improving steadily with each new opportunity to use her previously unexpected parapsychic Talent. She liked being what she called a âpower weasel.â
They had only just arranged themselves on the couches when Jeff warned them of the first shipmentânine drones.
And we thought the big daddies from Iota Aurigae were heavy, Rojer said, and warned the boat bays to stand by to receive the drones about to be imported.
On their way, Jeff said, and the team caught the first shipment at the halfway mark and deftly brought them in to the readied space.
Thatâs for the Washington. Are the other boat bays alerted? asked Jeff.
They have been, Thian replied, and checking briefly, knew the other shipsâ Talents were standing by to receive.
Then Jeff called out which drones went to which ship and they spent the next half an hour completing the reprovisioning.
Now can I go to the Columbia, Grandfather? Rojer asked.
Are you packed? There was a malicious laugh tagging along with that question.
Half a mo, Rojer replied, frowning in concentration.
âWeâll send on anything you left behind,â Thian said at his most helpful. âAnd say hi to all when you get there.â
Rojer disappeared from his couch, his âDinis, Gil and Kat, with him.
Weâre set. Takes longer to get into the carrier than ...
Thian didnât really need his teamâs help to push Rojerâs personal capsule to the Columbia, for he felt his grandfatherâs touch assisting him, then Flaviaâs when Rojer arrived at the Constellation-class Columbia flagship.
Thanks, Jeff , Thian. Weâve been expecting him.
Keep him out of trouble, Thian said, and sent a fleeting kiss to Flavia and his younger sister, Zara, who was present in the Columbiaâs teleport team.
You couldnât, was Zaraâs pert reminder, and Thian kinetically tweaked her nose to remind her of his seniority. She sent a laugh back over the incredible distance between them.
How soon will you arrive at the first suspect system, Thian? asked his grandfather, all business after the sibling exchange.
Admiral... Thian paused to emphasize the new rank and felt his grandfatherâs satisfaction. Ashiant advised us last night that we should make the heliopause by tomorrow evening. Weâre slowing now. The first exploratory probe indicates that the M-4 is occupied and has an old Hiver ship in orbit.
Strange the Hivers didnât notice the proximity of such a close match for their homeworld.
Thereâs quite a distance between the two star systems, sir. And besides, if the shipâs as old as it looks to be, the colony queens probably didnât know it existed when they stopped at this one.
Same sphere ship design? asked Jeff.
Hiver design never changes ... except to get bigger. Anyway, analysis of the pitting and metal fatigue on this sphere suggests this one has been hanging in orbit a long time.
Garbage? Jeff asked succinctly, since Hiver planets invariably used space as a refuse dump.
Not as much as youâd think from the age of the sphere.
Hmm. Check it out thoroughly.
Why? Does another âDini planet want its own display?
There had been four vacant spheres captured in orbit around other Hiver-occupied planets. These had been brought back to the âDini homeworlds, much honor accruing to the colors of the prize crews.
No. Weâre more curious about length of settlement as well as its current population. There doesnât seem to be a hard-and-fast rule of when queens send out new expeditions.
Or when their planet begins to get overcrowded?
Thatâs it.
Why is that important, Grandfather? Thian asked.
If we knew precisely what factors precipitate a need for migration, we might know how to inhibit them and contain the queens on the planets they now inhabit.
Trouble with the conservatives? Or the bleeding hearts?
Thian caught the amusement in his grandfatherâs response. A bit of both.
From which