by Perry Rhodan
The Druufs had watched his manoeuvre and changed their course. Despite their great speed they couldn't keep up with the little scout craft of the Terranian fleet and they were hopelessly left behind.
Rhodan reduced his speed and gave the pursuit ships a chance to catch up with him a little. The mountains where Onot's lab was located were now far behind him and he could see the ocean in front of him.
His sonar instrument showed the depth of the water to be 500 meters. This would be more than enough for his purpose.
The three pursuit ships were gaining on him now and soon began to fire from all barrels. The glistening energy-beams flowed away from the protective shield of Rhodan's craft. Then his little ship began to sway and went into a spin before it fell like a stone into the depths. Finally after a last try to straighten out, so it seemed—it dipped into the ocean.
The Druufs crisscrossed the ocean and kept a close watch for any survivors that might emerge from the rolling waves. After 10 minutes they zoomed skyward with whining engines and disappeared in the direction of the continent.
Meanwhile Rhodan had traveled a great distance under the water. It was another occasion to appreciate the fact that these tiny craft were designed to move in more than one medium, if not with the same velocity. Harno made the navigation instruments quite unnecessary for Rhodan. On his curved surface he observed the three Druufs give up the search and fly away.
He grinned when he pulled his ship up and shot out of the water like a flash of steel, vanishing seconds later in the colorful sky. When he landed again a few minutes later at the entrance of Onot's lab and climbed out of the airlock with Harno in his pocket, he had almost forgotten the short intermezzo.
Onot had not yet returned but he didn't figure that it would take much longer. The Druufs had been led by the nose. They probably believed that they had intercepted a reconnaissance ship of the robot fleet and brought it down with success. He would be the last one to make them change their opinion. How much longer would he have to wait?
Soon he sensed that Onot/Ellert was coming back. The Druuf had to make a great effort since Ellert prodded him repeatedly not to slacken on the way. Then Onot stepped out of the door, carrying a weighty box of metal on his strong arms which he quickly put down.
Rhodan studied the block with great curiosity as Onot said: "This is the first experimental model of the time-freezer. It functions perfectly when you plug it into a source of energy. You must take it to Terra, Perry. I'm sure that the scientists on Earth can do something with it in case I'm not back before then."
"Thank you," Rhodan replied and pointed to his ship. "I hope we can load it in together."
"I can handle it," Onot said and lifted the box up again. Laboring hard, he pushed it into the opened hatch and gave it one last shove. "It looks a little tight for you but the flight back won't take you long. The ship looks very fast."
"That's true," Rhodan nodded. "I'll take off now and I'll send this model to Terra at the first opportunity."
"And I'll see what I can do about the star-drive system," Onot promised. "I'm going to try today to go back to the computer center under the city and find the necessary microfilm record or look for it any other place it might be kept."
"Good luck, Ellert!" Rhodan said, shaking the hand of the Druuf. "If you can't separate from your friend Onot you can come—if need be—to Earth in his body later. We won't object to him. Just let me know!"
"I'll contact you again, Perry. And as far as Onot is concerned, I'll give it some thought. I feel sorry for the poor devil."
Onot opened the door again long after Rhodan's little ship had slipped behind the clouds which were colored by the sinking twin-sun. Onot cast two distinct shadows but he paid no attention to them and he slowly descended to his retreat inside the rock.
• • •
The storm, which almost continuously raged in the twilight zone of Hades, had let up a little. The red and green configuration of the twin-sun hung low above the horizon like a glowing monstrous phantom. The thin atmosphere made the sky look dark although the sun was shining. Several big stars were visible in the firmament.
A long chain of mountains stretched nearby and offered a measure of protection against the storm. The highest peaks glittered reddish white. It must have been frozen atmosphere. Farther behind was the icy nocturnal side of the planet.
Long cracks and deep fissures were drawn on the stony surface where no soil had as yet been able to form. As a result it also lacked any vegetation whatsoever. Deep down on the bottom of the gorges, where the light of the sun never reached, were puddles full of ice. Hades was a world where no life could exist without artificial means. Only in the twilight zone was it possible to survive for perhaps half an hour without a spacesuit. The air was thin but breathable as long as physical work could be avoided.
Something began to move close to one of the cracks. The rocky ground shifted and a hole appeared in which a platform rose up, carrying two living beings.
Bell and Pucky wore heated spacesuits of radically different styles. The little mouse-beaver looked almost comical in his suit but he was inordinately proud that he sported a special outfit whereas Bell had to wear the run-of-the-mill suit.
The platform stopped and the two friends stepped out into the murky light of the barren planet. Their helmet radios were turned in.
"What a primitive elevator," Bell griped, pointing to the platform. "Rather old-fashioned and clumsy. I'd give something for a modern antigravitor."
"You can't have everything," Pucky retorted brightly. "I'm glad we didn't have to climb the stairs." Pucky looked around. "I'd like to know where Perry went. Lt. Potkin said he used the elevator too."
"This is the only one we've got," Bell murmured, glancing at the colorful twin-sun with curiosity. "Perhaps he went for a walk. We just have to look for him."
"Look for him here? That's easier said than done."
There were thousands of places to hide out in the rugged landscape—if a person wished to do so. There were countless rocks and boulders lying around between the crevices. There were steep formations rising up and an abundance of small narrow ravines. It was impossible to decide where to look first.
"He should be able to hear us when we talk with each other," it occurred to Bell. "He's got the same radio in his spacesuit as ours." His voice changed as he shouted: "Hello, Perry! Why don't you speak up! Are you playing hide-and-seek with us?"
"He didn't even give a hint what he was after out here," Pucky complained sadly. "He never failed to take me along before."
"He must have had a reason to keep you out of his hair this time," Bell said with a mean streak.
Pucky reacted sharply. "If you don't shut up, I'll put you through the wringer."
Bell clammed up. Somehow the idea of being at the mercy of the mouse-beaver on this desolate planet didn't seem to be so attractive. He scoured the bleak landscape with his eyes and when he peered along one of the craggy ridges up into the purple-black sky his gaze suddenly became fixed. Was that a star?
Pucky noticed Bell's confusion and began to scan the sky as well. True enough, there was a faintly gleaming point moving from the sky toward the surface. It moved much too slowly for a meteor but for a spaceship... "A ship!" Bell exclaimed. "By all the craters on Mars, a ship! But it couldn't be one of ours!"
Pucky responded, "You're right as far as the ship is concerned: we don't have one with a shape like that here. It's much too small."
"It looks like a space pursuit ship, only smaller," Bell murmured. "I hope it isn't a Druuf."
"It wouldn't fit a hippopotamouse like that," the mouse-beaver decided, taking cover behind a big rock since the little ship moved in at a fast clip with the apparent intention of landing, of at all places, at the entrance of the subterranean base. "Get moving or this buzzard—whoever he is—will turn you into a cloud of energy."
Bell hit the ground and crawled over to Pucky to seek cover. "What makes you think that?" he asked breath
lessly.
Pucky glanced at him quizzically. "I mean it certainly would be worthwhile," he said and peered over the top of the rock. He saw to his horror that the ship had already landed. Suddenly he began to giggle absurdly when he received a thought-impulse. He got up and walked out into the open with a slow stride.
"Pucky!" Bell winced, terrified. "Man, are you out of your mind! Get back!"
"Thank goodness I’m not a man," the mouse-beaver rejected the insult and kept waddling to the hatch of the mini-spaceship. There he waited and called back to Bell: "You can come out of hiding, you coward," forgetting that he was the one who had sought cover in the first place, "it's only Perry."
But Bell treasured his life too much. He anxiously watched the mouse-beaver and the strange, completely unknown ship. Where had Rhodan got it? Had he found it here on Hades?
The hatch opened. Rhodan emerged and at once noticed Pucky, who waved to him with a grandiose gesture.
"Oh... it's you!" Rhodan greeted him. "How did you get here?"
"On the elevator," was Pucky's simple explanation. "But what's more interesting, how did you get here?"
"In this ship," Rhodan countered, jumping nimbly to the ground due to the light gravitational force of the planet. "Good that you're here; you can help me."
"Anytime!"
"I've got a box in the ship. Let's take it off."
"Physical work?" Pucky shuddered. "No, I've got a better idea." He turned around and yelled in the direction of the nearby rock. "Bell! Somebody wants you over here!"
Bell pricked up his ears when he heard Pucky's call. He got up and recognized Rhodan and instead of an answer he walked over to join them. Then he asked: "A box? Very interesting. And what's in that box?"
"Drag it outside and you'll see!" Pucky chirped.
Rhodan put his foot down. "Will you two hotheads please stop squabbling and give me a hand? That thing weighs a few hundred pounds—at least it would weigh that much on Earth. Here it'll be much lighter." He turned around and climbed back into the hatch. "Well, what are you waiting for now?"
"This is a strange construction for a spaceship," Bell murmured and began to follow Rhodan. "Never saw it in my life. Looks like a fantastic product but I like its aerodynamic lines."
Bell entered the hatch of the little ship behind Rhodan. His eyes widened when he saw the shiny metal block. "You expect us to lift this thing?"
"I've told you already that the gravity on this planet is only one third of ours. We can handle it easily, even without Pucky's help."
"That beast is a shirker when it comes to work," Bell grumbled, badly irritated. "It would be so easy for him to do it telekinetically."
"I'll put him to work later. First I want to get this box out of the ship."
They managed to unload it in a few minutes. When the shiny box of pure metal finally rested on the inhospitable surface of Hades, Pucky appeared on the scene again. He thoughtfully looked at the block and commented: "I notice that you're shielding your thoughts from me, Perry. I suppose you don't want me to know everything. Oh well! But can you tell us at least what's in that metal box?"
"The model of a time-freezer," Rhodan answered quietly. "I got it from Onot."
"Do you mean to tell me that he let go of it just like that?" Pucky asked in astonishment.
"It was really Ellert," Rhodan added by way of explanation. "And now would you be so kind as to teleport this model to the Drusus, if the vessel is here. Otherwise put it in the office of Capt. Rous. I'll be there with Bell."
Bell stopped examining the model. "Now that you've answered Pucky's question," he stated with injured feelings, "would you please have the courtesy to satisfy my curiosity as well?"
"Oh my, the convoluted manner in which he chooses to express himself!" Pucky mocked as he sat down on the model of the time-freezer in order to establish the physical contact required for the teleportation. "I'd keep him dangling a bit."
Rhodan smiled mischievously. "Now let's ask him first what he wants to know. Please, Reggie, ask your question!"
Bell took a deep breath. "Where did you find this ship? It's the first time that I've seen anything of this type. You didn't dig it up on Hades, did you?"
"Of course not," Rhodan shook his head. Then he turned to the mouse-beaver. "Do you also wish to claim that you've never laid eyes on such a little spaceship like this?"
"Never did," Pucky confirmed. But all of a sudden he became a little dubious. "At least I can't remember that I did."
Suddenly Rhodan began to laugh. "And I always imagined that each of you knows all our different models by heart and is able to identify each one of them. I'm awfully disappointed in you. It's hard to believe that you don't know what this is." He pointed to the 10-meter-long metallic cylinder. "This is one of the auxiliary ships of the Drusus. Almost all our big cruisers are equipped with similar auxiliary ships which can hold a few people and reach the velocity of light. But I suppose you've never been involved in an emergency where you had to use one of these ships and I can almost understand your lack of knowledge. Nevertheless..."
Pucky furiously gasped for air. He made a vague gesture toward the ship and fidgeted as if he were going to say something. Then he changed his mind—and teleported. He dissolved in the air together with the model of the time-freezer and was gone.
Bell sighed with relief. "Gosh, you really stumped him," he said unctuously and eager to forget the embarrassing interlude as quickly as possible. Of course he knew these auxiliary ships well enough but his fantasy had gotten the better of him again. He didn't want to accept the truth because the sensation of a fairy tale was more beautiful to believe. To find a mysterious spaceship on an uninhabited planet—this had titillated the sense of adventure. But a simple spaceship of Earthly origin...! "Well, you can't expect a mouse-beaver to be a technical genius too."
Rhodan merely shook his head and decided not to delve further into the matter for now. He walked to the elevator platform and waited for Bell. "You better hurry up if, you don't want to spend the night outside. A night is eternally long here. The sun is so low that it's always night."
Bell took a few steps and joined Rhodan on the platform, which slowly descended into the depths after the stony cover slid across the entrance over their heads. Bell maintained an obstinate silence.
"I guess there's only one thing to do," Rhodan finally remarked after they had reached the brightly illuminated corridor leading to the central staff room. "We'll have to provide a little refresher."
"Refresher?" Bell muttered suspiciously. Now he was sorry that he had so impatiently insisted on snooping around the surface with Pucky. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean refreshing your memory. Starting tonight—Hades time—you're going to set up a course which all officers and men on the base will have to attend. It'll give them something to do in their leisure time. You'll conduct the first lesson."
"Me—teach?"
"Yes, precisely! Your subject for tonight will be The External Characteristics of Terranian Spaceships. You can begin with auxiliary ships. Don't you think that some people will benefit immensely by a thorough review?" Bell grimaced. "I promise you to stop thinking as of today—if it can be avoided. Tonight? I hope that Pucky'll be present."
"You can bet on that," Rhodan assured him and turned into another corridor. Bell followed him glumly with his eyes. He'd find a textbook somewhere on a shelf. To teach it from memory— He sighed deeply. There wasn't a man in the world who could remember all that stuff!
THE BONDS OF ETERNITY
Copyright © Ace Books 1975
by Ace Publishing Corporation
All Rights Reserved
THE SHIP OF THINGS TO COME
THE SHIP is a Death Ship. Thora Rhodan is dying. There is no more life-preserving serum left for her. The supply has been exhausted, that precious boon for which lives were once risked on Tolimon, location of the secret laboratory of the Galactic Physicians. The sentimental should not read this story. Nor
those to whom tears come easily. Nor any of the many legions who love Thora only slightly less than Khrest, than Deringhouse, than...
Rhodan. And yet—you must. As a disbelieving generation, long ago in the sixth decade of the 20th century, watched en masse on TV the death and funeral rites of a beloved president, JFK, you owe it to Perry, Darlton, Scheer, the Solar Imperium... yourself... to witness—
THORA'S SACRIFICE
by Kurt Brand