Zero by J. S. Collyer Page B

zoomed the image back in and leaned in close. “That will take too much time and increase the chances of being detected.”
    “ Captain, look at the scope on those sensors. They'd pick up the bike's heat signature when they got within a mile of the goddamned wall.”
    “ Commander, I have put up with about all I will take from you,” Hugo kept his face still as he looked as his commander. “Don't make me ground you.”
    “ You -”
    “ Zeek,” More said, laying a hand on the commander's shoulder. “Let's just hear him out, okay?”
    Webb slouched back on the bench, arms folded. Hugo pointed at the readings on the display.
    “Spinn, from this sight pattern I assume these are the same spec as Service ground sensors – sensitive to heat, light, movement?”
    “ Yes, sir,” the researcher said. “AI make them for the Service.”
    Hugo nodded. “They are unbeatable across open ground, but the woodland will lessen their range and muddy their readings. Spinn, do you have a display marker?” The professor pulled a blunt length of plastic from his breast pocket. Hugo took the marker to the map, drawing two ragged lines from north to south, in and out of the trees and perfectly slipping between the read-lines of the sensors. “I assume you are capable of manoeuvring those bikes with some level of competency? Load the co-ordinates of these routes onto your wrist panels. If you can stick to them you can get yourselves to within twenty feet of the wall... here.” Hugo circled the spot with the marker then looked back at his crew. He felt a flicker of satisfaction when Webb said nothing, just took a deep drink from his coffee mug. “Now,” he continued, “since AI designed these sensors, I'm assuming they probably know their weaknesses in woodland?”
    Rami nodded. “The satellite monitoring shows regular foot patrols, Captain.”
    “ Bad day to be on patrol,” Webb murmured into his mug.
    “ What's next?” Hugo said as he took his seat again.
    “ The security system is grounded like everything else,” Spinn said. “Neither Rami or I will be able to get in to scramble any of the sensors or camera feeds. The first part of the mission will have to be disabling or getting interference into the security system. There is one place near that arrival point that should give you the access to the security systems...a motor pool security booth... here.” Spinn used the display marker to ring a square on the display.
    “ That's inside the boundary wall...” Hugo frowned.
    Spinn blinked his watery eyes at him. “Yes, Captain.”
    Hugo frowned. “What about the wall?”
    “ We climb the wall, Hugo,” Webb said.
    “ How high is it?”
    “ Spinn?” Webb asked, sounding infuriatingly amused.
    “ About thirty feet, Commander.”
    “ Piece of cake,”
    Hugo glared at him. “You cannot be serious.”
    Webb grinned.
    “Ignore him, Captain,” Rami said, glowering at her commander. “He's winding you up. We have grips. The ground team can climb the wall.”
    “ And the sensor web strung over the top?” Hugo asked, pointing at the red lines on the display.
    “ We jump,” Webb said.
    Hugo sighed, rubbed his temples. “We'll go through that later. What happens at the guard booth?”
    “ The ground team should be able to disable the alarms and misdirect the camera feeds from there,” Spinn said.
    “ Don't suppose that booth is connected to the central data system?” Webb asked.
    Spinn shook his head. “Only to the security net.”
    “ Figures,” Webb mumbled and drained his coffee.
    “ The central system that we’re after is accessible throughout the main building,” Spinn said. “But Rami and I have analysed the schematics and we think that you'll have the least trouble if you try and access the data we need from the smaller research lab. It's here...” Spinn used his marker to ring another part of the diagram. “It's on the third floor and looks to be a relatively quiet section.”
    ɵ
    Webb watched