David Brin - Infinity Flight

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1/ The Stardust & The Star

The alien ship was not alone.

It was accompanied by seven others of its kind.

Its kind: gigantic, obvious at first sight not built by human hand. Nine hundred feet long

with a diameter of 150 feet. Huge barrel shape rounded in front, blunted at end. Light shimmering

at regular intervals from m its circular windows.

And behind those round windows, giant square-shaped shadows... moving.

* * * *

Fifteen light-hours out, the fleet orbited the sun, observing its planets with sensitive

instruments. The spacecraft were operated by creatures who had never set foot on Earth. They

little resembled human beings.

They called no planet home; their homeland was the universe. They lived in their ships and

carried on trade with all the intelligent races of the space realm. They loved peace only when it

profited them. Should war hold greater promise of financial gain, they made certain to foment it.

They were both tolerant and authoritarian; they had a great sense of humour but at the

same time were characterized by their unrelenting ruthlessness if ever anyone dared thwart them in

matters of enterprise.

And exactly this had just occurred!

Inside the control centre of the lead vessel, Commodore Topthor was stomping about in

front of the videoscreens. He was truly stomping, for Topthor weighed approximately half a ton.

This thousand pound person from another planet was as broad as he was tall-five foot four. His

complexion had a definite greenish tinge, his smooth skull was devoid of any hair. The men of his

race compensated for their baldness by wearing bushy red beards.

The Galactic Traders were descendants of those Arkonides who owned a huge empire 30,000

light-years from Earth but who had become too weak to rule their stellar domain. As a result the

Traders had split off and set up a realm of their own. They established business contacts with all

inhabited planets and lived off this trade.

But Topthor was no ordinary Trader; he belonged to the clan called the Mounders. Ages ago

when these particular descendants of the ancient Arkonides were still living permanently on a

planet, their world had a gravity 2.1 times that of Terra. In the course of many generations this

had caused certain anatomical changes which had resulted in the present body shape of the

Mounders. They were outsiders to their own race but galactic ethic forbade racial discrimination

of any kind. True to their cunning and clever nature, the Traders-or Springers as they were more

familiarly known-had made capital out of the bodily changes of their kinfolk: the Mounders became

the guard troops of the Springers, pledged to come to the aid of their own race whenever needed

and, if necessary, do battle for them.

However, this time, Topthor was acting on his own initiative.

He was staring at the videoscreen in the centre of a whole battery of screens covering one

wall. It showed the picture of a blue-green planet with all the signs of a flourishing

civilization. Continents were imbedded in blue oceans. White cloud banks overhung the vast

stretches of land, hiding what was underneath.

The giant being with the humanoid features nodded and hit a button with his huge hand. At

once another videoscreen lit up. The face of a fellow Mounder appeared.

"What do you want, Topthor?"

"Is that where it's supposed to be? Down there on the third planet of this solar system?

It's strange we should find out about it so late."

"They call themselves Terranians," the other Mounder remarked. "It's only a few years

since they are capable of space travel and already they've managed to stick their nose into our

business and establish trade relations with two other solar systems."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Grogham. I've listened to the radio messages of our brethren; the

bad news was quite explicit. Orlgans and Etztak sent out quite detailed reports which we

intercepted. Though they didn't request our aid, it isn't against our laws to intervene, as long

as it won't harm another group of our traders."

The two Mounders were conversing in the usual Intercosmo spoken by all intelligent races

of the empire. Grogham stroked the beard that made him look older than he was in reality.

"According to the latest reports, Orlgans and Etztak have their hands full trying to catch

a special envoy of the Terranian leader Perry Rhodan. That envoy has entrenched himself on an ice

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Planet some 300 light-years distant from these parts. Since we are here in this sector I don't see

why we shouldn't meanwhile investigate this planet number three-after all it's the cause of all

our latest troubles. Who knows, we might end up with some advantageous business deals ourselves."

Topthor's mood changed abruptly. He said icily: "Bossiness deals for us are out of the

question here, Grogham. Not in this case! You don't seem to realize that we have encountered here

for the first time some serious competition. In hardly ten years this Rhodan has managed to create

an interstellar power. This formerly backward planet now disposes of a mighty fleet. Its ships are

attacking us. This is an open declaration of war. And why? We were only attempting to find out

what they were up to."

"Not we," corrected Grogham, the pedant, "it was Orlgans. He seized two of Rhodan's ships

and tried to pump his men for information. If you call that a friendly gesture..."

"Enough of that!" roared Topthor-and whenever this half ton colossus began to yell even

the videoscreens of far distant ships began to shake. No wonder then that Grogham grew scared.

After all, he was merely the commander of one of the ships which was part of Topthor's commercial

and battle fleet. "Do you really believe I am interested in such piddling details? Do you think I

undertook this long trip just to stick my nose in the affairs of other merchant clans, let alone

to come to their assistance? If we can turn a nice profit in this affair, that would be a plus

factor, but so far neither Orlgans nor Etztak have requested our aid, and they are obliged to pay

only in case they have asked for help."

Grogham was dumbfounded. "Then what did we come here for? I've never known you to do

something without a compelling reason..."

"That's a keen observation," praised Topthor. "I never do anything for nothing. All along

I've followed the reports of our robot spies, which as you might know have been put out of

commission meanwhile, as well as the reports of our station on the moon Titan. Rhodan would be no

match for Etztak in case he should resort to something he is still hesitant about, namely to

request us or some other battle units to join him in his fight against this upstart. Etztak can't

make up his mind there because he knows it would cost him a good deal of money. Meanwhile Rhodan

is planning to get some superior weapons which would enable him to defeat us, and in particular

Etztak. And where do you think Rhodan is hoping to get such weapons?"

Grogham was again at a loss.

"Then let me tell you," bragged a triumphant Topthor. "I do know something about it.

People talk about the so-called Planet of Eternal Life with a certain amount of scepticism; there

is a rumour that it might exist but nobody actually knows if this legend is based on reality. I am

convinced there is a kernel of truth hidden in every legendary tale-therefore this must apply also

to this story."

"The Planet of Eternal Life!" mumbled a still incredulous Grogham. "I've heard of it. It's

supposed to wander somewhere in the depths of the cosmos along its erratic course but no one has

ever found it. just a fairy tale..."

"No fairy tale!" shouted Topthor furiously. "Do you assume in all earnestness Rhodan would

chase a phantom now that his survival is at stake? I have reliable information that Rhodan knows

where this legendary planet can be found. He knows its co-ordinates. And he is planning to go

there in order to obtain new weapons. And if he should succeed that would mean the end of our

position of superiority in this galaxy. But if we beat him to it, it will mean a fabulous business

deal for us."

"Is Etztak informed of Rhodan's plans?"

"Of course he knows about it. But he is a fool, just like you-he won't believe in the

existence of this mysterious planet. It appears far more important to him to capture that little

subaltern of Rhodan, Tifflor by name, who is hiding out somewhere on an ice planet. Well, I'm

smarter than Etztak."

Grogham did not raise any objections.

"Etztak and his tactics are of no interest to us for the time being," continued Topthor.

"We have but one goal to pursue: to keep Rhodan under our surveillance. He is a remarkable fellow.

He succeeded in wresting the carefully guarded secrets from the Arkonides. I am highly impressed

by this little Terranian. But I must not let myself be carried away by feelings, for after all

this same Terranian is bent on shattering our power. And he must be prevented from doing that at

all costs. For once order is restored within the Arkonide empire-and this is the goal this Rhodan

is striving for-we won't keep our exclusive position as the sole traders in our galaxy, and no

more exploitation of newly discovered worlds either, that's certain."

"What do the reports have to say about Rhodan starting his journey?"

"Rhodan? That's just the point-we've no idea. The reports are old-relatively old. They

ceased the moment our relay stations, or rather those of Etztak, were put out of commission by

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Rhodan's hostile actions. We heard only that Rhodan will attempt to visit the Planet of Eternal

Life-and now comes the most important point of that message: He's going to visit it once again.

That means he must have been there already once before, so he knows its position."

Grogham's bushy red beard trembled visibly. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"He's been there before?" He breathed heavily. "By all the Gods of the entire Universe and all the

Markets of the Galaxy..."

"Now you get it!" triumphed Topthor, "That sounds different, doesn't it? So you see we

wont be chasing after some will-o'-the-wisp, we will pursue a very real trail. By the way," he

abruptly changed the subject, "still no news from the other ships?"

"They are positioned on the other side of the system, 30 light-hours away. So far nothing

has been observed of any Terrestrial ships starting. And no transitions have taken place either."

Topthor seemed pleased. "That's important. Rhodan will give himself away if he carries out

any transitions. Our space-structure-sensors will register and determine the location of any

movement throughout the five-dimensional plane. We'll simply follow after these transitions and if

we're lucky well rematerialise close by the spot where Perry Rhodan and his ships will return into

normal space."

"You figured that out very cleverly," Grogham had to admit. "Let's hope you won't have to

wait too long for Rhodan to appear."

"Even if it should take years," snapped Topthor, "it will be worthwhile in any case. The

Planet of Eternal Life-how can you compare that with a few lost years... ?"

And once more Grogham was at a loss for an answer.

Silently the eight ships continued on their path around the distant sun, waiting for the

moment when a Terranian would try to leave his home planet Earth and then his solar system. These

eight ships formed a barrier which could not be pierced without alerting their highly sensitive

location finder instruments.

Earth meanwhile was unaware that it had become the centre of an intergalactic defence

belt.

And this belt had all the time it needed for a long wait.

* * * *

Perry Rhodan, however, did not have a lot of time left.

What he had tried to avoid for a decade now, had overtaken him: The most powerful race of

the huge Arkonide empire alerted to Earth's existence. Gone was the protective isolation and the

blissful anonymity. Of all the living beings in the universe, it had to be the Springers, the

galactic traders, who discovered Earth's position!

The first battle had been won. All the robot spies that the Springers had deployed on

Earth and within the solar system had been put out of commission. In a surprise attack Rhodan had

successfully destroyed the enemy's communication bases on Titan. But the situation was still

undecided. Far away in the system of the double star Beta-Albireo, 320 light-years from Earth,

stood the two heavy cruisers Terra and Solar System engaged in a fight against the armed

commercial fleet of the two Springer commanders Orlgans and Etztak. And on the second planet of

that system, a primeval ice world, Julian Tifflor and his friends were holding out, waiting to be

rescued. Among them was Pucky, the feisty little mousebeaver, with his many remarkable talents.

They were all waiting, hoping to hold off the Springers and thus divert their attention from Perry

Rhodan until he could obtain the necessary weapons with which he could definitely chase away the

enemy intruders once and for all.

The general situation was far from rosy at the time when Stardust, a mighty battleship of

the empire class with a diameter a half mile, was racing toward the point of transition.

Rhodan was visibly upset about this situation, a fact which was noticed by his friend

Reginald Bell with a commensurate degree of uneasiness. "I'd like to know why you should keep on

worrying your head off, Perry," he tried to cheer up his long time pal and boss. "Everything's

going OK. We needn't be anxious on account of Pucky and Tiff, they'll make it alright. And as far

as Nyssen is concerned..."

"Major Nyssen's job isn't exactly easy," Rhodan reminded him in a serious tone. "The two

cruisers under his command certainly know their duty but I don't know how long they'll be able to

keep up flying mock attack sorties against the Springers. And worse even, how long will it take

until this presumably highly intelligent race will come to realize that we are using nothing but

delaying actions against them?"

"Why exactly are they called Springers? They look just the way we do, don't they?"

"They own no proper home planet but keep springing from one solar system to the next. They

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are also known by the name of Traders but I think Springer suits them best because it emphasizes

their rootlessness."

Bell gazed at the videoscreen. The giant planet Jupiter was moving sideways and out of

view. Assuming a speed close to that of light, the Stardust

was racing to the transition point which was located beyond the orbital path of Jupiter.

"How long will it take?" Bell inquired.

Rhodan scowled. "Reg, you have an inimitable talent for expressing the most complicated

problems in simple questions. How long will it take? This is what's so crazy about the whole deal!

I'm afraid I'm unable to answer your question at the moment. As you surely remember, when we first

spent a short while on the Planet of Eternal Life and then returned to Earth we found out to our

great consternation that four and a half years had gone by. This planet, Wanderer, the artificial

construction of a super-being, is existing in another time-plane. But we have no choice, we must

go there in order to get a new weapon: otherwise we'll never succeed in chasing off the Springers.

What might happen if we shouldn't return till one or two years have elapsed, even though we

believe we've stayed no longer than a day or two on Wanderer?"

A faint grin flitted across Bell's broad face. The reddish bristles he called his hair

made no attempt this time-despite the horrendous prospect-to free themselves in protest from the

heavy, stiff layer of pomade, the way they usually did. Contemptuously he waved his big, thick

hand.

"And why should that take place? We'll simply ask It to even out the time difference."

Indeed for a moment Rhodan looked quite perplexed. Then he shrugged his shoulders. "It

will let us whistle for it, I'm inclined to believe."

It was the unfathomable entity to whom this planet Wanderer belonged. The spiritualization

of a most ancient people. It contained billions of brains which voluntarily had renounced their

bodies. It could be compared only to an energy-being which had the combined intellectual capacity

of all mankind. It-at first an incomprehensible miracle which could only gradually be understood

by those who grew aware of the fact that it possessed humour despite its infinite superiority.

"Why should It do such a thing?" protested Bell, who for once remained serious. "Didn't

you get along perfectly with It during your first and then later on second visit, even if that

lasted but a few minutes? Why shouldn't It do us this favour of excluding the time factor for

once?"

Rhodan did not reply. Instead he pushed a button. A small videoscreen lit up. The face of

a man became visible, one of the ship's radio technicians.

"Sir?"

"Send an ultra-radio message to Major Nyssen. Location: Beta-Albireo System, 320

light-years. Co-ordinates are known. Text in code..."

Rhodan stopped, pondered for a few seconds before he continued: "Calling cruisers Terra

and Solar System. Hold out at all costs, do not endanger ships. The Springers must be kept away

from Earth. I'll inform you upon my return from the planet Wanderer. Length of stay unknown.

Rhodan."

The technician acknowledged the message with a brief nod. "Via short impulse, sir?"

"Of course. Right away!"

Bell watched the man's face gradually disappear from the screen, changing into coloured

spirals which grew darker and dimmer until finally vanishing altogether. "Let's hope nobody will

intercept this signal," he mumbled with a worried look.

"So what?" Rhodan reassured him. "It won't hurt at all if Etztak finds out that we keep in

contact with our ships. Anyhow, he can't decipher the code."

"I wasn't thinking so much of that, Perry. But what if some of the Springers' ships should

be somewhere nearby and could pinpoint our position..."

Rhodan's face grew a shade paler. He knew at once what Bell intended to say with this

remark. Certainly if somebody knew their point of transition and placed themselves behind them it

would by no means be impossible for them to follow right behind. Using the sensitive location

finders and the structure sensors made such a manoeuvre quite feasible. But then Rhodan shook his

head.

"We have destroyed all their automatic spying installations in the solar system. There are

no more Springer ships here, Reg."

Neither Rhodan nor Bell had the slightest inkling of the existence of the so-called

Mounders, let alone that of all things this very same martial race intended to use Rhodan in order

to discover through him the Planet of Eternal Life. For the first time in his life Rhodan

committed the mistake of underestimating an opponent. Naturally he realized that he was unable to

overcome his enemy with the usual conventional means; this race was too wise and too experienced

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for that. While carrying on their trading business with virtually every inhabited world in this

part of the galaxy, they had not failed to acquire every type of weapon in existence. This was a

hurdle that even Perry Rhodan could not surmount-at least not yet.

Added to that was Rhodan's obvious nervous excitement. The uncertainty of what unpleasant

trick this time shift might once again play made him restless. Bell's advice-to ask It to

neutralize the two different time planes-had merely been a friendly suggestion. Of course it was

quite another matter if it would favourably consider their plea.

A soft humming sound interrupted Rhodan's sombre thoughts. A relay switched on and

automatically connected the command centre to the radio room, where at this moment Nyssen's

confirmation was arriving, an impulse lasting several seconds. After decoding the message the

following text was recorded:

"Your message received. Don't worry. We'll take care of the Traders. They won't catch us.

Expecting soonest arrival of the Stardust in the Albireo System. We'll hold out till then.

Nyssen."

Still, Rhodan did not seem relieved. He thanked the radio centre, then switched on the

intercom which let his voice be heard in the farthest corners of the gigantic vessel. He spoke:

"Control centre to crew! We'll reach our transition point beyond Pluto in five hours. Half

an hour before the transition the intermittent 60 second warning signal will be sounded."

"Another five hours!' groaned Bell. "Even at the speed of light!"

Rhodan smiled. But this time his smile lacked the usual calm reassurance.

"Light is just too slow, Reg."

* * * *

Topthor's bulky boss jerked out of his seat. Grogham was calling. The red, bushy beard of

his clansman was trembling with excitement on the videoscreen.

"Topthor, our instruments have located a gigantic spacesphere which is moving out of the

system. Its size should be cause for alarm."

"That must be the main ship of that fellow Rhodan's fleet," remarked Topthor, failing to

be impressed by the news. "The time has come, Grogham. How did you find it?"

"Radio message. We intercepted it. It was easy to determine the direction of the beam.

Beta-Albireo. Impossible to decode, though. Probably some message for their forces stationed

there."

"Let Etztak battle it out with them, Grogham. I'm interested only in Rhodan and his

destination. Take care to have exact calculations made. We'll follow Rhodan at a safe distance.

Make sure to have barriers set up around us so that he can't locate us with his direction finders.

The moment the expected transition will take place, ascertain position and force of the space

concussion and space rupture. We'll follow behind him with the same intensity and dimensions. If

all works out alright, we should emerge from the five-dimensional. field again within a distance

of not more than one light-year from Rhodan's new position. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear," confirmed Grogham and cut the connection.

Heavily, Topthor fell back into his seat and observed what happened on his videoscreen. At

first a tiny sphere became visible, escaping from the solar system at the speed of light. It would

pass by the waiting fleet of the Mounders at a distance of about half a light-hour. The direction

finder barriers had to be switched on. This way Topthor and his small fleet would become invisible

to Rhodan's detection instruments.

The minutes grew into hours. The Stardust glided past the eight cylinder-shaped ships and

shot out into interstellar space. Now the transition might take place at any moment.

Topthor ordered his ships to assume a new course. They were following the Stardust at a

precisely calculated safe distance, awaiting the all-decisive and all-revealing transition.

It occurred two hours later.

The normal picture screen showed a brief flicker and then the giant spaceship vanished as

if it never had been there at all.

The structure sensors registered the space rupture and concussion which travelled through

the space-time continuum with speed faster than light. The sensors took precise measurements. The

instruments were working with unimaginable techniques. Ten minutes later the results were ready.

Grogham announced them proudly:

"Intensity 467.00958 jump-units. Direction unchanged. Distance exactly 1602.18 light

years, plus or minus 0.661. Your orders, commander?"

"Transition! Immediately!"

The signals were racing through the eight ships. Relays were clicking. The engines hum

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grew to a roar. Calculations had to be rapidly made taking into account the distance that had

separated them from the point where the Stardust had gone into transition.

And then...

A flicker where the eight vessels had been standing-and suddenly no trace was left of

them.

Topthor's fleet had dared the leap toward an uncertain destination.

The concussion of the eightfold transition was racing through space.

* * * *

The instant Rhodan could feel the first pains typical for his returning state of

consciousness, he knew the transition had been a success. Nearby, Bell was moaning, inspecting

himself all over to make sure all the parts of his body had rematerialised in the right spots. He

was eternally worried that some malfunction might occur during the transition and that he would

find his nose all crooked or in the wrong place.

"All present and accounted for?" Rhodan inquired. He did not share his friend's secret

fears. His worries were of another kind. "Let's hope we'll find Wanderer!"

For that was indeed a big problem. The superbeing's artificial planet was invisible to all

optical instruments and could not be located by any direction finders. Unless It should make its

presence known or provide some clues as to Its whereabouts they would never find the planet

Wanderer-except by sheer accident. And Rhodan didn't wish to have to rely on such an infinitesimal

chance.

Wanderer moved in an elliptical course which took 2 million years to complete, rotating

around some 30 solar systems, all lying in an almost straight line. Two of these solar systems

were at both the focal points of this orbital ellipse. Rhodan had been puzzled by the thought why

the Earth's solar system of all things should constitute one of these focal points. At some time

in the future, Rhodan had decided, he should investigate the solar system lying at the other focal

point. He sensed that there might be some surprise in store for him.

Although he realized the futility of his act, Rhodan started up the direction finder

machinery. A quick glance at the screen showed him that the Stardust was now standing in a totally

starless part of the galaxy. There was no sun within a radius of 50 light-years. Only in the

faraway reaches could he make out innumerable stars, shining quietly and as if waiting. They did

not twinkle; they were like the countless eyes of an otherwise invisible monster.

The situation was the same as on that first occasion when Rhodan had first sought the

Planet of Eternal Life in order to obtain the biological cell shower which would arrest his aging

processes for the next six decades. There had been no indication, no clue, that an artificial

planet, the abode of the mysterious It, was travelling in its orbit in their immediate vicinity.

It, the unfathomable being whose trail Rhodan had been pursuing on a chase through time and space

in order to find the secret of immortality. Well, that secret had still remained a mystery but

since Rhodan had been able to solve all the other puzzling tasks set by It, he had been presented

the gift of prolonging his life span periodically. His friend Reginald. Bell had been included in

this and had thus been rid of the worries of how to prevent his magnificent reddish thatch of

bristly hair from turning white.

And on that previous occasion they would never have detected the planet, invisible to

their eyes and instruments as it was moving nearby in its orbit, if It had not chosen to announce

Its presence in a rather startling manner. Inside one of the halls of the Stardust a monstrosity

had suddenly materialized, which they had been able to render harmless only with the greatest

effort and with the help of their most sophisticated technical means. The unknown Immortal's

reaction to all this had merely been a Homeric laughter as if the whole affair had been one huge

joke. It didn't take long for Rhodan, at that time, to understand that, indeed, the whole chase

through time and space had been just fun and games for It.

But Rhodan had realized something else, too: It had teleported that monstrosity into the

Stardust with the aid of a hyper-matter transmitter. And this was exactly the reason why he now

wanted to return to the planet Wanderer. He intended to ask It to put such an HMT at his disposal-

perhaps even two of them. There couldn't be any more perfect weapon than that.

"We'll find Wanderer," Rhodan tried to banish Bell's worries. "I only don't know how long

it will take us." He remembered how he had communicated with It at that time. Actually it had been

a friendly conversation. They had called each other "Old friend." It had a great sense of humour.

"Announce the third alarm stage to all men aboard, Reg. After all, it's quite likely It will

welcome us with some of It's usual pranks."

"Will do, Perry!" Reg acknowledged his friend's order and left for the communication room

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to make all the necessary arrangements. Rhodan was left alone in the spacious command centre. He

stood, lost in thoughts, gazing at the picture screen which showed nothing but some far distant

stars. Not a trace of Wanderer; the Planet of Eternal Life, where It was dwelling in a state of

tremendous boredom because of Its immortality.

"Hello, darling!"

Rhodan was thunderstruck. Among the 500 members of the Stardust crew there were, of

course, also a number of girls and women, but he could not recall ever having been on intimate

terms with any of them. They all regarded him as their commander, the relentless, hard driving

man, even if endowed with a blissful sense of humour, but still the remote, unapproachable

commander of the Stardust. And now...

He whirled around and stared into the face of a woman. He must have seen her some time,

some place, he thought.

"But, darling, don't you remember me anymore?"

Her voice was silky and caressing at the same time alluring and demanding. Her face could

not be called innocent looking but it possessed a certain charm, which even Rhodan could not

entirely resist. But he also realized that he was facing here no real human being, only a clever

matter-thought-mirage of the Immortal.

"Hello, madam." He decided to play along with the Immortal's prank. "You have come on

behalf of my Old Friend, I presume. Please, have a seat."

"But darling, since when do you treat me so formally?"

She stepped closer and placed her slender arms around his neck. Rhodan felt the warmth of

her body and was incapable of moving. He stood stock-still, breathing in the fragrant scent of the

beautiful woman. She was wearing a dress which seemed to consist mainly of an antique robe.

"Hm, ahem," Rhodan said clumsily. He did not have a great deal of experience with lovely

females, particularly not with those who did not exist at all. Still, the presence of this

corporeal apparition was just as real as the horrifying monster had once been. Anyhow, Rhodan

noticed with pleasure, It had changed its tactics and had passed from monsters to lovely women.

Some improvement-or was it?

"Well," said the charming beauty, and smiled, enticingly. "You don't seem to be going to

the movies too often, darling."

"Very rarely," admitted Rhodan. Suddenly he knew who had come from the void into his

command centre. The Immortal had searched his memory and must have detected the fleeting trace of

some long forgotten film which It then had proceeded to materialize. That's why she seemed somehow

familiar to him.

"Perry!" she said suddenly and embraced him so ardently that Rhodan couldn't manage to

fend her off, although he had firmly intended to do so if the case should arise. "Do you still

love me? You liked me a great deal that time, didn't you?"

Blast, she doesn't exist in reality! Rhodan tried to rationalize bitterly, although he

knew for sure that she did exist nevertheless. Not the same person, as far as he could judge. Only

an imitation, which had been materialized from his own memory banks. However there was still

another possibility-and this wasn't the first time that this had happened-It had taken the actual

creature from Earth, or better its actual mind. But the person's mind was sufficient to have him

or her materialize as a real living creature. It had even transported entire groups of people from

Earth's past and had set them down in the time plane of the artificial planet Wanderer where they

were behaving as if they were still on their own home planet.

But be it as it may, the body warmth of the beautiful film star whose name still eluded

Rhodan, was very real indeed. He tried to resist the strange feeling that threatened to seize him.

Mustering all his strength, he attempted to push the woman away.

But he had misjudged his own force. The beautiful creature possessed superhuman strength;

she could easily have felled a prize boxer and laid him flat out on his back. Rhodan could not

budge her even an inch away from him. On the contrary. Smiling as enchantingly as ever, she drew

even closer to him and kissed him full on his lips.

Rhodan could have put up with that perhaps and also forgiven It if Bell had not chosen to

return to the command centre at this very moment. He was accompanied by Redkens, a cadet of the

Space Academy of the Now Power. During this mission Bell was in charge of the navigation of the

Stardust.

Bell's face was truly a sight to behold. He advanced a couple of steps before his brain

comprehended what his eyes were seeing. Over there, near the control panels, stood his friend and

master, Perry Rhodan, fighting tooth and toenail against being kissed by Cleopatra. Bell, too, had

seen that film long ago, but had remembered more about it than Rhodan.

"Good Lord," he groaned, staggering against the nearby wall. "Good Lord, if it isn't

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file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/David%20Brin%20-%20Infinity%20Flight.txt

Stella Rallas! I must be losing my mind!"

"Who?" blustered the young cadet, turning beet-red in the face. He was an ardent but

hopeless admirer of the well-known film. actress. He couldn't believe his eyes to see her here,

more than 1,500 light-years away from Hollywood, in the arms of his commander. Rhodan strained to

avert his head. The pretty ghost didn't seem to mind at all that they had acquired an audience.

Tempestuously, the only too real-seeming apparition bit her resisting lover on his earlobes.

Rhodan cried out, startled by her sudden, ardent attack, and kicked her in the shins. But

the world-famous film star didn't appear to be bothered by such uncavalierly behaviour. "Darling,

I love you," she breathed fervently.

Bell nearly suffered a stroke of apoplexy. He staggered and could hardly stand on his

feet. His eyes widened in horror and surprise; kept staring at the incredible scene in front of

him. It didn't occur to him for a single moment that this spectacle might be the first sign of

life with which the Immortal announced It's presence. All he could perceive was the beautiful

woman in Rhodan's arms.

"Did you smuggle her aboard, Perry?" he gasped helplessly. "You sure could have let me in

on that secret a bit sooner, pal!"

"We ought to leave the two alone," suggested Redkens, politely turning to leave when he

was stopped by Rhodan's desperate voice. "Don't you dare leave me here with this creature, Cadet

Redkens! Help me get rid of this woman-in a hurry!"

"But this is Cleopatra!" corrected Redkens bewildered. "Or rather the fabulous Stella

Rallas..."

"I don't care who she is!" raved Rhodan, still trying to free himself from the unyielding

embrace of his unwanted amour. "Get a move on, you two! Help me!"

Redkens couldn't make any sense out of Rhodan's orders. Why on Earth had his commanding

officer taken along this love goddess if he really didn't like her? He would never have thought

his idol capable of such obviously conflicting behaviour. But still...

"Come on, Redkens," moaned Bell and started to move. "I'm completely baffled by all this.

Nothing makes any sense any more. She must have gone off her rocker."

But hardly had he touched the beautiful woman's arm than she let go of Rhodan, turned

around and peered lovingly into Bell's red face. "Reggie, my darling little Reggie-boy! So we do

meet again here after all these years. Come into my arms; let me kiss you, my sweet!"

And now it was Bell's turn to be trapped in a tight spot. The luscious red lips of the

formerly so unattainable film star were lovingly pressed against his own lips, thus fulfilling his

age-old desire once to be kissed by the beautiful Rallas. He offered no resistance and let the

gorgeous Cleopatra have her way with him, paying no heed to the Homeric laughter in his ears. Even

Rhodan, glad to be released from the iron grip of the unexpected visitor, had to laugh at the

sight of his friend, the normally ice cold, steel hard Reggie, as he was literally melting in the

arms of the superstar, Stella.

Only Redkens, the hapless cadet, felt that fate was treating him unkindly in this

situation. His head swung to and fro, from Rhodan to the lovingly embracing couple. The poor

fellow was at an absolute loss what to think of this whole affair.

Finally the Immortal seemed to realize that this scene had gone far enough. It arranged

that Cleopatra should release her victim. Suddenly, Bell was standing there, all alone, his arms

embracing someone who was no longer present.

His friend's posture struck Rhodan as being so absurd that he completely forgot his anger

and started bellowing with laughter. Bell's eyes, shut tight in ecstasy till this moment, opened

slowly. He realized how silly he must look. And that in the presence of Redkens, who was still

leaning against the wall, stammering over and over again: "An autograph! How I would have liked to

get an autograph from her!"

"Oh, shut up, Redkens! That woman could never have given you an autograph-it was nothing

but a ghost, Bell reprimanded the young fellow.

Since Redkens had not been along on the initial trip to the Planet of Eternal Life, he

knew nothing of the strange incomprehensible jokes the Immortal was so fond of playing on those

who had come in search of It.

"A ghost? But I certainly know Rallas when I see her..."

"It might just as well have been Columbus," interjected Rhodan. "But Columbus wouldn't

have scared me as much as that... what was the lady's name?"

"Rallas-the ravishing Rallas!" moaned a very disappointed Redkens. "How could she have

been a ghost if she had a real live body?"

"It can accomplish anything It wants to do," Bell enlightened him. He had gradually

overcome his shock, once he understood who had fooled him with this illusion. "Out of our

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David Brin - Infinity Flight

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