Escape Velocity

by Mark Walden

  ‘And what then?’ Francisco said, sounding frustrated. ‘We have to have a plan for getting rid of her?’

  ‘With the Phalanx protecting her that will be extremely difficult,’ Ms Leon said cautiously, ‘not to mention dangerous. Even if we are successful we’ll be directly contravening Number One’s orders and we all know what happens to people who do that.’ She let her words hang in the air as the two men recalled the stories they had heard of people who had done just that – stories that would keep you awake at night.

  ‘Which is why we need time to think,’ the Professor said. ‘Frustrating as it may be, for now at least we have to play ball with her. Are we in agreement?’

  ‘Yes,’ Ms Leon said with a flick of her tail, ‘but I don’t like it.’

  ‘None of us do,’ the Professor said quietly. ‘Colonel?’

  ‘What choice do I have?’ the Colonel said bitterly. ‘Just promise me one thing.’

  ‘What?’ the Professor said.

  ‘When the time comes,’ the Colonel said with ice in his tone, ‘she’s mine . . .’

  ‘Is it just me or does Ms Tennenbaum seem rather distracted?’ Wing whispered.

  ‘No, you’re right,’ Otto replied quietly. ‘I wonder what’s going on?’

  Ms Tennenbaum was usually one of the most emotionless tutors at the school, but this morning there were times when she looked nervous.

  ‘Get the feeling that she knows something we don’t?’ Shelby whispered.

  ‘Aye, something’s not right,’ Laura said softly.

  It was necessary to develop very finely tuned instincts for trouble at H.I.V.E., and right now every one of those instincts was telling Otto that something was very wrong.

  MWAH, MWAAAAH, MWAH!!!

  The trumpet notes of the school bell sounded and Ms Tennenbaum actually jumped.

  ‘All pupils are to report back to their accommodation blocks immediately,’ she said over the rising sound of the assembled Alphas gathering their books and notes. ‘There is an important announcement to be made.’

  ‘Sounds like we won’t have to wait long to find out,’ Shelby said as she piled her books into her backpack.

  The atmosphere in the accommodation block was no different. Pupils of all ages stood around chatting in small groups. There was no laughter or raised voices and the urgent hushed chatter accompanied by the suspicious sidelong glances that people shot around the room just added to the air of tension. There were no two ways about it, Otto thought to himself: the herd was spooked.

  Suddenly Shelby let out a stifled giggle and Otto turned to see Nigel and Franz walking towards them. Nigel looked more nervous than usual, if that were possible, but Franz was truly a sight to behold. He was squeezed into a ludicrously tight pair of Lycra cycle pants and a sleeveless vest that was struggling to meet the shorts halfway. The vision was completed by a pair of knee-length white gym socks and bright green trainers. The vest bore the words ‘Born to Run’. Shelby turned away from him, biting the knuckle of her forefinger, her shoulders shaking silently.

  ‘Ready for detention, I see, Franz,’ said Otto, grinning despite himself and the leaden atmosphere that surrounded them.

  ‘Ja, I am supposed to be going after the announcement,’ Franz said, a note of unmistakeable fear in his voice. ‘I had tried to tell Colonel Francisco that I was losing my gym gear but he gave me these from the lost property. I am not sure they are fitting me very well.’

  ‘It was this or the unitard,’ Nigel said, his eyes suggesting that he had seen something recently that might haunt him for the rest of his life.

  ‘It is an . . . unusual outfit,’ Wing said with a perfectly straight face. ‘Extremely . . . athletic.’

  Shelby, who still had her back turned, let out a small involuntary shriek of laughter and walked a few metres further away.

  ‘Aye, very sporty,’ Laura said, grinning. ‘You never know, Franz, you might even enjoy it.’

  ‘This is being unlikely,’ Franz said with the look of a condemned man.

  Suddenly a hush fell over the atrium as twin panels on the end wall of the cavern slid apart to reveal a giant video screen displaying the H.I.V.E. logo. Simultaneously, the giant solid-steel blast doors at the entrance to the accommodation block slid down and locked in place with an ominous thud. Whatever this announcement was, clearly none of them were leaving until it was over.

  The image on the screen dissolved to show a familiar figure sitting at the desk in Nero’s office. Otto stared, wide-eyed in disbelief, at the giant display.

  ‘But you’re dead,’ Otto whispered. ‘You have to be dead . . .’

  ‘Greetings, students of H.I.V.E,’ The Contessa’s amplified voice filled the atrium. ‘It is with great pleasure that I wish to announce that I have accepted a most generous offer from the G.L.O.V.E. ruling council and will, with immediate effect, be assuming the post of headmistress of the school.’

  ‘Tell me I’m dreaming,’ Laura moaned softly.

  ‘If you are, then we’re both having the same damn nightmare,’ Shelby said, her face pale.

  ‘I know that this will come as a surprise to some of you, but after my recent . . . sabbatical . . . I felt the urge to return to the world of education, and where better to do that than at H.I.V.E.? I understand that today has been a day of great upheaval, but you should all be aware that there will be no excuse for any form of disobedience or misbehaviour. I expect nothing less than full cooperation from every one of you, and there will be severe and lasting punishments for any student who does not comply fully with my instructions. Many people, myself included, believe that the standards of behaviour within H.I.V.E. have been diminishing recently and it is time that we put a stop to such insubordination. New school rules have been issued and you will be able to find them on your Blackboxes shortly after this announcement. Please ensure that you are familiar with all of them, as ignorance will be considered no excuse. I believe in strength through discipline and this school is going to be stronger than it has ever been before. That is all.’

  The screen went dark and the panels that had concealed it began to slide back into place. Once again the atrium was filled with the excited chatter of the assembled students. If anyone noticed the small quiet group that gathered on one of the clusters of sofas and armchairs that lay scattered around the area, then they might have been surprised by the looks of devastation on their faces.

  ‘Why aren’t they worried?’ Nigel said, looking around the room at his fellow pupils. They may not have looked overjoyed at the announcement that had just been made, but none of them looked as frightened as he and his friends did.

  ‘They don’t know,’ Otto said quietly. ‘They’ve never been told what the Contessa did.’ He thought back to the dire warnings against discussing the details of the Contessa’s previous betrayal that Nero himself had given each of them some months before. He had made it perfectly clear that if any such rumours started to circulate the school he would know exactly where they had come from. Who would have believed them anyway? The fact of the matter was that they were probably the only pupils in the school who knew exactly what she had done.

  ‘No wonder the staff have been jumpy all afternoon,’ Shelby said. ‘They must have known that withered old bag was taking over.’

  ‘This is extremely dangerous for us all,’ Wing said softly. ‘It is safe to assume that the Contessa will seek some sort of revenge for what happened during Cypher’s attack on the school. We should be prepared for the worst.’

  ‘You’re not the one who punched her unconscious,’ Shelby said, trying to stay calm but with a hint of panic in her tone.

  ‘We all did something that she’ll want payback for,’ Laura said quietly. ‘I just don’t understand why G.L.O.V.E. would do this; it doesn’t make any sense. She was supposed to have at least spent the rest of her life locked in a cell.’

  ‘Something’s wrong,’ Otto said, looking in turn at each of his friends. ‘There’s no way this would be allowed u
nder normal circumstances. Something has to have happened out there,’ he gestured vaguely at the world beyond the walls that surrounded them, ‘something that’s thrown the rulebook out of the window.’

  ‘And we have no idea what that may be,’ Wing observed.

  ‘No, but I think we’ve got to get out of here, all of us, now,’ said Otto quietly.

  ‘Erm . . . remember what happened the last time we tried that?’ Laura said. ‘It wasn’t exactly an unqualified success as far as escape attempts go.’

  ‘I know,’ Otto replied, ‘but think about it. No matter how bad this situation may seem, it could work to our advantage. It’s going to be chaos here for at least a few days and chaos works in our favour.’

  ‘You got a plan?’ Shelby said curiously.

  ‘Maybe,’ Otto replied, ‘but I don’t see that we have much choice in the matter. If we stay here it’s only a matter of time until the Contessa comes calling, and I don’t know about you guys but I’d rather not be here for that.’

  ‘I am thinking that we are locked in for the night,’ Franz said, nodding his head towards the atrium entrance that was still firmly sealed by the blast doors. ‘And while I am very happy that my detention is cancelled it is not helpful with the escaping.’

  ‘We’ll think of something,’ Otto said softly. ‘We’ll have to.’

  Suddenly a harsh voice barked out over the tannoy, filling the atrium.

  ‘All students are to report immediately to their rooms. There will be no meal this evening and further group assembly is prohibited.’

  The announcement was met with groans and cries of protest from around the hall, but slowly all of the students began to make their way towards the tiered rows of identical rooms that lined the walls of the accommodation block. Otto and his friends stuck together for as long as they could before proceeding to their own rooms. Resisting the instructions that had been given would achieve nothing at this point other than to single them out for special attention – which was the last thing they wanted.

  ‘So, you have a plan?’ Wing asked as they slowly walked towards their room, having bid the others farewell for now.

  ‘You’re joking, aren’t you?’ Otto said with a weary half-smile. ‘I’m making this up as I go along.’

  .

  Chapter Four

  ‘Sir!’ the monitor operative shouted from his surveillance station. ‘There’s something odd here. I got a movement reading in the dock area for a split second but now there’s nothing.’

  ‘Show me,’ Chief Lewis said, walking over to the array of monitors. He quickly scanned the displays and spotted what his operative had seen. ‘Looks like a sensor glitch. Have H.I.V.E.mind run a diagnostic, just to be on the safe side.’

  ‘Should I inform the Phalanx, sir? They said they wanted to know about anything, no matter how small.’

  ‘Very well,’ the Chief said impatiently. He didn’t like having the Phalanx on his turf and they were already starting to rub him up the wrong way. He knew that he had to play ball with them, but he didn’t have to like it.

  The Contessa allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction as she inspected her new office. She looked at the mementos of Nero’s career that lined the walls and the smile faded from her face.

  ‘All of these will have to go,’ she muttered to herself. She did not need to be constantly reminded of the office’s previous occupant. She also knew full well that she was almost certainly going to have trouble with some members of staff. Some of them were loyal to Nero to a fault and there was no reason to believe they would ever transfer that allegiance to her. A couple of them would probably like to see her dead, but that was what the Phalanx were for. As long as they protected her there would be no one who would dare lift a finger against her, and even without them she was far from defenceless. Those who were not happy with her appointment were just going to have to put up with it, or suffer the consequences.

  There was a soft chime from the entry system and she glanced at the monitor on her desk before pressing a button to grant admission.

  ‘Good evening, Phalanx One. I hope that your new quarters are satisfactory,’ she said with a smile. None of the Phalanx operatives used their names; each was just given a number, as was traditional with G.L.O.V.E. security teams.

  ‘Yes, everything is satisfactory, Contessa. I have completed my preliminary inspection and we’re fully hooked into the school’s security systems,’ he replied briskly with a slight eastern European accent.

  ‘Good. I take it that everyone has been . . . cooperative,’ she said, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘Yes, though there seems to be a certain amount of unhappiness at your appointment, especially among the senior staff. No worse than was expected, though.’

  ‘Indeed,’ the Contessa said, ‘but with you and your men watching my back I’m sure I have nothing to worry about.’

  ‘Of course,’ Phalanx One replied. ‘We are ready to perform the extraction at any time.’

  ‘No time like the present,’ the Contessa said with a cold smile. ‘Let’s just make sure that everyone is soundly asleep first.’

  ‘Very well. The transit team is ready to go on your order . . .’ Phalanx One paused for a moment, pressing a finger to his ear. ‘I am sorry, Contessa, if you will excuse me I must go. There has been a minor glitch in the security grid and I need to dispatch a team to check it.’

  ‘Nothing to worry about, I hope,’ the Contessa said, her brow furrowing slightly.

  ‘No, ma’am,’ he replied. ‘It’s almost certainly nothing, but I do not like to leave anything to chance.’

  ‘Very well. I shall inform you when you are clear to proceed with the extraction. Let me know as soon as it is complete.’

  Phalanx One gave a small military nod of acceptance and then turned and walked briskly from the room, speaking quickly and quietly into his wrist microphone.

  The Contessa sat down at the desk.

  ‘H.I.V.E.mind,’ she said clearly and the monitor in front of her was suddenly filled with the AI’s hovering wireframe head.

  ‘Good evening, Contessa. How may I be of assistance?’ H.I.V.E.mind asked in his usual calm, flat tone.

  ‘I take it that all of my new operational security clearances have been uploaded to your system,’ she said quickly.

  ‘Yes, Contessa, you have been granted Omega Black clearance as per the ruling council’s instructions,’ H.I.V.E.mind replied.

  ‘Good. Are all of the accommodation blocks secure?’

  ‘All students are accounted for and confined to their personal quarters,’ H.I.V.E.mind replied.

  ‘Then I believe it is time we made sure that they all get a good night’s rest. Enact the Sleepwalker Protocol.’

  H.I.V.E.mind did not respond and for a moment she could have sworn that she saw him frown.

  ‘I said enact the Sleepwalker Protocol . . . NOW!’ the Contessa barked angrily.

  ‘As you wish,’ H.I.V.E.mind replied.

  ‘I am not sure I understand,’ Wing said, frowning slightly. ‘You intend to persuade H.I.V.E.mind to open the door for us.’

  ‘Not just this door,’ Otto said with a smile, ‘all the doors.’

  ‘I know that you are familiar with this system,’ Wing said, trying to keep the doubt from his voice, ‘but surely even you will not be able to convince it to simply let us walk out of here.’

  ‘I can be very persuasive when I need to be.’

  ‘That much is certain,’ Wing said, raising an eyebrow, ‘but this sounds impossible.’

  ‘Hey, impossible’s our speciality,’ Otto said with a broad grin. He tapped at the keyboard of the small workstation on his desk. There was still no response. It appeared that no one was going to be allowed to access the network that evening, but he doubted that anyone else would be trying to access it in quite the same way that he would. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, subconsciously reaching for the invisible connective threads of data that would lead him deeper into the
network.

  ‘Otto!’ Wing said urgently, breaking his concentration.

  ‘What?’ Otto said irritably, he couldn’t do this if he was going to be distracted. He looked up at Wing, who was staring up towards the ceiling. A thin white vapour was pouring out of the air conditioning vents on the ceiling. Wing suddenly staggered and slumped down on to his bed. He tried to say something but then his eyes rolled up in their sockets and he slumped backwards unconscious.

  Otto held his breath, closing his eyes and willing himself back into the digital void, but it was no good. There was only an increasing burning urgency in his chest as his body used up his final reserves of uncontaminated air. He tried desperately to reach out one last time and contact the network but he couldn’t do it. He exhaled explosively, unable to control his desperate lungs from drawing in a deep breath of the sinister white cloud that hung all about him. There was a blackness at the periphery of his vision and then he too succumbed, slumping forward on to the desk with a thud.

  ‘Show me the camera feeds from the dock,’ Phalanx One barked at the monitor tech. The man looked across at Chief Lewis, who gave a tiny almost imperceptible nod. The Chief felt a slight sense of pride; the Phalanx may be throwing their weight around but his men still looked to him for orders.

  The technician quickly pulled up the footage from the cameras in the dock that tallied with the time of the phantom reading from the motion sensors. He and the Chief had already reviewed the footage. He knew there was nothing there but he also knew that Phalanx One would want to see that with his own eyes. The Phalanx operatives were thorough.

  ‘There!’ Phalanx One said, jabbing his finger at the monitor. ‘Go back three seconds and playback in extreme slow motion.’

  The technician did as instructed, even though he had no idea what it was the man had seen.

  ‘Chief, look at this,’ Phalanx One said, beckoning Lewis over. ‘There . . .’