Invasion From Space Page 5

  Rhodan warned Bell with a stern look. His impulsive friend was just about to advance threateningly in Thora's direction.

  "So you want to leave our planet in the lurch," Rhodan said in a matter of fact voice, "The same planet that came to your rescue when you needed help."

  "Who helped whom? " demanded Thora.

  "The help was mutual. May I remind you that Khrest would no longer he alive without Dr. Haggard's medical skill and Earthly medical know how."

  "And if it had not been for you my crew would still be alive. But you killed them during the treacherous surprise attack on the moon. We are quits!"

  "Not by far! But I want to ask you something else. Please answer me honestly. Do the M.S. rank higher in the galactic classification than the Arkonides? Are they considered a superior race to your own?"

  Thora's face became flushed with anger. "How dare you even ask such a question! That insect race belongs to a primitive level, not worthy to inhabit the universe."

  "But you are still ready to turn tail when they threaten here?" Rhodan said ironically. "Isn't that amazing? Doesn't that hurt your pride?"

  "We are forced by necessity. Here we don't have the weapons we need to defeat the M.S."

  "How about trying this without these weapons? We can invent new ones that might be even Better. Mankind is not willing to accept the M.S. invasion as an immutable fact We will defend ourselves and chase them off. And you, Thora, are going to help us with that"

  "You can't force me to do so."

  "I am not so sure about that," countered Rhodan with studied deliberateness. I have a way of forcing you. With-out the Good Hope you are powerless, Thora. From now on neither you nor any of your robots will he admitted to the Good Hope. You are not to leave your quarters inside the base."

  "You place me under house arrest?" shouted Thora, full of fury. "You wouldn't dare!"

  "I am simply taking all necessary measures to ward off the M.S. invasion. Khrest said once that the Earthlings resemble the very early Arkonides in this respect. He is right. We are hard and determined to reach our goal. My goal now is to deal a crushing blow to the M.S. from which they can never recover. I want to find a weapon against them that someday will also be of use to your own nation. But you, Thora, will under no circumstances stand in my way! And neither are you going to desert with the Good Hope. Have I made myself clear?"

  Thora regarded him with hatred in her eyes-but there was something else besides hatred hidden in them. Rhodan was seized by a piquant thrill recognizing the significance of the sensation that was slowly rising from the unconscious mind of the woman opposite him. It was admiration and a bit of surrender-or even beginning love.

  Rhodan was confused, but he did not show it. There would he plenty of time later to analyze this paradox. Right now there were more urgent matters to attend to. Little did he know that at that moment Khrest came to a decision too. The scientific leader of the Arkonide expedition, who had met many races of the universe and had dealings with all kinds of peoples within the Arkonide empire, realized suddenly with absolute certainty that the human race was the one to become the heirs of this galactic empire. He felt no regret when he recognized this fact, which he then proceeded to register and store in his immense brain. Captain Klein interrupted the silence. "Lieutenant Li Tschai-tung, our ally from the Asiatic Federation, has disappeared. Mercant believes that the M.S. got hold of him."

  This unexpected shock jolted even Perry Rhodan.

  Lieutenant Li was one of the leading agents of the Asiatic Federation. At the time he was put into action against Rhodan, he was one of the first men to realize that the big powers had to unite if they wanted to stand up against the might of the Arkonides. But once this unity had been brought about he had understood Rhodan's motivations and learned to appreciate highly the former test pilot of the Western Bloc. Together with his colleagues Kosnow from the Eastern Bloc and Klein from the Western Bloc he had gone over to the side of the Third Power. Klein became the liaison between Rhodan and Mercant, while Li became the link between Rhodan and the secret service of the Asiatic Federation. And now the M.S. appeared to have overpowered this man. Thus, Rhodan was attacked directly for the first time, apart from some insignificant episodes during their first attempt.

  "What do you mean by that 'he disappeared'? Li can't have disappeared into a void."

  "Li disappeared from Greenland and returned to China without being authorized to do so. Mercant thinks that the M.S. intend to undermine and ruin the big powers one by one."

  "Why would they pick on our liaison officers for that purpose?" Rhodan regarded Klein with some uneasiness.

  The captain noticed the feelings of distrust that were rising in Rhodan. He shook his head. "If you should be thinking the M.S. have got hold of me, too, then I must disappoint you. Is there no way you can ascertain the presence of an M.S.?"

  "How do you propose one could go about that?"

  "I have no idea; but I thought that you with your technical means"

  "The frequency detector!" Bell interjected nonchalantly. Rhodan acknowledged the suggestion with an angry slap on his thigh. He was annoyed at himself for not having thought of this right away. Of course-that was a possibility. The highly sensitive detector set could receive the vibrations of the human brain and register their frequencies. The detector was capable of distinguishing between a normal brain and that of a mutant, despite the fact that the difference was rather slight between the two sets of brainwaves. How tremendous, on the other hand, must be the difference between the human brain and that of the insect-like M.S.!

  "You are right, Reg! That should give us an efficient method of determining whether somebody has been taken over by the M.S. The only question remaining is what to do in such a case. We can't simply kill that person, if there is any chance left of saving his life. There is no sense in chasing the M.S. from one human body to another."

  From the background came Khrest's voice, which could he heard over Thora's protestations. "The thing to do is to destroy the body of the M.S. that he left behind sleeping somewhere. This in turn will cause the human mind, imprisoned in the insect's own body, to return to his own. The mind of the M.S., on the other hand must die together with his own body. That is their only known vulnerable spot; we must exploit this weakness."

  "How do you suggest going about tracking down the M.S. mind on its way back to its body?"

  Khrest smiled enigmatically. "This is something you will have to learn by experience. This is where the mutants will have to come in. Perhaps they might succeed in bridging the gap between the M.S. mind and body."

  "Maybe," agreed Rhodan half heartedly. He considered it unlikely that they could ever trace a nonmaterial substance moving at the speed of light. Mind was a form of energy, and thus undoubtedly a form of matter. It was possible to detect it, but he was not so sure about pursuing it. Or could there be some chance...?

  Klein used the lull in conversation to remark, "Mercant asks you, Mr. Rhodan, to track down Li. He can't manage this task by himself. Li is liable to cause great damage. Mercant is of the opinion that the M.S. will try to shatter the world's newly found unity. A divided enemy will he an easier target for the M.S. That absolutely must not happen."

  "You say Li has gone to China?"

  "Yes. That is as far as we could trail him; then we lost sight of him. We are inclined to believe that he is now in Peking."

  Rhodan turned to Bell. "Get me Ernst Ellert, but quick!"

  Reginald Bell left without comment. Only Khrest's whitish eyebrows arched upward in surprise.

  "What is Ellert supposed to do?"

  Since Klein had never heard about Ellert's special talents, Rhodan saw fit to give forth with an explanation. "Ernst Ellert is a mutant. His abilities surpass anything that the human mind could conceive so far. He is a teletemporarian. That means that he is capable of sending his mind ahead into the future and thus looking back on the past of our present time. Maybe he will succeed in hunting down the s
ecret hiding place of the M.S."

  "Teletemporarian?" murmured Klein, who was obviously at a loss to understand Rhodan's explanation. Then he shrugged and kept silent. He trusted Perry Rhodan to know what needed to be done.

  Ellert arrived, and at first sight it was difficult for those who had been told about his unusual gifts to suppress a certain disappointment. The German looked perfectly normal, showing no indication of any special ability. However, his eyes burned with a steady, never flagging fire. These eyes had peered into eternity, Rhodan thought whenever he looked at them.

  "We are holding a council of war," Perry Rhodan told Ellert "The M.S. have started their invasion of Earth. Lieutenant Li, special agent of the Asiatic Defense System, has been taken over by them. Tako Kakuta will give you all necessary information. He will also accompany you. I hope you will be successful. Before you leave I will give you two frequency detectors and further instructions."

  Rhodan hesitated for a moment before he continued. He had to exert a special effort to bring himself to say what was on his mind. "I felt reluctant so far to make use of your special talents, Mr. Ellert. Will you permit me a private question? You have lived in the future more than once. That means you sent your mind ahead, while your body remained in the present time. By the way, the fact that you can leave your body at will and then let your mind slip back into it puts you on the same level as the M.S. However, you surpass them by far, since your intellect is not chained to our present time. Can you understand now why I have chosen to put you into action against the M.S.? If ever there was anybody who could represent a real danger to them, it is you! But back again to my original question. You were often in the future, Ellert. Have you ever any indications there that the Third Power will in the future? Will we defeat the invaders?"

  A shadow flitted across Ellert's face. "I am sorry to have to disappoint you. No, not in that sense. Don't jump to any conclusions yet! But the future is nothing concrete. Many ways lead into the future, or let me say, rather, there is not just one future. Our present time is something real that has evolved out of a past that by now has become a fixed reality. But the future is unreal and uncertain. The smallest event taking place in the present time can change it. Therefore, I have never yet been in a future that could not still have been changed, Do you follow me?"

  Rhodan slowly nodded to confirm that he did comprehend. Ellert continued,

  "There are thousands of potential futures, futures with and without Perry Rhodan. Yet only one of all these possible futures will become reality. I know that you must feel disappointed now, but my gift to be able to travel ahead in time even if only with my mind, is without any practical value for you. I could slip into the wrong time stream and then my report would not be true."

  "Why is it that you know all that and have never before discussed it with me?" asked Rhodan with a hint of reproach in his voice.

  "I did not know it myself," Ellert admitted, embarrassed. "I did some experiments in the last few days and had to learn that different worlds exist simultaneously. But only one of those will later turn into reality. I have no clues which it will be."

  "I see. Then you are totally useless to us as a prophet."

  Ellert made a gesture expressing regret. However the knowing fire still remained in his eyes. Was he not speaking the truth? Rhodan looked questioning toward John Marshall. But the telepath slowly shook his head. So Ellert was not lying. He spoke the truth. What then was it that give him this knowing look?

  "You might be useless to us as a prophet," Rhodan continued, but not as an opponent against of the invaders. You are capable of leaving your body to try to pursue the M.S."

  "I'll try to do my best, together with Tako, to solve the task you have set for me," promised Ellert. Then, after some hesitation, he added, "According to one of the many potential futures I will not be among the living in a few weeks. But as I mentioned already, this is just one possibility among many. This one has just as much chance of coming true as another where I will assist you way ahead in a far future to consolidate the existence of the great galactic empire."

  Perry Rhodan did not reply. He was very pensive as both Ellert and Tako Kakuta, the Japanese teleporter, left the conference room.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Another conference room.

  More than six thousand feet below the Greenland ice cap the three presidents of the big powers met for the first time-not as before, in order to hatch plots against Rhodan. This time they were searching for an effective way to beat back the invaders. Mercant was present. Perry Rhodan participated in the meeting via a television installation. The narrow end wall was covered by a huge television screen. Rhodan's life size figure could be seen on it. All members of the little group in the conference room could see and hear Rhodan the same way that he could perceive them. Nothing indicated that they were separated by thousands of miles.

  Mercant opened the meeting and then called upon Perry Rhodan to explain the strategic situation.

  "Gentlemen!" Rhodan came to the point immediately. "Unless we proceed to act at once we are lost. Fortunately for mankind a union of our world has been accomplished, and thus Earth can finally be called Terra. All frontiers have practically been removed. You, gentlemen, are ruling the world, apart from myself, representing the Third Power and the might of the Arkonides. Also, in the field of economics, our efforts are being coordinated.

  "I request that my agents and all authorized personnel may move unhindered in your countries. They must have free access to all government offices and especially to those of your defense Systems. My people have been ordered to protect all important personalities of the world under strict surveillance in order to become aware at once if any of them have been invaded by the M.S. For this purpose I need unrestricted power of attorney. I must request you to give me complete authority."

  "An embarrassed silence ensued. No one dared refuse Rhodan's demand; yet...

  Mercant intervened. "There is no doubt that you gentlemen appreciate the necessity of this unusual procedure and will make your arrangements accordingly. This is what you intended to do, isn't it?"

  The President of the Western Bloc nodded consent Reluctantly, the President of the Asiatic Federation and the President of the Eastern Bloc followed suit. They saw no other way out of the dangerous situation they were faced with. Rhodan breathed a sigh of relief. He had won the first round. "Thank you, gentlemen! This, then, takes care of the defense measures to be taken against the invading forces, as far as you are concerned. You no longer need worry about it. I am confident of accomplishing whatever is necessary with the help of my own forces. As soon as we locate the enemy spacecraft, we will destroy it as we did their first ship. But let's discuss now the second point on our agenda. As you all know I have founded an organization, the General Cosmic Company. The manager of this trust concern is Homer G. Adams, the well known financial genius with the eidetic memory. Our industrial installations have sprung up everywhere on Earth. We dispose of a working capital in excess of thirty-five billions. If you are willing to cooperate also in this area with me officially, I am ready on my part to advance the sum of thirty billions for a project we are planning for all of us."

  The President of the Asiatic Federation leaned forward. "What project are you referring to?" he inquired eagerly.

  Perry Rhodan smiled. "A space fleet! Our planet must have a space fleet!"

  "What for?"

  "There are many reasons, Mr. President. One of these is purely economic. It is no longer a secret that war and military rearmament used to be part of the economic welfare of a state. This may sound rather cynical, but is nevertheless a sober fact. We must therefore proceed according to this well proved principle. With this exception, though-our efforts will no more serve to manufacture arms for war, but we will have a new goal, to build a space fleet. This will bring about an economic boom for all nations on Earth. New industries will arise, every able person will find work. We will stamp factories and huge industrial enterpris
es out of the ground. We will find new methods of producing new materials and manufacturing thus far unknown machines.

  "I have spoken about the purely economic aspect and the tremendous advantages for all of mankind. But there is also a military reason for having a space fleet You destroyed the Arkonide exploration cruiser on the moon. An emergency signal was released automatically when this happened. This S.O.S. is broadcast by radio waves with faster than light speeds throughout the universe. These signals are intercepted by space traveling races. The current invasion is a result of this. But other races might be curious too and seek us out Terra must be ready to ward off any further invasions. For this purpose we need a space fleet I hope that you will see the logic of this reasoning and agree with me."

  All present agreed, and Rhodan's proposal was accepted unanimously. But Rhodan was not yet through. His next request concerned the ways and means for forming a united government of the world. Rhodan concluded his motion with these words: "Once and for all we must have the guarantee that no more divisions of power will occur among the nations of the world. The building of the space fleet will contribute to enduring unity. But we must take care in other ways to nurture this feeling of belonging to one larger entity, going beyond the national frontiers. The United States of the World must become a reality, this age old dream of utopians that has been ridiculed so long. Never has there been such a favorable prognosis for this federation of all men as today. The common danger we face and the common efforts we will have to make to build the space fleet will act as inspiration for all of us. Will you please, as soon as possible, begin all necessary negotiations. That is all I have to tell you, gentlemen. Please proceed now on your own. I am not interested in the internal problems. Mercant will keep me informed of all the essentials. Thanks for your confidence in me; you will never have to regret."