"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0002 - (1b) The Third Power" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

But ButaТan was too occupied by his own troubles toЕ watch out for the marshal. A careless movement had made him lose the ground beneath his feet. He was rising slowly upward like a balloon, upward toward the expanse of blue sky. At the same time, he was turning over like a trampoline jumper in slow motion.Roon had not budged. He stood as before on the hot sands of the Gobi, mouth agape, looking up at ButaТan who cursed, stuttered, and implored his ancestors for help. But apparently neither oath nor ancestor could help; he kept ascending."Pilot!" screamed the marshal suddenly, and abruptly turned around.

If only he hadnТt done that! His rotating motion could not be arrested, and in a spiral-like movement Roon was lifted skyward, following the chief agent of the Asiatic Federation Security Service.By now the pilot could stand it no longer. He held fast to the back of his seat, as was customary, until he reached the narrow exit. For a long moment, mouth and eyes wide-open, he gazed up toward both his superiors as they floated by near him, rising ever upward. Then he hastily whipped out his machine gun.

His first shot swept him out of the cabin. The helicopter recoiled sideways a few inches above the ground. Involuntarily, the barrel of his weapon dropped down, but the startled pilot had depressed the lever for continuous firing. Like a rocket, his speed increasing with every shot, he sped into the cloudless desert sky. Even when the magazine of his gun had been emptied, be still continued his ascent.

It was an incredible, eerie picture, and in broad daylight. Three men were floating through the air, and a helicopter hovered obliquely and hardly balanced between the rocks like a ship stranded in the current on the ocean floor.

Perry looked up into RegТs radiant face. "Well, what do you think of that?""Just great! A unique circus act. This general or marshal fellow hangs so well up there in the air. TheyТre scared stiff, I bet. But now what? You arenТt going to let those guys starve up there, are you?"Perry slapped his palm to his forehead. "No, not that! Tell me, can you fly a helicopter?"

Reg nodded, quite surprised. "Of course. Why?"

"Later. Now weТll let those 3 kites land, very gently. ThatТs the way. Push the lever back a little. Half a G; that should do it.Е No, IТm afraid they are falling too fast. A quarter gravity, so theyТll get at least a few bruises as souvenirs and wonТt believe it was nothing but a dream. Yes, thatТs fine!"In the meantime, Marshal Roon had reached the ground again. Completely beside himself, he looked all around if in hopes of discovering the invisible giant who had lifted him up. ButaТan landed a bit less gently on a rock, some thirty feet to one side. His painful expression told everything. The pilot was in danger of falling farthest. Fortunately, he had drifted over far enough so that now he fell head over heels into the river; and because he was under only a quarter of EarthТs gravity, he was swimming about like a cork, which undoubtedly contributed to his confusion. He had dropped his machine gun quite some time ago.Perry shouted as loud as he could. "Marshall Roon, can you hear me?"

The marshall raised his fist and shook it menacingly. "YouТll pay bitterly for that! What on Earth was that, some form of antigravity?""For a general, thatТs pretty smart," Reg roared in high spirit, and slapped his thighs. He seemed highly amused by the whole affair."Unless you order your troops to turn around, youТre in store for quite a lot of such surprises," Perry said. "In our arsenal are weapons beyond even your wildest dreams."Perhaps he should have kept silent, but he wanted to ensure that the others would behave more cautiously.

His revelation, however, achieved just the opposite effect, "Weapons, thatТs it," mumbled Roon, glancing quickly toward the younger chief of security. His glance said, now we see how much your office and your information are worth! Nothing whatsoever! I donТt know a thing about new American weapons capable of nullifying gravity."Well what is it?" Reg bellowed gesticulating wildly. "Has this little trip through the air left you speechless?"

Roon said something to the pilot, who had reached the shore and rejoined the two. Perry had pushed the leaver of the neutralizer completely back, and normal gravity was restored.

"Just a moment," Perry called out in warning when he saw the pilot move toward the helicopter. "The aircraft remains here. It landed without permission on the territory of our newly proclaimed power. The helicopter is hereby confiscated."

The marshall turned red. This was visible even at such a distance.

"Looks good on him," commented Reg. "I particularly like the contrast with his gold uniform."

"How dare you!" roared Roon, quite beside himself. "IТllЕ"He did not say what he would do. Major ButaТan whispered something to him."YouТll be hearing from me," Roon added quickly. He then turned, signalled the major and the pilot over to him and marched off toward the distant mountains.Meanwhile, the cloud of dust had come much closer.

Perry breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that was our first encounter with the Asiatic Federation. IТm not so eagerly anticipating the second. IТm afraid weТll have to switch on our force field. Since its radius of activity is about a mile and a quarter, the river, part of the lakeshore, and the helicopter are included. Well, that will be our new territory. The smallest domain on Earth but also the most powerful.""And what do you intend to do with the helicopter?"

"Silly question! We have to get away from here somehow, donТt we, in order to get spare parts and the drugs for Khrest? Or had you intended walking through the Gobi Desert?"RegТs face lost much of its healthy glow. "Me? How come me? Must IШ?"Perry nodded deliberately. "One of us will have to, so why not you? I canТt rely on anyone as much as I can on you."RegТs hair, which had seemed at this point to be standing on end, returned to its unruffled state. He made a grand gesture that seemed to embrace everything. "Hmm. Yes, of course. Your right, as always. When is this to be?""As soon as the world has calmed down," Perry replied. He took the neutralizer and returned inside the Stardust.

Reg followed slowly. With an expert glance he studied the helicopter, which lay askew, put the psychoradiator in his pocket with a regretful shrug of his shoulders, and closed the hatch.

In the command centre they met Fletcher, who said, "Dinner is ready. What happened?"

Perry explained everything to him in a few words.

"And do you believe you can be successful? IТve told you already that IТm not going along with it. I want to go home. I want to see my wife again. In three months sheТll be having a baby.""Everything will be finished by then, Fletch. YouТve got to be reasonable. Look here, weТve known each other quite a long time. IТm certainly not doing anything without reason, and IТll explain to you once more just why we had to land here and not in Nevada Fields.""You canТt convince me.""The peace on Earth we have for the time being is wholly illusory. With the least provocation, every deadly missile in our automated arsenals fire in all directions and completely destroy our world. Should this state of affairs endure forever, now that we have the chance to intervene and bring about changes? The Western Bloc and the Asiatic Federation oppose one another. The Eastern Bloc, with Moscow, plays only a subordinate role since the Chinese have risen to become the greater power. We are now in a position where we can tip the scales; we are now standing between both giants, and we are backed by the incredible technology of the Arkonides. The might of the Arkonides in the hands of one nation would mean the end of all freedom, even if that one nation were the United States. You will come to understand."

"Do you realise that you are a traitor?"

A poignant expression played across PerryТs face. "Many call me that, because they not understand. But I am not a traitor. I am simply no longer American, but a Terran. Do you understand that, at least?""Perhaps. But is that all of it?" Fletcher swallowed hard. "You could just as easily have landed in Nevada Fields."

"Not at all. We will be forced to defend ourselves here as well as there, and IТd much rather fight the Asiatics than our own people. No, I could become soft, someone could persuade meЕ That could never happen here, because I know whatТs in store for me if I should give in. Khrest means unlimited power, Fletch. It is hands, and therefore in ours, to prevent the outbreak of war. If the great powers recognise that they are threatened by a might greater than their own, they will quickly forget their own conflicts. This might even lead to a unification, to one accord.""ThatТs a Utopia, nothing more.""LetТs wait and see for ourselves. ThereТs a grain of truth in the modern myth in which the flying saucers arrive and bring peace to the world. Khrest is helping us only because we have assured a cure and personal freedom. He would not have that freedom if we surrender, no matter to whom, because the others would then feel threatened, and quite justifiably so. This would eventually unleash the last of all wars. But now they will be careful."Fletcher made a weary gesture. "YouТll let me go if I wish?""Reg will take you along when be leaves to get the medicine and the spare parts. The helicopter is waiting outside."

That was all, for the moment.

With a twist of the lever Perry activated the force field. The Stardust was now surrounded by an invisible but impenetrable bell one and one-quarter miles high and extending just as far in all directions. From an aerial perspective, one would see, far below in the desert beside the lake, nothing but a small wreck incapable of flight.