"Perry Rhodan 029 - Fleet of the Springers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

Orlgans raised both hands in a sign of affirmation. "The latest finding came from a distance of 20 lightнyears. If they move in any closer, I'm going to request the warships!"

* * * *

Mildred had informed Felicita about their joint task in the same manner as she had received her instructions from Tiff-between two of the intercom sets in the main corridor.
Tiff had seen evidence that the machinery of the Springer ship was inferior to the installations of the Kн7. He was convinced that the escape should be attempted under any circumstances-either by ruse or with force.
If he sneaked into the command centre, Eberhardt, Hifield and a few other cadets would lie in ambush and watch to see if the guards returned too early. In that case they would have to be disabled. Tiff was reasonably certain he could get the auxiliary ship, whose engines had been stopped for hours, ready to start in 10 minutes. They would have to defend the Kн7 for 10 minutes against the Springers if the girls should fail in their endeavour.
There was still one matter that remained unclear to Tiff: Major Deringhouse had surrendered the Kн7 to the enemy when it was attacked by the Springers in the path of Pluto. He had offered rather ineffectual resistance. The weapons of the Kн7 outclassed those of the Springers' merchant ships. Why didn't he put up more of a fight? He could easily have won the battle.
Tiff would have liked to ask Deringhouse this question personally. He conceded that Deringhouse must have had reasons of his own and he was afraid to bare a secret if he asked the Major within earshot of the intercom.
Mildred and Felicita waited in their cabins till the appointed time had come. They acted as if they met accidentally in the hallway, chatted for awhile loud enough so that they could be overheard on the intercom about what to do next and decided to have a little talk with the two guards in front of the command centre.
The command centre was two floors down and they took the elevator.
Tiff saw them pass by the open door of the messнhall and gave Eberhardt a sign. Eberhardt caught it at once and passed it on. Tiff left the messнhall. Eberhardt, Hifield and the other three cadets followed him two minutes later.
Tiff didn't go directly to the command centre. First he went down to the bottom of the spherical ship, making it appear as if he were looking for something or other. When he assumed that the girls had finished the first part of their job, he floated up again in the antigravнelevator and reached the main corridor about 15 feet from the hatch of the command centre and close below the receiver of an intercom set. However he was sure that this particular set was not used for surveillance as the two guards were responsible for watching what was going on there.
The guards were gone. He could bear some soft giggling coming from the recess of a sideнcorridor. The girls were doing their work.
Tiff whistled the signal. The answer came from farther behind in the main corridor where Eberhardt and his men were posted.
Tiff hesitated no longer. With seven or eight quick steps he stood before the command centre batch and let it slide open. Impatiently he waited till the crack was big enough for him to slip through. The light flared up as he entered the large round room but Tiff turned it off at once, pushing the override button. Simultaneously he closed the hatchнdoor switch. The heavy plate of Arkon steel returned with a suction noise into its fitting.
Breathing easier again, Tiff turned on the light, looked around and went to work.

* * * *

Rhodan held the microphone close to himself. "You've got the toughest assignment, Nyssen," he said seriously. "I'll give you the word as soon as the telepaths have located Tifflor. You may presume that BetaнAlbireo has also a planetary system-most double stars do.
"We know nothing about the armament of the alien ship. It may be more powerful than your cruiser. Don't do anything rash. Your sole task is to distract the aliens to enable the crew of the Kн7 to gain their freedom somehow.
"The rest will be handled by McClears and myself. Please confirm!"
Major Nyssen, Commander of the Solar System, confirmed the order by repeating it almost word for word.
"Right," Rhodan concluded. "We'll go through transition in exactly 14 minutes. According to my calculations the transition will end about two lightнyears from BetaнAlbireo.
"Attention, everybody! First stage alert effective immediately for all battle stations and observation posts!"

* * * *

Ornafer laughed.
Ornafer always laughed when he faced an unusual situation.
He was taken by surprise and a little scared.
The structureнsensor registered a new transition-stronger than the previous one because it was closer.
Only about two lightнyears away.
Orlgans was not in the Command Centre. Ornafer called him up and reported to him.
"Alert the warships!" Orlgans ordered. "At once! And send additional guards over to the enemy ship. They must secure all important corridors. I wouldn't like the aliens to get away in the confusion."
Ornafer acknowledged the orders and proceeded to comply with them.
The Springers were a peculiar lot. They had no homes but lived on their ships, travelling through the Galaxy. They considered it their life's purpose to trade and to prevent anyone who also wanted to from doing so. They claimed a monopoly on intergalactic trade. As worldly and open-minded as they were, they believed with religious fervour that a mythical deity had bestowed the intergalactic trade monopoly on them at the beginning of their history.
In a sense the situation of the Springers in the Galactic Imperium-whose centre was the world of Arkon-was unique. The Arkonides had always considered it below their dignity to engage in trade with anyone. The Springers, who actually were distant relatives, filled the gap and made themselves so indispensable that all those who wished to conduct any business across long distances required their services.
The Springers were always primarily concerned about their own profits. They were the ones who always incited rivalries within the Imperium because they hoped to gain more markets for their business by the creation of splinter groups.
They were tolerant toward all since they had no reason to quarrel with anybody. However there was something they would never permit, namely any infringement on their monopoly. Their formidable fleet of battleships gave them great power and helped them to gain a decisive edge over the Arkonides. The Springers being usually individualists by conviction and having great fun snatching their profits from each other, realized in good time that even individualists had to practice some forethought to protect their common interests. They had built a battlefleet that cruised watchfully in space and waited for the moment it was called to come to the aid of a commercial ship.
In times of danger the Springers, who were normally dispersed throughout the whole Galaxy and competed among themselves, became united, bound by an oath. Live separately and unite for defence-a motto that much resembled one on Earth-had become a basic doctrine of Springer policy.
Ornafer, broadcasting his call for help into space by hyperwave, could be sure that assistance would be on the way in the shortest time possible.
Then he took care of the second part of Orlgans' order by sending five additional guards over to the captured enemy ship.

* * * *

It took Tiff 20 minutes to activate the machinery of the Kн7 in the planned manner. It would now require about one more hour till the Kн7 would apply the total power of its engines to free itself from the magnetic grip of Orla XI and to flee from the foe.
Tiff was resolved to leave the enemy unhurt again just as Deringhouse had done before. He left the command centre unseen. He began to whistle the song that was the agreed signal and Eberhardt, Hifield and the three other cadets came forward from their niches in the storeroom where they had kept themselves hidden.
The giggling of the girls was still audible up from the right.