Cassandra rolled her eyes at Timothy's question--that was what girls did after all--but in truth she felt a great deal of empathy.  All her life she'd wanted nothing more than to excel in what had been a man's profession since the dawn of time.  She'd been one of 7 girls graduating west point as combat officers her year--with only one besides herself and Jenifer certified for ground service.  The other four were flight officers only.  In the Legions--where psychokinetic power meant as much as physicality--there were substantially more of her gender.  She and Jenifer had a certain degree of special status among the girls there having been pre-prometheus chamber military girls.  (That, of course, won them more hard work than anything else.  But she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.)<br/><br/>What it amounted too was that she could feel some sympathy for a man who wondered if he was the only one of his gender among  his peers.  Cassandra knew from her week on board that there were more than a few men among the crew, but wasn't going to interrupt a briefing to bring it up.<br/><br/>She leaned forwards at the table, steepling her fingers, and spoke up.  "What concerns me most is this.  Normally, when Aberants warp into our solar system, dozens of alert Clairsentients notice the taint and at least one of them catches the location of the incursion.  Psions and conventional military forces mobilize to respond.  When this happens on Earth, other psions can feel it within dozens or even thousands of miles, depending on their sensitivity.<br/><br/>"How did these Aberants get onto earth in enough numbers too deliver their mind control virus without being swarmed by half the active psions on the continent?  Was it a matter of brilliant co-ordination, with distractions and gaurds too deal with the first response, and the Aberants warping in and out before a strong reponse could moblize?<br/><br/>"Was it treachery?  Non-aberant agents delivering the virus?<br/><br/>"Was the virus delivered by automation?<br/><br/>"Or, worst of all, have they developed away to partialy--or even completly--shield their presence from us?"<br/><br/>