Fortunately some of the more liberal Mrdini leaders also felt that the need to know more about their enemy was of greater importance than a very public and summary execution, no matter how psychologically satisfying. Others found some beauty in her mantis-like appearance: the maudlin were deeply concerned about her total isolation and incarceration.
`I’d heard that each queen lays several different types of workers,’ Anis Langio said. `Maybe she’d been programmed for the type we need right now.’ She turned an impudent gamine grin on her audience.
`If we knew what sort we needed,’ Metrios said, gloomily. He leaned forward across his panel. `If we could somehow clear enough of the gas to put a salvage crew aboard `Ah, we’re much too far away to use tractor beams …` Yngocelen said and then turned brightly to Rojer.
`Hey, don’t look at me. That’s mass, Commander,’ Rojer said, fending off that suggestion with raised hands.
`It’d take a whole Tower crew to shift that one.’ `Then it’d’ve to be a landing party – `With Hiver ground batteries trained on it?’ Yngocelen asked sarcastically. `They’d blast it out of the sky once they saw it moving away rather than let us have it.’ `But they don’t know we’re here, Langio reminded them.
`And they’re not supposed to, – Metrios said, heaving a sigh.
`Rojer, you couldn’t just inch it out of their surface to-air missile range?’ Langio asked plaintively.
`No, I couldn’t. Not even to give Captain Prtglm its moment of glory.’ `Now wait a minute,’ Metrios said, and turning to his console accessed another program. `To get the Great Sphere back, two Galaxy-class ships acted as tows, and a shuttle was attached to control directional thrusters `So?’ Yngocelen asked.
`If we could mount thrusters on the hull – . -` `That would mean we’d be seen from the surface Yngocelen interjected. `Oh . ` he added and turned, as Metrios had, to Rojer.
Rojer shook his head. `Look, sirs,’ and he paused to give the courtesy address emphasis, `I’m glad to oblige with a lot of things but if anyone – – anything – .
down there is monitoring space – and they sure knew when the refligee ship arrived – thrusters big enough to move it out of orbit would be very very visible, even if putting them there wasn’t.’ `What do we know about Hiver eyesight?’ `They probably have a specialist for that, too,’ Anis remarked in a caustic tone.
`Possibly,’ Metrios agreed and then went on, `but why would they be watching a ship they know is disabled and uninhabited?’ Clearly, he wanted to defend his strategy. `They don’t know we’re here. They certainly wouldn’t expect anyone to come robbing them of a ship.
Surprise is a big plus `Our orders, gentlemen,’ and Captain Osullivan reminded them in droll reprimand, `are to hold a watching brief.’ Then he gave them a wistful smile. `The Council has not given us any latitude. We are especially not to engage the enemy at this point in time.’ He heard their murmurs of discontent and disappointment. `If we can follow their ion trails, they can follow ours.’ `True enough, sir, but they don’t have another operational vehicle,’ Metrios pointed out.
`We have our orders, gentlemen, and we will obey them,’ Osullivan said and strode to his command chair where he remained for the rest of that watch.
It was the next morning that the captain asked Rojer to report to the bridge before his usual watch.
`It occurred to me, Rojer,’ Osullivan said at his most relaxed and genial, `that we shouldn’t miss a golden opportunity.’ `Which one, sir?’ Rojer asked dubiously, glancing at Metrios, Doplas and Yngocelen who were ranged behind the captain.
Osullivan grinned as did the others. `Only that one area of this vessel is destroyed? Right?’ When Rojer nodded, the captain went on, `You seemed to have no difficulty `porting that monitor around the interior.’ `It was a small one, with a limited detection capacity Oh, I see At Rojer’s sudden comprehension, Osullivan turned to the other officers. `He catches on real quick. Good lad. If we can present coherent diagrams of every level of this ship, the crews restoring the Great Sphere will have a template to work from. Captain Prtglm informed me that the design has not altered in all the centuries they’ve been dealing with the Hivers.’ `Except for the size of the Great Sphere – – – Metrios interposed.