Seeds of Ruin

by Perry Rhodan

  "What do you say?" Prof. Wild asked his colleague after he had carefully studied the report.

  "It's possible," Koatu admitted reluctantly. "But where is the second drug to be found? In the liqueur or in the secretion?"

  "That's what I am asking myself." Prof. Wild revealed how vexed he was by the diagnosis.

  • • •

  The morning Phil Norris visited the golf clubhouse following the advice of his friend Rengall a terrible surprise awaited him.

  Gary Bascall received him without the usual courtesy of the manager. He was nervous and disturbed and made no secret of his irritated mood.

  "What do you want here so early in the day?" he inquired. "Nobody is playing at this hour..."

  "I didn't come to play golf," the physician explained. "I just wanted to pay you and your fine bar a visit."

  "Somebody has already done that last night," Bascall retorted, suddenly narrowing his eyes and scrutinizing Norris. "You sure had a beauty tied on the night before last."

  "I missed my Liquitiv. That's why I came to see you. Sir John told me that you have it in stock and since it will take me a few weeks to get back to the city I would appreciate it if you could let me have a few bottles. You probably can buy it before I get a chance."

  "You have come a few hours too late," Bascall replied in a strange tone. "Sir John was the last one to get any Liquitiv from me."

  "But..."

  "Come with me." the manager said and walked into the clubhouse. It was a splendorous wooden edifice with a wide porch and a fine staircase of wood. The large windows had iron bars but one of them was missing. It had been removed by force and the twisted metal was thrown on the manicured lawn. Norris had a dim suspicion.

  "Look for yourself, Doctor. It was kept in the cabinet behind the bar. They used to steal money but now they steal Liquitiv. That's progress for you!"

  Bascall apparently was still unaware of the reason for the sudden series of burglaries. Norris thought he saw his last chance. "The liqueur isn't exactly cheap. It's worth its weight in gold. Well, how about it? Let's have a drink after this shock!"

  Bascall nodded, still distracted. He seemed to have dropped his suspicion of Norris. "Alright, Doc!" he replied, going to the bar and setting up glasses. "Whiskey?"

  "Oh, I would prefer Liquitiv. I suppose you have a few drops left?"

  Bascall shook his head in amazement. "That takes the cake! Didn't I tell you that I was robbed of the whole stuff? They even took the few bottles I kept under the bar. I'm completely out of it and I have to drive into town today or the club members will raise the roof."

  Phil. Norris realized that the time had come to enlighten the manager. Perhaps they could get somewhere if they worked together. "I doubt that you can buy a single bottle of Liquitiv in Florida or in any other state, for that matter, not even if you want to pay twice or 10 times the price. The import has been blocked and it looks as if the government intends to carry out a radical cure. You can picture the consequences yourself. Within four weeks 200 million addicts will make a shambles out of our civilization unless they are all locked up."

  Bascall glanced sideways at Norris. "Did you know all that when I gave the 100 bottles to Rengall? Did Rengall know it?"

  Norris nodded, feeling a little ashamed. But Bascall suddenly started to grin. "Looks like you got stuck just like I did. That's a joke. Now what? Can't you as a physician find a substitute?"

  "They didn't find one in Terrania. How do you expect me to know it? We'll have to dig up the Liquitiv somewhere. It's the only way. I don't feel like spending the rest of my days in an insane asylum. I still can live nine or 10 years and that's what I want to do."

  "So do I," Bascall declared. "Where can we get hold of more Liquitiv?"

  "In the city. Lock up your premises and let's go before the crowds storm the place. It has not yet been officially announced and there are only a few people wise to it. We must try to buy up any available supplies. Do you have a gun?"

  Bascall looked surprised. "Yes, of course. But why do you need it?"

  "We better take it with us."

  Bascall looked at his broken liqueur cabinet and saw the light. He took a revolver from a drawer and put it in his pocket. "Let's take the delivery van."

  "It will look better," Norris agreed. "That way we can order Liquitiv anywhere without drawing attention. First we'll drive to your wholesaler."

  Before they reached the outskirts of the city it dawned on them that their attempt was doomed to failure. A noisy crowd blocked their way when the people recognized the Golf Club van. Before Bascall could inquire about the reason for the commotion he was pulled out of the driver's seat and forced to open the loading doors. The mob howled in disappointment when it discovered that they only carried empty bottles and boxes.

  "Where did you hide the stuff?" one of them shouted, shaking Bascall. "Start talking or we'll kill you!"

  "What stuff?" Bascall panted, trying to reach his gun unnoticed. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

  If he didn't know, he suspected it and so did Norris whom they had left in peace.

  "The Liquitiv, you donk!" the rowdy screamed furiously, striking the manager a blow that made him stagger and fall. "You know as well as I do that we can't get it anymore. Nowhere in this city. If you don't surrender the stuff we'll..."

  He didn't get any further. Bascall managed to pull the revolver from his pocket. He jumped to his feet and pointed it at the leader of the mob. His men stepped back.

  "Start the motor, Norris!" Bascall shouted, cocking his gun with a slight click and holding it up ready to shoot. "Get out of my way!" he warned the ruffian who had hit him so hard. "We don't have any Liquitiv. Lay off! They'll soon sell it again. I'm going through!"

  Brandishing his gun, he plunged into the crowd that made room for him. Meanwhile Norris had moved into the driver's seat and started the motor. He shifted, and opened the right door. Bascall jumped on and held himself at the door. The leader of the raving mob was beside himself in his rage and, neglecting all caution, grabbed the leg of the manager to prevent him from getting in. "Don't let him get away!" he bellowed. "They're hiding the stuff in the cab!"

  Bascall took careful aim and fired. The maniac screamed and dropped. Norris stepped on the accelerator as the manager got on the seat. The pack howled but it was too late. The victims had escaped.

  "Did you kill the man, Bascall?"

  "No, I only shot him in the leg. He won't try to commit assault and robbery so soon again. This borders on anarchy. Now drive to the wholesaler and don't stop for anybody!"

  They saw to their great chagrin that others had already conceived the same idea before them. The large building was under a regular siege. Holding up placards and banners the unruly mass of people made it clear what they were after. They demanded the immediate distribution of all the Liquitiv that was stored.

  Norris stopped the car.

  "We'll have to walk," Bascall decided. He put the revolver back into his pocket and opened the door. "I know the warehouse supervisor very well. If he has any Liquitiv left, I am certain that he will give us a few bottles. Follow me, Doctor!"

  They left the van and approached the warehouse through the backyard. Nobody tried to stop them and they were able to enter the building unmolested through a side-door. Inside a policeman suddenly blocked their way. "Stop! Who are you?"

  Bascall grinned confidently. "I am the manager of the Beach Golf Club."

  "What do you want here?"

  "What's the matter? Is this place in some sort of trouble? I came to shop for our bar."

  "You can buy whatever you want. Except Liquitiv, if that's what you have in mind. You will be searched before you leave the building again."

  "This is unheard of..."

  "I am merely following orders," the policeman said, with a note of resignation. "Ask my superior officer if you want to know more about it. Didn't you hear that a state of emergency has been declared?"

  "All be
cause of that Liquitiv?" Norris asked.

  The policeman looked at him suspiciously. "So you have noticed it already."

  The met the warehouse supervisor in the office of his boss. There were also two officers in uniform present. They studied a list and exchanged remarks in a low tone. At first they paid no attention to the visitors.

  "Hello, Rebok, what's going on? Are they planning to introduce prohibition again?"

  Rebok, an elderly man in a blue suit, shook Bascall's hand and greeted Norris. "Looks like it, Gary. Although the prohibition is strictly limited to Liquitiv. They've confiscated all our stock."

  "Confiscated?" Bascall was horrified and turned pale. "What do you mean, confiscated? I came to buy some."

  "Sorry, Gary. You may have everything but Liquitiv."

  "But..."

  One of the officers looked up and asked: "Who are you?"

  Bascall introduced himself and Dr. Norris, who added: "I am a physician, Lieutenant. If you withhold the supply of Liquitiv you will cause a catastrophe. The addicts are already ganging up in the streets. You must know that a nervous breakdown is inevitable if an addicted person is deprived of the narcotic drug for six days. Are you willing to take this responsibility?"

  "It won't take six days, Doctor. The supply is merely held in reserve and registered. Then it will be distributed so that each addict receives his minimal dose. The government plans only one week's delay."

  "One week's delay...? What does that imply, Lieutenant?"

  "We are expecting further shipments from... other sources. Together with the stock at hand it will suffice to take care of the needs of 90% of the population. The other 10% wouldn't have to suffer either if we could catch those culprits who have hoarded the drug for themselves. Have I made myself clear?"

  "Clear enough," Norris acknowledged. "But what happens after the first week? Will new cargoes be coming in later on? I mean, can we count on a permanent supply?"

  "I'm sorry that I'm not in a position to give you any information about it."

  Rebok turned to Bascall and said in a regretful tone: "I wish I had known a little earlier that you need more Liquitiv. I could have sent you a few bottles. But now, it's too bad, Gary."

  "It's not your fault. They stole 900 bottles from me last night. Perhaps this interests the police."

  The two police officers were indeed interested and they took down Bascall's statement. When Bascall signed it, one of them commented: "900 bottles—this means that 900 people won't get their critical doses. You see what hoarding does?"

  "It's only 899 people," Bascall corrected him. "You don't have to count the thief."

  As they drove away from the city they heard on the radio that a state of emergency had been declared. There had already been riots in Europe by frenzied demonstrators who had to be calmed in violent clashes with the police. Many fatalities had occurred. The government urged the population to remain calm, claiming that all, requests for Liquitiv could be fulfilled in one week at the latest.

  Phil Norris stared at the passing landscape. "Do you believe it?" he asked glumly.

  Bascall shook his head. "It's a tranquillizer pill, nothing more."

  "A tranquillizer won't do any good. It can't cure the addiction. It will be bedlam if that narcotic doesn't get here in a week."

  The catastrophe had already begun to spread. The spaceports of the continent were jammed with desperate people. They tried to obtain passage with bribes or the threat of mayhem to the most unimaginable places in the vain hope that other worlds had an abundance of Liquitiv. The first reports of the impending disaster were relatively harmless. Then a group of unscrupulous men overwhelmed the crew of a small cargoship and forced it to take off. The ship was soon hopelessly lost in the cosmos. It was followed by a report from South America that the largest spaceport of the country was overrun by a belligerent mass of people and that the police was powerless to deal with their rioting. The terminals and control towers were smashed, three ships crashed and exploded.

  It was the beginning of the end. The addicts of the whole world rose in defiance of law and order and insisted on getting their narcotic drug.

  Terra faced the total collapse of its civilization.

  • • •

  "I don't have another choice," Perry Rhodan said, looking at the questioning eyes of Jefe Claudrin and Reginald Bell. "Either I can pull off the ruse or all will be lost. Under no circumstances can I order the arrest of 200 million Terrans and there is no other way of controlling these hordes of maniacs."

  "What's wrong with our scientists?" Bell asked tonelessly. "We furnished them more than 5,000 mud borers and they should, theoretically, be able to produce Liquitiv. If they get on the ball, these dopers can receive..."

  Rhodan interrupted him. "You heard the latest news from Terrania. The experts are unanimous in their opinion that the chemical composition of the mud borers' glandular secretion is known and that it is not a toxin but a rejuvenation agent."

  Bell looked at him dubiously. "No matter what you are trying to tell me, Perry, you will have to explain to me what causes this to turn into such a terrible habit that it makes lunatics out of those poor suckers and leads to their death after only 12 years."

  "Our scientists are still working on this problem. They suspect that Liquitiv contains a second drug which they have been unable to isolate until now."

  "Is this really possible?" Bell asked, perturbed.

  "I have to accept the conclusions of the medical experts. But it makes it clearer than ever that our best hope lies in finding the Antis who are hiding somewhere on Okul. Although they fail to answer our radio calls I am convinced that they can hear us. Consequently we will have to send them a message which will compel them to respond at the peril of death."

  "What about our resources on Lepso?" Claudrin inquired.

  "All gone," Rhodan replied. "Everything we had there was shipped to Earth and parceled out. The delay of one week is approaching its end. The alarming reports from Terra are worsening by the hour. We have suffered already more than 2000 casualties. We must take action and force a decision one way or another. The Antis are not anxious to commit suicide."

  Claudrin sighed and shifted his huge bulk on the other side of his chair. "Alright, sir. If you give me the text of your message I'll see to it that it will be broadcast over all transmitters. The U-boats will hear it too." He pulled a penzel and paper from his pocket and added: "I am listening."

  Rhodan reflected for a moment and then dictated: "Calling Thomas Cardif and all Antis! Okul has been sealed off. Escape is impossible. I have removed 5,000 mud borers from the planet for the purpose of producing Liquitiv. I hereby give you an ultimatum of three hours. Unless you give me the formula for the antidote to Liquitiv within the stated time, I will destroy Okul with Arkon bombs. All our radio stations have been directed to monitor your answer. I repeat..."

  "Do you believe that the Antis will bite?" Claudrin inquired, looking up.

  "They should—if they can be swayed by logic. Our past experience has shown that they think and act rationally. Cardif will want to negotiate. This is the least I can expect from our ultimatum."

  "Forgive me, sir, but I don't trust Cardif."

  Rhodan smiled sadly. "There is nothing to forgive, Colonel. I don't trust him anymore than you do. First let's wait and see if he has an offer for us. Please direct all transmitters to broadcast the message at once, to repeat it 10 times and to listen for their answer. I'm betting that we hear from them. Alert our rangefinder officers so we can pinpoint their transmitter. Even if their decision is negative, we will gain the possibility of disabling them without demolishing the planet."

  Jefe Claudrin got up and left the cabin with thumping steps. Bell stayed with Rhodan. Scratching his red hair bristles he asked in an unhappy mood: "What are you going to do, Perry, if they ignore your ultimatum?"

  Rhodan stared straight into Bell's eyes. "I will turn Okul into a sun! We don't have any other choice if we want to root
out the source of the evil. Without Cardif the Antis will abandon their 10-year-plan and we will get a breather which we so urgently need. Don't look at me like that, Reggie! Do you think it is an easy decision for me to execute the death sentence of an entire planet, even though it is uninhabited?"

  Bell gazed at the ceiling without a word.

  • • •

  180 minutes can seem an eternity.

  After the first hour Rhodan took the necessary steps to prepare for the destruction of Okul. He sent uncoded instructions to the fleet stationed in the vicinity of the planet to prepare the launching of five Arkon bombs.

  Rhodan reasoned that the Antis were in a position to monitor his broadcast and this was precisely the purpose of his undisguised directions for the impending attack. He wanted to impress on his opponents that he meant business and had no intention of sparing his son.

  The second hour elapsed without a sign from the Antis.

  The U-boats were still at their stations in their operational sectors, waiting on the surface of the water. Their rangefinders kept scanning their surroundings without registering a target. The radio detectors were also alerted. The moment the transmitter of the Antis emitted its first signal they would determine its direction. They felt certain that at least three of the U-boats could pick up the signal so that the location of the transmitter could be traced at the intersection of the radio beams.

  The cargo-spaceship stood by at the shore of the big bay. It was ready to start at a moment's notice to take the submarines aboard which would require five hours. It would take at least six more hours before they could commence the incineration of Okul.

  The Ironduke circled the jungle planet in a narrow orbit. Rhodan had gone to the Command Center and sat silently with tightened lips before the observation screen. He watched the monotonous landscape of Okul gliding by at a steady speed.