The Secret of the Time Vault Read online

  A difficult task lay ahead of him.

  This time everything went smoothly with the transition. The ship slid into hyperspace, traversed the fifth dimension and materialized at the edge of the giant Vega system. They established radio communication with Haggard and Marshall, who breathed sighs of relief when they learned that now their exile on the ice moon Iridul was coming to an end.

  "Reg, order one fighter squadron to take off and go on ahead. The Topides don't need to know where we're going to land. I want to conceal the position of the Stardust II."

  "Where's the ship supposed to touch down?" asked Bell, after he had carried out Rhodan's command and had passed on the instructions to Deringhouse. "On Iridul?"

  "No. On Rofus. It's a better base of operations. I also believe that the danger is greatest for the ninth planet."

  "Why don't we attack Ferrol directly? We can certainly risk it now with the Stardust II, don't you think?"

  "I have my reasons for not doing it that way. No sense in establishing our rule by an unnecessary show of violence. I'll be satisfied when the Topidian lizards scurry off helter-skelter, convinced that it's useless to offer resistance against us. I want them to be panic-stricken whenever they think back to their adventure in the Vega system."

  While the small, easily manageable space-fighters left their hangars and hurried ahead of the giant sphere, flying in close formation, Haggard and Marshall came aboard the Stardust II. Their Ferronian allies remained on Iridul for the time being. Rhodan extended a cordial greeting to his friends.

  "I'm anxious to hear further details from you now," he said after the first excitement of the reunion had died down somewhat. "Your radio message was very brief. What happened?"

  "Not very much until now, but the Thort grew restless. He felt deserted, even betrayed. But then I managed to regain his confidence and he followed my suggestions and assembled a small battle fleet. With it he succeeded at least to beat off a slight attack of the Topides that was probably intended to test the Ferrons' strength and resistance on Rofus. Still, it was quite a morale booster for the Ferrons, even if it wasn't much of a victory. I'm afraid, however, if ever the Topides should make any serious attempt ..."

  "It must never come to that," interrupted Rhodan. "The lizards will soon find out that we've returned. Our fighter squadron received orders to carry out diversionary actions, so that we can land on Rofus without interference. Do you know if they have an underground hangar there big enough to shelter the Stardust II?"

  "I would think so," answered Marshall. "But... are we going to hide out again? I had hoped we'd let those reptiles know who's master here."

  "You bet your life we will." Rhodan smiled, then glanced quickly in Bell's direction. "Why do you think we brought along our mutant corps? Though our friend Reg isn't one of them, he still has some surprises up his sleeve. Under his guidance our mutants will make life so unpleasant for the Topides that they'd rather roast in hell than stay here any longer. Or maybe they'd even prefer freezing to death in deep space."

  "I'm going to-" began Bell enthusiastically, but Rhodan cut him short.

  "Hold your horses, old pal. Let's wait till we've landed safely on Rofus, then we'll discuss this matter further. Right now concentrate on evading the Topides. Watch those detection finders!"

  "I won't miss a thing, not even spacebugs," kidded Reg, and turned away to devote himself to his task of surveillance. He no longer paid any attention to Rhodan and Marshall, who resumed their discussion.

  "Any further news?"

  "Not really, Rhodan. Except for one thing that worries me. I shouldn't say "worry", to be honest, but rather that it makes me wonder."

  "What is it?"

  "The Thort," said Marshall slowly. "I've talked a great deal with him and had plenty of opportunity to probe his thoughts. He's honest, that's true. And he's even grateful for our help. But there's one area that he's kept secret from us. It has something to do with the matter transmitter."

  "Hm," murmured Rhodan. "What's he trying to conceal from us?"

  "Something he doesn't know himself. I know this sounds odd, but it's the truth. The Ferrons haven't developed these transmitters on their own."

  "I thought so, my friend. But it's interesting to find out that the Thort himself is aware of that. What else could you read in his brain?"

  "There's a sealed vault on the planet Ferrol. Five-dimensional locks keep everyone out. Only the Thort knows how to open these locks, without understanding their purpose. This knowledge seems to have been passed on from generation to generation since time immemorial. I get the impression these transmitters were a gift from an alien race, who in the distant past had received some great favor by the ancestors of our Ferrons. This vault is supposed to contain the exact plans for the construction of these transmitters. The Thort was thinking of studying these plans in order to build some."

  "That doesn't surprise me either," remarked Rhodan without apparent emotion. He noticed Marshall's disappointed expression. "I wasn't trying to be facetious, John. You've rendered me a tremendous service with this report, for now you've confirmed what I'd suspected earlier: the Ferrons could never have invented these five-dimensional transmitters, for they lack the necessary mental prerequisites. Now, I'd like to know, who did build them?"

  "I got a tiny hint on that, too," replied Marshall with a radiant smile. "I could sense the Thort was thinking of something like 'beings that live longer than the sun,' Does that make sense to you?"

  These words had a startling effect on Rhodan. And Bell, who by now was tuned in on their conversation, suddenly sat up stiffly in his chair near his instruments. First his face grew unnaturally pale, which was followed by a deep blush. His eyes flickered. He slowly turned to Rhodan and met his friend's eyes, which were also wide with amazement.

  Marshall observed with great interest the effect his report had evoked; he smiled with contentment.

  "What an unusual pleasure to make you lose your cool!" he chuckled. "That alone has made my lonesome stay on Iridul worthwhile. Now I feel amply rewarded. Indeed, these creatures that live longer than the sun have given the Ferrons the secret of the matter transmitters eons ago. I'm sorry to say that they didn't know too well what to do with this secret."

  "The Ferrons are thinking in four dimensions, and that's already a giant step ahead, as far as we're concerned. It's just that they don't think five-dimensionally. And that's the first prerequisite if you want to construct hyper-spaceships or matter transmitters. That alone was enough for me to realize that the Ferrons could never have built these marvels themselves. Tell me, Marshall, could you get some indication where these beings reside who are supposed to live longer than the sun? Where are they located?"

  "Somewhere in the Vega system," replied Marshall. And for the second time he experienced the thrill of seeing Rhodan lose his composure. "At least that's where they were several thousand years ago, when the Ferrons were still in touch with them. Unfortunately, that's all I could make out, by probing the Thort's brain. I believe he doesn't have any further information on that."

  For several minutes Rhodan sat silently in his chair and stared at nothing in particular, while his thoughts were racing ahead. Beings that live longer than the sun, he thought. How long does a sun live? Half a day, because it rises in the morning and sets at night? A year, because every planet in a solar system needs one specific year to complete one revolution around the sun? Two hundred million years, the time it takes for the sun to revolve once within its galaxy? Or longer still? An eternity? Do these beings have eternal life? Did they not know death? But - if this should be the case, why did anyone never meet them?

  He sighed.

  "We'll have to have a talk with the Thort, once all this is over. I'm now intrigued more than ever with the secret surrounding this matter transmitter. And where is this crypt you mentioned earlier supposed to be, Marshall?"

  "In the underground vaults of the Red Palace on Ferrol. And only the Thort knows where the entr
ance is."

  "Well, the Thort!" mumbled Rhodan. "He's the key."

  Bell looked up. Marshall asked: "The key? To what?"

  "The key to eternal life," Rhodan said softly.

  Admiral Chrekt-Orn, Topidian commander-in-chief on the conquered planet Ferrol, was sitting at his desk in the Red Palace. His face bore an expression of grim determination, the thin lips of his broad lizard snout were firmly pressed together. There was a nonstop flow of alarming news. Rhodan's space-fighter planes, under the command of Deringhouse, had rushed several light-hours ahead of the huge Arkonide spacesphere, embroiling the Topidians in mock fights and luring them to the other side of the Vega sector.

  An assistant adjutant entered the room. "Strong fighter units have appeared in the vicinity of the ninth planet. We're hot on their heels. No attack was attempted by the enemy; they beat a hasty retreat at the first sign of interception. No casualties to report so far."

  The admiral, resplendent in his colorful uniform, hit the table with his clenched fist.

  "I don't care whether the enemy is attacking us or not!

  I've given express orders to wipe out any hostile force that dares show their face in this sector!"

  The adjutant tried to proceed cautiously. After all, it wasn't wise to incur the wrath of one's superior in general. But especially not under the circumstances, since Chrekt-Orn had been empowered by the almighty ruler of the Topides to act on his behalf here in this foreign land. He could mete out any punishment he pleased. The adjutant defended himself: "The moment we set course for these tiny ships, they begin to accelerate and take flight at incredible speeds. We had no luck so far even destroying one of these fighters, let alone capturing one. Our technicians would be most eager to find out something about the powerdrive they use."

  "It's of the Arkonide type," the admiral murmured bitterly. "The same as in our lost Arkonide battle cruiser. Have you found any trace of it?"

  "Not yet, Admiral. Nobody, not even our spies on the ninth planet, have been able to get the slightest hint where it disappeared to. It seems to have simply vanished from the fourth dimension."

  "Could be," growled Chrekt-Orn. He was furious. "Could very well be. Then we might never see it again. That wouldn't be bad at all. How could we defend ourselves against that battle cruiser, especially if it fell into the hands of an intelligent enemy? As far as these small fighter planes are concerned," now his voice resumed its usual sound of authority and energy, "-we should make short work of them."

  "Pass this on to the commanders of our battle squadron groups. There'll be honors and rewards for the victors."

  However, neither threats nor promises would work.

  The lizards tried in vain to catch the agile fighters, those daredevils who would come close to the heavy cruisers, then avoid them with lightning fast manoeuvres, luring them farther and farther away from Rofus.

  Meanwhile Bell set the Stardust II down on Rofus, undetected by the Topides. The giant spacesphere was placed inside the immense cave of a newly created hangar that ordinarily could accommodate entire squadrons. Rhodan issued his commands, and ten minutes after completion of the landing procedures he was sitting opposite the Thort, who displayed visible signs of relief at the sight of Rhodan.

  "I'm most pleased that you've responded so quickly to my request for help," the Thort said at the beginning of the meeting with Rhodan, Khrest, Thora and Marshall. "The Topides are about to invade our world here. We don't know how to fend them off. You, with your spacesphere ..."

  "We're going to defeat the enemy without even deploying our battle cruiser," Rhodan remarked calmly. He paid no attention to the Thort's startled reaction. Rhodan continued. "I've brought a special group along with me. They're all born on my home planet. From now on they'll carry on the fight against the enemy. Within a few days, or weeks at most, you'll be able to return to Ferrol."

  "My battle forces are at your disposal," offered the Thort.

  "Thanks. I'll make use of them when needed. I really neither plan nor foresee any open battles against the enemy forces. If we should be forced into this kind of action, I'll certainly not avoid it. But it's my intention to let as many Topides as possible escape and return to their home world in order to report what kind of a reception they got here when they tried to conquer your part of the Vega system. That should cure them for good of their lust for conquest. At least in this region as well as in our Sol's system."

  "Sol?" the Thort asked with eager curiosity. "Is that what you call your sun?"

  "Yes," replied Rhodan, who had made notice of the Thort's sudden show of interest. "That's our sun, indeed." Rhodan quickly changed the topic. "Are the matter transmitters still working all right? Are you still transporting people to Ferrol?"

  "We've maintained communication with the Sichas. All is well in Sic-Horum. Kekeler leads the resistance on Ferrol."

  "Excellent," said Rhodan. "That's where we'll start, then. What we began to accomplish when we conquered the Arkonide battle cruiser, we'll finish off right here. We'll break the enemy's resistance at the very root."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean to say that I'll be sending my people right away to Ferrol. Today, in fact. Reg, you'll be in charge of this mission. Any suggestions you wish to make, Khrest?"

  The Arkonide scientist slowly shook his head.

  "I have a notion of what you intend to do, and I can't think of any better solution. Your mutants are the right people to frighten the Topides enough to last them a lifetime. I fully agree with your plan, Perry."

  Rhodan glanced at Thora. She just nodded briefly to indicate her approval.

  "All right then," Rhodan said with satisfaction. Then he turned to the Thort. "Will you, please, put several cars at my disposal to bring my mutant corps to the matter transmitters. I'll oversee this action myself, and Reginald Bell will be in charge of any further activities. Reg, you know what to do, don't you?"

  "I can vaguely figure out what you want from me," admitted Bell with a faint grin. "I'm sure I can cook up something."

  "I wouldn't doubt it, my friend." Rhodan chuckled in amusement at the thought of Bell's ingenuity. Rhodan rose from his seat, bringing the short meeting to an end. "By the way, Thort, I'd like to learn all the details about the events ages ago on Ferrol. I'm sure you have documented reports of your nation's history."

  The Thort's healthy blue complexion turned to a sickly greyish blue. He stared in bewilderment at Rhodan. His little mouth remained half open as if he were trying to get out the answer that had gotten stuck in his throat. Now a hectic flickering passed over his face. John observed the Thort very attentively. His probing thought-feelers penetrated gingerly into the Thort's brain, endeavoring to register its impulses. But he found only surprise and consternation. When, finally, the Thort spoke up. "Our history? What could you find of interest in my people's history? What connection could there be with our present war against the Topides?"

  "Maybe nothing, and maybe a lot, Thort. So how about it? Can I study your nation's past or do you want it to remain an eternal secret? And if so, why?"

  "No," stammered the Thort, still overwhelmed by Rhodan's sudden request. "Why should I want to conceal my nation's past history? We're friends, and friends don't hide things from each other. You reveal your home planet's galactic position and I, in return, will tell you about our past."

  "Also about those creatures that live longer than the sun?"

  This time even Rhodan was shocked at the sudden change that fell over the Thort. The greyish blue tinge of his face became almost white. Something akin to fear and awe filled his restlessly darting eyes. He started trembling all over.

  "How do you know of them?"

  "I just do." Rhodan dismissed the question with a negligent flick of his hand. "How about it, Thort? Are you going to tell me about these beings and where they live?"

  The Thort simply shook his head.

  "Even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't do it. It's too far back in the pas
t, and our reports have grown hazy with the passage of thousands of years. I'm willing to procure all available data. Then we can continue our discussion. I hardly believe, though, that I can be of real help to you in this matter."

  "I'm sure you'll greatly assist us, Thort." Rhodan sounded amused. He reminded his friend Reg, "Let's not waste any more time. We've waited too long already." Then, speaking again to the Thort: "I shall remember your promise. This isn't a whim on my part. If these beings do indeed live longer than the sun, they still ought to exist today. For the sun is still with us."

  Kekeler stepped out of the matter transmitter cage on Rofus. An urgent message from Rhodan had called him to the ninth planet. Rhodan, Bell and the mutant corps welcomed the Sicha, who was dressed in the colorful garments of his people.

  "I'm happy to meet our allies again," began Rhodan. "And how is the liberation movement progressing?"

  "It's cost us many victims, but we haven't really made any progress," admitted Kekeler sadly. "The Topide lizards get more and more suspicious of us. They've dismissed nearly all native help from their services. They've doubled their guards everywhere. We've established communication with several resistance groups, and our organization has improved. But this step ahead is evened out by the severity of the Topidian methods of reprisal. Only the other day, they destroyed one of our villages, killed off all its inhabitants, because they suspected them of hiding one of the resistance fighters."

  "Just like back on Mother Earth, not too long ago," muttered Rhodan bitterly. "Go on, Kekeler! Any news?"

  "None, Rhodan. We'll continue fighting until the Thort can return to Ferrol, or until we ..." He hesitated. Then he swallowed hard and added: "We'll all be dead."

  "Don't worry, friend. This will never come to pass. I've brought reinforcements with me. Some members of the mutants corps are already known to the Sichas. Tako Kakuta for instance. And you'll probably remember Wuriu Sengu. But whatever their names, they're your friends, of both the Ferrons and the Sichas. The headquarters of the resistance groups will be moved to Sic-Horum, the capital in the mountains. From there, Bell will deploy his forces as needed."