"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0010 - (5a) Space Battle in the Vega Sector" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)
"The chief is still en route? That’s not good at all!" The man’s voice rang coldly from the speaker. "Listen to me, Mr. Bell—I don’t like the idea of you and General Pounder being alone together on this. You’ll have to excuse my scruples in this matter, but I consider myself a pretty fair psychologist. Pounder is an outstanding officer. That fact in itself isn’t so dangerous, but he’s also a hell of a swell guy to whom you are indebted, and a man you hold in awe, whether you admit it or not. I say you are categorically unqualified to handle this; you’ve got to wait for the chief."The stocky man in the pastel green uniform of the Third Power twisted his mouth into a smile. Reginald Bell actually did feel unqualified in this instance. On Adams’s distant picture screen his water blue eyes appeared like colourless flecks of light."I’ll bow to that opinion," he said, nodding. "What do you want, Adams? You’re the one who set up this visit."
"That’s right, but I didn’t know at the time that Perry Rhodan would be making a test flight. Mr. Bell, try to stall the general, or better yet, wait until I get to the Gobi. I don’t think you’re capable of handling a sharp negotiation like that. Pounder can wrap you around his finger."
"You may be right; but then, that’s why you’re the Finance Minister," Bell grinned. "I’ll admit I’d prefer to hug the old fire eater. It’s been four long years since I’ve seen him. Are you available right now?"Adams hesitated. "Hm-m… bad. I’m tied up in conferences with a Latin American mining corporation. You’re in need of cheap copper, aren’t you?"Reginald Bell remained silent. Unconsciously, he fingered the shining rank insignia on the left breast of his flight uniform, meanwhile confessing to himself, with a feeling of uncertainty, that the deal with Pounder was becoming elusive already—and they hadn’t even started it yet."I’d feel subordinate to him, all right—emotionally so, I’m afraid," he said with unaccustomed gravity. "I’m fond of him. Pounder has gone through hell for us. He’s taught us everything that we are putting to good use now. Without him we’d never have got started to the moon. Forget what you’re doing and get out here, Adams. You’ve become the number one business tycoon, so you ought to be able to stash one of your own confabs."Homer G. Adams, the mutant with the eidetic memory, a man known as the greatest financial genius of all time, revealed a warm, human smile. "That’s why I called you," he said. "We don’t want to make any mistakes, right? I’ll get started at once. Is there anything else?"But then Adams tensed as he noted the other’s suddenly rigid countenance. Simultaneously over the perfect sound system came a shrill howl. Reginald Bell changed abruptly into the man with the cold eyes. Something was up."Mr. Bell!" shouted Adams, alarmed. "What’s happening?"
"Abort that trip for now, Adams. Stand by till you hear from me. This is an alert—over and out!"Adams watched the concave picture screen of the telecom fade. He remained motionless behind his desk. His office suite in the giant skyscraper suddenly seemed empty and desolate.
Seconds later, he heard the high pitched siren howl. It rang out less harshly here in the city than in the government palace of the Third Power, but its impact was the same.
Homer G. Adams was not a man who could be unnerved by a mere blast of sound. Most definitely not in this age when the young Third Power under Perry Rhodan, former major and test pilot of the U.S. Space Force, was now the economic, political, and military center of the planet Earth. The fact that this great conglomerate of power was the result of the productive capacity and superior intelligence of an alien race from the stars was of secondary importance. The main reality was that a relatively petty pigmy state in the center of the Asiatic mainland, after its initial difficulties, had already been recognised.
Because of this, the General Cosmic Company was on a very firm footing. Adams was in the process of revolutionizing the entire global economy by means of Arkonide technology and production. According to last reports, the share capital of GCC had climbed to 200 billion dollars. Newly subscribed issues in the amount of still another 70 billion were imminent. It was a sound business institution, clear and clean, which Homer G. Adams had brought into existence.
Even for the fraction of a second, there was absolutely nothing that could cause this man to lose his head or his nerve. Therefore, it was doubly strange that he now listened to the howling notes with trembling body and wide staring eyes. Moments later the visual confirmation came through. A violet light began to flicker. Gradually its disturbing glow replaced the natural light inside the half darkened office.
Homer G. Adams started as though coming out of a deep trance.
"No!" he whispered, as his lips paled. "Not that! Good God—not that!"
CHAPTER 2
"Move back, there!" shouted the young officer of the guard. "Are you blind or something? You can’t come any farther. Back, I say! Get that car at least thirty yards behind the line!"The youngster was dripping with sweat. By the time the whine of the alert sirens subsided, the enclosed area of the Third Power looked as if all hell had broken loose.
To make things worse, just now, of all times, a motorized transport column with a shipment of Mongolian machinery had arrived. But the lieutenant at the border station could not help the arriving Asiatics now. The Arkonides’ fabulous positronic robot brain had taken complete control of the border. This was a machine that knew no compromise. From the instant of its first activating signal its programmed responses allowed humans exactly two minutes to get located safely. Then the energy gates were switched on. Now the circular fence of energy glowed and flamed along the borderline. It was absolutely deadly. Nothing could penetrate it, and any attempt to fly above the mysterious barrier of interwoven energy lines and spirals was inadvisable. The robot brain was connected to numerous radar stations, and it would not hesitate a second to pluck any flying infiltrator from the sky with concentrically positioned ray gun emplacements. Because that danger existed, a general warning had been broadcast.The lieutenant scurried back into a concrete bunker inside the energy screen. The heavy fighter robots, powerful machines with flexible weapon arms and miniature atomic power packs inside their body shells, now refused to accept human commands. They had been switched over to the robot brain’s control.Moments later the automatic announcement came to all border posts and other control stations that the Condition One Alert had been established. No one could either leave or enter the area of the Third Power. The great dome of the force field, visible in the exact center of the 14,400 square mile land area, awakened with a blinding intensity. Its glistening brilliance pained the eye. It was as though a synthetic sun had come into existence there.
From the now invisible spaceport, new fighter ships of the space fighter force peeled off into the sky. General Pounder, whose car had passed through the force screen with seconds to spare, found himself suddenly deserted. A lone, watchful fighter robot stood near the vehicle. Pounder was pale. His questions went unanswered, and his consternation was completely ignored. Everyone seemed simply to have forgotten him.
Colonel Freyt had emitted a single shouted oath and disappeared. He was probably racing to his command post, which lay at the edge of the spaceport. So Pounder could only arm himself with calm and patience. Somewhere someone must be looking out for him. If he had had any concept of the functioning of a positronic robot brain he would have known that the huge automaton was aware of his presence. It wasn’t without purpose that the nonhuman fighter machine stood by the car.When the Arkonide computer brain registered the fact that the general was harmless and that, in addition, he had been announced, an inaudible data link signal was directed at the robot. Pounder winced as the car leaped forward and raced at high speed toward the still distant government palace.
When it arrived, an officer of the Intelligence Corps was waiting for the general. Pounder hesitated for a moment, then recognized the politely smiling man. Three years before, Li Tschubai-tung had achieved considerable international notoriety. Now he had come to be an official intelligence liaison between the Third Power and the Asiatic Federation.
Wordlessly, Pounder touched a finger to the peak of his service cap. One certainly ran into a lot of old acquaintances, he thought.
"Please wait in the reception lobby, sir," he was directed. "At the moment, none of the top officials may be contacted, which I hope you can appreciate."
"Why the alert?" the general asked briskly. "What’s happened? Are you able to tell me anything?"
"I have been explicitly authorized to do so, sir. Please come in. Don’t let the threatening posture of the robots disturb you. It’s all part of the alert plan. They are under fully automatic control."Pounder looked around in the great hall, which presented a combination of synthetics, glass, and light effects. Here, too, there was intense activity. In the background he recognized the scintillating shafts of the fabulous antigravity elevators. Everywhere there was evidence of the most modern architectural technology, materials, and furnishings.
About a 120 million bucks, he calculated roughly to himself. He had a nose for such things.
"Mr. Bell will attend you later. That you happened to be present here at this time is very fortunate. I’ve been commissioned to give you a briefing. Under present circumstances we are going to have to ask you, under the agreements of Emergency Condition One, to convene the World Security Commission immediately. If agreeable in Peking, which is centrally located. Please work out the necessary decisions as quickly as possible. Our communication facilities are at your disposal."
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