by Perry Rhodan
Marshall remained several yards behind Deringhouse and attempted to scan the thoughts of their opponents in order to determine their intent. But the results were negligible.
Before the two Terranians could speak the first word, the middle Topide said to them in purest Intercosmo, "You happen to be in our sovereign territory and you are hereby requested to submit to our regulations and instructions. Nothing will happen to you if you offer no resistance. Tono? Who are you?"
Deringhouse did not show any surprise. "We did not intend to land in your sovereign territory. We were forced to do so. I am a Springer and we belong to the clan of Gatzel."
The Topide nodded. "That's what we thought, stranger. However, your ship is of Arkonide construction. We are very familiar with that type."
"That's right," replied Deringhouse, calmly. "It's the heavy cruiser class. We took it from the Arkonides, when they were giving us a bad time. Do you have any objections to that?"
Now the Topide smiled but it was not particularly cheerful. "No, we have absolutely no objection to that. The Arkonides can hardly be called our friends. What do you want in this system? There's nothing of commerce here and, if there were, we could take care of it ourselves."
Deringhouse shrugged his shoulders. "We were on a routine flight when we discovered this planet. We thought perhaps it might bear some kind of life on it and we started to explore it. We didn't find anything except these unusual cupolas."
"They belong to our defense system," explained the Topide. "This water planet was discovered by us years ago and we took possession of it. It serves as a support base."
"As long as nobody shows any resistance to it, that seems perfectly reasonable," Deringhouse admitted cautiously. "And inasmuch as it doesn't appear as though there are any native inhabitants..."
The Topide continued to smile. "There are natives," he said, testily. "They are reconciled to our ascendancy over them." He paused briefly and then added, "Besides, what alternative did they have?"
Deringhouse could no longer suppress his amazement. "Native inhabitants—on this world? We did not see a trace of them during our flight."
"You apparently don't have any equipment that would enable you to observe the life that is under the surface of the water—or do you?"
A shock of realization came to Deringhouse and Marshall. Naturally, on a world like this, any intelligences—if they existed at all—would have had to develop in the water, and when the Topides saw fit to establish a base here, beings were involved who had to be considered in some manner. Marshall thought about the large, dome-shaped structure that somebody had built on the coast. It's design was contradictory to the habits of the Topides and so it had in all probability been constructed in the water so that the inhabitants of the sea could make contact with their overlords.
The overall picture began to form slowly in Marshall's brain.
"I am called Al-Khor," said the middle Topide. "I am commander over the base on this part of the continent. May I ask you now to turn over your weapons? I should not wish to have us come into conflict with the Springers due to an indiscreet action. As soon as I release your ship, you will have your weapons returned to you."
Deringhouse hesitated. A profusion of thoughts raced through his mind and he sought in vain to put them in order. He cast a searching side-glance at Marshall and the telepath nodded his approval. He had long since known that the Topides actually attached a great deal of importance to the maintenance of peaceful relationships between themselves and the Springers.
"Alright," replied Deringhouse and drew his weapon from his belt. "We will abide by your requirements."
One of the reptiles took the weapon from him in his sharp talons and observed it with interest. Marshall also surrendered his raygun.
"In return," suggested Deringhouse, "please give us the assurance that you will not hold us against our will but that we will be free at any time to ask for the return of our weapons and to depart from this planet."
Al-Khor smiled again, "We are happy to give you such assurance. No one will stand in your way if you wish to forego the benefits of our hospitality and if you place no value on it. But first, I think we should have a little talk. Certainly you have a few things to tell us, and believe me—on such a lonely base as this water world, life is very tedious and boring. Come along, please."
Deringhouse hesitated. "What about my crew? I wouldn't like to have any indiscreet action on their part..."
"We have no objection to your instructing your people," interrupted Al-Khor. "Give them the good advice to remain in the ship and not to attempt anything."
Deringhouse nodded and turned on the tiny transmitter on his armband. "Lamanche," he said in English. "We are pretending to go along with the conditions of the Topides. Get hold of McClears and tell him to get over here and stand by for further orders. For the time being, there is no acute danger. That is all."
"Wilco," was the brief reply.
Al-Khor blinked his chameleon eyes suspiciously. "Why don't you speak in Intercosmo?"
"My second-in-command is still very young, Al-Khor. He only understands the dialect of my clan. I told him that he should keep himself calm and wait for our return."
The Topide appeared to be satisfied. With an inviting gesture, he indicated the open door of the domed vehicle, thus allowing his involuntary guests to go first.
Even as the ground vehicle set itself in motion, Marshall established silent contact with Pucky and familiarized him with Deringhouse's plan, which he had read in the latter's thoughts.
• • •
Maj. McClears always operated in a completely logical manner and therefore he normally acted as Deringhouse would in his place—except that he differed from his commander in regard to personal safety.
When he received the alarming report from Lamanche, he uttered a mighty oath at first and then proceeded to reflect upon the general situation. What would have happened if Deringhouse had not made a flight to the fourth planet?
The answer to that seemed quite simple: they would have waited here at their leisure on the 3rd planet until the Springers made an appearance; they would have attacked, retreated and carried on as if the Earth were being defended. The continuous exchange of individual battles would have created the impression that a whole fleet of heavy cruisers was involved, which could not be destroyed under any circumstances. In time, it would have occurred to the Springers to drop a gravitation bomb on the home world of the Terranians and thus wipe out the planet forever. So far, good! But—on the 4th planet were the Topides!"
That was the salient point of the argument!
So now the thoughts and speculations of Maj. McClears were slipping inadvertently into the same channels as those of his friend Deringhouse. Therefore, he had to take a course of action that endangered his own security. Later, when Rhodan recalled this event, he would have to admit that any sensible man would not have been able to act in any other manner, provided that he subordinated his own safety to that of the Earth.
And so it turned out that McClears' deceptive manoeuvre served to initiate the most ingenious of all the unpremeditated moves in the game of Empire that Perry Rhodan had ever undertaken. He did precisely what was necessary to give the semblance of truth to the lie that Deringhouse had told the Topides. His thoughts were racing while he ordered the communications officer to call Lt. Tifflor back to the ship.
Tiff was the most capable among the new generation of officers being groomed to take the place of the old top cadre in Rhodan's organization. At this particular moment he was occupied with the Gazelle in observing surface details. The flying disc—100 feet in diameter and approximately 60 feet thick—was the ideal scoutship for this type of operation. He received the transmitted message just as he had landed upon a plain and was about to disembark. He decided with reluctance to respond to the order and return to the Terra and he wasn't in too cheerful a mood when he entered the Control Central and faced McClears.
"It's a wonderf
ul planet down there but unfortunately there isn't any animal life. It's inexplicable to me because I can't think of any hypothesis to cover the situation. Okay—so you called me back. I presume you had some, thing on your mind."
"The understatement of the year!" grumbled McClears. He had not yet brought his complicated train of thoughts to a definite conclusion but in a sense his plan
was set. "Deringhouse has landed on the fourth planet. He calls it Akvo."
"That's not surprising—or is it?"
McClears kept his voice level. "Unfortunately, he wasn't the first one to take a liking to that water world, Lt. Tifflor. There were others who preceded him; namely, the Topides..."
"Topides?" Tiff tried to recall the name. He had been too young at the time and only knew Rhodan then by hearsay but dimly he recalled the original film that he had seen concerning the invasion of the reptiles in the Vega System. "You don't mean those crocodile creatures who wanted to destroy the Earth and clashed with the Ferrons by mistake?"
"That's exactly who I mean," nodded McClears, patiently.
"What are they doing in these parts?"
"I haven't the slightest idea. All I've got is a short announcement from Deringhouse that the Topides have forced the Centurion to a landing and have taken the commander prisoner. We've received instructions to fly to Akvo and there to await further orders."
"How is Deringhouse going to give out new orders when he's been taken prisoner?" Tiff wanted to know. "Or is this capture some kind of a cover-up?"
"It could be exactly that. At any rate, were going to take a closer look at Akvo. I'm not very happy about having the Topides in the immediate vicinity. But if they are there already, then we have to try to tam their presence to our advantage somehow. I'm assuming that Deringhouse is thinking along those lines, himself, because he'd have to have a dam good reason to permit himself to be taken prisoner so easily."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Yes, I do. I'll admit they're a little vague right now but hear me out..."
And McClears laid out his plan to Tiff. After only the first sentence, the lieutenant caught on. A fleeting smile touched his lips but he did not interrupt the older officer. The latter continued his explanation and meanwhile had the Terra take off. After the second transition, when Akvo gleamed in the viewscreens, he ended his briefing with the words: "And so I believe that we can kill two birds with one stone. If I only knew how I could transmit my plan, so that Deringhouse would be aware of it, I'm convinced that he would give his approval immediately and request further orders from Rhodan. But without his approval, I cannot set up radio communications with the Earth."
"What about the mutants?" suggested Tiff.
"It's a possibility," conceded McClears. "Unfortunately, we don't have any telepaths on board the Terra, so I don't see any other alternative than to operate independently of Deringhouse. We'll keep the Terra orbiting at a considerable distance from Akvo and only the Gazelle will go down to the surface."
"That's quite a risk."
"It's one we'll have to take," said the major, resignedly. "Deringhouse is going to have to play dumb in case he finds out that we have been overpowered in a brief but heavy encounter. I just hope that he won't take it seriously and really worry about us."
"And I hope," added Tiff, sceptically, "that if he does have such worries, they really will be groundless."
"Join the crowd," said McClears.
• • •
Surrounded by the other mutants, Pucky crouched on the divan in the wardroom and permitted himself to be pampered. In return, he informed them, from time to time, concerning the events which Marshall transmitted to him telepathically. Also, Lamanche, who had taken over the command of the Centurion, was in audio contact with the conversation by means of the intercom. The setup worked better than any other electronic arrangement that might have been devised.
"They are getting along fairly well with Deringhouse and Marshall," said Pucky and he indicated to Betty Toufry a place on his back that he wanted scratched. "Apparently the Topides are pretty serious about starting good relationships with the Springers. Up till now the two races haven't had much to do with each other. As Marshall has been able to read in the thoughts of our Commander, he doesn't intend to butter up the relationship too heavily. Can any of you follow that?"
"Not I." Ras Tschubai shook his head and looked beseechingly at Ataka. "The better they can make the relationship between them, it would seem that our chances would be so much the better to blast out of here all in one piece."
"So?" said Pucky with irony. "What would we accomplish by disappearing from the scene?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, what I mean is, where does it get us if the Topides make a honeymoon with the Springers and allow us to leave? Does that have any positive influence or effect on the actual assignment that Rhodan has given us? Don't forget that the Springers want to destroy the third planet of this system because they think it's the Earth. And here on the fourth planet sit the Topides. Now then—does that start to turn on a light bulb for anybody?"
No particular light came on for Ras Tschubai but perhaps for Lamanche, who sat in the Control Center, not taking his eyes from the viewing screens and at the same time listening to the conversation in the wardroom of the mutants.
He cleared his throat audibly, pondered the situation intently for a few moments and then stood up and opened the door to the Communications Central. "Still no report from McClears?" he inquired.
The officer on duty shook his head. "Not during the past half hour, sir. The Terra went into a wide orbit and is quiet. Our receiver continues on open
standby."
"Keep me informed of any activity."
"Yes, sir."
Lamanche acknowledged with a nod and returned to his own position, where he began again to ponder intensively over the entire situation. In some strange manner, his speculations began to move in the same direction as those of Deringhouse and McClears, which was proof of the theory that logically thinking brains always arrive at the same conclusions.
• • •
The Gazelle departed from the mothership, Terra, and hurtled downward in a vertical drop. Lt. Tifflor leveled the spaceship off only when within about a mile of the surface of Akvo and then went into a glide pattern. The atmosphere whistled with the passage of the disc-shaped vehicle but offered little resistance.
McClears and Tiff sat in the small control room with all viewscreens turned on. Once they thought they saw a shimmering, dome-shaped structure in the water next to the coast of the large, single continent but they ignored it. The Gazelle moved more slowly as it continued to lose altitude and acted like the advance guard of an expedition, such as one that might have been assigned to the task of investigating an unexplored planet. The 2 men waited tensely for the first reaction of the Topides and they didn't have long to wait. Near the summit of a mountain there was a sudden flare. The viewscreen picked up a sleek projectile that increased its velocity in a vertical climb and was apparently precisely calculated to cross the path of the Gazelle at the proper moment.
Without doubt, a ground-to-air missile.
Tiff activated the defense screen and a few seconds later a flaming detonation and barely perceptible jar announced that the attack of the Topides had been
scattered to the winds in the true sense of the word.
A second projectile suffered the same result.
"What now?" asked Tiff.
"Quite simple, Lieutenant. Now we'll look the situation over more closely, as though we were curious Springers." He adjusted the course and turned the helm over to Tiff. "Circle that mountain and get down a little lower. Keep the screen activated and in the meantime I'll drop a few harmless high-explosive bombs on them, so that they will know that we've got something on board that is dangerous—but naturally not too dangerous."
Tiff nodded and grinned. The reptiles would undoubtedly fall for the booby trap and try to take these re
latively harmless enemies alive. And that was the plan that McClears had developed.
10 seconds later, below in the primitive forest near the foot of the mountain, several bombs detonated. The shrapnel tore holes in the thick vegetation but hardly caused any other damage.
And within another 10 seconds the controls of the Gazelle refused to respond. Tiff struggled in some bewilderment to bring the small spaceship under his control again but he did not succeed. Slowly and steadily, the scoutship lowered and finally landed with a sharp jolt in a broad clearing that was hardly a mile from the coast. From what Tiff could determine, they had landed exactly in the middle of a circle that was formed by small, glistening metal domes.
McClears rubbed his hands. "Everything is working out as smooth as pie. The lizards will be happy to have made such a good catch. We'll leave our 8 crewmen
on board while we pretend to surrender to the enemy."
"Let's hope they don't kill us on the spot."
"Don't worry about that. It goes against their type of mentality. I told you the Topides are extremely curious. They'll want to know absolutely with whom they are dealing and why we came. So we'll let them find out. And then they'll be astonished at the activity they're going to develop around here."
"Take it easy," advised Tiff sceptically. He was perturbed when he thought of what Deringhouse's reaction would be to their arbitrary action here.
And Rhodan, above all...!
A ground vehicle approached the Gazelle and came to a stop. Two Topides got out and observed their war booty. Out of one of the metal domes the dark muzzle of an energy cannon emerged threateningly, aimed itself at the Gazelle and waited.
