"Rhodan, Perry - Between the Galaxies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rhodan Perry)

Eric whirled around in his seat. Ed Hynes stared at him in wide-eyed surprise. Eric was about to say something but the intercom lighted up without warning and they both heard the bellowing voice of Ken Lodge.
"Crash alert, sir! Alien ship out of control! Approaching on direct course at about 1500 km per second. Contact in 100 seconds!"








3/ AN UNSEEN PRESENCE

"Let's not kid ourselves..." Nike Quinto spoke in such low tones that hardly anybody could understand him.
"That question about a true life form can only mean one thing..." When Ron Landry stared at him questioningly, he finished his statement: "It means that the questioner is a robot!"
Ron thought this over. Lofty, Larry and Meech hadn't heard a word of the half-whispered declaration so they waited.
He could be right thought Ron. According to its programming it could record either its own "life" or the life of an organic being as the "true life form."
So the question could have two meanings. Either: Are you robots like we are? Or: Are you organic life in contrast to ourselves?
It sounded logical, Ron thought, but in the same moment it occurred to him that he had been warned not to think too logically in relation to extra-galactic intelligences.
Anyway, Nike Quinto was probably right.
If that was so and if their previous hypothesis was right, that the explosions out there in the abyss were the signs-of a battle, then it meant that robots were in conflict with other beings, probably organic intelligences.
Ron found that not to be so strange. Ever since galactic civilisation had brought robots into use there had been robot insurrections. There was always somebody who figured he could use robots for his own purposes. All he had to do was change the program of one machine creature so that it would change others of its kind in the same manner. At first the people who were used to having their robots obey their commands would be surprised when this condition changed. Usually their first thought would be to look for some defect but while they were looking for it the revolt would be spreading. Robot wars were the most dangerous type of conflict which the races of the galaxy had ever experienced.
And out there in the gulf between the galaxies, this is what seemed to be happening. Ron felt sorry for the people who were involved in the terrible battle yet he found it strangely reassuring that they were evidently faced with the same problem that others who were less alien had faced before them.
It had been more than 11 hours now since the BOB 21 had reported the appearance of the alien ship. Nike Quinto as well as Lofty Patterson had managed to sleep a few hours. In the imminence of events, Ron and Larry had not been able to rest. They had kept a vigil in the small conference room next to the small control Central while following the reports from the observation station.
By his nature Meech Hannigan didn't know such a thing as fatigue. He could only know weariness when one of his plastic-metal inner organs ceased functioning, which under normal demands might be in 5000 years. Aside from that he was the most perfect robot that anyone could wish for. That is, if you overlooked his slight speech impediment which made it difficult for him to pronounce his actual first name, which was Mitchell.
At 10:00, Nike Quinto and Lofty Patterson appeared on the scene again. Nike had tried to send Ron and Larry to their bunks but they had explained that all that would do for them was to give them nightmares. Quinto had ordered breakfast for five men and even Meech obediently consumed his portion. He had this special ability because cause only the smallest possible number of people were supposed to know he was actually a robot. However trustworthy the crew of the Joann might be, they were not included in that number.
Shortly before 18:00 in the "afternoon"-an almost meaningless term way out here in this timeless abyss, 5000 light years beyond the rim of the Milky Way-Nike Quinto hit upon the idea that the aliens might be robots. And 15 minutes after he had mentioned it to Ron the BOB 21 reported that shortly after it had fired a warning shot at the alien ship the latter's propulsion system had failed, and now a collision was imminent.
It took Ron Landry 5 seconds to comprehend exactly what had happened. He sprang to his feet with a dozen thoughts in his head all at once. But the primary thought was that they must get to the station immediately. He didn't concern himself about any order from Nike Quinto but Quinto concerned himself about him... As the hatch door slid to one side, Ron heard the other's sharp tone of voice.
"Where are you going, Major?"
Ron turned swiftly to face him. "To the BOB 21!" he retorted tensely. "We can't leave them on their own-they have no manoeuvrability! We have to help them!"
Quinto signalled him to come back. "You will remain here, Major!" he said, and his voice rose in pitch. "That is an order!"
At that moment Ron almost hated the colonel. How could he forbid him to go to the aid of those 25 men out there 200 light years away who were facing death and unable to do anything about it? But he obeyed. His military training was deeply enough ingrained in him so that he knew disobeying a command was sheerly absurd. Quinto wasn't demanding anything immoral of him. He had only told him to stay put. He glanced at the chronometer.
Quinto noticed it and pointed to the time. "They only have about 10 SECONDS, Landry. How were you planning to get there before then?"
10 seconds, thought Ron as he clamped his jaws together. Nine... eight... seven...

*

It is remarkable how swiftly the subconscious mind can take over mental control in a moment of crisis. Almost instantly, Eric Furchtbar decided that he couldn't avert disaster by blasting the alien out of the ether. New trajectory calculations would take at least 20 to 30 seconds and even a direct hit would only convert the menace into a mass of wreckage which would still collide with the station. And at an impact velocity of 1500 km per second nobody would know the difference.
His fingers raced instinctively over the control keys-his only last hope. The station's navigation engines were small and almost negligible in such a situation but they were the only means of locomotion. Eric had no idea of the alien ship's true course. On the tracking screen he saw it coming at him from the right, so he fed in a nav correction that would shift the station to the left. In desperation he depressed buttons, flipped switches and turned adjustment knobs while glancing at the screen every second.
But the threatening bogie blip kept creeping toward the centre of the scanner. He hadn't moved a millimetre out of its way. sweat dripped from his forehead. There was nothing more he could do now. The engines were putting out every ounce of thrust that was in them. The only thing left was hope.
Eric clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles were white. He stared at the screen as if to avert the danger by an act of will. If wishing could do it there could be nothing more to fear-because never in his life had he wished as hard as he did now in this moment of ultimate crisis.
Remotely the thought had occurred to him he might be able to send his men through hyperspace to the Joann by means of the transmitter that could connect the two vessels in an emergency but he rejected the idea as quickly as it came. Both transmitter stations were not operating at the moment and just warming up the power piles would take three times longer than the time they had left.
They were lost if the nav engines couldn't cut it. 10 seconds left!
Ed Hynes' wild shout reverberated in the large control room. "The viewscreen! There it is!"
Startled, Eric turned swiftly toward the receiver screen of the optical system. Out of the darkness emerged a dim point of light. It grew swiftly and more discernible. The alien ship!
For the first time they could see it directly before them. And for the last time!
Eric stared, spellbound, as the swift object changed from a little disc to a large ball, until in the final seconds it more than filled the screen. God!-he thought. It's coming head on!
Then came the impact.
In a blast of thunder the world seemed to dissolve. The last thing Eric was aware of was that his seat wasn't there anymore. Then something struck his skull like a piledriver and he lost consciousness.

*