The boulder stood alone in a small field of knee-high grass. It was three meters high and roughly spherical in shape. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about it except for two things. First, it was identical to several other boulders we had observed in this area. Second, it hadn’t been here two days before. However innocent it looked, this was one of our mysterious “moving boulders.”
“Any reaction from the Scientist?” I beamed.
“Zome? No, he seems quite content to follow our orders.”
“I meant does he have any comments on the boulder?”
“No. He is as much at a loss to explain the phenomena now as the entire Scientists’ team was from studying the View Screens.”
Beside me in the fortification, Tzu shifted her weight impatiently. Unable to hear the telepathic communication between Zur and me, she was doubtless wondering what the delay was. However, this time, for a change, she remained silent.
“Bracket the boulder with your skimmers and use far-focus for closer examination.”
The scene in the View Screens changed as the two Skimmers moved to take positions on opposite sides of the boulder.
Now it was my turn to wait as they studied the target and telepathically discussed their observations. During the interim, I considered the scout team. I had been in conference with Horc when they departed, and this was my first opportunity to check Zurs choice and deployment of the troops.
The team included three Warriors and, reluctantly, a Scientist. We were trying to keep the Scientists inside the fortification as much as possible, minimizing the chances of losing them to an attack. Of the three teams, they were the hardest to replace and therefore the most valuable. This tactic, however, was easier to order than to enforce. The natural curiosity of the Scientists led them outside whenever opportunity presented itself or was manufactured. In this specific situation, however, I had to admit their logic was justified. Firsthand observations of a Scientist in this puzzle could be invaluable, even though so far he had not made a significant contribution.