Blazing Sun Read online

  Perry Rhodan

  Atlan And Arkon #86

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  Blazing Sun

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  1/ UNIVERSE CONQUERORS

  THE CONNECTION between the Einstein Universe and the Druuf time-plane still existed but it grew daily worse. As far as was known, the 'tear' was the only natural access to the Imperium the Druufs had.

  But not for long.

  Already the ships of the alien race were coming increasingly less often through the discharge cone, as Earthly scientists called the rent in the structure of time. There they met the patrolling forces of the Solar Imperium and the Arkonide surveillance units.

  While the Druufs came more rarely, they came with greater determination and bitterness. They knew that for them the gateway to the immeasurable riches of the Universe would soon close and that they would again be the prisoners of their own time-plane—until by chance another discharge cone developed somewhere else. Until then they would be prisoners of a time-plane in which time would again run 72,000 times slower than in the Einstein Universe.

  Strange things happened in these days and weeks.

  In any case, the report of Lt. Grenoble offered food for thought.

  Grenoble commanded a Gazelle and flew patrols close to the edge of the discharge cone, which was clearly visible on the vidscreens with the help of the radar equipment. The scout stood in constant communication with the mothership, which belonged to a battle-ready squadron of the Solar Spacefleet.

  In the control room of the Gazelle, a discus more than 30 meters in diameter, Lt. Grenoble sat next to the pilot and stared at the screen. "Well, Sgt. Raft, what's your opinion?"

  Raft was an average-sized man, notable for his aquiline nose, which had earned him the nickname 'Indian'. In fact, he sometimes claimed that one of his distant ancestors had been an Apache chief. However, that had nothing to do with the, fact he was continually assigned to missions which depended in large part on a tracking sense.

  "Suspiciously quiet here," Raft replied, correcting the course so that the Gazelle approached the discharge cone more closely. "If the instruments are operating OK, then the gap is still 10 kilometers wide here—and getting narrower by the second. If you ask me, lieutenant, it's hopeless for the Druufs."

  "The more hopeless their situation, the more desperate they'll act. I wonder what they're looking for in our universe if they won't be able to return to their own later? It almost looks as though they're searching for something that they're afraid of losing when the gap closes."

  Raft nodded slowly. "That's just what I think too. But—what could they be looking for?"

  Lt. Grenoble shrugged. "I can't answer that, Raft. Sorry."

  The two men were silent again and turned their attention to the vidscreens. Here, more than 6,000 light-years closer to the center of the galaxy than Earth, the stars were more numerous and closer together. There were strange and unfamiliar constellations shining against the dark blackness, unusually bright and radiant. Especially a white-blue star to the right of the Gazelle's line of flight. Its fire blazed calmly and steadily but in spite of its apparent coldness the sun seemed hot and flaming.

  Neither Grenoble nor Raft suspected that this blue star had a very important role to play—even for them. And especially for the Druufs.

  Beforehand, however, something quite different happened.

  It was fundamentally impossible for a metallic body to remain unnoticed in the vicinity of a radar system of the sort that existed on every spaceship. With the advance of technology, radar systems had been brought to a state of perfection no matter which race was developing them. And so it was a mystery for the two men in the Gazelle control room as to why the Druuf fleet suddenly plunging into their universe took no notice of them.

  There were about 10 ships—long and narrow cylinders—that came through the tear and sped across their path towards the blue star at half-speol.

  Raft watched them, his mouth hanging open, unable to do anything. For his own part, Lt. Grenoble would have done something if it had been necessary. But it was not.

  The 10 ships sped up and were finally lost in the confusion of stars. Their course was without doubt headed for the blue star.

  Just as Grenoble was about to say something, five more ships appeared in the tear. In the meantime, Raft had gotten hold of himself to the point that he was able to act once more. His veined hands lay on the controls, ready at any second to throw the Gazelle into hyperspace where it would be safe. It was impossible for a small scout to engage even one Druuf cruiser in battle.

  But the spring into hyperspace was not yet necessary.

  Something strange happened to the five ships.

  First, they came to an abrupt stop and stood completely still. On the Gazelle vidscreen it looked as though a film had suddenly halted and the observers were looking at a single frame. Then the ships' outlines blurred and the ships themselves became phantom-like shadows, ghostly silhouettes outlined indistinctly against the stars.

  Then stars could be seen through the ships.

  Finally the five ships vanished altogether.

  Grenoble breathed heavily, staring with narrowed eyes at the frontal vidscreen, on which nothing more was to be seen than empty space. Raft's hands slid off the controls. He turned his head and looked helplessly at his commander.

  "What—what happened?" he asked, shaken. "Have they developed a way to make themselves invisible?"

  The lieutenant shook his head slowly. "No, I don't think so. As near as I can tell, the disappearance of the ships was not expected and completely involuntary. They wouldn't have stopped dead like that otherwise. I have an idea but it sounds too fantastic to be true."

  "Tell me what it is, sir," murmured Raft hoarsely. "What could be more fantastic than the truth?"

  "That's true..." mused Grenoble, looking again at the vidscreen as though he expected the five ships to return at any moment. "The discharge cone, Raft... It closed just in that second in which the ships were passing through it. They were either thrown back into the Druuf universe or sent into a third universe unknown to us. Perhaps they will never be able to return and are lost forever. Look at the radar, Raft. It doesn't show the discharge cone any longer."

  Raft looked at the instruments and saw that it was so. "Your theory's been borne out, sir. There isn't any more tear here. But..." He pointed in the direction of the blue sun. "... What about the 10 ships which were able to get through. Will they be able to find the way back into their own time-plane? What do they want here in our universe, anyway? Why didn't they try to destroy the Gazelle? Or did a miracle happen and they didn't spot us?"

  "They spotted us, alright," Grenoble told him, "but they didn't have the time to bother with us. That shows that they have a mission. And unless I'm mistaken, that mission has something to do with the area around the blue star over there." He looked at Raft. "Make course for the squadron and spring in 30 seconds. I have the feeling that Perry Rhodan will be very interested in our report."

  Lt. Grenoble was just as correct about that point as he was in all the rest.

  The Drusus was a gigantic sphere 1500 meters in diameter. It belonged to the Imperium Class and was a super battleship of the Solar Imperium. Col. Baldur Sikerman was usually its commander, but when Perry Rhodan was on board, the Colonel automatically assumed the role of First Officer.

  "In comparison to the Gazelle, the control room of the Drusus was a huge, semicircular room filled with a confusion of many-sided control panels and instruments. Only someone familiar with the complexities of the control room could find his way through it, and not only detailed study but also special hypno-training was necessary to completely understand
the mysteries of the Drusus.

  The chief radioman, David Stern, read Lt. Grenoble's report out loud and asked in conclusion: "What should I say in answer, sir?"

  Perry Rhodan stood with Col. Sikerman before the oval panorama-screen, comparing the part of the Milky Way that they could see with a star map spread out on a narrow counter in front of the screen.

  He looked at Stern. "Grenoble is to fly into the Drusus hangar and report to me."

  Stern saluted and disappeared into the radio room to carry out Rhodan's instructions. Col. Sikerman wrinkled his forehead. His squat, heavy-set figure made Rhodan look almost fragile and delicate.

  "Do you think Grenoble's observations are important, sir?"

  "Everything's important," Rhodan answered with a slight smile. "Even the most inconsequential observation could be of utmost importance in this war against the Druufs. The blue star—it seems to me to be a sort of omen. What do the Druufs want there?"

  "Who's saying that the 10 ships were really going to the blue star?"

  "We know the Druufs and their methods. When they set course for a goal, our experience is that they never change it, not even to deceive us. That means they are indeed going to the blue star." He looked at the star map. "A hot star, not three light-months from here, and orbited by three planets. Uninhabited but inhabitable. The Druufs are oxygen-breathers like us. Hmm..."

  "Are all three planets inhabitable?" asked Sikerman in surprise.

  Rhodan smiled. "No, of course not. I meant only the third, outermost one. It's about the size of our planet Mars, very warm and it has mainly mountains and deserts. Yes, I think we'll have to take a look at it. Perhaps the catalog that the Arkonides and Springers have bequeathed to us is in error. Take care of everything as soon as Grenoble is on board. And inform the other units."

  Rhodan nodded to Sikerman and turned to go. At the door he turned again and added: "I'll be in my cabin. Send Grenoble to me as soon as he's reported to you."

  Col. Sikerman remained behind. He had the vague feeling that he had not fully understood Rhodan's train of thought.

  • • •

  The Gazelle landed in the hangar of the Drusus. Lt. Grenoble and Sgt. Raft were taken to Rhodan and they made their report. Rhodan was especially interested in the five ships that had disappeared but could find no conclusive explanation. Then Col. Sikerman was called in.

  "Our first priority is not just seeking the ten Druuf ships and driving them away," said Rhodan. "We have more important tactical considerations. The Druufs are means to an end in a certain sense. Above all, we want to show the subject races in the Arkonide Imperium that we are not inclined to allow interlopers to penetrate our universe undisturbed. Atlan has enough difficulty with the Imperium; we can help him by making it obvious that in us he has a strong and determined ally. I think you know what I mean. Right, Sikerman?"

  "You want to attack the Druufs just to show our own allies how strong we are?"

  "Precisely," said Rhodan, smiling at him. "The Springers especially could use such a lesson, to say nothing of the Aras. So we'll take the Drusus and fly to the three planets of the blue star and look around. If we find Druufs there, we'll attack and destroy them."

  "Destroy them, sir?"

  "Yes! Consider that the Druufs don't take prisoners and are out to conquer our universe. We're acting in self-defense. Besides, their 10 ships could be manned by robots. You know as well as I do, Sikerman, that the Druufs like to have robots pull their chestnuts out of the fire for them. Does that ease your conscience?"

  "Yes, it does," Sikerman admitted, relieved. He even managed a smile. "Shall I inform the fleet? Who'll be accompanying us?"

  "We'll fly alone but we'll announce our intentions. If I know the Springers, they'll send along a secret observer—and we don't want to disappoint him. We'll start in half an hour." When Sikerman was gone, Rhodan continued. "You'll stay on board the Drusus with the Gazelle."

  Radio messages flitted back and forth during the subsequent half-hour. Sikerman informed the other fleet commanders of the planned operation and told them to continue their observation of the discharge cone. It could be expected that other Druuf units would come through. They were to be beaten back by all available means or—in case of resistance—destroyed.

  The order was acknowledged by the Terran as well as the Arkonide commanders. Despite their differences, Terra and Arkon were as one relative to the Druufs. These beings from another time-plane, three meters tall, were too alien for any rapprochement. The Druuf was by nature a common enemy which had to be fought—if he did not disappear of his own accord. When the tear in space closed and the impenetrable time-wall once more stood between the universes, then one could think about oneself again and of one's own problems and advantages.

  But it had not come to that yet.

  Shortly before the Drusus slid into hyperspace following its increase in speed, Rhodan's assumption was justified. Two slim cruisers were following him on the same course. Rhodan smiled in satisfaction when he noticed them. He knew that they would be able to easily detect and evaluate the coming spring of the Drusus. They would materialize in the vicinity of the blue star less than two minutes after the Drusus.

  Transition.

  Rematerialization.

  Not 10 light-minutes away from the blue star the Drusus materialized, racing at a rapidly decelerating speed towards the flaming sun. The electronic calculations ran automatically, concerning the central star and the three planets. The data was produced in the form of narrow plastic strips. The navigation's officer checked them over. The information in the star catalog was found to be accurate.

  "As we thought, only the third planet, sir. It's the size of Mars with similar conditions, only warmer. Uninhabited, the atmosphere is only on the border of being breathable. No vegetation, except for primitive funguses and mosses. Not much water, mountainous."

  Rhodan had listened attentively. He looked steadfastly at the vidscreen on which the blue star grew ever larger. On one side, the third planet came into his range of vision. The pale wreath of its atmosphere shone like a halo.

  Three light-minutes behind the Drusus, two slight transitions shuddered the space-continuum. The secret observers had reached their posts.

  Rhodan nodded grimly. "We'll continue to decelerate and then orbit the third planet, Sikerman. Try to locate the Druufs."

  "If your theory's correct, sir..."

  "You mean you think the Druufs aren't here?" Rhodan asked, shaking his head. "That would surprise me. Perhaps they might even have the intention of establishing a base here in our universe like we did in theirs. Too bad Hades was lost."

  The planet grew larger. Already details could be made out. On the stern screen stood two tiny points of light—the two ships of the Springers or the Aras. The only thing missing was the Druufs.

  The blue star was very hot. Its rays caused peculiar lighting effects on the surface of the small planet. Fortunately, the thin atmosphere absorbed the largest part of the blue light and allowed the white through unhindered.

  At a speed of a few kilometers per second, the Drusus entered the upper reaches of the atmosphere. The scanning equipment examined every nook and cranny of the surface. It was easy to inspect the broad deserts because here there could be no hiding places but the search in the extensive mountains was much more difficult. Deep valleys and gorges offered unguessed-at opportunities for concealment. Entire fleets could have been hidden there without being spotted immediately. The beams of the scanners worked only in straight lines. Metal detectors were activated which could sense metallic objects even beneath the ground, although they also indicated substantial ore deposits as well. Nevertheless, they showed the form of the buried object, which allowed it to be identified.

  Lt. Grenoble stood with Sgt. Raft somewhat in the background of the control room. He felt the first twinges of conscience. "Perhaps we guessed wrong," he murmured, so low that only Raft could hear him. "It could be that the Druufs changed their course a
nd didn't fly here at all."

  "Well, we had to report our observations," Raft assured him. "If the chief chooses to give them an important meaning, that's his business. I, on the other hand..."

  Rhodan turned to them. He smiled. "Gentlemen, you're worrying yourselves needlessly. I would have had you arrested if you hadn't given me your interesting report. You can be sure that I'm now completely satisfied. Just the certainty that the Springers are following our trail is enough to make this trip worthwhile..."

  "Druuf ships ahead!" Col. Sikerman interrupted.

  The Drusus was now flying along at only two kilometers per second and had gone lower. A sharply peaked mountain slid by beneath them, sinking to merge with a plain. On the plain, not 20 kilometers from the edge of the mountain, the 10 ships they had been searching for stood next to one another.

  Rhodan was reluctant to attack the Druufs without warning although he was more than half-inclined to destroy at least half their ships on the first flyby.

  So it happened that the Drusus sped over the 10 ships at a low altitude, then made a wide curve to come back, this time with its defense screens activated. That was a move that proved very necessary.

  Three of the Druuf ships took off and raced into the planet's dark-blue sky. The other seven opened up a murderous energy-fire on the Terran battleship but could not break down the strong defense screens. Almost at the same time, Rhodan was attacked by the three ships in the air directly from above. One of the torpedoes missed the Drusus and sped into the midst of the seven cruisers. A jet of flame made Rhodan close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again only four ships were still standing, their guns quiet. Two other torpedoes detonated in the defense field but their explosive energy had no effect on the ship.

  "Attack!" Rhodan ordered tonelessly.

  On the stern screen, the two points of light were to be seen only indistinctly.

  The four remaining Druuf ships went up in vapor from the Drusus firestorm. It could be assumed that only robots were on board, since otherwise the ships would have taken off with the other three.