At the government research facility in Buckinghamshire a meeting of top government officials and military top brass was taking place. Also present were several executives from the American Cyberdine Corporation. They all sat down as General Billiar of the British Army entered and took the podium.“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Three years ago, a few months after the end of the Eugenics War the government awarded a contract to Cyberdine to build a new form of protection for our country. Ladies and gentlemen, today I am about to unveil the final product.”
Billiar pushed a button on the podium and the screen behind hi began to move. The crowd gasped as two huge robots were now visible.
“I give you this country’s new means of protection.” said Billiar. “The Sentinel!”
“Didn’t the Sentinel program in the States go wrong?” asked one.
“That was the old model.” said Billiar. “This is the new Terminator series. They have a fail safe. They will not go wrong.”
Then the Home Secretary, Simon Kennedy, stepped forward from his front row seat.
“With all respect to Cyberdine I don’t think these things are needed. Anglo-Force can protect this country and for a fraction of the cost.”
“Then why didn’t you try to stop this program Mr. Kennedy?” asked Billiar.
“You know the answer to that question.” Kennedy replied. “The contract was awarded three years ago by my predecessor. Two years later Anglo-Force were formed. If I had stopped the contract it would have cost the country millions!”
“I would rather be protected by these machines than by a bunch of genetic misfits.” said Billiar. “To e there’s not much difference between those in Anglo-Force and those created for the Eugenics Program.”
“Mutants didn’t have death and destruction programmed into their minds.” Kennedy retaliated. “These machines could go wrong.”
“They won’t!” said Billiar.
The light appeared in the sky, and suddenly a man dropped out of it. Space Ghost soon landed on the ground and with a resounding thud. He shook his head and groaned, trying to shake off the cobwebs. Slowly he raised his head and looked around. There was rubble and rubbish lying everywhere.
“Oh no!” he said to himself. “It’s gone wrong! I haven’t travelled through tie!”
He slowly dragged himself to his feet and began to walk towards the exit of the alleyway. As he walked he began to hear voices. He soon emerged onto a busy street. It then struck him.
“It worked! I’m back in the year 2000! But why?”
Space Ghost looked down at his wrist and saw the communications device that was on his wrist. After pressing a button an image on the small screen. It was an image of Anglo-Force.
“Now I remember! I was here to stop Simon Kennedy’s killing! But which one of them was the killer? Why can’t I remember?”
A plan began to form in his mind.
“If I can’t remember which one of them killed him then I’ll have to kill them all!”
Arthur Pen dragon and Daniel Reid walked through the corridors of the Voltanian Embassy in London. They were soon showed to a large room. Inside the room was the crown prince of Voltania, T’Chuka. He warmly greeted his two guests.
“Arthur! Daniel! It is good to see you again!”
“Likewise your highness!” said Pendragon.
“Please, none of that royalty nonsense! We are friends! Come, sit!”
The three of them were soon seated in large leather armchairs.
“I was wondering why you wanted to see us.” said Pendragon. “Your visit to our country was not announced anywhere.”
“This is because this is a private visit.” T’Chuka replied. “I wanted to see you for a reason. I thought that as James was recently married to the lovely Katrina I would speak to you, his second, instead. You see, tomorrow morning I will make a very special announcement. I am appointing myself Voltanian Ambassador to the Court of St. James!”
“Why?” asked Reid.
“Because I would like to enrol my young sister in Magus’ new school. During the New Age campaign she showed a certain recklessness. She is like a rough diamond at the moment. I would like Magus to smooth out those edges. I believe the end product will be very good. At the same time I would like to help you by becoming a member of Anglo-Force!”
“Are you sure?” said Pendragon. “Surely as ambassador to Britain you would be too busy to take up full membership.”
“You are a practising lawyer are you not? You manage to find time for both things.”
“But I have no private life to speak of. A few others of us have expressed a similar concern. That is why James wants to push the membership to sixteen so he can rotate things.”
“Which is why I think you need me.” said T’Chuka.
“Well, I can’t give you a definite answer now because I would have to speak with James first.”
“I understand. Perhaps I could make the announcement of my membership at the same time as my other announcement.”
“Perhaps. I will speak to you as soon as possible.”
From his point of view high in the sky above the countryside Space Ghost could soon see his target – the Anglo-Force mansion. He soon accelerated to full speed and set his arm bands to maximum power. He then began his attack, firing energy blast after energy blast at the main building. Inside they did not know what was going on.
“We’re under attack!” said McCloud.
“Yes, but from who?” said Watt.
Magus sat down at the main control panel and operated the scanners. As another energy blast struck the building Magus got a visual of their attacker.
“You’re not going to believe this!” he said. “It’s Space Ghost!”
Watt joined Magus at the control station.
“Space Ghost? Why would he be attacking us?”
“And how did he return to our time?” asked Magus.
“Our first priority should be our safety shouldn’t it?” said McCloud.
“I’m ahead of you Duncan.” said Magus.
With a flick of a switch Magus activated the mansion’s defence systems. Space Ghost fired more energy blasts but this tie they just bounced off the defence shields. They then fired the laser cannons, but the man from the future managed to dodge out of the way. Then he started to build up a massive amount of energy in his power bands, so massive that when he fired he destroyed the shields and made a large hole in one of the walls.
“How the hell did he do that?” said McCloud.
“Let’s worry about that later.” said Watt, calling a full alert.
Soon Watt and McCloud were joined in the corridor by Fire-Master and Red Sun. They arrived just in time to see Space Ghost enter the building. Fire-Master and Red Sun fired their blasts at Space Ghost but he managed to bring his shields up in time. He then countered with another blast of his own which sent the two of them flying. McCloud then leapt forward but soon found that his sword was red hot and he had to drop it. It was then the turn of Watt. Space Ghost tried to hit him with a heat rat but found that the Captain was too quick for him. He did not see Watt sneak up behind him and grab him around his neck.
“Quickly!” Watt shouted to McCloud. “Take those bands off his wrists!”
McCloud quickly did as he was asked and Space Ghost was now without his power.
“Why are you here?” asked Watt. “Why are you attacking us?”
“Because...you...sent me...here to!”
A now much calmer Space Ghost sat in the meeting chamber with Watt, Magus, McCloud, Red Sun, Fire-Master and Colossus One. Space Ghost found himself surrounded by many sceptics.
“You claim to be Space Ghost, but you say we’ve never met before.” said Watt. “Yet we’ve worked together twice before!”
“The first time I met you was over forty years from now, during the war!”
“Tell us again why you’re here.” said Magus.
“Next year a bill will go through parliament outlawing all mutants, and soon after all those with special abilities. Then in a few years from now nuclear war will break out, with the only ones capable of stopping the carnage, the mutants, out of the way. The only man who objected to the bill and the only one who could have stopped it will be assassinated tomorrow night. Simon Kennedy will be killed tomorrow night, and one of you will kill him!”
“One of us?” said Watt. “As Mr. X Kennedy was one of us!”
“Who is the killer?” asked Red Sun.
“I can’t remember.” replied Space Ghost. “Something went wrong while I was in transit, something happened to my mind. All I know is that one of you killed him!”
Watt turned to Magus.
“Is there any way you can verify his story?” he asked. “Any way of showing that he is the real Space Ghost and he is telling the truth?”
“Telepathy.”
Magus then got to his feet and placed his hand on Space Ghost’s temple. Then images began to flood into his mind. Images of death and destruction. He saw the nuclear holocaust, the Terminators hunting down almost everyone in sight. He then saw Watt and the elderly Daniel Reid, and the gravestones marking the graves of his fellow Anglo-Force members. He then opened his eyes. A solemn look appeared on his face.
“He speaks the truth.” he said. “It appears that history was not changed the last time someone from his time came here.”
“Someone else from the future came here?” said Space Ghost. “Who?”
“That is another story.” said Watt.
Then the computer came to life.
“That must be Arthur and Daniel back from London.” said Watt.
He pressed a button on the panel behind him.
“Arthur, Daniel, can you join us in the meeting chamber?”
A few minutes later Reid entered the chamber. The first thing he saw was Space Ghost staring at him.
“You should have said we have a guest.” he said. “Hello, I’m Daniel Reid.”
“I know.” said Space Ghost.
Then they heard footsteps as Pendragon soon entered. He was holding a glass of water.
“Sorry I didn’t come straight here. I was dying for a drink.”
Suddenly Space Ghost leapt to his feet and pressed a button on his power bands.
“You! You are the assassin! Die!”
Space Ghost fired an energy blast at Pendragon, who only just managed to get out of the way. Space Ghost then found himself restrained by Watt.
“You bloody idiot!” he said. “Are you mad?”
“He’s the assassin!” screamed Space Ghost. “He killed Simon Kennedy!”
“Why would I want to kill Simon Kennedy?” said Pendragon. “He’s my friend!”
“I don’t know!” said Space Ghost. “All I know is that you caused my future!”
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