"Perry Rhodan 064 - Prisoner of Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

"It's very deep and low, more like a murmuring. Odd, now it's getting weaker."
Rous stood still, listening. Now he too heard it but it soon stopped. Thoughtfully, he looked up at the other 4 men, who had stopped some distance away.
The rustling...?
Surprise suddenly showed on his face, then a smile. "Of course! That has to be it! Harras already said it: we're breaking the sound barrier! Josua, it's the sound barrier! A wake or a vacuum is forming in the air behind us as we move. The air flows in and thus your odd noise."
Rous was happy to have found an explanation and walked ahead.
The observation with the air reminded him of another problem which he had thought over a number of times with no success. Perhaps he should stop thinking about it...?
500 meters ahead, the ring of light shimmered. Through it the Terrans could return to their own world. For a moment a question came to the surface in Rous' mind, asking if their arrival in the other dimension had involved a change of physical location or if both worlds co-existed at one and the same spot. Was it just a crazy thought, with no substance behind it, or...?
Lost in thought, Rous walked straight into Steiner's back. The physicist had stopped cold.
"What is it?" Rous started to ask, then saw the staring, mask-like expression on Steiner's face, his raised arm and the wide eyes on the other men. He followed their line of sight...
All the blood left his face and it seemed as though his heart ceased to beat. For long seconds his reason refused to accept what his eyes saw.
What they saw meant that all the men would have to remain in the alien dimension for the rest of eternity for there was no going back now.
What they saw was that the shimmering ring of light had vanished.






3/ THE TIME EXPEDITION DISCOVERS
THE DRUUFS

After Rous recovered from the first few seconds of fright, his reasoning began to function again. The ring of light was no longer present-that was a fact pure and simple. But its disappearance had caused a few changes which could be of enough importance to have an effect on the Terrans' fate.
The sky was paler, as if something between it and the viewer had been removed. The clouds still blocked the hidden sun but it now was evident that it was a red sun. The entire sky was red.
And Rous noticed something else: The black wall had disappeared!
He could now see unhindered to the distant horizon but he was seriously disappointed. The landscape behind the wall did not look much different from that in front of it. Even so, high mountain peaks could be seen, reaching up into the burning sky as though to extinguish it. Wide valleys with silvery streams seemingly engorged with blood stretched out towards the far mountains. Variety in the scene of wild nature on the alien planet was provided by scattered forests and plains.
But otherwise-no living creatures!
Meanwhile, Ivan Ragov had broken out of his stare. "Good Heavens! What happened? The light-ring..."
"...just went out!" Steiner said with an unnatural calm. "Maybe someone on the other side turned the LFG off."
"Who...?" asked Rous. "The time front rolled over the Gazelle. And if our calculations are correct, then all of Tats-Tor has vanished from our normal universe-or at least all the living creatures on it. I don't see anything-shouldn't they all be here?"
This time Harras was the better logician. "There weren't any settlements between our campsite and the capital city. Just 100 kilometres of open plains and forests. So we'd have to walk 100 kilometres before we found the Arkonides and Springers that have come into this dimension."
Rous had other worries. "How are we going to get back to our own plane?"
Steiner shrugged and looked at Ragov. The Russian laid his hand on the grip of Steiner's beamer and murmured: "We aren't exactly defenceless if someone attacks us. But for the time being I think we ought to stay around here so we would find out immediately if the ring comes back. It might be just an interruption of power in the Gazelle..."
"Rather improbable," said Harras, shaking his head. "But you're a botanist-you wouldn't know about these things. Somebody turned the machine off. That's the only explanation I can make."
"There are a thousand other possibilities," Rous told the technician, "and there isn't a one of them that would explain it beyond all doubt. And if we don't find a way to get back, we may never find out. But Ragov's right: we should stay here in the area, or at least one of us should."
"Does that mean you still feel a desire to go running around the neighbourhood?" asked Steiner. "What do you hope to gain by it?"
"Well, the wall has disappeared. That's one advantage. There's nothing more to stop us from exploring this world where time is 72,000 times slower than normal..."
"You're forgetting something," the physicist told him dryly. "You're forgetting that you can't move any faster than you could otherwise. Even if you exert yourself, it will still take you 12 seconds to cover 100 meters. To walk a kilometre will take you 10 minutes if you walk at a pace of 6 kilometres an hour. I admit that the petrified figures over there would need some years to cover the same distance but that doesn't mean you're relatively faster. Besides, I'm beginning to gradually get worried. Is there anything to eat here?"
Rous shrugged. "An expedition would be necessary just to find that out as well as anything else. We'll have to leave a watch behind-but who? Each of us is important enough to make a decision difficult. Shall we leave it to chance and flip a coin?"
"If you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings that would be the best solution," Harras agreed and reached into his pocket. He drew out a coin, a Solar. He weighed it thoughtfully in his hand. "I wonder if I'll ever be able to spend this...?
After some tosses eliminated the others, only Josua was left and he had to remain behind.
Rous pointed to the isolated tree that resembled a gallows. "Josua, our Gazelle stands 10 meters to the right of that tree, though in the other dimension. Let us know as soon as the light-ring appears again-your transmitter still works, doesn't it?"
A brief test showed that the transmitter built into Josua's ring still functioned.
"Very well," said Rous, putting his hand on the African's shoulder. "You have nothing to fear in this world because no one can do anything to you. You're faster than anything that can possibly exist here-with one exception. But to face that would mean giving up all hope. So long, Josua. We'll be back soon."
The African watched them go, not very happy, and tucked the beamer Harras had given him into his belt. He admitted to himself only reluctantly that its possession made him feel a little better.
Meanwhile, Rous and the other 4 men neared the river that had flowed between them and the wall. They went somewhat slower once they reached the point where the black wall had towered above them. Rous stretched his hand out but his eyes did not deceive him. The wall had vanished. It had not even left the slightest trace behind on the stony ground.
"If we go on, we'll have to bear in mind the risk we're running," said Rous thoughtfully, looking at his companions. "What if someone turns the LFG back on while we're on the other side of the wall? How will we ever get back inside the energy dome? Have any of you considered that yet?"
"We'll just have to take that risk," answered Steiner impatiently. "Anyway, we've left Josua behind. If anyone turns the device on again, it could only be Rhodan. It wouldn't be difficult for him to go looking for us. No, I don't have any hesitation about continuing. We can't exist without food and water."
Rous pointed to the petrified waves on the river. "The water can't be especially refreshing. I'm beginning to doubt if we can exist at all in the other world. See that grass there? Can any of you move it? No, no one can, because it offers us too much resistance. It's the same with everything that lives or exists here. We'll starve or die of thirst if we don't find a way back."
"Well, anyway, I've brought along a good supply of energy tablets," said Ragov suddenly, a sly smile evident in his eyes. "I believe they survived the spring through the time barrier without any damage.
Rous looked at him for a bit before he shook his head and said: "You should have said something before now, Ragov! You would have spared me a few worried minutes."