Saboteurs in A-1

by Perry Rhodan

  Momentarily there was an amused twinkle in Rhodan’s eyes as he heard himself thus addressed by the Imperator but then he turned to the two teleporters. "Transport us to the transmitter room!" he ordered.

  The regular crew of the Control Central still hadn’t caught on to what was happening. They might never have recovered from their astonishment if Rhodan had confessed to them that he himself didn’t know where he was going to land next.

  • • •

  As they came out of the transmitter in the unknown receiving station they heard a piercing cry of alarm and saw the shadow of a man disappear. Pucky who was close behind Perry was in his element. He reached out for the fugitive with his paranormal senses.

  Another cry was heard. Through an open doorway the shadow reappeared and fell back into the 10-meter-square transmitter room which contained nothing more than this terminal station. The shadow was followed by a man with a velvety brown skin who wildly waved his arms and legs in the air and cried for help in the Akon language. He simply could not comprehend why he was floating back into the room like a balloon after he had just fled from it because of the appearance of the 8 strangers.

  As Pucky allowed the man to glide softly to a landing on the deck, the latter gained his feet and stood there motionlessly staring at the intruders—until a shock-beam struck him and he fell.

  It was John Marshall who had silenced the Akon. "Sir," said the telepath, "I hardly had time to read his thoughts but the man was convinced that the crew would be able to handle us."

  "I’m already aware that we must have emerged on board a spaceship. Lloyd, where’s the Communications Central?"

  The tracer mutant had been searching for brainwave patterns and looking for threatening impulses hut to his astonishment there was nothing threatening so far. "No danger yet, sir. Com Room is that way!" He waved a hand toward the corridor the Akon had tried to escape through.

  Without being asked, Sengu announced the results of his wall penetrating observations. "Sir, this is one of the Akon Energy Command ships—50 meter diameter with flattened poles. Radio and flight controls are all in the same room, about 30 meters ahead of us. The corridor leads right to it!"

  Rhodan looked around at the three scientists. "Wait here for us," he told them. "Don’t take any risks. Use your shock-guns the instant you see any of the crewmen. Under all circumstances avoid any blood-shed."

  The scientists watched the Chief with mixed feelings as he and his mutants left the transmitter room. They took cover behind a quietly humming generator and waited."

  Meanwhile the others had already entered the passage. They were no longer concerned about the Akon whom Marshall had knocked out: he would not recover from his stunned condition for several hours.

  "The engine and power room is directly beneath us, sir," said Wuriu Sengu. "Three men at their stations there and four in the control room, plus ..." He paused, tensing in alarm. "Chief they’ve seen us over their video monitor system!"

  Rhodan’s command was fast and brief: "Close helmets! Screens up!"

  The plastic bubble-helmets closed with a clatter of fasteners snapping in place. In each combat suit a micro-converter revved up to full power and supplied energy to every defense screen.

  "They’re going to attack, Chief," came Fellmer Lloyd’s calm announcement over the helmet voice-com.

  Sengu also came through: "secondd door left, three men. Three others at stations, four in control room.

  Lloyd broke in again: "The crew is bigger. Now I’m tracing 12 men—no, 13 so far, Chief!"

  "Pucky—to the control room! Play it safe but the Akons must not send out a distress call ... "

  Without having heard the last two words, Pucky was gone. When he rematerialized in the small flight-control chamber he was behind the backs of three men who were dashing for the exit door. Only the fourth man who sat in the pilot’s seat saw the mouse-beaver but he was momentarily speechless out of either amazement or fear.

  Invisible forces ripped him out of his seat and slammed him against the ceiling. In his zeal the mouse-beaver had failed to moderate the telekinetic attack. As a consequence the Akon struck his head severely against the ceiling plates and lost consciousness in the process.

  But the muffled thump caused one of the Akons at the door to look back, which invited a direct hit from Pucky’s shock beam, and he fell soundlessly to the deck. Pucky strafed the other two at maximum intensity. They collapsed in the outer passage and were instantly stunned out.

  Perry how’s the weather over your way? asked Pucky telepathically. In situations like this Pucky’s expressions left something to be desired from a regulation standpoint but there was no one in the Solar Imperium who would have reproved him for it—not even Perry Rhodan.

  They’re starting to close in on us, little one, Rhodan answered by means of his weak paranormal faculties. Come as quickly as you can!

  Pucky looked at the ceiling where the still unconscious Akon was suspended. Directly beneath him was the pilot’s seat and that’s where the mouse-beaver brought him in to a rather rough landing. It was because at the same time be was receiving an urgent distress call from John Marshall. The rest of the Energy Command crew were coming at them with energy weapons.

  Without further hesitation Pucky raised his impulse beamer and melted the hypercom as well as the normal transmitter and the nav-positronics. In order not to take any chances he also destroyed the emergency manual circuits. The Akon spacer may have still been a flat topped metal ball but it was no longer a starship. It was even incapable of sending out a call for help.

  The mouse-beaver concentrated and made his jump.

  An ugly hole appeared in the wall within only a meter of Rhodan. The disintegrator shot had barely missed the Administrator. In his helmet phones he recognized panting sounds from Fellmer Lloyd who was suddenly in conflict with three Akons.

  "Watch out a light bomb!" yelled Marshall in sudden alarm. Although not deadly the device was still dangerous because it could blind them all.

  Pucky appeared in time to hear the warning and see the thumb-sized pellet flying through the air. He had rematerialized on a trajectory that sent him crashing against a bulkhead but his repulsion field took up most of the impact. The mouse-beaver unleashed his telekinetic powers and reversed the bomb’s course—but this did not by any means reduce the danger.

  So once more Pucky placed his life on the line.

  With a short jump he was ahead of the bomb so that he could catch it; then he teleported. With it into outer space. There he released it and jumped back into the ship in a flash.

  It’s all over! This was a despairing thought Pucky caught from Fellmer Lloyd. Pucky literally moved into the fray at the last second. Stunned by a shock-gun, the mutant was just sinking down to the deck but the Akon who was about to finish him with a thermo-weapon felt himself gripped by an irresistible force and slammed against the wall. The other one who had shocked Lloyd had to let loose of his raygun when it was ripped from his fingers by some invisible hand and banged sharply against his chin.

  While the mouse-beaver disarmed the two fallen aliens he telepathed: Ship secured, Boss! Except for Fellmer—he’s shocked out! Receiving no answer, he probed into Rhodan’s mind. This time he went against the rules without compunction and was relieved to read in Perry Rhodan’s thoughts that the last of the Akons had been put out of the fighting.

  Pucky clapped his helmet back and waddled up to Rhodan. He faced him with his little arms folded across his chest. "Well, Perry," he said, "we wrapped up another one!"

  Wuriu Sengu interrupted with an announcement that Fellmer Lloyd would come out of his stunned condition in two hours.

  "Take care of him, Wuriu," Rhodan ordered. "John, I think we can tell our scientists they’re out of danger now. Tell the gentlemen that they should concentrate exclusively on the transmitter and to inform the robot Brain as to the sending frequency. Under no circumstances is the station inside A-1 to be switched from reception to transm
ission. If that should happen it must be switched off. Be sure the scientists understand that instruction!"

  When John Marshall left, Pucky and Rhodan were alone. The Administrator was frowning in deep concern because in spite of their success here on the spaceship he saw the battle as incomplete. "Our time spent here can be very costly," Pucky heard him say.

  "What do you mean by that, Chief?" asked Pucky curiously.

  "I mean we have to still wait a couple of hours until one of those Akons comes out of shock."

  "But Perry!" There was a slight note of reproach in the mouse-beaver’s chirping voice. "Don’t you know I saved one for you? That Akon pilot in the control room should be coming to any minute. I told you that!" When Rhodan quickly admitted this had slipped his mind, Pucky was amazed. "Boss, whenever you forget something we’re in real trouble! Is Atlan’s throne in that much danger?"

  Rhodan placed a hand on the mouse-beaver’s small, furry shoulder. "Not only Atlan’s throne, little one, but the Solar Imperium as well! If Atlan is deposed or killed, at that moment we will have a fully active robot Regent again—but this time a Regent who knows the position of the Earth. And the Great Coordinator will again be in command of about 100,000 robot warships. What do you think would be left of the Solar Imperium if such a gigantic fleet were to move against us?"

  Excitedly, Pucky asked him: "Perry, then why don’t you just let those Akons in A-1 go about their business and plant their bomb?"

  "Are you absolutely certain that they’re planting a bomb there? They may be trying to reprogram the security circuits so that they can use the Brain as a tool to get rid of Atlan. I—"

  John Marshall reported telepathically and they both received the message: Sir, we just blocked an attempt from Arkon to switch over the transmitter. It is now disconnected from the A-1 station.

  But we’re still linked to the Ironduke, John?

  Absolutely, Chief!

  Thank you—that is all.

  10 minutes later, after the pilot had been scanned telepathically, events went into high gear. It was discovered that the crew of the Akon ship knew nothing of the plans of the intruders in A-1. They had not been briefed in regard to the special team’s assignment.

  "Back to the Ironduke!" ordered Rhodan. And he gravely added: "Hopefully those Akons will see that they’re sitting in a trap. Let’s hope very hard..."

  • • •

  They came back to the Ironduke via the transmitter. Their action on board the ship of the Akon Energy Command had consumed slightly more than one hour. This was a comparatively long time which would work to the advantage of the 8-man sabotage team in A-1—if their objective was to set up a bomb. On the other hand, it was still an inadequate respite if they were to make any effective changes in the main security circuits.

  A-1 deserved the term "master circuit" because truly gigantic complexities and huge banks of specialized circuits were involved. The Akons required a great deal of time to trace down the logic flow of such unprecedented positronic complex and to learn how it really operated.

  Rhodan had Pucky teleport him from the transmitter room to the Control Central. He felt pressed by a dark presentiment to bring everything to a conclusion as swiftly as possible, if all their efforts were not to be in vain.

  While he was getting out of his combat suit, Atlan gave him his own report. The Arkonide did not have much to say because there was no time to get into details. Among other things the galactic position of the Akon transmitter ship had been determined and orders had been issued to a Terran warship to take the Energy Command vessel into custody.

  "And now let’s have a connection with the robot Brain!"

  Contact was established. Rhodan did the talking. He requested permission to enter A-1 with some of his men.

  Strangely, the Brain did not answer. Rhodan repeated his request. The great positronicon remained in a shroud of silence.

  More than a dozen officers noted that the Chief was working into a rage. It was the third time that Gonozal VIII nervously brushed a hand through his hair. Behind the two leaders the teleporters were bringing up the men from the transmitter room.

  Perry Rhodan stepped as closely as possible before the pickup camera. In a rattling tone of command he turned his request into an order: "Coordinator, I demand entrance into A-1! The Coordinator must know that I can enter there without his permission—by the same route that was used by the Akons!"

  The powerful voice of the Brain rattled the speaker: "Access permitted. What’s the personnel count, Rhodan?" Nothing in the tone of the answer indicated that the positronicon regarded Rhodan’s warning as a form of extortion.

  "Four men, Coordinator."

  "Granted. The honeycomb screen will be shut off for five minutes. That is all!"

  Even as the maze of lines faded from the viewscreen, Atlan spoke with a note of sudden concern. "Something’s happened to the Brain already! Twice it failed to answer you. That’s something new, and its present attitude is in sharp contrast to its recent distress signal. Perry, isn’t it too dangerous now to go back into A-1?"

  Rhodan checked his watch. "Arkonide, five minutes go by in an awful hurry. Unfortunately I don’t have time to worry about the Brain’s attitude just now. That may sound foolhardy but maybe there’s no other route to go. There’s too much at stake! Your Greater Imperium as well as the Solar Empire. I have to go all out now to save what can still be saved. See you later, friend... Pucky! I’ve got to have a light-writer projector—on the double! There must be one on board somewhere. No time to waste—jump into depot three. I’ll call through in the meantime ... "

  His communications with the depots only raised counter-questions because no one knew what the Chief meant by a light-writer. But before Rhodan could take any further action the squeaky voice of the mouse-beaver was heard on the intercom.

  "Perry, depot three is the right place. I’ve found the thing—no time to talk!"

  Almost as if he had come through the wires, Pucky appeared in a shimmery swirl of air, carrying the apparatus with him.

  "Marshall, Tschubai—you’re making it with us. Tschubai, you teleport Marshall into A-1. I’ll come with Pucky. We have just two minutes and 18 seconds. All set? Let’s go!"

  The three men and Pucky emerged from the teleport jump in front of the optical barrier. Without pausing, they traversed the mirage and stopped directly in front of the closed portal. Rhodan gave instructions. John Marshall and Ras Tschubai were to cover them with their weapons. The heavy light-writer device was floating at shoulder level in front of the mouse-beaver, which was typical of his aversion to unnecessary labor. If something was to be carried, he usually made use of his telekinetic faculties.

  "Come with me!" ordered Rhodan as he swung back the right wing of the portal.

  An amazing sight met their eyes. The eight Akons seemed to have gone berserk. They were destroying-their own equipment while leaving the A-1 circuits unharmed! A great weight was lifted from Rhodan. His greatest fear that the security circuits might be destroyed or damaged had not become a reality.

  Pucky nudged Rhodan. "Chief, should I go ahead?"

  "Yes! Start signaling them! Give them a 10 minute ultimatum. If in that time they surrender and drop their time-screen without causing any further damage—I’ll guarantee them safe conduct back to Sphynx within a month."

  The mouse-beaver put up a storm of protest. "You mean you’re going to let them go free, Chief?"

  "I’m accustomed to keeping my word, Lt. Puck!" Rhodan replied sharply. "Now get busy and start sending!"

  Pucky didn’t wait to be told a second time. The micro-converter began to hum and a concentrated beam of light leapt from the optical projector. A brilliant spot of light appeared on the far wall of the A-1 chamber and soon spread into a word that was in the Akon language.

  At the first flash of light the Akons stopped their destructive labors and looked up. They watched the light on the far wall and closely read every word of the message.

&nb
sp; "Pucky, also tell them that their Energy Command ship is hanging crippled in space in star cluster M-13 and that within a few hours it will be taken on board one of our Terran warships."

  Pucky did more light-writing as directed.

  Now the lead Akon with the highest rank insignia raised his arms and placed his hands on his head. It was the typical gesture of Akon surrender!

  "I didn’t expect that so soon!" muttered Rhodan half-aloud. He immediately made telepathicontact with Marshall and Pucky: When they drop that screen, try to find out what they did to the security circuits!

  The spherical time screen was still in place but the eight Akons had gone into a huddle and seemed to be discussing their situation. Neither Pucky nor Rhodan could detect any slightest gesture of excitement among them.

  Now one of the Akons separated from the group and went over to the equipment they hadn’t yet destroyed. He stopped in front of a square cabinet that measured about 1 cubic meter on each side, Suddenly he drew his his weapon and reduced the machine to molten metal.

  "That’s against our conditions!" cried Pucky, horrified.

  In the same moment they heard one of the Akons shout: "We’re coming!"

  And that was when Rhodan and Pucky let out a double yell of their own. Brilliant streamers of energy shot out of the walls of the chamber as the automatic weapons of the Brain opened fire. Within seconds the Akons were gone.

  With an uncompromising programmed logic the mammoth positronic Brain had struck back, thus revealing the fact that it had lied to Atlan and Rhodan. There were defensive weapons in A-1 after all.

  "Coordinator!" roared Rhodan above the dying sounds of the deadly bombardment. "In the name of Imperator Gonozal VIII, I had promised those Akons..."

  He was interrupted by the unemotional voice of,the Brain: "Imperator Gonozal VIII cannot make any agreements which contradict the basic programming!"