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that.”
    Nikolas interrupted, “This can wait. I have a mission to go on. I am sure there will be time for this when I get back.”
    Nikolas walked to the elevator with Daniel, Erik and the twelve Rebels that had survived the tests, their neck restraints turned on just in case anyone tried to escape. The elevator descended a hundred and fifty feet below helipad eight to helipad six. They took an air-transport to the hangar, where the ship awaited them. The hangar, located nearest to the volatile ocean, stretched half the width of the command center. Inside there were thousands of fighters and transport tankers. Some of them were being replaced or repaired by mechanics and aviation technicians. As Nikolas walked to his ship, Daniel stopped him and whispered in his ears, “Remember. If you try to contact John Howe or do anything to compromise the mission, our three hundred soldiers are on guard.” Nikolas flashed a quick smile and left him.
    John observed the fireplace, as if inspecting it—
    “What is the Red Serpent?” Alex asked.
    John turned around and looked at his mother, who sat on a nearby recliner observing the two of them. “Now Mom, this will be a first for you as well, I suppose.”
    “Yes, it will be,” Helen paused, “well, you do know who it is, right?”
    “You mean no one has any idea what or who this Serpent is?” Alex was intrigued.
    “In fact,” said John, “Not even any of the vampires know, except for Anaxagoras.”
    “Okay, so we don’t even know what we’re fighting?” Alex said, walking around, trying to digest everything. “I’m guessing he’s the originator of the vampire race, right?”
    “You could say that, yes,” said John. “I don’t know his true identity, but I’ve been researching it and I found stories of him amongst the ancient Sumerian scriptures and even from Genesis. He could be the serpent from Genesis.”
    “You’re saying it’s the Devil?” Alex smiled. “That’s a little too esoteric for me.”
    “Alex, please be serious. I said I’m still researching. What I can tell you is that after the War of the Eight Kings, Anaxagoras was stronger than ever. But he had no heir and wanted to die. But a man came, whom your grandfather called the Red Serpent, and gave him new life through his own blood.”
    “I know he killed my father, but...” Alex sighed. “This sounds like something from Shakespeare or a Greek play. I hardly knew my father, and I don’t understand why I have to kill my grandfather. For revenge?”
    “Because the prophecy...”
    “...because the prophecy says so,” Alex finished. “But if he is my grandfather, there must be another way.” He felt an anger rising up within him. “And why am I being used as propaganda for my father’s rebellious beliefs? Why am I made this ‘god’ who’s supposed to avenge everybody?”
    Grandma Howe and John said nothing. They knew he was right. But what could be done about it? This was only the beginning.
    John breathed in and smiled with a teary twinkle in his eyes. “Alex,” he said, moving closer to his nephew, “You once told me that you would do anything to see the real Earth, to one day regain what we lost. That,” he grabbed him by the arms, “is not nor ever was your destiny. Your destiny was written by your father and has been told to you by your mother. Nick told me that your father died in peace with a blissful smile on his face because he knew you would be the one to defeat Anaxagoras and save us all. Perhaps that’s why his body never combusted. My theory is that the curse of the vampires never touched him. I truly believe that.” He stretched out his arms and gestured towards the library. “You think you don’t have any reason to kill your grandfather but, when you read these books, you will change your mind. And you may not know your father, but you will now.” With a magnifying glass John deciphered what was written on the right side corner of the back cover of his book.