Zero (39 page)

If he thought of it that way, maybe he could get through this façade without hitting him or having a breakdown. He blinked until he could look at the man without double-vision overlaying his sight and pushed back the chill of guilt that ghosted around his insides. “Look, Webb,” he said. “I tried to get Luscombe to investigate after everything on X6-119...”

“
And?”

“
He said there wasn't enough evidence. The circuit board we got from the quarry got broken in the fight... as for everything else, he just didn't believe me. Whatever's going on here, Luscombe's not involved.”

“
He didn't believe you?”

Hugo shook his head.
“We investigated everything to do with those missions and that contract out in your name. Anything that we could use to make Luscombe feel justified to look closer to home. But we found nothing. Nothing solid led back to the Service.”

“
Someone had a way of knowing where we... I... was going to be.”

“
That's what I thought,” Hugo said. “But how and who, it didn't look like we'd ever know.”

“
And now?”

Hugo looked at him, swallowed again.
“It seems finally Luscombe has something to move on. But we're leaving it to him.”

“
So we're supposed to just soldier on and pretend nothing's happened?”

Hugo gave a shrug.
“It's like you said. You get screwed, you take your pay and hope you're still useful in the morning.”

A wry smile tugged at the clone... Webb... Webb's face.
“Wow, Hugo. You've gone native.”

Hugo didn't smile.
“Get changed, wash up and report to Rami. Then I need you on the bridge, Commander.”

ɵ

“Hey there.”

Rami didn't turn round.
“Sit.”

Webb watched her not looking at him for a moment then sat on the medbay bunk.

“How do you feel?” Rami said, finally turning to him and examining his jaw.

“
Feeling like I don't want to piss Hugo off again any time soon.”

“
Anything else?”

He blinked.
“Fine, I guess. Tired. Hungry.”

“
There's some muscle wastage,” Rami said, kneading at his shoulder. “How long were you in that bed for?”

“
No idea. Long enough for them to do some weird overhaul. All my old aches are gone, Anita. They even gave me some real teeth, see?”

She glanced in his mouth then away again.
“Have you been dizzy?”

“
I was when I first woke up...but not now. Anita...” Her fingers froze as they felt their way down the muscles in his arm. “I'm sorry.”

“
What for?” she said. Her voice was quiet.

“
For whatever's happened,” he managed, feeling his throat go tight. Something went out of her and her face was washed with despair. He felt his chest tighten. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but she crumbled and flung herself into his arms. He held her tight and felt her cling on to him desperately, trembling.

He felt uncertainty fluttering under his belly again. Rami didn't do desperate.

“I'm back now,” he said into her hair. She didn't pull away for a long time and he let her hold him, breathing in her smell and wishing he could ignore the claw of doubt that was digging into the pit of his stomach.

ɵ

He felt a little better after a couple of protein drinks, a shower and a change of clothes. More's stuff was a better fit than Mac's at any rate, though he had to put a belt on its tightest hole again to convince the cargo pants to stay up. It was odd walking around the
Zero
seeing new posters and cargo moved or changed. The air tasted different. Hugo must have had the generator upgraded at last.

“
Hey Sub,” he said as he caught up with the large crewman in the corridor. “Are you picking up supplies? Think you could get me some shoes and pants that might fit?”

“
I reckon so, Commander,” Sub said, without looking up from his panel.

Webb watched him walk away, trying to pick apart the exchange for anything wrong. He shook his head and padded up to the bridge. Hugo was in his command chair, which had been scuffed enough in the last year to match the rest o
f the bridge and More was at the controls. The familiar bleep and whirr of the ship in flight made his spirit lift back up a rung.

“
Where we heading?” Webb asked, sitting in his chair.

“
Resource Satellite X10-899,” More said.

“
We should pick up some ore whilst we're there,” Webb said. “We could name our price on Lunar 4... hey... what the hell?” He wiggled around in the pilot's chair. “Who the hell has been sitting here?”

“
Sub,” More said.

“
Jesus, no wonder my ass-groove is all out of shape. And what's this?” He bent over the control panel, started keying in commands. “Who's re-calibrated the drive feeds?”

“
Is there a problem, Commander?”

Webb scowled over his shoulder.
“What the hell have you done to my ship?”

Something flickered in Hugo's face but then it flattened out again.
“It's standard Service protocol, Commander. It allows for a smoother response.”

“
Screw smooth response,” Webb muttered, starting to reprogramme the panel. “I want to feel my ship.” He didn't get the argument he was expecting which made him uneasy but a glance in More's direction showed he had the slight tightening of his cheeks which was the closest he ever got to showing amusement. “See?” Webb said, still re-routing command signals. “Thomas knows what I mean. I can't believe you let him do this to the
Zero
, More.”

“
Sorry, Commander,” More said. “We're coming into the satellite's space now, Captain.”

“
Hail and get us a dock, Sub-Lieutenant.”

As More was getting the satellite's control on the comm, Webb went further into the command controls. It was like coming home. In terms of time he was aware of, he'd only been separated from the
Zero
for a few days. But it felt like his fingers were rediscovering everything, like they knew he had been away for months and months. It soothed him and he immersed himself in it, not even realising when More had handed control entirely to him. He guided them into dock, feeling every inch of the ship respond.

There was a clunk and a shudder as the ship berthed. Webb took a moment longer with his hands on the controls just enjoying the feel of it and refusing to think about anything else.

“Hey,” he blinked out the viewscreen as the midshipman came into sight, crossed the dock towards the exit with a heavy pack. “Where's Kinjo going?”

“
Leave her.”

Webb frowned at Hugo. He wasn’t looking at him. “What’s going on, Hugo?”

“I said leave her, Commander. That's an order.”

Webb ignored Hugo's barked protest and ran from the bridge and scrambled down the ladder into the hold.
“Kinjo,” he called as he ran down the ramp and into the dock. “Wait up!” She increased her pace but so did he and caught her by the elbow before she went through the exit. “Kinjo, what's the deal?”

“
Let me go,” she said, not looking at him. Her eyes were hard as she stared at the door.

“
You're leaving?” he panted. “Why?”

“
I...” She stopped, hoisted her pack higher on her shoulder and tried again. “I can't stay.”

“
Why?”

She looked at him then. He flinched at the hardness in her eyes.
“Let me go.”

“
Not until you explain what the hell you're doing.”

“
You don't understand.”

“
You're telling me.”

“
You promised me,” she cried out after a long pause. “You
promised
...”

“
Iena...”

“
Don't.” She breathed in and out and he let go of her elbow. She stared at a spot over his shoulder. “Webb…
you
promised me I would never be scared and alone again... you promised me that. And then you were... you were gone.”

Webb felt his throat tighten.
“I'm sorry,” he managed. “I didn't mean for that to happen.”

“
Of course you didn't,” she spat. Her eyes burned. “You never think... never think what it would be like for those you leave behind.”

Webb felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. He looked at the anger flaring in her eyes and felt it singe his skin.
“But it's okay, Iena. I'm back now. I can protect you again.”

She shook her head.
“You can't. Not now.”

She swept through the hatch into the
corridor beyond. The door hissed shut behind her and he stood there feeling boneless.

“
She took it hard...” Webb blinked at a burning around his eyes and looked back at Rami stood behind him. “We all did.” He stared at the lieutenant, trying to untangle the emotions warring in her eyes. But his chest was aching and his head was spinning. “Come on,” she said. She hesitated the barest second then held her hand out. He looked at it for a moment then took it and allowed her to lead him back aboard.

ɵ

Most of their dealings on X10-899 passed Hugo in a daze. Some part of him marvelled that he was able to negotiate trade without having to concentrate. He tried to sink himself in overseeing the exchanges and some much-needed maintenance on the
Zero
's engines to distract himself from the cloud of uncertainty that hung around him.

Webb went quiet for a time after Kinjo left and this had Hugo on a knife edge, concentrating on trying to act normal but watching the clone for any sign he was suspecting something was wrong.
But when the clone eventually eased and became more himself again, this only muddled Hugo’s emotions further. It was like he'd learned to live without a limb, only to have it grow back overnight. It was getting under Hugo's skin. He was glad when they were back in drift and he had a mission to anchor him.

“
There are plenty of traders along the Earth-side rim that would give us a good price,” More was saying as he adjusted their course towards Lunar 4.

“
Get us a dock on one of the spokes,” Hugo said. “We need to check in on Calle and Javi whilst we're here.”

“
Do you think they'll have anything for us yet?”

“
They’d better,” Hugo muttered.

“
Jesus, Hugo,” Webb said. “When did you get so good at this?”

“
Whilst you were off doing your sleeping beauty act,” Hugo said. “Adjust course and get ready on the comm.” Webb chuckled and Hugo felt a small smile of his own creep over his face.

ɵ

“Are you sure about taking him onto the colony, Captain?” More said as he shouldered his pack and glanced across the hold to where Webb was examining one of the new motorbikes.

“
Whoever made him will want him back,” Hugo replied. “We need to draw them out.”

“
Very well, Captain.”

“
What is it?”

More shook his head.
“Nothing, Captain.”

“
I know when you're thinking something you won't say, More.”

More sighed.
“It's him, Captain,” he said with a shrug. “I know it's
not
. But it
is
. It feels like we're lying to
him
.”

“
I know,” Hugo said. “But we have our orders. And if we ever want to track down the sons of bitches that killed him, we'll have to deal with it.”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
Glad to see you've not let
everything
go to shit, Hugo,” Webb called as he re-attached the cover over another bike. “Though I think we need to have words about your stock in the galley.”

“
Fruit packs are healthy, Commander,” Hugo growled, weaving his way towards the Jeep and climbing into the driver's seat.

“
Healthy's for the dying,” Webb said, getting into the passenger seat. “We're picking up turkey jerky while we're here.”

“
That was something I didn't miss,” Sub grumbled as he climbed in the back.

“
Aw, Sub,” Webb said, twisting in his seat. “Does that mean you missed the rest of me?”

Sub grumbled and Webb laughed. Hugo felt something ease in him. He knew it wasn't real. He knew it wouldn't end well. But right now, it was like his crew was whole again.