Seeing the Voivode’s increasingly rapid finger-flexing, the Pilot hurried to her conclusion.

“The data indicate that the natives of that planet have recently developed the capacity to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio waves, to be precise.”

Agayan’s clusters spread wide with puzzlement.

“Radio? Of what possible use-”

“It is a primitive technique, Guild Voivode. No advanced civilization bothers with radio, but-according to the Historiographic Bureau, at least-the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is typically the first point of entry for civilizations which-”

The significance of the information finally penetrated. Agayan lurched erect.

“Civilization?” he screeched. “Are you trying to claim that these-these human savages have reached the point of industrial chain reaction?”

The Pilot scuttled back on her footskirt. Her color was now so deep a purple as to be almost black.

“I’m not claiming anything, Guild Voivode! I’m just relaying what the-”

“Ridiculous! I know these humans, you fool! They served under me. There is no-no-”

Agayan’s indignation overwhelmed him. He fell silent, fiercely trying to bring his fury under control.

The Investigator interjected itself. “No species in the historical record has reached industrial chain reaction in less than two hundred thousand years since initial habitat domestication,” it stated ponderously. “And none has done so since the last of the Doge Species.”

The Pilot said nothing. She was tempted to point out that the policies of both the Federation and the Guilds were precisely designed to prevent such occurrences, but suppressed the whimsy ruthlessly. Foolish, she was not.