Infinity Flight
Page 10
Maybe now you can divine why my race decided to give up their bodies when they had the opportunity to become etherealized. The body is only a means of expediency, that's all. It is vulnerable and therefore mortal.
"I wouldn't want to do without it, I'd miss it too much," Rhodan thought back.
You are only one human being but I am my entire race. That's a tremendous difference. Within me those also continue to live on who had resisted this spiritualization. This might perhaps account for my predilection to materialize in various shapes. But here we are. This is Topthor's ship.
It was also standing still. It existed in the same time plane as the Stardust. It has hard for Rhodan to imagine that nothing was happening in the meantime but this much he understood already: however long he might stay here in this condition there was no possibility of missing anything.
When he saw the nearly square-shaped giant Topthor, he grew apprehensive although he had been forewarned by the Immortal. The Mounder was just as wide as tall and broad. In his outsized hands he was holding a piece of paper which he was just handing to another Mounder who was in no way outstripped by him in size or weight.
That's the message, Rhodan. Read it.
Rhodan moved closer to the two Mounders; he could have touched them if he had had hands. The thought crossed his mind: how was it possible for him to see without eyes? And he could plainly see the note and the writing on it:
"To Etztak, patriarch of the Etztak clan. Perry Rhodan, the Terranian, has succeeded in obtaining a new weapon. With it he destroyed five of my ships. Resistance is impossible. I'm warning you, Etztak! Be assured of our help! Rhodan will attack and wipe you out. Only a surprise attack can render him harmless. I'll send word of my new position and am expecting your offer. Topthor, Clan of the Mounders"
Rhodan perused the message twice and was sure he would not forget its text. All depended now on how quickly Etztak would react to this warning and offer. Probably not fast enough. The Stardust could reach the Beta-Albireo system with a single jump—of course Topthor was capable of the same thing too. But before the Mounder would intervene in the battle, days might go by. Etztak was a tough bird and was bound to haggle over the price to be paid.
That was Rhodan's only chance.
He receded a bit and had a closer look at Topthor. His face was certainly human or Arkonide. Or—Rhodan thought startled—Barkonide. Somewhat changed, but still. They probably had constantly lived on a planet with extremely high gravity and had undergone physical changes to adjust to their environment.
The community of the galaxy! Rhodan smiled bitterly. How fortunate that the Barkonides did not know what had become of their realm. And until the day when the Barkonides would end their long journey through the darkness of empty space, finally to reach the edge of the Milky Way, much time would still pass. A great deal might be changed by then...
Let us return, admonished the Immortal's voice. You have seen the message your adversary will receive. Act accordingly. When you return into the plane of existence of the Stardust, not much time will be left for you. But you'll make it.
The disembodied trip through space lasted only a few seconds as far as Rhodan was concerned, then he saw the familiar shape of the Stardust come into view. Effortlessly he penetrated through the energy screen and the ship's hull to find himself unchanged and still motionless, sitting next to Bell inside the command center.
"Thank you, old friend. When will we meet again?"
Soundless laughter filled his brain. The little word 'when' does not exist in an immortal's vocabulary, Rhodan. But rest assured, we will see each other again. Till then, farewell—and guard your heritage. Rhodan could feel something leaving him and simultaneously he was once more in his body. He opened his eyes. The robot counter was just saying:
"...twenty-eight..."
Well, he must have closed his eyes for one second then—and how much had happened meanwhile? A lot, a great deal! He had learned that this very instant a certain Topthor would send a message to Etztak through hyperspace. He knew the text of that message. And he began to imagine how many events happen which people unsuspectingly call "fate."
"...twenty..."
That had lasted eight seconds!
Eight eternities!
"...eighteen..."
Never before had Rhodan been thinking so much prior to a transition as today. And never had the time seemed so long. And never had Bell kept so silent. "Cheer up!" Rhodan tried to encourage his friend. "Within a few seconds we'll probably materialize among Etztak's ships. They'll fall on us and attack us like ravenous wolves to escape destruction by our new weapon. We must be prepared and..."
"New weapon?" growled Bell, irritated. "You're not being logical, Perry. How should Etztak know that we have a new weapon?"
Perry smiled sheepishly. "You're right, Reggie. How could he have found out about our new weapon? I almost think we're getting old. Even relatively immortal people can age. You certainly show it!"
"Nine!" said the robot firmly.
"How do I show it?" Bell flared.
"Well, that gorgeous apparition. A younger man in your place certainly wouldn't have been so uptight, even if she was real and not just a convincing imitation."
"...four..."
"I didn't lose my cool over her. I was upset because of my men. Discipline aboard makes it necessary..."
"That's curd from the Milky Way and you know it!" snorted Perry. Reg did not reply. And then: "Transition!"
• • •
The Stardust disappeared from the universe and slipped into five-dimensional space. From this instant, time stood still for the ship and all its complement. Simultaneously the chronological clock of all the universe halted, for even far away on Earth only a split second passed while the Stardust executed the jump that light itself would take more than 1750 years to traverse.
Pains raced through Rhodan's body as his consciousness returned. With great effort he opened his eyes and recognized the flaming double star Beta-Albireo on the videoscreen.
In his subconscious mind was the residue of a question—a question he had been asked during the leap. What was that question again? And who had posed it? Ah, yes—now he remembered: Did you understand it NOW?
It must have been the voice of the Immortal.
Did he understand it now? Rhodan shook his head and said out loud: "No, I did not understand, old friend. I'm only a human being—how could I comprehend the enormity of eternity? But I am very grateful to you that you tried to show my finite mind, that you granted me a flight through infinity which gave me an inkling at least of how a universe is created and preserved."
Neither the darkness of the room nor the flaming sun made comment.
Bell mumbled: "I see you have the same old trouble, Perry—talking crazy when we come to. That's the only drawback to these transitions—we should try to remedy it somehow.—Are we there?"
Rhodan observed the twinkling stars. "Yes," he agreed a bit absentmindedly, "we should really do something about it. Perhaps in a million years. Oh—yes, we're here."
And suddenly it seemed to him that somebody was laughing deep inside his psyche. Not sarcastically or derisively but with relief. As if someone who had been lonely for an con had finally found that It was no longer alone.
INFINITY FLIGHT
Copyright © Ace Books 1973
Ace Publishing Corporation
All Rights Reserved
THE SHIP OF THINGS TO COME
In the Beta-Albireo star system, on the planet they call Snowman, the New Power Space Academy cadets, with Julian "Tiff" Tifflor their leader, are acting as cosmic decoys to keep the alien Springers baffled.
In space, surrounding Snowman, men of Perry Rhodan's starships are embattled with the tyrannical Traders. All to give Rhodan the all-precious time to revisit It, the Unknown Immortal of the eccentric planet Wanderer, to obtain a new weapon powerful enough to conquer the threat to Earth of conquest by the Springers.
But an
explosive element enters the picture in the person of Etztak, patriarch of the Springers, whose fury against Earthmen knows no bounds and who would without compunction destroy an entire planet (Snowman) in a blind rage.
It so happens that, among other Terranians, our little pal Pucky is on that threatened iceworld! Will the mischievous mousebeaver & his friends escape the wrath of the patriarch?
Discover the answer in—
SNOWMAN IN FLAMES
by Clark Darlton