"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0045 - (37) Epidemic Center Aralon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

"A fleet is emerging out of transition. Already we're completely surrounded by them. They are Arkonide ships."
"Those will be the new reinforcements we've been promised," said Rhodan calmly and he got up. Together with the others, he went across into the Control Central and looked at the panoramic video gallery screens, which revealed all the surrounding space in natural colour.
It was a truly frightening spectacle.
The massive battleships of the Stardust class-giant spheres 2500 feet in diameter-hovered more or less in the background. Entire echelons of cruisers and destroyers stood before them as a defence screen, with the muzzles of their dangerous rayguns pointed in the direction of flight. Agile interceptors had taken over the peripheral escort positions.
Rhodan knew that there was not a single human being on board these spaceships. The individual commanders were positronic robots whose programmed knowledge was greater than the best of Earthly scientists. All controls on board the ships were moved automatically and were positronically controlled. What was lining up out there in space was the mightiest military force that Rhodan had ever beheld. And it had been placed at his disposal.
It filled him not only with pride but also with a feeling of deep satisfaction. The man from Earth had achieved this. He had proven that he was worthy of the Arkon tradition. The robot brain had acknowledged equal rights for Terranians, yes, even in preference to the Arkonides, who were the original founders of the Empire.
Man had given proof that he comprehended the nature of an animate universe!
As though awakening from a trance, Rhodan turned soberly to his task. "Fox, use the Arkon frequency channel and set up a direct connection for me with the flagship of the Arkonide fleet and transfer it into the Control Central. I want to speak with the commander of the battlefleet."
Lt. Fox disappeared into the Com Central.
Khrest asked, "What do you want of him, Perry? He will have received the Regent's orders by now."
"Only the order to obey my commands," Rhodan countered.
One minute later the rigid face of an Arkonide robot gazed from the communications screen into the Control Central of the Titan. In the crystal lenses of its eyes flickered the light of a computerized control.
"Rhodan of Terra, I and my fleet are at your disposal," it said, by way of opening the conversation. "What is the nature of your instructions?"
Rhodan suppressed his gratification. "We will fly to the Kesnar solar system. The hyper-transit manoeuvre will bring us out at one-quarter of a light-year from Kesnar. Your fleet will remain stationary in that position while my two ships continue onward at relative light velocity. From this moment on, we will remain in permanent radio and video connection. Further instructions will follow as required."
"Message understood! We have gravitation bombs and at any time we are able to..."
"I do not wish the bombs to be employed. What is your designation?"
"My name is OR-775, Rhodan of Terra."
"Good, OR-775! Then follow my instructions and wait for the exact transition coцrdinates that my Communications Officer will send you. The hypertransition will take place in one hour."
"Message understood! I am standing by!"
The videoscreen image faded out.
Khrest, who stood very close to Rhodan, let out a tremendous sigh.
Rhodan turned to him in mild astonishment. "What's the matter, Khrest-do you have a problem? Isn't everything going much better now than you had ever dared hope for?"
The Arkonide nodded. "Actually almost too well," he admitted cautiously. "Have you any idea what it means to have become the commander of an entire Arkonide battlefleet? As of 13 years ago, no one had even entrusted me the command over a single ship, although I belonged to a ruling house. You, Perry, are practically an alien member of a primitive race. At least, That's what you were only about 15 years ago. Today, you are already operating with the authority of the mightiest empire that has ever existed in the universe! Perry, you have now practically come into your own!"
Rhodan slowly shook his head. "Don't be too hasty, Khrest. I have no personal claim to all this. The universe belongs to everyone. But I will admit to a certain degree of pride that I happen to be flying under the colours of the robot brain and in charge of the most tremendous fleet I have ever seen. Of course you realize you can rest assured that all this power lies in good hands."
Lt. Fox popped his head into the Control Central. "The coцrdinates have been checked out, sir, Do you want me to pass them on to the fleet commander?
"Yes, do that, Fox. The hyper-transit will take place in exactly 50 minutes. Until then we will maintain light velocity. And now the time has come to go into a huddle over our battle plan. Tiff, I need you in this briefing most urgently. Also Sengu. Khrest, I'd be glad to have you join us."
"What about me?" The reproachful question came from the corner, where Pucky had rolled himself together on the couch and was listening to the conversation. His ears had come up and the large brown eyes gazed with an innocent loyalty into the metallic world of the spaceship. "I'm starting to get the feeling that this time around there's not going to be much for me to do."
"You're about as wrong as you can be, Pucky," Rhodan informed him. "In a passive sense of the word, I believe you have to play the principal role. Tiffs thought transmissions can only be picked up by you and you alone. We do not have any other telepaths on board who are in a condition to spell you off in that capacity. It's true that you can't go directly to Aralon but in the final analysis, you know, the actual adventure part of an undertaking is not always the most important one. In any case, I can't possibly do without you. Now-are you satisfied...?"
Pucky whistled shrilly and off key. "What choice have I got? Okay, so sound off with your war plan, you've got me stretched out on the rock."
"What's with you, Prometheus? Is that some more of Bell's influence? I'm afraid you've got your figures of speech mixed up again." Rhodan favoured him with a fleeting smile and then became serious again. "Alright, then, now everybody listen... I'm going to explain this plan to you as briefly as possible. We're making our transit-jump in 45 minutes and we will rematerialise at a distance of a quarter of a light-year from Kesnar. Then what we'll do..."
Rhodan spoke for half an hour and was not interrupted a single time by any of his tensely listening companions.
The plan that he developed was, in itself, as exciting as any romantic adventure novel...








2/ INHOSPITABLE HOSPITAL PLANET

The sun Kesnar was a small, yellow star in the navigation target screens of the Titan. The quarter light-year distance could have dwarfed even a giant celestial orb-and Kesnar was anything but a giant.
The great Arkonide fleet remained motionlessly at its point of emergence into normal space. Rhodan had ordered final coцrdinates to be furnished to OR-775. Now when the battlefleet went into its next transition, it would materialize within only a few liseks (light-seconds) from Aralon.
The Titan and the Ganymede continued to fly toward the system at the relative velocity of light. At this rate of speed it would take them 3 months to reach Aralon.
Tiff's finest hour had come again.
Thora was placed once more in a state of deep sleep. The Arkonide woman lay motionlessly in her portable bed with buckled leather straps across her to prevent her falling out in case of unexpected movements.
Wuriu Sengu, the 'seer' who could see through solid matter by the force of his will and who was the only parapsychically endowed mutant outside of Pucky who had not fallen victim of the sickness, was wearing his slick uniform, which designated him as a mutant in Rhodan's New Power. Tiff also wore this uniform. There was not the slightest intention to conceal their identity.
In the small hangar of the Titan where the Gazelle was housed, the last details were discussed. The Gazelle was a long-range scout ship in the form of a disc. Its diameter was approximately 100 feet, while its central thickness was about 60 feet. This small spaceship was capable of covering 3 light-years in a single hypertransition jump and it had an average operational range of about 500 light-years.
Rhodan took Tiff to one side. "Tiff, do you know exactly now what role you are going to have to play?"