Perry Rhodan (056) Prisoner of Time by Perry Rhodan

Author:Perry Rhodan [Perry Rhodan]
Format: epub
Tags: Unknown
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2010-01-03T09:01:03+00:00

his knowledge of physics. "For so long?"

Rous smiled gently. "What does the word 'long' mean here? Say they're firing an energy beam lasting 100th of a second. If the ship stands 400 kilometres high, then the beam will take a minute and 40 seconds to reach the surface. And then it will remain for approximately 12 minutes. For the Druufs, 12 minutes are 100th of a second. Unless I miss my guess, we'll see the beam dissolve. We'll have to watch for that because if it happens, we'll know then that even the speed of light is affected by the time dilation. The process of dissolving will begin at the top and continue along the beam at a speed of 4 kilometres a second."

"It's completely unbelievable," Steiner murmured, then added: "But logical, all the same."

"But it would be wrong to conclude that we could get out of the way of a ray beamed at us," Rous said thoughtfully. 'We were lucky because we happened to move to another place. If we had remained standing by the gallows tree, we would have been lost. If light moves only at 4 kilometres a second, we'll still see it only when it hits us. So practically speaking, there isn't any difference between a speed of 4 kilometres a second and 300,000 kilometres a second if a shot is coming directly toward us."

Steiner looked up into the cloud-covered sky. "What if they're aiming again now?"

Rous shook his head. "Don't worry, Steiner. I've already thought of that. But there isn't any danger for us here. Do you think the Druufs would kill their own people? They would hardly dare destroy one of their settlements."

Ragov, who had bent down by one of the motionless Druufs, stood up again. A questioning expression was on his face. "I don't understand this," he concluded. "They have spaceships and energy beamers but they live in caves. How does that make sense?"

Rous was not without an answer this time. "Just think of a hundred years ago, Ragov. How did things look on the Earth then? Josua's forefathers possibly still lived in the African jungle and were happy if they could kill a lion with the help of spear. Yet the first atomic bombs were being developed 5000 kilometres away. If such differences in technical and cultural development could exist between the inhabitants of a single planet, consider how great the differences might be when the same race inhabits entire solar systems.

"You're right, of course, Lieutenant," Ragov said slowly. "One should never come to conclusions too hastily and forget one's own history. So you're convinced, then, that these caterpillars are the ruling intelligences on this alien time plane?"

"We can only guess, Ragov. We'll know for sure only when we meet the Druufs face to face. I must admit, though, that I look forward to our first meeting with them with a certain amount of discomfort."

Noir pointed into the heavens. "The camera ship has stopped. It isn't coming any closer."

"It's only avoiding the energy burst," Harras supposed.

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