While Thian continues with the KLTL on towards the site of the nova, the search for the three large ships, as well as the escape pods, continues. Attempts are also being made to reassemble from its shattered parts as much of the Big Hive Sphere as is possible to reconstruct, in an effort to learn more about the enemy.
One of the escaped pods, bearing a live queen, is discovered by the Bequing and captured, safely on tow behind the ship. Afra and his son Rojer are sent out to `port the pod to the Heinlein Moon Station where it can be safely examined in great detail. There is considerable deba and many fictions: some wishing summarily to execute the queen, others wishing to aproach it in an effort to establish communications and knowledge of a species never before captured. The Mrdini are particularly against its maintenance. Rojer, with his father acting as focus, easily transfers queen and pod.
Back on Earth, the captured queen pod is secured with twenty four hour surveillance. When she finally emerges, she is seen as a mantis-type creature, eight limbed, and egg-heavy. Since no-one has had much luck in incubating the eggs discovered on the derelict ship, it is decided to deposit these with her.
There has been considerable objection to keeping the creature alive but those who insist that knowing more about the enemy may be a deciding factor in a final victory over its incursions manage to win the argument.
She is kept alive. Food of all varieties is supplied and she is seen to prefer vegetables or fruit. Her actions, when there are any, are monitored and shown to all interested.
Zara, the fourteen year-old sister of Laria, Thian and Rojer, becomes emotionally involved with what she sees as the queen’s dreadful plight and imprisonment.
In a remarkable adventure, Zara arrives at the Observation Station and, distraught by the queen’s condition, `ports herself into the facility and realizes that the queen is freezing, being accustomed to a much hotter temperature in her parturitional stage. Zara’s intercession saves the queen’s life although, despite a hope that there has been some empathy between human and Hiver, this bizarre incident is not repeated nor can Zara explain why she acted as she did. As her parents realize with some regret that Zara is not Tower material, even though a Prime, Elizara, the T-1 medic for whom she was named, and her great-grandmother Isthia decide she may have healing Talents.
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 Genessee to expedite messages for Squadron B – two human ships and one Mrdini 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 its ammunition is exhausted, the queens flee in escape pods which are disintegrated. This shocks those on the Genessee. As much as the `Dini have observed of their enemy over the centuries, they are as surprised and stunned as their human allies.
Instead of being allowed to go in blasting, Squadron B and the Genessee 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 home world was destroyed in the nova, will join or replace his brother on the Genessee.
Two squadrons are still in pursuit of the remaining two Hive spheres while Squadron A, Thian’s original group, are 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.
During the course of the next few weeks, while Rojer waited for his older brother, Thian, to replace him on board the Genessee, he spent a great deal more time on the bridge than he had originally thought he would.
Not only was Rojer Lyon the T-1 FT&T which linked Squadron B with its home worlds and 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 silver lock of 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 favour with all. Sometimes it appeared to him that his `Dinis, Grl and Ktg, were more acceptable to the Genessee 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.