"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0091 - (83) Ernst Ellert Returns" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

The mousebeaver raised up indignantly to his full stature. Of course his incisor tooth could still be seen, which betrayed the fact that he was still being good-humoured, but the gleam in his, eyes was a signal for caution. "If I'm related to Earthly mice," he announced, "then you have a strong resemblance to the Gloobies, back on Vagabond, my home planet!"
Bell looked imploringly at Rhodan. He had never heard Pucky mention these Gloobies before. Who knew what kind of beasts they might be, he thought in startlement. When Pucky had his dander up, you had to handle him like a raw egg.
"I don't seem to recall these Gloobies of yours," put in Rhodan, attempting to give his beleaguered friend an assist. "If I'm not mistaken, outside of you mousebeavers there was nothing on Vagabond. So...?"
Pucky returned a triumphant grin. "That's right-nothing! And that's what Bell reminds me of!" With a malicious giggle he again rolled up into a ball, signifying that he did not wish to be disturbed any further.
Rhodan raised a brow appealingly at Bell and then changed the subject. "I'm waiting for a clear signal from Terra and then we'll take off. By tomorrow, anyway. Atlan has things pretty well buttoned up here. Of course we'll have to expect more disturbances here and there but working together we can always take care of such matters. What I'm more worried about is my son."
Bell didn't answer. He knew how heavily this subject weighed upon Rhodan. He considered it best to make no comment.
After several minutes of staring silently at the viewscreen, Rhodan suddenly got up. "I'm going to get some sleep. Would you tell Sikerman to wake me up immediately if we hear something from Terra."
Bell looked at him closely. "You expecting anything special, perhaps?"
Rhodan was evasive. He smiled. "Not at all, Bell, but something might come up. It could be that Sikerman wouldn't even think it was important. But in any case I want to know about it."
"Gotcha," said Bell. His suspicions seemed to have been dispelled.
Which was just as well, thought Rhodan, for he had no desire to discuss his premonitions further. Besides, he himself considered them to be only his imagination.
Just as he was about to exit from the room, Pucky raised up his head from the couch and muttered sleepily: "I wouldn't think of it that way, Perry!" And then he continued his snoozing.
Out in the corridor, Rhodan smiled. So Pucky had spied on his thoughts again. In the presence of such a perfect telepath it was best to screen one's mind. But Bell wouldn't know and that was the main thing. At least he wouldn't find out from the mousebeaver.
The Drusus stood at the edge of the giant spaceport on the hard plastisteel pavement. The incredible weight of the vessel could not dent the tough surface by so much as a millimetre. On Earth it would have broken through if the antigravs were off but here the ship stood sound and firm. It was spherical in shape and almost I mile in diameter. A person not familiar with its interior could wander around in it for days and still be lost.
Rhodan utilized several antigrav lifts and reached the corridor where his cabin was located. On the way he encountered some of the men coming from the messhall. He responded to their respectful salutes and greetings but other than that continued onward without a word. He was tired and looked forward to getting some rest.
What could be happening to Ellert?-he thought apprehensively and for no particular reason. The last time he was on Earth he had wanted to visit the mausoleum but hadn't been able to. Something bothered him about that but he didn't know what it was. He had called and talked to the guards at the tomb but they had reported nothing unusual. Ellert's body was still resting 50 meters under the surface, waiting for its restless mind and spirit to return.
Fully dressed, Rhodan threw himself on his bed.
Why then should he sense this uneasiness? Certainly if something had happened more than 30,000 light-years away he wouldn't be able to feel it at this distance.
In spite of his weariness he did not fall asleep immediately. His thoughts wouldn't let him relax, even though in past weeks so much had been accomplished. Granted, success hadn't exactly fallen into his lap. The way to victory had been paved with difficulties, with personal disappointments and even mortal dangers. But he had reached the goal and that was all that mattered.
The two empires of the galaxy were now a single power. If there were actually still individual races and peoples who couldn't go along with that, it didn't much matter anymore. In time they would change their views-if the battlefleets of both stellar empires had not done it for them by then.
Above him sounded a muted buzzer. Under the vidcom screen a green light flashed. Rhodan got up with a deliberate slowness, thinking of his premonition. Was it going to prove to be true?
When he touched the receive-button an officer's face appeared on the viewscreen. His expression was one of astonishment, as though he were not sure he was doing the right thing.
"Sir-reporting from Com Central. We have a hypertransmission."
"Fire away, Tompetch-or don't you have the text unravelled yet?"
"Of course, sir. The dispatch comes from Marshal Freyt, Terra. Transmission date: 5 August 2044. Time: 17:48 Terrania. The message follows: Hades alert-Ellert. Capt. Rous indicates Ellert's mind too weak to return to his body. He is asking for Rhodan's help. Immediate action imperative. Request instructions. Freyt.
Rhodan stood there for several seconds without moving a muscle but in that time he arrived at his decision. His words were clear and unmistakable. "Dispatch to Freyt, Terrania. Text: Instructions will follow in due course. A second dispatch to Hades. Text: Activate transmitter-receiver in exactly 5 hours. Arriving personally. Rhodan. Tompetch, see that both of those messages are sent out as soon as possible."
"Right, sir!"
"One moment-there's something else. Wake up Col. Sikerman. The Drusus takes off in I hour."
Tompetch's eyes widened. "We... uh... yessir!"
The screen darkened.
Rhodan's face was unusually grave when he entered the Control Central 10 minutes later. After receiving confirmation that the two special messages had been transmitted, he then requested a hypercom connection with Atlan. The Imperator of Arkon was probably in the Crystal Palace but if he wasn't they would still have to locate him.
Rhodan waited personally in the Corn Room. There was a slight interruption when Bell stuck his head in and said: "Sikerman sends his compliments and says the Drusus can take off, Perry. All men at their stations as ordered."
"Hold the takeoff. Still no contact with Atlan."
Bell came all the way into the room. "Then simply leave a message for him. Who knows where he might be carousing tonight?"
"There is no nightlife on Arkon 3," said Perry, reminding him of a state of affairs which the crew of the Drusus had deplored. "But if I can't find him I won't have any other choice than to leave a message for him." He pondered a moment. "Alright. We'll definitely leave in 40 minutes."
Bell nodded and disappeared.
Five minutes before the mighty propulsion engines of the Drusus started up, Atlan came through "You're taking off, Perry? Why so precipitate? What's happened?"
Rhodan gave him a faint smile. "That's three questions all at once, Admiral-oh, excuse me... Imperator! Only one answer is necessary: Ellert is in danger. I'm going to Hades. I was wondering if you'd like to come along...?"
Atlan sighed. "If these were the old times when we used to travel the spaceways together and visit alien worlds... But now all I know is my duty. I'll have to admit that this rulership business isn't so simple. One's life isn't his own..."
"Do you expect to spend the rest of your life on Arkon?"
"Of course not, Perry. But for now I must remain here. There are pressing matters of State, do you understand? Lots of luck to you-and come back soon! Until then, goodbye"
"I'll hurry back," Rhodan promised. He signed off and the screen went dark.
The Drusus took off on the minute of the appointed time. The engines roared to life and hurled the giant ship out into space. The antigrav fields neutralized the pressures of acceleration. With increasing velocity the space monster raced toward the speed of light and the outer fortress ring of Arkon while the central planet of the Empire dwindled into Infinity.
The hurtling pace continued for two hours. Then the robot-controlled space stations flitted by to the right and left of them and dropped behind. The correct code signal had prevented these latter from turning into fire-spitting fortresses which could have destroyed the Drusus.
The ship hurried onward unhindered, toward its calculated point of transition.

* * * *

Punctually to the second, Capt. Marcel Rous had one of the transmitters turned on for reception. Somewhere out there just beyond the discharge rift between the Einstein universe and the Druuf time plane the Drusus must have rematerialised and Rhodan would now be entering the sending station of a matter transmitter.
Rous stood before the door of the grid cage and waited to receive the Chief. The indicator showed green but there was still no sign of Rhodan. Then the panel lamp began to flicker. First pulse response from the Drusus, aligning the transfer fields. The ship's transport-transmitter was 'on the air'. And then-with hardly any perceptible time transition-the figure of a man appeared in the cage. It emerged from nothingness and materialized at once.