"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0032 - (24) Infinity Flight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

And this belt had all the time it needed for a long wait.

* * * *

Perry Rhodan, however, did not have a lot of time left.
What he had tried to avoid for a decade now, had overtaken him: The most powerful race of the huge Arkonide empire alerted to Earth's existence. Gone was the protective isolation and the blissful anonymity. Of all the living beings in the universe, it had to be the Springers, the galactic traders, who discovered Earth's position!
The first battle had been won. All the robot spies that the Springers had deployed on Earth and within the solar system had been put out of commission. In a surprise attack Rhodan had successfully destroyed the enemy's communication bases on Titan. But the situation was still undecided. Far away in the system of the double star Beta-Albireo, 320 light­years from Earth, stood the two heavy cruisers Terra and Solar System engaged in a fight against the armed commercial fleet of the two Springer commanders Orlgans and Etztak. And on the second planet of that system, a primeval ice world, Julian Tifflor and his friends were holding out, waiting to be rescued. Among them was Pucky, the feisty little mousebeaver, with his many remarkable talents. They were all waiting, hoping to hold off the Springers and thus divert their attention from Perry Rhodan until he could obtain the necessary weapons with which he could definitely chase away the enemy intruders once and for all.
The general situation was far from rosy at the time when Stardust, a mighty battleship of the empire class with a diameter a half mile, was racing toward the point of transition.
Rhodan was visibly upset about this situation, a fact which was noticed by his friend Reginald Bell with a commensurate degree of uneasiness. "I'd like to know why you should keep on worrying your head off, Perry," he tried to cheer up his long time pal and boss. "Everything's going OK. We needn't be anxious on account of Pucky and Tiff, they'll make it alright. And as far as Nyssen is concerned..."
"Major Nyssen's job isn't exactly easy," Rhodan reminded him in a serious tone. "The two cruisers under his command certainly know their duty but I don't know how long they'll be able to keep up flying mock attack sorties against the Springers. And worse even, how long will it take until this presumably highly intelligent race will come to realize that we are using nothing but delaying actions against them?"
"Why exactly are they called Springers? They look just the way we do, don't they?"
"They own no proper home planet but keep springing from one solar system to the next. They are also known by the name of Traders but I think Springer suits them best because it emphasizes their rootlessness."
Bell gazed at the videoscreen. The giant planet Jupiter was moving sideways and out of view. Assuming a speed close to that of light, the Stardust
was racing to the transition point which was located beyond the orbital path of Jupiter.
"How long will it take?" Bell inquired.
Rhodan scowled. "Reg, you have an inimitable talent for expressing the most complicated problems in simple questions. How long will it take? This is what's so crazy about the whole deal! I'm afraid I'm unable to answer your question at the moment. As you surely remember, when we first spent a short while on the Planet of Eternal Life and then returned to Earth we found out to our great consternation that four and a half years had gone by. This planet, Wanderer, the artificial construction of a super­being, is existing in another time­plane. But we have no choice, we must go there in order to get a new weapon: otherwise we'll never succeed in chasing off the Springers. What might happen if we shouldn't return till one or two years have elapsed, even though we believe we've stayed no longer than a day or two on Wanderer?"
A faint grin flitted across Bell's broad face. The reddish bristles he called his hair made no attempt this time-despite the horrendous prospect-to free themselves in protest from the heavy, stiff layer of pomade, the way they usually did. Contemptuously he waved his big, thick hand.
"And why should that take place? We'll simply ask It to even out the time difference."
Indeed for a moment Rhodan looked quite perplexed. Then he shrugged his shoulders. "It will let us whistle for it, I'm inclined to believe."
It was the unfathomable entity to whom this planet Wanderer belonged. The spiritualization of a most ancient people. It contained billions of brains which voluntarily had renounced their bodies. It could be compared only to an energy­being which had the combined intellectual capacity of all mankind. It-at first an incomprehensible miracle which could only gradually be understood by those who grew aware of the fact that it possessed humour despite its infinite superiority.
"Why should It do such a thing?" protested Bell, who for once remained serious. "Didn't you get along perfectly with It during your first and then later on second visit, even if that lasted but a few minutes? Why shouldn't It do us this favour of excluding the time factor for once?"
Rhodan did not reply. Instead he pushed a button. A small videoscreen lit up. The face of a man became visible, one of the ship's radio technicians.
"Sir?"
"Send an ultra­radio message to Major Nyssen. Location: Beta-Albireo System, 320 light­years. Co-ordinates are known. Text in code..."
Rhodan stopped, pondered for a few seconds before he continued: "Calling cruisers Terra and Solar System. Hold out at all costs, do not endanger ships. The Springers must be kept away from Earth. I'll inform you upon my return from the planet Wanderer. Length of stay unknown. Rhodan."
The technician acknowledged the message with a brief nod. "Via short impulse, sir?"
"Of course. Right away!"
Bell watched the man's face gradually disappear from the screen, changing into coloured spirals which grew darker and dimmer until finally vanishing altogether. "Let's hope nobody will intercept this signal," he mumbled with a worried look.
"So what?" Rhodan reassured him. "It won't hurt at all if Etztak finds out that we keep in contact with our ships. Anyhow, he can't decipher the code."
"I wasn't thinking so much of that, Perry. But what if some of the Springers' ships should be somewhere nearby and could pinpoint our position..."
Rhodan's face grew a shade paler. He knew at once what Bell intended to say with this remark. Certainly if somebody knew their point of transition and placed themselves behind them it would by no means be impossible for them to follow right behind. Using the sensitive location finders and the structure sensors made such a manoeuvre quite feasible. But then Rhodan shook his head.
"We have destroyed all their automatic spying installations in the solar system. There are no more Springer ships here, Reg."
Neither Rhodan nor Bell had the slightest inkling of the existence of the so­called Mounders, let alone that of all things this very same martial race intended to use Rhodan in order to discover through him the Planet of Eternal Life. For the first time in his life Rhodan committed the mistake of underestimating an opponent. Naturally he realized that he was unable to overcome his enemy with the usual conventional means; this race was too wise and too experienced for that. While carrying on their trading business with virtually every inhabited world in this part of the galaxy, they had not failed to acquire every type of weapon in existence. This was a hurdle that even Perry Rhodan could not surmount-at least not yet.
Added to that was Rhodan's obvious nervous excitement. The uncertainty of what unpleasant trick this time shift might once again play made him restless. Bell's advice-to ask It to neutralize the two different time planes-had merely been a friendly suggestion. Of course it was quite another matter if it would favourably consider their plea.
A soft humming sound interrupted Rhodan's sombre thoughts. A relay switched on and automatically connected the command centre to the radio room, where at this moment Nyssen's confirmation was arriving, an impulse lasting several seconds. After decoding the message the following text was recorded:
"Your message received. Don't worry. We'll take care of the Traders. They won't catch us. Expecting soonest arrival of the Stardust in the Albireo System. We'll hold out till then. Nyssen."
Still, Rhodan did not seem relieved. He thanked the radio centre, then switched on the intercom which let his voice be heard in the farthest corners of the gigantic vessel. He spoke:
"Control centre to crew! We'll reach our transition point beyond Pluto in five hours. Half an hour before the transition the intermittent 60 second warning signal will be sounded."
"Another five hours!' groaned Bell. "Even at the speed of light!"
Rhodan smiled. But this time his smile lacked the usual calm reassurance.
"Light is just too slow, Reg."

* * * *

Topthor's bulky boss jerked out of his seat. Grogham was calling. The red, bushy beard of his clansman was trembling with excitement on the videoscreen.
"Topthor, our instruments have located a gigantic spacesphere which is moving out of the system. Its size should be cause for alarm."
"That must be the main ship of that fellow Rhodan's fleet," remarked Topthor, failing to be impressed by the news. "The time has come, Grogham. How did you find it?"
"Radio message. We intercepted it. It was easy to determine the direction of the beam. Beta-Albireo. Impossible to decode, though. Probably some message for their forces stationed there."
"Let Etztak battle it out with them, Grogham. I'm interested only in Rhodan and his destination. Take care to have exact calculations made. We'll follow Rhodan at a safe distance. Make sure to have barriers set up around us so that he can't locate us with his direction finders. The moment the expected transition will take place, ascertain position and force of the space concussion and space rupture. We'll follow behind him with the same intensity and dimensions. If all works out alright, we should emerge from the five­dimensional. field again within a distance of not more than one light­year from Rhodan's new position. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly clear," confirmed Grogham and cut the connection.