The Psycho-Duel Read online

  "I invoke the right of the vanquished for myself and the Terrans: a safe withdrawal," said Atlan. He didn’t know what was going on behind that aristocratic forehead but he hoped that Carba still retained enough decency to permit Rhodan’s small fleet unit to take off. It would have to happen quickly before the Akon leaders moved in and started to influence the new Imperator.

  "You have my guarantee for it," Carba assured him. "Return to the surface and tell everybody what has happened here. I’m going to look around a bit."

  Their robot guide stepped into the room and waited. Atlan went over to it without another glance at Carba. He nodded to the machine. "Lead the way," he said.

  The robot turned as directed and he followed it through the cool, quiet rooms which had been the scene of an event that would have deep historical significance. At least this was to be true—in a much different respect than either of the parties concerned could have imagined.

  6/ RHODAN’S GAMBLE

  He was alone.

  He was the only living Arkonide who had access to these rooms. Here it was so still that his footsteps seemed to generate a booming echo. Without exception the walls were white, which gave the place an atmosphere of sterility.

  "Here I am safe," thought Carba. "Nobody can penetrate here, not even my friends." Nevertheless he felt a certain uneasiness when he thought of his new exalted position which the fluctuating politics of the galaxy had brought him to. He was in possession of power now, perhaps more than any other living intelligence in the Milky Way, yet this power was represented and guaranteed by the vast complex of the robot Brain. Carba suspected that he would need to exert every power of his personal strengths to achieve a measure of influence equivalent to that of Gonozal VIII. Suddenly he felt the personality of the old Imperator as though it were reaching toward him through these rooms with a physical impact. At the same time his suspicions were awakened. Couldn’t there be friends of the Admiral even here in the Greater Imperium who might now be waiting for a chance to kill him, Carba?

  At first he snickered. What could harm him? Down here he was absolutely safe. But could he remain down here under the ground forever, alone in this labyrinth of power generators and positronic equipment?

  "I’ll proclaim myself Imperator Carba I," he thought aloud. Could he erase the past with a name? No—only if that past were dead! Only then could it be forgotten!

  His predecessor must not leave Arkon 3 alive!

  The thought came to Carba like a sudden dawn. Carrying it out would solve all his problems. Forgotten was his promise to Atlan to allow him and his Terran allies a safe retreat. Carba was a lonely man in the subterranean installations of the mammoth Brain. Lonely men and their thoughts are always unpredictable, whether for good or for evil.

  • • •

  The robot car glided upward through the long passages, passing various control stations and invisible sources of light. The sound of the motor was hardly perceptible and the auto-pilot guided the vehicle more precisely than human hands were capable of.

  Memories passed through Atlan’s mind as on a film. Before his eyes was a clear impression of that first time when he had entered the interior of the giant brain because the security circuit had recognized him as a descendant of the ancient Arkonides.

  Now Carba had taken his place. The fears of Atlan’s forefathers that the stellar empire could dissolve into countless self-centered splinter groups appeared to be emerging into reality. Atlan knew that Carba would never be able to save the Imperium because he was too ill. It was only a matter of time before the over-stimulation of his brain would exact its toll. Carba was condemned to death whether he realized it or not.

  Atlan was by far too much a true Arkonide to simply accept the new situation. The preservation of the sprawling empire lay close to his heart and he had suffered much for the sake of it. He had lived alone among court dignitaries who had hated him and among automatons who in spite of their programmed responses to him had never been able to demonstrate an emotional understanding. He recalled his occasional times of enjoyment with Perry Rhodan and other Terrans but even there, now and again, he had encountered sarcasm and misunderstanding.

  He foresaw that various planets would withdraw from the Imperium, small kingdoms would come into being and the Galactic Traders would take shrewd advantage of the situation. Economic collapse would be unavoidable. Carba wouldn’t have too much time to concern himself with the Earth because the tasks of empire would fully claim his attention.

  He was jolted out of his thoughts when the robo-car braked sharply to a stop. Atlan straightened up and looked out. The vehicle had just negotiated a curve and the passage widened out from here. Atlan was quite familiar with the ground car’s construction and he knew there was no reason for it to stop unexpectedly like this due to a program failure. It was remotely controlled with a triple safety factor. That is, if one auto-pilot system should fail there were 2 more to back it up. There was only one explanation for the interruption: the car had been brought to a halt intentionally. Carba or the Regent, or both of them at once, had had a change of mind and wanted to arrest him. However it wasn’t going to be all that easy for them.

  At the instant that Atlan was about to get out of the car in order to proceed on foot, the doors locked shut. He tried the release switches but the doors would not respond. All the operating power had been withdrawn from the robo-car.

  Atlan smiled. If his invisible foe chose to keep the doors inoperative, by the same token he was not able to set it in motion. Nevertheless he was in a dangerous situation. Carba could send a second car into the passage manned by chapeks with orders to capture him.

  The deposed Imperator began to examine the interior of the vehicle carefully. Surely there must be something in the design of the car that would enable passengers to get out in case of a power failure and locked doors. Although the canopy was transparent it was fairly indestructible. Atlan climbed over the back seats and found 2 air-vents which were only large enough to get his fists through. He returned to the doors and rattled them with both hands.

  He was trapped.

  He cursed Carba’s deceitfulness and his own gullibility which had led him into this trap. Experimentally he tried to activate every button and control he could find but nothing happened. It took all of his strength to dislodge the seat from its mounting frame and push it back. Under it he encountered a plastic plate that was closely fitted into a hole in the floor. He released its 2 bolts and lifted it. Light came through and he could see the car’s forward axle.

  In that moment a voice spoke directly behind him: "The former Imperator Gonozal VIII is to be captured."

  Atlan froze for a moment but then finally realized that the voice was coming from the loudspeaker which was standard equipment in every robo-car. Now it was a certainty: Carba didn’t want him to get away scot-free and the Regent was supporting the new Imperator’s efforts to hold Atlan on Arkon 3. He couldn’t imagine that he would have a chance of getting away now but nevertheless he redoubled his efforts. The seat blocked about half of the hole in the floor. He lay down on the floorboards and braced both legs against the front panel of the car while shoving hard against the seat with his shoulders. The effort caused his face to redden and he felt a tightening of veins in his head. The support fastenings of the seat slowly bent backward; the paint cracked loose and chips of it fell down his neck. When he finally thought he had made enough room for himself he got up onto his knees. To get through the opening he had to squeeze by the axle which practically divided the aperture although at a distance of a foot and a half or so. After thinking it over he decided that it would work best if he went feet first. Meanwhile the loudspeaker kept on repeating its message which was now only psychologically significant. Its purpose was to make him panic and do something foolish. Once the soles of his feet touched the axle he leaned back and worked his legs over the shaft. He struggled farther by use of his elbows until he slipped down and banged the back of his head against the rim
of the hole. Heedless of the pain he writhed and twisted farther until he was finally beneath the car but hanging in a twisted position on the axle. Then he began to pull himself forward in the opposite direction. Finally his hands touched solid ground and he pulled himself completely free. He could hear the loudspeaker above him. He breathed a sigh of relief as he lay there directly beneath the car, streaming with perspiration.

  That was when the robo-car began to move.

  • • •

  The men on board the Ironduke, who had been waiting for hours, suddenly jumped as the voice rang from the speakers: "The former Imperator Gonozal VIII is to be captured." Krefenbac cut in the amplifier as if wanting to make sure that not one of his fellow spacemen missed the giant Brain’s announcement. Then for a short time there was silence in the Command Central of the linear-drive warship.

  "He lost," observed Rhodan after awhile.

  "We have to help him," boomed Claudrin, ready for action. "We can’t just stand by and do nothing while they carry him off somewhere!"

  "There’ll be no rash action here," Rhodan admonished. "The first thing we have to know is where Atlan is at the present time. Judging by that alarm they haven’t caught him yet. He knows his way around there and maybe he can fight through to the surface. Then we’ll take a hand." Rhodan secretly doubted that his Arkonide friend would be able to escape from the interior of the Brain. Nor could he himself sacrifice countless men in a futile attempt to penetrate the Regent’s defence screen. Moreover he knew he mustn’t lose sight of the menacing superior force of the Arkonide robotships which were being held on battle standby alert by the Regent.

  "Ship call from the Akons," announced Krefenbac.

  "Acknowledge, Major," ordered Rhodan without hesitation. Maybe they could gain time with a parley. Sansaro was shrewd but his victory might make him careless.

  He saw the Akon’s face flicker into focus on the telecom screen. "I presume you’ve also picked up the Regent’s order," he said in a courteous tone.

  "Naturally," replied the Akon. "It would interest me to know your assessment now of the situation for your little fleet unit."

  Rhodan ignored the obvious sarcasm. He must not permit himself to be irritated into making any rash statements. Sansaro and his companions were the actual victors of this contest. Neither Carba nor the Regent realized that they were to be used by the resistance group in order to expand the influence of the rebels within the Greater Imperium. It would serve no purpose to communicate with Carba because the new Imperator would do what his advisers persuaded him to do. They had helped him to his new position of power and it was to be assumed that he would trust them unconditionally. Sansaro was the key figure. Sooner or later all commands would be coming from him or from some as yet unknown figure who had not yet appeared but who would no doubt be even stronger than Sansaro.

  "I’ll grant you that the situation isn’t especially promising for us," said Rhodan, "but that doesn’t mean we give up. You’re much too smart, Sansaro, to underestimate us. That’s why I hope that you will just be a bit cautious in dealing with us."

  The Akon pretended indifference. "That’s something that Carba and the robot Brain will decide," he answered calmly. "I merely wished to warn you against making any attempt to rescue your Arkonide friend. We have prepared ourselves for any eventuality." He raised his voice. "I warn you, Rhodan, if you want your ships to get away from Arkon 3 unharmed you will have to go peacefully."

  "That’s putting it plain enough," said Rhodan coldly.

  For the first time Sansaro betrayed a sign of emotion. "But let’s continue to be frank with each other, Terran," he suggested. "You know what’s involved here for us. You and your ships are of secondary importance just now because we’ll have enough to do to solidify our position. I only wish to deter you from forcing us into something that would have no advantage for either of us."

  "We are quite useful to you as a means of bringing the Regent to your side." Rhodan’s sharp irony caused the Akon’s brows to rise in anger. "Now you’d like very much to shove us aside and get rid of the one remaining person who could cause you trouble—namely, Atlan."

  "How are you going to prevent that?"

  By his manner and tone Rhodan seemed prepared to stake everything on one card. "A few minutes ago we activated 5 fusion bombs which will detonate the moment we are attacked."

  "You and your men would go up with them, Rhodan. That’s not your way of solving problems," the Akon retorted at once.

  "Would you care to find out whether or not I’ll change my mind?" Rhodan challenged him.

  "You’re bluffing!" cried Sansaro.

  Rhodan moistened his lips. "Could be," he agreed. "But are you absolutely sure?" In the Control Central of the Ironduke a tense silence reigned. Rhodan was making a powerful play with a man who was a logical thinker and had seen through every ruse so far. Jefe Claudrin grunted almost inaudibly to himself and interlaced his thick fingers. Better than anyone else on board he knew the potentials of the linear-drive spaceship. They could have escaped immediately without the Arkonides being able to do much about it. However, the Epsalian realized that the Administrator would try everything possible to save his friend.

  "What do you actually want, Terran?" asked Sansaro finally.

  "A fair chance to help the deposed Imperator," Rhodan requested. "Just don’t open fire on our ships." The Akon shook his head. "No," he said. "You don’t seriously think that we’d simply stand by and watch while you dispatch your troops to rescue Gonozal VIII...?"

  "Yes, that’s what you’re going to do," declared Rhodan. "We’ll be having enough trouble with the Regent’s robot troops. It won’t be necessary for you to take part in the action. As soon as our men set foot on the ground the robots will swarm out like hornets."

  The Akon deliberated. "Perhaps you’d like to tell the Brain something about those 5 bombs?"

  "That would be useless," announced Dr. Riebsam from the background. "The Regent’s logic sectors would never accept the possibility that we would take the risk of being blown to atoms just to rescue one single man who is still considered as an enemy to the Greater Imperium." Sansaro laughed. "What that machine might or might not regard as logical you’d have me accept as an established fact," he said. "No, that’s too crude—I’ll not be taken in by it."

  "That is your gamble," said Rhodan calmly.

  Sansaro turned away as if to indicate that he was not interested in continuing the conversation. When Krefenbac switched off the telecom, Claudrin was heard from.

  "Do you think we can keep him neutral with that?" he asked doubtfully.

  "We’ll soon find out, Colonel. In any case it will give him food for thought. If the Regent gives us a bad enough time, I think Sansaro will hold off."

  John Marshall, the tall, lean telepath, smiled significantly. "Which means we’ll be making an attack..."

  "Right you are, john," replied Rhodan. "We’re going to send out a small contingent of troops who will engage in a retreating action with the Regent’s combat troops. While Sansaro is busy smiling over our defeat and is enjoying his sense of security, Pucky, Ras and Tako will try to bring Atlan to the Ironduke." He paused briefly. "Of course everything will depend on whether or not the Admiral will succeed in reaching the surface at all."

  No doubt in this moment there was not a single officer who believed this possible. Even if they could see Atlan they would probably have been without hope.

  7/ MUTANTS UNDER FIRE

  It was an instinctive movement but it saved his life. Atlan reached up with both hands and grasped the front axle. The sudden strain on his shoulder muscles made him groan aloud. A second later he would have been crushed by the lower suspension of the rear axle of the vehicle. His feet dragged over the smooth floor while he held on tight and kept his head up as high as possible. The robo-car had turned and was increasing its speed. He knew that he was being brought back into the inner sections again. Suddenly the car came to a stop. He swung under and
out, then rolled to one side and sprang to his feet. The car was humming softly. Atlan watched it tensely. Apparently it had come to a halt merely to determine whether or not its prisoner was still alive.

  He went around it and began to run back up the passage. When he glanced back he saw the automatic car turn around and come after him. It gathered speed and was overtaking him swiftly. The Imperator increased his own speed, noting that the passage here was about 3 times as wide as one of these remote-controlled vehicles.

  When he looked back a second time he saw that his mechanical pursuer was only a few meters away. He stopped deliberately while the wheeled disaster bore down on him. At the last moment he jumped to one side as a grey blur swept past him. He heard the tortured squeal of magnetic brakes and prepared for a new assault. The robo-car, apparently directed by Carba, turned in a narrow circle and came back. This time the unseen controller was more wary and guided the machine toward the right side of the corridor where Atlan was standing.

  While panting heavily, Atlan suddenly heard a noise behind him and turned to see a second car rolling toward him from the opposite direction. Moreover it was approaching along the opposite side of the passage, which would leave him but a narrow space in the middle. It was a space he might be able to use to his advantage but there was little time to think.

  He remained where he was as the robo-cars approached almost soundlessly. He was concentrating on the first car since this would evidently reach him sooner. Then he calmly stepped away from the wall into the center of the passage. He saw he had miscalculated. The 2 vehicles would reach him at the same time because the last one was apparently traveling faster and closing the distance to compensate. Atlan broke into a run toward the first car, which immediately slowed its pace. He looked around swiftly. Between himself and his metallic opponents was still a distance of 50 meters. Then 30, 20, 10 ...