The Robot Brains [with w_cat] - страница 18

The moving lights were quickly approaching. He saw two machines. They were round, the size of small cars, and they were moving on caterpillars, like tractors.

Christian was running towards the moving machines, because the ants had already found their way around the wall and were running after him. When the insects noticed the moving machines, some of them turned and started running away, other, tried to hide into the sand. Both machines put out metal discs which were quickly turning, and attacked the insects with them, cutting them to pieces. Soon all the ants which had not run away were killed.

Both machines pulled back their discs, moved to the place where Christian was standing and stopped.

Five minutes passed, and nothing happened. Christian walked round each machine. There were no doors or windows in them. He knocked on the side of one of the machines and shouted: "Is there anyone inside?"

There was no answer. He understood that the machines were robots.

Robots! Robots directed by remote control - from where? And by whom?

Evidently they were controlled by the Watchers...

He climbed on the top of one of the machines hoping that it would carry him to the people who operated them. The machine did not move. Then he climbed down and began walking in the direction from which the machines had come.

Immediately the machines started moving in the same direction, too. He stopped, and the robots stopped, too. He went on, and they followed him again.

At least he was safe from the danger from insects. But he walked more and more slowly. He was tired, hungry and thirsty. Every new step was more difficult.

Finally he could walk no more. In despair he fell down on the sand. The two robots stopped beside him.

Suddenly it became much darker. He looked up and saw something big which was falling from the sky...

Waldo and other Brains were standing at the door of the lift.

"We must follow him," said one of the Brains.

"No! He cannot live on the surface. It is too cold there, and then there are giant mutated insects. He will certainly die," said Waldo.

"But what if he gets to the Watchers?" said another Brain. "What will happen then?"

Waldo hesitated. He wanted to take revenge on the captain, but was afraid of the Watchers.

"If the Watchers find out what we are doing in the past," he said, "they will try to stop us. We must try to complete our work before it is too late."

"Yes, we must hurry," the others agreed.

They went back. Soon all the Brains gathered in the hall of the transmitter with crystals.

"Captain Christian has run away to the surface," said Waldo. "He may meet the Watchers. We must act immediately. As you know, our purpose is to throw off the yoke of the Watchers. We can do it if we change the course of history from the past. We must concentrate our efforts on the scientists of the past who are working on the problems of space travel. If we stop all experiments with space travel, that are going on in the twentieth century, people will never fly into space - and we shall be masters of Earth."

Waldo was speaking louder and louder and finished with the words:

"Our plan is clear. We must go into the year nineteen hundred and sixty-six and completely destroy the satellite bases and everything that is connected with them!"

The Brains were very excited. Someone shouted: "To the past - destroy the satellites!"

They took their crystals from the transmitter and fastened them to their belts. Each Brain was armed with his decapitator.

Waldo gave a command:

"Follow me - into the past!"

He touched the crystal on his belt, the other Brains did the same - and one by one they disappeared.

Active work was going on in the United States Rocket Research Centre in New Mexico. Under the hot sun ten red and silver rockets stood in the large field ready to fly up. Somewhere a man counted loudly:

"Ten... Nine... eight... seven..."

The rockets were part of the artificial satellite project. In a few minutes they would fly up into space, orbit Earth and send information back to the Earth base. They were the first steps of man to other planets and stars.