The Micro-Techs Read online

  One of the Swoons, who was treated with obvious respect by the others, began to speak in a squeaky voice. They made room for him as he stepped forward and formed a protective semicircle around him. "Welcome to Swoofon," the Swoon said gravely, intimating a bow. "We're pleased to greet you as our guests. Did you come on behalf of the Regent... ?"

  This was the first probing question. Rhodan replied via the translator, which had clearly transmitted the words of the Swoon. "The Regent presents his compliments to the esteemed Swoons. The Imperium is happy to count the Swoons among its best friends."

  The Swoons swallowed the flattery with the naturalness that was characteristic for them in this respect. The yellow face in front of Rhodan beamed. "We do no more than our duty if we put our valuable services at the disposal of a common cause," the little fellow assured him, full of pride and self-confidence. "Perhaps the Imperium has another bid for us. We'll be glad to give it our usual attention... "

  "The reason for our visit is rather unpleasant," Rhodan interrupted the speaker. "We're in pursuit of an enemy of the Imperium. Our information indicates that he fled to Swoofon. Furthermore this world is threatened by an invasion against which there is no defense unless we succeed in finding a new weapon. I'd like to speak to the government chief of Swoofon."

  "There are many of those," came the surprising answer. "Unfortunately our nations and tribes have not yet been able to agree on who is, worthy of speaking for all of us. Our negotiations for unification... "

  The same old story, Rhodan thought. The Swoons had not yet mastered space travel nor ventured on expansion into the Galaxy. They lived for their work, traded with the Springers and the other races of the Imperium, earned a lot of money and refrained from interfering in foreign policy.

  "... and therefore we must ask your indulgence and to confer with the representatives of Swoofon. We speak for 10 million Swoons."

  "Very well. Then I must ask you to cooperate with my instructions. All ships on the spaceport of Swatran are forbidden to leave unless we give our permission to do so. Furthermore, I wish to talk to the Arkonide Administrator. His residence is in Swatran, if I'm not mistaken."

  "It was until today," the little Swoon explained. "Unfortunately he suddenly departed when you appeared. We wanted to consult with him because we were anxious to learn the reasons for the arrival of an Arkonide fleet but he was gone from his office and nobody seems to know where he is."

  This was very interesting news. What was Arkon's deputy on Swoofon afraid of that he took it on the lam? Did he make any unsavory deals with the Springers to line his own pockets? Did he fear an exposure by him, Rhodan?

  Meanwhile Bell sat down on the ground. Several Swoons sauntered around his legs and studied him with bold curiosity. He could have swept them aside with one move of his hand. However when he looked into their droll faces he was almost touched by compassion. He admired their finely shaped fingers which extruded from the ends of their arms without transition. The little creatures really looked like ripe cucumbers that had suddenly sprung to life. Bell felt as though he were living in a fairyland where he had to play the role of a good giant.

  Pucky experienced very similar emotions. He sat on the ground and probed the thoughts of the Swoons surrounding him. He drew their special attention and fondness. As far as Pucky could make out, they considered him to be a pet of the Arkonides but he didn't resent it in the least because he liked and respected animals no less than humans.

  "Then I'll have a little talk with the Springers," Rhodan said. "I'm going to pay them a visit with some of my soldiers and put them under arrest."

  Rhodan thought he recognized something like joy in the face of the Swoon standing before him. The thoughts of the little fellow confirmed his impressions. He didn't like the Springers yet there were others he didn't like either.

  Other Swoons! Swoons that collaborated with the Springers.

  "Will you please request all Swoons to leave the spaceport," Rhodan appealed to him, "so that they'll not hinder my military operations. I'll give you half an hour."

  "We'll be happy to be at your service," the Swoon assured him. "I presume you'll be good enough to let us know the result of measures when you can. If there's anything else we can do for you... "

  "We'll notify you as soon as possible," Rhodan promised and got up. Bell and Pucky followed his example although both gave the impression that they would have preferred to sit around a little longer. Maybe they would later get a chance to have a conversation with the cucumber men.

  Rhodan switched off the electronic translator. "You wait here with Pucky," he said to Bell. "I'll go to the Drusus and come back with Marshall and five of his mutants. Don't let anything distract you. I'll be back at once." Without waiting for an answer he walked away. Before he reached the ramp, he pushed the button of the transceiver on his wrist.

  David Stern answered: "Sir?"

  "Get in touch with Arkon by hyperradio. You know the code signal of the robot Brain. Request the Regent to send Talamon's battlefleet to Swoofon as reinforcement. Okay?"

  "Request Arkon to send Talamon. Yes, sir."

  "And if anybody should wonder why, tell him it's my business and that I know what I'm doing. Is that clear?"

  "I understand, sir."

  Although Rhodan was not convinced of that, he knew he could depend on Lt. Stern.

  Bell and Pucky sat down again and began to talk to the few Swoons who still remained on the landing field. All the others slowly strolled back to the city as if on a little recreational stroll.

  Pucky stared at them with astonishment and a little skepticism. Although he was quite enamored of the intelligent cucumbers, he still had an uncanny feeling about them.

  • • •

  Khrest, Atlan and Sikerman waited for Rhodan in the Command Center.

  Khrest looked extremely worried. "I'm afraid you went overboard," he greeted Rhodan. "Now the Regent is informed about what we're doing here."

  Rhodan shook his head. "Not really, Khrest. It only serves to mislead him about our actual intentions. He'll never find out the true reasons that brought us here. While he's trying to figure it out we'll locate the plans for the compensator-detector and ascertain at the same time how serious the Regent is concerning our friendship."

  "I hope you're right," Khrest said dubiously.

  Atlan didn't utter a word. Although he was an Arkonide like Khrest, he was broader and more forceful. His eyes had the same reddish glint of the albino race and they reflected the timelessness of his immortality whose secret Rhodan hoped to discover. If not today, sometime in the future.

  "We'll pull it off," Rhodan said optimistically and gave a few short orders on the intercom. A couple of minutes later John Marshall and four mutants entered the Command Center.

  "You're coming with me." Rhodan turned to the head of the Mutant Corps. "We're going to roust the Springers but I don't think they'll put up a fight."

  "Not if they know what's good for them," Sikerman interjected with a defiant look at the armament control panel. "We also got a few more Guppies on board."

  "I'll call for them if necessary," Rhodan assured him, leaving the Command Center. "We'll keep in touch with you by radio."

  Meanwhile the landing field had been vacated. Only a few stragglers were striding away pompously, displaying no hurry to reach their goal. They were still plagued by the suspense of finding out what the excitement was all about.

  Bell and Pucky rose to their feet when Rhodan returned with the five men. The last three Swoons strutted away, giving the impression of hardly being able to drag the weight of their little bodies.

  "We won't need a vehicle," Rhodan said to Bell when he noticed his quizzical expression. "If you give yourself a good push, you can fly 10 meters through the air and land gently on the ground again. Kulman says he likes to take a walk on Swoofon."

  "Nice little walk," Bell grumbled, peering at the flat buildings in the distance where he suspected the Springers to be. "I've
got a funny feeling... "

  "In your stomach?" Pucky inquired. "Must be hunger."

  "Nonsense! I'm not hungry."

  "Aha!" Pucky exclaimed triumphantly, grinning at Rhodan. "Then he's afraid. It must be hunger or fear. Since he denies being hungry... "

  "Let's get going," Rhodan cut him off. "We don't have time for blunking (tomfoolery). Marshall, have your gun ready to shoot. Although I don't believe the Springers would do something foolish. At least not what Reggie fears."

  The three battleships formed an equilateral triangle. Between and around them were several cylindrical Springer ships. The Springers heeded Rhodan's radioed warning and kept quiet. The Swoons now were all gone, making it plain that they had nothing to do with the threatened cleanup campaign.

  The teleporter Ras Tschubai, the huge Afroterranian with a good-natured face, stuck close to the hypno André Noir. Wuriu Sengu, the Japanese seer, walked alongside the detector Fellmer Lloyd and Marshall followed behind. Rhodan, Pucky and Bell were at the head of the little column and proceeded toward the edge of the landing field in the direction of the office buildings which blocked the view to the city.

  Nobody was in sight. Once in awhile a shadow moved behind the closed windows.

  Fellmer Lloyd, who could analyze thoughts better than read them, said: "The Springers are in an uncertain mood and the atmosphere is charged with tension. They don't know what to make of our visit. At any rate they've no intention of fighting back in earnest, since they've got a great respect for the Regent. It seems that he has already taught them a good lesson once before."

  "That suits me just fine," Rhodan commented with satisfaction. "It'll make it that much easier for us. As long as they remember it, they'll be more careful and tractable."

  "I'll be happy to refresh their memory if necessary," Pucky suggested.

  Meanwhile they had almost reached the largest of the buildings, which had been constructed at a very low height. Only two steps led to the entrance, which stood wide open.

  Rhodan looked around. "Tschubai, Noir, Sengu and Pucky, you wait here. Marshall, Bell and I go in alone. If we need help, Marshall will send you a telepathic message to join us inside."

  Without waiting for an answer he kept walking, Bell and Marshall close on his heels. Marshall was the only one carrying a weapon.

  The wide corridor was empty and brightly lit. There were numerous doors on both sides and it wasn't difficult for Marshall to find the door to the right room. "The Springers are in here," he whispered. "They don't know where we are. At the moment they're still busy thinking up some good alibis. They've got plenty to worry about. They may even be responsible for the deal with the compensator-detector."

  "We'll soon find out," Rhodan replied in a low voice. "We're going to ask them some blunt questions on our visit. Reggie, open the door!"

  Bell instinctively reached for his holster, where he usually kept his gun. Then he shrugged his shoulders, quietly turned the doorknob, pushed the door open and barged in with Rhodan and Marshall close behind him. "Good morning, gentlemen. I hope you don't mind if we have a little chat."

  There were six men gaping at the intruders. All had more or less neatly trimmed beards. They wore civilian clothing but carried the usual rayguns in their belts. They sat around a table and sprang up from their chairs when they were so suddenly caught unawares.

  "For crying out loud... !" one of them exclaimed perplexed. "How did you find us so quickly? Anyway, we've obeyed your orders. We haven't moved our ships out there... "

  "Well," Rhodan broke in, leaving Marshall to protect his rear, "did we say anything to the contrary? Or is

  your bad conscience bothering you?"

  A red-haired giant slowly walked toward Rhodan and stopped close before him. He looked the alleged Inspector General up and down and said haughtily: "We're citizens of the Imperium and abide by the law, I don't know you and I've never seen you but if you don't change your tune we'll soon get to know each other better."

  "It'll be a pleasure," Rhodan said amiably. Yet there was a hint of steel in his voice. "May I ask you what business you have on Swoofon?"

  The red-haired Springer snorted contemptuously: "What do you think there's for us to do around here? We're carrying on our normal trade with the Swoons. They produce the finest precision merchandise which fetches high prices in the Galaxy. It's no crime to buy the products of the Swoons and sell them some place else."

  "Did I say it is?" Rhodan retorted.

  The Springer seemed stumped. "No, of course not but... " He suddenly paused and studied Rhodan closely. Then he continued: "Let's put our cards on the table. What do you want of us? Why this big alarm? Who're you after?"

  "Aha!" Rhodan ejaculated. "That already sounds much more sensible. I think we're going to get along much better under these circumstances. Tell me, have you ever heard the name Berenak?"

  "No, never!"

  This didn't surprise Rhodan in the slightest. He had never heard the name either because he had just made it up. "So you don't know Berenak," he asked. "He comes from a planet in the vicinity of Arkon. He's the son of Arkonides and Springers but belongs to neither one. He's also a criminal and a master of disguise. We're searching for him."

  "What did he do?"

  "It would be too involved to relate all his misdeeds. Suffice it to say that he's on Swoofon according to our information. The Regent has given us orders to apprehend him. He could be almost anyone among you and it'll not be easy to expose him. That's why we went to such extreme lengths with our measures."

  "I'm not Berenak," sneered the red-haired Springer indignantly. "I'm the patriarch Gol and a reputable trader."

  "That may very well be so," Rhodan countered, "But you'll have to prove it to me. I'll have to insist that you remain until further notice on Swoofon and that you obey my regulations. I don't have to point out to you that you don't stand a chance against the three battleships of the Imperium. Do I make myself clear?"

  "Quite," Gol grumbled in disgust and sat down again. He seemed to have lost his desire to persist in the fruitless conversation.

  In the meantime Marshall had probed the thoughts of the other Springers in the room. However he was unable to find the slightest clue to the planned construction of the compensator-detector and he secretly passed the word to Rhodan.

  "I prefer not to arrest you," Rhodan said in closing and walked to the door. "Nonetheless, consider yourselves my prisoners for the time being. I advise you not to leave the building. Whoever contravenes the orders of Arkon will be held responsible and the consequences will be highly unpleasant for you. I trust you understand me, gentlemen."

  Rhodan didn't expect an answer. The Springers were tough and audacious men who had been forced to give up much of their personal freedom since they joined the Imperium. They didn't feel very friendly toward Arkon but they practiced sensible restraint and obeyed the commands of the robot Brain.

  They remained motionless as Rhodan, Marshall and Bell left the room but their eyes betrayed an evil glint even though they had—as yet—no intention to defy the wishes of Arkon.

  Once Bell was in the corridor he sighed with relief. "They were getting under my skin. I can't read their thoughts and I don't understand why they let us get away with it. Earlier... "

  "Times have changed, Reggie," Rhodan said. "In former years the Springers were not as close-knit with the Arkonides as today. They're very careful to stay on the good side of the robot Brain. Besides, they really don't have the slightest inkling of what we want. So they have a comparatively good conscience, if you disregard their normal practice of fleecing the Swoons. However this is none of our business."

  They combed the whole building and found about 50 more Springer captains who were also warned not to leave Swoofon. But they found no trace of the Springers who were connected with the construction of the detector, leaving them completely baffled.

  When Rhodan and his two companions stepped out in the sunlight again, the other four mutant
s waiting for them seemed to breathe easier. Pucky was stretched out on the ground and gave the impression of a tourist who soaked up the sunshine with his belly.

  Before Rhodan could utter a word, they heard a shrill whistle in the air which quickly became a muffled roar. A mighty shadow whooshed over the landing field before a gigantic spacesphere touched down precisely in the middle of the triangle formed by Rhodan's vessels. Talamon had arrived.

  With the power Rhodan had concentrated here he could have conquered half the Galaxy, not to mention a harmless planet like Swoofon. This tremendous overkill potential should drive the Regent up the wall, Rhodan hoped.

  David Stern called by radio from the Drusus. Talamon requested further instructions as to his assignment. Rhodan asked Stern to switch the connection directly to the Mounder. When he heard the voice of the old man his tense face broke out in a happy smile. "Hello, Talamon! It didn't take you long to get here."

  "The Regent ordered me to step on it. Where's the fire?"

  "On Swoofon, Talamon."

  "And for that you've requested a powerful battleship when you have three invincible dreadnoughts yourself? What are you afraid of, Rhodan? The Swoons?"

  Rhodan was still smiling but Talamon couldn't see him. "It's better to err on the side of caution and it doesn't always mean fear, old comrade. Be that as it may, your job will be to seal off the Swaft system hermetically. No ship is allowed to come or go. This is important. Swoofon must be isolated to give me time for ferreting out each Springer. Not a mouse must sneak out, if you know what I mean, Talamon."

  "I got it. May I ask... ?"

  "We're looking for somebody," Rhodan said curtly, making it plain that he didn't wish to say more.

  Talamon knew him well enough not to persist with further questions. "Very well, Rhodan. You're the boss. Perhaps we can talk some other time about the advisability of taking certain measures. If you don't mind my saying so, I find your precautions a little exaggerated."