Snowman in Flames

by Perry Rhodan

  "Don't worry about me," answered Aubrey, "my air conditioning unit can take a lot of heat."

  They moved away from RB-013 who set to work at once. Both his energy rayguns ate into the solid rock, which became liquid and fell to the ground in heavy drops. The largest part however evaporated. The gases, heavier than the air, flowed lazily off in the direction of the large tulip caves. For the waiting semi-sleepers these would be the first messengers of approaching death.

  Tiff came to a halt in front of the fused rock walls of the former entrance to the cave. Hump, now strangely quiet, leaned against a promontory. Eberhardt sat down on the box containing the flowers. Both girls looked at each other with terrified eyes. Only Pucky remained calm. He nodded reassuringly toward Tiff and said:

  "I want to make sure how things are on the outside. If only I knew where the cruisers are I could risk a jump to reach them. But it's too dangerous to make a blind leap. Perhaps one of the telepaths will hear my call. I'll be back soon." And with that Pucky disappeared.

  The group he left behind looked at each other without saying a word. They were all preoccupied with the same thought: would Pucky succeed in establishing contact with the cruisers?

  Time passed slowly. The gases of the evaporating metals and the steadily rising heat penetrated even to this isolated part of the cave. Once when Tiff touched his hand to the rock of the outer wall he quickly with-drew it, uttering a cry of amazement. The rock was warm to the touch.

  Pucky stayed away 10 minutes, then suddenly reappeared amidst the group. His fur was wet and sleek and he emitted a shrill whistling sound which signified extreme disapproval. He was absolutely furious.

  "What happened, Pucky?" asked Tiff and Milly simultaneously.

  Pucky regarded them out of his sad brown eyes. "Don't ask me that, friends, the answer would bitterly disappoint you—but I can't leave you in the dark on our situation. Do you know where we are? No, you couldn't guess. So I'll tell you: at the bottom of an ocean!"

  "What did you say?" asked Eberhardt, almost toppling off his box in excitement. "Where did you say?"

  "I wouldn't believe it either if I hadn't been outside. When I rematerialized I found myself under water. Luckily for me, I had just taken a deep breath before I started to teleport. I was naturally too perplexed to immediately risk another jump for I might have leapt too high into the air above the water and would have plunged down perhaps 50 feet—I didn't like the idea. So I simply let myself drift up to the surface of the ocean which is about 100 feet deep. Only the top of our mountain can still be seen."

  "The water will come down into our cave when Aubrey pushes through to the surface," stated Hump. "He must stop at once drilling through the rock."

  "That's crazy," said Tiff. "Or do you want to suffocate down here?"

  "Burn to death!" corrected Pucky with a dead serious mien. "No, we have no other choice: we must go through the water to reach the outside. By the way, the water is already pleasantly warm. I guess it will be boiling in about 10 hours.

  For a moment a frightened hush fell over the little group. Then Tiff spoke up: "I'll tell Aubrey to hurry up.

  Wait here."

  He closed the helmet of his spacesuit and switched on his oxygen supply. Determined, he walked over to the spot where Aubrey had disappeared into the rock. There was still a constant flow of liquefied metal oozing down. RB-013 was not to be seen. Tiff used his helmet sender to establish communication with the robot.

  "Hello, RB-013. Where are you?"

  "Exactly 19 feet above the bottom," came the prompt reply. "In one hour I'll push through to the surface."

  "Pucky was just outside," said Tiff. "The mountain is already under water."

  "We had to count on that!

  "The water is starting to heat up!"

  A few seconds silence, then: "I'll work faster. We'll make it."

  "Fill returned to his friends, whose faces displayed little joy or confidence. "One more hour," explained

  Tiff after he had opened his helmet. "As soon as the water breaks through we'll know."

  Pucky slipped into his spacesuit. "I don't feel like taking another bath," he said. "Even if it's nice and warm!"

  Already the first minute of their long wait seemed like an eternity.

  And an hour has 60 minutes...

  7/ FIREWORLD

  The patriarch attacked. He was convinced he needn't worry about Rhodan for the next few hours, therefore he wanted to use

  this time to get rid of the pesky two cruisers. He. deployed his Clan's entire fleet in order to destroy Rhodan's two ships.

  Maj. Nyssen guessed the patriarch's two-fold plan. Etztak wanted to be free of his two opponents before the final battle with Rhodan would begin but at the same time he wished to prevent them from helping Rhodan's people who were lost on the iceworld in flames.

  "Capt. McClears," Nyssen began his teletalk with the battlecruiserTerra . "Try to divert the Springers' attention from the Solar System and prevent them from following me. I must do all I can to find Tiff."

  "You can rely on me, sir," answered McClears and threw a worried glance at the other picture screen where he could see how the Springer ships prepared to take up battle positions. This time they seemed to mean business. "I'll do my best to keep them at bay. When is Rhodan coming?"

  "He should arrive any moment now. In case I don't have an opportunity to get in touch directly with him, please inform him where I am. Is that clear?"

  "Yes, everything clear, sir!" replied McClears, with a stiff smile adding: "We'll show them!"

  Nyssen smiled back, then McClears watched how the Solar System raced with insane acceleration toward the flaming world and dived into the dense cloud cover as if it were an ocean.

  The same instant the first atomic torpedoes detonated in the protective energy screens of the Terra . The concentrated barrage of the Springers had started.

  And in the same second the heavy cruiser changed into the perfect battle instrument it was intended for originally. Round after round of deadly missiles left the gigantic belly of the cruiser. The enemy's energy screens would collapse if more than five simultaneous hits were achieved. Then followed the beamed energy rays which accomplished the same effect if they were carefully concentrated and aimed on one spot.

  But despite these individual successes the forces of the Springers were too overpowering. They skilfully evaded the Terra's assault and tried to manoeuvre themselves in the most favorable position for launching their own missiles. McClears realized that they tried to manoeuvre him into a position in their center in order to place him under a crossfire barrage of energy coming simultaneously from 20 ships. This would suffice to annihilate the giant spacesphere.

  This very instant also a mighty space rupture occurred in the space-time continuum, which was registered by the Terra's structure sensors. Somewhere close by a ship must have slipped back from hyperspace into normal space.

  And then friend and foe saw it at the same time.

  From the depths of space came racing the gigantic sphere, gleaming ominously.

  Perry Rhodan arrived on the battlefield to turn the outcome in his favor.

  For one fateful moment Etztak was thunderstruck, long enough to permit McClears to wipe out two enemy ships—waiting for a command from their battle leader—in a surprise sortie. But then the Springers fled in retreat to reform in a new defense line some distance away. They apparently were determined to face an encounter even with the Stardust .

  Rhodan took his time. The life of his men was more important to him than the Springers. He established communication with the Solar System .

  "Where is Maj. Nyssen?" was his first question.

  "Trying to rescue Tiff," explained McClears. "So far not a trace of him can be found."

  "Can you distract Etztak sufficiently from following me, Captain?"

  "I'll try my best. What are your plans?"

  "To look for Tiff! Marshall is aboard the Solar System , isn't he?"


  "Yes, sir. Also some of the other mutants."

  "Right now I'm only interested in the telepath. He at least should be able to get in touch with Pucky."

  "Right, sir. I'll keep Etztak busy. When will you be back?"

  "As soon as I've found Tiff," said Rhodan and cut off the communication. The Stardust drove at top speed toward the boiling surface of Snowman, that was on the verge of changing into a flaming hell.

  • • •

  RB-013 climbed down from the vertical shaft. A thin trickle of warm water followed him. Tiff noticed this with some surprise.

  "What is that supposed to mean, Aubrey? Why so little water?"

  "I've only loosened the last rock immediately below the surface, so that the incoming masses of water would not dash me violently down to the bottom of the shaft. Pucky must try to do the rest of this job. Here at the highest place of the cave we are safe for the time being. We have to wait until all will be filled with water. I have no idea how long this will take."

  "That's right," confirmed Tiff, "we can't struggle up-stream. But it might take hours till these subterranean passages and caverns will be totally inundated."

  "No, it won't take that long," protested the robot. You underestimate the force of the water. It will pour down the shaft and into the caves with such tremendous power that the walls of the shaft will erode more and more every second. By the time the water will reach us here the shaft will have a diameter of many yards."

  Eberhardt looked quizzically at the machine man. "And how about you, RB-013? Can you swim?"

  "Better than you all," declared Aubrey. "My recoil jets develop a thrust of..."

  "Then you'd better stay in the rear," decided Tiff. "Well, Pucky, what are you waiting for?"

  Pucky first made a face as if to say "Why do I always have to be the fall guy?" but then he sat down on one of the empty boxes and began to concentrate. His powerful mental emanations rushed up along the shaft until they met with the resistance of the last rock that had only been loosened by RB-013. Then they fastened on the obstacle, a circular lid several square yards in size and half a yard thick. It was not easy to lift this against the pressure of the water and then push it aside.

  The result of the successfully completed action was noticeable instantly.

  With an ear-splitting roar the ocean rushed into the underground empty space. The water hurled down the shaft, dammed up for a second at its lowest point, then ran right off into the lower cave.

  Within a few minutes it would reach the semi-sleepers.

  Eberhardt, who was sitting on the box containing the 50 tulips destined to insure the survival of their own race, suddenly sat up as straight as a bolt. His eyes mirrored fear and horror. His hands started trembling.

  "Oh Lord!" he stammered, "oh Lord—how terrible, how horrifying!" His body doubled up, convulsed with pain. He would have toppled over and fallen to the ground if Hump, standing next to him, hadn't caught him in time.

  The same instant the two girls were seized by the panic wave which emanated from the dying semi-sleepers. The thoughts of the race at death's door stormed against the brains of the human beings filling them with their terror-struck emotions and their sadness. Only Hump and Tiff seemed to be somewhat immune against this overwhelming wave. And of course Pucky.

  "If only I could screen off their brains," lamented the little mouse-beaver. "But unfortunately I can't. They won't be free of these feelings of panic and fear until the semi-sleepers die from drowning. Only their death will save us from this torment."

  "Can't you find help in some other way?" panted Tiff who was holding Milly in his arms trying to calm her down. "Telekinesis!"

  "The water!" Pucky reminded him, but then jumped up abruptly. "You are right, I should give it a try. But we must still wait. I wonder how long the tulip-flowers can hold out under water? If I only knew..."

  He disappeared from sight—returned 10 seconds later, his spacesuit dripping with water.

  "The cave is half filled with water. The artificial sun is extinguished. It won't be long now till the life of this strange race will be snuffed out too. But, wait a moment, will you? I want to have a look at what the situation is like outside."

  He closed his helmet—and dematerialized. This time it took nearly three minutes till he reappeared. His face was radiant with joy.

  "We are saved, my friends—if we can manage to get to the surface. Major Nyssen is nearby. I could establish communication with John Marshall, the telepath. He is on board the Solar System . He can also hear your implanted cell-sender, Tiff, now all of a sudden."

  "Why couldn't he hear it before?"

  Pucky shrugged his fur-covered shoulders. "I don't know for sure. The signals from your sender might have been drowned out by the mental fear impulses of the dying race. Now the poor tulips are almost dead and your sender comes through clearer and stronger. I have no other explanation."

  "I'll have to ask Rhodan all about this sender," murmured Tiff with a thoughtful air. "In any case, it saved our lives."

  "Not yet," chirped Pucky and gazed down in the direction of the cave. The loud roar of the inrushing water back there had died down to a gentle gurgling sound. The water level was rising noticeably and inundated the higher ground near the shaft where the little group was waiting. Eberhardt and the two girls had regained their composure.

  "The mountaintop is still above water," continued Pucky. "We must get to it. The shaft is 90 feet long. Above it are another 30 feet of water. The mountain peak is still 600 feet away once we reach the surface of the water."

  Tiff fastened his helmet and signaled to the others. "The time has come, friends. Now we've got to swim."

  "I'll carry the two girls to safety," said Pucky. "Then I'll help Eberhardt. You two, Tiff and Hump, have to try it on your own. As soon as I'm through with the others I'll come to your assistance, if you should need it. How about you, Aubrey?"

  "Thanks for your kind inquiry," replied the robot. "Though I loathe water, I'm confident I'll make it on my own. Then later on the island I'll be able to dry out."

  Pucky made a face, then watched as the water reached their feet and soon rose to their knees. He closed his helmet and switched on his radio set. The others followed suit. Tiff took the box with the 50 semi-sleepers.

  The water kept rising faster now. Pucky was the first to disappear below the harmlessly rippling surface. Then the others followed. They felt like divers who had ventured into a cave below the bottom of an ocean and who were not sure whether they would ever see daylight again.

  The water reached the rocky ceiling now. At the same time all became quiet around them.

  "The time has come," Tiff said for the second time. He made a few awkward swimming strokes, then floated toward the shaft in which the water was now standing still, no longer offering any resistance. "I'll go first."

  "When you get up there, signal us," suggested Pucky. "Then I'll follow with Milly. Hump, stay behind Tiff."

  From that moment on Tiff was on his own. He reached the shaft and looked up. Far away, he believed he saw a weak light. Probably the sky, he thought. He clasped the almost weightless box close to his body. He knew he had to hurry otherwise the last specimen of a strange and wonderful race might drown.

  He pushed off from the ground and floated upwards. He helped along with slight paddling movements of his legs; he was astonished how easy it was. He manipulated with his left hand so that he would not bump into any rocky ledges. Aubrey had been right: the shaft now had a diameter of 15 feet.

  The light above him grew brighter and suddenly he was at the bottom of an immense ocean. There was nothing but water all around him. Underneath him gaped the black hole of the cave from which Hump was emerging now.

  "Pucky, the shaft is free," announced Tiff. "You can come up whenever you're ready."

  "Try to get to the island," said Pucky.

  Tiff emerged on the surface of the water. He almost lost the box which suddenly regained its full weight. He saw Hu
mp's head beside him.

  "Help me hold that box," Tiff asked his friend. "Let's hold it above the surface so that the water can run off. Otherwise they might drown."

  Hump made a face but he complied immediately with Tiff's request. Swimming side by side they pressed forward to the rocky coast of the little island.

  "Me of all people!" grumbled Hump. "I've never cared for flowers in all my life."

  Tiff did not reply. In vain he endeavored to find a sign in the cloud-covered sky that they were being expected. But there was not a trace of the Solar System . Why didn't the ship come now to their aid when they needed it most? It wouldn't be long now till this little island would be flooded by the steadily rising waters of the ocean.

  Now Tiff became aware how warm the water actuality was. He estimated the temperature to be at least 86°F. He hoped this would not be dangerous for the tulip creatures.

  His feet touched ground. A few steps and he came up on dry land. Milly and Felicita were already waiting for them. Pucky had worked fast. Now he was on his way to fetch Eberhardt.

  Five minutes later they were standing on the highest point of the little island and peered over to where they knew the under-water shaft should be. They were waiting for Aubrey.

  The arrival of the robot was announced by a foaming water mountain which was formed by his drive-aggregates. Then the metal monster came gliding through the waves like a real submarine and landed safely on the island.

  All had long since opened their helmets and breathed the warm sultry air of the dying planet. Aubrey generated an almost unbearable heat. Hump was complaining: "Can't you turn on the cooling system? It's warm enough as it is without you contributing to the heat here."

  "I'm sorry. Water doesn't agree with me. Unless I dry myself out at once, I'll get rusty spots."

  "Oh, you'll be overhauled anyhow—provided they find us in time," Tiff added with a worried face. He kept looking steadily up into the grey sky where the clouds were swirling in heavy opaque banks, obscuring any view. "I sure would like to know where Nyssen is." He turned to Pucky. "What's Marshall saying?"