Phantom Fleet Read online

  Perry Rhodan

  Posbis #97

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  PHANTOM FLEET

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  1/ "THE MOST DANGEROUS RACE IN THE UNIVERSE"

  AN EARTHLIKE PLANET circled the blue-white giant sun. Its gravitation measured 1.1 G; it had a dense oxygen atmosphere and an unusual light-blue sky. The continents showed unmistakable signs of settlements by an intelligent race with a high level of technology.

  Not only was the sun blue and the sky of the 5th planet tinged with the same peculiar hue but the entire system was surrounded by the shimmering bluish shell of a transparent energy screen. The effect caused Perry Rhodan to name it Blue System when he discovered the homeworld of the Akons.

  He called the mysterious planet Sphinx. Sphinx had two moons. One was small and of no importance but the other—about the size of Mercury—took the place of an entire spacefleet with its matter-transmitter installations. This moon was, fundamentally, nothing but a gigantic transmitter station. From there the Akons were in a position to transfer goods and materials, as well as themselves and their weapons to any point in the Milky Way, provided there existed a matching receiver station.

  If, for example, they were able to set up such a receiver station on Earth without being noticed, there would be nothing to prevent them from launching an invasion without deploying a single spaceship.

  This they had already tried to do once before, ravaging Terra with a monstrous plasma that brought humanity to the brink of an abyss. Rhodan was certain they would not be satisfied with their first attempt and he realized that a mere defense was not the best way to counter the insidious attack of the Akons. On the contrary, it was necessary to lure the ancestors of the Arkonides from their well-protected Blue System.

  More than three dozen light and heavy cruisers patrolled the outside of the blue screen of shimmering energy, attempting to find a gap. But there was no gap. Therefore it was also impossible for the Terrans to learn anything about the events taking place on Sphinx or its moon. At least there was no sign to indicate that anything of an alarming nature was in process. On Terra and its Moon hundreds of spaceships lifted off every day and nobody attached special significance to this fact.

  By contrast the Akons possessed only a few ships because they handled their traffic of goods and passengers by means of transmitters. Ships were only required when a new transmitter station had to be established on a hitherto unknown or undeveloped celestial body.

  A ship was preparing to be launched from the moon of the 5th planet. It was not a very large vessel. Its spherical shape was characteristic for the Arkonides and pre-Arkonides but both poles were considerably flattened. Technicians performed the final inspections and they seemed to work more painstakingly than Terrestrial engineers. But this was rather deceptive because the ship was prepared for a special mission which required extraordinary care. The ship was no run-of-the-mill vessel but a secret and unique construction.

  The crew of the Akonian craft was assembled on Sphinx to receive their final instructions. The mission was explained once more, the importance of success pointed out and the effectiveness of complete surprise stressed. This attack on Arkon—and thus directed also against Terra—was more than an experiment, the speaker emphasized, stretching his arms toward the sky so that his palms were turned against the blue sun. It was an ingenious combination of technology and psychological speculation which could be grasped by an opponent only after it was too late.

  Then they formed a column and marched past the members of the government and the scientists toward a brightly shimmering forcefield, a flaming arch of light—the entrance to a huge matter-transmitter. When the first row of Akons reached the arch of light it simply disappeared. It was as if they had been swallowed by a void. The second row followed the third and all the others until the entire column had left the planet Sphinx in this strange and almost incomprehensible manner.

  Almost simultaneously the same column materialized again on the moon. The first row emerged from a nearly identical arch. It had traversed the distance from the planet to its moon by a single step in less than a second. Then the column approached the ship with the flattened poles. The officers reported their presence. A scintillating antigrav-field was generated between the open entrance hatch and the ground and the crew boarded the ship.

  20 or 30 light-hours away the Terran warships continued their patrol. Even their most sensitive instruments were unable to register what happened on Sphinx and its moon. They did not react either to the start of the fairly small spherical vessel which zoomed with increasing acceleration toward the borders of the Blue System and applied its unknown technique to brake to the presumably impenetrable wall of energy at the precise location.

  This was the moment for which the Terrans had vaguely hoped. If it was possible to pierce the energy

  wall from the inside it, probably could also be done in the opposite direction.

  The observation screens of three warships cruising in the vicinity caught the shadow of the Akonian craft as it sped by. Before its course could be determined and an effective pursuit initiated, the mysterious spaceship surpassed the speed of light and slipped into semispace, rendering it invisible to the Terran observers. Any further pursuit was out of the question because a transition craft could never find or catch up in paraspace with a vessel equipped with linear drive.

  The incident was duly reported by hyperradio to Terra but it was not treated with the urgency it deserved. Nobody suspected that the attack had begun—an attack as never had occurred before.

  A team of Akons had taken off to shake a stellar empire to its foundations. An invisible fist reached from the past into the present and struck with a vengeance.

  Thousands of years shrank to nothing.

  • • •

  "They consider us to be no more than a pest," Reginald Bell, Rhodan's deputy, observed sarcastically. "The contempt with which the old Arkonides treated us when we first met them on the Moon is mild compared with the Akons."

  Solar Marshall Freyt nodded his head in assent but said nothing. He left it to Rhodan who sat at the head of the table. Behind him was the big window which presented almost a full view of Terrania. The capital of Terra and the Solar Imperium had grown even more and its outskirts stretched far into the old Gobi Desert which now was fertile land.

  "True," Perry Rhodan agreed, "they despise us and want to squash us like bothersome vermin. Isn't this proof enough of their stupid arrogance? Anybody who underestimates his opponent is dumb. Moreover they are intolerant because they don't want to put up with our presence although they know us as little as we know them. And intolerance, my friends, is also identical with stupidity."

  Freyt said: "We're ready, Perry. Our fleet is ready anytime an attack occurs. The Akons know the galactic position of Terra—at least we must assume that much."

  "I wish they would attack us," Rhodan sighed, "openly and honorably with their ships! But I'm afraid their next move will be as sneaky as their first. They fear war but they don't shrink from murder. Is the Drusus ready to start, Reggie?"

  "Of course," the red-haired Bell grunted. "As always!"

  "How about the Mutant Corps?"

  "They're already on board."

  "And Deringhouse?"

  "He can be reached instantly. After all, he's the commander."

  "Very good," Rhodan replied. "Then we can take some action very soon. If the Akons haven't made up their minds yet we can force the issue." He hesitated a moment. "One more question, Freyt: how much progress have you made with the installation of the linear drive? Are those ships ready for service?"

  "Some of them are already undergoing flight tests. The
shipyards on the Moon are working full time. If necessary we can request a vessel with ultralight drive at a moment's notice."

  "Thank you. That's all I wanted to know." Rhodan looked at Bell, Freyt and the other officers. "Any more questions today?"

  A General rose. "Sir, do you plan to take off today?"

  Rhodan smiled. "No. But I must stress instant readiness. Our plans are not definite as yet but you'll be informed in time. Anything else?"

  Later, at Rhodan's home, he, Bell and a few other friends were gathered. The mouse-beaver Pucky curled up on a couch and seemed to be asleep. If he could only get in on the action...!

  John Marshall, the task leader of the Mutant Corps, sat next to Rhodan and Ras Tschubai, the African teleporter, made himself comfortable in a chair beside the Japanese girl Ishy Matsu. Soft music played in the background.

  "It's almost like the days when we confronted the Arkonides," Bell said. "But I liked them much better. At least we knew whom we were up against and where they could be found."

  "Exactly," Marshall concurred. "This time we're groping too much in the dark. These forebears of the Arkonides, the Akons, are even more mysterious and arrogant than their descendants—but unfortunately not as weak and decadent. We're going to have a lot of trouble with them."

  "As if we didn't have enough worries already," Bell muttered. He got up and sat down next to Pucky, who blinked at him with sleepy eyes and stretched himself in pleasure as his bosom friend began to scratch his furry neck. "We simply ought to ignore them."

  "A danger can't be averted by ignoring it," Rhodan tried to set him straight. "On the contrary, it can only be made worse that way."

  "What do you intend to do about it, chief?" Ras Tschubai asked frankly.

  Rhodan smiled with amusement. "You always speak directly to the point, Ras, don't you? But you'll get your answer. The day after tomorrow or sooner we'll go into transition to get to the base of the Blue System. There are already 200 units waiting out there and we want to make an effort to penetrate the shield with our coordinated forces. Perhaps we can accomplish something if all our ships perform their transitions simultaneously."

  Bell stopped stroking Pucky. "What do you mean—simultaneous transitions? You couldn't..."

  "Precisely!" Rhodan replied calmly although he was assailed by doubts. "The force of the shock should make the energy barrier collapse. If not..." He did not say what would happen then.

  Bell looked pale as he gasped: "It's a hell of a risk, Perry!"

  "You won't be affected, Reggie, because you'll have to stay behind this time. I want you to keep your eyes open during my absence. I have a vague feeling that something very unpleasant is about to happen here."

  "An attack by the Akons?"

  "Yes. Perhaps even an invasion."

  They fell silent. Each was occupied with his own thoughts. Bell realized that he couldn't think of a good argument to protest his assignment and so he kept his mouth shut as he scratched the red-brown fur of the mouse-beaver.

  In the silence the interruption of the music sounded like a signal. There was a click. Somebody had interfered with the line. Rhodan looked at the videophone on the desk standing in a corner of the room but the picture screen remained dark.

  "Attention! Calling Perry Rhodan! Urgent! Hyper-radio call from Arkon! Please answer at once! Hyper-radio call from..."

  Rhodan jumped up and rushed to the seefone. He pushed the button which connected him directly to the Communication Center of Terrania. Then he switched over to the hyperradio station. A face appeared on the screen and the voice matched the one he just had heard on the radio. "I beg your pardon, sir. I didn't know if you were at home—but the message is urgent. That's why I had to make a public announcement on the broadcasting system."

  "Oh well," Rhodan replied, a little annoyed, "connect me with the hyper-transmitter. I'll take the call right here."

  The man nodded and disappeared from the picture screen. Only a few seconds later the face of Atlan, Gonozal VIII, Imperator of Arkon, emerged on the viewer. The familiar features of the immortal Arkonide showed stark dismay and confusion. He searched Rhodan's eyes—from a distance of 34,000 light-years.

  "What happened?" Rhodan asked. "You can speak openly. The people who are here with me are my closest friends."

  "What happened...? If I only knew! Something terrible and incomprehensible occurred. Somebody has intruded into Arkon and landed on Arkon #3, the military planet, after breaking through the ring of fortifications. Nobody was able to stop him. The automatic guns did not fire a single shot! There was no alarm signal!"

  Rhodan stared at Atlan in utter consternation. What the Imperator described was pure madness! The ship that could pierce Arkon's planetary ring of fortifications didn't exist! It was obviously impossible. Atlan must have been mistaken. He let his face betray his thoughts.

  "You don't believe me?" Atlan became stern. "You must take my word for it, Perry! Time is as great an enemy as the invaders who have taken over Arkon 3 where all our spaceship installations and military headquarters are located—as well as the Robot Brain! The Robot Brain! Perry, if it falls into the hands of strangers and is damaged... I know what you're going to say. It can take care of itself. But can it really?

  Consider that the strangers have penetrated the defense ring and not a gun was fired! If they can do that, they know how to handle the Robot Brain too."

  "What about your ships guarding the outer atmosphere? Didn't they notice the intruder?"

  "Certainly—but the pursuit was useless. They could only watch the stranger land on Arkon 3. There he vanished. When our ships moved in closer they were taken under fire. From our own guns, mind you!"

  It took a few moments before Rhodan replied. "I'll leave for Arkon with the Drusus and 10 other units. Please arrange for us to pass through your blockade without being challenged."

  Atlan's face relaxed in relief. "Thank you, Perry. Perhaps we can find a solution together. Do you know the stranger?"

  "What did his ship look like?"

  "A big sphere but both poles were rather flat. The drive..."

  "Thank you. That's all I need to know. The Akons again! They have already tried to cripple Terra and now it's your turn. There isn't a more dangerous race in the universe. Contact me if anything else suspicious happens. The transceiver of the Drusus will be transmitting on your private frequency so that you can reach me anytime."

  "Thanks again. Akons—You'll have to tell me more about them."

  "As much as I know, Atlan. Meanwhile, keep Arkon under close observation, especially the military planet. You should concentrate all your available warships in the orbit of Arkon 3 and seal it off. Try to destroy the enemy ship if you can as soon as it is ready to leave again."

  "I'll call you the minute I have more news," Atlan promised. Then his picture faded and the connection was terminated.

  Rhodan returned to his seat. He gazed at his silent friends. Pucky was wide-awake and looked at him expectantly. Bell did not look too happy. He knew that the takeoff of the Drusus had to take place sooner. "Today?" he inquired.

  "Immediately," Rhodan replied with a sigh. "The Akons are moving in on Arkon—their colony. At least that's what it must have been 15,000 years ago. I wonder if they are aware of the alliance we have formed with Atlan?"

  Bell squirmed in his seat. "What am I supposed to do here at Terrania? The Akons won't invade Arkon and Terra at the same time. I'm superfluous here..."

  "And where aren't you...?" the mouse-beaver Pucky peeped ungratefully. He seemed to have forgotten that Bell had scratched his neck, which happened rarely enough. "Whether here or aboard the Drusus ..."

  "Shut your mouth!" Rhodan said in an unfriendly tone. Pucky was flabbergasted. It was even rarer that Rhodan rebuked him so sharply. In a huff he dematerialized and vanished from the sight of his perplexed friends. He teleported himself to the Drusus , where he could relieve his anger by the satisfaction of being the first to report the sensational news. r />
  Rhodan paid little attention to Pucky's disappearance. "We'll lift off in an hour," he advised Bell. "You, my friend, are going to stay put right here. I have no intention of leaving Earth without my authorized agent. And mark my words—something is going to pop while I'm gone."

  Perry Rhodan was unable to foretell the future but his premonition would prove to be well justified.

  2/ S.O.S. FROM SALEX 4

  The Drusus rematerialized after the 2nd transition in the vicinity of an Arkonide base 20,000 light-years from Earth. Before the Chief Navigator, Maj. Gorm Nordmann, could begin his calculations for the 3rd transition the hyperradio receiver picked up a call. Lt. Fred Jenner, the radio officer of the Drusus , notified Rhodan at once.

  Rhodan, who naturally assumed that it was a message from Atlan, rushed quickly to the radio room. He was in for a surprise. The picture screen did not show the familiar face of the Arkonide but that of an unknown person. He was, without doubt, also an Arkonide. The white hair, the high forehead, the reddish eyes and the arrogant expression made this quite clear.

  After requesting a 2-way connection so that the caller could see and hear him as well, Rhodan answered tersely: "Battleship Drusus of the Solar Imperium. Commander Perry Rhodan, Terra, speaking. Did you call us?"

  It became obvious that the Arkonide did not have the faintest idea whom he had contacted. First his face showed disappointment, then relief. Rhodan had trouble figuring out his reaction.

  "Base Commander Geral Khor, planet Salex #4. I have lost my radio contact with Arkon. Could you relay an important message to the Imperator for me?"

  Rhodan scrutinized the Arkonide. "Your hyper-transmitter is in working condition, otherwise you could not have reached me. We're 3 light-months, Terra time, away from you."

  "I'm using my reserve energy, which is all I have available. It was enough to register your transition, to locate and call you. The distance to Arkon, however, exceeds its range."

  "What happened?"

  The Arkonide hesitated. "I don't know if I'm allowed to inform you of it," he confessed quite frankly. "It's a military secret."