" Perry Rhodan 0029 - (22) Fleet of the Springers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

here!" They ran a few steps and changed to a slower, less obvious pace when
they noticed the two Springers appearing behind them. "Stak!" one of them
shouted. "Stop or I'll shoot!" He used Intercosmo, an artificial language
which every cadet learned in the Space Academy. Tiff talked to his friends
and kept walking as if he had heard nothing. A shot from the long-barreled
thermo-weapon the Springers used whistled over the heads of the cadets and
drew a molten hairline crack in the metal of the ceiling. Tiff stopped and
turned around. He distorted his face as if he were frightened. "What's the
matter?" he called. One of the guards came closer. "I told you to stop!" he
growled. "Can't you hear?" Tiff shook his head. I didn't hear a thing. What's
going on?" "Alarm," the guard said brusquely. "Where were you?" "Just
walking. We can't sit in the mess hall all the time." The guard looked back
over his shoulder. "Ferla, look into the command centre and see what they were
up to!" Ferla let the hatch slide open and entered the command centre. The
light came on and Ferla looked around. "Nothing!" he reported. "Everything's
in order." Tiff took a deep breath. It hadn't been such a bad idea to make
the light switches of the engine control panel inoperable. Somebody came up
the elevator shaft, a broad-shouldered towering Springer with a thermo-weapon
under his arm. Four others followed him. "Hoho!" laughed the guard. "What are
you looking for?" "Alarm," one of the Springers laughed back. "There have
been transitions in the vicinity." Then he pointed to the cadets. "Well have
to lock these guys up somewhere and watch them closely so they won't give us
any trouble." Tiff and his friends were shrewd enough not to raise any
objections. They knew that time was on their side and that there was nothing
else for them to do for the present but to wait. One hour to wait. They were
taken back to the mess hall-the two girls as well-and the door was
locked. Tiff raised both arms to let Deringhouse and the cadets know that he
had carried out his plan. Then he added: "We've got five new guards on board
and they're taking no more chances because transitions have been registered in
the vicinity." 2/ Confrontation In Beta-Albireo "Marshall claims he's made
contact with Tiff!" Bell reported excitedly. Rhodan looked up fleetingly from
the picture he was studying on the little screen segment in front of him. It
was the pickup of the sensor station converted into optical signals. The
Beta-Albireo system consisted of a sun-like, orange coloured central star with
a smaller blue companion, even richer in energy, and probably four
planets. There was no doubt in Rhodan's mind after the conclusion of the
transition that the adversary could be found in this system. Bell's report
came merely as a confirmation. "Of course Marshall can't exactly pinpoint to
the dot where Tifflor is located," Bell added. Rhodan looked up again and
reached for the microphone. A touch of the button brought the commander of the
Solar System to the picture screen. Major Nyssen stood squarely in front of
the receiver. "We hit it right, Nyssen," Rhodan said. "Tifflor is close by.
You can take off now." Nyssen nodded in assent. His picture faded and seconds
later the Solar System veered away from the formation of the three ships with
rapidly increasing velocity. Direction Beta-Albireo. Rhodan watched the ship
suddenly disappear at a distance of three light-seconds as it went into
transition. Then he ordered acceleration. Within a few moments Stardust and
Terra reached half the speed of light. "Be prepared for instant transition!"
Rhodan directed. .... Orlgans had long ago returned to the command
centre. "Nothing new," Ornafer stated from time to time. "Apparently they're