The life-form lying within the stasis chamber became aware of the drop in containment within moments of the event.

Following the meteorite’s obliteration, the entire region had been riddled with powerful gravity fluctuations and a ferocious electromagnetic pulse. Surprisingly, his first concern had been for the human outpost, situated only six miles away.

He had kept a close eye on the oriental settlers as they added to the facility—little by little, bit by bit—over the years, during the window each brief summer afforded. This was one of the harshest locations in the world and now the self-contained little community was ready for habitation, he had been looking forward to eavesdropping on their everyday affairs as it would help to break the monotony that was his own personal hell.

Surveying the disruption around the outpost filled him with unexpected rage. Although outside the immediate blast radius, the shockwave had caused substantial damage to several of the larger structures and rendered all unshielded electronic equipment inoperative. It would take the humans time to put such last minute problems right and the thought of postponing his much anticipated diversion for another twelve months made him fume . . . until the specifics of this particular conundrum gave him an idea.

Always cunning and ever alert, he extended his will toward the barrier keeping him restrained and discovered he was no longer a mute observer. The meteorite’s intervention has interrupted the flow of power! I can interact with my environment again, albeit minimally. However, that should be enough to . . . ?

With the utmost caution, the incorporeality exerted himself to ensure the surrounding monitors would display a series of feedback loops designed to mislead. He didn’t know how long the current glitch might last, so he set about manipulating the ancillary backups and security overrides too, confident his machinations would take hold before the secondary generator kicked in. Someone will surely be sent to investigate. By the time they arrive, nothing must seem amiss.

Infusing the circuitry of each machine with the energy reserves required to continue functioning at maximum capacity for perhaps three or four weeks, he fell back, fatigued but content in the knowledge his artifice would remain undetected. After all, what’s one more month compared to the millennia I’ve already had to endure? They will no doubt continue to fuss; checking their black sheep are in their pens and that things are as they should be for a while. Prudence dictates I wait a little longer and build up my strength before making my move, so wait I will.

The entity withdrew his mind and, fighting down a rising excitement, reduced the overt manifestation of his presence down to virtually next to nothing.

Time dragged. Just when he thought he might have misjudged the situation, a hooded figure popped out of thin air in the empty space dominating the center of the chamber. Moving like a predator confident in its own lair, that figure spent the next ten minutes scrutinizing various systems and running diagnostics. Apparently satisfied by what they saw, the visitor then stalked across to the other cryo-pods, swept the top covers free of dust, and stooped to peer inside each one in turn.

An eternity passed before the glass above his own prison was wiped clear and a pair of glowing gray eyes crowning a heartless smile started down at him. He held his ethereal breath . . . and then the interloper was gone, as suddenly as she had appeared.

Golden opportunities like this rarely presented themselves. The life-form knew that if he was patient, he’d soon be able to exert more than a passing influence on the machines about him—and of course—on those beings inhabiting the frigid continent above.

Better still, he’d do so without alerting his captors.

Yes, if I play this right, we’ll all three be safely hidden among the teeming billions by the time they discover the truth. And not only will we be able to capitalize on the advances this civilization has made, but the next time I look Artemis in the face, I’ll make sure to wipe that smug smile right off it!

*

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The recently returned Guardian fleet found a very different society to the one it had left—and nowhere more so than its prevalent attitude. But that was most likely due to the harsh realities inflicted upon them in the aftermath of a relentless and brutal bombardment.

Huge quantities of amplified, ultrahigh electromagnetic energy still saturated the atmosphere. Because of that, ninety-nine percent of the largest transformers in most of the major cities had shut down. Without power, purification plants couldn’t pump clean water; gas stations were unable to function; air, traffic and rail systems were rendered inoperable; access to fresh food became difficult; stock markets crashed, and in the absence of a viable means of trade or bargaining, people quickly began to go hungry.

If that were not bad enough, telecommunications and broadcasting networks fell silent, impacting on the quality of those public services remaining. Only the presence of the Guardians prevented the worsening crisis from descending into chaos.

Heading a mammoth relief effort, the Guardians worked diligently to provide necessities for those most in need. Slowly, surely, humanity struggled to regain its feet. As it did so, their benefactors stressed how vital it was to take precautions in order to ensure such a catastrophe could never occur again.

In an unprecedented move, the Lord Conciliator was authorized to propose a solution to answer the world’s extreme penury. If the planet’s leaders were agreeable, the Guardians would implement a tiered, educational program that would accelerate the discovery of scientific, technological and medical understanding in targeted areas. Not only would such a provision allow mankind to rebuild their shattered infrastructure in a uniformed manner, but it would also safeguard their future. The breach between the two sides needed to be healed. What better way to do so than by jumpstarting social and economic growth hundreds of years in a matter of decades.

Within days, those heads of state had a clear an unequivocal reply from a grateful populace who were under no illusions as to the poignancy of their situation: were it not for the Guardians, the human race would now sit alongside the dinosaurs in the annals of history.

Such a stark reversal of fortunes was a bittersweet reminder in other ways too.

Just over a year previously, a malicious crime lord had initiated a surprise attack upon multiple targets during the most violent storm in history. Although the Guardians had reacted with amazing alacrity to that threat, their limited resources were stretched beyond capacity and people had died; only a few in comparison to the number who were saved, true, but those deaths—and the circumstances under which they occurred—caused the public to react in a hostile and petulant manner, sparking a backlash leading to the Guardians ouster from Earth.

Yet unbelievably, here they were just thirteen months later, returned to a civilization that had suffered ecological disaster and untold calamity costing billions of lives, only this time, the Guardians were hailed as its saviors.

In hindsight, that was to be expected, for as the full extent of the Guardians’ exploits emerged, heroism formed a common, most pervasive thread. And nowhere was this typified more than by the story told by the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Colin Lewis, who touched the hearts of millions when he described the sacrifice of two young Guardians who tried to save the life of Richard Williams, the Prime Minister.

During the crisis, Williams—his cabinet, and a number of specialist military advisors—had been at Chequers, the country residence of all British Premiers. In a million-to-one freak accident, a meteor fragment struck their location full on. As the roof came down about them, the elementally gifted Guardians had thrown themselves on Williams and cocooned him within an incredibly strong barrier. Unfortunately, it wasn’t strong enough and the entire party had been hammered more than thirty feet down into the foundations of the basement area by the force of the impact. Williams was killed outright, as was one of his protectors. The other, a woman in her mid-twenties, was mortally wounded.

The survivors, who included Colin Lewis, had been astounded to watch as the severely injured Guardian had crawled across to where Williams lay in a ruined heap, only to try and revive him by pouring her own life essence into his stricken form until she expired.

Because such selfless acts were so commonplace, everyone came to realize how shortsighted they had been. It didn’t take long for a contrite and humbled people to unite and accept the Lord Conciliator’s offer without reservation.

Most of the world’s basic infrastructure remained intact, notwithstanding it was badly damaged. The return of the Guardian armada facilitated the speedy restructuring of an ordered society. Their greatest priorities had been the provision of drinkable water, suitable shelter for the sick and injured, and the restoration of a sustainable power supply and communications network. Once these had been established, other amenities swiftly followed suit across the board.

As mankind breathed a huge sigh of relief, the Guardians kept their word, announcing the first of the seminars introducing a sharing of knowledge would begin the following month, at a special conference to be held in a place synonymous for neutrality between opposing sides: Switzerland.

At the time, the Guardians didn’t realize that their benevolence would provide another group of people a fresh opportunity to begin their scheming anew.