" Perry Rhodan 0079 - (71) The Atom Hell of Grautier" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

The intercom sounded.

Perry Rhodan looked at the chronometer.

1134 hours.

On the small vidscreen, Lt.-Col. JudsonтАЩs face betrayed more than he could have explained with 100
words. JudsonтАЩs eyes were wide with fear and small shining beads of sweat stood out on his forehead.

"Alarm, sir!" he gasped. "An Arkonide fleet is attacking the base! We still haveтАФ"

Perry Rhodan interrupted him. He reacted like a machine. No sign of surprise, terror or fear could be
seen in his expression. He understood the situation in a fraction of a second.

All he lacked was knowledge of how it had come about.

"How did it happen?" he asked tersely.

"TheRigel ," Judson groaned. "The damper broke downтАФit was detected immediately."

Perry Rhodan needed only a second to think through all the possibilities remaining to him. There were
not many.

"Attempt to repulse the Arkonides!" he ordered. "Have all the defence posts occupied. And keep the
ships where they are! Effective immediately, no ships are to take off. We still have a slight chance that the
Arkonides will fly past Grautier and go on to Peep. How much time do we still have?"

"10 minutes, sir," Judson answered quickly. "If they havenтАЩt changed their course by then, theyтАЩll be able
to make out the base with their naked eyes."

"What did theRigel do?" Rhodan asked.

"It went into transition again, following my orders, sir. I thought it best that the ship leave the system as
quickly as possible."

Perry Rhodan remembered swiftly: theRigel was under the command of Maj. Brackett. Brackett was
not someone who would fly with a disabled damper to Earth or anyplace else where there were
important secrets. There was no need to be concerned on BrackettтАЩs account.

"Very well," said Rhodan, ending the conversation. "Keep us informed as things develop."

He turned around even before Judson had switched off. Atlan, Bell and the mutant Fellmer Lloyd were
looking at him.
"It looks bad," said Rhodan quietly.

The Arkonide moaned. "I knew there was something wrong in this!"

Perry Rhodan smiled bitterly. "Nothing that could have been reasonably foreseen," he replied. "But
youтАЩre right of course: that doesnтАЩt change anything now."