" Perry Rhodan 0026 - (19) Mutants Vs Mutants" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

his home planet. No wonder Tiff was sighing a bit despondently and shrugging his shoulders.

"Of course calculating our course isnтАЩt that simple but it can be done. But I donтАЩt think it will even be
necessary to bother with it. Our present speed allows us to navigate by direct sight."

Captain Hawk began to gesticulate angrily. "Cadet Tifflor, donтАЩt forget youтАЩre here on a training ship! I
am fully aware we could navigate by direct sight but that isnтАЩt the point here. I want to find out if you can
also orient yourself in an unknown area of space without instruments. So get going, start calculating!"

Tiff threw a melancholy glance toward the constantly shrinking planet Mars and noticed suddenly that the
picture in the shipтАЩs observation port hole over on his side began to change. Earth, too, vanished from the
front window, moved rapidly over to the side and out of his sight entirely. Hawk let the Z-82 тАШrun wild,тАЩ
so that the task Tiff had to solve would be more difficult.

That, too, he shouldnтАЩt have done but who can foresee what the future will bring? Anyhow, Captain
Hawk didnтАЩt know it. The Z-82 was rushing through space with constant acceleration. Automatic gravity
fields compensated for any change in flight direction or acceleration, so that the three-man crew didnтАЩt
suffer from sudden increases or decreases in GтАЩs.

Eberhardt watched, full of pity, how Tiff started jotting numbers on a piece of paper. Captain Hawk
reclined at ease in his chair, letting the space vehicle race into space without paying any attention to the
course. Soon it would be his pupilтАЩs task to set the ship on the right course again and later on to bring it in
for a safe landing at Nevada Fields.

Nobody observed the instruments.

Nobody except Eberhardt.

Unfortunately, this is where his slow reactions took their toll again. Compared to any normal
EarthmanтАФthis should be emphasized at this pointтАФhe reacted quite quickly. Only when compared to
the average space pilot did he not quite measure up.

Thus it took a full 10 seconds for him to become aware of the deflection of the sensor needle. This
sensor was an instrument which constantly was sending out radar waves in all directions and then would
register any reflexes that might occur. Such reflexes in empty space were extremely rare considering the
relatively limited range of the instrument. They would only occur if asteroids or larger meteors were
passing close by the shipтАФor when the spacecraft happened to be in their vicinity.

Cadet Eberhardt extended his arm and pointed to the tiny screen above the sensorтАЩs dial. "ThereтАЩs
something here," he stated perplexed. "Quite a good-sized chunk."

With a great effort Captain Hawk returned to a halfway sitting position. Then he stared spellbound at the
instrument. An almost round spot was floating on the tiny screen. The spot grew rapidly in size as it came
nearer to the training ship. With one jolt Captain Hawk came back to a completely upright position. His
eyes swiftly took in the data on the dial. Then he shook his head. "A destroyerтАж Impossible. WeтАЩre the
only destroyer between Earth and Mars. Unless we change our direction be almost upon us in a few
seconds. Now, heтАЩs slowing down. Strange!"

By now the slender form of the sister ship had become visible to the naked eye. It was looping in a
broad sweep and approached once more, but this time from in front of the Z-82.