by Perry Rhodan
"You seem to forget," Rhodan sounded very bitter, "that the writing has vanished. How can we have something deciphered that no longer exists?"
For the first time since they had started out on their venture Khrest smiled. It was a gentle yet lofty smile. "You have forgotten something, too, Perry. Namely, my eidetic memory. Would you like me to write down that sentence that was visible for just an instant on the ceiling of this hall?"
Rhodan took a deep breath. "Sorry, Khrest. I had really forgotten for a moment. Please, write the sentence on this piece of paper here. The robot will return with it to Thorta. We have no idea how important it will be for us to have it deciphered. Maybe we need it to advance further."
In the meantime all had left the transmitter and stood amidst the gigantic installations which appeared to have been arranged without any obvious purpose. There was no sign of any life around the hall. All were under the impression that they had been transported for no good reason to this subterranean energy plant by the unknowns, who now were waiting for the men's reaction to this move.
They noticed a draught of fresh air suddenly coming from a grille in the ceiling. The place, was air conditioned, based on the basal metabolism of oxygen breathers.
"Where are we?" Anne Sloane asked timidly. "On Ferrol"
"We might be on Ferrol, or even in Thorta," Rhodan replied with a voice that betrayed his uncertainty. "But it might just as well be some planet suspended several thousand light-years away. Think of the long-lasting pain during the teleportation. This would indicate a vast distance. But wherever we are, the transmitter station will bring us back again to our starting point, whenever we want it." Rhodan turned to Khrest. "Yes, Khrest?"
"This was the illuminated inscription on the ceiling." Khrest handed Rhodan a piece of paper. "The only one able to decipher it is the positronic brain. Perhaps it would be better to wait before we send off the robot, don't you agree?"
Rhodan hesitated. "I doubt we will find our way around here in this labyrinth of technological marvels. The inscription might supply some hint what we are supposed do here."
"And what, happens if we should need the robot in the meantime?" It was Bells speaking.
"Who else should go? You perhaps?"
"By myself? Alone in this transmitter? No!"
"Well, that settles the question." Rhodan turned to the silently waiting robot. "Take this piece of paper and hurry to the positronic brain in the Stardust. Have the inscription deciphered and return with the decoded text. Do this as quick as possible."
"Didn't you want to send Ras Tschubai...?"
"The robot is faster." Rhodan cut short Bell's objections.
Without a word the robot walked over to the transmitter and went inside. With mixed feelings the men who remained behind saw it disappear seconds later.
"This inscription was not the only clue we were supposed to find here," began Rhodan. "The purpose of this maze of technical installations cannot merely be intended to distract us. The tests will become progressively harder, you can be sure of that. Let's go. But stay close together at all times, to keep our action potential unimpaired. Khrest has already had to give proof of his abilities. We don't know who will be next."
He started to move ahead. Khrest followed with Haggard. Then came Anne and John, while Bell brought up the rear. Bell glanced longingly at the transmitter, reflecting whether it would not have been wiser after all if he had left instead of the robot.
From somewhere came a humming sound.
It was a low, regular hum as if a motor had been started. Who had started the motor? No one was to be seen. The entire installation-in case it really was an installation-must be operated automatically. But where? And by whom?
The humming came from the right. Rhodan took the next turn in the passage and walked toward the noise. He knew he had no other choice in order to avoid wasting time. And time, he guessed, was the most important factor planted here thousands of years ago.
The shimmering metal of the strange machines seemed to radiate a message of taunting threat. Bell once accidentally brushed against one of the heavy metal blocks. He winced as if he had touched a snake.
The hum originated from a square metal housing at the end of the corridor. Rhodan stopped in front of the cube and examined it. He felt as if probing fingers were suddenly exploring his brain something alien was trying to tell him something. But what?
"Marshall, do you notice it too?"
The telepath nodded silently. His eyes were closed and he seemed to listen to some inner voice. Sweat beaded his forehead. Khrest also stood stock still. Bell however, over to the side, was not affected at all by the strange phenomenon. He just kept hearing the humming and tried to find an explanation for it. All the metal cube meant to him was simply another one of the numerous machines or generators.
Suddenly the humming sound ceased. Dead silence reigned in the hall. Rhodan felt the probing fingers in his brain grow faint and vanish completely. John Marshall breathed a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes again.
"It was a telepathic message," he said. "This machine is a probing mechanism of mental structures. It has examined our intellectual abilities and our intelligence quotients. The result was positive-at least partially."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
The instrument detected in us various reactions, as far as I could make out, The end result is favorable, however it stated that Bell, Haggard and Miss Sloane were lacking telepathic abilities. It discovered in you Rhodan, as well as in Khrest, rudimentary forms of telepathic capacities. As far as I am concerned, it regarded me as being of high caliber and therefore informed me of the result of its examinations."
"That eludes me," said Bell. "That machine had a conversation with you?"
"If you want to put it that way, yes. I could understand what it was thinking. In any case, we have passed the test successfully. We are supposed to continue searching."
"Searching? Searching for what?"
"The telepathic automaton did not give any indication what it might be."
Rhodan was about to reply when formidable bolts of lightning shot across the room, followed shortly by ear-splitting discharges. The lightning came from a bluish, glistening sphere which was hovering, without any visible support, just below the ceiling. The lightning arced across a distance of over 10 yards and touched another sphere which was fastened by a small antenna onto a huge metal casing.
Over 10 yards! That meant 10 million volts!
The globe on the receiving end began to glow and turned white, radiating waves of constantly rising temperatures. A strong odor of ozone filled the air. Then the lighting bolts ceased. The globe, however, continued to glow. The subterranean room heated up rapidly.
"What was that?" Bell's voice had lost its usual self-assurance.
"A rather drastic demonstration of wireless transfer of energy, if I am not mistaken," suggested Rhodan. "Not much practical use for it, though. I don't know what we are supposed to do with it. If that should be some new task..."
Once more he could not finish what he had to say. He was interrupted again. They heard a commotion somewhere within the giant installation. Steps were coming closer, firm hefty steps, approaching with an even, monotonous rhythm.
Khrest, who was standing next to Rhodan, grew pale. He started trembling all over. Bell could not help but noticing this with a touch of gloating satisfaction; but almost immediately he, too, was overcome by, fear and could hardly hide his consternation.
Rhodan's body stiffened. A tense expression came over his face. He paid no attention to his companions and did not seem to be aware that Marshall's hand flew with a reflex movement to his pocket.
Somebody-or something-came toward them from the vast hall filled with a jungle of machinery. It still remained invisible. Now the steps seemed to approach from behind. The same firm, unswerving steps.
"Don't do anything hasty!" Rhodan whispered to his companions. He looked sternly at Marshall. "They can't be any r
eal enemies. Show no signs of fear. The galactic game of riddle-solving is a matter of intelligence and prestige."
Now they sighted a figure coming around a corner of the narrow corridor between the lines of machines. The figure was still far away. It looked almost human, although taller and heftier, except for the missing legs. Instead it had two high wheels. The torso was oddly angular yet symmetrical. There were strangely shaped antennae and feelers sprouting from it's head. Its eyes were illuminate by a glow coming from inside.
"It's a robot," Khrest whispered. "It's not alive the same way we are. Could it have been that robots..."
"Nonsense!" Rhodan spoke sharply. Now they could clearly hear the stomping sound that they had mistaken for steps. This rhythmical pounding emanated from inside the robot's body, which towered seven feet tall. Could this noise come from some engine in its interior? Was it some diversionary maneuver? It did not seem to make any sense.
Another robot appeared from behind and approached rapidly. Rhodan quickly sized up the situation. The massive blocks of machinery surrounded them from all sides. They were so close together that it would be impossible to slip between them in order to escape. Neither could they climb up on the high smooth walls of these metal cubes. Unless these robots stopped in time...
Rhodan decided to make an attempt at stopping them. "You stay here," he ordered his friends. Then he walked toward the first robot. The monster moved relatively slowly but steadily. Probably some mechanism had been activated when Rhodan and his group penetrated this hall. A mechanism that had been waiting, ready for instant action at the proper time, for many thousands of years. And now it was their task to immobilize this mechanism once more.
Rhodan stopped five yards in front of the giant. It was not a sight to inspire confidence. From both eyes radiated a glow of some barely contained energy. Delicate, silvery feelers played nervously, reaching out to Rhodan as if they expected something from him. A metal rod on the robot's head began to vibrate. And all the time the mighty wheels kept turning, advancing the machine at a steady pace. There was no indication that this forward movement would cease.
With an instinctive gesture Rhodan stretched out both hands, as if trying to halt the machine. He commanded: "Stop!"
The robot kept on rolling forward. Without any further attempt Rhodan retreated to his waiting friends.
"Marshall, issue a telepathic order! Maybe he'll react to that."
The telepath nodded silently and advanced. Meanwhile the threat from the second robot had become more acute as it kept coming closer from behind. The structure made of unknown alloys and activated by some mysterious electronic forces approached inexorably as if its counterpart on the other side were exerting some magical attraction. Both giants seemed determined to meet regardless of whatever lay in their path, mowing down without pity any obstacles barring their way.
Anne Sloane felt desperate that she was unable to help her friends despite her special gifts as a mutant. Now she found the only possible way out. For why should she not be able to come to everyone's rescue? Why did this solution not occur to Rhodan right away?
Without saying a word, she walked toward the robot coming from behind them. She came to a halt a few steps before the giant figure. Summoning the strength she had trained for during many years, she forced her mind to intense concentration. She knew that her abilities would be tested in a manner as never before. And yet, from a technical point of view all was so simple. It was only her fear of potential failure that threatened to paralyze her strength. At the same time, her mortal fright had just the opposite effect.
Anne Sloane's mental energies concentrated into a beam which she directed against the robot. They hit it like the rays of a powerful invisible spotlight.
Rhodan was busy observing Marshall's unsuccessful attempts at stopping the advancing robot via telepathic commands. He paid no attention to Anne's endeavors. Only Bell turned around and watched the young girl. He enjoy a truly unique spectacle!
The robot appeared to have run into an invisible wall. The wheels began to spin briefly, then stood still. There was the stench of burned-out insulation in the heavy air, which kept getting hotter and hotter from the constantly glowing globe.
The passage was rather narrow. It was totally blocked by the immobilized robot. There was no chance for Rhodan's group to squeeze by and escape. Although the obstacle had been brought to a stand still it had not been removed. Besides, it was no great help if only one of the robots had been stopped, as long as the other one was rolling steadily toward the group. Unfortunately it was impossible for the young telekineticist to arrest the advance of both machines simultaneously.
Anne Sloane was thinking furiously. Before Bell managed to give any advice she had already found the only possible solution out of the dilemma.
Once more she increased her endeavors by channeling her streams of thoughts. The concentrated energies of her mind changed into positive kinetic energy-and lifted the robot off the ground.
Its wheels began to spin anew while the metal monster drifted slowly upward. Five inches, then 10 inches-finally two feet.
Anne Sloane felt her strength give way. How long could she maintain this effort? But she simply had to! Unless she could manage to remove this obstacle from their path and render it harmless, they would all be lost
Now the robot was floating two yards, then thee above the floor of the room. It had reached the top rim of the machine cubes. But Anne Sloane was still not satisfied. She kept raising the colossus until it was just below the ceiling, more than five yards above the upper surface of the machine structures. Now a little bit to the side, two, three yards...
And then she let go.
With spinning wheels the robot hung for a fraction of a second above the metal mass of the machines before it began to fall. And then the clattering noise as metal crashed hard on metal.
The sudden sound of breaking and splintering startled Rhodan and the others and made them turn around. Even Marshall forgot his senseless efforts to make the robot obey his telepathic commands. He whirled around just in time to see the outsize body of the second attacker smash to smithereens on top of the huge cube. The same moment, he as well as the rest of the group noticed Anne Sloane slump to the ground before anyone could jump to her assistance. The strain had been too great for the slender girl.
Rhodan sized up the situation instantly. "Back to the transmitter!" he yelled, no longer paying any attention to the first robot, which kept steadily rolling forward. "Hurry, before it gets to us!"
Marshall pulled a raygun out of his pocket. Nobody knew that he had brought along this weapon. "Shall I destroy it?"
"No!" shouted Rhodan. "Our tasks can never be accomplished by sheer violence. You'd better help me carry Anne. Get a move on, Bell. Give us a hand!"
They retreated quickly but in an orderly fashion. During these few moments Rhodan was busy evaluating their failure in carrying out their mission. They had definitely failed, he was sure of that. And it could all have been so simple, if looked at properly. Anne Sloane's telekinetic powers were insufficient to overcome two adversaries simultaneously. But they did actually have two telekinetics. After all, there was still Betty Toufry.
The thought of Betty made Rhodan's heart beat faster. Why hadn't he thought of her earlier? The little girl who had just turned nine was a parapsychological wonder. She had mastered the art of telepathy better than any member of the mutant corps. Despite her youth she had even outpaced Anne Sloane.
"If we can manage to get Betty Toufry here in time," panted Rhodan, while running around the last turn, "all might not be lost yet. As long as we can stop that robot before it reaches the transmitter. I'm sure it is scheduled to destroy our transmitter, to cut us off from our only means of escape and prevent us from returning. It has not yet won this battle; there is still hope. for us!"
They had reached the cage. But before Rhodan had time to give any orders, all saw the Arkonide robot materialize inside the transmitter-and then
another figure, a very small slender shape!
Nobody spoke a word as Betty Toufry stepped out of the transmitter cage. She seemed somewhat embarrassed. Fear clouded her face as she noticed Anne Sloane's unconscious form held in Bell's arms. Marshall stood over to the side, undecided whether he should concentrate on the unconscious girl or the giant robot that kept unerringly rolling toward them.
Rhodan had gotten over his initial surprise. "Betty, you are coming as if you had heard me call you," he stated, and glance at Khrest as if to question him. But the Arkonide apparently was at a loss for an explanation. "Anne Sloane can't make it on her own. We are being attacked by a giant robot. You must put it out of action. Anne Sloane simply lifted up the first attacking robot and then let it drop."
"The positronic brain gave me the advice," said the Arkonide robot with its inanimate metallic voice, to bring along the mutant Betty Toufry. Perhaps it concluded this as a necessary means upon receiving this message. With these words the robot handed Rhodan a slip of paper.
With a flash Rhodan remembered that he had originally sent the robot up-why he was thinking in terms of "up" and "down" was not clear to Rhodan at this moment-in order to have the mysterious symbols of the illuminated inscription decoded by the positronic brain.
And now he could read the decoded message: Welcome to the center of a thousand tasks-but only a single one of these will bring you closer to your goal
That was all. The meaning was clear. Rhodan expressed it. "One thousand tasks are awaiting us. We almost failed while trying to solve the second or third of those, which means we will fail for sure unless Betty Toufry can help us here. The positronic brain must have realized that we would run into telekinetic problems and that Anne Sloane would be incapable of handling them alone. Before we abandon our attempt, Betty must try to stop this robot. Come along, Betty, I'll go with you. The rest of you stay at the transmitter. And if I give the order, enter it at once. Is that clear?"