The Tower and the Hive (24 page)

We won't need much push,
Thian told the others in his mind.
Here's the first pair
...
Any variation, Rame?

No
problem.

It took only ten minutes to dispatch the carriers, the last one the longest since the Washington was picking up speed with every passing moment.

“She's one sweet ship,” Semirame remarked with a sigh of understandable pride.

Thian lay still on his couch much longer than the others and only seemed to rouse himself when Gravy brought him the restorative drink. She sat down beside him on space he instantly made for her slim self.

Probably.
She was being candid since she had no reason to hide her thoughts from him.

What if they want specimens from every other Hiver
planet? Thian let the others in on his quandary.

It's likely they will,
Semirame said, not at all concerned.
We did it successfully this time. We can probably manage again.

Let's worry about that when, as or if it happens, Thian,
Semirame said.

We've given the experts enough to chew on ...
Clancy
hastily added, metaphorically speaking, of course.

Thian swung his legs over the couch, keeping as close to Gravy as his altered position allowed.
I want us to check every Talent, major and minor, on this ship and see who's disaffected by the militants. I want to be able to trust all of them, not just a few.

Semirame regarded him, her expression almost sad.
We can't check e. very Talent in the entire Fleet, Thian.

And what do we do to the ones we already know are suspect?
Gravy asked, her expression blank.

I'd rather you did,
Semirame said bluntly,
even if Grandfather says you shouldn't.

Raven would insist you told the Admiral, Thian,
Clancy said, glaring at Semirame.

“Okay, okay, so I'm new at this,” she said, holding up both hands in surrender.

Ever regret we took advantage of your Talent, Rame?
Clancy asked, quirking one eyebrow at her.

It sure gave me a chance to get off Phobos Base with my record still clean.
She reached over and tousled Clancy's neatly combed hair.
Oh, hey, one last thought... to still the voice of the militant. We all know
—she swung her finger in a circle to include them all—
that the sphere down there ain't going nowhere, not with the metal fatigue in its hull, much less all the holes. But if we were to ostentatiously plant one of your little packages, Thian, to blow it to kingdom come if any queen tried to bring the engines up ...

Those engines
—Clancy snorted derisively—
wouldn't go
...
Oh, I see what you mean. Smart idea!

I sort of hate that we have to placate
them, Gravy said, looking rebellious.

Not when it anticipates a possible demand they might think of,
Clancy said with a malicious grin.

“I don't know about anyone else,” Thian went on aloud, sliding off the couch and hauling Gravy after him, “but I'm starving of the hunger.”

“Considering how little you've had to do lately,” Gravy said, “I can't imagine what's been developing an appetite in you.”

“Whatever it is, it's catching,” Clancy said, taking a comb from his hip pocket and giving a few swift, accurate passes over his messed hair. “Coming, Commander?”

“Now that you mention it, it is past my lunch break.”

The announcement that the Washington and its Fleet were moving onward in the Search for other Hiver-occupied systems was at first met with some jubilation, as the militants did indeed believe that their agitation had had an effect on the weasel lovers. Admiral Ashiant's advice to the High Council that an explosive device be left on board the decrepit sphere—as a deterrent—brought a loud demand for its immediate detonation.

The Admiral had Commander Yngocelen announce that detonation was automatic should the sphere be boarded, and the militants would have to be happy with that.

Thian sent Earth Prime a message tube full of the recordings taken of the Hivers, complete with the interesting altering “panels” which the queens had been watching. He copied all ten boards in the various queens' quarters. Maybe some expert could find the Rosetta stone that would translate those weird patterns. He also recommended that they see what reaction they got from the Heinlein queen by playing them in her presence.

The euphoria over forcing the
Washington
to remove itself from the “dangerous Hiver-occupied planet” did not last long. Militant leaders must have engaged in considerable discourse, and they decided that the High Council had deliberately ordered the
Washington
onward in an attempt to cool the volatile situation. They were certain that an even more egregious plan was being formulated by weasel lovers to subvert what was, to them, so obviously the “will of the people.” The
Washington
was still searching, and who could know what might be the next attempt to pollute Earth or one of the other civilized Star Leagueworlds. The only sure answer to the threat posed by the spheres was the complete annihilation of the Hiver worlds. Renewed agitations stressed the formidable weaponry of the
Washington
and the other ships in that Fleet: the availability of weapons that could scorch the surface of any planet, wiping out all life-forms, including the hated Hivers. The rebuttal that this would only put Humanity on the same level as the Hivers . was scorned and ignored.

Two of the larger yachts attempted to bomb the Heinlein Base where the captured queen was being “coddled.” The missiles were repulsed by the automatic shields that guarded the facility against stray meteors. The resultant explosions midspace caused damage to ships that had not been warned of the action. There were forty fatalities on nine of the small craft ringing the moon, some of which did not have escape pods so that all aboard perished when the hulls of their ships were penetrated by debris. The crews of both large yachts were arrested on charges of manslaughter, endangering the lives and property of twelve other ships and malicious damage to a government facility.

A more devious mission by dedicated militants came closer to success when a heavily armed and well-drilled group, using moon vehicles, made an assault on the installation. Their advance was seen in time by the observation post and marine units were 'ported in—again arousing intense criticism of FT&T—to deal with the invaders.

More splinter groups evolved from those abortive attempts, disgusted with the inefficiency with which these had been conducted. In general, the two attacks on the Heinlein Base had an adverse reaction on the militants. Such unnecessary deaths roused to action those who felt that it was immoral to wish to destroy an entire species. Broadcasts replayed ancient examples of genocides, hoping to remind Humans that such vengeance produced longer-lasting problems than it eliminated. Surely Humankind had grown beyond such heinous solutions, whether the target of such annihilation was Human or alien.

The issue began to involve many Mrdinis, since they were well known to side with the militants on the issue of destroying any planet occupied by Hivers. However, there was dissension within the largest militant group about including aliens to achieve their God-given objective. Fortunately, the oldest of the Mrdini colors held the power to control the official Mrdini political position and they were of one mind on the immorality of annihilation. Since adulation of and obedience to their elders was a fundamental concept of Mrdini social behavior, no Mrdini would disobey their leaders. The example of Prtglm, who had murdered Rojer's Gil and Kat on board the
KTTS,
was a constant reminder that no unauthorized or independent action could be taken against their ancient adversary without the most stringent redress.

The hope of the High Council rested on the abilities of their Human counterparts and the combined scientific research into finding a way to restrict Hivers to the planets they now occupied. Such a constraint would placate the most vengeful of the younger Mrdinis, such as Captain Klml and others in positions to vent their belligerence. A formidable task, but one in which both Human and Mrdini scientists were determined to succeed.

Another dedicated faction still dreamed of finding a way to communicate with the queens by odor since that had provoked some reaction from the queen during the Washington's infiltration of their quarters. Though ridiculed by some xenologists, the idea was not without merit. The odors of Human perspiration and/or the smells of the uniform material and gear they carried had provoked the only reaction from a queen yet recorded.

 

With the Talavera settlement expanding so rapidly, the High Council decreed the opening of Marengo as well. Exhaustive investigations of Marengo's environment showed that it was suitable for either Mrdini or Human occupation. Since the planet had a decided axial tilt, similar to Earth's, with large continental masses making almost a complete circuit at the equator, as well as four medium continents in the temperate zones, the planet would be opened to dual colonization: the Mrdini concentrated in the tropics while Humans could settle the higher, more temperate areas.

Of course, the militants were joined by other factions in an outcry that this was so obviously an attempt to placate everyone, and please no one. There were enough Humans and Mrdinis—especiaHy Humans paired with Mrdinis—volunteering for the mixed colony that the Marengo expedition was enthusiastically acclaimed by the moderate and the conservative elements. At least FT&T was able to place Morgelle of Betelgeuse, who was no relation to the Gwyn-Raven-Lyon Primes, as Tower Prime so that much publicity was attached to her appointment. That accord was brief, but a return to the insistence of the militants was deflated by the Second Fleet's discovery of another Talavera-type world, bearing traces of a failed Hiver colony. The disquieting element of that news was that no sphere remained in orbit. The optimists said that meant the Hivers were unlikely to return to that solar system again, and the pessimists wanted to know
where,
in that case, the sphere had gone. This planet was named Clariflor—since its surface had elements that resembled Clarf's terrain as well as climate and a vast primeval swamp area reminiscent of the old American state of Florida. There were highlands and cooler areas suitable for Human occupation, but Clariflor would be mainly a Mrdini world.

After the disasters befalling both Thian and Rojer and the overuse of T-2 Kincaid Dano, FT&T had initiated the practice of never sending a single high T out on an assignment without a support Talent. Unfortunately, that left insufficient T-2's and T-3's to establish a Tower, until a suitable Prime could be released from other duties. Naturally this allowed the militants the chance to complain that FT&T was not doing its duty by supplying Primes when needed. No amount of argument could explain that Prime Talents were thin on the worlds constituting the Human part of the Alliance. All who could be useful were in full employment. Meanwhile, the Clariflor expedition was being serviced to the best of FT&T's ability by Talents on shipboard.

“And that's that!” Jeff Raven remarked to the meeting that he had called to explain the current FT&T situation to the two High Councillors. “We can't supply what we do not have. The militants may cry ‘nepotism,' ” he went on, making quote marks with his long fingers, and seeing the answering grins at the conference table, “and ignore the exhortations of FT&T to test every child at an early age to cultivate and develop even the slightest bit of Talent. The best way to get more Talents is to breed them from Talents.”

“And we,” said the Rowan firmly, for she was present in one of her rare in-system trips to attend this conference, “have certainly done our part. Now if a certain other planet...” Leaning both elbows on the table and propping her chin on her clasped hands, she gave her mate a penetratingly meaningful stare.

“All right, all right, Rowan, Deneb is well endowed with latent Talents, but damned few Primes—old enough, that is,” he hastily corrected himself since his son Jeran had fathered several likely ones, “to take on the responsibilities of a Tower. Young Barry's not quite old enough. He needs more training. We'll have to put Xahra in for a while at the beginning, and let her break him in. He could just do for Clariflor. But you have to admit that more Denebians are voluntarily coming forward...”

“Even if their willingness smacks more of nepotism than the critics would like,” Gollee Gren added, since he referred to those of the Sparrow, Eagles and Hawk clans, who were loosely related to the Ravens.