Category: Marine Craft

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The Man with a Mission (continued . . .)

















	
















	
	Lukaz Rann brought Vallu’s vehicle to a jarring
	halt at the cliff edge and rasped an order.

	
	Get out !

	
	Vallu’s bodyguards were
	closing in fast.

	
	Jump !

	
	Please ! Spare me !
	I’ll make you rich.
	Anything can be
	yours, if only . . .

	
	The great rocketeer thrust his
	victim over the abyss and
	followed after.

	
	Eeeeeeeeeeghh !

	
	Lukaz Rann struck the
	water and sank deeply.

	
	Vallu’s been knocked unconscious.
	I must get him to the surface
	before he drowns. I’d hate
	anything to happen to him !

	
	The bodyguards criss-crossed the area
	where the two had disappeared.

	
	No sign of
	them. They must
	have perished.

	
	But the intrepid rocketeer was alive,
	and supporting his half-drowned captive.

	
	They think
	it’s hopeless,
	and are giving
	up the search.


























	
















	
	That night, a Trigan fishing boat approached the cliffs,
	as Lukaz Rann had previously arranged.

	
	Well done,
	lads. Now
	let’s get
	out of here.

	
	Morning found the rocketeer back
	in his Vorg castle, with his second
	victim imprisoned in a dungeon.

	
	With so little time left to him, Lukaz Rann took
	up the next dossier without any delay.

	
	And now, another
	creature whose dis-
	appearance will
	sweeten the air
	of the whole
	planet . . . Yackrass !

	
	Yackrass was a rabble-rousing Trigan politician. He was also the highest paid
	performer on the Trigan audivision network. An estimated fifty million viewers
	switched on his weekly programme.

	
	Mustn’t miss old
	Yackrass. He’s always
	good for a bit of
	excitement.

	
	Yackrass’s technique was to play upon the public’s fears
	and prejudices. Currently, he was blazing a campaign
	of XENOPHOBIA—the hatred of foreigners.

	
	Fellow-citizens ! Do you realise
	that there are over half a million
	foreign nationals residing here ?
	Taking all the best jobs ! Treating
	us like second class citizens !

	
	How much longer are
	we going to tolerate
	this pollution in
	our midst ?

	
	Following Yackrass’s outburst, innocent and law-abiding foreigners—Catons, Lokans, Tharvians,
	and others—were mobbed in the streets and their properties destroyed.

	
	Down with
	the outsiders !

	
	Trigan for
	the Trigans !

	
	Yackrass had cause for self-congratulation. That
	very day, he had landed a new audivision contract
	at double his usual fee.

	
	By all the
	stars, you’re a
	clever fellow,
	my dear
	Yackrass.

	
	But retribution was
	at hand for
	the spreader of hatred.

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 705 on 19 July 1975.

 
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The Man from the Future

















	














The new Air-Fleet carrier “TRIGAN HERO” was launched by the Emperor, with great ceremony, on the seventeenth day of the year of Zenf.

I name this vessel “Trigan Hero”. May she sail the seas of our planet and bring glory to the empire.

The Emperor’s nephew, Janno, himself a pilot in the Air-Fleet, was flying over the scene of the launching.

There she goes! Be ready to land in formation as soon as she’s in mid-harbour.

Janno and his companions were the first to land on the broad deck of the new carrier.

The “Trigan Hero” was leaving immediately for the Great Central Ocean, where a war with the state of Cato was threatening.

As soon as Cato gets news that we’re at sea, they’ll have second thoughts about making trouble.

Yes, Janno. With what we carry on this ship, we could take on Cato single-handed!

Among the massed crowds watching the departure of the great vessel was an individual with red hair.

A fine ship!

Aye! Makes you feel proud to be a Trigan!

Those about him would have been shocked to have known his thoughts at that moment.

A pity that “Trigan Hero” is going to sink on her first voyage!
























	














The red-headed one had an assignation that day. He met a stranger, by prior arrangement, in the great square of the city.

I recognise you from your description. You’re the fellow who advertised for the Lottery ticket with the special number, aren’t you?

I am. And you have that ticket?

The Trigan Imperial Lottery, in addition to providing useful revenue for the state, paid out one massive prize every quarter-year.

I am satisfied.

This is ticket number seven, three, six, two, zero, zero, nine, four. Are you willing to buy it for five thousand zersts—a ticket that only cost me fifty?

The bargain was made.

I will pay you in cash!

I don’t understand it. You’ve made me an enormous profit, but your chances of winning with that ticket are millions to one!

You can’t go wrong, especially when you know what’s going to happen in the future!

“Trigan Hero” reached the Great Central Ocean the following day. Towards sunset, alarm bells rang throughout the huge vessel. Janno was just about to climb into his air craft.

What’s happened?

Fire!

Fire in the engine room!

The next instant, the newest unit of the Trigan fleet was riven asunder!

This instalment was originally published in Look and Learn issue no. 690 on 5 April 1975.