Perry Rhodan 012 The Secret Of The Time Vault 1/ RHODAN 'CONQUERS'
GALACTO-CITY The Gigantic spacesphere was hurtling across the orbital plane
of the forty-second planet of the sun Vega. It went into the faster-than-light
drive and set course for the planet Earth, twenty-seven light-years
distant. And then-it happened. The huge ship, in an instant, became
invisible. It simply dissolved, dematerialized, disappeared as if it had never
existed. Such is the transition from the fourth into the fifth
dimension. But no four-dimensional body can consciously exist inside
fifth-dimensional space, in which neither three-dimensional measuring scales
nor chronological calibrations have any meaning. The body ceases to be matter
subject to the laws of the space-time continuum. It becomes
timeless. Nevertheless, it exists! Thus the colossal spacecraft eight
hundred yards in diameter, continued to exist, but in another form. So did its
passengers. Perry Rhodan's mind was filled with serious doubts as he issued
the order for the hyperspace jump via the automatically guided electronic
brain, for, after all, he was unfamiliar with the ship. It was an alien craft,
captured in another solar system, wrested from the Topides, a non-human race,
who in turn had seized the spacesphere from its original owners, the Arkonides
- legendary rulers of the universe. Fortunately, the ship's technical design
resembled that of the disabled Good Hope, the ship that had brought Rhodan
into this sector of the universe, where he had become embroiled in a series of
battles with the lizard-like Topides. Rhodan realized the risk that lay in
attempting transition to Earth with an unfamiliar and undermanned ship.
However, he had no alternative, if he wanted to help the inhabitants of
Ferrol, the eighth Vegan planet, in their fight to rid themselves of the
invaders of their world Unaided, the Ferrons were simply incapable of
overcoming the inimitable Topides. Such was the motivating force behind
Rhodan's daring decision to risk the hyperspace jump which might well mean
death and the end of all his plans for mankind and the universe entire. There
was but a single entity aboard the Stardust II - as Rhodan privately thought
of the conquered vessel - that could consciously experience the jump through
space and time: the positronic brain. It automatically stored all sensory
impressions of the dematerialized crew, retaining the information for future
use. Additionally, the positronic brain took care to activate the robot crew
as soon as rematerialization took place, so that the robots' human charges
would be guarded from any possible harm. To Rhodan, no time seemed to have
passed from the moment the spacesphere began its hyperspace jump. But a
tremendous pain raged throughout his body. He felt as if he were about to be
torn apart and was completely incapable of so much as moving a finger. His
friend Reginald Bell, companion of lunar adventures a few years earlier, was
lying on the other side of the command centre, moaning softly, eyes wide open
and staring at the ceiling. The door opened silently and a human shape
entered the command center, glistening metallically in the subdued light. It
was one of the special robots which, having been ordered to do so by the
positronic brain, now obeyed the new masters of the spaceship without
hesitation. Gently it applied self-acting injection patches to its human
charges. Perry Rhodan's intense pain subsided instantly. He sat up and
regarded the automatic calendar. Some time had passed, of course, bm the
calendar had been adjusted to Earth time. A short span - but during it they
had travelled twenty-seven light-years! Suddenly Rhodan realized that the two
shipwrecked Arkonides natives, Khrest and Thora, could now return to Arkon
whenever they pleased, even though their home planet was more than 32,000
light-years distant from Earth. All along they had been eager to do so, but
Rhodan had so far skilfully thwarted their attempts, for Earth's exact
location in the universe had to be kept a secret at all costs. Mankind was not
yet ready to become a decisive factor in cosmic politics, therefore it was
wiser to keep out of it until the time was ripe. Bell sat up slowly, then
swung his legs over the edge of his couch onto the floor, whose covering, like
the rest of the spaceship, seemed somehow to have mysteriously withstood
thousands of years of use. Bell yawned. 'I've slept an eternity, but I'm
tireder than I was before. Did it work all right?" Rhodan nodded. 'Yes, the
transition has worked fine … so far, at least. We have to check our position
first, though, then we'll know for sure. I had instructed the positronic brain
to let us rematerialize near the orbit of Pluto.' 'Shouldn't we see how the
others are getting on?' Bell asked. 'That won't be necessary,' replied
Rhodan, and got up after the robots had left the room. 'The robot nurses will
take care of them much better than we can. Besides, why shouldn't they make it
if we did?' The visiscreen above the control panel lit up. Slowly the colours
fell into a pattern and then turned into 3-D pictures. The brightly flaming
star to the left side in front of the craft's nose was the sun, Bell and
Rhodan recognized. Directly before them floated a weakly glowing celestial
body, covered by a whitish icy layer … Pluto. The hyperspace jump had been a
success! 'Our Pluto base crew doesn't know our new ship yet,' said Rhodan.
'You'd better inform them at once. They might already have located us with
their spacewarp sensors, or even have given the alarm.' The spacewarp sensors
were an invention of the Arkonides. They reacted over great distances to any
vibrations in the four-dimensional space-time structure and could pinpoint
their location. Each hyperspace jump caused such a tremor, which propagated
itself faster than light and without any loss of time. Gravitation, as the
Arkonides had known for thousands of years, was nothing but ' five-dimensional
energy radiation, which needed no time to displace itself through space. Bell
went to the transmitter to call Pluto. He used a simple set rather than the
hyperwave transmitter. He wanted to make sure no unauthorized listeners
somewhere light-years away would intercept his message. Fortunately for Rhodan
and his men the post on Pluto had not yet relayed the news about the strange
spaceship. Bell breathed a sigh of relief. He reminded the men on Pluto to
remain on the lookout for any approaching spacecraft and to notify
Galacto-City at once. 'We should warn Earth of our coming,' suggested Rhodan.
'Otherwise they might send a reception committee to greet us. The new space
fleet should be completed by now. They might be overwhelmed at the sight of
this giant of a ship. After all, our Good Hope had a diameter of only a
hundred and eighty feet, just like the other twelve auxiliary vessels we have
here on board with us. Use the hyperwave transmitter, but pinpoint the beam so
that it can be received only in Galacto-City.' With the help of the
faster-than-light hyperwaves, communication with Terra was established within
a few seconds. Galacto-City, Rhodan's power center on Earth, came on; but
before the radio officer on duty could say anything, Bell ordered: 'Switch off
your transmitter at once. Don't broadcast with hyperwaves! Now here in brief
are the instructions for your commanding officer: The Good Hope was lost in
the Vega system in a space battle between the Ferrons, our allies from the
eighth planet Ferrol, and the invaders from the Topid system, a double sun
more than eight hundred light-years from Earth. We won and captured a gigantic
spacesphere of Arkonide origin. The Topides and the Arkonides have been at war
for thousands of years. The lizard-like Topidian race rules over three smaller
solar systems at the rim of the Arkonide galactic empire. The Topides
intercepted the distress signal of the wrecked Arkonide space cruiser on our
moon and wanted to attack Earth. But due to some miscalculations they landed
in the gigantic system of the Vega sun. We arrived there just in time to join
the battle. This will explain why we aren't returning with the Good
Hope. 'You must inform all nations of our impending arrival. We'll be landing
in Galacto-City in about four hours. Our spacecraft has a diameter of three
thousand feet and is spherical. In order to avoid panic breaking out among the
peoples of the world you must inform them that this giant is not part of an
invading alien fleet but the new battleship of the Third Power. End of
message. Over and out.' In the meantime a man had come into the command
center. He was tall and gave the impression of being young and resilient
despite his obvious advanced age. Snow-white hair crowned his unusually high
forehead under which peered out a pair of bright, almost golden eyes. Khrest,
the last descendant of the ruling dynasty on Arkon, the center of a distant
star realm, who had been forced to a crash landing on the Earth's moon several
years ago, and who since that time had become Rhodan's ally, seemed to have
gone through the hyperjump with ease. He smiled briefly. 'With this ship
alone the Topides should have been able to conquer the solar system,' he
remarked in the Arkonide language, which Rhodan and Bell could understand
thanks to their hypnotraining. 'We were fortunate to seize the spacesphere
without damaging it.' 'Even atom bombs can sometimes do some good,'
interjected Bell dryly. Khrest looked at him in surprise. 'I don't get
you.' 'Would there be any mutants without those early atom bomb explosions?
Mutants who can read thoughts and are capable of jumping halfway around the
world? Would there be any human beings who possess telekinetic powers? Or to
put it differently: would we even have become aware without those detonations
what abilities have been slumbering in our brains for thousands of years,
talents that suddenly have come to life? We have eighteen of these mutants as
allies, and without their help we'd probably not be sitting in this spaceship
here.' Khrest smiled again. This time with more amusement. 'The logic of
your argument is overwhelming. I submit without protest.' Then suddenly
serious, Khrest added: 'I only hope that your argument will remain as valid in
more important matters. so far we have not totally defeated our Topide enemies
in the Vega system, don't forget that, my friend. It's only a hop, skip and
jump (as you humans would say) from here to Earth. Unless we return in time
…' 'No need to worry about that, Khrest,' interrupted Rhodan with a slight
smile. 'I've sent at least five messages from Vega to Earth, and all have been
received in Galacto-City. I'm convinced au my instructions have been carried
out: As soon as we land on Earth we'll find a well-trained crew ready waiting
for us, to man the Stardust II. In addition to that we'll have at our disposal
fighter squadrons of F.T.L. mini-spaceships, ready for battle. It will take
but a few days or weeks at most to chase the Topides to the end of the
universe.' 'Let's hope you‹re not too optimistic.' The cool voice spoke from
the direction of the entrance. Nobody had noticed when Thora, the former
female commander of the Arkonide expedition that had foundered on the moon,
had come into the room. She too was tall and had whitish hair that contrasted
strangely with the delicate tan of her lovely complexion. Her eyes were
shining golden-red and flashed in a mixture of icy contempt and quiet
admiration. It was just this strange mélange of her feelings that continuously
attracted Perry Rhodan to this beautiful alien woman. They had grown closer
during the past few years since first they met. Yet they had never been
completely able to bridge the abyss that time and space had created between
them. Millennia of decades and more than 30,000 light-years lay between them.
But Rhodan already felt appreciative that she had come to regard humanity as
thinking beings and no longer wild primitives that should be destroyed, as she
had done at first. However, Rhodan recognized the new danger that lurked
behind that beautiful face. Thora had become their ally for one reason only:
the Earthlings were supposed to assist her in finding a way to return to her
home planet Arkon. And this moment she had so longed for had now arrived, for
the Stardust II, the Arkonide battleship Rhodan had captured from the enemy,
was the spaceship that could carry her back to Arkon. 'I doubt that I'm
overly optimistic, Thora,' Rhodan replied calmly, looking straight into her
reddish-golden eyes. 'Certainly, I admit that I was quite worried before we
dared the hyperjump through the fifth dimension. But we succeeded. And we
shall return via the same route, but this time well armed. The Topides won't
find an opportunity to attack Earth. They don't even know where Earth is
located in the universe.' 'Still, you must admit that you're in a bad spot,'
she said with an odd lurking note in her otherwise melodious voice. 'Mankind
has hardly ventured out into space and you encounter undreamt-of obstacles. In
the course of a few years you've already met four extraterrestrial intelligent
races. You managed to ward off a dangerous invasion of your home planet only
with the help of our powerful weapons. And now Vega! For the first time,
Earthlings interfere with interstellar affairs and enter an area that so far
belonged exclusively to the Arkonides. Do you think that is right of
you?' 'Of course I think we're right to act this way. I wonder what the
degenerate Arkonide race would have done in my place? You weren't even capable
of lifting your crash-landed cruiser off the moon again! We had to come to
your assistance, Earthlings that had for the first time reached the moon in a
liquid fuel driven primitive rocket. Don't forget that when you speak of the
present conditions. If we hadn't rescued you from the moon you probably would
still be sitting there whiling the time away by watching senseless abstract
patterns on a picture screen.' Khrest stepped over to Thora and put his hand
on her shoulder. 'You shouldn't talk this way, Thora. We and Rhodan are
friends, allies in a battle against a hostile world. He's helped us the same
way we helped him. If ever we see Arkon again one day, we'll have to thank him
for it.' For a moment Thora stood motionless next to the entrance, then she
lowered her eyes. As many a time previously she gave up the fight against
Rhodan. This man's will was stronger than hers. But it was not only the power
of logical reasoning that told her so; there was something else besides. They
had long since crossed Saturn's orbit. Jupiter became visible at the side and
soon disappeared behind them. But not until they had reached the orbital path
of the planet Mars did the Stardust II diminish her speed. Perry Rhodan
prepared the ship for a landing on Earth. The first radio messages were
exchanged. Colonel Freyt, who had been in charge of the Third Power's affairs
during Perry Rhodan's absence, confirmed the receipt of the hyperwave
communication from the Vega system and announced that all orders had been
followed. For an instant Rhodan's and Thora's eyes met. He exchanged a
friendly smile with her, without displaying the triumph he felt inside.
Reginald Bell was far less considerate. 'Haven't I always told you that
nothing could possibly go wrong?' he said with a great deal of self-assurance,
and patted his friend Perry on the back. 'Do you want me to take charge of the
landing procedures!' 'Yes, take care of everything,' answered Rhodan in an
absentminded way. For his thoughts were already preoccupied with what would
await them upon their arrival on Earth. Galacto-City was filled with intense
activity. At the shores of the Goshun-Saltlake, in the middle of the Gobi
Desert, had risen the gigantic metropolis of Rhodan's mighty domain. His
territory was hermetically sealed off from the outside world. It formed a
square whose sides were each 120 miles long. In its very center reposed the
invisible energy dome which was fed by the inexhaustible Arkonide reactors.
Below the center of the energy screen was the heart of the new realm, the
gigantic positronic brain. Outside, strictly separated from the administrative
and living quarters, stretched the long sheds of industrial plants where
50,000 specialists were busy at work. If their number had not been
supplemented by an army of work robots, the extensive installations would have
needed at least 500,000 workmen. Altogether 230,000 carefully screened
inhabitants called Galacto-City their home. Beyond the residential area were
two regular airports in addition to a spaceport, all heavily guarded by robot
troops. Three space-fighter squadrons, built on Earth, stood ready for battle:
altogether one hundred and sixty-two ultra-modem fighter machines. As the
gigantic sphere appeared in the sky, even those who knew of its existence felt
their hearts skip a beat. At first they noticed only a small ball that quickly
grew in size. But the sphere kept getting bigger until the sun was blacked out
by this new celestial body. The shadow of the Arkonide cruiser fell over
Galacto-City. The craft floated for several seconds above the energy dome
before it began to drift off slowly as if it were a child's balloon. It
disappeared below the horizon in order to touch down at the spaceport. Perry
Rhodan was the first to leave the spacesphere. He saw a man come toward him
who was as tall and lean as Rhodan himself. He was dark-haired and
approximately thirty-seven years old. Sharp lines marked his face, but some of
these wrinkles revealed clearly his great sense of humour. He came to a halt
in front of Rhodan, extending a hand in a friendly greeting. 'Welcome back to
good old Terra! we're happy to have you with us here again!' 'Thank you,
Colonel Freyt!' Rhodan smiled, grasping his friend's hand with a firm shake.
'I'm afraid, though, I'll stay here for only a short time.' Freyt could not
conceal his consternation. 'I don't understand …' Rhodan turned around and
pointed at the gigantic structure made of unknown metal alloys towering up
into the sky like a skyscraper. 'And you don't ask me what this is, Freyt? I
really admire your self-control.' The lines in the former officer's face
seemed to grow deeper. 'Curiosity isn't one of my virtues. I suppose you'll
tell me all about it in due time. Why should I bother you?' 'You're right
there, Freyt. By the way, I'm just as anxious to hear your report as you are
to hear mine. Bell is taking care of the disembarking procedures of the crew
and their transport into town. I'll come directly with you. The meeting will
take place in two hours under the energy dome. Will you see to it that all
those in authority remain close by, to be consulted if the need should arise?
Now, just let me know quickly if everything is all right here.' 'In perfect
order, don't worry!' reassured Colonel Freyt, who was now smiling again. An
airglider brought Rhodan, Khrest and Thora to Galacto-City where they were
greeted by a jubilant population. Two hours later the meeting began of the
outstanding heads of Rhodan's Third Power, as the coalition between the
Arkonides and the Terrans was generally known. Rhodan opened the
session. 'I'm pleased to note your joy at our return, but I want to tell you
immediately that we came only in order to leave again as soon as possible,
equipped in the best possible way. Before I give you a detailed report of our
experiences I would first like to call on Colonel Freyt for his résumé.' The
colonel cleared his throat but remained seated. 'We received your hyperwave
messages from the Vega system and have some idea about what happened to you
there. We started at once, according to your request, with the hypno-training
of two hundred and fifty specialists from the guard troop. This training has
been completed successfully in the meantime. These men will become part of the
crew for your new spacecraft as you had indicated. We've also concluded with
great success the specialist training of the mutants on our Venusian base. The
mutant corps is ready for action with the exception of Nomo Yamhin, whose
telepathic abilities are not up to par yet. I've already arranged for the
return of all mutants to Earth. They're back home from Venus.' 'Splendid.'
Rhodan nodded with pleasure. 'Crew and mutant corps are then ready for action.
How about the robots?' 'As you know, some robots were salvaged from the
destroyed Arkonide cruiser on the moon. These were mainly specialists for
repair work and maintenance. If you can make use of those …' 'Certainly,
Colonel Freyt. Our new ship is immense. How far did you progress with the
construction of our own spaceships here on Earth?' 'It will take us another
year to complete the cruiser according to the plans put at our disposal by the
Arkonides.' But our cruiser won't be as gigantic as the one you brought back
to Earth with you from Vega …' 'Some ship, isn't it?' interrupted Reginald
Bell, sounding as proud as if he himself had built the huge
spacesphere. Rhodan did not pay any attention to him and methodically
continued his inquiry. 'How are things here on Earth? Any political news? Do
we finally have a united world government?' Slowly Colonel Freyt shook his
head. 'I'm afiaid not yet, Rhodan. You can't really expect that age-old
traditions will be overthrown within a few years. You accomplished a great
deal at the time when you prevented the outbreak of an atom bomb war with the
help of the weapons from your Arkonide allies. This brought about a union of
all the great powers of the world. But we are still far from a regular world
government, I'm sorry to say. On the other hand, something has happened that I
consider to be of the same order of importance. Allan D. Mercant has succeeded
in uniting all defence and secret services of the world under one
organization, which is known as T.D.U., Terra Defence Union.' Allan D.
Mercant was the chief of the Western Defence and thus one of the most powerful
men of the free world. He sympathized with Rhodan's cause and had come over to
his side on the basis of rational conclusions. 'Well, that's at least
something to be grateful for,' admitted Rhodan. 'But let me tell you now about
my own plans. In the Vega system we became involved in the battles between
some of the native inhabitants and alien invaders. The natives are the Ferrons
from the planet Ferrol, while the invaders are known as the Topides, members
of an intelligent reptilian race. The Topides succeeded in conquering the
eighth planet of the Vega system; the Ferrons fled to the ninth planet, which
they call Rofus. We captured the gigantic spacesphere and promised soon to
return with more help. John Marshall and Doctor Haggard remained on the ice
moon Iridul. That is about all.' 'Why'd you leave the two men behind?' asked
Freyt, surprised. 'They've established a small base there in order to keep
watch over the hyperwave transmitter of the Good Hope, which can no longer be
repaired. In case danger should threaten Earth from any Topidian armada, the
two men will warn us immediately. This is an essential part of our defence.
Several Ferrons have been added to their support, and their safety on the ice
moon is assured. They're living in a deep cavern in the ice and have been
supplied with all necessary equipment. Iridul resembles Pluto in size as well
as other conditions., 'And now are you planning to return to the Vega
system?' 'We've no choice in the matter. We're doing a favour not only for
the Ferrons but also foremost for ourselves. The Topides might decide tomorrow
to attack Earth; after all, twenty-seven light-years mean nothing if you're
used to thinking in terms of interstellar spaceflight! Therefore we must
forestall them. This is why I wanted to make sure that conditions on Earth are
stable, which would permit me to have a free hand elsewhere. We shall drive
the invaders out of the Vega system before the thought can occur to them to
make a serious search for Earth, which they suspect to be situated somewhere
in this sector of the galaxy.' 'When are you going to take off?' inquired
Colonel Freyt in a matter-of-fact tone. 'As soon as the crew is familiar with
the new ship. I shall personally supervise their training. Bell will be
entrusted with the supreme command. And there's something else I'd like you to
do. We've brought back with us many films of the battles in the Vega system
and candid shots of the invaders. Have two hundred copies made of each film
and distribute them all over the world. I myself will record a running
commentary for these filmed documents. I'm sure these eyewitness reports won't
fail to make a suitable impression on our population of the horrors of
interplanetary war …' Their success exceeded all their expectations. People
gathered in all the big cities of the world and demanded the final union of
all governments on Earth. Perry Rhodan was feted as their liberator and
officially rehabilitated by the government of the Western bloc. His so-called
'transgression' of having used the superior technological advances of the
shipwrecked Arkonides for his own purposes was forgiven. Nobody blamed Rhodan
any longer for having built up his own neutral domain with the help of the
Arkonide scientific achievements rather than handing them over to the world at
large. Now Rhodan was assured that the whole world was standing solidly
behind him. But there was little time for Rhodan to enjoy his victory, for
the task that was ahead of him demanded his concentrated effort. In the
meantime Bell was drilling the three hundred members of the crew until they
had everything pat, and they were about to drop with fatigue. It took exactly
eleven days to get the crew ready for action. Bell could report that the
Stardust II was ready for takeoff. Four of the auxiliary vessels were
supposed to remain on Earth to supply reinforcements in case of an emergency.
The space that these four auxiliary vessels normally occupied in the gigantic
storerooms was now available for two fighter squadrons, one hundred and eight
ultrafast and supermodern machines that were under the command of Major
Deringhouse and Major Nyssen. These tiny torpedo shaped miniature spaceships
accelerated within ten minutes to the speed of light. Rhodan gave orders for
a final roll call. Although Bell felt absolutely sure of himself in general,
this was something that made him nervous. He had the men line up in front of
the gigantic spacecraft, got busy with petty details, such as inspecting their
uniforms for loose buttons and dusty boots, until a guard announced Rhodan's
arrival. Major Deringhouse and Major Nyssen stood at the right wing next to
their pilots. The men were standing stiffly at attention, like toy soldiers,
when Rhodan's car approached. He got out together with Khrest and Thora.
Rhodan walked over to the men. 'Crew of the battlecruiser ready for action,
sir!' reported Bell. Rhodan's eyes assumed a quizzical look, as he took in
the scene. 'At ease, men! We aren't in the army here, after all!' he reminded
them. His remark, of course, was addressed to his friend Bell, who seemed to
have taken his job a bit too seriously for Rhodan's taste. Then Rhodan took a
package that he had been carrying under his left arm, and held it in his right
hand. 'As I've just been informed, you're all ready for battle in the Vega
sector. We're facing a difficult task; let's hope we can accomplish it. But
keep in mind, the world's fate depends on our victory. If our enemies should
attack our solar system, Earth would be lost. In the meantime you've become
familiar with this marvellous ship and you've learned to run it and service
t.L As you know, the ship is equipped with weapons capable of annihilating
entire planets. With this craft I'm placing a tremendous source of power into
your hands. It's my wish, friends, that this power be used for peace and good
causes. But let's not forget that often you have to do battle in order to
preserve peace and freedom. And now I'd like to ask our Arkonide friend Thora
to christen our vessel.' Rhodan had opened the package and now pulled out a
bottle of champagne. Thora stepped forward, looking quite pale, and seized the
bottle. Rhodan gave her a glance of encouragement. Khrest stood over to the
side and stared rigidly at the giant sphere. Perhaps he was thinking that this
ship used to belong to his own race, but that from now on human beings would
take possession of it. Thora walked toward the spacesphere with tiny, halting
steps. She stopped short of it, lifted her right arm, hesitated for a moment,
then hurled the bottle against the metal hull. Only then did she break the
silence. 'I christen you Stardust II.' Rhodan hurried to her side, hands
outstretched. Only he could fully appreciate how hard it must have been for
the proud alien woman to give the former Arkonide ship a Terrestrial name. For
a few seconds their hands joined in a firm clasp. Then Thora turned abruptly
and walked slowly back to the waiting car. This very moment, Rhodan knew, he
had laid the second foundation stone to the future star realm of man, who
someday would take over from the decadent Arkonide Empire. Rhodan addressed
Reginald Bell. 'I'd like to take Stardust II out on her first test flight for
manoeuvres in the Asteroid belt. Khrest and I will participate as observers in
this action. We should return by tonight. Our bases on Venus, Titan and Pluto
have already been informed of our plan.' The men broke rank hesitatingly at
first, then everything went with lightning speed. The anti-grav lifts carried
the men to their stations, escalators began to roll, bulkheads were opened and
dosed, air pumped out of the airlocks, generators began to hum, then the
hatches were closed down after Khrest and Rhodan had come aboard. A short
while later the Stardust II blasted off. Bell sat in front of the intercom
and gave orders. His subaltern officers were huddled in front of similar
installations that were dispersed all over the ship. Tiny visiscreens showed
the men's faces. Inside the hangars the pilots got into their fighters. The
cabins were shut and the air streamed out of the hangars. While the Earth
sank back underneath them in the glassclear ocean of air like a giant rock,
then became embedded in the blackness of space, Rhodan began to issue
commands. 'Fictitious attacker has occupied Jupiter. Outpost on the
Asteroids. Enemy plans to attack Earth. Our goal: to destroy the outpost and
counterattack on Jupiter.' Rhodan looked at Bell. 'Carry on from here!' 'OK,'
promised Bell, and rattled off instructions into the microphones. Then, while
the Stardust II. If accelerated to the speed of light within the next ten
minutes, going up to 50,000 G's, Bell leaned back in his chair, folded his
arms in front of his chest and inquired casually: 'Sir, would it please you if
I were to pulverize Jupiter while we're at it?' 'You'll forget your silly
jokes when things get serious and we really attack the Topides someday,'
prophesied Rhodan. 'Well, how about it? What are the men doing now?' The
silly grin left Bell's face. 'I'm not joking, Perry. In less than an hour our
fighters will have turned several asteroids into fiery gas clouds and thus
annihilated any supposed enemy hiding out there. Then the fighters will set
course for Jupiter and attack all enemies trying to flee from there. With this
ship it would be entirely within our power to change the giant planet's
surface into a flaming hell.' 'That really wouldn't be necessary, but - I
don't want to interfere with your plans here. Carry on!' Bell was now in his
element. He proceeded with great skill. Nobody would have suspected such
talent in him. Although the automatic steering mechanism relieved him of
having to navigate the giant sphere, all initiative and strategical planning
were left up to him. The Stardust II raced into the Asteroid belt, then
slowed down. The first fighter squadron left the hangars and swarmed into
space. Deringhouse was in constant radio communication with Bell, who kept
naming imaginary targets and then had them attacked by the fighters. Rhodan
followed the manoeuvres on the visiscreens. Khrest stood next to him, not
saying a word. A secret fire was burning in his golden eyes but no gesture
revealed his innermost thoughts. Only Rhodan had some vague idea what was
taking place now behind the Arkonide's high forehead. Finally the Stardust II
descended low over Jupiter's surface, racing across the dead planet, shooting
at imaginary targets indicated by Rhodan with lightning speed. Where just a
moment ago had been ice-covered terrain, now boiling lava-lakes could be seen.
The fighters under Deringhouse's command paid brief visits to the planet's
inner moons, then reported as having destroyed the imaginary enemy forces
stationed there. Rhodan put his hand on Bell's shoulder. 'You can sound the
retreat now, Reg. I'm satisfied with this manoeuvre. I believe we can feel
reassured when we return to the Vega sector. I'm full of confidence now. We've
recouped our loss of the Good Hope a thousand times over with this
spacecruiser. The Topides had better start looking out.' For the first time
Khrest broke his silence. 'It would be easy for you to destroy the invaders,'
he said pensively. 'But I wouldn't recommend it. You cannot prevent all enemy
ships from fleeing the battle scene and then reporting to their home base what
happened. There are counter-weapons even against the best equipped
battleships. The Topides would think of nothing but revenge till they were
ready to return someday and take up the fight again. It would be wiser to come
to an agreement with them.' 'A peace treaty with those lizards?' pondered
Bell. 'Why not? The intelligent races of the universe come in many different
shapes; that doesn't mean they're better or worse than we are. The Arkonides
have concluded friendly deals with spider-type creatures. Our best friends
belong to an aquatic race living in the oceans of a watery world. No, my
friend, the outer appearance is not what matters. Only character should
count.' 'Do the Topides have any character?' 'Everyone has a character,'
replied Khrest seriously. 'Sometimes the character is good, sometimes it's
bad. That's the only difference.' 'What do you suggest we should do now?'
asked Rhodan. 'Propose a peace treaty?' Khrest shrugged his shoulders. 'Let's
return to that question later - once we meet up again with the Topides. They
might be willing to enter into negotiations after they've suffered a
defeat.' 'There's something else I'd like you to answer for me,' said Rhodan,
looking Khrest straight in the eye. 'What do you think of my crew here? Do you
believe they'll prove themselves in an interstellar conflict?' 'You can rest
at ease,' replied Khrest, trying at the same time to suppress the admiring
look in his eyes. 'What I've witnessed here today is like a dream from the
glorious past of my Arkonide ancestors. That's the way we were way back when
we started to build up our galactic empire. Today, unfortunately …' For a
moment he was silent, his face betraying the embarrassment he felt. Then he
smiled and continued bravely: 'You could be the direct descendants of the
former Arkonides.' While Bell issued commands for the fighters to return to
the mother ship, Rhodan remarked as if lost in thought: 'Perhaps that's what
we are - speaking figuratively, of course.' 2/ THE KEY TO ETERNAL
LIFE Forty-two planets revolve around the bright star Vega. Intelligent life
developed only on the eighth planet. The Ferrons were a short people, rarely
taller than five feet four inches. Their eyes were small and deepset, their
foreheads bulging. Their copper-coloured hair and pale-blue skin - result of
solar irradiation - formed a strange contrast. Their tiny mouths made them
appear harmless. The climate on their home planet Ferrol was hot and tropical.
Their short, thickset bodies were perfectly adapted to the 1.4 G's of their
own world. Many Ferrons, however, were no longer living on Ferrol. After the
invaders occupied their homeland, many of them fled to Rofus, one of the
planets they had colonized. There they settled down, waiting impatiently for
their liberators, the Arkonides, who had so suddenly appeared from nowhere and
dealt the Topidian enemy a crushing blow. The Ferrons had in their possession
matter transmitters, capable of operating throughout five dimensions and over
tremendous distances. Yet they had not progressed very far in their knowledge
of space flight; they had not mastered five-dimensional mathematics either.
These two facts seemed to be inconsistent and Rhodan was rather puzzled by
this. An ice-moon revolved around the twenty-eighth planet. The satellite's
former atmosphere had become precipitated eons ago and changed the moon‹s
surface into an icy desert with high mountains. No life could exist in this
hellish climate. Still, Iridul was far from being a dead world. Hidden deep
inside one of these mountains there was an immense cavern whose smooth walls
still bore signs of recently molten rock. A wide tunnel led to the moon's
surface. An airlock permitted John Marshall and Doctor Haggard to leave the
cave anytime they wished aboard one of their two fighter planes, in order to
carry out reconnaissance flights. The foundation of the hyperwave broadcast
station was expertly camouflaged in the eternal ice. Nearby were the plastic
living quarters of the two men and their Ferron companions. Generators
provided light and heat; an air-conditioning system made life bearable beneath
the frozen surface. John Marshall, a natural telepath and member of the
mutant corps, was preparing for a reconnaissance flight. Haggard, the famous
hematologist from Australia, assisted him in his preparations. 'I miss Bell,'
said John wistfully. 'I'm really looking forward to seeing his silly grin
again.' 'What loneliness won't do to some people,' kidded Doctor Haggard.
'Wherever Reg shows his face, you can bet that Perry, Khrest and Thora won't
be long in putting in an appearance. That's what's probably at the root of
your nostalgic feelings.' 'Yes, especially Thora,' admitted John, and
adjusted the transmitter in his helmet. 'What a woman!' 'She's colder than
all the ice of Iridul!' Doctor Haggard pretended to shiver with cold. He
grinned. 'If you should as much as entertain the thought in your wildest
dreams …' 'Don't worry, Doc. I wouldn't poach on Rhodan's territory.' The
physician watched silently as Marshall climbed into the cockpit of the plane
and closed the hatch behind him. Haggard stepped over to the switch-panel next
to the hyperwave sender and depressed a lever. At the same time he activated
the regular wireless set to keep in touch with the pilot. 'All set?' asked
John. 'You can start. Good luck!' 'Thanks.' The fighter took off suddenly
on anti-grav skids, gliding along the brightly lit tunnel. The airlock gates
closed behind it. Pumps began to hum. Then the door to the outside world
opened up ahead. John moved the joystick, and the tiny machine, its cabin just
large enough to accommodate one person comfortably, shot out into the dim
sunlight. Vega was much too far away to cause the glittering ice crystals of
this small satellite to sparkle properly. The wide snowy expanses reflected
the light coming from Vega and other stars, but only because of the total lack
of any atmosphere on Iridul. The shadows stood out starkly and formed an
uncompromising barrier between darkness and light. John climbed slowly,
hardly accelerating. He rose leisurely up into the star-studded sky, enjoying
the view. His eyes searched for a certain constellation he knew from back on
planet Earth. He located it almost immediately. The contours had shifted
somewhat, and an entirely new star stood almost at the center of the familiar
picture. The star shone yellow and not too bright: the stun, Sol, twenty-seven
light-years away. John had just turned four when the light he was seeing this
very moment had started on its long journey through space. In the meantime,
John had overtaken the sun's rays. And now they met up again. I've seen the
same light now for the third time, thought John. Extraordinary! Unique! Is it
at all possible to see the same light more than once? He couldn't pursue
these philosophical speculations further, that never led to a tangible result
anyhow, for something aroused his attention. At first he wasn't even aware
what it had been, but then his brain began to work: no star could move as fast
as that. No planet either. And there are no glowing meteors moving through
empty space. A spaceship? He turned his fighter plane around and
accelerated. He wasn't afraid of being attacked: He knew he could pick up
speed much quicker than any enemy ship. Long before they could get ready to
charge, he would have fled to safety. John couldn't exclude the possibility
that the invaders might have recovered in the meantime from their terrible
defeat. He was sure the loss of the gigantic spherical cruiser had been rough
on them - but they still had left a battleworthy fleet of faster-than-light
spaceships. Another flash of light! John switched on the search-robot, which
at once activated its reflecting rays. Seconds later the fighter's nose moved
slightly to one side and pointed directly at the slowly approaching
star. Here it was! A Topidian ship! The magnification magically produced a
shadow on the screens. At once John recognized the circular bulge around the
center of the slender spacecraft. This was a dead giveaway for a Topidian
vessel. John deliberated, but with lightning speed. It would make no sense to
tangle with the enemy. Rhodan had forbidden all attacks on the Topides, and
given orders to avoid any encounter with them until he returned with the
Stardust II and an effective fighting force. All the same, it was interesting
in itself to note that the Topides had resumed activity again. They apparently
had wanted to secure their position of power in the Vega system and therefore
had set out on a scouting mission to the outer planets. There was no danger
that they would become suspicious of Iridul, however. John changed course
once more, with a heavy heart, and sent a brief report to Haggard in order to
warn him. It would be advisable from now on not to leave the protection of the
underground cavern. John accelerated with a tremendous thrust of power and
soon reached the speed of light. Otherwise it would have taken days to get to
the ninth planet, considering the colossal extent of this system. Rofus
reminded him vividly of Earth, except for the absence of big cities. The
Ferrons had settled on this planet a long time ago. They were more than happy
now to use it as a place of refuge. A sufficient number of natives had
remained on Ferrol, mainly the Sichas, an almost wild tribe of brave warriors.
They lived in the mountains and had given the Topidian invaders a very hard
time. John intersected the orbital paths of several planets and slowed down
his fighter when the eleventh planet passed by in the distance. In a few more
minutes he sighted the ninth planet. He orbited around it several times to
make quite sure that no enemy scout planes were nearby. Then he landed in
Tschugnor, the capital of Rofus. Almost daily John or Doctor Haggard flew to
Tschugnor in order to visit the Thort of Ferrol. The ruler of Ferrol had fled
to safety from the Topidian invaders. His ministers and collaborators had
followed him into exile. He resided in Tschugnor and via matter transmitter he
kept in constant touch with his secret agents who had remained on the home
planet, now occupied by the enemy lizard race. Radio communication had been
discontinued and the spaceships no longer left their secret underground hiding
places. Ferrons and news capsules travelled between the eighth and ninth to
execute her hyperspace jump. No one, however, knew the secret of these
artificially constructed teleport installations. John was quite certain about
this. Normally no one paid any special attention to the Terrestrial visitors
during their periodic stays on Tschugnor. But there was something special in
the air today, John noticed, as he climbed out of his craft. He shut the hatch
and switched on the electronic barrier. Anyone coming too close to the ship
would receive a painful jolt. The barrier reacted only to John's brainwave
pattern. The streets of the city were bustling with activity. John became
aware that many Ferrons were busy transporting all kinds of heavy loads. He
tried to learn telepathically what was going on, but in vain. The only
impressions he managed to receive-were so confusing that they were less than
useless for him. He merely perceived vague generalized What had happened? He
made his way to the Thort's residence as fast as he could. He was admitted at
once and soon sat across from the ruler of the Ferrons. No vestige of his
former royal dignity could be discerned in the little man. He simply grasped
John's strong hands as if pleading for help. John understood him, due to his
telepathic abilities, and could dispense with the usual translating robot; he
even managed to answer him in a more or less intelligible fashion. 'Sir, our
lives are in jeopardy,' began the desperate Thort. 'Unless the great Rhodan is
going to help us we'll all be lost.' 'Rhodan is already on his way.' John
lied in order to calm down the little man. 'What's happened? You act as if the
Topides had started an offensive on Rofus.' 'An attack is imminent. Till now
they've kept quiet on Ferrol, but now we hear nothing but reports about
preparations going on that can only lead to the conquest of Rofus.' 'Do you
have positive proof of that, or do you just suspect it?' 'We're absolutely
convinced. According to our agents' reports the lizards' fleet is getting
ready to attack Rofus. Many of my subjects on Ferrol have been arrested,
imprisoned and even killed. The Topides have gotten over their initial shock
of Rhodan's sudden appearance on the scene. Now they're bound to come here to
take vengeance. That means we'll have to suffer for something we haven't done
at all. The Arkonides are obligated to come to our assistance now.' Fine
thanks we're getting for our help, John thought. Gratitude doesn't seem to be
their strong point. 'Do you have any clues as to when this invasion is
supposed to come off, Thort?' 'No, no definite clues. But it can come any
day. And all we have left of our defensive forces is our badly mangled
fleet.' 'That wouldn't be of much help,' John admitted thoughtfully. He
sensed that the time for action had come. Rhodan had left him behind to keep
an eye on any further activities of the Topidian enemy here. In case they had
really overcome their shock and renewed their attacks, it was John's duty to
give immediate alarm. Rhodan would have to interrupt the training of his
special crew and start at once. John had no idea how long it would take the
huge battle cruiser to traverse the distance of twenty-seven light-years, but
it should not exceed a few days, at most. No doubt it was his duty to send off
the prearranged signal and to inform Rhodan. 'I must have valid reasons,
Thort, to request Rhodan's presence here.' 'Isn't it sufficient proof that
the Topides are getting active again? Until now they didn't budge and stayed
quietly on Ferrol. But now they've resumed regular patrol missions throughout
the entire system.' True enough. John himself had seen such a patrolling
vessel in the vicinity of the twenty-eighth planet. He rose. 'All right,
Thort. I'll send a message at once to Perry Rhodan to return here in a hurry.
Keep your fleet ready for action. It's quite possible that you'll have to ward
off the enemy's first blow all by yourself. Go ahead and train troops that can
be transported to Ferrol via the matter transmitters. They're to create
diversionary actions behind the enemy lines. Once Rhodan arrives here, we'll
strike the decisive blow that will finally chase these reptilians out of the
Vega system for good.' 'Let's hope we'll survive long enough to see all this
come true,' sighed the ruler. He didn't seem too convinced by this likelihood.
But then he drew himself up to his full height, holding his short squat
stature as erect as possible. His tiny mouth became a thin line, giving his
face an air of determination. 'We will and we must beat the Topides. I must
liberate my oppressed people on Ferrol. Even if many managed to escape here to
Rofus, the best people have remained behind!' A few minutes later John was on
his way back to his fighter plane. He walked on foot in order to gather some
more impressions and also to be able to think about his talk with the Thort.
He could never quite figure out these Ferrons. True, they had progressed far
enough to develop space travel, but they had never gone beyond the initial
stages. They had colonized the seventh and ninth planets but their ambitions
had stopped short there. Yet they knew a way of dematerializing matter and
even themselves and then transport all over tremendous distances. Via the
fifth dimension! Without any loss of time! For this one needed technical and
mathematical knowledge. And the Ferrons quite obviously lacked those. John was
certain they were even unable to build such a transmitter. These machines had
been handed down through generations; they must have originated in the far
distant past. The story of their origin had been lost. They were the remainder
of some period of splendour, a highpoint of technological excellence that had
vanished. Or had the Ferrons once been in contact with a superior
civilization from whom they had obtained these transmitters? And had that
civilization fallen into oblivion? John found no answers to his questions and
no longer pursued this train of speculative thought. He knew that Perry Rhodan
had been puzzled by this problem too but had not arrived at any conclusions.
Maybe this was the key to a secret whose solution would answer many
questions. Suddenly it was much easier for him to divine the thoughts of the
Ferrons who were hurrying past him. They were fleeing. They were leaving the
city to seek refuge in the mountains before the enemy's impending
attack. John found his fighter exactly the way he had left it. He removed the
barrier and took off without delay. Shortly after leaving the atmosphere of
Rofus, he accelerated to the speed of light and set course for the
twenty-eighth planet. Vega shrank rapidly and lost its brightness. Once again
he detected another spaceship with his position finder but it was too far away
for direct sighting on his visiscreen. He didn't doubt for a single moment
that it was another scout ship of the Topides. He cautiously circled around
the twenty-eighth planet several times before he landed on the moon Iridul.
Doctor Haggard was already waiting for him and opened the airlock. Two
minutes later the pilot climbed out of the cabin and announced: 'We must send
the message, Haggard. The Topides are resuming their activity. I'm convinced
it's high time to chase them out of this system.' 'Rhodan's orders are to use
the hyperband sender only in case of emergency - we risk detection, you know.
Fortunately nobody can determine for whom the message is intended. And Earth's
position must remain a secret.' 'But it must be sent. Get everything ready;
I'll compose the text of the message. It must be brief and still say all
that's necessary.' Doctor Haggard nodded in agreement. 'I'll make it in about
ten minutes. By the way - two hours ago we made an instrument sighting of a
Topidian ship. It was orbiting around Iridul as if it were looking for
something. Is there any connection with the things you've been able to find
out?' John could hardly hide his consternation. 'You bet there is,' he said
quickly. 'A great deal, even worse than I thought. Hurry up, we'd better not
waste a second. Scout parties may be harmless, but they're usually the
forerunners of far less harmless events later on. I'm afraid the Topides are
preparing to take possession of the Vega system.' Doctor Haggard switched on
the current. A dull roar suddenly filled the wide cavern. Lamps started
glowing. The gigantic sender began to vibrate, sending waves to Earth without
any loss of time, for one light-year meant for them as much as twenty-seven
light-years. Indeed, exactly the same as 32,000 light-years - and there was
the snag. Throughout the universe receivers would be registering these
waves. Position finders might even indicate that the sender could be found
somewhere in the Vega system. But since this system was not part of the
Galactic Empire, it would probably arouse curiosity. Someone might decide to
investigate this situation and see which race had reached and surpassed the
technical pinnacle of normal progress by penetrating into the fifth
dimension. A red light flashed. 'All set,' said Haggard, and pointed to the
tiny cabin just large enough to accommodate one person. 'Go in and read out
the message. You have exactly thirty seconds. Then the message will be
repeated automatically.' 'You know,' remarked John with a forced smile,
'whenever I see this sending cabin I'm reminded of the matter transmitter the
Ferrons are using. Both this cabin and the matter transmitter have certain
things in common: the Ferronian apparatus transports human beings through
hyperspace, while we do the same thing with our waves. I always have the
uneasy feeling that someday things might go wrong; we might have a
misconnection and I, rather than my words, might land on Earth.' It was a
strange thought, but Doctor Haggard didn't treat John's words as a joke. 'It's
not as improbable as you might think, John. The only thing that really worries
me would be the location in which you'd materialize again. After all, there
are many receiving stations in the universe!' John's face grew pale,
nevertheless he entered the cabin with a determined step and shut the door
behind him. The hum increased; he began to speak. Perry Rhodan received the
report a few minutes before takeoff. Colonel Freyt, who had already taken his
leave and had stepped off the Stardust II, returned in a hurry and brought the
text. This message didn't change anything in principle, it only intensified
Rhodan's determination to clear up the situation in the Vega sector as fast
and as thoroughly as possible. 'Thanks, Colonel Freyt. We intend to be back
within a few weeks, if everything goes according to plan. In the meantime, I
hope you'll do all you can to bring about one united government on Earth. The
time for racist differences should by now have become a thing of the past.
Mankind can assume the role of heir to the Arkonide Empire only after having
become truly citizens of Terra. Do you see my point?' Freyt faced Rhodan
squarely. 'Of course I do. Now, my friend, goodbye and lots of luck.' After
Freyt had left, Rhodan stood in the ship's command center for a moment as if
lost in thought. Reginald Bell walked over from the communication console and
remarked with a frown on his round face, 'It would be a smart idea to let on
as little as possible to Khrest what you intend to do - I mean about being
heir to the Arkonide Empire. He might not take too kindly to the idea.' To
his surprise, Rhodan reacted with a smile. 'That's where you're wrong, my
friend. It's Khrest's secret desire that one day we'll take over from them as
masters of their Galactic Empire. He realizes only too well the old regime
will founder without us. Thora is the only one who refuses to listen to
reason. But enough of these dreams of the future! 'All set.' 'It's high time
we start. The message from Iridul sounded very alarming. The Topides are
getting ready to attack Rofus. We must forestall their plans.' 'Our mutant
corps will show them a merry dance,' promised Bell, returning to his place at
the control board. Colonel Freyt stood motionless at the edge of the field as
the huge spaceship lifted off silently, then shot up into the clear sky like a
gigantic missile. A few seconds later he lost sight of it. He sighed and
climbed aboard the glider that took him back to Galacto-City. A difficult
task lay ahead of him. This time everything went smoothly with the
transition. The ship slid into hyperspace, traversed the fifth dimension and
materialized at the edge of the giant Vega system. They established radio
communication with Haggard and Marshall, who breathed sighs of relief when
they learned that now their exile on the ice moon Iridul was coming to an
end. 'Reg, order one fighter squadron to take off and go on ahead. The
Topides don't need to know where we're going to land. I want to conceal the
position of the Stardust II.' 'Where's the ship supposed to touch down?'
asked Bell, after he had carried out Rhodan's command and had passed on the
instructions to Deringhouse. 'On Iridul?' 'No. On Rofus. It's a better base
of operations. I also believe that the danger is greatest for the ninth
planet.' 'Why don't we attack Ferrol directly? We can certainly risk it now
with the Stardust II, don't you think?' 'I have my reasons for not doing it
that way. No sense in establishing our rule by an unnecessary show of
violence. I'll be satisfied when the Topidian lizards scurry off
helter-skelter, convinced that it's useless to offer resistance against us. I
want them to be panic-stricken whenever they think back to their adventure in
the Vega system.' While the small, easily manageable space-fighters left
their hangars and hurried ahead of the giant sphere, flying in close
formation, Haggard and Marshall came aboard the Stardust II. Their Ferronian
allies remained on Iridul for the time being. Rhodan extended a cordial
greeting to his friends. 'I'm anxious to hear further details from you now,'
he said after the first excitement of the reunion had died down somewhat.
'Your radio message was very brief. What happened?' 'Not very much until now,
but the Thort grew restless. He felt deserted, even betrayed. But then I
managed to regain his confidence and he followed my suggestions and assembled
a small battle fleet. With it he succeeded at least to beat off a slight
attack of the Topides that was probably intended to test the Ferrons' strength
and resistance on Rofus. Still, it was quite a morale booster for the Ferrons,
even if it wasn't much of a victory. I'm afraid, however, if ever the Topides
should make any serious attempt …' 'It must never come to that,' interrupted
Rhodan. 'The lizards will soon find out that we've returned. Our fighter
squadron received orders to carry out diversionary actions, so that we can
land on Rofus without interference. Do you know if they have an underground
hangar there big enough to shelter the Stardust II?, 'I would think so,'
answered Marshall. 'But - are we going to hide out again? I had hoped we'd let
those reptiles know who's master here.' 'You bet your life we will.' Rhodan
smiled, then glanced quickly in Bell's direction. 'Why do you think we brought
along our mutant corps? Though our friend Reg isn't one of them, he still has
some surprises up his sleeve. Under his guidance our mutants will make life so
unpleasant for the Topides that they'd rather roast in hell than stay here any
longer. Or maybe they'd even prefer freezing to death in deep space.' 'I'm
going to-' began Bell enthusiastically, but Rhodan cut him short. 'Hold your
horses, old pal. Let's wait till we've landed safely on Rofus, then we'll
discuss this matter further. Right now concentrate on evading the Topides.
Watch those detection finders!' 'I won't miss a thing, not even spacebugs,'
kidded Reg, and turned away to devote himself to his task of surveillance. He
no longer paid any attention to Rhodan and Marshall, who resumed their
discussion. 'Any further news?' 'Not really, Rhodan. Except for one thing
that worries me. I shouldn't say "worry", to be honest, but rather that it
makes me wonder.' 'What is it?' 'The Thort,' said Marshall slowly. 'I've
talked a great deal with him and had plenty of opportunity to probe his
thoughts. He's honest, that's true. And he's even grateful for our help. But
there's one area that he's kept secret from us. It has something to do with
the matter transmitter.' 'Hm, murmured Rhodan. 'What's he trying to conceal
from us?' 'Something he doesn't know himself. I know this sounds odd, but
it's the truth. The Ferrons haven't developed these transmitters on their
own.' 'I thought so, my friend. But it's interesting to find out that the
Thort himself is aware of that. What else could you read in his
brain?' 'There's a sealed vault on the planet Ferrol. Five-dimensional locks
keep everyone out. Only the Thort knows how to open these locks, without
understanding their purpose. This knowledge seems to have been passed on from
generation to generation since time immemorial. I get the impression these
transmitters were a gift from an alien race, who in the distant past had
received some great favour by the ancestors of our Ferrons. This vault is
supposed to contain the exact plans for the construction of these
transmitters. The Thort was thinking of studying these plans in order to build
some.' 'That doesn't surprise me either,' remarked Rhodan without apparent
emotion. He noticed Marshall's disappointed expression. 'I wasn't trying to be
facetious, John. You've rendered me a tremendous service with this report, for
now you've confirmed what I'd suspected earlier: the Ferrons could never have
invented these five-dimensional transmitters, for they lack the necessary
mental prerequisites. Now, I'd like to know, who did build them?' 'I got a
tiny hint on that, too,' replied Marshall with a radiant smile. 'I could sense
the Thort was thinking of something like "beings that live longer than the
sun". Does that make sense to you?' These words had a startling effect on
Rhodan. And Bell, who by now was tuned in on their conversation, suddenly sat
up stiffly in his chair near his instruments. First his face grew unnaturally
pale, which was followed by a deep blush. His eyes flickered. He slowly turned
to Rhodan and met his friend's eyes, which were also wide with
amazement. Marshall observed with great interest the effect his report had
evoked; he smiled with contentment. 'What an unusual pleasure to make you
lose your cool!' he chuckled. 'That alone has made my lonesome stay on Iridul
worthwhile. Now I feel amply rewarded. Indeed, these creatures that live
longer than the sun have given the Ferrons the secret of the matter
transmitters eons ago. I'm sorry to say that they didn't know too well what to
do with this secret.' 'The Ferrons are thinking in four dimensions, and
that's already a giant step ahead, as far as we're concerned. It's just that
they don‹t think five-dimensionally. And that's the first prerequisite if you
want to construct hyper-spaceships or matter transmitters. That alone was
enough for me to realize that the Ferrons could never have built these marvels
themselves. Tell me, Marshall, could you get some indication where these
beings reside who are supposed to live longer than the sun ? Where are they
located?' 'Somewhere in the Vega system,' replied Marshall. And for the
second time he experienced the thrill of seeing Rhodan lose his composure. 'At
least that's where they were several thousand years ago, when the Ferrons were
still in touch with them. Unfortunately, that's all I could make out, by
probing the Thort's brain. I believe he doesn't have any further information
on that.' For several minutes Rhodan sat silently in his chair and stared at
nothing in particular, while his thoughts were racing ahead. Beings that live
longer than the sun, he thought. How long does a sun live? Half a day, because
it rises in the morning and sets at night? A year, because every planet in a
solar system needs one specific year to complete one revolution around the
sun? Two hundred million years, the time it takes for the sun to revolve once
within its galaxy? Or longer still? An eternity? Do these beings have eternal
life? Did they not know death? But - if this should be the case, why did
anyone never meet them? He sighed. 'We'll have to have a talk with the
Thort, once all this is over. I'm now intrigued more than ever with the secret
surrounding this matter transmitter. And where is this crypt you mentioned
earlier supposed to be, Marshall?' 'In the underground vaults of the Red
Palace on Ferrol. And only the Thort knows where the entrance is.' 'Well, the
Thort!' mumbled Rhodan. 'He's the key.' Bell looked up. Marshall asked: 'The
key? To what" 'The key to eternal life,' Rhodan said softly. Admiral
Chrekt-Orn, Topidian commander-in-chief on the conquered planet Ferrol, was
sitting at his desk in the Red Palace. His face bore an expression of grim
determination, the thin lips of his broad lizard snout were firmly pressed
together. There was a nonstop flow of alarming news. Rhodan's space-fighter
planes, under the command of Deringhouse, had rushed several light-hours ahead
of the huge Arkonide spacesphere, embroiling the Topidians in mock fights and
luring them to the other side of the Vega sector. An assistant adjutant
entered the room. 'Strong fighter units have appeared in the vicinity of the
ninth planet. We're hot on their heels. No attack was attempted by the enemy;
they beat a hasty retreat at the first sign of interception. No casualties to
report so far.' The admiral, resplendent in his colourful uniform, hit the
table with his clenched fist. 'I don't care whether the enemy is attacking us
or not! I've given express orders to wipe out any hostile force that dares
show their face in this sector!' The adjutant tried to proceed cautiously.
After all, it wasn't wise to incur the wrath of one's superior in general. But
especially not under the circumstances, since Chrekt-Orn had been empowered by
the almighty ruler of the Topides to act on his behalf here in this foreign
land. He could mete out any punishment he pleased. The adjutant defended
himself: 'The moment we set course for these tiny ships, they begin to
accelerate and take flight at incredible speeds. We had no luck so far even
destroying one of these fighters, let alone capturing one. Our technicians
would be most eager to find out something about the powerdrive they
use.' 'It's of the Arkonide type,' the admiral murmured bitterly. 'The same
as in our lost Arkonide battle cruiser. Have you found any trace of it?' 'Not
yet, Admiral. Nobody, not even our spies on the ninth planet, have been able
to get the slightest hint where it disappeared to. It seems to have simply
vanished from the fourth dimension.' 'Could be,' growled Chrekt-orn. He was
furious. 'Could very well be. Then we might never see it again. That wouldn't
be bad at all. How could we defend ourselves against that battle cruiser,
especially if it fell into the hands of an intelligent enemy? As far as these
small fighter planes are concerned' - now his voice resumed its usual sound of
authority and energy - 'we should make short work of them. Pass this on to
the commanders of our battle squadron groups. There'll be honours and rewards
for the victors.' However, neither threats nor promises would work. The
lizards tried in vain to catch the agile fighters, those daredevils who would
come close to the heavy cruisers, then avoid them with lightning fast
manoeuvres, luring them farther and farther away from Rofus. Meanwhile Bell
set the Stardust II down on Rofus, undetected by the Topides. The giant
spacesphere was placed inside the immense cave of a newly created hangar that
ordinarily could accommodate entire squadrons. Rhodan issued his commands, and
ten minutes after completion of the landing procedures he was sitting opposite
the Thort, who displayed visible signs of relief at the sight of Rhodan. 'I'm
most pleased that you've responded so quickly to my request for help,' the
Thort said at the beginning of the meeting with Rhodan, Khrest, Thora and
Marshall. 'The Topides are about to invade our world here. We don't know how
to fend them off. You, with your spacesphere …' 'We're going to defeat the
enemy without even deploying our battle cruiser,' Rhodan remarked calmly. He
paid no attention to the Thort's startled reaction. Rhodan continued. 'I've
brought a special group along with me. They're all born on my home planet.
From now on they'll carry on the fight against the enemy. Within a few days,
or weeks at most, you'll be able to return to Ferrol.' 'My battle forces are
at your disposal,' offered the Thort. 'Thanks. I'll make use of them when
needed. I really neither plan nor foresee any open battles against the enemy
forces. If we should be forced into this kind of action, I'll certainly not
avoid it. But it's my intention to let as many Topides as possible escape and
return to their home world in order to report what kind of a reception they
got here when they tried to conquer your part of the Vega system. That should
cure them for good of their lust for conquest. At least in this region as well
as in our Sol's system.' 'Sol?' the Thort asked with eager curiosity. 'Is
that what you call your sun?' 'Yes,' replied Rhodan, who had made notice of
the Thort's sudden show of interest. 'That's our sun, indeed.' Rhodan quickly
changed the topic. 'Are the matter transmitters still working all right? Are
you still transporting people to Ferrol?' 'We've maintained communication
with the Sichas. All is well in Sic-Horum. Kekéler leads the resistance on
Ferrol.' 'Excellent,' said Rhodan. 'That's where we'll start, then. What we
began to accomplish when we conquered the Arkonide battle cruiser, we'll
finish off right here. We'll break the enemy's resistance at the very
root.' 'What do you mean?' 'I mean to say that I'll be sending my people
right away to Ferrol. Today, in fact. Reg, you'll be in charge of this
mission. Any suggestions you wish to make, Khrest?' The Arkonide scientist
slowly shook his head. 'I have a notion of what you intend to do, and I can't
think of any better solution. Your mutants are the right people to frighten
the Topides enough to last them a lifetime. I fully agree with your plan,
Perry.' Rhodan glanced at Thora. She just nodded briefly to indicate her
approval. 'All right then,' Rhodan said with satisfaction. Then he turned to
the Thort. 'Will you, please, put several cars at my disposal to bring my
mutant corps to the matter transmitters. I'll oversee this action myself, and
Reginald Bell will be in charge of any further activities. Reg, you know what
to do, don't you?' 'I can vaguely figure out what you want from me,' admitted
Bell with a faint grin. 'I'm sure I can cook up something.' 'I wouldn't doubt
it, my friend.' Rhodan chuckled in amusement at the thought of Bell's
ingenuity. Rhodan rose from his seat, bringing the short meeting to an end.
'By the way, Thort, I'd like to learn all the details about the events ages
ago on Ferrol. I'm sure you have documented reports of your nation's
history.' The Thort's healthy blue complexion turned to a sickly greyish
blue. He stared in bewilderment at Rhodan. His little mouth remained half open
as if he were trying to get out the answer that had gotten stuck in his
throat. Now a hectic flickering passed over his face. John observed the Thort
very attentively. His probing thought-feelers penetrated gingerly into the
Thort's brain, endeavouring to register its impulses. But he found only
surprise and consternation. When, finally, the Thort spoke up. 'Our history?
What could you find of interest in my people's history? What connection could
there be with our present war against the Topides?' 'Maybe nothing, and maybe
a lot, Thort. So how about it? Can I study your nation's past or do you want
it to remain an eternal secret? And if so, why?' 'No,' stammered the Thort,
still overwhelmed by Rhodan's sudden request. 'Why should I want to conceal my
nation's past history? We're friends, and friends don't hide things from each
other. You reveal your home planet's galactic position and I, in return, will
tell you about our past.' 'Also about those creatures that live longer than
the sun?' This time even Rhodan was shocked at the sudden change that fell
over the Thort. The greyish blue tinge of his face became almost white.
Something akin to fear and awe filled his restlessly darting eyes. He started
trembling all over. 'How do you know of them?' 'I just do.' Rhodan dismissed
the question with a negligent flick of his hand. 'How about it, Thort? Are you
going to tell me about these beings and where they live?' The Thort simply
shook his head. 'Even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't do it. It's too far
back in the past, and our reports have grown hazy with the passage of
thousands of years. I'm willing to procure all available data. Then we can
continue our discussion. I hardly believe, though, that I can be of real help
to you in this matter.' 'I'm sure you'll greatly assist us, Thort.' Rhodan
sounded amused. He reminded his friend Reg, 'Let's not waste any more time.
We've waited too long already.' Then, speaking again to the Thort: 'I shall
remember your promise. This isn't a whim on my part. If these beings do indeed
live longer than the sun, they still ought to exist today. For the sun is
still with us.' Kekéler stepped out of the matter transmitter cage on Rofus.
An urgent message from Rhodan had called him to the ninth planet. Rhodan, Bell
and the mutant corps welcomed the Sicha, who was dressed in the colourful
garments of his people. 'I'm happy to meet our allies again,' began Rhodan.
'And how is the liberation movement progressing?' 'It's cost us many victims,
but we haven't really made any progress,' admitted Kekéler sadly. 'The Topide
lizards get more and more suspicious of us. They've dismissed nearly all
native help from their services. They've doubled their guards everywhere.
We've established communication with several resistance groups, and our
organization has improved. But this step ahead is evened out by the severity
of the Topidian methods of reprisal. Only the other day, they destroyed one of
our villages, killed off all its inhabitants, because they suspected them of
hiding one of the resistance fighters.' 'Just like back on Mother Earth, not
too long ago,' muttered Rhodan bitterly. 'Go on, Kekéler! Any news?' 'None,
Rhodan. We'll continue fighting until the Thort can return to Ferrol, or until
we …' He hesitated. Then he swallowed hard and added: 'We'll all be
dead.' 'Don't worry, friend. This will never come to pass. I've brought
reinforcements with me. Some members of the mutants corps are already known to
the Sichas. Tako Kakuta for instance. And you'll probably remember Wuriu
Sengu. But whatever their names, they're your friends, of both the Ferrons and
the Sichas. The headquarters of the resistance groups will be moved to
Sic-Horum, the capital in the mountains. From there, Bell will deploy his
forces as needed.' 'Everything has been prepared for your arrival,' said
Kekéler. 'Thank you. Bell and I have discussed all the details of this
action, and he's fully informed. I'll arrive in Sic-Horum three days from now
and take charge of the final stages of the battle of liberation. And now -
farewell! Good luck!' Kekéler hesitated for a moment. Then he gathered up his
courage. 'We need weapons, Rhodan. Without weapons …' 'Weapons?' Rhodan acted
surprised. 'Oh, I almost forgot to mention it. We won't need any weapons
anymore. From this day on, we'll fight the invaders with one kind of weapon
only: our brains. And I know we have better brain power than the lizard
race.' The door of the matter transmitter cage opened. The first of the
mutants stepped inside. 3/ 'TO LIVE LONGER THAN THE SUN' Trker-Hon sat
across from his commander-in-chief, Admiral Chrekt-Orm. The two beings,
descendants of a reptilian species, were covered with gray-black scales and
presented a nightmarish sight. Their broad frog-like faces, their thin-lipped
snouts, their black protruding eyes, their flat skulls and their nonhuman
extremities - all of these together contributed to make them appear in an
unsympathetic light to the human eye. The Ferrons too felt the same repulsion
to the appearance of these creatures that had invaded their home planet. The
lizards presented a visual impression of cruelty - but even worse: they were
of a truly cruel character. 'Our offensive will start tomorrow,' said
Chrekt-Orm with some emphasis. 'We must assume the Arkonide battleship has
become the victim of some accident. Most likely, the Ferrons didn't know how
to operate it properly and have vanished for good in hyperspace. Thus our
chances have increased to win a speedy victory over this race and to take
possession of the entire system. This way we should also find that ship which
sent a call for help and originally brought us here to this part of the
universe.' 'Sometimes it seems to me,' mused Trker-Hon, 'we might've made a
mistake and landed in the wrong system. You can't exclude the possibility of a
miscalculation when dealing with such big distances.' 'Our Despot's
technicians never commit an error!' declared the admiral firmly, reminding his
subaltern that a superior doesn't fall victim to the same frailties as other
mortals. 'This is the right system, and we're going to locate the stranded
Arkonide cruiser. We have to find a replacement for the one we‹ve lost. Or do
you really even consider returning home without your ship? You know what fate
would await you there.' There was no doubt in Trker-Hon's mind what to expect
in such a case. 'Our Despot is a fool!' volunteered Trker-Hon. 'He's cruel
and stupid besides!' The admiral looked at his adjutant with amazement. He
was perplexed and utterly confounded. A hissing, whistling sound escaped his
lips, giving expression to his feelings of utmost bafflement. His scales were
rattling and changing colour. 'What did you say?' he yapped, gasping for air.
No one had ever dared to make such offensive remarks about the exalted ruler
of the Topides. He would have to place this young man under arrest, have him
court-martialed. Only one punishment would fit this abominable crime: death!
'What did you say?' he asked again. 'And you're a fool yourself, Admiral!
Don't you see the wrong we're doing here? These natives are a friendly
harmless people, who are entitled to rule over their own home planet. What
right do we have to come here and take over their world? I'll say it once
more: you're a big fool for carrying out the Despot's orders without ever
questioning them. This blind obedience won't free you from being held
responsible for your actions at some date in the future when you'll be brought
to trial.' The admiral tried to smooth his unruly scales. Never before had he
encountered such outrageous behaviour. Never throughout his long career had an
officer rebelled in his presence. The man must have lost his
mind. 'Trker-Hon! I'm placing you under arrest!' The admiral pushed a button
and waited for an orderly officer to enter the room. 'Hjera, call a guard!
Trker-Hon's been stripped of his rank. He'll be court-martialed.' 'Are you
mad, man?' said the orderly. He didn't budge, made no move to comply with
Chrekt-Orn's orders. The admiral couldn't believe his ears; he was
thunderstruck. The world seemed to come to an end for him. His race had known
only blind obedience since time immemorial. The slightest rebellious attempt
had always been stamped out ruthlessly at the very first sign. And now
this! He sounded the alarm. Armed guards stormed into the room, holding their
dangerous deathray guns ready to shoot. 'Arrest these two!' gasped the
admiral. He was breathing hard. 'They're making insulting remarks about our
Despot. They must be brought to justice! We'll punish-' Words failed him as
he crumpled in his seat. He was too old to have to put up with such
monstrosities. Silently, the guards disarmed the two evildoers, whose faces
suddenly reflected nothing but utter surprise. They offered no resistance when
the guards led them away. Trker-Hon and the orderly officer seemed merely
baffled. 'What's all that supposed to mean?' wondered Trker-Hon aloud. But he
didn't receive an answer to his question. That was merely the beginning of
the offensive campaign the mutants were waging against the Topidian
lizards. Bell had put back in operation the one-man matter transmitter inside
the Red Palace. Thus he was able to send his men, individually, straight to
the central command post of the Topides. The cage of the receiver was
concealed in a secret chamber, built between hollow walls which had not yet
been discovered by the enemy. A narrow corridor ran along between the hollow
walls, branching off in many places, and led to various rooms, chambers and
passages. This was most convenient for Bell's men to pop up suddenly anywhere
in the Red Palace and to disappear just as swiftly. The former builders had
really thought of everything, though certainly they never suspected that their
prudent foresight would play a vital role someday in driving off invaders from
their home planet. Wuriu Sengu was once again the key figure. He and Bell
were sitting together in a comer of the hollow wall, as he put his amazing
gift into action. The short, squat Japanese had a round face and black,
bristling-stiff hair. He was the 'seer' of the mutant corps. Solid matter
presented no obstacle for his eyes. He could see through everything and was
able to recognize any object on whose atomic structure he would focus his
special vision. The moment he changed focus, the object became invisible again
to his eyes. 'What's going on?' Bell whispered eagerly. He was thoroughly
enjoying this guerrilla warfare right in the middle of the lizards'
headquarters. He had an innate desire to make things as complicated as
possible in order to increase his enjoyment. This prevented him from letting
loose his mutants on the enemy's army to cause them to mutiny. He wanted to
squeeze every drop of pleasure out of this whole enterprise. Those lizards
should shiver with fright for the rest of their days whenever they'd think
back to this military expedition. The Japanese whispered in return: 'The
admiral had both the officer and the orderly arrested just now. André Noir did
a good job here.' A chuckle came from the opposite corner, where the
Frenchman was sitting. He had been born in Japan and was one of those types
who radiated their good-natured temperament for miles around them. He was
known as a 'hypno' and could impose his will on others. Not only on human
beings, but also on animals, extra-terrestrial creatures and alien intelligent
life forms. He had just given renewed proof of his remarkable ability. 'Wow,
that's fun! I've just released this Trker-Hon from my hypnotic spell. Of
course, he can't remember a thing. He can't understand why the general had him
put under arrest.' 'Admiral,' corrected Sengu. 'What's the difference,
Sengu? The main thing is the lizard chief will see discipline collapse all
around him. He won't be able to figure this out and he'll start doubting his
own mind. Better still, he'll gradually begin to believe in ghosts.' 'He'll
hardly be able to avoid that.' Bell grinned. 'I hope their entire army will
soon believe in ghosts. That's what Rhodan wants them to do.' Sengu kept
staring at the wall. 'The two guards are taking their prisoners to jail and
are locking them up. I'd like to know what the admiral's next step will be. I
wonder if he'll have his best collaborator condemned to death.' 'Topidian
morale won't leave him any other alternative,' said Bell. 'What crazy
creatures!' 'Why?' asked André Noir in a serious tone. 'I haven't forgotten
the time when we had similar conditions back on Earth.' 'Hush!' urged Anne
Sloane, who had kept silent all this time. The dainty American girl was a
natural telekinetic. Thanks to her special gift she was capable of lifting and
moving any object across tremendous distances just by concentrating her mental
powers. Sengu was clasping her right hand in his strong fist. Thus she could
perceive anything he saw. By combining their various talents the mutants could
multiply their potential many times over and thus increase their usefulness
and heighten their chances of reaching the optimum of their effectiveness.
'The admiral seems to be getting over his shock. He's speaking on the
communicator now. Of course, I can't understand what he's saying.' 'But I
can,' said Noir. He was clasping Sengu's other hand. Only Reginald Bell sat in
his corner, unable to see anything, for he was not one of the mutants. 'He's
giving orders to call a meeting for the discussion of a special military
operation. All the battleship commanders who aren't presently engaged in
encounters with the enemy are being invited. At the same time he's issued
orders to get the hyperwave band senders ready. After the meeting he wants to
establish direct communication with the Despot on Topid. Wow! That's over
eight-hundred light-years away. I can't wait to listen in to that!' 'He isn't
fed up yet, I hope …' Bell was afraid he might be cheated out of all this fun.
He sounded so disappointed that Anne couldn't help laughing. 'I wanted to
scare the living daylights out of him before he …' 'Don't you worry,'
interrupted the Frenchman, full of confidence. He could appreciate Bell's
concern. 'On the contrary, he wants to obtain the Despot's permission to
abandon the eighth planet and at the same time official sanction for
annihilating Ferrol. And then he said something else before he switched off
the communicator. He mumbled some words to himself. I don't quite see what he
meant by that.' 'What were those words?' demanded Bell. He was suddenly very
serious. 'It sounded like: "The wrong world … but I'll still find the right
one."' 'He meant Earth,' growled Sengu, the Japanese mutant. 'Does mankind
live longer than the sun?' Bell sat up straight as a bolt. 'What? What did
you say? Say that again!' He could hardly talk, he was so excited. André Noir
smiled triumphantly. 'Did I finally get a rise out of you? I can't believe it!
Yes, that's what the admiral was muttering to himself. Something about the
right world, whose inhabitants live longer than the sun. Is that of any
significance?' 'Rhodan will be most interested to hear of that.' Bell resumed
his usual casual tone. He relaxed in his seat in the corner. 'When will this
meeting take place?' 'Within the hour. Afterward, the talk with their home
planet Topid.' Bell was fumbling with the tiny communico-set he was wearing
on a bracelet around his left wrist. 'They're in for something! And they
won't like it!' he growled angrily. He seemed to have forgotten that this was
going to be a fun thing. Admiral Chrekt-Orn entered the conference room and
all the assembled officers fell silent. Chrekt-Orn sensed the tense atmosphere
and could literally fed the deep resentment directed against him. He saluted
briefly and asked them to be seated. Then, as if this were the normal thing to
do, the admiral's scales lost their colour, he started to crow strangely - a
sound totally unfamiliar to the lizards' ears. Now the admiral spread out his
arms, fluttering and waving, then ascending effortlessly up to the heavy
chandelier where he settled comfortably between the arms of the light fixture.
From this vantage point he looked down upon the utterly consternated officers
and began his address: 'Gentlemen! Our enemies the Ferrons use the most
abominable means to break our rule. Just a few minutes ago I had to witness
how Trker-Hon uttered the vilest insults against our exalted ruler. He called
him a fool, which is putting it mildly, in my opinion. I would've used much
stronger words to express my feelings. Therefore I had him arrested and shall
condemn him to death. After all, it's not possible …' That was as far as he
got. Somebody emitted a shrill whistle and ran out of the room. Several of the
officers followed suit. An elderly stouthearted officer seized the chance he
must have been waiting for a long time. 'Silence!' he shouted at the top of
his voice. 'The strangers who came to the Ferrons' assistance are using black
magic. Don't get confused! Remain calm and rational, follow my example. We
must fight against the enemy …' This was the end of his speech. He was fully
conscious, like the rest of the Topidian officers in the room, for André Noir
didn't conjure up an illusion this time. It was the real thing. Suddenly the
ground fell away from beneath his feet and he sailed up to the ceiling toward
the admiral, who was crouching anxiously in the chandelier. Soon both lizards
were sitting in the tiny space, clutching at each other desperately. They
stared in amazement, with ruffled scales, at the chaotic scene down
below. The officers who had remained in the conference room had seen enough.
Their superiors were in league with the bad spirits and were out to min them.
Better to fight against the Ferrons; they were easy game in comparison. They
were real and could be defeated. They fled headlong out of the room. Only the
admiral and his senior officer remained, waiting anxiously for someone to get
them safely down from the ceiling. Hardly one hour later, and eight hundred
light-years away, the exalted ruler of the Topides received a detailed but
quite confusing report of the events in the Vega system. He issued commands to
hold out on the occupied planet at all costs, until the already alarmed
committee of investigation would arrive. He nominated a new commander-in-chief
of the occupied territories in the Vega sector and gave him full mandatory
powers The new cominander-in-chief, Rok-Gor, started his career with the
order to attack Rofus with a strong battle force. They were to wipe out all
Ferronian troops stationed on that planet. Unfornmately, this was a mistake,
for it only hastened the development of the events that would prove to become
fateful for him and his race. Of course, Rok-Gor had no way of knowing
that. Back in his hiding place Bell was sh;iking his head
energetically. 'No. Rhodan's ordered to leave them strictly alone. Let them
proceed with their attack. Deringhouse and his fighter squadron have been
alerted. Ras Tschubai is with Deringhouse. How these two can stand it inside
that tiny cabin is a mystery to me. But I've some idea of what's going to
happen; I can imagine what their plans are.' He was wrong, though, for what
really took place was beyond his rather vivid imagination. Deringhouse sat at
the controls of his small craft, whose cabin was just large enough to
accommodate one person comfortably. Ras Tschubai, an African, was a big man.
He sat cooped up at the other end of the cabin and tried to look out of the
porthole. He managed to get a good view of the largest part of the surrounding
universe. Ras was one of the teleporters of the mutant corps; he could
transport himself to any place he desired by concentrating on it, provided he
was familiar with it or could see it directly with his own eyes. Deringhouse
was in direct touch with Rhodan via the central station on Rofus. Thus he
leamed of the approaching fleet which had orders to attack Rofus. The other
fifty-three machines of his squadron remained in loose formation and made
constant sorties designed to lead astray any possible Topidian advance patrol
vessels. Deringhouse's forces were located exactly between Rofus and
Ferrol. Trker-Hon, who had been released in the meantime, led the Topidian
battle fleet. Though he couldn't make sense of the latest events, he tried to
shake off the secret fear that gripped him. He was determined to eradicate the
source of all this calamity, which he believed to be on Rofus. Of course he
couldn't guess that this source was - of all places - located in their own
headquarters. The twenty hump-bellied cruisers emerged from the shadow of the
planet Ferrol and journeyed forth into the bright splendor of the Vega
system. The Topidian direction finders located them at once and Trker-Hon
gave orders to attack. Trker-Hon was half sitting, half lying behind his
instrument board and stared out of the wide visi-hatches at the hated opponent
whom he knew to be faster than any Topidian ship. It seemed therefore all the
more surprising to him that these fifty vessels made no attempt whatsoever to
escape. Was it their intention to make a stand in the face of a concentrated
attack of his twenty heavy battle cruisers? Trker-Hon kept up constant
communication via TV with the commanders of the other cruisers. A hopeful note
was in his voice as he issued commands for a slight change of course which
marked the beginning of the attack on the hostile forces. He'd give hell to
these Arkonides or to their friends who looked just like them and surely were
at least of a related race. As far as he was concerned all of them were
Arkonides and thus belonged to that race which tried to rule the universe, a
task to which only the Topides were entitled. The first officer of the
flagship entered the command center. The instant he reached the middle of the
room in order to make a report to the commander, something very strange
happened. Trker-Hon was able to see it clearly. He'd just turned around at the
sound of the approaching officer. The airspace near the officer began to
waver as if it had been suddenly heated up. Something pushed the first officer
aside with a sharp jolt - and then became visible. Ras Tschubai materialized
right in the middle of the enemy's command center, immediately next to the
Topide officer. He was grinning from ear to ear, amused at the fright he gave
the two reptilian enemies. Their eyes protruded even farther than normal.
Their scales began to rattle ominously and jutted out at a right angle from
their leathery skin. Then the scales changed color, going from pink to a light
green. Ras removed the raygun from the belt of the stupefied first officer.
Ras pointed the gun at the instrument board. He appeared perfectly composed,
as if this were nothing unusual he was doing here. He pulled the trigger. The
fine energy stream turned the glittering instruments into a glowing dripping
mass of useless matter which evaporated as a result of the tremendous
generation of heat. Trker-Hon didn't comprehend a thing, but he acted
instinctively. With one mighty jump he leaped from his seat toward the black
ghost. But before he could lay his hands on him, the stranger had vanished
into thin air. Only the raygun fell, clattering to the metal floor. The
commander and his first oflicer were once again all alone in the demolished
command center. Ras Tschubai displaced himself to another part of the big
battle cruiser, jerked several big guns from their holds, made the totally
perplexed Topide crew take to their heels, opened the airlock and
dematerialized. Trker-Hon noticed at a glance that the intruder's shot had
destroyed only some unimportant instruments. The communication with the other
ships of his fleet was still intact. He managed to shut the airlock just in
time. But the opened airlock made him think. Had the black creature left his
ship via the airlock? That would mean it could survive in the vacuum of
space! A cold shiver ran over the pointed scales on his back. Then this
couldn't have been an Arkonide, but a member of another race. This might
explain their mysterious powers! He looked out of the visi-hatch and saw that
the linle enemy ships kept at the same distance. Regardless whether the
Topidian ships tried to come nearer to them or to get away from them, the
distance remained unchanged. Trker-Hon called the other cruisers: 'Set course
for the ninth planet! We'll carry through with Rok-Gor's commands. The right
wing …' He stopped short. He couldn't get out the words. Something happened
on the small visiscreen which showed the command centre of the seventh battle
cruiser. It was the same event that had taken place a few minutes earlier in
his own command centre. The black ghost materialized behind the commander of
Number Seven. Trker-Hon was incapable of shouting a warning to the
unsuspecting Topide, he was too fascinated by the event that unfolded before
the eyes of most of the other commanders, since Ras had landed right before
the lens of the televideo apparatus. Trker saw how the ghost - or whatever
the apparition might be - tapped the officer on the shoulder. The Topide
jerked around; he wasn't used to such disrespectful behavior. He was chilled
with terror at the sight of the black ghost. He couldn't move. Now Trker-Hon
found his voice again. 'The raygun - kill him!' he croaked. 'Quick!' Even if
the commander of Ship Seven heard Trker's warning shout, he didn't react to
it. He sat halfway turned around in his seat, immobilized like a hypnotized
rabbit. Ras Tschubai grinned and walked to the instrument board. He pulled a
few levers at random, pushed several buttons, turned some switches. The
commander's eyes followed his movements. He didn't budge; he was unable to
move. While Ras was in the process of dematerializing in order to reappear in
Ship Number Three and terrorize its crew in the engine room, Ship Number Seven
began to respond to the changed settings of controls. It seemed to have gone
crazy. It took off vertically, separating from the tight formation of the
fleet, started to execute abstract figures, diving, rolling, turning and
banking in all kinds of crazy angles. Finally it spun off sideways, guns
blazing wildly, in the direction of the bright Vega star. Trker soon lost
sight of it. He no longer received any answers to his urgent calls. There was
no time even to ponder about this puzzling incident. Something even more
incredible took place. The tiny hostile space fighters began their attack.
They flew toward the Topidian fleet like bats shot out of hell, almost
colliding with the heavier and not as easily maneuverable cruisers, creating
havoc among the ships' formation. They then retreated lighning fast, only to
take up their game anew a few minutes later. They didn't fire a single
shot. And then it happened. Cruiser Number Thirteen moved up to the front of
the formation, turned sideways, pointing its heavily armed broadside
menacingly at the ranks of the fleet, blocking their way. Now the face of the
commander of Ship Thirteen appeared on the visiscreens of the other cruisers.
'I've assumed command over the entire fleet! Return to Ferrol! Turn about!
Fire!' Before Trker-Hon could make any sense out of this mad move, Number
Thirteen's heavy ray cannons opened fire, blasting pale bundled energy rays
away at the rest of the formation. All protective energy bubbles surrounding
each of the cruisers effortlessly absorbed the sudden bombardment. Except for
Cruiser Number Nine, that apparently had switched off its force field for an
instant. It disappeared. In its place, a slightly phosphorescent cloud was
drifting off into space, its sharp outlines soon growing fuzzy and gradually
totally fading away. The rebellious Cruiser Number Thirteen, however, closed
rank again as if nothing untoward had taken place. There was no comlnent, no
explanation from its commander, except for his inquiry a few seconds later as
to where Cruiser Nine had vanished. Trker-Hon was trembling all over. He
tried to give gn answer. He realized that the officer on Number Thirteen had
not acted of his own free will. He hadn't gone stark staring mad all of a
sudden. No. He'd succumbed to the same evil forces that had almost managed to
ruin him and his career. These Arkonides must have at their disposal powerful
means beyond anyone's imagination. Just then, at that very instant, with
fading awareness, he could barely perceive the foreign mind now penetrating
his own brain. But this time it was quite different from before. This time he
didn't lose consciousness completely; a small fraction of it remained awake.
Although he'd been robbed of his ability to make decisions, he was still
capable of understanding the strange, inexplicable thing that had taken
possession of his brain - even if he failed to comprehend it. 'We can destroy
you,' said an inaudible voice that he could hear only inside his head. 'And we
will destroy you, unless you abandon this senseless fight. Turn back at once,
Trker-Hon! Report to your commander-in-chief Rok-Gor about your unsuccessful
attack on Rofus. Withdraw from the Vega system or none of your ships will ever
see your home planet again!' Trker felt the pressure recede. His analytical
mind returned. He stared at the mike of his videocommunico-set. His claws shot
out and grasped it. He called his commanders with a croaking voice: 'Proceed
with attack on Planet Nine! Let nothing deter you from the execution of my
orders. And if I should issue any cominands to the contrary …' This was as
far as he got. He felt the strange mind enter his brain again, completely
blocking out his own awareness. Everything went black in front of his eyes.
But this interuption lasted only a single second. Then he continued to speak,
with the same croaking voice as before: '… I'll do this for very compelling
reasons. Such as now. We're turning back to Ferrol immediately and abandoning
the fight. Is that clear?' It was far from clear to anyone. But true to their
racial conditioning, the fleet made an about-face, setting course for Ferrol.
There was no one as furious about all this as Trker-Hon himself when he later
stood in front of Rok-Gor, unable to supply a satisfactory excuse for his
inexcusable action. 'All right then,' nodded the commander-in-chief, staring
at the ceiling. 'Report this incident to the investigation committee that is
due to come within a few days. We've already been informed of their impending
arrival.' It was like a scene in a grotesque monster movie. The new commander
of the Topidian forces, Rok-Gor, was sitting at his desk, scratching the
synthetic top with his sharp claws, doodling intricate patterns. He was
extremely nervous, for this was the day they expected the investigation
committee from Topid. Chrekt-Orn, now dismissed from his post as
commander-in-chief, and Trker-Hon sat on the other side of the desk. Using
Chrekt's eyes and ears as a medium, Ralph Marten, the mutant, became a witness
to this preliminary discussion. Ralph Marten was the son of a German father
and a Japanese mother. He'd inherited his father's tall stature and light-blue
eyes, and his mother's black hair. His ability to penetrate other persons'
minds and spy undetected on their actions was not a normal characteristic
shared by his parents and handed down to him. This was the result of the
increasing radioactivity of the Earth's atmosphere, which caused mutations in
the parents' genes, later expressed as startling new talents in their
offspring. Thus Ralph Marten, the mutant, could see and hear with the lizards'
eyes and ears and follow their conversation. Meanwhile Ralph's body was lying
rigidly in the secret chamber of the Red Palace, watched over by Reginald Bell
and other members of the mutant corps. The three Topidian lizards behaved in
a rational and intelligent manner - a notion often proposed in times past by
writers of imaginary stories, but which had seemed utterly fantastic and
unbelievable scarcely ten years earlier. 'The lizards were not too much at
ease in this strange environment, but they'd adjusted to it fairly well. They
had different types of furniture on their home planet Topid, to be sure,
designed for their reptilian body shapes. Still, here they made do with the
furnishings they'd appropriated from the human-like Ferrons. 'It was nothing
but hypnosis, remote control hypnotic trance!' wheezed Trker-Hon, trying to
explain the reason for both blunders he'd made. First he'd insulted the
Despot, then he'd withdrawn his fleet in the midst of battle. 'I wasn't aware
of what I was doing. I was no longer master of my own mind. They must have
machines which control other people's brains.' 'And how do you account for
the fact,' Rok-Gor asked, 'that Chrekt-Orn could suddenly fly like a bird,
that a black ghost appeared from nowhere right in the command center of the
battle cruiser, demolishing many instrunents? Was that also due to hypnotic
commands?' Trker didn't reply. What answer could he give? Chrekt-Orn, the
former commander-in-chief, tried to advance his opinion of the nightmarish
events. 'Our enemies must be aided by strange powers, unknown to us. We've
learned from our conquests of alien races that they frequently possess
incomprehensible abilities and characteristics for which we later have found
some explanation. I'm sure this will be the case here too. Tomorrow the
Commission will …' 'That's exactly why I've asked you to come here,'
interupted Rok abruptly. 'We all realize that we'll be held responsible if the
campaign should prove to be a failure. And that's what it'll turn out to be in
case the Commission orders us to retreat. This simply musn't happen! We have
until tomorrow to find some explanation for what's happened, and we must also
find a method to prevent any further repetition. I'm counting on you for some
suggestions, since you've already gathered some experiences in this field that
might prove helpful.' 'Sorry. I wouldn't be of much help. I simply don't
remember anything,' admitted Trker. 'I had completely lost consciousness; I
have no memory of it. What could I possibly say about it then?' 'Nonsense!'
Expressing his anger, Rok swept aside a heavy chair with a single blow. 'There
are experts on the Commission who can extrapolate from the slightest clues.
According to experience, then, they'll leave the courier-ship only when direct
contact has been established with Topid. So the Commission isn't going to fall
into a trap without noticing it. Our people back home will witness the
investigation directly because the TV cameras will record the picture and beam
it to Topid through hyperspace. We have until tomorrow to find a satisfactory
solution, otherwise the invasion will be canceled or we'll be dismissed. In
either case this will mean the end of our careers. I believe we understand
each other.' 'It was actually a mistake to demand that the investigation
committee should come here,' Chrekt reproached. 'If we hadn't, I would still
be commander-in-chief and we would've found a way out. There are no ghosts and
…' The word stuck in his throat. With protruding eyes he stared at the chair
in the corner, where it had been lying since Rok knocked it over. As though
guided by invisible hands, the various parts began to reassemble, then the
structure floated slowly upward, where it hung just below the ceiling and
above the new commander-in-chief. Rok followed Chrekt's startled glance upward
to the chair, which was supported as though by ghostly hands, at which time
the floating chair suddenly lost its invisible support and fell to the floor
like a shot. Rok didn't react quickly enough. His mind was still in a state
of shock at the impossible sight of the airborne chair and he was struggling
to comprehend how such a thing could be when the gravity-defying object
crashed down on his hard head, its legs draping themselves around his neck
like a collar. Trker and Chrekt regarded their superior with a mixture of
horror and satisfaction, their superior who was frightened into imlnobility.
In the meantime, Ralph Marten, through barely moving lips, whispered his
account inside the hidden chamber. Bell squatted in his corner and grinned; it
was very easy for him to imagine it all. Anne Sloane breathed a sigh of relief
when she was able to release the chair. 'By the Gods of the Despot!' hissed
Rok, clearly frightened. 'What was that?' 'The chair-' said Trker. 'The
chair's taken vengeance because you kicked it. Dead things come alive and
…' 'No!' Chrekt-Orn spoke. 'It's nothing but a trick. An illusion that we
…' 'You call that an illusion?' raged Rok, and tore the remnants of the chair
from his neck and threw them furiously on the floor. 'I have a bump on my
head. Since when do illusions leave bumps?' 'I didn't mean it that way,' said
Chrekt, trying to pacify the angry Rok. 'What took place here was certainly no
illusion. But dead objects don't come alive. The aliens can influence our
brains over great distances and they can move objects. Whether they do this
with the help of machines or completely by the power of their minds, I
couldn't say …' Rok shook his head in desperation. 'That's nonsense! The
Arkonides aren't magicians!' 'Then maybe their friends are. Or can it be that
we're confronted by two or maybe even three opponents? The Ferrons, the
Arkonides - and someone else. And this someone is capable of -
magic.' 'Impossible! We can't face the Commission tomorrow with such old
wives' tales or we'll be washed up. A super powerful opponent, all right; that
they'd recognize. But ghosts and magicians? No! This would be no acceptable
excuse for the failure of an invasion. Besides, we haven't yet found the
Arkonide cruiser that sent out the emergency signal. I'm almost beginning to
believe too that we made a mistake with this system.' 'This star has
forty-two planets,' Chrekt reminded him. 'There are a few more surprises ahead
of us. And now I'd like to make a suggestion concerning the Commission we'll
see tomorrow: you've dismissed me as commander-in-chief - all right, I accept
that, under the circumstances. But now you too sufter under similar
difficulties. We must stick together or we'll all be destroyed. So I'm in
favor of your informing the Commission tomorrow that you made a mistake, that
the magic's come to an end. As soon as the examiners are through with us
again, we'll renew our energies against the Ferrons and Arkonides, to finish
them off …' '… And these magicians!' interjected Trker. Rok threw him a
disapproving glance but said nothing. Expectantly he looked at Chrekt but
Chrekt had nothing to add. 'Is that all?' Rok's voice was full of disdain.
'You probably want to end the war at my expense ! No, I'll report the truth to
the Commission, so that they'll recognize our difficulties. I don't care what
happens to you. The only important thing is that we find the Arkonide cruiser
and the race of eternal life.' Chrekt nodded slowly, but he caught a
lightning swift side glance from Trker, who obviously didn't intend to become
a victim either of Rok's lust for power. It was evident that the high command
of the lizards was no longer in agreement. 'For tomorrow,' Rok-Gor went on,
'the fighting will be discontinued. I want the Comlnission to be presented
with a muster inspection. We'll show the Despot that we too can face
unforeseen events. I expect that you'll execute my command with the usual
precision. Anything else?' The meeting came to an end, but only because Ralph
Marten decided to return to his friends. His body moved and he sat up. He
opened his eyes and stared into Bell's intent face. 'Well" 'Let's wait till
tomorrow, Bell. I think we can do quite a few things there. Let's not forget
that the ruler of the Topides will be watching.' Bell grinned broadly. 'I'll
think of something.' In Sic-Horum, the capital of the Sichas, Perry Rhodan
received the reports of his people and of the Ferronian agents. Gloktor, chief
of the resistance groups against the Topides on the occupied planet, spoke in
his curt, dry manner. In his outer appearance he resembled the humans, even if
his mouth had turned out a bit too tiny. Deep lay the clever eyes in their
deep sockets. His skin coloration was like that of all Ferrons, bluish because
of the effects of the Vegan sun. Hair covered his head and half his
face. 'The groups in Thorta have become more active. In the past three weeks
alone four guard posts of the Topides were wiped out and at least twenty
captured. Two transport vehicles were destroyed by explosives.' 'Excellent.'
Rhodan nodded, satisfied. 'And what's the Topides' reaction?' 'They've
finally let all their servants go and no longer give any work to Ferrons since
they regard them as too unreliable. This has, of course, certain disadvantages
…' '…Which we'll suHiciently make up for,' interrupted Rhodan. 'You probably
know that we have eyes and ears everywhere.' 'I've heard about it.' The Sicha
grinned amusedly. 'Everywhere they talk about it in Thorta; they say the place
is haunted. However, the ghosts are on the right side.' 'They are indeed.
Thanks, Gloktor, that'll be all. You'll continue your activities, giving the
enemy no rest. May I ask Kekder for his report now?' Kekéler was the chief of
the war-loving Sichas who lived in the mountains of Ferrol and had always gone
all out for the unity of the planet. Despite his age and his seemingly grouchy
behavior, he was very devoted to Rhodan and would've sacrificed his life to
help him rout out the lizards. 'The enemy's getting nervous,' Kekéler said
calmly. 'The actions of our resistance groups have already caused two of the
Topidian military bases to be vacated. Since then they've been occupied by the
official military forces of the Ferrons. The achievement's great. The news
trickles through to us only slowly, so I'm not able to give a long and
detailed report, but I know that the days of the enemy on Ferrol are
numbered.' Rhodan nodded approvingly, then looked at Bell, who was waiting
impatiently for his chance to speak. 'And how about the mutant corps,
Bell?' 'They're driving the lizards crazy!' The words fairly burst out of him
and he looked around triumphantly. 'They're shooting at each other! - making
life difficult for each other, don't get along with each other anymore! I'm
planning a show that'll finally finish them off. It'll be beamed directly to
Topid via TV so that the Despot can participate in it in person. Such an
interesting TV play he's never seen before!' 'I wouldn't doubt that,' Rhodan
agreed. 'But you mustn't exaggerate, under any circumstances. We'll discuss
further details tomorrow. All the mutants will be at your disposal then. Your
actions must be impressive but must give no dues as to their origin - that's
very important. I'd like to mislead the Topides. 'I'm returning to Rofus now.
Bell, you'll accompany me. Kekéler, you make all preparations for tomorrow's
action. To confuse the Topides even more, a squadron of my space fighters will
arrive here today. They'll keep the surveillance forces of the enemy busy -
our opponents mustn't be given any time to think.' Rhodan and Bell returned
to Rofus via matter transmitter. It never ceased to be a strangely macabre
experience to enter the wire cage, adjust the instruments and release the
mysterious mechanism. Nothing seemed to happen. One simply stepped out again a
few seconds later, but in the meantime had passed through many millions of
miles in a dematerialized state. The transmission was through a super-ordinate
paraspace, a dimension that required five-dimensional thinking in order to
understand it. This mental ability the Ferrons didn't possess,
therefore- Rhodan sighed as once again his reflections led him to this point.
Anyway, the Thort had promised him definitely that he'd be able to talk
undisturbed with Lossoshér, the leading scientist of the Ferrons. The sage old
man was a member of the council of ministers and was known as one of the
wisest heads of the present generation. 'It'll depend on our conversation
with Lossoshér,' Rhodan said to Bell, 'what course your performance will take
tomorrow. However, I'm afraid that the Thort's set certain limits for the
scientist. But with the telepath Ishy Matsu present, I'll be able to get brief
data. You know, I'm sure, that she's been trained to the extent that she can
transmit thought information to nontelepaths. So right while Lossoshér's
talking to us we'll have the opportunity to know whether he's lying or not.
We'll even know what he's thinking in reality at the same time, should he lie
to us.' 'Stupid situation,' grumbled Bell, as they drove by electricar to the
temporary palace of the Thort. 'We help these guys and they distrust us.' 'We
must try to understand that,' Rhodan said in defense of the Ferrons. 'What we
want to find out from them concerns an age old historical event that survives
only in their tradition. It's something that's been handed down through
generations and I assume that details are no longer known. But I know that
this event which took place thousands of years ago has something to do with
the matter transmitters, and must have been both of a pleasant and
disagreeable nature at the same time. The Thort will make every effort to keep
me from finding out about it in detail - if indeed there are any details at
all to find out about.' 'You mean to suggest that somebody once upon a time
made a present of the matter transmitter to the Ferrons?' Rhodan
nodded. 'That's exactly what I meant to say. And I'd like to know who did
it.' The car came to a haltt and the two men got out. Ishy Matsu, the dainty
Japanese girl, awaited them as prearranged. And ten minutes later they were
already seated opposite Lossoshér. The old scientist nodded pensively. 'The
great Thort reported to me what it is that you wish to know. I admit it's a
delicate subject, but our common fight against the Topides has made us friends
and we ought not to have any secrets from each other. The Thort's given me
permission to tell everything I know about the origin of the
transmitters.' 'Thank you,' said Rhodan, and listened inside himself. Ishy
communicated with him: He speaks the absolute truth. Rhodan continued: 'I
realize that the Thort expresses great confidence in us with his willingness
to cooperate. The transmitter's a puzzle because it demonstrates with its
technical execution alone the incredible genius of its constructors. I'd like
to know why the present-day Ferrons are no longer capable of building new
transmitters. The Thort gave me some plans before my flight to Sol but they
were worthless; they merely contain some clues pointing to a cenain
secret.' Lossoshér replied, 'The Ferrons have never been able to build the
transmitters by themselves.' This news came as no surprise to Rhodan. 'It was
an alien race, to whom we once were able to render a great service. They made
a present to us of a large number of mysterious instruments and included the
instructions for building them. But we're supposed to be able to build
transmitters only when we've reached the necessary technical and ethical
maturity. Therefore the plans themselves are in a vault in the Red Palace on
Ferrol, protected by five-dimensional locks and a five-dimensional force
screen. It's entirely impossible to penetrate this vault unless one is capable
of thinking five-dimensionally and can thus find the keys to it. These are the
precautions taken by the race that made this precious gift to the Ferrons.
Thus the might of the transmitters can never be misused, for only those can
construct them who have the required maturity.' Ishy, unnoticed by anyone but
Rhodan, telepathed to Perry: He is still speaking the absolute truth. Wishing
certain conjectures confirmed, Rhodan asked without hesitation, 'Who were
these strangers?' Lossoshér smiled kindly and his gaze wandered off into the
distance. It was as though he wanted to look back thousands of years in order
to conjure up once again the events of the past. 'At that time we didn't have
space travel yet and we stood at the very beginning of our history. But we
realized we weren't alone in the universe, for we received visitors from
outside. First, a gigantic sphere landed here, but the exact story got lost
through the ages - today we no longer know what really took place. The
encounter was without consequences; the strangers left us again and never
returned. That must have occured between ten and twelve thousand years ago. We
surmise that the first visitors from space served as models for some of our
gods.' 'Very similar to conditions on our home planet,' whispered Bell, but
no one paid any attention to him. 'Then came the second visit,' the Ferronian
scientist continued. 'It differed in several respects from the first. The most
important thing probably was that the visitors didn't come of their own free
will but made an emergency landing on Ferrol. Through that, as a consequence,
came about a contact that probably had never been intended. The ship of the
strangers, a gigantic cylinder, smashed to pieces in the mountains of the
Sichas and was destroyed by fire, the survivors abandoning it just in time.
Almost all of the travelers were saved. Our ancestors, who initiaHy thought
them to be the gods who had landed here previously, received them hospitably
and later brought them the raw materials they requested to build a mysterious
apparatus which would make it possible for them to return to their homeland.
You're right, if you guess these to be the matter transmitters. The strangers
knew no other way out, for all their radio instruments and other means of
communication had been destroyed during the catastrophe. 'Then, one day, the
strangers disappeared.' 'And the transmitters remained behind?' 'Yes. But
earlier, the leader of the unsuccessful expedition enlightened our Thort of
that day. They originated from our system and came from a planet beyond Rofus
that is orbiting around Vega. It must therefore have been the tenth planet.
They were at the beginning of their space era and this was one of their first
bigger expeditions. Our ancestors understood very little of technical things
but sensed that what was happening would at some future date be of great
importance and so they made records that have survived to this day. Hence our
exact knowledge of these events.' The thought crossed Rhodan's mind that the
Thort had pretended they knew hardly anything at all today of the events of
that time. He must therefore have changed his opinion. Ishy reported that
Lossoshér was still speaking the truth. 'The leader of the expedition made a
gift of the strange instruments to the Thort and also gave him the exact
construction plans, which our leader at that time placed in the Red Palace
under the precautionary security measures of which I previously told you. Then
the strangers from space disappeared and all that remained was the memory and
the transmitters.' The scientist fell silent. Rhodan waited, but when nothing
further was volunteered he said: 'What do you know today about those strangers
that live on the tenth planet? If I'm not mistaken, you can fly there any time
you wish. I can't remember your ever mentioning that this planet's
inhabited.' 'It's not inhabited, indeed, and according to our explorers,
there never has been any life on the tenth planet. It seems the strangers
weren't telling us the truth there.' That was a startling revelation, and
Rhodan didn't conceal his disappointment. 'Then you're not sure at all that
they originated from this system? Very regrettable. I was most eager to meet
the builders of these matter transmitters in person. Too bad. Aren't there any
clues where they really came from? What did they look like?' 'Our historial
accounts tell nothing about that. Obviously, they must've resembled us or you.
And hints …' Lossoshér hesitated for a moment. He's deliberating if he's
permitted to tell you about this, signaled the Japanese girl. Rhodan and Bell
were waiting. 'Well, there is someone, but I'm not sure that he'll want to
help you in this matter. During all these years that the aliens had to stay
here on our planet, much against their will, not a single one of them died,
though there were many among them that looked quite old. When our forefathers
wondered about this mysterious longevity, they simply explained, "to be able
to live longer than the sun."' 'We have something to go on there.' Rhodan
nodded, satisfied. 'We can judge from that, if nothing else, that they could
live to a ripe old age. I wonder, though, why they never visited Ferrol again.
They certainly had plenty of opportunity during these thousands of years.' 'I
quite agree with you there,' replied Lossoshér. 'I've often wondered about
that, but I've never bcen able to figure it out. There seems to be no logical
explanation. Just two possibilities might be considered: either the strangers
originated from another system and never returned to the Vega sector, or their
race fell victim to some catastrophe. There's a slight clue in our legends.
The leader of the expedition is supposed to have said once to our Thort: "We
live longer than the sun, but the sun itself wants to prevent us from doing
so." I don't know how to interpret this remark.' Bell was about to say
something, but he caught Rhodan's warning glance just in time. Bell remained
silent. Lossoshér believes that the strangers emigrated from the tenth
planet, came Ishy's mute message. Rhodan beamed a thought in her direction:
In that case, the explorers should have found remnants of their civilization
on the tenth planet, Ishy What a puzzling story! Highly developed living
beings had existed at some time on the tenth planet and yet not the slightest
trace had remained behind. That was most unlikely, for even the smallest
nations will leave traces of their presence that can be detected as much as
fifty thousand years later. And these aliens - apparently immortals, capable
of space travel and five-dimensional thought processes - no, it was impossible
that they should've vanished without any trace … But where had they gone to?
Where were they now? Rhodan rose quickly. 'I'm very grateful, Lossoshér, for
your valuable hints. I know you're just as interested as I to find an answer
to all these problems. Therefore I suggest that as soon as we've chased the
Topides from this world, you accompany me on a trip to the tenth planet. Both
of us together might find some further clues, let's hope.' 'It'll be a great
honor for me,' the scientist assured him, shaking Rhodan's outstretched hand.
'An old dream might come true for me this way.' He shook hands with Ishy and
Bell, and continued: 'According to our exploratory flights to the tenth
planet, you shouldn't encounter any difficulties either, particularly since
your ships fly so much faster than ours. I don't think the gap between Rofus
and the tenth planet will present any special problems there.' For a moment
Rhodan stood there, startled, but he smiled quickly with an air of
assurance. 'Oh, certainly not,' he said, and shoved Bell through the door.
'Most definitely not, Lossoshir …' 4/ THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF THE
UNIVERSE The Topides were preparing everything for the landing of the special
envoy ships due to arrive from the home planet. Meanwhile Perry Rhodan made
his first serious attempt to steal the plans for the construction of the
matter transmitters. He had to obtain these plans to forestall unpleasant
future surprises. He was accompanied by Tako Kakuta and Ras Tschubai, the
teleporters. The secret one-man transmitter transported the three men inside
the Red Palace. Wuriu Sengu had made a sketch for them showing the way to the
hidden vault. Oddly enough, the Japanese seer had failed to penetrate the
walls of the crypt with his eyes. He couldn't see through its walls. For the
first time his eyes met an obstacle that couldn't be changed structurally and
thus become transparent for his special eyesight. But at least Rhodan knew
the location of the crypt. They had to proceed very cautiously. The palace
was bustling with activity. The teleporters executed lighning fast jumps and
first scouted out each path to enable Rhodan to make his way unimpeded by any
danger. They mostly used secret passages within the thick walls, but more than
once they had to cross corridors and wide halls. This wasn't always without
risk. Finally they reached the lower and less busy zones of the gigantic
palace. Then they entered an area that was below the ground. Tako Kakuta
returned from one of his jumps. 'There's a corridor ahead of us that makes a
sharp turn and then opens into a large hall. According to Sengu's sketch we
should find the vault in the middle of it. I'm afraid you'll get the surprise
of your lives.' Rhodan didn't ask any questions. He followed the Japanese,
while the African covered the rear. There was no door at the end of the
corridor. It suddenly widened to a very large room, a hundred and fifty feet
by a hundred and fifty. The ceiling was roughly fifteen feet high. They used
their searchlights, trying to pierce the dark vault. But the bright light
cones met only dark, bare walls. It took a few seconds for Rhodan to establish
that the subterranean room was empty. Puzzled, he examined again Sengu's
sketch. Both friends looked over his shoulder. 'That's right - it must be
this room. The vault's supposed to be in the middle.' Rhodan looked up from
the drawing. 'I can't find it here. Maybe Sengu made a mistake and there's
still another hall a bit lower.' 'I'll have a look,' Ras volunteered, and
vanished instantaneously. A little while later he reappeared, obviously
bewildered. 'No, we're directly above solid rocks here. There are no other
empty chambers below this level here. The vault we're looking for can't be
above us. That means it must be here. But where? Sengu undeniably saw the
vault, therefore it cannot have become invisible all of a sudden. After all,
it was the only thing that Sengu failed to make invisible, because he couldn't
penetrate it with his eyes. That would be a paradox.' 'Maybe,' Rhodan began
to ponder aloud, staring at the opposite wall. 'Maybe just what appears to be
a paradox ' happens to be the truth when you think in a five-dimensional
manner.' 'What do you mean by that?' 'Our seer Sengu is capable of altering
the atomic structure of matter in such a way that it becomes transparent for
his eyes. With the exception of the vault, which is surrounded by a
five-dimensional screen. It remained visible to his eyes. Therefore it must be
right here, beyond a doubt. But we can't perceive it. That means, for us, who
aren't seers like our friend Sengu, it remains invisible. I bet if Sengu were
here with us, standing where I am now, and using his "normal" eyesight, he
couldn't see anything either.' 'I don't understand that,' admitted Ras
Tschubai. 'To be frank with you I can't understand it either too well.'
Rhodan smiled. 'Let's walk over to the spot where the vault's supposed to
be.' They advanced a few steps and then ran into the invisible obstacle.
Rhodan, who'd walked slowly, hands held out in front of him, didn't seem to be
surprised. He just chuckled to himself, as if he hadn't expected anything
different. 'I thought sol A mirror effect that's turned into solid matter. A
solidified vision. That's great - but incomprehensible.' Tako gently stroked
the smooth surface of the 'nothingness.' 'But there's nothing to be seen. Just
like air …' 'Sengu's eyes couldn't penetrate this "nothingness" and neither
can our eyes. We just imagine we can do it, that's all. The mirror effect
changes from every visual angle we try to look at it, and that gives the
impression that we can see the opposite side of the room. Ras, walk over to
the other side of the room, please, then tell me whether you can see us or
not. But be sure to steer clear of the vault; make a wide circle around
it.' The black man walked along the wall and stopped when he arrived at a
spot directly opposite Rhodan and Tako. Between them was the invisible
'nothingness'. They couldn't see each other. 'In spite of all,' said Rhodan,
'it isn't transparent, even for Sengu. Only - if Sengu cannot penetrate it
with his eyes, you won't be able to do it either. Tako, you won't manage to
penetrate it, even ,hen you dematerialize. Why don't you try it?' Tako didn't
lose a second. The place in which he'd just been standing was empty now.
Rhodan had wanted to add something more, but the Japanese had acted too
quickly. A wild shriek of pain echoed loudly in the stillness of the giant
chamber. Rhodan and Ras were startled out of their wits. Then they observed an
odd spectacle. Tako materialized in mid-air. He slid downward along the
invisible wall, arms and legs spread apart, desperately seeking to hold onto
something. His face was a horrified question mark. He landed on his feet,
standing once more on solid ground, looking perplexed, trembling all
over. 'What in the world was that?' he cried out. 'The barrier,' explained
Perry Rhodan. 'While you were dematerialized, trying to fly inside the vault,
you bumped into the barrier surrounding it. You materialized again and simply
skidded down along its side. That's all. You see, you can't penetrate the
screen either. I hope the robot brain will be able to give us an answer to
that - I can't hnd it by myself.' Ras walked gingerly along the wall,
rejoining his two friends. 'That's weird,' he said. 'Is that an energy
screen?' 'I don't think so Ras. A teleporter can get through an energy screen
quite easily, but never through a five-dimensional field. The field doesn't
exist here where we are; it's somewhere else. I can't quite explain this; I'm
sort of guessing. I can't find the proper words. I might be standing at the
threshold of comprehending this strange phenomenon. I've some vague idea how
all this is interrelated, just enough to supply the necessary data to the
electronic brain in our Stardust II. Perhaps the brain will be able to find
the answer to this mystery. Let's leave; no use wasting our time here any
longer.' In silence the three men started on their way back. The empty hall
remained behind, and inside, the greatest mystery of the universe. Bell's
hour of triumph had arrived. Bright and early in the morning he assembled his
mutants, showing off in the worst possible way. He was tdling all kinds of
crazy jokes, which so exasperated Anne Sloane that she had him float up to the
roof of a Sicha house. But this didn't disturb Reg Bell. He simply continued
his tale how, once upon a time long ago, he'd cut off the buttons from his
sergeant's pants, and then had sewed them back on again, but all in the wrong
places. He described these spots in all detail, which again drove Anne to lift
him off the roof, leaving him suspended in mid-air. 'If you don't stop, Reg,
I'll let go, and let you drop to the ground, all two hundred pounds of you!'
threatened Anne. Bell was waving his arms and legs, jerking around
helplessly. 'I've heard worse threats from my sergeant, but never such
insults. Two hundred pounds! How dare you, Anne. You know I only weigh
…' 'Mister Bell!' It was John Marshall, the telepath. 'Your jokes aren't as
funny as you might think. Tell us the stories about your sergeant's pants when
we men are alone! Anne's quite right to let you dangle up there.' 'That
doesn't bother me,' protested Bell, but his voice quavered a bit. 'I'm only
fifteen feet above ground …' 'Don't forget, gravity's greater here than back
home. You can break every single bone in your body if I let go,' warned Anne.
'Be reasonable, then I'll let you come down safely.' 'I'll come down by
myself,' said Bell, and tried to reach for the edge of the roof. But it was
too far away. 'Tama Yokida, come and get me! We men must stick together!' The
slender Japanese, a telekinetic like Anne Sloane, took over. He let Bell drift
closer to the roof. Bell grasped the rain gutter and climbed onto the wooden
shingles. 'Bring a ladder!' he ordered. 'We men must demonstrate that we
don't depend on women!' He overlooked the fact that the ladder sailed through
the air as if pushed by invisible ghosts, then leaned against the side of the
house. He climbed down slowly, planting himself in front of the pretty young
girl. 'I must express my disapprovaL young lady. You're abusing your precious
talents.' 'You're right.' Anne laughed. 'I've been using them on worthless
objects.' Everyone joined in the laughter, although nobody - except for the
telepaths - knew whether her remark had referred to Bell or the ladder. Their
fun was suddenly interrupted by a message coming from the sender of the
resistance groups. The Topidian envoy ship had entered the system and was
approaching Ferrol. The time for action had come for Bell and his mutant
corps. Bell's mood changed abmpdy. Now he was serious and matter-of-fact.
'Wuriu Sengu is to go first. Anne Sloane will follow him as the telekinetic
and then André Noir as the hypno. The others will stand by. They'll follow as
soon as I send further instructions. Is that clear?' He didn't wait for their
answer, but stepped into the small wire cage and disappeared almost at once.
The mutants followed in the order Bell had indicated. More than two hundred
rod-shaped Topidian cruisers, with their characteristic bulge around the
middle, were lined up in closed ranks at the giant spaceport of Thorta. Their
crews were standing at attention in front of their battleships, ready for a
final inspection by Trker-Hon, who had been named commander of the Topidian
fleet. Shortly afterward, Trker-Hon retumed to the Red Palace. Rok-Gor was
already waiting for him. 'Everything's ready for the arrival of the
commissioner,' announced Trker-Hon. 'When's his ship supposed to land?' 'Any
moment now.' Rok hesitated slightly before he inquired: 'Have there been any
further - incidents?' 'None; everything's normal again. Maybe the Ferrons
have given up all this nonsense.' 'Not the Ferrons,' Rok corrected in an
irritated voice, 'the Arkonides! As soon as the commissioner leaves after his
investigation, and if all goes smoothly, we're going to annihilate the ninth
planet. We must teach these impertinent imperialists a lesson. Where's
Chrekt-Orn?' 'He's waiting at the spaceport.' 'All right then, let's
go!' Everything had been prepared in the best manner, according to Topidian
standards. A platform had been erected directly in front of the crews, and TV
cameras and hyper-transmitters had been set up. Rok-Gor was very eager that
the Despot - over eight hundred light-years away - should witness his hour of
glory. He wanted to convince the ruler how excellent his decision had been to
have nominated him, Rok-Gor, as the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary
forces. It would be only a question of time now until he'd be promoted to the
position of space admiral. That this promotion would mean exile or even death
for the unfortunate Chrekt-Orn didn't bother him in the least. It wasn't
surprising, therefore, that Chrekt-Orn was awaiting the commissioner's arrival
with very mixed emotions. André Noir, who 'listened in' to Chrekt's thoughts
for a while, even felt a little sorry for him. He decided that he needed to be
taught a lesson which he wouldn't forget for some time. The car stopped. The
commander-in-chief and Trker-Hon got out. Rok-Gor used the remaining time for
an inspection of the troops. The war had apparently been forgotten; they acted
as if no hostilities had ever existed, while ultrafast scout ships patrolled
the space around Ferrol, making sure no unpleasant suprises would disturb the
commissioner's visit. The Topides, at least, believed these precautionary
measures would do the trick. Meanwhile, hidden in the secret chamber, Bell
had Sengu give a nonstop report on the events at the spaceport. The seer could
watch the scene as if he were present in person. 'He's about to finish
inspecting the troops - what a pompous ass, this new commander! He did nothing
to deserve this promotion. He got his post only because we let Chrekt-Orn
swing from the chandelier … The special envoy craft's arriving. What a huge
crate - by Topidian standards, of course. It's one of those cigar-shaped ships
with a bulging middle. It's landing now. The troops are presenting arms. The
entrance hatch is opening. A lizard-man's coming out. wow, what a uniform!
I've never seen anything as colorful as that. André, it's your turn now. I
can't hear what's being said. You can read their thoughts.' And André Noir
went to work. The commissioner and his entourage had stepped onto the
platform directly from the ship. The commissioner walked ahead while his men,
about twenty Topide officers, kept at a respectful distance to show the honor
that was due him. Inside the vessel, the hyper-transmitters were busy sending
an instantaneous account of what was happening here. This way the mler on
Topid became an eyewimess to the galactic event. Rok-Gor marched stiffly
toward the commissioner, who was waiting for him to come close. Rok-Gor
saluted. 'Welcome to the Despot's envoy on the conquered eighth planet of the
Vega system. The situation here on Ferrol is calm, our forces are superior and
the final defeat of the enemy is at hand.' The commissioner came immediately
to the point. 'How about the inexcusable blunder we've heard about?
Chrekt-Orn, what have you to say in your defense?' The former
commander-in-chief had kept humbly in the background. He stepped to the fore
now, conscience-stricken. His black lizard eyes looked sad and frightened.
'We're fighting not only against the local Ferrons,' he said, 'but also
against the hated Arkonides. They've already established themselves in this
part of the universe, as could be expected after having intercepted the
distress signal. Their superior fighting forces and weapons …' 'Superior?'
shouted the commissioner, and threw a questioning glance at Rok-Gor. 'I was
just told that this campaign has practically been won.' André Noir took over
the helpless Chrekt-Orn. 'It has hardly begun,' Chrekt croaked firmly.
'Rok-Gor hides from you all the difficulties which he can't handle. Topides
have come under magic spells, lifeless objects begin floating and flying
through the air, our commanders are losing control over their battleships,
they start shooting at our own cruisers, our officers seem to be losing their
minds, they are totally confused …' 'Lies, nothing but lies!' Rok-Gor yelled,
full of fury. 'Chrekt-Orn wants to cover up for his own inefficiency. we're
not dealing with any supernatural enemy forces!' 'True, the opponents are
quite normal beings, nothing supernatural about them. They're simply superior
to us. In my humble opinion, it would be advisable to leave this system a
once.' The commissioner listened attentively. He felt alarmed at this war of
words. 'Why all these different explanations? what's really been going on
here?' 'A great deal' Chrekt cried out. 'Mutiny among the officers …' 'They
were properly punished!' Rok-Gor intermpted. 'These things will happen
occasionally. And there's no reason why we should break off our victorious
campaign.' 'The Arkonides have come to the aid of the Ferrons, Commissioner.
They have new weapons that can take over the minds of other creatures. They
can even seize control of our cruisers this way.' A voice came over the
loudspeakers of the Topide envoy ship. 'This is the Despot speaking! I demand
an immediate explanation of what's happened on Ferrol! Whoever the enemy may
be, he must be defeated. And if Rok-Gor isn't capable of doing so, I'll simply
have to replace him with a better man. Where's Trker-Hon?' 'Down with the
Despot!' shouted the new commander of the Topidian battle fleet. 'Down with
his commissioner !' 'What did you say?' screamed the outraged commissioner.
He cocked his head to one side, trying to understand. He couldn't believe his
ears. Trker-Hon came closer. 'You heard me right the first time! I said, down
with the tyranny of the Despot. We have no business being here. The Ferrons
haven't done any harm to us. Down with the commissioner! We don't need any
spies and informers here!' The tall lizard on the platform was gasping for
air. He signaled with his left clawed hand. Rayguns flashed as his companions
drew their arms lightning fast from their holsters. 'Mutiny! We have a mutiny
on our hands, Despot!' the commissioner announced. 'What are your
orders?' 'Death for all mutineers!' conmmanded the Despot from over eight
hundred light-years away. Rok-Gor suddenly drew his raygun. He pointed it at
the commissioner and pulled the trigger. The highest dignitary of the Despot
died instantly. His companions froze in horror, but a moment later they opened
fire and killed Rok-Gor on the spot. Then they withdrew hastily to the safety
of their ship. Once more the Despot's voice came over the loudspeakers.
'Chrekt-Orn, report back to Topid as soon as you've brought the campaign to a
glorious end. And if you should send me a message of defeat of our own forces,
this will seal your death warrant. In case you should try to avoid just
punishment and fail to return to Topid, you can rest assured that my men will
find you. They'll pursue you to the farthest comers of the universe. You as
well as your officers.' The voice over the loudspeaker broke off. The big
ship trembled, and lifted off. It raced up into the skies with unbelievable
speed, and soon disappeared from view. A few seconds later a deadly silence
covered the spaceport. Then suddenly, Trker-Hon began to shout at the top of
his voice: 'Long live our Despot! Long live our glorious Despot! May he reign
forever!' Cruiser Number Thirty-seven rose gently from the ground, ascended
vertically, looped the loop and peppered the parade ground with a broadside of
neutron beams. The lizards fell to the ground, seeking cover. Trker-Hon yelled
hysterical commands, ordering an officer to take up a fighter plane, pursue
the cruiser and arrest its crew. He was horrified to discover that the cruiser
had started without any men on board. Trker-Hon realized that his entire
fleet might take off any moment the same as Cruiser Number Thirty-seven had
done. He knew now that the Ferrons had become invincible with the aid of the
Arkonides. 'All men aboard! Into the cruisers!' he screamed, terrified.
'We're leaving Ferrol this instant! Stand by for further instructions!' Back
in the secret chamber of the Red Palace, André Noir listened to Trker-Hon's
final commands with satisfaction. 'That's his own decision,' he said to Bell.
'I didn't suggest this order to him. I hope they've finally come to their
senses. And as Sengu can see, Chrekt-Orn doesn't put up any opposition to
these commands. On the contrary. He's in favor of instant flight. I think
we've gotten rid of those lizards. Anne, how about a final
demonstration?' The young girl seized Sengu's arm. 'I'll have a look at the
scene out there,' she said. Bell was seized by a feverish lighting mood. What
wouldn't he have given to be right on the scene! But worse still, he couldn't
'see' like the mutants what was going on. But then he remembered: the Red
Palace must be free now of enemy forces. He could simply take the elevator and
ride up to the roof and observe everything from up there with his own
eyes. 'Wait a couple of minutes, Anne, then have the lizards execute some
fine military drills high up in the air!' Bell stormed out of the secret
chamber and raced along the corridors. His friends could hear his hurried
steps grow more and more distant. 'He's a daredevil, taking unnecessary
risks,' growled André. Then he concentrated again on his mental observations.
'What's happening now, Sengu?' 'Orderly retreat,' replied the Japanese.
'Seems, though, that they're leaving most of their equipment in Thorta. Maybe
they'll want to pick it up later on.' 'I'll cure them of that notion right
away,' promised Anne. She waited for two minutes, then Sengu reported that
Bell had made his way safely up to the roof and was standing there looking
over to the spaceport. Only then did the young girl start to concentrate with
an intensity she had never achieved before. 'I think the lizards will never
return to Ferrol to get the rest of their equipment,' said Perry Rhodan to the
Thort. 'Bell and his mutant corps have taught them a fine lesson and
frightened them out of their wits. They won't ever forget that, I'm sure. I
wouldn't be surprised if they'd leave the Vega sector for good.' Thora, who'd
taken part in the conversation, as well as Khrest, shook her head. 'The
electronic brain's predicted with a probability of ninety-nine percent that
the Topides will not leave this system. You know what fate awaits them on
Topid. Chrekt-Orn and Trker-Hon will search for some uninhabited planet and
settle there rather than face their Despot. The brain's assumptions agree with
our own first-hand experiences in our dealings with the lizard race. It
behooves us not to let them out of our sight.' Bell, who'd just arrived from
Thorta, shrugged his shoulders. 'They've had it for good. You should've seen
how our little Anne had the fleet dance in the air, all in rhythm. 'What a
sight; the flagship was waltzing around with a patrol cruiser.' 'They prefer
ghosts to death,' replied Thora. 'Especially if the ghosts like to fool
around.' 'I gave them a good run for their money! ' Bell protested. 'I wasn't
too soft on them.' 'We must admit that you've victoriously brought an end to
an interplanetary conflict, which really should be called an interstellar one,
with a minimal loss of life. Rok-Gor and the commissioner paid with their
lives, and one ship was lost. You were very merciful indeed!' 'I was the one
who ordered Bell to use these tactics,' Rhodan defended his friend.
'Deringhouse and his squadron fighters are following the fleeing enemy to
observe their movements. I expect to hear from him at any moment. According to
his latest report the three hundred seventy Topidian vessels have already
crossed the orbit of the thirty-eighth planet.' 'They seem to be fleeing,
indeed,' Thora expressed her bewilderment, 'Could the electronic brain be so
wrong about that?' Rhodan didn't answer. He djdn't believe either that the
electronic brain might be making a mistake. What was it, then, that the
Topides were planning, knowing full well that they didn't have a … ghost … of
a chance in this sector of the universe? 5/ THE INFINITY BOX Forty-two
planets were revolving around the bluish Vega sun. The outermost planets were
ice worlds, totally devoid of life. The sun was too distant for its warming
rays to have reached the lonely wanderers. One of the disadvantaged members
of the Vegan solar system, the fortieth planet, was circled by six moons that
showed no phases and remained forever dark. These moons were the size of small
to medium planets in reality. They weren't different in any respect from the
huge world whose gravitational pull made them its constantly swirling
prisoners. The fortieth planet was a gigantic world. No wonder that it formed
its own system together with its six moons, the smallest beihg about the size
of Pluto. One of these six moons even possessed a satellite of its own as
large as a continent - a cosmic curiosity. Deringhouse and his space-fighter
squadron were in hot pursuit of the fleeing Topidian fleet, which was just
crossing the orbit of the thirty-ninth planet. To Deringhouse's great
surprise, the enemy suddenly deviated from its straight course and entered the
orbital path of the fortieth planet. He'd assumed the enemy would head out of
the system and then vanish into hyperspace. And now this! But this wasn't the
only surprise the Topidian fleet had in store for him. The cigar-shaped ships
with the bulging middles broke rank, forming six equal-sized groups, and
dispersed, each in a different direction. Deringhouse had the presence of mind
to send some of his fighters after each of the lizards' smaller formations. He
kept in constant touch with his men via long-range videophone. Because of this
he had a preny good idea what was happening. The Topides had no intention
whatsoever of abandoning their plans regarding the Vega system. Return to
their home planet was out of the question, unless they came as victors.
Therefore they hit upon the obvious solution: withdrawal to the outermost
reaches of the Vega system, where they'd try to establish a new strong hold.
The six moons of the fortieth planet seemed the ideal spot for
this. Deringhouse gave orders to six of his fighter planes to stay behind and
keep the Topidian fleet under constant surveillance. They were to inform him
of any suspicious moves of the enemy. Then Deringhouse, accompanied by the
rest of his squadron, set course again for Rofus in order to give a person;t!
report to Perry Rhodan about the unexpected turn of events. To his great
dismay, his news didn't result in the startled reaction he'd imagined. Rhodan
listened calmly and then issued orders to ring the fortieth planet with patrol
posts, at the proper distance, of course, to make sure that the lizards
wouldn't suddenly start out on a surprise attack on the inner planets of the
Vega system. Then he added: 'There were several more important things I want
to see taken care of. You'll be in charge of the guard detail, Deringhouse,
that will send out the alarm in case the lizards try to start new trouble.
Thanks, that's all.' Rhodan waited until Deringhouse had left. Then he turned
to Bell, who'd watched the scene, sitting quietly in a chair. 'Go and get the
Thort, Reg! Also Khrest and Thora. I want to have a talk with them.' 'May I
stay here during this meeting?' 'Absolutely. You have to be here with us,
Reg. Also, get John Marshall to come here. I want to make sure that the Thort
isn't trying to pull the wool over my eyes. He's been known to have lied
before … Now, get a move on, friend!' 'Your wish is my conimand, sir,' mocked
Bell. 'I'll be back in no time.' He got out of his chair as slowly as he
possibly could, and dragged his feet, then left the room with a nonchalant
grin. Rhodan didn't pay any attention to his antics, he was already lost in
thoughts: The Topides are just a secondary problem that will find its solution
in due time. The more immediate problem is the Ferrons. And especially the
Thort. We've helped them out of a critical situation, and they owe us debt of
gratitude. But they don't seem to much inclined to be grateful, and willing to
do us some favours in return now. I'll simply have to force them to do so. The
secret of the matter transmitter … Khrest and Thora were the first to arrive.
The sage old Arkonide scientist shook hands with Rhodan and took a seat next
to him. Thora, apparently in a more affable mood than usual, smiled and held
Rhodan's hand for a second longer than was really necessary. There was
something in her eyes that caused Rhodan to wonder; he was filled with rather
pleasant emotions at this unexpected change in her. He knew he could count on
her support, for today at least - and this was unfortunately so rarely the
case. 'I'm glad you got here before the Thort,' Rhodan began. 'I'd like to
inform you about my plans. I know you're as much interested in the transmitter
as I am myself. We must obtain the designs and blueprints for its
construction, at all costs. The Thort isn't going to supply them to us
voluntarily, even if he had them in his possession. But I'm sure he can give
us at least some hints as to how we can get them. Lossoshér revealed that
there's some kind of a formula, known only to the Thort. This secret formula
has been bad they have no idea what to do with it. I believe this formula is
the encoded password that will open the five-dimensional lock of the secret
vault.' 'Do you really think the Ferron will disdose this formula to you?'
Thora asked. 'He'll have to.' Rhodan smiled. 'If he won't hand it over
willingly, then we'll find other means to make him part with it. After all,
that's a job for the mutant corps. Somebody will take over his mind and
…' Now Bell entered together with the Thort. John Marshall followed on their
heels. They nodded a silent greeting and sat down. The Thort appeared to be in
low spirits; he certainly guessed what was awaiting him. Perry Rhodan came
quickly to the pointm. 'The Topides have been chased away from Ferrol;
nothing stands in the way any longer for the Ferronian government to return to
their homeland. The time has come, therefore, Thort, for us to say
goodbye.' The leader of the Ferrons could hardly hide his fear. 'But the
Topides are still somewhere within our solar system,' he objected timidly.
'I've just learned this from your friend Bell. You know very well that we're
incapable of warding off a renewed invasion all by ourselves.' Rhodan leaned
forward, closer to the Thort. 'I wonder why I even bothered coming to your
assistance, Thort.' Rhodan spoke with great insistance. 'But you make no
attempt to help us in return. True, I'll admit, you allowed the scientist
Lossoshér to reveal some of the background on how you came into possession of
the matter transmttters. But what good does this knowledge do us ? The few
machines of this amazing invention are in your hands. I must get the
construction plans; I must know how more of these wonderful machines can be
built by us. Those blueprints that you gave me some time ago were nothing but
skillful forgeries. You tried to put me off with these worthless plans. You
realize, of course, that five-dimensional thought processes are impossible to
express in three-dimensional figures. You have a choice now: if you wish to
enjoy our protection in the fumre, if you want to make sure that your realm
will survive, then you must tell us how to open the crypt in the Red Palace.
Otherwise we'll leave you here to your own devices and to certain defeat at
the hands of the lizard invaders.' Rhodan had put his cards on the table. The
Thort knew exactly what was wanted of him. He had to come to a decision.
Marshall signaled that the Ferronian leader wasn't thinking of treason. He was
toying with the thought of coming out with the truth. But it took several
minutes until he could de6nitely make up his mind. 'I know of some clue, but
I doubt it will bring you closer to the solution of your problem. I'd like to
know something first, though: what will happen once you can construct these
matter transmitters?' Khrest took it upon himself to answer. 'I don't
understand your concern in this matter, Thort. Are you afraid, maybe, that
this would change the course of history in our universe!' We possess space
ships that work on the same basic principle as your matter transmitters. We
dematerialize and continue our joumey in hyperspace. This is what happens in
your matter transmitters, too. We're only imerested in a simplification of
this method, that's all. I assure you, our galaxy won't go to rack and ruin if
this is what you're afraid of Thort.' 'But the wise ones that entrusted thjs
secret to us were thinking ahead. They considered it essential that only those
persons would comprehend the method of construction who had aquired the
necessary maturity - evcn if this would take millions of years. Why should we
break this law now?' Rhodan advanced the decisive argument. 'You give us the
secret formula, and if we succeed in opening the vault, this would be
sufficient proof of our degree of maturity, don't you agree?' The Thort
looked into Rhodan's questioning eyes. For a moment he seemed to be
overwhelmed by Rhodan's compelling glance, to be swallowed up by this ocean of
steely strength. Then, mustering all his forces of resistance, he freed
himself from this almost hypnotic compulsion, and arrived at a decision out of
his own free will. 'I see your point.' He conceded defeat. 'I'll hand this
formula over to you. It's very simple and easy to remember - but it doesn't
make any sense to me. This is it: Dimension X = pentagon of space-time
simultan. That's all.' All were silent. Khrest and Thora exchanged quick
glances, which plainly showed they neither understood the formula nor had come
to some concensus of opinion. Bell opened his mouth wide as if to yawn, but
then seemed to reconsider, and closed his mouth, sighing noisily. John
Marshall signalled silently: That's all, indeed Rhodan concentrated on
memorizing the mysterious words of the formula. Breaking the general silence,
the Thort remarked, not without a trace of gratification: 'I'm sorry that you
obviously don't know what to make of these words either. We've known this
formula for thousands of years, but its meaning has remained a mystery to us
to this day. I've done all now that's within my power, and I hope that you'll
appreciate my effort.' Rhodan nodded casually. "Thank you, Thort. 'We
certainly appreciate this. But let's discuss something now of more immediate
importance, the real reason why I've called this meeting. When do you intend
to return to Ferrol, Thort?' The Thort reacted to this change of topic with
obvious relief. 'We've already begun with our preparations. Our fleet's ready
to start. I and some of the members of my government will return this very day
to Ferrol via matter transmitter. We'll proceed directly to Thorta; the
receiving stations have benn set up there in the meantime. There'll be a big
victory celebration and I'd like to invite both you and your friends to honor
us with your presence there.' 'Thanks,' replied Rhodan with a hint of
sarcasm. 'We'll certainly accept this invitation. At the same time I'd like to
ask you to put at our disposal a restricted area where we'll erect a base for
your protection against any alien enemies.' 'Don't you plan on staying here
on Rofus?' asked the Thort. 'No. When the Topides renew the battle, they'll
attack Ferrol and not Rofus. Besides, I have other reasons.' It was easy to
see that the Thort would have loved knowing these reasons, but he didn't dare
ask what they were. He simply said: 'We'll decide about that after our victory
celebration. I hardly believe that there'll be any objections to your request.
Since our business has been concluded I'd like to ask your permission to leave
now. My people …' He had barely left the room when Bell gave vent to his
pent-up feelings. He breathed deeply, then exhaled forcefully and noisily, as
if he were afraid that he might otherwise burst. 'How about that formula?' he
exploded impatiently. His eyes were aglitter with curiosity. Khrest and Thora
glanced at Rhodan who, evidently bored by all this excitement, studied some
invisible speck high up on the ceiling. 'Why do you ask me? How should I
know?' Khrest's face showed something akin to disappointment, while Thora
smiled disdainly. 'Who else, Perry? Who else could I ask?' Bell
insisted. 'The same authority I'm going to consult for advice now,' Rhodan
answered, and started to leave the room. He'd almost reached the door, but
Bell had rushed over to him and grasped his arm. 'And who would that be,
Perry?' 'The positronic super brain on the Stardust II, of course, my
friend.' Now Khrest's face also lit up with a smile. But his smile held no
sarcasm, only pleasure. The first big victory party had come and gone and the
second even bigger one was supposed to follow shortly. The Thort had taken up
residence again in the Red Palace and had resumed his official duties. All
signs of the invaders‹ occupation were quickly removed everywhere on Ferrol.
The population was overjoyed to return to their normal daily lives. Rhodan's
request for a base was granted without delay by the hastily called assembly of
the ministers' council. The restricted area was situated near the mountains,
which were the home of the Sichas. The following day, the Stardust II landed
in the rocky desert. The ship's powerfull ray beams created an immense cave,
more than one thousand yards deep. Quickly the giant spacesphere hid inside,
disappearing from the surface of the eighth planet. Labour robots soon set to
work and constructed Rhodan's first galactic base. Corridors, elevators living
quarters, workshops and laboratories were built. Storerooms and hangars for
the space-fighters were installed in the molten rock. Finally, an Arkonide
reactor supplied the power to erect an enormous energy screen above the whole
instauation, rendering it thus unassailable. The native population watched
all this activity with mixed emotions, as Rhodan's mutant corps easily found
out. The Ferrons were none too happy to see the former occupational enemy
forces being replaced by some new type of regimentation. Rhodan kept
reassuring the Thort that his people would only derive benefit from this
military base. But how could the Ferrons comprehend what Rhodan meant by that?
How could they know that Rhodan considered them to be the first colony of the
galactic cmpire he intended to create?' In addition to all the planning and
work that went into the establishment of his first galactic base, Rhodan's
mind was set upon solving the problem that was his foremost concem. He made
his final preparations to wrest the big mystery from the dim past of Ferronian
history. He held. lengthy dialogue with the gigantic brain in the Stardust II,
presenting to it the formula he'd obtained from the Thort. Rhodan learned the
answers he'd hoped for. At this juncture Khrest joined him in the huge room
which housed the positronic brain. 'I knew you'd choose the only possible
way, the right way,' Khrest commented. 'Was there any other way, Khrest? The
positronic brain is thinking in a five-dimensional manner - the same way you
do and I myself, at least partially thanks to my hypno-psych training.
However, neither you nor I could've found the solution on our own, as simple
as it appears to be. The whole secret is contained in this notion of
"simultan". Also "pentagon" plays a role. But only everything in its proper
combination, in its overall "gestalt", makes sense.' 'Doesn't
five-dimensional thought always make sense" Kbrest smiled gently. 'Not in our
universe,' replied Rhodan, and he smiled, too. 'But to be frank with you,
Khrest, I'm a bit disappointed. The five-dimensionally secured vault is in
reality a quite normal four-dimensional affair. The documents do exist, but
not in the present time - that is the fourth-dimensional factor of the
mystery. The protective shield consists of transformed radiowaves of far
distant radio stars - well, simply cosmic rays. Add to that some technical
tricks, effects - creatcd by bending light rays, and naturally existing energy
walls. All these obstacles can be rendered ineffective when certain events
occur at the "simultan" instant.' 'And how do you intend to cause these
events to occur?' Khrest asked with a certain curiosity that revealed
unmistatakably that he already knew the answer. Rhodan playeed along with
him. 'I'll use my mutants. Tanaka Seiko is a natural-born detection finder.
He can receive normal radiowaves, sent by intelligent living beings and
understand them. But in addition to that, he can also receive the waves
emanating from the radio stars - the same waves that form the energy screen
around the secret vault. If he succeeds in detecting them, we'll gain
unhindered access to the documents, which will simultaneously be brought to
the present time. That, in a nutshell, is the whole problem.' 'Do you have
any idea why and how all this comes about?' 'No, Khrest, I must confess that
I really don't know. I told you all the information that the positronic brain
supplied to me. Tanaka won't be able to manage by himself, but togaher with
several other mutants it will be possible, thanks to the fact that their
individual gifts can be combined in their effect when the mutants touch each
other or hold hands. I'll need a telekinetic and a teleporter and, of course,
also Sengu, who will announce when the barrier collapses.' 'What will become
of these plans?' Thora had entered the room, unnoticed by the two men, who
mmed around on hearing her question. Thora looked inquiringly at Rhodan with
her unfathomable red-gold eyes. Khrest tried to act as a mediator. 'In case
Rhodan should obtain them, he has a claim on them, for otheririse he'd never
succeed in opening the vault.' 'He does that with the help of the Arkonide
brain.' 'Which would no longer exist if it hadn't been for his intervention
at the time - at least not as far as we're concerned. Therefore …' 'A very
logical argument, indeed,' Thora scoffed, unconvinced but in a more
conciliatory mood. 'What will Rhodan do with these plans!" Khrest shrugged
his shoulders. 'That's his affair. Why should he not build any transmitters?
Perhaps we might even establish a direct connection between Terra and Arkon.
Who knows what potential developments the future might bring?' Rhodan decided
the moment had come for him to enter into the argument. He tried to reassure
Thora. 'Thora, don't worry. I'd never build the transmitter unless all of us
agreed on it. The secret will belong to all of us. Please - trust me!' It was
the first time in quite a while that he spoke to her in such a personal
manner, but she didn't seem to notice. She pretended to have forgotten the
brief period in the past when she and Rhodan had come closer to each other.
Once again he'd become for her the ambitious Terran who threatened to topple
over with one mighty sweep the tottering interstellar empire of the
Arkonides. 'I thought it necessary to express my doubts, if you don't mind,
Rhodan. But if Khrest agrees with you - well, I won't oppose him. But I have
warned you, Khrest!' She didn't wait for an answer but left the room. Khrest
looked at the control board of the positronic brain. 'we could consult it,' he
suggested. Rhodan shook his head. 'Consult it to find out whether I'm reliable
or not? No thanks. In case you have your doubts too' Khrest' you can ask the
brain when I'm not in the room. After all, I wouldn't want anyone to say that
the brain was under undue influence.' There was a bitter smile around
Rhodan's mouth as he turned to leave the room. Khrest's eyes followed him.
There was no expression in them. The subterranean room was sparsely
lit. Next to Rhodan were standing Bell, Tanaka Seiko, Anne Sloane, Ras
Tschubai and Ishy Matsu, the telepath who was endowed with another amazing
talent. She had telescopic eyesight. If she concentrated on any place, no
matter how far away, she could plainly 'see' what was going on there. Rhodan
hoped to make good use of her special talent during the forthcoming
experiment. The Japanese, Tako Kakuta, announced after a few seconds, 'Yes, I
can feel it. The cosmic rays that exist everywhere are being bunched together
and concentrated right here in this hall. It starts up there near the ceiling.
Then the beam expands and forms an opaque cone. I cannot penetrate it at all.
Cosmic rays are identical with the passage of time. in my opinion.' 'They do
originate from the fourth dimension, after all,' Rhodan whispered almost
inaudibly. 'I wonder if you could detect these waves of the radio stars, or
better still, stop them altogether?' 'So that the cone would cease to exist?
I'm not sure.' 'You must try it! At the same time, Sengu will concentrate and
tell us whether he can see whatever is concealed inside the energy
vault.' Tanaka looked at Anne Sloane. 'If I can let Anne see what I'm seeing,
she ought to be able to deflect thc rays. They are matter, only in a different
form.' There was apparently nothing in the room in front of them. The
invisible vault guarded its secret and wasn't yet ready to yield it. Tanaka
grasped Anne by the arm. The young girl's slender body stiffened and she
closed her eyes. Suddenly Sengu shouted: 'There it is!' He pointed to the
center of the empty room whose walls were throwing back the dim echo of his
excited voice calling out, 'A box - it's gone again. What was that?' Rhodan
felt the excitement coursing hotly through his veins. For a moment he stood as
if paralyzed, then pulled himself together. 'A box?' Tanaka had let go of
Anne's arm. The two mutants could not properly concentrate under such
circumstances and thus no longer pdssessed the necessary mental strength to
carry through with their task. 'A small, glittering box. It was floating in
the center of the room, up there in the air. I could see it for just a second
and then it disappeared.' 'It's working this way,' Rhodan whispered. 'Tanaka
and Anne, you must try again, but concentrate longer this time. Ras Tschubai
will jump the moment Sengu sees the box again. The whole thing musn't take
more than two seconds. I don't know what might happen if Anne's endurance
gives out while Ras is still inside the crypt …' The African's face turned a
sickly gray. Sengu put an arm around Tschubai's shoulders. 'Don't worry; I
won't startle her again. I won't say a word. I won't do anything to interupt
her. You just watch me. I'll raise my arm, and then you jump at once.' Ras
nodded his head, but didn't reply. His thoughts were probably busy liguring
out where he'd be in case Anne or Tanaka failed in their combined efforts.
Then he said: 'I'm ready.' Rhodan could feel his body vibrate under the
tremendous tension. He took a deep breath and then gave the signal. At first
nothing seemed to have changed, but then Rhodan noticed a slight movement in
the middle of the room. The air became visible while still remaining
transparent. The air began to vibrate and flow, condensing into pale colored
spots that merged and separated. And then Rhodan saw the box. It appeared
from nowhere all of a sudden and it shimmered like pure gold. It hovered
unsupported above the floor, surrounded by a radiant glow. Sengu didn't need
to give the prearranged signal. Ras Tschubai jumped, for he could perceive the
marvelous phenomenon on his own. He simply vanished and then reappeared next
to the box. His hands seized the shimmering obiect and then … Anne called out
and collapsed. Rhodan whirled around and caught her in his arms. At the same
moment Ras and the box vanished from sight. The room was empty once
more. 'What happened?' Rhodan asked, and shook Anne, who lay limp as a rag in
his arms. 'Anne, Anne! Come on, Anne! What's the matter?' She opened her eyes
and stammered like a child: 'It was too much for me - too great an effort
…' 'You must try again! Right away, Anne! Think of Ras! He mustn't leave him
in the lurch. Pull yourself together. Tanaka? Ready?' Rhodan supported Anne,
who closed her eyes once more. A tense expresston came over her face and made
her look like a stranger. Bell was standing a few steps away, rooted to the
spot, and said nothing. He didn't dare make a move. His eyes were staring,
wide open, at the spot where Ras Tschubai had been just a moment
earlier. Then the air began to vibrate again; the colors started to flow and
run into each other. Ras Tschubai materialized, the box fimdy grasped in his
hands. He vanished for an instant - only to stand suddenly next to Rhodan, who
gently lowered Anne to the ground. He signaled to Bell to come and take care
of the totally exhausted young girl. Rhodan turned to the African, who held
the box out to him. Rhodan took the box and gazed at it in awe before he said:
'We almost didn't make it this time, Ras.' The teleporter smiled weakly and
leaned against the wall near the exit. 'I'd never want to go through that
experience again. These were the most horrible minutes I ever lived through in
all my life.' 'Minutes?' Rhodan wondered aloud. 'But you were hardly a few
seconds inside the vault.' Ras shook his head. 'Impossible! You and the hall
disappeared suddenly from view and then I fell into the void. I kept the box
clasped in my arms, but no one was there threatening to take it away from me.
On the contrary, I had the impression that the box itself was dragging me
throughout eternity. For this was exactly what was happening to me. I was
racing, faster than thought, out of the galaxy. A few instants later, the
galaxy became a gigantic spiral nebula that grew smaller and smaller until it
was just one of the millions and millions of specks of light in the universe.
I was falling toward a bright spot that was glowing far away, slowly
increasing in size. It resembled a window - looking out into infinity, into
eternity - or to hell. I couldn't tell, for suddenly the whole process
reversed and I was falling back again in the direction where I had come from.
The Milky Way loomed larger and larger again. I sank into it - and then I saw
this room again. This is what happened to me. But I have no idea what all of
this means …' Rhodan patted Ras's shoulder, trying to calm down the
frightened man. 'Ras, you've gone through an experience that no one has ever
witnessed before. You were in an energy vault that was suddenly activated and
traveled through time. The box, and you with it, returned to the original
place where it had been stored - in the past or in the future - who'll ever
know for certain? As soon as Anne detected the waves of the radio stars once
more, that had become visible for her by touching Tanaka, the time lock opened
again. You were then able to return to the present time and bring the box with
you.' 'Time lock?' Bell and Ras shot out the question simultaneously. 'Of
course. There must be something that made this time travel possible for you,
Ras. And this mysterious something is the waves of the radio stars. As long as
they're beamed into this room where they form an impenetrable energy barrier,
the object that had been locked inside remains in a predetermined time period.
The moment this barrier was nullified by deflecting the radio beams, the
normal conditions were restored again. That's all very simple.' 'Very
simple!' exclaimed Bell, whose face plainly showed how baffled he was by all
this. 'I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about. How about the
box, Perry?' Rhodan pressed it against his body as if he were afraid it might
be wrested out of his hands again at any moment by some invisible
power. 'It's been removed from the time field. Whether we'll manage to open
it, that's something else again. Let's hope that Khrest can help us with it.
Anne, how are you feeling now" The young girl had meanwhile freed herself
from Bell's helpful arms, and stood up straight, leaning genty against
Tanaka. 'I'm all right now. It was just the strain that got me.' 'Very well,
then,' Rhodan said. 'We'll return to our base. And something else, friends:
keep quiet about all of this! It isn't too desirable that all of Ferrol learns
of our success here immediately.' But his warning words came too late. The
Thort entered the hall just as Rhodan finished speaking. The Thort looked
magnificent in his brightly colored cape. He approached Rhodan and bowed
slightly. 'May I be the first to congratulate you on your success. You
succeeded where we failed for many centuries.' Rhodan smiled. 'You needn't be
ashamed because of your failures. After all, the Ferrons didn't have the help
of a mutant corps.' 'And neither did they have somebody like Perry Rhodan!'
added Bell, full of pride, as if he were speaking of his own son. And with
these words he solemnly walked ahead of the rest of the group, leaving the
hall with the secret time vault. 'It wasn't too difficult after all,' Rhodan
finished his report. He'd assembled his men in the mess hall of the Stardust
II in order to inform them of the successful conclusion of his efforts. Two
days had gone by since they'd managed to open the time vault. 'Certainly, we
needed to think in a five-dimensional manner up to a certain point, in order
to interpret the formula, but the rest could be arrived at by ordinary
four-dimensional thought processes. It was iust a time lock, made secure by
some forces of nature. I must admit, it would've been a hard nut to crack
without our mutants' help. Maybe we never could have managed it. The builders
of the transmitters wanted to make sure that their invention would become
available only to beings of the highest intelligence, who either were already
familiar with this invention or who'd never misuse it. I'm confident that we
meet these qualifications.' 'Naturally!' It was Reginald Bell. His
self-confident remark was greeted with general amusement, although each of the
people presented secretly shared his thoughts. 'Once we had the box in our
hands, it wasn't difficult to get it open. Our positronic brain figured out
the key to the code according to the engraved instructions on the box. Only a
five-dimensionally thinking person could have deciphered the symbols. And so,
the mystery surrounding the construction of the matter transmitters has been
solved.' 'Can we build them now?' Doctor Haggard asked eagerly. 'Of course,
as many as we want to,' Rhodan answered. 'But I don't think the right time for
it has come yet. Much later, when the many inhabited planets of the universe
have established peaceful relations with each other, the transmitters should
be used to replace ordinary spaceships. You push a button - and you have
traveled many thousands of light-years. But this is still imagination.' Bell
burst out laughing. 'Perry, not too long ago a trip to Mars was considered
sheer science fiction. Just think how far we've come in this short time! And
you still speak of utopian fantasy!' Rhodan seemed amused by his friend's
reminder that nothing could ever be considered fantastic seen in the light of
their reccnt experiences. He reached for a small case lying on the table in
front of him. 'I have a surprise here for Khrest and Thora.' He opened the
briefcase and pulled out several very thin metal plates. 'These metal sheets
remained when the positronic brain translated the instructions for the
building of the matter transmitters. Whenever I presented one of these seven
plates, the brain refused to translate them. It said my brainwave pattern was
different from that of the rulers of the universe for whom these instructions
were intended. The rulers of the universe are, of course, according to the
positronic brain, the Arkonide race.' Rhodan hesitated, then added with
respectful appreciation of their antiquity: 'These must certainly be very
ancient records.' Thora threw Perry a quick glance, a question in her eyes. A
shrug of Rhodan's shoulders was her only response. Khrest walked over to
Rhodan and accepted the metal plates from his hands. He regarded the cryptic
records with a frown. Then he spoke slowly: 'This is a language that existed
ten thousand years ago. But it's not a simple text, it's written in coded
sentences. I wonder what it might be.' 'Perhaps, at last, a clue,' said
Rhodan. 'Perhaps finally even a definite message.' 'About what?' 'About the
planet of eternal life, Khrest.' 'Then we shall soon find out,' the scientist
said softly. 'My brainwave pattern is that of the Arkonide race.' Rhodan's
gaze followed the two Arkonides as they left the mess hall to consult the
positronic brain. He knew they'd reveal the information to him as soon as they
themselves found it out and the right opportunity presented itself. In the
meantime there were more urgent problems to deal with. 'Manoli!' The former
physician of the early moon expedition stepped up to Rhodan. 'Eric, make sure
this message is sent to Earth by hyperwave. Dispatch it at once as
follows: 'NECESSARY I REMAIN IN VEGA SYSTEM. BASE ESTABLISHED ON VEGA EIGHT.
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR TRADE TREATIES WITH NATIVES. RETURN TO TERRA INDEFINITE. DO
NOT REPLY. LOCATION OF TERRA MUST REMAIN ABSOLUTE SECRET.' STARDUST II. 'Did
you get that, Manoli?' 'Got it. Kight away.' Perry's gaze encompassed those
around him. 'Friends, thanks again for your continued loyalty. We'll meet
again soon. The Thort is preparing a big victory celebration to which we have
all been invited. And then …' 'The lizards!' Bell could no longer contain
himself. 'What about the lizards? What's going to happen with them?' 'Cool
it, you hothead!' Perry threw a reprimand at Bell. 'I was just coming to that.
And then, after the victory celebration, we'll take care of the Topides.
Perhaps we'll be able to come to an amicable arrangement with them. Chrekt-Orn
seems to be a sensible man.' 'Man!' Bell snorted in disgust. 'How can you
call that lizard a man?' 'You must learn to think in galactic terms, Reg,'
Rhodan chided. His voice grew very serious. 'What does it maner what an
intelligent life form looks like if we want to remove the barriers between us?
I don't doubt but what you're not exactly a beauty in the eyes of the Topides,
Reg …' 'Nor even in our eyes,' a female voice chimed in loud and clear from
the rear of the room: Anne Sloane. Bell spun around and cried in her
direction: 'Is that how you repay-my kindness? Didn't I help you when you
needed me? I held you and let you rest your head in my lap. You were as
helpless then as …' Suddenly embarrassed, he stopped, then added: 'Down below
… in the Red Palace … when we got the box from the secret time vault - what
were you all thinking then?' He looked about but nobody answered. Only John
Marshall, the telepath, grinned broadly. He was a gentleman; he wasn't
telling. A red-faced Bell stomped out of the room, leaving his friends
behind. They chuckled with amusement: a man's innermost thoughts could no
longer remain secret. Not if mutants were around. The End
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