Perry Rhodan 112 - Planet Mechanica by K.H.Scheer

Author:K.H.Scheer [K.H.Scheer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 2018-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

5/ THE GRIM REAPERS

Our target positronics had reacted just a microsecond faster than the enemy. I was heavily shaken by the concussion of our broadside salvo. A thunder reverberated in all compartments like an earthquake but the attacking beam had been spotted in time. It swept harmlessly past the Ironduke.

About 70 km below us we saw 5 sugar-loaf gun emplacements of a defence fortress explode like so many atom bombs. The rising mushroom cloud indicated that a fast nuclear chain reaction had taken place. The shock-wave blasted across the flat terrain, destroying nearby structures and raising dust tornados, but we were too far away to feel any effects from it.

10 seconds prior to this action, telepath John Marshall had told us that there was no one alive on the planet anymore. Marshall’s information in this area was reliable. He and the other mutants of the Corps had yet to be mistaken. So when the fortress had automatically opened fire on the Ironduke, Rhodan had permitted a full counter-attack.

On the viewscreens, other than the lingering evidence of the chain reaction, nothing was to be seen within the range of our optical system. The aircraft we had noticed previously had disappeared. But I was surprised to see them show up again as soon as the storm winds from the shock blast had cleared away the nuclear cloud.

"Are those airships unmanned?" inquired Rhodan.

Marshall and Pucky ‘listened’ again with their uncanny senses. The women of the Corps had not been included on this mission so we were missing 2 valuable telepaths in the persons of Betty Toufry and Ishy Matsu.

"No life," replied John. "There isn’t a thinking brain anywhere on this world."

Rhodan appeared to be indecisive at the moment. The warship was poised motionlessly above the desert. Farther eastward was a long line of hills. The, fortress had been located in front of them. To the south of the low mountain chain we had discovered the buildings of a city. It was the largest we had seen on this world which I had just decided to call Mechanica.

We had scanned the surface meticulously. Although most urban areas were in a state of decay the little robotships were seen everywhere. They seemed to be responding to an ancient programming. Each unit flew within a certain sector of the terrain. Here and there we had seen formations of spherical-shaped craft but none of them had paid any attention to us.

Even the other defence installations we had discovered near the cities had not been active. The one that Rhodan had just destroyed was the only fortress that had given a sign of programmed robot activity.

When I told the Terrans the name I had given to the planet, Bell had a comment. "Not bad—seems to be good enough for such a sandpile," he said. "Well, what now? If you ask me, this place looks too harmless! We’re still up here in one piece but I sure wouldn’t take a chance on landing."

Rhodan switched the optics to 20 magnification. The tower-like structures loomed taller but the picture quality was not too sharp.

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