by Perry Rhodan
Perry Rhodan
Atlan And Arkon #68
—————————————————
Under The Stars of Druufon
—————————————————
1/ SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
SEVEN PLANETS orbited Star #221-Tatlira, 1,012 light-years away from Earth. Almost exactly 60 years before, Terran spaceships had come into this system and freed the second planet—Goszul's Planet—from the rule of the Galactic Traders.
No one knew if all was yet well on the seven planets circling Tatlira or if some cosmic disaster had swept the inhabitants of the star system out of their own plane of existence.
The data concerning Tatlira lay on the navigation table just in front of the control panel of the small positronicon abroad the super battleship, Kublai Khan. From the information the positronicon would make the necessary calculations for the hypertransition.
Before the table sat a man.
He wore the light green uniform of the Solar Imperium, bearing the rank insignia of a colonel. The golden stickpin on his chest indicated that he was the commander of the ship, which with its diameter of 1500 meters belonged to the gigantic units of the Imperium class.
The positronicon hummed gently. The last hytrans to the Tatlira System would soon take place. In 10 minutes the Kublai Khan would be at its destination and then it would be determined if old legends always did have some grains of truth.
Actually, the matter was not just a mere legend. It had been recorded in unimpeachable sound and video in the 1990s.
Col. Marcus Everson could still well remember the hour when Perry Rhodan had called for him. The Administrator of the Solar Imperium had had deep furrows of concern and worry on his forehead and his voice seemed to have a slight despairing tone in it as he said:
“In a difficult and almost hopeless situation, one should remember his friends, Colonel. The struggle against the Druufs from the alien time-plane is taking up all our strength and effort, yet at the moment it seems as though we've run up against an enemy we're no match for. I know of a solar system in which someone is waiting to do us a favor. But it's been 6 decades...”
Col. Everson had smiled weakly. “A very long time, sir. I don't know if anyone would have the patience to wait 60 years...”
“This friend would—if Harnahan was telling the truth!” Rhodan had responded, smiling in turn. “I'm going to show you a video report made at the time when we flew back to Earth with the Stardust 2 from Tatlira. Naturally, Colonel, I'm not doing this without a reason. I'm assigning you the mission of going to pick up our friend.”
“Who is it, sir?”
Rhodan had simply smiled once more. For Everson this was where he had come in.
“Just wait a moment.” With a few switch-turnings Rhodan darkened the small chamber that was serving as his workroom during his stay on Myrtha 7. A projector began to hum. One of the walls became a videoscreen. “The tape was made in the control room of the Stardust. Present were Sgt. Harnahan, Reginald Bell and I, although Bell makes his appearance somewhat after the film begins.
Ready?”
“Ready,” answered Marcus Everson tensely.
The wall began to live, bringing the past into the present.
Perry Rhodan looked up at a man with rugged yet sympathetic features standing before him.
“Make your report, sergeant! What did you find on the fourth planet?”
“On a moon of the fourth planet, sir!” corrected the sergeant evenly. “I found a sphere half a meter in diameter. It lay on the edge of a rock formation and called to me—yes, it called me to it. I learned that the sphere was a living being which fed off energy. Moreover, it could 'see' over unlimited distances and project what it saw on its bodily surface. The sphere would make an ideal television set.”
“If it were so inclined,” Rhodan commented dubiously. “Its intentions are friendly,” Harnahan asserted with conviction. “I sensed that as it spoke with me— telepathically, of course. What's more, it helped me when a Springer ship attacked me. But look on the vidscreen, sir. There's the fourth planet...”
The vidscreen became visible on the wall. A point of light slid slowly across the screen and sank into the depths of space.
“Your sphere... ?” asked Rhodan. “How great was its telepathic range?”
“200 light-years—at least that's what it said.”
“Odd. It's always been believed that telepathy was not limited by distance. That's evidently not always the case. Even Marshall can't contact the Earth from here. Nevertheless—200 light-years...”
At that moment the image on the wall stopped. An explanation appeared, written with Arkonese letters: Telepathic message of spherical being follows, indicated by written text.
The introduction was replaced with the being's message:
Now do you believe, Perry Rhodan? Harnahan spoke the truth! Did he tell you I am waiting for you? No return to Earth first. That is more important. But do not forget me, Perry Rhodan, even though you are immortal. I am waiting for you— and if I must, I will wait for ages.
“Who are you?” Rhodan asked aloud.
Again came the written text:
You humans are curios—and curiosity is the mainspring of your civilized progress. I think, then, that it will be curiosity which will one day lead you to me. Until then—farewell!
Col. Everson heaved a sigh.
The video report from the past had lasted longer than an entire hour and he no longer remembered all the details. Rhodan tersely supplied any information that was lacking.
Only one portion of the tape was run twice.
Sgt. Harnahan had just explained that the sphere-being in no way represented any danger. To that Rhodan had thoughtfully commented: “I feel the same way. If the sphere-being is no danger to us, then perhaps one day it will be able to help us.”
Sgt. Harnahan, the single human friend of the mysterious creature, replied: “He promised me his help whenever we needed it—whether today or in 100 years. Remember that, sir, if you're ever in a real emergency.”
When the film ended, Rhodan had turned on the light again. Pensively he continued with his remarks. “Sgt. Harnahan is dead, so he certainly can't take us to the unknown moon of Tatlira's fourth planet. You will go, Everson, and find the sphere! You are to think about Harnahan until the being responds. Then you will carry out your mission. Further details are at your disposal; just ask.”
Marcus Everson asked. Rhodan answered. The picture of the situation was becoming clearer.
“I'll find it,” the Colonel then promised. “I'll find Harnahan's mysterious friend even if I have to turn the whole system upside down. You can depend on me, sir!”
Rhodan had only smiled gently. “And I will, Colonel!”
When Marcus Everson received the data from the navigational brain's print-out slot, he gave the calculations only a brief glance and handed them to an officer who had up to now been waiting silently, apparently waiting for his orders.
“Transition in 10 minutes, Lt. Gropp! Take over the navigation of the Kublai Khan. You know what has to be done.”
“Right, sir.”
Then Everson turned his attention to the written information Rhodan had given him as a supplement.
The moon on which the sphere had been 60 years before had a diameter of about 80 kilometers. At the time Harnahan had not been able to make an exact measurement and simply gave a rough guess. Now the fourth planet had 50 moons, revolving around it in wildly different orbits. Everson wondered how he was to find just the right one.
Furthermore, it was probable that the sphere was no longer on the moon, for it had told Harnahan it wanted to move to an uninhabite
d world closer to the sun to soak up more energy.
The mission before Everson was thus all the more difficult.
But the sphere was an effective telepath and therefore a hypno in a certain sense. It could make its thoughts known even to nontelepaths. So Rhodan was convinced that it would answer as soon as it learned Everson's intentions.
The last preparations were carried out and then came the final seconds. The transition itself proceeded according to plan. As the pain of rematerialization slowly faded from his body, Col. Marcus Everson looked expectantly at the vidscreen.
The star Tatlira blazed only a few light-minutes away. At first it was difficult to make out any planets but then with the aid of the Kublai Khan's astronomical department they quickly came into view. The fourth planet stood behind its sun.
“We'll remain at speol, Gropp,” Everson decided at length. “Head directly for planet number two, then take course for number four. As for what we do after that, we'll have to wait and see.”
As the giant battleship flew close past Goszul's Planet, the Com Center received several radio messages from below which clearly indicated that the small Terran base still existed. So the other time plane had not yet reached this system.
Then the inhabited planet sank once more into the depths of space. The sun came nearer, then slid sideways off the vidscreen. A bright star became visible ahead, then began to increase rapidly in size. Finally it had grown into a dully shining globe: Tatlira 4, the uninhabited planet.
“Decrease speed,” ordered Everson. Lt. Gropp, who meanwhile had taken the pilot's seat, set the controls for deceleration. The Kublai Khan began to slow down.
It was just as Harnahan had described it.
The planet was circled by a huge number of small and even smaller moons in irregular orbits. Although there was no danger to the ship, should there be a collision, Everson had the Kublai Khan's velocity reduced even further. He was afraid of accidentally destroying whatever piece of rock the living sphere might be on.
Which only showed how much he underestimated the mysterious and incomprehensible creature.
At a speed of 100 kilometers per second, the Kublai Khan cruised through the small asteroid belt until a relatively large moon appeared at the edge of its instruments' range of vision. The moon's torn and irregularly formed surface showed long mountain ranges and deep valleys into which neither the light of the distant sun nor the weakly reflected glow of the mother planet ever shone.
Everson estimated the moon's diameter at about 80 kilometers.
It had to be the moon spoken of by Harnahan.
Everson ordered the ship into orbit around the moon.
Then he began to concentrate. We're looking for you, energy being! We're friends of Harnahan and Perry Rhodan—do you remember them? 60 years ago, our time, Harnahan found you here on this moon. You helped him against the Springers and Rhodan gave you energy! If you're still here, waiting, please contact me!
Everson though it over and over again but received no answer. Lt. Gropp, who was aware of the task Everson had to perform, sat silently waiting at his controls. He did not turn his eyes away from the vidscreen; he continued to watch as the rugged surface of the moon slipped quickly past. The sphere was nowhere to be seen.
Everson went on with his telepathic message. If you're still in this system and perceive my message, speak up! We're in great danger and need your help! Do you still think of your first human friend, Harnahan? He's been dead for a long time now but I have a message from him to give to you...
Like a shock Everson suddenly felt the at first light and then increasing pressure on his brain. An invisible and intangible hand seemed to be grasping his mind and giving it a gentle squeeze.
And then the soundless, disembodied voice spoke to him:
I have heard your call, Everson! You seek me in the wrong place! I was waiting for you on the first planet of this system. The nearby sun gave me energy. But it is too hot for you. land on the moon you are orbiting. I will be there soon.
At first Everson was much too contused to be able to formulate a reply. Even though he had tried to be prepared in case Rhodan's hopes should be fulfilled, he was still overwhelmed by the sudden contact with the living sphere.
“Land on the moon—there, on the plain!” he ordered Gropp, who proceeded to follow the instruction without a word. He did not want to disturb his superior officer.
How are you going to get here? Everson thought intensively.
But this time he did not receive any answer.
The giant spacesphere sank towards the surface of the moon and at length landed softly on the relatively level ground of the broad plain, which stretched as far as the near horizon. On the other side, rugged mountains and a steep range of hills blocked the view.
Everson stood up. “I'm going outside,” he said, looking for some seconds in indecision at the wall cabinet where the hand weapons were stored. Then he shook his head and without further observation left the control room. A lift brought him to one of the many airlocks where he hurriedly put on a spacesuit. Built into the suit were small repulsion units; it could be used in weightless space as a self-contained spaceship.
The small moon's gravitational field was slight. Everson stepped to the edge of the open hatch and looked out across the plain, whose surface lay a good 30 meters below the exitway. Even though it was 'day' outside, it was still not especially bright. The sun was. much too far away to supply any great amount of light.
Everson smiled to himself as he simply stepped out of the ship and sank as gently as a feather towards the ground. He knew from Harnahan's report that the sergeant had done the same thing. If he wished, he could leap as high as 150 meters into the sky—so the repulsion units in his spacesuit were as good as superfluous.
He stood under the giant spacesphere, which loomed above him like a colossal mountain of Arkon steel. With a few steps he reached open sky, from which the stars shone unhindered by any atmosphere on the dead world.
And yet, the impossible suddenly happened!
A shooting star appeared at the horizon, approaching at a high speed. Then it grew noticeably slower and came towards Everson in a wide curve.
The Colonel was startled.
In the first place, glowing meteors cannot exist in airless space, he thought automatically, and secondly, meteors don't travel in curves. Besides, it's too fast...
Of course he had no time to complete his thought. The glowing meteor raced on towards him, braked unbelievably swiftly and landed not 10 meters away from Everson on the rocky surface of the plain.
It was the sphere!
It was only about a meter in diameter and shone dark blue—almost black—in the light of the distant stars. There was no sign of any seams in the surface of the sphere, which looked like it had been polished, but the reflected light seemed to pulsate.
Everson did not have much time to ponder it.
What happened to Harnahan? rang the question in his mind.
The unreality of the situation forced its way into the Colonel's consciousness. He stood on a dead and desolate moon. A sphere lay in front of him and spoke to him. He suddenly understood what nerve Harnahan must have had, not to have gone insane.
“Twenty years after your meeting with him, he and his ship were caught in a cosmic storm near the edge of the galaxy. The details of his death were never learned for none of the crew escaped destruction. It was generally assumed that their power failed and the ship drifted pilotless and powerless into the emptiness between galaxies. They were never heard from again.”
Everson had spoken aloud, although there was no real need for him to do so. He wanted Gropp to overhear him in the control room and so be constantly informed as events took place. Naturally, Gropp could not understand or even perceive the sphere's side of the exchange.
So Harnahan is dead! Perhaps I shall find his ship one day. If I had been more alert, this would not have happened. During the short pause that followed, Everson began to c
alculate how far it was to the system's first planet. As he came to a tentative conclusion, the sphere went on: So I was not forgotten by mankind?
Perry Rhodan remembered me? He needs help?
“Yes,” said Everson absentmindedly. A difficult problem was lying heavily upon him. “How did you get here? The first planet is three light-years away. Can you spring through hyperspace like our ships?”
It seemed to Everson that someone was laughing in his mind.
I don't spring through hyperspace, Everson, I FLY through it. There is an enormous difference. But now tell me why you have come. Why does Terra need help?
Everson took his time about answering. He stared at the sphere's smooth surface but could see none of the details Harnahan had reported. The surface was simply dark, seeming to swallow up any light. No, now it was reflecting it again. The pulsation seemed to be irregular, as though the sphere breathed.
Perhaps it breathed light...?
Again there was the laughing in Everson's mind.
You are even more curious than Harnahan, Everson. Once I would like to meet a human who is not curious—but I would probably then be boundlessly disappointed. A man who does not feel any curiosity, who has no desire to search for the truth and learn the basis of all things—do any such men exist?
Everson awakened from his trance-like state. He ignored the sphere's question. “I have a message from Perry Rhodan to deliver to you. It refers to the promise that you gave Harnahan. Rhodan asks you to come to him. He needs your help or else the universe is lost. The Druufs are attacking.”
Who are the Druufs?
“We don't know yet who they really are, although we've already encountered them. They live on another time plane which is in the process of cutting across ours. There are overlapping areas that appear in various places, through which one can enter the other dimension unhindered and without need of any technological means. The Druufs take advantage of it and send huge battle-fleets into our universe, which they intend to conquer. We're trying to defend ourselves but the enemy is too powerful.”
After a pause the sphere replied: I have rested for a long time and did not know what was happening. But it seems to me that those whom you call the Druufs are not unfamiliar to me. Good, I shall come with you to help Rhodan. Where is he?