The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - [21]

The future of the human race lay among the stars. But this future had a beginning - when the first star ship left Earth

"Of course!" exclaimed Christian. "The first star ship - that's what the Brains will try to destroy now!"

Paul looked at him.

"You are right," he said. "If the Brains destroy the star ship, there will be no star colonies... only the Brains and their giant women. Yes, you are right."

"We must stop them!" said Christian. "Do you know the time period?"

Paul nodded.

"We must hurry," he said.

He touched the crystals on Christian's belt and on his own.

Again there was darkness before Christian's eyes.

And then they saw the star-ship.

- 48 -

The Third World War had ended long ago, and Earth lay ruined. The continents were lifeless and covered with radioactive dust. The water in the oceans was poisoned.

Far in the north, in a valley, which was surrounded with mountains, a few hundred people who had survived were struggling for existence. They ate what they could grow in half frozen ground and what they could get from a small number of animals which they took care of, and they were always half hungry.

From time to time storms brought death to the valley - clouds of radioactive dust - and then men fell ill and died, and women gave birth to monsters. Not long ago a new danger had appeared: the giant mutated insects had found a way into their valley.

These weak and hungry people worked at their rockets...

They had made flights to Mars and Venus, but found that it was impossible for humanity to live on these planets. They had to go to the stars. And they had built a new rocket: the new star-ship was now standing in the valley, pointing its nose to the sky.

In the shadow of the great ship a man raised his eyes and smiled.

"This is our last chance," he said. "Somewhere in space we'll find another earth - and then we can start again."

The woman standing near him said:

"And if we don't find it?"

"We must find," he answered. "There are millions of stars in space - certainly one of them must have a planet like Earth. Maybe, it will take us a long time to find it -"

"A long, long time," said the woman.

"The ship can remain in space indefinitely long," said the man. "Our children will be born in it, and their children, and the ship will go on. And at last, one day, men will land on a planet and built a new world."

All the people gathered round the star-ship. They were ready to get in.

And at that moment they saw strange figures in grey clothes with very big heads. They were approaching the ship.

- 49 -

Christian and Paul saw the great star-ship and the people who were standing round it. From a short distance the Brains were approaching. Waldo was walking at the head of the Brains.

Paul opened his box and pressed some buttons. The high-pitched sound came at once, rose higher and higher - and stopped. But for the Brains it did not stop - it continued in their heads.

"The Watcher again!" shouted Waldo

Paul shouted to them: There is no escape for you - return to your own time!"

Waldo fired his decapitator. "Destroy the ship!" he shouted

Christian turned to Paul. "You must do something," he said

But the Watcher hesitated: he did not want to interfere into the battle, which had already begun. The Brains were firing their decapitators and killing star men, trying to get to the star-ship, the star men were defending the star-ship.

Christian raised his automatic gun and ran to Waldo. At that moment somebody shouted:

"The insects - the insects are coming!"

Christian turned. From the hills, a dark crowd of giant mutated insects were coming into the valley. They quickly approached and attacked both the Brains and the star men...

Christian was trying to find his way to Waldo. Paul shouted:

"A radioactive cloud is approaching!"

The leader of the star men gave a command: "Into the ship - hurry!"

The star men began to get into the ship. The Brains continued to struggle with the insects.

At last Christian stood face to face with Waldo. Waldo aimed his decapitator at the captain, but he was half mad because of the continuous noise in his head - and missed. Christian shot at him - and the Brain fell dead.

Christian heard Paul's voice and ran towards him. Paul erected his energy barrier to protect them from the radioactive cloud.

"Return to your own time," the Watcher shouted to the Brains. "You will be safe there."

The Brains hesitated for only a moment. They had lost their leader. The terrible high-pitched sound never stopped in their heads. They were afraid of the radioactive cloud, and the giant

insects were attacking and killing them. They touched their crystals and disappeared...

Christian and Paul were standing in the valley and looking at the star-ship

"This is a historic moment," said Paul.

The ship rose a little, great flames of fire appeared under it. Faster and faster it was rising - and in a few seconds disappeared in the dark sky.

"It is over," said Paul. They looked at each other and smiled.

"Do you think the Brains have returned to your time?" asked Christian. "I think so." said Paul, "but I shall make sure as soon as I have taken you back to your own time."