The outer planet, predictably a small cold hunk with a heavy core, then a larger but equally sterile one, and the third was no more interesting, though it had several moons. On his second foray, Rojer sent the first probe around the gas giant. It was not a ringed planet but it had twenty moons and lots of debris, which interchanged when two or more moons were close enough to affect gravitational pulls. Rather a show for the astrogation officer, a very pretty woman named Langio, who was enchanted by the lunar dance. The fifth in was the largest, with awesome surface activity and again possessing a herd of moons: some of which had man-made ruins. Rojer was asked to take that probe in for closer examination. That suggested that the moon had been mined at one time.
The sixth planet displayed more extensive ruins, enough to suggest that it had once been habitable before its atmosphere had drained off and it had lost the necessary warmth from its cooling primary.
Captain Osullivan called a halt to Rojer’s day then and told him to get some rest. Rojer was only too happy to comply. He was exceedingly tired and wished he hadn’t been such a show-off.
Prtglm’s doubt had incensed him. He might still be considered a youngling by his own kind as well as `Dinis but he was `a useful kid’ and he wanted to prove he was.
When he reported to the bridge the next day, all three captains were present again and their manner suggested they’d new plans for him.
`Mr Lyon, we’d like you to send one probe to the Hive ship. We’ve been lucky that the outer planets do not have warning mechanisms on them but, if the seventh planet is Hive settled, Prtglm is confident that it will have monitors in space.
Today let’s scan the Hive ship.’ Rojer was quite willing to limit himself to the one `seeing’ rock.
`Now,’ said It-Commander Langio in her quiet voice, `we know the Hiver’s present position, just past the eighth planet, but we don’t dare risk extending our sensors that far to get you good definition.’ `I don’t need it, Commander,’ Rojer said easily.
`Hive ships are always the same shape.
`Not always same size,’ Captain Prtglm added.
`True, but as there isn’t but one out there, that isn’t a consideration.’ Rojer nodded to Commander Metrios who ceded control of the generators to Rojer so he could achieve the necessary gestalt.
He’d seen where Langio had sited the Hive ship on the astrogation chart: he picked up the lumpy probe and `ported it in a wide parabolic curve towards the Hiver.
The com officer gave a grunt of surprise. `Getting readings,’ Doplas said. `Can you hold it still a minute?’ Rojer obliged and then followed his directions so that, by the time he retrieved it, the probe had done several circumnavigations around the Hive ship without, apparently, alerting the ship to the probe’s presence.
Rojer wasn’t nearly as tired as he’d been yesterday but that brief hour’s work now occupied every area of the Genesee and every specialist on all three ships of Squadron B. He was relegated to the sidelines which he tried to take philosophically.
That lasted until dinner time when he was politely, if absently, asked to eat in the main mess-hall. He didn’t mind that because Gil and Kat kept him company. The food was nearly as good as he’d gotten at the captain’s table and there was not nearly so much formality. And a lot of the crew tried out their `Dini on his pair … with often amusing results. Gil was particularly good with pronunciation problems but the methods by which it taught caused great hilarity and provided an interesting evening’s entertainment for everyone. He was proud of his `Dinis and told them so.
He was roused from a sound sleep by an irritating noise and finally realized that his comunit was squawking for attention.
`Hmmm? Yes, whacha wan’?’ `Captain’s compliments, Mr Lyon, and can you come to the ready room immediately?’ Grumpily, Rojer obeyed but he didn’t wake Gil and Kat. They were dead to the world. Someone should get a full night’s rest. Although he was in officer territory, it was still a hike to the ready room. If he’d been wider awake, he’d’ve `ported, but a Talent never did that without full control of his faculties.