question:  Why are there only 11 men on the planet's surface?
context: The robots were built to serve Man; to do his work, see to his comforts, make smooth his way. Frowning, worrying about the sounds, Alan momentarily forgot to watch his step until his foot suddenly plunged into an ant hill, throwing him to the jungle floor. At midday some few of the blue sun's rays filtered through to the jungle floor, but now, late afternoon on the planet, the shadows were long and gloomy. Then, through the trees he saw the clearing of the camp site, the temporary home for the scout ship and the eleven men who, with Alan, were the only humans on the jungle planet, Waiamea. Beyond, nose high, stood the silver scout ship that had brought the advance exploratory party of scientists and technicians to Waiamea three days before. If I can just hold out until morning, when the big ship arrives ... The metal killers, tuned to blast any living flesh, would murder them the instant they stepped from the ship! In the movement, his elbow struck the top of a small earthy mound and he was instantly engulfed in a swarm of locust-like insects that beat disgustingly against his eyes and mouth. The planet's double moon had risen and he could see a robot rolling slowly across the clearing in his general direction, blasting indiscriminately at whatever mind impulses came within its pickup range, birds, insects, anything. Six or seven others also left the camp headquarters area and headed for the jungle, each to a slightly different spot. Minutes later, looking back he saw that the machine, though several hundred yards away, had altered its course and was now headed directly for him. He thought of a brown-haired girl crowding with the others to the gangway, eager to embrace the new planet, and the next instant a charred nothing, unrecognizable, the victim of a design error or a misplaced wire in a machine. The twin moons cast pale, deceptive shadows that wavered and danced across the jungle floor, hiding debris that tripped him and often sent him sprawling into the dark.
output:  They served as a lookahead team for a larger group.
options:  They wanted to establish a colony only for men.  They served as a lookahead team for a larger group.  They wanted to go unnoticed as they set up on the planet's surface.  There was not enough space on the ship for more people.