Ernst Ellert Returns Read online

  It became clear to him that he was sitting in a trap. They would be able to hold him responsible for things that he couldn't even recall anymore. Had it really been he himself who had brought about the destruction of the great computer center beneath the city? And if he had done it,why ? Why had he given the enemy robots access to the center so that they could finish their task?

  He felt as though suddenly he might be able to grasp the past with both his hands. But then when he reached out toward it, those impenetrable shrouds would close in again—as if someone were drawing the veils across his vision.

  Someone...?

  He remembered suddenly that this 'someone' had certainly had a great deal to do with it. It was someone he couldn't see but whom he was probably able to hear. Someone who was next to him—or more likely within him. Ah yes, now he was aware of this again!

  On the morning of the third day, Onot began to remember.

  A voice had spoken to him. It seemed to come out of nothingness and yet it spoke from within himself—to him. It was an eerie voice without sound, inside his brain. It had told him of having dwelled within him for years and of having watched and controlled his work. The voice had even said that Onot had only its presence to thank for the fact that he had become the greatest scientist of his race.

  After that, Onot got to his feet and walked restlessly back and forth in his cell. Five steps one way and five steps back.

  The voice...

  It told him once more that he must do what it told him to do. He must obey no matter what was asked of him. And he recalled that the voice had commanded him to commit treason. Yes, he had been the one who had activated the transmitter-receiver so that the alien robots could get into the Central—and only because the inner voice had demanded it of him.

  Onot sat down again.

  If he were to tell the judge of the Supreme Tribunal about the voice, would he believe him? Or would he consider it to be a poor alibi, a fabric of fantasy? The great unknown nemesis—a voice! Onot could already hear the entire courtroom laughing at such a statement. The Druufs were a sober and calculating species. They did not believe in ghosts and voices.

  But then he searched further into memory.

  Had not the voice also told him that if it were to leave him he would die? Well, so now it had left him and he was still alive. Also, wasn't his memory also slowly returning to him? Perhaps if he could convince the judge of his innocence everything would still be all right. He would build up another computer central and also construct another time stasis machine. He could make amends for his previous mistakes.

  The voice had once told him that it was a mind or entity of some kind that had lost its body and that it had since taken up a new residence in Onot's body. Further, said the voice, Onot's own intellect must not resist it; it must be obedient at all times.

  Onot had obeyed because he had to—and because at that time he had no suspicion of what was really happening to him. From a moral point of view, he was not guilty of the crimes he was accused of. How it would appear in the ruthless eye of Druuf judgment, however, was another question.

  "I'm master of my own mind again," Onot told himself, "and therefore of my body as well. No one can command me to do anything. I am Onot, the scientist! I shall build a weapon with which we can conquer the universe! Time... what secrets does it still hide from me? If I want to I can reverse the stream of time itself and cancel out the events of the past. I'll track down the owner of the voice and kill him, before his mind or entity can leave my body. The Earth was its home planet and we're going to know where that is located. Some of us were there already. If you can hear me, voice, then answer me. Admit that I am stronger than you..."

  Instead of receiving an answer, however, he saw a view-flap open in the door and the dungeon keeper looked in at him. Then he closed the flap and went away.

  Onot leaned back against the wall. The voice isn't there anymore, he thought triumphantly. Before, whenever I'd have the slightest thought of rebellion it would come immediately to threaten me. Then it would cause me headaches and torture me in other ways. It would push my thoughts aside and make me its slave. But today...

  No, the voice was no longer there.

  Now the hour had come for which he had waited so long. The past was clear to him once more. He would be able to explain everything to the judge—and he would have to believe him.

  But then, as though from the blow of an axe, the house of cards of all his hopes was shattered asunder. Soundlessly the voice spoke to him!

  "You are mistaken, Onot. I am still here! But perhaps you will soon be alone—indeed, quite alone. It could well be that you would even be happy if I were to return."

  In a shock of horror, Onot continued to listen. But the voice said nothing more.

  • • •

  For seconds or millenniums—there was no temporal point of reference to use as a guide—Ernst Ellert's disembodied mind whirled through the stream of time, rudderless and adrift, until he was finally washed onto the time strand of the Druuf plane. Here he first became aware that there was not only one stream of time and not only one plane of time but many. He had traversed a number of them and broken through their otherwise impenetrable walls. But the holes had closed behind him again, sealing off the possibility of return.

  And thus he had found Onot the scientist. Cautiously he had penetrated his body and taken possession of him. At first the Druuf had opposed this domination but then he had been forced to cease his resistance. Onot became Ellert's involuntary slave. From time to time, of course, he would attempt to shake off this irksome and dangerous visitor from nowhere but he did not succeed. Ellert had found a new body and therefore a new home.

  Once he had made contact with his old time plane but didn't realize it. It had been at the time of Arkon's colonization of Venus and when Earth had witnessed the submergence of Atlantis. It was not until 10,000 years later—only a matter of weeks for Ellert in the Druuf universe—the second and most decisive contact was made.

  Perry Rhodan discovered the Druuf time plane—and he found Ellert.

  From that moment on, Onot had worked under Ellert's domination for Perry Rhodan and the Terranians. He did it against his will. The Druuf rebelled and sensed that he had become stronger. He had not been able to prevent the act of treason but he knew that his inner foe—the voice—had become weaker.

  Ellert knew this also.

  With growing apprehension he had been forced to realize that his power over Onot was fading. It was only with the greatest of effort that he could keep from being ejected from Onot's thoughts. He didn't want to be Onot forever but the time for his return had not yet arrived. His real body was waiting for him, more than 6,000 light-years away. But would he still be able to bridge over this enormous distance?

  Through Onot's four eyes he observed his surroundings the desolate bare walls of the cell to which the scientist had been brought. He still thought of the return to Earth. Perhaps he should attempt it. The secret of the linear translight space drive was completely in his hands, visually speaking. He would be able to construct spaceships that could fly a million times faster than light without any need for dematerialization. He would bring this secret with him as a present for Rhodan.

  In recent days he had avoided provoking Onot. Only earlier today he had been forced to make it clear to the Druuf that he was still with him.

  However, now there was much to do. In the cavern laboratory were the records and designs concerning the linear space drive. It was true that he knew their most important details by heart and was certain of what he could do with them but it could hardly hurt anything if he were to go over them once more. Later perhaps there wouldn't be time for it.

  Carefully he began to withdraw from Onot. The Druuf had no sensation of it. Suddenly Ellert could see him beneath him, sitting on the bed. The walls of the cell became blurred and yielded to his penetration. Their molecular composition offered no resistance to Ellert's mind. He pushed through the 'so
lid' matter before him and floated a few moments later above the Tribunal building.

  He remained where he was for several minutes, which enabled him to determine that his time sense was not deceiving him. Not here and now!

  The capital city of the Druufs had been severely damaged. In some places advances had been made with the reconstruction. The circular capitol dome of the Council of 66 had hardly been scarred at all. Ellert knew that the most important installations were hidden beneath the surface. But the war had reached even there. The combat robots transferred from Hades by transmitter had done their work well. Onot would have to atone for that.

  He concentrated on the stony desert and the secret laboratory in the mountain—and was there in the same instant. He floated high above the plateau. Several vehicles stood close to the laboratory entrance. Druufs were coming out of the rock passage and hauling equipment and cartons to the ground cars. Apparently they were in the process of gathering up all the evidence they could find.

  Ellert was startled. Hopefully they hadn't shoved the spacedrive data somewhere to one side. Of course it wouldn't make a decisive difference, really, he consoled himself. Nevertheless...

  He sank downward and hung invisibly above the Druuf. The officer's rank insignia revealed that he was a member of the Security Service of Druufon. He commanded his troops with the usual arrogance of an authority who was accustomed to giving orders. It appeared that he was intending to clean out the whole laboratory.

  If Ellert had possessed a face, a chance observer might have noticed that he was smiling now. It was not difficult to penetrate the unprepared brain of the Druuf. There was not the slightest sign of any resistance. But the hard-working police officers could not believe their ultrasonic organs of hearing when they suddenly received an order to bring everything back down into the laboratory.

  Ellert forced the officer to revisit the laboratory chambers, where a terrible confusion was in evidence. Everything stood or lay about in a tangled mess. The chaos increased proportionately as the Druufs began to bring back the things they had taken away.

  The officer wandered through the rooms as though searching for something. He leafed through whole stacks of blueprints and designs, regarding them with uncomprehending eyes, only to put them aside again. It took him a half-hour to find what he was unconsciously looking for.

  If he had had lungs, Ellert would have breathed a sigh of relief. The sketches were all still there. They consisted of an extremely thin sheet of metal foil which had been scribbled over with almost illegible formulas. However, its value was incalculable.

  After folding it, the officer put the sheet into his pocket. At the same time he ordered his troops to continue with their original task and again take everything back up to the surface. The order was promptly obeyed. Here as in all other universes one, was accustomed to taking much from officers, even senseless commands. They followed orders without a word.

  After several hours their task was completed. Ellert remained in the officer's body as the latter got into an aircar. He flew back to the city where he reported to the authorities that his assignment had been carried out. Then he asked for permission to speak to the prisoner.

  The superior officer looked up from his desk in astonishment. By terrestrial standards he might have been a general. "Onot? What do you want with him? His investigation has not been concluded yet."

  Ellert put the answer in the officer's mouth, or more accurately in his antennas. "I don't believe we have found everything yet that could be used as evidence. I was thinking I might pick up a few clues by questioning him."

  The general pondered this for a moment and then nodded. "I'll request a visitor's pass for you from the Superior Judge."

  Ellert waited patiently. It was not until late afternoon that his patience was rewarded. The officer received permission to speak with the prisoner.

  Onot was startled out of his thoughts when his cell door opened and the police officer entered. Having been free from Ellert's presence for several hours, his memory had returned completely and he knew what had happened. Of course he could not guess that his nemesis now faced him in the form of his visitor.

  "I must speak to the judge at once," he said even before the officer could say a word. "It was not an act of treason as everybody might suspect. I..."

  "Not another word!" said the officer, prompted by Ellert. "You will do what I tell you to do. I was in your laboratory and I've brought you something that you must conceal on your person. Here, take these notes. They must not be lost." He handed Onot the metal foil.

  The scientist looked at it and was surprised to recognize notes and sketches in his own handwriting which contained the essential secrets of the linear space-drive. It didn't quite make sense to him. The translight system of flight had long been in use. What good were these early details and designs? To any Druuf they were worthless.

  But priceless, perhaps, to someone from another universe...?

  He began to understand. "Take these notes back and destroy them!" he said.

  Ellert perceived the danger of his position. It was impossible now for him to control two Druufs at once. It was time to bring Onot under his influence again. And the officer? Wouldn't he remember what had gone on here? Would a weak amnesia block suffice to make him forget everything?

  He'd have to try it.

  After about 10 seconds of deliberation, Ellert left the officer and penetrated Onot's brain once more. He became aware of a stronger resistance than before but ruthlessly shoved it aside. Every second counted.

  Onot yielded. "Very well, I'll do what you require," he said expressionlessly. "And now please go."

  The officer appeared to awaken as though from a dream. How had he come here to the prisoner's cell? What was he doing here with Onot the traitor? Without a word, he turned and left the cell. The dungeon keeper carefully locked the door and then escorted the officer upstairs. The latter kept walking, still as though in a trance, until he stood before the superior judge.

  The latter wanted to know what success he had had. "Well, what did you find out?" he asked.

  The officer shrugged. "Nothing, Your Honor. Absolutely nothing!"

  "I thought as much," the judge nodded and made a gesture of dismissal. "You may go."

  The officer went away. In vain he sought to remember what had happened between now and the time when he had been stripping down the laboratory.

  Once more Ellert succeeded in dominating Onot. The Druuf had felt his temporary release from coercion and had prepared to blabber out all of his dangerous secrets. If that were to happen and they believed him, the Druufs would be alerted. They must never learn that Perry Rhodan had such an invincible agent as Ellert. Especially they must not find out that Rhodan was behind every assault against Druufon or that Hades was his secret base in their system.

  "For you it's a matter of life and death, Onot," he imparted to the scientist. "As long as I do not leave you, nothing will happen to you. You have helped me, so I will also help you."

  "I don't want your help!" retorted Onot stubbornly. It was obvious that he did not wish to bend again to the influence of the voice. His resistance grew. "I know what I've done and I'll explain everything to the Tribunal. They will believe me."

  "You think so, do you?" said Ellert doubtfully. "But even if they do believe you, won't you always have to fear that I will return—and cause you to commit treason again?"

  "You're not strong enough for that anymore!" exclaimed the scientist triumphantly. "Our mutual strengths have become equalized. Go ahead—try to coerce me. You will not succeed!"

  "I can kill you," Ellert reminded him.

  "Then do it!" the Druuf challenged him.

  Ellert chose not to answer. He was suddenly assailed by fear and a sense of doubt. He himself could feel that he had grown weaker. He suspected that his disembodied excursion to the secret laboratory had been about his last chance of separating himself successfully from Onot without falling again into the stream of tim
e and being lost in Eternity. In this condition of incipient weakness it was out of the question to consider reaching the Earth on his own initiative.

  His total being signaled: danger!

  For him there was only one method of salvation: he had to transfer from Onot into his own body. That would only be possible, however, if his body were here on Druufon.

  "There is still another alternative."

  "What is that?"

  "When the right time arrives, I will leave you. You have my promise that I will never return to you. You will be free."

  "So what is your price?" The Druuf could not imagine that freedom might be obtained without some kind of payment in return. "What do I have to do?"

  Ellert felt relieved. "Under the skin of your left hand you will be able to feel a slight protuberance. Press on it with your finger. You need do nothing more."

  Onot was not at all willing to accommodate the voice but curiosity forced him to search for the thing under his skin. It was easy to locate it. "What is it?" he asked.

  "Don't ask questions, Onot. Just press harder on it—that's it. Now I can tell you. It's a micro-transmitter which is making contact with some good friends of mine. They are being alerted now by a red indicator lamp. Either my thought impulses or yours—or both—will be converted into electrical wave patterns and another apparatus will translate them into the words of my language. And now relax and remain passive for a few minutes. I don't think I can force you to do that anymore, but believe me, it's your only—and your last chance—to remain alive."

  As a scientist, Onot was curious. He cherished his life even though at the moment it was not too promising. True he had boasted that he'd prefer to die rather than to submit to the voice again but at the moment that grandiloquent gesture appeared to him to be foolish.