"Perry Rhodan 040 - Challenge of the Unknown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

Bell stepped forward. He believed there was a question he ought to ask for the benefit of all concerned. "Why should we stay here any longer? Haven't we accomplished our mission by doing our best to help Thora and Khrest return to Arkon? Why don't you ask them if they're still interested in remaining any longer in this section of the Milky Way, which is so decadent and robot ruled."
"You really think we accomplished our mission, Reg? I don't. What did we find out? A computer, built once upon a time by superior Arkonide intellects, is now ruling the mighty star realm by force and cold logic. Without this positronic brain this realm would no longer exist. But even the Brain can make mistakes. We've seen proof of that-and without that proof we wouldn't be alive today. The Brain was wrong. Therefore we are justified to assume that it would be worth while trying to bring about some mutual agreement. How do we know the robot regent didn't already order a battleship to fly to Earth in order to destroy it? And all this, of course, in the interest of safeguarding the interests of the Arkonide Empire! The positronic brain might have found out about Terra's location in the universe-naturally we don't know for sure. If our old enemies the Galactic Traders should have betrayed Terra's position to the Arkonides, we must be on our guard. The question we are facing now is simply: shall we attempt to bring about an agreement with the Brain or shall we return to Earth as soon as we have familiarized ourselves with this ship and have learned to manoeuvre it? There is no other alternative."
Thora, who had seemed to want to say something for quite a while, spoke up: "We shall not remain undetected for long here in this area. The ship was stolen. Perry, you mustn't believe that this fact will be accepted without any counter measures. It won't be long until the Brain has discovered our whereabouts."
"How long?"
"Days, perhaps even weeks. It all depends where they begin their search. It will also depend on the inhabitants of this red star system. And by the way, Perry, there's no need to find a new name for the red sun: we call it Voga. Voga has 15 planets. The fourth planet is the main world and is known as Zalit. So far the Zalites have always been loyal subjects of our Empire. And I see no reason why this should have changed."
"Is Zalit suitable for oxygen breathers?"
"Like most habitable worlds it has an oxygenнnitrogen atmosphere. Some 15 thousand years ago Zalit was settled by our Arkonide ancestors. This makes the Zalites direct descendants of the Arkonides. Their planet's close proximity to Arkon ensures us their absolute loyalty."
Rhodan did not fail to notice the implied threat in Thora's remark but this threat was not intended for him.
"We don't know in what way things might have changed here," he cautioned. "Just remember, Thora, all that has happened on Arkon during these past 13 years since you left. Your ruling dynasty came to an end; you and Khrest have been ostracized from Arkonide society because a new reign took over your government. Don't you think it possible that something similar might have occurred here on Zalit?"
"In that case Zalit would no longer exist!"
Khrest nodded his head in agreement. "Thora is right, Perry. There would be no more Zalit."
Bell could no longer restrain his opinion. "How come?" he wanted to know. "Or do you mean to say that these ridiculous Arkonides, that no one can even take seriously, had the courage to attack another system and to destroy it? They'd much rather spend their time in front of their television sets staring at abstract colour lines. They do nothing but let things take their own course."
"Not quite," interjected Rhodan. "The problem is that they leave everything to the gigantic and organically thinking positronicon, which rules the empire. And this mechanical brain rarely makes a wrong decision. Sorry, Bell, but Thora is right. If Zalit exists we must regard it as proof of their continued loyalty to the Empire."
"And?"
"That means if we should meet them we have to remain on our guard. My foremost concern is to gain the robot brain's confidence. We know it is acting according to an ancient special programming and that it is precisely informed about Arkon's situation. It therefore knows what degree of decadence befell its former builders and it is consequently interested in ferreting out those still capable of thinking and to 'awaken' them. Compared to the rest of their compatriots, we ought to characterize Khrest and Thora as youthful firebrands. That's why they were again acknowledged by the Brain, although not unconditionally accepted. I'm convinced that I, too, could be approved by the robot brain, if I could prove to it the sincerity of my intentions toward Arkon."
"Acknowledged-as what?" interjected Col. Freyt, who had thus far refrained from any remarks. "As an Arkonide perhaps?"
Rhodan smiled. "Come, come now, dear Colonel! As a member of a loyal, secondнclass nation, what else? But it would do. That way I could keep the ship and move about freely within the Empire. Terra would not be endangered any more and would be indirectly protected by Arkon."
Freyt's uneasiness vanished. "I believe I'm beginning to understand what you're driving at, Rhodan."
"Pleased to hear that, Colonel. Mighty pleased. Under these circumstances you'll also understand why I'm so interested to see my crew get over with their training period as fast as possible. The Titan must be ready for action when the decision will be made. We still don't know the ship properly. Sure, it's the Stardust's counterpart, except twice its size and power. But there are certain differences we mustn't ignore. It happened only yesterday during one of the drills that one of our radio officers got so hopelessly lost in this labyrinth that when he was found in a part of the part which had never been explored before, four hours later, he had become a total nervous wreck. You can't imagine what that means: a sphere with a diameter of one mile. Theoretically it would be possible to pack Earth's entire population inside, if you'd jam them in like sardines in a can."
"Theoretically!" came Bell's rumbling voice from the background. "And theoretically you can't count either on becoming friends with a robot brain."
"In any case, we've got to give it a try before it gets the crazy idea of sending a robotнguided battleship to the area of our solar system. I realize we've left Maj. Deringhouse and Nyssen in charge back on Terra and they are well capable of defending Earth-but we don't know what weapons will be used to attack them."
"I don't believe," Thora suddenly entered the conversation, "that the Brain knows Earth's location."
Rhodan's eyebrows shot up. "Why not, Thora?"
For a single second their eyes met and melded. Rhodan's spine tingled. How deep were her eyes! How soulful this woman could look who had perpetually kept him at arm's length all these past 13 years. Ever since Arkon, had rejected Thora, she and Perry had begun to come so much closer to each other. Suddenly they were real allies, pursuing the same goal.
The barrier that had separated them for 13 years had broken.
"Otherwise the Brain would have made other decisions and treated us very differently. Most likely it would have killed you, Perry. I couldn't say exactly but I believe it does not know Earth's position."
"That would be a strategic advantage for us," stated Col. Freyt.
"Quite right, Colonel," agreed Rhodan. "By the way, as soon as this discussion is over you may return to the Ganymede. Further instructions will follow, if necessary, via radio contact. There's no danger in that because normal radio waves take three years to reach Arkon." Rhodan turned again to Thora. "What do these Zalites look like?"
She answered without hesitation. "As I already pointed out, they have descended from the Arkonides and therefore have the same appearance."
"I know a race that also descended from the Arkonides but hasn't the slightest resemblance any longer to their forefathers."
"You are referring to the Mounders, the special guard troops of the Springers. They have lived on a world with almost three times the gravity of Arkon for many thousands of years. But in that respect Zalit differs only very little from Arkon. The only difference in the Zalites' outer appearance is their brownishнred skin and their copperнcoloured hair, that sometimes will show a greenish cast. This has something to do with their solar radiation. They are highly intelligent, have mastered space travel and are by far not so decadent as my own people. Till now Zalit was considered to be the most faithful and dependable of all our colonies."
Rhodan had been listening attentively to Thora's words. He looked at her intently and finally asked: "There seems to be some contradiction, Thora: assuming the Zalites are not decadent but on the contrary enterprising and intelligent, why then would they remain the obedient vassals of an inferior nation?"
A shadow flitted across Thora's face. "I've already told you that Arkon is only three lightнyears away from Zalit. In case of a rebellion against the empire, the robot brain would show them no mercy. And the Zalites are well aware of this. They'd never dare to rebel openly against Arkon."
"I understand, Thora," Rhodan remarked. What he had surmised earlier he now found confirmed by her explanations. The Zalites might possibly turn out to become his allies.
All of a sudden John Marshall rose from his chair. His eyes assumed a strange, fixed expression. Rhodan knew at once what this meant: Marshall was receiving a telepathic message. But who was it from? A mutant aboard the Titan?
"What's the matter, John?"
But before Marshall could reply, Pucky had jumped forward, squeaking in a shrill voice: "The Ganymede! She's moving away from us!"
Marshall was so surprised that he could barely manage a brief confirmative nod. For a moment he seemed to have forgotten that he wasn't the only telepath in the command centre.
"What's going on?" Col. Freyt called out. After all, being the commander of the other ship he had to be sure that she was circling around the sun Voga in a stable orbit, the same as the Titan. "The Ganymede can't move away from the Titan! Not until her engines have been started up."
"But she's doing it all the same!" insisted John. "I received the thought impulses of an officer standing in the Ganymede's control centre as he was making this observation. He'll report in shortly!"
Indeed it was hardly three seconds till the intercom began to hum.
Rhodan bounded halfway across the room to switch on the receiver. A few more seconds passed and the videoscreen lit up. A young man's worried face appeared on it.
Col. Freyt stepped next to Rhodan.
"What's happened, Lt. Marten? How can it be possible that the Ganymede is moving away from the Titan when
"You know about it?" Marten wondered out loud, quite perplexed. But then he understood as soon as he caught sight of the two telepaths Marshall and Pucky. "Aha-I see. Was I thinking so strongly? Yes, sir, it seems the Ganymede has left its orbital path and is moving closer to the red sun. I'm at a loss to find any explanation for this and I am waiting for your orders..."
"Just a minute!" Rhodan interjected and switched on additional direct optical observation screens. "First we have to make sure what is actually taking place here. Maybe it's just an illusion..."
"It's definitely not an illusion, sir!" Lt. Marten exclaimed desperately, seeing that nobody would believe his words. "We are definitely moving away from you."
Rhodan did not reply. He waited until the observation screens lit up. There was a long wide row across the wall reflecting an image of the world outside the ship.
The Titan was still circling the red sun in the same orbit as heretofore, while the Ganymede indeed moved away toward the giant red sun with considerable acceleration.
"Don't do anything!" Rhodan instructed the lieutenant. "Wait until you receive further orders from me. Do you understand?"