"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0053 - (45) Unknown Sector Milky Way" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)
It did not take Ivsera long to finally comprehend it all. The inhabitants of the Sallon bunker still lived in her memory as they had been at the beginning of the war: average citizens for the most part, people who didn't want the war but who were glad to have the protection of the bunker.
Killarog was sure that the strangers they had clashed with were from Sallon. He was of the opinion that no one would dare expose themselves to the surface world any longer than was absolutely necessary and the next nearest bunker was a good thousand miles distant.
Moreover, the subterranean concussions had only one interpretation. Ther and his 2 companions had been observing them for some weeks now. With sensitive instruments they had registered the shock waves, which were obviously produced by blasting. They came from the direction of the Sallon bunker and in the course of weeks they had pushed close to the outermost passages of the Fenomat bunker.
Ivsera held to a last remnant of hope that the Sallon people's intention might not be actually unfriendly, until Killarog bluntly spelled it out for her.
"Who are we kidding? Naturally they are coming to steal food. And if perchance they don't find any, it's just possible they might arrive at the old-fashioned idea of cannibalism!"
* * * *
Killarog's analysis of the present discussion was gloomy. "The people that fired on our men were equipped with weapons like an army of secret state police. Apparently they have cleaned out the big Sallon North Depot. On the other hand the most we've got is about 50 hand weapons and most of those are old-fashioned pistols for which we have very little ammunition. So if the Sallon troops can push through more than 20 men they will have secured their bridgehead and we won't have to worry about the rest."
When Ivsera asked what the purpose of their own tunnel here might be, the answer was even more impressive. "You mean you haven't guessed it yet, girl? We started it with the idea of stealing food from Sallon. It's our tough luck that they arrived at the same idea just as quickly and, in addition, are better armed than we are. But..." He raised a finger, suddenly in a better mood. "Just in case we happen to succeed in driving them back, and if we can follow up the thrust at the same time, then we'll have saved ourselves a great deal of labour. Then the people of Sallon will have been building us an access tunnel."
When Ivsera reacted to this by staring at him in horror, he laughed-bitterly and briefly.
"But just get the final picture: only 8 years after the last war on Isan, all that's left is a question of who eats whom! That's the fact you may rely on!"
2/ THE STRANGER WITH THE WHITE EYEBALLS
Killarog had a plan.
It was a bold one and it entailed considerable risk. For this reason it took every bit of Killarog's arts of persuasion to sell his idea to the Council.
Killarog's goal was the surface locks of the Sallon bunker. The time of attack: that moment in which they received news by radio that the Sallon troops had broken through into the Fenomat bunker.
The Council imposed just one condition: Killarog was to return at once if he learned that his force was inadequate for success. In that case his weapons would be needed more urgently in Fenomat than at the ground locks of Sallon.
Killarog searched out the men who were to accompany him. In spite of his youth he was respected throughout the bunker and in contrast to the normal sluggishness of spirit that marked the survivors of the Great War of Isan everyone was immediately ready to join Killarog in the dangerous undertaking.
3 hours after the Council meeting, Killarog had collected his crew but only a half hour before this Ivsera had learned of his plan through Irvin, who was one of the 8 who had been selected.
She traced down Killarog and launched a one-hour discussion to explain why she had to accompany him on this mission in the place of one of the 8 men. Her main argument was that if they actually succeeded in breaking into the Sallon bunker then somebody would have to be present who could determine at first glance where any sources of food were.
In spite of this, Ivsera's importunities might have been in vain had Irvin not finally taken her part. "Take her with you, Killarog," he recommended. "Otherwise she'll never forgive you. Besides, her point is valid. So I will resign in her favour."
It was safe for Irvin to make such an offer because he was widely recognized as being an outstanding exception to the general characteristic of passivity and indolence.
Killarog finally agreed. He was half angry and half amused when he spoke to her. "Young lady, you know I suspect you of harbouring some very idealistic concepts when it comes to the laws of human nature and also when it comes to these very 'lovely' people of Sallon. So if you get shot waving a peace flag at them, I'll chalk it up to your childish instincts."
Ivsera had not revealed her basic reason: that she was tired of sitting around inactively in the bunker, passively accepting everything that happened. She was convinced that everyone who still had a shred of strength in them was duty bound to contribute something. And it mustn't always be something that guaranteed success. It had to be something that persisted in demonstrating that the survivors of the Great War were not just so many playthings of Fate.
* * * *
After an hour-long trip in the main elevator to ascend the mile-deep shaft, it was night when Killarog and his commando squad finally reached the surface lock of the Fenomat bunker.
In the lock they put on the anti-radiation suits. Killarog operated the necessary controls and Ivsera took it as a good omen when everything worked as it was supposed to.
In their departure from the lock, Killarog forced a mood of grimness and was as harsh as possible with his commands in order to discourage any transport of sentimentalism. For 5 of the 9 people it was the first time in 8 years that they had stepped upon the surface. of their home world of Isan.
Close above the western horizon, Ivsera saw the giant red ball of their sun, Wilan. She sought to determine whether or not Wilan had changed at all since the war. But Wilan was as big and red as ever before. A few pockmarks were discernible here and there on its surface and the great glowing sphere spread more warmth than brightness.
The stars hung near in a dark red sky. Between the stars, Ivsera observed isolated feathery traces of misty light. She knew that these vapour-like areas were in turn made up of many suns which were infinitely far away and that these nebulous formations of stars represented a stellar system that the astronomers referred to as the Misty Way.
She could hardly suppress her excitement. She appealed to her reason and attempted to be convinced that even after 8 years of subterranean existence it should not be so special to glimpse a few stars.
But she did not succeed. As in a dream she stumbled through the desolation of ruins that the bomb and the wind had made of the once proud city of Fenomat. Only after Killarog's third admonishment was she able to pull herself together and concentrate on the task that lay before her.
* * * *
From the Fenomat main shaft to the ground lock of Sallon, the distance was 5 miles. 8 years ago it would have been possible to cover this stretch in a passenger bus or a rental car and this would have required at the most three-quarters of an hour. Now, however, in this pathless and dangerous wilderness and weighed down with heavy protective suits, it was a whole day's march.
After 5 hours Killarog called the first halt for a rest. They found themselves in an area of the rubble waste where the radiation was curiously only about half as intense as normal. Nobody could explain it but at any rate it was an ideal place for a rest.
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