Anne McCaffrey - Tower Hive 5 - The Tower And The Hive

An Ace/Purn.im Book

Pnhhshed In (J. I. Put n,mi's Suns

Publishers Since 1H<H

a memher of

Penguin Putnam Ins".

17T ! hidson Street

New York, NY 11)014

I have excellent reason to he particularly grateful to four experts in writing

this conclusion of the Talent (aka The Tower and the Hive) series. Dr. Jack

Cohen of the University of Warwick and I discussed how I could solve the

problem of colonizing Hivers. So I had a structure to begin with. I was

dumbfounded to discover that my dictionary had only five lines about the very

complex subject of pheromones. The Web came to my assistance and I asked for

help, which was quick m coming from Jonathan Brecher and Louis Culot of

CambridgeSoft on their special expertise, both as generalists and for specific

knowledge about pheromones. We had some lively E-mail exchanges, since

Jonathan knew of Lyon's Pride when I approached him for assistance. His

colleague Louis Culot supplied additional details. I wish also to thank Bibb

Graves from Hewlett Packard Houston for a description of gas chromatographs,

which register the strength and composition of pheromones. We extrapolated --

as is the function of science fiction -- that the future would miniaturize

what are actually large and cumbersome instruments. But then most current gas

chromatographs (GCs) have altered considerably from their original forms, and

no doubt will have altered even more by the time of The Tower and the Hive.

Printed in the United St.ites ot \mcnea

111 <) K 7 (> => 4 } 2 I This bonk is printed

on acid-free paper. # iioiiif di-iign /')' I'atiHt- Shettdan

I am also grateful to my readers -- Mary Jean Holmes, Lea Day and my daughter,

Georgeannc Kennedy -- who try to spot any inconsistencies, typos and grammar

problems which might occur in the fifth of a series that was first started in

1990. I am indebted to my editor, Susan Allison, and her staff of copyeditors,

for their valuable comments and assistance overall.

When an unknown enemy threatened all Human life on Deneb, Jeff Raven shouted

-- telephathically -- for help and reached the Rowan,1 the lonely Lady in the

Tower at the Calhsto Tower of Federated Teleport and Telepath (FT&T). With her

help as Callisto Prime Talent, Jeli freed his planet of invasion. He also

became the next Earth Prime.

The Rowan and Jeff Raven had five children. The precocious Damia, the second

daughter of their marriage, emerges as a Prime Talent too, and is sent to

occupy the Tower at lota Aungae's new mining planet." There she encounters an

intelligence on a distance spaceship, known as Sodan. He tries to lure her

into giving him directions to her planet. Her family become suspicious of her

enchantment with this "mind" and send her brothers Larak and Afra to divert

her. In the ensuing meeting of minds, Larak is killed by a brutal telepathic

bolt from Sodan, who is only a mind. Damia and Afra are seriously injured too.

While recuperating on Deneb, Damia and Afra are contacted by the "dreams" of

the Mrdini. An alien race, they have been fighting the dread spheres of the

Hiver queens, who were the invaders which Jeff and the Rowan had thwarted.

The Mrdini are exceedingly impressed by the fact that Deneb was able to defeat

the attacking Hiver sphere without loss of life. They have been fighting the

Hivers for two centuries and only suicide squadrons are able to penetrate and

destroy the spheres.

In order to cement relations between the two species, Mrdini young are placed

with Human young and grow up learning each other's language and culture.

Damia's children/ starting with young Lana, each have a pair of Mrdini young.

2 Damia, 1WI

Damia'i Children, 19''2

When Laria reaches sixteen years of age, she is sent to Clarf, one of the five

Mrdini worlds. On Clarf, Laria teaches Haste to Mrdinis and learns their

"adult" language, accompanied by her two 'Dims, Tip and Hut. At eighteen, she

takes over as KT&T Prime at Clarf Tower as the Star League Alliance of Human

and Mrdini continues to track down or resist the Hiver incursions.

Then three Hiver spheres penetrate League Space and three pursuit squadrons of

mixed Human and Mrdini ships are sent after each of the Hiver ships, to track

them to their separate destinations. Another group is sent to trace their ion

trails back to their planet of origin. In order to continue these searches

most effectively, FT&T is asked to supply the flagship of each group with a

Prime, or sufficient lesser Talents, to keep m touch with the League Rase and

to "receive" additional supplies of food and material on what could be long

voyages.

Young Thian Raven, Laria s brother, is sent to the I/2z</zm, under the command

of Captain Ashiant, as he and the ships backtrack the fleeing Hiver spheres.

Thian himself comes under threat when the nova-blasted, derelict Great Sphere

of the Hivers is found in space. A jealous latent Talent attacks him while he

is part of a team exploring the dead sphere, and he is nearly killed. Damia

assists him in identifying his

assailant.

Meanwhile one of the queens fleeing the Great Sphere has been captured and is

incarcerated in an unused facility on Heinlein Moon Rase, where she can he

studied from a viewing station carefully placed safely out of her reach in her

"prison." Mrdini and Humans alike await her exit from the pod. Attempts to

contact the huge, mantis!ike queen are futile, as she does not recognize any

other species. All hopes to establish negotiations and thus curtail Hiver

incursions in the Star League are

thwarted.

The Mrdini are not convinced that the nova which had devastated the Great

Sphere has destroyed the Hivcr homework! and wish to have proof. Thiun,

bravely recovering from the attack, agrees to accompany the Mrdmi ship the

AJATL in its Search, thus making sure of supplies and contact during what is

possibly a yearlong trek. Hy doing so, he will

prevent any young Mrdinis from "going on the line"--a Mrdini euphemism for

self-sacrifice to feed their crewmates.

The League decides to try to salvage what they can of the Great Sphere to

learn more about Hiver space engineering.

Afra accompanies his second-born son, Rojer, to the Gf"fjff under Captain

Etienne Osullivan, for special duty when a sphere is tracked to a

Hiver-occupied system identified on Mrdini maps as Xh-.?.3. Despite being of

the same species, the sphere is fired upon from the planet and its queens are

destroyed as they try to escape the bombardment of their ship in pods.

Back on Iota Aurigae, Zara Lyon, sister of Laria, Thian and Rojer, becomes

quite upset about the condition of the queen in Heinlein Base and determines

to assist the captive. She manage;, to sneak a ride to Earth's Moon. Her

interference results in saving the life of the captive queen, who has been

slowly freezing. Even before this incident, Damia and Afra have worried about

Zara's potential as a Tower Prime. Jeff and Rowan Raven agree that Zara might

be better suited to another profession and Zara is, with Elizara Reidinger, as

a dedicated medical T-l.

Despite orders from the High Council to maintain a watching brief," a Mrdini

ship's captain attempts to coerce Rojer into teleporting the ship's missiles

to destroy Hiver settlements on Xh-j J. Rojer's two 'Dini friends, K.at and

Gil, are killed defending him from the Mrdini captain. Rojer barely escapes

with his life. His mother, Damia, arrives to succor him and removes him to his

grandmother's quiet home on Deneb Five to recuperate from the loss of his dear

friends."

The Rowan, arriving on the (jfofjff in the Xh-jj system, helps Captain Rtienne

Osullivan execute a daring plan to "steal" the refugee sphere, and to destroy

the two Hiver vehicles in orbit about Xh-J S. She requires the assistance of

Thian, returned from his post on the Mrdini ship, and HI a via, a T-l from the

Rowan's native planet, Altai r. With the use of Talent, the sphere is

purloined from the system and sent

on its way to the League, thus giving the Alliance a relatively urn.lam-aged

Hiver spaceship for Mrdini and Human engineers to examine. Teleported

explosives Mow up any chance tor the Xh-jj Hiver population to leave the

surface. The smaller Hiver scout ships that emerge from an underground hangar

to tight hack arc also destroyed. The Alliance sets up on one of the Xh-jj

moons to monitor the surface. Once the intact sphere ship is moored off Phobos

Moon Base, teams are set up to examine it in detail. This is best accomplished

with the help of Talents. To avoid the aggravating "sting-pzzt" emanating from

Hiver artifacts, the Talents control the exploration from a distance. Thian

heads the team that includes the newest engineering graduate, his brother

Rojcr, Flavia and other assorted Talents, including several latent ones

(Lieutenant Commander Scmirame Kloo) who discover that they are bothered by

the sting-pzzt emanations of Hiver artifacts. (Only Talents are affected by

this phenomenon.)

While the Talented team is able to search the intricate labyrinth of a Hiver

ship, including the "bridge" apparently staffed by twelve queens, they are

unable to power it up. The Talents decide that the only recourse is to

teleport the Heinlcin Base queen mto the bridge and see how she activates the

ship. Lver watchful of his grandchildren, )eff Raven, Earth Prime, approves of

this ploy and comes along to he sure the queen does not escape. She shows the

watching Primes the power-up sequence and is then deftly 'ported back to her

prison.

Meanwhile, other squadrons are following a sphere designated Number Three,

which seems uninterested in many likely M-? worlds that it passes. These are

briefly investigated by Talents, in one instance by T-2 Kincaid Dano, whose

capacity is overtaxed by the scope of the mission. Before he can be burned

out, either by his duties and by the unfortunate struggle for his attentions

by officers on the ship, he is transferred to Laria's Tower on Clarf with his

TJinis, Nil and Plus. He insists, despite his fatigue, on contacting Rarth

Prime with a report that there arc more Hiver-occupicd worlds than previously

suspected: Hivcrs now occupy four of the twenty likely planets he has probed.

He recommends that these worlds be examined by the League as possible colonial

worlds to relieve the pressure on overpopulated Mrdini planets.

Consequently, while the main squadron under Captain Ashiant continues to

follow the sphere so obviously headed in a special direction, another group,

under the command of Captain Vestapia Soligen on the Columbia, is staffed to

explore the four M-type worlds: Talavera, Waterloo, Marengo and Ciudad

Rodrigo. Prime Talent Flavia, Zara Lyon and Lieutenant Rhodri Eagles, T-3 and

incidentally cousin to the Lyon children, arc part of that contingent.

Suddenly more spheres are identified, some uncomfortably close to the Columbia

while others speed to join or assist the Hiver that Captain Ashiant is

tracking. This unexpected development suggests that the Hivers do have some

form of communication. It would appear that this sphere is searching for a

star as near to their homeworld's primary as possible. But what are the

parameters? From records of earlier star maps in the general area of the nova,

the signature of the primary, before it was destroyed by its primary, is

verified. Thus the searchers are able to discover exactly what sort of primary

the Hivers are looking for.

Following Number Three, the astrogators spot a primary with the requisite

signature and Captain Ashiant engages some of the enemy spheres in a space

battle. At first the Human/Mrdini ships are overwhelmed, until Thian realizes

that Talent can end the battle by tele-porting explosives to detonate the fuel

tanks of the Hiver ships. As Talents are not supposed to engage in defensive,

or offensive, maneuvers, there is some criticism of Thian's actions. However,

the explosives do destroy the spheres. Captain Soligen's squadron, also being

pursued by Hivers, is able to use this method too to destroy the spheres. In

contrast to a direct confrontation, the Hivers do recognize other spaceships

as threats, so the Hivcrs are prevented from establishing a new home-world.

While that threat is eliminated, many more Hiver worlds have been

located during the chase. All of them must he identified, and since the ethics

or the Human/Mrdini Alliance do not include species genocide, how can the

Hivers be prevented from following their cyclic behavior of overpopulating

their planets and looking tor new worlds to inhabit? How can FT&T under Jeff

Raven's capable management find enough suitable Talents to keep up with the

ever-expanding demands for Primes?

0

D j

By noon ot the clay after the destruction of the Number Three

Hiver sphere, the newly promoted Admiral Ashiant was already giving orders to

elements of his Fleet to implement the second phase of their five-year

mission. They could now begin to identify and reconnoitre all

Hiver-occupied worlds in this quadrant ot space. They were to initiate

in-depth probes ot such planets, disable any orbiting spheres and

establish monitoring satellites to warn the Alliance of any further

suspicious surface activity.

As the Viidim and KLTL were already within the system targeted by

Number Three as possessing a primary similar to their original one, Admiral

Ashiant ordered Captains Pat Shepherd and Prim to do a thorough envi-

ronmental exploration of the viable planets in the M-S and M-6 positions.

"They might as well," Admiral Ashiant told his Captain, Ailsah Vandermeer,

"since the chase to destroy the two remaining scouts has already taken them

halfway there. Rather tar out to consider an immediate colonization of ihose

worlds, but who knows how hist the Alliance will spread once the threat of

Hivers is reduced? The Mrchni certainly need more space."

"So they do," Ailsah agreed sympathetically.

"I suspect those habitable worlds closer in to our home systems, 'Dini and

Human, will receive the first mandates. However"--and he slapped his desk top

decisively--"no need for us to hang about. Captain Vandermeer, if you will

please initiate a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn of the Washington, we'll

begin the long journey home."

"Aye, sir," Vandermeer said, giving him a crisp salute and a wry grin. "It

will, as you know, take us five full ship days to slow enough to execute the

maneuver."

"Long enough for Shepherd and Prim to do their probes and be halfway back to

us," Ashiant murmured.

"Should be an interesting cruise, sir."

"Indeed," Admiral Ashiant said, lightly fingering the circle of tiny stars

that was bis new rank. Hastily withdrawing his hand, he cleared his throat.

"Anything else, sir?" Vandermeer asked, pretending not to see that gesture.

"No, Captain, that'll be all. Good day."

When news of those orders reached the Primes relaxing in the FT&T lounge,

there was both excitement and regret.

"I wish one of us had been able to go with Captain Shepherd," said the

recently promoted Lieutenant T-2 Clancy Sparrow in a wistful tone. "It'd be

interesting to see what Hivers consider 'perfect worlds.' "

"They seem to have found sixteen planets near enough perfect

to eliminate any other life-forms, including Deneb," Prime Talent Thian

remarked in a droll tone. "And seemingly about one in five of other M-type

worlds we marked on our way while pursuing Number Three."

He still couldn't believe that he and his fellow Talents had managed to defeat

the Hiver sphere: a process in which, after the first skirmish, only the enemy

had died. It had been incumbent on the Alliance-- somehow--to keep the Hivers

from establishing a new home system to replace the original world that had

been consumed by their sun's nova. If Prime Talent Thian had thought of a way

to reduce loss of life among Human and Mrdini, surely he should not be

criticized for devising what was now known as the Genesec ploy. That fact that

he was Talent was the point of dispute, for Talent should not be involved in

combat, however tenuous the connection. The pacifist element of Humankind had

been appalled and the FT&T organization had received considerable criticism,

despite the success of the Genesee ploy. The success was almost irrelevant in

the storm of display and rebuke. However, the ma-jority of the Alliance had

been relieved that the problem had resulted in few losses. After all, the

Prime Talents had only delivered what the Navy explosive experts had prepared.

"Teleportation" was a main FT&T function. The explosive packages, carefully

placed on the Hiver fuel tanks, had been actually detonated by naval personnel

with the sanction of the High Council and on the orders of Admiral Ashiant, so

the Talent involvement had been a quite legitimate duty.

The old argument about a gun not being dangerous until it is loaded and aimed

at a target was revised and adjusted to the FT&T. So, as the delivery agent,

like a gun delivering a bullet, were the Talents guilty because they had sent

a lethal package where it could destroy the acknowledged enemy of the

Alliance? Or were those who gave the command for the substance to explode the

guilty ones? That the resultant combination of "Talents" and "naval

specialists" had caused the enemy ships to disintegrate offered much fuel to

the point where the satisfactory outcome was nearly irrelevant.

A good night's sleep had restored energy to the Primes and the rest

of"their team on the Washington, ;incl they'd wound up the hist details of

their controversial participation in the hattle to their own satisfaction.

They were definitely looking forward to the exploration phase of their current

assignment, studying the scanty probe reports of the first Hiver-occupied

planet on the Fleet's return heading.

"Will we have to wait until the other ships rejoin the Fleet before we

actually get to probe or land on the up-coming world?1' Clancy asked, [lacing

up and down die lounge cabin.

"Don't see why we'd need to wait for Shepherd and Prim," Thian said. He was

himself beginning to get restless, though the respite from frantic activity

and precision teleportations had been welcome.

"Don't see why not if we get there first," Clancy said.

"Speaking of getting a/zyw/fnr, just when do I get transferred to the

Columbia-" asked Prime Rojer, cocking his head and making his urgency plain to

his older brother and team leader. "That was the deal for me, remember? I help

demolish the Hiver spheres and then 1 get transferred to the Columbia--"

"And Cousin Asia," Clancy put in, his expression carefully bland. Rojer shot

him a dire look that Clancy ignored.

"When you've helped me reprovision this squadron," Thian answered, linking his

fingers behind his head as he leaned back and stretched out his long legs.

"Then you don't think the conservatives are going to insist that FT&T stop

assisting the Fleet?" Roj asked.

Clancy's scoffing laugh echoed Thian's dismissal of that possibility.

"Look, bro," Thian said, sitting forward, elbows on his knees. "The FT&T was

very carefully," and he emphasized the syllables, "nurtured as an autonomous

public service--"

"And who can argue that getting rid of an implacable enemy isn't a public

service3" Clancy put in.

"Back in the twenty-first century, when Henry Darrow was the manager of our

budding organization, he determined to split it from any political group and

to remain legally separate from any governmental agency until harth became a

united world. His successors stu-

diously kept FT&T apolitical and also made certain that the facilities of the

Towers were on a iirst-corne-first-serve basis. It's impossible to bribe a

Talent, remember, not with Primes who can 'read'anyone's mind. The guilty

always give themselves away anyhow." He grinned. "Of course, the present

emergency with the greedy Hivcrs required FT&T to do a lot of kinetic

transfers that would make the founders of our elite band spin in their graves.

Nevertheless, it is still in our precious Charter that we Talents are required

to teleporta lot of people and things that are repellent to our sensitive

souls, though not illegal. Meanwhile we preserve the entity and integrity of

FT&T . . ."

"And suborn Primes whenever they could be found . . ." Clancy added. "Like

your grandmother on Altair."

"Granddad was the one who was really suborned. He had had no intention of

leaving Deneb . . . before he met Grandmother." Thian's grin was broad. "Had

the Hiversbut known they had met their match in Jeff Raven and Angharad Gwyn

aka the Rowan as partners, they might have quit while they were ahead."

"Not while there were Hiver queens needing planets to colonize," Clancy put

in.

"And that, of course, brought the entire FT&T organization in at the time of

the Deneb Penetration with the Rowan as the focus for the Mind Merge that

helped Jeff Raven dispatch the Hiver scouts trying to depopulate his

homework!," said Roger.

"And why the Mrdinis decided to ask us, through Mother and Dad, to join forces

and defeat the Hivers," Thian said, ".since we could take out a Hiver sphere

without having to resort to suicide missions." He leaned back again, pleased

with his summation of the events leading up to recent developments: denying

the Hivers a new base from which to continue their unique form of

colonization.

"I wonder how many of the bleeding hearts and conservatives have bothered to

see the Hiver queen at Heinlein Base," Rojer said. "The sight of her would be

instructive."

"We could ask Cousin Roddie Eagles." Thian gave his brother another slv look.

Rojer's anxiety to get to the Columbia had much to do with his courtship of

Roddie's youngest sister, Asia, an engineer as well as a T-4. Initially the

Columbia, flagship of Squadron B's five ships, had been sent to examine four

M-type planets that had been used, and abused, by the Hivers, one--named

Marengo--being on the verge of total ecological disaster. The massive effort

initiated to save the world was well under way and some encouraging succession

of hardy gras-soids had already been triumphantly broadcast. Ruins of Hiver

occupations were evident on two of the other planets, Waterloo and Talavera,

while the fourth, Ciudad Rodrigo, seemed to have an active Hiver colony.

"I should be aboard the Columbia. Now. Not still stuck here."

"Don't fret so, Roj," Thian said, broadcasting soothing thoughts to his pacing

brother. "Our orders were approved by both High Councillors, Admiral Mekturian

and Gktmglnt. They'll handle any interference to the rest of our mission."

"Not to mention Earth Prime [eff Raven and Callisto Prime Rowan," Clancy

added. "1 see no reason for anxiety, Roj." Clancy at least forbore to tease

his cousin about the real reason for his fretfulness--missing Asia.

"All we have to do on our way home," Thian said, "is Hnd all the

Hiver-occupied planets . . . and constrain attempts by any of them to dispatch

another colonial venture."

"That's all!" Rojer's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Which will probably take the best part of our lives," Clancy said, not

particularly depressed by the prospect. "I might even make commander by the

time we're done."

"I doubt we'll devote our lives to the project," Thian said, gesturing to

include his brother.

"No, you're Primes," Clancy agreed without rancor.

There was a pause.

"Think I can talk the Admiral into letting me get down on the Hiver world

we're heading for?" Thian asked wistfully. He clasped and unclasped his hands

in frustration.

Thi Tiwtr and the Hive I

"You're a Prime, Thi," Clancy said. "Too valuable to be risked."

"And far more capable of defending myself than anyone else on the ship," Thian

said, then bowed quickly to his brother. "And you too, Roj. I'm sure I'd find

something no one else could."

"You're a Lyon, aren't you," Clancy said, "as well as a Prime? You will," he

added with a reassuring grin, and stretched his legs out, yawning. "The

Admiral won't deny you anything."

"Well, then again, Ashiant may be under orders not to risk you on anything,

Thian," said Rojer in a knowing drawl.

"Oh?" Thian's raised eyebrows encouraged Rojer to elaborate on that statement.

"You can't be risked, bro," Rojer said with a snort. "They need you to take

over from either Grandmother or possibly Grandfather."

Thian gawked at his brother. "How do you come to that remarkable conclusion?"

"You've been the focus for all our Mind Merges. I'm surprised you didn't

guess. It's obvious to me"--Rojer looked over to Clancy, who nodded in

agreement--"that you're the logical successor."

Thian sat for a moment, mouth agape; then he "glanced" into the minds of his

younger brother and cousin and realized that both were certain of that.

Slapping his forehead dramatically, he flung himself back on the couch,

staggered by the prospect.

"Not for a few more decades," Rojer said consolingly, "since, praise be, our

grandparents seem in excellent health."

"Spare me!" Thian said, groaning, his hand still clapped to his forehead.

What's the matter, Thian? asked Alison Ann Greevy, T-5, nursing em-path, from

the sick bay.

Thian let his lover, Gravy, "hear" the conversation.

Oh, I thought something was wrong, she said with a mental sigh of relief, and

her mind touch left his.

"What's wrong with that sort of future, bro?" Rojer asked. "You're at least

getting a chance to travel now and see real life and all that good stuff.

Besides, you've got Gravy. And it isn't as if you can't pick a nice

inaccessible spot to live in to enjoy your private lire when you do get stuck

with being Earth Prime." Rojer rolled his eyes, coloring his thoughts with

envious scenes of marital harmony.

That's enough of that! Thian said sternly, abandoning his shocked surprise.

Rojer only grinned, delighted to have annoyed Thian. "And don't keep me here

one moment past getting the last load of supplies on board."

"I'll be well rid ot you," Thian said emphatically.

"I'll never be more than a thought away," Rojer said, and teleported himself

out of the room before his brother could take physical vengeance.

Thian caught (fancy's amused glance and, wit ha laugh, was restored to his

usual good humor.

"Younger brothers," Clancy murmured sympathetically.

That evening in the privacy ot their quarters, Thian and Gravy had talked over

the prospect of his having to take up either of those tremendous

responsibilities--Earth Prime or Callisto Station. Since both his parents and

grandparents had expressed their approval of Alison Ann, the couple no longer

needed to conduct their liaison as discreetly as possible. Indeed, once Thian

knew his attachment to Gravy was approved, he teleported her belongings into

his quarters.

"Frees space up for someone else," she'd muttered as she saw her things neatly

being fitted into his closets and drawers. "Though it was kmda fun being

zapped about by you, Thi darlin'."

"You never knew where you were going to wake up, though," he'd teased, hugging

her tightly against him.

"Well, I'm here where I belong," was her contented reply.

She was, however, surprised when Admiral Ashiant adroitly started including

Lieutenant Greevy when he invited the FT&T personnel to his mess table, a

tacit recognition of their current status as well as pub-

lic approval. Once Alison Ann got over the shock, she rather enjoyed the perks

that now came her way more frequently.

"'Sides which, no one dares complain about 'em either," Gravy added, tweaking

Thian's nose. "They're jealous and can't do a thing about it."

The next morning Earth Prime Jeff Raven contacted Thian.

Supply drones are ready, Thian, said Jeff. Let's see how many we can forward

at a time, shall we?

As you like, Thian replied, accepting the challenge, and allowed his

grandfather to hear him summoning the merge on his end of the exchange. He

smiled to himself, remembering Rojer's prediction, though he kept that very

much in the back ot his mind. He didn't intend to be styled a "cocky boy" by

his grandmother, the Rowan. Incoming cargo, he 'pathed to the other ships in

the Fleet in a broadcast alert.

Thian's team quickly assembled in their "command" room, with its comformable

couches: Rojer teleported in, Clancy and Commander Semirame Kino used their

own feet, and so did CPO Lea Day since she had been nearby when she received

Thian's summons. The Fleet electrician was a new addition to the team but was

improving steadily with each new opportunity to use her previously unexpected

parapsychic Talent. She liked being what she called a "power weasel."

They had only just arranged themselves on the couches when Jeff warned them of

the first shipment--nine drones.

And we thought the big daddies from lota Aurigae were heavy, Rojer said, and

warned the boat bays to stand by to receive the drones about to be imported.

On their way, Jeff said, and the team caught the first shipment at the halfway

mark and deftly brought them in to the readied space.

That's for the Washington. Are the other boat bays alerted? asked Jeff.

They have been, Thian replied, and checking briefly, knew the other ships'

Talents were standing by to receive.

Then (eft called out which drones went to which ship and they spent the next

half an hour completing the reprovisioning.

Now can I go to the Columbia, Grandfather? Rojer asked.

Are you packed? There was a malicious laugh tagging along with that question.

Half a mo, Rojer replied, frowning in concentration.

"We'll send on anything you left behind," Thian said at his most helpful. "And

say hi to all when you get there."

Rojer disappeared from his couch, his 'Dinis, Gil and Kat, with him.

We're set. Ta^es longer to get into the carrier than . . .

Thian didn't really need his team's help to push Rojer's personal capsule to

the Columbia, for he felt his grandfather's touch assisting him, then Flavia's

when Rojer arrived at the Constellation-class Columbia flagship.

Thanks, Jeff, Thian. We've been expecting him.

Keep him out of trouble, Thian said, and sent a fleeting kiss to Flavia and

his younger sister, Zara, who was present in the Columbian teleport team.

You couldn't, was Zara's pert reminder, and Thian kinetically tweaked her nose

to remind her of his seniority. She sent a laugh back over the incredible

distance between them.

How soon will you arrive at the first suspect system, Thian? asked his

grandfather, all business after the sibling exchange.

Anne McCaffrey - Tower Hive 5 - The Tower And The Hive

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