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irritably restless.
They needed commands and a feeling that proper action was being taken.
Hellstrom bent to his console, coded his instructions, and sent them into the
relay system. Those instructions would be transmitted throughout the warren.
Key workers would take preassigned actions. Every worker selected by the
relay system through the Hive's central computer would see gesture signals on
a screen. The silent language of the Hive would bind them into a common
defense.
In common with many of the key workers who would unite thus, Hellstrom knew
how thin the
Hive's defenses really were. The knowledge sent fear through him now and he
longed for the mental oblivion of the common worker who had few concerns
beyond immediate tasks.
Driven by his fear, Hellstrom opened a filing drawer, extracted a folder
tagged "Julius Porter." The ordinary vat mark had been stamped on the outside
of the folder to tell what had happened to
Porter's flesh, as though he had been discarded breeding stock whose records
were kept as commentary on offspring, but Porter had no offspring in the Hive.
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He had merely brought a sense of mysterious threat which he had left largely
unanswered. Something about the new intruder made
Hellstrom think of Porter. Hellstrom trusted such instincts. He glanced
through the closely spaced lines of information inscribed in Hive code.
Porter had carried credentials identifying him as an employee of the Blue
Devil Fireworks Corporation of Baltimore. He had babbled something finally
about "the agency." This agency had represented in his terrified mind
something that would revenge him.
Agency.
Hellstrom regretted now that they had sent Porter so soon into the vats. That
had been callous and careless.
The idea of using the pain of a fellow creature, however, went against Hive
sensitivities. Pain was a recognizable phenomenon. When it occurred in a
worker and could not be eased, that worker might go to the vats. Outsiders
did not behave this way, though. This was a Hive peculiarity. One killed to
eat, to survive. The killing might cause pain, but that was quickly ended.
One did not prolong it. Ohhh -- survival might dictate another course, but
the Hive had avoided those ways.
Presently, Hellstrom put the folder aside, depressed a key at his repeater
station. He asked for one of the security overseers in the aerie watchroom of
the barn-studio. The instrument that carried his voice was of Hive
construction and he admired its flat functionalism as he waited for a
response.
Presently, Old Harvey came on the screen above the instrument. His voice
quavered slightly. Old
Harvey would have to go into the vats before long, Hellstrom reflected, but
that could be delayed because this man had talents that the Hive required, and
never more desperately than right now.
Old Harvey had been one of the first breeders. His seed was all through the
Hive. But he was also knowledgeable in the ways of the Outside and an
imaginative guardian of Hive security.
They spoke openly on the internal circuit. There wasn't even the remotest
chance that the Outsiders possessed instruments that could penetrate the
Hive's electronic barriers. In this field, Hive specialists already had moved
far ahead of Outsiders.
"You know about the intruder, of course," Hellstrom said.
Yes."
"You've been watching him personally?"
"Yes. I sent the watchworker to call you."
"What's he been doing?"
"Just watching. With binoculars mostly."
"Do we have anyone out?"
"No."
"Any exterior activity scheduled?"
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"Only a delivery -- diamond bits for our level-fifty-one drills."
"Don't pick it up until you clear with me."
"Right."
"Is there any chance he's carrying relay instruments that could monitor his
activities from a distance?"
"Porter carried no such instruments."
Hellstrom suppressed a feeling of irritation, but noted that Old Harvey had
also made that unconscious connection. "I mean, have we checked?" Hellstrom
asked.
"Not completely; we're still in process of checking."
"Ahh, you're being thorough," Hellstrom said.
"Of course."
"Tell me as soon as you're sure."
"Yes."
"What about aircraft?" Hellstrom asked. "Anything?"
"Two jets very high more than an hour ago."
"Any indication of probes from the jets?"
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