Since the squadron was on orders to hold a watching brief and to take no direct action against the ancient enemy which occupied the system, tedium became a problem. Even escape pod drills became a welcome variation of daily routine. So, when Captain Osullivan asked Rojer if he could `port the newly developed and undetectable probes to discover what they could about the moons’ defences and the three spherical ships in docking orbit around the planet, he was quite willing to oblige.
The activity was one he was well able for: in fact, it gave him no lite satisfaction to know that `the boy/ civilian’ had an ability no-one else in the B Squadron had. He was also just as curious as anyone else in the squadron to learn as much as possible about the Hivers world. He had discreet knowledge from Gil and Kat that Captain Prtglm of the KTTS would have preferred direct action to surveillance and had been extremely upset by the `surveillance’ order from the High Council which had originated from Human Supreme Commander, Admiral Tohl Mekturian, and Mrdini Co-ordinator, Gktmglnt.
The squadron had been given a stunning display of the planet’s defences when they had observed the attack on the refugee Hive ship which they had followed to this system. Their three ships would have been totally out-gunned and unable to inflict telling damage on planetary installations.
It was a different matter entirely to survey as much as possible of this enemy planet. Rojer enthusiastically entered into dispersing disguised monitors to the material clustering about the three sphere ships which were in a construction level orbit about the planet.
Certainly any ground-based sensors wouldn’t notice him tucking a few more pieces’ amid the clutter that spun in disarray round the world. Frankly Rojer thought such garbage was an appalling way to discard rubbish.
Neither Captain Quacho of the sister ship, the Arapahoe, or Captain Osullivan of the Genessee had expected that the refugee Hiver ship would be attacked by its own species, its queens driven to escape in the pods which had then been summarily disintegrated by the planetary batteries. Captain Prtglm had announced that it was no more than could be expected of Hivers.
Since Rojer’s first assignment was to inspect the three sphere ships in their docking orbit, tensions were diffused further when the monitors proved that only one looked to be space-worthy. Quite possibly it had been the ship which had transported the original colonizing group. One of the other two was near completion, though it had significant gaps, probably left open to receive equipment, while the other was only partly hulled. That gave rise to further speculation as to why the planet’s defenders had `holed’ the refugee ship, rendering it unusable.
Somewhat reassured by that investigation which he had Rojer relay in his daily message to Earth Prime, Captain Osullivan requested Rojer to make a geographical survey of the eight land masses, the biggest one spreading from pole to pole. An opportunity like this, to gain first-hand knowledge of a Hiver world, should be utilized to the fullest extent possible. It also provided occupation during the tedium of a watching brie The Hive culture appeared to be totally land-based and every centimetre of land was cultivated. Rojer’s guided sensors showed that mountainsides were terraced up to the snowline with what Commander Metrios, the engineering officer, considered amazing techniques, and although some fields were fallow, the majority sprouted with vigorous, if unrecognizable, flora. Narrow tracks bordering the fields provided access for the scurrying lifeforms involved in agricultural occupations. Their constant presence made it dangerous to attempt to port in a sample-collecting probe. Another variety of beetlelike creatures specialized in irrigation, trundling water, held in body sacs, which was carefully dribbled along neat rows. What surprised Lieutenant Istvan Mrkovic, the science officer, who had made due note of the teeming marine life, was that the Hivers had not made any attempt to harvest nutritious seaweed and plankton so abundant and easily obtained.
`So they’re vegetarians? Seaweed’s vegetable, he exclaimed.
`They seem to be singleminded in many respects, said Anis Langio, the astrogation officer whom Rojer admired at a distance. She was the prettiest of the female bridge officers and he was old enough to appreciate her presence. `A stagnant culture determined to replicate itself ad infinitum.’ `That may alter,’ was the captain’s crisp remark.