by Perry Rhodan
1.875 miles per second—that was 75% of the relative light-speed here. It was a complete mystery to Rhodan how the Druufs could see them.
If indeed Atlan's theory were correct...
But how could it be? The three ships behind them were traveling at a rate of 1.25 miles per second. In their own time reference that was just about ½ speol.
Rhodan gave up trying to probe the riddle any further. Of course he could not suspect that a giant ship of the Druufs was light-hours away from the Crystal World in outer space and traveling at the true velocity of light—true in relation to their own time-plane—and that it was in communication with the black fleet units through a relay station.
"The screens have held up," said Atlan from his corners, this time dryly, while momentarily interrupting his conversation with Khrest. "I would tend to doubt, however, that they could withstand the combined fire from 17 bow shots all at once."
"In that case we're in agreement, Arkonide," replied Rhodan with equal calm. "And we're not about to let it come to a test, either. I'm only wondering how long we can keep up this game of hide-and-seek with the Druufs."
"Game?" said Pucky suddenly. "Do the Druufs play hide-and-seek?"
Rhodan drew in a long and audible breath as he turned to the mouse-beaver. "So there'll be no misunderstanding," he said emphatically, "nobody has said that the Druufs are playing. I know that you'd even gamble your life if it were a matter of games but now is not the time or the place for it." He stopped suddenly and regarded the mouse-beaver with a growing new attentiveness. "Hm-m... At least 'playing' may not be the right designation." He paused again to consider something. Then he said, "Go get Ras Tschubai and bring him here."
Pucky twittered something unintelligible but slipped off the couch obediently and waddled to the door. Just before he got to it, however, he changed his mind, coming to a stop and concentrating sharply. He disappeared in a swirl of shimmering air. In other words, he had decided to take the weight off his feet and to teleport instead.
Atlan was not a telepath. "What have you in mind for Ras Tschubai?" he asked.
Rhodan did not take his eyes from the viewscreen. Far below him the surface of the Crystal World glided past—in fact the planet had already become a huge ball, which the Sherbourne was circling at a speed of 75% the local constant of light. This left them reasonably safe from any surprise attacks.
"Ras Tschubai is a teleporter, just like Pucky. I want to send both of them into a Druuf ship."
Even Atlan was nonplussed by this plan. For quite a few moments he remained silent before asking: "Why?"
Rhodan smiled faintly as he replied: "Let's just say I've been itching with curiosity to know what the real Druufs look like..."
• • •
Biologist Ivan Ragov was concerned neither with the appearance of the Druufs nor with any possible attack of their fleet against the Sherbourne . He was busy looking into the psychic and mental side of the captured caterpillars, a task in which he was aided by Noir and John Marshall. With their assistance it had even become possible to establish a first-rate communication system.
Noir was a hypnotist. It was a simple matter for him to create a mental image in the captives' brains which represented exactly what anyone wanted to tell them or ask them. The caterpillars thought an answer, which was then picked up by the telepath John Marshall.
It was very easy to accomplish.
Ragov shook his head in amazement. "Noir, ask them if they know their lords and masters and how they receive their orders."
Noir concentrated and made the corresponding mental image. Marshall listened for an answer. As it came finally, he also shook his head in surprise.
"They have never seen the Druufs in their lives, Ragov. They maintain that commands are given out by radio or through robots."
"The dear little beasties," muttered Ragov distractedly, still shaking his head. "So they have never seen the Druufs and yet they live together in the same time-plane. Astounding. Perhaps the Druufs are very shy."
After awhile Marshall observed: "No, the caterpillars indicate that the Druufs are by no means shy. They must have an entirely different reason for not showing themselves. I can't find out any more."
Ragov continued to observe the five captives for a few more moments, then turned his attention to one of the other cages in which three motionless caterpillars still held their originally assumed positions. They were specimens which had been brought on board the Sherbourne by means of the antigrav field. They had been left intentionally in their original time-plane so that they could be studied after bringing them to the Earth. Steiner had suggested that there might be a surprise in store for anyone taking the creatures on a transition through hyperspace.
One of the caterpillars was standing erect and was in the process of lifting its right forearm. During the past two hours the delicate member had risen all of four inches.
The other two were in a prone position. One might have assumed that they were sleeping, which was probably the case.
Ragov returned his gaze to the one that was standing.
The right forearm had risen another two inches—not in one hour but in only three minutes...
• • •
Ras Tschubai was African. He possessed a sturdy physique and like the other mutants had become relatively immortal through the biological cell shower treatment on the artificial planet Wanderer. This beneficial condition lasted each time at least a good 60 years.
His special faculty was teleportation.
Together with Pucky he appeared a few minutes later in the Command Central and reported to Rhodan, ready for his mission.
The Sherbourne continued to circle the Crystal World, which had been so named because of its seemingly crystallized life. The three black ships of the Druufs followed at a slightly slower pace, attempting in vain to overtake the faster spherical ship. Occasional individual shots fell short of their more agile target.
Rhodan assigned Sikerman the task of making sure that the distance between them did not decrease under 62 miles. At such a distance no shot could strike true, especially when one considered that in this other time dimension the assigned distance represented 25 light-seconds.
Rhodan turned to Ras Tschubai and Pucky. "Have a look there in the stern viewscreen. Those are the three Druuf ships. Their distance at present is 62 miles. I want you to make the teleport jump together and don't become separated. I want to know what the Druufs look like. Pucky will attempt to establish telepathic communication with them while Ras will provide cover. If anybody attacks you, you may defend yourselves. It could be that the Druufs over in those ships live at our own rate of speed, so watch out!"
"And if they are not telepaths?" suggested the mouse-beaver.
"Then come back here and pick up Noir."
Ras Tschubai took his raygun out of his belt and pulled back the safety catch. He did not intend to take any risks if he could help it.
Pucky was not carrying any weapon but he asked: "How would it be if we planted a nice little bomb on board those asparagus ships?"
Rhodan suppressed a grin of amusement. "Not so fast, little fellow. We still don't know what the intentions of the Druufs happen to be. Maybe they merely feel they are being threatened and are acting in their own defense. It's not the act but the motive that determines the character of an individual."
"Fu Man Chan speak wise words," said Pucky facetiously with a deep bow. His brown eyes twinkled pleasantly. "It is to be hoped that the Druufs may share your view."
"I'll expect your return soon," said Rhodan. "Here's luck!"
Pucky went over to Ras Tschubai and took his hand in both of his paws. They nodded to each other, concentrated simultaneously—and disappeared.
Rhodan stared at the empty spot for awhile and then turned back to Sikerman once more. "Keep the same course you've been following and don't change it except in an emergency. Maintain present speed."
He was very anxious to know what the two teleporter
s would have to report.
• • •
As Pucky felt himself rematerialize, his first awareness was of the African's hand in his. The simultaneous jump had come off without a hitch and they hadn't been separated.
The lighting around them was very dim. Under their feet the deck was coated with a flexible material, similar to plastic carpeting. The walls glimmered with a vague light that seemed to issue from the substance of their composition. The ceiling was black. From somewhere below came the vibration of unfamiliar machines.
Otherwise, everything was quiet.
"Do you hear something—besides the machinery?" asked Pucky.
The African shook his head negatively but a moment later whispered: "And you? Maybe thought impulses?"
After awhile Pucky shook his head. "Only a jumble of fragments that don't mean anything—like listening to the caterpillars who were petrified in time. But it's so far away—I can tell that by the intensity. Wait a see! OK—so I'm a camel!"
"I thought you were a mouse-beaver."
Pucky was thinking of his long-distance capabilities but was not in the mood for stringing out the joke. "All I was doing was picking up thoughts from the Sherbourne and from the Crystal World below. Here on board this ship there is nobody with any thought process going on—or maybe they are using thought-screen equipment. I can't trace anybody..."
Ras was about to answer but suddenly stopped, listening. Pucky also heard the sound.
A soft padding of feet seemed to be close by, coming in their direction. The footsteps sounded strangely irregular, sliding and scraping and out of sequence.
"Somebody's coming!" whispered Ras tensely. He strained to see ahead but the passage which he could only now make out had a turn in it. The footsteps were just beyond this turn but were approaching steadily.
The African grasped Pucky's arm. "Don't you think we'd better—?"
"Vanish? I wouldn't think of it! We stay here! Well, of course I wouldn't object to a hiding place because I'd like to have a safe and quiet look at the Druuf. Let's go over there..."
A few yards farther they found a wall niche. Apparently it served as a storage place for various articles of equipment. At the moment, however, it served Pucky and Ras perfectly in that it concealed the two teleporters from the approaching Druuf.
Now it came around the curve.
Meanwhile the two of them had accustomed themselves to the dim illumination and they no longer found it difficult to clearly observe their surroundings. On the walls close to the lighting sources were strange shapes, the purpose of which it was impossible to guess. Pucky realized at least that they were not supposed to be pictures. They were more like pieces of plastic art, even though that couldn't actually be the case. Various doors led off into unknown inner chambers.
A shadow came around the curve.
The Druuf was no more than a yard high. Its form was roughly spherical, as far as could be seen, and it possessed a number of limbs with which it achieved its forward motion. Thin feelers or antennas stood up vertically on top of it and waved gently back and forth.
The Druuf came closer and further details came to light.
Ras looked in vain for its eyes, mouth and ears. The creature did not have a face.
In general its body was asymmetrical. It was neither round nor square, neither tall nor fat. It had the look of a big drop of molten metal that had suddenly hardened.
Almost inaudibly Ras whispered: "It's moving slowly but it does move! So it must be living in our own time-plane."
Pucky nodded without having anything to say. He watched in fascination as the Druuf glided toward them. That was it—gliding was the correct word for this type of locomotion. The legs—or limbs—continued to move incessantly. Whatever the position the Druuf might be in, two or three of the short legs always touched the deck. So actually there was no position in which it could not move. Like a distorted sea urchin!
Such was the appearance of the Druuf. But why the antennas? Was it a telepath?
Pucky tried again to penetrate the thoughts of the weird creature, which by now was no more than a half dozen feet away. It was just as useless as the first time. Pucky's probing thought impulses came up against a wall. They were even reflected back completely.
Actually Ras was right. The Druuf continued to move slowly, probably at the cost of some adaptation. But maybe these were the natural movements of an intelligence that had lots of time on its hands.
When Pucky thought of 'time' he shuddered and suddenly remembered his assignment. He had to establish communication with the Druuf.
But why with this one particularly? Maybe it would be smarter to observe him for awhile yet before announcing oneself. Also this one might merely be a subordinate crewmember. If Pucky was going to make any contacts around here it would have to be with the commander of the black cruiser.
As Ras touched him, he returned the pressure of his hand.
Silent and unmoving, they waited until the Druuf had gone far enough to disappear around the next corner.
Ras breathed a sigh of relief. "What kind of creatures are they?" he whispered, bewildered. "Are they insects or mammals?" What do you think? Were you able to determine anything?"
"They can certainly think, or else they wouldn't be able to wage war," replied Pucky somewhat sarcastically. "But frankly I wasn't able to pick up a single thought ripple. Did you see its legs? They're so arranged that the Druuf always lands on its feet—and I mean in any position. When it walks, they all move." He paused briefly. "Almost automatically," he added.
Ras missed the point. Anticipating the mouse-beaver's thoughts, he said: "Well, let's get to the control room. I'm anxious to see how they react when they see us."
"With the shapes they've got they'll think that we are monsters," surmised Pucky, not illogically. "Let's hope we don't scare them out of their wits."
"If they see you first—" Ras started to say but then he thought better of it. It was safer to remain silent.
Pucky let out a slight, disdainful hiss. "I'd suggest that we teleport to their Control Central, if we only knew where it is."
This was a problem in itself. Teleporters can only reach their target area when they can either see it directly or at least mentally picture it. So it must either be thoroughly described to them or they must have been there, themselves, previously.
But none of these conditions obtained at present.
Pucky shrugged. "Let's just walk. Maybe we'll be in luck. If anybody shows up we can duck into a niche because there seem to be plenty of them. And besides, the Druufs are much too slow to represent any great danger."
Around the second turn in the passage they came in sight of the Druuf again. Its audible footsteps were misleading in that it actually moved faster than supposed. Each step brought it at least four inches farther along and there was another step taken every two or three seconds.
They waited until the Druuf had glided through a doorway and disappeared. The process required almost two minutes.
"They're still a bit behind the time," whispered Pucky, without realizing how right he was—even though it was in quite another sense of the word.
Now that the way was clear, they made better headway. They met no more Druufs on the way and thus were able to find the Command Central without further difficulty. The ship did not have the familiar spherical shape but was long instead and of relatively small diameter, so that the control room could only be in the bow.
The passage ended before a door.
Later, Ras Tschubai couldn't remember why he and Pucky knew that the smooth wall was a door. There was no indication of this fact. It had no latch or doorknob or any recess where a person could place his hand.
Just a smooth wall—nothing more.
Pucky began to use his psi faculties and made a psychokinetic survey of the barrier. "It has an electronic lock," he finally announced in a whisper. "It only opens in response to some electrical signal. So the Druufs must haul around little transm
itters with them which they use when they want to go through one of these doorways. Remarkable."
"Can you open it?" asked Ras anxiously.
"At least I can give it a try," answered Pucky consolingly and he concentrated on his task. Meanwhile, Ras kept a lookout. He still carried the heavy impulse gun, which no matter could withstand when its full energy was aimed at it.
Behind the wall—or door—a sound was heard. Something made a soft click. And then the panel slid to one side. Behind was a large room filled with a maze of instruments and unfamiliar-looking apparatuses and equipment cabinets. This, without a doubt, was the Command Central of the black ship.
The first thing that attracted Ras was a tremendous flat oval-shaped viewscreen that was set into the forward bulkhead right in the bow. On it the Sherbourne was to be seen, apparently motionless and waiting but actually racing ahead of them at 1.86 miles per second.
In front of the screen were three of the Druufs who had apparently not heard the opening of the door. At least they took no action to hinder the two intruders. Beside them were ponderous-looking metal cases and cabinets containing alien mechanisms, machinery and other apparatuses.
In a right-hand corner of the room glowed a second and smaller viewscreen. When Ras saw it, it startled him although he didn't have the slightest idea of what it was he was looking at.
Two circles of light were on the screen which had a common center point. They would gradually become misaligned, one from the other, and then they would resume a concentric position together. One circle was green and the other red. It was obvious that somebody was busy trying to maintain the alignment so that both circles would become superimposed, one upon the other, precisely around the center point.
What sense the whole thing made was not clear to Ras but he suspected that it was a device for maintaining the presently ordered course. His suspicion was correct although he didn't know it.