Part 8 (1/2)
The mousebeaver skipped the 'thanks'. Disappearing from depot 123, he rematerialised in airlock 3 of the Druuf scouts.h.i.+p.
Switching on the spotlight on his s.p.a.cesuit, he crawled around on the floor, looking for the tiny transmitter. Minutes pa.s.sed. Suddenly something reflected the light from Pucky's spot. ”Finally!” the mousebeaver groaned in relief, taking his beamer and aiming at it. A short-lived thermoray melted the dangerous corpus delicti.
Pucky's only incisor shoved to the fore. The mousebeaver was satisfied and laughing. The next moment he began to curse barbarically. The putty was stuck to his paw, straining his patience. Finally, however, it stuck to the floor and Pucky neatly planted the rhythmal5 in it.
When the Druufs break open airlock 3, let them find a plausible explanation of how this crystal emitting one impulse every 5 minutes got in here.
Naturally it had been brought in by Kakuta or Brigonne. But could even the Druufs reproach them after noticing the impertinence with which it stuck in the putty?
Only Tako Kakuta's welding seams did not please Pucky. ”That's something!” he growled. ”Those seams could drive the Druufs mad. But if I burn a hole through they'll really go crazy and lose all confidence!”
Sometimes Pucky loved to hear himself talk. But he did know how to follow through with quick action and seldom made a mistake while at it.
He burned three holes in the outer hatchway. They were arranged above one another at equal distances in the direction of the welding seam. Then Pucky took a small teleport jump, landing right up against the destroyed airlock door. He briefly held his thermobeamer against each hole so that the metal flow tracks would originate from the outside.
”The Druufs will go donk!” Pucky said with devilish glee. Then he concentrated and reappeared in Command Central of the Drusus.
”That takes care of that, Perry. Want a report?”
But he did not get around to it. The Druuf commander called. ”Rhodan, get your s.h.i.+p ready for action!” he said coldly. ”Your treacherous scheme was too crude!”
Rhodan demanded an explanation. The Druuf talked about a tracking transmitter. Rhodan denied it, demanding proof. It was surprising that the Druuf was willing to furnish it.
A waiting period began again but with no tension. Pucky had a chance to turn in his report. ”The Druufs won't be calling back too soon,” he dared to predict. ”Kakuta put up a few welding seams in the airlock that will present them with an insoluble puzzle. And my three holes in the outer door will provide the rest. I sure wouldn't like to be the scouts.h.i.+p commander who is about to get a heavy shooing out from his chief of fleet...”
That was the cue.
”Pucky,” Rhodan interrupted, ”don't the two of us still have something to say to each other? Who was it that ignited the time fuse of a bomb in the Druuf flags.h.i.+p too early and against orders?”
”Perry,” the mousebeaver dared to reply, ”Fatso once told me I should be wary of people who hold every mistake against you. Do you think Fatso's tip was a good one?”
Wild laughter broke out in Central Command. Even Rhodan could not remain serious.
Meanwhile the mousebeaver had silently removed himself by teleportation. From time to time he was very cautious.
Arkon's main transmitter conveyed Admiral Atlan's second message.
For the second time he spoke to the many races and peoples of the Arkonide Empire.
He gave them an ultimatum: submission or death!
”...I will allow the Druufs to pounce upon this rotting ent.i.ty that will not accept unity!”
”The robot fleet of Arkon will watch as one world after another crumbles!
”Take my ultimatum seriously! Do not forget that I know how to deal with you as the Great Coordinator has dealt with you in the past, if I so desire!”
”Rebels are always lined up against the wall!”
”Decide whether you want to be rebels or true citizens of the Great Empire!”
300 Druuf battles.h.i.+ps were speeding through hypers.p.a.ce towards the Rusuma System. They were already underway as Atlan was decreeing his ultimatum. A pre-arranged code signal informed him that operation Fly Swatter had entered its second phase.
Druuf s.h.i.+ps over Archetz! Demonstration of terror!
Had Rhodan ventured too much? Was the plan doomed?
He said no and the positronic computer provided a positive probability quotient of 81.54%. Still he could not rid himself of an uncomfortable feeling.
The Drusus was approaching half-speol and hence the transition point. The jump brought them within 10 light-minutes of the Rusuma System. The most high-powered tracking screens and the frequency absorber prevented Arkonide stations from tracking the Terran superbattles.h.i.+p.
The people in the Drusus were groaning from the pains of transition. For 10 seconds the positronicomp had taken over all functions. The crew slowly regained their full powers but some of them continued to feel the pain of rematerialisation for another half-hour.
Rhodan did not get a chance to take a couple of deep breaths. Harno had tuned into his thoughts.
Rhodan's face, marked by shock, instantly turned ashen grey. Harno had conveyed almost inconceivable news.
The commander of the Druuf fleet had suddenly abandoned his pledge to keep his agreement with Rhodan. The monster from another universe again regarded Rhodan's promise as a trap, the promise to allow his fleet to exit through the lens field projector portal after the flight over Archetz.
Why? What had changed? Rhodan's thoughts inquired of Harno, who was projecting the fearsome face of the Druuf commander sitting immobile in a ponderous chair.
”The mentality of the Druuf, Rhodan! With your powers of comprehension you cannot understand the Druuf change of opinion. One thing is comprehensible: only now has he recognized the significance of the planet of Archetz. He wants to capture the System, gain a foothold there and then capture star after star.”
Now Rhodan knew which inner voice had tried to warn him against any pact with the Druufs. Now only Atlan and his enormous robot fleet could prevent the downfall of the Springer planet Archetz!
Atlan saw Rhodan's face on the readout screen. The expression on it had alerted him; yet he had not expected an alert of this nature.
”So it will be blood and tears after all, Perry! Just what you wanted to prevent under all circ.u.mstances. Let me speak. We still have a few minutes. The robot fleet has already received my order to attack but they will arrive later than the Druufs. I shall...”
Rhodan interrupted him. ”Any action is too late, Admiral. The Druufs are already in the Rusuma System!”