Infinity Flight Read online

  "I wasn't thinking so much of that, Perry. But what if some of the Springers' ships should be somewhere nearby and could pinpoint our position..."

  Rhodan's face grew a shade paler. He knew at once what Bell intended to say with this remark. Certainly if somebody knew their point of transition and placed themselves behind them it would by no means be impossible for them to follow right behind. Using the sensitive location finders and the structure sensors made such a manoeuvre quite feasible. But then Rhodan shook his head.

  "We have destroyed all their automatic spying installations in the solar system. There are no more Springer ships here, Reg."

  Neither Rhodan nor Bell had the slightest inkling of the existence of the so-called Mounders, let alone that of all things this very same martial race intended to use Rhodan in order to discover through him the Planet of Eternal Life. For the first time in his life Rhodan committed the mistake of underestimating an opponent. Naturally he realized that he was unable to overcome his enemy with the usual conventional means; this race was too wise and too experienced for that. While carrying on their trading business with virtually every inhabited world in this part of the galaxy, they had not failed to acquire every type of weapon in existence. This was a hurdle that even Perry Rhodan could not surmount—at least not yet.

  Added to that was Rhodan's obvious nervous excitement. The uncertainty of what unpleasant trick this time shift might once again play made him restless. Bell's advice—to ask It to neutralize the two different time planes—had merely been a friendly suggestion. Of course it was quite another matter if it would favorably consider their plea.

  A soft humming sound interrupted Rhodan's sombre thoughts. A relay switched on and automatically connected the command center to the radio room, where at this moment Nyssen's confirmation was arriving, an impulse lasting several seconds. After decoding the message the following text was recorded:

  "Your message received. Don't worry. We'll take care of the Traders. They won't catch us. Expecting soonest arrival of the Stardust in the Albireo System. We'll hold out till then. Nyssen."

  Still, Rhodan did not seem relieved. He thanked the radio center, then switched on the intercom which let his voice be heard in the farthest corners of the gigantic vessel. He spoke:

  "Control center to crew! We'll reach our transition point beyond Pluto in five hours. Half an hour before the transition the intermittent 60 second warning signal will be sounded."

  "Another five hours!' groaned Bell. "Even at the speed of light!"

  Rhodan smiled. But this time his smile lacked the usual calm reassurance.

  "Light is just too slow, Reg."

  • • •

  Topthor's bulky boss jerked out of his seat. Grogham was calling. The red, bushy beard of his clansman was trembling with excitement on the videoscreen.

  "Topthor, our instruments have located a gigantic spacesphere which is moving out of the system. Its size should be cause for alarm."

  "That must be the main ship of that fellow Rhodan's fleet," remarked Topthor, failing to be impressed by the news. "The time has come, Grogham. How did you find it?"

  "Radio message. We intercepted it. It was easy to determine the direction of the beam. Beta-Albireo. Impossible to decode, though. Probably some message for their forces stationed there."

  "Let Etztak battle it out with them, Grogham. I'm interested only in Rhodan and his destination. Take care to have exact calculations made. We'll follow Rhodan at a safe distance. Make sure to have barriers set up around us so that he can't locate us with his direction finders. The moment the expected transition will take place, ascertain position and force of the space concussion and space rupture. We'll follow behind him with the same intensity and dimensions. If all works out alright, we should emerge from the five-dimensional. field again within a distance of not more than one light-year from Rhodan's new position. Is that clear?"

  "Perfectly clear," confirmed Grogham and cut the connection.

  Heavily, Topthor fell back into his seat and observed what happened on his videoscreen. At first a tiny sphere became visible, escaping from the solar system at the speed of light. It would pass by the waiting fleet of the Mounders at a distance of about half a light-hour. The direction finder barriers had to be switched on. This way Topthor and his small fleet would become invisible to Rhodan's detection instruments.

  The minutes grew into hours. The Stardust glided past the eight cylinder-shaped ships and shot out into interstellar space. Now the transition might take place at any moment.

  Topthor ordered his ships to assume a new course. They were following the Stardust at a precisely calculated safe distance, awaiting the all-decisive and all-revealing transition.

  It occurred two hours later.

  The normal picture screen showed a brief flicker and then the giant spaceship vanished as if it never had been there at all. The structure sensors registered the space rupture and concussion which traveled through the space-time continuum with speed faster than light. The sensors took precise measurements. The instruments were working with unimaginable techniques. Ten minutes later the results were ready. Grogham announced them proudly:

  "Intensity 467.00958 jump units. Direction unchanged. Distance exactly 1602.18 light years, plus or minus 0.661. Your orders, commander?"

  "Transition! Immediately!"

  The signals were racing through the eight ships. Relays were clicking. The engines hum grew to a roar. Calculations had to be rapidly made taking into account the distance that had separated them from the point where the Stardust had gone into transition.

  And then...

  A flicker where the eight vessels had been standing—and suddenly no trace was left of them. Topthor's fleet had dared the leap toward an uncertain destination.

  The concussion of the eightfold transition was racing through space.

  • • •

  The instant Rhodan could feel the first pains typical for his returning state of consciousness, he knew the transition had been a success. Nearby, Bell was moaning, inspecting himself all over to make sure all the parts of his body had rematerialized in the right spots. He was eternally worried that some malfunction might occur during the transition and that he would find his nose all crooked or in the wrong place.

  "All present and accounted for?" Rhodan inquired. He did not share his friend's secret fears. His worries were of another kind. "Let's hope we'll find Wanderer!"

  For that was indeed a big problem. The superbeing's artificial planet was invisible to all optical instruments and could not be located by any direction finders. Unless It should make its presence known or provide some clues as to Its whereabouts they would never find the planet Wanderer—except by sheer accident. And Rhodan didn't wish to have to rely on such an infinitesimal chance.

  Wanderer moved in an elliptical course which took 2 million years to complete, rotating around some 30 solar systems, all lying in an almost straight line. Two of these solar systems were at both the focal points of this orbital ellipse. Rhodan had been puzzled by the thought why the Earth's solar system of all things should constitute one of these focal points. At some time in the future, Rhodan had decided, he should investigate the solar system lying at the other focal point. He sensed that there might be some surprise in store for him.

  Although he realized the futility of his act, Rhodan started up the direction finder machinery. A quick glance at the screen showed him that the Stardust was now standing in a totally starless part of the galaxy. There was no sun within a radius of 50 light-years. Only in the faraway reaches could he make out innumerable stars, shining quietly and as if waiting. They did not twinkle; they were like the countless eyes of an otherwise invisible monster.

  The situation was the same as on that first occasion when Rhodan had first sought the Planet of Eternal Life in order to obtain the biological cell shower which would arrest his aging processes for the next six decades. There had been no indication, no clue, that an artificial planet, the a
bode of the mysterious It, was traveling in its orbit in their immediate vicinity. It, the unfathomable being whose trail Rhodan had been pursuing on a chase through time and space in order to find the secret of immortality. Well, that secret had still remained a mystery but since Rhodan had been able to solve all the other puzzling tasks set by It, he had been presented the gift of prolonging his life span periodically. His friend Reginald. Bell had been included in this and had thus been rid of the worries of how to prevent his magnificent reddish thatch of bristly hair from turning white.

  And on that previous occasion they would never have detected the planet, invisible to their eyes and instruments as it was moving nearby in its orbit, if It had not chosen to announce Its presence in a rather startling manner. Inside one of the halls of the Stardust a monstrosity had suddenly materialized, which they had been able to render harmless only with the greatest effort and with the help of their most sophisticated technical means. The unknown Immortal's reaction to all this had merely been a Homeric laughter as if the whole affair had been one huge joke. It didn't take long for Rhodan, at that time, to understand that, indeed, the whole chase through time and space had been just fun and games for It.

  But Rhodan had realized something else, too: It had teleported that monstrosity into the Stardust with the aid of a hypermatter transmitter. And this was exactly the reason why he now wanted to return to the planet Wanderer. He intended to ask It to put such an HMT at his disposal—perhaps even two of them. There couldn't be any more perfect weapon than that.

  "We'll find Wanderer," Rhodan tried to banish Bell's worries. "I only don't know how long it will take us." He remembered how he had communicated with It at that time. Actually it had been a friendly conversation. They had called each other "Old friend." It had a great sense of humor. "Announce the third alarm stage to all men aboard, Reg. After all, it's quite likely It will welcome us with some of It's usual pranks."

  "Will do, Perry!" Reg acknowledged his friend's order and left for the communication room to make all the necessary arrangements. Rhodan was left alone in the spacious command center. He stood, lost in thoughts, gazing at the picture screen which showed nothing but some far distant stars. Not a trace of Wanderer; the Planet of Eternal Life, where It was dwelling in a state of tremendous boredom because of Its immortality.

  "Hello, darling!"

  Rhodan was thunderstruck. Among the 500 members of the Stardust crew there were, of course, also a number of girls and women, but he could not recall ever having been on intimate terms with any of them. They all regarded him as their commander, the relentless, hard driving man, even if endowed with a blissful sense of humor, but still the remote, unapproachable commander of the Stardust. And now...

  He whirled around and stared into the face of a woman. He must have seen her some time, some place, he thought.

  "But, darling, don't you remember me anymore?"

  Her voice was silky and caressing at the same time alluring and demanding. Her face could not be called innocent looking but it possessed a certain charm, which even Rhodan could not entirely resist. But he also realized that he was facing here no real human being, only a clever matter-thought-mirage of the Immortal.

  "Hello, madam." He decided to play along with the Immortal's prank. "You have come on behalf of my Old Friend, I presume. Please, have a seat."

  "But darling, since when do you treat me so formally?"

  She stepped closer and placed her slender arms around his neck. Rhodan felt the warmth of her body and was incapable of moving. He stood stock-still, breathing in the fragrant scent of the beautiful woman. She was wearing a dress which seemed to consist mainly of an antique robe.

  "Hm, ahem," Rhodan said clumsily. He did not have a great deal of experience with lovely females, particularly not with those who did not exist at all. Still, the presence of this corporeal apparition was just as real as the horrifying monster had once been. Anyhow, Rhodan noticed with pleasure,It had changed its tactics and had passed from monsters to lovely women. Some improvement—or was it?

  "Well," said the charming beauty, and smiled, enticingly. "You don't seem to be going to the movies too often, darling."

  "Very rarely," admitted Rhodan. Suddenly he knew who had come from the void into his command center. The Immortal had searched his memory and must have detected the fleeting trace of some long forgotten film which It then had proceeded to materialize. That's why she seemed somehow familiar to him.

  "Perry!" she said suddenly and embraced him so ardently that Rhodan couldn't manage to fend her off, although he had firmly intended to do so if the case should arise. "Do you still love me? You liked me a great deal that time, didn't you?"

  Blast, she doesn't exist in reality! Rhodan tried to rationalize bitterly, although he knew for sure that she did exist nevertheless. Not the same person, as far as he could judge. Only an imitation, which had been materialized from his own memory banks. However there was still another possibility—and this wasn't the first time that this had happened—It had taken the actual creature from Earth, or better its actual mind. But the person's mind was sufficient to have him or her materialize as a real living creature. It had even transported entire groups of people from Earth's past and had set them down in the time plane of the artificial planet Wanderer where they were behaving as if they were still on their own home planet.

  But be it as it may, the body warmth of the beautiful film star whose name still eluded Rhodan, was very real indeed. He tried to resist the strange feeling that threatened to seize him. Mustering all his strength, he attempted to push the woman away.

  But he had misjudged his own force. The beautiful creature possessed superhuman strength; she could easily have felled a prize boxer and laid him flat out on his back. Rhodan could not budge her even an inch away from him. On the contrary. Smiling as enchantingly as ever, she drew even closer to him and kissed him full on his lips.

  Rhodan could have put up with that perhaps and also forgiven It if Bell had not chosen to return to the command center at this very moment. He was accompanied by Redkens, a cadet of the Space Academy of the Now Power. During this mission Bell was in charge of the navigation of the Stardust.

  Bell's face was truly a sight to behold. He advanced a couple of steps before his brain comprehended what his eyes were seeing. Over there, near the control panels, stood his friend and master, Perry Rhodan, fighting tooth and toenail against being kissed by Cleopatra. Bell, too, had seen that film long ago, but had remembered more about it than Rhodan.

  "Good Lord," he groaned, staggering against the nearby wall. "Good Lord, if it isn't Stella Rallas! I must be losing my mind!"

  "Who?" blustered the young cadet, turning beet-red in the face. He was an ardent but hopeless admirer of the well-known film. actress. He couldn't believe his eyes to see her here, more than 1,500 light-years away from Hollywood, in the arms of his commander. Rhodan strained to avert his head. The pretty ghost didn't seem to mind at all that they had acquired an audience. Tempestuously, the only too real-seeming apparition bit her resisting lover on his earlobes.

  Rhodan cried out, startled by her sudden, ardent attack, and kicked her in the shins. But the world-famous film star didn't appear to be bothered by such uncavalierly behavior. "Darling, I love you," she breathed fervently.

  Bell nearly suffered a stroke of apoplexy. He staggered and could hardly stand on his feet. His eyes widened in horror and surprise; kept staring at the incredible scene in front of him. It didn't occur to him for a single moment that this spectacle might be the first sign of life with which the Immortal announced It's presence. All he could perceive was the beautiful woman in Rhodan's arms.

  "Did you smuggle her aboard, Perry?" he gasped helplessly. "You sure could have let me in on that secret a bit sooner, pal!"

  "We ought to leave the two alone," suggested Redkens, politely turning to leave when he was stopped by Rhodan's desperate voice. "Don't you dare leave me here with this creature, Cadet Redkens! Help me get ri
d of this woman—in a hurry!"

  "But this is Cleopatra!" corrected Redkens bewildered. "Or rather the fabulous Stella Rallas..."

  "I don't care who she is!" raved Rhodan, still trying to free himself from the unyielding embrace of his unwanted amour. "Get a move on, you two! Help me!"

  Redkens couldn't make any sense out of Rhodan's orders. Why on Earth had his commanding officer taken along this love goddess if he really didn't like her? He would never have thought his idol capable of such obviously conflicting behavior. But still...

  "Come on, Redkens," moaned Bell and started to move. "I'm completely baffled by all this. Nothing makes any sense any more. She must have gone off her rocker."

  But hardly had he touched the beautiful woman's arm than she let go of Rhodan, turned around and peered lovingly into Bell's red face. "Reggie, my darling little Reggie boy! So we do meet again here after all these years. Come into my arms; let me kiss you, my sweet!"

  And now it was Bell's turn to be trapped in a tight spot. The luscious red lips of the formerly so unattainable film star were lovingly pressed against his own lips, thus fulfilling his age-old desire once to be kissed by the beautiful Rallas. He offered no resistance and let the gorgeous Cleopatra have her way with him, paying no heed to the Homeric laughter in his ears. Even Rhodan, glad to be released from the iron grip of the unexpected visitor, had to laugh at the sight of his friend, the normally ice cold, steel hard Reggie, as he was literally melting in the arms of the superstar, Stella.

  Only Redkens, the hapless cadet, felt that fate was treating him unkindly in this situation. His head swung to and fro, from Rhodan to the lovingly embracing couple. The poor fellow was at an absolute loss what to think of this whole affair.

  Finally the Immortal seemed to realize that this scene had gone far enough. It arranged that Cleopatra should release her victim. Suddenly, Bell was standing there, all alone, his arms embracing someone who was no longer present.