" Perry Rhodan 0040 - (32) Challenge of the Unknown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

least a mile and a half.

They came to a sudden halt. Before them stretched a brightly lit corridor marked H.Well, at least we
got that much right, thought Bell, relieved, and left the antigrav tunnel. Close by one of the technicians
was taking it easy and regarding the new arrivals with obvious interest. Bell made his way toward him,
asked: "Say, pal, could you tell us where we might find H 35? We’re new here—"

"Hey, Reggie!" came a voice out of nowhere, reverberating through the semi-circular corridor whose
ends disappeared from sight in a gentle curve. "Since when are you permitted to cheat?"

Tifflor flinched. His eyes frantically sought the hidden lens of the intercom-camera which transmitted their
images to the command centre. He could detect nothing. Slightly perplexed, he glanced at Bell but the
redhead made an innocent face, shaking his head vigorously as he addressed the invisible speaker:

"And you call that fair to spy on us, Perry? No one can find their way in this confounded maze of
corridors, elevators, hangars, floors and compartments. A bit of help ought to be okay under the
circumstances. I wouldn’t be so petty, Perry, and—"

"Wouldn’t you? How about yesterday!" came another rebuke from the air, this time accompanied by a
subdued giggle, which caused Bell’s face to turn deep-red with fury. "You were in charge of the
emergency drill then. When John Marshall couldn’t find out at once where he was supposed to go and
wanted to get some information, you made such a fuss and screamed at him so that the poor fellow
almost had a nervous breakdown. How could he guess there were hidden cameras even in the
restrooms."

Tifflor grinned, relieved, not so much because of the photographic surveillance in the lavatories but
because he assumed that Perry Rhodan didn’t take it too seriously that they had tried to cheat a little.

But Bell remained furious. "What business had Marshall to be in that place during an alarm?" he wanted
to know angrily. "Next time everybody might…"

"Enough of that!" he was cut short in mid-sentence. "I’ll give you another two minutes to find department
H 35. We’ll all meet in the command centre in half an hour. Is that clear?"

"Okay, okay," growled Bell and turned around and looked at Tifflor. "Come along, Tiff. We’ll find that
dam place without anybody’s help… aha, here’s number 34. Then 35 can’t be much farther."

And he was right.

Before their time had run out they managed to place the palms of their hands against the lock of a door
which opened in response to their body warmth. There was a big sign reading H 35 on that door.

It was a hangar.

Most of the huge ball was taken up by a giant sphere whose diameter was nearly 180 feet. A spaceship
of the guppy type. Faster-than-light, easy to manoeuvre, heavily armed and equipped with powerful
protective shields.

"Thank heavens!" said Tifflor and announced his name to the officer in charge. "Not a second too soon."
 "Nor too late!" observed Bell, highly pleased, stating his name although the officer knew very well who