"Perry Rhodan 019 - The Immortal Unknown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

It had started innocuously with the discovery of the five-dimensional matter-transmitter. The Ferrons, limited as their knowledge of mathematics had remained, had not mastered the art of constructing such transmitters.
They had discovered the presence of an enigmatic being and were immediately confronted with his first demands. In the end these tasks included parapsychological problems and were solved one by one.
On Pucky's home world the last clue to the existence of a wandering planet was revealed. In the middle of an otherwise empty hall a replica of a galactic section appeared.
Vega was clearly recognizable. Since Rhodan knew definitely that this star was previously circled by 48 planets instead of the present 42, the implication was that-all things considered-they had tracked down the world of eternal life.
Its inhabitants had torn the whole planet from the gravitational pull of Vega but had left some clues. A curved line traversed the familiar constellation of stars. An examination had determined that this line was part of a far-flung elliptical orbit in which the roaming celestial body evidently moved. A very surprising fact had come to light Mother Earth was precisely at one of the focal points of the ellipse. The coincidence suggested that the unknown taskmaster had chosen mankind for a special role.
The visitapes of the replica were studied in great detail, requiring complicated calculations, which they could never have attempted without the positronic computer on board the Stardust.
Now Perry Rhodan was on the threshold of the Unknown's abode, the being who was said to live longer than the sun. Providing the transition proceeded successfully!
This was the situation when the safety lock clicked open. The large switch button was freely exposed in the armrest of the pilot seat.
Five seconds prior to the transition Rhodan released the so-called permit-impulse to the hyper-positronic brain controlling the transition. It was beyond human ability to influence, let alone to conduct such operations in hyperspace themselves.
Someone screamed-loud and shrill. Vega shot the searing points of its fiery protuberances almost into the deflection screen. They could no longer hear their own voices. The mighty Stardust had become a swinging bell.
It was as if they were bombarded by a rain of fire from an armada of battleships. Rhodan estimated the energy of a single medium-sized protuberance to be the equivalent of 1.2 million hydrogen bombs made on Earth.
Never before had the Stardust run into such an infernal holocaust.
During the last fraction of a second before the transition Rhodan noticed the violet outburst of the collapsing protective screens. All safety devices of the power-reactors blew simultaneously. They had reached the end of the line. The steely hull of the spaceship was helplessly exposed to the untrammelled forces of an exploding super-star.
Once more the shrill scream could be heard over the telecom. It pierced the deep rumbling until it fainted into a faint whisper.
At this instant something had been created around the vessel which was no longer part of this universe. The Arkonide structure-field for the total reflection of four-dimensional forces had been formed just before the catastrophe. It converted the solid matter of the spaceship into a state of dematerialisation during which it received the impulse for the transition.
The glowing metallic torch, which Stardust II was just now, vanished from normal space.
Rhodan carried that last cry with him in his dematerialised brain. The sound was still vivid in his senses as the spaceship returned into the normal universe after a short jump of 83 light-years. The transition had taken place-usual-without any appreciable delay of time, although Arkonide science had proved that there was another factor present in the five-dimensional reference system which could bear-for simplicity's sake-the connotation of time. According to this interpretation 123 years had just passed for the crew.
No changes had occurred in the normal space-continuum. The re-materialization followed only moments later on the ship's chronometer.
This time Rhodan had no trouble shaking off the last impressions before the hyperjump. Neither had anybody else lost consciousness.
The encircling observation screens reflected the multitude of stars in the Galaxy. At the rear the videoscreens showed a particularly bright point
It was huge Vega which glittered only with its usual light. The incandescent glow of the explosion was not yet visible; 83 years would have to pass before the light could reach them here.
Rhodan wasted no time with superfluous conversation. He quickly checked the controls of the various engine units.
The programming for steering and supervising the automatic units, initiated before the transition, had obtained reactions swifter than any human being could think or act.
A deep rumbling made the Stardust vibrate again but this time it was caused by its own power sources. The engines had started up again with maximum output at the precise moment of re-emergence although no man was in a position to register it at the time.
The supership braked its speed at 300 miles per second, requiring the full resources of its power stations. If they failed when their capacity was exceeded, all men and material would be pulverized under the strain of the deceleration forces.
The thought of this peril was uppermost in Rhodan's mind. They were moving now as before almost with the speed of light and could slow down to zero within ten minutes-if the engines were in order.
Rhodan's hands began to work quickly. Bell looked up, muttering. He understood the score at once. The drone of the drive-engines rose above the sound of the power generators which also were required to furnish the current for the high-energy thrust-absorbers so vital for their safety.
Rhodan checked the power stations on the control screen. Some of the stupendous Arkonide reactors showed a violet light. They were out of order. Others were running properly but the bank of transformers lagged behind. All together they provided just enough energy for the neutralization projectors.
"Activate emergency switch!" the loudspeaker blared. "Techno Control of positronic supervision recommends immediate reduction of extreme breaking rate. Energy supply running low. Advise caution."
It was the mechanical voice of the robot-brain.
Bell lifted his hand. His fingers were over the central step-switch when he caught sight of Rhodan's eyes.
His facial expression was neither ironical nor humorous.
Rhodan's eyes were compelling unfathomable organs of command will power. Bell felt as if he were held in an iron grip. The irresistible hypnotic force in the gaze of his superior had never before been so starkly revealed.
"You won't do that will you?" he heard Rhodan's calm voice through the muffled roar of the engines.
Bell's paralysis subsided. Grinning foolishly, he withdrew his hand from the switch.
"Of course not," he said against his will. He recovered from his stupefaction when Rhodan's hypnotic eyes returned to normal.
Fascinated, Bell looked at the man whose inborn intelligence had been admirably schooled and reinforced by constant hypno-training. If Rhodan wanted something, there was no contradicting him, especially when he was emotionally involved in his demand. Even men of Reginald Bell's rank were reduced to helpless puppets.
The commander was already at work. He had no intention of delaying his rate of deceleration. Specific signals for counteracting the emergency were transmitted by direct impulse to the robot brain which executed and channelled the orders instantaneously.
In the hermetically sealed machinery halls, where no humans were present, special robots, comprising the widest variety, were put to work within seconds, repairing the damaged reactors.
When the automatic alarm sounded its whistle and the output was barely sufficient to supply the stress-absorbers, four large reactors began to function again.
Five minutes after the severe braking manoeuvre was initiated, the situation was once again under control. Now Rhodan took time for a second cup of coffee.
He looked slowly around at his aides in the command centre.
The tip of Bell's tongue flicked across his lower lip. He watched Rhodan admiringly.
"You know," Rhodan mused, "we simply had to brake hard. Sure, some of the generators were knocked out. But if we had not cut back our lightning speed at the right moment and at the predetermined rate, we'd never be able to find the lost planet. We know its orbit and velocity. In about four minutes we'll have co-ordinated our movements. This will have to be done exactly at the point where the sunless planet is located in space. Can you imagine the mathematical problems we'd have to deal with if we had rushed by the computed point at high speed?"
Bell swallowed hard. "I'd like to know what devil made me get on this spaceship," he said disconsolately, squinting at his hand. "I could have had a peaceful life and be a respected man in my little hometown. It's crazy what we're doing here, crazy!"
"Wait and see!" Rhodan counselled. "Capt. Klein, take over the rangefinder section. The mutants are requested to attend a meeting in mess-hall 4 in five minutes. Thank you!"
Rhodan rose from his seat The safety belt was again concealed in the backrest. He walked leisurely to the elevator and a hush settled over the command centre after he was gone. Only Khrest murmured one sentence:
"He's destined to preside over the Great Imperium in the future."