Secret Barrier X

  Perry Rhodan

  The Third Power #16

  Secret Barrier X

  ...And the hotspot is Venus.

  Perry and the fugitive Arkonide woman, Thora, are on the planet of peril, a hot-house of horror, menaced not only by the unnatural monstrosities of the natural Venusian habitat but by deadly invaders from Earth. And the positronic brain, not programmed for certain unforeseen emergencies, has sealed off the planet!

  An impenetrable envelope surrounds Venus!

  Can Reginald Bell penetrate the barrier via the 5th dimension? If not, Rhodan must rely on his own resources to protect himself from man and monster alike, else perish in a primeval jungle far from his Mother World.

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  SECRET BARRIER X

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  1/ TIME WARP IN HELL

  "NO! NO! NO!"

  "We're not going back to Earth!"

  "We're going to remain right here in orbit around Venus!"

  "Have I made myself clear?"

  The members of the Mutant Corps were cowed by Reginald Bell's emphatic orders. In Perry Rhodan's absence Bell was in command of the small band of people with super powers. They didn't always agree with his reasoning but they were loyal to their commander.

  Bell was now in an exposed position. A failure could be in the offing. "There's something wrong here," he continued in an irritated voice, indicating the surface of Venus below with his index finger. "No one in the service of the Chief of the New Power, no one who has sworn allegiance to Rhodan, can desert him when he's in deep trouble. You want to return to Earth—and how will he fare then? You know he's stuck down there, almost alone in the Venusian jungle crawling with deadly creatures and..."

  Okura will be with him. And Marshall and Thora, a small but broad-shouldered, powerfully built mutant ventured to interject. It was Wuriu Sengu, the seer.

  Bell cut him short. "Thora took off in a ship alone. Or if anybody was with her it was only a robot. Rhodan, Marshall and Okura followed in a second rocket. We know that crazy positronic brain in the Venus fortress has suddenly gone blind or mad, activating the SBX against Perry himself who programmed it! The brain now repulses him with every technical means at its command and I've no reason to believe Perry and Thora have joined up with each other. All probabilities point to the likelihood that they've cracked up and are now helplessly exposed to the danger of this prehistoric planet."

  Sengu tried once more to dispel Bell's pessimistic views. "The chief said something about the Arkonide woman being in good hands."

  Bell remained adamant. "Strictly speaking, the chief said very little. He hardly had time for explanations. Our radio communication was cut off after only two minutes and all attempts since to get in touch with him have been negative. The robot brain in the Venus base has not only erected its 300 mile barrier but intercepts all radio transmissions between us and the stations below and prevents us from landing. Perry's wrist-set is useless. I don't think even our powerful ship-sender gets through. When the p.b. takes a defensive position, the damned machine does its job to the letter. Arkonide technology, men!"

  The mutant Tanaka Seiko made a polite gesture. "We've been through all these arguments before, sir. You admit yourself that we're powerless. So why do we have to remain in this orbit if we can't help our commander from here?"

  Bell paused before replying. He scrutinized his listeners. (It was to his eternal regret that, because his eyes were such a pale blue, his penetrating gaze never appeared as stern as he would have liked when he needed to enforce authority.)

  Here stood the cream of his elite. They were the selected positive mutants of Rhodan's secret corps. Tanaka Seiko, for instance—endowed with an additional sense for receiving radio waves. Or seer Wuriu Sengu, who had no difficulties looking through solid objects.

  Bell's gaze focused on Tako Kakuta. "Yes, Tako, I mean you. Don't you agree that the positronic brain has completely failed to take one circumstance into consideration?"

  "Are you referring to my capacity for teleportation, sir?"

  "Of course! The brain machine in the Venus bulwark is 10,000 years old. I don't mean to say it's from the Stone Age; after all, it was constructed by an expedition of Arkonides whose technology was even then tremendously ahead of mankind today. But 10,000 years ago there weren't any mutants yet on Terra. This leads us to the sensible conclusion that the robot brain was not programmed for defense against teleportation."

  "You mean, I should..." Tako Kakuta paused. He glanced hesitantly at the observation screen depicting the surface of Venus. Underneath the 60 yard sphere of Good Hope V the wild virgin landscape of the planet unfolded slowly, as in a time exposure. But details were not discernible. Now and then a gap in the dense blanket of clouds permitted a glimpse of the surface. Dark green, luxuriant forests; blue-green, sometimes even black shimmering oceans and grey-brown cliffs covered with snow around the polar caps. The optical screen showed much less than the teleporter saw in his memory and fantasy. Tako had spent long weeks on Venus. He knew what awaited him in the labyrinth down there.

  "Yes," Bell nodded seriously. "You should go down to make contact with Rhodan. Once you've found him, the rest is child's play. Together with the chief we're an invincible team and we'll accomplish what we set out to do. We'll transport Perry the quickest possible way into the fortress so that he can give new instructions to the brain."

  "That's obvious," Sengu nodded optimistically. "How come we didn't hit on this idea sooner?"

  "We're too much inclined to accept an Arkonide energy barrier as absolute and infallible. Years of familiarity with Arkonide technology have created the unconscious conviction that it's nothing short of perfection. Get ready, Tako! It'll be just a skip and a jump for you."

  "The distance is ridiculously small, sir. I've been thinking for some time of taking a jump down there and would've done it on my own, if..."

  "If what?"

  "If it weren't for the jungle. I know the place. Even a teleporter can go astray in it after losing orientation. And without warning you run into all sorts of man-eating vermin. Even the quick reflexes of a teleporter are sometimes insufficient for flight from them."

  "Are you afraid?"

  "I'm always a little afraid when going straight to hell. But this isn't what bothers me most. After all there are probably several thousand men down there who must be prepared at any moment to fight for their lives. But I need a concrete target. Unless it's determined exactly, I may have to teleport myself endlessly without having a chance to locate Rhodan."

  "Just let me worry about that! The shipboard positronic computer has collected all manoeuvre data. We've also located Perry's position at his last radio transmission. He's situated exactly 72 miles west of the 200 mile wide ocean channel extending deep into the northern continent."

  "But this data isn't precise enough, sir."

  "I know. I didn't imply that you have to make your leap this very minute."

  Bell shoved the teleporter out of his way with a forceful hand and strode to the on-board positronic brain.

  "Come here, all of you! Watch it that Tako and I make no mistakes. I'll guarantee you we'll fix Rhodan's position within 500 yards diameter at the most. Tako, if you don't fall into the arms of the chief, you'll have to go to the trouble of calling him."

  "Of course, sir!"

  The evaluation of the stored data proceeded faster than anticipated. The servo-circuits of the brain reacted promptly. A projection of the Venus surface appeared on the millimeter grid. The picture was obtained on the basis of previous surveys.

  More difficult was Tako Kakuta's individual adjustment to the problem, since he had to concentrate his
mind on a precise aim and needed a concrete concept of the spot he endeavored to reach through teleportation.

  There were only very limited clues on Venus in this respect. The primeval forest appeared like an endless carpet from above presenting a rough impression of millions of similar geographical points.

  Bell could sense Tako's difficulties. "No sweat, my boy. I'll make it easier for you." Saying which, he superimposed the cartographic grid on the landscape. Although this was merely a visual aid, it proved to be a useful device.

  "The orientation is very good," Tako Kakuta said suddenly. Please don't change the cartographic grid, sir. Our course seems to be correct as well. We should reach the most favorable point for my departure in about 10 minutes."

  They checked their watches. In addition to the chronometers on board the ship, which corresponded with the Terrestrial calendar, they all carried the so-called Venus watches. Figured roughly, Venus rotated five times slower than Earth. Therefore a day on Venus was five times longer.

  The point the positronic brain of the Good Hope V had ascertained as Rhodan's present position fell into the moving twilight zone. For their companions down on Venus a new morning had just dawned.

  The Venus watches showed close to 78:00 o'clock.

  Still five minutes to the most advantageous time to leap!

  It was a time of silent waiting during which the tension rose. If anyone on board had misgivings about Kakuta's mission, he did not mention it. It could be possible that the teleportation of a mutant was the last chance for penetrating the barrier created by the robot brain in the Venus fortress.

  Three minutes to go!

  Wuriu Sengu, the seer, groaned in disgust. After he had stood for seconds in utmost concentration peering into the apparent void, he relaxed his body and threw himself with dismay into a chair.

  Bell was angry at this demonstration of a pessimistic attitude since it could easily infect the others. "What's the matter, Wuriu?"

  "I've tried to recognize something under the mass of clouds. Of course, I can see more than you do. For you the surface of Venus is a bleak mantle of vapors and clouds yet for me it's a colorful and splendorous paradise. But we're more concerned now with detailed features and I can't make them out from this distance. About 20 miles south of the point specified by our computer is an almost barren high mesa. But the chief is most likely deep in the wild forest."

  "You mean, Wuriu, if he's smart, he'll try to reach the mesa?"

  "Naturally! It offers the best protection against the unpredictable fauna of the planet."

  "You may be right. But the problems probably look more difficult down there than from up here. In any case, we can fully depend on the result of our positronic range finder. I'm convinced that the next 15 minutes will tell us more about the situation. All clear, Tako?"

  One more minute to the right jump-off position.

  The teleporter nodded.

  In addition to his own equipment he carried an Arkonide operation-suit on his back. Everyone knew its purpose: as soon as Kakuta located Rhodan, the suit would enable their commander to reach the Venus fortress without delay. There he had to revise the programming of the positronic brain. Thus the control of the New Power over the entire planet would once more be secured with one stroke. The Arkonide transport suits were a technical marvel in a class by themselves. They were light weight and could be worn comfortably over regular clothing. They transformed the wearer into a flying Icarus, since the built-in gravity neutralizer compensated the force of gravity of the average planet. By means of a lightwave deflector and energy protection screen anyone who put on such a suit also became invisible and unassailable.

  The thought of these valuable aids for the impending operation restored the optimism of the crew. When Tako Kakuta handed the transport suit to Perry Rhodan, the episode of the shipwreck was canceled.

  "Ten seconds," Reginald Bell called out. "Be careful, Tako!"

  "Here I go!"

  The vanishing of a teleporter had become a daily occurrence in the life of Mutant Corpsmen. Nevertheless, they felt that the spectacle was mysterious and wonderful in this special case. A normal man leaves through a door or in an elevator but a teleporter just stands motionless on the spot. Purely by concentration of his mind he enters into a supra-dimensional field of existence which releases him again in his normal state at his destination.

  Kakuta's image faded away moment by moment, gradually becoming more unreal, so that he gave the impression of disappearing in time.

  Before they could count three, his place was empty.

  "And now we must have a little patience," Bell lectured. He intended to follow Wuriu and wait in a comfortable chair. However before he could sit down, a piercing scream caused him to spin around.

  Wuriu had jumped up too and looked incredulously at the body writhing on the floor of the command center.

  Tako Kakuta lay before them in convulsions of inexplicable torment. His scream had turned into a pitiful whimpering interrupted by violent coughing spells.

  Ralf Marten, the teleoptician of the Mutant Corps, stepped back as Kakuta tried with closed eyes to grab his leg and pull him down with imploring, mad gestures.

  "He's gone crazy!" Tanaka Seiko shouted. "Let's get hold of him and tie him up. He doesn't know what he's doing!"

  Obviously the teleporter didn't know what he was doing. Neither did the others know what they could do, since Kakuta was suffering from an unknown accident. He couldn't be treated as a culprit and a patient at the same time. Evidently he was more sick than 'crazy'.

  "We've got to help him," Marten declared, expressing both distrust and compassion in his attitude.

  All those present had instinctively made a wide circle around Kakuta and now they began to take some remedial action.

  "Ralf, concentrate on his brain!" Reginald Bell suggested. "Tell me what he sees and hears!"

  Ralf Marten's positive mutation enabled him to temporarily shut his own self out and receive through the eyes and ears of another the impression of the person thus 'taken over' but remaining completely unaware of what happened to him.

  Marten concentrated his thoughts and assumed the typical rigid stance of the mutants. After a while he relaxed again and shook his head. "Tako told me nothing at all. What he sees and hears can't be defined. He doesn't recognize us. His perception is confused as..." Marten hesitated.

  "Come on, out with it!" Bell urged. "Are you telling us Tako is mad?"

  The teleoptician nodded without conviction. "That's what I was going to say. But I'm no physician. Don't pay too much attention to my impressions!"

  "What the hell, Marten! You're only confusing the matter even worse. Tako's brain must mirror some

  reflexes. He was only outside the ship five seconds. He can't have become a total idiot in such a short time!"

  The teleoptician shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I'm afraid, sir, I can't tell you how to proceed. If his brain really reflects his latest brief experiences, I can only say that the origin of his visual and acoustic impressions was also indefinable and absurd."

  "Don't bug him," Wuriu Sengu counseled. "After all, he's no telepath."

  "Thank you for your advice," Bell replied, gnashing his teeth. "Then we've got no other choice; we'll have to carry out Tanaka's suggestion and tie him up... Wait a minute! He's calming down..." Tako Kakuta was suddenly lying still: Only his rapid heavy breathing indicated his state of excitement.

  Finally he opened his eyes and stared at his friends without a sign of recognition. "Let's be patient now," Bell requested. "Apparently his agitation is lessening. We can't relieve his pain until we know what the cause is." Bell approached the teleporter closer. "Tako, what's the matter? Can't you talk to us?" It took several more minutes before the little Japanese reacted to his surroundings for the first time. His mind seemed to get clearer. "Reg, good heavens, why don't you help me?"

  "I'll help you as soon as you explain to me what's wrong with you."

  "I've
got pains."

  "Where at?"

  "I'm hurting all over. My back, my head... No man can stand three hours in that hell!"

  The others looked at each other dubiously. Their glances seemed to insinuate that Tako must be insane.

  "He was only three, maybe five seconds gone," Tanaka Seiko stated. "It's impossible that he landed on Venus in that time and left again."

  "But he must have experienced some horrible incident," the captain commented. "Let's lift him up and put him on the couch next door."

  First Bell kneeled down beside Tako and opened the zipper of his collar. It must have been a relief for Tako as he said distinctly, "Thank you!"

  They carried him into the next room without resistance. Tako was now completely passive and harmless. Obediently he swallowed a pain-relieving tablet.

  "Are you feeling better?" Bell inquired.

  "Yes, a little. Thank you!"

  "Thank goodness! The way you carried on was enough to make us think you'd gone haywire. Do you already feel strong enough to give us a report?"

  "There's not much to report. I didn't get down. It was impossible to get through."

  "Nobody expected you to get to Venus in the few seconds of your absence. No more than..."

  "Why are you always talking about a few seconds, sir?" Kakuta asked suspiciously. "I was caught for many hours in an inferno before I was released again."

  "All right," Bell soothed him. "Let's not argue about minor points. What's really important is that you've made no mistakes."

  "How can a teleporter do anything wrong sir? I'm no more able to influence the process of teleportation than you can direct the manner in which your eyes and brain see. It's a natural gift and it functions according to its own laws."

  "H'm," Bell thought out loud. "If you haven't made any error, it won't do any good to repeat the experiment."

  "I'll be damned if I attempt it again! I beg your pardon, sir. Don't think I'm talking about insubordination. I can't explain it to you."

  "You referred to hell?"

  "There's no other word to describe it. I was in a void and yet it was full of pain and torture. There can only be one explanation for it."