" Perry Rhodan 0103 - (95) The Plasma Monster" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)Perry Rhodan 103 The Plasma Monster by Kurt Mahr PROLOG HUMANITY stands on
the threshold of a New Era! Since the death of Khrest, 57 years have passed-it is now 2102 A.D. and much has happened in the meantime. With the support of Earthmen, Atlan has succeeded in consolidating his position as Imperator. The treaty between Arkon and the Solar Empire has borne fruit-especially for the Terrans, many of whom have already taken over important positions on Arkon itself. Atlan has to tolerate this because he cannot depend on most of the members of his own race. The Solar Empire has become a major commercial power along the rim of the Milky Way. For the past 22 years a virtual stream of emigrants has been flowing out to suitable colonial worlds. Also on many of the planets inhabited by other intelligences, Terran embassies have been established as well as far-flung trading settlements. In spite of all this, however, the situation is tense. An ominous discovery has been made: there is a super power in the galaxy which is friendly neither to Arkonides nor to Terrans! These are the Akons of the so-called Blue System. This terrible race will unleash the most incredible and frightening creation humanity has ever seen... the horrible PLASMA MONSTER! 1/ INTERSTELLAR ALERT "THIS MAN I would like to meet," said Perry Rhodan. He folded his copy of Europa News, then pointed out the byline of the leading article. "Walt Ballin..." He muttered the name half aloud to himself while sitting at his desk and gazing out through the windows at his view of Terrania. Today a rare note had been struck by the daily information that his Press advisers had selected from the virtual ocean of news sources within the Imperium. Although he was neither friend nor foe of the Press, he had just expressed the wish to actually meet a journalist. Rhodan appeared to ignore Instead, the First Administrator of the Solar Imperium continued to look out the window across the expanse of rooftops comprising Terrania, even beyond the great city to the park-like countryside that had once been the Gobi Desert. "You know, it's a matter of both duty and courage, I'd say, to address ourselves to this question of whether or not our overall policy is basically a destructive one, Mercant. Usually it's not very practical to even bother to read the kind of aggressive outpourings that Walt Ballin is capable of, but in this case he's brought up some considerations that we should also be concerned with. I'm especially interested in his assertion that we may have neglected to prepare the man in the street for thinking in terms of a galactic perspective. Mercant, don't you think this Walt Ballin has a point?" The Intelligence Chief's lean face had not moved a muscle as he continued to fix his gaze on Rhodan. "It's quite easy to be a critic, sir," he contradicted calmly. "We can't accelerate man's development any more than we have already. Our duty is to direct ourselves to the average level of intelligence. If we were to attempt a thorough explanation in detail of what's cooking out there in the galaxy, if we tried to point out the dangers that are the most acute for the Solar Imperium-or if we told them that we've just discovered a race at the core of the galaxy which is far superior to the Arkonides in every sense of the word-it would not only serve to throw the majority of the population into confusion but might also start a wave of panic uprisings." "But I think, my friend, that it would be better to face such potential upheavals now rather than to have them shoved upon us at precisely the wrong time. However much I'd like to follow your advice, Mercant, at present I think it's best to give Walt |
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