Operation Sting (8 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT

Inside Dr Smith’s pocket, the three SWARM robots prepared to move out.

“We’ll have to blow our cover,” said Nero. “I’ve run the maths on our options and it’s our only real choice. We’ll have to reveal to Dr Smith that we are robots – she can’t escape without us, and we can’t recover Whiplash without her.”

“Let’s go!” said Sabre.

“Don’t be so hasty,” said Hercules.

“Letting an unauthorized human know about us is strictly against SWARM rules,” said Nero. “SWARM is a top-secret organization, and we
are the most top-secret part of SWARM. Our programming is very clear on that point.”

“Our programming also tells us to think for ourselves,” said Sabre. “We’re out of contact with SWARM, and we have to make our own decisions. What is more important – keeping our existence secret from Dr Smith or the success of the mission? We can be very clear on that point too.”

“Agreed,” said Hercules. “Recovering Whiplash must be our first priority.”

“We have to be cautious about how we reveal ourselves to Dr Smith,” added Nero. “At this moment she is experiencing emotions such as fear and anger.”

“Humans are weird,” muttered Hercules.

“Agreed,” continued Nero, “but we mustn’t do anything to make the situation worse. She might panic, or believe we are part of Williams’s gang. She might even tell Williams about us, and then SWARM itself would be at risk.”

“We should locate Whiplash first,” said Hercules, “and only show ourselves once we’ve gathered whatever information we can.”

“Should we leave her working on the code?” said Sabre. “Is that wise?”

“Our programming tells me that complicated tasks help focus a human’s thoughts,” said Nero. “Working on the code will calm her down. By the time we’ve gathered data, she should be in a more logical frame of mind. Then we won’t scare her. Besides, robots are much more efficient than humans. I’m sure it would take me only a few minutes to crack the code, but even Dr Smith will probably take hours.”

The three robots carefully emerged from their hiding place and crawled away down the back of the chair. Dr Smith was concentrating on the computer screen in front of her and jotting notes on the writing pad. She glanced up briefly, distracted by a faint buzz, but quickly returned to her code-breaking.

The robots easily made it under the door and out into the narrow corridor beyond. To the left, their scans revealed the bunker’s main control room, where the gang was preparing Phase One of Operation New Age. To the right, they could detect voices coming from one of the rooms
about ten metres away.

“Sabre, you gather visuals,” said Nero. “Photograph and scan everything going on in this bunker. I’ll get into their computers. Hercules, cut access holes wherever possible, in case we need a rapid escape route, and monitor whoever goes near Dr Smith.”

“We’re live,” said Sabre and Hercules. Sabre took to the air and sped away. Nero scuttled rapidly into the control room, while Hercules flew up to an electrical box bolted to a nearby wall, cut a small hole in it and crawled inside.

They transmitted streams of data to each other as they progressed. “Eye cameras at enhanced level,” said Sabre. “Images of all gang members obtained. Watching activity.”

Nero kept to the shadows at the edge of the large control room, skirting around the equipment until he found a blank metal plate on the back of a PC. Using a screwdriver attachment inside one of his claws, he quickly undid the plate and squeezed inside. He tested the computer’s processors until he found a suitable patch of circuitry. Then a tiny fibre-optic probe extended
from his claw and clamped on, linking him to the gang’s computer network.

“Can you send a message?” said Sabre.

“Negative,” said Nero. “All communication with the outside world is routed through Williams’s own smartphone. I can’t bypass that without tripping several automatic alarms. However, I can read every byte of data that’s gone through here since it was first switched on.”

Hercules was snipping and chewing his way through various air vents, and pipes designed for electrical cables. “Give me the full layout of the bunker, Nero,” he said. “That way I can check that I won’t cut through any cable I shouldn’t.”

“Accessing,” said Nero. The probe searched the computer’s hard drives. “I’ve got it,” said Nero. “Detailed drawings of the whole place.”

“Received,” said Hercules.

“Wait,” said Nero. “I’ve found a lot more in here… Hang on… Accessing… Accessing…”

Meanwhile, Hercules emerged from a neatly cut hole in a metal heating duct. He found himself in the long concrete corridor that led away from the bunker’s entrance.

The large metal wheel in the centre of the door was turning.

“Someone’s coming in!” said Hercules.

“You might be able to slip past them.” transmitted Sabre. “If you leave the bunker, you can contact HQ!”

The bunker’s entrance swung open. Hercules instantly flicked his wings to full stretch and took off. Whereas Sabre, and Chopper the dragonfly, were built for agility and would have reached the entrance in seconds, Hercules was designed for heavier work, and his top speed was much lower. He was eighteen metres away from freedom…

A figure stepped through the entrance into the sinister gloom of the corridor.

Fifteen metres…

The figure turned and took hold of the metal locking wheel.

Ten metres…

The heavy metal door was swung back.

Seven metres…

The door bumped shut, the wheel was turned and the bunker was sealed up once more. Hercules swerved in mid-air and landed on the
wall above the entrance.

“Attempt failed,” he transmitted to the others. “The door wasn’t open long enough. I got a brief look at our visitor, though.”

He sent his sensor readings to the others. They pieced together a photograph that was too blurry to give a positive identification.

“I’ll intercept him,” said Sabre. “I can see he’s entering the control room now.” With a sharp buzz, Sabre skimmed along the ceiling.

Nero, still plugged into the computer system, had accessed a treasure trove of documents, emails, phone calls and technical data. “The information I’ve tapped into tells us almost all we need to know,” he said. “To begin with, it seems this bunker is safe from the effects of Whiplash. It’s built using thick concrete reinforced with layers of lead and other metals. That’s why our signals can’t get through.”

“I have an idea,” said Hercules. “I could cut through the wall of the bunker, at a point close to the entrance. It would take a while, and it would use up most of my processing capactiy, but if I could tunnel through to the outside, our contact
problem would be solved.”

“Logged,” said Nero. “Begin at once.”

Hercules set his pincers to emit tiny ultrasonic vibrations, far too high for human ears to hear. He focused them on to a single spot in the wall ahead, hitting the concrete with just enough energy to loosen its molecules and allow Hercules’s pincers to dig in. Slowly but surely he chewed his way into the wall.

Meanwhile, Nero’s processor was in overdrive, sorting and assembling the details of Operation New Age from the mass of information.

“It appears that we were correct. Williams’s gang have had a mole inside Techna-Stik all along,” he said. “They’ve been getting information about Whiplash from someone they know only as the Insider. This person has visited the bunker several times over the past few days.”

“Logic would suggest that this Insider is the newcomer who’s just entered the control room,” said Sabre. “Gathering detailed visuals now.” He flew level with the newcomer’s face, and transmitted an image to the others.

Within seconds the robots had a swift and
definite ID. Nero cross-checked against the mission data Simon Turing had uploaded. There was no doubt.

“The Insider is Mr Haynes, Techna-Stik’s UK Operations Director,” said Nero.

“Why would the boss of the company that created Whiplash help other people to steal it?”

“Listen to this,” said Nero. “Williams has been lying to his gang. They think they’re engaged in a plan codenamed Operation New Age. Phase One is genuine – it involves firing Whiplash to cause havoc across southern England. But Phase Two is a complete fantasy. I’ve traced and reconstructed a call between Williams and the Insider, or rather Mr Haynes, two hours seventeen minutes ago. Listen.”

There was a crackle of static on the robots’ communication circuit, then they heard…

There was another crackle of static and the recording ended.

“Why fire Whiplash and walk away?” said Sabre. “What is Mr Haynes’s connection to Gylbut Gadgets? Aren’t they Techna-Stik’s main business rival? Why do both Haynes and Oliphant owe the bank a lot of money?”

“I’m continuing to sort and assemble data,” said Nero. “We need more answers.”

“Have you found Whiplash itself?” said Sabre.

“Almost,” said Nero. “It’s location is masked
by layers of security… Accessing… Accessing…”

“If Williams is also using a fake identity,” said Sabre, “then who is he really?”

Nero was too busy to answer. “Got it! Whiplash is plugged into a circuit board beneath the workstation closest to the corridor.”

Hercules had tunnelled through nearly two metres of heavily reinforced concrete and he was still working. Now he’d come up against the lead-lined outer shell of the bunker. The plans sent to him by Nero told him that this shell was made of thick metal sheets and would be extremely difficult to break through. His own sensors readings were telling him the same thing.

He powered up the plasma-cutting torches at the tips of his pincers. They began to glow white-hot. His energy cells were starting to send “Low” signals to his CPU but he ignored the warnings. With ultra-sonic vibrations set to maximum and his pincers showering the tiny tunnel with molten metal sparks, he moved slowly forward.

Meanwhile, Nero and Sabre were moving their plans forward. “Whiplash located in the main control room, docked in the first computer on the left. I can remove the weapon from its casing,” he said, “but getting it out of the bunker may be a problem. I have more than enough strength to carry it, but it would be almost impossible to transport without being seen. Hercules, could you fly it out?”

“I’ve got my pincers full at the moment,” said Hercules.

“Then it’s time to free Dr Smith,” said Sabre.

“Agreed,” said Nero.

The two of them hurried back to the room where Dr Smith was being held captive, Nero skittering along in the shadows, Sabre humming close to the ceiling.