by Perry Rhodan
Claudrin talked in a low voice to Prof. Arno Kalup, the genius who had constructed the linear propulsion system. The engineer could not be dissuaded from joining this mission. "You never know what can happen and I would rather be there," he had firmly declared. He was a giant of a man. His bald head was polished like a billiard ball and his drooping cheeks made him look like a contented hamster. At the moment he seemed to have lost his biting humor with which he liked to tease his friends. He answered Claudrin's technical questions concisely and in a serious vein.
Rhodan did not listen to their conversation. His thoughts were occupied with other matters and he kept looking at his watch from time to time: two hours and 13 minutes! How the time dragged on! Why did the Antis refuse to answer? Did they gamble that he would shrink from annihilating a planet or trust he would refrain from killing his own son? Whatever it was, he thought grimly, they were making a reckless mistake.
Rhodan was resolute in his determination to issue the fatal command to his fleet in exactly five hours and he looked at his watch again—45 minutes.
The lives of millions of human beings and untold billions of other intelligent denizens of the Galaxy were at stake. This counted more than the fate of 250 Antis and one traitor.
4/ CARDIF'S MAD PLAN
The surface of the ocean was in constant motion. It gave no indication of the craggy mountain peaks buried 1,000 meters below in eternal darkness. The steep slopes of the mountain chain dropped 4,000 meters on both sides to the base of the ocean. The slopes as well as the peaks were bereft of any vegetation.
At one place the almost vertical wall of stone curved inward and created an overhang which would have been impossible to detect by a rangefinder even though it passed directly overhead. The projection was much too thick to permit the transmission of any such rays.
However if a submarine had submerged to this place an alert observer would have noticed that the wall underneath the projection had a certain area which was much too smooth and, regular to be of natural origin. The area was round and measured 30 meters in diameter. A fine seam coincided with the vertical diameter. It was the line of separation for two large doors which could be made to recede in the adjacent walls and thus open an entrance, if necessary, to a water-filled tunnel leading to the interior of the mountain—the fortress of the Antis and the last refuge of Thomas Cardif.
Watergates separated the air-filled fortress from the tunnel. Ventilators deep inside the mountain were constantly at work to supply the immense excavations with fresh air. Light sources illuminated the farthest recess, permanently shutting out the night. Corridors, rooms and laboratories were all heated and nobody could have guessed the fact that they were more than 1,000 meters under water.
The Antis had built an elaborate hideout and considered various contingencies. Thus they were prepared for the present emergency. They knew that they could not be detected by rangefinders and trusted that the fortress could not be found. All technical instruments had been provided to follow every move of the adversary and to act accordingly.
A shaft ran down from the fortress to the bottom of the ocean where it continued in a horizontal direction 100 meters under the floor through solid primeval rock. It contained cables which connected them to a remote-controlled transceiver station 2,000 kilometers away. The radio station was housed in a shockproof dugout and the antennas could be raised and lowered for transmission and reception. In case the unmanned station were accidentally spotted it could be retracted to the safety of the bedrock. The installation enabled them to observe the outside world visually and evaluate the measures to be taken as well as their effect by electronic means. All radio communications could be handled from inside the fortress.
Thomas Cardif and an elderly Baalol priest sat in the radio center of the fortress and watched the various optical panels lining the walls. An ingenious arrangement of their antennas made it possible to receive many different pictures on the same set. The method was perfect for the surveillance of all events taking place on and above the face of the planet.
When they heard Rhodan's warning they knew that the Terran was deadly serious. They were aware that the entire globe was blockaded by a huge armada and had no illusions that Rhodan would hesitate to proceed with the threatened destruction of the planet.
Cardif bore an uncanny resemblance to his father. Only a good observer could have missed a wrinkle here and there, if he had seen their faces together. Cardif's eyes were not pure grey, they seemed to be a little on the yellowish side. This was the only real difference in their appearance.
He sat in a comfortable chair staring fiercely at the screen and said: "I don't know what to do."
The priest appraised him with a sharp look. He had a heavy beard and evoked the image of a Springer captain. It was quite possible that one of his ancestors had been a Springer patriarch but now he was the High Priest of the Baalol cult. "There must be a way out," he replied tersely, "and we are going to find it."
The loudspeaker repeated Rhodan's ultimatum 10 times before the strange voice stopped. A click indicated that the Terrans had switched to reception.
Cardif looked at his watch. "We have only two hours left, Rhobal, hardly enough to work out a good plan. Rhodan wanted to make sure that the supply of Liquitiv is maintained. After the mud borers have been delivered to his laboratories he will know the secret. They will analyze the secretion of the glands and soon be in full production."
The priest smiled superciliously. "You are wrong, Cardif. Of course their scientists will diagnose the secretion but that won't help them very much. They can even produce Liquitiv but it won't be the same Liquitiv. It will be nothing but a temporary means for cell rejuvenation. You ought to know this better than anyone else. Rhodan's ultimatum has affected your cool judgment. Normally you would never have made a comment like that. Don't you agree that the double effect of Liquitiv gives us a good chance?"
Cardif considered the thought, then shook his head. "I can't see what good it would do us. Before Rhodan finds out his mistake, we will be dead. He won't wait to carry out his ultimatum. He will initiate the destruction in two hours. This will also deprive the other inhabitants of the Galaxy of their Liquitiv. It will create a pandemonium of incredible proportions, not only on Earth but every place where galactic trade is conducted. Too bad that I won't live to see it."
Cardif's voice sounded full of regret. He seemed to be saddened by the thought of being prevented from watching the nightmare spectacle he had dreamed up. The thought seemed to rankle him even more than the prospect of losing his own life.
Rhobal glanced at the pair of Antis who were seated at the radio sets. "We must try to gain time. Let's figure out the best way to get a postponement from Rhodan. We won't get anywhere if we keep silent."
"We don't have much of a choice. We can only accept or refuse."
The priest was plainly disappointed. "Don't give up, Cardif. There's always a way, if we can only think of it."
Thomas Cardif was a criminal motivated by hate. He hated his father as much as any human being was capable. He blamed him for the death of his mother Thora. The Arkonide woman had not been granted the cell shower on Wanderer, the artificial planet, and had aged while Rhodan remained young. Cardif considered this sufficient reason to suspect his father of committing the indirect act of murder. He believed that Rhodan wanted to get rid of his old wife and decided to send her on a mission that periled her very life. The conviction that Rhodan had sent his mother to her death was so strong in Cardif that it could not be shaken. He simply refused to admit that Thora had volunteered for the mission.
But he had found other reasons for hating his father. His father, who looked so much like him, had been successful whereas Cardif considered himself a failure without being willing to admit that the fiasco was his own fault. It was one of Rhodan's principles, not to give preferential treatment to his son. He promoted him with the same consideration he gave all his officers, without lavishing special favors on his
offspring. When Cardif learned that he was the flesh and blood of Rhodan his quiet admiration turned into glowing hatred.
And there was a third reason. Rhodan had condoned the hypno-block which changed Cardif's personality and made a new man of him. The memory of his former life had been extinguished until the Antis restored his recall of the true facts and with it they revived the indelible detestation of his father who had robbed him of 50 of the best years of his life. Cardif had also remained relatively young due to the heredity of his mother Thora who, as an Arkonide, had a much longer life expectancy than Earthlings. At the present time he looked the same age as Rhodan.
"Yes, maybe we have a chance," Cardif said, embittered. "We must reason with Rhodan by pointing out to him that he won't be able to obtain sufficient quantities of Liquitiv before the critical time if he destroys Okul. If he buys the argument he will be ready to negotiate with us."
"Negotiate? Do you believe he will grant us a free retreat?"
"Maybe so, even if he is loath to do it. We must convince him that it is the only sensible possibility if he wants to avoid the imminent disaster. Consequently it will be necessary to lift the veil of the secret how we made Liquitiv."
"You are not going to..."
"No! I won't tell him anything. But I will guarantee him that he cannot begin the production of the narcotic drug in less than three months under any other circumstances."
Rhobal pointed to the radio operators. "You can talk to Rhodan yourself if you wish,"
"I will do that," Cardif replied and got up. "They can't detect us with their rangefinders. It would be fatal if Rhodan could find the fortress. He could wipe us out without having to seal the fate of the entire planet. But I doubt that he would do that either because he is in dire need of something else. And that, Rhobal, is the thing we will dangle before him."
However he put off sending his call because the transceiver was constantly intercepting the flow of radio messages exchanged between the Ironduke and the Spacefleet. The Antis learned thereby that their opponents were getting ready to drop five Arkon bombs on the planet. Cardif's last doubts vanished as he listened in. He wondered however when the attack would commence since the 20 U-boats were still out at sea. Rhodan would not be so callous as to sacrifice them and so he had still more than two hours left.
But he was not inclined to take a chance: 10 minutes before the end of the ultimatum he broadcast his message and asked to talk to Rhodan.
The moment the radio signal was received the electronic direction finders of the fleet went into play and the location of the transmitter was pinpointed while Rhodan answered the call. It was situated 4,000 meters under the surface of the ocean and thousands of miles from the coast of a continent. The three U-boats waiting nearest to the spot immediately headed for the transmitter with their heavy water bombs.
Thomas Cardif waited tensely. It took several minutes before the voice of his hated father emerged from the loudspeaker. "This is Rhodan speaking! The ultimatum will expire in five minutes."
"We know. What do you expect to accomplish by devastating Okul? Those 5,000 mud borers are not enough to make a sufficient quantity of Liquitiv. If you destroy Okul and take our lives there will be no hope for five billion intelligent beings."
"Whose fault is that? Yours or mine?"
"We are willing to help you."
Rhodan was so stunned as to be wordless at first. It took awhile before he answered: "You want to help us? I am curious to hear what you have to say."
Thomas Cardif contemplated the distant Rhodan as if he had already won the battle. Of course he was still far from indulging in overeager optimism but a vague idea began to creep into a corner of his brain, a mad plan whose realization required time. To gain a few more hours would be enough. "It will take you three months to develop the formula for Liquitiv, if then. And what happens in the meantime?"
"It is a mistake to underestimate our scientists."
"And the mistake is even bigger if they are overestimated."
"Stop playing with words," Rhodan replied. His tone was growing impatient. "We have only a few minutes left before I give orders to proceed with your destruction. If you have any proposal you want to make, out with it! Hurry up!"
Cardif's face twitched. It was full of hate. But his voice sounded calm. He had learned to control himself like his father. "We will consent to put three of the Springers' collection points for the Liquitiv at your disposal. The supply they have stored will be enough to meet the demand of the Solar worlds for months."
"Not bad," Rhodan admitted. "And what do you ask in return?"
"That you will spare Okul," Cardif replied. "Secondly, you must give us a spaceship big enough to transport 250 persons and an adequate supply of food and water. That's all."
"That's all?" The voice sounded derisively and Cardif could picture Rhodan's sneering smile. His face became distorted by his fury. But he did not lose all of his composure. Under no circumstances would he betray his intentions and he would have the last laugh. "It's not much if you consider what I am offering you."
This was the same second when the 3-hour ultimatum ran out.
"Well, I accept. Give me the names of the planets where the Springers have their collection points."
After Cardif had named them Rhodan added: "I will adhere to our agreement with one exception. The spaceship I make available to you will not take 250 persons aboard but only 249."
"What do you mean?"
"It means that you will not leave with the Antis but with me. You will be my prisoner."
"No!"
"In that case we will go and get the Liquitiv from the Springers' planets without you because you will be dead."
Cardif gnashed his teeth to keep from screaming into the mike. He controlled himself so perfectly that the High Priest was deeply impressed. With all the calm he could muster, Cardif replied: "This is coercion and blackmail. May I have some time to consider my answer quietly?"
"You may consider your answer but not quietly. While you do I will order a ship to land somewhere near your fortress. Now that we have been able to determine its location it shouldn't be difficult to find a good place."
"So you know where our fortress is?" Cardif smiled enigmatically. "That's interesting. By the way, you made a little adding mistake: there are 250 Antis without me. Don't forget it!"
"And don't you forget that you have only one hour," Rhodan replied coldly. "I'll be back in exactly one hour to get your answer. Remember that your fate will depend on it."
There was a click in the loudspeaker, followed by a slight hum. The High Priest waited 'til the radio operator had switched off the transceiver, then he said to Cardif: "We Baalols are saved. Rhodan is only after your scalp."
"And you think he will get it?" Cardiff asked scornfully. "Don't believe that you can buy your freedom by throwing me to the wolves. I would rather betray to Rhodan where the fortress and the other bases are. No, it's not that simple. Besides, I have a plan."
Rhobal came closer. His voice sounded leery. "What is it?"
Thomas Cardiff snickered. "Instruct your people to prepare everything for a surgical operation. Tell the physicians to go to the Brain Department. I want all specialists to wait for me in the auditorium. I will be there in 10 minutes."
"What are you going to do?" the priest asked impatiently and Thomas Cardif took him into his confidence.
• • •
When Rhodan cut off the connection, Bell could no longer restrain himself. He had stood the whole time with gritted teeth next to Rhodan, having trouble not to explode. "Are you willing to let him go scot-free if he insists on it?"
Rhodan turned around. His face looked expressionless. "We've got an hour to think about it," he said briefly, hinting that the final decision had not yet been made. "Besides, I'm not so sure that we have found the fortress. The transmitter was detected 4,000 meters below sea level, that's all. No boat can dive that deep, not even one of the Antis. If their fortress is down
there at the bottom of the ocean, how did they get in?"
Bell looked at Rhodan. "Do you mean to say it could be a bluff? But how can they radio from such a depth without being..."
"By remote control, Reggie. You could have figured that out sooner."
The door opened and Gen. Deringhouse entered. "Any new instructions, sir?"
"Not yet, except postponement of the planned action by one hour. Please see to it that all communications to this effect are broadcast openly to the fleet. The Arkon bombs will be held in readiness. We can worry about a ship for the Antis later."
"Maybe we can induce one of the Springers to take the whole caboodle aboard," Bell suggested. "There are enough of them snooping around in this neighborhood."
"That's a slight exaggeration," Rhodan replied with a fleeting smile. "Nevertheless, we should be able to intercept a merchant ship of the Springers with enough cargo space. But let's wait that one hour first."
It was a long hour. But before it had elapsed, something totally unforeseen happened.
Rhodan and Bell were in the Command Center of the Ironduke talking about their next measures with Gen. Deringhouse, when the door of the radio room was pushed open by the excited radio officer who exclaimed. "Sir... it's Thomas Cardif!"
Rhodan was outwardly unperturbed. "We have been expecting his call. I'm coming."
"It's not that, sir. Cardif appeared on our picture screen. He called from a new place on the surface of the planet."
Rhodan gave no answer. He rushed into the radio room where he saw the face of his son on a small video. The transmitter did not seem to operate at full strength since the picture was fuzzy although he recognized Cardif beyond a doubt. "Yes, this is Rhodan speaking. Did you make up your mind?"
Rhodan preferred not to switch on the camera, so that he could see Cardif without being seen himself.
"Yes, I have made my decision." There was something surreptitious in Cardif's voice that made Rhodan cautious. But his next words created a sensation in him that made him forget all caution. "I have given a great deal of thought to this matter and I would like to talk to you about it in person."
