‘I hate to break it to you, Jospeh,’ Felicia Diaz, one-time commander of G.L.O.V.E.’s operations in South America, said with a sigh, ‘but even if we were all to work together, we would still not have the resources to take on Nero. He still controls G.L.O.V.E. and you know as well as I do that the loyalties of the organisation’s members are commanded by one thing . . . strength. Once upon a time people may have respected our strength but now they know what the true balance of power is. The new ruling council that Nero has assembled may be inexperienced but as long as Nero sits at the head of the table the people who report in to the council members will follow their instructions. No one wants to meet the same fate that befell Carlos, waking up one morning to find a walking, talking death sentence standing at the end of your bed.’ There was a murmur of agreement round the table as the former members of the council recalled the grim fate that had met Carlos Chavez, Diaz’s predecessor, when he had betrayed Nero.
‘I think it’s safe to assume we would all rather avoid an encounter with Nero’s pet assassin but I did not gather us here this evening for nothing. I believe that there may be a way to shift the balance of power. I have been approached by an organisation that would like to assist us in regaining control of G.L.O.V.E., an organisation that has both the resources we require and the willingness to use them.’
Wright reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small disc-shaped device, placing it in the centre of the table. A moment later the disc lit up with a bright white light and a holographic image of a digitally distorted face appeared hovering in the air half a metre above it.
‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,’ the hovering face said, its voice also electronically disguised. ‘My name is Minerva and I represent an organisation that some of you will already be familiar with. We are called the Disciples and we would like to offer you our assistance in overthrowing Maximilian Nero and restoring control of G.L.O.V.E. to its rightful masters. You.’
‘Are you insane, Wright?’ Luca Venturi asked, clear astonishment in his voice. ‘These people were the servants of Overlord. I may disagree with what Nero has done but these lunatics were intent on handing the world over to an insane, genocidal artificial intelligence. What on earth makes you think that we can trust them?’
‘Overlord is dead,’ Minerva said calmly, ‘and with his destruction came a change in the priorities of our organisation. There were many of us that did not agree with what Overlord had planned and saw him as merely a means to an end. We saw beyond the destruction that Overlord would have wrought and sensed the opportunity to change things permanently. Nero wishes the forces of global villainy to remain hidden in the shadows, frightened to show our true power for fear of inviting the retribution of the world’s governments. Why? What does that achieve? When will we finally be allowed to show the world what we are truly capable of and take the reigns of global power for ourselves? We are tired of hiding. The time has come to step out of the shadows and seize the power that is rightfully yours. However, to achieve that power we must work together. You need our resources and we need allies but, more than that, we need leadership. That is why we are turning to you. Our assets, both human and financial, are considerable, but we lack the networks and contacts that you have built up in your many years of service to G.L.O.V.E. There is a unique opportunity now for us to pool our resources and create a new organisation that will not suffer from the frightened paralysis that Nero favours. G.L.O.V.E. was designed to stop you from achieving your true potential and that is why it must be swept away and replaced with an organisation that is not paralysed by fear but will instead rule through fear.’
‘Fine words,’ Felicia Diaz said, staring at the holographic projection, ‘but why should we trust you when you will not even show us your true face?’
‘What difference would that make?’ Minerva replied. ‘Surely the only thing that would really prove to you that you can trust us is if we give you a meaningful demonstration of what we are willing to do for you.’
‘Such as?’ Diaz asked.
‘Such as the destruction of Nero,’ Minerva said calmly.
‘Many have tried to kill Maximilian,’ Luca Venturi snorted. ‘Obviously, all have failed. What makes you think you will be any more successful?’
‘I didn’t say we would kill him,’ Minerva replied. ‘I said we would destroy him. If we were to assassinate him, one of his acolytes would simply step forward and take his place. Certainly G.L.O.V.E. would be weakened but not to the degree that we need. So, instead, we must make sure that he is crippled so completely that it will paralyse G.L.O.V.E. permanently. That is when we will strike and replace them once and for all. By the time we are finished Nero will not be dead – he will just wish he was.’
chapter six
‘You sure we can trust them?’ Shelby asked.
‘As sure as I can be,’ Otto replied. He leant on the balcony railing, looking down at the atrium area of accommodation block seven where Tom and Penny were chatting with Nigel and Franz. ‘I know you guys only met them yesterday but I’ve known them for a lot longer. Besides, it’s not like we’re asking them to do anything really difficult – they’ll just be backing up Nigel and Franz. We could with a couple more pairs of hands for that part of the operation anyway.’
‘Should we not be more concerned with whether or not they will wish to take part in such a risky venture at all?’ Wing asked. ‘They have, after all, only just arrived.’
‘I don’t think they’ll mind,’ Otto said with a smile. ‘It sounds like they were quite used to taking a few risks in their lives before they were brought here. Besides, as I recall there was a certain bunch of newly recruited students who hatched a plan to escape from H.I.V.E. within just a couple of weeks of arriving. Let me think, who was that?’
‘Point taken,’ Wing replied.
‘I’m with Otto,’ Laura said with a nod. ‘Even if they don’t want to get involved I’m pretty sure that we can trust them not to tell anyone what we’re up to.’
‘Sounds like we’re agreed,’ Shelby said, looking at the other three. ‘Who’s going to brief them?’
‘I’ll do it,’ Otto said. ‘It might sound a little less crazy coming from someone they’ve known for more than twenty-four hours. I’ll fill them in on the details – you guys make sure that you’ve got everything else we need. We go at midnight.’
Wing, Shelby and Laura all nodded their agreement and headed back to their quarters to make their final preparations. Otto walked down the stairs at the end of the landing and across the atrium towards where Tom and Penny were sitting with Franz and Nigel.
‘Hey guys,’ Otto said as he approached, ‘how’s it going?’
‘Fine, thanks,’ Penny replied. ‘Franz was just telling us how he single-handedly saved the school when it was taken over by an army of robot assassins.’
‘Whether we like it or not,’ Nigel said, rolling his eyes.
‘I am, of course, usually being reluctant to talk of my heroic actions,’ Franz said with a dismissive wave, ‘but Tom and Penny are insisting that I give them all the details.’
‘Of course they were,’ Otto said, trying not to laugh at the slightly strained smiles on the new Alphas’ faces. ‘Hey, I was just wondering if I could have a word with Tom and Penny in private.’
‘Sure, no problem,’ Nigel said. ‘We were just going to head up to our quarters anyway.’
‘Yes, we are needing to get ready for a good night’s sleep,’ Franz said, just slightly too loudly and with a painfully obvious wink at Otto.
‘You do that,’ Otto said.
‘We will NOT be seeing you later,’ Franz said as Nigel dragged him away.
‘Is Franz always so . . . erm . . .?’ Penny asked as Otto sat down.
‘Yes, always,’ Otto replied with a small sigh. ‘Don’t worry, you get used to it . . . eventually.’
‘What can we do for you?’ Tom asked.
‘Well,’ Otto replied, ‘there’s something that a few of
us have been planning for a while and we were wondering if you two might want to be involved.’
‘What kind of something?’ Penny asked.
‘The kind of something that I think might appeal to you guys,’ Otto replied with a smile.
‘OK, I’m intrigued,’ Tom said, leaning forward. ‘Tell me more.’
Otto spent the next ten minutes describing exactly what it was that he and the others had planned for later that night.
‘That’s insane,’ Penny said as Otto finished. ‘I love it! I’m in.’
‘Me too,’ Tom said with a grin. ‘You know, I think I’m going to like it here.’
Nero walked into the conference room and was pleased to see that the other members of G.L.O.V.E.’s new ruling council had already arrived. Perhaps arrived wasn’t quite the right word since none of them were there in person. They were just three-dimensional projections created by the holographic display unit mounted in the ceiling above the centre of the long table, but this was as close as they could get to meeting in the flesh at short notice. As ever, Nero would have preferred to have gathered them all in person but for now this would have to do.
‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,’ Nero said as he took his seat at the head of the table. ‘I will be brief as I know that you all have other pressing matters to attend to. It cannot have escaped your notice that there are two vacant seats at this table tonight. As I’m sure you are aware this is a result of actions by at least one former member of this council. Over the past few hours something even more troubling has come to my attention. I received a message from an old and trusted ally of this council and I have asked you all here so that he can share the same information with you.’ Nero pressed a button on the control panel mounted in the table in front of him and the large display screen at the other end of the room lit up with a familiar face. ‘Please go ahead, Diabolus.’
‘Thank you, Max,’ Diabolus Darkdoom replied with a nod. ‘As some of you may know, I have been working over the past few months to find out more about the group known as the Disciples. At first it was difficult to discover anything more than the rumours and misinformation that we were already aware of. What we did know was that they were followers of Overlord and appeared to have a widespread and capable network of operatives. Initially I had hoped that the reason it was proving so difficult to discover anything was that their organisation had collapsed after the destruction of Overlord at the Advanced Weapons Project facility in Colorado. Gradually it became clear that this was, unfortunately, not the case. The Disciples had not been destroyed, they were merely regrouping. The first unpleasant evidence of this was the disappearance of several informants who had been providing us with information to track down the remaining members of the group. Soon after that other more subtle but equally disturbing signs began to emerge. I uncovered evidence of a marked increase in global weapons thefts and black market sales. We’re not talking about a few shipping containers of AK-47s here. These were bleeding edge weapons systems and tactical equipment. The sort of stuff that some of the world’s most powerful nations would be pleased to get their hands on and yet nobody seems to know where they’ve gone.’
‘Are we sure that the Disciples are responsible?’ one of the members of the council asked.
‘It’s impossible to be sure but we are aware of no other group with either the will or the resources to pull off these kinds of operations. Other than ourselves, of course. Within the past twenty-four hours things have taken a more sinister turn. As you all know, most of the former members of this council were less than happy with Doctor Nero’s decision to dismiss them and assemble a new council. After the events surrounding Overlord’s defeat they were forced into hiding. Overlord had, after all, revealed all of their identities to the world’s security services. Despite that, Doctor Nero and myself had worked hard to keep tabs on their whereabouts and activities. They are too dangerous for us not to. The reason I am here talking to you today is that since last night they have also disappeared. We have lost contact with the operatives who were tracking them and the few members of the previous council who were sympathetic to Doctor Nero’s decision have been assassinated. At exactly the same time we lost all contact with the G.L.O.V.E. operatives who had been assigned to further investigate the Disciples. It is highly unlikely that this was a coincidence. The conclusion we have been forced to draw is that the former members of the council may have allied themselves with the Disciples. While I have no direct evidence of it, every instinct is telling me that they are preparing for something big and that we are clearly the most likely targets.’
‘Thank you, Diabolus,’ Nero said, looking round the table. ‘This is worrying but not entirely unexpected. What concerns me far more is their potential alliance with the Disciples – a group of people who were assisting Overlord in his insane plans, who would have stood by and watched as the whole world burned.’
‘So how do we react?’ another council member asked. ‘How do we fight an enemy we can’t find?’
‘We can’t,’ Nero replied, shaking his head. ‘We can only bolster our defences and wait for them to make their move. Normally I would be reluctant to take such a passive approach but until we have better intelligence on what we are up against I’m afraid that we have little choice.’
‘I assume that our efforts to locate the missing former council members are still ongoing?’ someone else asked.
‘Indeed,’ Nero replied. ‘We are using every means at our disposal to relocate them and when we do they will face . . . vigorous questioning. I will see to that personally. In the meantime you should all make a special effort to watch for any unusual activity in your own territories. The Disciples will have to break cover at some point and when they do we will be waiting for them. Thank you for your time. Do unto others.’
‘Do unto others,’ the members of the ruling council repeated the G.L.O.V.E. motto as the holographic projector deactivated and they faded from view.
‘Is there anything else you need, Max?’ Darkdoom asked, seeing the concern in his friend’s expression.
‘No,’ Nero said with a sigh. ‘You can see where this is heading, I assume.’
‘This isn’t a war yet,’ Darkdoom replied. ‘We can still defuse this situation before it comes to that.’
‘I hope you’re right, Diabolus,’ Nero said, shaking his head. ‘I really do.’
‘One minute,’ Otto said, looking at the timer on his Blackbox as Wing checked the contents of his backpack for the final time.
‘I would wish us good luck but I know you do not approve of such things,’ Wing said, smiling.
‘If success is dictated by luck, then it isn’t really success at all,’ Otto replied, still staring at his Blackbox.
‘So you have said many times,’ Wing said, raising an eyebrow, ‘but I would still rather have it than not.’
‘Having said that, Franz does play a significant part in this plan so maybe a little bit of luck actually wouldn’t hurt.’
‘Personally, I think that it is good that Franz is so keen to be involved. He has been most . . . enthusiastic.’
‘You say enthusiastic; I say like a really, really excited puppy in that split second before it pees on you.’
‘Thank you, Otto,’ Wing frowned, ‘for putting a calming mental image in my head just moments before we are to embark on such a perilous enterprise.’
‘All part of the service,’ Otto said with a grin as his Blackbox emitted a single soft beep. ‘OK, it’s time.’
Wing hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness as Otto picked up the device that he and Laura had secretly been working on for the last couple of weeks. Once upon a time it had been a Blackbox belonging to Colonel Francisco that Shelby had ‘borrowed’, but now it was barely recognisable. Just about the only thing that remained the same was the high-resolution touch-screen display. The rest of the device was covered in wiring and pieces of exposed circuit board. Otto and Laura had even given it a new nickname, t
he Hackbox. Otto touched a command on the screen and it began to display a series of status messages.
SECURE COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL ESTABLISHED
MOBILE NETWORK ESTABLISHED
CONNECTING TO SLAVE DEVICES
MALPENSE, O CONNECTED
BRAND, L CONNECTED
FANCHU, W CONNECTED
TRINITY, S CONNECTED
DARKDOOM, N CONNECTED
ARGENTBLUM, F CONNECTED
RANSOM, T CONNECTED
RICHARDS, P CONNECTED
ALL SLAVE DEVICES SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED
SURVEILLANCE LOOP ACTIVATED
OPENING ACCOMMODATION BLOCK 7 DOORS 23, 38, 42, 72
AND 75.
The door to Otto and Wing’s room hissed open.
‘Come on,’ Otto said as he hurried out of their quarters.
They ran down the landing and met Shelby and Laura coming the other way.
‘So far so good,’ Shelby whispered.
‘If you mean that we’ve just successfully passed the first of four hundred and seventy-three separate potential failure points in this plan, then yeah, so far so good,’ Otto replied.
‘Thanks for the morale boost, Roboto,’ Shelby said.