`Let us not assume what has not been established beyond doubt,’ Captain Ashiant reminded those captains and first officers who attended his weekly updates.
`There are still panels on the Refugee whose function is unknown.’ That was the standard warning every scout captain impressed on his or her crew before the scout departed on an exploratory nussion.
Every week the star charts were upgraded by such side-trips and new primaries, including an unusual binary-sun system that fascinated all the astronomy buffs.
After the second Hiver occupation was discovered, the Vadim’s new captain, Pat Shepherd, brought up the suggestion that a multi-tasked beacon be set up near the heliopause of Hiver systems: to warn any passing Alliance ship of Hivers; to record any outgoings in which case a message capsule would be released to speed back to Alliance space where any Prime would soon `hear’ its shriek and retrieve it. After the Denebian penetration, every Alliance system had installed a device that could identi the Hiver stinggpzzt and emit a warning.
A contest to design such a device was circulated through the Fleet and small, mechanically oriented groups vied with each other to come up with the successful design. The winning design group came from the Washington, because Rojer and Commander Tikele worked all the hours of the week to win the competition. Then the design was distributed among the machine shops of all the ships to ensure a sufficient supply.
Uninhabited M-5 planets were examined in more detail: one had an indigenous lifeform which was abe;idy using primitive tools and had controlled fires.
That system was duly put off-limits. Several planets, despite appropriate atmospheres and distribution of land mass to sea, did not appear viable for human or Mrdini occupation, showing high levels of radiation, too much seismic activity or other anomalies.
`Well, such conditions would account for some of the by-passes,’ Captain Ashiant said at one of the weekly `brass’ meetings which included the Talents. `One thing puzzles me. How did the Hivers know which to by-pass? If we have probes, what do the Hivers use to obtain the same information, because they surely must? Did anyone ever discover if Deneb had been probed by a Hiver mechanism?’ He turned to Clancy.
`Sir, the Denebian penetration happened long before my birth. My uncle who lived through those days never mentioned a probe but then Deneb was pretty primitive in those days. And who was expecting visitors from outer space?’ `But did you not as a youngling on Deneb recover quantities of Hiver materials?’ asked Captain Spktm.
`Yes sir, indeed, we all did,’ and Clancy indicated Thian and Rojer, `and the navy installation on Deneb is still trying to fit the pieces together.’ He grinned.
`Probes usually return to the sender to deliver the information they’ve acquired,’ Rojer added.
`True, true,’ Ashiant said, fingering his jawline as he often did.
`Flavia Bastianmajani recently sent us a message, Thian went on, that the first of the occupied Hive systems showed a total breakdown which hasn’t yet been fully analysed. The xenos and biologists have an unconfirmed opinion that the planet was deficient in some element or elements which are vital to Hive survival. So, if they do use a probe, it doesn’t tell them all they need to know.
`So there are discrepancies in their colonial programme,’ Captain Germys of the Genessee remarked in his dry fashion. `That’s encouraging.’ `And they avoid some planets that are fine for us.’ `But if that colony failed, what sort of information do the Hiver probes seek?’ asked Germys’ first officer, Beckin Watusa, a very tall and very dark-skinned man.
`Well, one we saw was mainly islands, some good sized, but no large land masses,’ said Selig Derynic of the destroyer, Comanche. `So perhaps that’s one of their criteria-large continents.’ `They probe for suitable atmospheres as well, since two they’ve by-passed showed hydrogen-nitrogen imbalances,’ Vandermeer said.
`No,’ Captain Prim of the KLTL said emphatically, its usually smooth fur ruffling, a sign of agitation, `the probe finds out how much and what kind of life had to be “fumigated” `Then let us be thankful for whatever limitations their probes, if they use them, report,’ Ashiant said briskly.