Thora's Sacrifice Read online

  Villnoess left his desk and walked to the window. The weather was grey on grey. The intense colors paled behind a curtain of rain.

  "Like a death-shroud..." Villnoess murmured, breathing with difficulty.

  2/ CRISIS: RHODAN

  Gen. Deringhouse had finally gotten it off his chest.

  Perry Rhodan turned his back to him. The room was filled with an oppressive silence and Deringhouse felt as if a burden were weighing with increasing heaviness on his shoulders.

  He had reported his conversation with the Chief Physician of the Terra Clinic's Hematology Department at Port Venus almost word by word to the Administrator. If there was a man who had the right to learn the last details, this man was Perry Rhodan, Thora's husband.

  Then Rhodan said abruptly: "Please leave me alone now, Deringhouse. I'll see you in an hour at the briefing. Thank you very much."

  The door had hardly closed behind the General when Rhodan called the telecom center. "Please have Reginald Bell answer all my calls. I don't want to be disturbed."

  • • •

  Grautier, the seventh planet of the Myrtha system which was comprised of a total of 49 planets, became with each passing day a stronger base of the Solar Imperium. Many billions had already been invested to build a bristling fortress in the vicinity of the overlap—front between the Einstein and Druuf timeplanes.

  Located only 22 light-years from the egress zone where the two time-planes overlapped and the transit-funnel became constantly more stabilized, Perry Rhodan regarded the planet as the most important springboard for the imminent actions.

  At the moment there was nothing for him to do but to wait. Time was working in his favor as the Arkonide war fleet and Druuf Space Forces conducted merciless battles against each other.

  Both sides were apparently equally strong and suffered tremendous material losses which were replaced hourly by new reserves. Neither the Arkonides nor the Druufs considered their casualties with undue concern as long as they were not scraping the bottom of the barrel.

  However at this particular time when Deringhouse had confirmed to Perry Rhodan what Dr. Manoli had only hinted at during his last conversation, his mind didn't dwell on the murderous space battles or on the exposed situation on the Grautier planet.

  Rhodan's thoughts were concentrated on Venus. Before his inner eye he seemed to see the Valta Mountains and the little cottage Arkon nestled at the foot of the hills. 'Thora...'

  With his arms stretched before him on his desk and his hands clasped, the mightiest man in the Solar Imperium sat with a bowed head and railed against his fate. He longed for his wife and felt the temptation growing stronger that counseled him: Abandon everything!

  The human feelings of Perry Rhodan came to the fore—the distraught man who was unwilling to face the truth that he would live on for many decades while his beloved wife was felled by a dreadful illness.

  "Thomas... Thomas!" The face of his son emerged before his eyes—their son, Thomas Cardif, who was now 23 years old.

  But the son had rebelled against his father. He had grown up as Cardif and had learned only after passing his exam as lieutenant of the Solar Spacefleet that Thora and Perry Rhodan were his parents. To this day his son Thomas couldn't forgive him that he had grown up without knowing the love of his parents.

  "Thomas, my boy..." he kept whispering. He ached to be with his son in this hour of sorrow so that they could together prepare for the day when they would have to bid farewell to wife and mother.

  However just as swiftly as the picture of his son had been conjured up before his mental eyes it faded away again. He tried in vain to hold it back and the man who embodied the might of the Solar Imperium was distressed by the fear that he had lost his son long ago.

  A feeling of loneliness closed in on him from all sides. The temptation to drop everything and to fly to Venus so that Thora would not be left alone in the final months of her life threatened not only to shake him but to overwhelm him—Perry Rhodan, the idol of myriads of people.

  "Sir!" The well-known voice of the officer in charge of the hyper-radio station on Grautier jolted him to a return to the exigencies of his daily life.

  He responded mechanically and lifted his head to the picture-screen where he saw the familiar face.

  "Sir, since 10 minutes we've been receiving a message from the Robot Brain. I've informed Reginald

  Bell but he has referred me to you."

  "Thank you, Reggie!" Rhodan thought when he heard these words, realizing again how comforting it was to have such a good friend. Bell must have sensed what he was going through or perhaps Deringhouse had related his misery to him and Bell had acted in the manner which was typical for him.

  "Sir," the radio officer continued while Rhodan's thoughts wandered off, "the message says: Personal Visit Requested! The call is being repeated every 10 seconds on the frequency of the Mammoth Brain and it is not addressed to any person in particular nor does it state a sender. Reginald Bell is of the opinion that the message is for you. Is this correct, sir?"

  "Thank you," Rhodan replied, noting with astonishment that his voice had not lost its normal tone. "Yes, I've been expecting such a message. It doesn't require an answer. Thank you."

  He was caught up again in his daily problems and his personal cares had to be put aside. He was certain that there was one person in the Solar Imperium who understood his motivation: Thora, his adored companion!

  It was too difficult to get her out of his mind, he found, when he called his deputy Reginald Bell. "Reggie, is Deringhouse with you?" he asked his friend tersely.

  "Yes, he's sitting right here. Do you want to talk to him?"

  "I'd like to talk to both of you. Please come over before the briefing begins!"

  When Deringhouse saw his boss again he was surprised how calmly Rhodan behaved. The only evidence of his strain was the deepened furrow of his brow.

  With a gesture he offered them a seat. "Reggie, you're already informed about this but not Deringhouse."

  Rhodan now looked at the General, who perked up. Whenever Rhodan's voice had that certain 'metallic' tone, he was talking about a new and dangerous operation. "Deringhouse, last September I submitted a request to the Robot Brain on Arkon 2 for acquisition of 100 spherical spaceships of Arkonide construction..."

  "Acquisition?" Bell reiterated with a telling smile. "When I hear that I'm reminded of the way you acquired the Titan at that time. Didn't Pucky use the more common word 'grab' for it?"

  Perry Rhodan saw through his friend's tactics. Bell had never been more serious than at this moment. With his jocular remark he merely wanted to make him relax the tension he was under.

  Rhodan entered into the spirit of Bell's allusion. "Listen fatty," he replied, teasing his friend with a name which was not unusual even in the presence of the General. "I remember very well that it was you who expressed himself in this fashion and you might also recall the facts and circumstances which induced the positronic Brain to transfer the Titan to us."

  However Bell was not yet ready to give in. "I beg your pardon, Perry, if I have made an inappropriate reference to that matter. Your plan for the acquisition of 100 Arkonide spaceships reminded me perforce of your acquisition of the Titan. We didn't pay anything for it either, or did we?"

  Deringhouse's laughter was an affirmation that the earlier 'purchase' of the super-battleship Titan had involved some procedures which had not been quite businesslike. And the General congenially winked an eye at Reginald Bell.

  "OK, Reggie." Rhodan backed down and turned again to Deringhouse. "I have no intention of buying 100 spaceships from Arkon. Payment would not induce the Regent Robot to come across with the vessels. It will be a more attractive argument if I use the situation at the overlap-front, taking into consideration the fact that the Robot Brain is, due to his programming, incapable of understanding why an Einstein and a Druuf timeplane exist and why the phenomenon of the overlap-zone has occurred. It should make my proposal for an armed a
lliance against the Druufs more palatable to the Regent. But I can tell by the frown on your face that you have some objections."

  The general replied sarcastically, "I'd rather have the devil himself for a partner in a treaty. He would be more honest than the positronic brain on Arkon 3. Did it ever honor an agreement, Chief?"

  Rhodan seemed to skip the question in his reply. "I want to get 10 super-battleships of the Imperium class, diameter 1,500 meters, twenty 500-meter battle cruisers, 30 heavy cruisers, measuring 200 meters in diameter as well as 40 light cruisers of the state class. Don't look so surprised, Deringhouse. After all, such a fleet of 100 warships is not a major force for the Great Imperium. And you mustn't lose sight of another point, Deringhouse. If we can pull off the deal, the Giant Brain will be convinced that it has merely lent these ships to the Solar Imperium. It will feel sure that it will be able to take them all back some day—and the Solar Imperium with them. The positronic Brain must act this way because that's how it has been programmed. We constantly make the mistake to consider this giant apparatus as a living organism, because it reasons, draws logical conclusions and makes errorless decisions."

  "This compels humans with a certain instinct for honesty to feel that the Brain can be treated as a partner. To the contrary! The super positronic on Arkon 3 is the greatest enemy of our Galaxy because it was programmed by its creators to see everything in an Arkonide perspective and has been instructed to safeguard the existence of the Great Empire by all means. Ethical considerations were not infused into the Brain! And we have to approach Arkon with this basic tendency in mind when we make the request to enter into a military alliance with the Solar Imperium. I'd never contemplate negotiating in such a devious manner with an intelligent being regardless of its outer appearance but where the Robot Brain is concerned I've learned to disregard such scruples."

  Deringhouse was highly pleased since he shared the attitude of his boss. He suppressed a quick wily grin and asked in a serious tone: "And you want ME—?"

  Perry Rhodan's nod was final.

  "OK, Chief. I'll do my best to acquire these 100 warships from Arkon. May I make an additional suggestion?"

  "Please, Deringhouse," Rhodan replied agreeably.

  "Yes, Chief..." began the general and it was obvious that he felt uneasy. "Chief, my suggestion... well, it concerns... wouldn't my flight to Arkon also be in the domain of your wife as Arkonide princess...?"

  "This is completely out of the question, General," Rhodan rebutted him brusquely, turning white from the shock.

  "Sir, it was only a suggestion," Gen. Deringhouse apologized, silently deploring his cockeyed idea.

  However Reginald Bell refused to remain silent. He challenged his friend head-on in his typical manner.

  "Since when are you such an egoist, Perry?" he asked tersely, looking him straight into the eye.

  He bit into granite with his question.

  "No!" Rhodan decided, clenching his fist and pounding on his desk so hard that the pens and pencils danced.

  Reginald Bell was not in the least intimidated by this. He considered Deringhouse's suggestion to be excellent.

  "H'm... this is a fine way of getting rid of your wife!" Bell had the temerity to say to his friend's face.

  At this moment Deringhouse was ready to surrender his rank of general if he could have left the room.

  "Mr. Bell..."

  Although Perry Rhodan addressed him in a quiet tone in this formal manner, Bell blurted in a loud voice: "You and your Mr. Bell,Perry! His voice sounded sincere and alarming; he was so full of empathy for his friend when he said "Perry" that his hands, which he stretched out toward Rhodan couldn't make it much clearer: "Perry, old friend, come to your senses!"

  Yet Perry Rhodan failed to see and hear it. Bell's terrible accusation rang in his ears: "...a fine way to get rid of your wife!"

  "What did you say...?" Perry Rhodan wanted to rise up but his burly friend was quicker. In one leap he planted himself before Rhodan. "I've told you this as a friend, Perry! It was my duty to talk to you so brutally. Nobody else is allowed to talk to you in this manner, no matter how much they might feel like it. Deringhouse can make a short stop on Venus and take Thora to Arkon. Did you forget already that Arkon was her home?"

  Bell had put his hand on Rhodan's shoulder and looked down into his eyes. He smiled but his tone was serious. Then he paused and looked expectantly at Rhodan.

  "Reggie, the way you have reprimanded me is..."

  But Bell didn't let him finish. "Shock therapy, old friend. Don't you know me any better, Perry?"

  Now Rhodan got up and Bell stood waiting without making another move. Rhodan walked over to the window and stared outside under the watchful attention of Bell. They appeared to have forgotten Deringhouse's presence in the room.

  The general coughed discretely and tried to find a way to leave.

  "Please stay here, Deringhouse!" Bell requested him. "Would you please repeat once more what Dr. Villnoess said about Thora? How beneficial it would be if she could be entrusted with a meaningful task?"

  At this moment Rhodan turned around. He had come to a new decision and his tense features were more relaxed. The firm creases around his mouth seemed to be less rigid. "You're right, Reggie," he said to his friend and then addressed Deringhouse. "You may fly to Venus and invite my wife to join you on your trip to Arkon. I'll prepare her for your visit before you arrive at her cottage. But before you go to see her you must drop in again at Dr. Villnoess' and discuss with him the kind of a task you have in mind for Thora. It'll depend on his judgment whether she can see Arkon for the last time. Deringhouse, my wife..."

  The Administrator of the Solar Imperium impulsively extended his hands to the general and exclaimed when they were seized by Deringhouse: "I couldn't think of a better friend!"

  Bell, who had used the sledgehammer method against Perry Rhodan, couldn't suppress a sentimental feeling. He was overwhelmed by his admiration for Rhodan, who had said more to Deringhouse in one sentence than could be expressed in 100 phrases.

  "Sir," the general replied with deep emotion, "I'm glad that you've honored me with this task."

  "Now, Deringhouse, we must lay out our strategy of the best way to persuade the positronic Brain that our proposed treaty is worth more than a hundred new battleships. I've already consulted Atlan and we're of the opinion..."

  By the time he received the call on the telecom that all staff officers had arrived for the briefing, Perry Rhodan bid his general goodbye

  The two friends were left alone. They exchanged glances without saying a word. The two men had never felt closer to each other in their lives. Their friendship had withstood a severe test that day.

  "Come with me," Rhodan said finally. The daily routine with its decisions and deadlines had taken over again.

  When he appeared with Reginald Bell before his more than 30 aides, nobody could see any sign of the crisis he had been through. With inimitable precision and without a written text he opened the meeting and presented in concise language all the vulnerable pressure points which had been exposed during the last day.

  And at this same hour Deringhouse flew back to Venus.

  3/ ARKON BOUND

  The airglider coasted to a landing in front of the 'Arkon' cottage.

  The long-stretching, pastel-colored building harmonized with the slope which rose behind the cottage and ended in a peak more than 4000 meters high. The Valta Mountains formed a chain of soaring rugged peaks and were interspersed by numerous active volcanoes whose smoke plumes rose straight up into the atmosphere on windless days like this. The retreat was situated at an altitude of 2000 meters where the climate was most pleasant on Venus. It was the ideal location for a sanitarium in pure air.

  The glider touched the ground lightly 30 meters away from the terrace which was empty despite the beautiful calm day.

  The virgin forest had been pushed back around the cottage as far as 500 meters. Invisible energy-grids protected the park
surrounding the house from the Venusian monsters which abounded on the planet.

  Gen. Conrad Deringhouse saw only one robot standing guard at the edge of the wide terrace. His optical lens-system was turned toward Deringhouse as he started to bear down on him in the typical gait of the robots.

  This mechanical man was far from harmless but he brought his power into play after going through a series of controls. His main function was to protect Thora from all dangers.

  As a member of the Solar Spacefleet he was accustomed to the ubiquitous presence of robots. He stated his identification number and it took the robot less than a second to check the positronic memory bank and to receive the confirmation that the visitor was permitted to pass. And even as he granted his consent to pass in an almost human voice, he performed, aided by his lens-system, the final checks. Before Deringhouse could take the first step toward the terrace he had been investigated in more than a dozen different ways.

  The wide glass-doors were closed. Not a window was open. The cottage looked deserted in the rugged beauty of the Valta Mountains.

  When Deringhouse approached the entrance, the door-wings swung out and opened the way to the house. Deringhouse was already familiar with the place, as he had been Thora and Perry's guest on numerous occasions for many years.

  The solarium, brightly illuminated to the farthest corner, yawned at him in emptiness. He couldn't resist the feeling that he had walked into an uninhabited house. Deringhouse looked around, unable to suppress a slight chill.

  He crossed the solarium and entered the parlor behind it which Thora had furnished to her own taste. It was a mixture of Arkonide and Terranian styles which blended harmoniously.

  Then he knocked at the door of the library. He was certain to find Thora there since it was her favorite room in the house. However nobody answered his knock.