Daniel gazed at Erik with some intimidation. "Alright," he said a little malevolently, "If you say so, but I still think it'll be a waste of time and men."

Erik shrugged, and walked to the door, ready to leave. "Only time will tell."

Nikolas focused on the energy emanating from his body. A few minutes pa.s.sed before he heard its hum. "Wait," Efarius said. "Are you sure about this? Think about it, just once more."

"More importantly, are you all ready?" He looked at them, these men who had been loyal to him since before the death of Aidan. They stood in line as if waiting for their execution. They stared at Nikolas, unblinking and though they were ready to follow his command they were afraid.

This particular technique had not been used for a very long time, almost 163000 years. The last time it had it failed horrendously. The man who tried it flinched for a second and the fire in his spine moved into his solar plexus. His entire body had gone up in flames and he was reduced to ashes.

Nikolas repeated himself, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," they droned in unison.

"Listen, even if there is a problem we can resurrect him."

"It may not work this time," said Noel.

"Why not?" Nikolas asked.

"We only have one chance at this, because of what's going to happen in the next five hours."

Nikolas was preoccupied with the technique that he had almost forgotten about the battle. "Right," he said simply. "Well, just trust me. I know this will work; this is our only chance. You know after giving him the energy, we will be useless; we won't be able to fight as hard as we were able to before. They need to know who he is and what he is and they have to fear him."

They nodded and along with him concentrated their energies. All of them closed their eyes and concentrated on Alex's soul, on his mind and on his energy. They visualized his spinal fluid being charged and magnetized by the energy at its base, and a few minutes later they could actually see it.

Waves of light and fire burst out of the windows and door of the suite into the hallway leading to Alex's room, in a large cylindrical blaze of raw energy. Because it traveled through an astral dimension, only those tuned in would be able to perceive it. It was invisible to everyone else. A buzz surrounded the tube of light that moved throughout the hallway.

Alex felt the heat in the base of his spine. During his previous meditation sessions he had felt a slight tingling sensation there and he knew it was the rising of the energy, the force called the Kundalini. But every time he felt it, he became excited and it went away. After a few months, he learned to control his feelings and became unattached and the energy rose up again. The Rishis of Ancient India founded that primordial art of yogic meditation. The purpose was to activate this Kundalini in the brain, enabling a person's ability to enter the super-consciousness. But this seemed different. This burst of energy would reach the brain and remain there for so long that Alex would attain new powers, skills and knowledge, just as Nikolas had said. At a certain state, when the person meditating kept his mind in control and his breath along with it for thirty seconds, that equaled a year of spiritual evolution. That meant that one hour equaled a hundred and twenty years! That was what the Migrites had come to teach, and now Alex realized it truly was possible for everyone, including humans, to use that knowledge.

He felt the middle of his back heat up and a certain pressure in between his eyebrows, just where the ridge of the nose began. He kept himself straight. He knew if he didn't adhere to Nick's words, there would be deadly consequences. A swirling energy revolved around him and a white light engulfed him. He felt lighter. His uncle's voice echoed in his mind, "Alex, we have just begun. Now, like in the ship, your body is going to levitate. When that happens, don't move an inch; don't bend your spine. When the energy reaches your brain, you will feel pain. It will intensify, but only for some time. Then you will feel new, different."

"Okay. I won't move." Alex's body levitated and he felt the light in him radiate outwards, just like it had on the ship. A feeling of calm and a sense of oneness with the universe washed over him. He lost the ego, but not his individuality. He heard that low buzz in his ears and it became unbearable. "Concentrate," "Concentrate," he told himself, he told himself, "I have to concentrate!" "I have to concentrate!" And then he felt it, the fluid of bliss and the cosmic power rushing into his brain and he knew nothing, felt nothing, and thought nothing. He was lost to his self, to his ident.i.ty, individuality, and to his name. He felt nothing; there was no black, no white, no color, no sound, no senses, no feeling, no emotions, no reason, no duality, no singularity even. It just was. And then he felt it, the fluid of bliss and the cosmic power rushing into his brain and he knew nothing, felt nothing, and thought nothing. He was lost to his self, to his ident.i.ty, individuality, and to his name. He felt nothing; there was no black, no white, no color, no sound, no senses, no feeling, no emotions, no reason, no duality, no singularity even. It just was.

John wanted to see her before he left. He sat in the room alone. His hope remained intact, even though thoughts of finality tried to seep in and diminish his spirit. In the end he knew she would live. He wouldn't allow her to die!

As he observed his mom's face, he thought of old times, long gone. Times were rough during the war, but at least Miriam and Aidan were alive. During those days, they were fighting for something they believed in. He knew it would happen again but these soldiers were young and inexperienced. He sighed as he gathered his thoughts. He wasn't afraid or unsure of his men's competence and skill. He was unsure of himself.

Although he had kept up his sword fighting as a recreation it had been a long time since he had fought. He had no idea what the Earth would be like and he wondered whether the vampires were up to mischief. He just hoped that everything would go to plan and that Alex would be safe.

There was a knock on the door, disturbing his flow of thought. Richard came in. "You ready?" Richard's face seemed grave and suddenly a little old.

"Yeah. You okay?"

Richard smiled, "Yeah, of course."

"Sit down." John's attention shifted to Richard who was now seated. "So what do you think?" His face creased with lines of worry and fear.

"You mean about this war?"

"No, about this particular battle. The war will come in time; the real war will come soon. You know this is only the beginning."

"Above all, it's Alex's safety. Everything else will fall into place."

"I hope so," John said, once again looking at his mother. Her face was tired and lethargic, as if all the life had been sucked from it. The life supply systems and heart monitor remained normal. At least physically she remained intact. John knew she struggled for her life, but he intuited that there was more to it.

"Trust me," Richard put his hand on John's shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

"Yeah," he said. "Let's go."

They exited the hospital, where the crowds began to disperse. They cheered as they saw John and he smiled at them. He and Richard went into the limousine and the vehicle sped off to the Main Hangar, where everyone would be a.s.sembling and getting their supplies, arms, ammunition, swords, and s.p.a.ce fighters ready.

The Hangar remained a restricted section of Regnum where only those with access cards could enter. These access cards could be issued only to those in power, and all official military personnel. The Hangar was located on top of the Regnum, outside the gla.s.s containment. Alongside it were two more hangars, where civilian s.p.a.ceships and tourist cruisers were located. These were used for those who wanted to take a fifteen day cruise of the Regnum, orbiting the man-made planet. The third hangar was used for scientists who would send satellites and unmanned ships to monitor the Regnum from afar. They did this for their own personal researches and for communicating to the military about its position.

The Main Hangar could hold two thousand fighters, four hundred s.p.a.ce tanks (which held a thousand ships at a time and three hundred thousand men), and eight hundred transport tankers (which were used as larger fighters and transportation for soldiers who had to go from one area to another) at a time. There were many more fighters kept in storage in the lower levels of the Hangar. If needed, they could be quickly transported by large cargo elevators.

John and Richard left the limo and took a lone elevator located in the middle of the Regnum and thirty kilometers from Central Square. Here too access cards needed to be used in order to enter. The elevator looked like a large metal rod that extended upwards to the outside of the Regnum like a spinal cord. They arrived there at 4:55. A soldier saluted them and escorted them into a large skysc.r.a.per, towering four hundred feet in the air, above the gla.s.s like an antennae. Here all the administrative work of the army, navy, and air force was collected, distributed and dealt with. Two soldiers with guns slung over their backs led them to the elevator which took them all the way to the twenty seventh and top floor. From there, they were further escorted up the stairs, to the terrace. The terrace was contained within a gla.s.s oxygen bubble. There, a private s.p.a.ce-jet waited for them and took them to the Main Hangar. This was one of two ways to get the hangar. The other, slower way was through the Fortress, a large base protected by heavily armed guards and surrounded by an electric barbed wire fence. The guards opened the gates to let in cargo and military trucks. These transports would pa.s.s through a tunnel, one and a half kilometers from the entrance that would lead them to the lower levels of the Hangar. This base and the skysc.r.a.per were part of a huge complex dealing only with the armed forces.

As soon as they stepped out of the jet they were saluted and greeted by the five generals and their respective soldiers, along with Commander Lord and his pilots.

"At ease!" John said firmly. "Gather around fellows. In a few minutes from now, we will embark on a course for Earth. Many of you haven't ever been there before. Nevertheless, you must know and realize it to be your home. Take this as your first of many exoduses, back to the promised realm. You will fight those who took our rightful place from us, and I urge, nay, I command you to show no mercy!

"Don't be afraid. Remember that your fight will never go in vain, for we are the righteous. Our fight is not a fight of force but a war for life itself. We struggle for our rights, and we shall have them! I swear to you we shall have them!

"Now, lift your swords with me," a sword was given to John, "and swear an oath along with me." They all lifted their swords. "I swear by this sacred weapon, and by the blood that it defends, that I will never let this fall from my hands, until I am dead, or until I have returned from promised victory. Never shall I go against my people in times of war or peace, and I shall respect the ancient traditions of war, battle ethics, and will not falter in the eyes of my enemy. So help me G.o.d!

"Now, get yourselves ready. In a few minutes, we attack!" A large resonant battle cry shook the walls of the Hangar as the men shouted in excitement, anxious to fight.

The soldiers were dressed in black and they wore shiny lightweight metallic armor. It fitted easily, and with help of the latest nanotechnology and quantum mechanics, adapted to their stature, muscle ma.s.s, and body weight. Their helmets covered their entire faces except for two eye holes. The eye holes could be fitted with night-vision lenses, infrared, thermal vision, or lenses for the desert and the tundra. The armor had its own heating system for fights in the tundra and cooling vents for hotter climates.

John pulled Richard aside so he could speak to him privately. "Listen. If anything happens to me, take care of Alex and my mother."

"Nothing's going to happen," Richard said. "You'll be back to protect them."

"You really think so?"

"You can't die so easily. You know that."

John nodded and kept one hand on his sword, which was sheathed and latched onto his belt. "Be careful out there." John put his right arm round Richard's shoulder and they walked to the private s.p.a.ce-transport jet. They sat down, while the others prepared themselves. John pushed the intercom b.u.t.ton on his right armrest and said, "Captain."

"Yes sir," said the pilot of the jet.

"Connect me to all frequencies."

"Right away." There was a pause and then the pilot said, "You're connected sir."

"Thanks," John said and gave the orders, "All units move out on my command."

"Yes sir," they responded.

"Let's go, captain," John said.

"Sure sir," the pilot said, and the main thrusters heated up, their force vibrating throughout the jet. A few minutes later, it sped off at mach 5 and John closed his eyes, thankful that he would be back on the Earth.

Alex thought his spine was bound to break any moment as the heat rose to an unbearable level. It was as if a large gush of acid had been pumped into his vertebrae and was trying to break free. Whatever little s.p.a.ce that must have been in between the vertebrae was filled up and whatever was filling it was growing larger, wider, and more painful by the minute. It was like something was crawling and eating away at his spine. He wanted to move, to be free, but he knew he couldn't. His body wavered in the air as if some invisible giant shook him around. His neck straightened further, and his chest widened, but he wanted to bend and move to relieve the tension. His patience was tested to the limits and every moment only got worse. He concentrated on the s.p.a.ce between his eyes. He concentrated so hard that he felt like his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. He clenched his gums, tightened his cheeks and ground his teeth to break the monotony of pain. If he moved another muscle related to or connected to the neck and back areas he would be reduced to a pile of burning flesh and ashes.

A spirit or one who had perfect vision would have been able to see the play of light, shadow and rainbow colors as they all flowed from Nikolas's room and down to Alex's mind, heart and spine. Alex soon felt the calming effect and he realized the pain subsided when he concentrated on the lights he felt and saw through his meditative inner vision. The immaculate and holy colors comforted him and cleansed all his worries, taxing emotions, and burdening thoughts. The pain seeped out little by little.

Suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in his brain that came and went in an instant. But the overtly soothing sensation of joy and power overwhelmed all pain, dissolving it fully. He felt energized and electric. He wanted more of it. He calmed his mind and listened intently to the hum and the whirling sensation, as if the neurons in the pathways of his brain were fueled and accelerated by pure energy. Now came the second phase: patience and revival, rejuvenation and absorption of power, silence of mind, and the relaxation of what felt like a thousand years.

Well," Nikolas said, "We've done what we could. Now the rest is up to him." His chalk-pale face aged considerably and the whites of his eyes had yellowed as a result of fatigue and a sudden loss of energy. He panted as the others reached his state. They sat down to conserve what little energy they had. "I know it will not go in vain."

"You're right," said Dante. For some reason, he seemed older. It was as though they showed their true ages on their faces, appearing graver by the minute.

Efarius said, "I just hope our lives won't go in vain."

Dark bags started to appear under their eyes and seemed to pull their faces towards the floor. Nikolas struggled to breathe. "We won't die. We will have to call Daniel and refresh ourselves with blood." He wondered whether it would be too late.

Alex saw many events that occurred since his kidnapping. As a result of his meditation, he developed clairvoyance and clairaudience, which allowed him to see and hear things far away in the present and the future. He saw Grandma in a coma, desperately fighting for her life. He saw that Uncle John had now taken over the democratic system and turned it into his own personal dictatorship. John said he did it for the people, but Alex felt it unnecessary. Anger rose in his veins like lava, boiling and rising into the crevices of his mind. He didn't like this at all. He worried for Grandma and felt confusion and repulse at his uncle's actions.

What he saw next made him wish he hadn't. With Angel was a man with long flowing crimson hair, a vampire. He took her in his arms and unsheathed a small serpentine dagger and slit her throat. "No!" Alex yelled as he materialized a sword and slashed at the vampire's shoulder. It was no use as the vampire revitalized himself and laughed, showing edged and sharpened teeth set crookedly on blackening gums. A foul stench emitted from his mouth accompanied by red, green, and black smoke. The colored smoke condensed into figures with eyes of reddish gold and soon enough, Alex perceived them to be demons. Their dark leathery skin shone in the light and curly ram's horns protruded from their heads. They wore nothing but ragged loincloths and their hands held ma.s.sive axes and hammers. Alex backed away as they tried to circle him.

Alex's body remained rigid. He sweated ma.s.sive drops; his t-shirt was soaked. His hair, now glossy with sweat, covered his eyes and his arms became uncomfortably hot and wet. He let out deep hard breaths and still felt restless. Claustrophobia took the better of him; the room seemed to squeeze him, the walls converged at him. Then, it stopped. Someone was knocking.

Alex opened his eyes and felt a sudden, cool relief.

A guard came in saying, "Come with me. You're expected at the President's office."

A knock was heard at Nikolas's suite as well, but no one answered it. The Rebels were now too weak and their flesh sagged to the point that it looked like it would fall off their bones. They had become like zombies, slowly decomposing before their very eyes. A m.u.f.fled voice sounded through the thick, bulletproof door. When no answer came, a loud thud followed the voice. Still no answer and so this time it turned into a louder rhythmic hammering at the door.

The Rebels, half dead, wheezed with heavy efforts. The door blasted open by the power of an energy beam. "What the h.e.l.l is going on in here?" Daniel shouted, glancing around the place, now filled with smoke from the blast. He saw the Rebels sitting sluggishly on the plush sofa and chairs, about to fall off them. "What's going on?" He rushed to his father, who he recognized not by his face but by his attire. Daniel used his telepathy to call Erik. "Listen!" he said to Erik, "I need some help."

"What?" Erik's voice sounded irritated.

"The Rebels...they're dying."

"What do you mean, dying?"

"Dying. Mortis, death. You know what I mean! Just send some guards in so we can shift them to the recuperation chambers. Make it quick. I don't think they can stand it any longer. Neither can I." Daniel covered his mouth, the reek of their rotting skin trying to crawl up his nostrils. The Rebels mumbled in pain. Congealed blood spilled onto the floor like spoiled crimson milk. Daniel hurried out to the balcony to breathe. Fresh air, at last! Fresh air, at last!

"Don't do anything yet," John said through his communicator. "When I reach the Earth, wait for five minutes. Then, attack these fighters but don't approach the atmosphere. Once they spot you, make sure you destroy them quickly. We cannot, I repeat we cannot have them contact the Regime. Not yet. Is that clear?"

"Copy that," was the response in unison.

"Good." He looked at Richard, unsure of how things would be in the next fifteen minutes. Richard gave him a consoling look as if to say, don't worry. We'll do fine! don't worry. We'll do fine! The ship picked up speed as it was pulled in by the Earth's gravity. The ship picked up speed as it was pulled in by the Earth's gravity.

"What is that?" asked Richard, surveying the ma.s.sive base covering the Atlantic.

"So this is what they've been up to," John said, mesmerized. "I saw many of them when we were higher up, but I thought they might have been something natural. This is just amazing."

Richard said, "What do we do now?"

John shook his head, "Stay calm. Captain," he said, pushing the intercom, "Report back to General Hopkinson that there might be a change of plan."

"A change?" Richard asked.

"Yeah," John looked to his left at the huge CCC. "He may have to go to the other side."

"You mean, this thing, this base or whatever it is," Richard said, terrified, "Stretches that far?"

"It's a possibility. We couldn't really get a good look, right? I mean there must be more, judging by what we saw earlier."

A robotic voice could be heard coming from the main speaker of the ship, "You are unidentified and are on our borders. Please state your name and purpose before we launch an attack."

"Looks like somebody rolled off the wrong side of the bed," the copilot said, before they gave their details. "This is the official transport of Supreme Leader John Howe. We have come as requested by President Daniel Gareng. Do we have permission to land?"

The voice said, "Alright. We're sending you co-ordinates of your landing zone. It's helipad six. President Daniel Gareng will be there waiting for you."

By the time the Rebels were taken to the recuperation chambers, they seemed dead. They breathed faintly, and some of them were reduced to skinned skeletons. Tubes were inserted into their chests and very slowly they started to come back to life. "How the h.e.l.l did this happen?" Erik asked.

"I have no idea," Daniel said. "Did you hear? They've come."

"Yeah I know. I just received the message." Erik lit a cigarette, offering one to Daniel. The President shook his head. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, if you are," Daniel said.

Erik blew out a large puff of smoke and sighed.

"You there," Daniel said to a guard, "Have they brought Alex?"

The guard nodded, "Sir, he will be in here shortly." Just then two guards brought Alex inside.

"Ah, cousin," Daniel said, "We were expecting you." The boy's demeanor had changed. Alex's body glowed faintly from under his clothes. Daniel, knowing there was a connection between his father's state and Alex's, noticed the difference in Alex's appearance.

Alex kept his eyes closed the whole time. His lips murmured, perhaps chanting or praying. But they couldn't be read because they moved so rapidly. He suddenly stopped the silent murmuring, held his head up and opened his eyes slowly. His eyes changed to the color of pure gold. Beautiful. Even Daniel thought the gold iris contrasted with the crimson-black of his pupil splendidly. Alex seemed more muscular, but lean and his facial features had sharpened. Was this his imagination or was it real? Daniel asked himself.

"I know." Alex's soft voice radiated around the room.

Erik said hastily, "We haven't much time. Let me take you to the boardroom."

"Right," Daniel said, his scrutinizing eyes still on his cousin, "I will welcome John and bring him there."

The Regime sent fighters into s.p.a.ce, just in case. They floated around, making sure no ships other than John's entered the atmosphere. But little did they notice what went on above the Regnum, hidden by the station's curvature.

Bill Haven, one of the nine squadron leaders, gave the command, "Now!" The response was immediate. He himself didn't realize that he had spoken the words until he saw the other leaders along with their squadrons, rushing towards the vampire ships.