Forging Zero (84 page)

“He’ll
realize what we’re doing as soon as we start,” Gokli said.  “We’ve gotta work
fast or he’ll start avoiding those halls.”

“Fast
but careful,” Tril added.

Joe
felt sweat beading over his face as he worked, his entire focus narrowing to
the little red dots that were Na’leen and his companions. 
You aren’t
getting away. 
The
ferlii
rocked with successive explosions each
time he touched the screen, making everyone in the room tense, eyes fixed to
the shuddering black walls.

Joe
barely noticed, so intense was his concentration. 
For all my friends, for
everything you’ve done and everyone who’s died.  I’m gonna stop you.

With
Gokli’s help, Joe cornered Na’leen in a section of the
ferlii
that had
no exits to override, no staircases to climb, no means of escape other than the
hallway that Joe had collapsed behind them.  Joe stepped away from the controls
and Tril opened up a communications link between himself and the Tribunal
member.  Representative Na’leen’s electric eyes were sizzling as he appeared on
the screen.

“Looks
like you killed the wrong one, Na’leen,” Tril jeered.  “Idiot.”

Joe
watched the Huouyt’s eyes focus on him over Tril’s shoulder.  “Appears I did. 
How irritating.”

“’Irritating’
is hardly the word to describe your situation, Na’leen.  Peacemakers are going
to make you sing for turns on Levren for your crimes.”

Na’leen
was still looking at Joe.  “My secrets die with me, Tril.” 

“
Overseer
to you, prisoner.”  Tril snorted.  “And to think that Huouyt are known for
their ability to spot a lie.  You were looking right at Zero when he told you
about his visitation from a Trith.”

“Was
I?”  Na’leen eyed Joe calmly.  “How odd.  I was also under the impression
Huouyt could detect a mistruth.”

The
tiny hairs on the back of Joe’s neck stood on end before he crushed the
reaction. 
No.  The Trith is wrong.  I’m not one of them.  They killed my
friends.  They killed Libby and Scott and Maggie.  I’m a Congie.  I’ll never
fight for them.  

Holding
Na’leen’s gaze, Joe said, “I’m loyal to Congress.  I swear it.” 
I swear it
for Libby.  And Scott.  And Maggie.  I’ll never let my groundmates down again. 
Never.

Na’leen’s
electric-white eyes blinked in surprise.  “You’re telling the truth.”

Tril
laughed, the toadlike croaking of an Ooreiki.  “A myth, then, just like your
Regency seat will be.  Congress won’t let a Huouyt near the Tribunal for a
million years.”

“Congress
won’t last another million years,” Na’leen said, his eyes still fixed on Joe.  Joe
turned away, ignoring him.  From the screen behind him, Na’leen let out a long
breath that sounded like the tinkling of wind chimes.  “I was so sure this was
the time.”

“They
all think that,” Tril said.  “Congress can’t be beaten, Na’leen.  Of all your
time on the Tribunal, you should’ve known we would crush you.”

It’s
not unbeatable,
Joe thought, turning back to glare
at Tril. 
All I’d have to do is finish what the Jreet started, you stupid
prick.

Apparently,
Na’leen was thinking the same thing.  “Somehow I doubt the accuracy of your
statement.  Congress came within a hairsbreadth of falling apart this day.  You
can thank your recruit that it still stands, though I wonder for how long.” 
Representative Na’leen made a formal flourish to Joe with his paddle-like
arms.  “I wish you luck in the future, Joe Dobbs.  In
all
of your
endeavors.” 

Then,
as they watched, he took a cylindrical capsule from beneath the golden folds of
his cloak and held it up.  Joe could have sworn the Huouyt was looking at him
as he inhaled the hissing vapors.  Na’leen collapsed, leaving the video feed
blank.

Joe
felt a rush of relief, staring at the body. 
I beat it.  I beat the
prophecy.

“Damn,”
Tril said.  “The Peacemakers would have sold their
oorei
to have him
alive on Levren.”  He slapped his severed tentacle against the screen, cutting
off the feed.  “Get out of here, Zero.  Find us some weapons.  And get yourself
some clothes—Bagkhal will be here soon.  Take some off the dead recruits if you
can’t find your biosuit.  And for the sake of all that is colorful, clean
yourself up.  I don’t want you looking like incompetent Takki when they come
get us.”

Narrowing
his eyes, Joe went to do as he was bid.

CHAPTER
40: 
Loyalties

“Tell
your story again so the Overseer can hear.”

Tril
watched as the recruit’s face twisted in disgust. 

“Joe
was hanging out with rebels,” the recruit said.  “Every night, whenever he
could find time after working for Bagkhal.”

“How
did he get out of the barracks?” Tril demanded.  “We changed the codes on the
locks.”

“Monk
helped him figure them out.”

“The
rebels taught him to read,” the Peacemaker added.

The
recruit frowned.  “No, Battlemaster Nebil gave him a lesson pad.”

“Impossible. 
It is against regulations to give a first turn recruit an advanced—”

“Battlemaster
Nebil is dead,” Tril interrupted.  “Arguing with the only surviving witness is
pointless.”

“Tell
him about the akarit
,”
the Peacemaker insisted, giving Tril an irritated
look.

“The
first day, Yuil gave Joe some candy and a little black box he hid in his gear. 
He never talked about it, kept it hidden, but I looked.  It had a little gold
ring inside.”

“We
found the akarit
,”
the Peacemaker said.  “Right where she said it would
be.”

Tril
found himself growing irritated with this recruit who would so easily betray
her groundmate.  “Why are you turning on him now?”

“She
almost didn’t make it.  We had to resuscitate her when we stormed the depot. 
She was put in a different groundteam.  Zero doesn’t even know she survived.”

Tril
held the recruit’s eyes.  “So why are you betraying him?”

She
returned his gaze coldly.  “My friends all went back to Earth in bodybags
because of him.”

“Zero
also had this,” the Peacemaker said, handing a small red object to Tril.  “Contraband
from Earth.  Possibly a symbol of his true leanings.”

Tril
took the knife, remembering that Commander Linin had been furious when they
hadn’t been able to find it in his gear after his screaming-match with Zero. 
He wondered briefly how he had managed to hide it all of this time.

“It’s a
symbol of nothing,” Tril said.  “A memento, nothing more.”

“Still,
it is forbidden,” the Peacemaker insisted.  “We could hold it against him in a
trial.  Until then, we told his battlemaster to give him double chores for a
turn for having it.  We also told him to make sure Zero wears his uniform
correctly from now on.”

Tril
gave an indifferent grunt.

“Overseer,
this matter deserves a formal investigation.  Normally, I would simply take it
up with his superiors and would not involve you, but I realize the sensitive
nature of this particular case, since Zero was the one who rescued you in the—”

“No one
rescued me,” Tril snapped.

The
Peacemaker bowed.  “Then I shall attend to the matter myself, sir.”  He turned
to leave.

“Stop,”
Tril commanded.  “What exactly do you plan to do?”

The
Peacemaker hesitated.  In that instant, Tril knew that it was only a matter of
time before Zero wound up in a cell on Levren.

“Well?”

“We
must test his loyalties, sir.”

“He
helped to squash the rebellion,” Tril retorted.  “He took
untrained recruits
against Jreet and Va’ga-trained Huouyt and won a fight only Planetary Ops
had any right to win.  What more proof of his loyalty do you need?

“He
carried an akarit
,”
the Peacemaker said.  “I’m sure that as soon as we
begin questioning him properly, he would collaborate his groundmate’s story.”

“No.”

“Sir,
he knew exactly where to find Representative Na’leen and the other rebel
leaders.  If that is not evidence of guilt, then I am in the wrong profession. 
I
know
that I need only test him and the lies will start pouring out.”

“No,”
Tril heard himself repeat.  “Test him, but do it here, in my office, while I
watch.  I will not have you abusing a Congressional hero so that you can wring
a phony confession from him.”

The
Peacemaker’s eyes hardened in anger.  “Sir, I can’t work under those
conditions.”

“You
will,” Tril said, “Or I will draft some letters suggesting that Kophati Peacemakers
are wasting their time chasing ghosts and that’s why Na’leen was able to build
his rebellion under your noses.”

The
Huouyt’s eerie electric-blue eyes fixed on him.  “And if I prove this Zero is
not a loyal and willing soldier of the Congressional Army?”

“You
may have him.”

The
Peacemaker gave Tril a bitter nod and left, taking the recruit with him.

Tril
turned the Earth artifact in his sensitive, newly-grown fingers.  The surfaces
of the object were gleaming smooth in patches and the white cross had been
rubbed almost completely off.  Falling rubble had gouged deep marks in the
sides and bent the corkscrew slightly out of place. 

Tril
set it aside. 
Something brought you down into Na’leen’s lair, Zero.  Pray
it was your desire to help save Congress, not your desire to destroy it.

#

“No.”

“Zero,
you have half a tic to take them down or I will do it for you.”

“You
can try,” Joe snarled, gripping a sleeve with tight fingers.  “My last battlemaster
let me wear them.”

“I am
not Nebil,” Battlemaster Gokli said, his voice cold.  “Do not make me prove
it.”

Joe
glanced from Battlemaster Gokli to the other three Ooreiki he had brought into
the barracks with him that morning.  Behind him, his platoon waited.  They’d
been together just over a turn, now, and they best kill rate in the regiment. 
Joe had been about to take them to breakfast when Gokli came to demand they
take down their sleeves.  Not one member of his platoon had complied.

Gokli
was pissed.

“So who
ordered it?” Joe demanded.  “Was it Tril?  Well you can tell that
vaghi
to
go burn himself.”

“
Overseer
Tril had nothing to do with it,” Gokli said.  “Zero, you have used up my
patience.”  His battlemaster nodded at the other Ooreiki and they began to
surround him.

Without
his biosuit, Joe didn’t stand a chance against three Ooreiki.  Still, he
couldn’t will himself to do as they ordered.  It felt like a betrayal.

“Back
off,” Joe warned.  “I’m not doing it.”  He tore a clothes chest off the ground,
ready to throw it at the first Ooreiki to come at him.

Gokli
stopped, staring at the chest in his arms.  “Disobedience in a soldier is punishable
by death, Zero.”

“Then
kill me,” Joe snapped, “And stop wasting my time.”

The
four Ooreiki converged on him.  Joe threw the chest, knocking that Ooreiki
back, but the three others grabbed his arms before he could dodge out of the
way.  Joe struggled and Gokli tightened his grip until he cried out.  Then another
reached out to rip off Joe’s cammi jacket.  Joe slammed his heel into the third
Ooreiki’s abdomen, a young battlemaster that reminded him of Aneeir.  The
Ooreiki stumbled backwards, cradling the sensitive spot protecting his
oorei.
 
Joe kicked him again, this time in the head.

The
Ooreiki fell over.

“Zero!”
  Gokli wrapped a stinging tentacle around his neck and jerked him
back until he was bent over almost double.  “That was your last mistake,
recruit.  You’ve caused me enough trouble for a whole platoon.  The Peacemakers
can have you.”

Joe
struggled for breath, his vision darkening around the edges, blood pounding
like thunder in his ears. 

Not
even the roar of his pulse, however, could drown out the sound of his grounders
swarming the Ooreiki.  In a panic, Joe tried to call them off, but couldn’t
make out more than a strangled groan.  His last thought before he passed out
was,
Oh soot.  They’ll kill us all.

#

Joe
stepped into the cool, well-kempt Ooreiki office and immediately felt a bitter
taste in his mouth when he saw Overseer Tril sitting behind a desk.  “What do
you want?”

A
brightly-dressed Ooreiki immediately moved toward him from across the room. 
“Are you the recruit battlemaster that led your untrained platoon into
Na’leen’s den to help bring Kophat back under Congressional control?  The
recruit named Zero?”