Death Minus Zero

“Always looks on the bright side. We’re initiating a wider scan,” Buchanan said. “Using all our surveillance.”

He tapped keys and his biocouch began to traverse the interior on the monorail that circled the equipment banks. An alternate-view screen showed his progression around the facility. View ports set around the platform allowed him to see the exterior behind the curved instrument consoles. Buchanan could make a complete three-sixty run around the cupola, allowing freedom of access to each and every function. There were duplicate control panels around the circular access, so he was never far from a control point. The same applied to the plasma screens he used for communication and exterior viewing. The whole of Zero’s working area had been designed by Kaplan to cater to someone who was restricted to the biocouch.

Buchanan never felt restricted. He had come to accept the couch as part of himself now. He was dependent on the couch to keep his bodily function controlled and fed through the implant system, and early, but brief, concerns had been wiped away when Buchanan realized his body was responding to the medical stimulants and banishing the pain and discomfort he had been plagued with as his cancer grew. It could have been said Buchanan’s life had been encapsulated within Zero to the degree he was severely denied any kind of normal life. Buchanan saw it from his personal view—Kaplan’s creation had freed him from the debilitating illness and had gifted him something newer. Better. A unique perspective on life and a chance to be of service to the Air Force and humanity, which meant a great deal to Doug Buchanan.

“We have a good view from here,” Buchanan said. He paused the biocouch and pointed to the image beyond the port. It was a full view of Earth, the blues and greens evident; continents could be clearly distinguished. It was an impressive display. Buchanan held the image for a while. His face on the monitor showed the expression in his eyes: a recall of what life had been when he had stood on his own two legs and had been able to walk the real world.

“Doug, listen to me,” Valens said, breaking the moment. She could understand his reluctance to move on. Doug Buchanan could view the scene from his lofty perch, but he would never be able to set foot on home ground ever again. “We won’t give up on Saul. My word.”

“I know,” Buchanan said. His gaze remained on the earthly vista and Valens picked up on his mood. “We’ll talk again later,” he said quietly, tapping his console and closing the connection.

“He sometimes has a melancholy fallback,” Corrigan said. “When he does, we’ve found it best to let him phase it out. Have to say I can’t blame him under the circumstances.”

“Must be difficult for him to see a view like that,” Manning said.

It was obvious to Valens the man had also seen the look on Buchanan’s face. “I know how I’d feel,” she said.

“Man, I don’t know if I could take it,” James admitted. “That’s one brave guy.”

“Major Buchanan is an exceptional officer,” Corrigan said.

“He’s more than that,” Hawkins said. “Talk about above and beyond...”

Manning asked, “He ever get relieved? I know he can’t get up and walk away but...”

“There’s a time when he needs treatment through his biocouch,” Corrigan said. “We have a link where someone here in Zero Command can assume remote control for the time he needs to stand down. Not the same, because we don’t have the integration Buchanan has with Zero. Since Doug was assimilated he’s developed an affinity with the platform. With Zero. That’s something that can’t be manufactured. No one standing in down here can match how he operates.”

“What about a second string?” McCarter queried. “Someone else who could be based on Zero...if something happened to Buchanan.”

“That’s something Kaplan has been working on over the past months,” the colonel said. “He’s aware more than most that Major—Doug—is mortal. The bioimplants are working at keeping the cancer at bay, but if the worst-case scenario happens there would be a need for a replacement. That is being initiated right now. Still a way off. Finding a match for Doug is proving difficult. Sorry if I sound cold-blooded. It always comes out that way no matter how it’s phrased.”

“We know what you mean, Colonel,” Valens said. “Since Zero came online we’ve become a close family. There’s no other way to put it. Our lives are so intertwined now. There’s more than a working relationship that exists.”

“A good combination,” Corrigan said.

“And part of that is lost now that Kaplan’s been kidnapped,” Valens said. “We have to get him back. No question about it.”

“Saul Kaplan is the life-force behind Zero. He’s constantly adding to and fine-tuning things,” Corrigan said. “The man never stops. Just when you think he’s added all he can, he comes up with a new theory. A fresh attachment. If I come across as sounding selfish, I still have to say we’ll be taking a step back if we lose him.”

“Then we had better make sure we don’t,” McCarter said. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll find him.”

“Agent Valens.” McCarter turned to her. “How about you run us out to take a look at the site?” He had sensed the slight tension in Corrigan’s presence and decided it might be easier on them all if they got Valens off base, even if it was only for a little while.

“Any problem, Colonel?” Valens said.

Corrigan shook his head. “If you think it might help.”

“We have nothing to lose,” James pointed out. “And we need to start somewhere.”

“We’ll do it this way,” McCarter advised. “Constantine and Rankin, you stay here and liaise with Brandon. Go through anything you can see. That okay with you, Agent Valens?”

“Fine. Larry, you can use my office.”

“If that’s what you want,” Brandon said.

Valens smiled. “That’s what I want. Okay? Good. Shall we do this, gentlemen?” She led the way to the motor pool.

* * *

VALENS WAS DRIVING the black SUV. It was a large-edition model, with enough room to accommodate them all. McCarter was in the passenger seat beside Valens. She glanced at him.

“Nicely handled, getting us out of there,” she said. “Thanks for that.”

“We appear to be a pain in the arse as far as the colonel is concerned,” the Briton said lightly. “I guess he’s got enough to be worried about without a bunch of cowboys invading his range.”

“I think he sees us as raining on his parade,” Manning said.

Valens said, “He’s touchy because his command lost Kaplan. Can’t expect anything else.” She gave a weak smile. “I know how he’s feeling.”

“Right now soothing his tender bloody brow isn’t my concern,” McCarter said.

“Well, look at it from his viewpoint,” Valens said. “This whole setup is his responsibility. His top man has gone missing. He isn’t going to take that lightly. Not Colonel Corrigan.”

“I’ll lie awake tonight thinking about that,” James said dryly.

“What’s your gut telling you about all this, Agent Valens?” Manning asked.

“Hey, let go of the ‘Agent’ angle. It’s Claire—or Valens, if you do feel official.”

“So what does your gut tell you, Claire?”

“Off the wall? My money is on a feeling I have that the Chinese are involved. Tying it in with the information we received from Jui Kai, it’s all starting to fit.”

“That’s pretty direct,” Manning said. “I’m guessing you don’t have any concrete proof?”

“General Tung Shan was the man in charge of the original Zero strike. He ran the operation and when it fell apart he was dismissed. From gathered intelligence at the time, it meant he would most likely have been executed and replaced. Failure in the People’s Republic is not something to be dealt with lightly.”

“I’m seeing something coming here,” James said.

“Kai has sent us updated data,” Valens said.

“How up-to-date is ‘updated’?” McCarter asked.

“Last contact we had was a day ago. Kai has been concentrating on our identified player.”

“Colonel Xia Chan,” McCarter said.

Valens nodded. “Really been doing your homework.”