"Perry Rhodan 063 - The Micro-Techs" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

"And how!" Rhodan agreed, not looking overly pleased. "Did you obtain any particular details?"
Kulman decided to retrace his story from the beginning. "As you know, sir, the compensator was originally developed by the Springers. It prevented the detection of spaceships going into transitions and materializing again, thereby making the structure sensors virtually useless. As soon as the compensator-detector goes into mass production, all secrecy will be lifted and every ship can be registered whether it uses a compensator for the transition or not. This also means that the position of Terra can no longer be concealed from our enemies."
"We'd be in a terrible jam," Bell muttered and looked at the lean figure of Khrest, who sat quietly in a chair. "Soon they'll be snooping in our backyards."
"Go on, Kulman," Rhodan said. "How far did they get with their preparations for manufacturing the device?"
"Fortunately the actual work has not yet begun, sir. They've received the plans only very recently. They're in the process of being checked but the erection of workshops has already started. It looks as if they want to mass produce the detectors as soon as possible."
"This must be prevented at all costs," Rhodan said with determination. "Do you have any idea how the detector functions?"
"Just a rough idea, sir. The detector is designed to intercept the frequency of a structure-compensator even when the disturbance of the space-time continuum cannot be registered. This reveals the presence of a compensator as soon as it is activated. It radiates typical oscillations which can be monitored in the 5-dimensional zone. This is all I've been able to learn so far."
"It's more than enough," Rhodan replied. "Do you know the approximate location of the future plant?"
"Yes. They were not very secretive about it although I must've been recognized by the Robot Regent of Arkon or he wouldn't have planted that canine robot-spy on me."
"That's true," Rhodan agreed. "But the incident with Muzzel has also proved something else. What's your opinion, Khrest?"
The Arkonide, whom Rhodan owed so much, looked up. "Yes, Perry, if you mean something about the reliability of the Regent. This little interlude has clearly shown that the robot Brain on Arkon has no intention of dealing squarely with us. It was programmed in such a manner that it will always try to gain the upper hand over organic beings until the Arkonides regain their mental alertness and are able again to rule themselves. Any alliance with humans can serve only the Regent's own purpose and it can never blossom into a true partnership. The Regent was in a dilemma and didn't see a way out alone. The Invisibles, who came attacking from the void and depopulated whole planets, are more than he can handle by himself. He entered in an alliance with us for the purpose of destroying his mysterious enemy. Even though we've not yet succeeded in achieving this goal and the Invisibles are still lurking in space, ready to pounce on us again, the Regent already commits the treachery of trying to locate the Earth. This proves only all too clearly that the Regent has no scruples about tearing up the treaty with Terra the moment we've eliminated the threat of the Invisibles and getting us under his thumb."
"You're thinking exactly the way I do, Khrest," Rhodan answered. "But this time the Regent will have bet on the wrong horse. On Swoofon we'll have a chance to kill 2 birds with I stone. Not only are we going to destroy the construction plans for the compensator-detector but we'll also let the Regent know in no uncertain terms that we've seen through his methods. If he doesn't change his attitude we'll rescind our agreement. Let him cope alone with the Invisibles who are out to decimate his Imperium."
Khrest shook his head. "I don't think it'll do much good to destroy the plans, Perry. We'll never be able to prevent the construction of the detector. It'll be built-if not today on Swoofon then later on another world. You can't stop progress. You know the law of the chain-reaction: first there is an offensive weapon and then comes the defensive weapon; soon it is followed by a defence against the defence which is in turn made useless by a new invention. No, the detector is going to be built one way or another. However we can design something to counteract it as soon as it's deployed. All we need are the construction plans. If Kulman can tell us where to find them..."
Rhodan smiled again. He looked very hopeful. "Thank you, Khrest. You've just outlined our next campaign. Kulman, continue with your report. Describe what Swoofon looks like and the living conditions of its inhabitants. How are their relations to the Arkonide Imperium? Each detail can be important no matter how minor it appears to be."
As Kulman elaborated on his descriptions, Rhodan's mind was occupied with the structure-compensator which was his most important defence apparatus. If it was made superfluous, Terra was in great danger. The safety of Terra depended primarily on the fact that nobody in the universe knew where to find it. In the infinity of space it was nothing but a mote of dust.
They won't find this speck, Rhodan promised himself and turned his attention again to Kulman.
"...whose inhabitants are called Swoons. They live exclusively on the 2nd planet of the sun Swaft which is 992 light-years from Earth. The system has 3 planets although only one of them is inhabited. It has oxygen; its surface is mostly a typical desert with very little vegetation. The gravity is 1/4 that of Earth. The oxygen content of Swoofon is very low but just enough to let humans breathe without artificial equipment."
"Why are the Swoons considered to be the best technicians in the universe?" Bell inquired.
"Microtechnicians!" Kulman emphasized. "Their eyes are similar to mine and they can see objects which a normal person can see only under a microscope. They also have extremely dexterous hands and they can shape a grain of sand without optical aids. They measure about 30 centimetres."
"The hands?" Bell asked.
"No. The Swoons!" Kulman corrected him quietly, remembering that he had not yet had much time to talk about them. "The denizens of the planet Swoofon are very small, only about 30 centimetres tall, rather slim, and they don't resemble humanoid beings, they look more like cucumbers with 2 little feet. They've got 4 arms with extremely skilled hands."
"You're putting us on!" Bell shook his head. "Cucumbers that can make watches?"
"They make even much finer things," Kulman exclaimed with admiration in his voice. "Wait till you get to know them. They're really marvellous."
"I can't say that I ever cared much for cucumbers," Bell snickered. He looked at Pucky as if he expected him to concur but he was sadly disappointed.
"I believe the Swoons and I can become good friends," Pucky deliberated. "I'm not bothered by the prejudice to which Bell still clings."
"You're quite right Pucky," Rhodan opined, "but Reggie wasn't serious. I wouldn't take him to Swoofon it he meant it."
"Are we going to...?"
Rhodan nodded to Bell. "Yes, we are and we'll leave today."
"Hooray!" Pucky shrieked and got up to waddle toward the door. "I'll have to spruce up a little. Are we going to make an official visit?"
"I think so, Pucky. Why, do you have to doll up?"
"A state visit to cucumbers! That's something real special, boss. I don't want you to feel disgraced because of me," and he was gone without opening the door.
"His old instincts are coming to the fore," Bell expounded, staring at the spot where Pucky had just stood. "I hope he won't confuse the cucumber-technicians with carrots. It might create a diplomatic incident."
Kulman stared uncomprehendingly at Bell, who didn't think it necessary to enlighten the agent about the mouse-beaver's fondness for fresh carrots.
Rhodan didn't move from his chair. "Kulman, I think you ought to tell us much more about Swoofon. For instance, I would be interested to know where the embassy of Arkon is located, what troops are at the disposal of the administrator, how the country is governed and so on."
Kulman commenced to give Rhodan all the desired information.
10 minutes later Bell got up and quietly left the cabin. He began to get bored and there were other subjects that interested him much more. He decided to pay a little visit to Lt.-Col. Sikerman in the Command Centre. The First Officer of the battleship Drusus had become his close friend which probably had a lot to do with the similarity of their characters.
The burly, dark-haired Baldur Sikerman sat in his pilot seat in front of the control panel of the Drusus, a spacesphere with a diameter of 11/2 kilometres. As First Officer he was next in command to Rhodan and Bell and in charge of a crew of 2,000 men that was required for the adequate operation of the gigantic ship.
"Hello, Sikerman," Bell greeted as he entered the Command Centre. He took one look around and was satisfied that everything was in perfect order. The observation screens reflected a multitude of unfamiliar stars as they moved through an unknown sector of their own Galaxy. "Bored?"
Sikerman slowly turned around and studied Bell as if he had never seen him before. "Not yet," he said patiently.
Bell glanced at Capt. Rodes Aurin, the greying chief gunner of the Drusus who was busy with his catalogues and didn't seem to have heard a word.
"I promise you won't be bothered by boredom so soon, Sikerman," Bell prophesied. "Things might become a little more hectic during the next few hours. Did you oil the stardrive?"
Sikerman winced. "Mangling the language again?" he retorted, turning around to his controls to switch on another rangefinder screen.
"But seriously, I believe we'll soon see some action," Bell announced.
"What kind of action?"
"We're going to drop in on the Swoons, the cucumbermen. You know-the micro-technicians!"
"I don't understand a word."
"Man, don't be a bonehead! Kulman is making his report right now. We're going to fly to Swoofon and look up the natives. They're building a compensator-detector that can register hypertransitions even when the compensators in operation."
"Holy mackerel!" Sikerman exclaimed.
Bell grinned. "Don't worry, we'll throw a monkey wrench into their project. But the cucumbermen are supposed to be the nicest creatures and we're not allowed to harm them..."
"What do you mean by cucumbermen?"