power of the engines was increasing. Further orders crackled over the tannoy. The 767 gave a judder as it began to reverse away from the airport terminal.
“Quickly!” said Morph. “If we don’t stop the plane taking off, our mission has failed.”
Nero gave a sharp pull and at last the panel opened. Morph scurried out. Behind the panel was a metal plate, held in place with four tiny screws. A screwdriver head flipped out of Nero’s pincer and the first screw was undone with a lightning-fast whirr. It dropped on to the carpeted floor.
“Three to go!” said Morph. “We have only seconds left!”
The aircraft taxied towards Runway 2. In the cockpit, the pilots and navigator were talking tothe airport’s air traffic controllers.
The second screw was undone. Nero worked as fast as he could.
“Quick!” said Morph. “Two left!”
The aircraft moved smoothly out on to the runway, turning at the end of the three and a half thousand metre concrete strip to face its take-off position. The cabin crew finished demonstrating emergency procedures to the passengers, and strapped themselves in. The “Fasten Seatbelts” signs shone red. The engines rose to a roar.
The last two screws fell and the metal plate dropped away. Morph scuttled inside the panel, scanning rapidly for the B2 circuit board.
The pull of the aircraft suddenly increased. The passengers felt themselves pushed back in their seats. The 767 sped faster and faster along the runway.
“Just a few seconds,” said Morph. “Circuits located!”
“We’re too late!” cried Nero. “We’re taking off. If we interfere with the systems now, we’ll place the humans on board in danger. Remember what Queen Bee said.”
“You’re right,” said Morph. He scuttled out and Nero closed the panel. “What should we do? If we hurry, we can still leave the aircraft before it takes off, through the landing-gear bay.”
“Our mission has failed,” said Nero. “We are out of contact with HQ. We must think for ourselves. We need to devise a new mission. I think we need to stick close to Seede and the Venom.”
“Despite the possible risk of causing a war if we’re detected?” said Morph.
“None of the risks we’ll face are greater than the risk of the Venom being released,” said Nero.
“Agreed,” said Morph. “This is a dangerous situation.”
The 767 accelerated to take-off speed.
Nero and Morph were completely on their own, until they could re-establish contact with SWARM. Despite their mechanical components and electronic brains, they now understood what it must be like for a human to feel afraid.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What?” gasped Queen Bee.
“The security systems on board aircraft like that are very efficient,” said Professor Miller. “Nero and Morph won’t be able to signal us, and we can’t signal them. Not until they get off that plane.”
“What about through an internet connection?” said Simon Turing. “Aircraft are online.”
“All web traffic is routed through a single, managed server,” said Alfred Berners. “Communications would be detected. We’d risk our robots being discovered.”
“Then they’re truly on their own, for the first time,” said Queen Bee.
The eleven-hour flight to Shanghai was uneventful. Nero and Morph hid beneath passenger seats close to where Seede was sitting. They monitored his every move.
He dozed for a while, ate two spoonfuls of the meal that was served to the passengers while the aircraft flew over the Caspian Sea, and listened to the in-flight radio. He complained to a woman behind him several times about her little boy, who kept kicking the back of his seat, and complained to an air steward about the snoring of a man a few rows behind him.
Nero and Morph remained motionless throughout the journey, silently recording everything Seede did. Morph noted that Seede’s heart rate stayed slightly higher than normal, indicating his nervousness. The fingers of his right hand tapped
“Quickly!” said Morph. “If we don’t stop the plane taking off, our mission has failed.”
Nero gave a sharp pull and at last the panel opened. Morph scurried out. Behind the panel was a metal plate, held in place with four tiny screws. A screwdriver head flipped out of Nero’s pincer and the first screw was undone with a lightning-fast whirr. It dropped on to the carpeted floor.
“Three to go!” said Morph. “We have only seconds left!”
The aircraft taxied towards Runway 2. In the cockpit, the pilots and navigator were talking tothe airport’s air traffic controllers.
The second screw was undone. Nero worked as fast as he could.
“Quick!” said Morph. “Two left!”
The aircraft moved smoothly out on to the runway, turning at the end of the three and a half thousand metre concrete strip to face its take-off position. The cabin crew finished demonstrating emergency procedures to the passengers, and strapped themselves in. The “Fasten Seatbelts” signs shone red. The engines rose to a roar.
The last two screws fell and the metal plate dropped away. Morph scuttled inside the panel, scanning rapidly for the B2 circuit board.
The pull of the aircraft suddenly increased. The passengers felt themselves pushed back in their seats. The 767 sped faster and faster along the runway.
“Just a few seconds,” said Morph. “Circuits located!”
“We’re too late!” cried Nero. “We’re taking off. If we interfere with the systems now, we’ll place the humans on board in danger. Remember what Queen Bee said.”
“You’re right,” said Morph. He scuttled out and Nero closed the panel. “What should we do? If we hurry, we can still leave the aircraft before it takes off, through the landing-gear bay.”
“Our mission has failed,” said Nero. “We are out of contact with HQ. We must think for ourselves. We need to devise a new mission. I think we need to stick close to Seede and the Venom.”
“Despite the possible risk of causing a war if we’re detected?” said Morph.
“None of the risks we’ll face are greater than the risk of the Venom being released,” said Nero.
“Agreed,” said Morph. “This is a dangerous situation.”
The 767 accelerated to take-off speed.
Nero and Morph were completely on their own, until they could re-establish contact with SWARM. Despite their mechanical components and electronic brains, they now understood what it must be like for a human to feel afraid.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What?” gasped Queen Bee.
“The security systems on board aircraft like that are very efficient,” said Professor Miller. “Nero and Morph won’t be able to signal us, and we can’t signal them. Not until they get off that plane.”
“What about through an internet connection?” said Simon Turing. “Aircraft are online.”
“All web traffic is routed through a single, managed server,” said Alfred Berners. “Communications would be detected. We’d risk our robots being discovered.”
“Then they’re truly on their own, for the first time,” said Queen Bee.
The eleven-hour flight to Shanghai was uneventful. Nero and Morph hid beneath passenger seats close to where Seede was sitting. They monitored his every move.
He dozed for a while, ate two spoonfuls of the meal that was served to the passengers while the aircraft flew over the Caspian Sea, and listened to the in-flight radio. He complained to a woman behind him several times about her little boy, who kept kicking the back of his seat, and complained to an air steward about the snoring of a man a few rows behind him.
Nero and Morph remained motionless throughout the journey, silently recording everything Seede did. Morph noted that Seede’s heart rate stayed slightly higher than normal, indicating his nervousness. The fingers of his right hand tapped
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