Metrios looked considerably more receptive the moment Rojer mentioned `engineer’ `Please contact him then. Discreetly, of course, Osullivan asked Rojer.
`Certainly, sir,’ Rojer replied. He had determinedly not fallen into the habit of naval parlance of responding with the usual `aye, sir’. That was his subtle reaction to `boy’ and `civilian’ Metrios grinned. `Would you need much power?’ `Not for a query, Rojer said, grinning back. Xexo would be as up to date as possible on what was being assembled, either by the naval or the `civilian’ piece jiggers.
And he might even have some informed guesses. `Thing worries me, though, is that that explosion might also have taken out the ventilation control system.
`That’s a distinct possibility. Sure wrecked the area,’ Metrios said Rojer held up one hand, indicating he was initiating his query, but he sensed a definite eagerness in the atmosphere of the bridge.
Clearly Captain Prtglm was not the only one who wanted to secure a trophy out of this encounter. Of course, the Genessee and the Arnpahoe would share any honours with the KTTS.
Everyone in the Alliance would rejoice to have purloined a nearly operational ship from a Hive colony.
He suppressed the chuckle that threatened to overset his composure and sternly focused his mind on the gestalt to send the message.
Familiarity with Xexo’s mind made the `pathing easier. Rojer elected to make it an informal query because nothing might come of it and there was no point in getting hopes up only to dash them down.
Xexo was surprised to hear Rojer.
Come through loud and clear, lad. But shouldn’t you No, this is between you and me, Xexo, about our piecing.
They don’t have a set on board here and I need your help on one aspect of the reconstruction.
Oh, well, in that case Xexo had always been more interested in the mechanical aspects of Tower than protocol so he made no further objections. whaddya need to know?
What Xexo knew about the ventilation and lifesupport systems was incomplete. In fact, Rojer realized that his probe had accumulated more cogent information which he then shared with the T-8. Xexo could then confirm that the main environmental control systems had probably been demolished by the torpedo.
Queens seem to have had an independent emergency supply.
Get that started and you m(ght flush a lot of the gas out, `specially with a hole already in the hull. Hey, you guys bring that ship back and you will be real heroes! Xexo added, excitement colouring his usual imperturbable manner.
Too much of the ship Squadron A salvaged has been damaged beyond guess or gosh. Then Xexo `showed’ Rojer what diagrams existed, incomplete as they were.
`Since the queens abandoned ship,’ Metrios said when he had a chance to study what Rojer transferred to the screen, `that area would not have been secured.
But it appears,’ and his finger wandered off the diagram, `that one could flush the system of the gas quite efficiently from the main circulation point.
`If we knew how to work such controls,’ Rojer said.
“Dinis keep telling us that the queens developed specific workers for various ship operations. What would a lifesupport worker look like?’ Metrios shmgged. `That’d be a problem. They seem to produce all kinds of workers.
The other officers on duty on the bridge had been following the conversations.
`The `Dini records have reconstructions of some definite types, from corpses that were found after space battles,’ Anis Langio said and keyed in a program. They all watched as the sketches were accessed.
Langio gave a snort. `Take your pick.’ `That queen they’ve got at Heinlein Moon Base?
Have her eggs hatched yet?’ Metrios asked.
`They’re growing and she’s eating,’ Rojer replied with a shrug.
He was still in two minds about his sister Zara’s interference, even if it had saved the queen from hypothermia.
One of the three pods to escape the Great Sphere had contained a live and egg-heavy queen. Conveying the pod to the Heinlein Moon Base had been Rojer Lyon’s first official duty as a Prime, though his father had been the focus of the kinetic energy of that teleportation. An observation module had kept close track of her activities since she had emerged. She was, in fact, the first living specimen of the Hive race that either human or Mrdini had seen. Her continued existence had elicited controversy and, sometimes, strain among the Allies.