The three towers came crashing down the day I was inaugurated. The Pandorum was a flurry of calls, meetings, and sessions. A week later, Congress voted to go to war. But first, I was to meet the enemy leader -- the so-called Raktishik -- to give him one final chance to leave our planet.

When I stepped off the craft, Raktishik was standing there, skin glowing bright blue. As I shook his hand, he leaned toward my ear and whispered: "Welcome back, son."

I looked down in terror just in time to see the blue glow fade from my hand.