"Perry Rhodan 019 - The Immortal Unknown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)
"I agree with you for once, barbarian," Thora said acrimoniously.
Incensed, Bell jumped around. Someone in the background laughed so shrilly that Rhodan's tense face suddenly relaxed. No normal person would have dared to laugh in this tension-ridden situation.
"Barbarian is right," a high-pitched voice chirped. "He was out to do me in, that bully. Upon my word of honour, I haven't played with anything this time. I haven't even had so little fun as to let a screw fly through the air."
Rhodan's lips began to twitch suspiciously. His officers had to apply considerable will power to retain their discipline. They stood like statues. Only Maj. Deringhouse grinned.
"How do you do, your honour," Rhodan said keeping his composure. "Where did you pick up that expression?"
Once again Pucky gave out with the grating shrill sound he called, laughter. Then the misshapen mishap of a mouse's imitation waddled out from behind the second stereo-corrector, designed for the precise matching of photographed navigating stars with prefabricated high-accuracy micro-templates.
Pucky, as the intelligent furry animal from the planet Vagabond had been named, seemed to have trouble moving his fat rear-end, with its spoon-shaped beaver-tail, across the floor.
He was about three feet tall and usually walked upright. He was very clever and had the innate gift for telekinetic transportation. As a consequence of his passion for playing, far exceeding human characteristics, he had brought Stardust II to the brink of disaster.
But in doing so, he had meant no harm. It was just his irresistible urge to play with these new and wonderful gadgets.
Pucky slowly approached closer with circumspection, around his short forepaws, with their dainty gripping extremities, like a fat-bellied wrestling champion.
He wrinkled his shiny black, mouse-like nose and bared a front tooth in a rosy moist opening.
His tiny paw touched his furry forehead. Rhodan could barely control himself. Now the little mouseketeer even saluted him.
"Lt. Puck of the Mutant Corps reporting ready for action," the little furball whistled, with an air of looking very important. "Permit me, sir, not to say Pucky. It seems inappropriate to my honourable new position."
Rhodan turned around to conceal the laughter which convulsed him. The other men grimaced with distorted, faces. Only Bell ran through the whole range of his invectives and gruesome curses which Pucky countered by showing him his front tooth again.
"Assassin!" The bright little creature cussed. "You wanted to murder me. I've heard you. It wasn't me who played with the sun or with the ship. I gave the Chief my word that I wouldn't play havoc with the levers or swish around without his permission."
Pucky paused longingly to savour the idea.
"Wouldn't it be fun to swish around! I could direct the ship by remote control of the emergency lever."
"Swishful thinking!" Bell harrumphed. "You'll be asking for it if you don't control yourself. By the way, what do you mean, Lt. Puck of the Mutant Corps? Since when have you been promoted to officer?"
Pucky turned demonstratively around and smacked the floor with his broad tail. This was a gesture of utter contempt.
"That's for you, Mr. Bell," he chirped devastatingly. "Phew!"
"Make ship ready to start!" Rhodan's commanding voice broke up the hubbub. "What's there to giggle at? Every intelligent being has its peculiarities which we have to respect as tolerant people. Or aren't you tolerant?"
Rhodan looked coldly around at his officers, who suddenly froze. This broke him up and he started to laugh uproariously.
By the Great Imperium of the Arkonides-they had never seen their Chief act like this before! Pucky was splendidly amused. He looked almost tenderly toward the man who understood him so excellently. It had indeed been a very good idea to leave the planet Vagabond and slip aboard the Stardust in that packing case.
Furthermore, when Pucky had been given the opportunity to learn the principal language of the humans by hypno-training, it was enough for him to make a little god out of Perry Rhodan.
"Now, having enjoyed this little diversion, gentleman, how about returning to your stations?" Rhodan suggested. "Khrest, how far did you get with the evaluation by the positronic computer?"
They all put Pucky out of their minds at once. The men to whom positronic evaluation was a meaningful concept, fastened their eyes on the Arkonide scientist.
Khrest gave the impression of erudite confidence. His white shiny hair reflected a thousandfold the bright light of the command centre.
"I've worked on it for four weeks, Terra time. The exact data concerning the movement of Vega have been fed into the computer. By taking into account the cosmic trajectory, velocity and ancillary data, it will be possible to calculate the probable position of the elusive planet within about two hours. The probable position!" Khrest cautioned.
Garand's rosy face appeared on one of the numerous screens. The engine control room was ready for the launching.
Rhodan looked at the chronometer. It was exactly 17:58 ship time.
"Start at 18:00 o'clock!" Rhodan ordered. Pucky, you stay with me. I expect you not to play any tricks now that you're an officer of the Mutant Corps. But you have my permission to play with the First Officer."
Pucky was in stitches as Reginald Bell's face paled. Rhodan quickly suppressed his grin.
Exactly at 18:00 hours the impulse-drive engines began to blaze. Flaming heat waves scorched the ground. Ominous droning shook the spaceport.
The gigantic body rose vertically from the landing field and raced with such enormous acceleration toward empty space that the atmosphere of Ferrol burned white-hot along its track.
Seconds later Stardust II had disappeared. Only stormy winds were left behind as sign of a feat which had been accomplished by a matchless technology.
The Ferrons had neither comparable pressure-shock neutralizers nor energized deflection screens to ward off gas molecules. A Ferronian spaceship could not have started or landed in a similar manner. Besides, their quantum-drive engines were unsuitable for such acceleration despite their unsurpassed quality.
Ferrol had reached the limit of its potentialities. A better performance could not be achieved with their machinery. The inevitable result was a stagnation which had commenced about 1000 terrestrial years ago. Improvement of details served only to increase reliability. Perry Rhodan was singularly impressed by their fine workmanship. Whatever these people built or manufactured was of sublime quality and deserved the highest praise. The planetary empire of the Thort was a valuable and plentiful resource which Rhodan endeavoured to make accessible for use on Earth by concluding a trade treaty.
The last pressure waves faded out. Minutes later they received the message that the Thort had rescinded his evacuation order.
The Ferronian pilots shut down their engines. It ended an operation conceived in desperation and wishful thinking. The human visitors had left the eighth world of Vega behind.
25 ADVENTURES FROM NOW
it's a case of
The Men and the Monster
| © 2025 Библиотека RealLib.org (support [a t] reallib.org) |