Someone was singing. He had a rich, beautiful voice. I listened with an increasing awareness while forgetting my painful headache. For a very long while I drank in these pleasing sounds.

When I opened my eyes I saw a dark-skinned young man sitting close to me. In his wonderful baritone he was singing "Home, home on the range…" Beyond him stood a dark-eyed officer who wore the insignia of a governing administrator. The young man with the dark complexion continued to sing. Then I recognized who he was. Lt. Fron Wroma belonged to the officers’ staff of the Terranian superbattleship Drusus.

Suddenly somebody said: "I happened, to remember that music or song has a beneficial effect on the nervous systems of your people."

I straightened up slowly in the lowered folding lounge, finally recalling the fact that I had been narrating under the influence of my auxiliary brain.

Perry Rhodan smiled at me.

Reginald Bell handed me a refreshing drink. While doing so, he spoke with an unaccustomed gentleness and thoughtfulness. "They finally showed up, Admiral, but they were a little late. However, the barbarians of your so-called Larsaf 3 have developed some, you might say. You didn’t defend the Earth in vain, Atlan. And those that came after you will not ever make the same mistake again."

I nodded mutely. It was difficult to switch one’s train of thought so suddenly into the present.

They let me take my time, until Rhodan asked: "That alarm mechanism—wouldn’t you say it failed to function during that period?"

I shook my head. "No, it was in perfect operating condition but no spaceships appeared during that time. I continued to awaken at intervals of 500 years. Finally I had a look around outside but the Terranians hadn’t progressed very much. In order to conquer my loneliness I always went back down into the sea dome. When I was awakened for the 21st time I found that there was on Earth a great civilization known as the Roman Empire. Unfortunately my awakening came a bit late because I had slept through the Grecian culture. From that time on I remained ‘above’ but there was still no possibility of summoning a spaceship. I had to wait a long time, Perry!"

The machinery of the Drusus was in operation. I lifted my head to listen. "A wonderful sound, that—almost as beautiful as Wroma’s voice," I said quietly. "It was a good idea to have him sing. I love that ancient song that they used to sing in the United States. It’s been a long time…"

The Drusus took off. The synthetic planet Wanderer fell away from us. It was then that I firmly resolved to explain my mistakes to humans as clearly as possible. Perhaps they could learn from them. Besides, I now knew whom I had been fighting back there 10,000 years ago.

The uncanny creatures from the other time-plane were called Druufs. I looked across at Rhodan. He sat calmly in the commander’s seat in front of the countless controls of the flying titan of space.

This time I would not have to wait for reinforcements of ships and materials, most assuredly not! That man over there, whose primitive forefathers had killed my last companion, would demand satisfaction for the near destruction of a world that he called Terra.

I decided to retire to my cabin.

Fron Wroma smiled at me. "Transition in 10 minutes, sir," he called out. "Then we’ll be home again."

Home… How strange it sounded. I mentally savoured the concept. The armourplated bulkhead doors of the Command Central opened automatically. The cell activator beat gently against my chest. It had kept the promise of an unknown benefactor.

I left them to themselves, these curiously likable barbarians. So it had been rewarding, after all, to defend Larsaf 3. Some of the natives survived because we had been able to divert and disperse some of the overlap front with the impulse cannons.

It had actually been worth it!

I had relived the traumatic last days of Atlantis, now I looked forward to the dramatic new days of action in space, time and the dimensions with the Peacelord of the Solar Empire.