"Kurt Mahr - Perry Rhodan 18 - Menace of the Mutant Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mahr Kurt)

A bright light suddenly skittered across the landing area. Puzzled, Freyt stopped in his tracks, looked around. `What was that?'

Another lightning flash, this time from far beyond the roofs of Terrania, and almost simultaneously there arrived the roaring thunder of an explosion.

Freyt stood stock still. His eyes widened in frightened confusion, failing to comprehend what was going on when the roar of the second explosion swept over them.

`It's over at the salt lake!' he groaned. `At - the reactor installations!'

He turned and sped back to the city. The adjutant was running close behind him. They had hardly advanced 30 yards when the thin wail of the alarm sirens reached them.

Still running, Freyt ordered a car via the small sender and receiver set which was standard equipment for his uniform. The car met up with them as they were almost at one of the wide main roads leading into the city.

`What's going on?' asked Freyt, flopping down in the seat next to the driver of the car.

`An explosion in block G, sir!' answered the chauffeur. `No details are known so far.'

`Please drive me there!' ordered Freyt.

They made a U-turn and the car took off at high speed. With blaring sirens they made sure nothing would obstruct their way. The driver was a real daredevil but Freyt was too preoccupied with other things to pay attention to him.

What the blazes was there in the reactor installation that could be made to explode? Freyt was a soldier first and a technician next but be had a definite idea how a reactor worked. He also knew what kind of materials were used for the construction of a reactor. But try as he might he couldn't think of anything that might have brought about two explosions of the kind they had just heard.

And how was it possible such explosions could even occur in view of the extensive security measures in force there?

Freyt could find no answer to either of his questions. The chauffeur drove the car to the entrance gate of block G where he came to a halt. Freyt was startled out of his thoughts.

Before the two explosions, block G had consisted of a long, low hall in which various separate components, brought in from the outside, were assembled, the end product being the catalyst R reactors. Some 300 men worked there during the day.

Now the outlines of the former assembly hall could still be recognized but otherwise it gave the appearance of a battlefield that had been bombarded for hours by steady gunfire.

Rescue teams had arrived shortly before Freyt. Dressed in protective clothing, the men stomped through the heat of the area which was strewn with debris. They were searching for survivors. From a police inspector Freyt learned that at the time of the explosion about 10 men of the night crew and guards had been present in the building.

Nobody knew anything about the cause of the explosion. With the help of special instruments they had found two spots within the area of block G whose current temperature was over 3600 Fahrenheit. In all likelihood this was where the explosions had taken place.

Freyt turned to the police inspector. `Have you checked for radioactivity?' he asked.

The police inspector put on a forced smile. `I beg your pardon, sir! There wasn't a single speck of radioactive material in the whole place!'

Freyt shook his head. `I want to make sure in any case,' he answered skeptically. `Call the dosimeter crew !'

The police inspector walked over to his car to pass on the request.

Freyt began to feel ill at ease. `There's nothing we can do for the time being,' he told his adjutant. `We'll have to wait till at least the first check has been made.' In the midst of all the excitement he had forgotten all about Rhodan and his impending arrival.

This incident was not just another accident: one of the most important factories had been destroyed. Without the Arkonide reactors there would be no nuclear drive engines - without power units no spaceships - without spacecraft no protection for Earth.

Was it by chance that of all things block G should have fallen victim to the first major accident inside the area of the New Power?

Colonel Freyt began to wonder what chances a saboteur would have of getting inside the domain of the New Power, and in case he did get this far how much chance would he have of actually carrying out an act of sabotage?