Lyon's Pride (2 page)

Meanwhile, one of the escaping Hive ships has been tracked to a star system where it is obviously slowing down. Rojer is sent to the
Genesee
to expedite messages for Squadron B—two Human ships and one Mrdini ship—which is hovering, undetectable, within an asteroid belt of the system.

The crew watch as the arriving Hiver ship is attacked from moon bases and planetary surfaces. When the ship's ammunition is exhausted, the queens flee in escape pods which are disintegrated. This shocks those on the
Genesee.
As much as the 'Dini have observed of their enemy over the centuries, they are as surprised and stunned as their Human allies. It is new territory for them, too.

Instead of being allowed to go in blasting, Squadron B and the
Genesee
are ordered to hold a watching brief, utilizing as many probes as possible, with Rojer's help, to gather information. It is thought that Thian, on his way back to “civilization” on the
KLTL
, which has now definitely established that the Hiver homeworld was destroyed in the nova, will join or replace his brother on the
Genesee
.

Two squadrons are still in pursuit of the remaining two Hive spheres while Squadron A, Thian's original group, is searching for the other two pods which evacuated from the Great Sphere before it was hit by the nova shock wave. A waiting game is played on several levels and ethical problems of great magnitude must be addressed by both Human and Mrdini civilizations.

D
URING the course of the next few weeks, while Rojer waited for his older brother, Thian, to replace him on board the
Genesee
, he spent a great deal more time on the bridge than he had originally thought he would. Not only was Rojer Lyon the FT&T T-1 which linked Squadron B with its homeworlds and was the means by which the three ships were kept supplied by twice-weekly importations of supplies, he was also able to provide other services to the Squadron not in his original brief. If he was referred to as “the boy” or “the civilian,” he couldn't deny “boy” as he was not quite sixteen, although tall and well-muscled from an active life on his home planet. He also had inherited the family lock of silver hair which made it difficult for some to believe he hadn't yet reached his majority. Most times these references to his age or status were jocular. Sometimes envy or disparagement tinged these epithets—until he 'ported in the next supply drones, when he was again in favor with all. Sometimes it appeared
to him that his 'Dinis, Grl and Ktg, were more acceptable to the
Genesee
officers and crew than he was, but he encouraged them to continue teaching their language to any on board who wished it. At night, in his cabin, he could enjoy the consolation of his friends and they were very good at diverting him with amusing shipboard incidents and their own special companionship. When he was particularly upset, they would “dream” the tension away.

Since the Squadron was on orders to hold a watching brief and to take no direct action against the ancient enemy which occupied the system, tedium became a problem. Even escape pod drills became a welcome variation of daily routine. So, when Captain Osullivan asked Rojer if he could 'port the newly developed and undetectable probes to discover what they could about the moons' defenses and the three spherical ships in docking orbit around the planet, he was quite willing to oblige.

The activity was one he was well able for: in fact, it gave him no little satisfaction to know that “the boy/civilian” had an ability no one else in the B Squadron had. He was also just as curious as anyone else in the Squadron to learn as much as possible about the Hivers' world. He had discreet knowledge from Gil and Kat that Captain Prtglm of the
KTTS
would have preferred direct action to surveillance and had been extremely upset by the “surveillance” order from the High Council which had originated from the Human Supreme Commander, Admiral Tohl Mekturian, and the Mrdini High Councillor, Gktmglnt.

The Squadron had been given a stunning display of the planet's defenses when they had observed the attack on the refugee Hive ship which they had followed to this system. Their three ships would have been totally outgunned and unable to inflict telling damage on planetary installations.

It was a different matter entirely to survey as much as
possible of this enemy planet. Rojer enthusiastically entered into dispersing disguised monitors to the material clustering about the three sphere ships which were in a construction-level orbit about the planet. Certainly any ground-based sensors wouldn't notice him tucking a few more “pieces” amid the clutter that spun in disarray round the world. Frankly, Rojer thought tossing such garbage into space was an appalling way to discard rubbish.

Neither Captain Quacho of the sister ship, the
Arapahoe
, or Captain Osullivan of the
Genesee
had expected that the refugee Hiver ship would be attacked by its own species, its queens driven to escape in the pods which had then been summarily disintegrated by the planetary batteries. Captain Prtglm had announced that it was no more than could be expected of Hivers.

Since Rojer's first assignment was to inspect the three sphere ships in their docking orbit, tensions were defused further when the monitors proved that only one looked to be spaceworthy. Quite possibly it had been the ship which had transported the original colonizing group. One of the other two was near completion, though it had significant gaps, probably left open to receive equipment, while the other was only partly hulled. That gave rise to further speculation as to why the planet's defenders had “holed” the refugee ship, rendering it unusable.

Somewhat reassured by that investigation, which he had Rojer relay in his daily message to Earth Prime, Captain Osullivan requested Rojer to make a geographical survey of the eight land masses, the biggest one spreading from pole to pole. An opportunity like this, to gain firsthand knowledge of a Hiver world, should be utilized to the fullest extent possible. It also provided occupation during the tedium of a watching brief.

The Hive culture appeared to be totally land-based and
every centimeter of land was cultivated. Rojer's guided sensors showed that mountainsides were terraced up to the snow-line with what Commander Metrios, the engineering officer, considered amazing techniques and, although some fields were fallow, the majority sprouted with vigorous, if unrecognizable, flora. Narrow tracks bordering the fields provided access for the scurrying life forms involved in agricultural occupations. Their constant presence made it dangerous to attempt to 'port in a sample-collecting probe. Another variety of beetle-like creatures specialized in irrigation, trundling water, held in body sacs, which was carefully dribbled along neat rows. What surprised Lieutenant Istvan Mrkovic, the science officer, who had made due note of the teeming marine life, was that the Hivers had not made any attempt to harvest nutritious seaweed and plankton so abundant and easily obtained.

“So they're vegetarians? Seaweed's a vegetable,” he exclaimed.

“They seem to be single-minded in many respects,” said Anis Langio, the astrogation officer whom Rojer admired at a distance. She was the prettiest of the female bridge officers and he was old enough to appreciate her presence. “A stagnant culture determined to replicate itself ad infinitum.”

“That may alter,” was the captain's crisp remark.

“I'd give anything to see a weed among all that perfection,” remarked Anis Langio in a tone bordering on disgust. “Talk about purpose bio-engineering. A purpose for every critter and a critter for every purpose. Appalling. Specialization ad absurdum!”

“Look at these,” Rojer said, focusing his sensor at its finest magnification where gatherers were stripping rows of a globular green vegetable form. Finishing the collection, the gatherers turned from the rows into neat triple
ranks and trundled toward a central installation into which they disappeared.

Thousands of these installations had been scanned. They varied in size, evidently depending on the volume of crops, but not in shape, all being square buildings covering three to four acres, four or five stories in height with interior access at ground level along each side. Rojer had whizzed a sensor close enough to see that the entrance sloped downward. Activity continued night and day, for the creatures apparently did not require illumination for their tasks.

“And we thought this duty was boring,” one yeoman was heard to mumble, eliciting widespread grins and a mild reproof.

“Those buildings have to be the access to tremendous subterranean networks,” Istvan Mrkovic said thoughtfully. “There isn't enough space inside any of them to store the amounts brought in on a daily basis. Do they pick for daily use, since I noticed they do leave immature vegetables on the vines and bushes, or just to process for storage? Yet I can't pick up any trace of smoke or heat to account for cooking.”

“Vegetarians eat a lot of raw foods,” Anis remarked. “Or maybe they have a critter with heat-resistant paddles to stir the stew.”

Istvan shot her a reproving look for such levity, though even the captain smiled. “Certainly we haven't seen anything coming back
out
for distribution so that has to be taken care of underground. Wow! What an organization! You gotta give 'em that.”

“The workers
have
to be fed something at some point to continue at the pace they go,” Anis Langio said, no longer bantering. She had her head propped on one hand and, as she watched the screen, was idly twirling a dark, springy
curl around one finger. It seemed oddly out of character for someone of her rank and expertise. “You don't see any of them lying down on the job or expiring from lack of care.”

“All mining must be done subterreaneously, too,” Mrkovic decided. “I haven't seen anything remotely resembling an adit but those ships required a variety of metals. I've noted the presence of all the ores that we use but only that one finished ship in the construction orbit has been covered with their special coating. And if they have every centimeter producing food, the planet must be full up.”

“The last harvest before blast-off,” Anis quipped.

“Not if they've only one spaceworthy ship.”

“Maybe the agricultural workers are multi-tasked and once the harvest's in they turn on their construction mode,” was Anis's rejoinder. Istvan gave her another of his disgusted looks.

“She could be right,” Metrios said. “The palp that pulls the pepper could also manipulate delicate equipment.”

“And the trundlers shift struts and panels…” Anis went on.

“While the irrigators fill the fuel tanks,” Doplas said, joining in the fun.

“That is when we must be most cautious,” the captain said, and turned to Rojer. “You can withdraw the monitors quickly?”

Rojer nodded.

“Commander Yngocelen and I are still trying to include a small self-destruct unit, sir, just in case,” Metrios said. “Small enough not to create much flare but enough to fuse the innards to an unrecognizable slag.”

The captain nodded approval. “Our relief ships are not that far away.”

Rojer held his breath in surprise. Would he actually be
in on the first invasion of a Hive world? He had heard the gunnery officer, Lieutenant Commander Yngocelen, and some of his staff discussing what would be needed to “take out” the moon batteries but no one had sounded very optimistic about success in that direction. Despite all they had seen of this Hive world, there were many unknowns.

From their Mrdini allies and once firsthand on Deneb, Humans did know something about Hive colonization practices. The creatures preferred G-type stars, M-5–type planets, worlds similar to Earth, or Clarf, the Mrdini homeworld, which meant that the three species were in competition with each other. The Hive method was to send one of their Sphere ships, managed by the Many Mind of ten to sixteen queens with specialized workers doing whatever crewing was needed. Each Mother ship was equipped with scout vessels which it sent on ahead to investigate appropriate systems. The Hiver then “cleared” the planet of all life forms, using as a fumigator first one, then other, viral infections, until the world had been cleared of its indigenous life forms. Then the Mother ship landed its queens and propagated its species until the new world, too, was overpopulated, when the process of exploration and colonization was repeated.

“But we've seen no activity at the ships at all,” Anis said. “Or has the arrival of the refugee caused panic…”

“Hivers wouldn't know panic if it bit them…” Metrios interjected drolly.

“…Well, then a rethink? I don't understand why they haven't done anything to repair the refugees' ship for use if they're about to send off a colonial expedition!”

“They also haven't restocked their moon installations,” Yngocelen remarked. “They pumped out a bodacious amount of ordnance in that attack…even if most of it fell short. Surely they'd have to replenish it unless they
have almighty storage facilities up there.” He glanced hopefully at Rojer, who laughed.