4/ UNDERWATER HIDEAWAY
I had expected a little too much from my extra-brain. The history of mankind since the great upheaval was more involved and grandiose than I had imagined.
It began with the inauguration of the New Power in the remote wasteland of the Gobi Desert. I learned about events that gripped me with excitement and made me blush in shame.
Perry Rhodan appeared to be not only a tough and resolute fighter but also a skilful strategist who knew exactly what was good for him and mankind with which he identified himself.
I became very pensive upon learning how Rhodan had ventured deep into the Galaxy with a few captured spaceships, although he was aware how tenuous his rear-guard on Earth really was.
The Encyclopaedia Terrania recorded that the second important phase began after the first 15 years. At that point in time Rhodan had succeeded in making the entire Galaxy believe that Earth had been destroyed by an invading fleet. Moreover the intelligent inhabitants of the Milky Way were led to assume that Rhodan himself had become a victim of the struggle.
Since then Rhodan had been able to build his might without interference. The universe was convinced that mankind was extinct. Under these circumstances Terra had attained formidable power.
In the meantime I had taken up permanent residence in the hotel and acquired a suitable wardrobe. My studies in the State Library of Lisbon had drawn some attention. Although the library functioned without attendants, there were a few other people who had become curious.
In a conversation I made a casual remark that I needed the reference books for an exam and that the material was too extensive to be perused in a few days. Naturally I was primarily interested in the military and socioeconomic structure of the Solar Imperium which consisted of the 9 planets of the Sun.
Mars, Venus and several moons of Jupiter had been settled by colonists. Venus was already an extremely strong colony in the Imperium.
Space travel had been developed to an enormous degree. There existed an impressive commercial fleet and I saw pictures of warships that took my breath away.
Although I fully trusted the detailed account of the Encyclopaedia I had some reservations as to the accuracy of the story about the stellar empire of the Arkonides. I simply refused to believe that a robot brain had usurped all power on Arkon.
When leaving the library on the 4th day, I became aware that my time was running out. The situation had become critical for me. As I reached the roof port of the library to call an airtaxi, I got the first warning. The dull tension in the back of my cranium was a familiar sign!
I blocked my mind subconsciously and cast a monoscreen around my thoughts. Somebody made a cautious attempt to probe the content of my mind telepathically.
My extra-brain was alert. I stepped to the railing of the roofport and looked down on the amazing array of circular elevated streets where all expressways extending throughout the length and breadth of the country converged.
The probing impulse came from the right rear side. I noticed the bafflement in the sensory beam of the unknown person. He discontinued his efforts for a few seconds and then resumed them with greater intensity. However he was only a weak telepath and seemed unable to cope with my mono-screen.
I slowly ambled toward an incoming taxi and observed a man with dark kinky hair who acted as a telepathic spy. I brushed so close as I passed him that he stepped back involuntarily. Then I leisurely boarded the roomy cabin and dropped a coin into the slot of the steering apparatus. "Hotel Escorial," I said, loud and clear.
The robot pilot confirmed my instructions and closed the door. The urban transit vehicle obtained its energy from a wireless power circuit. I listened to the hum of the efficient E-motor and pretended I didn’t notice the man tailing me.
He tried a last time to contact me but soon gave up. Then my little machine lifted off with me.
"You were lucky this time!" my extra-brain signalled. "If they’d sent a better man after you, you wouldn’t have gotten away so easily."
I realized it would have been unwise to return to my hotel and I therefore said into the mike: "Drop me off in Almada on the other side of the Tejo river."
"Where in Almada, please?"
"At the old fishing port."
The machine veered off to the south. The first advertising signs on the high office buildings lit up below me. One of these illuminated signs was particularly impressive.
It spelled the 3 letters GCC. I knew already that these letters stood for General Cosmic Company, a mammoth organization which, according to the Encyclopaedia, was founded by Perry Rhodan. My admiration for Perry Rhodan grew by leaps and bounds.
When we crossed the wide Tejo bay and the lights of Almada emerged, I had the feeling that time was really getting very short.
They must have been wise to some of my tricks if they used a telepath to shadow me.
Of course it could also have been nothing but a routine police check but I quickly dismissed this possibility. Even an inferior telepath was not a normal man. If they had chosen to pick such a specially equipped investigator, they must have considered my case as unusual.
Now that I had eliminated a customary police control, I had to ask myself how they got on-my track.
The frequency registration in the hotel? Impossible! It could have been useful only if they already had my identification data available. There were no longer borders between the countries of Terra. I had moved about as inconspicuously as millions of other people. Where was the catch?
I kept pondering the question till it suddenly hit me, sending a shiver down my spine: The submarine! my extra-sense suggested.
I nodded my head inadvertently. This was the only explanation. When I left those people behind in the submarine on the bottom of the sea I had known as yet nothing of the so-called Mutant Corps. Naturally the submarine was bound to be missed. They had probably instituted a search for it and located it by means of their highly proficient detectors. On the other hand there was also a great deal of underwater traffic in the vicinity and the discovery could have been entirely accidental. However it made no difference to me how they had found it; a discovery is a discovery, no matter how!
This alone was still no cause for concern, since the entire crew and the passengers were put under an enduring hypnotic block by me. But now the name ‘Mutant Corps’ began to play an essential role in my deliberations.
People with parapsychological capabilities were in a good position to lift my hypnotic block and it was conceivable that the men in the fishing boat had given away their knowledge. The wheels began to mesh.
It became very clear to me how dangerous it would be if the X-rays I had neglected to destroy fell into the wrong hands. In this case my existence and true identity were no longer a secret.
With a deep sigh I leaned back in the soft foam pads of my seat.
I was lucky they didn’t know my whereabouts. Otherwise they wouldn’t have assigned a young telepath with insufficient experience. They probably followed several possible clues at the same time.
The robot pilot requested another coin before he deposited me in the old fishing harbour of Almada. The change of 32 Soli dropped from the slot of the money machine.
I lifted my mono-screen and concentrated on telepathic impulses but was unable to perceive any at all.
The night was mild and the stars shone clearly. The old harbour gave off a typical scent of seaweed, fish and ropes. It was the same as always although they certainly no longer used tar.
I strolled in a crowd of people in good spirits and looked for a boat. My deep-sea suit was deposited not far from the mouth of the Tejo. I found a small boat whose skipper was busy tying it up for the night. I didn’t bother to make the proper inquiries. There was no time left for that.
Nobody noticed the ray of my psycho-beamer. It caught 3 men in its beam and made them do exactly what I requested.
5 minutes later we had left the harbour behind us. We crossed the Tejo River which was very wide at this point and docked the boat where the expressway skirted the shore. I put the fisherman under a hypno-block and alighted.
I walked to the expressway and brought my psychobeamer into play again. A car stopped and the driver, an elderly lady, took me about 10 miles west till I found the little forest again.
With some apprehensions I followed the speeding car with my eyes. Everything looked so simple and yet I couldn’t get rid of my uneasy feeling.
I found my deep sea suit as I had left it. I put it on, adjusted the antigrav generator and flew out over the ocean. I stayed close to the surface of the water in order to minimize the danger of detection. Nevertheless I paid close attention to my impulse receiver.
Once I was caught in the rotating beam of a surface ship. I plummeted into the water and remained immersed for 10 minutes. Then I cautiously surfaced again.
I made a wide detour around the anchoring place of the submarine, having a hunch they were already waiting there for me. If their people were smart, they must have anticipated that I worried about my X-rays.
I laughed softly and opened my protective shield to let the fresh sea breeze whip my face. I let my wave-vibrator drive me at 150 miles per hour toward west.
Let them wait in vain for me at the bottom of the sea. It was too had they had gotten hold of my X-rays but there was nothing I could do about it any more.
As I sped westward I contemplated my next moves. First of all I would have to modify the frequency of my body cells, now that they had a record in the hotel. When I later arrived at my point of destination I couldn’t afford to be recognized.
Moreover I had to strengthen my weakened body. This required a training program of 4 weeks in my bathysphere. Rico could devise the necessary program for me. If everything worked out, I could emerge in 2 months in Terra’s capital as an experienced scientist with the best credentials. I planned to seek a career as a high-energy expert, which actually was my special branch of science.
I shouted joyously into the rushing wind, feeling exhilarated by the thought of my intended game with Rhodan. He probably knew already who confronted him.
If he really had such a brilliant mind, he would not think of me as a sworn enemy of mankind. In the final analysis this was certainly way off the mark. I actually felt a certain compassion for these little proud and undaunted barbarians who were reaching out for the stars.
After awhile the Azores came into view and I had reached safety. However I had better watch out that nobody mistook me again for a big fish. They might even be patrolling the zone where the subaquatic fishermen had sighted me first.
I carefully submerged in the water and quickly plunged down at the rate of 20G. I sank down into the narrowest deep sea gorge. Here I knew my way around better than any other living soul.
As I had guessed, the surroundings of San Miguel Island swarmed with submarines. My theory was correct. I sneaked along the bottom clefts until I was contacted by the robot brain in the steel sphere and had myself pulled in through the airlock.
Rico had been vigilant. I immediately shielded my shelter against underwater detection devices and buried the sphere under tons of mud.
From now on I was lost to the world for 4 weeks. Let them try and find me, my eager pursuers from Terrania, the Solar capital!