Twilight Of The Gods Part 5

"You are quite right," admitted Ellert, much to Frettel's surprise. "I share this view, although I tried to describe the other variation. In any case," he continued, "I've lain awake many a night trying to figure out how one could possibly have a glimpse of the future, even if I could do this only mentally without being physically transferred to some other era. I've racked my brain to understand the connection between dream, fantasy and wishful thinking; the relations.h.i.+p of the hypothetical eventuality of teleportation and temporal portation. Temportation, to coin a word. If we a.s.sume the possibility that the body can follow the mind to another location, then it should also be feasible for the body to follow the mind to another period in time."

"Oh boy!" admired Jonny, without letting go of his almost empty bottle on the table. "It's simply snorky the way you can make plausible some things that are really impossible."

"No wonder," grumbled Frettel. "That's what he gets paid for."

Ellert waited until the general excitement subsided. He looked very confident of himself now, and his good friends knew this to be the sign that he was going to spring some more surprises.

"It's getting interesting bit by bit," remarked Lothar with sarcasm.

"Go on with your story!" demanded Aarn, his eyes s.h.i.+ning with speculation and full expectation.

Ellert did not need any urging. "I have Always been interested in the future, and it seems that I have been constantly preoccupied with it. Especially so yesterday. n.o.body knows what is going to happen tomorrow, and who is sure that he will exist the next day? In the last year we have had a few narrow escapes from an atomic Armageddon. Everybody understands the consequences of an atomic war. And if a certain Rhodan had not intervened, none of us would be sitting here so comfortably talking and drinking.

"But despite Rhodan's service to all mankind, he is looked upon as our enemy. This doesn't make sense to me. It's plainly illogical. Well, to make a long story short, last night before going to sleep, I directed my thoughts toward the future with such intensity that I almost believed I had arrived in it. I so fervently wanted to learn what would happen in one year. And then suddenly: I knew it!"

"I beg your pardon?" squeaked Jonny in utter amazement. He released his grip on the bottle for an instant, which was not lost on Aarn, who took the opportunity to help himself to the meagre remainder of liquid refreshment. "You knew it? Be more specific, please!"

"I am just about to. While my thoughts were focused on the problem most intently, I suddenly noticed some change taking place, I could not define what kind of change this was, for everything seemed to happen so swiftly. it became dark in my room, for a few seconds or an eternity, who knows? Then all of a sudden it was daylight. The sun was s.h.i.+ning bright. I was sitting here on my bed, wondering what had taken place that would account for the sudden turning of night into day."

"You must have had too much to drink," suggested Jonny.

Ellert shook his head. "Just wait a minute, my friend. I have not yet finished telling my story. Well, it was broad daylight, and the sun was s.h.i.+ning. I got up from my bed and looked around, wondering all the while. At first I a.s.sumed that my mental effort had made me fall asleep abruptly and that morning had come and it was time for me to get up. Then I noticed that two of my pictures were missing from the wall. Yours, by the way, Jonny. Instead there were two new paintings, signed by Aarna"

"But I have never drawn any pictures this size," objected Aarn.

"That's just the point!" exclaimed Ellert. "This is my first proof already. You are going to paint them-not draw them! And you will make me a present of them in the near future."

"He's gone off his rocker," whispered Lothar worriedly to Frettel, who was sitting next to him. "Why don't you examine him sometime?"

"I deal in appendix operations, not in brain abnormalities," said the physician without emotion.

Ellert did not seem to mind their discussing his state of sanity. "At first, of course, I did not understand. I examined the paintings more closely-and I may say I liked what I saw, Aarn-and walked toward the corner, where I stopped in front of my big wall calendar. You know this big calendar over there where I write down all my appointments, And what do you think I saw there on my calendar?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," mumbled Lothar. "But don't keep us in suspense. Go on speak!"

"The date! Why, what else should I see on my calendar? But it was the 17th of November two years hence!"

Jonny burst out laughing and kept laughing till tears came into his eyes. He tried to utter a few words, but they were unintelligible.

Frettel did not join in the general amus.e.m.e.nt; be remained serious. "Is that the truth?" he asked. "Explain What happened?"

"A simple explanation might be that my almost superhumanly felt desire had brought me into the future, more than two years ahead in time. But the most amazing thing was that my body remained in the present time. At first I believed that my body, too, had arrived in the future, but then I noticed suddenly that another will was fighting against my own. I realized quickly that my own will of today was struggling with my will of two years hence. Only my mind had travelled into the future and slipped into the body Ernst Ellert of two years from now. With his eyes I saw and experienced that period which is still lying ahead of us. I could even partic.i.p.ate in the memories he had acc.u.mulated during these two years. But I did not succeed in imposing my will on his. Yet I knew that that same night our usual gathering was scheduled to take place, although according to the calendar it was a different day than we usually meet now. It was an exception. I was on leave, and this way we were able to get together for the evening."

"On leave," mused Jonny, as if he had never before heard such a word.

But Ellert did not care to elaborate on what kind of a leave he was on. Instead he rea.s.sured them. "I will set your minds at ease. All of us will still be alive in two years. No war will have broken out but tremendous changes have taken place."

"Now I know what is ailing you, my friend," Lothar triumphantly. "He is taking up fortune telling."

"You might have a point there. Maybe that's what happens with prophets when they start foretelling the perhaps they can send their minds some years ahead report what they saw." Ellert sighed with resignation. "But I see you don't believe a word of my story."

"Of course we don't," smiled Frettel. "But it still is a most entertaining tale. I keep waiting for the punch line."

"Punch line?"

"Why, what else? It's a gag, isn't it?"

Ellert lit a cigarette. His face was very serious. "There is no gag, there is no punch line. The story is simply the truth. Would you like me to prove it to you?"

"That would be nice of you," admitted Lothar. Frettel and the rest nodded in agreement. They looked at Ellert with great expectation.

"All right, my friends, I'll try now to attend our next Friday night party here. In other words, I'll be able to tell you right away what will happen in one week. Or even better still, what will occur during the coming week. I'll listen in to your usual weekly report of your activities at our next meeting by sending my mind ahead into the body of Ernst Ellert, one week older. Then I'll return and tell you all about it. Within the following seven days you will have ample opportunity to verify the correctness of my prediction. Are you with me?"

"You bet," grinned Frettel. "And in the meantime, while your mind has wandered off into the future, I'll examine your body right here in the present. Perhaps I might observe some difference in your body, and this will be an additional proof."

"I sincerely doubt that you will notice anything different in him," remarked Aarn in a highly critical tone.

Ellert paid no attention to this dispute among his friends. He leaned back in his armchair, head thrown back, eyes closed. He had stopped moving. His breathing was calm and regular. Frettel was waiting for any sign of change but could observe none whatsoever. Finally, growing impatient, he poked his index finger at Ellert's chest.

"Have you started with it, Ellert?" be inquired.

Ellert did not reply. He was sleeping. He could not be aroused. All attempts at awakening him failed. Frettel checked his pulse, heartbeat and blood pressure. All vital signs seemed to function perfectly, exactly the way they would in a sleeping person, except that this slumber was far deeper than anything the physician had witnessed before.

"He has been asleep now for five minutes like this," Frettel said, looking at his watch.

Johnny had turned serious too. He looked at Lothar and Aarn. "Do you believe there could be something to what Ellert has told us?"

They shrugged.

Suddenly Ellert opened his eyes. He looked around the room in confusion. Then he seemed to remember. He smiled weakly.

"Well?" urged Aarn. "What happened?"

"I was one week ahead in the future," whispered Ellert with resignation. "Exactly one week from now, from this very moment. For five minutes. But I can't tell you what will happen to you during this coming week. I did not see any of you. Apparently we won't meet here in my apartment Friday night. I did find my body, though, which had become one week older in the meantime. But not here in Munich."

"Where did you locate it?"

"In Asia! To be exact, in the Gobi Desert. How I got there, who knows? I don't at this point. It was difficult enough for me to get hold of a newspaper so I could at least tell you the events of the coming week. I wanted to bring some proof along to you of my trip into the future. Unfortunately, I could not transport the newspaper back with me, since I cannot cause matter to travel through time. But I did read some news items."

"Well, how about some tips on the stock market?" scoffed Jonny, who remained as sceptical as before. "I'd like to know why you were in the Gobi Desert, of all places. That's the spot where the American s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p landed, isn't it?"

"You are right. It landed there. And in one week I'll be standing in front of the astronaut Perry Rhodan."

"Charming story," mocked Lothar. "Now I presume you will write one of your science fiction stories around this visit."

All the friends laughed, as if they had heard a good joke.

Only Ellert remained serious. "You won't be laughing in a few more days. I'm afraid there exists more things between heaven and Earth than we have imagined. The day after tomorrow will be our elections. I already know the result. Would that be enough proof for you doubting Thomases?"

Frettel narrowed his eyes.

"Certainly-if sheer coincidence could be ruled out."

Ellert shook his head. "True. The result of the election could be correct just by chance. But not the fact that the newly elected official will become the victim of a heart attack the very same evening. The elections will have to be repeated in another four weeks."

All fell silent. Then Aarn's soft voice could be heard: "Telepathy, teleportation, telekinesis, and now to, top it off we have teletemportation-travel through time. But only for the mind."

Frettel shouted with enthusiasm, "Ellert, you have invented a new branch of the parasciences!"

Ellert gave him a penetrating look.

"I discovered something that must have existed all along. I did not invent this phenomenon, my dear Frettel!"

CHAPTER FIVE.

PERRY RHODAN thought that his eyes had been closed for just a brief moment. When he opened them again, nothing seemed to have changed. His friend Reginald Bell was lying strapped into the indoctrinator next to him, and he, too, was trying to wake up. There was an expression of utter amazement on his face.

The indoctrinator! Now suddenly Rhodan knew how it functioned. Stored data were conducted through electronic amplifiers, then transmitted directly into the nerves of the head. They in turn conveyed the information into the brain, where it was stored in the memory bank. These memory banks, though, had been considerably enlarged in their storing capacity via electric shocks. From there the acc.u.mulated wealth of knowledge could be tapped whenever needed.

Khrest stood at the instrument panel of the indoctrinator. "You may get up now!" he said quietly. "The hypnotraining has been successfully concluded. Both of you have received the identical schooling, but it seemed advisable to me to equip you, Perry, with a certain type of superiority, compared with what Reg has been given. I have increased your already present potential for lightning fast decision making in the face of newly arising situations. In addition to that your suggestive powers have been augmented. Any normal person will from now on have to carry out any of your commands, as if he had been given a hypnotic order. I am fully certain that you will never abuse this power entrusted to you. But you will have to make use of it in order to accomplish what we have planned together. As to the extent of your newly acquired knowledge, well you will soon enough find out for yourself."

Rhodan pushed his hair away from his forehead. "Right now I am not aware of any change."

Khrest smiled gently. "What is the square root of 527,-076?"

"Seven hundred and twenty-six. Why?"

Perry gave the result as nonchalantly as if it were the most elementary problem in arithmetic. But he had hardly finished with his reply, when he turned pale. He had already got up, and now he was so shaken by surprise that he seemed to lose his balance for a moment.

Reg grasped his arm to steady him. "I also know the answer!"

"Your brain calculates automatically at the speed of light, if I may make such a comparison," Khrest enlightened them. "Your calculations are taking place in your subconscious. Your conscious mind is needed for more important tasks. Are you convinced by now that something bas been changed in you?"

Reg still seemed beside himself. "And my math teacher used to tell me that I would never amount to anything, at least not in math! If only he could see me nowa"

"For the next few days you will constantly make new discoveries of what changes have occurred in you. Don't be frightened by it. The only thing that matters is that you know how you have acquired your talents, that they were transmitted by our indoctrinator, based on the far advanced state of development of our race. You share our level of progress."

"I hope we will be able to handle it successfully."

"You will have to. And now, will you come along with me? I must discuss some things with you. Our connection with the outside world has been interrupted. Powerful transmitters are jamming our broadcasts and rendering impossible our contact with anyone else we need to communicate with. One of you will have to leave the protective energy dome to find out what is going on. Besides, we cannot afford to sit around inactive. The first work sheds have been erected. The robots cannot continue with their work. We must get materials and co-workers. We will build here in the middle of the desert an industrial complex the like of which your planet has not seen before. You realize that we will never get back to Arkon without powerful s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps, and we want to accomplish more than just returning home, as you know."

Rhodan listened to Khrest's words. At the same time he mentally let pa.s.s in review the bold visions of the future of which Khrest had spoken to him. The galactic empire. A gigantic fleet would be required to build it up and to maintain it. But was mankind quite ready for this?

"I'll go outside myself," he heard himself volunteer to Khrest. "I only wonder how long it will be before they detect who I am."

"Well?" countered Khrest with eager antic.i.p.ation. "Just think of the technical means at your disposal now, Perry."

And Rhodan realized this very instant what they were. The information simply came up from the memory bank of his augmented brain potential.

The Arkonide equipment. A microreactor supplied the energy of his special suit. He could erect a miniature energy screen around himself that would provide protection against any dangers. Small missiles would simply bounce off it. The lightwave deflector would render him invisible to human eyes. The built-in gravity neutralizer would permit flight for short distances, since the speed would remain fairly moderate.

"How will I be able to leave here?"

"Tonight we will lift the energy screen barrier for a few seconds, although you could pa.s.s directly through it if, you wished to do so. But before that I would like to discuss the further details with you. Thora has agreed to this plan. She has come to understand the necessity for such a collaboration between us, even if most reluctantly."

"I am not surprised," said Rhodan curtly.

Los Angeles. Two days later.

In a small restaurant on Sepulveda Boulevard, the street leading to the international airport, Perry Rhodan sat enjoying a good sized steak. In the past two days he had managed to have talks with the presidents of three of the largest industrial concerns in the United States. Because of his new talents he had at once received confirmation for deliveries in the near future of large orders of the materials and manpower he needed. He had given a fict.i.tious firm name in Hong Kong, under which he would accept delivery.

Outside the restaurant he had a taxi waiting for him to finish his meal.

Perry Rhodan sat quite calmly in the midst of a population that regarded him as their worst enemy. He was unafraid and did not even try to hide. Although his photograph had been telecast all around the world after his landing in the Gobi Desert, n.o.body seemed to have recognized him so far. And even if they did, it would not matter too much a Rhodan felt well protected by his Arkonide equipment. Underneath his business suit be wore a special suit, one that was undetectable from the outside.

A man sat down at the table next to Rhodan. His dark hair was combed back straight from his forehead. He looked rather distinguished, perhaps too much so. Large sungla.s.ses hid his eyes. He opened a newspaper and, soon seemed absorbed in it. He was reading the financial section. Absentmindedly he ordered some coffee.

Perry Rhodan tried to concentrate on his delicious steak trying to overcome a sudden feeling of unrest. Two days had pa.s.sed since he had left the base in the Gobi Desert. This apparent calm was suspicious.

What if they now launched the long expected general attack? Rhodan was convinced that the Arkonides would manage to ward off any attack from the enemy outside, but he feared a rash action on Thora's part. Unless she was watched she was liable in her wrath to cause the greatest catastrophe and thus to endanger all Khrest's and Rhodan's plans for the future. During yesterdays negotiations Rhodan had noticed that people were not absolutely against him. On the contrary, the farsighted industrial magnates had recognized the advantages that their a.s.sociation with Rhodan offered them. In addition, each was fully aware that Rhodan's actions and the existence of his base in the Gobi Desert had prevented an atomic war.

Rhodan wondered how his friend Reginald Bell would react in the face of an attack from the outside world. Now he possessed incredible intelligence and new, undreamed of capabilities, but his character remained unchanged. Not that Reg liked to act unthinkingly, but he needed Rhodan's presence to counterbalance his impulsiveness.

The gentleman at the next table had put down his newspaper. There were deep creases in his forehead now. His attention was obviously focused on his neighbor, who had just finished eating and pushed away his empty plate. Several times he seemed want to get up from his seat, but he apparently could not quite make his mind. Then finally he stood up abruptly and walked over to Rhodan's table.

He stopped short for an instant, looked at Rhodan and then said, "Pardon me, sir, I would like to ask you something, if you don't mind. May I sit down?" Before Rhodan could give his a.s.sent the stranger had pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.

Rhodan was startled by his behavior and was mentally prepared for anything that might follow, even a physical attack. A slight push on his belt would have been sufficient to surround him with a protective energy bell.

The stranger smiled uneasily. "I might be mistaken, but two things speak against this, True, the resemblance is rather vague, but I could swear I have seen you somewhere before. But this is not the only reason I suspect that you are Perry Rhodan. Please, don't be afraid-you have nothing to fear from me. I would not give you away. You have done too much good for all of us on Earth. But I don't know how to tell you, Mr. Rhodan. Don't you read any newspapers?"

Rhodan shook his head. "Not in general. just for the last two days, thougha"

"No, sir. It was about a week ago that a lot was written in the papers about me, at least in Brisbane, Australia, where I am from. No one would believe what had happened, but it was absolutely true. I am John Marshall, if that name means anything to you."

Rhodan remembered having heard something about this man, but he had dismissed it from his mind at once as being inconsequential. Just some sensational bit of news, that was all. But swiftly the report a.s.sumed some importance. His logically working mind went into action and within a fraction of a second gave an answer to why this man had been able to identify him as Perry Rhodan. He raised his eyebrows.

"You are the mind reader, Mr. Marshall. You were sitting here next to me and received my thought waves as I was thinking intently about my problems. Isn't this the way you recognized me?"

John Marshall nodded.

"It seems to have become dangerous to think at all; thoughts are no longer free," said Rhodan regretfully. "Since when can you read minds?"