" Perry Rhodan 0011 - (5b) Mutants in Action" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

 TheGood Hope 's automatic pilot system and peripheral automatic gear were no longer functional. They
were forced to go back to the Wright brotherтАЩ method and fly virtually by the seat of their pants. Danger
lurked in every moment. Those repairs which had been made were patchwork at best and failed to instil
any modicum of confidence or feeling of safety.

However, Heklihar seemed unconcerned. With his deep, dark eyes he merely continued to scan the
sandy wastelands ahead in the viewscreen. The Thort had summoned Heklihar, chief technologist of the
secret desert fortification, to act as guide for theGood Hope . By Earth standards he was small, as were
many of the members of his race. His akin colour was more turquoise than the normal blue, which he
attributed to the desert sun. With his thick, copper coloured hair he presented a colourful spectacle in
spite of his grey clothing.

Under present circumstances, Reginald Bell felt far removed from his official status as the Third PowerтАЩs
Security Minister. He was far to occupied managing his half of the control tasks and continuously
watching and reading the related instruments and night indicators. From time to time he would glance at
the screen and note that hour after hour there was no change in the desolate desert landscape below.

Several times he was forced to mutter. "Ye gods! The good Lord must have chosen this place to dump
his wrath!"



Rofus, the ninth planet of the Vega system, was somewhat similar to Earth, but in comparison to the
almost delicate formation of Earth's surface structure, Rofus appeared to have been left half finished by
the creator. Basically there were two giant continents and two equally great oceans. The mountains were
higher, and the co-ordinates were longer and wider. There was no Earth equivalent of the Great Southern
Desert with its glaring red sands. The desert's glaring diameter was about 3,600 miles, which could be
traversed in its entirety without encountering a single plant, a single living creature, or the tiniest drop of
water.

The desert fortress that the Thort had placed at theGood Hope тАЩs disposal lay in the most remote and
inaccessible corner of the wilderness waste. RhodanтАЩs survey of local maps had revealed that the place
must be situated at least partially beneath the Snake Mountains. Heklihar proffered no information. He
had been trained to divulge not the slightest word concerning the stronghold, and true to his Ferronian
nature he adhered to the letter of his regulations even when it was a bit asinine to do so.

With a flight velocity of less than mach 1 theGood Hope arrived at its destination after a seven-hour
journey. After Heklihar indicated the point toward which the ship must be guided, Bell heaved a sigh of
relief.

"Next time IтАЩd rather go it on foot than fly in this crate again!"

The Snake Mountains stretched out in a northeasterly-southwesterly direction. They were as barren as
the desert, but with their 27,000 to 30,000 foot peaks they presented an imposing sight Rhodan stared
uncertainly at the point that Heklihar had indicated. It was a gorgelike depression in the foothills of the
Snake Mountains, and there was no way of telling how this point differed from many others like it in the
vicinity. He turned to look at Heklihar, who responded to the querulous glance by stretching out both
hands in the Ferronian signal of confirmation.

"Dead ahead!" Rhodan ordered.