" Perry Rhodan 0081 - (73) Spaceship of Ancestors" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

thankless partner for such sessions.

Sullenly he ambled through the narrow passageway until he reached the antigrav lift. Without hesitation
he stepped into the black shaft and was immediately caught up by the gentle current and carried along
upward. Seconds later he was joined by another man, who made it clear with a curt nod of the head that
he was not particularly talkative either.

M-7 knew that man. He was one of the doctors that attended to the personnel. If he was not mistaken it
was Dr. 3, actually a friendly and amiable man, at least when one was sick and entrusted to his care.

Machinist 7 almost regretted not being sick at that moment.

"Doesn’t the air seem stuffier than ever today?" he cautiously inquired, trying to strike up a conversation.
"I mean it seems warmer than usual."

"Imagination!" the physician answered gruffly. He did not seem to be in the mood to converse with the
machinist. But M-7 did not give up that easily.

"How could I be so mistaken, D-3?" he persisted, using the customary abbreviation of names which
consisted of branch designation and number. "Perhaps I am sick."

D-3 regarded M-7 with an appraising glance, then shook his head.

"Why should you be sick? If you have the feeling that you are, then report to your section and come see
me afterward. Then we’ll find out…"

"Report in sick?" M-7 seemed frightened. "Just to—"

He stopped short. He had almost said too much. He could not reveal to the doctor that he simply longed
to talk things through with someone. His world consisted solely of questions that were never answered.
Sure, the doctor would not be able to supply the answers he sought either, but it would still be interesting
to find out if he was asking himself the same questions.

"Just to… what?"

"Nothing," he tersely replied and jumped out of the lift. It did not matter that he had chanced into the
wrong corridor if only he was able to escape the searching, mistrustful gaze of the doctor. He saw the
legs of D-3 disappear upward and waited two minutes, then stepped into the lift again. Ten minutes later
he reached the cabin he shared with M-4, whom he seldom got to see. They usually had different shifts
but if ever both were off work at the same time, M-4 would lie about idly on his bed, refusing to get
involved in any discussion.

M-7 sighed and lay down to rest.

What was he really living for?



****
 The Commander was sitting in the isolation of his cabin. His husky body was slightly stooped, betraying