Posted on August 28, 2021July 1, 2024The Duplication Machine (continued . . .) Some time later, Janno recovered consciousness and raised his aching head. Janno handed the young scientist the note that had been delivered to the air fleet base. There, bound and gagged, sat Janno’s exact duplicate ! That night, Robi put out to sea in a small boat. Caton undersea warships are patrolling every part of our coastline. If I fail to meet one tonight, I will try again tomorrow, and the next night . . . Suddenly ! . . . It is a Trigan !— Bring him aboard for questioning ! What are you—a civilian—doing at sea in a war zone ? I came to make contact with a Caton warship ! —I have a proposition to put to your rulers ! It was at dawn the following day that a Caton bombing force was chased off, with heavy losses, by Trigan fighter craft. An early casualty in the running battle was—Janno ! I’m done for ! I’m done for ! I’m done for ! This installment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 502 on 28 August 1971.
Posted on August 21, 2021July 2, 2024The Duplication Machine (continued . . .) Late that night, a dark figure climbed the face of the tenement building that housed Robi’s apartment. This is the window. The intruder was soon inside the apartment, and delving into a drawer that contained an emperor’s ransom in precious objects. They’re all here. Enough to keep me for the rest of my life ! And he won’t be needing them any more ! —heh ! heh ! And then . . . So, you animal— you dared to come back, eh ? Aaaaaaaaaah ! Robi stared at the thief in astonishment. You’re a ghost ! An evil spectre ! With my own eyes I saw you hurled from the cliff-top last evening ! Don’t come near me ! You are evil—evil ! Blinded by panic, the wretch fell back to his doom ! Eeeeeeeeeeaaaaaagh ! In the silence that followed, Robi looked down. So that’s it, eh ? My duplicate was destroyed by that cur ! And it is impossible to make a second copy of myself ! I am all alone again—and the chances of my great discovery being detected increase with every day that passes ! What shall I do ? At dawn next day, the Catons attempted the first bombing raid of the war upon the Trigan capital. An air battle raged till noon. Robi witnessed the conflict in the sky—and it gave him food for thought. That’s it ! It’s to Cato I must look to complete my fortune ! I will provide them with a rich prize, for which they will pay me anything I demand ! When Janno, the emperor’s nephew, landed his fighter-craft later that day . . . Message for you, Lord Janno. What’s this ? . . . “You will remember me, Lord Janno. I am Peric’s assistant Robi. I have something of great interest to show you, if you will come to my apartment . . .” Intrigued and mystified by the strange invitation, Janno went to Robi’s apartment that evening. He found the door ajar. Robi !— Are you in there ? Sudden oblivion descended upon Janno ! Uuuuuh ! . . . Instants later, Robi was bundling the unconscious form of the emperor’s nephew into his strange device. I must work quickly—before he comes to his senses . . . It was not long before Janno’s shape began to appear— duplicated ! What’s this ? . . . “You will remember me, Lord Janno. I am Peric’s assistant Robi. I have something of great interest to show you, if you will come to my apartment . . .” I must work quickly—before he comes to his senses . . . This installment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 501 on 21 August 1971.
Posted on August 14, 2021July 1, 2024The Duplication Machine (continued . . .) It is at this point in time that fate intrudes upon our strange story. A Trigan warship, voyaging in thick fog, collided with a passenger liner from Cato. Aaah ! The accursed Trigan is going to ram us ! Stop engines ! The Caton vessel sank with appalling casualties. The mishap was twisted to their own advantage by an extremist party in the Caton senate, who wished to crush the Trigan Empire. I say that it was a deliberate attack upon one of our unarmed passenger liners. How much longer is Cato going to swallow these outrages ? On the day that Cato declared war upon the Trigan Empire, Robi completed certain adjustments to his strange device. And now— to see if it is capable of duplicating me ! Krakkkk-kkkk-kkkk ! . . . As the machine began to work . . . A A A E E E E E A A A G H ! When it was all over, he stepped out and came face-to-face with— himself ! By the stars ! It has worked ! You are me ! And I am you —we are duplicates ! Because you are a duplicate of myself, I can trust you implicitly. Together, we can become the richest and most powerful inhabitants of this planet. Listen, and I will tell you the details of my plan . . . Meanwhile, in a low tavern in the roughest part of Trigan City, the sneak thief who had formerly been Robi’s accomplice was doing business with a pair of cut-throats. All right ! You want us to get rid of this Robi fellow—what are you going to pay us ? How about this ring ?—worth an emperor’s ransom ! Done ! Robi is as good as dead. Later that day . . . There he is —he fits the description of Robi ! Right— let’s get him ! Uuuuh . . . They hurled the limp form of their victim from the highest clifftop near Trigan City. One . . . two . . . Three ! and away he goes ! This installment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 500 on 14 August 1971.
