by Perry Rhodan
A nuclear explosion in a vacuum must of necessity have an effect quite different from that within a dense atmosphere.
One of the main destructive effects, namely, the horrendous waves of pressure caused by the highly compressed, glowing hot air masses, would naturally not occur on the airless moon.
Since they lacked any experimental data about the radius of atomic effects in a vacuum, they had decided to detonate the heaviest H bombs upon impact on the target. Their aim was directly under ground zero, where the nuclear processes of the three missiles were scheduled to take place simultaneously. Whatever was in the target's bull's-eye must therefore be enveloped by the inner gas ball of the three merging explosions and become not only pulverized by them but also vaporized by the ensuing temperature, comparable to that of a white hot sun.
Radioactive radiations had been considered as negligible, at least in this particular case. The effect of the pressure wave must decrease much faster in airless space than in a dense atmosphere. Practically, it would be limited to the area over which the gases could be expanded.
Thus, nobody had counted on the creation of an artificial sun. The white bluish ball appeared first like a pinpoint of intensely bright light, which expanded with incredible speed to a gigantic, fantastically brilliant formation. Nothing like the infamous mushroom cloud developed. Instead, the south polar region of the moon was transformed into a boiling, evaporating crater, from which giant masses of rock were hurled skyward.
The steadily growing ball of energy, or primeval forces set free, could be observed even from the space stations circling the Earth. The white hot glowing gas formation had become so enormous that it stretched beyond the still recognizable horizon of the moon.
The Arkonide auxiliary vessel was rushing into the outer fringes of this awesome explosion. When it was over Rhodan could no longer remember what he had felt or thought during the few seconds their ship had penetrated and raced through this blazing hell.
He knew only that all of the space sphere's high capacity reactors had been switched over to the energy screens by their unbelievably fast functioning positronic control.
The vessel had been thrown off-course and hurled far out into space. Only there had the automatic control managed to stabilize it again. Ten minutes had passed since the attack. The Arkonide sphere, as if motionless, stood in empty space. Thora was strangely quiet. With lifeless eyes she gazed at the picture screens that showed in all clarity the extent of the catastrophe. Somewhere in the center of this boiling witch's cauldron must have been the Arkonide research cruiser.
Rhodan waited a few minutes before he asked softly, "You are blaming yourself now, aren't you? Don't, please— it is senseless. Why don't you learn from my own race? I can't believe that your ship can have withstood this onslaught. But in any case you will have to wait until the reaction has died down."
For Rhodan, the utterly clear thinking man, devoid of any illusions, the Arkonide cruiser's destruction was an accepted fact. He was too much of a realist to cry over spilt atoms. It was not worthwhile for him even to waste any thought about things that could no longer be changed. He warned Thora, "Thora, don't think of retribution! Abandon your plans for reprisal. May I suggest that we land at once in the Gobi Desert? You can choose between undignified, caveman type vengeance or the exigencies of logical deliberation. Make your choice. Neither you nor Khrest would be helped in any way should you decide on a punitive action. And besides, I assure you, you would encounter serious difficulties from my side."
She looked down at the weapon in his hand. A bitter expression played around her full lips.
"I simply underestimated you, that's all," she replied in a monotonous voice.
"Do you really believe that a Commander of the Great Imperium would go to pieces over a destroyed spaceship? Such things happen to us quite frequently. So what do you suggest?"
Rhodan knew then that he had finally won. The panicky actions of a frightened mankind had accomplished something that, although he did not agree with these actions in principle, he had considered in his innermost thoughts to be the basis for attaining a position of cosmic power.
Both Arkonides, Thora and Khrest, were definitely stranded now in this corner of the galaxy. There was no way back for them. With this in mind Rhodan declared thoughtfully, "Why don't you land first? I shall try to have the Third Power declared a sovereign state, fully recognized by all the nations of the world. Just leave that all to me."
She was a defeated person, crushed and helpless. Rhodan knew it. A short hour later the space sphere touched ground again on the stony expanses of the Gobi Desert.
Far out in space, still at a great distance from their home planet, twelve men breathed easier. They were the crews of the three returning rocketships.
"I wish we were as far advanced as that!" whispered First Lieutenant Freyt, throwing a last glance at the video screens. "Did you see that racing comet? If only we were at their stage of progress—with ships like that the whole galaxy would be ours!"
The adventure continues in the next stirring story...
Galactic Alarm
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