Chapter 10: Solstice
June 19, 2041
Somewhere between Earth and Mars…
"Tiananmen Square is in chaos today as members of the Celestial Emperor Society held demonstrations and protests in and around government buildings as well as the square itself with many clashing with riot police and local law enforcement. They have been calling for the removal of the Central Committee in order to initiate a transition of power and change in government from the current communist state to China's former monarchy, once controlled by the Emperor. The cult has apparently existed in various forms as an underground anti-communist group for nearly a century since the Republic's founding but only recently surged in popularity with the Message that was broadcast to the world five months ago. Since then their ranks have swelled with new members as an upsurge in populist sentiment has been sweeping China as well as many other nations in recent months. They believe that the unknown intelligence behind the Message which many have taken to calling 'The Visitor', is the Celestial Emperor and their ultimate leader. According to several sources close to the group many within the Society see the Celestial Emperor as a messianic figure who will return from 'heaven' to restore the rule of the Empire and bring about widespread social change and effective governance among other claims. The last Emperor Pu Yi was removed from power in 1945 following the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War with the People's Republic of China being instituted in its place. The Society considers this a usurpation of the Emperor's office and claims that when the Visitor arrives the Emperor will be restored to his rightful place as ruler of all China."
"-British Parliament was suspended today on the eve of the summer solstice to allow members time to visit their families before the event takes place sometime tomorrow. Most government offices will remain open during the day but expect to close early in the wake of-"
"The French Prime Minister remains cautiously optimistic in the face of riots and hysteria which has been gripping much of France in recent days as the event draws near. Police and even branches of the military have been called in to assist with-"
"Saudi Arabia's armed forces as well as other Middle Eastern nations continue to be on high alert and will remain so for several days in case the Visitor is deemed to be hostile or initiates hostilities. NATO forces have also taken up defensive positions around major military installations across Europe and say that the various nations' airborne strike forces will be ready to mobilize within minutes if necessary. Across the Atlantic the United States has confirmed that its ground, sea, and air forces are on standby and ready to take action if need the President has repeatedly stated-"
"The UN is expected to be in full session tomorrow with all members expected to attend. This is one of the few times the Security Council and all other nations have sent representatives to ensure their voice is heard during the proceedings. It is hoped that the Visitor will speak with the collective member nations regarding their intentions and-"
"North Korea's Kim Sun Ki has vowed to use 'immediate and overwhelming force' should the Visitor prove to be hostile to his country's interests or if any other nation attempts to use the Visitor's arrival as a smokescreen for any form of military action or covert operations against the small nuclear dictatorship. The Supreme Leader did not specify what means he would use to achieve this but with the regime completing their nuclear program in 2021 under Kim Jong-un despite harsh UN sanctions it is believed that nuclear weapons could play a role..."
"The Dow Jones and S&P 500 continue to fluctuate in the wake of recent events. The New York Stock Exchange as well as other global exchanges have already closed and will not reopen for at least the next 72 hours. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve confirmed that this is being done in order to give global markets a chance to stabilize before and after tomorrow's event and prevent a potential global market crash in response to possible hysteria on the part of investors. It is unknown how this event will shape the world markets in the weeks to come but many speculate-"
"The Anti-Christ shall come in the form of the Dragon! That old serpent known as The Devil and Satan and he shall deceive the nations of the world! For it shall be given unto him a mouth speaking great lies and blasphemies! He shall sway the people of the world to his banner and all men shall follow after him unto destruction! But you, my children! You must hold fast in the wake of this foul beast's wicked and empty promises! Stand firm against this great wickedness for the Lord shall be our shield!"
"Well that's amusing." Davis remarked, his face holding a smirk as his solid holographic body stood in the throne room next to Prometheus and Arianasa. "I especially like the bit with China's cult. Seems like you have some eager and willing followers there already. I would love to see their reactions if you were to show up in Tiananmen Square in your dragon form, aura blazing all around you."
Prometheus snorted in amusement. "It would no doubt be amusing for several seconds until they all ran in fear of me. I doubt such an approach would be helpful in turning them to our cause."
"And the religious nuts?" He asked with a smile.
Prometheus rolled his eyes. "Obviously many such organizations will distrust me given their holy texts often refer to the enemy of god as a dragon or other such thing. I must remember to address that and not show any sort of preference for one religious group or another."
"You will have a lot to prove." Arianasa said with a sigh. "I'm glad we were able to use this time to discuss strategies and monitor events. The whole world seems to be going crazy in one way or another. Some look forward to tomorrow while many fear it. I only hope we can assuage their fears."
Prometheus nodded. "They are acting as I expected them to act. They are like frightened children searching for some sort of security as the figure cloaked in darkness draws near. But the light will show them that they have nothing to fear."
"I hope you're right." The silver Dragon replied in a fretful tone, her eyes gazing at the chaos displayed on the multiple holographic displays in front of them.
Prometheus rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
The next morning…
Ash made his way through the throngs of people gathered outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, many holding signs either for or against what the various governments were doing in response to the day's event. The avatar had arrived in the city several days ago and had managed to acquire a pass to allow him free access and freedom of movement given his importance to the government over the last several months. He and other captains of industry had been called to the White House numerous times to discuss with the President and his Cabinet the ramifications of the 'Visitor's' arrival and what impact it would have on the world economy as well as the various sectors they controlled. Most of these meetings were not entirely productive as all of the others could only guess as to what would happen, given they did not know anything about the Visitor's intentions. However, they could give the men general updates on what they were planning to do in the near future in response to what the public was doing. Ash himself knew what would happen beforehand as he and Prometheus were constantly linked together but there was no need to tell the President that he was the eyes and ears of the Visitor on Earth. Still, he had been able to offer the President some advanced weapons technology that might come in handy if First Contact went pear-shaped and military force was required. The military top brass had been willing to take whatever they could get their hands on in order to appease their fears and Trans-Dimensional Technologies had been pumping out new next generation weapon systems constantly over the last four months. As the multinational corporation had similar contracts with various other countries around the world who also wanted similar security their other divisions had been focusing on weapon production as well. Normally such a process would have taken a year or two at least from planning to prototype and testing but given they already had the capacity to produce such weapons, it made them appear like miracle workers in the eyes of the various governments and the money had been flowing in by the boatload as a result.
Heading inside the building after showing his pass to security he made his way into the chamber of the General Assembly where the various nations' ambassadors would sit, the room already nearly full. Apparently many had wanted the meeting to take place in the Security Council chambers given their role in world security and peacekeeping but eventually it had been decided that all of the nations of the world should have an equal voice in this historic moment and thus it was going to be held in the place where this sentiment was most embodied. Ash looked about the large and grand room having never seen it before. The massive and tiered circular room was constructed almost like a modern church with rows and columns of comfortable chairs seated behind modern-looking desks, each seat having a permanent placard attached to the desk in front of it based on the name of whatever nation was represented there. The front of the room consisted of a circular dais in emerald green carpet upon which stood a podium and behind it a large judicial looking bench of white and black marble behind which three seats stood with the symbol of the United Nations done in bronze on a large plaque above it on the rear wall.
Several massive television screens were embedded in the walls and above the plaque, allowing everyone to see and here the speaker standing at the podium. Over the years this room as well as the other chambers in the building,had been upgraded to allow for more advanced technology to be incorporated into it. Each member nation had access to an audio feed for not only translation of a foreign speaker but also a direct and encrypted hardline communication link back to their home government if they chose to use it, allowing them to directly receive information regarding policy from those in charge. Holoprojectors built into the desks also allowed a country's leader to speak directly via teleconference in real time if they so desired.
Moving into one of the gallery seats near the back of the room Ash sat down, waiting for the spectacle to begin.
High above the planet the floating city began to slowly enter the atmosphere, angled to arrive off the eastern seaboard of the United States. As people around the city watched the sky, overhead they could see a dark spot appearing like an inkblot slowly spreading across a page. Voices began to rise in excitement and fear as the darkness grew larger and wider with the city sized structure slowly made its way to its destination. In the White House Situation Room the President was seated at the head of the table speaking quickly with his advisers and making sure the communication link to the U.N was established when one of the Joint Chiefs suddenly entered the room with the others following after him.
"Mr. President!" The man said quickly.
"What is it General?" The President asked.
"It's arrived." The man said simply as he took his seat along with the others.
The President sat forward in his chair. "Do we have visuals?"
"Aircraft have been scrambled to escort it but have orders not to fire except on your order or they come under attack." The man said. "We should also be getting live satellite feed in a moment."
Seconds later the large screen at the end of the room suddenly lit up with a real time overhead view of the massive structure slowly moving towards the ground with New York's urban sprawl in the distance. Every eye in the room grew wide as they laid eyes on the first example of an intelligently designed structure created beyond the bounds of Earth.
"My god…" one of the Generals muttered, "look at the size of that thing!"
"They actually built a city on top of an asteroid?" Another asked incredulously.
"Notice the shimmering in the air around it." A third commented. "Some kind of shielding I'll wager. Maybe something to hold in atmosphere."
"Let's hope it's the same as ours." One of the aides remarked quietly. "I'd hate to have them take their first step onto Earth and start suffocating."
"I'm sure they planned for that." The President said firmly. "You don't plan a long journey like this and not take into account things like different atmosphere and microbial life. That's common sense. I'm no astronaut but if I can think of it they surely did."
"If I'm not mistaken that looks to be a giant pyramid in the middle of the city." One of the senior aides suggested. "Seat of government or religious worship perhaps."
The others nodded thoughtfully. "Curious that they'd use something like that from our history." One of the Generals suggested.
"Or it could be as simple as wanting to use basic geometry." Another man said. "Notice the grid pattern of the walkways and the various buildings. All of them have geometric designs on them. This city was obviously laid out with a lot of planning and understanding of mathematics so a pyramid would hardly be out of place."
The others nodded thoughtfully while at the same moment, high in the air above New York, multiple fighter jets flew in a holding pattern above and around the massive city, their cameras taking several shots per second. Ostensibly this was to record the historic event as it happened but the pilots knew these pictures would be sent to intelligence agencies and data analysts across the country and possibly even the world to obtain any hard data they could on the massive structure.
Deep inside the megastructure Davis calmly watched the various planes buzz around the perimeter like groups of flies, a thousand sensors trained on their every move while just as many probed the airspace beyond for any signs of military assets being launched against them. The massive supercomputer was also monitoring as much terrestrial communications traffic as it could but the fact that every communication band and frequency was nearly at capacity it was difficult even for him to observe everything. Switching his focus he eliminated ranges used for civilian and commercial purposes and examined government and military bands in more detail, ready to alert Prometheus if there was even the slightest hint of comms chatter indicating an imminent attack. Within the pyramid itself Prometheus sat upon his throne, observing the multitude of holographic screens before him as he mentally prepared himself for what was to come. He would have but one shot to make a powerful and positive first impression with the nations of Earth and any mis-steps could prove disastrous to his goals. Most of the servants he had brought with him were remaining in their residences to watch the proceedings but were prepared to assist him at a moment's notice should he require it.
The structure slowed, floating two hundred feet above the city's Lower Bay. Within the Council chamber itself the representatives' eyes were glued to the various screens as they watched the several miles wide structure float there serenely, its metallic buildings glittering in the morning sunlight.
"It's not possible!" Ash heard someone nearby whisper incredulously. "Nothing that heavy could be held up and made to float like that! You'd need engines big enough to-"
"Quiet!" Someone else said to them in a harsh whisper back. "Secretary-General is speaking!"
The pounding of a gavel echoed throughout the large room as the current Secretary General of the United Nations stood, his European face displayed around the room on the various screens, flanked by the Under-Secretary and the President of the General Assembly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, heads of state, ambassadors and delegates, members of the press, and all others who are here today, I thank you for joining us on this most auspicious of occasions. Six months ago the world received a transmission from an unknown source. This message was broadcast in every major language and dialect around the world and all heard the same message. It was a message of arrival, of promise, of potential, and of peace. It spoke of what humankind could become and what the individual broadcasting the message could offer us in exchange for our understanding and our goodwill. Over the months that followed many have feared what this visitor could represent and what they might do should their words prove to be false. But all of us have waited, whether in fear or anticipation, with a sense of excitement and wonder for what will happen this day. As you all have seen the visitor has arrived as they said they would, and now we wait for them to contact us again. But before we open this meeting I ask all of you, here and now, for the sake of our future, for the sake of our children and all who come after us, to choose your words with respect, choose your words with restraint, and choose your words with honesty in mind. Never before in the history of the world has an event such as this occurred and we must be prepared to show this visitor what humanity can be when it rises to the occasion and works for the betterment of all. We must show them the virtues humanity can offer and that we are worthy of what the visitor has offered."
"Thank you." The man said, seating himself as the room filled with applause. .
Prometheus smiled, having watched the entire speech from his throne, before nodding at Davis. And now it is my turn.
Within the Council chamber the screens on the walls suddenly came to life with bursts of golden light and static. Everyone in the room jumped at the suddenness of the sight before Prometheus began to speak in his deep, rolling voice, each of them hearing him in their native tongue.
"Representatives of your world, I greet you in the name of peace. After the transmission of my message I watched from afar as you made your preparations to meet with me. I am aware of the forces and weapons you have made ready should you believe me to be hostile. While I am saddened that you felt these preparations were necessary I do not hold such actions against you, for I know it is only caution and pragmatism that inspired them. Mr. Secretary-General I heard your words moments ago and I am grateful that you have chosen the path of honesty and courtesy for it shows you are an enlightened people. As you see I have not appeared before you in physical form for in me there is no nation above another, there is no tongue above another, there is no people above another, all are equal to me. And yet, I would speak to you as a human being speaks to another human being, clothed in flesh and speaking with a human voice that I might establish a rapport with all who look upon me. To that end I would search out one among you who is willing and unafraid to be my vessel, my avatar, my mouthpiece."
The Secretary-General looked around at the nervous faces in the room before speaking. "And what would this 'search' entail?" He asked carefully.
"Speaking simply I would scan the minds of those in the room to determine their suitability for being my conduit. Are there any here who are willing to be that conduit?"
Ash smirked inwardly as he saw the various delegates looking about at each other anxiously. Naturally all of them were unwilling to have their minds examined in any way for fear of the 'visitor' learning some state secret they held in trust or a personally embarrassing memory they would never want known to another person. Of course Prometheus would have no intention of searching out such secrets but the delegates had no way of knowing this, thus allowing him to be the only one to stand after a few seconds of uneasy silence.
"I will be the conduit for our visitor, if they find me worthy." Ash said solemnly.
The room erupted into furious whispers before the Secretary General banged his gavel several times for silence, looking at Ash piercingly.
"Are you quite certain you understand the potential ramifications of this sir?"
Ash appeared to think for a moment before nodding. "I am aware there are risks involved but I am willing to accept them. Many of us here hold knowledge precious to various governments but I have no such thing to hide, being a businessman and not an ambassador. I believed the visitor's message when they said they had no hostile intent and I believe that still holds true."
The Secretary General looked at him carefully for another moment before nodding. "Very well. If no one has any objections this gentleman will stand as the visitor's proxy and speak through him, assuming our visitor finds him suitable."
"Let him stand before the podium that I may do so."
Ash made his way to the front of the room to stand before the large audience while the Secretary General, Under-Secretary, and President moved from the bench behind it to chairs in the front of the room before the podium as was customary when a presenter spoke. A moment later the video screens went black and a swirl of silver and gold light surrounded Ash, seemingly making him gasp as his eyes began to glow white while his body went taut. There were multiple gasps and murmurs of consternation from the audience as they watched the young man's outfit transform into a spotless white suit with silver etching and gold tie. His face became more lined with age, his hair and goatee changing from black to salt and pepper before the glow faded though Ash's eyes continued to glow white. A moment later he smiled gently at them.
"I find this vessel suitable." He said in a firm and confident manner as he stood before them with his hands clasped loosely behind his back, the video screens lighting up once again to focus on him. "Rest assured that no harm has come to this man. Once I withdraw my presence his mind and body shall become his own once again with full knowledge of what has transpired."
"Allow me to formally introduce myself." He said. "I am known as Prometheus. I come from a world known as Oerth, from a universe different and yet similar to your own. Upon that world I am known as the Luminary of Innovation and God of Technology."
The room burst into frantic whispers again for several moments before Prometheus spoke.
"Long have I watched your world from afar as your society advanced. On my journey to you I observed you carefully. Many questioned the statements I made and the claims I offered in my message but I did not take offense for I did not provide any evidence of them at the time. But I say to you, in the days to come you will witness feats that confirm what I have said is the truth. I have watched and listened as leaders of your various religions denounced me as antithetical to their beliefs, yet in the days to come I shall prove to you that I am a true god. Many of you doubt that I can heal your world and bring your people together, but it shall come to pass if you are willing to accept me and my servants."
As the crowd murmured amongst themselves the Secretary-General spoke. "We look forward to seeing these proofs you speak of in the days to come Prometheus. But for the moment, if you are willing, we would ask questions to find out more about you and where you come from."
Prometheus nodded at this. "Ask your questions Mr. Secretary-General, but know that I may not answer all of them to everyone's satisfaction or not at all, depending on what I am asked."
The man nodded. "Fair enough. First, you say that you come from a different world and a different universe. Might you give us some examples of how it is similar to our own and yet different?"
Prometheus nodded. "I will be happy to do so. The world I came from is what you would call a medieval society. The lands are divided into various kingdoms with monarchs ruling over them and for many centuries technology did not exist there. There also exists, upon this world, what you would call magic. Wizards, sorceresses, and various others are able to tap into the weave of power that surrounds the planet and use it to shape reality to their will, at least to a limited degree. Upon this world there exists many races including human beings as you know them as well as other types of intelligent creatures. Above them all rule the gods who ensure that all aspects of reality function consistently and uniformly, allowing the planet and life to flourish. I am one of those gods. As society advanced and a technological revolution began I was chosen by the others of our pantheon to watch over its development and ensure such innovations did not harm the planet or its people as well as offer guidance and wisdom to those who desired it."
More murmurings filled the room as the members took all of this in before the Secretary-General spoke again.
"You said that you are a god. Might I ask what you mean by this? On our world we have a concept of gods but the definition can be fluid depending on what religion or belief structure is being discussed."
Prometheus smiled indulgently at this. "Of course. I have examined your faiths and the gods you worship as part of my study of you. While they are many and varied there are common themes among all of them, some of which I shall address here, and others later. Broadly speaking you define a god as an immortal being which has control of some aspect of reality, if not all of reality itself. A god creates a system of belief wherein they define who is a servant or follower of theirs and who is not. For those who follow such a god and serve faithfully, an afterlife is offered to them upon their deaths and those who do not serve go on to either annihilation or a different afterlife apart from that god and their followers. Do you agree with this?" He asked them, looking about the room.
As the sea of faces nodded he continued. "Then by these criteria I confirm that I am a god. I am an immortal and cannot be killed or destroyed by mortal means. I control an aspect of reality which I shall prove to you in the coming days. Those who serve me in spirit and in truth shall be granted eternal life in my realm upon their deaths and those who do not shall be denied such a gift. But more than that, allow me to explain what I am not, for many will condemn me for daring to claim divinity. I am not one of the gods from your world either from ancient history or modern times. I am not Yahweh of the Hebrews, nor am I Allah of whom your prophet Mohammed wrote. I am not the risen Christ of your Bible, nor am I Brahma, Zeus, Odin, Ahura Mazda, or any other god you have worshiped. Before your world and its people I refuse these names and titles so that you might know that I come not to deceive you, masquerading as one of them in secret. I am myself and no other."
Elsewhere…
The General smiled grimly at the television set, watching the alien speak in front of the UN as he sat in the bowels of the Strategic Rocket Force's headquarters. In his hands lay a simple gold card with various characters stamped into it. Normally only one man in North Korea had the power to wield that card and the information upon it but the General had decided to expand that number to two, given that the order to launch would be passed to him anyway once the Supreme Leader had given him the command. He had been considering this plan for a long time but the imminent arrival of the alien menace had accelerated his timetable somewhat. Fortunately the Supreme Leader was unlikely to discover what had happened until well after the fact. For all of his brilliance at playing the leadership against each other the man was a fool in many ways. Totally convinced of his own infallibility and right to rule, he had made an endless series of poor choices that would reduce his country to begging for scraps from the rest of the world before long. One of these poor choices was keeping the launch codes for the country's nuclear weapon systems on a simple card he kept with him at all times. It had been a relatively simple matter to have one of his men infiltrate the palace, dressed as one of the Royal Guard, and slip the card from the man's pocket when he was otherwise occupied. He had been worried about his future should the Supreme Leader discover his treachery but this new development had only cemented his thought that this decision was the right one. No alien creature could possibly have his country's interests at heart and once it learned of them and their ways it would undoubtedly destroy them, not only to demonstrate its own might but to gain great favor with the other world powers.
His hand clenched around the card firmly. He would not give them and the world the opportunity they so badly desired! He had sworn an oath to defend this country and he would do so unfailingly!
Activating the terminal in front of him he typed in a sequence of codes known only to him and the Supreme Leader which activated the command and control system for the country's nuclear weapons. Entering the unique codes on the card into the system, it confirmed his authority to launch a moment later. Confirming on a map the coordinates he desired he quickly entered them into the system, the computer confirming them a moment later.
Finally it prompted him for a final launch confirmation.
With a grim smile, confident that even if he were executed for his actions he would die a loyalist to the Royal Family and the nation, he pressed the flashing button.
Across the countryside hidden underground silos opened their hatches revealing the ICBM's within. With a roar of fire the missiles shot from their launchpads into the air and up into the stratosphere.
PAVE PAWS Missile Tracking Station
Beale AFS, California
Alarms began to blare as the massive radar towers relayed data to the computer systems at the nearby installation.
"We have contacts! Six bogeys tracking east, origin North Korea! Estimate reentry in less than twenty minutes! Trajectories indicate target is New York!"
The Commander in charge of the base quickly scanned the radar displays in front of him before picking up a red telephone at his terminal that connected him to the Situation Room at the White House.
"Mr. President, this is Commander Williams at PAVE PAWS. We have an emergency situation that requires your immediate attention!"
In the Situation Room beneath the White House President Pierce's eyes widened as he listened to the Commander.
"You've got to be kidding me!" He exclaimed. "Now of all days...Jesus H. Christ! Link it here and keep me updated!"
The President's mind raced as he tried to find a solution, his eyes quickly glancing over to the briefcase a Marine was holding, the 'nuclear football' containing the launch codes for the country's arsenal, before looking about the room.
"North Korea just launched!" He announced to the room, making everyone sit up in shock. "Six missiles are on their way to New York and will be there in less than twenty minutes! I need options and I need them now! Can we shoot them down in flight?"
"Our automated missile defense system on the coast might get some Mr. President." One of the Generals stated quickly. "But we haven't been able to achieve 100% success in testing."
"I suppose we're about to find out aren't we?" The President asked heavily as another screen quickly lit up showing a wireframe of the continental US and the trejectories of the missiles as NORAD tracked them.
Rising up from armored bunkers the THAAD missile defense system immediately fired several rockets into the sky. Filled with chaff and EMP emitters they were designed to explode near an incoming missile and release its payload as well as generating a small EMP to disable the weapon's guidance systems, assuming the chaff and explosion did not destroy it entirely.
The men in the room watched as the rockets inched closer to their intended targets before small flashes indicated their destruction alongside three of the incoming missiles. The President turned to look at the others.
"Please tell me the ones on the east coast can take care of the rest!"
The looks they were giving him was not good.
"By the time they come within striking distance their warheads will already have separated and launched. They'll be too small for the system to track properly." One said despondently.
"Son of a bitch!" The President swore softly. "There has to be something…"
Suddenly something the Visitor had said clicked in his mind.
"Activate the projector at the UN where the meeting is happening!" He ordered an aide. "Do it now!"
In the chambers of the General Assembly Prometheus was answering another question when the holo-projector in front of the ambassador of the US lit up, displaying the head and shoulders of the President.
"Please forgive the interruption but this is of vital importance!" The President said swiftly, looking at Prometheus. "You stated that you are a god relating to technology! Do you have the power to stop intercontinental ballistic missiles?"
Prometheus gave a wary nod, his eyes narrowed. "I can indeed. I take it from your expression and your question that this is not theoretical?"
The President shook his head. "No, it's not. North Korea just launched six ICBM's from their country towards New York. We were able to take down three with our missile defense system but the others are going to hit in less than five minutes unless you can stop them!"
The room broke out into shouts and cries of fear as everyone stood preparing to flee. Gathering his power Prometheus sent forth his aura, making it erupt throughout the room.
"SILENCE!" He shouted, making every person in the room freeze in shock.
As they turned to look at him with wide eyes Prometheus gazed at them all firmly. "While I had expected to provide you with a demonstration of my power over technology at a later date, this foolish nation has given us an opportunity. Remain calm! You need not fear for I am with you now. Watch and see that my words are true."
Prometheus teleported away with a flash of bright light. Appearing in the sky over New York he transformed into his Dragon form before reaching out to Davis.
Are you still tracking the missiles? He asked.
Of course. Davis replied in a slightly miffed voice. Three ICBMs and their tracks confirmed. ETA three minutes.
Since the little man decided to make a spectacle let us turn this to our advantage. Prometheus decided. I could almost thank him for playing into our hands. I trust that all eyes are on me?
The satellite overhead is trained on your position and the exterior cameras are capturing everything. Davis replied. Show time.
High in the air the missiles separated into their final stages before shooting forward, nearing New York airspace. Prometheus swiftly used a spell upon himself to increase his size several times as he quickly flew to intercept the warheads. Watching on various screens below the assembly gasped as Prometheus caught two of the warheads with his bare hands, the impact pulling him back several yards before he halted with his wings spread wide, the rockets still firing their last stage, his arms quivering slightly but holding them firm in his claws. As the last missile approached, Prometheus opened his mouth and from it emerged a blast of white hot plasma. The stream of ionized gas and flame incinerated the missile and its payload, leaving nothing but molten and radioactive scrap as the missiles he was holding finally disengaged, their fuel spent.
The Dragon god remained in the air for a moment, slowly flapping his wings, before releasing the missiles and using his powers to levitate them above his upturned paws, the remains of the third missile circling him slowly. Prometheus slowly floated towards the ground, the cameras and satellite tracking his every move, until he came to rest at the front of the UN building. Unwilling to wait any longer the horde of people quickly exited through the main doors, staring at Prometheus in disbelief as he gazed at them imperiously.
"Do you believe now that I am who I say I am?" He asked them, his deep voice rolling over them and sending shivers down their spines.
Snapping his claws the two missiles exploded outward while still floating in mid-air, showing their individual components as if he had created an exploded diagram of them in three dimensions. Allowing them to float for a moment he lowered his hands and the pieces fell slowly to the concrete with a series of loud clatters and thuds. Summoning the radioactive material to himself he surrounded the piles with spheres of liquid metal he conjured seemingly from nothing.
"This will keep you safe from the radiation these devices emit." He stated, "Your experts will be able to confirm that these missiles came from North Korea."
The Secretary-General slowly stepped forward. "This hardly seems the time for such a question," he said nervously, "but why have you chosen to be a...well...Dragon?"
Prometheus gave them a calm smile. "In the Universe I come from I have many names. One of them is the Dragon Emperor. But if you find this form worrisome..."
Allowing his body to be engulfed in golden light, Prometheus transformed back into the human form he had used earlier, standing before them with an air of supreme confidence.
"As you stand here before me I see fear in your eyes! But do not fear! Instead I bid you rejoice! Today this world has been spared a great tragedy! Several times over the last one hundred years this world has teetered on the brink of destruction because of weapons such as these and the foolishness of men but it need not remain this way! If you will accept my help this world will be healed! If you heed my counsel this world will know peace! If you will serve me in spirit and in truth this world will know greatness! Come to me all of you who are weary of the old ways! Who wish to see true change! For with me and in me is the seed of a new golden age!"
He paused to look about them for a moment, a compassionate look on his smiling face.
"In the days to come you will see more miracles, ones greater than this for this was but a small sample of my power. Take my words into your hearts and consider them all as you speak to your leaders and your peoples. Tell them of what happened here today and what I have promised. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, for I will give you succor and strength. Take my mantle upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls. For my mantle is easy and my burden is light."
Prometheus spread his hands in invitation as the sirens from emergency vehicles neared in the distance.
