by Perry Rhodan
Tomisenkow turned northeast in order to get around the well-guarded landing pad for the rockets. Five minutes later they reached the edge of the jungle at the side of the swath drawn through the forest by the Stardust a year ago.
Wlassow was informed of Tomisenkow's plan to reach as quickly as possible the protective screen of the New Power's Venusian base. The idea of stealing a helicopter was dropped immediately. A helicopter could not be started without being noticed. Raskujan's men would be on their heels within a few minutes and with a ratio of twenty to one the outcome of the chase could easily be foreseen. They just as quickly abandoned a plan to use the burned-out path for their escape so as to advance more swiftly. This was exactly what Raskujan would have anticipated. By choosing to make their way through the jungle, they not only misled Raskujan but were at the same time well-protected from discovery by sight.
Tomisenkow was certain that his flight wouldn't be detected before two hours when the next inspection patrol passed by. He also knew from his year of experience on Venus that a path broken through the jungle would grow over no later than 90 minutes so that their pursuers would be unable to tell it from the untouched jungle. As far as Tomisenkow was concerned, he had solved all his problems with a maximum of reliability. He was reasonably well convinced that only such circumstances as were impossible to predict could lead to the detection and capture of his group as long as he was guiding it. The question of final success was a different matter. Wlassow didn't understand what the Arkonide woman had in mind, having received only second hand information from Tomisenkow. It had something to do with the defense screen against which Raskujan had vainly butted his head every day for a year. Thora seemed to know the special function by which the barrier was held in position and this would enable her and her companions to enter the terrain of the base by applying the appropriate methods. But it was over Wlassow's head and he simply trusted Tomisenkow's knowledge. If Tomisenkow saw a chance of success in Thora's plans, he was likely to have valid reasons for his optimism.
• • •
They had traveled a distance of one and a half miles from the exit of the shaft when a bomb exploded. The forest was illuminated for a few seconds by a pale light which was clearly noticeable through the dense roof of leaves. Half a minute later. the shockwave of the explosion rolled over the land. They were not affected by the blast. It was a small fusion bomb with a non-critical split mass, reaching the critical factor of one at the time of ignition by utilizing a suitable reflector such as graphite or beryllium-oxide. The dangerous radioactivity was confined to the immediate proximity of the explosion. The cave of the seals, which had served as their haven for a few minutes, and its surroundings in 1500 foot radius, would be a contaminated area for some time, but if the seals heeded the warning they wouldn't be hurt by the despicable bombing.
Nonetheless, the deployment of an atomic bomb was additional proof for Perry Rhodan that it would be criminal irresponsibility to leave Venus to the mercy of people like Colonel Raskujan. They treated Venus like an outpost of Terra. They failed to understand that a new world called for new methods. It was beyond their comprehension that the international rivalry on which politics between the countries on Terra was based, could not be allowed to be transplanted and continued on Venus. What these people lacked was 'cosmic thinking' as Perry Rhodan had come to term it. Rhodan felt it extremely regrettable that so far he had been prevented from putting Raskujan in his place. Of the 22 miles to the perimeter of the defense screen less than two had now been covered. Time for an extended rest had to be taken out in the next five hours or their legs and senses would give out. They spent the pause in the highest and last hazardous level of the forest. Son Okura selected a tree promising comparative comfort and security. With some difficulty he reached—at a height of about 120 feet—a fork in the tree big enough to offer a safe place for all of them in its hollow. Rhodan volunteered to take the first watch of two hours. Then it was the turn of the Japanese, with John Marshall completing the cycle.
They settled down as best they could and both Marshall and Okura were fast asleep in a minute. Rhodan, however, used the time to ponder some of the problems that had so far remained unsolved. A year ago he had deprived general Tomisenkow's hostile Space Landing Division of their ships and driven them into the forest with the intention of creating from Tomisenkow's 10,000 men—or rather what was left of the men—the first stock of inhabitants of Venus. The plan had proceeded very well. Tomisenkow's division had split up as expected. Ideological splinter groups formed, such as the pacifists under Lieutenant Wallerinski. The separation had not taken place without inner conflicts. There had been some fighting. But the groups had established themselves, most of them on the rocky islands rising from the dense murderous jungle, which offered a good view and a semblance of security. However, in the meantime Colonel Raskujan had landed with his fleet of supplies. For one year he had tried to conquer the base of the New Power and thus had unknowingly given time to Tomisenkow and his followers to adjust to life on Venus. Then came the fateful moment when Raskujan learned that remnants of the Space Landing Division had survived and he set out to subjugate them and achieve the designs dictated by his lust for power.
At any rate, Raskujan was a serious stumbling block. He had to be eliminated lest he cause even greater damage. There was only one important contribution Raskujan's fleet could make: A major part of the crew consisted of women, who were an essential requirement for forming a biologically balanced community. In every other respect Raskujan's presence was detrimental. In Rhodan's opinion, Tomisenkow was the man capable of developing a thriving colony. This belief was untainted by feelings of a personal nature. Rhodan was uncertain whether he could ever form a close relationship with Tomisenkow. He knew the man only from reports by the prisoners he had made a year ago. The image they reflected was not overly pleasant or harmonious. But Rhodan gave Tomisenkow credit, as long as he had not personally met him, that a year on Venus had made a wiser and humbler man of him.
When he had arrived at this point in his train of thought, he heard an intermittent rustling noise among the multitude of sounds emanating from the jungle at all times. It seemed to come from close by. Rhodan retreated behind the cover of the branches and watched. His eyes used to the darkness, he was able to see a distance of about 10 feet, sufficient to keep any menace away with his impulse-beamer. A long narrow object slid into view from above. For awhile it dangled aimlessly between the branches. Then it lurched down and grew bigger, dragging an elastic lump with constantly changing shape behind it and descending on a track of self-produced slime along the huge trunk of the tree. Rhodan knew the animal. It was one of the land-bound molluscs living on Venus that built caves in the ground as traps and went hunting when their appetite was unsatisfied by the victims in their pits. Rhodan waited impatiently. He knew it was useless to shoot at the single tentacle dangling close before his eyes.
The spongy body of the mollusc was covered with a leathery skin on the greater part of its epidermis. It kept in hiding for awhile behind the foliage. Then it continued slithering and scraping down the trunk of the tree, stopped again, then lunged with its swinging tentacle to seize its prey. Rhodan held still as the repulsive scaly arm glided over his head to his right shoulder and began to hug him around his hip. He'd already slowly raised his impulse-beamer and carefully aimed the barrel at the thick lump of the beast's body. He planted both feet against a branch of the fork and when the mollusc began to jerk him from his seat, he fired.
As it was necessary with a thermo-gun, his shot was highly accurate. The blinding beam hit the body of the mollusc at the farthest point from the trunk. The substance of the animal burned and steamed as it hissed and sprayed a yellow shower of sparks into the dark jungle. Rhodan could feel the strength of the tentacle ebbing away. The mollusc loosened its grip and fell, falling victim to the heat he had generated with his shot.
A few seconds later only a scorched spot on the bark of the tree remained as
a reminder of the danger that had threatened the three in the fork of the branches.
Rhodan chose another place to sit and kept watching. Incidents of this sort were rather rare at their height above the ground. There was no likelihood that their rest would be disturbed again during his watch.
He leaned back and returned to his thoughts. He contemplated different endeavor toward the foundation and furthering of a new colony on Venus—providing he came out of this venture alive.
• • •
The camp ground was primitive but nobody except Thora was bothered by it and even she was careful not to complain.
They lay quietly on the moist ground and dozed. Only Tomisenkow was still alert. He talked to Thora about the prospects of gaining access to the fortress through the defense barrier.
"The way I understand it," Tomisenkow began, "you're hopeful that the positronic brain in the fortress will recognize your identity and grant your admittance. Is this right?"
Thora nodded a little reluctantly. "Yes, but I can't be absolutely sure," she answered. "As far as I can judge the situation, the positronic brain has assumed exclusive control of the base as a result of various menacing incidents. This means that the method of sending an agreed code signal with a special transmitter, by which a member of the New Power was authorized to enter the base, has been suspended. This is fortunate for us since we don't have such a code-transmitter and no means of building one. As a consequence, we'll have to depend on the positronic brain identifying my brain-waves as those of an authorized person once we've reached the border of the protective screen." She looked at Tomisenkow and he was surprised by the expression of helplessness in her eyes.
"Unfortunately I don't know whether the positronic brain will recognize me as an authorized person. If Perry Rhodan were with us, there could be no doubt of our success. But alone..." She left the end of the sentence unspoken. Tomisenkow felt the urge to console her. But before he could think of something appropriate to say, his attention was suddenly completely diverted and concentrated on another matter. Thora didn't know what had happened. She had heard nothing.
"Alicharin!" Tomisenkow called.
"Yes, chief!" answered the little slant-eyed man. "I heard it. It's a tyrex." He said it indifferently, almost bored.
"It's coming from east-north-east," Zelinskij added. And Breshnjew observed: "It seems to head straight for the swamp." Tomisenkow nodded. "Keep quiet, boys. Maybe it'll pass us by." The answering voices from the darkness agreed.
"What is it?" Thora asked excitedly. "A dinosaur?"
"Yes. Can't you hear it?"
"If you mean the thump it makes every minute," she finally said, "then..."
"It's not a minute," Tomisenkow replied smilingly. "It's between 30 and 40 seconds."
"And why do you call it a tyrex?"
"Because I'd be out of breath—perhaps eaten up?—if I stopped to call it by its proper paleontological name every time: Tyrannosaurus Rex ... King of the great prehistoric reptiles and the only flesh-eater among the dinosaurs. It devours everything that comes its way as long as it's an animal. It'll even attack other saurians, sometimes larger than itself. Of course it can't always consume them completely. It tears out the best pieces and leaves the rest to the ants."
Thora listened breathlessly. "And why does it walk so slowly?"
"Slowly?" Tomisenkow laughed loudly. "It moves at 12 miles an hour. It's the only saurian walking upright most of the time. The forelegs are seldom used for anything other than holding its prey. It isn't as big as the largest dinosaurs but it towers at least 30 feet above them as it walks erect. Its legs are almost 50 feet long. Figure out how many steps per minute it must take to maintain a velocity of 12 miles per hour. It's no more than one and a half or two!"
Thora understood.
The thumping earth-shaking steps grew louder. Simultaneously the other sounds in the jungle swelled up with it. The animals were fleeing before the monster.
"Are we going to sit here till he tramples us into the ground?" Thora asked with apprehension.
"Where do you want us to go?" Tomisenkow countered her question. Thora pointed uncertainly into the darkness. " There—away from here !"
"And how do you know it won't pass where you want to hide? Can you decide which direction it'll take?"
Thora shook her head in bafflement.
"Besides, you needn't worry about being trampled," Tomisenkow continued.
"Why not?"
"A tyrex doesn't trample what it can eat. And it's got a damn good nose to smell its prey. You can depend on that!"
He left Thora with this 'consolation' and crawled over to Alicharin who had cleared a spot of ground of all plants and pressed his ear to it so he could listen better. "How's it coming?" Tomisenkow asked.
Alicharin frowned. "Not very well. At best it'll pass at a distance of 150 feet from us."
Tomisenkow became alarmed. "One hundred fifty feet is nothing," he growled. "It can smell us three times as far."
Alicharin nodded.
Tomisenkow turned around. "Take up your positions behind the trees, boys! And shoot straight!" He saw Wlassow standing at the side, not knowing what to do. "Don't stand around!" Tomisenkow told him. "It's a tyrex and it's going to swallow you up when it gets you in its paws. Breshnjew will show you how to lie in wait for a tyrex. And remember one thing: if its head comes down to look at you, shoot it in the eye. It's virtually the only spot where it's vulnerable. Got it?"
"Yes," Wlassow replied with a lump in his throat.
Alicharin remained at his listening post to the last minute. Tomisenkow had meanwhile picked a tree as cover and waved to Alicharin when he finished listening.
Alicharin slipped behind the cover and put his automatic pistol beside him. "It won't pass more than 60 feet from us," he panted. "It'll pick up our scent in three or four minutes."
Tomisenkow merely nodded. And then—between two of the mighty rumbling steps of the dinosaur—he heard another noise. He was vexed and it took some time before he realized that his ears were not deceiving him.
In the excitement over the tyrex he had practically forgotten about Raskujan. Tomisenkow started to laugh and Alicharin, who had also recognized the noise, joined in the laughter.
"Good grief!" Tomisenkow gasped. "If they don't watch out the tyrex is going to gulp them down, helicopter and all!"
• • •
It was a single machine with a regular two man crew, a lieutenant and a sergeant. The sergeant piloted the craft and the lieutenant acted as observer. Awhile ago the lieutenant had muttered: "I'd like to know how anyone can find people in this matted jungle."
And now he detected something in the oscillating beam of his infra-red searchlight that had nothing to do with the hunted men but nevertheless occupied his full attention: A sturdy powerful neck towering at least 30 feet above the roof of the jungle and topped by a huge, wide-mouthed head swaying slowly to and fro on the column of the neck.
He ordered the sergeant to pull the machine up at least 150 feet higher and to hover in the air. The sergeant had also noticed the dinosaur through his blind-flying instrument, an infra-red set mounted in the vehicle. He complied at once with the order and remained at a safe altitude, about 250 feet from the beast.
"It stopped, too," the lieutenant stated. "But it shows no interest in us. It seems to have discovered something else!"
• • •
Tomisenkow looked for Thora. She was also hidden behind a tree and held one of the spare automatic pistols in her hand. Tomisenkow could see her white-blond hair shine in the darkness. "Just stay still! "he called to her. "We can handle it ourselves."
Thora replied mockingly: "Don't worry about me! I only want to find out how much your old-fashioned shooting irons are worth."
With an admiring growl Tomisenkow turned around again. At this moment the crashing and rumbling noises the dinosaur created on his march through the jungle ceased. Tomisenkow whistled through his teeth.
&
nbsp; "It's got wind of us!" Alicharin declared.
Tomisenkow raised himself up on his arms and called into the night: "It's found us, boys! It won't be long now!" Half-subconsciously it registered that the helicopter had also stopped moving. It hovered above the crowns of the trees and seemed to watch the dinosaur.
Wlassow felt scared. He didn't like to wait in the darkness for the aggressive behemoth, not even knowing what it looked like. Wlassow lay behind a huge tree as Breshnjew had advised him hut Breshnjew himself was lying so far away that Wlassow couldn't even see him. He heard Tomisenkow's shouted warning and gripped his weapon tighter. In addition to the bullet clip in his gun he kept 10 more clips on the ground beside him within reach.
Then the scene suddenly started to move. Wlassow heard a strong whizzing sound, then a din of crashing trees as if the dinosaur had started to push forward again. Instinctively Wlassow waited for the thump of the next step.
But it failed to come. It was almost too late when he realized that the dinosaur had merely moved its neck. He heard the breaking of the branches and saw a huge shadow close above him. From one breath to the next the air was pervaded with a beastly stench. Wlassow heard quick furious hissing as the dinosaur exhaled—and then the tremendous head emerged from the darkness. For a second Wlassow's blood froze in his veins. Not in his wildest dreams had he ever before seen such an ugly and ferocious sight. He saw a mouth with two double rows of sharp teeth lunging toward him, a paw so big that he could have stood up in it. Somewhere from left and right the swift grabbing forelegs slashed through the brush. Finally his terrified gaze was caught by the round iridescent eyes of the monster staring intently at him from a distance of 10 feet.
Suddenly Wlassow remembered the advice Tomisenkow and Breshnjew had given him. He jerked up his automatic pistol, aimed carefully at the left eye and fired.