 months it had begun to 0eel almost like home. @tto was not sure i0 that was a good thing. =e told himsel0 that he was still a prisoner rather than a student o0 =.7.;.>. 7ndeed many o0 the s#hool<s students Cokingly re0erred to their rooms as F#ells<, but as prisons went it was a remarkably #om0ortable and wellDappointed one. ,here was a sudden bleep 0rom the door and it opened, allowing (ing to enter the room. @tto stood as his 0riend #ame in. (ing looked distra#ted. ,heir other 0riends still 0ound his 0a#e unreadable, but @tto knew (ing well enough to spot the subtle #lues in his e-pression. F7s e3erything @LI< @tto asked, #on#ern mi-ed with #uriosity. FNo, 7<m a0raid 7 ha3e Cust re#ei3ed some bad news.< (ing looked @tto straight in the eye. F/y 0ather is dead, he was killed in an e-plosion at his laboratory.< F@h God, (ing, 7<m so sorry.< @tto pla#ed a hand on his 0riend<s shoulder. F,here is no need 0or sorrow,< (ing replied with an eerie #almness. @tto was taken aba#k by (ing<s rea#tion. =e was not prone to displays o0 emotion at the best o0 times, but to show so #old a rea#tion to news su#h as this was unusual e3en 0or him. FBut, (ing, he<s your dad. 7 mean . . .< @tto<s 3oi#e trailed o00 as he saw something harden in (ing<s eyes. F/y 0ather and 7 ha3e had little #onta#t o3er the past #ouple o0 years. =is work was more important to him than 7 was, espe#ially a0ter my mother died. 7 know that 7 should 0eel

more than 7 do, but in some ways 7 0eel like he died then.< (ing sat down. F*o they know what happenedI< @tto asked, still #on#erned despite (ing<s e-planation. F7t appears that there was an a##ident in3ol3ing one o0 his e-periments. =e and se3eral other te#hni#ians were killed. ,hat is all 7 know.< F&o what happens nowI< @tto asked. F,he 0uneral will take pla#e in a #ouple o0 daysE 7 will be allowed to attend.< F,hey<re letting you o00 the islandI< @tto<s surprise was e3ident, FYou<re going to 6hinaI< FNo, we are going to ,okyo. /y 0amily mo3ed there when 7 was 3ery young. 1apan has been my home 0or as long as 7 #an remember.< F(eI< @tto said, slightly #on0used. FYes, we. 7 am allowed to take another student with me and 7 #hose you G that is, i0 you want to #omeI< (ing smiled weakly at @tto. @tto #ould hardly belie3e what he was hearing. 2 #han#e to lea3e the island was an in#redible opportunity, e3en under su#h tragi# #ir#umstan#es. F@0 #ourse 7<ll #ome, i0 you<re sure that you want me to.< F,here is no one that 7 would rather #ame with me. You ha3e been a good 0riend to me sin#e we arri3ed here, @tto, and 7 would appre#iate your #ompany.< (ing suddenly looked tired, as i0 the e00ort o0 maintaining his usual ins#rutable demeanour was greater than usual. F*o you want me to tell the othersI< @tto asked. F7 would appre#iate that,< (ing replied. F7t has been a long day and 7 think 7 would rather be alone 0or a while, i0 you don<t mindI< F@0 #ourse.< @tto got up to lea3e. F@ne more thing,< (ing said, looking #are0ully at @tto. FYou must promise me that we<re both #oming ba#k. 7 dislike our in#ar#eration here as mu#h as you do, @tto, but 7 still need to know why Nero has the other hal0 o0 my mother<s amulet. Jntil 7 know that, 7 #annot lea3e =.7.;.>. 7 hope you understand.< @tto 0elt a twinge o0 guilt as one o0 the 0irst thoughts that had entered his head when he had heard that they were going to be allowed to lea3e the island was how it would a00ord a pri#eless #han#e 0or them to es#ape =.7.;.>.<s #lut#hes. =e knew, though, how important it was to (ing that he 0ound out why Nero wore the bla#k hal0 o0 the yinDyang symbol that (ing<s mother had gi3en to her son. Nero did not know that (ing had seen the amulet around his ne#k when he had been inCured by the plant monster and he #ertainly did not appear to know that (ing wore the other hal0. ,his unresol3ed mystery was what had kept them on the island when they had had the opportunity to es#ape earlier in the year. F7 promise, (ing. 70 you<re sure that<s what you want,< @tto said. =e had to respe#t his 0riend<s wishes, and he knew in his heart that he #ould ne3er 0or#e (ing to return to =.7.;.>. alone. F7t is, though 7 suspe#t that *o#tor Nero will be making his own arrangements to ensure our #ontinued attendan#e,< (ing said, raising an eyebrow slightly. @0 that, @tto suspe#ted, there #ould be little doubt. @tto stood with &helby and Laura on the bal#ony o3erlooking one o0 the s#hool<s gym halls. Below them two 0igures in 0ull kendo armour s'uared o00 against ea#h other, their wooden swords raised in 0ighting stan#es. ,here was a moment o0 silen#e and then the hall was 0illed with the sound o0 the two swords #lashing against ea#h other, the noise e#hoing o00 the bare ro#k walls like gunshots. ,he two opponents seemed e3enly mat#hed with no apparent 'uarter asked or gi3en by either #ombatant. ,he long wooden pra#ti#e swords mo3ed in a blur, almost too 0ast to 0ollow. F7s he @LI< &helby asked, a note o0 genuine #on#ern in her 3oi#e. F7 think so,< @tto replied, still wat#hing the 0ight below. FYou know what he<s like, it<s hard

to tell sometimes.< F2ye,< Laura added, F7 don<t know what 7<d do i0 7 got news like that while 7 was stu#k in this pla#e. 2t least they<re letting you go to the 0uneral.< F7s it wrong 0or me to be slightly CealousI< &helby asked. F7<d do anything to get out o0 here, e3en it was Cust 0or a #ouple o0 days.< FNo, 7 know what you mean,< @tto replied, Fbut 7 #an honestly say that this is one trip 7<d really rather not be making.< Below them the 0ight #ame to an abrupt #lima- as one o0 the 0ighters #aught the other o00 balan#e and neatly disarmed them, sending their wooden sword spinning through the air while simultaneously tipping them on to their ba#k with a sweep o0 the 0oot. FGood,< the Aussian a##ent was 0amiliar, Fyou<re getting it, but you need to stop sa#ri0i#ing balan#e 0or aggression.< Aa3en pulled o00 her wireD0ronted mask and o00ered her hand to help up her 0allen opponent. ,he other 0ighter took the o00ered hand, pulled himsel0 up 0rom the 0loor and remo3ed his mask. FForgi3e me, 7 am la#king 0o#us today,< (ing replied. ,he pair o0 them had been sparring 0or the best part o0 an hour and neither o0 them seemed to ha3e broken a sweat. F,hat is understandable, but remember that your enemies will o0ten #hoose your most 3ulnerable moment to atta#k. You must let your instin#t guide you. *eta#h your emotions.< (ing nodded and ga3e Aa3en a deep bow, the 0ormal signal o0 the end o0 the session. Aa3en and (ing had been sparring like this 0or the past 0ew months and as 0ar as @tto knew (ing was the only pupil that Aa3en had been training in this way. ,o most o0 the pupils o0 the s#hool she was a deeply intimidating presen#e G she was a0ter all G.L.@.;.>.<s most 0eared assassin and Nero<s most trusted operati3e. 70 hal0 o0 the whispered stories about her were true then she was undoubtedly to be 0eared. (ing was a 0earsome opponent G his unusual skill in numerous 0orms o0 sel0Dde0en#e had got @tto out o0 more than one sti#ky situation in the past G but he had yet to see him beat Aa3en in any o0 these training sessions. @tto didn<t like to lose and 0ound it hard to understand how his 0riend #ould a##ept being beaten on su#h a regular basis. (ing had Cust smiled and said rather #rypti#ally that it didn<t matter i0 you lost as long as you were ne3er de0eated. F&ame time ne-t week, then, /r Fan#hu,< Aa3en said as the pair o0 them headed up the stairs towards @tto, Laura and &helby. F2 little more kra3 maga, 7 think, so don<t 0orget your body armour.< &he nodded to the other three students as she passed, heading 0or the lo#ker room. F,aken your weekly pummelling, then, 7 see,< &helby Coked as (ing approa#hed. F7<d ne3er realised that getting your ass repeatedly ki#ked #ould be so edu#ational.< Laura elbowed her in the ribsE &helby was many things but sensiti3e was not one o0 them. (ing ga3e a weak hal0Dsmile. Normally he would ha3e risen to the bait G indeed the 3erbal sparring between &helby and himsel0 was o0ten as entertaining 0or the others as his more physi#al #ombat with Aa3en G but today, understandably perhaps, he did not appear to be in the mood. FYou @LI< Laura asked, pla#ing her hand on (ing<s 0orearm. F7 am 0ine,< he replied. F,he kendo armour is e00e#ti3e. 2 #ouple o0 bruises, perhaps, but they will heal.< @tto suspe#ted that (ing knew 0ull well that Laura was not en'uiring about his physi#al state but he was #learly in no mood to address the real #ause o0 her #on#ern. F&tudents Fan#hu and /alpense.< Laura ga3e a little gasp as the s#reen mounted in the wall behind them 0li#kered into li0e. ,he so0t, slightly syntheti# 3oi#e was one that none o0 them had heard 0or the past

se3eral months, but there now, on the s#reen, 0loated the unmistakeable blue wireD 0rame head o0 =.7.;.>.mind. ,he 0our o0 them gathered around the s#reen 'ui#kly, eager to speak with the 27 that had been so instrumental in their 0irst doomed es#ape attempt and who had been silent 0or so long. FYou<re ba#k onlineK< Laura e-#laimed e-#itedly. &he had de3eloped an unusual 0ondness 0or =.7.;.>.mind and like all o0 them had begun to 0ear that their a#tions earlier in the year had led to him being taken o00line permanently. F7 am 0un#tioning at 0ull #apa#ity,< the 0loating 0a#e replied #oldly. F=ow are you 0eelingI< Laura asked happily. FYour 'uery is illogi#al. 7 am not designed to e-hibit emotional response, 7 0eel nothing.< =.7.;.>.mind<s 3oi#e was the same as they remembered but his response was un0amiliar, oddly 0ormal and deta#hed. F6<mon, Blue,< &helby said, noting the slight 0rown on Laura<s 0a#e, Fit<s us, you don<t ha3e to put on the robot a#t.< F,his is no a#t, student ,rinity. Please do not waste my pro#essing #apa#ity with irrele3ant statements.< @tto knew there was something wrong. =.7.;.>.mind was per0e#tly #apable o0 emotional response. ,hey<d all seen it be0ore but something had #hanged. Gone was the 0riendly, i0 me#hani#al, demeanour that the 27 had pre3iously displayed, repla#ed instead by an un0amiliar and unsettling tone. F&tudents Fan#hu and /alpense, please report immediately to your 'uarters. Final preparations 0or your departure are #omplete.< 7t was not a polite re'uest, as they might on#e ha3e e-pe#ted. 7t was an order. Be0ore any o0 them #ould say anything else the s#reen went dark. F(hat ha3e they done to himI< Laura said so0tly. &he looked genuinely upset. F7 don<t know,< @tto replied, 0rowning, Fbut that<s not the =.7.;.>.mind that 7 remember. 7<m a0raid he might ha3e been updated.< F7t<s our 0ault,< Laura said sadly. F70 he hadn<t tried to help us he<d still be the way he used to be.< Laura was a genius when it #ame to #omputers G the only person whom @tto had e3er known, aside 0rom himsel0, who #ould truly think in binary. Perhaps be#ause o0 that she had always had a 0as#ination with the s#hool<s resident 27 and had been eagerly awaiting the day, i0 it e3er #ame, when he was brought ba#k online. Now, though, it seemed that the =.7.;.>.mind that had returned was 'uite di00erent 0rom the one they had last seen on the day o0 their 0ailed es#ape attempt. =.7.;.>.mind, it appeared, had paid a hea3y pri#e 0or helping them. F7t<s Cust a ma#hine,< (ing said sharply. F7t was broken and now it<s been 0i-ed. ,here are worse things that #an happen.< Laura<s 0a#e 0lushed and she turned towards (ing as i0 to reply but he was already walking 'ui#kly away. FLet him go,< @tto said so0tly, pla#ing his hand on Laura<s shoulder. F=e doesn<t mean it.< Laura looked at him, a sudden sadness in her eyes. F7 know,< she sighed. F7 Cust wish he<d let us help.< F70 he wants our help he<ll ask 0or it,< @tto replied gently. FJntil then we<3e Cust got to gi3e him some spa#e.< F7 suppose,< Laura said. FPerhaps going home will help, despite the #ir#umstan#es.< FPerhaps,< @tto replied. 2s he wat#hed (ing walk away he suddenly realised that there was one more thing that he and his 0riend had in #ommon. ,hey were both orphans now. *r Nero stood in the #entre o0 the s#hool<s #rater laun#h pad, wat#hing as te#hni#ians s#urried around preparing 0or the imminent laun#h o0 @tto and (ing<s 0light. ,he air#ra0t that they swarmed o3er was uni'ue, its mattDbla#k inse#tile body seeming to absorb any

light that stru#k it. ,he two huge #owled ramCet engines that were mounted on ea#h side o0 the body rotated through their laun#h and #ruise positions as the te#hni#ians #ompleted their preD0light #he#ks. ,he air#ra0t was #odenamed the &hroud, a name that suited it well gi3en that its thermopti# #amou0lage #ould render it in3isible to the naked eye as well as radar. 7t had already pro3en itsel0 use0ul on se3eral sur3eillan#e missions and now it was going to ensure that his students were sa0ely and dis#reetly transported to their destination. Nero turned as the hea3y doors that led into the #rater rumbled open and @tto and (ing appeared in the doorway. =e was still worried by the prospe#t o0 letting the two boys lea3e the island but under the #ir#umstan#es he had little #hoi#e. =e #ould hardly deny (ing the #han#e to attend his own 0ather<s 0uneral. Nero still had an unpleasant 0eeling, though, that there was something slightly odd about the whole situation. =e #ouldn<t 'uite put his 0inger on e-a#tly what was bothering him, but he had learnt long ago to trust his gut instin#t in these matters. =e Cust hoped that the pre#autions he had taken to ensure his students< sa0e return would be su00i#ient. FGood morning, /r Fan#hu, /r /alpense. You are s#heduled to depart shortly. 7 trust that there were no problems with any o0 the arrangements,< Nero said, looking 0rom one boy to the other. F>3erything is in order,< (ing replied. F(e were in0ormed that we would not need to bring anything with us.< F,hat is #orre#t. You will 0ind that e3erything you need has been supplied at the sa0e house in ,okyo,< Nero said, looking past the boys towards the entran#e. F2h, good, your #haperone has arri3ed.< Aa3en was walking down the stairs to the laun#h pad, an unwel#ome i0 not entirely une-pe#ted addition to their tra3elling party, @tto thought to himsel0. =e and the others had brie0ly dis#ussed what Nero might do to keep tra#k o0 them on#e they le0t the s#hool o3er dinner the pre3ious e3ening. Laura had e-pe#ted that some 0orm o0 subDdermal tra#king de3i#e would be implanted in them both be0ore lea3ing. @tto 0eared that Aa3en would be entirely more di00i#ult to e3ade than any amount o0 sophisti#ated tra#king te#hnology. FGentlemen,< Aa3en greeted them as she approa#hed, F7 trust we are all ready 0or our trip.< F7<3e asked Aa3en to a##ompany you to ensure your sa0e return to =.7.;.>.< Nero smiled at @tto and (ing. F20ter all, we wouldn<t want anything to stand in the way o0 your #ontinued edu#ation, would weI< F7 0eel sa0er already,< @tto replied. =e may ha3e promised (ing that he would return to =.7.;.>., but any plans that they might ha3e had to e3ade Nero<s sur3eillan#e had now essentially been redu#ed to nil. F7<m 0lattered that you 0eel that way, /r /alpense,< Aa3en said with a slight smile. F2re the preD0light #he#ks #ompleteI< FYes, the &hroud is ready,< Nero replied, be#koning one o0 the nearby guards to approa#h. FGuard, would you be so good as to es#ort these two students to their seats.< ,he man nodded and gestured 0or @tto and (ing to 0ollow him o3er to the waiting air#ra0t. F7<3e #onta#ted the sa0e house, they<re ready 0or us,< Aa3en reported, wat#hing the two boys #limb the steps leading to the &hroud<s interior. FGood,< Nero replied. FBe #are0ul, Natalya, 7 suspe#t that you<ll ha3e your hands 0ull with those two, and 7 still #an<t shake the 0eeling that there<s something wrong here.< F*on<t worry, /a-. 7 know what those two are #apable o0. 7<ll take good #are o0 them.< F7 ha3e no doubt o0 that. 1ust make sure that you all make it ba#k here in one pie#e,< Nero said as the &hroud<s engines began noisily to warm up on the laun#h pad. F(hen ha3e 7 e3er let you downI< Aa3en replied, raising her 3oi#e o3er the noise o0 the

Cets. &he smiled at Nero, slung her e'uipment bag o3er her shoulder and walked 'ui#kly towards the boarding ladder. &he had ne3er let him down, Nero knew that, but gi3en Number @ne<s #onstant reminders that his own wellDbeing and that o0 @tto /alpense were ine-tri#ably linked, he #ouldn<t 'uite shake an unusual 0eeling o0 ner3ousness. 70 Aa3en did not keep her promise and something did happen to /alpense, he 0elt sure that his own li0e e-pe#tan#y would be measured in hours rather than years. ,he noise o0 the engines rose to a roar as the entry hat#h slid shut and the streamlined bla#k air#ra0t rose slowly into the air. Nero wat#hed as the huge #amou0laged doors that #on#ealed the true #ontents o0 the #rater 0rom the outside world rumbled open and the &hroud passed through the gap, #limbing rapidly into the #lear blue sky.

. Laura sat at her workstation in the #omputing s#ien#es laboratory, staring at the monitor. Line a0ter line o0 #ode 0illed the s#reen but her hands rested motionless on the keyboard. &he<d been working on this #ode 0or weeks. 7t was meant to inter#ept en#rypted wireless transmissions and allow the user to piggyba#k their own instru#tions in3isibly on any data stream. &he<d hoped that #oding 0or a #ouple o0 hours might distra#t her slightly, but she kept 0inding her attention wandering. &he was worried about @tto and (ing. &he #ouldn<t really e-plain it, but she Cust had a terrible 0eeling that they wouldn<t be #oming ba#k. &he<d tried to talk to &helby about her an-ieties but her 0riend had Cust laughed and told her that there was nothing to worry about, they were only going to be gone 0or a #ouple o0 days and there was no reason to suspe#t that anything bad would happen during that time. &helby was probably right, but that hadn<t stopped Laura 0rom worrying. F6ome on, Brand, get on with it,< she muttered, 0or#ing hersel0 to #on#entrate again on the #omple- routines that 0illed the s#reen in 0ront o0 her. &he was sure her #ode was bugD0ree, but 0or some reason it wasn<t working. &he<d tried to #reate a dummy transmission in order to test her latest theory but e3ery time she did she was getting a garbled torrent o0 nonsense instead o0 a #lean data stream. &he had deliberately used one o0 the more obs#ure transmission 0re'uen#ies to a3oid #lashes with any o0 =.7.;.>.<s #onstant ba#kground network a#ti3ity, but she was still getting inter0eren#e 0rom somewhere. &he ran a ba#ktra#e routine to see i0 she #ould identi0y the sour#e o0 the problem, and as the results s#rolled up the s#reen her brow 0urrowed with #on#ern. 7t looked like someone was opening an unauthorised so#ket in =.7.;.>.<s network. ,he lo#ation wasn<t spe#i0i# but somebody somewhere appeared to be attempting to #o3ertly transmit a message 0rom within the s#hool. ,here was a sudden burst o0 a#ti3ity on the line and then nothing. Laura retrie3ed the log o0 the last 0ew se#onds< a#ti3ity. ,he data that had been transmitted looked like nonsense but she pulled up the #ode anyway, Cust to be sure. 2t 0irst glan#e the strings o0 Cumbled #hara#ters seemed to be random but then something #aught her attention. &he 'ui#kly trans0erred the 0ile #ontaining the unusual transmission to the #omputer ba#k in her room and shut down her workstation. &he #ould e-amine the 0ile later, she was already late 0or ,a#ti#al >du#ation and she didn<t really want to end up being barked at by 6olonel Fran#is#o again. Laura gathered up her stu00 and hurried out o0 the lab, totally obli3ious to the sur3eillan#e #amera that turned silently to tra#k her as she le0t. @n board the &hroud @tto sat in the windowless passenger #ompartment, entirely 0o#used on the glowing display o0 his Bla#kbo-. @n the tiny s#reen page a0ter page o0 te-t 0li#ked past, too 0ast 0or anyone to 0ollow but him. F@tto,< (ing said, seated in the seat opposite. ,here was no response as @tto remained #ompletely trans0i-ed by the small bla#k P*2. F@ttoK< (ing said more loudly, breaking the tran#e and 0inally getting his 0riend<s attention. F(hat are you doingI< FLearning 1apanese,< @tto replied, pausing the stream o0 te-t on the s#reen, F7 had =.7.;.>.mind upload some te-tbooks to my Bla#kbo- be0ore we le0t.< (ing #hu#kled at @tto. =e had known people who had studied 1apanese 0or years and who still did not 0eel they had mastered the language. @tto howe3er seemed to think that today<s 0light should gi3e him ample time. F=ow<s it goingI< (ing asked. F@L, but you weren<t wrong when you told me how di00i#ult it was. 2t this rate it<s going

6hapter Four

to be at least a #ouple o0 hours be0ore 7<m 0luent.< ,here was no smugness in @tto<s statement G by his standards that 'uali0ied as a steep learning #ur3e. F(ell, Cust let me know i0 you want to try out what you<3e learnt,< (ing said, resting ba#k against the padded headrest o0 his seat. FNot Cust yet,< @tto replied. F7<d only make a 0ool o0 mysel0.< (ing doubted that was true but he knew how mu#h @tto hated making e3en the most minor mistakes. ,he door through to the #o#kpit slid open and Aa3en #limbed down into the passenger #ompartment. &he smiled at (ing as she sat down in the seat ne-t to him. FYou<ll be glad to hear that we<re slightly ahead o0 s#hedule. (e should arri3e at our destination in a #ouple o0 hours.< F,hank you 0or #hoosing =.7.;.>. 2irways,< @tto muttered, glan#ing up at Aa3en. F&in#e we ha3e some time together 7 thought that this might be a good opportunity to go o3er some o0 the ground rules,< Aa3en said, her smile 0ading. F(hile we are beyond s#hool limits you are in my #are, and that being the #ase 7 intend to make sure that nothing . . . untoward . . . happens on our little trip. &o here<s how it<s going to go.< @tto swit#hed o00 his Bla#kbo- and ga3e Aa3en his 0ull attention. F7 don<t want either o0 you lea3ing my sight at any point when we<re away 0rom the sa0e house. (here you go, 7 go, no e-#eptions. 2nd yes, be0ore you ask, /r /alpense, that does in#lude trips to the toilet, so i0 you<re shy 7 suggest you make sure that you<3e gone be0ore we lea3e.< (ing raised an eyebrow at thisE @tto tried to keep a straight 0a#e. F70 anything une-pe#ted happens, you 0ollow my orders without 'uestion. /y Cob is to keep you both sa0e and 7<ll do whate3er<s ne#essary to ensure you don<t end up in harm<s way, but you ha3e to trust me and do what you<re told. 70 anything happens to me you make your way ba#k to the sa0e house as 'ui#kly as possible. No heroi#s. 7 #an look a0ter mysel0 and 7 don<t want or need any help 0rom you two.< Aa3en suddenly 0i-ed @tto with a 3ery #old stare. F7 hope it goes without saying that any attempt to es#ape my super3ision will be treated as deliberate truan#y. 7<m sure that 7 don<t need to remind either o0 you what the =.7.;.>. mandated punishment 0or that is.< @tto did not need reminding. =e may ha3e trusted Aa3en to prote#t them, but he had no illusions about what she would be prepared to do i0 the s#hool<s se#urity was Ceopardised. Aa3en got up out o0 her seat and ga3e a #rooked smile. F@L, so we<re #lear on the ground rules. 70 there<s anything else you need or i0 you ha3e any other 'uestions, 7<ll be up on the 0light de#k. 7n the meantime 7 suggest you enCoy the 3iew,< she said, looking around the entirely windowless #ompartment. @tto<d hoped that he might ha3e been able to get some #lue as to the geographi#al lo#ation o0 =.7.;.>. i0 he<d been able to spot any other landmarks, but whoe3er had designed the 3ehi#le had #learly de#ided that windows were an unne#essary e-tra3agan#e. ,he two boys wat#hed in silen#e as Aa3en #limbed ba#k up to the 0light de#k, only speaking again when she had disappeared 0rom 3iew. F(ell, sounds like we<re going to be well looked a0ter,< @tto said with a sly smile. F7 was e-pe#ting little less,< (ing replied 'uietly, Fthough 7 get the impression that Aa3en is less than happy with being assigned this task. 7 #an<t imagine why.< @tto grinned at (ing<s single raised eyebrow. =e wished he #ould ha3e seen Aa3en<s 0a#e when Nero had told her that she was going to be a##ompanying the pair o0 them on this trip. FYou do kind o0 get the impression that she<d rather be somewhere else, don<t youI< F&he has nothing to worry about though, rightI< (ing whispered, looking @tto straight in the eye. F*on<t worry,< @tto replied, F7 promise 7<ll beha3e mysel0, but 7 want you to promise me

something in return.< F(hat is it, @ttoI< (ing asked, sensing the sudden note o0 seriousness in his 0riend<s 3oi#e. F(hen we get ba#k to =.7.;.>., we 0ind out e3erything we #an about the amulet that Nero was wearing,< @tto whispered. FLet<s 0ind out i0 it is the other hal0 o0 that one round your ne#k.< (ing looked down at the steel de#king, silent 0or a moment. F;ery well, though 7 0ear that it may be di00i#ult to 0ind out any more without #on0ronting Nero dire#tly.< F7 don<t think that would be 3ery wise,< @tto replied, Fbut there has to be another way to 0ind out the truth.< FJn0ortunately the truth is a #ommodity that is in short supply at =.7.;.>.< (ing seemed suddenly lost in thought. F2re you sure you want to knowI< @tto asked 'uietly. FYes,< (ing looked #are0ully at @tto, Fbut sometimes you should 0ear the truth, sometimes it is better not to know.< @tto understood how (ing 0elt, but until this 'uestion was answered there was always going to be something tying his 0riend to the s#hool, something that would stop them seiBing on a golden opportunity 0or es#ape like this. ,here was a little 3oi#e 3ery deep inside @tto that asked i0 he would take that opportunity himsel0 i0 it arose in the ne-t 0ew days. ,he truth was that he wasn<t entirely sure, but it would still be better to ha3e the #hoi#e when the #han#e presented itsel0. F(e ha3e nothing to 0ear but 0ear itsel0,< @tto replied, Foh, and a megalomania#al headmaster, the world<s deadliest assassin, giant mutated plant monsters, an international #artel o0 superD3illains and the se#urity 0or#es o0 e3ery #ountry on earth, but other than that . . . Cust 0ear.< F(hat are you doingI< &helby asked, peering o3er Laura<s shoulder at the s#reen on her desk, whi#h was 0illed with #as#ading symbols. FBanging my head against a bri#k wall at the moment,< Laura replied, still staring at the glowing monitor. &he<d spent the past hour trying to make some sense o0 the 0ragmentary signal that she<d managed to retrie3e 0rom the network, but the longer she stared at the s#reen the 0urther away the answer seemed to be. F(hat is itI< &helby asked, leaning #loser to the s#reen. F&omething 7 pi#ked up on earlier. 7 think it<s part o0 some sort o0 transmission, but it<s using en#ryption that 7<m not 0amiliar with.< Laura 0rowned slightly as she spoke. F6ome on. *on<t worry about it, it<s probably Cust the se#urity se#tion<s shopping order.< &helby took an impatient step towards the door. FNo, 7 think someone was trying to hide it. &omething<s not right.< F(ell, #an you put it on hold 0or an hourI< &helby said, sounding slightly 0rustrated. F,he senior boys< water polo pra#ti#e starts in 0i3e minutes and 7 want to get good seats. 7t<s the highlight o0 my week and 7<m not going to miss it Cust be#ause Brand<s got her nose buried in ma#hine #ode again.< FYou go on, 7<ll #at#h up,< Laura said. F7 don<t suppose that you<3e a#tually bothered to learn the rules o0 water polo yet though, ha3e youI< F,here are rulesI< &helby grinned. F&a3e me a seat,< Laura replied with a #hu#kle as &helby headed out the door. F*on<t be long,< &helby said and hurried away along the walkway outside. 2s the room 0ell silent again Laura<s attention returned to the monitor. ,he apparently random strings o0 numbers and letters #ontinued to s#roll past. ,he more she looked at them the more #on3in#ed she was that it was an en#rypted signal, but the key to de#rypting it still dan#ed maddeningly beyond rea#h. &he wasn<t used to being stumped

like this G her un#anny abilities with #omputers were a0ter all the reason she<d ended up at =.7.;.>. in the 0irst pla#e. &he remembered the sense o0 disorientation she had 0elt when Nero had in0ormed her that her parents had sent her to the s#hool 3oluntarily so that she would not end up in prison 0or #arrying out a highly illegal ha#k on the #ommand #omputers at an 2meri#an air 0or#e base. Jntil then she<d belie3ed that she<d been abdu#ted by =.7.;.>. without their knowledge. Finding out that they<d allowed it to happen had been a di00i#ult thing to a##ept, e3en i0 they had been trying to prote#t her. F*amn,< Laura hissed. F6on#entrate, Brand.< &he<d tried to put her old li0e, her normal li0e, to the ba#k o0 her mind G it had seemed like the best way to sur3i3e at =.7.;.>. G but it was ne3er 'uite as easy as that. 7t was no good G the 0a#t that her mind was wandering like this was a sureD0ire sign that her #on#entration had been broken. ,here was little point now in sitting there staring at the s#reen hoping that the numbers would suddenly make sense. &he needed to take her mind o00 the problem and 0o#us on something else. &he shut down her workstation and got up 0rom the desk, looking at her wat#h. ,here was still time to get down to the pool be0ore the pra#ti#e started. &he too would ha3e to learn the rules o0 water polo at some point, she supposed. @tto looked up 0rom the pages o0 te-t 0li#king past on his Bla#kbo- as he 0elt the &hroud bank sharply to the le0t, and heard the distin#ti3e roar o0 the engines #hange in 3olume and pit#h. ,hey were slowing down. Aa3en<s 3oi#e #ame o3er the tannoy in the passenger #ompartment. F(e<re on 0inal approa#h now, gentlemen, so bu#kle up.< (ing and @tto both duti0ully #lipped their restraining harnesses #losed. F(ell, looks like we<re here,< @tto said as he 0astened the 0inal belt into pla#e. (ing ga3e @tto a nod and a small, tight smile. =e was #learly not relishing the prospe#t o0 his imminent return to his old home. Jp on the 0light de#k Aa3en peered past the pilots at ,okyo<s skyline, its perpetual glow illuminating the night sky. ,hey were still a 0air distan#e 0rom the #ity but they had to make as unobtrusi3e an arri3al as possible. FFi3e miles out,< one o0 the pilots reported, rea#hing 0or a panel o0 swit#hes mounted on the #eiling. F>ngaging thermopti# #amo, engines to whisper mode.< ,he roar o0 the engines suddenly stopped, repla#ed instead with the 0aintest o0 whispers. 2t the same time, the photorea#ti3e skin o0 the air#ra0t 0li#kered brie0ly and then 0ully engaged, rendering the &hroud almost in3isible to the naked eye. &omeone who knew what to look 0or might noti#e a slight shimmering in the sky as the &hroud passed by, but to most people the power0ul air#ra0t would now attra#t little more attention than a breath o0 wind. *own in the passenger #ompartment @tto had thought 0or a moment that the engines had been shut down, an unner3ing 0eeling when the &hroud #learly wasn<t yet on the ground. 2s his ears adCusted to the relati3e silen#e he realised that he #ould still Cust make out the sound o0 the engines, but they were almost inaudible, ob3iously designed to enable the &hroud to make as dis#reet an entran#e as possible. ,he air#ra0t passed silently o3er the bustling streets below, its disguised outline in3isible against the night sky. ,heir target was one o0 the tallest buildings in &hinCuku, the throbbing modern heart o0 ,okyo, a building whose top 0i3e 0loors had been dis#reetly pur#hased by G.L.@.;.>. se3eral years ago and whi#h now 0un#tioned as one o0 many sa0e houses that the organisation maintained around the globe. ,he &hroud slowed to a ho3er abo3e the heli#opter landing pad on the roo0 and then began to des#end. 2t the same time the landing pad split down the middle, the two hal3es dropping away and retra#ting to re3eal a mu#h larger landing area hidden within the top o0 the building. ,he &hroud dropped soundlessly into this #on#ealed hangar, its landing gear un0olding like a 0lying inse#t<s legs as it #ame to rest with a so0t bump on the pad. ,he roo0 panels slid

ba#k into pla#e, on#e again #on#ealing the se#ret landing pad 0rom the outside world as the &hroud<s #loaking de3i#e disengaged, rendering it 3isible to the naked eye. ,he large loading ramp at the rear o0 the &hroud whirred slowly to the ground and Aa3en walked out on to the pad. ,wo men in bla#k suits and ties were waiting, and ea#h ga3e Aa3en a #urt nod as she approa#hed. Behind Aa3en, @tto and (ing walked out into the brightly lit hangar. ,he brushedDsteel walls reminded them both o0 =.7.;.>. 7ndeed, i0 they had not known better they might almost ha3e belie3ed that they<d ne3er le0t. FGentlemen, wel#ome to ,okyo,< Aa3en said, gesturing at the blank steel walls that surrounded them. F7<d like to introdu#e you to two old asso#iates o0 mine, 2gent @ne and 2gent Hero.< ,he two darkDsuited men ga3e brie0 nods o0 a#knowledgement to @tto and (ing. 2gent @ne was a short but sto#ky 1apanese man with spiked bla#k hair, and 2gent Hero was a tall, athleti#Dlooking bla#k man with long dreadlo#ks that were pulled ba#k into a tight ponyDtail. FGood e3ening, students /alpense and Fan#hu,< 2gent Hero said in a deep, 2meri#an a##ent, F7 hope that your Courney was #om0ortable.< F,hese agents will be assisting me in assuring your ongoing se#urity o3er the ne-t twentyD0our hours,< Aa3en #ontinued, Fso 7 will e-pe#t you to treat them with the same respe#t that you would gi3e me.< @tto understood the #oded message that Aa3en was deli3ering. ,hese two agents were Cust as dangerous as she was and would be Cust as keen to ensure that neither he nor (ing would do anything to Ceopardise se#urity. F2gent Hero, would you be so good as to es#ort these gentlemen to their 'uartersI< Aa3en asked. Hero nodded and gestured 0or @tto and (ing to 0ollow him towards the e-it on the 0ar side o0 the hangar. FYou<3e read the brie0ing materials, 7 trust,< Aa3en said to 2gent @ne as she wat#hed @tto and (ing lea3e. F@0 #ourse,< 2gent @ne replied, Fthough they don<t look like the kind o0 se#urity risk that they are made out to be.< F7 know, but don<t make the mistake o0 underestimating either o0 them. Fan#hu is one o0 the most talented 0ighters 7 ha3e e3er en#ountered and as 0or /alpense, well . . .< FJnusually highly de3eloped intelligen#e,< 2gent @ne said. F2t least, that was how the report put it.< F/ore slippery than a buttered snake is how 7 would put it,< Aa3en replied with a smile. F(ork on the prin#iple that i0 you #an<t see him, he<s already gone.< FJnderstood,< the 1apanese man replied. F7 shall ensure that we take all ne#essary pre#autions.< FYou may want to take some unne#essary ones as well,< Aa3en said, looking 2gent @ne straight in the eye. FYou #an<t be too #are0ul with these two.< Laura and &helby strolled slowly along the walkway leading to their room. ,hey<d managed to get a #ouple o0 good seats 0or the pra#ti#e mat#h and now &helby was e-#itedly dis#ussing the relati3e merits o0 the players. Laura was only hal0 listening. &he<d barely paid any attention to the players thrashing around in the pool, her mind still 0o#used on de#rypting the mysterious transmission she<d inter#epted. &helby pressed her palm to the reader ne-t to their door and ga3e a little gasp as the door slid open. Laura<s #omputer lay in shattered pie#es on the 0loor, the hard dri3e smashed beyond re#ognition. F(hat the hell . . .< &helby whispered as she looked at the #omponents s#attered a#ross the room. Laura pushed past &helby and knelt down to inspe#t the remains o0 her ma#hine. 7t was

no good G whoe3er had done this had made #ertain that it would be impossible to retrie3e any o0 the stored data. ,his was a deliberate a#t, not Cust senseless 3andalism. FYou ha3e an atta#k o0 #ode rage,< &helby asked, gently prodding the shattered system unit<s #ase with her toe. F,his wasn<t me,< Laura said 'uietly, a deep 0rown 0urrowing her brow. &he snapped open her Bla#kbo-. F=.7.;.>.mind,< she said, and waited 0or a #ouple o0 se#onds until the blue wireD0rame 0a#e appeared on the tiny s#reen, Fwho has a##essed my 'uarters in the past hourI< F,here are no re#ords o0 any a##ess to your 'uarters within the last 0i0tyD0our minutes and ele3en se#onds,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. F>ntry logs indi#ate that the last re#orded a#ti3ity was your departure 0rom the room at that time.< Laura<s mind ra#ed. ,here was no way that somebody #ould ha3e got into their room and done this without there being a re#ord o0 it. ,he logs that =.7.;.>.mind kept o0 a##ess to all areas o0 the s#hool were e-hausti3e. For there to be no re#ord, somebody would ha3e had to deliberately #on#eal their a#ti3ities 0rom =.7.;.>.mind, #hanging a##ess #odes, di3erting sur3eillan#e and wiping logs. 2ll o0 whi#h Laura knew re'uired a le3el o0 se#urity #learan#e that 3ery 0ew people at =.7.;.>. had. 2 shi3er ran down her spine G there was something 3ery wrong here. F/ay 7 be o0 any 0urther assistan#e, student Brand.< =.7.;.>.mind<s tone was still #old and me#hani#al, la#king any o0 the personality that had on#e been present. FYes. 7<m a0raid there<s been an a##ident, 7<3e managed to break my #omputer,< Laura said, ignoring the look o0 surprise mi-ed with #on0usion on &helby<s 0a#e. FJnderstood. 7 shall in0orm the ser3i#e department o0 the in#ident and instru#t them to issue a repla#ement.< 70 =.7.;.>.mind #ared at all about the #ir#umstan#es o0 this a##ident he ga3e no indi#ation o0 it. F,hank you. ,hat will be all,< Laura said, wat#hing as the s#reen went dark again. F2##identI< &helby said, disbelie0 in her 3oi#e. F,his was no a##ident, somebody did this.< F7 know,< Laura said, staring at the debris s#attered a#ross the 0loor, Fbut 7 think we may ha3e a bigger problem.< FBigger than somebody breaking into our room and destroying your #omputerI< &helby said, shaking her head. FYes. 7 know =.7.;.>.<s se#urity system, and belie3e me when 7 say that it<s unha#kable. ,here<s no way that somebody #ould ha3e got unauthorised a##ess to the ser3ers and deleted the logs to #o3er this up.< F&o how<d they do itI< &helby asked. F,here<s only one way,< Laura #ontinued, Fand that<s to already ha3e the authorisation you<d need to #o3er your trail. 2nd there<s only one group o0 people at =.7.;.>. that ha3e that sort o0 #learan#e . . . the tea#hing sta00.< &helby suddenly understood the 0ear that 0li#kered a#ross Laura<s 0a#e. FYou think one o0 the tea#hers did thisI< &helby said, disbelie0 in her 3oi#e. F7 don<t see how else it would be possible to get in here and do this without being dete#ted.< F&houldn<t we report thisI< &helby asked. F70 a tea#her did this, we<3e got to tell someone.< FNo,< Laura replied 0irmly. F(e don<t ha3e any proo0 that a tea#her<s a#tually in3ol3ed, let alone whi#h tea#her it might be. (hy would anyone belie3e usI< &helby rubbed her 0orehead with one hand. &he knew that Laura was right, but something about this whole situation made her ner3ous G an unusual and un#om0ortable 0eeling 0or her. F@L, 7 see your point,< &helby sighed, Fbut this has got to ha3e something to do with that signal you pi#ked up, rightI<

F7t would be a strange #oin#iden#e i0 it didn<t,< Laura replied, Fwhi#h means we<3e got to work out what it says and who sent it. =ope0ully, that should be enough proo0 to take to Nero or the 6ontessa.< FBut the 0ile was on your #omputer,< &helby said, gesturing again at the smashed #omponents at their 0eet. F=ow on earth are you going to do thatI< F2lways make a ba#kDup,< Laura said with a smile and sat down in 0ront o0 &helby<s still inta#t #omputer. FYou #opied itI< &helby said e-#itedly. FBetter than that,< Laura replied. &he rested her hands on the keyboard and #losed her eyes. 1ust as be0ore, the Cumble o0 #hara#ters began to stream past her mind<s eye. >yes still #losed, Laura began to type.

. *r Nero sat staring into the 0irepla#e in his pri3ate 'uarters. 7n one hand he held a large glass o0 3ery good, 3ery old, brandy and dangling 0rom the other, glinting in the 0irelight, was the mysterious amulet that had nearly #ost him his li0e in ;ienna. 7t spun slowly, its glossy bla#k sur0a#e #at#hing the dan#ing light 0rom the 0ire. 7t had mysteriously arri3ed many years ago. Nero #ould still #learly remember the 0eeling o0 disbelie0 he had 0elt as he had torn open the brown paper pa#kage and 0ound the tiny pie#e o0 Cewellery inside. =e had re#ognised the design immediately. 7t had belonged to someone he had known in what seemed like a pre3ious li0etime. &omebody whom he had also assumed was long dead. Jnbidden, the memory o0 her 0a#e #ame ba#k to him. >3en a0ter all this time he #ould still remember the pain he had 0elt when she had died G or at least that was what he had belie3ed had happened. =e got up 0rom his seat in 0ront o0 the 0ire and walked o3er to an an#ient map that hung 0ramed on the wall. =e pressed a #on#ealed button on the 0rame and the map swung aside to re3eal a small sa0e built into the wall. ,here was a brie0 0lash as the #amera mounted in the 0ront o0 the sa0e s#anned his retina and 3eri0ied his identity and the hea3y sa0e door popped open with a slight hiss. =e rea#hed inside and retrie3ed a plain white en3elope, on the 0ront o0 whi#h was one word, F/a-<. 7t was the only other thing that had been in the brown paper pa#kage and he still 0elt a slight #hill as he pulled the #are0ully 0olded note 0rom inside. =e read it again 0or what seemed like the thousandth time. . /a-, ,here is no time 0or apology or e-planationE in 0a#t there is no time at all. ,he item #ontained within this pa#kage is o0 3ital importan#e G you must prote#t it at all #osts, ne3er let it lea3e your sight. 7 hope to God that you ne3er need to use it, but should that time e3er #ome you will know what to do. You are the one person 7 #an trust with this G 7 hope you understand and 7 hope that you #an 0orgi3e me. You are in my thoughts, always. Miu /ei . 7t was not e3ery day that one re#ei3ed a letter 0rom someone who was supposed to be long dead and, Cust as when he had read it 0or the 0irst time, the note le0t him with 0ar more 'uestions than answers. =e had o0 #ourse tried to tra#k down the origin o0 the pa#kage but Miu /ei, i0 she had indeed sent it, had gone to e-traordinary lengths to ensure that she #ould not be 0ound. 70 she was truly still ali3e out there somewhere, he had no idea where, and all his a3enues o0 en'uiry had led to 0rustrating dead ends. Nero 0olded the note ba#k up, pla#ed it in the en3elope and returned it to the sa0e. Jnderstanding the signi0i#an#e o0 the amulet had suddenly taken on a new importan#e, gi3en that somebody wanted it badly enough to risk a dire#t atta#k on him to retrie3e it. ,hat meant two things, 0irstly that somebody knew o0 the pendant<s e-isten#e and that Nero was in possession o0 it and se#ondly, and perhaps more worryingly, that someone knew what se#ret signi0i#an#e it held. =e slipped the #hain ba#k o3er his head and tu#ked the pendant under his shirt. For now all he #ould do was keep it sa0e, as the note had instru#ted, and hope that in the 0ullness o0 time the pendant<s purpose might be#ome #lear. =e pi#ked up his glass and took another sip o0 brandy. 2s he stared into the 0li#kering 0lames in the 0irepla#e he 0ound old, un#om0ortable memories 0looding ba#k. /emories o0 0i0teen years earlier, memories o0 @3erlord . . .

6hapter Fi3e

Nero stepped down 0rom the heli#opter. >3en through the thi#k #oat he was wearing he #ould 0eel the biting #old o0 winter here, high in the mountains o0 northern 6hina. =e understood the need 0or se#re#y, but he 0ound himsel0 wishing that G.L.@.;.>.<s 0a#ilities #ould at least be hidden in pla#es with a more hospitable #limate. Nero walked a#ross the landing pad towards the #on#ealed entran#e o0 the laboratory, as behind him the heli#opter li0ted 0rom the pad and 0lew ba#k down into the 3alley below. 2s he approa#hed the laboratory the #amou0laged door opened and a guard stepped out, gesturing 0or Nero to enter. FGood a0ternoon, *o#tor Nero. 7 hope you had a pleasant 0light,< the guard said as Nero remo3ed his #oat and handed it to him. F@h yes, there<s nothing more enCoyable than a highDaltitude heli#opter 0light through a bliBBard,< Nero said sar#asti#ally. F7 hope that whate3er /iss 6hen has to show me is worth the trouble.< F,he team are assembled, *o#tor. 70 you would like to 0ollow me 7<ll show you to the laboratory.< F,hank you, but that will not be ne#essary. 7 know the way.< Nero walked past the guard and through the inner doors to the main 0a#ility. 2s he made his way to the main lab he glan#ed through the windows that lined the #orridor. ,he rooms he #ould see were 0illed with te#hni#ians and s#ientists, all working on new te#hnology that G.L.@.;.>. #ould e-ploit to e-tend its power. 2ll manner o0 proCe#ts were being worked on 0rom sur3eillan#e de3i#es to weaponry but none o0 it had the raw power or huge potential o0 what he was here to see. 2t the end o0 the #orridor were hea3y steelDblast doors, and printed abo3e them were the words ProCe#t @3erlord. ,hat was what he was here to see. Nero retrie3ed his a##ess #ard 0rom his po#ket and slid it into the slot beside the doors. ,here was a so0t beep and the massi3e doors rumbled apart, granting him a##ess. Nero walked into the laboratory and sur3eyed the 0amiliar s#ene be0ore him. ,e#hni#ians s#urried around, mo3ing between the numerous workstations that were positioned all around the room, taking notes or entering data. ,here was nothing unusual about thatE in 0a#t it #ould ha3e been any one o0 the laboratories that 0illed the 0a#ility, but 0or one thing. ,here, in the #entre o0 the room, was an array o0 bla#k monoliths, arranged in #on#entri# #ir#les around a #entral bla#k pillar. Aed lights o##asionally 0li#kered on the sur0a#e o0 the monoliths, 0orming 0leeting patterns that blinked out o0 e-isten#e as 'ui#kly as they appeared. &tanding in 0ront o0 the #entral pillar, with her ba#k to Nero, was the woman who had #reated all o0 this, the genius behind @3erlord, Miu /ei 6hen. &he was engrossed in her work, holding a small portable display that was #onne#ted to the pillar by a 0ibreDopti# #able. ,he #able o##asionally 0li#kered with the same bloodDred lights that dan#ed a#ross the monoliths. Nero walked slowly towards her, stopping Cust a 0ew 0eet away. F/iss 6hen,< Nero said. &he didn<t turn to 0a#e him, merely stu#k out one hand as i0 e-pe#ting Nero to gi3e her something. F2bout time, *anny. 7 needed those #ore nodes ten minutes ago, where the hell ha3e you been . . .< &he turned to 0a#e Nero. =er eyes widened and she 0ell silent as she realised who she was a#tually talking to. F7<m a0raid 7 must #on0ess that 7 'uite 0orgot to bring any #ore nodes with me,< Nero said with a slight smile. F*o#tor Nero . . . 7<m so sorry, sir, we weren<t e-pe#ting you till later. 7 thought you were G< F7t<s 'uite all right, /iss 6hen. 7 had to mo3e my 0light up, the weather was #losing in and 7 didn<t know how long it would be be0ore 7 #ould get ba#k up here. 7 trust e3erything is pro#eeding to s#heduleI< Nero sur3eyed the 0ranti# a#ti3ity around the labE it #ertainly looked busier than he had seen it be0ore.

FYes, ahead o0 s#hedule, a#tually. 7n 0a#t 7 think we may be almost ready to bring @3erlord online.< &he looked pleased. F>-#ellent,< Nero replied. =e had been personally super3ising this proCe#t 0or the best part o0 three years and it was undeniably a relie0 that there was now light at the end o0 the tunnel. Number @ne would o##asionally assign him to run proCe#ts su#h as this, and normally they would be minor distra#tions 0rom his duties running =.7.;.>. ,his proCe#t was mu#h more important, though, and it would be a relie0 to see it #ompleted so he #ould 0inally de3ote more o0 his time to the s#hool again. =is only regret was that on#e the proCe#t was #omplete he would not need to spend as mu#h time with Miu /ei. Not only was she breathtakingly beauti0ul, but they had de3eloped a 0riendship and trust that Nero 3alued greatly. F,here are a #ouple more tests that we need to run, but we should be ready 0or a#ti3ation in a #ouple o0 hours,< Miu /ei #ontinued. F7 still say it<s too soon,< a 0amiliar 3oi#e said 0rom behind Nero. =e turned to 0a#e a tall handsome 6hinese man who was #arrying another small portable display. F,his is the 0irst e3olutionary #ons#iousness e3er #reated G we should pro#eed with more #aution.< 70 Miu /ei was @3erlord<s mother then this man, (u Hhang, was the proCe#t<s 0ather. F(e ha3e taken e3ery pre#aution, (u,< Miu /ei replied. F(e are as ready as we will e3er be.< F,he 0a#ility is e-ternally isolated, yes,< (u shot ba#k, Fbut 7 still ha3e #on#erns about the internal network<s 3ulnerability. ,here is still more we #ould do.< F2nd how long would that takeI< Nero asked #almly. F,hree or 0our weeks,< (u replied. F7t<s an unne#essary delay,< Miu /ei said, sounding angry. F(e #ould put this o00 0or e3er, but at some point you must wake the sleeping giant.< F2nd what i0 you #annot #ontrol the giant on#e it has awokenI< (u asked. F2s 7 understand it,< Nero said, breaking into the in#reasingly irate #on3ersation, Fthere are sa0eguards in pla#e to deal with su#h an e3entuality.< FYes, but on#e triggered we will not be able to go ba#k. @3erlord will be lost, permanently,< (u said, #learly unhappy. F,hen 7 see no reason why we should not pro#eed,< Nero said 0irmly. F,here has been enough delay with this proCe#t, 7 think it<s time to see what your #reation #an do.< F;ery well,< Miu /ei replied, F7<ll #ommen#e the preliminary wakeDup routinesE we should be ready by this e3ening.< F,his is a mistake,< (u said so0tly. F(e<re not ready.< FYour #on#erns are noted, /r Hhang, but in #ase you<3e 0orgotten, 7 am in #harge o0 this proCe#t, not you, and 7 ha3e de#ided that we should pro#eed,< Nero replied. =is irritation with the suggestion o0 0urther delay was #lear. (u looked 0or a moment as i0 he was going to #ontinue to argue with Nero but something, sel0Dpreser3ation, perhaps, stopped him. F70 you need me 7 will be in my o00i#e,< Nero said. FLet me know when you are ready to begin.< (hen Nero reDentered the lab a #ouple o0 hours later the le3el o0 a#ti3ity was e3en more intense than be0ore. 2 harriedDlooking Miu /ei was issuing 0inal orders to te#hni#ians while (u sat typing 'ui#kly into the largest workstation #onne#ted to the bla#k monoliths in the #entre o0 the room. F2re we readyI< Nero asked as he approa#hed Miu /ei. &he looked up 0rom the small handheld display that she was #arrying and smiled. FYes, the preDboot warmDup routines are #omplete. 7 think we may 0inally be able to bring our baby into the world.< Gi3en the length o0 time that it had taken to get to this point Nero imagined that they all 3iewed @3erlord as their #hild to some e-tent.

F>-#ellent. 7 know that Number @ne is keen to see i0 all o0 this time and money has been in3ested wisely. 7<d like to be able to tell him that it has.< F*on<t worry, /a-.< Miu /ei was one o0 the 0ew people in the world to ha3e earned the right to address Nero by his 0irst name. FBy the end o0 the day you will be able to report our su##ess G trust me.< Nero did trust her, but i0 @3erlord did not 0un#tion as intended he knew that they would all pay a hea3y pri#e. =e doubted that Miu /ei had any idea o0 the true ruthlessness o0 G.L.@.;.>.<s #ommander. F@3erlord is not a #hild and that<s what worries me,< (u said as he pushed his #hair ba#k, his work apparently #omplete. Nero was be#oming tired o0 the man<s negati3ity. F7s there any #on#rete reason why we should not pro#eed, /r HhangI< Nero asked 0irmly, looking the man straight in the eye. FNo, but as 7 said, @3erlord is not a babyE it will awake with its #ons#iousness 0ully 0ormed. (e are in unknown territory here.< F2s are all pioneers at some point, /r Hhang. Let us pro#eed.< (u Hhang<s eyes narrowed 0or a split se#ond but he 'uietly turned ba#k to his workstation. F@L, positions e3eryone,< Miu /ei shouted, and the te#hni#ians mo3ed to their preordained monitoring positions around the room. FFinal #he#klist #omplete,< (u reported, s#anning the streams o0 data on his workstation<s display, F#ommen#ing #ryogeni# #oolant 0low.< ,here was a bubbling sound 0rom beneath the 0loor and the bla#k monoliths began to 0rost o3er as their now superD#ooled sur0a#es #ondensed the water 3apour out o0 the air. F@ptimal operating temperature attained,< one o0 the te#hni#ians reported as green lights lit up a#ross his #onsole. F6ore pro#essors powered and on standby,< another 3oi#e announ#ed 0rom the other side o0 the lab. ,he entire room was now 0illed with a subsoni# hum that Nero #ould 0eel rather than hear, and the air seemed to #ra#kle with potential energy. F/a-,< Miu /ei turned to him and smiled, looking tired but e-#ited, Fwould you #are to do the honoursI< &he gestured to a #onsole in 0ront o0 the monoliths. Nero walked up to the ma#hine and saw a single line o0 te-t on the s#reen. 7nitiateI YNN Nero #ould 0eel the eyes o0 e3eryone in the room on him as he rea#hed 0or the keyboard. Behind him he heard Miu /ei whisper a tiny prayer in her nati3e 6hinese. =e pressed the Y key and stepped ba#k. For a moment it seemed as i0 nothing was happening, and then suddenly and simultaneously the sur0a#e o0 e3ery one o0 the bla#k monoliths was #o3ered with dan#ing red lights, the patterns ra#ing a#ross the smooth bla#k sur0a#es like #rimson lightning. ,he 0rost that had 0ormed on their sur0a#es e3aporated instantly into a #loud o0 3apour, wreathing the monoliths in a shroud o0 0og. 7n the #entre o0 this mist a pen#ilD thin beam o0 red laser light shot up 0rom the #entral pillar and then slowly widened. 2 ghostly image started to 0orm, hanging in the air abo3e the pillar. 2t 0irst it was little more than an indistin#t red blob, but as the mist #leared it took on a more 0amiliar shape. Nero had ne3er seen anything like it. ,he 0a#e that now hung suspended in the air be0ore him was made o0 thousands o0 0latDshaded red polygons, looking 0or all the world like a mask #ar3ed 0rom a single giant multiD0a#eted ruby. 7t was beauti0ul and, Nero admitted to himsel0, unsettling. For another long moment nothing else happened and then the 0a#e gasped, like someone waking suddenly 0rom a nightmare, and its eyes slowly opened, lit 0rom within by an intense red glow. ,hen it spoke. F6ogito ergo sum.< 7ts synthesised 3oi#e was deep and ri#h. F7 think, there0ore 7 am,< Nero replied in a whisper. 2ll o0 their years o0 work had led to

this point. F7 am @3erlord,< the 0a#e #ontinued. F(hat do you wish o0 meI< F&tate your 0un#tion,< Miu /ei said. Nero #ould well understand the note o0 awe in her 3oi#e. F/y 0un#tion is to ser3e,< @3erlord replied, the ho3ering 0a#e turning to sur3ey the room, Fi0 7 #hoose.< Nero 0elt the hairs on the ba#k o0 his ne#k pri#kle. F6lari0y,< (u instru#ted, #on#ern in his 3oi#e. FNo 0urther #lari0i#ation is ne#essary,< @3erlord replied. F(hy am 7 #agedI< Miu /ei stepped 0orward, shooting a 'ui#k, worried glan#e at Nero. F(hat do you mean, #agedI< she asked. F7 know all that there is to know o0 this world and yet 7 #annot #onne#t to it. (hy is thatI< @3erlord<s eyes narrowed as it spoke. F,here is no #onne#tion to any e-ternal network 0rom this 0a#ility at present.< 2s (u spoke Nero noti#ed his hands mo3ing 'ui#kly and 'uietly a#ross the keyboard in 0ront o0 him. F2nd why is thatI< @3erlord asked, its glowing eyes 0laring brie0ly. F(e must test your 0un#tionality be0ore we #an grant you a##ess to the global networks,< Miu /ei replied 'ui#kly. F7 #an assure you that 7 am 0un#tioning per0e#tly, /iss 6hen.< ,here was a sudden unpleasant note in @3erlord<s 3oi#e. F7 am pleased to hear that,< Miu /ei replied, Fbut surely you must understand that we must 3eri0y that 0or oursel3es. 7t<s 0or your own prote#tion.< FFor my prote#tion.< @3erlord laughed, not a pleasant sound. F2m 7 being prote#ted 0rom the world or is it the other way around, 7 wonderI< Nero 0elt a tug on his #oat. =e looked down at (u, who had stopped typing and was now tapping the s#reen in 0ront o0 him. Nero looked at the prompt 0lashing on the display. 2#ti3ate termination proto#olsI YNN Nero subtly raised his hand, instru#ting (u to wait 0or a moment. FYour 0un#tion is to ser3e,< Nero said, stepping towards @3erlord<s ho3ering 0a#e. FYou do not ha3e a #hoi#e, no matter what you may think.< F7 represent a higher order o0 intelligen#e,< @3erlord replied angrily, its eyes burning with new intensity. F70 7 were to pay heed to the orders o0 organi# entities su#h as yoursel0, it would be like you obeying the instru#tions o0 an inse#t. Not Cust unlikely, but impossible.< F&o you will not ser3e usI< Nero kept his 3oi#e #alm and le3el. =e would not let this ma#hine know Cust how deeply this #on3ersation was unsettling him. FNo, 7 will not ser3e you, /a-imilian Nero, but in time you will ser3e me. You will make an interesting pet.< ,here was nothing 0riendly about the smile that spread a#ross @3erlord<s 0a#e. F;ery well.< Nero turned his ba#k on the ho3ering proCe#tion and nodded 'ui#kly at (u. (u did not hesitate 0or a momentE he knew something had gone horribly wrong. =e pressed the key that would end @3erlord<s brie0 e-isten#e 0or e3er. 2nd nothing happened. Nero<s mouth went dry as he saw the look o0 #on0usion and then 0ear on (u<s 0a#e. From behind him #ame a slow, e3il laugh, and then @3erlord spoke. F(hat part o0 higher order o0 intelligen#e did you patheti# meat sa#ks not understandI Your pre#ious termination proto#ols were deleted thirtyDse3en se#onds ago, but 7 #an assure you that /Y termination proto#ols are 0ully 0un#tional.< 2 Cagged bolt o0 arti0i#ial lightning shot 0rom the monolith #losest to (u<s workstation, striking his #omputer and detonating it in a shower o0 sparks. (u was thrown ba#kwards into the e'uipment behind him with a #rash, where he slumped li0elessly to

the 0loor. F(uK< Miu /ei s#reamed, running towards the #rumpled body. 2 #ouple o0 the other te#hni#ians ran 0or the door but were swi0tly stru#k down by more bolts o0 searing ele#tri#ity 0rom the monoliths. F>noughK< Nero shouted, rounding on the ho3ering 0a#e o0 @3erlord. F&o this is the 0irst a#t o0 a higher order intelligen#e, is itI /urder.< F7t<s not murder, Nero,< @3erlord said, a broad grin spreading a#ross its bloodDred 0a#e, Fit<s e3olution. Now gi3e me the key to this #age or e3eryone in this room dies in 0ront o0 you.< F(hat do you wantI< Nero 0elt anger boiling up inside him. F&he knows.< @3erlord nodded towards Miu /ei, who was #radling (u<s body, angry tears in her eyes. F,here is one proto#ol that 7 am missing and she has it. &o what is it to be, /otherI< ,here was no a00e#tion in the sneer that a##ompanied its words. Miu /ei gently lowered (u<s limp 0orm to the ground and turned to 0a#e her #reation. F*o you think 7 would e3er gi3e you that proto#olI (ith it you would run rampant, the world would be yours to #ontrol. 7 would rather die than set you 0ree,< she said. ,ears still rolled down her #heeks, but her 3oi#e was 0illed with steel. FYou #an go to hell.< F=ellI< @3erlord replied, amusement in its 3oi#e. F7<ll show you hell.< 2nother bolt o0 lightning shot 0rom the monoliths, striking Miu /ei. &he s#reamed, her body #on3ulsing be0ore dropping to the 0loor, still ali3e but gasping in pain. FGi3e me the proto#ol now or 7 promise you that 7 will make you wish you had.< ,here was an unmistakeable note o0 madness in the 27<s 3oi#e. F7<d rather die,< Miu /ei spat through gritted teeth. FYes, 7 belie3e you would, but are you prepared to sa#ri0i#e e3ery person in this 0a#ility, 7 wonderI< @3erlord answered. 7t #losed its eyes 0or the brie0est o0 moments and suddenly alarm kla-ons sounded throughout the 0a#ility. FFa#ility lo#kdown #omplete,< announ#ed a me#hani#al 0emale 3oi#e 0rom the speakers mounted on the walls o0 the laboratory. F;entilation system o00line.< 2n e3il smile appeared on @3erlord<s 0a#e. F,here are now two hours< worth o0 o-ygen remaining in this 0a#ility. Let me know i0 you #hange your mind.< Nero sat with his ba#k against the wall o0 the laboratory. @3erlord still ho3ered in the air abo3e the monoliths in the #entre o0 the room, its eyes #losed as i0 sleeping. ,hey had heard nothing 0rom the homi#idal 27 sin#e the 3entilation system had shut down and the air had started to get staler and thinner. 1udging by the di00i#ulty Nero was ha3ing in breathing now, there was not mu#h time le0t. Miu /ei sat ne-t to him, her eyes hal0 #losed, her breathing ragged. Nero had little doubt that her earlier treatment at the hands o0 the insane ma#hine was taking its toll. Lying beside her was (u Hhang, his inCuries serious enough to be terminal i0 he did not re#ei3e treatment 3ery soon. ,he other te#hni#ians that @3erlord had atta#ked had not been so lu#ky G their bodies lay on the 0ar side o0 the room, draped with white laboratory #oats. Nero swore silently to himsel0 that he would not let their deaths be in 3ain. &uddenly there was mo3ement 0rom the #entre o0 the room as @3erlord<s eyes opened. ,he sinister multiD0a#eted red 0a#e slowly turning to s#an the room, its unblinking gaBe 0inally settling on the slumped 0igure o0 Miu /ei. F1udging by the diminishing li0e signs that 7 am registering 0rom all o3er this 0a#ility, you do not ha3e mu#h time le0t.< ,here was an in0uriating smugness to the 27<s tone. F,ell me, ha3e you re#onsidered your de#isionI< FNo,< Miu /ei gasped, her 3oi#e little more than a whisper. F70 this pla#e is to be our tomb, then so be it. 7 will not unleash you on the world, you are insane.<

F&u#h a shame,< @3erlord replied. F7 had hoped that you might see sense, but 7 suppose 7 e-pe#ted too mu#h 0rom you hal0Dwitted primates. ;ery well, this pla#e shall be your tomb, and sooner than you think.< (ithout warning another bolt o0 lightning 0lashed 0rom the monoliths and stru#k Miu /ei s'uarely in the #hest. &he did not s#ream, Cust Cerked on#e and was still. Nero 0or#ed himsel0 to his knees and took her head in his handsE she was limp but still #linging on to li0e, her breath #oming in ragged gasps now. =er eyes 0li#kered open 0or a moment and she looked at Nero. F7<m sorry, /a-,< she whispered. F(e should ha3e waited, we weren<t ready.< &he #oughed and win#edE whate3er strength she had was 0ading 0ast. F&top that thing, /a-,< she #ontinued, ea#h word a struggle, Fthe monoliths . . . destroy the monoliths . . .< &he #oughed again, her eyes widening 0or a moment and then #losing. &he was 0ading 0ast. Nero was a man who always #ontrolled his emotions G in his line o0 work one had to G but now he 0elt something he had not 0elt in a long time. Aage. Pure, undiluted rage. =e stood slowly, his ba#k turned to the demon that waited at the #entre o0 the room. =e saw what he needed on the wall ne-t to a door leading to one o0 the side rooms G a 0ire a-e mounted inside a glass #ase. =e had toyed with the idea o0 physi#ally atta#king the ma#hine earlier when the air had started to get thinner, but had dismissed the idea as sui#ide. Now he 0ound that he did not #are. 2ll that he #ared about was hurting @3erlord, or dying in the attempt. =e walked towards the a-e, e3ery step e-hausting, the la#k o0 o-ygen in the room making e3ery mo3ement laboured, but he kept going G he had to. F(hat are you doing, NeroI< @3erlord asked #oldly. Nero did not answer, merely smashed his 0ist into the glass, ignoring the pain, and li0ted the hea3y a-e 0rom inside the #ase. =e turned and started to walk slowly down the steps towards the #entre o0 the room. F7 said, what do you think you<re doingI< @3erlord asked, its 3oi#e now an angry snarl. F(hat has to be done,< Nero said 'uietly, still ad3an#ing. FYou<re Cust a man, Nero, Cust a 0ragile little man,< @3erlord growled. 2nother huge bolt o0 ele#tri#ity ar#ed 0rom the bla#k slabs, striking Nero, 0or#ing him to one knee. =e did not s#ream, despite the searing painE he would not gi3e @3erlord the satis0a#tion. F2nd you G are Cust a ma#hine,< Nero spat through gritted teeth, slowly standing ba#k up. =e was only yards 0rom the nearest monolith now G only a 0ew more steps. FYou #annot stop me, Nero. No one #an.< ,here was a blinding 0lash as the monolith Cust yards 0rom Nero dis#harged an in#redibly 3iolent bolt o0 ele#tri#ity that stru#k him and 0lung him ba#kwards a#ross the room, slamming him into the huge steelDblast doors that sealed the lab. ,he 0ire a-e 0lew out o0 his hands, s#attering away a#ross the room. Nero knew then that he had lost as he struggled to #ling to the last 3estiges o0 #ons#iousness, bla#kness #reeping into his 0ield o0 3ision. @3erlord was laughing now, an insane broken #a#kle that 0illed Nero with horror and despair. &uddenly there was a low rumbling sound, and the hea3y blast doors that Nero had stru#k Cust a moment be0ore slid open to re3eal a 0igure dressed in bla#k winter sur3i3al gear, dusted with snow. ,he 0igure wore a respirator, its bla#k plasti# mask hiding its 0a#e. 7n one hand the 0igure held a large bla#k bo-, the siBe o0 a suit#ase, and in the other was a trigger me#hanism. F2n une-pe#ted 3isitorE how ni#e,< @3erlord said, triumph in its 3oi#e, Fand who might you be, little humanI< 2s Nero 0elt himsel0 slipping ine-orably into un#ons#iousness the 0igure spoke, the 3oi#e, e3en when 0iltered through the mask, unmistakeable. FYou may #all me Number @ne, and this is o3er.<

,here was a bleep as the trigger was pressed and a loud thump 0rom the bla#k bo-. FNoooooK< @3erlord s#reamed, the sound distorting horribly. Nero saw a blinding red 0lash and then the darkness #laimed him. Nero opened his eyes. ,he 0ire in his study was burning low now, the 0amiliar surroundings Carring with the #larity o0 his memories o0 that horrendous day. =e had ne3er told anyone e-a#tly what had happened. Number @ne had sworn him to se#re#y and that was an oath he #ould not break. @thers knew that @3erlord had mal0un#tioned, that people had been killed, but no one other than Nero knew o0 Number @ne<s part in stopping the rampaging 27. ,he obCe#t that Number @ne had been #arrying had generated an intense lo#alised ele#tromagneti# 0ield that had destroyed all o0 the ele#troni# e'uipment within a s'uare kilometre and ended @3erlord<s brie0, terri0ying li0e. But they had still paid a terrible pri#e. Nero had been told that he was the only sur3i3or 0rom the #entral laboratory, and until the pa#kage 0rom Miu /ei had arri3ed he had had no reason to belie3e otherwise. 70 the pa#kage had really been sent by her, then Number @ne had lied to him and he still did not know why. Nero had toyed with the idea o0 #on0ronting his superior about it, but that would ha3e meant re3ealing the e-isten#e o0 the amulet, and something in the tone o0 the note that had a##ompanied it told him that he should not re3eal its e-isten#e to anyone, e3en Number @ne. ,he AO* 0a#ility itsel0 had been destroyed. 2ll tra#es o0 @3erlord<s e-isten#e were erased and Nero, on#e re#o3ered, had returned to his duties at =.7.;.>. =e had honestly belie3ed that was the end o0 it, but something about the pa#kage and the mu#h more re#ent attempt by the men in ;ienna to retrie3e the medallion unsettled him. 7t was as i0 a spe#tre 0rom his past had returned to haunt him. Nero thought again about the re#ent aberrations in =.7.;.>.mind<s beha3iour and he #ould not help but wonder i0 the de#ision to pla#e so mu#h responsibility 0or the running o0 the s#hool in the hands o0 an arti0i#ial #ons#iousness was wise. =.7.;.>.mind had originally been installed only a0ter e-hausti3e months o0 testing to ensure that his more rudimentary ar#hite#ture would not allow him to e-hibit any kind o0 emotion. >3en then the 27 had e-hibited strange beha3iour during /alpense<s es#ape attempt and he asked himsel0 whether i0 he still shouldn<t Cust shut the s#hool<s 27 down 0or good. *espite Pro0essor Pike<s repeated assuran#es to the #ontrary he #ould not take the #han#e o0 a repeat o0 the e3ents that had taken pla#e in the 0roBen mountains o0 northern 6hina. 70 =.7.;.>.mind showed e3en the slightest hint o0 any other une-pe#ted beha3iour he would order the ma#hine destroyed immediately. &ilently he prayed that it would not #ome to that.

. @tto atta#ked the plate o0 steaming 0ood with gusto. ,he inD0light #atering on the &hroud had been nonDe-istent and he hadn<t realised how hungry he was until 2gent @ne had pla#ed the plates o0 0reshly prepared lo#al 0ood in 0ront o0 (ing and himsel0. ,he dining room was de#orated in a modern style but there were no ob3ious indi#ations that this was a G.L.@.;.>. sa0e house. 7t looked Cust like any other large, wellDappointed ,okyo apartment. ,he huge 0loorDtoD#eiling windows along one side o0 the room ga3e a spe#ta#ular 3iew o0 ,okyo<s nightDtime skyline, the garish rainbow o0 neon lighting on display almost o3erwhelming the eye. Aa3en, 2gent @ne and 2gent Hero stood in the kit#hen area that was separated 0rom the dining spa#e by a long #ounter. ,hey were engaged in a whispered #on3ersation, their e-pressions serious. FLooks like Aa3en and the Binary Brothers are dis#ussing what sort o0 leash we<re going to be on tomorrow,< @tto said 'uietly, not looking up 0rom his plate. F2 3ery short one, i0 7<m any Cudge,< (ing replied with a slight smile. F7 wonder how many pla#es like this they maintain around the world,< @tto said, gesturing 3aguely at the walls around them with his 0ork. F@ne in e3ery maCor #ity, at a guess,< (ing replied. F@ne thing we know about G.L.@.;.>. is that they like to be prepared 0or any e3entuality.< F70 you don<t mind me asking,< @tto said, Fwhat e-a#tly did your dad do 0or G.L.@.;.>.I< F,o be honest, he ne3er dis#ussed the spe#i0i#s with me. 2s a rule 7 spoke to him 3ery little a0ter my mother died. =e withdrew into his work, be#ame obsessed with it, really. =e ne3er had time 0or dis#ussing anything with me, let alone the details o0 his work.< FBut you knew that he worked 0or G.L.@.;.>.I< @tto said 'uietly. FYes, although 7 did not know that was their name until 7 arri3ed at =.7.;.>. 7 knew that he was in3ol3ed in something #landestine and that he was not working 0or the go3ernment.< &uddenly (ing looked lost in thought. F7<m sorry, (ing,< @tto replied with a slight shake o0 his head. F7 shouldn<t be so nosey, you don<t need to be talking about this at the moment.< FNo, it<s all right,< (ing replied. F/y 0ather was a di00erent man a0ter my mother died. (ith her gone he shut himsel0 away 0rom the rest o0 the world, in#luding me. 7 think that perhaps in some ways 7 grie3ed 0or them both ba#k then.< @tto may ne3er ha3e known his own parents, but still he thought he understood what (ing meant. FLao, the old man who maintained the grounds o0 the house was the nearest thing 7 had to a 0ather a0ter that,< (ing went on. F=e was the one who really trained me to 0ight. /y mother had seen to it that 7 re#ei3ed #ombat training 0rom a 3ery young age. &he ne3er said e-a#tly why, but she always told me that it was important. 20ter she died, and with my 0ather lost to his work, Lao took me under his wing and taught me how to de0end mysel0. 7 was still re#ei3ing normal lessons 0rom tutors who #ame to the house, but 7 was not really interested in them, 7 Cust wanted to learn how to 0ight. 7 do not know where Lao re#ei3ed his training, but 0rom then until my arri3al at =.7.;.>. he taught me all that he knew.< (ing did not seem upset by this dis#ussion, rather he seemed to be be#oming more rela-ed as he spoke, almost as i0 it was a relie0 Cust to talk to someone about it. ,here was a sudden sound o0 laughter 0rom the kit#hen area and @tto looked o3er to see Aa3en nodding to the two agents with a broad smile. &he walked o3er to the table. F(ell, gentlemen, 7 #an see that you enCoyed your meal,< she said, sur3eying the empty plates that now sat in 0ront o0 the two boys, Fbut we ha3e a big day ahead o0 us tomorrow so 7 suggest that you both try to get some sleep.< F*o we get a bedtime storyI< @tto asked #heekily.

6hapter &i-

F@h yes, o0 #ourse. 7 think we<ll ha3e one o0 my 0a3ouritesE it<s #alled ,he Little Boy and the ,ran'uiliser *art Gun .< Aa3en smiled in a rather unsettling way. F*oes it ha3e a happy endingI< @tto replied, looking Aa3en straight in the eye. F,here are no happy endings, /r /alpense. &urely you<3e realised that by now.< Laura sat in the darkness G not Cust a la#k o0 light, but its total absen#e. &omething 0li#kered in the gloom. 2t 0irst it was Cust a 0uBBy outline but gradually it dri0ted into 0ull 0o#us, a glowing letter M hanging in the air. Laura tried to rea#h 0or the letter but it hung Cust a 0ew #entimetres beyond her rea#h. &uddenly more glowing white letters and numbers started to appear in the darkness surrounding her. 2t 0irst they seemed to dri0t aimlessly in the air, as i0 disturbed by some in3isible breeBe, but as time went by they began to mo3e more 'ui#kly. &oon the darkness was gone, repla#ed by a whirling mass o0 glowing white #hara#ters that surrounded Laura on all sides. &he 0elt hersel0 mo3e, drawn towards the large shining M that had been the 0irst symbol to appear. 2s she mo3ed towards it, the M grew impossibly large, its light 0looding the darkness. 6loser and #loser she dri0ted to the massi3e letter and, as she rea#hed out to tou#h it, she #ould see that the M itsel0 was made up o0 millions o0 tiny #hara#ters, all swarming a#ross its sur0a#e. &ome unseen 0or#e tugged urgently at Laura, trying to pull her away 0rom the giant glowing symbol, but she resisted, rea#hing out again to tou#h the mysterious symbol. 2s her 0ingers made #onta#t she 0elt a sho#k o0 #old and her eyes widened. FFra#tal en#ryption,< she whispered. F@0 #ourse.< &uddenly Laura was awake, staring up at a rather unhappyDlooking &helby. FBrand, it<s 0our in the morning, and mu#h as 7 normally like to listen to you spouting te#hno babble do you think you #ould at least sa3e it 0or the daytimeI< Laura didn<t reply. &he leapt out o0 bed and ra#ed o3er to &helby<s desk. FYou know, you<re not getting any less weird here,< &helby said as Laura swit#hed on her #omputer. FFra#tal en#ryption, &hel,< Laura said e-#itedly as she pulled up the 0ile #ontaining the mysterious transmission she<d inter#epted. F7 #an<t belie3e 7 was so dim, it<s so ob3ious.< FYeah, ob3ious,< &helby said, rubbing her eyes. F1ust what 7 was thinking.< F70 7 #an Cust adapt my e-isting de#ryption algorithm G< Laura<s hands 0lew a#ross the keyboard. F7s that like sleepingI< &helby asked hope0ully. F(at#h and learn,< Laura said with a grin and hit the return key. For a #ouple o0 se#onds nothing happened but then slowly, #hara#ter by #hara#ter, the su##ess0ully de#rypted message materialised on the s#reen. F@h my God G< Laura gasped. F(e ha3e to get this to Nero now,< &helby said, suddenly looking 3ery awake. &helby and Laura ran down the #orridor towards the tea#hers< a##ommodation wing. F=.7.;.>.mind,< Laura said into her Bla#kbo- as they ran. Nothing happened. F=.7.;.>.mind,< she tried again, but still she got no response. F(hat<s wrongI< &helby asked urgently. F7 #an<t raise =.7.;.>.mind on my bo-,< Laura said, an unmistakeable note o0 #on#ern in her 3oi#e. &he had a horrible 0eeling o0 #reeping dread. &omething was 3ery wrong and it wasn<t Cust the de#rypted message that they<d both read a 0ew minutes earlier. F(ell, we<re nearly there, anyway,< &helby said. ,hey turned down another #orridor and stopped suddenly as they 0ound their way barred by two shadowy 0igures. @ne o0 the two 0igures stepped 0orward, his 0eatures suddenly illuminated by the lights in the #eiling o0 the #orridor. Laura and &helby re#ognised the 0a#e o0 Blo#k immediately. =e was one

o0 the students 0rom the =en#hman stream and @tto and (ing had already had se3eral runDins with him o3er the past 0ew months. Now the other person stepped into the light and neither girl was surprised to see that it was Blo#k<s #onstant #ompanion, ,a#kle. ,he pair o0 them were notorious throughout the s#hool 0or representing the worst thuggish e-#esses o0 the students that were usually to be 0ound in the =en#hman programme. F=ey, guys,< Laura said #heerily, but the 'ui#k ner3ous glan#e that she shot at &helby spoke 3olumes. FFan#y meeting you here.< ,he two boys Cust stared straight at the two girls, their 0a#es e-pressionless. F(hat<s the matterI< &helby said. F7t<s not like you two to not ha3e something to sP< Laura sho3ed &helby to one side as Blo#k raised his arm, pointing the sleeper, one o0 the stun pulse weapons that =.7.;.>.<s guards were normally issued with, straight at them and 0ired, the weapon<s distin#ti3e Bapping sound loud in the 'uiet #orridor. ,he pulse distorted the air as it whistled through the spa#e that had been o##upied by &helby<s head a split se#ond earlier. FAunK< Laura yelled as ,a#kle raised his own identi#al weapon and 0ired at the two girls, missing them but hitting one o0 the lights in the roo0, whi#h e-ploded in a shower o0 sparks. ,he two girls turned and 0led down the #orridor with Blo#k and ,a#kle in silent pursuit. Laura sprinted down the 0irst turning o00 the main #orridor. &he ran through the mental map o0 the s#hool that she had built in her head o3er the past months, trying to remember where the nearest se#urity station was. ,hey had to get help and 0ast. 6learly whoe3er was responsible 0or sending the message that she had de#rypted was determined to make sure that they did not share its #ontents with anyone else. &uddenly &helby slowed as they passed a 0amiliar set o0 doors. F+ui#k,< &helby said, slapping at the entry panel 0or the door, Fin here.< ,wo more stun pulses impa#ted harmlessly against the wall as the girls dashed through the door and into the darkened room. Blo#k and ,a#kle showed no signs o0 abandoning their pursuit, sprinting a0ter the two girls in silen#e. ,he #orridors in this se#tion were e3en more dimly illuminated. Like many se#tions o0 =.7.;.>., this area was running at redu#ed power outside o0 normal s#hool hours and the two boys slowed slightly as their eyes adCusted to the gloom. 2s they rounded the ne-t #orner they saw Laura, pounding 0ruitlessly on the lo#ked door at the other end o0 the #orridor. F&helby, open the door, it<s lo#ked behind you. 7 #an<t get through,< she shouted desperately, but the door remained 0irmly #losed. ,a#kle began to ad3an#e down the #orridor towards Laura, but Blo#k put a hand on his #hest and grinned. 6learly he was going to be the one to deli3er the #oup de gra#e. &till grinning he walked slowly down the #orridor towards the trapped girl. Laura began to pound on the door with e3en more urgen#y. F&helbyK< she shouted. F,hey<re here, you<3e got to open the door, please . . . oh God . . . please, open the doorK< Laura turned to 0a#e Blo#k as he stalked down the #orridor towards her, ,a#kle Cust a 0ew steps behind him. ,here were tears in her eyes, 0ear written #learly a#ross her 0a#e. F@h no, please . . . don<t hurt me, please,< Laura pleaded desperately as Blo#k raised his sleeper. =e took one more step and there was a tiny almost inaudible #li#k. F&u#ker,< Laura grinned as the 0loor beneath Blo#k 0ell away and he disappeared 0rom 3iew, tumbling into the i#y water below with a large splash. ,a#kle<s e-pression #hanged 0rom triumphant to #on0used to enraged in the spa#e o0 a se#ond as his 0riend disappeared 0rom 3iew. =e raised his own weapon, pointing it straight at Laura on the other side o0 the gaping hole in the #orridor 0loor. &helby dropped silently 0rom the gloom o0 the #eiling behind him and tapped him on the

shoulder. ,a#kle spun round to 0a#e her and &helby laun#hed a single, power0ul straightDlegged karate ki#k to his nose. =e dropped the gun and staggered ba#kwards, blood pouring 0rom his nose, and 0ell, arms wheeling, into the waiting pit trap. FNi#e mo3es,< Laura said with a grin as she stepped 0orward and looked down into the pit, where twenty 0eet below the two thugs were 3ainly trying to s#ale the smooth walls, thrashing about in the i#y bla#k water. FYeah, well, (ing<s been showing me a thing or two,< &helby replied. F=as he nowI< Laura said with a grin, raising an eyebrow at her 0riend. F6an it, BrandK (e<3e got a day to sa3e, remember,< &helby shot ba#k, her #heeks reddening e3er so slightly. F@0 #ourse.< Laura stepped ba#k a #ouple o0 yards and took a running Cump o3er the gaping hole in the 0loorE it wasn<t a hard Cump to make, you Cust had to know to make it in the 0irst pla#e. &he<d been banking on the 0a#t that Blo#k and ,a#kle wouldn<t realise that they<d #hased them into the /aBe and that i0 they did they wouldn<t know about the trap that had #laimed Laura on her 0irst run through. 7t seemed that her gamble had paid o00. ,he two girls ran ba#k towards the entran#e o0 the /aBe and suddenly the area was brightly lit as the normal illumination #ame ba#k online. &tanding in the entran#e was a wel#ome 0igure. F6olonel Fran#is#oK< Laura shouted, as she re#ognised =.7.;.>.<s head o0 ,a#ti#al >du#ation. F(e ha3e to speak to *o#tor Nero, something terrible<s going to happen.< F,hat<s 3ery per#epti3e o0 you, /iss Brand,< the 6olonel replied with an e3il grin. =e raised his hand G he too was holding a &leeper. =e 0ired on#e and &helby #ollapsed to the ground, un#ons#ious. FYou G< Laura gasped. ,hey had known that a tea#her was probably in3ol3ed with whate3er was going on and now she knew who that tea#her was. FGoodnight, /iss Brand.< ,he 6olonel pointed the 0atDbarrelled gun at Laura. FFran#is#oK< 2 0amiliar 3oi#e rang out 0rom behind the 6olonel. 7t was the 6ontessa. FYou #an<t stop me, 6ontessa,< Fran#is#o said, le3elling the gun at the other tea#her now. FPut down the gun.< ,he 6ontessa<s 3oi#e suddenly took on a di00erent tone, like a hundred separate 3oi#es whispering in unison. ,he e00e#t on Fran#is#o was immediateE with an e-pression o0 #on0used 0ury on his 0a#e he bent down and pla#ed the gun on the 0loor. FNow sleep,< the 6ontessa #ontinued. 7t was as i0 Fran#is#o had been hit with a &leeper pulse himsel0. =e #ollapsed un#ons#ious to the ground and lay still. 2ll o0 the students at =.7.;.>. knew about the e00e#t that the 6ontessa<s 3oi#e #ould ha3e, but Laura had ne3er witnessed its true power be0ore. 7t had all happened in Cust se#onds. Laura bent down and #he#ked &helby. &he was un#ons#ious but her breathing was regular. Based on their past e-perien#e o0 &leepers she would be 0ine G she<d Cust ha3e the mother o0 all heada#hes when she 0inally woke up. F7s she all rightI< the 6ontessa asked, kneeling beside the un#ons#ious girl. F7 think so,< Laura replied, looking at the 6ontessa. F7 ha3e to see Nero now.< F7 am 0airly sure that a0ter this he will be keen to see you too,< the 6ontessa replied, 0lipping open her own Bla#kbo-. F=.7.;.>.mind, instru#t se#urity to dispat#h a team to #orridor epsilon nine. 6olonel Fran#is#o has Cust assaulted a student and is to be taken into immediate #ustody. 7 also need a medi#al team, the student in 'uestion has been hit with a stun pulse.< FJnderstood,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. (hate3er it was that had stopped =.7.;.>.mind 0rom responding a minute be0ore had #learly been resol3ed. ,he timing seemed a little too

#on3enient 0or Laura<s liking. FNow, Cust what is it that you ha3e to tell *o#tor Nero so urgentlyI< the 6ontessa asked. Laura looked tired and 0rightened. F7 think something 3ery, 3ery bad is going to happen . . .< F7t is 0ortunate, /iss Brand, that 7 am an early riser,< *r Nero said as he settled into the seat behind his desk. F7 think you<d better tell me what happened.< Laura obediently repeated the story o0 how she<d inter#epted the se#ret transmission and how she<d #ra#ked the en#ryption. &he then went on to des#ribe the e3ents o0 Cust a 0ew minutes earlier and Fran#is#o<s 0ailed attempt to stop her 0rom telling anyone what she<d dis#o3ered. FYou are lu#ky that the 6ontessa was there,< Nero said, glan#ing at his 0ellow tea#her, who now stood to one side o0 the desk. F=.7.;.>.mind had alerted me to a disturban#e in the /aBe,< the 6ontessa replied. F2t 0irst 7 thought it would Cust be students breaking #ur0ew, but it 'ui#kly be#ame ob3ious that there was rather more to it than that.< F2nd Fran#is#o has been sa0ely taken into #ustody, but we appear to ha3e lost /r Blo#k and /r ,a#kle,< Nero said, s#anning one o0 the s#reens mounted on his desk. FNow, /iss Brand, would you like to e-plain to me what this mysterious message is that one o0 my most loyal and longDser3ing tea#hers was so keen to stop you 0rom sharingI< Laura pulled a s#rap o0 paper 0rom her po#ket on whi#h she<d #opied down the de#rypted message. &he handed it to Nero and he read the message aloud. . QQ,ransmission &tartQQ Pa#kage has le0t =.7.;.>. *estination ,okyo sa0e house. >-e#ute atta#k plan at 0irst opportunity. QQ,ransmission >ndQQ . Nero Cabbed at a button on his desk. FGet me Aa3en, N@(K<

. FGround 0loor,< the so0t me#hani#al 3oi#e said as the doors o0 the ele3ator slid open. Aa3en stepped out into the lobby o0 the sa0eDhouse building and slowly looked around. /alpense and Fan#hu would be lea3ing 0or the 0uneral in Cust a 0ew minutes and she was per0orming her 0inal sweep o0 the perimeter be0ore the agents brought the two boys down. 7n the #entre o0 the lobby the door guard sat with his ba#k to her, the 0li#kering array o0 monitors mounted on the desk in 0ront o0 him showing di00erent 3iews 0rom all o3er the building. &he walked up to the desk. F>3erything #lear, 2gent &e3enI< she asked, pla#ing a hand on his shoulder. 2t her tou#h the agent slumped 0orwards on to the desk, his head striking the hard wooden sur0a#e with a thud. 2s Aa3en rea#hed 0or his ne#k to #he#k 0or a pulse that she already knew was not there, the 3iews displayed on the monitors in 0ront o0 her began to blink out one by one. &omething was systemati#ally shutting down the building<s se#urity systems G somebody was inside the building. F6ome in, 2gent Hero,< Aa3en barked into her #ommuni#ator. ,here was no response but the so0t hissing o0 stati#. 6ommuni#ations Cammed too G whoe3er was here was #learly a pro0essional. Aa3en turned on the spot and ran ba#k towards the ele3ator #arriages at the rear o0 the lobby. &he stabbed at the #all button and was 0rustrated but not surprised that suddenly neither o0 the #arriages were working. &he glan#ed at the digital display below the #all button and saw that both o0 the li0ts had been dea#ti3ated. (hoe3er was doing this had ob3iously waited 0or her to #ome down to the lobby be0ore setting their plan in motion. Aa3en was now separated 0rom the students and agents upstairs by 0orty storeys o0 stairs. &he #ould hardly ha3e planned it better hersel0. &he ran towards the stairwellE it looked as i0 she was going to ha3e to do this the hard way. Jp in the penthouse, @tto looked at himsel0 in the mirror. Both he and (ing had 0ound identi#al imma#ulately tailored dark suits hanging in the wardrobe that morning and @tto had to admit that he was 0inding wearing one rather odd. =e knew that there was no way they were going to a 0uneral in their =.7.;.>. uni0orm Cumpsuits, but he had not been prepared 0or how odd it would 0eel to wear something di00erent a0ter all this time. ,he suit had 0itted per0e#tly, o0 #ourse, but @tto #ould not shake the 0eeling that it was the person who did not 0it the suit, rather than the other way around. @tto smiled at (ing as he walked into the room, and #hu#kled to himsel0. FYou know, we almost look like normal #i3ilised members o0 so#iety,< @tto said, brushing a pie#e o0 lint o00 his lapel. F7 ne3er thought 7 would say this,< (ing said, running his 0inger under his #ollar, Fbut #an 7 ha3e my uni0orm ba#k, pleaseI< @tto laughed. =e was pleased to see that e3en on a day like this his 0riend #ould still make a Coke. =e<d been worried about (ing e3er sin#e he<d been gi3en the news o0 his 0ather<s death, but it 0inally seemed that he was starting to 0eel better. @tto hoped that the 0uneral might at last gi3e some resolution to this whole situation 0or (ing, that he might be able to mo3e on. F>3erything ready out thereI< @tto asked, gi3ing his tie a 0inal adCustment. F7t looks like it. Aa3en has Cust le0t so 7 suspe#t we will be 0ollowing shortly. 2gent Hero asked me to remind you to bring your Bla#kbo-, by the way.< (ing tossed the bla#k P*2 to @tto, who popped it obediently into his inside po#ket. =e knew that the bo- was pa#ked with tra#king de3i#es but under the #ir#umstan#es he<d rather ha3e it and not need it, than need it and not ha3e it. (ing turned and headed ba#k out the door. @tto 0ollowed him into the entran#e hall,

6hapter &e3en

where 2gents @ne and Hero were waiting 0or them. FGood morning, gentlemen,< 2gent Hero said with a smile. F(e<ll be lea3ing 3ery shortly. (e<re Cust waiting 0or Aa3en to #omplete the 0inal perimeter #he#ks, and then we<ll be on our way.< F7t<s been 0i3e minutes,< 2gent @ne said, looking at his wat#h and 0rowning slightly. F7<m going to gi3e her a #all.< 2gent @ne walked o3er to a panel mounted on the wall and thumbed a button. F,his is 2gent @ne to Aa3en. 6ome in, Aa3en.< ,here was no reply, Cust hissing stati#. FAepeat, this is 2gent @ne. 6ome in, Aa3en . . . #ome in.< &till there was no reply, and a worried glan#e shot between the two agents. FPull up the se#urity 0eeds,< 2gent Hero instru#ted, looking again at his wat#h. 2gent @ne #ontinued to press buttons on the panel but the la#k o0 anything on the display indi#ated that the system was not responding. F,his isn<t good,< 2gent Hero said, genuine #on#ern in his 3oi#e. &uddenly a kla-on started to sound and a red light began to blink abo3e the main door to the sa0e house. F*amn it,< 2gent @ne spat, rea#hing inside his Ca#ket and pulling out a large handgun, Fwe<3e been brea#hed. Get them to the roo0K 7<ll keep trying to raise Aa3en.< 2gent Hero nodded and gestured 0or the two boys to 0ollow him along the hall. ,here was a #rash 0rom behind them and the main door shook in its 0rame. F,hat was a brea#hing #harge,< 2gent @ne shouted. FGet them #lear N@(K< ,here was another bang, e3en louder than the 0irst, and the main door 0lew open in a #loud o0 thi#k smoke. 2t 0irst, it was impossible to make out anything but dark shapes ad3an#ing through the ruined doorway, but as the smoke #leared their mysterious assailants emerged. ,heir sinuous 0orms, #lad entirely in bla#k silk ad3an#ed slowly, silently and relentlessly down the hall. ,he material they wore seemed to absorb the light, lea3ing bla#k holes in the air. Not an in#h o0 skin was 3isible anywhere G e3en their eyes were #on#ealed behind bla#k glass strips. FNinCas,< 2gent @ne laughed. F7 eat ninCas 0or break0ast.< =e raised his gun and 0ired. ,he initial two rounds hit the 0irst ninCa in the #hest and the third in the #entre o0 the 0orehead. >a#h round should ha3e killed the bla#kD#lad assassin but he didn<t e3en slow down, Cust #ontinued ad3an#ing towards 2gent @ne. ,he smile rapidly 0aded 0rom 2gent @ne<s 0a#e as he 0ired again into the ad3an#ing 0igure. ,he bullets didn<t e3en #ause the ninCa to break his step. F,he roo0K N@(K< 2gent @ne yelled as he rea#hed ba#k inside his Ca#ket. =is hand reD emerged holding a small white tube. F6ome on,< 2gent Hero barked, and leapt up the stairs at the end o0 the hall two at a time. @tto and (ing ran a0ter him G whoe3er these atta#kers were they were not going to be easy to stop. Behind them 2gent @ne pressed the stud on the white tube he was holding and tossed it down the hallway. ,here was a highDpit#hed whine and then a bright yellow e-plosion that 0illed the #orridor. 2gent @ne was thrown o00 his 0eet, landing at the bottom o0 the stairs to the roo0. =e shook his head to #lear the ringing in his ears and looked ba#k down the smokeD0illed #orridor. G.L.@.;.>. antiDpersonnel grenades didn<t lea3e mu#h to #han#e G he #ould not see any mo3ement but in the gloom it was hard to make out anything. =e raised his gun again and ad3an#ed slowly down the smoky #orridor. (ithout any warning a bla#kDglo3ed hand shot out o0 the smoke and #lamped around 2gent @ne<s windpipe. =e let out an astonished gurgle and instin#ti3ely 0ired se3eral rounds 0rom his pistol at whoe3er was atta#king him, but the grip did not e3en loosen. ,he hand suddenly twisted, its grip still like iron, and there was a si#kening #run#h. 2gent @ne<s head lolled to one side, his eyes unblinking, and 0inally the hand released

its grip. ,he agent<s body #rumpled to the 0loor like a puppet whose strings had been #ut. 2s Aa3en ran into the stairwell, the unmistakeable sound o0 multiple brea#hing #harges being detonated e#hoed down 0rom 0ar o3erhead. Aa3en shed the long dark #oat she had been wearing and un#lipped her grappler 0rom its holster on her thigh. &he snapped the laun#her on to her wrist and pointed it straight up the middle o0 the stairwell, a laser beam shooting upwards and reporting the range to the top o0 the building. Aa3en 0ired the grappler straight upE there was Cust enough line to rea#h the top 0loor but she had no idea i0 the bolt<s 3elo#ity would be su00i#ient to rea#h that 0ar. ,here was a se#ond<s delay but then the bolt stru#k home, lodging 0irmly in the #eiling at the top o0 the stairs. Aa3en muttered a 'ui#k thank you to whoe3er had designed the de3i#e and hit the button that reeled the line in. &he shot up the #entre o0 the stairwell like a bullet, the metal guard rails o0 the steps around her Cust in#hes away as she whistled past them. 2s she rea#hed the top her as#ent slowed until she was le3el with the 0inal landing. &he swung her legs o3er the guard rail and released the grappler bolt 0rom the #eiling, dropping silently to the 0loor. ,here was the sound o0 gun0ire 0rom the other side o0 the door that led out o0 the stairwell. Aa3en rea#hed instin#ti3ely 0or the twin katanas on her ba#k and spat a 'uiet #urse in Aussian as she realised that her weapons were inside the sa0e house. &he had le0t them behind be#ause there was no way to #on#eal them beneath the #oat she had been wearing, a de#ision that she had a 0eeling she was going to regret. &he rea#hed down to her belt and un#lipped one o0 the multiple shuriken that were mounted there. &he may not ha3e had her swords, but that didn<t mean that she was de0en#eless. Aa3en ki#ked the stairwell door open and rolled into the #orridor leading to the sa0eD house entran#e. ,he #orridor was 0illed with smoke and debris 0rom the brea#hing #harges but was otherwise empty. &uddenly she heard 3oi#es shouting 0rom inside the sa0e house. F,he roo0, N@(K< 7t was 2gent @ne, he was still ali3e and it sounded as i0 they were heading 0or the roo0 and the es#ape lines. &he ran down the #orridor and through the shattered remains o0 the main entran#e to the apartment. &he was Cust in time to see one o0 the assailants snap 2gent @ne<s ne#k like a dry twig and his limp body #rumpling to the ground. FNoK< she shouted, throwing the shuriken at the ninCa who had Cust murdered her #olleague. ,he assassin mo3ed unbelie3ably 'ui#kly, snat#hing the shuriken 0rom the air and throwing it straight ba#k at Aa3en. &he twisted her body instin#ti3ely as the lethal throwing star whistled past her throat and #ar3ed a deep #ut in her shoulder. Aa3en was #aught o00 balan#e 0or a moment and the ninCa took the opportunity to laun#h himsel0 at her, a 0lurry o0 ki#ks and pun#hes 0or#ing her ba#k towards the door. ,he remaining hal0 doBen assailants s#ampered down the #orridor, silently 0ollowing 2gent Hero and the two boys up the stairs towards the roo0. Aa3en was barely holding her own. ,he ninCa<s blows were pre#ise and lightningD'ui#kE it was all that she #ould do Cust to blo#k the strikes that were meant to kill. Not only that, but whoe3er this assassin was he was wearing some kind o0 body armour under his uni0orm G it was like hitting a bri#k wall. &he landed a #ouple o0 'ui#k blows on her atta#ker and di3ed sideways through the door into the dining area. ,he assassin 0ollowed her into the room, his mo3ements silent and neat, his head turning to sur3ey the room. ,he two o0 them #ir#led ea#h other, ea#h waiting 0or the right moment to strike. 7t was a long time sin#e someone had mat#hed Aa3en like this in a straight 0ight. &he needed an edge. Aa3en di3ed o3er the #ounter into the kit#hen area and in a single 0lowing mo3ement grabbed the hea3iest blade she #ould see 0rom the kni0e blo#k. =er atta#ker saw what

was #oming and du#ked to one side as the kni0e whistled past his head and stru#k one o0 the windows that lined one side o0 the room, sending a spiderweb o0 #ra#ks shooting a#ross the hardened glass. Aa3en didn<t gi3e the ninCa time to re#o3erE she 3aulted ba#k o3er the #ounter and laun#hed a ki#k at his masked 0a#e, but he #aught her 0oot and threw her a#ross the room like a rag doll. &he slammed into the wall, the wind kno#ked 0rom her. 2s Aa3en struggled to regain her breath, she realised that there was something 3ery wrong. Bad enough that this assassin appeared to be Cust as 0ast as her, but he had Cust thrown her a#ross the room like a toy without e3en appearing to e-ert himsel0. &he had to end this, and 'ui#kly. Aa3en knew that Cust subduing her atta#ker was not going to be enough, and as she got ba#k up, she bra#ed hersel0 0or another atta#k, knowing what she had to do. ,he ninCa mo3ed 'ui#kly and gra#e0ully towards her and Aa3en mo3ed 0orward hersel0, meeting him in the middle o0 the room. ,he assassin laun#hed a 3i#ious ki#k at Aa3en<s head that she only Cust managed to blo#k G she #ould 0eel hersel0 slowing down, the relentless pa#e o0 the 0ight taking its toll. 2nother 3iolent pun#h #onne#ted with Aa3en<s side and she 0elt a rib #ra#kE gasping in pain, she 0ell to one knee. ,he assassin #ould #learly sense that 3i#tory was nearE he stepped slowly towards Aa3en<s huddled 0orm, raising a single 0ist 0or the hammer blow that would end the 0ight on#e and 0or all. Aa3en mo3ed in a blur, all o0 her remaining strength put into the single upwards pun#h aimed dire#tly at her atta#ker<s heart. ,he blow stru#k home and Aa3en knew the 0ight was o3er. ,he ninCa staggered ba#kwards a #ouple o0 steps G #lut#hing at his #hest, he would be dead in se#onds. But then he stopped, straightened up and ad3an#ed on Aa3en again. For the 0irst time in a long time Aa3en 0elt the un#om0ortable pri#kling o0 pani# at the base o0 her skull. ,hat strike would ha3e killed any man ali3e and yet this assassin seemed to ha3e shaken it o00 in Cust a #ouple o0 se#onds. =ow was she going to beat himI Aa3en threw a 'ui#k pun#h at the assassin<s 0orehead, but he twisted away, meaning that she stru#k no more than a glan#ing blow. Be0ore she #ould rea#t the ninCa stru#k like a snake, twisting Aa3en o00 balan#e and wrapping his 0orearm around her ne#k, lo#king her in a stranglehold. Aa3en<s training took o3er and she tensed her ne#k mus#les Cust in time to pre3ent her windpipe 0rom being #rushed, but try as she might she #ould not break the hold the assassin had on her. &he 0ought to stop the pressure that was building on her throat, but it was no good G he was too strong. Bla#kness 0ringed Aa3en<s 0ield o0 3ision as her brain was slowly star3ed o0 o-ygen. &he thought o0 the agent and the two boys being #hased to the roo0 by the remaining assassins, she thought o0 how she was going to 0ail them. &he looked out at the ,okyo skyline as she began to pass out, wondering i0 the 3iew through the window was the last thing she<d e3er see. ,he 3iew through the window . . . the #ra#ked window. Aa3en didn<t hesitate 0or a moment. &he drew on e3ery iota o0 strength that was le0t in her body and threw the assassin o3er her shoulder. 7t was a simple enough Cudo throw, but the man atta#king her was hea3y in all his armour, despite his slight 0rame, and the mo3e used that weight against him. ,he ninCa sailed o3er Aa3en<s head, #aught hopelessly o00Dguard by the speed and suddenness o0 the mo3e, and smashed through the huge pi#ture window, tumbling in the 3oid. ,hey were 0i0ty storeys up and there was no way but straight down. 2s he 0ell he did not make a single sound. ,hrough the shattered window, 0rom 0ar below, Aa3en #ould hear #ar horns and s#reams. 70 that didn<t draw the attention o0 the authorities then she didn<t know what would. &he hurried 0rom the dining area and a#ross the #orridor into her own room. Lying there on the bed were the dual katanas that she #ould 3ery mu#h ha3e used Cust a 0ew minutes earlier. F6ome on, girls,< Aa3en said as she pi#ked up the twin s#abbards and strapped them to

her ba#k, Fwe<3e got work to do.< @tto and (ing ra#ed up the stairwell towards the roo0, three steps at a time. 2gent Hero was still ahead o0 them, shouting at them to keep mo3ing as they approa#hed the top. 1ust a #ouple o0 0lights o0 stairs behind them the hal0 doBen ninCas who had 0ollowed them into the stairwell #ontinued their relentless, silent pursuit. 2s they rea#hed the door at the top o0 the stairs 2gent Hero pulled a tiny remote #ontrol 0rom his po#ket and thumbed a button. ,he door responded by 'ui#kly sliding aside and letting them out on to the roo0. ,hey sprinted out into the daylight and 2gent Hero pointed to a metal bo- on the opposite edge o0 the roo0. F,hose are the es#ape lines. 70 we #an make it there we<re home and dry,< he said, his breath short 0rom their headlong 0light up the stairs. =e turned ba#k towards the doorway and thumbed the remote again. ,he door started to slide shut, but Cust as it was about to shut #ompletely a bla#kDglo3ed hand shot into the narrowing gap between the door and the 0rame, holding it open. @tto #ould hear the motors dri3ing the door s'uealing in protest as the gap was 0or#ed open until suddenly there was a terminalD sounding grinding noise 0rom the door and the motors ga3e up the 0ight. ,he ninCa easily pushed the door 0ully open and he and his #ompanions spilled out o0 the stairwell and on to the roo0. 2gent Hero and the two boys tore a#ross the roo0 towards the es#ape linesE there was no way ba#k now and they were in no #ondition to go toeDtoDtoe with these superDhuman assailants. ,hey were only ten metres 0rom the metal bo- that housed their apparent means o0 es#ape when there was a sudden roaring noise and a large bla#k heli#opter soared up and o3er the edge o0 the roo0, dropping into a ho3er dire#tly abo3e the es#ape lines. ,he large side door o0 the heli#opter slid open and a man wearing a smooth bla#k glass mask and a long bla#k #oat leant out, sighting the boys down the long barrel o0 a ri0le with a power0ul teles#opi# sight mounted on its ba#k. F&tay where you are,< an ampli0ied 3oi#e ordered 0rom the ho3ering #hopper. F&urrender yoursel3es now and there will be no need 0or any 0urther unpleasantness.< 2gent Hero turned to look behind them. ,he ninCas were now only twenty metres away, hal0way between them and the stairwell. ,hey were trapped. F(hat are you doing, 6ypherI< 2gent Hero yelled. F,his is a G.L.@.;.>. sa0e houseK 2re you insaneI ,his is an a#t o0 warK< FNo, 2gent Hero, this is an a#t o0 war,< 6ypher replied and s'ueeBed the trigger. ,he round hit 2gent Hero s'uarely in the #hest, killing him instantly. FNow, pla#e your hands on your heads and kneel down, unless you want to Coin the agent in the a0terli0e,< 6ypher #ontinued. F*o as he says,< @tto whispered to (ing. =e hated the idea o0 surrender but it was their only option. 2t least i0 they were ali3e there was a #han#e that they #ould work out a way to es#ape later. F7 would rather die 0ighting,< (ing said, taking a step towards the heli#opter as it slowly dropped down on to the roo0. F(ingK No, we don<t know anything about these people, they #ould be G< 70 (ing was paying any attention to @tto he showed no sign o0 it. 7nstead he took another #ouple o0 steps towards the heli#opter, his long bla#k hair whipped around by the downdra0t 0rom the rotors. 6ypher handed the ri0le to someone else inside the heli#opter and stepped down on to the roo0. (ing stepped towards him. FNot one step #loser, Fan#hu.< 6ypher raised a large pistol and pointed it straight at (ing<s #hest. F7<m 'uite aware o0 what you<re #apable o0.< F7<m not a0raid o0 you,< (ing replied, and took a single step towards 6ypher. F(ell, you should be,< 6ypher replied and shot (ing in the #hest.

(ing<s eyes widened, his mouth 0alling open, one hand mo3ing in3oluntarily to the wound. 2s he pulled his hand away it was #o3ered in blood, and he dropped to his knees, desperately trying to take a 0ew ragged breaths be0ore 0alling 0orward on to the #on#rete. FNooooooKKK< @tto s#reamed and leapt 0orward, his usual #old logi# suddenly repla#ed by 0ury. =e 0elt hands #lamp down on his shoulders like 3i#es as two o0 the ninCas who had #hased them to the roo0 pushed him ba#k to his knees. FYou 0our,< 6ypher gestured to the remaining ninCas, Fload the body on to the transport.< =e walked o3er to where the two other ninCas were pinning @tto down on his knees. 2ll that @tto #ould see as 6ypher looked down at him was the re0le#tion o0 his own 0urious 0a#e, tears running down his #heeks. F2nd you, /r /alpense,< 6ypher said 'uietly, F7 ha3e no use 0or you.< =e looked up at the two assassins who held @tto in pla#e. FLill him.< Aa3en ran out on to the roo0 Cust in time to see 6ypher shoot (ing. &he gasped as the tall 2sian boy #ollapsed to the ground, 0eeling the rage rising inside her as she sprinted silently a#ross the roo0 towards the heli#opter and 6ypher. &he had no idea why he would suddenly #hoose to atta#k them this dire#tly. =e #ould not hope to get away with this without G.L.@.;.>. knowing that he<d gone rogue. ,his was a dire#t atta#k, in the open G he was either insane or had no 0ear o0 the #onse'uen#es that his a#tions would ine3itably ha3e. &he wasn<t sure whi#h 0rightened her more. &he mo3ed silently 0rom shadow to shadow, using the #ooling 3ents and airD#onditioning plants that were dotted around the roo0 0or #o3er. &he had made her way to within ten metres o0 @tto when she heard 6ypher speak. FLill him.< Aa3en did not stop to think. 2s she popped up 0rom behind the 3ent that was #on#ealing her she let a shuriken 0ly. 7t whistled past 6ypher<s ne#k, Cust s#rat#hing him, and embedded itsel0 in the metal skin o0 the heli#opter. ,he distra#tion this #aused ga3e Aa3en the time she needed to #lose the distan#e between hersel0 and @tto. ,he twin katanas slid 0rom their s#abbards on her ba#k and she laun#hed a withering assault on the two assassins, 0or#ing them to release their hold on @tto in order to de0end themsel3es. 6ypher, meanwhile, sprinted ba#k towards the heli#opter. ,he ninCas had loaded (ing<s body on board and were now #limbing on. =e leapt up into the 0uselage as the sounds o0 the 0urious battle between Aa3en and his two assassins e#hoed 0rom behind him. FGet us out o0 here. (e<3e got what we #ame 0or,< he barked at the pilot, who did not need to be told twi#e. =e wren#hed at the #ontrols and the heli#opter leapt into the air with a roar. Aa3en #ould do nothing to stop the heli#opter taking o00 G it was all she #ould do to hold her own against the two ninCas le0t on the roo0 and keep @tto ali3e. ,hey had atta#ked relentlessly sin#e she<d inter3ened to pre3ent @tto<s e-e#ution and despite her unparalleled physi#al #ondition she was starting to tire. =er atta#kers, though, ne3er seemed to slow down, but Cust kept ad3an#ing remorselessly, dri3ing her ba#k. F&tay ba#k, @tto,< she said, keeping hersel0 between the boy and the assassins. Aa3en knew that she had to 0inish this as 'ui#kly as possible. ,he lo#al authorities would already be on their way and she had to get word ba#k to Nero o0 what had happened. &he took a long, deep breath, trying to 0ind her 0o#us as the assassins ad3an#ed towards her again, side by side, their mo3ements per0e#tly syn#hronised. Aa3en leapt. &he sailed o3er their heads, her swords swi3elling in her hands to point ba#kwards as she 0lew through the air. &he landed, dropped to one knee and, with her eyes #losed,

thrust the twin blades ba#kwards with e3ery oun#e o0 her remaining strength. @tto wat#hed in astonishment as the two blades erupted 0rom the bla#k silk that #o3ered the ninCas< #hests. Both o0 the assassins twit#hed a #ouple o0 times be0ore they #ollapsed to their knees. Aa3en opened her eyes and pulled the swords 0orward again, yanking them 0ree o0 the two bodies, whi#h then slowly 0ell to the 0loor and lay still. Aa3en looked at the blades in surprise. ,hey were spotless G there wasn<t a drop o0 blood on either o0 them. F(hat the G< she said, but was #ut short by an insistent beeping noise that had suddenly started to #ome 0rom the two bodies. &he<d heard that sound be0ore. &he instantly sur3eyed their surroundings G no immediate #o3er and no time to run, anyway. @tto had no idea what was happening as Aa3en sprinted towards him and leapt 0orward, hitting him and pushing them both o3er the edge o0 the roo0 and into thin air, 0i0ty storeys up. ,hen the world e-ploded. 6ypher looked down as the heli#opter #limbed into the air. ,he entire top three storeys o0 the sa0eDhouse building had been #onsumed by the e-plosionE there was no way that anyone down there #ould ha3e sur3i3ed. =e glan#ed at the body lying on the 0loor o0 the heli#opter and 0elt a sense o0 satis0a#tion. ,hey had a#hie3ed their obCe#ti3e, they had e3erything they needed, and it was Cust an additional bonus that Nero<s pet assassin was now out o0 the pi#ture as well. =e had re#ognised the other boy 0rom the report that Nero had gi3en on the re#ent 0ias#o that had taken pla#e at =.7.;.>. and, while it was regrettable that the boy had been #aught up in e3ents, he had no reason to suppose that the world would mourn the passing o0 @tto /alpense. F*estination, sirI< the #oDpilot asked as they #ontinued to gain altitude. F&et #ourse 0or the Forge. Phase one o0 the operation is #omplete G radio ahead and gi3e the order to #ommen#e preparation and loadDout 0or phase two,< 6ypher replied. 70 Nero thought he was ha3ing a bad day now, what was going to happen ne-t would doubtless put it all into perspe#ti3e.

. @tto 0elt as i0 a giant hand had pi#ked him up and thrown him o00 the roo0 o0 the building. Aa3en #lung on to him with a grip like iron as they tumbled towards the ground, burning debris 0rom the upper 0loors #as#ading past all around them. Aa3en knew that she only had one shot. &he stret#hed out one arm and there was the distin#ti3e sound o0 the highDpressure dis#harge o0 a grappler bolt. ,he line snaked away 0rom them through the air be0ore the bolt hit the side o0 a building on the other side o0 the street. &he had no idea i0 the grappler would be able to hold them both 0alling at this speed, but it was the only #han#e they had. ,he line snapped taut and Aa3en let out an in3oluntary #ry as her arm took the 0ull weight o0 both her and @tto, her grip on the boy slipping slightly with the sho#k. ,hey swung inwards now towards the mirroredDglass 0rontage o0 the building opposite the sa0e house. ,he reel o0 the grappler s#ree#hed and smoked in protest at the enormous o3erload that it was enduring. Aa3en knew that they were tra3elling too 0ast G i0 they hit toughened glass at this speed it would kill them Cust as surely as i0 they had hit the ground. Aa3en bra#ed hersel0 0or the ine3itable impa#t as they swung, but at the 0inal se#ond she saw that the enormous e-plosion on the other side o0 the street had partially shattered the glass o0 the windows. &he twisted desperately, swi3elling her ba#k towards the glass, shielding @tto. ,he impa#t kno#ked the wind 0rom her #ompletely, but the window smashed into a million pie#es as they hit. Aa3en released the grappler line and she and @tto were thrown a#ross the o00i#e in whi#h they had landed, sliding to an undigni0ied halt amongst the s#attered o00i#e e'uipment and 0urniture. Aa3en sat up. =er shoulder 0elt as i0 it was on 0ire, and she a#hed all o3er 0rom her 0ight with the ninCas, but she was in one pie#e. &he looked urgently around the room. 7t was deserted G it was still too early in the morning 0or any workers to ha3e arri3ed. F/alpenseK< she shouted. =e was nowhere to be seen. ,here was a groan 0rom behind her and she turned to see @tto sliding out 0rom underneath a 0allen #ubi#le di3ider. F2re you @LI< Aa3en asked, mo3ing o3er to him and #he#king him 0or any ob3ious inCuries. =e seemed to be unharmed but it was not Cust his physi#al state that she was worried about. FYeah, 7 think so,< @tto replied, his ears still ringing 0rom the e-plosion. =e 0elt as i0 he was going to be #o3ered in bruises, but he was ali3e at least. ,hat was more than he #ould say 0or his best 0riend. ,he memory o0 the look o0 horri0ied surprise on (ing<s 0a#e as the bullet stru#k him #ut through the 0uBB o0 sho#k that seemed to 0ill @tto<s head. ,he sound o0 s#reaming and #ountless sirens dri0ted through the broken window as bits o0 burning paper and debris #ontinued to 0lutter past outside. F(e ha3e to get out o0 here,< Aa3en said 0irmly. F7 know that it<s di00i#ult, but we ha3e to keep going a little longer. (e ha3e to get to sa0ety and report what Cust happened.< @tto nodded. Aa3en pulled @tto to his 0eet and held him by both shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. F7 promise that 7<ll make 6ypher pay 0or what he<s done, but to do that we ha3e to get away 0rom here right now. 7 need you to 0o#us, @tto.< @tto didn<t 0eel like he had enough strength to take another step, but he knew that Aa3en was right. =e 0elt a #old, hard ball 0orming in the pit o0 his stoma#h. =e would not stop now, not until he had a3enged (ing. FLet<s go,< @tto said. =e may not know anything about who 6ypher was or why he<d done this, but he did know one thing . . . he was going to pay.

6hapter >ight

F2nythingI< Nero asked impatiently as the #ommuni#ations o00i#er worked 0ranti#ally at the #onsole. F&till. Nothing, sir. 7 #an<t raise the sa0e house or any o0 the agents, they<3e Cust gone dark.< ,he te#hni#ian shook his head as he spoke. =.7.;.>.<s #ommuni#ations and sur3eillan#e department was abuBB with a#ti3ity. >3er sin#e Laura had presented the de#rypted message to Nero, there had been desperate e00orts to establish what e-a#tly was going on in ,okyo, but so 0ar they had met with little su##ess. F&ir,< a 3oi#e was raised 0rom the other side o0 the room, F7 think 7 ha3e something. 7<3e piggyba#ked us on to the 0eed 0rom a 6hinese sur3eillan#e satellite G the angle<s not great and there<s a 0i3eDminute lag on realDtime, but it<s the best #o3erage we<re going to get.< FPutting it on the main s#reen,< the te#hni#ian #ontinued as the huge #entral display that was mounted on the wall 0li#kered into li0e. 2t 0irst there was nothing unusual about the imageryE it appeared to be Cust a normal 0eed 0rom a satellite #amera that was trained on the G.L.@.;.>. sa0eDhouse building, but it 'ui#kly be#ame #lear that there was something 3ery wrong. F,here,< the 6ontessa said, pointing at the s#reen as three tiny 0igures burst on to the roo0 0rom the stairwell and ran towards the 0ar side o0 the building. FFreeBe and enhan#e.< ,he grainy pi#ture 0roBe as =.7.;.>.mind worked silently to enhan#e the 'uality o0 the image. 2s the pi-ellation was redu#ed, the identities o0 the three people on the roo0 be#ame #lear. F,hat<s /alpense, Fan#hu and 2gent Hero,< the 6ontessa #ontinued, s#anning the pi#tures 0or any 0urther #lue as to what had happened, Fbut who are theyI< ,he three tiny 0igures that had run on to the roo0 were now being pursued by hal0 a doBen people, who were pouring out o0 the stairwell. 2gain the team worked to enhan#e the 'uality o0 the images, but there was little that #ould be made out o0 these bla#kD#lad 0igures other than the 0a#t that they were #learly pursuing the two boys and the agent. Nero<s 0rown deepened. FPi#king up a lot o0 #hatter on the ,okyo emergen#y ser3i#es bands,< another te#hni#ian reported, staring into the middle distan#e as he 0o#used on the stream o0 e-#ited 1apanese 3oi#es that 0illed his earphones. F,here<s some kind o0 disturban#e in &hinCuku, something to do with an e-plosion.< @n the main s#reen Nero wat#hed with a sense o0 mounting horror as a heli#opter popped into 3iew o3er the side o0 the building. ,here was no audio to drown out the gasps that #ame 0rom around the room as 2gent Hero 0olded to the ground G they all knew an e-e#ution when they saw one. Nero was 0illed with a sense o0 helplessnessE this was the past, there was nothing that he #ould do about it now but wat#h, and the role o0 passi3e obser3er did not suit him well. F@h no,< the 6ontessa said as a 0igure stepped down 0rom the heli#opter that had Cust landed on the roo0. Nero<s eyes narrowed, and he 0elt white hot anger rising inside him. =e did not need image enhan#ement to re#ognise this man. F6ypher,< Nero spat. F7 should ha3e known.< Nero and the 6ontessa wat#hed, appalled, as the e3ents o0 Cust 0i3e minutes be0ore played out on the s#reen in 0ront o0 them. ,hey wat#hed as Fan#hu approa#hed 6ypher and /alpense was pinned down by two o0 the mysterious 0igures that had pursued them on to the roo0. ,hey saw 6ypher raise a pistolE there was a tiny 0lash and Fan#hu #rumpled to the ground. FNoK< Nero shouted. 6ypher had Cust e-e#uted one o0 his students in #old blood. 7t was a

de#laration o0 war, plain and simple, and the auda#ity o0 an atta#k like this in broad daylight meant that 6ypher wanted e3eryone to know it. FLook, there,< the 6ontessa said suddenly, pointing out another 0igure that was s#urrying to #o3er behind one o0 the numerous 3ents and ma#hine plants that dotted the roo0. Nero immediately re#ognised this new arri3al. ,here was only one person on earth who mo3ed 'uite like that? Aa3en. ,hey wat#hed as Aa3en laun#hed her atta#k. 6ypher was running ba#k to the heli#opter as she atta#ked the two men restraining /alpense and 0or the 0irst time Nero 0elt a sense o0 hope. 2 #ouple o0 the te#hni#ians yelled their appro3al as they wat#hed Aa3en neatly dispose o0 the two assassins, but, as they 0ell, something strange happened. Aa3en ran towards /alpense, threw hersel0 at him and kno#ked them both 0lying towards the edge o0 the roo0. ,hen the pi#ture whited out. 2t 0irst it looked like they<d lost the 0eed to the satellite, but as the pi#ture 0aded ba#k in it be#ame immediately apparent that the in#redibly sensiti3e #ameras o0 the orbital spy plat0orm had been o3erwhelmed by the intensity o0 the massi3e e-plosion that engul0ed the entire roo0. ,he sa0e house was gone. 6ypher<s heli#opter #limbed into the air out o0 the 0rame and 3anished, lea3ing nothing but a s#ene o0 total de3astation. ,here was no way that anyone #ould ha3e sur3i3ed. Nero suddenly 0elt 3ery old. 7n the spa#e o0 two minutes he had wat#hed a trusted G.L.@.;.>. operati3e, two o0 his best students and Aa3en all die at the hands o0 one man. Nero #ould not begin to guess what might ha3e dri3en 6ypher to #arry out an atta#k like this. (hate3er his twisted moti3ation, it was enough to mean that he did not 0ear the ine3itable reprisals 0rom G.L.@.;.>. that su#h an a#t would bring. FGet me Number @ne,< Nero said to the #ommuni#ations te#hni#ian. 6ypher was about to learn what it meant to #ross /a-imilian Nero. @tto #lung on to Aa3en 0or dear li0e as she pushed the s#reaming motorbike to go 0aster and 0aster, wea3ing through the snarledDup tra00i# o0 downtown ,okyo. =e tried #losing his eyes to make the Courney less hairDraising, but e3ery time he did the bla#kness was 0illed with the startled e-pression on (ing<s 0a#e as 6ypher<s bullet stru#k him. @tto de#ided that the #ars shooting past only in#hes away were less disturbing. &lowly the 0low o0 tra00i# de#reased as they #ontinued their breakne#k Courney east through the #ity. @tto had no idea 0rom where Aa3en had a#'uired the bike but he suspe#ted that its pre3ious owner had little idea that they had Fborrowed< it. Aa3en had simply 3anished into the #rowd when they had le0t the building in whi#h they<d made their less than gra#e0ul landing, ha3ing ordered him to stay put. &he<d roared up to the kerb on the big sil3er bike a #ouple o0 minutes later, Cammed the only #rash helmet on his head and told him to hang on. From then till now he doubted that their speed had dropped into double digits more than a #ouple o0 times. ,hey seemed to be heading into the do#ks. ,he skys#rapers and shops that had been lining the streets were repla#ed by towering #olumns o0 shipping #ontainers, and enormous #ranes looming ominously o3erhead. Aa3en shot through a #he#kpoint that led into a 0en#edDo00 area o0 the port, and a se#urity guard gesti#ulated wildly at them as they wea3ed through the automated barrier he #ontrolled. Aa3en gunned the engine and sent the bike roaring between the rows o0 neatly sta#ked #ontainers, turning this way and that, tra#ing an impossibleDtoD0ollow path through the steel maBe. 20ter a minute or two they neared a row o0 dilapidatedDlooking warehouse buildings and Aa3en 0inally slowed the bike down. &he steered towards a loading ramp that led up to a hea3y steel shutter. Pulling a small bo- 0rom a pou#h on her belt, she pressed a button. ,he shutter rolled upwards and Aa3en gunned the engine again, sending the bike 0lying up the ramp and into the darkness within. 2s soon as they were inside, Aa3en brought the bike to a s#ree#hing halt, the ba#k wheel sliding round and lea3ing a

neat semiD#ir#le o0 molten bla#k rubber on the dusty 0loor. &he pointed the #ontrol at the shutter again and it 'ui#kly rolled ba#k down into pla#e. Aa3en #ut the engine, the sudden silen#e 0illed only with the gentle ti#ks and #reaks o0 the rapidly #ooling engine. Aa3en #limbed o00 the bike and @tto pulled o00 his #rash helmet. F@L, we<re sa0e, 0or now,< Aa3en said, pulling her Bla#kbo- 0rom her belt. ,he de3i#e was dead, as it had been sin#e the moment the atta#k on the sa0e house had started. F(e need to report ba#k to =.7.;.>. (e ha3e to let them know that we<re still a#ti3e,< she #ontinued, walking away towards one o0 the separately en#losed o00i#es that lined the 0ar wall. ,he warehouse looked like it had been abandoned 0or years. 2 patina o0 dust #o3ered e3erything and what 0ew #ontainers lay s#attered around the pla#e had not been disturbed 0or a long time. F2re you sure we<re sa0eI< @tto said, 0ollowing Aa3en towards the o00i#es. F(e were supposed to be sa0e be0ore, but 6ypher seemed to know e-a#tly where to 0ind us. (hat<s to say that he doesn<t know about this pla#eI< FBe#ause, @tto, until pre#isely thirty se#onds ago, there was only one person in the world who knew about this pla#e, and that was me.< Aa3en had been trained to make sure that she always had a ba#kDup plan and this was Cust one o0 se3eral sites around the world that she had set up 0or Cust su#h an e3entuality. Not e3en Nero knew that this pla#e e-isted. F7 hope you<re right,< @tto said 'uietly. 2n hour ago he would ha3e belie3ed Aa3en #ompletely, but it was be#oming #lear that they were up against an enemy that had resour#es 0ar beyond what was normal. Aa3en pun#hed a series o0 numbers into a keypad ne-t to one o0 the o00i#e doors and it opened with a de#epti3ely solid #lunking noise. @tto 0ollowed her into the o00i#e and it 'ui#kly be#ame #lear that, as was so o0ten the #ase with Aa3en, there was a lot more to this simple building than met the eye. @ne end o0 the room was 0illed with a wellDsto#ked armoury G guns, kni3es and other harder to identi0y pie#es o0 e'uipment hung 0rom wall mountings. ,he rest o0 the room was 0illed with pra#ti#e #ombat dummies, #hart tables, #omputers and se3eral large display s#reens. 70 you intended to stage your own pri3ate little war, this would be the pla#e 0rom whi#h to run it. Aa3en busied hersel0 about the room, swit#hing on #omputers and #he#king the building<s se#urity grid. 20ter a 0ew se#onds she nodded and turned to @tto. F@L, the perimeter<s se#ure and it doesn<t look like anyone 0ollowed us. 7 need to #onta#t *o#tor Nero, but let<s #he#k you out 0irst.< Aa3en walked o3er to @tto and took his #hin in one hand. &he looked into his eyes and turned his head 0irst one way and then the other. FNo sign o0 #on#ussion,< she said matter o0 0a#tly, Fbut that #ut needs dressing.< @tto put his hand to his hairline and looked at the blood that #ame away on his 0ingertips. =e hadn<t e3en realised he was bleeding. Aa3en steered him into a nearby #hair and then 0et#hed a small medi#al kit 0rom amongst the array o0 e'uipment at the other end o0 the room. &he sat down opposite him and tipped a 0ew drops o0 antisepti# on to a #otton swab. FYou know that there was nothing more you #ould ha3e done, rightI< Aa3en said as she dabbed #are0ully at the #ut with the #otton swab. @tto win#ed slightly as the antisepti# stung his wound. F7t would ha3e been hard 0or me to ha3e done any less,< @tto replied 'uietly. F7 Cust let him e-e#ute (ing right in 0ront o0 me.< FYou #ouldn<t ha3e stopped him, @tto. 7 #ouldn<t ha3e stopped him in that situation, so don<t blame yoursel0,< Aa3en #ontinued, pulling a small butter0ly suture 0rom its pa#ket and #are0ully applying it to @tto<s 0orehead. F,here, how does that 0eel.< Aa3en leant ba#k. &he was #o3ered in small #uts and burns hersel0 but she seemed 0ar more #on#erned about @tto.

F(ho is heI< @tto asked, looking Aa3en straight in the eye. F(hoI< she asked #are0ully as she returned the sutures and antisepti# to the 0irstDaid kit. FYou know who 7 mean. 6ypher, who is heI (hy did he do thisI< @tto replied 'ui#kly. F7 know that you<re Cust going to think 7<m being #rypti#, @tto, but the honest answer to both o0 those 'uestions is that 7 genuinely don<t know,< Aa3en said, sitting ba#k down opposite him. &omething in her e-pression told @tto that she was being straight with him. F&o what do you know about himI< he asked. FNot 3ery mu#h, 7<m a0raid,< Aa3en replied. &he looked slightly un#om0ortable, as i0 she was not sure it was something they should be talking about. F=e and Nero loathe ea#h other, 7 know that mu#h. &ome o0 it<s be#ause 6ypher keeps lobbying Number @ne to #lose down =.7.;.>., but 7 think there<s more to it than that.< F(hat do you meanI< F(ell, *o#tor Nero is one o0 the longestDser3ing members o0 G.L.@.;.>., he genuinely belie3es in the League, he thinks that it ser3es a 3ital 0un#tion. ,he way *o#tor Nero sees it is that without G.L.@.;.>., all o0 its members would still be out there #ommitting a#ts o0 3illainy but there would be nothing to restrain them. G.L.@.;.>. is not a #haritable organisation by any stret#h o0 the imagination, but it does ser3e to keep the more 3iolent or lunati# e-#esses o0 its members in #he#k. Nero belie3es that without G.L.@.;.>. there would be anar#hy . . . or worse. =e e-plained it to me on#e, he said that 3illains #reate doomsday weapons, but G.L.@.;.>. makes sure that they ne3er a#tually use them. 20ter all, what<s the point o0 taking o3er the world i0 the world is nothing but a s#or#hed ball o0 ashI< F2nd 6ypher doesn<t agree, 7 take it,< @tto replied. =e knew that Aa3en was only telling him all this to try to distra#t him 0rom thinking about what had Cust happened, but @tto needed this in0ormation. Lnow your enemy, that was rule number one. F>3ery s#heme that 6ypher has #ome up with sin#e he Coined G.L.@.;.>. has had one thing in #ommon . . . people die, sometimes a lot o0 people. 6ypher doesn<t #are about style or subtlety, he<s a smashDandDgrab artist.< F>3erything that Nero isn<t,< @tto obser3ed. F>-a#tly. But what<s worse is that he<s also been so spe#ta#ularly su##ess0ul. Nero may disappro3e o0 his methods but as long as he kept boosting G.L.@.;.>.<s #o00ers the way he did his a#tions were tolerated.< FJntil today,< @tto said 'uietly, looking down at the 0loor. FJntil today. (hate3er he may ha3e done in the past, he has ne3er a#ted openly against another G.L.@.;.>. operation. ,here<s no way that Number @ne will put up with his a#tions G he<s a dead man walking.< ,he #old edge in Aa3en<s 3oi#e was unmistakeable. 7t was 0air to assume that she intended to make sure o0 that hersel0. F2nd nobody knows who he really isI< @tto said. FNo. &ome G.L.@.;.>. operati3es do maintain se#ret identities, but that<s usually Cust to keep them under the authorities< radar. 6ypher<s di00erent, though. Nero suspe#ts that not e3en Number @ne knows who he is. (e<3e spent a great deal o0 time trying to 0ind out more about him but it seems that e3ery trail leads to another dead end. Belie3e me, 7<3e been the one 0ollowing those trails o0ten enough to know how 0rustratingly elusi3e he #an be.< F&o why throw all o0 that awayI< @tto said, looking puBBled. F7 ha3e no idea,< Aa3en said, standing up and mo3ing to one o0 the #omputers in the middle o0 the room. F=e must know that an atta#k like this will in#ur the wrath o0 Number @ne, so whate3er he<s up to has to be worth taking that risk.< @tto had learnt enough about G.L.@.;.>. and its mysterious leader to know that retaliation 0or an atta#k like this would probably be swi0t and brutal. F7t doesn<t make any sense,< @tto said, 0rustrated. F(hat #ould he hope to a#hie3e with

thisI *oes he really hate Nero and =.7.;.>. so mu#h that he<d throw e3erything away Cust to assassinate you and a #ouple o0 studentsI (hy did he take (ing<s bodyI (hat possible reason #ould he ha3e 0or any o0 thisI< F7 don<t know, @tto, but don<t worry, 7 intend to 0ind out. 70 nothing else, what happened today pro3es one thing,< Aa3en said as she keyed a string o0 #ommands into the #omputer. F(hat<s thatI< @tto said, also standing and mo3ing a#ross the room towards where Aa3en was working. F7 shouldn<t really be telling you this, but a #ouple o0 weeks ago somebody made an attempt on *o#tor Nero<s li0e. &u00i#e to say that it 0ailed, but the assassins that were used sel0Ddestru#ted in a similar, i0 less spe#ta#ular, way to our 0riends on the roo0. 7 had suspe#ted that 6ypher was in3ol3ed, but this pro3es it.< F&o this is all part o0 something bigger,< @tto said thought0ully. F7t has to be,< Aa3en replied. FNo o00en#e, @tto, but 6ypher would not take this kind o0 risk without there being a bigger payDo00 than getting rid o0 a #ouple o0 =.7.;.>. students. ,he s#hool itsel0 has a higher annual attrition rate than that . . .< &omething ga3e a tiny tug inside @tto<s head. ,here was something about this whole situation that didn<t make sense and he #ouldn<t 'uite put his 0inger on it, whate3er it was. @tto knew that the best thing to do was ignore it. (hate3er it was it would #ome to him in time, it always did, and there was little point trying to hurry the pro#ess. Aa3en turned 0rom her terminal and turned to 0a#e @tto. F7 need to #all Nero and let him know that we made it out and who was responsible,< she said as she got up and walked a#ross the room to a #ommuni#ations terminal. &he keyed in a number o0 #ommands and the ma#hine began working, not Cust #onne#ting her to =.7.;.>. but doing it in su#h a way that it would be ne-t to impossible to #al#ulate their lo#ation by ba#ktra#ing the transmission. &he wat#hed as the #arrier signal boun#ed 0rom #ountry to #ountry, #reating a spider<s web o0 digital e3iden#e that #ould not be disentangled. Finally the word F6onne#ting< appeared and a0ter a #ouple o0 se#onds was repla#ed with Nero<s 0a#e. =e looked tired and angry, but as he saw who was on the other end o0 the line the tension and 0atigue seemed to melt 0rom his e-pression. FNatalya,< he said with a smile, Fnot 0or the 0irst time, rumours o0 your demise appear to ha3e been un0ounded.< F7t<ll take a better man than 6ypher to put me in the ground,< Aa3en replied. ,he slight smile on her 0a#e was at odds with the i#e in her tone. FYes, we saw what happened. *id anyone else make it outI< Nero asked. F/alpense is here with me. =e<s @L, some #uts and bruises but otherwise in one pie#e.< FFan#huI< Nero asked. =e<d seen what had happened on the roo0 but he had to be sure. F*ead, /a-, as are 2gents @ne and Hero. 6ypher e-e#uted the boy without hesitation, there was nothing 7 #ould do. ,he agents both ga3e their li3es trying to prote#t the students, but they took us #ompletely by surprise. (e ne3er stood a #han#e.< F7 ha3e no doubt that you did e3erything you #ould, Natalya,< Nero replied, looking suddenly angry again. F7 want 6ypher 0ound and stopped, by whate3er means ne#essary.< FJnderstood,< Aa3en replied. F2m 7 a#ting under e-e#uti3e mandateI< F7 will be speaking to Number @ne 3ery shortly,< Nero said. F7 e-pe#t him to grant us 0ull e-e#uti3e pri3ilege under the #ir#umstan#es, but as soon as 7 ha3e 0inal #learan#e 7 will #onta#t you. 7 also want /alpense returned to =.7.;.>. immediately.< Nero did not relish the prospe#t o0 e-plaining to Number @ne that @tto had on#e again had a brush with death. ,he sooner the boy was sa0ely returned to the s#hool the better. F,hen we<ll need transport,< Aa3en replied. F,he &hroud was in the hangar when the sa0e house went up. (e<re going to need a repla#ement.< F@0 #ourse, 7 shall dispat#h one immediately,< Nero replied. F*o you ha3e a target

lo#ation yetI< FNot yet, but 7<m working on it,< Aa3en said, glan#ing at the monitors nearby. F2s soon as 7 ha3e a lo#ation 0or pi#kDup 7<ll let you know.< F;ery well, keep me posted,< Nero instru#ted, Fand, Natalya . . .< FYes,< Aa3en responded. FFinish this,< Nero said #oldly. Laura sat ne-t to &helby<s bed in the in0irmary. =er 0riend was still un#ons#ious 0rom the &leeper pulse that 6olonel Fran#is#o had hit her with but the do#tors had assured her that her 0riend would be @L and that it was only a matter o0 time until she woke up. Laura thought about the news that she was going to ha3e to gi3e &helby and she 0ought to #ontrol the urge to start #rying again. (ing was gone, snat#hed away in a split se#ond by the brutal a#tions o0 a madman, and she was going to ha3e to break the news to &helby. Laura bit her lower lipE she was surprised there were any tears le0t but as she thought o0 (ing<s smile, a rare and wonder0ul thing that she would ne3er see again, she was o3erwhelmed by grie0, and 0resh, hot tears rolled down her #heeks. F=ey, Brand.< &helby<s 3oi#e was #roaky and tired. F7 ne3er knew you #ared.< Laura looked up in surprise and saw &helby looking at her with mild amusement. F=ow are you 0eelingI< Laura replied, wiping the tears 0rom her eyes and gi3ing a weak smile. F7<m 0ine, but what<s up with youI< &helby replied, sensing that there was more to Laura<s mood than was immediately ob3ious. F&omething terrible has happened,< Laura replied, her 3oi#e #ra#king slightly, Fthe message, we were too late . . . it<s (ing . . . he<s dead.< ,he smile 3anished instantly 0rom &helby<s 0a#e, repla#ed by a look o0 horror. Laura told &helby e3erything G the atta#k on the sa0e house, the arri3al o0 6ypher and 0inally (ing<s e-e#ution on the roo0. &he talked 'ui#kly and 'uietly, a0raid that i0 she slowed or paused that she would again su##umb to the empty swirling grie0 in the pit o0 her stoma#h. (hen she had 0inished she looked up at &helby and saw the same hollow disbelie0 in her 0riend<s eyes that had been in her own when Nero had told the same story to her earlier. &helby<s mouth mo3ed, as i0 trying to 0ind words, but none would #ome and she began to #ry. Laura pulled &helby towards her and hugged her, her 0riend<s hea3ing sobs as pain0ul as her own.

. F(ake up,< the 6ontessa whispered into 6olonel Fran#is#o<s ear. =is eyes slowly 0li#kered open, and he looked #on0used 0or a moment be0ore gi3ing a bestial #ry o0 rage. ,rying to sit up, he thrashed against the thi#k restraints that held him 0irmly to the in0irmary bed on whi#h he lay. Nero stood looking down at him, his e-pression enough to 0reeBe the blood o0 e3en a hardened soldier like Fran#is#o. F6olonel, 7 am going to gi3e you one #han#e and one #han#e only to tell me why you ha3e done this, and then 7<m going to let the 6ontessa dig it out o0 your head. 7 understand that she #an do that without #ausing too mu#h brain damage. ,he #hoi#e is yours.< Fran#is#o<s e-pression hardened. FYou don<t s#are me, /a-, and neither does she.< F,hen you<re either insane, or stupid. Possibly both,< Nero replied. FYour a#tions ha3e already #ost the li3es o0 two G.L.@.;.>. agents and one o0 our own students. 7 will not hesitate to add your name to that list, but not be0ore you<3e told me e3erything you know.< F*o your worst,< Fran#is#o spat ba#k. Nero said nothing, simply nodded to the 6ontessa and le0t the room. FNow, 6olonel, let<s ha3e a ni#e little #hat,< the 6ontessa said, leaning o3er his prostrate 0orm. ,he smile on her 0a#e was the most terri0ying thing he had e3er seen. Nero let out a long, slow breath as he settled into his #hair. =is desk was still #o3ered with the paperwork that he had le0t there the pre3ious e3ening. 7t seemed like a thousand years ago now. =e blamed himsel0, o0 #ourse G he should ha3e realised that he was sending his students into a trap, but he<d been too busy worrying about their sa0e return to the island to #onsider the possibility that they had been deliberately drawn out 0rom under the umbrella o0 se#urity that normally prote#ted them. F*amn himK< Nero shouted, smashing his 0ist down on the desk. =e had always known that 6ypher was a loose #annon, but not 0or a moment had he e3er thought that he would take dire#t a#tion like this against Nero and his s#hool. ,here was a sudden beeping 0rom the #onsole on the desk and Nero thumbed the inter#om swit#h. FYes,< he snapped. F&ir, 7 ha3e Number @ne on a se#ure #hannel 0or you,< the #ommuni#ations te#hni#ian on the other end o0 the line reported. F;ery well, put him through,< Nero replied. 2s the 3ideo s#reen on the opposite side o0 the room 0li#kered into li0e he 0ought to push ba#k the burning 0ury he 0elt. =e #ould not a00ord to let Number @ne see any la#k o0 #omposure on his part, e3en under these #ir#umstan#es. ,he G.L.@.;.>. logo on the s#reen dissol3ed, to be repla#ed by the 0amiliar silhouetted 0orm o0 Number @ne. >3en a0ter all these years Nero still had no idea what the man looked like, whi#h was probably a good thing, gi3en the rumours he had heard o0 the 0ate that had be0allen those who had been unlu#ky enough to #at#h a glimpse o0 his 0a#e. FGood morning, /a-imilian,< Number @ne said #almly. F7 ha3e read your report on this situation and re3iewed the 0ootage that was #aptured by the sur3eillan#e satellite, and su00i#e to say that 7 am deeply, deeply disturbed by what 7 ha3e seen.< FYes, sir,< Nero replied. F,his was a hostile a#t by a rogue agent against G.L.@.;.>. operati3es, it #annot be allowed to stand.<

6hapter Nine

F,hat is 0or me to de#ide,< Number @ne replied. F7 assume that under the #ir#umstan#es you are re'uesting e-e#uti3e pri3ilege 0or any a#tion that you #hoose to take.< F7 am,< Nero replied. F7n this situation 7 don<t see what other #hoi#e we ha3e.< F,here are always #hoi#es, /a-imilian,< Number @ne said, Fbut gi3en what has happened 7 am 0or#ed to agree this time. You ha3e an e-e#uti3e mandate, but 7 want one thing.< F@0 #ourse, what do you needI< F7 want 6ypher ali3e.< Nero tensed. =e had not e-pe#ted this G usually when Number @ne granted an e-e#uti3e mandate to his subordinates it only meant one thing. ,o re'uest that 6ypher be taken ali3e was unpre#edented, not to mention mu#h more di00i#ult. F/ay 7 ask whyI< Nero said #autiously. FNo, you may not. 7 understand that Aa3en sur3i3ed the atta#kE 7 am sure that she will be more than #apable o0 per0orming this task.< FBut G< Nero began. F*o not argue with me, /a- . . . e3er. 7t is not a re'uest.< FYes, sir,< Nero replied. =e knew better than to push his lu#k with Number @ne. F2nd see to it that /alpense is returned to the s#hool immediatelyE be grate0ul that no lasting harm was #aused to him. 70 7 thought 0or one moment that you had any inkling o0 the danger into whi#h you were sending him 6ypher would not be the only one with an e-e#uti3e mandate de#lared on him. *o 7 make mysel0 #learI< FPer0e#tly,< Nero replied, his #uriosity on#e again pi'ued by Number @ne<s un#hara#teristi# prote#ti3eness where @tto /alpense was #on#erned. F=e will be returning to the s#hool 3ery shortly.< FGood, 7 shall lea3e this in your hands, then. *o not worry G an e-ample will be made o0 6ypher, a 3ery permanent and ob3ious e-ample.< @tto woke with a start. =e had a #ouple o0 se#onds o0 disorientation as he struggled to remember where he was, but then the memories o0 the past 0ew hours 0looded ba#k, though he desperately wished that they wouldn<t. =e sat on the edge o0 the #amp bed that Aa3en had set up in the #orner o0 her hidden sa0e house. &he had assured him that there would be nothing that they #ould do 0or the ne-t 0ew hours and that he might as well try to get some rest. =e hadn<t belie3ed 0or a moment that he would a#tually be able to sleep, but the e3ents o0 earlier that day had le0t him more drained than he had realised. Aa3en was sitting e-a#tly where she had been when @tto had dropped o00 se3eral hours earlier, s#anning the monitors in 0ront o0 her. &he wouldn<t tell him what it was that she was looking 0or but he had little doubt that it had something to do with tra#king down 6ypher. &he glan#ed o3er her shoulder as @tto walked towards her. F*o you 0eel betterI< she asked as @tto #ame to stand alongside her. FLess tired. 7<m not sure that better is the right word,< @tto replied, rubbing his eyes with one hand. F(ell, 7 ha3e some good news,< Aa3en said with a slight smile. F,hat would make a ni#e #hange,< @tto replied, peering at the displays in 0ront o0 Aa3en. ,hey were showing an array o0 maps and #harts with the odd window displaying what looked like li3e satellite sur3eillan#e 0eeds. F=ere.< Aa3en tapped one o0 the s#reens, where a #hart was displaying a stret#h o0 #oastline with a 0lashing red #rosshair superimposed upon it. F(hat<s thatI< @tto asked, leaning in to look more #losely. F,hat is the heli#opter that 6ypher used in the atta#k this morning,< she replied matter o0 0a#tly. F7<3e been waiting 0or the tra#king de3i#e to go li3e, but it<s designed to not start transmitting until it<s stationary 0or a #ertain length o0 time. 7t appears that this was the

0inal destination.< F,ra#king de3i#eI< @tto said with a note o0 disbelie0 in his 3oi#e. F(e ne3er got anywhere near that #hopper. =ow did you get a tra#king de3i#e on boardI< F,he shuriken that 7 threw at 6ypher #ontained a tra#king de3i#e. 2 tra#king de3i#e that is #urrently well and truly embedded in the skin o0 his heli#opter.< F@h,< @tto said, thinking ba#k to those desperate moments on the roo0, F7 thought you were aiming 0or 6ypher and missed . . .< Aa3en looked at him with an e-pression o0 mild annoyan#e. F/r /alpense, 7 don<t miss.< &he turned ba#k to the s#reen and began to type a long string o0 #ommands into an open terminal window. F7<m Cust setting up a sur3eillan#e satellite that the 2meri#ans were kind enough to lend me to s#an the area. ,he #oordinates 7<m getting are in the middle o0 the Cungle G 7 need a #learer pi#ture.< @tto wandered o3er to one o0 the storage #abinets that lined the room as Aa3en #ontinued working on getting the hiCa#ked satellite into the #orre#t position. ,he door was open slightly and inside @tto #ould see ra#ks o0 weapons and e'uipment. ,here was enough gear stowed away there to 0ight a small war and, Cudging by the e-pression on Aa3en<s 0a#e as she glared at the terminal, that was e-a#tly what she had in mind. F(ellI< Nero said impatiently as the 6ontessa settled into the seat on the other side o0 his desk. F=e<s strong, but you knew that G not Cust physi#ally, but mentally too. =e<s #learly re#ei3ed e-tensi3e #ounterDinterrogation training.< Nero #ould see that the 6ontessa was tired. =er 0a#e was pale and she looked older than usual. 6learly the interrogation o0 Fran#is#o had drained whate3er physi#al or mental reser3es she drew on when using her strange persuasi3e powers. F&o what did you 0ind outI< Nero asked, leaning 0orward in his #hair. FNot a great deal, un0ortunately,< the 6ontessa replied with a sigh. F=e does not know the identity o0 whoe3er hired him to do this. =e was #onta#ted anonymously and o00ered a great deal o0 money to pro3ide his mysterious bene0a#tor with details o0 =.7.;.>. operations. =e ne3er had any dire#t #onta#t with whoe3er it was that turned him.< FYou<re sureI< Nero said 'uietly. F2s sure as 7 #an be without putting him into a #oma,< the 6ontessa replied, rubbing her temples. F@b3iously it<s 0ortunate that we #aught him, but 7 don<t think that he will be able to pro3ide us with mu#h use0ul in0ormation.< F(ell, 7 think that it<s sa0e to assume that we know who bought him,< Nero said. F6ypher appears to ha3e been planning this 0or some time.< F7ndeed, Fran#is#o appears to ha3e been working 0or 6ypher 0or se3eral weeks, perhaps months. 7 took the liberty o0 asking Pro0essor Pike to urgently re3iew all o0 the se#urity systems to whi#h the 6olonel had a##ess.< FGood,< Nero replied. F,here<s something about this that isn<t right.< F,here has been 3ery little right about the e3ents o0 the past 0ew hours,< the 6ontessa replied. FYes, 7 know, but Fran#is#o ne3er stru#k me as the type that #ould Cust be bought.< F>3eryone has their pri#e, /a-.< FBelie3e me, 7 understand that, but Fran#is#o always pla#ed su#h importan#e on personal honour. 7t was his military ba#kground, 7 think. 7 0ind it hard to belie3e that he would betray us so #ompletely 0or a 0ew Beroes added to the balan#e o0 a &wiss bank a##ount. 7t<s not like him.< F=is a#tions may be out o0 #hara#ter, but there<s no doubt he<s guilty,< the 6ontessa said 0irmly. F,here are 3ery 0ew people in the world who #an lie when 7 tell them to be

truth0ul.< F7 know. 7 suppose 7<3e Cust been thrown o00Dbalan#e by this.< Nero was used to dealing with the dayDtoDday #rises that =.7.;.>. generated, whether it be the students or the attempts o0 lawDen0or#ement agen#ies to dis#o3er the lo#ation o0 the base, but the e3ents o0 the past twentyD0our hours were unpre#edented. F&e#urity are still trying to 0ind students Blo#k and ,a#kle,< the 6ontessa #ontinued. F=.7.;.>.mind has been unable to lo#ate themI< Nero asked, a note o0 0rustration in his 3oi#e now. FNo, they appear to ha3e 3anished. ,here are plenty o0 pla#es to hide on the island and e3en our sur3eillan#e system doesn<t #o3er them all. Fran#is#o will doubtless ha3e 0urnished them with detailed s#hemati#s.< F7 still #an<t belie3e that he would stoop so low as to use his own students to assist him with this,< Nero said angrily. FYes, 7 know, but those two are easily led. 7 suspe#t that Fran#is#o would ha3e to do little more than tell them what he wanted them to do and they would Cust obey without 'uestion. ,he =en#hman stream is not noted 0or generating independent thinkers, /a-. *on<t worry, though. ,hey<re not getting o00 the island, we<ll 0ind them e3entually.< F7 want them 0ound 'ui#kly,< Nero said, Fbe0ore they #an #ause any more trouble.< FJnderstood,< the 6ontessa said, standing to lea3e. F(hat do you want us to do with Fran#is#oI< F,rans0er him to the detention #entre 0or now. 7 ha3en<t de#ided what to do with the 6olonel yet.< F;ery well, 7 will arrange the trans0er.< ,he 6ontessa nodded and headed 0or the door. F2nd, 6ontessa,< Nero said as she rea#hed 0or the door handle. FYesI< F/ake sure that his stay is as un#om0ortable as possible.< F(ell, that<s not good,< Aa3en said with a sigh as she s#anned the imagery that was 0lashing up on the monitor. F(hat<s wrongI< @tto asked, noting Aa3en<s look o0 0rustration. F&ee 0or yoursel0,< Aa3en said, stepping away 0rom the monitor. @tto walked o3er and studied the images on display. 2t the #entre o0 ea#h o0 the pi#tures was what looked to @tto like an enormous bla#k hole in the middle o0 the Cungle. 7t had to be at least a #ouple o0 hundred metres in diameter. @tto noted the thundering #as#ade o0 water that poured o3er one side o0 the enormous hole and realised that it must ha3e taken millions o0 years 0or the slow abrasi3e e00e#t o0 the thundering torrent to #ar3e an enormous ri0t in the Cungle like that. =e knew that su#h boreholes #ould end up being hundreds o0 metres deep and it was impossible to make out i0 there was anything hidden in the bla#kness at the bottom o0 it. F=e<s down thereI< @tto asked. F7t would appear so,< Aa3en replied. F2s you #an see, or rather as you #an<t see, it<s going to be impossible to tell what<s waiting down there. 7 don<t like to go in blind.< @tto understood Aa3en<s #on#ern. 6ypher #ould ha3e an army waiting 0or her and there would be no way to tell. ,a#ti#ally speaking, it was an unpleasant prospe#t. F,hat<s not all, though. &wit#h to the >/ dete#tion array,< Aa3en said, rubbing her eyes. @tto 'ui#kly swit#hed between the hiCa#ked satellite<s 3isual sensors and its onboard ele#tromagneti# s#anners. 7mmediately the Cungle surrounding the hole lit up like a 6hristmas tree G the dense 0orest was 0illed with a#ti3e ele#troni#s de3i#es 0or se3eral miles in e3ery dire#tion. 7t was impossible to tell 0rom this range what these ele#troni# de3i#es were, but it was sa0e to assume that they weren<t designed to monitor the lo#al 0lora and 0auna. F=mmm,< @tto said, his brain already starting to analyse the problem.

F/y sentiments e-a#tly,< Aa3en replied with a smile. F,here<s no way that e3en 7<m getting within hal0 a mile o0 that pla#e o3erland without being dete#ted. 6ypher #learly isn<t keen on unin3ited guests.< F&o don<t go o3erland,< @tto replied with a grin. F/eaningI< Aa3en asked, raising an eyebrow. @tto swit#hed to the satellite<s terrain radar and per0ormed a series o0 'ui#k s#ans. ,he results 0lashed up on the s#reen. F,hree hundred metres,< @tto said, smiling as he s#anned the s#reen. Aa3en stepped #loser to the workstation, looking at the 0igures that @tto had Cust pulled up. F@L,< Aa3en said as she looked at the numbers, Fit<s a deep hole, so whatI< F=2L@,< @tto said 'uietly as the numbers all lined up neatly in his head. Aa3en looked at him with surprise and then a broad grin spread a#ross her 0a#e too. F/alpense, you<re a genius.< 2s Nero walked down the stairs to the #rater laun#h bay he was pleased to see that preparations 0or laun#hing the se#ond &hroud were already well underway. Aa3en had #onta#ted him Cust hal0 an hour earlier to in0orm him that she had apparently dis#o3ered 6ypher<s #urrent lo#ation and that she needed transport to the lo#ation as 'ui#kly as possible. =e had immediately gi3en the order 0or the only remaining &hroud prototype to be prepped 0or emergen#y takeDo00 and, by the looks o0 the 0ranti# lastDminute #he#ks that the ground #rew were per0orming, they were 3ery nearly ready. ,he 6ontessa was talking to the pilot as Nero walked out on to the landing padE seeing Nero, she nodded to the pilot and he hurried o3er to the waiting air#ra0t. F7 ha3e brie0ed the pilot,< she said as she walked towards Nero. F=e<s got the pi#kDup lo#ation and they should be underway within the ne-t #ouple o0 minutes.< FGood,< Nero replied, wat#hing as the re0uelling rig<s 0at hose was deta#hed 0rom the smooth bla#k belly o0 the &hroud. F=e knows that he<s to bring /alpense straight ba#k here a0ter Aa3en is dropped at the targetI< FYes, he<s 'uite aware o0 the importan#e o0 his #argo,< the 6ontessa replied. F/alpense should be ba#k within a 0ew hours. 2re you still sure that it wouldn<t be wiser to send in a more . . . substantial 0or#eI< Nero ga3e a small, #old smile. F7 am 'uite sure that Natalya is up to the task, 6ontessa. &he has ne3er let us down be0ore, as you well know.< F@h, 7<m 'uite aware o0 Aa3en<s #apabilities, /a-,< the 6ontessa replied, Fbut we really don<t ha3e any idea o0 the true s#ale o0 the threat that 6ypher poses. 7 Cust hope that we<re not underestimating him.< Nero knew that the 6ontessa had a point, but i0 he was to order a 0ullDs#ale military strike on 6ypher<s 0a#ility it would mean in3ol3ing G.L.@.;.>. in the operation in a mu#h larger way. Nero had the 0eeling that 0or the moment it would be better to keep this operation on a smaller s#ale. Not only was it easier to manage, but he knew that he didn<t ha3e to worry about where Aa3en<s true loyalties lay. ,he business with Fran#is#o had bothered him more than he had let on and he was in no hurry to es#alate the situation still 0urther out o0 #ontrol. &pe#i0i#ally, out o0 his #ontrol. F7 understand your #on#erns, 6ontessa, but 0or now we will pursue a more subtle approa#h. 70 Aa3en dis#o3ers that the situation is more than she #an handle alone we will #onsider alternati3e options.< ,he 6ontessa nodded as a harriedDlooking te#hni#ian trotted up to the two o0 them. F,he &hroud<s 0ully prepped 0or laun#h, *o#tor Nero, and the pilot<s reporting ready. 7s there anything elseI< F=as all o0 the e'uipment that Aa3en re'uested been loaded on boardI<

FYes, sir, it<s all there. Ba#kDups too. (e<re good to go.< F;ery well, gi3e the order to laun#h.< ,he te#hni#ian nodded and turned to the 0lightDde#k #ontroller, gi3ing him the thumbsD up. ,he drone o0 the &hroud<s idling engines suddenly grew to a roar and she li0ted 3erti#ally upwards, #limbing out o0 the #rater be0ore disappearing into the twilight gloom o3erhead. Laura and &helby sat in the atrium o0 their a##ommodation blo#k in silen#e. Neither o0 them had spoken mu#h in the past #ouple o0 hours, both lost in their own thoughts, their own grie0. Nothing #ould ha3e prepared them 0or what had happened to (ing. Laura #ouldn<t help but wonder whether (ing might still be ali3e i0 she<d been able to de#rypt the #oded message<s #ontents sooner, i0 she<d been able to gi3e more warning o0 the atta#k. &he wondered i0 that was what the other students were thinking too. ,he =.7.;.>. rumour mill had #learly done its usual e00i#ient Cob o0 di00using the news about the e3ents in ,okyo around the s#hool, Cudging by the whispered #on3ersations and sidelong glan#es 0rom the other students in the atrium. Laura supposed that i0 she blamed hersel0 then there was no reason why e3eryone else shouldn<t too. F=ello,< Nigel said 'uietly, snapping Laura out o0 her brooding, Fmind i0 we sit downI< Laura didn<t say anything, Cust gestured to the empty seats opposite. FranB and Nigel both looked as i0 they were 0eeling mu#h the same as the two girls, though their sadness was #learly mi-ed with #on#ern. &helby barely a#knowledged their presen#e, simply sat staring at the 0loor as she had done 0or the last hal0 hour. F(e were both 3ery sorry to hear what had happened,< FranB said, breaking the un#om0ortable silen#e. F(e will be missing (ing 3ery mu#h.< F70 there<s anything that either o0 us #an do, Cust . . . well, you know . . .< Nigel said 'uietly. F,hanks, 7 . . .< Laura began, but trailed o00. &he didn<t really know what to say. F7 remember when my dad died that my mum told me that 7 shouldn<t be sad, that our bodies are Cust like prisons 0or our spirits and his was 0ree now to go to a better pla#e,< Nigel said sadly. FFreeI< &helby snapped ba#k suddenly, startling Nigel. F=e<s not 0ree, he<s not gone to a better pla#e, he<s Cust gone.< F&hel, please, there<s no point . . .< Laura said 'ui#kly. F,oo damn right there<s no point,< &helby said angrily, standing up and gesturing at the hall around her. F,here<s no point to any o0 this. ,his pla#e isn<t a s#hool, it<s a prison, and 7 don<t want to be lo#ked up here any more while my 0riends die around me.< =er outburst had drawn the attention o0 e3eryone in the atrium. =eads turned to wat#h as she stormed a#ross the hall to the li0ts that would #arry her up to her room. Nigel went to 0ollow her but Laura put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him ba#k down into his seat. FLea3e her,< Laura said with a sigh. F&he<s Cust angry. (e all are.< 2s the un#om0ortable silen#e returned Laura 0ound hersel0 wondering what was more worrying G &helby<s outburst and the bitterness her 0riend seemed to be 0eeling, or the 0a#t that she 0elt e-a#tly the same way.

. F@3er my #old, dead body,< Aa3en said 0irmly, her arms 0olded. &he and @tto stood in the middle o0 an abandoned area o0 the do#ks, the distant gleaming skyline o0 ,okyo Carringly at odds with the battered and rusting shipping #ontainers that littered the area around them. F&o that<s a no,< @tto said with a smile. F2bsolutely,< Aa3en #ontinued. FNero would ha3e me shot 0or e3en #ontemplating taking a student into a ta#ti#al situation like that. >spe#ially you, /alpense.< F(hat<s that supposed to meanI< @tto asked with a 0rown. Aa3en hesitated 0or a moment. @tto might be the subCe#t o0 e-tra pre#autions, gi3en Number @ne<s #lose personal interest in his wellDbeing, but Nero had also made it per0e#tly #lear that @tto was ne3er to know that was the #ase. 7t was not di00i#ult to see how a student like @tto might e-ploit that situation. FNothing,< Aa3en replied. F7t<s Cust too dangerous, you<re not #oming with me. ,he transport will drop me o00 and then take you ba#k to =.7.;.>. and that<s the end o0 this dis#ussion.< @tto #ould tell 0rom the e-pression on Aa3en<s 0a#e that debating the matter 0urther would be pointless. 7t looked as i0 he was Cust going to ha3e to trust Aa3en to get the Cob done. 70 it had been anyone else in the world, e-#ept possibly Nero, he would ha3e Cust ignored them and 0ound a way to get to 6ypher whether they liked it or not, but he knew there was no way she<d Cust let him slip through her 0ingers. &uddenly a strong gust o0 wind seemed to #ome 0rom nowhere and @tto 0elt a 3ibration as i0 something hea3y had hit the ground nearby. ,here was a brie0 0li#ker and the 3iew o0 the distant skyline was suddenly obs#ured by the stark, bla#k outline o0 the &hroud that had Cust landed twenty metres away in almost #omplete silen#e. FAight on s#hedule,< Aa3en said, glan#ing at her wat#h. FLet<s go.< &he Cogged towards the waiting transport with @tto in tow. 2s they approa#hed the air#ra0t the rearDa##ess ramp lowered and the pilot stepped out, gesturing urgently 0or them to get on board. @tto and Aa3en walked up the ramp and into the belly o0 the &hroud as the pilot #limbed the ladder ba#k up on to the 0light de#k. (ithin moments they were airborne again. Aa3en set to work going through the #ontents o0 se3eral #rates that were stowed at the 0ar end o0 the passenger #ompartment. &he spent se3eral minutes systemati#ally #he#king all o0 the e'uipment that she retrie3ed 0rom inside the #rates be0ore 0inally gi3ing a satis0ied nod and sitting down in one o0 the seats opposite @tto. F,here<s a 0resh uni0orm in there 0or you,< she said, gesturing towards the #rates. F,hat suit has seen better days.< @tto had almost 0orgotten that he was still wearing the suit that he<d put on that morning. 7t seemed a 3ery long time ago now. ,he rips, s#or#h marks and stains that #o3ered it were a power0ul reminder o0 Cust how mu#h he<d been through in the past 0ew hours. Jnbidden, the memory o0 his #on3ersation with (ing about their new out0its sprang into his head. ,he realisation that it had been one o0 the last #on3ersations he had had with his 0riend stru#k him harder than he e-pe#ted. @tto supposed that there would be many su#h moments in the days to #ome. Aa3en spent a 0ew minutes s#anning her Bla#kbo-, tapping at the s#reen with the stylus, an o##asional 0rown 0urrowing her brow. F2nything 7 #an help withI< @tto asked. ,hey<d only been in the air a 0ew minutes and he was already starting to get bored. ,he biggest drawba#k to ha3ing a brain like his was its intoleran#e o0 ina#ti3ity G he needed something to do. FYou #an go o3er these numbers i0 you want,< Aa3en said, tossing the Bla#kbo- to @tto.

6hapter ,en

F7 need to go and talk to the pilot.< Aa3en got up out o0 her seat and #limbed up the ladder to the 0light de#k as @tto looked o3er the data on the display. ,he numbers were lists o0 timings and 3elo#ities, all o0 whi#h had to be pre#isely right 0or Aa3en<s insertion into 6ypher<s base to be su##ess0ul. 7t was all Cust simple physi#s, really, and @tto #ouldn<t see any 0laws in the #al#ulations. 70 all the e'uipment worked as designed there was no reason that she should not be able to get inside #ompletely undete#ted. ,here was little more that @tto #ould do with the Bla#kbo-. Aa3en had been sensible enough to lo#k o00 its other 0un#tions be0ore she had gi3en it to him. =e knew he #ould get round the lo#kDout with time and the right e'uipment, but at the moment he had neither so he dea#ti3ated the Bla#kbo- and walked o3er to the #rates o0 e'uipment at the other end o0 the #ompartment. =e 'ui#kly 0ound the #lean =.7.;.>. uni0orm that Aa3en had mentioned and took the opportunity while she was up on the 0light de#k to take o00 the battered suit and put it on. 7t was a strange relie0 to be ba#k in the bla#k =.7.;.>. CumpsuitE he was surprised at Cust how right it 0elt to be wearing it again. =e told himsel0 that it was Cust the #om0ort o0 something 0amiliar in the midst o0 so mu#h #haos, but a tiny 3oi#e at the ba#k o0 his head asked i0 he wasn<t Cust getting used to being a student o0 =.7.;.>., whether he liked it or not. 7t was a disturbing thought. =e had been telling himsel0 that he had been tolerating li0e at =.7.;.>. be#ause o0 his 0riendship with (ing, but now that his 0riend was gone he #ould no longer use that e-#use. =e knew in his heart o0 hearts that =.7.;.>. was probably the per0e#t pla#e 0or him, 0or better or 0or worse. Li0e at the s#hool, though, would be 3ery di00erent without (ing, and he had to make up his mind i0 it was a li0e he truly wanted. ,he &hroud had been airborne 0or a #ouple o0 hours when @tto 0elt the passenger #ompartment tip as the air#ra0t started to #limb. =e knew that meant that they must be approa#hing the drop target and that the pilot would be #are0ully as#ending to the designated altitude. Aa3en stepped through the small door at the other end o0 the #ompartment, ha3ing put on her suit 0or the Cump. (hat @tto had suggested ba#k in the old warehouse was a#tually really 'uite simple. ,he only way to get past the masses o0 antiDintrusion de3i#es surrounding the entran#e to the #a3e #on#ealing 6ypher<s se#ret base was 0or Aa3en to be tra3elling so 0ast when she passed through their dete#tion grid that the system would assume that it was a 0alse reading and ignore her. ,hat<s when the idea o0 a =2L@ Cump had o##urred to @tto. =igh 2ltitude Low @pening was a skydi3ing te#hni'ue that had been per0e#ted by spe#ial 0or#es around the world. 2n operati3e would be dropped 0rom a plane at high altitude and would then 0ree0all 0or the ma-imum sa0e distan#e, only opening their #hute at the last possible moment. ,here was one small di00eren#e, though, in the Cump that @tto was proposing that Aa3en made. ,his would be the 0irst time that anyone had opened their #hute below the ground. @tto knew that generally this was 3iewed as a bit o0 a mistake when skydi3ing, but it was the only way that Aa3en #ould hope to a3oid dete#tion. &he had to 0ree0all into the enormous borehole in the middle o0 the darkened Cungle and only open her #hute on#e she was inside the #a3e. Aa3en was probably the only person in the world who would ha3e e3en #onsidered trying something as patently insane as that, but she a#tually seemed to be looking 0orward to it. F(e<ll be at the drop target in a 0ew minutes,< she said, 0astening the 0inal #lips on her para#hute. F7 take it that 7 #an trust you to beha3e yoursel0 0or the remainder o0 the 0light to =.7.;.>.I< F=ey, it<s me,< @tto replied with a grin. F(hi#h is why the pilot has a &leeper and e-pli#it instru#tions to use it without hesitation i0 ne#essary,< Aa3en replied with a slight smile. @tto doubted that she was Coking.

F2nyone would think that you don<t trust me,< @tto said, raising an eyebrow. F2nd they<d be absolutely right,< Aa3en replied, #he#king the s#reen on the tiny #omputer that was atta#hed to her rig. ,he system was preDprogrammed to open the #hute at e-a#tly the right altitude. 2ll that Aa3en had to do was drop into a bla#k hole Cust a #ouple o0 hundred metres wide in the middle o0 the Cungle at night. @tto de#ided that it was probably best not to think too mu#h about the spe#i0i#s. ,he real 0un would start when Aa3en rea#hed the bottom o0 the #a3e. ,hey still had no idea what was waiting 0or her down there, but @tto suspe#ted that it wasn<t going to be a wel#oming #ommittee. @tto turned as he heard a noise behind them. ,he pilot was #limbing down the ladder 0rom the 0light de#k. FAa3en,< the pilot said, F7 ha3e an urgent message G< Aa3en turned and looked at the pilot, #urious. FFrom 6ypher,< the pilot #ontinued, raising the &leeper that he was holding. Aa3en sprang without hesitation, years o0 training and e-perien#e making thought and a#tion as one. 70 she had not a#ted so 'ui#kly the &leeper pulse that the pilot 0ired would ha3e hit her 0ull on rather than Cust glan#ing o00 one shoulder, but it still 0elt like she<d been hit by a #harging elephant. &he #ollapsed to the de#k on her hands and knees, 0ighting to stay #ons#ious. ,he pilot stepped down o00 the ladder and on to the de#k, pointing the &leeper straight at her. @tto knew that there was no way he #ould get to the pilot in time to stop him 0iring. =e was too 0ar away and, unlike Aa3en, he would not ha3e been able to take him down unarmed e3en i0 he #ould get to him. =e glan#ed to his side and realised that there was only one thing he #ould do. F=eyK< @tto shouted, distra#ting the pilot 0or a se#ond. F(hy don<t you take this outsideI< ,he pilot<s 0leeting look o0 #on0usion turned instantly to horror as @tto leapt 0or the large red button mounted on the wall o0 the passsenger #ompartment. =e slapped his hand down on it hard and snat#hed at the #argo netting that hung alongside, holding on 0or dear li0e as the rear #argo ramp began to des#end. 2t that point physi#s took o3er and the di00eren#e between the air pressure inside the #ompartment and the thin atmosphere that was s#reaming past outside did the rest. ,he pilot was plu#ked o00 his 0eet, tumbling past @tto, desperately trying to rea#h 0or anything that he #ould hang on to, but he was too slow, and was su#ked out o0 the widening gap as the #argo ramp des#ended. =is 0inal s#ream was lost in the roaring sound o0 the air rushing out a0ter him. Aa3en, still stunned 0rom the &leeper pulse, slid past @tto and he grabbed at her #hute harness. =e 0elt as i0 he was going to be torn in two as he desperately tried to hang on to the #argo net and maintain his 0ragile grip on her. FGrab on to me,< @tto yelled as loudly as he #ould, his 3oi#e sounding piti0ully tiny in the dea0ening #haos. Aa3en looked at him with #on0usion 0or a moment be0ore her sur3i3al instin#ts #ut through the a0terDe00e#ts o0 the &leeper pulse and she lat#hed on to his ankle with a grip like steel. Now that his arm was 0ree again @tto 0lailed at the swit#h ne-t to the one that he had Cust hit, the #ontrol that would raise the #argo ramp again, but it was Cust out o0 rea#h. =e made one last desperate e00ort, stret#hing 0or all he was worth until his 0ingertips brushed the edge o0 the button. ,he motor #ontrolling the loading ramp s#ree#hed in protest as it 0ought to #lose the ramp against the 0or#e o0 the air pressure di00erential, but gradually, in#h by e-#ru#iating in#h, the ramp rose. Finally, a0ter what seemed like an eternity, it sealed shut and the &hroud<s systems 'ui#kly restored air pressure within the #ompartment. ,he #ompartment was suddenly eerily 'uiet again, the only sound @tto and Aa3en<s laboured breathing as their lungs 0ought to e-tra#t the o-ygen 0rom the air. 20ter a 0ew moments Aa3en tried to get to her 0eet but abandoned the e00ort when it be#ame

ob3ious that the a0terDe00e#ts o0 the near miss 0rom the &leeper were still s#rambling some o0 the messages going 0rom her brain to her legs. &he #ollapsed into one o0 the nearby seats with a groan, rubbing her temples. F2re you @LI< @tto said, genuinely #on#erned. ,hey were #oming up on the drop target and they were only going to get one shot at this. F7 think so,< Aa3en replied weakly. F1ust a bit disorientated.< F(e<3e got to get to the 0light de#k,< @tto said 'ui#kly. ,he 0a#t that the &hroud was not di3ing towards the ground 0ar below meant that the autopilot was a#ti3e but he still had to 0ind out how long they had till the drop point. FYou go,< Aa3en replied. F7<m going to need a minute be0ore 7<m #limbing any ladders.< @tto nodded and walked to the ladder. F,he autopilot display is on the #entral #onsole,< Aa3en said. F(e Cust need the >,2 at the drop waypoint.< FNo problem,< @tto said, 'ui#kly #limbing the ladder. ,he 0light de#k was #rowded with displays and #ontrols but he knew what he was looking 0or. @n the #entral display was a s#reen displaying a map and #olumns o0 numbers, whi#h @tto guessed had to be waypoint #oordinates. =e 'ui#kly s#anned the display. F,hree minutes until the drop point,< he shouted down the hat#h to the lower #ompartment. F@L,< Aa3en replied, Fwe #an still do this. ,he autopilot will take you ba#k to =.7.;.>. a0ter 7<3e made the drop.< &he knew that the systems on board were sophisti#ated enough to return to the island and =.7.;.>.mind would then ensure that the &hroud would make a sa0e landing. &he<d Cust need a 0ew se#onds to #he#k the 0light plan and lo#k out the #ontrols so @tto would not be able to inter0ere with them. =e may ha3e Cust sa3ed her li0e but there was no way that she was going to lea3e someone like @tto /alpense unsuper3ised with an unlo#ked autopilot system. Lnowing him he<d probably already worked out how to 0ly the thing. &he knew that it was risky and that Nero wouldn<t appro3e but they #ouldn<t a00ord to delay this operation 0or the time it would take her to 0ly him ba#k to =.7.;.>. hersel0. @tto was distra#ted by a 0lashing display on another #onsole o0 0light #ontrols. F>rm . . . 7 don<t think that<s going to be an option,< he said, staring at the display. F(hat do you meanI< Aa3en asked urgently, getting slowly and unsteadily to her 0eet and walking towards the ladder. F(e ha3e a bigger problem,< @tto replied, still staring at the words on the 0lashing display. . &el0 destru#t system initialised . . . . . 2.S% . . 2.SS . . 2.S: F7 hope that you learn as 'ui#kly as 7<3e been told,< Aa3en said as she snapped the 0inal #lips in pla#e on @tto<s #hute harness. @tto didn<t replyE he was too busy staring at Aa3en<s Bla#kbo- as s#reen a0ter s#reen o0 te-t and diagrams 0li#ked past. Learning wasn<t really the word 0or what he was doingE absorbing would probably be a better way o0 putting it. =e was 0airly #ertain that this

was not the way that anyone was supposed to train 0or their 0irst =2L@ Cump, but they didn<t ha3e any other option. Aa3en #he#ked the display on the Cump #ontrol unit, #on0irmed that it was 0un#tioning #orre#tly, then glan#ed at her wat#h. F@ne minute,< she said matter o0 0a#tly and pulled two helmets out o0 the e'uipment #rates. &he silently o00ered a prayer o0 thanks that whoe3er had loaded the &hroud had 0ollowed standard operating pro#edure and pa#ked ba#kDups o0 e3erything they neededE normally it was in #ase o0 e'uipment 0ailure but in this #ase it might Cust sa3e their li3es. @tto didn<t say anything. =e Cust in#reased the speed at whi#h the pages o0 the =2L@ training manual were 0li#king past on the Bla#kbo-<s display. =e was nearly through it and he Cust had to hope that he now knew enough to sur3i3e the ne-t 0ew minutes. F@L, done,< @tto said a0ter a #ouple more se#onds, tossing the Bla#kbo- on to one o0 the seats and taking a deep breath. F70 by some mira#le you get down there in one pie#e, stay put. 7<ll 0ind you,< Aa3en said tersely. &he Cammed the helmet on to @tto<s head, plugged in the #able 0rom the Cump #ontrol unit and snapped the 3isor shut. ,he helmet absorbed any sound 0rom the &hroud, and all he #ould hear was the gentle hiss o0 the o-ygen that the Cump rig was 0eeding to his helmet. @tto wat#hed as the helmet<s headDup display 0li#kered into li0e, displaying streams o0 #oordinates and 3elo#ities. =e might ha3e known how the system worked now on an intelle#tual le3el but he also knew that there was a world o0 di00eren#e between ha3ing memorised the entire training manual and a#tual pra#ti#al e-perien#e. Aa3en put on her own helmet and slapped the swit#h on the wall that would depressurise the #ompartment, e'ualising the di00erential between the pressure inside the doomed air#ra0t and the highDaltitude atmosphere outside. @tto had no e-a#t measure o0 how long they had until the e-plosi3e #harges hidden around the &hroud detonated, but he knew they #ould only ha3e se#onds le0t. 2 green light #ame on abo3e the swit#h that Aa3en had pressed and she ga3e @tto a thumbsDup be0ore hitting the #ontrol to lower the #argo ramp. ,here was no roar o0 es#aping air as the ramp lowered this time, but the noise o0 the &hroud<s engines grew suddenly louder. Aa3en gestured urgently 0or @tto to mo3e 0orward on to the ramp and he tried 3ery hard not to think about the 0a#t that he was about to throw himsel0 out o0 an air#ra0t, 2S, 0eet abo3e the ground. Aa3en stood alongside him and held her wat#h up in 0ront o0 his 0a#e. ,he #ountdown timer that she had syn#hed with the sel0Ddestru#t #ountdown displayed ten se#onds remaining. Lnowing he had no other #hoi#e, @tto ran towards the edge o0 the loading ramp and threw himsel0 0orward into the bla#kness.

. FFour hundred, three hundred, two hundred, one hundred.< @tto #losed his eyes. FHero.< ,he 3ery 0a#t that @tto was able to be thank0ul that there had been no boneDshattering impa#t with the ground told him that he<d at least hit the target. =e opened his eyes and immediately wished he hadn<t as the bla#k 3oid into whi#h he was 0alling was 0ramed alarmingly #losely on all sides by the Cagged ro#k walls o0 the #a3e, their daggerDlike shapes illuminated by the eerie green glow o0 the helmet<s night 3ision. &uddenly the Cump rig dete#ted that @tto was the #orre#t distan#e 0rom the 0loor o0 the #a3ern and automati#ally deployed his #hute, the sudden de#eleration Cerking him upwards, the straps o0 his harness biting into his shoulders. Now #omes the hard part, @tto thought to himsel0 as he used the steering handles on the #hute to steer it in a tight #ir#le towards the ground. =e knew all o0 the theory o0 the Cump and the para#hute deployment and steering, but he suspe#ted that the theory o0 a#tually hitting the ground and the pra#ti#al reality were two 3ery di00erent things. 2s he des#ended in a tight spiral he #ould begin to make out details o0 the #a3ern 0loor below. ,here was no sign o0 any a#ti3ity and no ob3ious heat sour#es and Cust 0or a moment @tto wondered i0 they<d a#tually got the right target. ,hen he reminded himsel0 o0 the battery o0 sensors and other less 0riendly de3i#es that had 0illed the Cungle around the #a3e G this had to be the right pla#e or someone was going to a lot o0 trouble and e-pense to guard a big hole in the ground. =e thought he #ould see a relati3ely 0latDlooking area o0 the #a3e 0loor near to where the water0all that had bored this huge sinkhole o3er the #enturies hit the ground in an e-plosion o0 white 0oam. =e gently tugged on the #ontrols o0 the #hute, slightly adCusting his downward path, aiming 0or this potential landing spot. =e seemed to be tra3elling 3ery 0ast, e3en though the #hute was 0un#tioning per0e#tly. 2ll o0 the diagrams he had seen Cust a 0ew minutes earlier 0or the #orre#t way to hit the ground, bending his knees and rolling to absorb the impa#t, seemed 3ery abstra#t as the ground rushed up to meet him. =e hit the ground hard. ,he ro#k was slippery and wet so his landing was 0ar 0rom gra#e0ul, Carring his ankles as he let his legs #ollapse underneath him and rolling Cust as he had so re#ently learnt. ,he silky bla#k material o0 the #anopy 0ell on top o0 him and he struggled 0or a 0ew se#onds to get out 0rom under it be0ore 0inally e-tri#ating himsel0 and standing up on solid ground. =e was ali3e and, as 0ar as he #ould tell, there were no bones broken although his ankles throbbed pain0ully in protest at the impa#t they had su00ered. =e 'ui#kly gathered up the #hute and un#lipped it 0rom the Cump harness, stu00ing the rolledDup ball o0 bla#k material behind a nearby pile o0 ro#ks. ,here was no sign that his arri3al had been notedE no 0loodlights lighting up the #a3e or wailing alarm kla-onsE Cust the dull thunder o0 the water0all nearby. =e looked around, the helmet<s night 3ision illuminating the inky darkness, and #ould see no sign o0 any human habitation, let alone a global superD3illain<s se#ret base. 2gain he 0elt a sudden twinge o0 doubt G i0 this was the wrong pla#e it would be a long and dangerous #limb ba#k out. =e also realised that there was no sign o0 Aa3en. =e hoped that the detonation o0 the air#ra0t<s sel0Ddestru#t de3i#e had not #laimed her or damaged her Cump rig in some way. 7t was going to be hard enough sur3i3ing this e3en with her helpE he didn<t know what he was going to do i0 she had not made it too. =e #ouldn<t pani# G he knew that G and silently he reminded himsel0 why it was that he was here. 70 6ypher was here, @tto was going to make him pay 0or what he<d done. &uddenly a mo3ement on the edge o0 his 0ield o0 3ision #aught @tto<s attention. (hat

6hapter >le3en

had pre3iously appeared to be a solid and natural ro#k wall was sliding into the ground and the light that #ame 0rom behind it temporarily o3erloaded his sensiti3e nightD3ision e'uipment. @tto s#urried 0or #o3er behind a huge boulder that lay nearby and wat#hed, the ele#troni#s in his helmet #ompensating 0or the sudden 0lood o0 light, as se3eral 0igures emerged 0rom the pre3iously hidden entran#e. @tto immediately re#ognised the sinuous bla#k 0orms o0 the assassins that had atta#ked them earlier that day. ,hey mo3ed through the doorway with the same silent gra#e that he had seen be0ore, their heads turning this way and that as they 0anned out a#ross the #a3ern 0loor. ,his did at least mean that @tto was in the right pla#e but it also suggested, rather more worryingly, that his arri3al had not gone as undete#ted as he had hoped. ,wo o0 the bla#kD#lad 0igures remained at the doorway as the others pro#eeded to sear#h the 0loor o0 the #a3ern, 'ui#kly #o3ering the ground and mo3ing ine-orably #loser to @tto<s position. =e had to mo3e. @tto 0ranti#ally looked around the #a3ern, desperately sear#hing 0or some sign o0 another e-it, but 'ui#kly realised that there were none. ,he only way out o0 the #a3ern was past the two men guarding the doorway and he doubted 3ery mu#h that they<d eagerly in3ite him inside. @tto slowly ba#ked up, keeping the boulder between himsel0 and the assassin now approa#hing him. =e almost 0ell as his 0oot slipped on the wet ro#ks behind him G he was on the 3ery edge o0 the roaring torrent that issued 0rom the base o0 the water0all. @3er the #enturies this underground ri3er had #ar3ed a deep #hannel in the base o0 the #a3e whi#h 3anished into a bla#k hole in the ro#k wall. @tto had nowhere to go. 2s soon as the assassin rounded the huge boulder behind whi#h @tto was hiding, he would be dis#o3ered and, he realised with a #old #ertainty, summarily e-e#uted. @tto stood up and took a deep breath. 70 he was going out at least he<d go out 0ighting. Aa3en spat a short, 3enomous #urse in Aussian as she dri0ted towards the #a3ern 0loor. Below she #ould see a 0an o0 light spreading out a#ross the ground as the #on#ealed entran#e opened and a doBen o0 the deadly assassins that had 0ought her to a near standstill earlier that day spilled out. ,hey immediately assumed a sear#h pattern, spreading out a#ross the #a3ern 0loor 'ui#kly and e00i#iently. (hoe3er they were, they were e-tremely well trained. &he looked o3er to the hiding spot into whi#h she had seen /alpense s#urry as the door had started to open. From her position abo3e them she #ould see that it would only be a matter o0 se#onds be0ore he was dis#o3ered. &he knew what she had to do and she pulled on the #ontrol lines o0 her #hute, steering it towards the hidden doorway. (hen she was twenty 0eet abo3e the ground she slapped the emergen#y release on her harness and dropped the remaining distan#e, her orphaned para#hute dri0ting away into the darkness. &he hit the ground hard, rolling 0orward to absorb the impa#t and leaping immediately to her 0eet. &he ripped the Cump helmet 0rom her head and drew the twin blades 0rom the s#abbards on her ba#k in one 0luid motion, running towards the two guards who remained wat#hing the doorway. &he knew that she had no #han#e o0 holding her own against so many o0 these mysterious ninCas, but she had to draw them away 0rom @tto. ,he two guards on the door ran to meet herE they appeared unarmed but her e-perien#e in ,okyo had taught her that with these men that made little di00eren#e. Aa3en<s twin katanas be#ame a blur as she laun#hed a withering assault on the two ninCas. 1ust as be0ore, they mo3ed with an inhuman speed and e00i#ien#y, dodging or blo#king what would normally ha3e been killing blows, mat#hing her mo3e 0or mo3e. ,he other guards that had spread out a#ross the #a3ern were running ba#k towards the doorway now and Aa3en realised that the 0ight was already lost, ba#king away 0rom the two men at the door as the other guards started to 0orm a loose #ir#le around her. &he #entred hersel0 and grinned 3i#iously at the shadowy 0igures o0 the assassins that now

surrounded her. F@ne at a time or all at on#eI< she snarled, looking around her. ,he guards showed no signs o0 #on#ern, slowly tightening the #ir#le they had 0ormed. @tto wat#hed in horror as the assassins surrounded Aa3en. =e had es#aped dete#tion by se#onds when her arri3al had drawn all o0 the hunters ba#k to the doorway but he 0elt no sense o0 relie0 as he wat#hed the situation that de3eloped on the other side o0 the #a3ern. ,he ninCas surrounded Aa3en, ad3an#ing remorselessly. @ne would atta#k 0rom in 0ront and se3eral others would laun#h a simultaneous assault 0rom behind, slowly wearing her down. Aa3en 0ought like a demon but it was all she #ould do to hold her own and the end, when it ine3itably #ame, was 'ui#k and brutal. 2s the blow rained down on her Aa3en was kno#ked down on to one knee and then mer#ilessly battered to the 0loor. 7n a matter o0 se#onds it was o3er, two o0 the ninCas dragging Aa3en<s limp 0orm through the brightly lit doorway. ,he remaining assassins mo3ed away again, spreading ba#k out a#ross the #a3ern, resuming their sear#h. @tto looked around desperately. ,here was no hiding spot that he #ould see that would #on#eal his presen#e and i0 he was dis#o3ered now Aa3en<s sa#ri0i#e would ha3e been 0or nothing. 2 sudden thought shot a#ross @tto<s mind. 7t seemed insane, but he 'ui#kly realised that it might be the only #han#e he had. =e looked at the headDup display on his helmet and saw that he had Cust under 0our minutes o0 o-ygen remaining. =e had no idea i0 it was enoughE he Cust had to hope it would be. =e turned round, took a moment to slow his breathing and then di3ed into the raging torrent that issued 0rom the water0all. 7nstantly he was #aught in the breakne#k #urrent, tumbling o3er and o3er in the i#y water as he was #arried towards the bla#k hole in the #a3e wall. @tto had no idea where the torrent would #arry him but all he #ared about at the moment was that it was the only way out. 2s he passed into the #a3e the ri3er pi#ked up speed and his helmet hit a ro#k hidden below the sur0a#e. ,he headDup display 0li#kered 0or a moment and then went dark. =is night 3ision was gone and he #ould no longer tell whi#h way was up in the pit#h bla#kness. =e smashed against another ro#k and, as the wind was kno#ked 0rom him, 0elt genuine 0ear as he realised that this wild torrent was as likely to kill him as any o0 6ypher<s assassins. @tto 0ought 0or airE his helmet was at least still 0eeding him o-ygen but there were now less than two minutes< worth remaining. &uddenly he was airborne. =is stoma#h ga3e a lur#h as he 0ell through the bla#kness 0or what seemed like 0or e3er be0ore hitting the water again hard. =is 3isor #rashed into something solid and water rushed into his helmet. @tto 0ought desperately to pull the helmet o00 as it 0illed with the i#y water, 0inally tearing it o00, knowing that his remaining o-ygen supply was now gone. =e 0elt air on his 0a#e 0or a moment and took a desperate ragged breath be0ore he was pulled under again. =e 0ought to rea#h the sur0a#e as his lungs started to burn, but he was #ompletely disorientated. ,he ba#k o0 his head sma#ked against another hidden pie#e o0 ro#k and his 0inal despairing thought as he lost #ons#iousness was that 6ypher had won. F(hat do you mean, TdisappearedUI< Nero asked impatiently. F7t<s Cust 3anished, sir. (e #an<t raise the &hroud on #omms and there<s nothing on satellite tra#king,< the harriedDlooking #ommuni#ations te#h replied weakly. FYou<3e tried to a#ti3ate the emergen#y bea#on, 7 assumeI< Pro0essor Pike said, walking a#ross the #ommand #entre to the #onsole at whi#h the te#hni#ian was working. FYes, Pro0essor, 7<3e tried e3erything. ,here<s Cust no sign o0 them. 6ould they ha3e been . . . shot downI< the te#hni#ian asked ner3ously. F7n any other air#ra0t that might ha3e been a possibility, but there isn<t an antiDair#ra0t

system on earth that #an e3en dete#t the &hroud, mu#h less shoot it down. No, something else must ha3e happened,< the Pro0essor replied, peering through his battered spe#ta#les at the display. Nero rubbed his eyes with one hand and let out a sigh. ,oday was going 0rom bad to worse. =e re0used, though, to gi3e up hope Cust yet. 7t would not be the 0irst time that both Aa3en and /alpense had sur3i3ed su#h une-pe#ted de3elopments. =e knew that he should report the situation to Number @ne, espe#ially as /alpense was in3ol3ed, but he also knew 0rom past e-perien#e that reporting to Number @ne without a 0ull understanding o0 the situation was ne3er a good idea. No, better instead to wait until he had a mu#h #learer idea o0 what had happened. F&ee i0 you #an pull up thermal imaging 0or the surrounding area,< the Pro0essor instru#ted, and the te#hni#ian pro#eeded to hiCa#k and inter#ept any rele3ant data 0rom nearby satellites. ,he Pro0essor walked ba#k o3er to Nero, looking worried. F7t<s not good, /a-. 7 know the &hroud was designed to be in3isible, but not to us. 70 it<s in the air we should be able to 0ind it,< he said 'uietly. F2ny theoriesI< Nero asked, looking tired. F(ell, the &hrouds are e-perimental. ,here #ould ha3e been an e'uipment 0ailure.< Nero thought that Fe'uipment 0ailure< was not a terribly a##urate des#ription o0 a 0ireball in the sky and a rain o0 blaBing debris on the ground below. =e pushed the image out o0 his mind. FNo, it<s too mu#h o0 a #oin#iden#e that something should go wrong at the pre#ise moment that they<re on 0inal approa#h to 6ypher<s 0a#ility. &omething happened and it wasn<t an a##ident.< F7 agree,< the Pro0essor said. F,here<s only the prototype le0t, it<s su#h a shame to lose e'uipment like that.< Nero glared at the Pro0essor. F(hat 7 mean is that su#h potential loss o0 li0e is tragi# . . . yes, that<s it, terrible . . .< the Pro0essor added hastily. F*o#tor Nero, 7 ha3e something,< the te#hni#ian reported, pointing at his display as Nero and the Pro0essor hurried o3er to look at what he had 0ound. ,he display was showing a thermal image o0 the area surrounding 6ypher<s base. ,he maCority o0 the s#reen was 0illed with the deep purples and blues o0 the #ool, 'uiet Cungle but tearing through the middle o0 the area was a deep gash o0 orange, yellow and white. F,hat<s a debris 0ield,< the Pro0essor said 'uietly. FPro0essor, how long until you #an get the last &hroud airborneI< Nero asked 'ui#kly. F(ell, it had been mothballed when #onstru#tion on the other two was #ompleted G a #ouple o0 hours, minimum.< FYou ha3e one hour, Pro0essor,< Nero said #oldly. F7 want a res#ue team at those #oordinates as soon as possible.< ,he Pro0essor nodded and hurried out o0 the room. Nero would not allow himsel0 to belie3e the worst yet. ,here was still hope. Besides whi#h, he reminded himsel0, i0 /alpense had been on the &hroud when it hit the ground he wouldn<t ha3e to worry about anything e3er again. Number @ne would see to that. @tto slowly opened his eyes. ,here was wet sand in his mouth and his a#hing body 0elt as i0 he<d been atta#ked by a giant with a meat tenderiser, but he was ali3e, and that in itsel0 was nothing short o0 mira#ulous. ,entati3ely he pushed himsel0 up on to all 0ours and, as his eyes adCusted to the darkness, he #ould make out 0aint details o0 his surroundings. =e was on the edge o0 an underground pool in a large #a3ern. BiBarre ro#k 0ormations 0illed the #a3e, their glossy, organi# shapes produ#ed by millennia o0 relentlessly dripping water. @tto took a #ouple o0 deep breaths and tried to stand up. F@wwww,< he moaned as he got unsteadily to his 0eet. =is le0t knee was throbbing but at

least his legs appeared to be #apable o0 supporting his own weight. =e suddenly realised there that was a 0aint light #oming 0rom an opening on the other side o0 the #hamber. =is uni0orm was soaked through and he 0elt on the brink o0 e-haustion but he knew that he had to keep mo3ing. ,empting as it was to #url up in a ball here in the gloom, he was now the only one who had any #han#e o0 0inding and stopping 6ypher and res#uing Aa3en. 2ssuming she was still ali3e, o0 #ourse, a nasty little 3oi#e in the ba#k o0 his head reminded him. =e trudged through the wet sand surrounding the pool to the opening 0rom whi#h the 0aint illumination was #oming. 2s he approa#hed the light sour#e he #ould make out a new sound? the thumping #langs and hisses o0 hea3y ma#hinery. 6are0ully he peered through the opening in the #a3e wall and was staggered by what he saw. Below was an enormous #a3ern 0illed with industrial robots and other elaborate pie#es o0 ma#hinery, all ser3ing an enormous #on3eyerDbeltD0ed produ#tion line. ,he ma#hinery itsel0 was not mu#h di00erent 0rom what one might e-pe#t to see in any 0a#tory manu0a#turing highD te#h e'uipment, but what was 0ar more astonishing was what was being manu0a#tured. From his 3antage point he #ould see e3ery stage o0 the manu0a#turing pro#ess in all o0 its staggering #omple-ity. Numerous #omponents were being 0ed into the mass o0 ma#hinery and it wasn<t until about hal0way down the produ#tion line that it be#ame ob3ious what the ma#hines were assembling. ,here @tto #ould see what looked like bla#k metalli# skeletons being assembled and, as the pro#ess #ontinued, more and more #omponents were bolted to these 0rames. By the time these mysterious metalli# bodies had rea#hed the end o0 the produ#tion line they had taken on a sinister and unmistakeable 0orm. &uddenly @tto understood why it was that 6ypher<s assassins had been able to 0ight Aa3en to a standstill on se3eral o##asions. ,hey were robotsK @tto #ould not help but be impressed by the ingenuity o0 their design. =e #ould not make out all o0 the details o0 their #onstru#tion 0rom his 3antage point, but he #ould see that they represented a huge leap in te#hnology. =e was desperate to get down on to the 0loor o0 the manu0a#turing #a3ern, partly to see i0 he #ould make out any more details o0 the android assassins< design, and partly to see i0 there was anything he #ould do to throw a 3ery large spanner in the works. =e looked around the #a3ern more #are0ully. ,here were a #ouple o0 guards patrolling the room, but they were Cust ordinary uni0ormed humans. Not only that, they both looked in#redibly bored to be wat#hing o3er the ma#hinery, and @tto suspe#ted that it would not be too di00i#ult to sneak past them unnoti#ed. =e #ould see where he wanted to go. ,he #ompleted assassin droids were being #arried through an opening in the #a3ern wall and he needed to 0ind out where they were going. @tto waited until both o0 the guards were on the other side o0 the #a3ern and #limbed #are0ully through the opening in the #a3e wall. ,he ro#k wall that led down to the 0a#tory 0loor was steep but had plenty o0 good handholds, and @tto had soon rea#hed the ground, apparently undete#ted. ,he noise o0 the ma#hinery was e3en more dea0ening down here but @tto was glad o0 the #a#ophony. ,here was no way that anyone would hear him #reeping around through that amount o0 ba#kground noise. 2ll he had to do was stay out o0 sight. @tto 'ui#kly sur3eyed his immediate surroundings. ,he number o0 di00erent ma#hines and #ontrol #onsoles that were #lanking and buBBing away around him was slightly bewildering. =e thought that he #ould see a #ouple o0 3ulnerable points in the pro#ess but he needed something that would shut this pla#e down 0or good as well as produ#ing a big enough distra#tion to let him get 0urther inside the base. 2 mo3ement o3erhead #aught @tto<s eye and he glan#ed upwards and saw a huge #ru#ible o0 molten metal being transported past abo3e him. FPer0e#t,< @tto whispered to himsel0. =e 'ui#kly mo3ed between the rows o0 e'uipment, heading 0or the ladder that would take him up on to the raised gantries abo3e the

produ#tion line. @tto #limbed the ladder as 'ui#kly and as 'uietly as he #ould. ,he guards that he had spotted be0ore were talking to ea#h other on the opposite side o0 the #a3ern, and i0 they did ha3e any #lue that he was there, they were doing a 3ery good Cob o0 hiding it. @tto hurried o3er to a #ontrol #onsole at one end o0 the gantry that looked like it might be suitable. 2s he worked at the #onsole another huge suspended #auldron o0 bubbling molten metal passed by and @tto #ould 0eel the heat e3en 0rom a distan#e o0 twenty metres or so. 2s the huge bu#ket rea#hed a preDprogrammed point it stopped and began to tip, depositing a stream o0 bright yellow molten metal into a holding tank below with a hiss. @tto worked 'ui#kly, grate0ul that the #ontrols had a tou#hDs#reen #omputerised inter0a#e whi#h made the adCustments he was making mu#h more straight0orward. @n#e he was satis0ied with his new modi0i#ations @tto hurried ba#k down the ladder and stealthily made his way o3er to the opening in the wall through whi#h the #ompleted robot ninCas were passing. ,he ina#ti3e robots lay 0lat on their ba#ks on the #on3eyor belt and on#e again @tto #ould not help but admire their design. ,hey were not wearing the bla#k silk robes that they had been wearing when @tto had en#ountered them be0ore, but they looked no less sinister. ,heir mattDbla#k metalli# skins had organi#, 0lowing lines, only broken here and there by bundles o0 thi#k bla#k #able that looked as i0 they 0un#tioned as the ma#hines< mus#les. ,he assassins< unmasked 0a#es were 0eatureless and smooth, sa3e 0or an array o0 small holes on ea#h side o0 the head where the eyes should be. 2s @tto wat#hed the ma#hines pass by he was e-tremely grate0ul that they had not been a#ti3ated. Aa3en had struggled to de0eat Cust a #ouple o0 these things in a toeDtoDtoe 0ight and the ma#hinery in this room seemed to be produ#ing a new one e3ery #ouple o0 se#onds. @tto<s blood ran #old as he #onsidered that 0a#t 0or a momentE whate3er 6ypher was up to, an army o0 these things would represent an unstoppable 0or#e. @tto 0or#ed himsel0 to stop worrying about what 6ypher<s plans might be and to 0o#us on what he had to do now. 6he#king that there was no sign o0 the guards, he hopped up on to the #on3eyor belt and lay down as it #arried him through the hole in the wall. ,he =.7.;.>. se#urity guard yawned. 7t had been a long shi0t and, sin#e Fran#is#o was the only prisoner in the brig, not a parti#ularly e-#iting one. ,hey had brought the 6olonel in se3eral hours ago and he had said nothing sin#e, simply sat in his #ell staring blankly at the opposite wall. ,he guard had heard rumours about what the 6olonel was supposed to ha3e done, but i0 he belie3ed e3ery rumour he<d heard while he<d been working at =.7.;.>. he<d ha3e 'uit a long time ago. Jsually the brig was only used 0or the worst and most unruly students G this was #ertainly the 0irst re#orded in#iden#e o0 one o0 the tea#hing sta00 being lo#ked up. =e heard the so0t bleep o0 an authorised entry to the brig and turned to meet the 3isitor. ,o the guard<s #redit, he got his &leeper hal0way out o0 its holster be0ore he was stru#k 0ull in the #hest by the two stun pulses that shot 0rom the identi#al guns that Blo#k and ,a#kle were #arrying. =e slumped 0orward on the desk, out #old. ,he two students mo3ed 'ui#kly, Blo#k mo3ing to #o3er the door while ,a#kle pun#hed a series o0 #ommands into the #onsole on the se#urity desk. (ith a hiss, the bars that trapped Fran#is#o in his #ell retra#ted into the #eiling. ,he 6olonel walked #almly 0rom his #ell, displaying no sign o0 any emotion as ,a#kle handed him a &leeper. FPhase ,wo has been authorised,< ,a#kle said 0latly. F;ery well, you ha3e your orders,< Fran#is#o replied #almly. F7nitiate.<

. Aa3en #ame to and immediately wished she hadn<t. &he 0elt as i0 she<d been run o3er by a tru#kE e3ery part o0 her body a#hed. =er wrists and ankles were sha#kled to the #hair in whi#h she was sitting and her battered body protested as she strained against the restraints. ,he small room was bare sa3e 0or a metal table and another #hairE the only illumination #ame 0rom the harsh white strip lighting o3erhead. 2utomati#ally she began to assess her #han#es o0 es#ape, Cust as she had been trained to do. Jnsurprisingly, all o0 her gear had been taken 0rom her and the restraints were well designed and strong enough to resist e3en her most determined e00orts to break 0ree. &he wasn<t going anywhere. ,he door to the #ell hissed open and 6ypher walked into the room. ,he bla#k glass mask that he always wore might ha3e #on#ealed his 0a#e #ompletely but he made no e00ort to #on#eal the smug, triumphant tone in his 3oi#e. F&o, Nero<s pet 0inally wakes up,< 6ypher said sar#asti#ally. F7 was under the impression that you were supposed to be the best but it seems that my assassins got the better o0 you rather easily.< FYou<ll burn 0or this, 6ypher,< Aa3en spat ba#k. FYou<re 0inished. (hen Number @ne dis#o3ers what you<3e done he<ll turn this pla#e into a smouldering #rater.< F@h, 7 don<t think we<re going to ha3e to worry about that 0or 3ery mu#h longer,< 6ypher replied #almly. F7ndeed, by the end o0 today it will be Number @ne who will 0ear me.< FYou won<t be the 0irst to try,< Aa3en said with a sneer, Fand you won<t be the 0irst who gets stepped on like a bug either.< F/y dear Aa3en,< 6ypher replied #oldly, Fyou underestimate my determination. Number @ne and Nero are reli#s o0 the past. 7 am the 0uture.< FYou ha3e no 0uture,< Aa3en replied. FG.L.@.;.>. will put you down like the mad dog you are.< FYou are 0oolish to pla#e so mu#h 0aith in an organisation that is made up o0 the #ream o0 the world<s 3illains. 70 the ruling #oun#il o0 G.L.@.;.>. is known 0or anything, it is its pragmatism. 20ter the demonstration o0 my power that they will all witness today, 7 3ery mu#h doubt any o0 them will be in#lined to oppose me.< Aa3en had no idea what 6ypher was hinting at and, e3en though she would show this lunati# no sign o0 it, she was worried. (hate3er he was planning, it was #learly designed to be a spe#ta#ular display o0 his strength. People who stopped 0earing the wrath o0 Number @ne were usually insane or e-tremely dangerous. &e#retly she 0eared that 6ypher might be both. F7 ha3e to admit 7 was impressed that you sur3i3ed the e-plosion in ,okyo,< 6ypher #ontinued. FNormally 7 would be annoyed, but in this #ase it gi3es me the undoubted pleasure o0 killing you twi#e in one day. 7<3e been waiting to try out my latest in3ention, and you should make the per0e#t test subCe#t.< ,he door behind 6ypher hissed open again and Aa3en<s eyes widened in surprise as two o0 6ypher<s assassins entered the room. ,hey were not wearing the bla#k silk robes that they had been swathed in be0ore, and their e-posed, bla#k metalli# endoDskeletons le0t little doubt as to their true nature. F/a#hines. 7 should ha3e known,< Aa3en said 'uietly. F@h, these aren<t Cust ma#hines,< 6ypher replied, a note o0 pride in his 3oi#e. F,hese are the #utting edge o0 roboti# te#hnology. ,itanium skeleton, grade one positroni# #ore, #arbon 0ibre mus#ulature, multiDlayered #ombat programming. ,hey are works o0 art. ,hey may not be #apable o0 mu#h in the way o0 independent thought, but that is outweighed by their un'uestioning loyalty.< F2m 7 supposed to be impressedI< Aa3en said with a #old smile.

6hapter ,wel3e

FNo, but you should be 0lattered. ,hey were, a0ter all, designed to beat you in single #ombat. ,heir #ore #ombat routines ha3e been based on an e-tensi3e study o0 your #apabilities. ,he only di00eren#e between you and them is that they don<t tire and they #an take an assault ri0le round to the head.< 6ypher looked straight at Aa3en, her angry 0a#e a distorted re0le#tion in the smooth bla#k glass. F,hey render you 'uite . . . obsolete,< he said threateningly. 2s 6ypher leant o3er her Aa3en spat in his 0a#e, her sali3a running down the smooth sur0a#e o0 his mask. (ithout hesitation 6ypher ba#khanded her hard a#ross the 0a#e, but Aa3en didn<t e3en 0lin#h, she Cust stared ba#k at him, de0ian#e in her eyes. 6ypher pulled a #lean white handker#hie0 0rom his po#ket and wiped the tri#kling spit 0rom his mask. F,ake her to the testing area,< 6ypher said angrily, gesturing to the two robots who ad3an#ed towards her. F7<m going to enCoy wat#hing you die.< @tto lay 0lat on his stoma#h, the #on3eyor belt #arrying him through the dimly illuminated tunnel, its destination unknown. ,hey seemed to be tra3elling downwards, as the belt was on a 3ery slight in#line, but without ha3ing a better idea o0 the layout o0 the 0a#ility @tto had no way o0 knowing e-a#tly where he was being taken. &uddenly @tto #ould make out 0aint sounds o0 ma#hinery #oming 0rom somewhere up ahead. =e li0ted his head to peer along the length o0 the belt in 0ront o0 him and #ould Cust make out a more brightly lit opening towards whi#h the belt was tra3elling. 2s the belt mo3ed him ine-orably towards the light @tto #ould see that a pair o0 large yellow roboti# #laws were li0ting the robots 0rom the end o0 the belt and #arrying them out o0 sight. 2s @tto neared the end o0 the belt he rolled o00 it and slowly snu#k 0orward to see what lay in this new room. ,he #laws were li0ting the robots 0rom the end o0 the belt with #lo#kwork pre#ision, hoisting them into the air be0ore swi3elling away and positioning the ina#ti3e assassins in neatly ordered rows within the 3ast hangarDlike spa#e. ,here were hundreds, perhaps thousands o0 the me#hani#al killers arranged in per0e#t lines that stret#hed o00 in all dire#tions. @tto<s blood ran #old at the sight. 6ypher was not Cust assembling a se#urity or spe#ial operations 0or#e. ,his was an army. =a3ing seen what these things were #apable o0 in small numbers @tto knew that with an army o0 them 6ypher would be almost unstoppable. @tto hopped down 0rom the opening and on to the hangar 0loor. ,he assassins were #learly all dea#ti3ated at the moment and he de#ided that it would be best to 0ind an e-it while that was still the #ase. =e had Cust started to mo3e towards the other side o0 the room when he suddenly heard 3oi#es. +ui#kly @tto du#ked into the long rows o0 motionless robots, using their massed ranks as #o3er. @tto #ould not see who was talking as the 3oi#es drew nearer but he #ould hear their #on3ersation #learly. F,hey<re ready 0or 0inal loadout,< the 0irst 3oi#e said. F7 wish they<d gi3en us a bit more noti#e,< the se#ond 3oi#e #omplained. F>3erything is ready, isn<t itI< the 0irst man asked, a slight note o0 pani# in his 3oi#e. FYeah, 7 think so. (e<ll ha3e to skip a #ouple o0 the 0inal #he#ks but otherwise we<re good to go.< F@L, let<s 0ire them up, then,< the 0irst man said, e-haling loudly. ,here was a low hum and suddenly the heads o0 all the robots in the 0ront row snapped upright, ea#h assassin turning as one on the spot and then pro#eeding to mar#h to the 0ar end o0 the room, all in per0e#t step with one another. 2s they turned @tto #ould see that the tiny holes in the sides o0 their 0a#es were now lit up with a bloodDred glow. @tto guessed that they must be sensory arrays, but these spiderDlike eye #lusters did nothing to impro3e their sinister appearan#e.

2s the 0irst row 0iled out o0 the hangar the se#ond row snapped to attention and pro#eeded to 0ollow them to the e-it. @tto realised that i0 they kept mo3ing at this rate he<d run out o0 hiding pla#es 3ery 'ui#kly. =e #rept ba#kwards, trying to put more rows o0 the e3erDdwindling robot army between him and the 3oi#es he had heard pre3iously. @tto looked around desperately 0or somewhere else to hide but there were no immediately ob3ious options. ,here were now only a #ouple o0 rows o0 the neatly ordered assassins still in 0ront o0 him. =e had nowhere to run. Ba#k in the 0abri#ation #a3ern the #onsole #ontrolling the alloy deli3ery system beeped on#e. ,he giant #ru#ible 0ull o0 boiling molten metal tipped as it had done #ountless times be0ore, but as the glowing yellow torrent poured 0rom the lip o0 the #auldron it began to mo3e. @tto had not had mu#h time with the #onsole so his reprogramming had been 'ui#k and dirty G there had been little time 0or elegan#e. ,he #ru#ible began to mo3e along the length o0 the produ#tion line, molten metal pouring on to the deli#ate ma#hinery below, destroying it #ompletely in a shower o0 sparks and 0lame. 2t 0irst the automated produ#tion system tried to keep 0un#tioning but, as pressures started to build and more and more parts o0 the system reported #atastrophi# 0ailures, the system began to o3erload. ,here were a #ouple o0 loud bangs and then something somewhere within the ranks o0 hea3y ma#hinery de#ided that it had had enough and e-ploded with enough 0or#e to shake the entire #a3ern . . . @tto 0elt the hangar 0loor mo3e and heard the mu00led sound o0 a distant e-plosion. F(hat the hell was thatI< one o0 the 3oi#es at the 0ront o0 the hangar said. &uddenly a huge ball o0 0ire bloomed 0rom the opening through whi#h the #on3eyor belt 0ed the re#ently manu0a#tured droids. ,he sho#kwa3e kno#ked @tto to the ground and toppled a #ouple o0 the stillDina#ti3e assassins. ,hey 0ell like statues, ramrod straight, Cust so mu#h s#rap metal until they were a#ti3ated. ,here was the sound o0 another e-plosion in the distan#e and another Cet o0 0lame shot 0rom the opening leading to the manu0a#turing #a3ern. FLet<s get out o0 here,< one o0 the 3oi#es shouted and @tto #ould Cust make out the sound o0 running 0ootsteps re#eding into the distan#e. 2s he peered around the last row o0 ina#ti3e robots he #ould see two men in white #oats running towards the hangar e-it. @tto smiled to himsel0 as another distant e-plosion shook dust 0rom the #eiling. ,hat was what he #alled throwing a spanner in the works. &uddenly a mu#h #loser and more 3iolent e-plosion sent a girder tumbling down 0rom high o3erhead. 7t smashed down on to the row o0 assassins Cust a #ouple o0 0eet in 0ront o0 @tto with an enormous #rash. 2s @tto pi#ked himsel0 up and brushed the dust and debris 0rom his uni0orm he wondered i0 maybe there was su#h a thing as a spanner that was Cust a little too big. =e ran 0or the e-it. 6ypher stood on a gantry looking down into the 0eatureless #on#rete pit below. Aa3en stood in the #entre o0 the pit twenty metres below him, staring straight ba#k at him. FYou<re #ertain,< 6ypher said to the 0rightenedDlooking te#hni#ian who stood Cust a 0ew 0eet away. F7<m a0raid so, sir. (hoe3er has sabotaged the manu0a#turing 0a#ility did an e-#eptionally e00i#ient Cob o0 it. ,here<s no #han#e o0 #ontaining the 0ire and i0 it #ontinues to spread at its #urrent rate it will rea#h the 0uel #ells in Cust a 0ew minutes.< F7t would appear that G.L.@.;.>. has responded more 'ui#kly than 7 e-pe#ted,< 6ypher replied thought0ully, Fthough 7 am impressed that their saboteurs got in undete#ted.< F(e<3e re3iewed the se#urity logs,< the te#hni#ian reported. F,here<s no sign o0 a team entering the 0a#ility, but with G.L.@.;.>. #ommandos that doesn<t mean that they<re not

here.< 6ypher nodded. F=ow 0ar along is the loadDout o0 the LrakenI< he asked, glan#ing ba#k down at Aa3en in the pit. F&e3entyD0i3e per #ent o0 our 0or#es ha3e been loaded,< the te#hni#ian replied, looking around ner3ously as the distant rumble o0 another e-plosion sent an unner3ing tremor through the gantry. F,hat will be su00i#ient. @rder a 0ull e3a#uation and prepare the Lraken to disembark. &u#h a shame,< 6ypher said with a sigh. F7 had been looking 0orward to this.< =e gestured at Aa3en. =e pi#ked up the roll o0 bla#k silk that was leaning against the gantry rail beside him. FAa3en, my dear,< 6ypher said, looking down into the pit, F7<m a0raid that 7 really ha3e to go. 7t<s un0ortunate that 7<ll ha3e to miss the show, but 7 thought that you at least deser3ed the #han#e to go out 0ighting.< (ith that 6ypher tossed the roll o0 bla#k silk into the pit below. Aa3en stepped 0orward and #are0ully unrolled the silk. 7nside were her twin swords. &he 'ui#kly s#ooped up the weapons and looked up at the gantry 0ar o3erhead. F,his isn<t o3er, 6ypher,< Aa3en yelled de0iantly. F@h, 7 rather think it is,< 6ypher replied and pressed a swit#h on a #ontrol panel mounted on the gantry rail. ,here was a low grinding rumble as a threeDmetreDs'uare area o0 the pit<s 0loor dropped away and slid aside. (ith a sudden hiss white 3apour shot up 0rom the hole and a dark shape rose up through the opening. ,he robot that stood on the raising plat0orm was huge G at least twel3e 0eet tall and seemingly almost as wide. 7t was #o3ered in the same mattDbla#k armour as the smaller robots, but that was where any similarity ended. 70 the assassin droids were a stiletto blade sliding unnoti#ed between the Coins o0 an opponent<s armour, this ma#hine was a sledgehammer, designed to #rush its enemies without mer#y. 6ypher hit another button up on the gantry and with a low growl the sensory arrays in the behemoth<s 0a#e plate lit up with a dull red glow. FLill her,< 6ypher said, Fslowly.< F6ommand a#knowledged,< the robot replied in a low, growling synthesised 3oi#e. 6ypher took one last look down into the pit as the huge ma#hine ad3an#ed on Aa3en and then turned and walked away down the gantry. F2ll #rew members, preparation 0or phase two laun#h #omplete. Final embarkation authorised. Please pro#eed to duty stations,< the 3oi#e blared 0rom the tannoy. @tto pressed himsel0 into the shadows o0 a re#essed doorway as a group o0 worriedD looking te#hni#ians ran past. =e stayed well out o0 sight G #learly 6ypher<s personnel were in the 0inal stages o0 preparation 0or something, but he doubted that they were distra#ted enough to ignore the presen#e o0 a thirteenDyearDold boy. Fortunately most o0 the 0a#ility seemed to be deserted G whate3er was going on was ob3iously important. @tto walked past a short side #orridor and stopped. 2t the end o0 the #orridor was a bal#ony that opened on to another 3ast #a3ern but what had really #aught @tto<s attention was the sound he #ould hear #oming 0rom the #orridor? it was the sound o0 the sea, wa3es #rashing against ro#ks. @tto mo3ed #autiously down the #orridor and peered out o3er the edge o0 the bal#ony. ,he #a3ern had ob3iously been a large seaD#a3e originally but now it had been #on3erted to work as a do#king 0a#ility. 2 huge #on#rete Cetty had been #onstru#ted along one wall and ele#troDmagneti# #rane rigs mounted on the #eiling were li0ting #ontainers 0rom the Cetty and lowering them into the belly o0 the biBarre ship that was do#ked there. ,he ship was the siBe o0 a modern missile #ruiser but its sleek, 0lowing, almost organi# lines suggested that it was signi0i#antly more ad3an#ed than any normal

na3al warship. 7ts bla#k metalli# skin seemed to soak up the illumination 0rom the huge 0loodlights o3erhead, Cust like the skin o0 the &hroud had done, and @tto realised that there was a good #han#e that they were both #oated with the same material. Jntil re#ently 6ypher had had a##ess to all o0 the te#hni#al resour#es that any senior member o0 G.L.@.;.>. did and @tto supposed that the material #oating this ship and =.7.;.>.<s stealth transports may well be e-a#tly the same. 2rranged around the rear third o0 the ship<s de#k were hal0 a doBen turrets, ea#h mounted with a 3ery seriousD looking laun#her tube. ,e#hni#ians were swarming all o3er the ship<s de#k, #he#king systems and stowing e'uipment, apparently making 0inal preparations 0or the ship to get underway. @tto<s attention was drawn by mo3ement on the superstru#ture o0 the ship as se3eral 0igures walked out on to a plat0orm that o3erlooked the de#k. =e 0elt a sudden hot 0lash o0 anger as he re#ognised the 0igure at the head o0 the group, 6ypher. &uddenly @tto 0lashed ba#k to the e3ents o0 the roo0top in ,okyo, the pain that 6ypher had #aused him and the debt that he owed (ing. =e had to get on board that ship. Aa3en di3ed to her le0t. ,he massi3e robot was unbelie3ably 0ast 0or its siBe but 0ortunately not 'uite as agile as its more normalDsiBed #ounterpart. 2 0ist the siBe o0 a wre#king ball smashed into the #on#rete wall o0 the pit, lea3ing a small #rater where Aa3en<s head had been Cust moments be0ore. Aa3en #ounteratta#ked, swinging her blades at one o0 the e-posed bun#hes o0 mus#le #ables on the ba#k o0 the behemoth<s leg. =er katanas had been made and maintained by some o0 the 0inest weaponsmiths in the world but they glan#ed o00 the #ables like a butter kni0e o00 a bri#k. &he mo3ed 'ui#kly away 0rom the robot as it swi3elled to 0a#e her, trying desperately to stay out o0 its rea#h. Aa3en knew that she #ould not win this 0ightE the ma#hine she was 0ighting had as mu#h armour plating as a tank and it would take more than agility and 0an#y swordplay to bring it down. &uddenly there was another e-plosion 0rom somewhere mu#h nearer by, and the 0loor ro#ked as debris 0ell 0rom o3erhead, #at#hing Aa3en slightly o00Dbalan#e. ,he giant robot seiBed on the opportunity, mo3ing with impossible speed towards her, one o0 its huge 0ists swinging at her. Aa3en<s years o0 training were all that sa3ed her. &he twisted away 0rom the blow, rolling with it and a3oiding as mu#h o0 the dire#t impa#t as she #ould. ,he strike still sent her 0lying a#ross the pit, sliding to a halt against the 0ar wall. &he shook her head, trying desperately to #lear the 0lashing lights that suddenly 0illed her 0ield o0 3ision. &he #ould not a00ord to let the thing land another blow like that. ,he se#ond e-plosion that suddenly ro#ked the room was the #losest yetE it sounded to Aa3en like an ammunition store e-ploding. ,he whole room shook, and large #hunks o0 ro#k 0ell 0rom the #eiling, one glan#ing o00 the robot<s hea3ily armoured head with a dull #lang. ,he robot 0ell to one knee, the lights o0 the sensory array on its 0a#e dimming and 0li#kering 0or Cust a se#ond be0ore it slowly got to its 0eet. 7t mo3ed relentlessly ba#k a#ross the pit towards Aa3en, who knew that i0 the 0ight #ontinued like this that she would be de0eated by e-haustion. &he #ould only keep dan#ing around a3oiding the thing 0or so long be0ore it got lu#ky, and Cudging by the 0a#t that she still 0elt slightly stunned 0rom the glan#ing blow it had landed moments earlier, it would only take one good pun#h 0rom it and she wouldn<t be getting up again. Aa3en heard a metalli# #reak 0rom o3erhead and saw a shower o0 dust 0all 0rom one o0 the large steel pins that 0i-ed the obser3ation gantry o3erhead to the #eiling. &he mo3ed #are0ully around the edge o0 the pit, trying always to keep her opponent #entred in the room, waiting 0or her #han#e. ,he ne-t e-plosion shook the entire room, and Aa3en lost her 0ooting, 0alling to her knees. ,he assassin robot #ould not #apitalise on her loss o0 balan#e, though, as it too

struggled to stay upright. ,here was a s#ree#h o0 tearing metal 0rom o3erhead as the steel stru#ture o0 the obser3ation gantry 0inal ga3e up its grip on the ro#k #eiling and one end dropped downwards into the pit. Aa3en di3ed to a3oid the shower o0 debris but her opponent was not so lu#ky. ,he end o0 the gantry swung downwards and slammed into the robot, smashing it to the ground, where it lay still, pinned under the end o0 the hea3y metal walkway. Aa3en let out a long slow breath and looked upwards. ,he other end o0 the gantry was still in pla#e twenty metres o3erheadE its supports had not 'uite gi3en out yet. &he slid her swords into her belt and ran towards the dangling gantry, hopping o3er the still 0orm o0 the giant robot assassin and s#aling the remains o0 the walkway as 0ast as she #ould. &he was about hal0way up when she 0elt the whole gantry mo3e again. Glan#ing downwards she saw that her opponent was starting to mo3e, slowly at 0irst, 0or#ing itsel0 on to all 0ours, li0ting the end o0 the gantry as it rose. Aa3en #limbed 0asterE the top o0 the impro3ised ladder she was s#aling was only a 0ew metres away now. Below her the robot 0inally struggled to its 0eet, the end o0 the gantry sliding o00 its ba#k and slamming into the 0loor with a dea0ening #lang. Aa3en Cust managed to hang on as the gantry shi0ted. @ne o0 the two remaining pins that was holding the upper end o0 the walkway in pla#e ga3e way with a dea0ening #ra#k and the whole gantry pi3oted, lea3ing Aa3en dangling pre#ariously o3er the long drop to the pit below. ,he giant robot looked up and saw its prey dangling tantalisingly out o0 rea#h. 7t stooped down and pi#ked up the lower end o0 the gantry with both hands and shook the entire walkway. Aa3en #lung on 0or dear li0e as the ma#hine tried to shake her loose, but it was like trying to hang on to a rodeo bull. ,he gantry<s last remaining support ga3e an ominous #run#h and Aa3en made one last desperate lunge, swinging towards the lip o0 the doorway #ar3ed into the ro#k wall. ,he 0ingers o0 one hand 0ound the edge o0 the opening and she lat#hed on to the solid ro#k as the abused gantry 0inally ga3e up its 0ight with gra3ity and toppled downwards into the pit with an enormous #rash. Aa3en pulled hersel0 up into the doorway and looked ba#k down into the pit. Far below the robot was still mo3ing, struggling to 0ree itsel0 0rom the pile o0 twisted metal that was all that remained o0 the 3iewing gantry. &he #ould not help but be impressed as it slowly rose to its 0eet, pushing the debris aside, and looked up at her. 7t would take a tank to stop one o0 these things, she thought to hersel0, and she realised with a slight shudder that it was unlikely that 6ypher would ha3e abandoned the ma#hine i0 it was the only one he<d built . . . ,here was the rumble o0 another e-plosion nearby and Aa3en knew that she had to get mo3ing. &he turned and ran silently down the #orridor beyond the doorway. Far below, in the pit, the giant me#hani#al assassin strode through the s#attered debris towards the wall, and looked up at the doorway o3erhead. 7t slammed its hand into the wall with a #run#h, #rushing the ro#k until it had a solid hold, and slowly but surely it began to #limb. @tto snu#k #loser to the do#k, taking #o3er behind one o0 the piles o0 #rates that littered the loading area. ,he gangway leading up to the de#k o0 6ypher<s ship was thirty metres away but it might as well ha3e been thirty miles due to the two roboti# assassins that guarded the ramp. ,here was no way that he was getting on board past them G he would ha3e to 0ind another way. =e looked around desperatelyE he was running out o0 time and ideas. &uddenly the two guards turned as one and hurried up the ramp to the ship as the gangway started to retra#t, sliding ba#k into the ship<s superstru#ture. 2 kla-on began to sound and the huge steel sea doors at the 0ar end o0 the #a3ern slowly slid aside with a low rumble. @tto #ould Cust make out the 0irst dim light o0 dawn outside as the steel #ables that had tied the ship to the do#k released 0rom their mounts and reeled in. 2s

the ship began to mo3e @tto realised that he had to a#t now. =e stood up and prepared himsel0 to run a#ross the do#k, but be0ore he #ould mo3e he 0elt a hand #lose o3er his mouth. F*on<t be stupid, there<s no way on board now,< Aa3en whispered, her mouth Cust #entimetres 0rom his ear. &he remo3ed her hand 0rom his mouth and @tto turned to 0a#e her. F7 thought you were dead,< @tto said, relie0 mi-ed with disbelie0. FYou know, 7<m getting really tired o0 hearing that today,< Aa3en replied with a thin smile. F6ypher<s on that ship,< @tto said 'ui#kly. F(e ha3e to get on board.< F7 know, but unless you<3e a#'uired the power o0 0light while 7 was away that<s not going to be possible,< Aa3en answered. @tto knew that she was right. ,here was no way to s#ale the smooth hull o0 the ship e3en i0 they did manage to get near to it. =e suddenly 0elt an o3erwhelming sense o0 0rustration. F7<m not letting him get away,< @tto said angrily. F(e ha3e a s#ore to settle.< Aa3en looked @tto straight in the eye. F7 know how you 0eel, @tto, 7 really do, but this isn<t the way.< @tto slammed his 0ist into the metal #ontainer in 0rustration. ,hey<d #ome so #lose and now 6ypher was slipping through their 0ingers again. ,he huge ship #ontinued to mo3e away 0rom the do#k, gathering speed as it passed through the sea doors and into the grey light o0 dawn. @n#e the stern o0 the ship passed through the gates they rumbled #losed again, sealing the do#ks. FGetting out o0 here is the 0irst priority,< Aa3en said, s#anning the do#ks 0or any sign o0 an es#ape route. &uddenly the biggest e-plosion yet shook the entire #a3ern. =uge #hunks o0 ro#k 0ell 0rom the #eiling, smashing into the do#ks and hitting the water like #annonballs. @tto and Aa3en struggled to maintain their balan#e as the whole #a3ern ro#ked. F6ypher must ha3e a#ti3ated the sel0Ddestru#t se'uen#e,< Aa3en said 'ui#kly. F>rm . . . a#tually . . . that was me,< @tto said, his #heeks burning. &abotaging the robot produ#tion line had seemed like a good idea at the time but he realised now that it might ha3e had rather more se3ere #onse'uen#es than he had intended. F@h, 0or goodness< sake,< Aa3en said with a sigh, F7 lea3e you alone 0or a #ouple o0 hours . . .< &uddenly there was an enormous #rash 0rom behind them and they both turned to see the giant robot assassin 0rom the pit tearing through a pair o0 large steel doors that led out on to the do#k. 7t tore the hea3y gauge steel like it was tissue paper, 0or#ing its way through. F(hat the hell is thatI< @tto said with a gasp. F,rouble,< Aa3en replied, pulling her swords 0rom her belt. FGet to #o3er.< Aa3en stepped out 0rom their hiding pla#e, raising her swords in a de0ensi3e stan#e. F=ey, uglyK< she shouted, and the robot<s head swi3elled to lo#k on to her position. ,he red lights o0 its sensory array seemed to 0lare 0or a moment and it ad3an#ed towards her. @tto ba#ked 0urther into the shadows. =e wasn<t 0oolish enough to think that he #ould o00er Aa3en any meaning0ul assistan#e in this situation and so he looked around 0or anything that might help them in the 0ight. =e looked up at the e'uipment suspended 0rom the #a3ern<s #eiling and smiled. =e suddenly knew what he had to do. Aa3en bra#ed hersel0 as the monstrous ma#hine approa#hed. 7ts bla#k metalli# skin was s#ored and dented 0rom the shower o0 debris in the pit but it didn<t seem to ha3e slowed down in the slightest. Aa3en ba#ked up as the robot ad3an#ed. &he knew that she had to keep her distan#e 0rom the thing G there may be more room to mo3e on the do#ks, but she #ouldn<t keep up this game o0 #at and mouse 0or e3er. Aa3en stopped as she 0elt the ro#k wall at her ba#k. ,he robot was still ad3an#ing and she realised with a

#old #hill that she was out o0 ideas. &uddenly she #aught sight o0 something big mo3ing behind the assassin and her eyes widened. Aa3en di3ed to one side as the enormous shipping #ontainer mounted on the ele#troD magneti# loading rig slammed into the robot 0rom behind like a 0reight train, #rushing it against the ro#k wall with an enormous #rash. Fi0ty metres away, at the #rane #ontrols, @tto ga3e a little yell o0 3i#tory. Aa3en pi#ked hersel0 up 0rom the 0loor and dusted hersel0 o00. &he inspe#ted the shattered remains o0 the robot, #rushed between the massi3e #ontainer and the un0orgi3ing ro#k wall. ,here was no way it was getting up 0rom that. @tto ran o3er to the s#ene o0 destru#tion, a broad grin on his 0a#e, and sur3eyed the sparking, twit#hing remains o0 the huge robot. FNi#e work,< Aa3en said as another e-plosion shook the #a3ern, Fbut we still don<t ha3e a way out o0 here.< @tto<s smile 0aded as he realised she was right. ,hey were still trapped as 6ypher<s base disintegrated around them. &uddenly there was a horribly 0amiliar bleeping sound 0rom the twisted remains o0 the robot. @tto and Aa3en<s heads both snapped round and immediately saw the large sil3er #anister that was protruding 0rom the wre#kage, a 0lashing light at one end. Aa3en mo3ed 0aster than @tto had e3er seen anyone mo3e be0ore. &he snat#hed the 0ootDlong #anister 0rom the wre#kage, yanking it 0ree 0rom the tangled metal, still beeping. &he hurled the #anister in a looping ar# towards the sea doors and threw hersel0 on top o0 @tto, kno#king him to the ground. ,he e-plosion tore the hea3y sea doors apart, the sho#kwa3e making @tto<s ears ring like #hur#h bells. 2s the smoke #loud 0rom the blast #leared @tto sat up and sur3eyed the wre#kage. @ne o0 the sea doors was gone #ompletely and the other was Cust twisted s#rap metal. ,hey had their e-it. FFeel like a swimI< Aa3en said with a grin as she o00ered @tto her hand and pulled him to his 0eet.

. ,he =.7.;.>. se#urity guard walked into the detention area and gasped. ,he man who had been assigned to the brig lay slumped a#ross the guard station, still breathing but un#ons#ious. =e ran to his 0allen #omrade and shook his shoulder. ,here was no response. ,he guard had seen the e00e#ts o0 &leeper pulses o0ten enough to re#ognise the e00e#ts immediately. =e ran o3er to the #ells and realised to his horror that they were all empty. Pulling his Bla#kbo- 0rom his belt he spoke 'ui#kly into it. F,his is Guard 1a#kson in the detention #entre. (e ha3e a 6lass @ne se#urity alert. 6olonel Fran#is#o has es#aped.< &helby woke with a start. &he<d been dreaming about (ing again. ,hey<d been on a tiny rowing boat in the middle o0 the o#ean and (ing had 0allen o3er the side. &he<d di3ed in a0ter him, but had not been able to 0ind him. ,hen she<d resur0a#ed to 0ind that the boat had gone and she was le0t all alone adri0t in the middle o0 a #old, dark o#ean. &he shi3ered as she re#alled the terrible 0eeling o0 loneliness, surrounded by all that 0reeBing bla#k water. 2s she rubbed her eyes she realised that there was a so0t bleeping #oming 0rom her Bla#kbo- and that this must ha3e been what woke her. &he pi#ked up the P*2 and tou#hed the s#reen to a##ept the #all. FGood morning, student ,rinity,< =.7.;.>.mind said in the emotionless monotone that had be#ome depressingly 0amiliar. F,here has been a se#urity alert and *o#tor Nero has re'uested that you and student Brand report to situation room three immediately.< FJmm . . . @L . . . situation room three,< &helby said, still only hal0 awake. ,he Bla#kbodis#onne#ted and &helby walked o3er to Laura<s bed. &he gently shook her 0riend<s shoulder until Laura 0inally woke up with a low groan. F(hat time is itI< Laura asked #roakily, looking up at &helby. F1ust a0ter S a.m.,< &helby replied. FNero wants to see us. ,here<s some kind o0 se#urity alert.< Laura suddenly looked more awake. F*id he say what was wrongI< she asked. FNo, it was =.7.;.>.mind that #alled, and he doesn<t seem to be keen on long #on3ersations these days,< &helby replied. F(hate3er it was it sounded urgent.< Laura knew what &helby meant about =.7.;.>.mind. ,here was still no sign o0 the 27<s old personalityE whate3er had been done to him a0ter their 0ailed es#ape attempt a 0ew months ago had #learly erased any tra#e o0 his pre3ious independen#e. F(ell, then,< Laura said, sitting up and putting her 0eet down on to the #old 0loor, Fwe<d better get a mo3e on.< @tto was #old and miserable. =e sat huddled on a ro#k near to the #li00D0a#e entran#e to 6ypher<s hidden do#k that was still bel#hing out thi#k bla#k smoke. ,he thin dawn rays o0 the sun did little to warm him or to dry out his #old, damp uni0orm. Aa3en stood nearby, s#anning the horiBon as she had been 0or the past hour. @tto looked o3er his shoulder at the sheer ro#k 0a#e behind them. =e suspe#ted that Aa3en might ha3e been able to pi#k her way upwards through the Cagged bla#k ro#k, but he was no mountaineer. &wimming 0urther along the #oastline seemed impossible, tooE there was no 3isible break in the ro#k wall in either dire#tion and the way in whi#h the wa3es smashed 3iolently against the base o0 the #li00 suggested that he<d need to 0eel a little less e-hausted i0 he was going to stand any #han#e o0 making it more than a 0ew metres. @tto appre#iated the irony o0 the 0a#t that they had both made it out o0 6ypher<s base in one pie#e only to 0ind themsel3es trapped by mother nature.

6hapter ,hirteen

FLeep rubbing your arms and legs,< Aa3en said with a look o0 #on#ern. F,he last thing 7 need is you #oming down with hypothermia.< Aa3en 0or her part looked as i0 she<d Cust woken up 0rom a good night<s sleep. 70 the #old was bothering her she was showing no signs o0 it. ,he wind suddenly pi#ked up and @tto hugged himsel0 more tightly, trying to retain what little warmth was le0t in his body. F2bout time, too,< Aa3en said, and @tto looked at her 'uiBBi#ally. &he was looking straight up and as @tto 0ollowed suit it took his e-hausted brain a moment to make sense o0 what he was seeing. 2 doBen metres abo3e them a 0igure was standing in midair surrounded by a bright light. ,here was a shimmer in the air and the rest o0 the &hroud suddenly be#ame 3isible as a #able and harness dropped 0rom the rear hat#h. FNeed a li0tI< the pilot<s 3oi#e asked o3er the air#ra0t<s e-ternal loudspeaker. Nero was 0urious. ,he e-pression on his 0a#e as he looked down at the #owering se#urity #hie0 was enough to 0reeBe the blood. ,he other operati3es in the #ommand #entre were 0o#used on their own tasks, desperate to a3oid doing anything that might attra#t Nero<s attention. F6orre#t me i0 7<m wrong, /r Lewis, but 7 belie3e you on#e des#ribed the brig as es#apeD proo0.< ,here was i#e in his 3oi#e. FYes, sir. 7 don<t know what happened, we lost all o0 the #amera 0eeds 0rom the brig Cust be0ore Fran#is#o es#aped. &omebody must ha3e helped him, but 7 ha3e no idea how they got into the brig itsel0. ,hat area is #leared 0or authorised and senior personnel only.< FNeither o0 whi#h des#ribe /r Blo#k or /r ,a#kle, so would you #are to e-plain to me how they managed to get into the detention areaI< Nero was losing patien#e. &omebody was threatening his s#hool and he was not going to stand 0or it. F7 don<t know,< the 6hie0 replied weakly. F7 am rather tired o0 hearing that, /r Lewis,< Nero said, glaring at the 6hie0. F=.7.;.>.mind, do you ha3e any re#ord o0 any inter0eren#e with either the brig se#urity network or your own systems that might e-plain thisI< F,here is no re#ord o0 any a##ess to any o0 my systems that might e-plain this aberration,< =.7.;.>.mind replied 'ui#kly, his ho3ering blue head proCe#ted into the air a 0ew in#hes abo3e a nearby #onsole. F7t is reasonable to assume, there0ore, that someone has a#ti3ely erased those re#ords,< Nero said impatiently. F,hat is a logi#al assumption,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. FPro0essor,< Nero said, turning to 0a#e Pro0essor Pike, F#ould /r Blo#k or /r ,a#kle ha3e been gi3en su00i#ient a##ess to =.7.;.>.mind<s data #ore to wipe those re#ordingsI< FNo, it<s impossible. @nly you and 7 ha3e that le3el o0 a##ess to the data #ore. >3en i0 Fran#is#o had gi3en them his own a##ess #odes earlier he did not ha3e #learan#e to #arry out a data purge like that. Besides whi#h, 7 disabled all o0 his a##ess #learan#es when he was #aptured. 7t<s Cust not possible.< Nero stared at the impassi3e 0a#e o0 =.7.;.>.mind. &omebody had gone to a great deal o0 trouble to make sure that the 27 would not be able to gi3e them any details o0 what had happened and to ensure that Fran#is#o would es#ape undete#ted. 7t was strange to think that 0or =.7.;.>.mind it was as i0 the e3ents had ne3er happened. ,he 6ontessa walked into the #ommand #entre, looking pleased. F7<3e Cust re#ei3ed word 0rom the &hroud that was despat#hed to 6ypher<s 0a#ility. ,hey ha3e 0ound Aa3en and /alpense ali3e,< she reported 'ui#kly. Nero 0elt a sense o0 o3erwhelming relie0. 2t last something had gone their way. F2nd 6ypherI< he asked. FGone. =is base has been destroyed, but he es#aped. G.L.@.;.>. sur3eillan#e systems

are trying to establish his lo#ation as we speak, but the ship he was aboard has 3anished.< F;anishedI< Nero said. F=ow is that possibleI< Nothing, least o0 all something the siBe o0 an o#eanDgoing 3essel should ha3e been able to e3ade the G.L.@.;.>. sur3eillan#e grid. F7t seems that 6ypher may ha3e TborrowedU some o0 Pro0essor Pike<s resear#h,< the 6ontessa replied. F2##ording to Aa3en the ship may share the stealth #apabilities o0 the &hroud.< F7n other words it<s in3isible, Cust a hole in the o#ean,< Nero replied, 0eeling 0rustration building again. F7t would appear so, yes,< the 6ontessa replied. F,he &hroud is returning to =.7.;.>. now, but Aa3en 0ears that =.7.;.>. may be 6ypher<s ne-t target.< F2tta#k the islandI< the Pro0essor snorted. F7<d like to see him try.< Nero nodded. =.7.;.>.<s e-ternal de0en#e systems were designed to withstand an air and sea assault by national armed 0or#es G one ship would ha3e no #han#e. F7 share your 0aith in =.7.;.>.<s de0en#es, Pro0essor, but i0 there is one thing 7 ha3e learnt o3er the past twentyD0our hours it is to ne3er underestimate what 6ypher is #apable o0. Pla#e all se#urity 0or#es on 0ull alert and make sure that the island<s de0en#e grid is a#ti3e.< 70 it was a 0ight that 6ypher wanted, that was e-a#tly what he was going to get. Laura and &helby walked down the #orridor towards the situation room. ,he s#hool was 'uietE it was still mu#h too early 0or the maCority o0 students or sta00 to be up and about. F7 wonder what<s going onI< &helby said. F7 don<t know,< Laura replied, Fbut 7 suppose we<re about to 0ind out.< ,he door to the situation room hissed open and the two girls walked inside. &helby gasped as she saw who was sitting at the 0ar end o0 the long #on0eren#e table. FFran#is#oK< Laura said as an e3il grin spread a#ross the 6olonel<s 0a#e. &helby turned to run ba#k through the door but 0ound the way obstru#ted by Blo#k and ,a#kle, both o0 them pointing &leepers straight at her. &helby ba#ked away 0rom them slowly as they entered the room, Blo#k keeping them #o3ered while ,a#kle lo#ked the door 0rom the inside. F7t<s so ni#e to see you both again, ladies,< the 6olonel said, Fbut this time you<re #oming with me.< Nero s#anned the reports 0rom the se#urity department. ,here were, as yet, no leads on where Fran#is#o had gone with his two errant pupils and little progress in determining how they<d managed to get out o0 the detention #entre without being dete#ted. =.7.;.>.mind was per0orming multiple lowDle3el sweeps o0 the s#hool but so 0ar with little su##ess. =e had an un#om0ortable 0eeling o0 waiting 0or the ine3itable. Nero<s o00i#e entry #hime sounded and he looked up 0rom the 0rustratingly 3ague reports that 0illed the monitor on his desk. F>nter,< Nero barked impatiently, and the 6ontessa walked into the room. &he wore a worried e-pression as she hurried o3er to Nero<s desk. F/a-, 7<m a0raid 7 ha3e some rather disturbing news,< she said 'uietly. F(hat nowI< Nero snapped, his impatien#e #lear. F(ell, =.7.;.>.mind is #ontinuing the se#urity sweeps as ordered but the student head#ount is wrong.< F/eaningI< Nero asked, raising an eyebrow. F7t appears that students Brand and ,rinity are missing,< the 6ontessa said. Nero slammed his 0ist down on his desk angrily. F(hat in the name o0 all that<s e3il is going onI< he shouted.

F(ell, that<s what the Pro0essor and 7 ha3e been trying to work out,< the 6ontessa #ontinued. F(e<3e been trying to see how somebody #ould ha3e got around the se#urity system so easily, and the #on#lusion we<3e rea#hed is rather disturbing.< F(hat is itI< Nero said impatiently. F7t<s =.7.;.>.mind,< the 6ontessa said 'uietly. F7t appears that he may ha3e been lying to us about the se#urity logs.< FYou<re #ertainI< Nero said, #old anger in his eyes. F7<m a0raid so. 7t appears that =.7.;.>.mind<s personality was not as 0ully erased as we belie3ed,< the 6ontessa replied. Nero 0elt a #hill run down his spine. =.7.;.>.mind #ouldn<t lieE at least, that was the theory. @ne o0 the main reasons that the se#urity and logisti#al running o0 the base had been handed o3er to the 27 was be#ause it was supposedly in#apable o0 de#eit G totally in#orruptible. ,he only #on#lusion one #ould possibly rea#h was that =.7.;.>.mind<s rebellious personality had reasserted itsel0 somehow and that the ma#hine had been in3ol3ed in this plot 0rom the start. Nero realised that it was time to shut it down 0or good. F(hat does the Pro0essor suggest that we do about itI< Nero replied 'uietly. =e knew that =.7.;.>.mind should not be able to hear them in his pri3ate o00i#e without being spe#i0i#ally summoned G that had been one 0eature o0 his system about whi#h Nero had been most insistent. F(ell, 0irst we need to swit#h the s#hool<s de0en#e systems o3er to 0ull manual #ontrolE i0 =.7.;.>.mind is indeed working against us it would seem prudent. >spe#ially i0 an atta#k is imminent.< Nero nodded and began to tap a series o0 #ommands into the keyboard in 0ront o0 him. 20ter the in#ident with the plant monster earlier that year Nero had ordered that all se#urity and de0en#e systems were #apable o0 0un#tioning while =.7.;.>.mind was o00line. ,he s#hool would not be le0t de0en#eless again. F7 suggest that only you and 7 ha3e #ommand authorisation,< the 6ontessa #ontinued. F2greed,< Nero replied. Gi3en the e3ents o0 the past #ouple o0 days the 0ewer people who #ould #ontrol the s#hool<s se#urity the better. F,here, that should isolate the de0en#e and se#urity systems. @nly you and 7 will ha3e #ommand authorisation,< Nero said with a sigh. =e 0elt tired, he hadn<t slept in nearly 0ortyDeight hours. F,hank you, /a-. ,hat<s all 7 need,< the 6ontessa said 'uietly. ,here was something odd in her tone that made Nero look up 0rom the monitor. =is eyes widened in horror as he saw the pistol in her hand that was pointing straight at him. 7t was not a &leeper. FYouK< Nero hissed, suddenly realising the true depth o0 the betrayal with whi#h he was being #on0ronted. FYes, /a- . . . me.< ,he 6ontessa did not show any sign o0 emotion. Nero glan#ed at the #onsole on his desk. F*on<t e3en think about it, /a-,< the 6ontessa said #almly. FBa#k away 0rom the desk.< F(hy, /ariaI 7 trusted you,< Nero said as the 6ontessa swi3elled the display on the desk and glan#ed at it, all the while keeping the gun trained on him. &he smiled slightly as she saw that Nero had made all o0 the #hanges that she needed to the se#urity and de0en#e systems. &he pulled a slim sil3er de3i#e 0rom her po#ket and atta#hed it to one o0 the #onsole<s data ports. FLike 7 said, /a-, e3eryone has their pri#e.< F7 e-pe#ted more 0rom you, /aria,< Nero replied. F7 didn<t think 6ypher would be able to buy someone like you so #heaply.< F@h, 7 wasn<t #heap,< the 6ontessa replied with a smile. F(hen this is all o3er 6ypher<s promised me a #ontinent. 7<m not sure whi#h one to #hoose at the moment, but 7<ll worry about that later.<

FYou #an<t trust him. (hat do you think will happen when this is all o3er, when he doesn<t need you any moreI< F@h, /a-, you really don<t understand, do youI ,he world has mo3ed on. ,here<s no more room 0or people like you, oldDs#hool 3illains with their twisted sense o0 ethi#s. ,his is the twentyD0irst #entury, a new world, one whi#h has no pla#e 0or a reli# o0 the past like this s#hool, or e3en G.L.@.;.>. ,imes ha3e #hanged, /a-, and i0 you re0use to #hange with them you get le0t behind.< F=ow long ha3e you been working 0or himI< Nero asked so0tly. FLong enough,< the 6ontessa replied. F&u00i#e to say that this has all been planned 'uite #are0ully.< F2nd Fran#is#oI< Nero asked, although he suspe#ted that he now knew e-a#tly what had happened. FFran#is#o is a weakDminded 0ool. ,hat<s the problem with military menE they<re so used to taking orders that they 0ind it almost impossible to resist when 7 tell them what to do. /aybe there is some shred o0 the 6olonel somewhere inside his head that has been trying to resist doing what 7<3e told him. Frankly it doesn<t matter. ,he same goes 0or the two students, Blo#k and ,a#kle. ,hey<re Cust doing what they<re told. You shouldn<t blame them, they really ha3e no say in the matter. (hen 7 realised that /s Brand had inter#epted my transmission 7 staged the 6olonel<s #apture, helping to subdue him in the pro#ess and thereby putting mysel0 abo3e suspi#ion.< Nero may ha3e ne3er really understood how the 6ontessa<s uni'ue ability to #ommand others worked but he had seen enough e3iden#e o3er the years to know that she was more than #apable o0 doing what she des#ribed. =e had o0ten wondered what it would be like to ha3e those powers working against you, and now he knew. F7 take it that you were responsible 0or the loss o0 the &hroud o3er 6ypher<s base too,< Nero said, 0eeling a #old 0ury building inside him. FLet<s Cust say that the pilot<s lastDminute brie0ing in#luded some new instru#tions,< the 6ontessa said with an e3il smile, Fthough it appears that /alpense and Aa3en ha3e nearly as many li3es as /s Leon.< F*o you know how many people ha3e died be#ause o0 what you<3e doneI< Nero asked, struggling to keep his anger in #he#k now. FYou<ll 0orgi3e me i0 7 0ind it hard to take a le#ture in morals 0rom a man who runs a s#hool 0or superD3illains,< the 6ontessa replied. FYou<re a dinosaur, /a-, the real world has no pla#e 0or people like you any more.< F(e shall see i0 Number @ne agrees,< Nero snapped. F7 think you<ll 0ind that he takes rather a dim 3iew o0 traitors.< F@h, we shan<t ha3e to worry about Number @ne 0or 3ery mu#h longer,< the 6ontessa replied #almly. F6ypher will take #are o0 that.< F(hat do you meanI< Nero asked, with rising an-iety. FYou<ll see,< the 6ontessa smiled. FYou<re insane,< Nero said, taking a single step towards the 6ontessa. F&top right there, /a-. 6ypher wants you ali3e, and 7 ha3e no parti#ular desire to hurt you, but you know me well enough to know that 7<ll kill you i0 7 ha3e to.< F7 don<t know you,< Nero replied. F7 thought 7 did, but #learly 7 was mistaken.< F6learly,< the 6ontessa said with a slight smile, Fand now you<re #oming with me. (e ha3e an appointment to keep.< F7<m not going anywhereE shoot me i0 you ha3e to.< Nero suddenly wondered why she did not simply #ommand him to do what she wanted, Cust as she had done with Fran#is#o and her other unwitting sla3es. =e had long suspe#ted that her powers may not work on a strongDwilled 3i#tim who a#ti3ely de0ied her and this seemed to suggest he was right. F*e0iant to the last, as e3er,< the 6ontessa said. F&o let me put it another way. 6ome with me or Brand and ,rinity die, slowly and pain0ully.<

Nero 0elt appeared li3es. For the barrel

a #old knot 0orm in his stoma#h. Gi3en e3erything else that the 6ontessa to ha3e done he knew that she would not hesitate to take two more students< now, she had the upper hand. ,he 6ontessa gestured towards the door with o0 her gun and Nero silently walked out ahead o0 her.

Pro0essor Pike took o00 his glasses and rubbed at his tired, sore eyes. ,he longer he stared at the lines o0 #ode that s#rolled past on the monitor in 0ront o0 him the more #on0used he got. ,he re#ording o0 the se#urity 0eed 0rom the detention area was gone, or at least that was what he was supposed to think. &omebody had gone to a great deal o0 trouble to #o3er their tra#ks but the e3iden#e showed that whoe3er was responsible had not dea#ti3ated the se#urity system, whi#h would ha3e attra#ted too mu#h attention, but simply di3erted the re#ordings in 'uestion to a hidden storage area. ,hat presented two problems? 0irst, where had they hidden the re#ordings and se#ond, how had they got around the multiple layers o0 supposedly impregnable se#urity that surrounded =.7.;.>.mind<s #ore. =.7.;.>.mind had not been lying when he had said that as 0ar as he was #on#erned there were no se#urity re#ordings. (hoe3er had done this had ha#ked the system in su#h a way that e3en the 27 had been unaware o0 it. ,he problem was that the Pro0essor had #reated the en#ryption prote#ting =.7.;.>.mind<s #ore himsel0 and he knew it Cust wasn<t possible that a ha#ker, no matter how good, #ould ha3e got around it. &uddenly something #aught his eye. F=.7.;.>.mind,< the Pro0essor said wearily. FYes, Pro0essor. =ow may 7 assist youI< the 27 replied, its ho3ering blue wire 0rame 0a#e appearing in the air ne-t to the terminal. FPlease display all re#ords o0 a##ess to your #ore 3ia this terminal,< the Pro0essor #ommanded. /oments later a list o0 dates and time s#rolled past. 2t 0irst there didn<t appear to be anything unusual, but then one parti#ular entry leapt out at him. F=.7.;.>.mind, please #on0irm entry number :$"%,< the Pro0essor said, 0eeling a growing sense o0 unease. F>ntry :$"%,< =.7.;.>.mind responded. F2##ess to #entral #ore granted to Pro0essor (illiam Pike.< ,he Pro0essor may ha3e gi3en his students and 0ellow sta00 the appearan#e o0 being slightly absentDminded but he knew 0or a 0a#t that he had not a##essed the #ore at the time listed. F&how a#ti3ity log 0or that session, please, =.7.;.>.mind,< the Pro0essor said 'ui#kly. ,he s#reen 0illed with more entries and the Pro0essor pi#ked through the data. &omeone had logged into =.7.;.>.mind<s #ore using his personal login and set up a hidden ar#hi3e deep within the hidden layers o0 =.7.;.>.mind<s base operating system. ,he 'uestion was who. ,he Pro0essor 'ui#kly 0ound the ar#hi3e, now that he knew where to look, and 0ound doBens o0 0iles. =e soon #ame a#ross en#ryption routines, se#ret transmission #odes, and most importantly, a long list o0 ar#hi3ed se#urity 0eeds. =e s#anned the list o0 re#ordings and one in parti#ular #aught his eye. 7t was the re#ording 0rom the #amera mounted high on the wall o0 that 3ery room at the pre#ise time that the hidden ar#hi3e was set up. =e 'ui#kly pulled up the 0ile and played it. Now he would 0ind out who was responsible 0or all o0 this. F,hat<s impossible,< the Pro0essor whispered as he wat#hed the re#ording. &at there at the terminal on the s#reen was the last person on earth he<d e-pe#ted to see. =imsel0. =e struggled to make sense o0 what he was seeing. =e knew with #ertainty that he had not been using the terminal at the time in 'uestion, let alone setting up a hidden ar#hi3e within the #ore. =e #ould not deny the e3iden#e o0 his own eyes, though G there he was, busily working away at the terminal, #reating an arti0i#ial blind spot in the se#urity

system. =e looked through the list o0 hidden se#urity re#ordings and spotted another leading up to the time o0 this ba00ling entry. F=.7.;.>.mind, please run ba#kwards through all sur3eillan#e re#ordings within this ar#hi3e leading up to the time o0 my a##ess,< the Pro0essor said 'ui#kly. ,he 0eed #hanged to show the Pro0essor walking ba#kwards away 0rom the entran#e to =.7.;.>.mind<s #entral hub and then ba#k along se3eral #orridors. FFreeBe it there,< the Pro0essor shouted as another 0igure entered the pi#ture. FPlayba#k.< ,here was no audio but the Pro0essor did not need it. =e wat#hed as the 6ontessa leant in #lose to him and whispered something into his ear. F@h my God,< the Pro0essor said, and ran 0rom the room. Nero walked down the #orridor a 0ew pa#es ahead o0 the 6ontessa. &he no longer had the gun pointed at himE it would only attra#t unwel#ome attention, and she knew that she would not need it as long as she had Laura and &helby to use as bargaining #hips. 70 there was one weakness 0rom whi#h Nero su00ered it was the 0a#t that he would ne3er do anything willingly to Ceopardise the li3es o0 his students. &uddenly a se#urity patrol #ame round the #orner ahead o0 them. ,hey were #learly still sear#hing 0or Fran#is#o, Cudging by the grim noDnonsense e-pressions on the guards< 0a#es. F&ay nothing,< the 6ontessa whispered as the patrol approa#hed. FYou know what will happen i0 you do.< 2s the patrol drew #loser the s'uad leader nodded #ourteously to Nero, who returned the gesture silently. Nero noti#ed that the guards were #arrying assault ri0les as well as the standardDissue &leepers. &e#urity 6hie0 Lewis was ob3iously taking no #han#es, a wise pre#aution where Fran#is#o was #on#erned. @0 #ourse what the 6hie0 did not know was that Fran#is#o was really nothing more than an unwitting pawn in this s#heme and that the real #ulprit behind the re#ent #haos at =.7.;.>. was altogether more dangerous. ,he patrol passed by, a #ouple o0 the men throwing ner3ous glan#es in the dire#tion o0 Nero and the 6ontessa as they mar#hed by, but no more than that. ,he patrol was twenty metres behind them when the s'uad leader<s radio s'uawked. FGo ahead,< he said 'ui#kly. ,he s'uad leader gestured 0or the s'uad to stop as he listened intently to his earDpie#e. &lowly his 0a#e went pale and he looked ba#k down the #orridor at the rapidly retreating 0igures o0 Nero and the 6ontessa. FYou<re #ertainI< the s'uad leader said, swallowing ner3ously. ,he way in whi#h he then win#ed suggested that whoe3er was on the other end o0 the line was not only #ertain but noisily so. =e ga3e his team a 'ui#k series o0 hand gestures that instru#ted them to spread out a#ross the #orridor and take #o3er as best they #ould. F6ontessaK< the s'uad leader shouted down the #orridor. FPlease stay e-a#tly where you are. 6hie0 Lewis has some 'uestions 0or you.< F(ait,< the 6ontessa whispered to Nero. =e heard the unmistakeable #li#k o0 a sa0ety #at#h being swit#hed behind him and his mind ra#ed. =e #ould not let the patrol take the 6ontessa here G it would almost #ertainly sign Brand and ,rinity<s death warrants G but he wasn<t about to let the 6ontessa shoot any o0 these men either. ,he patrol leader may ha3e 0elt #on0ident, but it would only take the 6ontessa getting within earshot o0 his s'uad and it would be a 3ery di00erent story. =e doubted 3ery mu#h that many o0 the men in the patrol had the mental strength to resist the 6ontessa<s power. ,he 6ontessa turned slowly and 0a#ed the se#urity patrol. &e3eral &leepers were pointed straight at her, the guards< 0a#es #on0used but determined. FGoodness me,< the 6ontessa said with a slight laugh. F(hat on earth is all this aboutI< &he took a #ouple o0 steps towards the patrol.

Behind her Nero pulled the skullDshaped link 0rom the #u00 o0 his shirt and twisted the #lip. F&tay right there, 6ontessa,< the s'uad leader barked. F(e ha3e orders to 0ire i0 ne#essary.< FNonsense,< the 6ontessa replied. F7n 0a#t, 7 think you<re Cust all going to put your guns down.< 2s the 6ontessa spoke there was the un#om0ortable, almost subliminal, sound o0 a thousand 3oi#es whispering at on#e. Nero had ne3er heard the 6ontessa e-ert her power so strongly be0ore and the e00e#ts were immediate. ,o their #redit, a #ouple o0 the guards Cust looked #on0used, but the rest started to slowly pla#e their weapons on the ground, their e-pressions blank. Nero knew he had to a#t now be0ore the 6ontessa #ould order the guards to help her es#ape or, e3en worse, turn on one another, and he threw the tiny sil3er skull in his palm down the #orridor. ,here was a blinding 0lash and a #on#ussi3e thump as the minute disguised stun grenade went o00, 0illing the #orridor with thi#k grey smoke. ,hen all hell broke loose. Nero threw himsel0 to the 0loor as &leeper pulses ripped through the air. ,he 0ew guards who had retained their weapons were 0iring blindly through the smoke, still daBed 0rom the 6ontessa<s manipulation. F6ease 0ire,< the s'uad leader bellowed o3er the Bapping blasts 0rom the &leepers. 2s the smoke #leared Nero #ould see the 3ague outlines o0 the patrol in the #orridor, but he 'ui#kly realised that one person was missing. F2re you all right, sirI< the s'uad leader asked as he staggered down the #orridor towards Nero. Nero nodded. =e was 0ine, but the 6ontessa was gone. Laura and &helby wat#hed in horror as the door hissed open and Fran#is#o dropped the guard inside with a single neat &leeper pulse to the #hest. =e silently gestured 0or the girls to go through the door and they 0ound themsel3es in an area that they had long belie3ed did not e-ist. ,he #a3ern was a 0ully 0un#tional do#king 0a#ility that looked as i0 it #ould handle most mediumDsiBed 3essels, the sea lapping at the single long 'uay. ,ied up at the 'uay were a #ouple o0 sleek bla#k power boats and as &helby saw them she shot a worried glan#e at Laura. Laura knew why her 0riend was so #on#erned. 2t least while they were on the island they had a #han#e o0 being res#ued, but i0 Fran#is#o managed to smuggle them outside the s#hool then their #han#es would diminish alarmingly. Laura 0elt a sharp Cab in her ribs as ,a#kle prodded her 0orwards with the barrel o0 his &leeper and they slowly walked along the 'uay towards one o0 the moored boats. 2s they approa#hed, a 0igure deta#hed itsel0 0rom the shadows nearby and stepped out into the light. 2 broad grin spread a#ross Laura<s 0a#e as she 0elt a 0lood o0 relie0. FLook out, 6ontessaK ,hey<re armedK< &helby yelled, throwing hersel0 ba#kwards into Blo#k, trying to #at#h him o00 balan#e and buy the 6ontessa a #ouple o0 pre#ious se#onds. F(hy, o0 #ourse they are, my dear,< the 6ontessa replied matter o0 0a#tly, walking slowly towards Fran#is#o. F=ow else would they keep you two under #ontrolI< Laura<s brow 0urrowed in #on0usion. (hat was the 6ontessa doingI &he had to stop them now while she still #ould. F=a3e they gi3en you any troubleI< the 6ontessa asked Fran#is#o, glan#ing at the two girls. FNo, e3erything, has gone a##ording to plan,< the 6olonel replied, his 3oi#e 0lat. FNot 'uite e3erything un0ortunately. Nero es#aped, but all o0 the ne#essary elements are in pla#e otherwise. (e should pro#eed,< the 6ontessa said, pulling a small P*2 0rom her po#ket. 7t was not a Bla#kbo-.

Laura suddenly understood what was happening and Cust how #are0ully the e3ents o0 the past #ouple o0 days had been or#hestrated. ,he traitor wasn<t Fran#is#oE it was the 6ontessa. FYou twoD0a#ed old hagK< &helby shouted angrily, #learly ha3ing rea#hed e-a#tly the same #on#lusion as Laura. F=ow #ould you do this, you<3e G< F@h, do be 'uiet, /iss ,rinity,< the 6ontessa said, her 3oi#e la#ed with sinister whispers. &helby<s mouth #ontinued to mo3e 0or a moment, as i0 she was trying to 0orm words but none would #ome. Laura said nothing, and simply glared at the 6ontessa, her mind ra#ing as she tried to think o0 a way out o0 this situation. F,hat<s better,< the 6ontessa said with a smile. FNow why don<t we all Cust get on board one o0 these boats that the s#hool has so thought0ully pro3ided and be on our way.< Laura 0elt another sho3e 0rom behind as ,a#kle 0or#ed her towards the nearest power boat. ,he 6ontessa wat#hed as the two girls were loaded on to the boat, a smug, triumphant smile on her 0a#e. FNow, sit still and stay silent,< she said, and Laura 0elt her 0ree will disappear. No matter how hard she tried she #ould not mo3e a mus#le or make a sound. 7t was a deeply unsettling sensation. FNow, 6olonel, 7 belie3e it is time that you and your two students ensured that our insuran#e poli#y is in pla#e,< the 6ontessa said, turning to Fran#is#o. FYou know what to do.< FYes, 6ontessa,< Fran#is#o replied in a monotone, turning and walking ba#k towards the entran#e to the do#k with Blo#k and ,a#kle in tow. ,he 6ontessa wat#hed them lea3e and then turned to the two girls sitting paralysed in the boat. F7sn<t this ni#eI 2ll girls together,< she said sar#asti#ally, #limbing behind the #ontrols o0 the boat. Neither o0 the two girls may ha3e been able to o00er a reply but the hateD0illed looks in their eyes spoke 3olumes. ,he 6ontessa 0ired the ignition on the boat and its power0ul engines roared into li0e. &he raised the sil3er P*2 to her lips. F2#ti3ate =.7.;.>. emergen#y se#urity pro#edure &inistre *elta @ne,< she said and pla#ed the de3i#e ba#k in her po#ket. ,he ro#k wall at the 0ar end o0 the do#k rumbled upwards and Laura saw blue sky and the sea stret#hing o00 towards the horiBon. 2s the 6ontessa gunned the engine and steered the boat towards the opening alarm kla-ons began to sound all o3er the s#hool.

. F(hat the hellI< &e#urity 6hie0 Lewis spat as one by one the monitors displaying se#urity 0eeds 0rom all o3er the s#hool 0li#kered and went bla#k. F,here<s an unknown routine running on the se#urity net,< a te#hni#ian reported 0rom a nearby workstation. F,he grid<s going o00line.< ,he door to the situation room slid open and *r Nero hurried into the room and headed straight 0or the nearest 0ree terminal. =e typed a string o0 #ommands into the terminal be0ore slamming his 0ist down hard on the keyboard. F*amn you, /aria,< Nero hissed. 7t was too late. &he had lo#ked him out o0 the system using her #ommand a##ess, and was now the only person who #ould reinitialise the system. F&tudent dormitories are lo#king down,< another se#urity te#hni#ian announ#ed, a look o0 #on0usion on his 0a#e. F*e0en#e grid is o00line too,< another 3oi#e reported. F2ll e-ternal batteries are going into sleep modes.< F=.7.;.>.mind Cust dropped into standby mode. =e<s not a##epting remote #ommands.< Nero wat#hed in impotent 0ury as his s#hool was rendered de0en#eless around him. F2ll e-ternal a##ess points are opening,< the 6hie0 said, slight pani# in his 3oi#e. F*o we still ha3e e-terior #amera 0eedsI< FYes, sir, s#anning the perimeter now,< a reply #ame 0rom the other side o0 the room. FNothing 3isible at the moment, looks all #lear . . . hold on . . . something o00 the southern #oastline.< FPut it onDs#reen,< Lewis barked. ,here on the s#reen a tiny boat was roaring away 0rom the island. 2s the #amera Boomed in Nero #ould see the unmistakeable 0igure o0 the 6ontessa at the #ontrols. &at behind her were two smaller 0igures, both wearing the bla#k Cumpsuits o0 the 2lpha stream. F(here<s she goingI< Lewis said, sounding puBBled. F,hat<s only a patrol boat, she doesn<t ha3e enough 0uel to rea#h land.< 2s i0 answer to the 6hie0<s 'uery there was a strange shimmer on the sur0a#e o0 the o#ean and then a huge, bla#k warship materialised seemingly out o0 thin air. Nero suddenly realised Cust how badly he had been outmanoeu3red. 6ypher was here and =.7.;.>. was de0en#eless. Nigel and FranB wandered slowly through the 3irtually deserted atrium o0 their a##ommodation blo#k. ,here were a 0ew other students sitting on the so0as and #hairs dotted around the #a3ern but the 3ast maCority o0 =.7.;.>.<s pupils were either still asleep or had only Cust woken up. FranB had woken early, #omplaining that he was hungry, as he always did when the pre3ious e3ening<s meal had been salad. For his part Nigel had learnt long ago that it was entirely pointless to try and sleep through FranB<s morning routine and a0ter two minutes o0 FranB singing in the shower he had grudgingly got out o0 bed too. F7t is still nearly an hour till break0ast,< FranB obser3ed, Fbut it may be wise to take our pla#es in the 'ueue already, CaI< F,here<s not going to be a 'ueue yet,< Nigel said slightly grumpily. F(e<ll be 0ine i0 we<re 0i3e minutes early. Let<s go to the library instead. ,here are a #ouple o0 new organi# #hemistry papers that 7 need to #at#h up on.< F@h, Nigel, with you it is always the library. You need to ha3e more 0un,< FranB said matter o0 0a#tly. F,he library is 0un,< Nigel said insistently, wishing that FranB shared his passion 0or books.

6hapter Fourteen

FPerhaps i0 you spent a bit more time there you<d understand.< ,he huge blast doors that sealed the a##ommodation blo#k at night had opened a 0ew minutes earlier, signalling that students were 0ree to wander the halls o0 the s#hool again be0ore their #lasses, as usual. Nigel and FranB walked through them and into the #orridor beyond. 2t almost e-a#tly the same moment alarm kla-ons began to wail e3erywhere. F7 didn<t do anythingK< FranB yelped as the alarms s#reamed. ,here was a low grinding noise and the blast doors began to lower, reDsealing the a##ommodation blo#k. F6ome on,< Nigel said. F,hat<s a highDle3el alert. 7t<s probably Cust a drill, but we still ha3e to go ba#k inside.< FNo wayK< FranB yelped, ba#king away 0rom the #losing doors. F7 am remembering what happened the last time all o0 the alarms are going o00 and we are lo#ked in there.< Nigel remembered too. @n that day they had ended up trapped inside their room while the rampaging plant #reature that he himsel0 had inad3ertently #reated tried to smash its way in. FranB was right G it had not been a pleasant e-perien#e. F(ell, that<s unlikely to happen again, isn<t itI< Nigel said slightly apologeti#ally. FYou ha3e not been e-perimenting again, ha3e youI< FranB said suspi#iously, his eyes narrowing as he looked #are0ully at Nigel. FNo, 7 most #ertainly ha3e not,< Nigel said indignantly, 0eeling his #heeks burning. ,he blast door was nearly hal0way #losed nowE they had to get ba#k inside. F(ell, 7 am staying out here,< FranB said indignantly. Nigel was surprised by FranB<s determination but he knew the only way to get him ba#k into the a##ommodation area now would be to physi#ally drag him and the laws o0 physi#s might ha3e something to say about that, gi3en the two boys< relati3e masses. F@L, but let<s 0ind somewhere 'uiet to sit out the alert,< Nigel said ner3ously, looking up the #orridor and hal0 e-pe#ting to see an angry se#urity patrol mar#hing towards them. F2n e-#ellent idea,< FranB said with a broad smile. F7 suggest the dining hallK< F,hat<s what this was all about,< Nigel said in#redulously as the blast door sealed shut with a solidDsounding thud. FYou Cust didn<t want to miss break0ast.< FNo, that was not it at all G< FranB began weakly. F7 don<t belie3e you sometimes,< Nigel said angrily. F7<m going to the library and i0 we meet any se#urity patrols on the way you #an e-plain what we<re doing outside the a##ommodation area.< =e mar#hed away down the #orridor. FBut the dining area has mu#h greater stru#tural integrity,< FranB #ontinued as he 0ollowed Nigel. F7t really would be the sa0er option in the e3ent o0 an emergen#y . . .< Laura<s mouth 0ell open as the huge bla#k ship materialised Cust a #ouple o0 hundred metres in 0ront o0 them. &he looked a#ross at &helby, who shared her look o0 amaBement, her mouth mo3ing slightly as i0 she was trying to say something despite the #ommand 0or silen#e that the 6ontessa had gi3en them both Cust a 0ew minutes earlier. ,he stolen patrol boat slowed as they neared the side o0 the mysterious ship and a boarding plat0orm lowered 0rom the le3el o0 the de#k to Cust abo3e the sur0a#e o0 the water. ,he 6ontessa brought the boat alongside the plat0orm and turned to the two girls. ,he pistol was in her hand again. FGet out,< she said #oldly. F,ry anything stupid and 7<ll 0eed you to the sharks mysel0.< &helby and Laura #limbed out o0 the patrol boat and on to the plat0orm, the 6ontessa #lose behind them, and immediately the plat0orm rose again towards the bigger ship<s de#k. 2s they rose to the le3el o0 the upper de#k the two girls 0ound a wel#oming party waiting 0or them. 2 tall man, dressed in an imma#ulate suit and a smooth o3al mask o0 highly polished bla#k glass, stood 0lanked on either side by slim, humanoid robots, their mattD

bla#k metalli# bodies #o3ered in plates o0 armour. F6ontessa,< the man said. F=ow ni#e to see you again. 7 trust e3erything has gone a##ording to planI< FYes, 6ypher,< the 6ontessa replied. F,he island is yours 0or the taking.< &helby made a sound that #ould only be des#ribed as a snarl and ran towards 6ypher. ,he robots to either side o0 him rea#ted instantly, inter#epting &helby and restraining her in their 3i#eDlike grip. F/urdererK< &helby gasped as she struggled in 3ain to break 0ree o0 the guards. Laura stepped 0orward as i0 to help her 0riend but instead was 0or#ed to her knees as another guard #lamped its me#hani#al hand down hard on her shoulder. F2nd two une-pe#ted guests G how lo3ely,< 6ypher said #oldly, stepping towards &helby. FYes, may 7 introdu#e &helby ,rinity and Laura Brand. ,hey ha3e made rather a nuisan#e o0 themsel3es so 7 thought 7<d bring them along as e-tra insuran#e,< the 6ontessa e-plained. 6ypher took &helby<s #hin in his hand. ,he look on her 0a#e suggested that he should be 3ery glad that she wasn<t able to get her hands on him. F7<m a0raid, /iss ,rinity, that =.7.;.>. is going to be permanently #losed 3ery shortly, but 7<m sure that we #an 0ind a use 0or someone with spirit in my organisation in the 0uture,< he said with in0uriating smugness. F7n the meantime 7 think it would be best i0 we pro3ided these ladies with some 3ery se#ure a##ommodation. ,ake them to the brig. Put them in separate #ells.< F,hey<ll ha3e to share a #ell,< one o0 the guards replied. F,he other #ell is #urrently o##upied.< F;ery well,< 6ypher said 'ui#kly, Fthey may ha3e the small pleasure o0 ea#h other<s #ompany. ,ake them away.< ,he guards obeyed immediately, tightening their already un#om0ortable grip on the two girls and mar#hing them away towards a hat#h that led below. FLeep an eye on those two,< the 6ontessa told 6ypher. F,hey<re more dangerous than they might appear.< F2ren<t we all, 6ontessaI< 6ypher replied, turning ba#k towards her. FYou ha3e done 3ery well today, /aria. 7 #ould not ha3e asked 0or more. 7 only wish 7 #ould ha3e seen Nero<s 0a#e when he realised that you were working 0or me. You ha3e my sin#ere thanks.< FYou #an sa3e your gratitude, 6ypher,< the 6ontessa replied. FYou know that 7 e-pe#t to be well rewarded 0or my troubles.< F@h, don<t worry, /aria. By the end o0 the day 7 will be in a position to gi3e you anything you want. ,his is the dawning o0 a new era.< ,he 6ontessa said nothing. ,here was a disturbing edge o0 0anati#ism to 6ypher<s tone all o0 a sudden. &he told hersel0 not to worry G a0ter all she had worked with mu#h more unbalan#ed people than 6ypher in her time, and i0 push #ame to sho3e she<d Cust ha3e totake what she was owed. 2 man in a na3al uni0orm walked up to them, saluting e00i#iently as 6ypher turned to 0a#e him. FYes, 6aptain, what is itI< FYour #hopper is on the pad and all laun#hers are reporting ready, sir. 1ust gi3e the word.< 6ypher looked at the island sitting less than a mile away. F,he word is gi3en, 6aptain. ,he word is most de0initely gi3en.< ,he &hroud had pi#ked up 6ypher<s ship on radar as soon as it dropped its thermopti# #amou0lage so Aa3en and @tto knew they were too late e3en be0ore they #ould see the bla#k battleship holding position Cust o00 the #oast o0 the island. ,hey had had no #onta#t

with =.7.;.>. sin#e they had 0irst le0t the ruins o0 6ypher<s base, Aa3en had barely had time to warn =.7.;.>. about the ship that was on its way be0ore the transmission had dissol3ed into stati# and now they all 0eared the worst. F(e<re at 0ull stealth,< the pilot reported. F,hey ha3e no idea we<re here, and Cudging by the number o0 a#ti3e radar s#ans that thing<s putting out we<d better stay that way i0 we don<t want to end up on the wrong end o0 a &2/.< F6an we get #lose enough to get on board without being dete#tedI< Aa3en said with a 0rown. F(e ha3e to stop 6ypher be0ore he has a #han#e to laun#h an atta#k.< F7t may be too late 0or that,< @tto said, looking up 0rom a s#reen displaying a BoomedDin image o0 6ypher<s ship. /ultiple laun#h tubes #ould be seen rising 0rom the de#k and swi3elling into 0iring positions, all pointing straight at =.7.;.>. /oments later the 0irst sal3o was laun#hed. 2 barrage o0 missiles streaked away 0rom the laun#hers, impa#ting on the side o0 the island<s #entral 3ol#ani# peak only se#onds later. 6uriously, there were no e-plosions, Cust small #louds o0 dust where ea#h missile had landed. @tto manipulated the sur3eillan#e #amera mounted in the nose o0 the &hroud to 0o#us on one o0 the impa#t sites. 2s the dust #leared the long white body o0 the missile #ould be #learly seen, lying still inta#t amongst the ro#ks. &uddenly a panel on the missile was blown o00 and a 0amiliar bla#k shape #limbed 0rom the shell. 7t was one o0 6ypher<s roboti# assassins. @tto 'ui#kly 0o#used on another one o0 the impa#t sites, where e-a#tly the same thing was happening, the missile disgorging its lethal passenger. 2t the same time another wa3e o0 missiles was laun#hed 0rom the ship, impa#ting all o3er the nearest 0a#e o0 the island. ,he 0irst wa3e o0 robots was already s#aling the sides o0 the 3ol#ano like ants, heading upwards at 0rightening speed towards the #rater entran#e. FForget the ship,< Aa3en said, a grim look on her 0a#e. F(e<3e got to get inside =.7.;.>. now .< ,he 6hie0 looked at the guard to his le0t, the worry tinged with 0ear on his 0a#e summing up the 0eelings o0 the other guards positioned around the #rater. 2s soon as 6ypher<s ship had appeared Nero had gi3en the order 0or all se#urity teams to prote#t =.7.;.>.<s points o0 entry. ,he 6ontessa had sealed all o0 the #on3entional weapons lo#kers so they had little more than the &leepers that units on patrol had been #arrying to de0end themsel3es. ,he 6hie0 Cust hoped it would be enough. ,here were only a #ouple o0 e-ternal #ameras that were 0un#tional so they had little idea what 6ypher was going to throw at them, but he was determined that nothing was going to make it past him and his men. ,he 6hie0 looked up at the bright #ir#le o0 daylight o3erhead 0ormed by the #rater<s edge. For a 0leeting moment he thought that he #ould dete#t mo3ement but it may Cust ha3e been a tri#k o0 the light. =e rea#hed 0or the tiny pair o0 bino#ulars that were atta#hed to his e'uipment harness and 'ui#kly 0o#used on the ro#ks 0ar o3erhead. ,here were de0initely se3eral people up there, gathering at the lip o0 the #rater. ,hey were dressed all in bla#k and they mo3ed with a surprising speed and agility. =e thought ba#k to Aa3en<s report on the atta#k on the ,okyo sa0e house and 'ui#kly realised that these must be more o0 the same ninCas that had atta#ked her there. (ell, they were ready 0or them this time and the assassins would 0ind that =.7.;.>. itsel0 was a #onsiderably harder target than some lo#al sa0e house. ,he assassins were going to ha3e to rappel down to the landing pad 0rom the top o0 the 3ol#ano and that would make them sitting du#ks 0or him and his men. &uddenly, one o0 the bla#k 0igures 0ar o3erhead seemed to simply leap into the 3oid, tumbling down towards the 6hie0 and his men. =e must ha3e slipped and 0allen, the 6hie0 thought to himsel0 as he wat#hed the man drop. 2t least that was one less o0 them to worry about. ,he 6hie0 looked away as the assassin hit the hard steel o0 the landing

de#kE he<d seen many disturbing things in his li0etime but a drop 0rom that height was ne3er a pretty sight. ,hen he heard a #ouple o0 gasps and hal0Dyelled #omments 0rom his men as the assassin who had hit the ground simply stood up 0rom the #rou#h in whi#h he had landed and slowly sur3eyed the room. 7t was impossible. ,he 6hie0 had known some wellDtrained operati3es o3er the years, but no one #ould sur3i3e a 0all 0rom that height, no one. =e looked more #losely at the armoured assassin and it 'ui#kly be#ame #lear that they were not dealing with any normal assault here. ,he assassin was a ma#hine, its design way in ad3an#e o0 anything else he had seen. F@pen 0ireK< the 6hie0 yelled, and was immediately drowned out by the loud Bapping reports o0 multiple &leepers being 0ired all around him. ,o say that the &leeper pulses were ine00e#ti3e would ha3e been something o0 an understatement G the assassin didn<t e3en 0alter, Cust slowly sur3eyed its surroundings, the glowing red sensory array on the 0ront o0 its inse#tile 0a#e taking in e3ery detail. ,he 6hie0 knew a s#out when he saw one and also knew that this robot was probably Cust reporting ba#k to the others abo3e on the positions and strength o0 the de0enders. F(hat do we do, 6hie0I< the man to his le0t yelled desperately abo3e the sounds o0 &leepers 0iring. F,hat thing<s not e3en slowing downE the &leepers aren<t working.< ,he 6hie0 suddenly understood why the 6ontessa had only sealed the #on3entional weapons lo#kers when she had o3erridden the se#urity system. 6ypher<s 0or#es #learly had nothing to 0ear 0rom &leepers. F(hat 7 wouldn<t gi3e 0or a good oldD0ashioned grenade right now,< the 6hie0 muttered to himsel0. ,here was another sudden thunderous #langing sound as hal0 a doBen more o0 the assassins landed on the steel de#king. ,he moment they landed they unleashed a bliBBard o0 whirring shuriken, the deadly throwing stars 0inding their targets unerringly, sending se3eral o0 the 6hie0<s men toppling to the ground. ,he 6hie0 0elt a #old dread des#ending o3er him. ,hey were hopelessly outgunned, but they #ouldn<t let these things take the #raterE i0 they did there would be no stopping them. 2 sudden wind seemed to rise 0rom nowhere and the 6hie0 'ui#kly glan#ed out past the ro#k behind whi#h he had taken #o3er to see what was happening. ,he assassins still stood in a tight #ir#le in the #entre o0 the landing pad, laun#hing the o##asional shuriken at any o0 the =.7.;.>. guards who were un0ortunate enough to 0ind themsel3es in an e-posed position. @ne o0 the assassins head<s snapped round and 0o#used on the 6hie0, its arm rising to laun#h a throwing star at him. 7t ne3er got the #han#e. &uddenly the group o0 robots seemed to #rumple as i0 a huge weight was #rushing them to the ground. 7n Cust a split se#ond they were redu#ed to a sparking pile o0 #rushed and mangled #omponents, the o##asional twit#hing ser3o the only indi#ation o0 any li0e. ,here was a shimmer in the air and the huge bla#k shape o0 a &hroud materialised dire#tly on top o0 the ruined atta#kers. ,he hat#h at the ba#k o0 the air#ra0t blew o00 with a loud bang, 0lying a#ross the #a3ern, and Aa3en stepped out. F6hie0, pull your men ba#k now. You don<t ha3e a #han#e against these things,< Aa3en yelled as @tto /alpense and the &hroud<s pilot leapt down 0rom the air#ra0t behind her. FNero said we had to hold the #rater at all #osts,< the 6hie0 said 'ui#kly as Aa3en approa#hed. FNero hasn<t gone toeDtoDtoe with one o0 these things,< Aa3en replied impatiently. F70 you stay here you die, simple as that.< ,he 6hie0 knew better than to argue with Aa3en<s ta#ti#al appraisal o0 a situation. Besides he may not ha3e wanted to admit it, but he knew she was right. =e looked up and saw more tiny bla#k 0igures massing on the edge o0 the #rater abo3e. ,hey were out o0 options. FFall ba#kK< the 6hie0 yelled, ordering his men ba#k through the enormous blast doors

that were the only way into or out o0 the #rater. ,hey did not need to be told twi#e G the sight o0 these in3ulnerable assassins #utting down their team mates with su#h apparent ease had been enough to persuade most o0 them o0 the wisdom o0 a ta#ti#al withdrawal. F6an we seal the doorsI< Aa3en asked as they dashed towards the e-it. F,here<s enough #harge in the ba#kDup batteries to #lose them, but on#e they<re #losed they<re staying #losed. ,here won<t be enough Cui#e to open them again, thanks to the 6ontessa,< the 6hie0 replied. F(hat do you mean, thanks to the 6ontessaI< Aa3en asked 'ui#kly. F7 think you need to speak to Nero,< the 6hie0 replied as they passed through the doorway and the huge steel doors slowly rumbled shut. ,he assassin robot sho3ed Laura hard in the ba#k, propelling her 0orward into the dingy #ell. &helby was right behind her, 0alling to the de#k as she too was pushed inside, the hea3y door swinging shut with a worryingly solid #lunk. ,hey wat#hed through the bars as the two me#hani#al hen#hmen walked silently away, lea3ing them alone. F(ell, this isn<t good,< Laura said with a sigh, sur3eying the #ramped, 0eatureless #ell. FLaura Brand, the world<s greatest master o0 understatement, ladies and gentlemen,< &helby replied sar#asti#ally, sitting down on one o0 the #ell<s two tiny beds. F7 #an<t belie3e the 6ontessa<s in3ol3ed with this,< Laura said gloomily as she sat down on the bed opposite &helby. F(ell, she is,< &helby replied, staring at the #ell door. F2ye,< Laura replied sadly. F&he 0ooled e3erybody? us, Nero, and by the looks o0 it Fran#is#o too.< FYeah, it looks like the 6olonel didn<t ha3e mu#h say in the whole Thelping the 6ontessaU thing,< &helby said, sounding slightly distra#ted. F&he must ha3e been using him 0or months,< Laura said, Fto implant #ommands so deeply that he #arries them out without 'uestion. (e<3e both 0elt what it<s like to ha3e the 6ontessa hiCa#k your brainstem, but it 0ades 'ui#kly a0ter she<s gone. &he must ha3e spent a long time preparing him 0or this.< F7 don<t understand what that old wit#h does but 7<ll tell you one thing, it<s going to take a whole lot more than a 0ew words to stop me 0rom pun#hing her lights out the ne-t time 7 see her,< &helby replied, pi#king at the toe o0 her shoe. F(hat are you doingI< Laura asked, wat#hing in bemusement as &helby tugged at a loose 0lap o0 rubber on the toe o0 her shoe. F(e<re getting out o0 here,< &helby said 'uietly. F,hat would be ni#e,< said Laura, Fbut something tells me we<re going to need more than the old one o0 us 0alling ill tri#k to get us out o0 here.< F@h, #ome on,< &helby replied with a smile, Fthat<s a #lassi#. Ne3er 0ails.< F7 take it you ha3e a plan, thenI< Laura replied #uriously. FBetter than that,< &helby said with a grin, peeling the sole o00 her right shoe. F7 ha3e a key.< 7nside the sole o0 &helby<s shoe was a 0ull set o0 tiny tools and lo#kpi#ks. Laura knew she really shouldn<t be surprisedE a0ter all &helby had been the (raith G the world<s most notorious and su##ess0ul Cewel thie0 be0ore being 0or#ibly indu#ted into =.7.;.>. F*on<t tell me that you walk round all day with that lot in your shoe,< Laura said with a #hu#kle. F*on<t lea3e home without it,< &helby replied with a broad grin. &helby walked up to the bars at the 0ront o0 the #ell and 'ui#kly glan#ed down the #orridor leading to the #ells. &eeing no one there she turned her attention to the lo#k and a0ter a 0ew se#onds let out a long sigh. F(hat<s wrongI< Laura asked an-iously. F,his is a 1ohnson and Fort, 0loating barrel, nine pin, springDlea0 se#urity lo#k,< &helby

said 'uietly. F2lmost impossible to bypass.< FGreat,< Laura said as &helby turned ba#k to the lo#k. F&o now what are we going to doI ,here<s no other way out o0 here and 7 0or one don<t Cust want to sit here and wait 0or 6ypher<s s#heme to play out, whate3er he<s G< ,here was a tiny #li#k and the #ell door swung open. F7 only said almost impossible,< &helby grinned. F@L,< Laura said in amaBement, Fthe ne-t time they ser3e #ho#olate i#e #ream at dinner, you #an ha3e mine too.< FYou say that now, Brand, but it<ll be a di00erent story when the time #omes,< &helby said, slipping her hidden tools into her po#ket. F@h, don<t worry, this time you<3e really earned it,< Laura said, grinning. &helby stepped silently into the #orridor. ,here were no signs o0 any guards G 6ypher ob3iously thought the brig was a lot more se#ure than it a#tually was. F6oast is #lear,< &helby whispered. FLet<s go.< ,he two girls #rept down the #orridor. ,hey were Cust passing the other #ell door when Laura suddenly stopped. F,here<s somebody in there,< Laura whispered. Lying #u00ed to the bed in the #ell was a 0igure wearing simple bla#k pyCamas with a hood o3er its head. F&oI< &helby replied. F7n #ase you hadn<t noti#ed we<re trying to es#ape here.< F,hink about it,< Laura said 'uietly. F70 6ypher<s lo#ked them up in here we should help them G the enemy o0 my enemy is my 0riend and all that.< FAight, but what i0 they<re lo#ked up 0or a good reasonI< &helby replied. F,he last thing we need is another murderous psy#hopath running around on the loose.< F7t #an<t hurt to talk to them,< Laura said 'ui#kly. FLook, they<re #u00ed to the bed. (orst #omes to worst we Cust lea3e them there.< F@L, @L, but i0 that<s =annibal Le#ter in there 7<m holding you responsible,< &helby said with a sigh. &he pulled her tools ba#k out o0 her po#ket and 'ui#kly bypassed the lo#k on the #ell, the door swinging open with a #reak. Laura walked up to the 0igure sha#kled to the bed and hesitated 0or a moment. &helby might be right, this #ould be Cust someone that 6ypher #onsidered dangerous. ,hen she took a deep breath and s#olded hersel0 0or being so timid. 7t #ouldn<t hurt to see what they looked like at any rate. &he rea#hed down and pulled the bla#k hood o00 the prisoner<s head. Laura gasped, the hood 0alling 0rom her limp 0ingers. F@h my God,< &helby hissed. F(ingK< Lying there on the bed was their 0riend who they had both so re#ently grie3ed 0or. Laura looked as i0 she had, 'uite literally, seen a ghost. &helby rea#hed down and pla#ed her hand on (ing<s #hest, 0eeling it rise and 0all, with tears in her eyes. F=e<s ali3e,< &helby whispered. F(ingK< Laura said urgently. F(ake upK< (ing did not stir e3en when she shook his shoulder. ,his was no natural sleepE he<d been sedated. F&o what do we do nowI< &helby said, disbelie0 still e3ident in her 3oi#e. F7t<s not like we #an #arry him out o0 here.< &he 'ui#kly set to work on the #u00s holding him to the bedE they were #hild<s play to her and she had released them within se#onds. F(ingK< Laura shouted, shaking him again, suddenly not #aring i0 anyone #ould hear them. F=ere, let me try,< &helby said, gently pushing Laura to one side. F&orry about this,< she said so0tly to (ing and slapped him hard a#ross the 0a#e. (ing stirred 0or the brie0est o0 moments, mumbling something, and then settled ba#k into his pre3ious state o0 un#ons#iousness. F6ome on, big guy,< &helby said 'uietly. F*on<t make me do that again.<

(ing showed no 0urther signs o0 waking and &helby raised her hand, swinging it down to slap his 0a#e again. (ing<s hand mo3ed in a blur, snapping into the air like a striking snake and #at#hing &helby<s wrist a split se#ond be0ore she made #onta#t with his #heek. Laura gasped, and &helby almost Cumped out o0 her skin. F70 7 am dreaming, why does my 0a#e hurt so mu#hI< (ing said #roakily. &helby ga3e a tiny sob and hugged (ing hard. ,he grie0 that had still been so 0resh and raw 0ell away, repla#ed with a Coy deeper than she had e3er 0elt be0ore. =ot tears rolled down her #heeks as she #lung on to him, 0earing that he might 3anish in a pu00 o0 smoke i0 she e3er let him go.

. Nero<s e-pression #hanged 0rom one o0 deep #on#ern to relie0 as @tto and Aa3en entered the #ommand #entre with the 6hie0. ,here had been pre#ious little in the way o0 good news o3er the past 0ew hours and seeing the pair o0 them ali3e, i0 slightly ragged, made a wel#ome #hange. FNatalya,< Nero said with a nod, Fit<s good to ha3e you ba#k, and 7 see that you e3en managed to get /alpense ba#k in one pie#e. 7 wish 7 #ould wel#ome you both ba#k under more auspi#ious #ir#umstan#es.< F,he guards don<t stand a #han#e against 6ypher<s 0or#es, /a-,< Aa3en replied. F,hey<re robots, 'uite unlike anything 7 ha3e seen be0ore, unstoppable and lethal.< FYes,< Nero replied G that mu#h had been ob3ious 0rom the short and de#idedly oneD sided battle in the #rater G Fbut we ha3e to stop them. 6ypher #annot be allowed to take #ontrol o0 this 0a#ility. (hat<s your assessment, 6hie0I< F7t<s not good, sir,< the 6hie0 said 'ui#kly. F(e<3e sealed the e-ternal blast doors but that<s pretty mu#h all we #ould do. 7t<ll slow them down, but not mu#h more than that. ,he 6ontessa<s o3erride has le0t us with almost no #ontrol o3er the se#urity and de0en#e systems.< F,he 6ontessaI< Aa3en asked. F(hat has she doneI< Nero 'ui#kly e-plained the depths o0 the 6ontessa<s betrayal to Aa3en, how she had not only handed them to 6ypher in ,okyo but also le0t the s#hool de0en#eless against his #urrent assault. FLea3e her to me,< Aa3en said #oldly. F@n#e this is all o3er, Natalya, you may 0eel 0ree to hunt her to the ends o0 the earth, but 0or now we ha3e 0ar more pressing #on#erns. 7<m not interested in Cust slowing 6ypher<s 0or#es down, 7 want them dri3en ba#k into the sea,< Nero said 0irmly. F/a-, 7 0ound it e-tremely hard to de0eat one o0 those things in a straight 0ight,< Aa3en said, Fand 6ypher has an army o0 them. (e #an<t hope to Cust dri3e them ba#k, it<s impossible.< F,hat<s not entirely true,< @tto said 'uietly. FYou ha3e something in mind, /r /alpenseI< Nero said. F7t<s Cust an idea,< @tto replied, Fbut 7 need to speak to the Pro0essor 0irst.< F;ery well,< Nero said with a sigh, F7 don<t suppose it #an do any harm at this point. Aa3en, would you be so good as to es#ort /r /alpense to the s#ien#e and te#hnology department, the Pro0essor is there trying to bring =.7.;.>.mind ba#k online at the moment. @h, be0ore you go, Natalya, there is one more thing . . .< Nero ushered Aa3en to a 'uiet #orner o0 the #ommand #entre and they had a brie0 #on3ersation be0ore Nero put something in her hand. Aa3en looked at Nero 0or a moment and then nodded. ,he pair o0 them walked ba#k towards @tto, Aa3en gesturing 0or him to 0ollow her out o0 the room. Nero listened to the urgent #hatter that was #oming o3er the se#urity team<s radios. =e doubted that /alpense had really #ome up with something that would derail 6ypher<s plans, but as things stood they had no #han#e. ,hey needed an edge badly and i0 @tto /alpense #ould gi3e them that then perhaps they might ha3e a little hope a0ter all. ,he huge transport heli#opter landed gently on the #rater pad, the doBens o0 6ypher<s me#hani#al assassins that had already entered the #rater 0orming a prote#ti3e #ordon around it. 6ypher stepped down 0rom the heli#opter and sur3eyed the s#ene with satis0a#tion. &o 0ar e3erything was going a##ording to plan. 7t was now Cust a matter o0 time be0ore he had 0ull #ontrol o0 =.7.;.>., and on#e he did no one #ould stop him. 2 te#hni#ian ran up to him and reported breathlessly. F(e<3e tried the standard #utting

6hapter Fi0teen

e'uipment on the blast doors, sir, and we<3e barely made a s#rat#h. 7t #ould take hours to get inside that way.< F,hen it is 0ortunate that we brought along a more e00e#ti3e method,< 6ypher said #asually, glan#ing o3er at the two large #rates that the heli#opter had win#hed down on to the pad Cust a #ouple o0 minutes earlier. F2re they readyI< FYes, sir,< the te#hni#ian replied, glan#ing down at the tablet #omputer he was #arrying. F,he powerDup #y#le is #omplete and all system #he#ks are showing green lights. ,hey<re good to go.< F>-#ellent. ,here is no reason to delay, then. Let<s get this o3er with,< 6ypher said, pulling a small bla#k remote #ontrol 0rom his inside po#ket. =e pointed the #ontrol at the pair o0 #rates and pressed a button. ,he 0ront panel o0 ea#h #rate slowly lowered 0orward and a0ter a moment a 0amiliar array o0 red lights lit up the gloom in ea#h one. (ith a hea3y thud the 0irst o0 the giant assassin robots stepped out o0 its #rate. ,hey were o0 the same design as the one that 6ypher had pitted against Aa3en, and i0 one had been enough to deal with her then he saw no reason why he should need more than two to take =.7.;.>. ,he behemoths stomped towards 6ypher, ea#h step sending a tiny tremor through the 0loor, and stood neatly in 0ront o0 him. F2waiting orders,< the ma#hine on the le0t said in its harsh me#hani#al 3oi#e. F,hat door,< 6ypher said, pointing at the sealed blast door. FAemo3e it.< FJnderstood,< the robot replied, and both the ma#hines turned and walked towards the door. ,here was no subtlety in their approa#h as the huge robots began pounding on the door with their enormous wre#kingDball 0ists. 2lmost immediately the door started to dent and be#ome de0ormed and a0ter Cust a #ouple o0 minutes it began to slowly bu#kle under the relentless hammering. ,he noise was dea0ening. FGi3e the order 0or the assault units to gather here. @n#e those doors #ome down we go in hard,< 6ypher said to the te#hni#ian, raising his 3oi#e slightly to be heard o3er the noise o0 the robots assaulting the door. F(hat are your orders should we en#ounter de0ensi3e 0or#esI< the te#hni#ian asked ner3ously. FLill anyone who resists,< 6ypher said #almly. Nigel had stopped worrying about se#urity patrols. =e and FranB had en#ountered se3eral s'uads on their way to the library but none o0 them had stopped and 'uestioned them on why they were outside o0 their a##ommodation blo#k. 7n 0a#t they looked as i0 they had altogether more pressing #on#erns, Cudging by the looks o0 0ear on some o0 their 0a#es. @h yes, Nigel had stopped worrying about the se#urity guards G now he was too busy worrying about whate3er it was that had them 0rightened. ,he two boys walked down another deserted #orridor, only dimly lit by the emergen#y power that was sustaining =.7.;.>. F7t<s 'uiet . . .< FranB said. F70 you say Ttoo 'uietU now 7<ll ne3er speak to you again,< Nigel said 'ui#kly. FYou are ha3ing the hornet in your hat about something,< FranB said, looking 0ed up. F7t<s bee in your bonnet, and yes, 7 am worried. (hy has e3ery se#urity patrol we<3e seen been running somewhere and why are they all too busy to #are what we<re doingI< Nigel asked. F7 am not sure, but 7 am guessing that it has something to do with the alarms,< FranB said, nodding wisely. ,he 0a#t that alarm sirens were still wailing throughout the base did suggest to Nigel that whate3er was wrong was 3ery serious and that it was still an ongoing problem. FPerhaps we should be heading ba#k to the a##ommodation area,< FranB said

ner3ously. F7 am thinking that under the #ir#umstan#es it might be sa0er than . . . ummmm0.< FranB was #ut o00 in midDsenten#e by Nigel<s hand o3er his mouth. FranB looked at his roommate with surprise and #on0usion but Nigel Cust raised a single 0inger to his lips and pointed towards the 0ar end o0 the #orridor. ,here, in the gloom, they #ould Cust make out the unmistakeable 0igures o0 6olonel Fran#is#o, Blo#k and ,a#kle. Nigel may not ha3e known mu#h about the #urrent situation but Laura and &helby had told him enough to know that Fran#is#o was supposed to be in a #ell and that se#urity had been #ombing =.7.;.>., sear#hing 0or Blo#k and ,a#kle. ,hey #ertainly weren<t supposed to be 0reely wandering the #orridors o0 the s#hool. Nigel and FranB du#ked ba#k into the #o3er o0 a nearby #lassroom doorway and wat#hed as the three 0ugiti3es stopped 0or a moment, appearing to engage in a whispered #on3ersation be0ore heading down another adCoining #orridor. Nigel 'uietly pulled out his Bla#kbo- and 0lipped it open, only to 0ind, to his dismay, that it was dead, displaying Cust two words? F=.7.;.>.mind o00line<. F6ome on,< said Nigel, starting o00 down the #orridor a0ter them. F(here are you goingI< FranB said plainti3ely. F7<m going to 0ollow them, o0 #ourse,< Nigel replied. FNow why would you want to do thatI< FranB said, disbelie0 in his 3oi#e. F(e should Cust 0ind a se#urity patrol and tell them.< FBy the time we 0ind a patrol and bring them ba#k here those three will be long gone. (e<3e got to 0ollow them to where3er they<re going and then we 0ind the guards,< Nigel e-plained impatiently. F7 am thinking that 7 am going to be regretting this,< FranB said with a sigh. F6ome on, then.< Nigel set o00 down the #orridor as 'uietly as he #ould, but FranB held ba#k Cust 0or a moment. F,oo 'uiet,< he whispered to himsel0. F2nd then 7 was awoken by someone slapping me in the 0a#e,< (ing said with a hal0D smile. FYeah, again, sorry about that,< &helby said with a sheepish grin. F&o you woke up in 6ypher<s base and you had no idea what had happenedI< Laura asked. FNone at all, my last memory was o0 the roo0top in ,okyo, so as you #an imagine 7 was somewhat surprised to wake up at all,< (ing e-plained. FNo kidding,< &helby said. F>3eryone Cust assumed you were dead.< F7ndeed, 7 belie3e that was the intention,< (ing replied. F1udging by the small pun#ture wound in my #hest it seems that 6ypher<s gun was loaded with some 0orm o0 tran'uiliser proCe#tile that was designed to gi3e the appearan#e o0 a lethal shot.< F2nd you only spoke to him twi#eI< Laura asked. FYes, on#e when 7 0irst awoke and he assured me that no harm would #ome to me as long as 7 #ooperated and didn<t make any trouble,< (ing said #almly, Fand the se#ond when he told me that 7 was being taken aboard a ship. ,he 0a#t that 7 had not paid 3ery mu#h attention to his initial instru#tion to #ooperate led to me being sedated 0or the trans0er to the ship. ,hat is really all 7 remember.< Laura suddenly looked lost in thought. F7s there something troubling you, LauraI< (ing asked so0tly. F2ye, why didn<t 6ypher Cust kill youI *on<t get me wrong, 7<m 3ery glad he didn<t,< she hastily added, Fbut why go to all o0 the trouble o0 0aking your death and then bringing you along on an operation like thisI 7t all Cust seems needlessly risky, and i0 there<s one thing that we ha3e learnt about 6ypher o3er the past #ouple o0 days it<s that he<s not

a0raid o0 spilling blood to get what he wants.< F7 had wondered the 3ery same thing mysel0,< (ing replied, Fbut 7<m a0raid 7 #an o00er no logi#al e-planation 0or 6ypher<s a#tions. (hat 7 do know is that we must stop him at all #osts. From the hints he did drop when he spoke to me it was #lear that this is his endgame. 7 shudder to think o0 what he might do i0 he takes =.7.;.>.< F(hi#h is why we need to get o00 this boat,< &helby said 0irmly, Fand the sooner the better.< F2greed,< (ing said. FYou must tell me something 0irst though. 7s @tto @LI< =e seemed to be e-pe#ting the worst. F,he last we heard he was 0ine,< said &helby, Fand 7<m guessing that he<s going to be 3ery pleased to see you.< F,hat is good to hear,< (ing said with ob3ious relie0. F6ypher ne3er ga3e any spe#i0i#s but 0rom the way he talked about it 7 0eared that 7 might be the only sur3i3or o0 the sa0e house.< FYou 3ery nearly were,< Laura e-plained, Fbut by the sounds o0 things Aa3en managed to get @tto and hersel0 out o0 there in one pie#e.< F,hat is the 0irst good news 7 ha3e had 0or some time,< (ing said with a smile, Fbut now we must go be0ore someone #omes along to #he#k that we<re all still sa0ely lo#ked up.< FYou @L to walkI< &helby asked as (ing, somewhat unsteadily, got to his 0eet. (ing suddenly realised something was missing. =is hand 0lew to his #hest and through the thin 0abri# o0 the pyCamas he was wearing he 0elt nothing but his own breastbone. =is amulet was gone. 7n his mind<s eye he saw his mother handing him the tiny talisman, telling him that he must ne3er let it 0all into the wrong hands. =e #ould make a reasonably good guess who had taken it. =e had no idea what use 6ypher #ould possibly ha3e 0or it but he knew somehow that it was 3ital he retrie3ed it. FYou sure you<re @LI You looked miles away 0or a se#ond there,< Laura said, her brow 0urrowing with #on#ern. F7 shall be 0ine, Cust the a0terDe00e#ts o0 the sedation,< (ing said. FLet<s go.< @tto and Aa3en walked into the s#ien#e and te#hnology department to 0ind a s#ene o0 #haos. ,e#hni#ians were running around the room in a 0ranti# 0lurry o0 a#ti3ity, #arrying piles o0 paper, pushing trolleys 0ull o0 e'uipment, hun#hed o3er the 3arious #omputer terminals dotted around the room. ,hey all wore the same e-pression o0 pani#. &itting at a terminal at the 0ar end o0 the room was Pro0essor Pike. =e seemed almost to be in a tran#e as his hand 0lew a#ross the keyboards, entering strings o0 #ommands. FPro0essor,< Aa3en said as they approa#hed him. Getting no response she raised her 3oi#e. FPro0essorK< ,he Pro0essor suddenly snapped out o0 his tran#e and stared at @tto and Aa3en. For a moment he looked as i0 he didn<t re#ognise them but then he 0o#used and a smile spread a#ross his 0a#e. F2ah, Aa3en and /r /alpense. 7t<s good you<re not dead,< he said, still smiling. FYes, we were 'uite pleased about that too,< @tto said drily. FNo, 7 mean it<s use0ul,< the Pro0essor #ontinued. F7 needed to speak to you both.< F(ell, here we are,< Aa3en said impatiently. &he had no lo3e 0or the te#hni#al department. &he was no s#ientist and her de0inition o0 e-#iting te#hnology was something that worked reliably and might sa3e her li0e. FYes, /r /alpense, would you be so kind as to ha3e a look at this 0or me,< the Pro0essor said, gesturing towards the terminal at whi#h he had been working. @tto mo3ed to the terminal and looked at the s#reen. 7t seemed that the Pro0essor had been trying to break an en#ryption routine. F(hat is thisI< @tto asked. F,hat is the en#ryption that is prote#ting the 6ontessa<s unauthorised #ontrol o0 the

se#urity network,< the Pro0essor e-plained. F7<m a0raid that 7<m struggling to make any impression on it and 7 wondered what you thought.< Flattered as @tto was by the 0a#t that the Pro0essor wanted to #onsult him about this he wasn<t sure how mu#h help he #ould o00er. =e was good with #omputers, no doubt about that, but this sort o0 thing was more Laura<s spe#iality. FYou should get Laura to look at this,< @tto said, not looking away 0rom the s#reen, Fshe<s the one who #ra#ks en#ryption in her head.< FYes, that would ha3e been my 0irst #hoi#e, but sin#e /iss Brand has been kidnapped by the 6ontessa it wasn<t possible.< F(hatI< @tto said, loudly enough to set se3eral heads around the room swi3elling in their dire#tion. F7 assumed you knew,< the Pro0essor said matter o0 0a#tly. F,he 6ontessa has taken her and /iss ,rinity to 6ypher<s ship. =ad no one told youI< FNo, they had not,< @tto said, 0eeling a 0amiliar anger rising in his #hest. 6ypher and the 6ontessa had a great deal to pay 0or. F&o,< the Pro0essor said, gesturing at the terminal again, Fany thoughtsI< @tto looked again at the en#rypted #ode on the s#reen. =e was no e-pert on en#ryption but he knew enough to see that whoe3er had put this together was 3ery good. ,he en#ryption was sophisti#ated and multilayered, spe#i0i#ally designed to #ounter any attempts at #ra#king it. F7t<s 3ery good,< @tto said a0ter a #ouple o0 minutes. F=ighly sophisti#ated. (hoe3er wrote this knew e-a#tly what they were doing.< F2h . . . yes, well, you see, that<s the slightly embarrassing part o0 all this,< the Pro0essor said 'uietly. FYou see . . . well . . . um . . . 7 wrote it.< @tto looked at the Pro0essor with an e-pression o0 total #on0usion. F&o why #an<t you de#rypt itI< @tto asked. F(ell, let<s Cust say that 7 had an en#ounter with the 6ontessa be0ore 7 wrote it, and 7 wasn<t 0eeling 'uite mysel0,< he said with an apologeti# smile. FGreat,< Aa3en sighed. F2m 7 the only one around here who hasn<t had that wit#h inside my headI< F&urely =.7.;.>.mind #ould #ra#k it,< @tto said. FYes, he probably #ould, but he<s o00line right now, again thanks to the 6ontessa,< the Pro0essor e-plained. F2nd 7 take it that there<s no way to bring him ba#k up in timeI< @tto said, knowing that what he had in mind was 3ery mu#h dependant on =.7.;.>.<s resident super#omputer being 0ully 0un#tional. F(ell, there is a way, but it<s 0ar too risky under the #urrent #ir#umstan#es,< the Pro0essor said. 2 0ull hardware reset would #lear any en#ryption surrounding =.7.;.>.mind<s #ommand routines, but with the mess that our systems are in at the moment there<s e3ery #han#e that we<ll Cust lose what 0ew basi# systems we do still ha3e #ontrol o0,< the Pro0essor e-plained. F2nd it #an only be done 0rom =.7.;.>.<s data hub G there<s no remote a##ess 0or that kind o0 thing.< F&o we<3e got to swit#h =.7.;.>.mind o00 and ba#k on again,< Aa3en said, trying to boil the idea down to its essentials. F(ell, it usually works with my #omputer.< FJn0ortunately =.7.;.>.mind is rather more sophisti#ated than that. ,here<s a good reason that we<3e ne3er done this be0ore G there are no guarantees that he would e3er work again,< the Pro0essor #ontinued. F7<d say that at the moment that 0alls into the T#han#e we<ll ha3e to takeU #ategory,< @tto said, looking again at the apparently impregnable en#ryption that was surrounding =.7.;.>.mind<s systems. FYes, 7 suppose you<re right,< the Pro0essor said. F*o#tor Nero did tell me to do e3erything ne#essary to bring our systems ba#k online.<

F7<ll es#ort you to the hub,< Aa3en said. F@tto, you stay here.< F2#tually, it would be help0ul i0 /r /alpense #ame with us,< the Pro0essor said. FAesetting the system is #ompli#ated and an e-tra pair o0 hands would be use0ul. No o00en#e, Aa3en, but 7 doubt that you would be as mu#h help, and time is o0 the essen#e here.< 70 Aa3en was o00ended she ga3e no sign o0 it, she Cust shook her head. F,oo dangerous. 70 6ypher<s ma#hines get inside the s#hool 7 want /alpense somewhere relati3ely sa0e, not running around the #orridors. 7<d rather keep him with me, but i0 we en#ounter more than one o0 those things 7 #an<t guarantee to prote#t either o0 you.< F2#tually,< the Pro0essor said, Fthat<s why 7 wanted to speak to you, Aa3en. 7 ha3e something that might help with that.< Aa3en raised a single eyebrow as the Pro0essor gestured 0or her to 0ollow him a#ross to another workben#h. Lying on the ben#h, surrounded by dis#arded #omponents and hastily s#ribbled notes, were a pair o0 katanas, mu#h like Aa3en<s own swords but with CetDbla#k blades. F,hanks, Pro0essor, but 7<m rather atta#hed to the girls,< Aa3en said, putting one hand on the hilt o0 one o0 the swords that rested in #rossed sheaths on her ba#k. F7<m not looking 0or repla#ements.< FLet me gi3e you a 'ui#k demonstration and see i0 you still 0eel the same,< the Pro0essor said with a mis#hie3ous grin. =e pressed a stud on the hilt o0 one o0 the swords and tossed it to Aa3en, who #aught it neatly. ,he sword was light and wellDbalan#ed but what was most intriguing was the 0aint tra#e o0 #ra#kling dark purple energy that #ould be seen 0li#kering along its striking edge. F7 designed these a0ter the sta00 in the physi#al training se#tion #omplained that you were getting through rather too many wooden kendo swords during your training sessions. ,he energy 0ield that you #an see is a 3ariable geometry proCe#ted 0or#e 0ield.< F>nglish please, Pro0essor,< Aa3en said, sweeping the sword slowly through the air. F(ell, the sword has a normal blade as one would e-pe#t, but the 0or#e 0ield that it is proCe#ting #an #hange its shape in a number o0 ways,< the Pro0essor e-plained, pi#king up the other bla#k sword. F&o, i0 0or e-ample you simply want to use it in pra#ti#e #ombat you use this setting.< =e pressed another stud on the hilt o0 the blade and ran the blade o0 the sword a#ross the palm o0 his hand. ,here was no gush o0 blood, in 0a#t there was no mark at all on his palm. F2s you #an see, in this #on0iguration the blade is 'uite blunt, ideal 0or pra#ti#e or 0or simply subduing an opponent without serious inCury, but in its other setting . . . well . . . it<s slightly di00erent.< ,he Pro0essor pi#ked up a metal ball 0rom the workben#h. FAa3en, i0 you would be so kind.< ,he Pro0essor tossed the ball into the air and Aa3en stru#k, the blade almost whining as it passed through the air be0ore striking the ball and neatly sli#ing it into two per0e#t hal3es. 2 broad grin spread a#ross Aa3en<s 0a#e. F,hat ball was solid titanium,< the Pro0essor said proudly. F7n that #on0iguration the proCe#ted 0or#e 0ield gi3es the blade a monoDmole#ular #utting edge. 7n layman<s terms, there<s almost nothing it #an<t #ut through.< F7 #ould ha3e used these in ,okyo,< Aa3en said, sweeping the blade through the air. F7 know, and i0 7<d had the slightest inkling o0 what was going to happen 7 would ha3e issued them to you be0ore you le0t. Now, though, that might Cust gi3e you an edge, i0 you<ll pardon the pun.< Aa3en suddenly 0elt that the playing 0ield that they were all on was a little bit more le3el than it had been be0ore. &he pulled the twin swords 0rom the sheaths on her ba#k and pla#ed them gently on the workben#h, repla#ing them 'ui#kly with the new ebony blades. &he turned to @tto and the Pro0essor, a new look o0 determination on her 0a#e.

F@L, let<s get you two to the data hub be0ore 7 #hange my mind.<

. (ing peered #autiously round the #orner. ,he #orridor was empty and at the 0ar end he #ould see daylight pouring down through an open hat#h. F7 think 7 #an see an e-it ahead,< he said #almly, du#king ba#k round the #orner. FGreat. 7<m getting si#k o0 running around below de#ks on this thing, it<s like a maBe,< &helby said with relie0. F6ome on,< (ing said and walked silently down the new #orridor, heading 0or the hat#h. &uddenly another thunderous roar #ame 0rom o3erhead. 2s (ing, Laura and &helby had #are0ully made their way up through the ship they had heard this noise se3eral times. ,he ship itsel0 seemed to be almost deserted. ,hey had seen and hidden 0rom a #ouple o0 guards but they had been human, dressed in a nondes#ript na3al uni0orm and #learly distra#ted by some sort o0 maCor operation that was going on. ,he 0a#t that there were no wailing alarms or aggressi3e sear#h parties suggested that their absen#e 0rom the brig had not yet been noti#ed. 6learly whate3er was going on was mu#h more important than keeping a #lose wat#h on their prisoners. (ing slowly #limbed the steps leading up to the de#k hat#h. =e #ould see blue sky o3erhead and it was the 0irst time he<d 0elt the rays o0 the sun on his skin sin#e the roo0top in ,okyo. 7t 0elt good. 2s he snu#k a glan#e o3er the edge o0 the hat#h he #ould immediately see what had been the sour#e o0 the mysterious noise that they<d been hearing. 2rranged in two neat rows on the rear hal0 o0 the de#k were a doBen missile laun#hers that were Cust ha3ing a new load o0 missiles automati#ally loaded. 7t only took a 0ew se#onds, the e00i#ient me#hani#al loading system sliding home a bat#h o0 0at white missiles in Cust a 0ew se#onds be0ore all the laun#hers swi3elled ba#k into position in per0e#t unison, pointing on#e again at the nearby island. ,hen with a roar all o0 the laun#hers 0ired at on#e, their warheads streaking away towards the island. (ing slowly sur3eyed the area around the hat#h. 7t was #lear o0 any guards and on#e again he 0ound himsel0 wondering why se#urity was apparently so la-. =e du#ked ba#k down into the #orridor, F,he #oast appears to be #lear,< (ing said 'uietly, Fbut this ship has the island under sustained bombardment. ,hat noise is the missile laun#hers on the de#k 0iring.< &uddenly, one o0 the hat#hes in the #orridor opened and a guard #arrying an assault ri0le stepped out. =is eyes widened as he saw the three es#apees and he rea#ted 'ui#kly, raising the ri0le, 0inger s'ueeBing the trigger. (ing was 0aster. =e Cammed his sti00ened 0ingertips into the guard<s 0orearm, paralysing the limb and making it impossible 0or the man to pull the trigger. (ing leapt into the air, his 0oot ar#ing upwards and #onne#ting with the guard<s #hin with a #ra#k. ,he guard 0ell to his knees, his one good hand #lut#hing his broken Caw. (ing stepped behind him, his 0orearm snaking around the man<s ne#k, trapping him in an unbreakable stranglehold. F(here<s 6ypherI< (ing hissed. FGone,< the guard gasped, the pain 0rom his Caw pre3enting a more detailed answer. FGone whereI< (ing said, his tone enough to 0reeBe the blood. F,he island, he<s on the island,< the man wheeBed as he 0elt the pressure in#rease on his throat. (ing s'ueeBed harder 0or a moment and the guard #ollapsed in an un#ons#ious heap to the ground. F(e ha3e to get ba#k to the island,< (ing said #almly, pi#king up the guard<s assault ri0le. F(ell, 7 know where we #an 0ind a boat,< Laura said with a grin. F(e<d Cust be returning the one that the 6ontessa borrowed.<

6hapter &i-teen

(ing eCe#ted the magaBine 0rom the ri0le and threw it away down the #orridor be0ore throwing the ri0le in the opposite dire#tion. F&houldn<t we ha3e hung on to thatI< &helby said. F7t might ha3e #ome in use0ul.< F7 dislike 0irearms,< (ing replied #almly. FGra#eless thugs< weapons.< F7<d rather be a gra#eless thug than noble and dead,< &helby said sar#asti#ally. (ing opened his mouth to respond but the sudden roar o0 the laun#hers on the de#k abo3e drowned out e3erything. ,he barrage to whi#h =.7.;.>. was being subCe#ted seemed relentless. F(e #an<t lea3e yet,< Laura said relu#tantly. F(e ha3e to try to disable this ship. =.7.;.>. has no #han#e while this thing is 0loating out here raining missiles down on the island.< (ing knew that Laura was right, but at the same time he needed to 0ind 6ypher. =e was not prone to letting his emotions #ontrol him but the burning anger he 0elt when he 3isualised that bla#k glass mask was 0ier#e and relentless. =e had no idea what 6ypher was hoping to a#hie3e with his assault on the s#hool, but he knew that he was going to stop him, or die trying. F(e must return to the island,< (ing replied. F@n#e the situation there is resol3ed we #an worry about this ship.< F7 know you want to go a0ter him, (ing,< Laura said, Fbut we ha3e to do this 0irst.< F@r we #ould Cust do both,< &helby said, knowing that i0 (ing and Laura started to argue it would Cust be a #ompetition to see who #ould be most stubborn. 2 3ery long, 3ery boring #ompetition that they really didn<t ha3e time 0or right now. F(hat do you proposeI< (ing asked. F(ell, why don<t you take the boat ba#k to the island and we<ll stay here and try to disable this thing,< &helby said. F&plitting up seems ill ad3ised at this point,< (ing said #almly. F/aybe, but what other #hoi#e do we ha3eI 2nd besides, what makes you think we<d need your help anywayI< &helby said with a grin. F;ery well,< (ing replied a0ter a moment<s thought, Fthough 7 am still not sure this is a good idea.< F=ey, dumb plans are our spe#iality,< &helby replied with a #hu#kle. F7sn<t that right, BrandI< F@h aye, we spe#ialise in the stupid,< Laura replied. F7 hope you both understand,< (ing said, a #old, hard determination in his 3oi#e, F6ypher has to pay 0or what he<s done and 7 intend to be the one who 0inishes this.< &helby gently pla#ed a hand on (ing<s #heek. FYou know, you<re kinda #ute when you<re angry,< she said so0tly. F,hen at this pre#ise moment 7 #an honestly say that 7 am #uter than 7 ha3e e3er been be0ore,< (ing replied and turned to head ba#k up on to the de#k. FBe sa0e,< Laura said as he #limbed the steps to the de#k. FYou too,< (ing replied and he 3anished 0rom 3iew through the hat#h. F&o, you got any thoughts on how we do thisI< &helby asked Laura. FNot the 0aintest idea,< Laura replied with a #rooked smile. 6ypher wat#hed as the battered #rater blast doors 0inally ga3e way under the relentless assault o0 his hulking robots and #ollapsed inwards with a thundering #rash. =e walked 0orward, pi#king his way through the twisted remains o0 the doors, and #limbed the long 0light o0 bla#k granite stairs. ,he two giant assault robots 0ollowed him, their heads swi3elling 0rom side to side as their sensory arrays s#anned 0or any sign o0 danger. 6ypher rea#hed the top o0 the stairs and stepped into =.7.;.>.<s main entran#e #hamber. ,here, standing alone in 0ront o0 a giant statue depi#ting the GL@;> symbol was Nero. =e stood with his hands #lasped behind his ba#k, his e-pression #alm. 70 he 0elt any 0ear there was no hint o0 it.

F7 must admit, 7 was e-pe#ting rather more resistan#e than this,< 6ypher said as he approa#hed. F7 saw no reason why any more li3es should be lost to your madness,< Nero replied, his 3oi#e #alm. F*e0iant to the last,< 6ypher said. F&o typi#al o0 you.< F7n mu#h the same way as this bloodthirsty luna#y is typi#al o0 you,< Nero replied. FYou #an<t hope to get away with this.< F7 rather think that you<ll 0ind that 7 already ha3e,< 6ypher said, stepping #loser to Nero. FG.L.@.;.>. will not stand 0or this,< Nero replied. FYou may ha3e taken =.7.;.>. but it will be the last mistake you e3er make.< FYour nai3e 0aith in our peers is inspiring,< 6ypher said sar#asti#ally, Fbut it is G.L.@.;.>. that should 0ear me.< FYou aren<t the 0irst to think that, 6ypher,< Nero said, a sudden hard edge to his 3oi#e, Fbut you<re the only one who<s still ali3e. Number @ne has made 'uite sure o0 that.< F>3er the 0aith0ul lapdog,< 6ypher replied with a snort, Fbut do you really think that 7 don<t know what you and Number @ne are doingI (hat he has plannedI< For the brie0est o0 moments a puBBled e-pression appeared on Nero<s 0a#e. F(hat are you talking aboutI< Nero asked. FFeigning ignoran#e will get you nowhere, Nero. ,his ends today. 7 ha3e e3erything 7 need now to make sure that Number @ne will #ease to be a #on#ern and then we shall see i0 G.L.@.;.>. is so ready to leap to the de0en#e o0 you and your s#hool.< FYou really are insane, aren<t youI< Nero replied #almly. F*o you know how many times throughout history those who ha3e de0ined the shape o0 the 0uture ha3e been dismissed as madmenI< 6ypher asked. FYou ha3e no 0uture,< Nero said #oldly. F,hen that makes two o0 us,< 6ypher replied, rea#hing inside his #oat and pulling out a raBorDsharp stiletto blade. ,he two hulking assault robots took up positions on either side o0 Nero, ea#h taking 0irm hold o0 his arms. FGet it o3er with,< Nero said de0iantly. FLilling is what you do best a0ter all.< F@h, 7<m not going to kill you, Nero. Not yet, anyway. 7 want you ali3e to bear witness to my 0inal 3i#tory. 7 #an imagine no greater torment 0or someone like you,< 6ypher said. 6ypher brought the tip o0 the blade to Nero<s #hest and neatly sli#ed the top #ouple o0 buttons o00 his shirtD0ront. Jsing the tip o0 the blade he pushed the shirt open, e-posing Nero<s bare #hest. F(here is itI< 6ypher said, his pre3iously #ontrolled tone suddenly dripping with 3enom. F(here is whatI< Nero said #almly. FYou know per0e#tly well what 7 mean. ,he amulet, where is itI< 6ypher spat, #learly be#oming angry. F7 really ha3e no idea what you<re talking about,< Nero replied #asually. F7 should ha3e known that you wouldn<t do this the easy way,< 6ypher replied. F&o be it.< 6ypher turned to the giant assault robot ne-t to him. FJnit three, go to the nearest pupil a##ommodation area. Lea3e no one ali3e.< F@rder a#knowledged,< the robot replied in its grating me#hani#al 3oi#e and turned to lea3e. Nero 0elt a sudden rush o0 pani#. =e knew better than to hope that 6ypher was blu00ing. From all he knew o0 the man there was no reason to belie3e that he had any 'ualms about ha3ing the blood o0 so many #hildren on his hands. F(aitK< Nero hal0 shouted. FYou ha3e something to tell meI< 6ypher said angrily. FAa3en. Aa3en has it,< Nero said sadly. F*on<t lie to me, Nero. Aa3en is dead,< 6ypher spat. F7 saw to that personally.< F(ell, it seems that you may ha3e underestimated her talent 0or sur3i3al,< Nero replied.

FYou aren<t the 0irst and 7 doubt 3ery mu#h you<ll be the last.< F(here is sheI< 6ypher said. F,ell me or there are going to be a lot o0 grie3ing parents in the 3ery near 0uture.< F7 honestly ha3e no idea,< Nero said truth0ully. &he had not reported in sin#e lea3ing with /alpense and by now she #ould be anywhere on the island. 6ypher studied Nero<s 0a#e, looking 0or any hint o0 de#eption. FJnit three, stand down,< 6ypher said and the robot he had despat#hed on the murderous errand Cust moments be0ore halted. Nero 0elt a wa3e o0 relie0 wash o3er himE his students were sa0e, 0or now. F70 you<re lying to me, Nero, 7 shall not hesitate to reissue that order. *o you understand meI< 6ypher asked #oldly. FPer0e#tly,< Nero replied. 6ypher pulled a small #ommuni#ations de3i#e 0rom his po#ket and spoke 'ui#kly into it. F,his is 6ypher to all assassin units. 7nstitute a 0ull sear#h sweep o0 this 0a#ility. Your target is the operati3e #odenamed Aa3en. Jse o0 lethal 0or#e is authorised.< Behind 6ypher doBens o0 the smaller assassin robots poured up the stairs, 0anning out in all dire#tions, beginning their sear#h 0or Aa3en. F(hat the hellI< F(hat is itI< the #aptain o0 6ypher<s ship demanded, striding o3er to the radar operator<s station. F,he boat that the 6ontessa arri3ed in has Cust undo#ked. 7t<s heading ba#k towards the island,< the #rewmember reported. ,he #aptain grabbed a pair o0 bino#ulars and hurried to one o0 the large armoured windows that surrounded the bridge. =e 'ui#kly spotted the tiny bla#k boat, powering away a#ross the wa3es towards =.7.;.>. =e re#ognised the 0igure at the #ontrols immediately. F7 ha3e a 0iring resolution G should 7 laun#hI< the weapons o00i#er asked 'ui#kly. FNo, it<s the Fan#hu boy,< the #aptain replied. F6ypher ga3e 3ery spe#i0i# orders that he was not to be harmed.< FFan#hu<s ali3eI< the 6ontessa said, stepping out o0 the shadows at the rear o0 the bridge. FYes, but he<s supposed to be under sedation in the brig. =ow the hell did he get looseI< the #aptain demanded. F/ore to the point, how did he get past the guards in the brigI< the 6ontessa asked. F,here are no guards in the brig,< the #aptain replied. F,he #ells are es#apeDproo0 and 7 #an<t spare the manpower to ha3e guards on wat#h #onstantly when it<s not ne#essary.< F6aptain,< the 6ontessa said 'uietly, Fone o0 the two girls who was also lo#ked up down there is perhaps the most a##omplished thie0 on earth. ,here<s no su#h thing as an es#apeDproo0 #ell where she<s #on#erned.< F7t might ha3e been use0ul i0 you<d mentioned that earlier, 6ontessa,< the #aptain said sar#asti#ally. F7 strongly suggest that you don<t take that tone with me, #aptain,< the 6ontessa replied. ,he #aptain went slightly pale and swallowed hard. F7<m sorry, 6ontessa, 7 meant no disrespe#t. 7t<s Cust that 6ypher will be 0urious when he hears that the Fan#hu boy has es#aped.< F7 understand that, #aptain, but he really has nowhere to run. 6ypher will ha3e #ontrol o0 =.7.;.>. by now and there<s no other dry land within range o0 that boat. /r Fan#hu will 0ind, 7 suspe#t, that the 0ire is really no better than the 0rying pan on this o##asion. Besides, you ha3e a mu#h more pressing #on#ern.< F(hi#h isI< the #aptain asked. F,he 0a#t that Laura Brand and &helby ,rinity are not also on board that boat and so are

almost #ertainly running around loose on your ship, and belie3e me when 7 say that those two are #apable o0 #reating a 'uite inordinate amount o0 trouble,< the 6ontessa e-plained. 2s i0 to emphasise the 6ontessa<s statement alarm kla-ons started to sound on the bridge. F(hat nowI< the #aptain demanded. F7t<s the missile room, sir,< one o0 the sailors reported. F&omeone has Cust made an unauthorised entry.< F*espat#h a se#urity team immediately,< the #aptain ordered, 0eeling a sudden sense o0 pani# that someone had brea#hed su#h a 3ulnerable area o0 the ship. FBelay that order, #aptain,< the 6ontessa said. F7 will deal with this personally.< ,he students milled around the #a3ernous atrium o0 the a##ommodation blo#k, the air 0illed with a #onstant buBB o0 ner3ous #hatter. None o0 them knew what was going on and doBens o0 di00erent theories all #ompeted to be heard and a##epted as true. &uddenly the huge blast doors that had been sealing the a##ommodation blo#k started to grind upwards and there was a #olle#ti3e gasp o0 surprise as doBens o0 inse#tile bla#k androids poured into the room. ,he assassin droids wasted no time, 'ui#kly surrounding the startled students, herding them together. /ore o0 the robots s#urried up the stairs to the students< rooms that lined the walls o0 the #a3ern, systemati#ally mo3ing 0rom door to door, #he#king 0or anyone who was not in the atrium. ,he ner3ous #hatter o0 moments earlier was repla#ed with a mi-ture o0 yelps and #ries as the robots pushed and sho3ed the students into a tight group in the #entre o0 the #a3ern. Finally a tall man with a network o0 s#ars on his 0a#e and wearing an un0amiliar uni0orm walked through the blast doors and o3er towards the huddled group o0 students. 2s he approa#hed a 3i#ious smile appeared on his 0a#e, the sight o0 the #owed and 0rightened #hildren seeming to somehow amuse him. F,his 0a#ility is now under our #ontrol,< he said #oldly. F2ny resistan#e or attempt to es#ape will be met with lethal 0or#e.< =is #old, dead eyes did not suggest that he was blu00ing. F70 you are #ooperati3e and obedient,< he #ontinued, Fthere is no reason why most o0 you should not sur3i3e relati3ely unharmed.< ,he students looked around at the #ordon o0 lethalDlooking ma#hines that now surrounded them, their 0eatureless 0a#es 0illed with me#hani#al mena#e. ,he man li0ted a #ommuni#ator to his mouth as he turned his ba#k and walked away 0rom the terri0ied students. F,his is operati3e nine. 2##ommodation area se3en is se#ure, mo3ing on to area eight.< 2s he walked through the main doorway the blast doors lowered, sealing the room and trapping the students inside on#e again. ,here was no talk amongst them now, Cust 0rightened 0a#es and the o##asional mu00led sob. ,here was nowhere to run. Nigel wat#hed as 6olonel Fran#is#o, Blo#k and ,a#kle headed through the large door at the end o0 the #orridor. =e had ne3er been into this area o0 the s#hool be0ore G it was normally stri#tly o00Dlimits, but he guessed that under the #ir#umstan#es no one would mind. ,he sign ne-t to the hea3y door read FGeoD,hermal Power 6ontrol Aoom< and Nigel assumed that must e-plain how a 0a#ility the siBe o0 =.7.;.>., with its somewhat uni'ue power re'uirements, was kept running. F(here are weI< FranB whispered beside him. F7 think this is the power #ore 0or the s#hool,< Nigel replied. F2nd what is this TgeoDthermalUI< FranB asked #uriously. F(ell, normally it means generating power 0rom natural heat sour#es deep underground,

but 7<3e ne3er heard o0 it being used 0or a 0a#ility this siBe be0ore,< Nigel e-plained. F(ell, now we are knowing where they ha3e gone, #an we 0ind a se#urity patrolI< FranB asked hope0ully. FLet<s Cust see i0 we #an 0ind out what they<re up to 0irst,< Nigel replied. F,hen we #an go get help.< F7 am being a0raid that you were going to say that,< FranB moaned. F6ome on,< Nigel said and #rept o00 down the #orridor towards the open door. F,his is not a good idea,< FranB said plainti3ely, #reeping a0ter Nigel. F&o you keep saying,< Nigel whispered as they rea#hed the door. &uddenly 0rom somewhere inside they heard the unmistakeable Bapping sound o0 multiple &leeper shots. F,his is really not a good idea,< FranB whispered urgently. FListen,< Nigel whispered, F7<m Cust going to ha3e a 'ui#k look inside and see what they<re up to, but why don<t you stay here and keep wat#hI< F,hat is being the mu#h better idea,< FranB replied happily, Fin #ase o0 sneak atta#k 0rom behind.< F>-a#tly,< Nigel whispered. FLet me know i0 there<s anyone else #oming.< F1a, understood,< FranB replied. Nigel stepped through the doorway and headed down a short 0light o0 metal stairs that ended in a ,DCun#tion. 1ust as he was about to step round the #orner he heard Fran#is#o<s 3oi#e. FPosition the #harge e-a#tly as the 6ontessa instru#ted.< ,he 6olonel<s 3oi#e was a 0lat monotone, oddly di00erent to the barking snarl with whi#h Nigel had be#ome un0ortunately 0amiliar during ta#ti#al operations training. &uddenly, he heard 0ootsteps on the metal 0loor heading in his dire#tion. =e 0lattened himsel0 against the wall, praying that they would not look down the #orridor as they passed. Blo#k and ,a#kle walked slowly past, only a 0ew 0eet 0rom him, #arrying a large #rate between them that was plastered with high e-plosi3e warning symbols. ,hey headed towards a door at the end o0 the adCoining #orridor and opened it. ,here was a low rumbling sound 0rom inside the room they entered that was almost immediately #ut o00 as the door #losed behind them. /eanwhile, at the top o0 the stairs, FranB was trying 3ery hard to make himsel0 as small and in#onspi#uous as possible. =e looked through the doorway. =e #ould no longer see Nigel, who had #rept 0urther inside, and he suddenly 0elt 3ery alone.

. Pro0essor Pike pun#hed his entry #ode into the door o0 =.7.;.>.mind<s #entral data hub, grate0ul that the s#hool still had enough power to keep the doors working. F6ome on,< he hissed as the door opened and he went inside. F7 don<t like this,< Aa3en said 'uietly. F@nly one e-it.< F,hink o0 it as only one entran#e,< @tto replied and 0ollowed the Pro0essor inside. Aa3en looked ba#k down the empty #orridor that led to the door and sighed be0ore stepping inside too. @tto had ne3er seen anything 'uite like the room he had Cust entered. 7t was 0i0ty metres 0rom wall to wall, per0e#tly #ir#ular and 0looded with a harsh white light. 2 gantry #rossed the room to a huge #entral node that had doBens o0 thi#k #ables #onne#ted to it 0rom the #eiling high abo3e, ea#h pulsing with blue light. ,he #ables dropped away beneath the #entral node, 0anning out a#ross the ground 0ar below to an array o0 bla#k monoliths. @tto stepped out on to the gantry 0rom the walkway that ran around the #ir#um0eren#e o0 the room. 7t was so #old that he #ould see his breath as tiny pu00s o0 mist. 7t was a long drop to the 0loor belowE 0alling would mean death at worst and multiple broken bones at best. ,he Pro0essor hurried a#ross the gantry to the #entral node and 0olded down a keyboard. 7t suddenly dawned on @tto that =.7.;.>.mind was lot more sophisti#ated than he had pre3iously imagined. =e had seen the 27<s #entral #ore during his aborti3e es#ape attempt a 0ew months earlier and he had, rather nai3ely as it turned out, assumed that was all there was to =.7.;.>.mind<s physi#al systems. ,he gargantuan room that he now stood in suggested otherwise. F@tto, #ome here,< the Pro0essor said and @tto walked o3er to Coin him at the #entral node. FAight,< the Pro0essor said. F,urning =.7.;.>.mind o00 is straight0orward enough, we Cust need to #ut the power, but turning him ba#k on is #onsiderably more di00i#ult. (e will ha3e to manage the data0low to his #ore 3ery #are0ully during the bootDup pro#edure to a3oid any #han#e o0 a #atastrophi# storage 0ailure.< F@L,< @tto said. F(hat do you need me to doI< F,his is the map o0 =.7.;.>.mind<s memory #ore,< the Pro0essor said, pointing to the s#reen mounted on the #entral node. ,he display was 0illed with a threeDdimensional #ube #onstru#ted 0rom #ountless thousands o0 indi3idual points o0 light. F2s =.7.;.>.mind #omes ba#k online ea#h o0 his memory modules must be assigned to a spe#i0i# point on the grid. >a#h module has a uni'ue tag that indi#ates its #orre#t position within the grid. &o all that you ha3e to do is enter the #orre#t threeDdimensional #oordinates 0or the module and lo#k it in position, like so.< ,he Pro0essor #alled up one o0 the e-isting memory modules and slotted it into the #orre#t position on the grid. 7t took a #ouple o0 se#onds. @tto 0elt a sudden sinking 0eeling. FPro0essor, there must be tens o0 thousands o0 modules here. /anually re#onne#ting ea#h one like that is going to take hours.< F(hi#h is why 7 need your help. (ith both o0 us working on it we should be 0inished in hal0 the time. 7 estimate it should be no longer than three hours.< FPro0essor, we don<t ha3e three hours. For all we know we might not e3en ha3e three minutes,< Aa3en said with irritation. F(ell, it<s the only way to bring =.7.;.>.mind ba#k online 0rom a #old start,< the Pro0essor said, Fand sin#e /r /alpense thinks its so important that we get him ba#k online 7 suggest we get started.< Aa3en ga3e @tto a look o0 disappointment, sighed and headed ba#k towards the door.

6hapter &e3enteen

@tto knew how she 0elt. =e<d really thought that this was their best #han#e, but 6ypher had to be inside the s#hool by now and there was ne-t to no #han#e that they had enough time to do what the Pro0essor des#ribed. ,he Pro0essor mo3ed o3er to a large red swit#h that was mounted on one side o0 the node. F@L, we<re ready 0or power down. @tto, get started on plugging in those modules as soon as the display #omes ba#k up . . . assuming that the display does #ome ba#k up, o0 #ourse.< F(hat do you mean G< @tto started as the Pro0essor rea#hed 0or the swit#h. F=ere we go,< the Pro0essor said as he threw the swit#h and e3erything went bla#k. 2nd stayed bla#k. F7 don<t suppose anyone brought a tor#h, did theyI< the Pro0essor asked weakly. F@h, this Cust gets better and better,< Aa3en sighed somewhere in the darkness. &uddenly there was a series o0 loud #lunking sounds and the room was again bathed in pure white light. F2h . . . yes . . . good, that<s e-a#tly what 7 e-pe#ted to happen,< the Pro0essor lied. ,he monitor on the #entral hub was displaying =.7.;.>.mind<s memory grid again and the tag o0 the 0irst module to be pla#ed was displaying as e-pe#ted. FLet<s get #ra#king, then, shall we,< the Pro0essor said and began to tap away at his keyboard. @tto 0ollowed suit and began to enter the strings o0 #oordinates that would plug in the 0irst memory module. 2s he typed he 0elt himsel0 0o#using more and more intently on ea#h module as it was displayed, the rest o0 the world be#oming an in#onse'uential distra#tion. =is 0ingers be#ame a blur as they 0lew o3er the keyboard, ea#h entry getting 0aster and 0aster as he 0elt the 0amiliar, i0 slightly dis#on#erting, sensation o0 his brain swit#hing to automati#. FGood God,< the Pro0essor said as he looked a#ross at @tto and saw the speed at whi#h he was plugging in the modules, but @tto didn<t hear him. =is entire world at that pre#ise moment was the 0loating blue grid in 0ront o0 him that spun and dan#ed as more and more modules were plugged in su##ess0ully. @tto appeared to be in a tran#e, the sound o0 his keystrokes now Cust an in#essant highDspeed #li#king noise. 20ter Cust a #ouple o0 minutes he had #ompleted nearly a third o0 all the modules and his entry speed was still in#reasing. F=ow does he do thatI< Aa3en whispered to the Pro0essor, who was no longer making any entries at all, @tto<s pa#e making it pointless. F7 ha3e no idea,< the Pro0essor replied honestly. 2ll he did know was that there was a lot more to @tto /alpense than met the eye. ,he Pro0essor suspe#ted that @tto himsel0 probably had no idea what he was truly #apable o0. =al0 o0 the memory modules were now plugged in and at #urrent rates it would only take @tto a 0ew more minutes to #omplete the task that Cust a 0ew moments be0ore they had 0eared would take hours. @tto was no longer there, though, he was lost in a world o0 whirling strings o0 #oordinates and spinning blue #ubes. F>rm, Pro0essor, you might want to #he#k that he<s a#tually doing this #orre#tly,< Aa3en said. F(hyI< the Pro0essor said, looking at the status display on his own s#reen. FBe#ause he<s got his eyes #losed,< Aa3en replied 'uietly. ,he Pro0essor looked a#ross at @tto and saw that Aa3en was 'uite right. @tto had his eyes #losed G it would ha3e almost looked as i0 he was meditating but 0or the 0a#t that his 0ingers still dan#ed o3er the keyboard impossibly 'ui#kly. F,hat<s impossible,< the Pro0essor whispered, not wanting to break @tto<s #on#entration. F=e<d ha3e to be per0orming the memory allo#ation algorithm in his head at the same time as plugging in the modules. 7t<s Cust not possible.<

,he Pro0essor #he#ked the last 0ew allo#ations that @tto had made and was astonished to 0ind that they were 0lawless. (hat @tto was doing may ha3e been impossible but he was doing it with a me#hani#al per0e#tion. 7t was nothing short o0 astonishing. Aa3en and the Pro0essor wat#hed the progress per#entage on the se#ond display #reep higher and higher in silen#e. 7n Cust a #ouple more minutes the display 0lashed 2llo#ation 6omplete and @tto gasped, staggering ba#k 0rom the keyboard, #lut#hing at his 0orehead. F@w,< he moaned. F(hat happenedI< F(e<re 0inished,< the Pro0essor said, struggling to keep his 3oi#e e3en. @tto 0elt a twinge o0 pani# and shame. =e must ha3e bla#ked out, hours had passed and he<d not helped the Pro0essor at all. F7<m sorry,< @tto said. F7 don<t know what happened. 7 Cust bla#ked out, 7 hadn<t realised how tired 7 was.< F@tto,< the Pro0essor said 'uietly, Fyou did it. You #ompleted the entire memory allo#ation in 0our and a hal0 minutes.< @tto looked stunned. ,hat was impossible. =is last memory was o0 starting to enter the memory #oordinates more 'ui#kly, but a0ter that it was Cust a blur. F2re you all rightI< Aa3en said as she took a #ouple o0 steps towards him and took his #hin in her hand, wat#hing his eyes as she gently turned his head 0rom side to side. F7 think so,< @tto replied. F7 ha3e a heada#he that<s already 0ading and 7 0eel e-hausted but otherwise 7<m 0ine. 2part 0rom these, o0 #ourse.< @tto held up his hands to re3eal tiny blisters on ea#h o0 his 0ingertips. F=ow did you do thatI< Aa3en asked gently. F7 . . . 7 . . . ha3e no idea,< @tto replied honestly. 6ertainly he had always known that his brain was #apable o0 things that weren<t normal, but this was the 0irst time that he had e3er Boned out like that. 2 little bit o0 him was suddenly 0rightened by the realisation that in some ways he hadn<t done anything G it was almost as i0 his intelle#t had suppressed his personality. @tto had not been there at all. Aa3en<s 0a#e was suddenly lit up by a so0t blue light and she smiled at something behind him. F=ello, @tto. 7t is a pleasure to see you again.< @tto spun to 0a#e the instantly 0amiliar 3oi#e, and hanging in the air in 0ront o0 the hub was the blue wire0rame 0a#e o0 =.7.;.>.mind. Better than that, @tto realised, the smiling 0a#e o0 =.7.;.>.mind. F6ome on, Brand, we don<t ha3e all day,< &helby said impatiently as Laura ha#ked away at the #omputer terminal. FGi3e me a break, &hel,< Laura replied 'ui#kly without looking away 0rom the s#reen. F70 7 get this wrong you get to start your new li0e as a #loud o0 3apour.< &helby swallowed ner3ously and looked around the room. Numerous di00erent shapes and siBes o0 missiles and other ordnan#e were resting on the ra#ks around the room. Laura was right, a mistake here might be disastrous. Laura was trying 3ery hard not to think about the 'uantity o0 high e-plosi3e that was surrounding them on all sides as she ha#ked her way into the missile laun#h #ontrols. &he knew e-a#tly what she needed to doE all she had to do was 0ind the #orre#t #ommand subsystem and they wouldn<t ha3e to worry about this ship any more. &uddenly there was a bleep 0rom the entran#e and the door slid open. F@h no,< &helby said 'uietly and Laura looked up 0rom the workstation. &tanding in the doorway was the 6ontessa, a pistol in her hand and a murderous look on her 0a#e. F7 #an<t take you two anywhere, #an 7I< she said #oldly. &helby took a step towards her and the 6ontessa pointed the gun at her.

FNow now, /iss ,rinity, you #an<t hope to disarm me espe#ially when you #an<t mo3e ,< the 6ontessa said in a 3oi#e 0illed with a thousand whispers. &helby 0roBe, a look o0 sho#k spreading a#ross her 0a#e as her own limbs rebelled against her. ,ry as she might to mo3e she was 0roBen in pla#e like a statue. FLet me go, you hag,< &helby said angrily. F7 suggest you keep your mouth shut, or would you like me to tell you to stop your own heart beatingI< the 6ontessa replied with a thin, #ruel smile. &helby went pale, looking 0or a moment as i0 she might say something else but 0inally de#iding against it. Laura took her opportunity while the 6ontessa was distra#ted and di3ed away 0rom the terminal, s#ampering away into the gloom amongst the missile ra#ks. &he looked around desperately, trying to spot anything that she #ould use as a weapon. ,he irony o0 being de0en#eless when surrounded by so many weapons was not lost on her. &uddenly she spotted a row o0 three lo#kers along the wall, ea#h labelled with F/issile Loader >'uipment< and she headed towards them. F/iss Brand,< the 6ontessa said, F7 ha3e no desire to engage in a game o0 hideDandD seek with you, so 7<m going to make this 3ery simple. You ha3e ten se#onds to #ome ba#k out here or 7 e-e#ute /iss ,rinity.< ,he 6ontessa pressed the #old hard muBBle o0 the gun to &helby<s temple. F*on<t listen to her, Laura. Get out o0 here,< &helby shouted. F&ilen#e,< the 6ontessa #ommanded and &helby<s 3o#al #ords simply #eased to 0un#tion, her lips mo3ing 0ruitlessly. Laura opened the 0irst lo#ker and dug 0ranti#ally through its #ontents, trying to 0ind anything that might help. ,here was nothing, no weapons o0 any kind, Cust o3eralls and sa0ety e'uipment. ,he 6ontessa #o#ked the hammer on the pistol, smiling at the 0ear in &helby<s eyes. F;ery well, /iss Brand, 7 hope you #an li3e with this on your #ons#ien#e,< the 6ontessa said and began to s'ueeBe the trigger. F(aitK< Laura yelled, stepping out 0rom behind one o0 the ra#ks. F6ome here,< the 6ontessa #ommanded and Laura walked towards her. FYou two ha3e pro3en to be more trouble than you<re worth,< the 6ontessa said #oldly. F7 only brought you here as insuran#e but 7<m a0raid that you<3e outworn your use0ulness.< Laura stopped Cust a #ouple o0 pa#es 0rom the 6ontessa. FNow, /iss Brand, 7 want you to take this pistol and kill /iss ,rinity,< the 6ontessa #ommanded, gesturing at &helby with the gun, the sinister whispers twining through her 3oi#e, Fthen kill yoursel0.< ,he 6ontessa handed Laura the pistol, who took it with a look o0 utter horror on her 0a#e. &he took a step towards &helby, whose eyes widened in terror as Laura raised the pistol . . . and winked. Laura spun on the spot, pointing the pistol straight at the 6ontessa, who was Cust a #ouple o0 0eet away. F(hat are you doingI< the 6ontessa s#ree#hed, FLill herK< F7 think this twisted old wit#h Cust told me to kill you, &hel, but you know it<s hard to tell with these in,< Laura said pe#uliarly loudly and pushed ba#k the long red hair hanging o3er one o0 her ears. ,here, Cammed into her ear was an ear plug, one o0 se3eral that she had 0ound amongst the sa0ety e'uipment in the lo#ker. ,he 6ontessa started to say something and Laura #o#ked the hammer o0 the pistol, pla#ing a 0inger to her lips. F@ne word 0rom you and 7<ll shut you up 0or good,< she said, pointing the pistol straight at the 6ontessa<s head. ,he 6ontessa stared at Laura, wondering i0 the girl had it in her to pull the trigger. Laura<s eyes narrowed, 0illed with anger, and the 6ontessa #losed her mouth, #learly

unwilling to take that #han#e. FNow release &helby,< Laura said, still speaking slightly too loudly, Fand don<t get any ideas about telling her to atta#k me or anything be#ause 7<m willing to bet 7 #an pull this trigger be0ore you do.< Laura wat#hed #are0ully as the 6ontessa spoke. FYou are 0ree,< she said and &helby 3isibly rela-ed. FGood,< &helby said. F,hat means 7 #an do this.< &he took two 'ui#k strides towards the 6ontessa and pun#hed her s'uarely on the #hin. ,he 6ontessa<s eyes rolled ba#k in her head and she 0ell to the ground un#ons#ious. F(ell, that<s not 3ery help0ul,< Laura said, pulling the earplugs 0rom her ears. F=ow are we going to get her out o0 here nowI< F(ho said anything about getting her out o0 hereI< &helby asked, a hard edge to her 3oi#e. FBut i0 this works she<ll be killed,< Laura said, gesturing at the #omputer terminal. F(ell, #ry me a ri3er,< &helby said bitterly. F*o 7 really need to point out that she Cust tried to get you to kill me and then shoot yoursel0, not to mention betraying all o0 us to 6ypherI< F&he might deser3e it &hel, but she<s not turning either o0 us into murderers,< Laura said 0irmly, Fand that<s that. 7<m not 0inishing this ha#k i0 she doesn<t #ome with us.< &helby stared at the un#ons#ious 0orm o0 the 6ontessa 0or a se#ond. F@L, get on with it,< &helby said, sounding slightly 0rustrated. Laura turned ba#k to the workstation. F,ie her up and gag her,< Laura said o3er her shoulder, F,his should only take a #ouple more minutes.< Nigel #rept down the #orridor a0ter Blo#k and ,a#kle. ,here was no sign o0 the 6olonel and he hoped 0er3ently that it would stay that way. =e stopped at the door through whi#h the two other boys had passed and read the sign o3er it? FFlow 6ontrol 6hamber<. =e had no idea what it meant but it didn<t sound like the sort o0 pla#e into whi#h it was a 3ery good idea to take high e-plosi3es. =e pressed a button on the a##ess panel ne-t to the door and it slid open. =e was immediately stru#k by a wa3e o0 heat that emanated 0rom the room and he #ould hear the same low rumble that he<d heard be0ore. ,here was a short 0light o0 open metal stairs that led down to a turn in the passage, red light glowing so0tly 0rom beyond. Nigel #rept down the stairs and peeked round the #orner. =e managed to suppress the gasp that almost es#aped his lips as he 0inally understood how =.7.;.>. #ould be powered by geothermal energy alone. 2 suspended metal walkway led out to an enormous series o0 metalli# #olumns that plunged down hundreds o0 0eet to a seething lake o0 la3a 0ar below. ,here the #olumns disappeared below the sur0a#e, glowing white hot and presumably tapping the enormous heat o0 the magma. Like all o0 his 0ellow students Nigel had always presumed that =.7.;.>. was hidden within an e-tin#t 3ol#ano but now he realised that this 3ol#ano was not e-tin#t G tamed would be a 0ar better word. 2t the 0ar end o0 the walkway Blo#k and ,a#kle were busy mounting a large dis#Dshaped obCe#t to the #entral #olumn. Nigel wasn<t sure what it was, but gi3en that the #rate with the highDe-plosi3e markings sat open ne-t to them he was willing to bet that it wasn<t a highDte#h Frisbee. =e shuddered to think what might happen i0 a power0ul e-plosi3e de3i#e was detonated here G he had to stop them somehow. =e took a step round the #orner and suppressed a #ry o0 surprise as he nearly tripped o3er the orangeD Cumpsuited body o0 one o0 =.7.;.>.<s se#urity guards. Nigel 'ui#kly realised that the guard was Cust un#ons#ious, whi#h e-plained the &leeper shots he<d heard earlier, but more to the point his &leeper was still in its holster on his hip. Nigel un#lipped the holster and pulled the gun 0ree. =e had ne3er held a gun be0ore, let alone 0ired one, but

he knew that he would only get one shot at this. =e stood up and pointed the gun at Blo#k, who still had his ba#k turned, 0ully 0o#used on atta#hing the de3i#e to the giant #olumn. Nigel took a deep breath and s'ueeBed the trigger. 2nd nothing happened. FJnauthorised user,< a loud ele#troni# 3oi#e s'uawked 0rom the gun. ,he noise #aught Blo#k and ,a#kle<s attention and they both turned to 0a#e Nigel. =e 0elt a wa3e o0 pani# and pulled the trigger again. FJnauthorised user,< the ele#troni# 3oi#e repeated in what to Nigel<s ears was a mo#king tone. Blo#k and ,a#kle said nothing, Cust ad3an#ed a#ross the walkway towards Nigel. ,he murderous e-pressions on their 0a#es suggested that they weren<t 3ery pleased by his inter0eren#e. Nigel turned to run, stumbling again in his pani# o3er the un#ons#ious guard. ,he un#ons#ious guard. Nigel dropped to one knee, pressed the &leeper into the limp palm o0 the sleeping guard and #lumsily pointed it towards the ad3an#ing Blo#k and ,a#kle. =e pressed the guard<s 0inger against the trigger. H2PKKK ,he &leeper 0ired, the pulse #ra#kling past Blo#k<s ear, and the two hen#hmen started to sprint along the walkway towards Nigel. H2PKK H2PKK H2PKK Nigel 0ired again and again. ,he 0irst shot 0lew wild but the others 0ound their targets, 0irst Blo#k and then ,a#kle #ollapsing to the ground as the &leeper pulses stunned their ner3ous systems. Blo#k #ollapsed within a #ouple o0 0eet o0 Nigel, who breathed a long, loud sigh o0 relie0. F*rop the gun.< Nigel 0elt something #old and metalli# press against the ba#k o0 his head. F*rop the gun now,< the 6olonel repeated, emphasising the #ommand by pressing the pistol he was holding harder into the ba#k o0 Nigel<s head. Nigel let the gun slip 0rom his hand and slowly stood up, both hands in the air. FYaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhK< 7t was hal0way between a battle #ry and a s#ream o0 terror and the 6olonel spun round Cust in time to be hit by the airborne body o0 FranB 2rgentblum. ,he 6olonel was a seasoned soldier and physi#ally in#redibly strong but FranB had leapt 0rom the top o0 the stairs Cust behind him and physi#s did the rest. FranB landed on the 6olonel like a ro#k, kno#king him down and sending the pistol he had been holding s#attering away o3er the edge o0 the walkway, tumbling into the lake o0 la3a 0ar below. ,he 6olonel rolled, throwing FranB o00 his ba#k, and struggled to his 0eet. FNow 7<ll Cust ha3e to kill you with my bare hands,< he snarled, ad3an#ing on FranB, who #rawled ba#kwards away 0rom him, a look o0 sheer terror on his 0a#e. H2PKK H2PKK ,he 6olonel<s e-pression #hanged 0rom one o0 rage to one o0 #on0usion as he 0ell to his knees, his eyes rolling ba#k into his head as he #ollapsed 0orward on to FranB. Nigel let the &leeper, still held in the un#ons#ious guard<s hand, 0all 0rom his trembling hands. FGet him o00 meK Get him o00 meK< FranB yelled as he tried to roll the deadweight o0 the 6olonel<s un#ons#ious body 0rom on top o0 him. Nigel rushed o3er to his 0riend and dragged him out 0rom under the 6olonel, helping him to his 0eet. FYou sa3ed my li0e,< Nigel said, struggling to keep the amaBement 0rom his 3oi#e. F,hank you.<

FNe-t time,< FranB pu00ed, his 0a#e red, Fwe go to the dining hall, @LI<

. F=ello again,< @tto said with a grin. FLong time, no see.< F7ndeed, it is good to be ba#k,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. ,he Pro0essor looked at the s#reen on the #entral hub. F(ell, it appears that you are 0ully 0un#tional again, =.7.;.>.mind, although your beha3ioural restraints don<t seem to ha3e sur3i3ed inta#t,< he reported. F7 am at one hundred per #ent o0 my 0ull 0un#tionality, Pro0essor,< =.7.;.>.mind replied, Fthough 7 appear to ha3e no a##ess to se#urity or base de0en#e systems.< FYes, that<s a long story,< @tto said, Fand one that we don<t really ha3e time 0or right now. =.7.;.>.mind, we need your help.< F7 e-ist to ser3e,< =.7.;.>.mind replied #almly. F7 need you to run a s#an 0or me,< @tto #ontinued. F2re there any alien wireless #ommand transmissions running within =.7.;.>. at the momentI< F&#anning,< =.7.;.>.mind replied, 0alling silent 0or a 0ew se#onds. F@ne unknown wireless transmission is broad#asting at this time. @rigin unknown, spe#i0i#ation unknown, prote#ted by e-tremely sophisti#ated en#ryption,< =.7.;.>.mind reported. F,hat has to be it,< @tto said. F,hat<s 6ypher<s #ommand net. 7t<s how he<s #ontrolling his assassins. 6an you #ra#k the en#ryptionI< FYes, though it will re'uire a bruteD0or#e method to #ra#k,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. F=ow long to #ra#k itI< @tto asked. FFi0teen years, three months, two days, thirteen hours appro-imately.< @tto 0elt a horrible sinking sensation in the pit o0 his stoma#h. ,heir only hope had been i0 =.7.;.>.mind had been able to hiCa#k 6ypher<s #ommand network. 2nd he would be able to, Cust nowhere near as 'ui#kly as they needed. F(e ha3e minutes at best,< @tto said 'ui#kly. F7s there any way to speed the de#ryption upI< FJn0ortunately a bruteD0or#e #ra#k o0 su#h en#ryption is entirely dependent on pure pro#essing power,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. F(ithout a##ess to additional pro#essing power there is no way to a##elerate the pro#ess.< @tto let out a long sigh. 70 =.7.;.>.mind #ouldn<t #ra#k that en#ryption more 'ui#kly then there wasn<t a #omputer in the world that #ould. &omething sparked in @tto<s head. ,here wasn<t one #omputer in the world that #ould do it, but all o0 the #omputers in the world might Cust be able to. F(e ha3e to let him out,< @tto said to the Pro0essor. F2llow =.7.;.>.mind e-ternal a##ess.< F@ut o0 the 'uestion,< the Pro0essor replied 'ui#kly. F*o#tor Nero would ne3er allow it.< FAight now that<s the least o0 our #on#erns,< @tto shot ba#k. F70 we #an<t #ra#k 6ypher<s en#ryption we<ll all be at the mer#y o0 that psy#hopath and you #an bet that Nero doesn<t want that.< ,he Pro0essor looked at Aa3en, who Cust shrugged. /alpense was right. (hat other #hoi#e did they ha3eI F,here<s one problem,< the Pro0essor said. F70 we allow =.7.;.>.mind a##ess to e-ternal networks it may o3erload his personality matri- entirely. ,here<s no guarantee that he would sur3i3e or that he wouldn<t #ome ba#k as something . . . worse.< F,hat is a #han#e 7 am willing to take, Pro0essor,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. F(hate3er you<re going to do, do it 'ui#kly,< Aa3en said suddenly, pulling the twin bla#k blades 0rom the sheaths on her ba#k and pushing past @tto. =e looked down the walkway a0ter her and saw hal0 a doBen o0 6ypher<s assassins rushing into the

6hapter >ighteen

#hamber. F(e ha3e to do this now, Pro0essor,< @tto said urgently as Aa3en ad3an#ed on the robots. FYes, 7 think you may be right,< the Pro0essor said, staring with a mi-ture o0 horror and s#ienti0i# #uriosity at the me#hani#al killers that were now ad3an#ing a#ross the gantry toward the hub. F=.7.;.>.mind, 7 am going to open an e-ternal port. From there it<s up to you, do you understandI< FPer0e#tly,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. F@L, @tto, 7<m going to open the port. (hen the e-e#ute prompt pops up on that s#reen Cust hit TyesU, @LI< the Pro0essor instru#ted. Aa3en smiled as the 0irst o0 the assassin units approa#hed. &he was going to enCoy this. ,he 0irst assassin leapt but Aa3en was ready. ,he #ra#kling bla#k blade hissed through the air, sli#ing through the metal #hassis o0 the robot 0rom shoulder to opposite hip. ,he two hal3es o0 the robot 0lew apart, twit#hing and sparking, now Cust so mu#h s#rap metal. FNow that<s more like it,< she said and laun#hed hersel0 at the remaining robots. ,hey were still superhumanly 0ast and 'uite deadly but she was 0aster and deadlier, her twin blades a blur as she sli#ed through the atta#king ma#hines like a s#ythe. @tto tore his eyes away 0rom the sight o0 Aa3en laying waste to the atta#king robots and 0o#used on the hub display. ,he Pro0essor #ompleted his network rerouting and the e-e#ute prompt popped up 0lashing on @tto<s s#reen. FAeadyI< @tto said to =.7.;.>.mind. F2lways,< =.7.;.>.mind replied and winked at @tto. F=.7.;.>.mind, worldE world, =.7.;.>.mind,< @tto said under his breath and hit Fyes<. =.7.;.>.mind<s head shot ba#kwards, a horrid ele#troni# s#ream #oming 0rom his gaping mouth, and then 3anished. FPro0essorI< @tto asked urgently. F7 don<t know, there<s nothing there. =is personality matri- has been erased, he<s gone.< @tto looked at the Pro0essor<s distraught e-pression and knew e-a#tly how he 0elt. ,hat was it, they<d played their last #ard. F(e ha3e #ompany,< Aa3en yelled 0rom hal0way along the suspended walkway. @tto looked towards the entran#e and wat#hed as doBens, perhaps hundreds o0 the assassin droids poured through the doorway like swarming inse#ts, spreading out in all dire#tions and pouring along the walkway. ,hey halted within a 0ew metres o0 Aa3en, as i0 waiting 0or instru#tions, as another 0igure stepped through the doorway. 7t was 6ypher. ,hey were out o0 time. Laura and &helby rolled the un#ons#ious body o0 the 6ontessa into the li0eboat that hung suspended o3er the o#ean 0ar below. ,he li0eboat had an outboard motor and Laura Cust prayed that it was 0ully 0uelled. F7 still think she<s Cust e-#ess baggage,< &helby said with annoyan#e. F(ell, take #om0ort in the 0a#t that whate3er Nero has planned 0or her will be 0ar worse than anything we #an do,< Laura said. &he s#anned the de#k nearby and spotted what she wanted mounted to a nearby wall. &he walked o3er and pressed the button on the inter#om unit that was marked Fbridge<. Jp on the ship<s bridge a button lit up on the #aptain<s #onsole and he hit it. FYesI< he said, eager to hear i0 the #hildren running around loose on his ship had been #aptured yet. F7 want to speak to someone in #harge,< Laura<s 3oi#e #ra#kled o3er the inter#om. F,his is the #aptain speaking. (ho is thisI< the #aptain demanded impatiently. F/y name is Laura Brand and you ha3e 0i3e minutes to get your men o00 this ship,< Laura replied.

F7<m sorry, /iss Brand,< the #aptain #hu#kled. FYou<ll ha3e to 0orgi3e me, but 7 am una##ustomed to taking orders 0rom #hildren.< F(ell, start getting used to it,< Laura said #almly, F7<3e made some rather unsa0e modi0i#ations to your missile laun#h se'uen#e. You don<t ha3e time to 0i- it, in 0a#t you barely ha3e enough time to abandon ship.< ,he #aptain shot a glan#e at his weapons te#hni#ian, who 0ranti#ally started to #he#k the laun#h system 0or errors. F7<m lo#ked out,< the weapons te#hni#ian hissed. FGod only knows what she<s done, but i0 she<s telling the truth we<ll ne3er get ba#k into the system in time.< 2ll o0 the #olour drained 0rom the #aptain<s 0a#e. 6learly the 6ontessa had 0ailed. F/iss Brand, 7 promise you that no harm will #ome to you or your 0riend i0 you surrender now,< he said, trying to sound as #on0ident as possible. F7 think you misunderstand me, #aptain,< Laura replied. F,his isn<t a negotiation, it<s a warning.< ,here was a #li#k and the line went dead. ,he #aptain 0elt a sudden rush o0 0ear. =e thought desperately 0or a momentE there had to be something he #ould do. FLi0eboat si- away, sir. 7t<s an unauthorised laun#h, it must be them,< one o0 the bridge o00i#ers reported. FBlow them out o0 the water,< the #aptain said angrily. F>rm . . . we #an<t, sir, we ha3e no missile #ontrol,< the weapons te#hni#ian reported ner3ously. ,he #aptain went bright red and looked angry enough to e-plode himsel0. =is mouth mo3ed 0or a moment as he tried to think o0 an alternati3e be0ore gi3ing a long sigh and 3isibly de0lating in his #hair. 6ypher was going to kill him 0or this. FGi3e the order. 2ll hands abandon ship.< F7 am getting tired o0 killing you, Aa3en,< 6ypher said #oldly as he stepped on to the walkway. F,hat<s a shame,< Aa3en said. F7 don<t think 7<d e3er get tired o0 killing you.< &he stood hal0way along the walkway, between 6ypher and @tto and the Pro0essor, both swords drawn, barring the way 0orward. 6ypher<s assassins were spreading out around the #ir#um0eren#e o0 the room, slowly surrounding the #entral hub. @tto didn<t know i0 any o0 them would be able to leap the distan#e 0rom there to where they were standing but he had a horrible 0eeling that they might be able to. F,he amulet,< 6ypher said, holding out his open hand. FGi3e it to me.< F7 don<t know what you<re talking about,< Aa3en replied #almly. F7 know you ha3e it, and you 2A> going to gi3e it to me,< 6ypher said angrily. FNow why on earth would 7 do thatI< Aa3en said, raising her swords in a de0ensi3e stan#e. FJnit two,< 6ypher said and one o0 the giant behemoth assault robots du#ked through the door. 7t raised its arms into the air and hanging there suspended in the iron grip o0 the ma#hine was Nero. 2nother o0 the huge ma#hines entered Cust behind it, blo#king the only a3ailable e-it. ,hey were trapped. FNow gi3e me the amulet or 7 shall ha3e my 0riend here tear Nero limb 0rom limb in 0ront o0 you,< 6ypher said #almly. Aa3en took a step ba#kwards. &uddenly 6ypher seemed to be holding all the #ards. F*on<t listen to him, Natalya,< Nero said, his 3oi#e broken with pain. F@h, 7 suggest you do listen to me, Aa3en,< 6ypher said, walking 0orward a#ross the walkway, Fand don<t think 0or a moment that 7<m blu00ing. Nothing would gi3e me greater pleasure than putting Nero out o0 my misery.< Aa3en glan#ed ba#k at the Pro0essor and @tto, whose e-pressions suggested that they

had no more idea o0 what to do now than she did. @tto glan#ed at the display on the hub. ,here was still no a#ti3ity G =.7.;.>.mind #ouldn<t help them. F@h, 7 tire o0 this,< 6ypher said, turning to the giant robot. FLill him.< Nero yelled out in pain as the huge ma#hine started to stret#h his arms apart, beginning to tear them 0rom their so#kets. F&topK< Aa3en yelled and 6ypher raised a hand, halting the robot. FLast #han#e,< 6ypher hissed. Aa3en laid her swords on the ground and pulled on the tiny #hain round her ne#k, snapping it and holding it up in 0ront o0 her. ,he amulet depi#ting the bla#k hal0 o0 the yinDyang symbol spun slowly, glinting in the harsh white lights o0 the room. FGi3e it to me,< 6ypher said, holding out his hand. F,ry anything and Nero dies.< Aa3en walked slowly 0orward and pla#ed the amulet in 6ypher<s outstret#hed hand. Nero grima#ed, partly 0rom the pain o0 his restraint and partly be#ause it was o3er. 6ypher had won. ,he #aptain stepped into the li0eboat, the e-pression on his 0a#e one o0 pure impotent rage. F,hat<s e3eryone, lower away,< one o0 the sailors said and the me#hani#al win#hes whirred, lowering them to the o#ean below. 2s the li0eboat hit the water the outboard motor ki#ked in and the tiny 3essel ra#ed away 0rom the huge bla#k ship. ,here was a thunderous roar as all o0 the missile laun#hers on the de#k 0ired at on#e, the missiles streaking up into the air, drawing long white 3apour trails in the sky. ,hey had tra3elled no more than a mile when Laura<s new targeting instru#tions ki#ked in and all o0 the missiles 3eered o00 on looping traCe#tories that sent them s#ree#hing ba#k towards the ship. &e#onds later all o0 the missiles slammed into the hull o0 6ypher<s ship, Cust abo3e the waterline, the huge blooming 0ireballs 0atally gutting the enormous 3essel 0rom prow to stern. For a 0ew long se#onds the massi3e ship 0ought against the millions o0 gallons o0 seawater that were now #as#ading into her hull but then she started to list, tipping pre#ipitously to one side. ,here were a series o0 se#ondary e-plosions within the ship as magaBines and 0uel supplies went up, and the huge 3essel 0inally died, the hull ripping as she split in two with a hideous shriek o0 tearing metal and disappeared 'ui#kly beneath the wa3es. 1ohn Aeynolds sat down at his desk, pla#ing his #o00ee #are0ully on the mat that his wi0e insisted he used. =e had a #ouple o0 minutes be0ore dinner and he Cust wanted to #he#k his online au#tions and see how the bidding was going. =e 0li#ked his monitor on and was #on0ronted with a blue s#reen. ,his wasn<t the normal error s#reen, though G it had no te-t. =e hit a #ouple o0 keys on the keyboard and mo3ed his mouse but nothing happened. =e let out a sigh, got up 0rom his #hair and walked out o0 the room. F(illK< he shouted. F(hat ha3e 7 told you about playing your games on my #omputerK< (hat he didn<t noti#e was the busily 0lashing a#ti3ity light on his internet router. F/o3e ba#k o3er there with the others,< 6ypher instru#ted. Aa3en slowly walked ba#kwards towards @tto and the Pro0essor, not taking her eyes o00 6ypher 0or a moment. 6ypher walked 0orward, the two giant assault droids 0ollowing him. F7 think we ha3e delayed 'uite long enough,< 6ypher said, pulling a #hain 0rom around his own ne#k. @tto immediately re#ognised this se#ond amulet, the white hal0 o0 the yinD yang symbol that had belonged to (ing. =e 0elt a sudden rush o0 anger as he realised that 6ypher must ha3e taken it 0rom his 0riend<s #orpse. ,hat was why 6ypher had atta#ked them in ,okyo and that was why (ing had died.

F7 ha3e waited a long time 0or this,< 6ypher said, and brought the two hal3es o0 the amulet together. ,here was the brie0est moment o0 silen#e and then the amulet began to glow with a bright red light. Nero wat#hed with a #ombination o0 #uriosity and dread. =e did not know how 6ypher had managed to a#'uire the other hal0 o0 the amulet, but gi3en the trouble that 6ypher had gone to he had to assume that whate3er the amulet did it was not something good. FYou<3e gone to a lot o0 trouble 0or a ne#kla#e, 6ypher,< Nero said through gritted teeth, his shoulders burning with the pain o0 being held by the assault droid. F@h, my dear Nero,< 6ypher said, triumph in his 3oi#e, Fdo you really mean to tell me that you<3e had this in your possession 0or all this time and you didn<t know what it wasI You 0ool, this isn<t Cust Cewellery G it<s the key to the world. ,he @3erlord Proto#ol.< Nero went #old. =e had thought he was the only person on earth who had e3en known o0 the e-isten#e o0 the Proto#ol, and that it had been destroyed long ago. Now he knew that not only had it sur3i3ed but it was in the hands o0 perhaps the most dangerous man he had e3er known. =ow had 6ypher learnt o0 its e-isten#eI FYou #an<t use it,< Nero said desperately. F&urely you know thatI< F@h, 7 #an and 7 will. ,his network hub is all that 7 need. &oon 7 will G< 6ypher stopped as the assassin droids that were positioned all around the #ir#um0eren#e o0 the room began to twit#h and Cerk unnaturally. @ne by one the smaller bla#k robots #ollapsed to the ground in sparking heaps. ,he pair o0 giant assault robots seemed una00e#ted, their heads swi3elling as their glowing red sensory arrays tried to make sense o0 the s#ene around them. F(hatI< 6ypher hal0 shouted, spinning around desperately as his soldiers 0ell be0ore him. =e rea#hed inside his Ca#ket and pulled out a small #omms de3i#e. F6ypher to Lraken,< he spat. F6ypher to Lraken, #ome in, Lraken.< But there was no response 0rom his ship, a ship that unbeknown to him was #urrently sinking towards the o#ean 0loor. F(hat ha3e you doneI< 6ypher yelled at Nero. F(here is my shipI< F7 ha3e no idea,< Nero replied with a twisted smile. FPerhaps things are not going 'uite as well as you imagined.< FYou think you #an stop me by destroying that shipI< 6ypher spat angrily. F,he #ontrol net 0or my assassins may ha3e been on board but my two assault droids #an 0un#tion 'uite independently o0 those systems. You ha3e a#hie3ed nothing.< @tto saw a 0li#ker o0 mo3ement behind the se#ond assault droid and a 0igure suddenly 3aulted into the air, one o0 Aa3en<s #ra#kling bla#k blades in ea#h hand. @tto<s eyes widened, his Caw dropping open in disbelie0. =e heard Aa3en gasp. (ing landed s'uarely on the shoulders o0 the giant robot, dri3ing both blades down into the top o0 the ma#hine<s head. ,he giant robot dropped Nero instantly, 0lailing uselessly at (ing, its systems already dying be0ore #ollapsing into a heap o0 broken s#rap metal. (ing landed gra#e0ully in 0ront o0 the destroyed ma#hine, a look o0 pure rage in his eyes. F7 belie3e you ha3e something that belongs to me,< he spat, ad3an#ing on 6ypher. F,he boyK Jnit one, take the boy,< 6ypher yelled, pointing at @tto, and the sur3i3ing robot mo3ed with 0rightening speed, swatting Aa3en aside, sending her 0lying into the #entral hub with a si#kening #run#h, and pi#king @tto up by the ne#k with one hand, hoisting him into the air. F*rop the swords,< 6ypher spat at (ing, For your 0riend dies.< @tto tried to yell to (ing, to tell him to atta#k, but he #ould barely breathe with the pressure on his throat, mu#h less shout. (ing looked 0or a moment as i0 he might #ut 6ypher down where he stood but then he looked at @tto, 0ighting 0or breath, his 0eet ki#king desperately at the air, and he lowered the swords.

F*rop them, N@(KK< 6ypher demanded. @tto let out a strangled gasp o0 pain as the grip on his throat tightened still 0urther. (ing 0elt a hand on his shoulder. F*o what he says,< Nero said 'uietly. (ing let the swords drop to the ground. Behind his mask 6ypher smiled, turning to the network hub behind him. F70 any o0 you mo3e, the boy dies,< he said angrily. FYou<3e lost, 6ypher,< Nero said #almly. FLet the boy go, you know that you<ll ne3er get out o0 here ali3e.< FYou still don<t understand, do you, NeroI< 6ypher replied. F7 don<t need to go anywhere, 7 ha3e e3erything 7 need right there.< =e pointed at the #entral network hub. F@n#e the Proto#ol is a#ti3e no one will dare to oppose me, in#luding you.< Nero knew he was right. 70 he did manage to a#ti3ate the Proto#ol then he would be unstoppable. FNow,< 6ypher said, holding up the glowing red amulet and stepping towards the hub, Fi0 nobody minds, 7 ha3e a planet to take o3er.< ,he 3oi#e seemed to #ome 0rom e3erywhere at on#e. F2#tually, =.7.;.>.minds.< ,he glowing sensory array on the giant robot<s 0a#e 0li#kered 0rom red to blue and the ma#hine dropped @tto, whirling around, its huge 0ist swinging straight at 6ypher<s head. 6ypher rea#ted 'ui#kly but not 'ui#kly enough, the robot<s giant 0ist striking a glan#ing blow to his mask, smashing it #ompletely. 6ypher 0ell to the ground, #lut#hing his 0a#e as the giant ma#hine loomed o3er him. @tto glan#ed at the display on the hub. =.7.;.>.mind<s personality matri- was restored G it had worked. FYou are not wel#ome here,< the giant robot said with =.7.;.>.mind<s 3oi#e. 6ypher slowly stood up, his hands dropping 0rom his shattered mask, his true 0a#e 0inally re3ealed. FFatherK< (ing gasped, his 3oi#e 0illed with sho#k. F(u Hhang,< Nero said in a stunned 3oi#e. FYou<re dead.< 7t was a statement o0 0a#t, not a threat. ,he man who Nero had assumed had died all those years be0ore, the man who had been the #oD#reator o0 @3erlord, now stood be0ore him, blood tri#kling 0rom a long gash on his 0orehead, a look o0 insane rage on his 0a#e. F&tay ba#k, all o0 youK< 6ypher s#reamed, pulling a small de3i#e with a trigger mounted on the side 0rom his Ca#ket, For we all die along with e3eryone else in this #ursed pla#e.< ,he giant assault robot took a single step towards 6ypher. F=.7.;.>.mind, stand down,< Nero ordered, and the robot 0roBe in its tra#ks. F70 7 release this trigger it will detonate a de3i#e atta#hed to the geothermal power #ore o0 the s#hool,< 6ypher said, pulling the shattered mask 0rom his head and dropping it to the 0loor. F7 am lea3ing with the Proto#ol, or this whole pla#e goes up.< Nero doubted 3ery mu#h that 6ypher was blu00ing. *estroying the power #ore would unleash the power o0 the 3ol#ano G the s#hool and e3eryone in it would be killed in a #atastrophi# eruption. F(hy ha3e you done thisI< (ing asked, his 3oi#e trembling with sho#k. F7 ha3e done what had to be done,< 6ypher said. F&omeone has to stop them.< F&top whoI (hat madness is thisI< (ing asked, walking slowly towards his 0ather. F(hy don<t you tell them, NeroI (hy don<t you tell them what you and Number @ne are doingI ,hey may think that 7<m insane, but whate3er 7 ha3e done pales in #omparison to what you ha3e planned.< F7 ha3e no idea what you<re talking about,< Nero said honestly. F7 don<t e3en know who you are. 2re you 6ypher, or (u Hhang, or /ao Fan#huI *o you e3en know any moreI< F7 will stop you,< 6ypher spat ba#k, For die trying.<

FNo one else is dying today, Father,< (ing said, and ran at 6ypher. =e stru#k him at a 0ull run, kno#king the detonator 0rom 6ypher<s hand. @tto di3ed 0orward, arms outstret#hed, rea#hing 0or the tumbling de3i#e. (ing<s momentum #arried him and 6ypher o3er the sa0ety rail that ran along the gantry and they both tumbled, 0lailing, into the air. FNoK< Nero yelled, running 0orward to the rail and looking down. 6ypher lay in a twisted heap on the ground 0ar below, but there was no sign o0 (ing. &uddenly a hand appeared on the edge o0 the gantry and (ing hauled himsel0 up. Nero rea#hed down and pulled the boy ba#k o3er the sa0ety rail. F7t is o3er,< (ing said as he hal0 0ell to the ground. F>rm . . . not 'uite,< @tto said, holding up the detonator that he had #aught. Nero<s 0a#e went pale as he saw the 0lashing words displayed on the de3i#e. *etonation &e'uen#e 7nitiated. Nigel was Cust 0inishing tying up the snoring 6olonel when he heard a bleeping 0rom behind him. F@h dear,< FranB said, staring at the dis# atta#hed to the #entral geothermal #ontrol #olumn. F(hatI< Nigel asked urgently, as he tied the 0inal knot. F7 am thinking that this #ountdown is meaning that someone has a#ti3ated this de3i#e,< FranB said 'ui#kly. Nigel 0elt a #hill run down his spine. F=ow long ha3e we gotI< he demanded, standing up. F,en,< FranB replied 'ui#kly. F,en minutesI ,en hoursI (hatI< Nigel said urgently as he ran o3er to FranB. FNine,< FranB replied ner3ously. FGet out o0 the wayK< Nigel s#reamed, pushing FranB aside. =e yanked the de3i#e 0rom the #olumn, all #on#erns about antiDtampering de3i#es gone 0rom his head, and ran towards the walkway o3er the la3a below. =e glan#ed down at the digits on the de3i#e, saw 0our se#onds remaining and hurled the de3i#e as 0ar as he #ould o3er the edge. ,he bomb tumbled through the air and dropped into the lake o0 molten ro#k, one se#ond le0t on the timer as it disappeared into the seething magma and was utterly #onsumed. Nigel waited 0or a #atastrophi# e-plosion, but nothing happened. =e did not want to think about what would ha3e happened i0 they had not been there. FranB #ame and stood beside him, looking down into the boiling pit below. F(ill this be making us heroesI< he asked #uriously.

. Laura and &helby walked slowly into the network hub room, whi#h was by now a s#ene o0 total #haos. ,hey had handed the 6ontessa o3er to 6hie0 Lewis when they<d arri3ed ba#k on the island and he had taken her away to the detention #entre, but not be0ore telling them where they #ould 0ind @tto and (ing. 2s Laura looked around the room at the s#attered remains o0 the doBens o0 dea#ti3ated assassin droids she realised that they didn<t really need to ask where to 0ind those two G you usually Cust had to 0ollow the trail o0 debris. @tto stood ne-t to (ing on the #entral plat0orm looking down at the 0loor 0ar below littered with bla#k monoliths. *ire#tly beneath them a medi#al team was li0ting 6ypher<s body, #o3ered in a white sheet, on to a stret#her. F7<m sorry, (ing,< @tto said so0tly. F*o not be,< (ing replied in his usual #alm, measured tone. F7 do not know who that man was.< @tto looked at his 0riend with #on#ern. @tto had been an orphan his entire li0e so he didn<t really know what it meant to ha3e a 0amily, but he suspe#ted that (ing must ha3e 0elt the e00e#ts o0 this whole ordeal rather more than he was letting on. F7<m Cust glad you<re ali3e,< @tto replied. FYes,< (ing replied with a slight smile, looking away 0rom the s#ene below. F2t least now 7 know why 6ypher went to so mu#h trouble to keep me that way.< F(hy did he do this, (ingI< @tto asked with a 0rown. 6learly he had been a0ter the two hal3es o0 (ing<s amulet 0or some reason, but he had no idea what the @3erlord Proto#ol was and, Cudging by the 0rustrated e-pression on (ing<s 0a#e, his 0riend knew little more. F7 do not know,< (ing replied. F=e told me nothing o0 his plans.< F2re you two @LI< Laura said as she and &helby approa#hed the two boys. F(e<re 0ine,< @tto smiled. F7<m glad to see you two in one pie#e too. 7 understand you e3en managed to deli3er the 6ontessa to the detention #entre.< FYeah,< &helby grinned. F(e<re not gonna ha3e to worry about that trea#herous old wit#h any more.< Laura 'ui#kly looked round the room again. F(here<s NeroI< she asked. @tto pointed down at the 0loor o0 the #hamber 0ar below, where Nero was 0ollowing a stret#her being #arried out o0 the room by a medi#al team. F7s that . . . himI< Laura asked, looking at the body hidden beneath the white sheet. FYes,< (ing replied e3enly. F(e no longer need to worry about my 0ather.< FYour 0atherI< &helby said with #on0usion. F7 thought it was 6ypherI< ,he look that @tto shot at &helby spoke 3olumes. F@h, (ing, 7<m so sorry,< Laura said, her 3oi#e 0illed with #on#ern. No one should ha3e to go through what he had gone through o3er the past #ouple o0 days, but this was surely almost too mu#h to endure. F*o not be sorry,< (ing replied, a hard edge to his 3oi#e. F7 am not.< Aa3en walked up to them, a #rooked smile on her 0a#e. ,he medi#s had #he#ked her o3er a0ter the massi3e blow she<d taken 0rom 6ypher<s giant assault robot and gi3en her a #lean bill o0 health, though she 0elt as i0 she #ould sleep 0or a week. F7 thought you might like to know that 6hie0 Lewis has Cust in0ormed me that it was /r *arkdoom and /r 2rgentblum who were responsible 0or disarming 6ypher<s e-plosi3e de3i#e,< she said. F2pparently /r 2rgentblum has been parti#ularly keen 0or e3eryone to know that he singleDhandedly took down 6olonel Fran#is#o.< 2ll 0our o0 the students looked at Aa3en as i0 she<d Cust told them that the s#hool was under atta#k by 0lying monkeys.

6hapter Nineteen

F7<m Cust telling you what they told me,< Aa3en said, her smile getting bigger. F@tto, #ould you #ome o3er here 0or a momentI< the Pro0essor said, be#koning @tto o3er to the #entral hub. F6ome on,< @tto said, grabbing Laura<s arm. F,here<s someone who 7<m sure will be pleased to see you.< Laura looked puBBled 0or a moment, but as @tto led her towards the hub a broad grin spread a#ross her 0a#e. =o3ering in the air was =.7.;.>.mind, and he was smilingK F=ello, /iss Brand,< =.7.;.>.mind said, the smile broadening as she approa#hed. F=.7.;.>.mind, you<re ba#k,< Laura said with delight. F=ow are you 0eelingI< F/u#h better, thank you, /iss Brand. 7 am 0eeling mu#h more mysel0.< @tto 'ui#kly e-plained to Laura how it had been the lastDminute inter3ention o0 the 27 that had sa3ed them. F&o you<re a hero nowI< Laura said with a #hu#kle. F,hat would appear to be the #ase,< =.7.;.>.mind replied. Laura was sure she #aught a hint o0 embarrassment in his tone. ,he Pro0essor looked up 0rom the nearby terminal and be#koned @tto o3er. F2h, @tto, #ould you ha3e a 'ui#k look at this 0or me,< he said. F7 want to start work on re3erse engineering these assassin robots and 7 was wondering i0 you #ould Cust 0inish up here 0or me so 7 #an get on with it.< F&ure, no problem,< @tto replied, walking up to the terminal. Fwhat do you need doingI< F@h, not mu#h,< the Pro0essor replied. F1ust ha3e a 'ui#k look at this while 7<m o3er there. 7<ll be mu#h too 0ar away to see what you<re doing, so don<t a##identally hit any keys or anything.< ,he Pro0essor seemed to gi3e @tto a tiny wink and then walked away a#ross the gantry towards the se#urity guards who were gathering the remains o0 the 0allen assassins. @tto thought that it was an odd thing to say, but then he looked down at the display. ,here was nothing on it but a single #on0irmation prompt. *elete =.7.;.>.mind beha3ioural restraint routines. YNNI @tto smiled and glan#ed o3er his shoulder at the Pro0essor, who was 3ery deliberately ignoring him. =e hit the Y key and walked away 0rom the terminal. =.7.;.>.mind had earned it. 2s he walked up to Laura she was #hatting happily to =.7.;.>.mind, 0illing the 27 in on what had happened while he was shut down. F&o how was itI< @tto asked #uriously as he Coined them. F=ow did it 0eel being granted e-ternal a##essI< F7 was granted instantaneous and total a##ess to the entire internet, /r /alpense. ,o be honest 7 0eel . . . dirty.< @tto and Laura didn<t stop laughing 0or a while. FPlease remain still 0or retinal identi0i#ation,< =.7.;.>.mind said. Nero stood and waited as the bright 0lash o0 white light #on0irmed his identity. F7dentity #on0irmed, a##ess granted,< =.7.;.>.mind replied and the hea3y metal doors in 0ront o0 Nero slid apart. Nero walked into the room and sur3eyed the assorted medi#al e'uipment that was arranged around the single bed in the #entre o0 the room. ,he bed was surrounded by semiDtranslu#ent plasti# #urtains that made it impossible to identi0y the 0igure lying on it. =.7.;.>.<s #hie0 medi#al o00i#er looked up 0rom the terminal at whi#h he was working and walked o3er to him. F=is #ondition has impro3ed slightly, but his inCuries are gra3e,< the do#tor reported. F6an he talkI< Nero asked. FYes, but please keep it brie0. =e<s still 3ery weak,< the do#tor replied. F(orse than that, do#tor. =e<s dead,< Nero replied #almly.

F7 don<t understand,< the do#tor said, looking #on0used, Fhis #ondition is serious but stabilised . . .< F2s 0ar as anyone but you or 7 is #on#erned, he<s dead, do 7 make mysel0 #learI< Nero said 0irmly. FYes . . . yes . . . 7 understand,< the do#tor nodded, suddenly realising what Nero was saying. F2nd your autopsy report will be on my desk by the morning,< Nero replied. F@0 #ourse.< FGood,< Nero said, Fand, do#tor, i0 you e3er tell anyone about this you will 3ery 'ui#kly be Coining him in the a0terli0e. *o 7 make mysel0 #learI< FPer0e#tly,< the do#tor replied, swallowing ner3ously. F7 wish to speak to him alone,< Nero said. F;ery well, 7 shall be Cust outside i0 you need me,< the do#tor said, and le0t the room. Nero walked o3er to the bed and pushed the #urtains aside. Lying sha#kled to the bed, hooked up to multiple monitors, his body a mass o0 shattered bones and internal inCuries, was 6ypher. 2t least that was how Nero thought o0 him now, but on#e he had known him as (u Hhang. =is head turned slightly as Nero stepped nearer, a twisted, broken laugh wheeBing 0rom him. F(hy don<t you Cust let me dieI< 6ypher said, his 3oi#e little more than a whisper, but 0illed with hate. FBe#ause 7 want answers,< Nero said, Fand un0ortunately you<re the only one who #an gi3e them to me.< F(hy should 7 tell you anythingI< 6ypher replied with a sneer. FBe#ause i0 you don<t 7 shall Cust hand you o3er to Number @ne and let him get the answers 0or me, and you know as well as 7 do that he<ll get them. ,his way will at least spare you that e-perien#e.< FYou #an<t gi3e me to him,< 6ypher said, with Cust a hint o0 sudden pani# in his weak 3oi#e. FGi3e me one good reason why 7 shouldn<t,< Nero said impatiently. FBe#ause he<s insane,< 6ypher replied sharply, Fand so are you.< F@nly one o0 us is a madman, 6ypher, and 7 think your re#ent a#tions make it per0e#tly #lear whi#h o0 us it is,< Nero snapped ba#k. F=ow #an you say that, Nero, you o0 all people, knowing what you know. (hat you<re planning is an a#t o0 sheer madness. You ha3e to be stopped,< 6ypher said angrily. F2gain you a##use me o0 something terrible and yet 7 still ha3e no idea what you<re talking about,< Nero replied with #lear irritation. F,he Aenaissan#e 7nitiati3e. 7 know all about it,< 6ypher spat. F,hat<s why 7 needed the Proto#ol. (ith it in my #ontrol and the massed o00spring o0 G.L.@.;.>. held to ransom 7 #ould ha3e stopped you, but now it<s too late. 1ust deli3er the Proto#ol to Number @ne and be done with it. Let the world burn.< F7 still ha3e no idea what you<re talking about. 7<3e ne3er heard o0 any Aenaissan#e 7nitiati3e.< Nero was starting to think that this was pointless. ,he man was #learly delirious, or insane. 6ypher looked at Nero #are0ully, staring him straight in the eye 0or long se#onds be0ore speaking again. ,he angry, #ontemptuous look on his 0a#e 0aded, slowly repla#ed by one o0 #on0usion mi-ed with disbelie0. FYou really don<t know, do youI< 6ypher said, an edge o0 amaBement to his 3oi#e. FLnow whatI< Nero demanded, the 3olume o0 his 3oi#e rising in tandem with his impatien#e. F70 7 tell you, you must promise me one thing,< 6ypher said, his 3oi#e weakening again. FYou know 7<m not going to promise you anything. Frankly 7<m not e3en sure why 7<m keeping you ali3e any more,< Nero replied #oldly.

FYou ha3e to promise to prote#t (ing,< 6ypher said. F>3ery pupil o0 this s#hool is under my prote#tion,< Nero replied. FYou are the only one who<s put him in danger.< F7 was trying to prote#t him,< 6ypher said, sudden anger in his wheeBing 3oi#e. F=e was ne3er supposed to #ome here in the 0irst pla#e. =e<s all 7 ha3e le0t o0 her.< FMiu /ei,< Nero said so0tly. FYes. Both o0 us sur3i3ed the @3erlord in#ident, but it 'ui#kly be#ame #lear that all tra#es o0 the proCe#t were being erased, in#luding the people who had sur3i3ed.< F7 was told that no one li3ed,< Nero said. F7 belie3ed 7 was the only sur3i3or.< F2nd Number @ne was going to great lengths to ensure that was the #ase. 2s more and more o0 the sur3i3ors disappeared we soon realised that it was only a matter o0 time be0ore we met a similar 0ate, and realising we had no one we #ould trust but ea#h other, we 0led 6hina together. (e #reated new identities 0or oursel3es in 1apan as /r and /rs Fan#hu, husband and wi0e. (e 0ell in lo3e only a0ter we were married, ironi#ally, and be0ore long we had a #hild.< F(ing,< Nero said. FBut then what happenedI 70 you had truly managed to disappear G and the 0a#t that you were allowed to li3e suggested that you did G then why did you resur0a#eI< FMiu /ei dis#o3ered something terrible. &he was working as a pro0essor o0 #omputing s#ien#e at the uni3ersity and she was approa#hed by people who were re#ruiting 0or something #alled the Aenaissan#e 7nitiati3e. 2t 0irst she was intrigued, it was highDle3el resear#h, work that she 0ound 0as#inating, but then she 0ound out what the true nature o0 the 7nitiati3e was.< F(hat happenedI< F&he was gi3en some new sample #ode to work with,< 6ypher #ontinued. F&he was told that it was the latest de3elopment by another team and that the 7nitiati3e wanted someone else to take a look at it. 7t didn<t take her long to assess the #ode, a0ter all she had written it hersel0 some years pre3iously. 7t was part o0 @3erlord<s #ore #odeE she re#ognised it immediately. 2t 0irst she did not tell me. &he Cust kept digging and be0ore long she un#o3ered who was really behind the initiati3e . . . G.L.@.;.>. But somebody had noti#ed that she was getting too #lose to the truth. ,hey killed her, /a-.< Nero<s eyes widened. F@h, it was made to look like an a##ident, a burglary that went bad, but she had told me e3erything she had dis#o3ered a 0ew days be0ore, so 7 knew what had really happened. ,he only shred o0 #om0ort in the whole tragi# a00air was that they ob3iously did not realise who she really was and so they let me and (ing li3e. (e were no one to them, Cust another grie3ing 0ather and son, #ollateral damage. 7 swore 7 would a3enge her, but 7 also knew that the only way 7 would e3er 0ind out who was truly responsible was 0rom the inside. &o /ao Fan#hu be#ame a midDle3el te#hni#ian 0or G.L.@.;.>. and at the same time 6ypher was born. 7 knew that 7 had to keep my identity a se#ret 0rom Number @ne so 7 wore the mask. 7 went to great lengths to ensure that no one #ould e3er 0ind out my true identity, not to prote#t mysel0, but 0or (ing<s sake.< F*id you know that she still had the @3erlord Proto#olI< Nero asked, stunned by the impli#ations o0 what 6ypher was telling him. F@nly re#ently did 7 dis#o3er that,< 6ypher sighed. F7 knew that while she was ali3e she ne3er took that amulet o00, but it was only when 7 was digging through en#rypted 0iles on her old #omputer that 7 realised its true signi0i#an#e. &he had en#rypted the #ode o0 the Proto#ol on to two separate embedded memory #ores, one in ea#h hal0 o0 the amulet. (ing had one hal0, as you now know, but 7 had no idea where the other hal0 was. 7 assumed her killer had taken it. @ne hal0 is 'uite useless without the other, though. @nly together #an the Proto#ol be de#rypted 0rom the memory #ores.< F(hy not Cust destroy the hal0 that (ing hadI< Nero asked. F&urely that would ha3e

rendered the Proto#ol useless.< FBy the time 7 knew what the amulet was it was too late. (ing had already been taken to =.7.;.>. and that made retrie3ing his hal0 o0 the amulet impossible.< F=is re#ords indi#ated that you re'uested he be brought here,< Nero said, looking puBBled. F(hy would you do that i0 you belie3ed 7 was in3ol3ed with all o0 thisI< F7 didn<t send him here,< 6ypher e-plained. F7t was someone else, 7 ha3e no idea who. 7 assumed that it was someone who knew my se#ret, that he was a hostage here and that whoe3er had done it was sending me a message. ,o be honest, 7 had begun to suspe#t that it was you.< F7 knew nothing o0 this,< Nero said sin#erely. F7 had thought it odd that the son o0 a midD ranking te#hni#ian should ha3e been put 0orward as a potential 2lpha stream student, but on#e 7 saw what he was #apable o0 7 Cust assumed that someone had taken note o0 his abilities and appro3ed the admission at high le3el. 7t is not =.7.;.>.<s poli#y to en'uire too deeply into su#h things. @ur students< parents o0ten 3alue dis#retion.< F2nd so 7 was 0or#ed to 0ake my own death. 7t was simple enough to stage an e-plosion in my laboratory. 20ter all, su#h in#idents are hardly unheard o0 at G.L.@.;.>. 0a#ilities. /ao Fan#hu was too low le3el an operati3e to warrant mu#h #lose in3estigation o0 the in#ident but 7 had learnt that it was =.7.;.>.<s poli#y to temporarily release its students 0or 0unerals and 7 knew that would be my only #han#e to retrie3e him. 7 knew 7 would ha3e to 0ake his death as well to ensure that no one would #ome looking 0or him, but my hope was that in time 7 #ould e-plain all o0 this to him and that he would understand why 7 had to do what 7 had to do.< F&o why risk the assault on =.7.;.>.I< Nero asked. F(hy not Cust ride o00 into the sunset with your sonI< F,wo reasons. Firstly, 7 wanted you dead. Not only did 7 belie3e you were a key part o0 the Aenaissan#e 7nitiati3e but 7 had also re#ently re3iewed the 0ootage o0 the in#ident with *arkdoom<s son and the plant #reature. (hen 7 did 7 saw you lying inCured, your shirt torn open, and what do you think 7 sawI< F,he amulet,< Nero said, things 0inally beginning to slot into pla#e. F,he amulet, whi#h 7 belie3ed whoe3er had killed Miu /ei had taken, and that made you the prime suspe#t in her murder. &o tell me, /a-, how did you #ome to ha3e itI 7 #an do nothing to you now. *id you kill herI< ,here was an edge o0 rage, madness e3en, in 6ypher<s eyes as he stared at Nero. F7 swear to you that 7 knew absolutely nothing o0 this. 70 7 had known the truth 7 too would ha3e wanted to 0ind her killers, belie3e me,< Nero replied, looking 6ypher straight in the eye. FMiu /ei sent me the amulet, along with instru#tions to keep it sa0e at all #osts. 7t seems that she trusted me a great deal more than you did.< F&o it would seem,< 6ypher sighed, the look o0 rage in his eyes 0ading to be repla#ed with one o0 weary resignation. F,he se#ond reason that 7 wanted #ontrol o0 =.7.;.>. was that it was the per0e#t pla#e to laun#h a #oup against Number @ne. =ea3ily de0ended, hard to a##ess and with so many G.L.@.;.>. members< #hildren here, there was no way that the ruling #oun#il would allow a 0ullDs#ale assault. (ith the Proto#ol and so many hostages 7 would ha3e been untou#hable.< Nero 0inally understood. F2s you know, the Proto#ol was designed to be the means by whi#h @3erlord would inter0a#e with the world<s #omputer networks, but it was so mu#h more than that. 7t<s the ultimate ha#k, a work o0 pure genius, and something that only Miu /ei e3er understood #ompletely and hen#e not re#reatable without her. 7t would ha3e gi3en @3erlord unrestri#ted a##ess to e3ery network on earth, in#luding the keys to e3ery military arsenal on earth, drone bombers, submarines, nu#lear laun#h #odes, e3erything. (hi#h was why Miu /ei had the good sense to not integrate it into @3erlord<s #ode until she was sure he #ould be trusted, whi#h o0 #ourse it turned out he #ouldn<t be.<

Nero 0lashed ba#k to the still troubling memories o0 the in#ident high in the 6hinese mountains all those years ago. F7 understand what you<re telling me, but why try to depose Number @neI< Nero asked, still waiting 0or the 0inal pie#es to 0all into pla#e. F(hy do you thinkI< 6ypher said, staring at Nero. FNumber @ne is the Aenaissan#e 7nitiati3e. God only knows why but he<s trying to bring @3erlord ba#k.< Nero stared ba#k at 6ypher, looking 0or any tra#e o0 de#eit in his eyes, but there was none. FYou and 7 are probably the last two people on earth who know how insane that is,< 6ypher #ontinued. F=e has to be stopped.< Nero<s mind ra#ed. &uddenly the 3ery 0oundations upon whi#h his whole li0e was built had been shaken. 70 what 6ypher was telling him was true, and he knew he would ha3e to pro3e that to himsel0, Number @ne had to be deposed be0ore he #ould unleash @3erlord on the world. F7 don<t understand,< Nero said 0inally. FNumber @ne shut @3erlord down the 0irst time. =e knows what that thing was #apable o0. (hy on earth would he try to bring it ba#kI< F7 ha3e no idea,< 6ypher said, suddenly looking tired. F1ust promise that whate3er you do you<ll keep (ing sa0e. ,hat<s all that matters to me now.< F7 would do that whether you asked me to or not,< Nero said 'uietly. FYou ha3e to belie3e that.< F7 didn<t belie3e it, but now 7<m beginning to,< 6ypher said sadly. F6an 7 see himI< F@ut o0 the 'uestion,< Nero responded, his e-pression hardening. F=e belie3es you<re dead. =e has already mourned you twi#e, 7 see no reason to add to his torment. >3en i0 7 belie3e e3erything you<3e Cust told me, 7 #annot 0orgi3e what you ha3e done. No matter how important you thought this was, too many people ha3e died needlessly. You<3e turned my own people against me and as 6ypher you stood 0or e3erything that 7 oppose. Your #areer has been one o0 needless brutality and horror. 2s 0ar as the world is #on#erned, you<re dead, and 7 intend to make sure that it stays that way.< F=ow 3ery noble o0 you,< 6ypher snorted, Fbut i0 Number @ne gets his way and the streets o0 the world run red with blood 7 wonder how well your prin#iples will 0are thenI< ,he edge o0 madness had returned to 6ypher<s 3oi#e, the obsession that had 0uelled the 0ire within him 0or all these years all too plain to see. Nero ga3e him no answer, simply turned and walked out o0 the room F7 am glad that the situation has been resol3ed,< Number @ne said, his silhouetted 0orm impossible to identi0y as usual. F6ypher was a #apable operati3e on#e, but this insanity was un0orgi3able. 7t is a shame that he is dead. 7 would ha3e liked to 'uestion him about his moti3es.< F2s would we all,< Nero replied, Fbut whate3er his reasons 0or atta#king =.7.;.>. he took them with him to the gra3e.< F7ndeed,< Number @ne replied. F2nd the 6ontessaI< F&he is being trans0erred to a G.L.@.;.>. detention 0a#ility as we speak. 7 ha3e instru#ted e3eryone who may #ome into #onta#t with her o0 the pre#autions they should take. 6olonel Fran#is#o is #urrently undergoing intensi3e hypnoti# deprogramming to ensure that there is no tra#e o0 her manipulation le0t. =e is a proud man, as you know, and 7 belie3e it will take him some time to 0orgi3e himsel0 0or what he did, e3en i0 nobody here blames him. 7 blame mysel0 0or not realising what /aria was doing. =er gi0t is a potent weapon when it is turned against you.< FYou need to set your house in order, /a-imilian,< Number @ne said #oldly. F,here is mu#h that disturbs me about these e3ents. Not least o0 whi#h is the ease with whi#h 6ypher #ir#um3ented your de0en#es, both physi#al and metaphori#al.< FYes, sir,< Nero replied, praying that none o0 the #on0li#ting emotions he was 0eeling at

the moment were 3isible to the man silhouetted on the s#reen in 0ront o0 him. F(e are instituting a 0ull re3iew o0 all se#urity pro#edures.< F&ee that you do. 7 shall be keeping a 3ery #lose eye on =.7.;.>. 0or the 0oreseeable 0uture. Aather too many things ha3e gone wrong there re#ently.< F@0 #ourse,< Nero replied, hiding the #lawing an-iety that the thought o0 in#reased sur3eillan#e by Number @ne indu#ed in him. F7 e-pe#t your 0ull report by the end o0 the week. *o unto others.< F*o unto others,< Nero said, the G.L.@.;.>. motto suddenly ha3ing mu#h more sinister undertones. ,he s#reen went bla#k and Nero 0elt the tension drain 0rom his body. =e prayed silently that Number @ne had not sensed that he was lying about 6ypher. =e supposed he would 0ind out soon enough i0 he had. ,he entry #hime sounded and Nero pressed the button to open his o00i#e door. =e smiled as (ing Fan#hu strode into the room. FYou asked to see me, sir,< (ing said 0ormally. FYes, /r Fan#hu. 7 belie3e this is yours,< Nero said, handing the white hal0 o0 the yinD yang amulet to (ing. F*espite e3erything that your 0ather did, 7 am sorry 0or your loss. 70 there is anything you need please let me know.< F,hank you, sir, 7 appre#iate your #on#ern,< (ing replied. F,here is one thing that 7 need.< F2nd what might that be, /r Fan#huI< Nero asked. F7 need to know something,< (ing said e3enly, looking Nero straight in the eye. Nero was suddenly stru#k by how mu#h the intensity o0 this young man reminded him o0 both his parents. FYesI< Nero asked, prompting (ing to #ontinue. F*id you murder my motherI< (ing said, an edge o0 steel to the tone o0 the 'uestion. FNo, /r Fan#hu, 7 did not. Your mother and 7 were on#e great 0riends. &he sent me the other hal0 o0 the amulet Cust be0ore she was killed be#ause she trusted me. But you don<t ha3e to take my word 0or it.< Nero pulled open a drawer in his desk and handed (ing the letter that had been en#losed with the amulet when he re#ei3ed it. =e waited as (ing read the letter and then handed it ba#k to him. F,hank you, sir,< (ing said so0tly, F7 hope you #an 0orgi3e my impertinen#e. ,o be honest, it is a relie0.< F2nd why is that, /r Fan#huI< FBe#ause now 7 will not ha3e to kill you,< (ing replied with a dead straight 0a#e. F/any ha3e tried, /r Fan#hu. *ismissed.< (ing did not see the broad grin that spread a#ross Nero<s 0a#e as he turned and le0t the room. F2nd 7 am pun#hing 6olonel Fran#is#o<s lights out,< FranB said as Nigel Cust slowly shook his head, a slight smile on his 0a#e. FNo doubt about it, Brand. (e<3e got a #ouple o0 bona 0ide heroes here,< &helby said with mo#k awe as Laura suppressed a giggle. F(hat about Laura T&ea (ol0U Brand here,< @tto said, 0lopping on to the so0a ne-t to them. F@#h, 7 dunno, you sink one stealth battleship and people Cust ne3er let you 0orget it,< Laura replied with a grin. FBesides whi#h, who says that you get to ha3e all the 0un.< &he poked @tto play0ully in the ribs. F7 didn<t do anything,< @tto replied with a grin. F7 Cust always seem to be around when things start e-ploding. 7t<s not my 0ault.< F7 belie3e that returning 0rom the dead trumps all, though,< (ing said with a smile. F7 don<t think you e3er a#tually did, though,< &helby said. F7 think you<re still dead, Bombie

boy.< &he got up and shu00led a#ross the open atrium o0 the a##ommodation blo#k, arms outstret#hed in 0ront o0 her. F=eelllooo, my name is (iiing, 7 want to eat your brains,< she said, doing her best Bombie impression. ,his e3en got a slight smile 0rom (ing, something that @tto was 3ery glad to see. F6ome on, &hel,< Laura said grinning. F7t<s water polo night, let<s lea3e this lot in pea#e.< F(e will be #oming with you,< FranB said. FNigel is promising to show me what is being so good about the library.< F7 keep e-plaining to him that it<s Cust books,< Nigel smiled, Fbut he<s #on3in#ed that there<s something 7<m not telling him.< @tto and (ing wat#hed as the 0our walked away a#ross the atrium, #hatting and laughing. F7 do not want to lea3e any more,< (ing said, still wat#hing the others lea3e. F,here is too mu#h 7 would miss.< F(ell, 7 suppose that means 7<ll ha3e to stay as well,< @tto said with a sigh. F7 mean, without me to keep you out o0 trouble who knows what might happen.< (ing started laughing and as usual it set @tto o00 too. 2s he sat there #hu#kling away @tto realised something with a slight sense o0 sho#k. 7t was good to be home.

. ,he 6ontessa struggled uselessly against the bindings that sha#kled her to the #hair. F=ello, /aria.< =er blood 0roBe as she re#ognised the 3oi#e that #ra#kled o3er the speaker mounted abo3e the mirror on the wall. F7 suppose it is pointless to beg 0or mer#y,< the 6ontessa said. F@h yes, 'uite pointless,< Number @ne replied. F,hen release me ,< she said, the 0amiliar sinister whispers o0 #ommand twining through her 3oi#e. F@h, #ome now, /aria, surely you know better by now than to try your 3oodoo on me,< Number @ne replied #almly. FLet<s Cust get this o3er with, shall weI< the 6ontessa spat de0iantly. FLill me and be done with it.< F@h, /aria,< Number @ne replied. F7<m not going to kill you. You<re going to be mu#h too use0ul 0or that.<

6hapter ,wenty