The Micro-Techs Page 7

  The Swoon was reluctant. He was still dubious about the role Rhodan and his friends played. If they really represented the Imperium in an official capacity, why didn't they act more openly?

  Pucky piped up from his couch: "You ought to let him in on our endeavors, Perry. Markas will be our friend only if we trust him."

  Rhodan approved. "Very well, Markas. You shall learn the truth. The compensator-detectors will be used to discover the location of my home planet. Arkon wants to find it in order to destroy our globe and the Springers are very anxious to support the Regent for selfish reasons of their own. I've entered into an agreement with Arkon but the Regent is not interested enough in observing it although we're facing a terrible peril which threatens to obliterate all life in the Galaxy. I wish to see the blue prints so I can learn something about the detector that would enable us to design a defense against its effect. It is vital that at least a remnant of private life be conserved by the intelligent races in our universe. It is incumbent on you, Markas, to help us. We have no intention of forcing you."

  The Swoon's eyes wandered back and forth between Rhodan and Pucky who sat up on his couch and watched him intently. "I'm willing to do everything in my power to help," Markas declared, "because you're different from the Springers who feel only contempt for us even though they need us. And if Arkon wants the detector for the purpose of conducting a war, I prefer to destroy them myself."

  "This would be the wrong approach," Rhodan pointed out. "They might as well go ahead with building the detector as long as we can determine with certainty that we can devise something to counter it. For this we'll have to see the plans but we can put them back in their place later."

  "And how do you propose that I get them?" Markas asked, finally convinced.

  Rhodan smiled. "Your friend Pucky will go with you. As you know, distances present no problems for him because he's a teleporter."

  "How about Drog? What can I do to make him give me the key?"

  "Our mutant André Noir will accompany you. Believe me, Drog will do anything you wish."

  "You've got very powerful friends, sir. They can do more than other humanoids. You must live in a fantastic and wondrous world."

  Rhodan leaned forward. "Would you like to see it?"

  Markas seemed to grow. He exchanged a quick glance with Waff, who also perked up and looked questioningly at Rhodan. The sudden tension infected everybody in the room as they began to sense that an important plan was taking shape.

  "Well?" Rhodan asked.

  Markas took a tiny step forward toward the Earthling. "Yes, I'd like to know your world. But isn't it big and far? Can we live on it and will we ever be able to return to Swoofon?"

  "That's a risk you'll have to take, Markas. But I can guarantee you that you'll live well and safely on Terra. I'll be responsible for that. Perhaps you can have a new home on the fourth planet of our solar system where the conditions are similar to those on Swoofon. We can look into this possibility more closely later on but first we have to get the blueprints for the detector. When will you be ready to pick them up with Pucky and Noir?"

  "Right away," the Swoon said with determination.

  "So let's do it at once," Rhodan decided.

  • • •

  Drog flicked the radio set off. Deep in thought, he kept staring at the darkened picture screen where he had seen the face of a powerful, energetic-looking Springer. The instructions had been clear. Time was of the essence. He could not risk losing another second. The Terran Perry Rhodan seemed to have become suspicious and the hunt for the escaped criminal was probably only a ruse to search Swoofon at his convenience in his quest for the plans of the detector.

  Nevertheless, it was still mostly guesswork. The arrival of the battleship from Arkon seemed to indicate that the Regent approved of Rhodan's activities. On the other hand, Talamon had pulled out again with his vessel and only Rhodan had remained with three battleships and a flotilla of auxiliary ships.

  Drog shrugged his shoulders. Whatever Rhodan had in mind, he would be bitterly disappointed as far as the blueprints for the detector were concerned. And as to Markas, who had so suddenly disappeared...

  Drog didn't have a very high opinion of the Swoons although he had to admit that there were no better technicians in the Galaxy. Nobody else could manufacture the minuscule parts of the detector as quickly and proficiently as the cucumber men. He needed the Swoons whether he liked it or not.

  Of course Drog knew already about the new factory and where it was located. He could use the only railway to go to the factory and take the valuable blueprints with him. Markas would look dumbfounded when he returned and found that the blueprints were gone. Moreover he would have trouble opening the safe in contrast to himself since he had the second key in his possession.

  Satisfied that he had found the solution which would please his superiors, Drog first inspected the premises and then went to work on the safe which was no bigger than a mailbox but consisted of indestructible Arkon steel. It could not be melted by normal energy rays. Besides it would have destroyed its contents as well.

  The door swung open and the inside revealed a brown briefcase containing the plans. Drog picked it up, locked the safe again and went to the railway station where he gave the station master instructions to assemble a train as quickly as possible since he had to go to the site of the factory.

  One hour later he comfortably stretched out in two freight cars which had been welded together for him. His head rested on the brown briefcase. He smirked contentedly as he watched the smooth ceiling of the tunnel gliding back at increasing speed.

  If necessary, he could have the detector built without Markas' help and he would get the first experimental model finished this week.

  5/ PERRY'S PLAN

  The freight elevators had been repaired again so that Pucky, Noir and Markas could return to the city the regular way.

  To the inhabitants of a remote and isolated world the three figures could perhaps present a strange, even frightening sight. Noir, the Terran, was the tallest of them. He wore the uniform of the Solar Imperium and was armed with a raygun. Then came the mouse-beaver Pucky who was one meter high and unclothed. Finally there was Markas, the little creature that looked like a cucumber. Despite their different appearance they were endowed with approximately the same degree of intelligence and sense of responsibility. They were beings of vastly dissimilar origin, totally unrelated, yet they belonged together. They were not united by a planet or a solar system but they were denizens of the Galaxy and were threatened by a common danger.

  They went down in the same elevator cabin. It was big enough to accommodate all three of them so that they arrived at the same time at the suburb of Gorla. Without stopping they rode down to the railway station at the factory level which was already known to Pucky.

  Several Swoons stared curiously at the group but Markas sent them back to their work with a few reassuring words. They knew Springers but Pucky attracted their attention and he would have greatly enjoyed it any other time. Now he was disturbed by their curiosity and he urged Markas: "Let's find Drog as quickly as possible. Noir will give him the business. He's a hypno and can impose his will on the Springer making him forget all about it afterwards."

  Markas pattered with tiny steps along the factory road, trying to get ahead of Noir and Pucky who virtually slowed down to a crawl in order to let him be first. "We'll be in my office in a minute. There I can find out where Drog is," Markas said.

  Noir had no trouble getting into the altered office building. He sat down on the same stool which Drog always used. Pucky looked around and saw the unconcealed safe at the wall. "Is this where the blueprints are kept?" he inquired.

  Markas confirmed his question. "But we need Drog. I expected him to be here. Wait a minute!"

  He went over to another wall and adjusted the controls of a transceiver which connected him to all factories and the outside world. In a few seconds he made contact with the communication cent
er. "I'd like information as to the whereabouts of the Springer Drog."

  In a couple of minutes he received the answer: "The Springer has left sector NH/K/075 two hours ago after he requested a transport train to NH/K/078 for his trip. Shall we get in touch with him?"

  Markas seemed undecided until he caught the look in Pucky's eyes. "No, thank you. That won't be necessary."

  He switched off the transceiver and turned around. "Now what?" he asked perplexed. "What could have caused Drog to go already today to the detector assembly plant. What does he want to do there?"

  "I'm more interested in knowing how we can get the blueprints out of the safe since it's necessary to have his key to open it," Noir said.

  "We must get Drog," Markas murmured, disappointed.

  "Why?" Pucky demanded. "Listen, Markas, what kind of lock does the safe have? Is it electronic or mechanical?"

  "Both," the Swoon sighed. "It's impossible to open it without the other key, if that's what you mean. We've made very sure that nobody can take our construction plans."

  "That's perfectly understandable," Pucky chimed in, his glittering eyes directed at the safe. "I'd love to know if I'd make a good safe-cracker. You say it's also electronic? I should be able to operate the relay contacts if I can find them. As soon as the current flows the safe ought to open. The mechanical bolts won't present much of a problem."

  "But how are you going to move them?" Markas wondered and Noir explained to him: "Have you ever heard about telekinetics, Markas? It's a flow of power generated by the brain of a mutant. It can be used to make matter move at a distance. Pucky is a telekin."

  The Swoon gazed at Pucky with increased awe. "He's a telepath and a teleporter and he's a telekin besides? What kind of a super being is Pucky?"

  The mouse-beaver drooled over his admiration but he was not diverted from his task even for a moment. "May I ask you to be absolutely quiet? I'll try to open the safe. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

  Noir and Markas moved a few steps back and left Pucky standing alone in front of the safe. The mouse-beaver concentrated his mind and his brainwaves penetrated the maze of electronic connections which obstructed his direct access to the mechanical obstacles and which had to be activated before everything else.

  As soon as he heard the first soft click Pucky's tense body relaxed a bit but he kept right on going with his effort. Only Noir's breathing was audible. Markas stood motionlessly and rigid as if he really were a cucumber that couldn't move from the spot.

  There was another click and Pucky murmured: "Now it ought to go... "

  And then the door swung open. Markas squealed with delight and astonishment. He rushed forward as fast as his short feet would allow him, stopped before the safe and stared inside with Pucky.

  "Well?" Noir, who had joined them, asked. "Where are the drawings? Are they on microfilm?"

  Markas pressed against the safe and almost crawled inside. Then he turned around and exclaimed: "They were lying right here but now they're gone. Nobody except Drog and myself has a key. The safe can't be opened unless both keys are used together. I don't understand it."

  "I do," Pucky said grimly. "Drog must also have a key just like yours, Markas. He's tricked you. Which means he's tricked all of us. What are we going to do now?"

  The Swoon regained his wits with amazing speed. With a last look at the empty safe he urged: "If Drog has stolen the blueprints we'll have to go after him. We know where he is. What are we waiting for?"

  Pucky glanced at Noir. "Looks like we can learn something from Markas," he chirped. "He's right. Let's get on the ball!"

  "Huh?"

  "The doll?"

  "The ball, Pucky."

  "Crazy language, English!"

  They didn't bother to take one of the many trains constantly commuting between the factories but returned instead by teleportation to the surface. Using the map Noir had brought, they determined their position and Markas marked the location of the new factory on the map. This made it easy for Pucky to reach the place in two more jumps, one horizontally on the surface and another one vertically down.

  They materialized in an almost empty hall whose floor and ceiling consisted of stone. The hall was unusually high for the Swoons but it had to have enough room for the instruments which were to be installed in the ships of the Springers. Furthermore, the Springers were expected to send their observers once the production was in progress.

  There was nobody to be seen on the premises and they could assume that their unusual arrival had not been noticed. Now they had to get hold of Drog. This shouldn't prove to be too difficult.

  • • •

  Drog didn't know what was in store for him but he sensed instinctively that something was amiss. His anxiety had diminished considerably since he had appropriated the precious drawings. He knew that these were the only existing prints of the originals which were in a secure place on a small planet of the Galactic traders.

  Now he was firmly convinced that there was more to the blockade Rhodan had imposed in the name of Arkon than met the eye. It wasn't necessary to cordon off an entire solar system in order to search for one man. Moreover he began to worry about the disappearance of Markas.

  He climbed out of his wagon, chased away some Swoons with a bellowing voice and walked down the unfinished street to the factory hall where his future office would be located. Why not make himself comfortable there now as well as its preliminary state permitted it?

  The Swoons he encountered gave him a wide berth as soon as they caught sight of him. To them the big

  Springer looked like a gigantic ogre who disdained to show any consideration. They had learned as much from bitter experience.

  Drog didn't care much for the Swoons. The only time he feigned respect was when he needed them because it was so important to their egos and he didn't mind the lie.

  On his left he passed the metal wall of a workshop. Following a sudden impulse, he changed his direction and entered the hall through a very low door, bending down to avoid hitting his head. "I've got to make some changes around here," he murmured angrily and then abruptly stopped in his tracks. He almost dropped the briefcase he carried under his arm.

  In front of him—or rather below him—stood Markas. Drog recognized him at once although it was not easy to tell the Swoons apart. It was just too bad that he couldn't talk to him as no translator machine was handy. "Out of my way, you worm!" he barked.

  Markas was scared and covered his little ears but he stood his ground, trusting the mouse-beaver and Noir who were hiding in the background. Although he failed to understand the words the behemoth shouted, he could guess the meaning. Nonetheless he stubbornly refused to move. He held up the key to the safe in one hand—hardly the proper name for such a delicate extremity—and showed it to the Springer.

  Drog understood it perfectly well. "Oh, the drawings! Too bad, my trusting friend, I've got them now. What do you want with them, anyway? And where have you been all this time?" He suddenly remembered that the Swoon couldn't understand him and was annoyed that he had wasted so much time. Why didn't the dwarf get the first model of the detector built as they had agreed? He pointed to the exit. "Follow me! I've got to talk to you."

  Although Markas must have understood his gesture, he didn't budge from his spot. Drog started to grab Markas but he froze in the middle of the movement.

  Something invisible exerted a sudden pressure on his brain and pressed against his mind, paralyzing his will. He felt a pain but it was not severe. The hall began to rotate before his eyes. He didn't lose consciousness and knew exactly what happened during the next few minutes but he lacked the ability to counteract it.

  Now two figures appeared from the background, one as tall as he was and the other only half as tall. This funny beast looked familiar.

  Plucky grunted disapprovingly. "He called me a beast," he said to Noir, shaking his head. "I'd have thought that this mercenary bad-for-nothing was smarter than that. He doesn't know Pucky
very well, not yet."

  Noir couldn't be distracted. His powerful brainwaves seized the mind of the Springer and enveloped it. His victim never realized that someone else had taken over his brain and nervous system and gained control of his entire body. It was a kind of hypnosis but much more efficient and persistent. The orders were transmitted by telepathy and carried out without the slightest compromise or hesitation.

  "Hand over the briefcase with the drawings," Noir ordered. He knew already from Pucky what the briefcase contained. Drog gave him the briefcase. "Come with us!"

  They left the hall and walked down the street where they met many Swoons none of whom could realize that the Springer who accompanied the chief scientist Markas, the Arkonide and the strange furry creature, was not in control of himself. They all knew Drog and he behaved the same as always.

  Markas stopped in front of a portal. "This is the administration building. One of the offices is to be used for Drog. I suppose this is the best place to wait for you. How long will it take you?"

  "I don't think I'll be gone very long," Pucky replied. "I won't have any trouble finding the spaceship. Rhodan can look the blueprints over and have them copied. I guess I'll be back in half an hour. In the meantime you'll have to watch Drog here because it'd be too early to let him loose now."

  "No problem," assured Noir, who kept holding the Springer in a tight mental grip.

  When they finally closed the door behind them and were alone they breathed easier. The quizzical and curious looks of the harmless and good-natured Swoons in the streets had been rather hard to bear. Although they were not disturbed by Drog's behavior, they were worried by the presence of the alien visitors and Noir would be unable to eradicate the memory of each as he aimed to do with Drog.

  "Go ahead, Noir," Pucky said and waved Markas to come over to him. "Now you're going to see, shorty, how nicely the Springer'll tell us all we want to know."

  Noir gave Pucky the briefcase and put Drog in a corner. The mouse-beaver quickly perused the papers and Markas confirmed that they were genuine.