MANKIND'S PROTECTORS The night had seen Enok`s thirst for blood confuse his tortured mind until his sense of perspective was lost. Even so, as he waited in the shadow of a deserted industrial unit, he shook as he sought to regain control. His efforts were to prove futile as he heard the solitary set of footsteps heading towards him. He had known that the industrial estate was often used as a short cut from the town to the houses nearby. The man stopped abruptly as Enok stepped into his path; the alien`s appearance causing him to recoil in horror. The unearthly, piercing eyes, domed skull, pointed ears and sharp teeth were the last things he saw. Enok`s huge fist clubbed him to the ground, knocking him senseless. Crouching over his intended victim, he hesitated, certain that he had heard more footsteps. He started to drag the man behind the unit when the woman`s voice called out. “Steve, where are you?” As she got closer, the man`s mobile `phone fell from his pocket. The noise echoed through the night. The woman was horrified as she turned the corner of the unit to saw her boyfriend lying prone with Enok standing over him. Enok panicked and fled, the girl`s screams cutting through him.   As he neared Mrs. Souster`s boarding house, Enok`s features seemed to melt and flow, into his human identity of Mike Souster, the landlady’s son. Mike Souster had drunk a sample of Enok`s blood fifteen years ago, blood that contained Enok`s life-force, thus Mike Souster had become Enok.   There were no lights on in the boarding house as Enok inserted his key in the front door lock. Quietly, he made his way upstairs, hoping that the creaking steps wouldn’t wake his father or Mrs. Souster. His features reverted back to their true form once more as he edged past his father’s room. On entering his own bedroom he felt a temporary sense of relief. Lying awake for much of the night, his addled mind could find no peace. He could never accept the killing, but his darker side thrived on it. The situation was different now that his father had returned and was fearful that if his secret was discovered, how his father react.   The next morning Mrs. Souster cooked breakfast for herself. Doomlord and Enok didn’t eat human food, but every morning both of them joined her to chat and read the newspaper. Mrs. Souster was not nervous around the two aliens for Doomlord had hypnotised her with his energiser ring to see only the faces of commercial traveller Eric Plumrose and her son, Mike. In the background the local radio station was on: “The police are asking for assistance in apprehending a man responsible for an assault on a local man, Stephen Johnson. Mr. Johnson was walking through the old industrial estate in the early hours of this morning when he was attacked. His girlfriend, Shelley Taylor, saw the assailant flee the scene. Mr. Johnson is recovering from head injuries in Bradfield hospital and Miss. Taylor has been treated for shock.” Enok shifted uncomfortably on his seat, but Doomlord was concentrating on a newspaper report from a small African country. It told of how civil war had contributed heavily to the current plight of many thousands of people. Photographs alongside the report showed the country’s children suffering from malnutrition; their parents looking at the camera with doomed eyes and another photo was of an aid worker administering medical attention to a dying baby. Another image, of the country’s leader, Colonel Mombassa, illustrated the opulent surroundings enjoyed by the ruling elite. The corrupt dictator had just bought a fleet of Rolls Royce cars.   .......Even after all the years that Doomlord had lived on Earth mankind’s capacity for evil as well as good astounded him. Tears fell from his Noxian eyes and he vowed to redress the balance of power in that region. Mrs. Souster laid her plate of bacon and eggs on the table and noticed her lodger’s sorrow. “Dear me Mr. Plumrose, what on Earth’s the matter?” “I am saddened by the cruelty in this world. Why does no action get taken against the perpetrators?” “You always were a sensitive soul Mr. P, but it’s a fact of life that some people are rich and some people are poor. The only thing that we can do is to give money to charity in the hope that it reaches the poor devils.” Doomlord could and would do more than give to charity. He looked across the table at Enok, who seemed preoccupied as the telephone rang in the hallway. “Don’t get up Mrs. Souster, I’ll answer it”, said Doomlord, rising as the landlady put a slice of toast to her lips. .......Doomlord picked up the receiver: “Good morning.” “Mr. Eric Plumrose ?”, said the voice on the other end of the line. “Speaking.” “It’s Sir Marcus Thorpe of the Metropolitan Police. I need to meet with you as soon as possible!” Sir Marcus knew about Doomlord`s secret identity and the alien knew that there must be a very important reason for him to contact him having requested that Enok and himself be left in peace. “Very well, I will join you shortly.” Enok and Mrs. Souster looked up as he re-entered the kitchen. “I have to go and meet a client. Mike, I need to fetch a few things from upstairs, would you mind giving me a hand?” Enok didn’t understand, but played along. Once they were in the hall Doomlord explained: “While I am away continue to maintain surveillance on Councillor Miles. He is due to meet representatives of Briggs’s Construction this morning. I suspect he is being bribed to offer contracts to Briggs.” “I will be there father.” Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring and uttered the command: “Teleporting!” His molecules began to dissemble before Enok`s eyes: “Farewell for now my son.” Doomlord appeared in the office of Sir Marcus Thorpe of the Alien Investigation Division. The human was clearly distressed: “Doomlord- Thank heavens!” “What is it that you wanted to see me about?” Sir Marcus indicated a seat in front of his desk and both of them sat down. “I’m afraid it’s a rather delicate matter. We have reason to believe that your son is responsible for a number of murders perpetrated over the last fifteen years.” “What leads you to such a conclusion?” “Over the last fifteen years several corpses have been found entirely drained of blood!” “You cannot believe that Enok has committed these offences? Noxians do not require haemoglobin for sustenance, so why would Enok kill to extract it from a human?” “D.N.A. testing has been unable to identify the molecules in the wounds of a man found drained of blood in an alley three months ago. Eye witnesses state that your son was seen leaving the scene of the crime.  Recent events regarding your exposure of the Cartel plot temporarily halted the investigation, but it is now my job to conclude it. We now know that your son has been on Earth during the period of time that the murders have occurred!” Sir Marcus showed Doomlord the stills taken from the C.C.T.V. footage that seemed to give credence to his argument. The photographs were indistinct, but the absence of a face beneath the hood might have proven that a Noxian was present at the incident, for no technology on Earth could record a Noxian image. “Sir Marcus, these photographs are hardly conclusive evidence, but I am intrigued by the questions poised by the unidentified D.N.A. I will ask Enok to supply a sample of his D.N.A. to allay your concern.” Sir Marcus was more at ease as Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring preparatory to leaving. “Thank you for your co-operation, but I am under pressure to achieve closure on this case. I must insist that there be no delay in Enok presenting his D.N.A!” “Very well Sir Marcus, I will speak to him about it on my return.”   In a council chamber in Bradfield, Councillor Miles was concluding his meeting with the building company representatives. “I take it that my off-shore account is looking healthy?” he said to the middle aged man opposite. “I wouldn’t want your application to hit a stumbling block at this stage.” The contractor handed him a file showing that an account had been opened and credited with a substantial sum of money. “Excellent Mr. Briggs. I think that this calls for a celebration. There’s a nice little wine bar just across town. Would you care to join me?” Briggs smiled broadly. The money he had paid to Miles was a sound investment. “Of course Councillor, we can go in our car. My chauffeur will take us there.”   They went out to the car park where the black limousine waited, its bodywork glinting in the sunshine. A young man who had been standing nearby came over to them. “I’m sorry gentlemen, but you must return to the Councillor’s office and I will instruct you on what to do next!” Briggs’s colleague, a burly man in his forties snarled: “Get out of our way!”  He went to push the younger man but stopped, horrified as the man changed before his eyes, his features seeming to melt and flow until the criminals were face to face with Enok. “Doomlord! What are you doing here? What do you want with us?” “Do not insult my intelligence Councillor Miles. Now let us go inside.” Desperation showed in the eyes of the men. Briggs’s colleague shouted to the chauffeur: “Roberts!” The chauffeur had barely left the driver’s seat before Enok slammed the car door on the man, who crumpled onto the ground. Briggs’s burly colleague wasn’t about to surrender though. He took a powerful swipe at Enok, but the alien side-stepped his lunging fist and grabbed the thug’s collar and left leg, promptly throwing him over the car to land unconscious. Miles and Briggs knew they were beaten and Miles, his hands raised in a placatory gesture, joined the crooked contractor in edging back indoors.   A few minutes later Enok emerged from the council building in his human guise of Mike Souster. Doomlord, also in his human identity, stood waiting. “Hello father!” “I trust that the councillor and Mr. Briggs have seen the error of their ways.” Enok`s human face smiled. “Councillor Miles will resign and Mr. Briggs has donated the illicit money to charity!” They started to walk away as two ambulances arrived by the car to deal with the injured men.   On the way back to the boarding house, Doomlord and Enok passed through the local park. As they walked, Doomlord told Enok about his meeting with Sir Marcus. “You cannot seriously believe that I am responsible?” “No Enok, but we must assist the authorities in this matter, as it appears that the criminal they seek is not of the Earth!” Enok knew that he would be discovered.  Doomlord sensed his son`s unease. “Enok, what do you know about these murders?” Knowing he wouldn’t be able to bluff his father, Enok looked him in the eye. “I am the murderer!” Shaken, Doomlord indicated a bench, and they sat together. Enok, his head in his hands, began to sob. Doomlord put a comforting arm around his son’s shoulder, Enok weeping tears held back for a decade.   Having listened to his son`s remorseful confession, Doomlord reflected for several minutes before speaking to his wretched offspring. “I have to speak to Sir Marcus. If we are to live with on the Earth we are obligated to be responsible for our actions, but I will not surrender you to the humans. I do not understand why you are so afflicted; together though, we will find a solution.” The alien and his son rose from the bench and, in the gathering dusk, made their way home.   The next morning, two police cars and a police van came to a halt outside the boarding house. Doomlord, in his human guise of Eric Plumrose, answered the loud banging on the front door to see a police sergeant and five of his men. “Mr. Plumrose? Just stand aside sir!” The sergeant led his men inside. Two of them went upstairs and Enok, who had also assumed his human disguise, was brought down and out the front door. Not wanting to expose his true identity, Enok allowed the humans to caution him and place him in handcuffs. As he was about to be put into one of the two police cars, Enok looked at his father, who was standing with a tearful Mrs. Souster. “Don’t worry Mike. We’ll get things sorted out!” “Oh Mr. Plumrose! Why have the police taken Mike?” “There has obviously been some mistake. I am certain he will be released very soon”, he said, while holding the distraught woman close to him. Leading his landlady gently indoors, Doomlord was still shocked by the urgency of Enok`s arrest. Sir Marcus had said that he wanted Enok to give a sample of his D.N.A. as soon as possible. Something must have happened since they had spoken to precipitate such a potentially violent intrusion. They went into the lounge and the woman sat in an armchair. “Try not to worry Mrs. Souster. There has been some kind of mistake. Let me go and telephone a man who will be able to help.”  .......In the hallway, Doomlord dialled Sir Marcus’s number. “You had better have a very good reason for your actions!” Doomlord hadn’t needed to introduce himself, Sir Marcus knew the voice. “Doomlord, please come to my office and” “Sir Marcus”, interrupted Doomlord, “until now our relationship has been cordial. Do not believe that I can be summoned at will. You sent your men to take Enok by force, despite giving me your word that we would be left alone. It was only our desire for anonymity that saved those policemen’s` lives!” “Please Doomlord, hear me out! I’m sorry about the way your son was arrested but a leak to the press has meant the case has been given a huge amount of media coverage. I had to take action!”  “I will join you presently in the hope that we can bring about a satisfactory conclusion to the matter. I only hope that Enok is patient!”   Enok felt humiliated as he was charged by the desk sergeant at the police station. The humans little realised how easy it would be for him to break the bonds in which he had been placed. A female police officer removed the handcuffs and her colleague led him to a cell. The policeman opened the door and Enok walked in. The door slammed shut as he looked around, hearing the keys jangling as the door locked. Enok knew that his father would not let them be parted again, that he would not let his son rot in this pathetic prison. However, there remained the fact that it would be difficult for his father to placate the humans over the killings.   Doomlord had teleported into Sir Marcus’s office and listened intently to the senior policeman. “Forensic evidence has revealed that the D.N.A. taken from Stephen Johnson`s clothing matches that taken from a murder victim two years ago. The connection between Enok and the murders could not have come at a worse time. Legislation has been tabled that will insist that you both follow our laws.” Doomlord shouted angrily: “The fate of the individual is unimportant when the survival of the species is at stake. I have killed only for the good of mankind. Those that perished at my hands are a minute fraction of those I have saved!” Shaken by Doomlord`s wrath, Sir Marcus let the air hang silent for several minutes, carefully choosing his next words while being conscious of the alien gazing at him. “I for one appreciate what you have done for us in the past, but your son has killed and action must be taken!” “I understand your dilemma, but you have no power over me and my son is incarcerated only as long as he wishes. I do not yet know what has caused Enok to suffer from such an affliction, but I will help him to deal with it.” “The Prime Minister also believes that to be the case, but he is deeply concerned about these murders.” “A D.N.A. test is pointless. Any subsequent action taken will be mine!” “I’ll have him brought here immediately!” said Sir Marcus reaching for the telephone.   That afternoon, Doomlord and his son were the subjects of a debate in the Houses of Parliament, where a crusading female M.P. had taken the floor. “Our party wants legislation passed which will bring Doomlord and his son to justice for the indiscriminate killings they have committed.” M.P. Stephen Hodges rose to defend Doomlord: “The Right Honourable lady has surely forgotten that without Doomlord and his son we wouldn’t be having this debate. Let me remind her that, at great personal risk, he defeated the Populators of Pollux, their Gemini Plague and the Kangol Warriors to name but some of the aliens we were defenceless against!” The female M.P. was unmoved. “What about the people who lost loved ones in Prattlewell? Doomlord killed everyone in the whole town just to demonstrate his power. Do we just allow them to get away with taking innocent lives? Who are they to judge us?” “You seriously propose to put Doomlord through the criminal justice system?”, said Stephen incredulously. “Yes. If he and his son want to live on Earth, they must abide by our laws. If not, they must leave!” Stephen Hodges shook his head in disbelief. “Surely you are not sanctioning his murder of innocent people in return for his protection?” “Not at all. But having Doomlord as our protector is essential in view of the threats the Earth has faced in recent years!”   Sir Marcus had agreed to let Doomlord speak to his son alone. “Enok, why did you not ask for my help?” Enok looked at the floor. “I did not know how you would react to having a son who feeds off the race that you protect!” Inwardly, Doomlord cursed his long absence and the effect it must have had on his son. “I have had many experiences of Noxian reincarnation, but have not encountered another exhibiting your condition. If I am to help cure you then you must tell me everything.” Enok smiled ruefully. “You do not understand, I need human blood to survive and have begun to derive pleasure from hunting humans. I have tried to suppress my primal instincts but eventually I always kill!” “My son, your condition is indeed more serious than I feared!” Always objective, Doomlord decided that the best course of action was to search for a factor present at the time of Enok`s resurrection that may account for his son’ problem, knowing that there would be repercussions with Enok having been proved a murderer.   With Enok incarcerated, Doomlord had returned to the boarding house. In an attempt to learn more about his son`s condition, he examined a sample of his blood under a microscope. After studying it for only a few moments he had identified the subtle mutation. Doomlord went downstairs into the kitchen, where Mrs. Souster was preparing lunch for herself. “Can you think back to when Mike was about fifteen? I need to know if he was ill.” “That’s a funny question to ask!  I’ll have to think.” She stopped eating and cast her mind back. “Well, I suppose he suffered from colds, but nothing major. Wait, he did go to the doctors because he was run down. He said he was anaemic. I remember having to remind him to take the iron tablets the doctor prescribed.” Still puzzled by her lodger`s enquiry, Mrs Souster went into the lounge to eat her lunch and watch the news on television. Doomlord, not wanting his landlady to become embroiled in his troubles, carefully pondered his next move. Shortly afterwards, he teleported to a London hotel, in proximity to the police station where Enok was being held.   Doomlord had materialised in London, and, in his human disguise, had gone to his room. Locking his door, Doomlord prepared for the next part of his plan to free his son.   At a high security police station, Superintendent Roper, and Inspector Kate Smith were continuing Enok`s interrogation. “It`ll help your defence if you confess,” said Roper, a broad man in his fifties with thinning dark hair. Enok`s continuously taciturn attitude irritated him. “We`ll try again later. You obviously need more time to think things over. Just don`t keep me waiting too long!” Roper and Inspector Kate Smith a tall, dark-haired woman in her thirties left the interview room. “He`s as cold a killer as I`ve known,” said Roper, glancing back in the direction of the interview room. “Let me have a crack at him sir. His mind must be in turmoil keeping his secret hidden for so long.” “If he was human I might agree with you. I don`t think he has a conscience at all.”     The police car travelled slowly down the quiet side street. The officer on the passenger seat spotted the body at the side of the road near some dustbins “Hey Phil, pull up! There’s someone lying at the side of the road!” The driver reversed the car back to where the man lay and they both got out. “Derek, see if you can do anything for him. I’ll radio in.” The policeman stopped in his tracks as the “man” stood and was revealed to be Doomlord. He seized the helpless policeman and lifted him into the air and threw him at his colleague, knocking them both senseless. After dragging the men into a deserted building and stripped one of his uniforms. After binding the two humans securely, Doomlord`s features changed…into the exact likeness of the hapless policeman.  Without delay he got into the police car and drove straight to the police station.   In Roper`s office at the high security police station in central London, Kate raised a concern with her superior before they returned to Enok. “Sir, do you think that it’s possible that Doomlord may try and remove Enok by force? “I’ve considered that possibility. Are you armed?” “Why, yes sir.” “Good. From now on your job is to stay with the prisoner and no-one is allowed into the interview room. As you know, we can identify Doomlord on security cameras and if he walks in here, we should be able to nail him with tranquilisers. If you are in the least bit suspicious of anyone, hit the panic alarm!” Returning to Enok, Kate noticed that some of the police officers were carrying rifles and took them to be the weapons that would fire the tranquilisers that Roper had referred to. As she entered the room, Enok didn`t even acknowledge her entrance. Maybe Roper was right about him not having a conscience. She looked thoughtfully at the prisoner, her hand resting on the gun in her holster. At that moment, the sergeant manning the front desk was talking to a police officer who had been sent to investigate a report of a body in a run down part of the city. “It was a false alarm Sarge.”  “Well, now you’re back, report to C.I.D. All available manpower is to assist in the security of the building.” No-one paid any attention to the two policemen in the busy station as they walked in the direction of the interview room where Enok was being held. There was an armed guard outside and Doomlord noticed the C.C.T.V. camera at the end of the corridor. The features of the policeman seemed to melt and flow as he walked, until they became those of Doomlord! He raised his hand and commanded: “Energiser to disintegrate!” The security camera vanished. The guard was knocked unconscious before he managed to get a shot off.  Doomlord strode into the room to see Kate Smith pointing her gun straight at him. Kate’s eyes were fixed on Doomlord`s as she hit the panic alarm on the wall. A klaxon began to wail. “Doomlord- I’m warning you!” Despite knowing that her weapon was useless against the aliens, Kate stood her ground. Suddenly, Roper and two armed policemen burst in. “Hold your fire- you might hit the Inspector!”  Roper knew that there was no way to stop Doomlord. Although he was a hard, ruthless man, the Superintendent was not short of courage. “Let’s see what you’re made of!” he snarled, swinging a punch at Doomlord. His fist connected heavily with Doomlord`s chin, but he cursed and tottered back in agony, reacting as if he had hit a brick wall. Doomlord, completely unhurt, lifted Roper by the throat and threw him through the window. In the meantime, the other policemen had ganged up on Enok, but to no avail. One flew through the plasterboard of an interior wall, another was sent sliding across the table and the third was thrown through the open door, and, hitting the corridor wall at speed, slid to the ground. More men were running in their direction as Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring. “Teleporting!” commanded the alien, and together with Enok, he vanished from the room. The rain beat hard against the windows of No.10, Downing Street as the vociferous female M.P., who was campaigning for Doomlord and Enok to be tried for murder, continued to put her case forward to the Prime Minister. “Sir. It is imperative that these aliens not be allowed to act as vigilantes. I and many others want justice for his victims!” “I quite agree Carol, but let’s not forget that Doomlord is not human and has in fact saved millions of lives!” “Surely that doesn’t give him the right to play God?” “Look Carol, I quite appreciate where you are coming from, but to our knowledge, Doomlord hasn’t taken an innocent human life in years!” “What about his son?” The Prime Minister, aware that relatives of Doomlord`s victims had instigated this crusade, tried to placate the woman. “We haven’t buried our heads in the sand on this matter. Steps are being taken to…” The Prime Minister’s attention was arrested by a knock on the door. A well- dressed civil servant entered sheepishly. “Sorry to interrupt sir, but we’ve just had an urgent report from the M.E.T. Office.” The Prime Minister frowned. He was never disturbed unless there was a good reason. “I’m sorry, but we must end it there for the time being!” He promptly rose and left the room.   Not far away, Doomlord and Enok had re-materialised in Doomlord`s hotel room.  Hoping to learn of further developments, Enok turned on the radio to listen to the news bulletin. Both he and his father were surprised at the lead story. “Downing Street refuses to confirm a report that a rift in the atmosphere is causing the disintegration of the Antarctic ice shelf at a rate much greater than was previously understood! What we can confirm is that Parliament is in emergency session and it is highly likely that this uncorroborated report from the M.E.T. office is the topic under debate!” “Enok”, said Doomlord gravely, “we must forget our differences with the humans. As mankind’s protector, I cannot standby and watch the planet suffer a catastrophic ecological disaster that I may be able to alleviate!”   In the House of Commons, the Prime Minister had concluded that there was now an official state of emergency. The M.E.T. office report received from scientists in Antarctica, showed conclusively that the ice sheets in the Antarctic had begun melting at a phenomenal speed as a result of damage being done to the atmosphere by man’s chemical emissions. “The entire world is at risk, but at the current rate, the U.K. will have 50% of it’s` land mass underwater in less than three months! Full military assistance will be granted to the police forces throughout the country to help evacuate the areas that will flood and a meeting of the top scientific minds in the world is due to convene later tonight in order to tackle the problem.” Stephen Hodges spoke first as the cross-party debate began:            “Sir, understanding the time frame involved, surely the only course of action open to us is to contact the alien, Doomlord?” Several M.Ps shouted him down. “Doesn’t the Right Honourable gentleman think we have enough problems without relying on a homicidal alien for help?” bawled one opponent, who had barely finished speaking, when Doomlord materialised in the centre of the House. Every member stood up and stared in amazement; armed security men with their guns aimed at the intruder. “Doomlord!” said the Prime Minister, “what is the meaning of this intrusion?” The alien addressed the house: “I am aware of the predicament that the planet is in, and believe I am able to construct a device that will prevent the situation from becoming a catastrophe!” Gasps sounded around the chamber. Could it be that the fugitive alien was once more all that stood between mankind and disaster? “Naturally Doomlord”, said the Prime Minister, “despite recent events, the British government has never doubted your integrity. I think that I speak not only for the entire nation but the entire world when I accept your offer of assistance.” An hour later at 10 Downing Street, Doomlord, the Prime Minister and several top scientists met in the early hours to finalise the plan. “A research facility in Wales will be at your disposal. Our allies inform me that they are preparing the launch site at Cape Canaveral”, said the Prime Minister. “Very well, I will now join my son who will assist me in constructing the device.” The men watched as Doomlord adjusted his energiser ring and uttered the command: “Teleporting!” before vanishing from the room… …to re-materialise at the research institute in the Brecon Beacons. The head of the facility met Doomlord and took him straight to a laboratory, where under his father`s instructions, had already started work. Sir Marcus took his leave and left Doomlord and Enok to their task, a task that would test Doomlord`s superior intelligence to its` limit as father and son attempted to adapt human technology to house energy similar to that emitted from Doomlord`s energiser ring. In an explosive device launched into the stratosphere above Antarctica, the energy released by the detonation would create a force field to bridge the rift in the atmosphere and slow down the thawing of the ice shelves.   Over the next month, while the two aliens toiled diligently, many regions of the globe were suffering flooding on an unparalleled scale. In the United Kingdom, the Thames flood barrier had been severely breached and The Wash in the North Sea had burst flood defences, leaving all land as far as Peterborough under three feet of water. As the emergency services struggled to cope, a seemingly never ending series of telephone calls passed from Number 10 to the head of the research institute in Wales. Doomlord, engrossed in his work, would only say that the device would be completed in due course, his eyes never leaving his work when asked of his progress.   With the flooding around the world entering a new crisis, Doomlord announced that the device was completed. While Doomlord adjusted his ring, Enok picked up the strange cuboid that containing the Noxian energy and went to stand against his father. “Teleporting!”   Doomlord and Enok appeared in the control centre at Cape Canaveral to the sound of clapping. One of the smiling men shook Doomlord by the hand. “I’m Chuck Jackson of N.A.S.A. Are we glad to see you Doomlord? I’ll have the boys install the device in the nose cone immediately!” Two technicians took the large cube from Enok and made their way outside to a lift in the gantry alongside the rocket that would house it. The aliens watched the men work on a monitor in the control room.   When the technicians returned, Chuck initiated the countdown. “We are clear to launch. We have green lights on all systems. Countdown in minus ten minutes and counting!” All eyes were fixed on the rocket as it ignited and soared skywards, Chuck Jackson’s expression one of eager anticipation. “Well, we’re safely up! It just needs the detonation timer to fire on schedule and we’ll know if your plan has worked Doomlord!”   After several tension-filled minutes, the projectile vanished from the radar screen and the men all looked at one another. The sweat poured from Chuck Jackson’s face. Not a word was spoken for several minutes until a voice came from over the intercom. “Our instrumentation indicates that the atmospheric rift has disappeared!” The control room erupted in a chorus of applause and cheering, Chuck Jackson impulsively embracing Doomlord and Enok. “You’ve done it! My God, you’ve done it!” As the men rejoiced, Doomlord and Enok permitted themselves to share in the festivities. ************************************   Teleporting from the control room in Florida, and the men who were still celebrating, Doomlord and Enok knew that they were still faced with the fact that Enok was still wanted for murder. While they remained at the hotel in London during the weeks that followed, an operation began to combat the flooding around the world. Billions of pounds worth of damage had been caused and it would be some time before any semblance of normality would be achieved. Water was being pumped from the disaster areas and in the international community, it became a period unique in history as all worked to the same end.   At the hotel, Doomlord considered his options for the future. The humans would not stop hunting them. His decision to shield Enok from the authorities had made their position untenable. He was deeply troubled as Enok called to him.knocked on his door. Letting his son enter he could see that he was excited. “Father, the news bulletin- the announcer appealed to us on behalf of the Prime Minister. He wishes us to contact him!” Doomlord inwardly treated the news with disdain.“I will go and see him. If this is some kind of ploy then when I return we will prepare to leave the Earth.”   Doomlord materialised in the Prime Minister’s office, much to the politician’s surprise. The head of government dismissed his secretary and offered Doomlord a seat. The alien remained standing. “I believe that you wanted to speak to me?” Also standing, the Prime Minister smiled. “Yes Doomlord. In recognition of your recent service to the world I am in a position to be able to grant you and your son an unofficial pardon. No further attempts will be made by the police to arrest either of you. I must stress though, that the amnesty I now grant you both will only remain in force if no further killing takes place. It would give me the greatest satisfaction if you were to accept this offer, as I am in no doubt as to the value of an ally such as yourself.” Doomlord wagged a finger in reproach. “I accept your offer, but do not believe that I would not act similarly even if I had to remain a fugitive from human justice! I protect mankind as a whole and no nation has power over me!” “Quite- Well-er- thank you once again.” The Prime Minister shook the alien by the hand and watched Doomlord adjust his energiser ring before teleporting…   …back to his hotel room, where Enok eagerly awaited his father’s return and was pleased to hear that the meeting with the Prime Minister had gone well.  “We are going home!”