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

100 ADVENTURES FROM NOW
you will see the
Seed of Destruction








4/ DANGER IN DEEP SPACE


The Arkonide stereo-compensators were switched over to the large evaluation picture screen. Thus a precise coordination with the pictures taken was assured.
The adjusting manoeuvre had already required four hours ship time. It was an easy matter for the research cruiser and super-battleship, equipped with every conceivable instrument, to track down any existing planets in an uncharted solar system in space.
Their presence and accurate position were determined within a few minutes by the telesensors. It didn't take much more time to ascertain the information about mass, density, rotation, trajectory and velocity of the bodies.
In this particular case Rhodan had discarded from the outset any preconceived ideas and past experiences in familiar space. He was careful not to nurture any unjustified expectation.
The considerable time span of four hours necessary for the adaption to the computed orbit of the artificial planet Wanderer had already proved that unusual factors had to be taken into account.
The men on board the super-battleship tackled the extraordinary difficulties which were more challenging than all preceding missions.
The scanning operations continued for hours. A true picture of countless stars and distant isolated worlds glimmered and glistened on the screens. However, they were all too far away from the vicinity where they searched for the elusive body.
Rhodan joined the officer heading the computer section in the command centre. The drive-engines were silent now after the final corrections had been made. The stereo-compensators indicated that Stardust II correctly followed the line of the ellipse around 31 suns along which the unknown planet moved.
The measurements were accurate to the 10th decimal. Nevertheless, variations of tolerances could have crept into the calculations, in fact could hardly be avoided considering the distances involved.
Khrest watched attentively the read-out and diagrams of the positronic computer. Evidently no mistakes had slipped in.
Thora stood stiffly and motionlessly in front of the array of instruments.
The most capable mutants of the special corps had assembled in the command centre an hour ago.
They listened and applied their astounding and unique senses to get a hold of something nobody had ever seen or touched before and whose existence could only vaguely be comprehended.
Rhodan had called the object of their search Wanderer, Presumably this was a fitting definition for a celestial body returning once every two million years, terrestrial time, to the Vegan system unless it deviated from its course.
Pucky, the furry refugee from the planet Vagabond, cowered behind Rhodan on the floor. His shiny eyes longingly surveyed the many levers and switches. Rhodan's warning gesture made him gloomy and he bared his incisor. Obviously this was not the place to play games.
He sighed in disgust rose ponderously and said with his squeaky voice:
"I'll go to the kitchen to see the cook. If you need me Chief, tell John Marshall to call me."
Rhodan watched the little fellow as he sauntered off. Pucky had the potential of becoming one of the most valuable addition to the corps.
Pucky stopped in front of the youngest member of the Mutant Corps. Betty Toufry was only 10 years old but her psyche was not that of a mere child.
"Do you want to come with me?" Pucky asked. "It's dull around here."
The small face, framed by dark hair, broke into a radiant smile.
"May I?" Betty asked.
Anne Sloane, who was like a mother to the child on board the ship, saw that Rhodan nodded. She tried to be casual and cheerfully admonished them:
"Don't make any mischief! Don't throw the chef into the kitchenpots! I'll come and get you."
Pucky's mood was cheered up in no time. He had instinctively understood that there was only one person on the ship who was willing to play. He could only surmise the reason this came about It seemed to have something to do with the age of the other people.
"We can let some frozen food fly down into the chef's collar," Pucky suggested enthusiastically. "The boss can't say that this endangers the security of the ship."
Betty Toufry was now acting like a child again. She could change in seconds.
With playful ease the two accomplished telekinetic magicians opened the intricate electronic locks of the armoured hatches. The hatches slid open, the switches remaining untouched.
Reginald Bell silently followed the two dissimilar beings with his eyes. The wonderful accord between one of mankind's younger generation and the totally different denizen from the depth of the Galaxy was an encouraging sign. He had a vision of a harmonious world full of understanding and mutual respect.
It was the only way to build a commonwealth of the stars and to overcome the conflicts.
"The little ones are really compatible, aren't they?" Rhodan picked up Bell's train of thought.
The stout man flinched. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously:
"Since when are you telepathic? How do you know what I was thinking?"
"Reasonable men are likely to think of such things when they see a promising picture like this."
"The chef will go mad." Capt. Klein was worried. "Yesterday they re-arranged everything in his refrigerator locker."