"What? Really?"

"Yes, and he says there may be some way we can deal with the situation."

Erik smiled, "Is that so?"

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What? You actually want to negotiate with him?"

"No, not that. I want to hand Alex over."

John held his mother's hand. It was calloused, dry and wrinkled but the feeling warmed his heart. He felt relieved that it wasn't worse and he looked at her face. He made no eye contact with Richard. He was ashamed to have cried in front of him. His stomach acted up again but he ignored the pain, too overwhelmed by grief. He turned to see Richard deep in his own thoughts and he didn't want to disturb him. There was a sense of calm and acceptance now. He had cried and vented out his suffering for fifteen minutes. The more he looked at his mother, the more he concentrated on her face, the more he understood the sense of stillness, the feeling of equanimity. He lay back in his chair, sighed and closed his eyes. A moment later, he said, "Let's go."

Richard looked at him and smiled.

"Call Herbert and tell him to get ready," John added.

"Alright."

John got up and kissed his mother's cheeks and they left.

They reached the main entrance of the hospital and as he exited he waved to the crowd waiting for him, smiling as best as he could. The crowd cheered their support. Richard touched John's shoulder and said, "See, there's nothing to worry about. The people are with you!"

John and Richard got up onto the podium. John bowed in thanks to the people for their support and patience. As expected, the crowd went wild. Justice Nyazika held up his palm for silence. He opened his mouth to speak. "Let us begin with the ceremony of the Vice-Chancellor." Richard went to the podium and listened. "Put your hands on this," said Nyazika, "and repeat after me." As Richard was a practicing Hindu, he was given the Bhagavad-Gita to swear upon. "Now, repeat these words: "I, Richard Quentin Gregory Bacon II, do solemnly swear..."

He repeated it.

"...to uphold the principles of the Const.i.tution of the Year 3333... to protect the inhabitants of the Regnum at all times, in word, action, and thought...to defend the rights, liberties, and safety of the people... and to lead the Human Race to absolute self-determination...on its own G.o.d-given home-world, the planet Earth. So help me G.o.d."

The people applauded and cheered on as Bacon and Nyazika embraced each other.

There were too many distractions. To listen to the sound of the universe and to feel that ever-existing flow was something that Alex seemed to have lost now. He had been trying to meditate for the last hour but every fifteen minutes or so, he had the urge to open his eyes. He attempted to calm himself by taking deep breaths, but each time he failed to reach a higher level. He sighed and said, "I'm never going to get this right." He had another two hours or so before his uncle would get back. He hoped to achieve something by then.

But that was just it; he was expecting too much too soon. He was looking for results instead of going with the flow, as he should have. Now he realized he was always doing the exact opposite. Was this why many saw him as an arrogant, imperial brat? Was it because of the way he spoke, acted, and thought? Was that why Angel behaved the way she did at the Cafe? Would she forgive him for it? But then again, was he really arrogant? Maybe he was afraid to admit it. He didn't know for sure, and as he tried to delve deeper, he felt increasingly out of touch with the people. He had thought something completely different about himself.

None of this was making any sense. He knew he had to be humble now; he knew he had to keep what he knew about himself a secret. If it got out, the results would bring disaster. "Concentrate, you idiot!" he said to himself. He tried once again.

The ceremony continued and after taking the same oath as Richard, John cleared his throat to give his speech: "What has occurred today, my dear people of the Earth, will not be forgotten for many years to come. I promise you that. History, the great critic, may look upon me as another Hitler, a man driven mad by his ambitions; it will say that I used the government for my own selfish purposes. Let it say so, for I don't care.

"Naturally, I have some of my own interests at heart, but above all I am here for the good of everyone. I will not stand down until my last breath. I will not give up until we are free!" He paused for the crowds who started hailing him as their new Supreme Leader. He continued: "Democracy has stood for many years during the course of our history. But there were times when it failed, and a plan of decisive action had to be taken, for the good of all. A leader, a single man, who could be trusted by the people, to give them what they wanted, and above all, what they needed. I a.s.sure you, the trust that you have given me will not be betrayed. I will not bow down to anyone. Every decision of mine will be thought out with the good of the people always at the forefront of my mind. As I have promised, I will make sure our race returns to the Earth and achieve complete autonomy. We will take it by force. We must take it by force, for these vampiric vermin are nothing but invaders, conquerors, literally thirsty for blood. They have nothing better to do but keep the underdog below them, begging and depending on them. I say that's enough! I say we should have done it a long time ago, and I'm sorry we didn't! We will crush them and force them back to their former stronghold in the valleys and mountains of Antarctica. We will send them a message. And that message is that we are free!"

The crowds applauded John's determination. The plight of his mother still weighed heavily on his mind, but the sound of the crowd was like sweet music that pumped him full of excitement and helped him postpone his worries.

He raised a hand for some silence and the noise died down. "My mother had a stroke and now she is in a coma," he said. He paused and saw the somber faces of the crowd. "But let me swear to you that this incident has not left me defeated; it has only made my resolve stronger. My hatred for the vampires is immense and so is my desire for vengeance. Only with our united anger and hate can we dissolve that race. We must do it together, or not at all.

"In the next nine hours," he said checking his watch; it was five to eleven, "our troops will be down there for two reasons. The first is to get Alexander back and along with him our strongest allies, the Rebels. The second reason is to locate the Vatican Library and burn the place, so that their knowledge will be lost. But before doing so, we will record their information for our own use.

"Now, I know you want to know the whole truth. There," he breathed in and exhaled slowly, "was a prophecy made by the vampires that a man from their race known as the Falsifier will come. He will be like them, but he will be against them. He will be a hybrid, a damphir. His real name is Alexandros Nyrax III and he is the son of my sister Miriam and Aidan Nyrax, the prophet who led the Rebellion. He is my nephew. I know it might be hard to swallow right now, but the truth is that he is our only hope. He is one of them, but to have him on our side will be very beneficial. He is more powerful than them, and with the help of the Rebels and their leader Nikolas, we will be invincible. We will avenge the deaths of our soldiers, who died for us so many years ago." He paused to complete silence and wondered how he would continue. "Believe... trust me that I have no other intentions than to see us all on the Earth. I have already sworn that if any harm comes to anyone of us, the vampires, along with my nephew will be exiled to Antarctica.

"In the coming months, I will set up a War Council. I would also like to add that I am ready to pardon the Council for whatever happened yesterday. I have decided to have all of them as a part of this new council. This includes Jarad Hameed, a superb general and much respected for his strategic prowess. I also have a new project for this coming war, which will begin once this mission is through. It is top secret as of now. But believe me: once it is out in the public, it will amaze you and give you hope. I have no idea how long this war will last, but I know for certain that we will win this time and that we will never have to fight it again.

"The coming months may bring many hardships and angst. But now is the time for us to stand up, unite and face those challenges as we always have. I know there has been talk of rations. That doesn't mean that we will starve. Look at it as a sacrifice for life and freedom. With courage we will be victorious and attain our independence!"

The crowds cheered again and a great thunderous applause shook the streets of the Square. He went on: "After this ceremony, I will hold a meeting with five of our best generals. Already I have spoken to Kurt J. Lord and we have decided on the basic strategy for the Rescue. These five generals are Generals Ranjit Singh, Lao Chang, George Hopkinson, Sergei Romsky, and Michio Nakashima. Mind you, the diversity of the group is of symbolic significance.

"I know that the vampires believe they know our weaknesses, one of which is indeed a shameful and scarring one in our history. That weakness is racial prejudice. But we have learned from our mistakes and have come together in brotherhood, especially during times of war, when the vampires invaded. Let's take this war as a test of our solidarity and our resolve; let's show history that regardless of the past, we have conquered ourselves and we have learned!" Again, the people cheered. John smiled and stood silent, looking around him, as everyone behind him clapped.

"I want to conclude by saying thank you to the Supreme Justices, Senators, Officials, Vice-Chancellor Bacon, and to you all, the people that really matter. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to succeed and to make a difference, and thank you for your trust, faith and belief in me and my actions. G.o.d bless." With that, he waved, smiled and took a solemn bow, to which the crowd became rapturous, shouting and applauding loudly.

The Rebels contemplated the situation coming in the next ten hours as the light of the sun glimmered into Nikolas's living room through the large gla.s.s balcony window.

"There's no way we'll be able to get these off!" Liam said, feeling the cold metallic restraint belt around his neck. It beeped and whirred when he touched it. Like all the others' restraint belts, this one had three sensors: one that monitored the temperature of the one wearing it, another that monitored the heartbeat and blood pressure and a third to make sure no foreign tampering could unlock it.

"Well, we can, but we would be electrocuted," Gavin said, resting his head on the sofa. Nikolas stood outside the balcony window, observing the sea.

"There's only one thing we can do," Quentin said, thoughtfully sipping some migra-based coffee. "We'll have to find the main generator room to unlock them."

"Not necessarily," Nikolas said. He turned to look at them. "We need to be very cautious until John comes here. We have to act like we hate him now. One of us will have to communicate with him telepathically."

"How do we even know we'll be there for the negotiations?" Joqetu asked, sitting on the sofa and browsing through the daily news headlines. They were full of stories about the Falsifier or the Rebels turning sides.

"I'll be there...hopefully," Nikolas said. He shook his head, "With any luck that meditation will work for him."

Davik asked, "You mean you're presiding over his meditation?"

"Not at this point." Nikolas grabbed a wooden chair from the dining table adjacent to the hallway and dragged it over to sit by them.

"But you can't do that," Davik said, "It's dangerous."

"We're talking about Alex here. He's much more powerful than anything."

"But aren't you defying many laws?" asked Efarius.

"Alex will be able to handle it," Nikolas said "Remember the stories of the old ones, the Ancients," Efarius said, looking deep into Nikolas's eyes. "Even the Ancients who involved themselves or gave energy during meditation were very cautious, after one of them had his soul dissolved."

"That was different," said Nikolas, shaking his head. He sighed, "Look. All I want to know is if you are all with me." He tried to read their faces. There was a long moment of silence and they nodded slowly. "Good. Let's begin."

The Council Room, located on the fourth floor of the Regnum Central Headquarters had now become the War Room. In appearance it was like an oversized boardroom. Its s.p.a.cious windows covered up an entire wall of the room and let in a lot of sunlight. The light shone on the forty-five foot long oak table that stood in the center of the room. There were ten chairs on each side of the table and another one on each end. The five generals waited for the Supreme Leader and the Vice-Chancellor.

"So what do you think?" said Ranjit Singh, a Sikh general standing by the panoramic window and looking out. He stood six feet five inches tall, towering over the others who stood in his shadow. He walked to the coffeemaker and pressed a b.u.t.ton. He scratched his beard and sighed. "I don't like the look of it."

"The look of what, Ranjit?" a Chinese man asked, sitting and rocking on the chair.

"You know, Lao," Ranjit said, taking his cup and walking towards the table, "This whole scheme."

"Oh?" Lao said, his thin frame overshadowed by the black leather back of the chair. He crossed his arms and looked at all of them.

"What's there to worry about?" General Romsky said, laughing and sitting back, relaxed. His carefree and arrogant demeanor irritated Ranjit. He had been an adviser to the King of Russia and maybe this had gone to his head. All that mattered very little to Ranjit. He smirked at Romsky. The Russian general went on. "We have the people right where we want them."

"How can you say that?" Ranjit asked.

"Yeah," Hopkinson said, supporting Ranjit. "We work for the people." His thick skinned face seemed sickened and tired.

"Really?" said Romsky. "You think so?" He glanced at the others and at the j.a.panese man sitting silently, his eyes closed and shoulders slack. "What about you?" He snapped his fingers. "Hey Nakashima."

Michio remained still, breathing in and out. George Hopkinson got up and walked to the window. He saw John's limo parked across the street. "He's here." He turned around and went back to sit. "They're on their way."

They straightened themselves up and Michio opened his eyes. Romsky sighed, looking at Ranjit and George across the table. Michio and Lao sat respectively left and right of Sergei. "Well," Michio who had been listening all the while to their conversations said, "None of it matters." His voice remained soft. "We're here to discuss the coming war, so politics is of no concern to us."

"How can it not be?" Ranjit said, finishing his last sip of coffee. "We're now following a fascist-"

"Gentlemen," said John, as the large double doors opened and he entered with Richard by his side. The Generals stood up and John smiled. "It's good to see all of you, my friends. Please," he sat down and Richard went to sit at the other end of the table, "sit down." One of the guards outside went to the coffee machine and prepared seven cups. As he left the room and tightly shut the doors, John continued. "Now, I want to make this quick and simple. We have roughly eight hours to get things in order. I'm going split us into two groups. I have already told Kurt about my plans for the air strikes, and he should have already briefed his boys about it. The first priority will be to rescue Alex and get the Rebels. This mission will be led by Richard and me. Now, I also want you and you," he pointed to Hopkinson and Romsky, "to lead a ground attack in England." John pressed a b.u.t.ton near the right corner of his side of the table. The wood opened up and revealed a large keyboard. He pressed a b.u.t.ton and a thick white curtain closed the window in front of him, throwing the room into darkness. Behind him, above the entrance, a robotic levitating projector dispersed a large ray of light onto the curtain. The coordinates Daniel had sent John shone on it. It showed a map and the coordinates lay near the west coast of England. All eyes were on it. "As you can see, whatever is there isn't on the mainland of Europe, but it's close to the British coastline. So I want you two to go down there and hold off any reinforcements."

"How many will we have?" Romsky asked, studying the map.

"About two thousand units each. Is that enough?"

"More than enough for me," said George.

"Wait till I call for you, which won't take more than five minutes after I am on the Earth. The transport tankers will keep you near the atmosphere and you'll be taken down within minutes."

The two Generals nodded.

"Now, like I said," John said, "Richard will be with me commanding an aggregate of five hundred men, if needed."

"I doubt it," Richard said, turning around in his chair to look at John. "Our main objective will be to get Alex and the Rebels out of there safely first."

"Right," John said, "That's why you'll make sure they do. Once they're secured, we will have to stop Daniel and whoever else will be after him from getting off the Earth. Now the second part of the mission: the Vatican, you know we failed the first time. But that won't happen again, now will it?" The three remaining Generals shook their heads and John continued, "The main objective will be to get inside, collect all the information we can, and then sabotage the library."

"That's going to take a lot of time," Lao said, "There must billions of files in there."

"Two of you have to watch over the other while he gets the files. Who wants to go in?"

"I will," Singh said.

"Alright. Then, you two will be allotted seven hundred and fifty men each and you, General Singh, four hundred men. Is that fine?"

"Definitely," they confirmed.

"Good. Get your men ready and meet me at the main Hangar at 1700 hrs. This meeting's adjourned."

Another half hour to go. This wasn't a good sign at all, as Alex was still struggling with his meditation. What was going on here? It was as if everything he had gained had been lost in a second. He felt so confident and so sure. Perhaps he became overconfident. "Alex!" He was in the lotus posture with his eyes closed and his face strained. He tried too hard, even now. What was he supposed to get from this meditation in any case? Nikolas hadn't given him any instructions.

"Alex!" The voice distracted him even more. "Alex, listen to me!" It was Nikolas. "Listen to what I have to say."

"Alright."

"I didn't want to risk the trouble of people overhearing us, even if we were safe. You know what I mean."

"Right," Alex thought. "So this was all just a ploy."

"Exactly. You can't ever be too safe. Now listen. You have to do something for us. John's coming in a few more hours. We are sending some energy to you."

"Is that really possible? At such a distance?"

"Judging by all that has happened Alex, it shouldn't be such a surprise to you. Now, once you get this surge, you'll feel a sensation in your spine."

"I know; I've felt it before during meditation."

"No, this will be far worse. It's not pleasant. In fact, it can be dangerous."

"That's good to know," Alex said sardonically.

"The pain will make you want to move, but you must not. There will be a sensation like fire in your spine. If you bend at all, it will flow out and destroy you. You have to stay totally still and wait until it goes away. But, wait until I tell you to. In that time, your body will be as hot as glowing metal. Your spirit will see into the future and you will achieve immense power. After that you will learn many things, things that will be needed for the short-term future. You'll be able to fight like a master swordsman; you'll be able to use energy at your will, with just a flash of thought."

"But how long does it last?"

"The calculation is a little complex. After you get the energy, you have to be still for at least an hour and you will gain about a hundred and twenty years worth of knowledge and skill."

"Okay, and how long does the process last?"

"Six hours."

There was a pause, "So that meditation for three hours was completely useless?"

"No! I have been trying to create a clear, undisturbed channel between you and me mentally, and you had to meditate to clear your mind. So should we begin?"

"Yes, let's."

Daniel and Erik stepped out onto the balcony of Daniel's office. A light shower of rain started to fall. Daniel pushed a b.u.t.ton near the threshold and a window swiped down and joined with the lock on the railing of the balcony.

"That really sounds like a good idea. But will it work?"

"Of course it will. Howe knows us, thanks to the stupid actions and word of the Rebels in the previous war."

"So you really think this will be the catalyst for war?" Erik said, looking into Daniel's gray eyes, which turned crimson at this remark.

"If not this, what? If not now, when?"

"Alright," Erik sighed. He looked out at the violent sea as the waves collided with one another and the rain pitter-pattered on the window with an increased force. "What of the other cities? Shouldn't we warn them about the attack? We have to protect them."

"If you must, go ahead and warn them," said Daniel. "After they see our powerful ships in s.p.a.ce, they won't dare come here. They're weak and pathetic. They don't learn from their mistakes and they're too stupid to suspect a plot."

"Don't be so sure, Daniel. That's exactly why I'm telling you about extra protection. They might not learn from their mistakes but you shouldn't underestimate them like that."

"Look at them now!" Daniel said. "They're nothing."

"You're missing the point here. They've planned everything, I'm sure of that. Despite the clauses, you and I both know they've been preparing for another war since the creation of the Regnum. They're p.i.s.sed off after all we've done, and this is their opportunity to vent out their anger and their first strike will be their strongest. That's why we have to take caution."