The Secret of the Time Vault Page 5

  "Everything has been prepared for your arrival," said Kekeler.

  "Thank you. Bell and I have discussed all the details of this action, and he's fully informed. I'll arrive in Sic-Horum three days from now and take charge of the final stages of the battle of liberation. And now - farewell! Good luck!"

  Kekeler hesitated for a moment. Then he gathered up his courage. "We need weapons, Rhodan. Without weapons ..."

  "Weapons?" Rhodan acted surprised. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention it. We won't need any weapons anymore. From this day on, we'll fight the invaders with one kind of weapon only: our brains. And I know we have better brain power than the lizard race."

  The door of the matter transmitter cage opened. The first of the mutants stepped inside.

  3/ "TO LIVE LONGER THAN THE SUN"

  Trker-Hon sat across from his commander-in-chief, Admiral Chrekt-Orn. The two beings, descendants of a reptilian species, were covered with gray-black scales and presented a nightmarish sight. Their broad frog-like faces, their thin-lipped snouts, their black protruding eyes, their flat skulls and their nonhuman extremities - all of these together contributed to make them appear in an unsympathetic light to the human eye. The Ferrons too felt the same repulsion to the appearance of these creatures that had invaded their home planet. The lizards presented a visual impression of cruelty - but even worse: they were of a truly cruel character.

  "Our offensive will start tomorrow," said Chrekt-Orn with some emphasis. "We must assume the Arkonide battleship has become the victim of some accident. Most likely, the Ferrons didn't know how to operate it properly and have vanished for good in hyperspace. Thus our chances have increased to win a speedy victory over this race and to take possession of the entire system. This way we should also find that ship which sent a call for help and originally brought us here to this part of the universe."

  "Sometimes it seems to me," mused Trker-Hon, "we might've made a mistake and landed in the wrong system. You can't exclude the possibility of a miscalculation when dealing with such big distances."

  "Our Despot's technicians never commit an error!" declared the admiral firmly, reminding his subaltern that a superior doesn't fall victim to the same frailties as other mortals. "This is the right system, and we're going to locate the stranded Arkonide cruiser. We have to find a replacement for the one we've lost. Or do you really even consider returning home without your ship? You know what fate would await you there."

  There was no doubt in Trker-Hon's mind what to expect in such a case.

  "Our Despot is a fool!" volunteered Trker-Hon. "He's cruel and stupid besides!"

  The admiral looked at his adjutant with amazement. He was perplexed and utterly confounded. A hissing, whistling sound escaped his lips, giving expression to his feelings of utmost bafflement. His scales were rattling and changing color.

  "What did you say?" he yapped, gasping for air. No one had ever dared to make such offensive remarks about the exalted ruler of the Topides. He would have to place this young man under arrest, have him court-martialed. Only one punishment would fit this abominable crime: death! "What did you say?" he asked again.

  "And you're a fool yourself, Admiral! Don't you see the wrong we're doing here? These natives are a friendly harmless people, who are entitled to rule over their own home planet. What right do we have to come here and take over their world? I'll say it once more: you're a big fool for carrying out the Despot's orders without ever questioning them. This blind obedience won't free you from being held responsible for your actions at some date in the future when you'll be brought to trial."

  The admiral tried to smooth his unruly scales. Never before had he encountered such outrageous behavior. Never throughout his long career had an officer rebelled in his presence. The man must have lost his mind.

  "Trker-Hon! I'm placing you under arrest!" The admiral pushed a button and waited for an orderly officer to enter the room. "Hjera, call a guard! Trker-Hon's been stripped of his rank. He'll be court-martialed."

  "Are you mad, man?" said the orderly. He didn't budge, made no move to comply with Chrekt-Orn's orders. The admiral couldn't believe his ears; he was thunderstruck. The world seemed to come to an end for him. His race had known only blind obedience since time immemorial. The slightest rebellious attempt had always been stamped out ruthlessly at the very first sign. And now this!

  He sounded the alarm. Armed guards stormed into the room, holding their dangerous deathray guns ready to shoot.

  "Arrest these two!" gasped the admiral. He was breathing hard. "They're making insulting remarks about our Despot. They must be brought to justice! We'll punish-"

  Words failed him as he crumpled in his seat. He was too old to have to put up with such monstrosities. Silently, the guards disarmed the two evildoers, whose faces suddenly reflected nothing but utter surprise. They offered no resistance when the guards led them away. Trker-Hon and the orderly officer seemed merely baffled. "What's all that supposed to mean?" wondered Trker-Hon aloud. But he didn't receive an answer to his question.

  That was merely the beginning of the offensive campaign the mutants were waging against the Topidian lizards.

  Bell had put back in operation the one-man matter transmitter inside the Red Palace. Thus he was able to send his men, individually, straight to the central command post of the Topides. The cage of the receiver was concealed in a secret chamber, built between hollow walls which had not yet been discovered by the enemy. A narrow corridor ran along between the hollow walls, branching off in many places, and led to various rooms, chambers and passages. This was most convenient for Bell's men to pop up suddenly anywhere in the Red Palace and to disappear just as swiftly. The former builders had really thought of everything, though certainly they never suspected that their prudent foresight would play a vital role someday in driving off invaders from their home planet.

  Wuriu Sengu was once again the key figure. He and Bell were sitting together in a corner of the hollow wall, as he put his amazing gift into action. The short, squat Japanese had a round face and black, bristling-stiff hair. He was the 'seer" of the mutant corps. Solid matter presented no obstacle for his eyes. He could see through everything and was able to recognize any object on whose atomic structure he would focus his special vision. The moment he changed focus, the object became invisible again to his eyes.

  "What's going on?" Bell whispered eagerly. He was thoroughly enjoying this guerrilla warfare right in the middle of the lizards" headquarters. He had an innate desire to make things as complicated as possible in order to increase his enjoyment. This prevented him from letting loose his mutants on the enemy's army to cause them to mutiny. He wanted to squeeze every drop of pleasure out of this whole enterprise. Those lizards should shiver with fright for the rest of their days whenever they'd think back to this military expedition.

  The Japanese whispered in return: "The admiral had both the officer and the orderly arrested just now. André Noir did a good job here."

  A chuckle came from the opposite corner, where the Frenchman was sitting. He had been born in Japan and was one of those types who radiated their good-natured temperament for miles around them. He was known as a "hypno" and could impose his will on others. Not only on human beings, but also on animals, extra-terrestrial creatures and alien intelligent life forms. He had just given renewed proof of his remarkable ability.

  "Wow, that's fun! I've just released this Trker-Hon from my hypnotic spell. Of course, he can't remember a thing. He can't understand why the general had him put under arrest."

  "Admiral," corrected Sengu.

  "What's the difference, Sengu? The main thing is the lizard chief will see discipline collapse all around him. He won't be able to figure this out and he'll start doubting his own mind. Better still, he'll gradually begin to believe in ghosts."

  "He'll hardly be able to avoid that." Bell grinned. "I hope their entire army will soon believe in ghosts. That's what Rhodan wants them to do."

  Sengu kept staring a
t the wall.

  "The two guards are taking their prisoners to jail and are locking them up. I'd like to know what the admiral's next step will be. I wonder if he'll have his best collaborator condemned to death."

  "Topidian morale won't leave him any other alternative," said Bell. "What crazy creatures!"

  "Why?" asked André Noir in a serious tone. "I haven't forgotten the time when we had similar conditions back on Earth."

  "Hush!" urged Anne Sloane, who had kept silent all this time. The dainty American girl was a natural telekinetic. Thanks to her special gift she was capable of lifting and moving any object across tremendous distances just by concentrating her mental powers. Sengu was clasping her right hand in his strong fist. Thus she could perceive anything he saw. By combining their various talents the mutants could multiply their potential many times over and thus increase their usefulness and heighten their chances of reaching the optimum of their effectiveness. "The admiral seems to be getting over his shock. He's speaking on the communicator now. Of course, I can't understand what he's saying."

  "But I can," said Noir. He was clasping Sengu's other hand. Only Reginald Bell sat in his corner, unable to see anything, for he was not one of the mutants. "He's giving orders to call a meeting for the discussion of a special military operation. All the battleship commanders who aren't presently engaged in encounters with the enemy are being invited. At the same time he's issued orders to get the hyperwave band senders ready. After the meeting he wants to establish direct communication with the Despot on Topid. Wow! That's over eight-hundred light-years away. I can't wait to listen in to that!"

  "He isn't fed up yet, I hope ..." Bell was afraid he might be cheated out of all this fun. He sounded so disappointed that Anne couldn't help laughing. "I wanted to scare the living daylights out of him before he ..."

  "Don't you worry," interrupted the Frenchman, full of confidence. He could appreciate Bell's concern. "On the contrary, he wants to obtain the Despot's permission to abandon the eighth planet and at the same time official sanction for annihilating Ferrol. And then he said something else before he switched off the communicator. He mumbled some words to himself. I don't quite see what he meant by that."

  "What were those words?" demanded Bell. He was suddenly very serious.

  "It sounded like: 'The wrong world ... but I'll still find the right one.'"

  "He meant Earth," growled Sengu, the Japanese mutant.

  "Does mankind live longer than the sun?"

  Bell sat up straight as a bolt. "What? What did you say? Say that again!" He could hardly talk, he was so excited.

  André Noir smiled triumphantly. "Did I finally get a rise out of you? I can't believe it! Yes, that's what the admiral was muttering to himself. Something about the right world, whose inhabitants live longer than the sun. Is that of any significance?"

  "Rhodan will be most interested to hear of that." Bell resumed his usual casual tone. He relaxed in his seat in the corner. "When will this meeting take place?"

  "Within the hour. Afterward, the talk with their home planet Topid."

  Bell was fumbling with the tiny communico-set he was wearing on a bracelet around his left wrist.

  "They're in for something! And they won't like it!" he growled angrily. He seemed to have forgotten that this was going to be a fun thing.

  Admiral Chrekt-Orn entered the conference room and all the assembled officers fell silent. Chrekt-Orn sensed the tense atmosphere and could literally fed the deep resentment directed against him.

  He saluted briefly and asked them to be seated. Then, as if this were the normal thing to do, the admiral's scales lost their color, he started to crow strangely - a sound totally unfamiliar to the lizards' ears. Now the admiral spread out his arms, fluttering and waving, then ascending effortlessly up to the heavy chandelier where he settled comfortably between the arms of the light fixture. From this vantage point he looked down upon the utterly consternated officers and began his address: "Gentlemen! Our enemies the Ferrons use the most abominable means to break our rule. Just a few minutes ago I had to witness how Trker-Hon uttered the vilest insults against our exalted ruler. He called him a fool, which is putting it mildly, in my opinion. I would've used much stronger words to express my feelings. Therefore I had him arrested and shall condemn him to death. After all, it's not possible ..."

  That was as far as he got. Somebody emitted a shrill whistle and ran out of the room. Several of the officers followed suit. An elderly stouthearted officer seized the chance he must have been waiting for a long time.

  "Silence!" he shouted at the top of his voice. "The strangers who came to the Ferrons' assistance are using black magic. Don't get confused! Remain calm and rational, follow my example. We must fight against the enemy ..."

  This was the end of his speech. He was fully conscious, like the rest of the Topidian officers in the room, for André Noir didn't conjure up an illusion this time. It was the real thing. Suddenly the ground fell away from beneath his feet and he sailed up to the ceiling toward the admiral, who was crouching anxiously in the chandelier. Soon both lizards were sitting in the tiny space, clutching at each other desperately. They stared in amazement, with ruffled scales, at the chaotic scene down below.

  The officers who had remained in the conference room had seen enough. Their superiors were in league with the bad spirits and were out to min them. Better to fight against the Ferrons; they were easy game in comparison. They were real and could be defeated. They fled headlong out of the room. Only the admiral and his senior officer remained, waiting anxiously for someone to get them safely down from the ceiling.

  Hardly one hour later, and eight hundred light-years away, the exalted ruler of the Topides received a detailed but quite confusing report of the events in the Vega system. He issued commands to hold out on the occupied planet at all costs, until the already alarmed committee of investigation would arrive. He nominated a new commander-in-chief of the occupied territories in the Vega sector and gave him full mandatory powers

  The new commander-in-chief, Rok-Gor, started his career with the order to attack Rofus with a strong battle force. They were to wipe out all Ferronian troops stationed on that planet.

  Unfortunately, this was a mistake, for it only hastened the development of the events that would prove to become fateful for him and his race. Of course, Rok-Gor had no way of knowing that.

  Back in his hiding place Bell was shaking his head energetically.

  "No. Rhodan's ordered to leave them strictly alone. Let them proceed with their attack. Deringhouse and his fighter squadron have been alerted. Ras Tschubai is with Deringhouse. How these two can stand it inside that tiny cabin is a mystery to me. But I've some idea of what's going to happen; I can imagine what their plans are."

  He was wrong, though, for what really took place was beyond his rather vivid imagination.

  Deringhouse sat at the controls of his small craft, whose cabin was just large enough to accommodate one person comfortably. Ras Tschubai, an African, was a big man. He sat cooped up at the other end of the cabin and tried to look out of the porthole. He managed to get a good view of the largest part of the surrounding universe. Ras was one of the teleporters of the mutant corps; he could transport himself to any place he desired by concentrating on it, provided he was familiar with it or could see it directly with his own eyes.

  Deringhouse was in direct touch with Rhodan via the central station on Rofus. Thus he learned of the approaching fleet which had orders to attack Rofus.

  The other fifty-three machines of his squadron remained in loose formation and made constant sorties designed to lead astray any possible Topidian advance patrol vessels. Deringhouse's forces were located exactly between Rofus and Ferrol.

  Trker-Hon, who had been released in the meantime, led the Topidian battle fleet. Though he couldn't make sense of the latest events, he tried to shake off the secret fear that gripped him. He was determined to eradicate the source of all this calamity, which he believe
d to be on Rofus. Of course he couldn't guess that this source was - of all places - located in their own headquarters.

  The twenty hump-bellied cruisers emerged from the shadow of the planet Ferrol and journeyed forth into the bright splendor of the Vega system.

  The Topidian direction finders located them at once and Trker-Hon gave orders to attack.

  Trker-Hon was half sitting, half lying behind his instrument board and stared out of the wide visi-hatches at the hated opponent whom he knew to be faster than any Topidian ship. It seemed therefore all the more surprising to him that these fifty vessels made no attempt whatsoever to escape. Was it their intention to make a stand in the face of a concentrated attack of his twenty heavy battle cruisers?

  Trker-Hon kept up constant communication via TV with the commanders of the other cruisers. A hopeful note was in his voice as he issued commands for a slight change of course which marked the beginning of the attack on the hostile forces. He'd give hell to these Arkonides or to their friends who looked just like them and surely were at least of a related race. As far as he was concerned all of them were Arkonides and thus belonged to that race which tried to rule the universe, a task to which only the Topides were entitled.

  The first officer of the flagship entered the command center. The instant he reached the middle of the room in order to make a report to the commander, something very strange happened. Trker-Hon was able to see it clearly. He'd just turned around at the sound of the approaching officer.

  The airspace near the officer began to waver as if it had been suddenly heated up. Something pushed the first officer aside with a sharp jolt - and then became visible. Ras Tschubai materialized right in the middle of the enemy's command center, immediately next to the Topide officer. He was grinning from ear to ear, amused at the fright he gave the two reptilian enemies. Their eyes protruded even farther than normal. Their scales began to rattle ominously and jutted out at a right angle from their leathery skin. Then the scales changed color, going from pink to a light green.