Zero (49 page)

“
Tell him what? That their precious flotillas are not only going to meet an entire Service fleet at the Lunar Strip but the
Resolution
as well?”

“
Well?”

“
No, Hugo. They didn't give me much of a chance to discuss it in between getting arrested and getting stunned.”

“
Shit,” Hugo spat, standing and kicking the wall. “They'll be massacred.”

Webb kept a stony silence, glaring at the opposite wall.
“You think LIL threatened or paid Cho-Jin?”

“
He's always been weak. I'm betting that's why the Service had him elected.”

“
Well, that came back to bite them on the ass.”

“
Oh no...”

“
What?”

Hugo stood on tip toe to try and get a better view into the brig corridor through the narrow window in the door.
“Sub and Bolt... and Rami... Spinn too.”

“
They're here?”

Hugo nodded.
“In binders, getting locked up further down.”

“
So much for being valued members of the Service.” Webb put his hands behind his head and stretched his legs out in front of him.

“
We have to try and make them understand...”

“
Haven't you got it yet, Hugo? We're nothing. Scum. They don't want our help.”

“
So that's it, is it? You're giving in?”

Webb blinked at him, slowly.
“It's not like they've inspired much faith in me of late.”

Hugo felt his face flush.
“And what about me? What about my faith?”

“
Huh?”

“
I told you I believed in you.”

“
You were lying. We've been through this, Hugo. I'm not Webb.”

“
I know that, you idiot,” Hugo paced over and stood over him. “Don't you think I know that? I
buried
him. You may have lived it but I had to watch and lie and scream in silence because I thought it was the right thing to do. I was wrong, but I stopped you from killing Luscombe and signing your death-warrant. I busted you out of the
Tide
...”

Webb's face was very still.
“To stop the war.”

“
No.”

“
No?”

“
No. Not to stop the war.”

“
Then why?”

“
Because I
do
believe in you. I believe in the person you were made from and can be.”

Webb swallowed.
“Jeez, Kaleb. If I knew you were gonna get all mushy on me -”

“
He was a good man. And you've got that in you too. You won't let thousands of people die because of a personal grudge.”

Webb held his gaze for a moment.
“You don't know me as well as you think you do.”

Hugo opened his mouth again but the cell door hissed open and Luscombe came in. He crossed his arms and glowered.
“Well, thanks for the heads up, Captain. A whole three minutes warning you managed to give us there.”

“
Sir,” Hugo said. “My crew?”

“
You left me no choice, Hugo. Sneaking in through the clearance checks, barging right in on a private conference with a wanted man in tow. I have to keep up appearances. For now anyway. But you and I know we have bigger things to worry about. You're now going to convince me that you didn't deliberately leave it almost too late to allow Cho-Jin to get the jump on us.”

“
Sir, we only knew their plans when we managed to get Webb back.”

“
Back from where?”

“
The
Tide
,” Hugo said. “It's under LIL control.”

“
LIL engineered the clone?”

“
Certainly did,” Webb said, picking his fingernails.

“
What the hell for?”

“
Why don't you ask the boss?” Webb said.

Luscombe's jaw was working.
“Explain.”

A corner of Webb's mouth raised.
“You've been fucked, my friend.”

“
It would seem, sir,” Hugo added quickly. “That Webb saw Admiral Pharos aboard the
Tide
. It would appear... it seems that...”

“
She's shafted you, Marcus,” Webb said, standing and grinning. “Royally.”

“
You have proof?” Luscombe said after a moment of stony silence.

“
You believe us?” Hugo asked.

“
There have been... indications. Not enough for me to really understand what I was seeing. That's what that conference was for. I was trying, until you came barging in, to make all the other commanders see there was something going on. So, any proof?”

“
What, other than hearing her say that should couldn't wait to have her little war?”

“
Webb, clone, whoever you are...”

“
Ezekiel will do for now, Marcus,” Webb grinned.

“
Christ,” Luscombe growled. “You're as infuriating as ever. Yes, more proof than hearsay.”

“
I say if you want proof,” Webb said. “Just keep your ships heading towards their rendezvous with her fleet. The
Resolution
will make you feel very welcome.”

Luscombe looked fractionally paler but his steely gaze never shifted from Webb's face.
“And where did you fit into this shit-storm?”

Webb's face took on a frozen look.

“Webb was the late Governor McCullough's son, Colonel,” Hugo said.

It took a moment for Luscombe to stop blinking.
“I beg your pardon?”

“
It's true. And Pharos knew. She had the whole
Zero
project commissioned to keep him contained. Ostensibly to keep him safe but now it seems just to keep him hidden away until they could use him.”

“
But they killed him...” Luscombe said, glancing at Webb who was standing very still.

“
He didn't want to join. When it came to it... he didn't want any part of another war,” Webb said.

Luscombe grimaced.
“So they killed him?”

“
And cloned him,” Hugo said. “Hoping they could get an empty-brained double that would look like McCullough and pass DNA tests. A figurehead for another revolution. Only this time with a Service Space Corps fleet on their side.”

“
Pharos,” Luscombe said, clutching at his forehead. “Fuck.”

“
That about covers it,” Webb said, smile bitter and arms folded. “If it's any consolation none of us had a fucking clue either.”

Luscombe glared.
“Stop joking. This is serious. Her fleet would sail into the maw of a black hole if she ordered them to. We won't get any quarter from them. And it's already started. Communication channels are going down all over the Lunar Strip. This is going to get a whole lot worse before, and if, it gets any better.”

“
Don't we fucking know it.”

“
As for you,” Luscombe said, glowering at Webb. “Don't think this makes everything alright.”

“
Yeah, sorry about the whole trying-to-kill-you thing,” Webb's tone was mocking but his face was still and dangerous. “I lost it a little there, I admit.”

Hugo wanted to intervene but couldn't think of anything to say. The two men glared at each other for a moment longer.

“We don't have time for this,” Luscombe barked. “Everything's out in the open now. I want all the data from the
Zero
. All of it. The contracts you investigated, then and now, any readings you got from the
Tide
, data from the AI missions, everything. We need to rally the entire corps and I can't afford to waste time convincing everyone I'm not space-crazy.”

“
Sir, Dr Spinn knows more than the rest of us put together. He was Pharos's man from the start.”

Luscombe's face flattened.
“He knew this whole time?”

“
He didn't know what she'd do,” Webb put in, sending a narrow glance at Hugo who was grinding his teeth. “Only what she told him.”

“
Very well,” Luscombe snapped, rubbing his forehead. “That's still more than we've got now.”

“
Sir,” Hugo said. “This will mean -”

“
I know,” Luscombe said, looking at Hugo. “There's no helping it now. The
Zero
game is up. You're working with me now. Both of you.”

“
Hang on just one -”

“
Stow it, Webb,” Luscombe snapped. “I haven't got time to make you understand the depth of crud you are in. But do your bit and we'll see what can be done about the whole attempted murder, life-sentence, death-warrant thing.”

Webb gl
ared a second longer but didn't say anything.

Luscombe gave Hugo a heavy look.
“Captain. Your job is to convince Special Commander Hugo that one of her admirals is a turncoat... and that you shouldn't be shot for mutiny.”

Despite the knowledge of what was going on in the Lunar Strip being an almost physical weight at the back of Hugo's mind, the feeling of his heart in his throat was the sensation that overrode everything else as he paced behind Luscombe through Command's corridors. People were rushing about as orders were being shouted across halls and were booming through overhead speakers. Out of every viewscreen he could see white streaks of ships and fighters at full thrust heading out towards the Lunar Strip. But it all seemed to be happening on the other side of a misty film of plexiglass.

Webb kept pace beside him. His face was set but Hugo didn't have the focus to try and work out what he might be thinking. They turned a final corner and Hudson was waiting to usher them into a chamber with workstations around the walls manned by Service troops, muttering into comm units and keying commands into the control panels. Data scrolled on a myriad of wall displays in between the workstations and a giant screen on one wall was showing footage of the fighting still being screened from the Lunar colonies.

His mother was bent over a display in the wide central workstation, flicking through data feeds and mumbling to an admiral and a general on either side of her. She straightened as they came in, lips pressing together and eyes hardening. There was a lull amongst the hubbub as people craned their necks to look from the Special Commander to Luscombe and Hugo before commanding officers barked at them to get back to work.

“Colonel Luscombe, Ma'am,” Hudson announced.

“
Yes, Colonel?” she said, eyes never leaving Hugo. “What is the meaning of this?”

“
Special Commander,” Luscombe said with a slight bow. “Captain Hugo and his commander have some urgent news to report.”

There were more surreptitious glances, apart from the two commanding officers either side of his mother who openly stared.

“Colonel, I have an Orbit-wide crisis on my hands. This is no time to be peddling information from pirates.”

“
Ma'am...they're not pirates,” Colonel Luscombe said, managing to keep his face neutral and ushering them forward. “They work for me.”

Her ice-pale eyes slid from Hugo to the colonel.
“Explain.”

“
Red-level special ops, Ma'am. The
Zero
is an undercover vessel.”

Both the men on either side of his mother looked from Luscombe back to her expectantly but she didn't speak.

“Ma'am,” Hugo started, but his voice cracked. He coughed, took a breath, straightened his back, met her eye and started again. “Ma'am, we have vital intel. Our ships will meet more resistance than they are prepared for.”

There was a dangerous pause when she weighed him up.
“What sort of resistance?”

“
The
Resolution
and Admiral Pharos's fleet, Ma'am...”

“
What about them?”

Hugo tried to make the words come out but his mother's stare froze him over.

“Last reports showed Pharos in position to move in with the
Sincerity
as soon as our inbound craft arrive at the rendezvous, Ma'am,” the general said.

“
Ma'am, she is not there to move against the rebels. She is going to turn on your ships.”

The special commander's eyes narrowed slightly whilst the general and other admiral started protesting loudly.

“The boy's space-crazy,” the general muttered.

“
Kaleb.” His mother didn't say it loudly but both the men clammed up. “Explain how you know this.”

Hugo took a step forward.
“Ma'am...my commander has been at the centre of a conspiracy which Pharos has engineered in order to declare an independent Lunar State. There is not enough time to go into the details -”

“
I will provide a full report in as soon as there's time, Ma'am,” Luscombe put in.

“–
but for now, your outbound fleet depends on you believing us.”

“
And what does
he
say?”

Hugo looked over his shoulder at Webb who was still hanging back with Hudson, shoulders hunched and arms folded and staring at the floor.
“Zeek?”

For one sickening moment Hugo thought he wasn't going to say anything. The commanding officers glowered and his mother's brow clouded.

“It's true, Special Commander,” Webb eventually said, though he didn't look up. “I heard her outline her plans myself.”

“
Ma'am,” one of the duty officers called from the workstations.

“
Yes?”

“
We've lost communication with one of our scouting parties.”

She hesitated and glanced back at Hugo.
“What was their last location?”

“
They were just entering Lunar 1 scanning range, Ma'am. But there is no enemy activity reported that far out from the Strip.”

“
It's Pharos,” Hugo said.

“
This is preposterous, Ma'am,” the admiral muttered. “Mutiny, even.”

Hugo kept himself still, holding his mother's calculating gaze.

“Admiral Wilson,” she said, breaking eye contact. “Call back your fleet.”

“
Ma'am -”

“
That's my order. Call back your fleet, unless you want them massacred. Issue evacuation orders to all Service outposts in the Lunar Strip. General Ling?”

“
Yes, Ma'am?”

“
I want every space-worthy ship you have on Earth in drift in the next four hours. They are to provide cover for the evacuation whilst we reform what fleets we have left.”

“
Ma'am, some of those units are engaged -”

“
Earth will have to look after itself for the time being. And someone get the Analysts on the comm. Colonel Luscombe?”

“
Yes, Ma'am?”

“
Get the Command Staff to issue a recruiting call. We're going to need all the help we can get.”

“
Ma'am,” Luscombe said and left, Hudson close on his heels.

“
Ma'am,” Admiral Wilson ventured, visibly steeling himself. “I don't want to suggest that your personal involvement with this man may be clouding your judgement -”

“
I should hope you aren't, Admiral,” she said, levelling her gaze at the man. “Not as someone who values their position, their command and a future not spent in the brig.”

A few glances were exchanged then a renewed flurry of activity broke out. The jabbering of officers into comms and the tapping of workstation keys increased and General Ling and Admiral Wilson began shouting orders at aides who scrambled to obey.

Amongst all this, Erica Hugo came forward to Hugo and Webb. She stood eyeing them up for a moment. “This whole time? Special Ops?”

“
Yes, Ma'am,” Hugo managed.

“
Best captain
Zero
's had, Ma'am,” Webb mumbled. “You should be proud.”

Hugo flushed, opened his mouth but his mother silenced him with a look. He swallowed but then a ghost of a smile went across her lips.

“I am,” she said. Then she pulled a computer panel off the nearest aide and started typing in commands. “Here. This is an official pardon for you and your crew.”

“
Ma'am?”

She handed over the panel with a narrow glance at Webb.
“The recent unpleasantness on Tranquillity can’t be overlooked...” Webb folded his arms but said nothing as he was weighed up. “And I will need to get more details from Luscombe to correct your Service records when all this is over. But this will be enough to get your crew out of the brig. Kaleb, report to the assembly deck. You and any of your crew who are willing to engage will be assigned a role. This is not an order. This is a... request.”

Hugo nodded.
“Yes, Ma'am.”

His mother glanced at Webb.
“Commander?”

Webb's eyes flashed and for a second Hugo thought he was going to scowl. But he smoothed his expression back out so quickly it was a little unnerving.
“Will this help my chances with the whole Tranquillity thing?”

“
It certainly can't hurt them.”

Webb carried on holding the special commander's hard gaze a moment longer then nodded.
“Of course, Ma'am. Anything for the Service.”

Hugo frowned, searching Webb's face but he kept it blank.

“Good,” his mother said, looking back to him. “Report to the assembly deck. You will be rejoining Gamma Company.”

ɵ

“So that was Mom, huh?”

Hugo threw a sideways glance at Webb.
“Yes. And?”

Webb shrugged but he was grinning.
“Nothing.”

“
I can tell you want to say something.”

“
Not at all,” Webb grinned wider. “Just...”

“
Yes?”

Webb chuckled.
“Well, I now know where the rod came from.”

“
Can you focus, please?”

Webb laughed.
“Come on. Sub and Bolt won’t like being locked up.”

Hugo trotted to keep up with Webb's increased pace. His commander was smiling easier, looking almost smug. He made mock salutes to the armed guards at the entranceway to the brig as they inspected the pardon.

“You're enjoying this too much,” Hugo muttered.

“
Hey, whichever way you look at it, I've been a wanted man my whole life. This absolved-thing feels alright. Let me enjoy it while it lasts.”

“
While it lasts?” Hugo frowned, pacing up the corridor of cells.

Webb just shrugged and carried on. Hugo
felt something unclench inside him as they arrived at their crewmates' cells. Hugo glanced at the Pardon Notice and keyed in the release codes. The door slid open and Rami and More looked up. They looked grimy, bent and tired against the white polyfibre of the cell.

“
Captain?” Rami frowned. “What’s going on?”

“
Fall in,” Hugo said. “We’ve got work to do.”

Webb took the pardon down to the next cell to release Sub and Bolt.

“Leave Spinn where he is,” Hugo growled.

Webb hesitated with his hand on the keypad of Spinn's cell then let it drop without looking in the window.

“Let’s go,” Hugo said as the rest of the crew gathered in the corridor. “I will explain on the way.”

ɵ

By the time they were back out in the public corridors of Command, Hugo had become used to the glances they were drawing. He recognised more than a few faces and saw them recognise him in return. He carried the pardon on him but no one came up to them.

It was only as they neared the express lifts that he noticed some of the
wall displays were scrolling details about the
Zero
and their pardon. Their faces went by on a loop, lingering on Webb's and Hugo's with concise details listed alongside them. He felt himself flush and moved on swiftly.

“
Gamma Company are a good unit,” Hugo said as they approached the assembly deck. “Fighter unit.
Father
,
Son
and
Ghost
will be a worthwhile addition. Sub and More, you pilot the
Zero
-”

“
Sir...”

Hugo paused, realising More had stopped. The
foot traffic flowed around them. “Yes, Sub-Lieutenant?”

More swallowed.
“Sir, I will do this. I will fight. For you. You are my captain and I will follow your orders. But only if you look me in the eye and tell me we're fighting on the right side.”

Hugo glanced around his crew. Rami was watching him,
dark eyes steady. Sub and Bolt were watching him too, though they glanced at Webb as well. Webb stood a little to the side, arms folded and jaw set. His gaze was the most intense of all.

Hugo took a breath and looked back to More.
“LIL started this. The Service is the only thing that
can end it. We don't need any more killing. The Orbit needs peace. Balance.”

“
More than freedom?” Webb asked.

Hugo glared at him.
“What's the use of freedom if you're dead?”

“
You're asking the wrong guy,” Webb said, smile unpleasant. He strode away through the doors to the assembly deck before Hugo could think of a response. Rami, Sub and Bolt followed him with glances back at Hugo. Hugo watched them go, uncertainty niggling at his resolve. When he turned back, More was still looking at him.

“
We've said before how there really are no sides,” More said. “Just who you trust. If you trust the Service to do the best thing for the Orbit... I will fight at your side, Captain.”