On the destroyer Athene, Semirame Kloo `discovered’ an unexpected -Talent in one of the electricians who had an extraordinary record of avoiding accidents in a somewhat dangerous job. Chief Petty Officer Lea Day had always chalked that up to the fact that she was careful and never attempted a repair unless she’d thoroughly looked over any schematics. She was vastly surprised to test out as a T-4 kinetic.
`But I’ve never heard anything in my skull,’ CPO Day told KIoo, her expression perplexed.
Thian, KIoo said, I’ve justfrund us another T-4 kinetic.
CPO Lea Day says she’s never heard anything in her skull.
Chief Day? Thian promptly said. Just nod your head to Commander Kloo ri you’re hearing me?
Chief Day’s brown eyes protruded from her skull as Ishe obediently nodded. Then she leaned towards Rome Kioo and whispered. `Who was that?’ `Prime Thian Raven-Lyon.’ `But he’s on the Washington!’ `He’s also a T-1 and made me hear him, too. Now, Chief, with a kinetic Talent like yours, we may need to contact you for help real soon.
`What kind of help?’ The chief was dubious as well as anxious.
`Nothing beyond your abilities, Chief, but if Prime Thian calls you, put down whatever you’re doing and just let yourself go.’ `Go?
How?’ Kioo relaxed her entire body, hands draped on her thighs, shoulders and chest collapsed.
`That’s all I gotta do?’ `That’s right. Your being relaxed helps Thian tap your kinetic energy.
`That’s what I got? Kinetic energy?’ `Which is why you’ve been able to turn aside electrical jolts that would have injured you.
`But how’d I know how to do it?’ Kioo was getting very good at proving her next point.
She sprang at Lea Day who immediately assumed a defensive stance.
`Like that, basically,’ Kioo said, stepping back. `A basic survival instinct. Only your brain clicks in with its kinetic whammy.’ She rose and shook hands with the chief who had a good strong grip with fingers calloused from work. That was the next to the last step of preparation. `If you hear the word Saki in your head, stop what you’re doing and relax.’ `Saki!’ The chief nodded. `What if I’m not near a chair?’ KIoo laughed. `Don’t tell me, Chief, you can’t relax any damned time you have the chance!’ `Aye, sir.
The science officers had other puzzles, concerning why the Hivers rejected so many systems. Were they already inhabited by Hivers? Or inhabitable? Had any of them, by any remote chance, once held off a Hiver advance, too? The sceptics thought this area of space far too remote to have received much Hiver attention.
Others argued that the very fact the Hive ship was going so far from its original home world proved it had investigated all the intervening systems and either occupied them or found them useless.
To settle some of these arguments – which often proved agitated Captain Ashiant initiated a programme for the fast scout ships which the Washington carried. Whenever an M-5 system was observed, the scouts – using a different crew each time – left their mother ship for quick discreet surveys.
For these, Ashiant asked the assistance of the Talents who were as glad to have some excitement as any other crew member. Thian always took LieutenantCommander Alison Greevy with him; Rojer favoured a T-3
ensign from Engineering, Cyra Charteris; while Clancy needed to have two to augment his T-2 abilities.
Invariably he chose Semirame Kioo and the only other T-3, one of the gunnery officers, Targia Upland. An attractive girl, her nickname of `Target’ was respect for her professional competenceee and a knowledge of antique and archaic weapons.
When the scout was close enough for the Talents to deploy the undetectable plastic units, the relevant planet within the system was probed. Four Hiver colonies were discovered out of twenty worlds surveyed, two with sphere ships in orbit and the usual debris. Once Hiver Ipossession was noted, the scout ship was under the strictest orders to leave the system immediately. Detection had to be avoided.
Hivers often worked moons and other planets for mineral deposits.
An argument arose: how would the Hivers know a system of theirs had been invaded, when they had no intersystem communications and their planet-based sensors had, as shown by the Xh-33, limited range?