I would, being a human, Flavia said.
A `Dini would, too, Rojer said. But would a Hive queen?
I think so, Roj, Thian said thoughtfully. You said they didn’t waste any time scramming from Refugee when they were threatened. I think survival is the highest priority of queens.
But if it takes twelve queens to crew a ship, Flavia put in, and that’s what even our experts believe now So, if she just stands there as she’s been doing, we won have lost anything, will we? Thian said.
But look how survival oriented she is – hatching attendants to tend to her needs first, then the tiny ones she obviously hoped would be able to get out of the facility. She hasn’t done a thing since they failed.
Common sense suggests she’d try.
And that’s all we need her to do, isn’t it? Try? Flavia said.
Show us how to start that wretched ship up. Then we can leave this installation and do something more appropriate to our rank and skills.
Thian and Rojer both regarded Flavia with surprise.
I’m tower-trained, Flavia said with a touch of asperity, and while I’ve certainly enjoyed a break from my usual duties, I do not appreciate being belittled by persons like that commander. She pursed her lips and regarded the brothers with a slightly defensive expression, as if daring them to reprimand her.
Thian smiled, and Rojer rolled his eyes as his brother soothed Flavia. `Yeah, it could get under your skin. But then, you have every right to be annoyed at the treatment we’ve been getting. I’ve been serving on navy ships so it doesn’t bother me as much but that commander’s attitude needs adjusting.’ He winked at Flavia and then Rojer. They’d been reasonably sure that their ready room conversations were being recorded, a standard operating procedure. So, do we put this bnght idea through the proper channels?
Granddad? what if he doesn’t like it? Conflicting emotions which obviously didn’t worry Thian at all besieged Rojer. But then Thian Rojer cancelled that line of thought.
So, we get our heads handed back to us by one more authority.
Thian shrugged. I think it’d be kind of fun to try! Hell’s bells, Roj, it was your notion to begin with.
Yeah, but … Then Rojer stopped to ponder the ramifications.
Yeah but, and Thian dared him, if it’s young Engineer Prime Lyon who shows the navy boffins just how easy it was to determine where to turn the power on . It’d shake a lot of people and `Dinis up and certainly give us Primes a minor triumph.
I’m game, Flavia said with a laugh, her eyes twinkling as she was caught up by both mischief and a possible triumph. Then her expression sobered. Can we transport a Hiver?
We’ve never run across anything we couldn’t `port, Thian said, and both Roj and I have handled some pretty odd packages. Hell’s bells, Flavia, you were in with me and Grandmother stealing that sphere. We just steal the queen for a few minutes. OK? And before his fellow conspirators could restrain him, Thian sent a finely tuned message to Earth Prime.
Are you available, Earth Prime?
To you, Thian, always.
We’ve an idea which needs your clearance, sir, and your help.
lit me have it.
When Thian finished the explanation, all three young Primes held their breath throughout the seemingly endless silence from their superior.
As the naval operation seems stymied, obviously an unusual step must be taken to break the impasse. Yours makes more sense than any others I’ve heard. And certainly poses no danger to anyone. Of course, the queen might not be docile once she realizes where she is.
Can you cope with that possibility and be able to restrain her?
All we’d have to do is `port her back to Roddie.
But should she start the ship up Sir, Rojer said, a ship this size takes time for its engines to warm up to take-off power. We’d have her back in her quarters before she’d get that far in a countdown.
Look, I’ll hedge that possible problem with a little safety net of my own, Jeff Raven said. I’ll contact Roddie myself to see how we organize the – ah… excursion from his end. I gather she’s in one of her immobile states now.