by Perry Rhodan
The fingers of Death still reached for them in the form of traction beams. Their power tore at the lifeboat's defense screen, bringing it momentarily to the point of collapse. But then the transition came, and with activated residual energy damper the guppy and some 1,700 survivors vanished into the safety of hyperspace.
• • •
Operation Kamikaze had cost the lives of 243 men of the Solar Fleet. By comparison, the loss of the Kublai Khan along with the priceless tele-transmitter was as nothing. Material and equipment could be replaced. The men—never!
Atlan admitted this fact with a heavy sigh. "Arkon would be ruling the universe today if we had not forgotten too quickly that men are more important than machines. But we made our own bed, as you might say. We didn't deserve anything better than to be dominated by a soulless machine... Perry, are you quite convinced that your men have not overlooked anything on Topid...?" He looked at him expectantly and Rhodan returned the look with equal gravity.
"Yes, Admiral, I'm convinced that there's not a single clue left on Topid that could show the Brain the path to the Earth. We'll talk about it more later. Here's the final transition—the one that brings us home. Ready, Bell?"
The latter stood by the small nav positronicon, into which he had just fed the necessary data. "Ready, Perry... already getting the green light!"
And once more the automatic timer began the countdown toward zero.
Transition... rematerialization... After the shock of slowly awakening from An indescribable state, everyone heard a curse that was something new for even the most hardened space veteran.
Reginald Bell had uttered the curse.
Pucky looked up in semi-confusion. Atlan looked at the stocky, red-haired man in some astonishment. Rhodan surveyed his friend slowly from head to foot. An uneasy feeling came over each of them, even though the guppy's viewscreens now revealed the familiar sun of the Sol System.
They all had reason to breathe a sigh of relief for their deliverance but nobody did so.
Atlan even started to say, "It certainly will be wonderful to..." But he found he was the only one talking.
As for the others, they could only stare silently at the tip of Bell's right thumb. He had cut it again and blood was oozing out. In view of the events following the first injury to his thumb, even the least superstitious felt uneasy.
Red omen?
PLANET TOPIDE, PLEASE REPLY
Copyright © Ace Books 1975
Ace Publishing Corporation
All Rights Reserved
THE SHIP OF THINGS TO COME
TROY LIVES AGAIN.
The famous Trojan Horse ploy is revived in the 21st Century. This time, though the "horse" is blueprinted on Terra and built on Zalit, its destination is: Arkon.
For Khrest reveals that his ancient ancestors provided the Robot Regent with, one might say, an Achilles heel.
Meanwhile, unknowing of the plot strands being drawn against it, the Giant Brain, the positronic robot of Arkon, analyzing the war against the inhabitants of Druufon, reaches the conclusion that robots are not enough and what is needed are living human beings as—
RECRUITS FOR ARKON
by Clark Darlton
