So many people. Fulmen Grancolline had to fight through the crowd. Babble of voices. But Fulmen had only one thought: could it be true? The news had been in since the early hours of the morning. But now they came more and more often. The content of the news: The ift lost its power! What did that mean? Fulmen ran down a flight of stairs. The building was big, one of the bigger ones in Cybernia on Oberon. It was here that the provisional headquarters of a resistance against the armies of Cofehav Pupepa’s armies had been set up. Doctor Yefimov had set up a laboratory on the lower floor. Fulmen had finally arrived there. “Doctor!” He called as he entered the room. “Did you see it?” Yefimov startled. “What are you talking about, Fulmen?” “The Ift! There are strange values. It looks like the Ift is losing its power!” “Nonsense!” Yefimov insisted. “The ift is a substance, how can it … oh! Of course! Follow me!” Yefimov ran to the other side of the room, where a large terminal was set up. The doctor sat down on a chair and activated the main laboratory computer. “Let’s see, then,” he muttered. Fulmen had followed him and was now standing next to him. “Doctor, what’s going on?” He wanted to know. “Ha!” Yefimov called. “I thought so!” “What?” “The ift is a substance, but the substance needs a force field to charge it. At least if you want to use the ift for more than 24 hours. And the force field loses energy.” “How? How can that be?” “The force field is fed by certain ships from Pupepa’s army. They are called power ships. The so-called power men work on them.” “Power men?” “Slaves, more or less. Pupepa is not particularly fraught with scruples. And it looks like the power men are making a revolt!” “That can benefit us, right?” “Of course! As long as the ift is weak, our transmissions will get through. We just have to be careful, I’m afraid Pupepa will forcefully suppress the revolt. Then we could run into problems again.” “Can we take precautions?” “I don’t know what. We have to have Pupepa take the next step.”
“Desert Hawk! Desert Hawk, do you hear me?” The voice came out loud over the radio. “I can hear you,” replied the radio officer in charge. “This is Desert Hawk. Send your callsign!” “This is DL02. Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! A large fleet has appeared out of nowhere and is heading for Oberon!” “Do that again! Did I understand you correctly, that a large fleet has appeared out of nowhere and is now heading for Oberon?” “Confirm! Use the long-range scanner! You will see them, the fleet consists of at least … oh, holy flying spaghetti monster! We’re counting over two hundred echoes! Do you see that too?” In the meantime, the radio officer had obtained information from a colleague. He had activated the long-range scanner as announced. Now he saw them too. “Yes,” the officer called into the radio. “We see them too. What is it? Can you give us details?”
“Desert Hawk” was a radio surveillance station for the Oberon Defense Facility. It was hidden in the desert, in a large rock. That should serve as a cover. The defense weapons were stationed in the desert around the station. “Usovai’i!” Said it over the radio. “It’s definitely Usovai’i! Small attack cruisers. Wait … some have opened their cargo hold doors. Something’s coming out! Combat troops! This is an invasion!” Somebody had called in the commander of the “Desert Hawk”. He was just stepping into the room when he heard the word “invasion”. “Invasion?” He asked. “What’s going on here? On the screen!” The radio officer activated the big screen. This took up one wall in the small room. It showed a signal transmitted by a satellite. Countless spaceships approaching the Uranus moon. The commandant took a deep breath. “Call the USS BOURGOGNE! They have been watching something for a few days. Let Captain Haddock know that it has started.” “Sir!” Said the radio officer. “I notice that the transmission to the other planets is getting worse and worse.” “I see here …” came a message over the radio. But what followed was hard to understand: “… object … radiation … disturbance …” “Repeat!” Ordered the radio officer. “We can not understand you!” “Obj … rad … ea …” The radio officer turned to the commander of the “Deser Hawk” station. “Sir, the signal is getting weaker and weaker. Could it be that the enemy launched Ift?” “Ift?” The commandant sounded horrified. “Ift is banned under the Venege Convention, it would be a catastrophe for our communications.” “If these are the Usovai’i, then they are acting on the orders of Prostat Pupepa. The Venege Convention shouldn’t really matter.” “You are right. Try to contact Cybernia. They should try to reestablish radio communications. What about the BOURGOGNE?” “I got a message through. I don’t know if it was heard, though.” “How far are the objects?” “Coming to orbit.” “And the communication between the departments of ASTROCOHORS CLUB?” “Is disturbed.” “Okay … Get everyone ready to attack. Get everything ready to activate the defense.”
“Well! Here comes good ol’ Charlie Brown!” Claude Feret pointed to a Terran with a round head and a strange hairstyle who had just walked into the bar. “Good ol’ Charlie Brown … yes sir!” He continued. “Good ol’ Charlie Brown,” he added. “How I hate him!” He said then. “You don’t?” Agathe Grzesiak, who sat across from him, shrugged her shoulders. “Little girls are made of sugar and spice,” she said. “And everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.” After saying those cryptic words, Brown approached her table. “Rain, rain, rain,” he said. “Like watering a dog’s flower.” Claude frowned. “That is a strange sentence. Is that what you say in …” “Minneapolis!” Remarked Brown. “I’m from Minneapolis. And yes, my father always said that. I never understood what he meant by that.” Then he looked around. “Let’s go,” he said finally. “I don’t think any will come.” “I’m afraid I have to agree with you,” replied Feret. “I feel like I’ve been stuck here for seventy years. Apparently the promised contact person is a phantom.” “Probably”, Agathe confirmed. “The name alone sounded suspicious … Peppermint Patty, who is called that?” “What do we do now?” Asked Brown. “The mission has obviously failed. But we still have 48 hours before BOURGOGNE will contact us again.” “We could try to make our way to Dowalka,” suggested Claude. “If we can get cheap transportation, we could be there in six hours and meet with Pellton.” “Alternatively, we can sit here and wait,” said Agathe. “Will you still love me when you’re grown up and rich and famous and I’m just a poor little girl?” Said a woman. The woman had come to the table unnoticed while the three officers of the BOURGOGNE discussed their failure. “Uh …” Brown stammered. “Sure I will,” he answered the code the woman had just used. “And will you still love me when you get rich and famous and I have nothing?” “That will be different,” said the woman. She sat down at the table. “So you are the guys from BOURGOGNE,” she stated. “Then you … Peppermint Patty?” Asked Claude. “Yes. I hope you haven’t waited too long for me.” Awkward silence. Yes, they had waited a long time. The team, consisting of the three officers of BOURGOGNE, was abandoned here in Tropica shortly after Fulmen Grancolline won a few valuable computer chips by participating in the tournament of death. It turned out that there were hostile activities on Oberon that threatened the safety of the solar system. So Claude Feret, Agathe Grzesiak and Charlie Brown were sent on an undercover mission. They were practically abandoned. They were the castaways in Tropica. While they were investigating what the Usovai’i army was doing here, they made contact with underground fighters who wanted to provide them with information. And there she was, Patty the contact person. “Anyway,” said Patty, “I have highly confidential information here.” She slid a memory stick across the table of the little bar where the four of them were. “Troop movements, troop numbers, everything. I think the Usovai’i guy has big plans.” “Why are you helping us?” Asked Agathe. “If Pupepa gets away with his plans, I don’t know what will become of the known galaxy,” she stated. “That’s enough motivation for me. You will find a few more documents on the memory stick that fell into our hands in a bunker. Obviously Pupepa doesn’t want this to be known. He’s probably afraid that his reputation could be damaged. Although I don’t know if his reputation can be damaged. “ “Why?” Asked Claude. “What is it about?” “Did you know,” said Patty conspiratorially, “that the Great Leader of the Usovai’i is really descended from a Gunnafiri family? And not from any, but from the Hýnkel family.” “What? That means …?”, Feret began. “He’s related to the Great Dictator, yes,” Patty confirmed. “The G.D. is his uncle. Shocking, isn’t it?” “Well,” objected Agathe, “relationship doesn’t mean that you are of the same kind.” “But there are often attitudes circulating within a family,” said Brown. “It would explain a lot about Pupepa. How did that go about?”
“Pupepa’s father,” Patty explained, “was the youngest brother of the family. When the Stellar War broke out, the older brothers – including the GD – fought on the side of the empire. Pupepa’s father preferred to emigrate to Usovai’i Then made a fortune by providing for the Usovai’i troops, who set out from Kor Ywen in the battles of the Stellar War, in his pub, thus laying the foundation for the family’s fortune. “ “It was wise to change his name,” said Brown. “Yes,” answered Patty. “Now if you’ll excuse me. You have what you wanted and I’ve been here too long.” “Just a moment!” Demanded Claude. “What’s the name of your underground organization. Just in case we need to come to your aid.” “Very kind of you,” said Patty. She pointed out the window. You could see the opposite wall, which was sprayed with grafiti. In the colorful pattern was a picture of a white beagle. “It is,” she explained. “White Beagle, that’s what we call ourselves.” Then she said goodbye. The three officers of the BOURGOGNE waited a moment, then they left too. In their possession they now had a memory stick with a lot of sensitive information.
Now it had to be seen what one could do with the information. What a time to be alive “We need to contact Schulz somehow,” Brown said. “It will be a great story, it will be told in seventy years!” “And then in the end we weren’t here that long”, added Agathe. “It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown.”
“Captain’s log, supplement. Our destination is Planet Uranus. My orders are to examine the reaches of Azerim, a region on one of Uranus’s moons. Meanwhile I’m becoming better acquainted with my new command – this carrier vessel BOURGOGNE. I’m still somewhat in awe of its size and complexity. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, but I’m informed that some highly experienced women and men will be waiting to join the ship after our visit at Uranus.”
“Why did I even agree to this?” Captain Haddock grumbled. He paced up and down the room. That wasn’t the mission! King Fulmen! Great idea! All they were supposed to do was bring Fulmen to the moons of Uranus. Apparently he had made so much impression there that he had been appointed “replacement king for life”. No, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t about several moons of Uranus, but only one: OBERON! “It was the only way, sir!” Said Pellton. Haddock sighed. “As always, you are right, Pellton,” he said. “That’s why you’re such a damn good first officer. Do me a favor and please never take a command of your own. I don’t see what I would do without you.” “Probably dying a gruesome death,” said Pellton, grinning. “And yet: How could I agree to this charade? We can see how it ends now.” “Oh, it’s not over yet.” The captain looked out the window. You had a wonderful view of the landscape. Kagnaszax Castle was on a hill overlooking a wide valley. The little town of Honeywood was down there somewhere. Primitive humanoids lived there in an eternal Middle Ages, it seemed. Although they had contact with the other worlds of the solar system, somehow the inhabitants did not develop any further. They went about their simple life, that was it. Sometimes an evil ruler would come and suppress them, then they would call for a hero who would defeat the ruler. And the status quo was restored. Episodic, almost like one of the old TV series.
This is how Fulmen Grancolline came up with the title of “replacement king”. He had defeated an evil wizard and earned the thanks of the people. King Fullmen! It was only logical that he should use his royal power to enlist the help of the Honeywood people. “And all because of a few computer chips!” Muttered Haddock. The unusual activities in the Oort cloud, which the BOURGOGNE had noticed a few days earlier, had also been observed by a drone. Or at least that was what Haddock and the ASTROCOHORS staff suspected. Because that drone had been shot down over Oberon and come down in the Honeywood area. But the recordings that the drone had made were saved on chips that were in an explosion-proof container. And the fleet urgently needed the information on these chips! It turned out that a few residents of the Azerim region had already recovered the wreckage of the drone. So King Fulmen should appear and at least demand the computer chips from the people. There and back again. Super easy, barely an inconvenience. Unfortunately, since the last visit, a new man had moved into Kagnaszax Castle. And he had taken the glittering chips. Of course, he didn’t want to give them out that easily. He wanted to have fun. “Sir, Fulmen is a good fighter,” Pellton confirmed. “He’ll be fine.” “I wish I had your confidence in the future! Why do you think it is called the ‘Tournament of Death’? Because the fighters are throwing cotton balls at each other?” “I’m surprised that there are still death tournaments in the solar system. The declaration banning …” “Pellton, thunder and grenades! Haven’t you got it?” Haddock scolded. “Declarations and laws that have been issued by the Supreme Council of the Solar System are beautiful declarations. In order for them to have an effect, they must be filled with life by the members of the planetary community! And here on Oberon of all places one does not feel bound by such resolutions! Death tournaments have a long, sad and gruesome tradition in the solar system. And it looks like we’re seeing their return these days! “ “That’s the bad influence of Prostat Pupepa the Usovai’i,” Pellton noted. “There is no longer any cohesion among the peoples of the planets, everyone only fights for himself.” “Maybe,” replied Haddock. “Recognizing that doesn’t solve our problem. Fulmen is supposed to take part in the tournament of death and defeat one of the best fighters in Azerim. Then we’ll get the chips.” “And with it the information!” “That worries me too.” “What are you worried about, Captain?” Haddock gave Pellton a piercing look. “What if Fulmen wins, we get the chips and find out it’s nothing.” “Nothing?” Asked Pellton. “You mean that …” “Right. We don’t know for sure that there is anything on the chips that will help us. So far we’re just speculating.” “In the name of the Flying Spaghetti Monster!” Pellton exclaimed. “Then we can only hope.” At that moment there was a knock on the door. “Who’s there?” Haddock called. “Groppler Norz!” Someone called through the closed door. “I am to inform you that the Exalted Ruler of Kagnaszax has decided that the Tournament of Death should take place in 20 minutes. Your presence is urgently required.” “We’re coming!” Replied Haddock.
Kagnaszax was a spacious castle complex with a large inner courtyard. This is where the tournament ground was set up. The square consisted of a large square bordered by wooden barriers. The so-called “Sublime Ruler” and his court had gathered around the square. Then there were the few crew members of the BOURGOGNE who had accompanied Haddock and Pellton. Just as the captain and his first officer arrived at the battlefield, Fulmen Grancolline climbed over the barrier and into the ring. Two assistants had been assigned to him. One of them handed him a sword. “Your opponent,” said the assistant, “wears the black mask of the best fighter in Rumaroma. It will not be easy to defeat him.” “Oh,” said the second assistant, “just say it as it is. It will be impossible for the stranger to defeat a person wearing the Black Mask.” “You give me courage,” said Fulmen with irony. At that moment, Fulmen’s opponent climbed into the ring. It was a massive man who was dressed entirely in black. And he wore a black mask over his head. “Captain,” Pellton whispered. “Could it be that this opponent is a black coat?” “A servant of the High Hand?” Haddock asked back just as quietly. “Quite possible. No idea where they all have their fingers in the game. Not intended punch line.” “I thought to myself, Captain. The situation is too serious to be antics now.” “Listen! Listen!”, A herald appointed for the tournament called out loudly. “The tournament of death is now about to begin. If the strange giant wins, the exalted ruler will hand over the glowing sticks to the strangers that we got from the crashed sky car!” “Let’s hope so,” said Pellton to Haddock. The stranger with the black mask had meanwhile also got a sword. “Let the battle begin!” Shouted the Exalted Ruler. The two opponents took position. “The battle will go on for a long time,” said the Exalted Ruler to his Herald. “My fighter is the best, and the giant doesn’t seem to be bad either. The light will go out in two hours, we should make sure that there is enough light so that the tournament can continue undisturbed.” “You expect the fight to continue into the night?” Asked the Herald. “But yes!” Confirmed the Exalted Ruler. “This is going to be a fight that will be read in the annals of Azerim! It might even be midnight by …” Puff!
There was a clapping sound. And the next thing you heard was the impact of the stranger’s body with the mask. This had fallen unconscious to the ground. It had happened so quickly that hardly anyone had noticed. Fulmen reacted very quickly. As soon as the fighters had got into position, he dashed forward, blocked his opponent’s sword with his sword, while he reached out with the other hand and struck. Fulmen hit his opponent in the face with his fist. And he fell like a sack of potatoes after the harvest. “The … uh … fight is … uh … over …” the Herald stammered. “The winner is the strange giant. I think so.”
The Exalted Ruler of Kagnaszax was speechless. So that was the “tournament of death”? The tournaments weren’t what they used to be! Not to mention the black coats! The captain was already standing next to the ruler. “The chips, please,” he said, “we’re in a bit of a hurry.” The ruler handed over the chips. And he decided to terrorize the people of Honeywood a little to compensate for the missed tournament. He would have done that anyway. But now he had every reason to!
“Bombs and Grenades!” That was Haddock’s way. He was always very direct. And when there was a problem, he was prone to curse. The reason for the sudden emotional outburst of the captain of the USS BOURGOGNE was a feedback he had received from his first officer. “Is that really confirmed?” Asked Haddock. Commander James Pellton shifted nervously in his chair. “Otherwise, would I report it to you if it wasn’t confirmed?” “Who made the discovery?” “Someone from science. They did a long-range scan and noticed the signal.” Haddock ran a hand through his thick beard. “Bombs and Grenades!” “You said that before, sir. The question is, what should we do now?” “Well, then I’ll make one of my famous wrong decisions … First of all, you will send the results of the long-range scan to headquarters. Tell the Chief Admiral if you have to! And second, we will take a closer look . LeCreux should come to the bridge! “ “LeCreux is already waiting on the bridge with the other command officers.” Haddock nodded. “I keep forgetting what an excellent first officer I have. Then let’s not keep the gentlemen waiting.” “Yes, sir!”
Seconds later, Haddock and Pellton stepped out of the captain’s ready room onto the bridge of the USS BOURGOGNE. In fact, all the command officers were already assembled, along with the bridge crew who were on duty. Pellton stepped forward. “LeCreux, please explain the details of your discovery to the captain again,” he said. “Well, actually it was my department’s discovery,” began LeCreux. “That doesn’t matter now!” Snapped Haddock. “Your report, please! Who will receive the Nobel Prize for the discovery, we can find out later.” “Well, my department did a couple of long-range scans. We examined various celestial bodies in the Oort cloud. You remember, your instructions were to find out whether alien spaceships could camouflage themselves as celestial bodies and hide in the cloud.” “I still have it in my head,” Haddock growled. “We first looked at the cloud and then selected a sector, because if you please, Captain, the Oort cloud is damn big. One of my officers suggested the sector because the density of objects is particularly high there. a spaceship could hide there particularly well. “ “And the jack of all trades was right!” “You could say that,” said LeCreux. “We weren’t really expecting to find anything. There’s more to studying the different structures of the ice meteorites. Then about twenty-five minutes ago the scanners made us aware of a meteorite with an unusually high iron content.” “Iron,” muttered Haddock. “I’m not a scientist, so if I’m wrong, correct me, but the celestial bodies in the Oort cloud are mostly made of ice. Right?” “Absolutely correct. The comets that cross the solar system come from here. The tail they form behind them comes from evaporating ice under the influence of the sun. Now the meteorites also have a solid core, but …” “But?” “We didn’t get any readings that would have confirmed that there was any ice there. So we started recording. And that’s when it happened!”
“Don’t make it so exciting! What happened?” Asked Haddock. “Before our eyes the unusual celestial body with a lot of iron and without ice turned into an ordinary celestial body with a small core and a lot of ice around it.” There was silence on the bridge. You could have heard a pin drop. “That means,” explained Commaner Pellton, “that a cloaking mechanism unknown to us has been activated. That is the only explanation for this phenomenon.” “Yes,” Haddock confirmed. “Meteorites generally do not change their composition spontaneously. Do we still have the object on the scanner?” LeCreux turned around. “Lieutenant Brown!” He called in the direction of the science station, which was in the far corner of the bridge. “What do the scanners show?” Phyllis Brown, a young scientist, replied without looking up from her panel: “It hasn’t moved. Or, it moves with the drift of the Oort cloud. Nothing unusual since then, we still get the same values.” Haddock moved towards the captain’s chair. “Then let’s have a look at that thing,” he said. “Show me the object in the overview.” The large main screen changed the cutout. Until just now he had shown the starry sky. Now there was something to be seen that vaguely resembled a cylinder. However, the surface appeared to be rough. And what’s more: the cylinder shone blue. Haddock bit his lip. “What are we up against here?” He asked aloud. “Nothing friendly, that’s for sure,” said Pellton. “Why else should they hide? And in the Oort cloud of all places?” “If I could make a suggestion, sir?” Brown asked from the background. “Oh please,” said Haddock. “I am grateful for any suggestion.” “Without wanting to stir up panic,” said Brown, “but would it be an option to do another long-range scan?” Haddock frowned. “What are you looking for?” “According to comparable objects. About the same size and composition and that glow blue.” Pellton sighed. “The only reason I don’t like this is that we could find something.” “What if it were so?” LeCreux asked. “Then we’re screwed,” Pellton stated.
“HOW MANY?” Haddock jumped up from his seat. Brown winced and clung to her pad. “We have discovered two hundred such objects in the immediate vicinity,” she repeated in a trembling voice. “And I’m afraid that’s not all yet.” “This is an invading army!” Exclaimed Pellton, who was standing next to the captain’s desk. Haddock glowered at him. “What else should it be?” Added the first officer. “Why would anyone hide out here instead of shouting an official hello?” “I think you are right,” said Haddock to Pellton. “But what kind of clout are we dealing with here? Can the BOURGOGNE stand up to such a power?” Pellton gave a short laugh. “Absolutely not. I looked at the data from the first object. If what we saw before they went into camouflage is correct, it is a spaceship about a third the size of BOURGOGNE. If there are over two hundred of these ships out there, they outnumber us. We’re not talking about little space scuttlers. Of course that depends on their firepower, but the numbers alone speak against us. “ “May I make another suggestion?” Brown asked hesitantly. “Oh, please, please! Unfortunately we are currently lacking suggestions!” Confirmed Haddock. “We can pretend we’re slowly withdrawing … let’s say we’re flying in the direction of Jupiter. We’ll continue scanning just to get an impression of the size of the force.” Haddock and Pellton looked at each other. Pellton shrugged and said, “Of course we can do that. I think that’s as good as anything. We can then coordinate with ASTROCOHORS what to do.” “As you think,” said Haddock. “But Pellton, one thing has to be clear: No quick maneuvers! Our friends out there must not immediately notice that we have discovered them!” “The way you put it, you assume they’ll notice it anyway,” Pellton stated. “Am I correct?” “Yes,” said Haddock. “It’s not a question of ‘if’, it’s a question of ‘when’.” “Yeah, but …” Brown began. “Then what about our transmission when we discovered the first object? Won’t they already have noticed?” Haddock looked worried at Brown. “That’s right. Damn standard procedures, bombs and grenades!” “Don’t jump to conclusions, Captain!” Pellton interrupted. “So far they have been quiet. That can mean anything. Maybe they want to lull us into a false sense of security. But maybe they assume that we are not aware that they are there. Nobody knows. I suggest we follow Lieutenant Brown’s idea, but remain on alert. We are flying slowly and with no weapons systems activated. “ “Do it like this!” Ordered Haddock. “The navigation department should be ready, as well as the tactical department. Should we notice hostile activity, we must be ready to defend as quickly as possible.” “Aye, sir!”
The worlds were in the dark. This was not unusual, especially if it was a world like Kor Ywen. But even this darkness now seemed even darker than before. Was that possible? Everyone seemed to be wondering. It had been three tough years since Pupepa seized the Prostate’s throne. He and his sidekick Modofa Rascar Pecapac had ruled the Star Alliance with an iron fist. At the same time, they had managed to win over not a few of the inhabitants of the Usovai’i worlds. Compliant fools who were ready to die with guns in hand for Pupepa’s wicked ideology.
The Republic of the Free Worlds no longer existed. The unions were virtually wiped out. The age of a new galactic megalomania had dawned! Prostat Pupepa ruled the alliance with his powerful and simple-minded subordinate Pecapac. The latter had already personally subjected a number of star systems that had dared to resist the prostate. Pecapac is convinced of himself and believes that the gods have chosen him to become the heir of the universe. “Heir of the Universe” – this mysterious title came from an old scroll. Nobody knew exactly what it meant. Nonetheless, a radical sect had emerged, the ideology of which was based on finding this heir to the universe and shaping the galaxy as it wished.
It was in the middle of the night in this part of Kor Ywen when Dozon Rasun was woken from sleep. A roaring hum buzzed through the streets. Rasun looked out of the window. “The sky is gone!” He said to himself. Everything vibrated. The floor. The walls. The window. The furniture. He could feel it. What was that? He ran out of the room and across the hall, banging on a door with both fists. “Professor!” He called. “Professor! The sky is … gone! And we have an earthquake! Professor?” The pneumatic door opened. Professor Ostap Yefimov stood there, in his pajamas and dressed in a gown. “What does that mean, the sky is gone?” He asked. “Yes … gone … Everything is black. Look out the window!” Yefinov went to the window and pulled back the curtains. Kor Ywen was a huge, ugly city that covered an entire planet. The buildings were impressive, but a terrible monstrosity. But now this monstrosity was even more terrible. Otherwise there was life in the city, whether it was day or night. But now the city was dead. Yefimov’s hand had touched the window frame. When he felt the vibration, he backed away, startled. “It vibrates. And the energy … COMPUTER!” No Answer. The computer should have responded. That meant the energy had to be down. Very unusual. The building in which they were located belonged to the priority 1 buildings. This meant that there could not be a complete loss of energy here. The emergency energy should have started up long ago. “Oh holy spaghetti monster!” Rasun swore. “What is this?”
There was a low whistle. One of the control panels on the wall began to glow. “We have some energy back,” said Yefimov. “Yes! Yes!” Rasun agreed. He ran across the room to a computer. He pressed a button and the terminal started up. “Quick!” Yefimov demanded. “What is the angle vector of the moon?” Rasun sat down at the desk with the computer. He started typing on a keyboard. For the research work, this was more practical than voice input. He looked at the screen in front of him and paused. “Well?” Asked Yefimov. “Has the axis of the moon shifted?” “By more than 12 degrees,” Rasun said in horror. “But that … that must be a mistake …” “No!” Yefimov contradicted. “This is definitely not a mistake! This is an attack! I warned them that it would happen. The Ursupator on the prostate’s throne feels cornered. Now he bites like a rabid grubbancha! This is going on on his responsibility. “ “But that would mean he risks the life of …” “… of every creature on this planet, exactly! You got that right. But he doesn’t care about the people. The main thing is that he can keep the throne. He goes over corpses. I always said so, but at ASTROCOHORS they didn’t want to believe me! “ The energy came back.
“But what are we going to do now?” Asked Dozon Rasun. “I want to bet that there is a big battleship somewhere in the system. We have to find and shut it down. Or destroy it.” “Professor!” Rasun called. “Destroy it? We can’t …” “… destroy Prostate Pupepa’s super battleship? And why not? We’re in danger …” At that moment a flash of lightning lit up the sky. “Big Scott!” Yefimov exclaimed. “What was that? Can it be …” “Professor! Professor Yefimov!” A familiar voice echoed across the hall. Yefimov recognized the companion without having to look. “You saw it too, Fulmen?” Asked the professor. “How am I not supposed to see that!” Replied Fulmen Grancollin. “What did you just say about destroying the super battleship?” “Oh, no, do you think that’s a good idea?” Asked Rasun. “Do we have a choice?” Grancollin asked back. “What was that flash of lightning?” “LAHAP. They destroyed it.” “LAHAP moon base?” Rasun looked up at the sky. It was still dark, but now you could see a glow of light. Something shone brightly in the northern hemisphere of the moon Botriro. It had to be very large because it could be seen with the naked eye. “The moon base was basically a big dump for high-energy waste from the planet, wasn’t it?” Said Fulmen. “Yes,” Yefimov confirmed. “I think this vibration was triggered by some weapon. The high-energy garbage probably responded to it.”
“Professor! Fulmen! Dozon!” The next guest arrived. Fulmen turned. “Nat, did you wake up too?” Nat Anders went to the three men. She also wore a dressing gown. But she was barefoot. “Woke me up?” She said. “What do you think? It would have been rather surprising if I hadn’t been woken up! What happened?” “Look, the moon base has exploded,” said Fulmen. “This is an attack!” Confirmed Yefimov. “Another insane plan by Cofehaf Pupepa to expand his reign of terror.” “The professor said that a battleship must be in the system and that you should … turn it off …” Rasun explained. “Or destroy!” Added the professor. “Switch off or destroy!” “I still don’t like destroying,” Rasun admitted. “We would fight one of the most powerful armies in the galaxy.” “But I’m afraid we don’t have many alternatives,” said someone. From the dark came Zomm Arrghl, the Usovai’i. “What?” Rasun exclaimed. “Now you’re talking about it too? You Usovai’i should know the risk best!” “Oh, I do,” admitted Commander Arrghl. “However, I weighed this risk against the only alternative, namely to do nothing. Then we risk Pupepa becoming the ruler for life, he and his lapdog Pecapac.” “Pecapac is the crown prince anyway,” said Nat. “We both have to stop, otherwise we will get into the eaves from the rain.” “Should we really do that?” Said Rasun. “Our job was actually to research and provide information, wasn’t it?” “And there we have a problem,” said Arrghl. “This attack serves to paralyze the planet. The ASTROCOHORS CLUB facilities will no longer function properly. Reports to Earth will no longer be passed through and we will not be able to do our job.”
“Worse,” said Professor Yelimov. “The planets of the galaxy will sink into ignorance, and evil creatures like Pupepa and his friends will seize power. This will destroy democracy and sink the galaxy into darkness.” The five companions were silent. “How many were on the base?” Fulmen finally asked. “Three hundred and twelve,” replied the professor. “My comrades, we are pilgrims in a godless country.” “Pupepa and his henchman Pecapac would surely contradict you there,” Arrghl said. “Both consider themselves to be chosen by the gods. I never understood this kind of religious obsession. The founders of our glorious star empire never had this in mind when they wrote the constitution. And yet we are now facing one of the greatest dangers, the the alliance has ever faced. “ “Well,” the professor wanted to know, “will you follow me? We have to do something – for the beings on this planet, for the beings on other planets and for the poor who lost their lives up there on the moon base.” Everyone nodded. “That’s good,” said Arrghl. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much time left. If the attack continues to the same extent, we will run out of energy on the planet within a few days. Many of the ASTROCOHORS CLUB transmissions are already stuck. We have to hurry up.”
“Maybe in the future,” said Fulmen. “But … it’s not the future. It’s the present. In the present we have to fight for the future!”
This was the job he was made for! Don B. James came out of the shadow of the wall. Slowly he moved across the place, towards the bigger building. One of the factory buildings of the London suburbs. A long time ago it was a brick manufacturing factory. But it closed. Today it was something else. It was the place of crime, covered under the label “all natural”. Don approached the door. He pulled a credit card out of his pocket. The credit card was fake, it contained a lockpick. It took him only seconds and the door was unlocked. Then he was inside.
In the factory there was a strange smell of alcohol, mixed with some flowers. So here they produce the stuff that makes them a fortune, Don thought. Well, not for long. The machines were up and running, but there was nobody here. Personnel wasn’t necessary all the time. Every three hours somebody showed up to pull some levers. Then the liquid they produced here was filled into small bottles. They called it “The Scent”. It was worth more than gold in these time. At least on the market. In reality it was pretty worthless.
Don opened the suitcase he brought with him. Inside there was a bomb. He adjusted the clock. Fifteen minutes should be enough. Then he placed the suitcase near one of the big tanks. This should make a good firework.
Thirteen minutes later Don B. James entered the “Raven and Ratt Inn”. He had changed his clothes, now wearing a white tuxedo. Inside the bar the light was dimmed down, but you could see a blond-haired woman on a small stage, singing. Don moved through the room, straight to the bar. The other guests, sitting at the tables, weren’t taking notice of him. Not even the man with the Panama hat who was standing at the bar. He was looking into his glass. All the other guests were looking at the stage, watching the woman singing. “In olden days a glimpse of stocking…”
Really?, thought James. Cole Porter, here?
He checked his watch. It was about time. Any second there should…
And then there was the big exposion. The guests of the Inn jumped off of their chairs, runing out, some of them in panic, others just because they wanted to know what just happened.
“Congratulations,” said the man at the bar without looking up from his glass. “Mr. Sonbon and his cronies are now unemployed.”
“Well,” said Don casually and not looking either. “At least they won’t sell any more snake oil at 25 Pounds per bottle, claiming that it prevents COVID-19.”
This had become a real problem. The corona pandemic was rampant in the country. And unscrupulous crooks wanted to make money from people who were just afraid and believed everything. Even when they had to buy useless flower water for 25 Pounds a bottle.
“Don’t go back to your hotel,” said the man. “It’s no longer safe. We don’t know what the other side will do.”
“I won’t,” Don replied. “I have this other affair. I’ll take a look at how my standing is.”
Shortly after that Don entered a small room just above the “Raven and Ratt Inn”. The blonde singer was waiting for him. Immediately after he entered they kissed. It was one of these affairs that agents from the UNION BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION have from time to time. But something felt strange. James opened his eyes realising that the woman was staring at a point right behind him.
He reacted quickly. He grabed her and turned around, just at the right moment. A bad crook had sneaked up from behind. He had a stick in his hand that he wanted to use to knock Don down. After Don turned and the woman was standing in front of him, the blow hit her. She fell to the floor. Don struck and hit the man. He stumbled back against a wall where there was a dressing table. Perfume bottles broke. The man wanted to draw a gun, but Don was faster. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. With a push of a button a small torch came on. Don threw it towards the man. The lighter fell on the dressing table and with a deflagration the perfume that had spread caught fire. The man’s arm was covered in flames.
The man screamed and tried desperately to put out the flames that had now reached his shirt sleeve. The woman groaned and slowly tried to sit up. Don shrugged, then went to the door. There he turned again and looked at the chaos in the room. “Disgusting,” he said. “Simply disgusting.”
When he got outside, Don took his communicator out of his pocket. He activated it and put it on the secret frequency of the new department of the UNION BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION – Bureau 07. “Agent YY3 here,” he said. “Order done. You can tell the boss that the new department has proven its worth. And send greetings to the quartermaster. The lighter just saved me. I’ll get out of here first. If you were kind enough to let the fire department know They should come to the ‘Raven and Ratt Inn’. Room fire, one person injured. Um … no, wait, two people. I’ll be back. “ He deactivated the communicator. Yes, BUREAU 07 had really proven itself, and that on the very first day. Don B. James continued down the street while thick smoke came from the top floor of the “Raven and Ratt Inn” behind him.
The new department of the UNION BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION has opened… it’s the BUREAU 07. All Secret Service work will be done there. Take a close look at the files – For Your Eyes Only. The file opens here: CLICK! And these are the latest entries from that department:
Beatriz del Almeida estava de volta à terra. Não que isso fosse melhor do que a situação de onde ela vinha. No espaço, o caos político às vezes parecia ainda maior do que na Terra. Ela realmente esperava encontrar-se novamente através da distância de seu planeta natal. Mas isso falhou. Talvez fosse porque ela não tinha tempo suficiente. Porque esse golpe frustrou seus planos. Afinal, como membro da agência espacial ASTROCOHORS, ela foi retirada da área de crise. De volta à Terra. De volta ao Brasil.
Ela ainda estava desativada. Ela também percebeu que não estava bem. Mas ela realmente não sabia o que fazer. Encontrar a si mesmo, parecia tão fácil. Mas havia uma possibilidade: havia um mosteiro que oferecia acomodação para pessoas que queriam reorganizar suas vidas. Assim que ela chegou à Terra, ela perguntou sobre um quarto neste mosteiro. Na verdade, ela foi designada para um. Estava claro para ela que passaria a próxima vez aqui. Talvez a situação geral mudasse, talvez até para melhor. E ela iria refletir sobre sua vida. E então vamos ver o que aconteceu.
E enquanto o tempo passou um pouco mais devagar para ela, ela realmente ganhou velocidade no resto do país …
O clima não era bom. Os problemas tinham crescido demais. E o tempo não tinha sido tanto tempo. No entanto, medidas drásticas tiveram que ser tomadas. Uma medida que quase ninguém gostou de tomar.
“Tenente Comandante Del Almeida, infelizmente não podemos mais mantê-lo aqui.” O almirante Vargas estava meio triste. Mas ele tinha que fazer alguma coisa. Os relatórios que recebeu foram claros. E eles vieram em grande número. Beatrice olhou para ele com os olhos arregalados. “Sinto muito”, disse ele, “mas a missão desta organização não é apoiar religiões e políticos, apenas servimos à lei galáctica!”
Beatrice não respondeu. Ela secretamente temia que isso acontecesse. Mas não tão rápido. Presumivelmente, os problemas dos ASTROCOHORS faziam parte da explicação. “Com efeito imediato, o tenente-comandante Lou Stig assumirá suas funções e você ficará de licença até novo aviso. Use este feriado para trazer seus sentidos de volta aos sentidos deles!” Bea olhou para ele. Ela ainda não disse nada. Em vez disso, sem dizer uma palavra, ela se virou e saiu do escritório de Vargas. Ele esperava que ela estivesse realmente usando o tempo. Ela era uma boa pessoa. Não podia acontecer que ela fosse vítima do terror da ignorância.
O que aconteceu? Como pode um povo que parecia tão esperançoso cair tão fundo no abismo do atraso e da superstição? Como essas pessoas poderiam ir atrás de um suposto ditador? Vargas não sabia responder a essas perguntas. Mas agora era importante combater a ignorância. Ele se virou para o computador e contatou a sede.
Brazil is a complex nation. As a Portuguese colony it served as a base for plantation owners selling cash crops by slave labour, before being propelled to vast importance as the home of the Portuguese royal family. But the story doesn’t stop there.
We have to expand the ASTROCOHORS CLUB. We have been working on opening a separate department for Brazil for years. For years we have also had the buildings that the UBI secret service acquired. The Brasilian HQ of ASTROCOHORS. It is time…
ASTROCOHORS Brasil HQ
Beatrice del Almeida estava na varanda com uma cara preocupada. 3 anos. Já se passaram três anos desde que Jarmo Dorak partiu. Ela não tinha ouvido falar dele desde então. A varanda fazia parte da sede local da ASTROCOHORS. O almirante Manoel Vargas telefonou para ela. Isso tem que mudar muito. Na verdade, Beatrice deveria se concentrar nisso. Mas seus pensamentos continuaram vagando para o namorado, que desapareceu há três anos.
“Pensamentos profundos?” alguém perguntou. Beatrice virou-se. “Almirante!” Ela cumprimentou. Vargas a aproximou dela sem ser notada. Ela hesitou. Mas então ela respondeu sua pergunta: “Sim, eu tive que pensar em alguém que eu não tinha visto há muito tempo”. “Eu também gostaria de saber o que aconteceu com Jarmo Dorak”, explicou Vargas. “Mas agora temos outras preocupações”. Del Almeida assentiu. Ela se perguntou por um momento se ela deveria perguntar ao almirante como ele sabia … Ela soltou. Vargas apontou para a porta que levava ao prédio. “Posso apresentar-lhe o Embaixador Genrod do ACELS”. As ACELS eram a forma mais antiga de vida da galáxia. Muitos deles foram ouvidos, mas poucos já os viram. Agora, Beatrice era uma daqueles que a tinham visto. Mas foi muito pouco espetacular. Genrod parecia muito humano. Ele poderia ter vindo da Terra, como ela mesma. Ou o Almirante Vargas. “Saudações, Comandante Del Almeida”. Até a voz de Genrod parecia muito humana. Ele nem teve acento. Ele parecia dominar o idioma de Beatrice muito bem. Mas quem sabia o que a ACELS poderia fazer? “Você provavelmente está se perguntando por que você está aqui, deixe-me fazer a grande conexão”. Ele colocou um caderno sobre a mesa, que estava na varanda. Ele ativou sua tela e apontou para os gráficos que apareceram. Um mapa da galáxia. Beatrice lembrou-se das palavras que havia lido há muito tempo: “Em algum lugar do espaço, longe da terra, colocar um planeta, não um planeta comum, pode-se acrescentar, ACELS foi reivindicada e habitada pelos seres mais estranhos da nossa galáxia Os seres que eram mais velhos do que toda a vida que conhecíamos chamavam de cronistas do universo, mas eram muito mais que espectadores não envolvidos, observando a dança das estrelas como a maioria dos mundos habitados nem mesmo esfriou.”
Genrod começou a dizer: “O Big Bang transformou os vários sistemas da Via Láctea, incluindo o nosso, e esta é uma imagem da nossa galaxia doméstica, não se sinta orgulhosa, o Erdling, para seu sistema doméstico, Sol, é o centro do sistema de coordenadas um mapa da NASA e, claro, vem da sua própria perspectiva, nos mapas Padrão Galáctico, o centro da galáxia é o ponto de partida do sistema de coordenadas, mas isso só é mencionado de passagem, não quero ultrapassar você Quando você olha de perto, você percebe que seu pequeno mundo orbita uma estrela amarela que se encontra numa parte completamente desinteressante da Via Láctea.” Beatrice tentou ignorar a observação sobre a Terra. Ela sabia que havia problemas lá. O embaixador continuou sem perturbar: “As primeiras civilizações surgiram em vários planetas do braço Scutum Centaurus, desenvolvendo um vôo espacial interplanetário, depois interestelar e, no início da era galáctica, essas culturas começaram a expandir e infiltrar nações tecnicamente inferiores Sob as rodas, um desenvolvimento que os campeões da ACELS consideravam cada vez mais preocupante, como o sistema de propulsão Gigatron se desenvolveu, trazendo regiões ainda mais remotas da galáxia ao alcance, os governantes tornaram-se cada vez mais implacáveis Guerras foram travadas sobre os novos territórios, e o mapa teve que ser redesenhado ao longo dos últimos mil anos. A última grande ruptura no mapa galáctico ocorreu em 2979, quando a última Guerra Galáctica terminou. Os vencedores e os derrotados se encontraram no planeta ACELS para negociar contratos que afetariam o futuro de todos os povos. Acreditando que os mestres da ACELS não eram enganadores, foram encarregados de levar em consideração todas as reivindicações, reivindicações territoriais e outras trivialidades e redesenhar o rosto da galáxia. Durante 16 dias, os Mestres continuamente os aconselharam antes de apresentar seus resultados: um novo Mapa Galáctico e o Manifesto de uma aliança galáctica que engloba todos os povos livres da galáxia. O assento do “galáctico” era tornar-se o planeta KOR-YWEN, uma pequena bola de terra com uma atmosfera que simplesmente era comprada às pessoas que já moravam lá. Os seres da ACELS tiveram muito cuidado em criar zonas de proteção. No passado, havia várias colônias de colônias cujas populações não podiam se opor à tecnologia superior dos governantes coloniais. Isso deve parar. Só foi permitido percorrer a zona de proteção, para não interferir com os destinos dos mundos que estavam ali. O plano acelesiano foi recebido com entusiasmo, mas a tinta sob os tratados ainda não se secou à medida que novos conflitos entraram em erupção. Os povos que haviam lutado lado a lado durante a guerra entraram em conflito sobre os territórios ou o medo de que eles não tivessem acesso a certas matérias-primas, a saber, a “essência”. O galáctico, que deveria ser um paraíso de paz e cooperação, foi abusado para resolver abertamente os conflitos. Assim, novas alianças e inimizades se formaram entre os povos da galáxia.”
Genrod tocou um dedo na tela. A imagem mudou. Agora a galáxia era visível com os limites do seu território. Ele explicou: “Os mundos na área originalmente chamados de” Erobgard “fundaram a” União dos Planetas “ com o objetivo de ser cercado apenas por vizinhos amigáveis e ajudar-se mutuamente se um aliado fosse atacado A “Aliança das estrelas de Vespusian” da região de Vespu Naútic entrou em aliança com a maioria dos mundos planetários através de tratados separados, o que eles chamaram de “aliança de Pacnor” e esperava não só a região de Vespu Sanoza, mas também para resistir ao Udessar o outro lado, eles se aliaram com o Nol-Ens, um povo de Assumur. No meio deles estão os mundos do deserto de Tuarber que parecem ser estéril e pobre em água, mas encontra-se as matérias-primas mais raras lá, o que tornou seus governantes muito ricos. A região Afar, por outro lado, uma vez consistiu em mundos cujos povos desenvolveram apenas técnicas simples. Quando os governantes individuais de Erobgard descobriram que esses mundos poderiam ser facilmente explorados, eles enviaram grandes frotas de navios coloniais lá. Os habitantes dos planetas não tinham nada para se opor às tropas superiores e bem equipadas. Esta seção da história, que culminou na primeira Guerra Galáctica, não é uma glória gloriosa e levou à decisão de criar zonas de proteção para outros mundos menos avançados. Ainda há para mencionar Horas Ventur onde há mundos da selva e do deserto que parecem tão hostis à vida, que foram usados por muito tempo como planetas de punição e, assim, desenvolveram sua própria cultura. Novamente, os indígenas foram subjugados pelos colonialistas. Ah, e com todas essas pequenas coisas desonestas, quase esqueci uma área: o centro da galáxia! O núcleo não é reivindicado diretamente por ninguém e está realmente protegido pelo Tratado Galáctico. Além disso, é muito difícil penetrar no núcleo porque está cercado por uma barreira, o “arco galáctico”. Sob as maiores dificuldades, os vasos de pesquisa tentam repetidamente penetrar no núcleo e explorá-lo. Como as lendas selvagens se formaram em torno desta região, de uma imensa abundância de matéria-prima é o discurso ou que em algum lugar há a mítica “fonte da matéria”, a origem de todo ser e de toda a vida. Mas este é o conto de um tolo que os pais dizem a seus filhos para adormecer se eles querem que eles se tornem prospectores de commodities mais tarde. Todas as outras áreas que não fazem parte de nenhuma região oficial são consideradas zonas protegidas. Isso complicaria muito este mapa se as diferentes dessas zonas também fossem desenhadas, você só precisa saber uma coisa: o Sol e a Terra estão no setor de esmeralda, que é gerenciado pelo mundo da SMARAGDIA. No passado, a Terra deu motivos para esperar que em breve pudesse emergir da sombra de civilizações simples. Nesta fase de desenvolvimento, uma civilização é particularmente vulnerável. Ainda não é forte o suficiente para avançar com segurança no caminho do desenvolvimento. Só precisa de um pequeno distúrbio e depois volta aos tempos bárbaros. Portanto, os seres da ACELS o viram com grande preocupação quando, em 3013, um desenvolvimento ameaçador começou: um império sem nome, liderado por um imperador sinistro, começou a se apoderar. Esse estranho envenenou as mentes de vários governantes do lado da aliança PACNOR. Este veneno parecia esvaziar a mente de cada pessoa e despertou grande ganância. E a ganância é um poder sinistro. Ela sussurra a um que poderia preencher o vazio na alma com coisas materiais e poder. Ao mesmo tempo, ela se preocupa com um medo constante de que você possa perder essas coisas novamente ou que não tenha o suficiente delas. O homem envenenado considera os outros com suspeição e assume que eles só querem tirar o que lhes pertence. Desta forma, o Imperador envenenou as almas da próstata Rogan Reónald da Aliança das Estrelas Vespusianas e a Rainha Thagret Matha da Pyretical Alliance, membro da união planetária. Eles começaram a cobrir outros mundos com frio. Suas ações tiveram consequências cruéis para seus dois povos e as alianças que eles pertenciam. A rainha era odiada por seu próprio povo, mas uma loucura graciosa, a conseqüência de sua alma esvaziada, acabou por acalmar sua mente nos últimos anos de sua vida, de modo que ela não mais sabia disso. Mas já era tarde demais: Thagret já havia passado o veneno para seus filhos. Assim, com a escuridão rastejando sobre a galáxia, o próprio Imperador se tornou ativo. Isso foi incomum, porque até agora ele deixou o trabalho sujo para os outros. Seu objetivo era, aparentemente, o setor esmeralda, mais precisamente, a Terra.” Genrod suspirou. “Nós agora sabemos que seu plano levou anos para se concretizar, mas ele fez isso: a Terra, anteriormente intocada por eventos galácticos, tomou conhecimento das atividades da galáxia Foi destruído pelo Império em 3049. Ao mesmo tempo, seu amigo Jarmo Dorak, que estava procurando o templo da harpa do vento, desapareceu “. Beatrice assentiu silenciosamente. O embaixador continuou: “Possuir o plano era envolver a Terra nos eventos galácticos, mas, como descobrimos, volta a uma idade negra, com superstição e sentimentos anti-científicos espalhando-se para demagoges em mais e mais países O LIGA DOS PLANETAS colocou em quarentena a terra até que os terráqueos entraram em seus sentidos. E queremos ajudá-los. Estamos aqui na sede da ASTROCOHORS para o setor de Vespu Sanoza. O ACELS vem trabalhando para tirar alguns Terrans talentosos do planeta e treinar no espaço. Esperamos que ensinem a razão e a tolerância do Terrans quando retornam ao seu planeta natal. Um grupo de estudantes em breve estará aqui. “ Agora o almirante Vargas interveio. “Esperávamos que você servisse esse grupo, comandante”. “Eu?” Beatrice ficou surpresa. “Sim, você!”, Confirmou Vargas. “Eu acho que você é o mais qualificado, então qual é o desafio?” “Muito, senhor, mas … você acha que isso é suficiente?” “O que você quer dizer?” “Trazendo alguns estudantes à vida na galáxia, tudo bem, mas temos que começar na Terra!” A ACELS riu. “Agora eu sei por que o Almirante Vargas sugeriu você, Comandante, sim, você pensa, nós precisamos de pessoas assim! No que diz respeito às suas preocupações, você não precisa se preocupar, há pessoas razoavelmente razoáveis na Terra, nós iremos e levar seus pensamentos sábios para o mundo, então estamos viajando em duas direções, aqui em Vespu Sanoza, em outros lugares da galáxia, mas também na Terra “. “Se você concorda”, o Almirante Vargas disse: “Preparei alguns documentos para você em seu computador, e estudantes estarão aqui amanhã, e você tem algum tempo para se preparar”. “E o programa para a Terra já está começando hoje”, acrescentou o embaixador. “Especialmente em seu país de origem, o Brasil”. Os dois se despediram. Beatrice ficou sozinha na varanda. “Jarmo”, ela disse em seus pensamentos, “agora é um momento difícil, você vai voltar, sua pesquisa conseguiu, onde você está?” Jarmo não podia ouvi-la. Se ele pudesse ter ouvido, suas respostas seriam sim. Sim. No Fluxo…
Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy.
At last it was time. The whole search that had occupied Jarmo Dorak for years was about to come to an end. The last clue he found would lead him to the Temple of the Wind Harp. But the location of the temple was far outside the solar system. Therefore, he had to apply to act on the official behalf of ASTROCOHORS COMMAND. The competencies of the ASTROCOHORS CLUB ended here. The leadership of ASTROCOHORS COMMAND knew that this was actually a forbidden experiment. Such a mission would not be undertaken by one space fleet officer alone. But the circumstances were anything but ordinary. So the Admiralty gave in to Dorak’s wish to fly alone to the presumed location of the temple.
That day, Jarmo Dorak boarded the spacecraft that ASTROCOHORS COMMAND had made available to him. He set off into the unknown. The jump into hyperspace he made was the last documented event. After that, his trail is lost.
Transferência dos arquivos, anotações do diário do capitão da frota Manoel Vargas nas últimas semanas. Preocupações ASTROCOHORS CLUB.
20121001
Se um dia o ASTROCOHORS CLUB tiver uma seção própria para o Brasil, teremos que trabalhar para isso aos poucos. Temos que começar onde queremos nos estabelecer. Parece que os pais da tenente-comandante Beatriz del Almeida eram donos de terras. Aqui é a sede local da ASTROCOHORS, provavelmente poderíamos ficar aqui com eles.
Vamos dar uma olhada.
20130116
Com o amanhecer daquele dia, uma nova esperança pode ter surgido. Existe um espírito de otimismo no Brasil. Mesmo que ASTROCOHORS ainda tenha que operar em segredo, ainda podemos alcançar algo. O que eu pessoalmente não gosto é o fato de dependermos dessa empresa privada. Mas o que parece é a situação. Então, vamos esperar o Tenente Comandante Dorak chegar e torcer pelo melhor.
ASTROCOHORS Brasil HQ
20130117
Alguma coisa estranha está acontecendo. Algo me diz que a criação de uma sede separada para um departamento brasileiro não é um momento muito cedo.
20130125
Meus sentimentos nunca me enganaram. Os acontecimentos dos últimos dias mostram claramente que precisamos da nova sede. Vamos configurar isso agora. A questão é quando teremos uma confirmação oficial do ASTROCOHORS CLUB.
20130205
O Tenente Comandante Dorak está saindo novamente. A nova sede está pronta. Nós os usaremos mesmo que ainda não sejamos um departamento oficial do ASTROCOHORS CLUB. Mas chegará a hora. Eu posso sentir isso no ar. Tenho medo de que algo aconteça neste país. Não no mundo. Algo ruim. Vamos ver como podemos sair bem de lá.
If you only have one dimension available, things can get tiresome quickly. But maybe this coin has two sides. The creativity must not be limited. And that was exactly the idea when a couple of friends had something to discuss: Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, who were all early employees of PayPal. Hurley had studied design at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Chen and Karim studied computer science together at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
The inspiration for a new kind of video website obviously first came from Janet Jackson’s role in 2004 Super Bowl incident when her breast was exposed during her performance, and later from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Karim could not easily find video clips of either event online, which led to the idea of a video sharing site. Hurley and Chen said that the original idea was a video version of an online dating service, and had been influenced by the website Hot or Not. They created posts on Craigslist asking attractive women to upload videos of themselves to YouTube in exchange for a $100 reward. Difficulty in finding enough dating videos led to a change of plans, with the site’s founders deciding to accept uploads of any type of video.
Hurley and Chen developed the idea during the early months of 2005, after they had experienced difficulty sharing videos that had been shot at a dinner party at Chen’s apartment in San Francisco.
The domain name www.youtube.com was activated on February 14, 2005, and the website was developed over the subsequent months. The first YouTube video, titled Me at the zoo, shows co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo. The video was uploaded on April 23, 2005.
You never know where things are going. But maybe it is worth adding a new location to this story. So there is a new department of the ASTROCOHORS CLUB:
Finally a time of silence … of peace … How long did he wait for it? He couldn’t say that. Jarmo Dorak looked at his own picture in the mirror.
Have you gotten older, old buddy? He asked himself. His brown hair – has it gotten lighter? His blue eyes, did they show he was almost 34 years old? He hoped they don’t.
A rumble shook the shuttle. Landing. The arrival. They had finally arrived. “Commander”, said the pilot from his seat, “we are now in the parking position. Shall I wait?” “What are your general orders?” “To ask you if I should wait.” Thanks for that exact answer, thought Dorak. He moved his hand around his chin. “Well, as far as I know, there are many transports waiting, it won’t be wise to keep you waiting here. Contact VERI’S BASTION and let them know that you are ready to depart. I will inform you if I need a return transport. “ “Yes sir!” The door opened and Jarmo got off the shuttle. The little ship had landed in front of a castle-like building made of sand-colored stone. A shipyard. In front of it lay a ship that was almost ready to sail. A sailing ship. But Dorak knew that inside the building was one of the most modern shipyards for spaceships. He walked towards the building. A guard stood near a staircase leading up to the stairs. “Sir,” he said, “may I see your ID?” Dorak took his identity card out of the pocket of his uniform trousers. Of course he was wearing the ASTROCOHORS uniform, but the guard had to make sure. He took the ID card and inserted it into an electronic reader. A few seconds later, the device confirmed the identity. “Everything’s alright, Commander!”, Said the security guard and gave Jarmo his card back, “You can pass!” “Thanks very much.” The commander went up the stairs to a door. He opened it and finally entered the building. Inside was a large room. Dorak was in a kind of gallery, a path along the wall to the other side of the room, where he disappeared into a door. The shipyard’s construction hall was located below. And there was a small ship in it. It was in the shape of a rounded triangle. To be precise, all of the shapes on it were round, even the front went up in a round. It looked sleek and elegant. On the front there were some letters that read:
ATLANTICA SCSV 1512
He could only see one side from where he was, but assumed that name was on both sides of the ship. A prototype. A development from other ships. Something completely new. “SCSV” stood for “Space Cruising and Submergence Vehicle”. It could fly in space, in the atmosphere of a planet, and it could even dive, swim, and submerge in water. At least in theory. But half a dozen technicians ran around and climbed onto the little ship. One repaired the hull with a welder. Sparks flew everywhere. Another was looking at a blueprint. Suddenly Dorak heard a woman’s voice. He could not understand the first words, but thought they were spoken in a language of the continent of Europe. The next few words were in the common language so that he could understand them. “No! No!” Said the woman, “That belongs here and that belongs there!” Then Dorak saw her. Before she had stood behind the ship, now she came around, another technician followed her. She looked like she was under stress. The technician looked like that too. But she wasn’t a technician. The overalls she was wearing indicated that she was a pilot. And she had a hard hat on. After all, it was a shipyard and they worked hard here. Dorak walked down the path to the other side. When he came through the door, he finally found another flight of stairs down. He went down the stairs and now entered the construction hall on the lower level. Up close, the ship looked even more impressive. But now Dorak saw the other side of it and saw that a part the size of 1 square meter had been removed from the fuselage. And there was a technician working there. The woman came back around the ship. She looked at a data pad and again said something Dorak couldn’t understand. But he thought it was Portuguese. “Excuse me,” he said. “Yes?” She looked up and was surprised to see him. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Jarmo Dorak from ASTROCOHORS CLUB,” he said, “Are you the officer in charge of the ATLANTICA project?”
Beatriz del Almeida
“Yes I am,” she said. “Nice to meet you!” “Nice to meet you too, Commander Jarmo Dorak.” Jarmo found the way she called him a little strange, but he didn’t let it show. “May I introduce myself,” she continued. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Beatriz de Almeida. I’m Brazilian. Almeida comes from my father’s family. He was from Portugal.” “He was …” began Dorak. “Yes, he’s already …” “I am sorry!” “That’s okay! Actually, both of my parents are dead. They died in an accident. It happened during a trip to Earth seven years ago.” As she talked, she moved back to the spaceship. She gave the technicians some final orders and let them go on with their work. “It’s noon,” she said then, without taking her eyes off the hull of the spaceship. “Would you like to join me for lunch? We could talk about the project. That was what you wanted to talk about in the first place, right?” “Yes, that’s right. I accept the offer. Let’s go!”
A restaurant in an ASTROCOHORS spaceport isn’t exactly a glamorous place to be, but that wasn’t a “real” date anyway. Beatriz felt awful when she excused herself to go to the bathroom and saw those big black bags under her eyes in the mirror. The result of three nights of work without sleep. She worked pretty hard on the ATLANTICA project and because of her intense commitment, her superiors decided to give her a very special mission. As always, she looked in the mirror and started talking to herself again …
“Do I really look thirty-four? My friends say I don’t, but how can I trust them? They like me. I don’t really like that light brown color in my hair. I should have listened to my brother and kept the red as he did. It’s too late now! “
She left the bathroom feeling even worse. She felt older and even more tired. Still, she managed to resume the conversation and ask Dorak what he wanted to eat. They also found something on the menu. Jarmo wanted to be polite and asked if Beatrice would like to drink wine.
“Not for me,” she declined. “I’ve worked so hard these days. A glass would make me fall asleep for days … Sorry!”
“No problem.” In his mind he rebuked himself. What’s the matter with you? He asked himself. You act like this is a date. You don’t drink alcohol yourself, so why now? He tried to focus his mind on something else. “Are you telling me about the project?” He asked her. “Something tells me it’s busy. Is that correct?” “Yes, that’s right and I’m glad you came because I was supposed to see you earlier, but I really didn’t find the time.” “Well, then I’ll tell you what I know about this mission. Very little, actually. Our mission, in a few words, is to get the ATLANTICA up and running and to test it.” “Yeah, pretty much that, but we have to do ‘something extra’, Mr. Dorak.” “Please call me Jarmo. What would that ‘extra something’ be, Miss Almeida?” “You can call me Beatriz, okay? We’re partners now, so … I’m telling you everything I know. ASTROCOHORS has some reason to believe that there might be a place on Earth that is hidden underwater Its location is not entirely clear yet, but scientists believe it is somewhere in the southern hemisphere. Geologists say volcanic activity has submerged large areas of land. Just think of Doggerland. “ “But … if it was a volcano, then there shouldn’t be anything left of the land masses.” “Special laboratories have been searching the oceans for some time. They use special ships like the ATLANTICA. They found significant evidence that there is life in certain regions. And it is underwater.” “I understand. In addition to flying, our ship is also equipped for underwater trips.” “Yes,” confirmed Beatriz, “we also have diving suits on board for a wide variety of water depths. However, the armor for the extreme depths must be touched up again. Something is wrong with the energy generators. If someone uses such a suit, he is at the moment more som sort of walking bomb. “ “But wait, what exactly is that land mass we are supposed to find there?” “I’m not sure yet. That’s why they want us on this mission. What I know is that this is the first time we are to use our ship underwater. We will be the first to dive with the ATLANTICA. Isn’t it great? Aren’t you looking forward to it? “ She was very excited. It was almost contagious. “Okay,” she smiled. “I’ll tell you what I know. Have you ever heard of the Cita Nalur icosahedron?” Dorak’s eyes lit up. “Now it’s getting even more interesting!” He said. “The icosahedron is said to be part of a network to which the temple of the wind harp also belongs. It could be a trace to the temple.” Now Beatrice smiled too. “Yes, and what is hidden under the water is supposed to be Cita Nalur itself! And what do you say now?” Jarmo was flabbergasted. He was silent. Then he hugged Beatrice. Simply that way. Quite spontaneously. He had to express his exuberance of emotion. Beatrice was surprised, but not averse. It had been a long time since anyone had hugged her. Then Dorak broke the embrace again. “Sorry,” he muttered. “That … was the excitement.” “That’s fine,” she replied. “With the enthusiasm we both have, we should have succeeded in locating Cita Nalur!” “And to see what is true of all the legends and what is not,” added Jarmo. The waiter came and brought them the drinks, chilled mineral water. “Mineral water or not,” said Dorak, “we can toast with it. I think this is a great moment. And we have something great ahead of us! To a good cooperation!” Jarmo and Beatriz raised their glasses. “To a good cooperation!”, Said Beatrice. The glasses rang and both looked into each other’s eyes. Then they each took a sip. “This is how we continued the story of the ASTROCOHORS CLUB,” said Dorak. “Maybe at some point we should open departments.”
OPERATION BLACK SAPPHIRE – 11. Sep – Angriffe koordiniert.
There are things you always find out too late. Such as what “Operation Black Sapphire” was supposed to be. On that day, the whole solar system and also the known part of the galaxy learned: coordinated attacks with hijacked spaceships took place. And one name hung above everything: The Tiger! He was responsible for the planning and coordination of it all. But where was he now? The worlds were in shock. There were hostiles on the hills…
This Website is using Cookies.
Cookies are used on our website to make your use as comfortable as possible. These so-called essential cookies are stored in your browser because they are essential for the basic functions of the website.
We also use third-party cookies for online advertising on our sites. These cookies are only stored in your browser with your consent. By clicking here you agree to the use of these additional cookies or you can reject them:
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
