Mission Zero (Fourth Fleet Irregulars) Read Online Free

first, they said, and a right to expect that criminals would pay their dues to society.
    On the screens beside them were the predominantly left wing liberal campaigners, coming out just as hot and strong on the issue of prisoner rights.  If this was true, they said, if prisoners were going to be employed in front line service, that was a blatant violation of their rights under constitutional law.  And if it was true that they were going to be used as ‘expendables’ in some top secret special ops, that was an outrage and shame not only on the Fleet but on all of society for allowing such an appalling abuse.
    ‘Hot,’ said Mile, feelingly, ‘is not the word.  This is incandescent!  But I can’t, I can’t go with it just like this.  I need some kind of higher level info on it just in case it turns out that that lad had his knickers in a knot – yes, all right, all right, I know!’  he over-rode Jerome’s protests and attempts to persuade him that all his information was sound,  ‘but I need more than gossip and a statement from a Sub whose only claim to fame is projectile vomiting.  So just give me a minute, all right?  Back off and keep quiet, I’ll give one of my own sources a call.’
    Jerome did as he was told, understanding that he was to stay outside the range of the com-camera.  No names were used, Mile using a headset so that Jerome couldn’t hear the other caller either.  He had, Mile explained, ‘had one of his journos’ in the office telling him a wild tale about them going to be using prisoners on the Minnow in some kind of special ops top secret thing, so he thought he’d better call to get the facts of it before it went to air.
    Then he listened for some time, looking keenly interested, sympathetic, tut-tutting with shocked disapproval, and making encouraging noises.  Below the range of the com-cam, however, his right hand was writing on a note screen, which he’d got on echo to the wall-sized scribble board, visible to Jerome but not to the caller.  The words ‘Huge controversy within the Fleet’ appeared first, quickly followed by, ‘ Outrageous’ and, ‘Skipper von Strada a disgrace to the uniform.’   After a minute or so with the pen poised, the editor’s writing suddenly got a lot bigger and went bright red, with flashing exclamations.  ‘ A dangerous and outrageous experiment!!! ’
    ‘Well, thank you,’ the editor said, at length.  ‘And yes, we will certainly do our best to make that clear.  Thank you, yes, not at all.’
    He ended the call and looked at Jerome, who could feel his heart beating against his ribs like some bird trapped in his rib cage.  It was the dream of every news journalist to catch the big one, breaking a story that would roar out there like thunder.  There was an official conspiracy to use prisoners in a dangerous special ops unit, and he, Jerome Tandeki, ace investigative journalist, had been the one who had uncovered it.  He was going to win major awards for this.  He was going to be famous for the rest of his life.  There would be books written about how he had broken this story, even movies, maybe.  He and the editor looked at one another, and for two seconds there was silence as both of them savoured the pure journalistic bliss.  Then Mile broke into the biggest grin Jerome had ever seen on his face, and gave him a nod.
    ‘We go,’ he said, and seeing that Jerome was still wearing the slobby casuals with which he blended into spacer bars, told him, ‘Go put on a suit.’
     
    * * *
     
    ‘Uh… sir?’  Dix Harangay’s adjutant ventured into the First Lord’s office, diffidently because he knew that he was in a meeting.  The First Lord had Senator Dorthang with him.  He was chair of the Senate’s Fleet Sub Committee, and was there to discuss Dix Harangay’s desire to assign more warships to support the Peace Corps on the troubled world of Sixships.  The majority of the Fleet committee were of the view that they were