“Speaking of that immunity, Tzu, what is the possibility that the Ants may have a similar exoskeleton?”
She considered for a few moments before answering.
“Unknown, Commander. The Scientist team is currently praying to the Black Swamps we never have occasion to find out.”
This surprised me, as it seemed contradictory to the curious nature of the Scientists.
“Explain, Tzu.”
“The time to investigate the Ants would have been before they knew about our presence. Now that they know we are here, it is only a matter of time before they act on that knowledge. As such, the Scientists feel it is in the best interest of safety to complete our mission in the shortest time possible and depart. Our position here is tenuous at best, and it becomes more so with the passage of time.”
With that, she turned and strode away.
While she had given me much to think on, I postponed such activity until later. There were other, more pressing matters demanding my time currently. To that end, I sought out Zur.
“How is Hif’s arm?” I inquired.
“Fine, Commander. The Scientists injected her with a compound to speed the bone mending. She should be ready for light duty in time for the next guard shift, and for full duty by tomorrow.”
“Good. Has Horc spoken to you about the skimmer design?”
“Yes, Commander.”
“What is your opinion?”
“While it was enlightening to learn a Technician shares the Warriors’ opinion of the skimmers, I declined his offer.”
This answer was unexpected.
“Explain, Zur.”
“Although obviously unstable, the skimmers are still the fastest means of ground transport available to us. As the mission progresses, we will be forced to canvass farther and farther afield seeking specimens for the Scientists. To accomplish this efficiently, we will have to cover great stretches of ground as fast as possible. While the flyers can serve to a certain degree as spotters, actual observations and capture can only be effected at ground level.”