Zero Hour

by Mark Walden

  ‘I’ll see you there,’ Nero said. ‘Are you sure you’ll be able to get clear?’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry – the Megalodon has a few tricks up her sleeve yet,’ Darkdoom replied with a smile. Nero shook Darkdoom’s hand and strode over to the group of worried-looking Alphas.

  ‘Nigel, Franz, you stay here,’ he said as the sound of another nearby explosion sent a shudder through the hull. ‘The rest of you, with me.’

  Darkdoom watched as Nero and his students ran out of the command centre.

  ‘Launch Hydra torpedoes, full spread, both targets,’ Darkdoom ordered. ‘It’s time we showed our American friends what happens when someone shoots at the Megalodon.’

  ‘Torpedo, torpedo, torpedo!’ the crew member manning the USS Texas’ sonar station yelled. ‘I have six . . . seven . . . no, eight fish in the water and heading this way.’

  ‘Launch decoys,’ the Captain shouted.

  ‘Decoys away!’

  ‘We have negative tracking on incoming warheads,’ the weapons officer shouted. ‘Their torps are ignoring our countermeasures.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ the sonar officer said quietly.

  ‘What is it, sonar?’ the Captain demanded impatiently.

  ‘Incoming torpedoes have separated. I have sixty-four incoming tracks.’

  The Captain felt his blood run cold.

  ‘How many?’

  ‘Sixty-four, sir,’ the sonar operator said with a nervous gulp. ‘It looks like their torpedoes have launched smaller secondary sub-munitions.’

  ‘Evasive manoeuvres!’ the Captain yelled, already knowing that it would do no good.

  ‘They’ve launched on the North Carolina,’ the comms officer reported. ‘They’re reporting that their countermeasures were completely ineffective too.’

  The Texas and North Carolina were two of the most advanced submarines on the planet but the mysterious boat out there was making them look like tinker toys. He braced himself as he watched the swarm of incoming contacts on the sonar screen.

  ‘Transmit details of that thing’s weaponry to Atlantic command,’ the Captain said, ‘while we still can.’

  Otto and the others ran up the boarding ramp of the compact submarine that hung above the launch hatch in the belly of the Megalodon.

  ‘Nero and his team are on board,’ the Hammerhead’s helmsman reported as Nero took the seat next to him and put on a comms headset. Otto and the others quickly strapped themselves into the seats behind him. ‘I’m buttoning us up. Crash-flood the launch chamber on my mark.’

  The hatch behind Otto whirred shut with a solid thunk.

  ‘Three . . . two . . . one . . . mark!’

  There was a rumbling sound as thousands of gallons of seawater flooded the chamber outside. After a few seconds the noise decreased and all the passengers could hear was a gentle creaking from the hull.

  ‘This is Darkdoom,’ a voice said over the speakers. ‘Hydra torpedo detonation in ten seconds. Prepare to launch.’

  Otto realised that he was holding his breath.

  ‘Launch now!’

  The helmsman smacked a switch on the instrument panel and the Hammerhead dropped through the open doors below, diving away below the Megalodon at the precise moment that the swarm of warheads from the Hydras detonated. Through the thick toughened glass of the cockpit window they saw hundreds of explosions light up the darkened depths of the ocean several miles away. Otto gave a low whistle.

  ‘Darkdoom doesn’t believe in doing things by halves, does he?’ he said.

  ‘Despite appearances the intention is not to destroy our pursuers, just temporarily blind and confuse them. Let us hope that the distraction was enough to cover our departure,’ Nero said.

  ‘Megalodon to Hammerhead,’ Darkdoom’s voice came over the comms system. ‘We are heading out at full speed. Let’s see if the Americans aren’t too stunned to give chase.’

  ‘Understood,’ Nero replied. ‘Good luck.’

  ‘You too,’ Darkdoom said and the line went dead.

  ‘And now,’ Nero said quietly, staring out into the black water surrounding them, ‘we wait.’

  The Captain of the USS Texas climbed to his feet, his ears still ringing from the massive detonation just a few seconds earlier.

  ‘Damage report!’ he barked.

  ‘A handful of minor injuries, sir,’ one of his crewmen replied, ‘but no major structural damage.’

  ‘Target is moving away at – well, frankly impossible speed,’ another member of the crew reported. The Captain couldn’t understand it – their target had a tiny sonar signature and was too fast for anything bigger than a torpedo and yet it had just launched a spread of warheads that even the Texas could not hope to match.

  ‘Lay in a pursuit course,’ the Captain snapped. ‘Signal the North Carolina to accompany us and relay the target’s track to Atlantic Command. Tell them we need every ship they can spare. I’m damned if I’m letting this fish slip the net.’

  The Hammerhead surfaced next to the deserted jetty, moonlight reflecting off her glistening black hull. The hatch in the side of the submarine slid open and Nero climbed down on to the wooden pier, looking around for any sign that their arrival might have been spotted. Seeing nothing, he gestured for his students to follow him.

  ‘This is where we part ways,’ he said, looking at the assembled Alphas. ‘There is a village five kilometres up the coast where you should be able to borrow some transport. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that you should avoid any entanglements with local law enforcement.’

  ‘What, you mean that five kids in identical uniforms jacking a car in the middle of the night isn’t normal around here?’ Shelby asked.

  ‘Just try to be discreet,’ Nero said, raising an eyebrow. ‘As soon as you are mobile, head for GCHQ, but do not try to enter the facility until I call you on this.’ He passed a mobile phone to Otto. ‘Stick to the plan and remember your training. You are one of the most capable groups of students I have ever trained and I know you won’t let me down. Just be careful.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Otto replied. ‘We’ll try to avoid blowing anything up.’

  ‘How very reassuring,’ Nero said with a slight smile. ‘I’ll see you all again soon. Good luck.’

  With that he turned and walked away into the night.

  ‘I must admit that I am somewhat surprised that Doctor Nero is allowing us to tackle this mission without an escort,’ Wing said after a few seconds.

  ‘Yeah,’ Shelby said. ‘How does he know we won’t just run? H.I.V.E. isn’t exactly a holiday camp, after all.’

  ‘I’d like to think it’s because he trusts us,’ Laura replied.

  ‘Maybe,’ Otto said, putting his equipment pack on his back, ‘or it could just be that he knows that in a world where Overlord isn’t stopped there’ll be nowhere left to run to.’

  ‘Right. Who’s driving?’ Shelby said as she opened the door of the 4 X 4.

  ‘Not Laura,’ Otto said with a cheeky grin.

  ‘OK, OK, so the holographic training sessions haven’t gone brilliantly,’ Laura said, holding her hands up. ‘There’s no need to go on about it.’

  ‘Remind me,’ Otto replied, ‘how many pedestrians did you kill last time?’

  ‘Twelve,’ Laura said quietly, ‘but they were only holograms.’

  ‘Tell that to their poor holographic families,’ Shelby said with a grin.

  ‘May I suggest that Mr Fanchu drives,’ H.I.V.E.mind said, his vocal transmitter clipped to Otto’s chest. ‘I believe that his appearance is the least likely to draw unwanted attention.’

  ‘Since when is height an indication of driving ability?’ Otto said.

  ‘You getting jealous, shorty?’ Shelby said with a grin.

  ‘I am happy to do it if it will ensure an uneventful journey,’ Wing said.

  ‘I don’t really care as long as it’s not Roadkill Brand,’ Shelby said, putting her arm around Laura’s shoulder. ‘Take the wheel, big guy.’
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  They all climbed into the car, with Otto taking the front passenger seat.

  ‘Otto, would you be so kind,’ Wing said, gesturing towards the dashboard. Otto closed his eyes and connected with the car’s electronic ignition system, quickly persuading it that it really should start the engine.

  ‘H.I.V.E. road trip!’ Shelby said happily. ‘Let’s roll!’

  Otto punched the location of GCHQ into the car’s onboard satnav as Wing gently accelerated away down the road.

  ‘How long’s it going to take us to get there?’ Lucy asked. The first signs of sunrise were now visible on the horizon.

  ‘About two and a half hours,’ Otto said, studying the display mounted in the dashboard.

  ‘Cool,’ Shelby said. ‘Altogether now! One hundred bottles of beer hanging on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer . . .’

  ‘It may seem longer though,’ Otto said with a sigh.

  g

  Chapter Seven

  Nero sank into one of the comfortable leather chairs as the secretary behind the desk on the other side of the room threw a curious glance in his direction. Clearly she was not used to someone getting to see her boss quite so easily. Nero smiled back at her.

  ‘He’s just finishing his current meeting,’ she said politely. ‘He’ll be with you in a minute.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Nero replied, ‘and thank you again for the tea.’

  He took a sip from the fine china cup. One of the small pleasures of returning to England, he thought to himself.

  ‘Three months!’ the angry-looking man said as he stormed out of the adjoining office. ‘Three months it took to set up that meeting, and he just asks us to leave after five minutes because “something’s come up”. I don’t believe it!’

  ‘I do hope that I haven’t caused too much disruption,’ Nero said to the secretary as he watched the furious man leave.

  ‘Not at all,’ the secretary replied. ‘He’s ready for you now. You can go in.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Nero said as he stood up and headed through the door.

  The man behind the heavy wooden desk in the centre of the book-lined room stood up as Nero entered, gesturing for him to take a seat in one of the sofas on either side of the fireplace.

  ‘Thank you for seeing me at such short notice, Prime Minister,’ Nero said. ‘I appreciate you sparing the time.’

  ‘How could I refuse a request from my former headmaster?’ the Prime Minister said with a crooked smile. ‘Tell me, how is the old place?’

  ‘Not much has changed,’ Nero said. ‘Though you appear to have done quite well for yourself since you left us.’

  Duncan Cavendish had been one of Nero’s most promising students when he left H.I.V.E. twenty years ago. Nero had always known he would do well in the outside world and Cavendish had not disappointed him.

  ‘Well, after the unfortunate display by the former leader of the opposition at their conference a few years ago it was difficult for the general public to take his party seriously. Dropping your trousers in front of the TV cameras has that effect sometimes.’

  ‘Would you believe me if I told you that one of my current students was responsible for that?’ Nero said with a smile.

  ‘Actually, that wouldn’t surprise me at all,’ Cavendish replied. ‘Do be sure to thank them for me.’

  ‘Of course,’ Nero said. ‘I’m just glad that details of your education have remained secret.’

  ‘You taught me all about the art of the cover-up – just one of many lessons that have helped me in my new career. You know, I still remember what you said to me on the day you transferred me from the Political and Financial stream to the Alphas. The best way to manipulate is to lead. I may use it as the title of my memoirs.’ Cavendish laughed.

  ‘Perhaps a little too honest,’ Nero said, smiling.

  ‘Maybe. Now tell me, what can I do for you?’

  ‘I assume that you know about recent developments at the Americans’ Advanced Weapons Project facility?’ Nero said.

  ‘Not as much as you might think,’ Cavendish replied. ‘Our cousins across the water have been surprisingly unforthcoming. The boys at MI6 tell me that there’s been some sort of terrorist attack and we’ve lost touch with a couple of our military brass who were attending a demonstration there. That and the fact that half of their Atlantic fleet seems to be heading for the Channel have made me rather keen to speak to the President. Unfortunately, he’s been unavailable for the past forty-eight hours. I’m afraid that the Special Relationship is often a one-way street on these occasions. I take it that there’s more to it than we know?’

  ‘I’m afraid so,’ Nero replied. ‘I can’t go into too much detail but I need your help.’

  ‘With what?’

  ‘I have a team heading to GCHQ. I need you to grant them access to Echelon.’

  ‘I see,’ Cavendish said, frowning slightly. ‘May I ask why?’

  ‘I’m afraid I can’t tell you,’ Nero replied. ‘Suffice to say the nature of the threat we are facing is global in scope.’

  ‘The situation in America is that serious?’

  ‘Yes. H.I.V.E. has been taken and the ruling council captured. G.L.O.V.E. is in disarray and we may be all that stands between the man who’s in control of the AWP facility and global domination. This is our last chance. You know that I wouldn’t ask this of you unless it was absolutely necessary.’

  ‘I’ll inform GCHQ to give them unrestricted access,’ Cavendish said, suddenly looking worried. ‘Is there anything else that I can do?’

  ‘Yes. I need a civilian transport to the States, the fastest you can find.’

  ‘That shouldn’t be a problem.’

  ‘Thank you. I know how much I am asking. You didn’t have to do this.’

  ‘Yes, I did. You were never a man prone to exaggeration. I’ll make the calls.’

  ‘Should I pull over?’ Wing said, glancing at the blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror.

  ‘The maximum speed of the pursuing vehicle is considerably higher than our own,’ H.I.V.E.mind replied. ‘Attempted flight would also considerably increase the chances of attracting more law enforcement personnel.’

  ‘Doesn’t sound like we’ve got much choice,’ Otto said, twisting in his seat and looking back at the police car that was rapidly catching up with them.

  ‘But we’re so close!’ Laura said. They were only ten kilometres from GCHQ and now, suddenly, it looked like they might not make it at all.

  ‘We’re not done yet,’ Lucy said as Wing pulled the car over to the side of the quiet country road. ‘Let me talk to them.’

  Lucy opened the passenger door and stepped down as the police car pulled up ten metres behind them. The two officers in the car leapt out and advanced towards her.

  ‘Driver, out of the car, now!’ the first officer shouted.

  ‘Is there something wrong, Officer?’ Lucy asked innocently.

  ‘Yes, miss. You and your friends are in possession of a stolen vehicle. Driver, step out of the vehicle – we won’t ask again,’ the second policeman said, extending his baton with a flick of the wrist. Wing got out of the car slowly.

  ‘I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding, Officers,’ Lucy said, smiling sweetly. ‘You see, this car isn’t stolen.’

  The two policemen stopped in their tracks, looking slightly confused.

  ‘Why did we stop you again?’ one of them asked Lucy, looking genuinely puzzled.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Lucy replied, ‘but if I were you I’d give me your car keys and go and have a nice long sleep in the bushes over there.’

  The policemen looked for a moment like they didn’t understand and then one of them reached into his pocket and handed her the keys.

  ‘Thanks,’ Lucy said, watching as the pair of them turned and walked silently off into the bushes at the side of the road.

  ‘Dexter, I could kiss you,’ Shelby said as Lucy climbed back into the car. ‘If Otto doesn’t mind, that is?’<
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  ‘Oh, just ignore her. That was nice work, Lucy,’ Laura said.

  ‘Shall we get moving?’ Otto asked, restarting the car with a mental nudge.

  ‘Is it just me or does this car seem to be getting smaller?’ Wing said under his breath.

  ‘I am curious,’ H.I.V.E.mind said. ‘Is it normal for friends to attempt to cause each other emotional discomfort in this way?’

  ‘Welcome to our world,’ Laura said with a chuckle, shaking her head.

  Suddenly the mobile phone in Otto’s pocket started to ring.

  ‘Hello,’ he said, holding it to his ear.

  ‘Mr Malpense,’ Dr Nero replied, ‘I have got you the access you require. How far out from GCHQ are you?’

  ‘Ten minutes,’ Otto said, glancing at the satnav display.

  ‘Good. The code word you need to get past the guards at the gate is Tsunami. They have been told to expect your arrival.’

  ‘Got it,’ Otto replied.

  ‘Please let me know when you’ve transmitted the signal,’ Nero said. ‘I’m on my way to pick you up. ETA forty minutes.’

  ‘Understood. I’ll call you when we’re done.’

  Otto ended the call and turned to speak to the others.

  ‘We’re all clear,’ he said. ‘Nero’s on his way.’

  Duncan Cavendish pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and punched in a number. He waited a couple of seconds before there was an answer.

  ‘Sign in, please,’ a computerised voice replied.

  ‘Disciple Nine,’ Cavendish said. ‘Get me Furan.’

  ‘Voice print confirmed, transfer in progress.’

  The line was silent then a voice on the other end replied.

  ‘Furan here.’

  ‘It’s Cavendish,’ he replied. ‘I’ve just had a visit from Nero. The Malpense boy is heading for the GCHQ building in Cheltenham.’

  ‘Excellent. I shall inform Raven immediately,’ Furan replied. ‘Do you know what they want at GCHQ?’

  ‘Access to Echelon.’