by Perry Rhodan
The tall, lean man standing in front of the picture screen did not move. Dreamily he regarded the receding planet that he was including in his plans from now on. Perry Rhodan had come to realize that Earth had become too small for him and that he needed a world of his own in order to build up his domain. The ever silent Dr. Manoli sat close to Perry Rhodan. His slim body was hidden behind the back of his chair. Manoli, like Rhodan, devoted his attention to the planet that was now disappearing in the dark vastness of space. This planet so much resembled the way his own home planet, Earth, must have been one hundred million years ago.
Far less impressed by this awesome celestial spectacle was the third member of the crew inside the command center of the Good Hope. Reginald Bell's heavyset figure lay stretched out comfortably on his couch. The former engineer of the retired Stardust I was reading. His watery blue eyes skimmed rapidly over the pages of a book. His straight reddish hair seemed to stand on end, as if he were frightened by some horrible ghost story. Once in a while an ironic smile flitted across his broad features. He did not appear to be interested at all in the round globe of Venus, which seemed to shrink rapidly in sine on the picture screen. He was the first to break the silence in the cabin. He shook his head in disgust and placed his book on his round belly. Now the picture on the cover became visible. It showed a jungle landscape with a swamp. In the middle of the swamp a slender space rocket could he seen. It had sunk halfway down into the morass. A man was standing at the opened air lock, defending himself with a ray gun against some gruesome monster that looked like a dinosaur.
"What a guy! Such a thing should he illegal. His imagination is too wild. That isn't healthy!" Bell exclaimed loudly.
Perry Rhodan did not take his eyes off the screen. Without turning his head he inquired, "Whose imagination don't you approve of?"
"The author who wrote this novel."
"Which novel?"
Reginald Bell sighed deeply. "This science fiction novel, Adventure on Venus. Just imagine, the story was written more than twenty years ago. At that time nobody had any idea that we would he flying to Venus so soon. And that guy thinks up a story, has somebody construct a spaceship, Fly to Venus, get stuck in the mud in a Venusian swamp and live there à la Robinson Crusoe. He battles heroically against dinosaurs and the sweltering heat until his friend arrives with a second space rocket and saves him. It's too incredible, Perry."
Perry Rhodan swung around his swivel chair and stared at his friend, lying there on the couch. He would never cease wondering at the harmless appearance of Reg. How deceptive his exterior was! For both friends were the human beings with the highest I.Q.s in all the universe. They owed this superior intelligence to the Arkonide hypno-training, which had endowed them within a few days with an extensive and advanced state of knowledge that far surpassed the total sum of all Earthly intelligence. The scientific achievements of the age old Arkonide civilization were safely stored in the memory banks of the two men. Reg most certainly did not look the part of a genius, quite the contrary. Even Rhodan was occasionally tempted to underestimate his friend's potential when seeing his harmless face. Still, he knew what was hidden behind those watery blue eyes.
"What's so incredible about that? Wasn't that author right, after all? Don't we have such jungles and prehistoric monsters here On Venus? Isn't it hot?"
Beg sighed again. "That's just it! The guy is so right in what he describes. Venus is just the way he imagined it to he. I am ready to believe this guy must have been here on Venus before us." Bell sat up and rubbed his right elbow. "It's simply uncanny."
"Come on, Reg. You are a bit jealous of that writer. You shouldn't begrudge him his fabulous imagination, which let him experience vicariously twenty years ago what has come true today. He was ahead of his time, and you can't stand that."
"But the ray gun ... what nonsense! Twenty years ago people did not even have the technical know-how for such weapons.
"But we used such a ray gun only the day before yesterday to drive off one of the fat beasts that intended to gobble up our ship for a nice dinner."
Reg's face became distorted in a grimace of despair. "For crying out loud! We did not invent these ray guns!"
"So what's the difference, as long as we have them. What does it matter that the Arkonides supplied us with these ray guns? Without the Arkonides we wouldn't be here either, for they gave us the Good Hope, too."
Beg gave up the fight "O.K., have it your way. No use quarreling. That writer was a genius, way ahead of his time, wrote immortal works, even surpassing reality. If only he had been wrong in his imagination and had described it as a world filled with dust clouds ... ! But no, his description is so accurate! I am getting all riled up about this. We can't report anything new when we get back to Earth!"
"Why do you read that stuff if it upsets you so much?" Reg had no answer to this question. He could not even attempt to think up a reply, for suddenly the air between the two friends began to scintillate for a fraction of a second. Then a man materialized out of thin air where nothing had been before. Tako Kakuta, the Japanese mutant, had once again been too lazy to walk over from his radio communication center down the hall.
The Good Hope was an auxiliary vessel attached to the giant Arkonide cruiser that had been destroyed on the moon by the combined forces of the planet Earth. Thora, the female commander of the research expedition, had been able to salvage the "lifeboat" from that catastrophe and had fled to Earth, where she found refuge at Perry Rhodan's base in the Gobi Desert. The auxiliary craft was tremendous measured by terrestrial standards. It had a diameter of over one hundred and eighty feet, was spherical, and could travel at faster than light speeds. The spacecraft could accelerate at any desired speed, since it was supplied with gravitation neutralizers that nullified the otherwise unbearable stress exerted on any living organism. The vessel was equipped with advanced types of weapons that surpassed all human imagination. The boat's effective range of five hundred light-years lay, according to Khrest, below the minimum needed by the Arkonides to return to their home planet, or even to reach the nearest base of their farflung galactic empire.
The radio communication center of the gigantic spaceship was so far ahead of what was known on Earth that Tako could comprehend only a small part of its machinery and installations. He merely made use of the small transmitter that produced normal radio waves. Thus he established radio communication with Earth. It would take several months before he would understand the structure and workings of the other instruments of the Arkonide super technology. For a while the contact with the Gobi Desert base had been interrupted. The distance between Earth and Venus had become too great. But now they were rushing hack to their home planet with such incredible speeds that soon they were able to hear Dr. Haggard's radio signals. They became so loud it was impossible not to hear them.
That was the reason why the Japanese teleported himself into the command center where Perry Rhodan and Reginald Bell were stationed. Bell reacted to this surprise, as usual, by being half scared to death. There was really no excuse for that, but he could not help feeling shocked every time he saw Tako materialize in the empty air before him.
"Is that trip really necessary? Do you have to appear unannounced any time and anywhere?"
Tako smiled gently. In the future I'll first teleport a letter to announce my impending arrival. Will that suit you better?"
Bell's reply was not fit to be printed.
Rhodan cut their banter short. Did you get in touch with the Gobi base?"
"That's why I came to see you, replied a now very serious Tako. "Dr. Haggard had been calling for hours trying to reach us. Bad news, Mr. Rhodan. The M.S. invasion has begun. Mercant reported several cases where the M.S. have taken over the bodies of important personalities. It doesn't help though if they are found out, as Dr. Haggard said. The M.S. then simply withdraw and seek another host."
Bell pushed aside the book that had so greatly displeased him some seconds earlier. He sat up straight
on his couch, his eyes suddenly filled with cold fury.
"What did you say just now? Invasion? But we destroyed the ship of the intruders?"
"Then they must have more than one ship," remarked Rhodan, and turned to Manoli. Let's forget about Venus now, Eric? Switch the picture over to Earth. As fast as possible!"
The picture on the viewing screens changed. A small greenish-blue globe became visible with a tiny dot near it, the moon. Both celestial bodies quickly grew in size while they were looking at them.
Rhodan addressed the young Japanese. "Was there anything else?"
"Khrest requests your immediate return to the Gobi Desert base. He wants to put the mutant corps into action. He sees no other possibility to proceed against the invasion. He would like to speak to you."
"Then let's go," decided Rhodan, and walked out of the room. Tako briefly grimaced at Bell; then he disappeared just as suddenly as he had come. When Rhodan entered the communications center Tako was already waiting for him. He was calling Haggard. "Perry Rhodan wishes to talk to Khrest"
Rhodan waited for a few moments; then he acknowledged Khrest's voice, greeting him across space. "Khrest, this is Rhodan speaking. What's the trouble?"
"Listen, Rhodan, the situation is critical. Mercant is desperate. He has asked for help. I did not want to do anything without first consulting you. How soon can you be back here?"
"In about two to three hours. I hope the space sphere can take this."
"Don't worry, Rhodan. If you should sight the M.S. spaceship, don't hesitate to destroy it. Have Tako teleport himself into the enemy ship with some explosives."
"The will be more cautious this time, I am afraid. They have been warned by their first experience. They might have brought along some additional reinforcements."
"That's out of the question. The M.S. mentality forbids them to contact any other race to come to their assistance. They believe themselves to be superior to any creature in this universe and to be able to overcome any opponent. In my opinion it is almost impossible to conquer them completely."
"You underestimate us once again, Khrest. By the way, I have located a suitable place on Venus for us. We will establish our second base there and proceed with the training of our mutant corps."
"This project will have to wait until we have defeated the invaders. Mankind has no idea what's in store for them. I fear the M.S. must have established a beachhead on Earth from which they operate. It would be too cumbersome for them to use a moving spaceship as base of operations."
"Any idea where this base might he?"
"None whatsoever. You will have to talk to Mercant about this. He has spoken with several persons who had been invaded by the M.S. and then have been abandoned by them. He received some information from these people."
Rhodan was perplexed. "I thought anybody would die once they had been possessed by the M.S. Has anything changed there?"
"We were wrong in assuming this. The liberated victims showed no harmful aftereffects."
"Excellent. That's one thing to our advantage. Now, something else, Khrest, you realize that we must never lose the position we occupy in our relations with the world's big power blocs. They united only because of our presence, which they feared. Without this threat from the Third Power mankind will soon revert to the same chaotic conditions they have barely overcome. The old conflicts will split their newly found union apart. Therefore, I consider it vital to defeat the invaders as quickly as possible. This must have precedence over any other problems now. If we fall, we will forfeit everything we have gained. All our prestige will vanish overnight."
Rhodan could almost see the amused smile with which the Arkonide scientist answered, "Our prestige would not be the only thing to vanish in that case! So would all of mankind. And we would he lost too. The positronic brain predicts that we are in exactly such a crisis."
"And what are our chances? What does the positronic brain have to say to that?"
"At least fifty fifty."
Perry Rhodan thought for a while before he asked, the Good Hope has a range of five hundred light-years. Couldn't we attack the home planet of the M.S. with it?"
Khrest sighed. "Your drive is rather frightening, Rhodan. So much energy!
There might be a chance later on, but for the moment the prognosis is pretty hopeless. The M.S. avoid any direct confrontation, but they keep up their defense system. The Good Hope alone is not enough for an attack."
"That remains to be seen," said Rhodan, who did not abandon the idea entirely.
"Will you get in touch with Mercant. I'll expect to see him or one of his men at the base when I return. Then we can map out our strategy. Is there anything else?"
"No, not for the time being, Thora is acting reasonable for a change."
"Well, she had better!" commented Rhodan with a shrug of his shoulders. "So long then, Khrest"
While Rhodan was walking back to the command center he seemed lost in thought. His mind was preoccupied with Thora, the commanding officer of the Arkonide expedition. What an unusual woman, even if she was afflicted with the morbid prejudice of racial superiority! The Earthlings were nothing but half savages in her eyes. Only under pressure had she declared her willingness to cooperate with Perry Rhodan. She realized that she was stranded here in this, to her, previously unknown solar system from which she could never find her way back home unless mankind would help her build a suitable spaceship. There was no hope that her own highly intelligent but utterly decadent race would lift a finger to search for her or even come to her rescue. Most likely no one would ever notice that the scientific research ship was missing"
Thora was a woman of captivating beauty. Perry could almost have loved her if he had not hated her even more. But was it really hatred he felt, or did he only imagine it? How good it was to have Khrest at his side, to explain the psychological reasons for Thora's incomprehensible behavior. Rhodan shrugged and entered the center.
The picture screen in the middle showed Earth with clearly discernible continents. They would soon he landing.
Mercant had not come in person. The load of responsibility for the Western Bloc's security rested so heavily on his shoulders that he no longer left his underground fortress below the Greenland ice pack, from where he directed all actions.
One of his most capable employees was Captain Klein, who worked for the defense system. He was also Rhodan's ally. Mercant had nominated Klein as his personal liaison with Perry Rhodan.
Captain Klein was admitted through the momentarily lifted energy barrier. He was led to Perry Rhodan, who barely five hours earlier had still been on Venus. Khrest was sitting silently on a couch in the back of the room, together with Thora. Also present at this meeting were Bell and Manoli, Dr. Haggard and the telepath John Marshall, a member of the mutant corps.
Rhodan greeted Klein and encouraged him to speak. "Let's hear your report, Captain Klein! I presume that Mercant authorized you to speak on his behalf and gave you all available information regarding the situation. How bad is it?"
"Quite bad, even if we can't yet fully gauge the extent of the invasion that is proceeding in all secrecy. The M.S. are clever, they keep learning from their initial mistakes. At first they were rather clumsy and could be easily detected. This was not much help, though, since an M.S. simply leaves his host's body, permitting the victim's mind to return unharmed, except that the latter cannot remember anything that went on during the interlude when his intellect was imprisoned in the M.S.'s own insect body. The M.S. can then pick a new target. They have by now reached such a degree of perfection that it has become almost impossible to detect them. But even if they should be found out, the M.S. cannot be rendered harmless unless their host is killed on the spot. We know of no way out of this terrible dilemma."
"But I do," insisted Rhodan. "I know the M.S. have established a base somewhere on this planet. This is where their bodies rest while their intellects change places with those of their victims. If we could find this base and then
destroy their bodies we could succeed in killing off their intellects. For they are dependent on this link with their own bodies in order to survive. A rather complicated process for which we have undeniable proof."
Perry Rhodan fell silent. He could hear Thora's excited whispering in the background. She was apparently trying to talk Khrest into something. Her golden eyes were flashing with a dangerous fire. Was she making another attempt to incite her fellow Arkonide against the human race? Rhodan felt anger rise in him, but he suppressed it. The day would come when he would prove to this arrogant woman how much need she had of mankind.
"Go on, Captain Klein!" urged Rhodan. "What does Mercant propose to do about this?"
"Place all important personalities under strict surveillance to avoid any infiltration. That's all."
"Well, that is not too much," Perry Rhodan admitted.
Khrest moved in the background. He stood up.
"Yes, Khrest, what is it?"
All eyes turned in the direction. of the tall scientist, whose glance flickered strangely in a manner no one had ever observed in him before. His voice sounded a little shaky as he said, "Thora has been able to convince me that it is senseless to fight against the M.S. We have a lot of experience with them. So far they have conquered every solar system they ever discovered. If we had not surrounded our galactic empire with a dense ring of alarm systems, and if we had not destroyed every oval spaceship during its approach, there would no longer exist any Arkonide galactic realm. Nothing can stop the advance of the M.S."
Rhodan frowned. "So what? Why are you telling us all this? Has Thora encouraged you to do so?"
Khrest looked back to Thora; he seemed helpless. Quickly she came to his assistance. She jumped up and stood there like a goddess of vengeance with fiery golden eye. Her pale hair had almost the same color as her delicate skin, which was barely beginning to show a tan from the strong desert sun. She was beautiful, of an unEarthly beauty!
"Yes, I have encouraged him, Perry Rhodan. You are aware lust as well as I myself that Khrest has been weakened by his long illness. And his mind in particular has been affected by it If we are going to remain here on Earth to fight a hopeless battle against the M.S., we will waste our last remaining shred of strength. I have suggested to Khrest that we should leave this solar system and search for another one that has not yet been discovered by the M.S. Khrest has agreed to my proposal. Our decision is irrevocable.
