"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0019 - (13) The Immortal Unknown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

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Fleet of the Springers











2/ OPERATION: DESPERATION


It was the nature of the Arkonide space-structure sensor to register any changes detected in the rigid structure of four-dimensional space with instantaneous impact.
In hyperspace, where totally different laws reigned-which did not include the concept of time-the impact of a forced entry by a body was transmitted without any delay whatsoever.
For this reason John McClears' loud expletives were drowned out by a devastating roar.
The control centre of his ship, an auxiliary craft of the Good Hope class with a diameter of 60 yards, seemed to turn into a rattling loose tin can. The fine tuner of his range-finder conked out and the entire space-structure sensor threatened to self-destruct under the resounding vibration from the acoustic signal.
McClears' foot was a millisecond later. He kicked the main switch and the droning ceased.
"A structure disturbance?" wondered Lt. Everson, his deputy commander on board the auxiliary ship S-3. "Some zip, wow!"
"Don't drive me nuts, will you!" Capt. McClears snapped.
"I won't," Everson muttered. Slowly he rolled his burly body around to the now useless structure sensor.
"O.K.," he nonchalantly continued, "let's get this bucket ready for action. Looks as if it won't he long now. And I thought we had chased those lizards out of the Vega system for good! I guess at least 10 big ships must have jumped out of hyperspace."
"Or one that is colossal," McClears panted. Exhausted, he fell back onto his control seat. S-3 had only a crew of 10 on board. Nobody expected to get into serious trouble.
McClears was one of those young spacefighter pilots who were drilled and trained to a fine polish by Rhodan. Once it had been his highest ambition to fly a roaring rocketship of the U.S. Space Force to the moon and he did not expect to go beyond that in his fondest dreams; but toward the end of training, circumstances changed so rapidly as Rhodan established the New Power within a period of a few years, that he had soon become one of the first officers of the old, now defunct Good Hope under Rhodan's command.
In due course he had arrived in the Vega system and by now had been given the command of a ship which, a few years ago, would have caused him utter amazement. He probably would have regarded his S-3 as a miracle of titanic proportions. A miracle it was indeed. But he had meanwhile realized that it was far too small to be called titanic.
His lips were pressed against the microphone of the faster-than-light telecom.
"McClears to all Guppies, urgent. Evacuation operations to be immediately discontinued. Rendezvous at Ferrol spaceport. Be prepared to start at alarm signal. I must know what is zooming in on us out there. Let's hope it is the Chief. Otherwise we'll have to get ready for the worst. Stop."
His message was confirmed by the other seven ships. Everywhere on the eighth Vegan planet the rescue operations were interrupted. The armoured hatches closed and the engines began to blast.
The local population retreated in headlong flight from the starting crafts. Desperate outbursts followed as they fled to subterranean cities and tunnels, the only remaining places where survival was still feasible.
A ball of fire spewing searing heat and shining blinding light menaced the sky above the planet Ferrol. Ferrol had always suffered from extreme UV rays but it had never been as unbearable as this.
The commanders of the Stardust's eight auxiliary ships had been fully aware that it would be quite impossible to evacuate five billion Ferrons in time. Moreover, the entire system with its 42 planets was bound to be destroyed if the heretofore quiescent Vega had really changed into a nova.
The Ferronian scientists were deeply disturbed as they conferred about the so-called impossibility. The facts, alas, proved the exact opposite.
McClears, whose craft was stationed at the huge spaceport of Thorta, watched the quick take-off of the other ships on telecom. All transmitters were turned on. It was of the utmost importance to keep in constant communication.
McClears' damp bright-red hair stuck to his perspiring forehead. His orders came quickly and sharply. His irritation was understandable. Before they had left the Stardust's airlocks four weeks ago, Terra time, Perry Rhodan had promoted him to Chief of the Guppies. McClears was dismayed that he now was stuck with the responsibility after Rhodan suddenly disappeared from the scene with the mothership.
Everson grumbled and fiddled around with the Arkonide structure-sensor. His hypno-training had prepared him to understand the functioning of the set.
With a delicate touch he restored the contact of the burned-up end of the cable. The shock of the spark did not bother a man like Everson.
"It works!" he triumphantly exclaimed.
But a fraction of a second later it blew up again. Everson was hurled against the legs of a fighter robot standing in the corner. This time the set just made a short, loud crack. Then it gave up its hyper-frequency ghost despite its special Arkonide material.
"I'll be a son of a gun," moaned Everson, "that was a humdinger of a transition. The first time somebody jumped out of the system and now he shows up again from hyperspace. What next? I better get out of this corner."
McClears rushed over to the communications centre. He came just in time to see the lean face with the grey eyes appear on the videoscreen.
"McClears, are you there?" the voice called from the loudspeaker. "Stardust to all Guppies wherever they are. My orders for you are to land at once at Thorta spaceport. Be ready to come aboard the Stardust without delay. McClears, did you assist in the evacuation of the population?"
"Yes, sir!" McClears jubilantly bellowed into the mike. "All ships are on Ferrol. I notified the commanders as soon as we monitored your transition, sir."
"Good for you!" the curt answer came. "We were detained, never mind why now. I need everyone on board. Any questions?"
McClears had the uncertain feeling that a mad rush of events was about to break loose. Everson got the same impression.
"Yes, one question, sir," the captain nervously shouted. "Vega has started to act up like crazy the last 32 days Terra time. It's developing into a nova, sir."
"Oh!"
McClears was taken aback. Everson started to grin. If that wasn't just like the old man!