" Perry Rhodan 0049 - (41) The Earth Dies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

countdown start position. "His whole ship has to be destroyed. You forget that the actual coordinate data
for the Earth are still contained in the positronic registers because they canтАЩt be erased. Naturally Topthor
is important; the Mounder is no idiot. HeтАЩs going to realize at once that heтАЩs landed in the wrong solar
system and heтАЩll start getting suspicious."

John Marshall, the leader of the Mutant Corps, entered the Control Central of theCenturion . He
nodded to the mouse-beaver and then turned to Deringhouse. Since he was a telepath, he naturally knew
already what Pucky had been discussing.

"It will be the task of the Mutant Corps to trace down this fellow Topthor, Major, so why donтАЩt we let
Pucky take on the mission, since heтАЩs so sure of himself?"

"I donтАЩt have any objections," answered Deringhouse cautiously. I only objected to making a bet with
him. I certainly have a right to steer clear of him on that score if I donтАЩt want to return to the Earth a
pauper and half crippled."

Marshall grinned and had to agree with him. Pucky was satisfied. Deringhouse felt relieved and thought
of the task that lay before him.

Then theCenturion transited into hyperspace.

It made the jump simultaneously with theTerra , its sister ship. The 2 gigantic, spherical vessels, 600 feet
each in diameter, reentered the normal continuum of space 5 light-minutes distant from Betelgeuse 3.

All weapon stations were fully manned. The defence screens began to function automatically. In the
Communications Central, meanwhile, Capt. Lamanche strove to pick up all reliable information he could
from the intercepted radio traffic in order to determine the next course of action. Excitement ran high on
board theCenturion .

At first, however, the space surrounding the ship remained empty. The 3rd planet was a bright star off
the bow.

The small hypersensor equipment was activated and began to register the first enemy transitions. The
arrivals were spaced out but in a few moments it was obvious that they had all originated from the same
starting point.

The fleet of the Springers. It had arrived a few moments off schedule.



****



The Topides waited in their subterranean fortresses.

These extensive installations had been set up with a feverish haste in order to divert the enemy from the
more valuable 4th planet. If a world was going to be attacked, it would be better to offer up the 3rd
planet as a target, for there was nothing there worth defending, outside of endless primeval forests and
stony, high plateaus. No intelligent form of life existed in this jungle world.