" Perry Rhodan 0047 - (39) The Silence of Gom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

Bell tried to attract their attention by continual shouting and he was sure they could pick it up through
their helmet radios. Nevertheless he received no response.

After about 10 minutes a new incident occurred. Ivan Goratschin first staggered, then fell to his knees.
The Japanese following closely behind him toppled to the ground. Bell called to them to turn back.

After a few minutes they started to move again but this time on all fours. They succumbed to their
weakness and endeavoured to comply with the hypnotic command by crawling.

"ItтАЩs no use," Marshall said. "TheyтАЩre still mesmerized."

"Can you tell where it comes from?" Bell inquired.

"No, not exactly. It seems to come from the direction where the wreck was."

An odd thought crossed BellтАЩs mind. Tako had claimed that the place where the Gazelle had come
down was covered by a widespread dark brown sheet and the strange spot they had observed a few
hours ago had a similar appearance. Marshall had been able to perceive some of its thoughts, leading him
to the conclusion that it was an organic creature of limited intelligence.

If Marshall was right the film of lacquer covering the crash site was nothing but a much more expanded
living organism of the same species thatтАФdue to its larger sizeтАФexuded much greater mental energies.

It was beyond their ability to help the 4 mutantsтАФhard as it was to become reconciled to the futility. It
took the mutants one hour to reach the area where they had crash-landedтАФa truly incredible feat under
the paralysing gravitational conditions on Gom.

During that hour Bell had tried without interruption to communicate with the mutants through their helmet,
radios with the same lack of success.

When the 4 mutants had crawled to the site of the crash they could be seen in their glittering spacesuits
scrambling back and forth as though searching for something. Again Bell looked questioningly at
Marshall, who merely shook his head as a sign that the hypnotic influence still prevailed and that the
mutants had no chance of regaining their own will.

Their fate was sealed abruptly and inexplicably. Bell had shouted his last warningтАж and they vanished
the next moment.

Reginald BellтАЩs forehead was bathed in sweat. Without looking at Marshall, he said to him: "Gone like
the wreck of the Gazelle. What do you make of it, Marshall?"
 "IтАЩve been giving it some thought," Marshall replied quickly. "The Gazelle was made of plastic metal
which has a high content of carbohydrates. The metallic component served merely. as a hardening agent
and the substance was 85% organic matter."

He paused and Bell gaped at him in astonishment. "So what?"

"That monster over there Marshall flipped his head in the direction where they had last seen the mutants,
"Must perhaps revamp or replenish its own substance by feeding on organic matter such as plastic metal
andтАФhumans."