"How did it go?" his mother asked, hugging Jason shortly. Winston and Cass stood in the door frame to the living room.

"Jason has a new boyfriend!" Brett exclaimed before Jason could answer and fled into the living room, Cass on his feet. Winston, Diane and Jason followed.

Diane blinked. "Did I miss something?"

"Ignore him!" Jason threw a pillow after Brett. "We got everything necessary."

She nodded and grimaced. "And more. I saw the bills. Seems you too had a nice shopping trip," she said with a crooked smile. "At least, show me what you got!"

Brett took out his new belongings with enthusiasm. Cass took out the green shirt. "This is so cool!"

"You should have seen it, Mum," Jason said seriously and Diane looked up from some trousers, Brett was showing her.

"Streets deserted, shops closed. Living so close to the source of the evil, I'd like to think, we know our way around, but I had no idea."

"Blindness is a choice born of fear, nursed by complacency and groomed by comfort," Winston cited and grimaced.

Diane nodded. "Being too close, we shut out the rest of world," she translated. "We were too busy and too afraid to look beyond for too long."

"I talked to one of the shop assistants," Jason ignored the goofy grin of Bretts, "You know, people actually believe, it's their fault."

"Consequences of Global Warming, Environmental Pollution, Deforestation,..." Diane assumed and Jason nodded.

"There was a massive founding wave of new green organisations," he continued, summarising up the talk he had with Miles. "Greenpeace, WWF,... they all have more members than ever before."

Diane's face darkened and Winston got pale. "Oh shit," Cass murmured. "Sorry," she quickly added, when Diane looked at her reproachfully.

Brett looked around. "What?" he asked. "I thought, this is a good thing." He shot a glance at his mother. "Mum, didn't you always complain about people having to less sense for green issues?"

"Brett," Cass started. "don't you get it? The whole thing's gonna blow up!"

Brett blinked and frowned.

"Look," said Winston. "There had been crashes in several stock markets around the globe. The economy has suffered greatly and many people lost all their belongings."

"If they find out," Jason added. "that aliens were responsible, there will be no chance of finding a peaceful solution. Diplomacy will fail even before getting started."

"The green movements will implode," Diane explained. "there will be riots, people on the streets. Radical groups forming..." Winston laid a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, we shall not forget the possibilities, but above all, we have to stay optimistic."

Diane gave him a smile. "Yes, you're right."

"But it was Malakat," Brett objected. "The Ocean People right now in the pyramid, - Shalamorn, Neri, Mera, - they saved the planet!"

"Doesn't matter," Jason answered. "The very second, they find out about this superior technology and its power, they'll stop listening."

"Jason," Diane turned to him. "You should take the new Minifin and get to the pyramid. Shalamorn needs to know about this."

"You're not coming?"

Diane shook her head. "No, I have to talk to your father." She shot a glance at Winston. "And I have to get the President on the phone. We have to speed things up before anything of this gets out."