Captain Nenni’s bomb struck the carrier in the centre of its deck. There was a rending explosion! The pride of the Trigan Navy blew up—destroying the craft which had destroyed it, like an insect caught in a flame. By the greatest good fortune, most of the “Vorg’s” crew were ashore on leave. In the hours that followed, every craft in the harbour searched for survivors.The Emperor Trigo was aghast to hear of the tragedy . . . and so was his nephew Janno. One disaster after another! What can be behind it all? I can’t understand it, Uncle! I played a game of Zota with Captain Nenni only a short while before he destroyed his own ship—and he was perfectly normal then! I think you should tell that to Peric! He’s round at the laboratory, searching the dossiers to try and find some connecting link between the disasters. I’ll go now, Uncle. Janno entered Peric’s laboratory to be met by the hum of highpowered computers. The great scientist was at work with his assistants. It’s the same result, Peric! We’ll try once more! Janno watched them operate the giant electronic brain again. And then . . . The same! Very interesting! Watch this, Janno! Four faces were flashed on a large screen at the end of the laboratory. Here we have Garran—the young trainee pilot who shot up his own base and was killed in the process. Garran came from the province of Orna and was a perfectly normal lad in every way. Riccoa Scientist at the Imperial Laboratories, before he blew them up! A native of the City. Rather shy. Now in custody and refuses to talk. Karlos—Guardsman in the Imperial Bodyguard. A faithful solider—before he tried to kill the Caton Ambassadors! He won’t talk, either. Lastly, Captain Nenni. One of the best air pilots in the Navy—and you know what he just did! Peric continued—and a shock of horror trailed an icy finger down Janno’s spine. We have put the dossiers of those four men through the computer five times, and the four had only one common factor—they had all recently been given free membership of the new Trigan Zota Club! Wha-a-a-at? But—I, too, was recently given a free membership of the club! Were you now? It’s obviously a conspiracy! For reasons of his own, someone used those four men to cause the disasters—and he obviously met them at the Zota Club! And it seems to me, that our unknown conspiritor may be planning to use you also, Janno!
This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 537 on 29 April 1972.
