Free The Tower and the Hive by Anne McCaffrey

smiled again at Kloo rolling her eyes over her discovery of latent abilities. “Now she can receive, and come in to add strength to our”—he pointed to Clancy—“merge. Alison Ann was a T-5 empath, but she’s advanced in skill, learning to ’port as well as ’path, but her initial ability made her a superb nurse.”
    â€œIt’s association with us lot that’s improved her at least a full grade up,” Clancy said, slyly grinning at Thian.
    â€œIt does help to be continually in use, as it were, sir. Our father, Afra Lyon, was originally a T-3, but constant association with our grandmother increased his skills to T-2. He may even be as close to Prime as he wants to get.”
    Clancy made a grimace of surprise.
    â€œNot that he’d admit it,” Thian went on. “However, two T-2’s, one with more telepathic strength, the other with kinetic, like Yoshuk and Nesrun on Sef, or the Bastianmajanis, Flavia’s parents, on Altair, mesh Talent so well they are all but equal to Prime. My sister Zara, as another example, has both kinetic and telepathic ability but her empathic level is too high for her ever to be a Tower Prime. Like Elizara, she’s best fitted for the medical and healing profession. So not all T-1’s can automatically be Tower Primes... which, as you know, sir, FT&T badly needs.”
    Ashiant nodded and gestured for Thian to continue.
    â€œBelow the 2’s, you get variations of the abilities to ’port or ’path, sometimes just one and not the other at all. Or some can receive but not send. Or send a fair distance on a gestalt but not receive. T-3’s are useful as aids to T-2’s or Primes. There are far more T-4’s and downward available as backup, but they don’t have the inherent stamina, even in connection with a gestalt, to work on their own, or for very long. However, engineers from T-4 down are apt to work solo anywhere and we’ve a lot of choice among them.”
    â€œI thought that your cousin Asia”—Ashiant turned to Clancy—“trained with Rojer as engineer.”
    â€œYes, she did, sir, and is on the Columbia as T-4 and will probably get a post on a Tower.”
    â€œThat’s just the Federated Teleport and Telepath side of Talent,” Thian went on. “Sometimes we get T-2 rank for clairvoyants, finders and empaths. FT&T tries to contact anyone with latent Talent, assess and train them. Some are better off going into private firms where their particular level of other aspects of Talent, like dowsing or affinities to water and fire, makes them invaluable to their employers.” Thian made a face and scratched the back of his head. “I know my grandfather’s trying to lure some of the higher ranks away from commerce and industry because FT&T never expected to expand so heavily into this sort of assignment ...” Thian gestured to indicate the Washington and naval duty.
    â€œDamned glad FT&T permits it,” Ashiant said, nodding his head and then giving Thian a wry smile. “Though I wouldn’t have thought I’d admit that when you first came aboard.”
    Thian laughed out loud, remembering how many naval regulations and traditions he had set on their ears in his first few hours aboard the old Vadim. Ashiant grinned back and nodded his head.
    â€œWe’ve both learned a thing or two since then, haven’t we, Isthian?” Ashiant said, using his Prime’s full first name.
    â€œI know I have, sir,” Thian said. He turned toward the entrance to the Talent quarters. “The xenbees’re here.” A discreet knock on the door panel followed his words.
    However, when Ashiant explained the reason for their summons, neither Weiman nor Grm could give him any answer to the puzzle.
    â€œThe queens activate whatever sort of worker they need for the task,” Sam said, rubbing his chin while Grm, a dusty brown ’Dini, rocked