" Perry Rhodan 0014 - (08) The Galactic Riddle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

so, I should like to state that there is no contradiction at all. The central
data bank of the Arkonides mentions the 10th Planet of a system which is
undoubtedly identical with Vega. Further, the data disclose that living beings
who found the secret of cell conservation-and thereby eternal life-had made it
their abode. Since we have now discovered that no animal life exists on this
Planet, the only conclusion can be not that a contradiction is involved but,
there is an error in the file. We are simply in the wrong constellation.
Somewhere between here and Arkon must be another system similar to Vega. I am
convinced of that!" Rhodan smiled enigmatically. He exchanged a quick glance
with Khrest, winked at Thora, the beautiful Arkonide woman, then nodded to
Lossoshér. He regarded the sheet beneath the automatic drawing instrument
which had just now finished tracing the orbit of the 42nd planet "I would
like to agree with you, Reg, I really would. But there are a few little
matters we have to consider. The Arkonides did not make a mistake 10,000 years
ago. Their record is correct. The planet of eternal life did actually exist in
the Vega system and did indeed revolve around its sun between the 10th and
11th planets." "Then what…" "Wait a minute, Reggie!" Rhodan admonished his
eager friend. "We'll get to that right away. Since we have made up our minds
to discover this world, we came to the Vega system. The Ferrons on the eighth
planet could not give us any clues-or maybe they did not want to. Well, they
admitted that they had some visitors 10,000 years ago who were travelling
through space and who gave them matter-transmitters. They also mentioned that
this alien race 'lived longer than the sun.' That was all. And all our
guesswork is based on that. Yet those hints together with the details in the
Arkonide data bank give us a definite picture. The home of these immortals is
situated in, the Vega constellation. And now, come to think of it, in the
light of two other facts, I should say: their home was here." Khrest nodded
his head imperceptibly in the background. "What do you mean?" growled
Bell. "Upon a renewed examination the file record mentions 43 planets, my
friend. You too must have noticed that only 42 bodies are revolving around
Vega. Therefore, we have to be in the wrong solar system. Furthermore, it is
supposed to be the 10th planet. However, we do know that there was never any
life there. It doesn't add up, does it? We have a discrepancy here. But
Lossoshér helped me with the solution of our problem. He divulged that there
is a big gap between the ninth and 10th planets. His information agrees with
the picture outlined by the automatic graphing Machine." He took the sheet of
paper out of the machine. The hum of the electronic mechanism stopped. The
radar telescopes were retracted in their housings; they had scanned all bodies
encountered in the constellation, calculated the time of their revolutions,
the distance from the sun and recorded all details. The result was an accurate
map of the Vega system. "Will all of you, please, closely look at this map.
It will answer at least the question why the right information can be
wrong." Bell saved himself the trouble of looking at the sketch. "You don't
think that…?" "That is just what I mean! One planet is missing in the Vega
system!" The interval between the ninth and 10th planets was great enough to
imagine another planet between them. "How can you explain that?" asked
Khrest. There was a glint in his reddish albino eyes. As one of the last
descendants of a once mighty race whose degeneration had hastened the decline
of the glorious empire of the Arkonides, he had placed all his hopes on
discovering that civilization which had the secret of eternal life-or at least