" Perry Rhodan 0041 - (33) The Giant's Partner" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

eyes half-closed. He gave the impression of being almost asleep. But those who knew Pucky realized
only too well that he was concentration personified.

Rhodan shook his head in despair. "The Brainmust hear us," he said. "Why donтАЩt we get an answer?"
Then he repeated his message once more and added: "I urgently request confirmation of receipt of our
message. It is of vital importance to the continued existence of the Empire."

The coloured pattern speeded up its rhythm. The howling noise from the loudspeaker grew even
stronger. But that was all.

"At least some kind of a reaction," Rhodan murmured, still dissatisfied. "But I donтАЩt know what to make
of it. How are we supposed to know the code the Brain uses in its transmission?"

"You might try explaining the situation to the Brain," Thora suggested. "Tell it that we are not familiar with
the key. Request an uncoded text."

A good suggestion, thought Rhodan and he repeated his broadcast, emphasizing they were totally
unfamiliar with the code.

Inside the command centre the tension reached breaking point.

The coloured pattern on the videoscreen stopped moving. There was a sharp crackle in the
loudspeaker, then the nonsensical sounds ceased. A cold, impersonal voice could be heard throughout
the entire central.

The voice spoke in the language of the Arkonides: "I have connected both our transmitters to a special
channel where a coded message is not required. Nobody can listen in to this conversation. Will you
start."

"Can you see me?" asked Rhodan.

A brief pause, then the stationary colour pattern vanished from the screen. It soon reappeared, moved
around and began to form a plastic image. This process was accompanied by the sound of the cold
mechanical voice.

"I can see you the same as you presently will be able to see me. You are two and three quarters
light-yearsтАФaccording to your countтАФdistant from my location. Where is the stolen ship?"

Now the image on the screen was completed. Rhodan saw an outsize hall without any clues as to where
it might be located. A gigantic hemisphere of glittering metal stood in the centre of this room, which was
otherwise empty. The hemisphere had an approximate diameter of 150 feet and most likely contained the
robot brain. It was impossible to guess what lay underneath the hemisphere. The height of the structure
was 25 feet.

Rhodan had waited many years for this moment when he would be face to face with the regent of the
Arkonide Empire but not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined it would look like thisтАУa metallic
hemisphere.

Rhodan answered the question of the robot brain. "The stolen ship is waiting for me at a safe place,
Regent. In case I fail to return, the ship would be forever lost to the Empire."