“Daniel, you mean Hercules was real?” wondered Millie Drake. “He really existed?”
“Quite so, my dear Mills,” I replied. “Hercules, or Heracles to give the proper Greek form of his name, was an hybrid -- half human and half Olympianoid, a scion of that immensely powerful alien race that came to Earth in the Bronze Age and became the ‘gods’ of the ancient Greeks and Romans, hmmm?”
“So the mythology about Hercules is actually true then?”
“In some respects, his amazing powers and heroic deeds and legendary journeys are based on reality, just filtered through the beliefs and understandings of the ancient world.”
We were at our headquarters, located as it is within the golden trapezoidal rooftop of a New York skyscraper, and containing our computer equipment as well as a collection of strange artefacts that we have acquired in our storied career as Agents of the Kosmikos, that secret espionage organisation of our people.
I was clad in my usual finery; including a frilled poet shirt, purple velvet suit, jungle boots, and my Star of David necklace. My panama hat and opera cape hung from the near by hallstand.
My companion, Miss Millie Drake, is an exceedingly beautiful young lady; petite and perfect with hair of a rich chestnut hue, enchanting violet eyes, and a sun-kissed complexion. The flowered dress she wore only served to highlight her slender figure.
Also with us was Kit-10, our mobile personal computer that resembles nothing more or less than a small robotic cat. She was currently busy monitoring the systems.
“So the relic that was stolen from the Greek Heritage Museum was actually the Club of Hercules?” Millie enquired.
“It is possible,” I pondered, twiddling my frills. “Our systems are monitoring the entire city, and if any evidence of Olympianoid power shows up, we shall be alerted immediately.”
“So the Club would have gotten some power in it from being used by Hercules himself?”
“”Quite so. His long use of it in his epic exploits would have infused it with certain powers inherited from his Olympianoid ancestry.”
“S--,” suddenly said Kit-10 in her simulated yet pleasantly-feminine voice, “the requested information has been received.”
(It must be noted here that Kit-10, in addition to her other catlike characteristics, is entirely unable to openly show respect to anyone. In fact, the closest she ever comes to it is by referring to me by a slight “s--” sound -- for “sir” -- and Millie by “m--” -- for “ma’am”.)
“Please put it on the main monitor,” I told the electronic feline.
The central computer screen then lit up showing a map of the city with a specific address highlighted.
“By the Triune Star!” I swore. “There is indeed evidence of Olympianoid energy, and it is emanating from the White Way Hotel!”
“We need to get over there right away!” pronounced Millie Drake.
“Indeed so,” I agreed whilst taking my hat and cloak from the stand. “If someone was able to both rob the museum undetected, and to activate the alien energies of the Club of Hercules, then they must be more than human. Come along, my friends, but be vigilant and mindful. This could be an incredibly dangerous mission!” ..
My name is Doctor Daniel Rumanos, and with the magical technology of the legendary Watchers of Algol, I protect Earth from all manner of menace. I am -- The Daemon-Star! …
It was early evening when Millie, Kit-10, and I arrived at the White Way Hotel. After utilising my mentalist abilities to make us unnoticed by the desk clerk, I took the transonic mezuzah from my jacket pocket and activated its scanning abilities as we got on the elevator lift.
“There is indeed evidence of Olympianoid energy,” I said upon reading the resultant information. “It seems to be centred in Suite 718.”
We got off on the seventh floor and carefully made our way to the door of the suite. It was unlocked and opened easily for us.
At first, all looked normal in the luxury hotel suite, but then we noticed a wonder indeed; for resting upon the mantel of the ornate electric fireplace was a large cudgel-like object of petrified wood. Around it were flashes of energy, golden with bits of crimson.
“So is that… ?” stammered Millie Drake.
I pointed the transonic at the strange relic and then read the results.
“It is indeed,” I confirmed. “Readings show it to be many thousands of years old, and the energy is definitely of Olympianoid origin. My friends, -- that is the very Club of Hercules!”
I then changed the setting on the transonic device and briefly pointed it at the suite’s hotel telephone before returning my device to its pocket in my coat.
“Why did you do that, Daniel?” questioned Millie.
“Just a little extra insurance, my dear,” said I. “You see…”
“Danger, s--,” suddenly announced Kit-10. “Danger approaching.”
“Daniel, look!” exclaimed Millie.
I whirled around to see what had startled my companions and beheld a man entering from the other room of the suite, clad as he was in a black business suit with a blood-red necktie. He appeared to be of middle years, his visage still showing signs of handsome distinction despite being marked with the results of lifetimes of extreme unmitigated evil. His hair was long and dark, and his face decorated with a thin moustache and goatee. Most of all his pale eyes shone with an absolute mesmerising glare.
“Greetings, Rumanos and company,” he said, his tone a mocking sneer. “I have been expecting you. As you see, the Club of Hercules is mine, and no one can stop me from using it to establish my domination over this world. No one, do you hear? Not even you!”
Of course, I knew him only too well. He was the renegade Algolite who has become the most dangerous terrorist in all of Time and Space -- as well as my own most bitter foe.
It was Don Wingus!
“You!” I exclaimed. “Of course. Don Wingus, hmmm? I should have known. So you did escape from Abraxas, and returned to steal the Club of Hercules from the Greek Heritage Museum!”
“Oh of course, you prissy poltroon,” replied the villain. “Unlike you, I have continued to use my Algolite abilities for the one and only purpose worth noting -- total world domination!”
“Wingus, you are utterly mad. You know that you cannot properly command the power of the Olympianoids. It has elements of chaos and can far too easily spiral out of control. Even the so-called ‘Greek gods’ themselves had problems with it. Despite being related to our own Algolitish race, their power was not as deeply dedicated to mindfulness and intellect. The Greek philosophers recognised this, and it was acknowledgement of the problem that eventually led to a cessation of the worship of the ancient deities, in stead leading to…”
“Oh do prattle on, Rumanos. You are a particularly grievous example of what exactly is wrong with the society of Algol. Our people have let their ambitions go to waste for far too long, in stead meddling with philosophy and constant study. But I have now tapped the very power of the Club of Hercules, and shall use its Olympianoid energy to make myself god of all!”
With this, the energies issuing from the relic suddenly increased, flowing out and about Don Wingus as he raised his hands in a gesture of control.
“Kit-10,” I said. “Blast him.”
The robotic cat then fired off several shots of her nose-laser, but it was to no avail. The swirling gold and crimson Olympianoid powers easily deflected the bolts away from Wingus.
“My goodness, Daniel,” Millie said, “he is using the power of the Club of Hercules for defence!”
“Indeed, my dear,” I pondered, “but it is his intended offensive use of it that much more concerns me.”
The Olympianoid powers continued to grow stronger around the criminal Don Wingus, swirling and spinning as a terrifying maelstrom of alien energy.
“I cannot be defeated, Rumanos,” he exulted. “The power is mine, and before I use its force to conquer this planet -- shall use it to destroy you! Rumanos, you and your companions shall now die!!”
Then the energies suddenly burst forwards -- directly to-wards Millie Drake, Kit-10, and me!
Do you even begin to recognise the horror, forsooth to understand the sheer terror of the situation in which my companions and I then found ourselves? Can you comprehend the unnameable dreadfulness of what we were then facing? There we were; the lovely Millie Drake, the robotic Kit-10, and me -- Doctor Daniel Rumanos. There we were, challenged by the unredeemable evil of the notorious Don Wingus. There we were, as he unleashed the full power of the legendary Club of Hercules against us -- the very power he then intended to use in order to establish himself as supreme ruler of the world!!
“You will now die along with your friends, Rumanos!” repeated the terrorist. “You will now die, as the first victims of the Olympianoid power that I have revived! Then nothing will stand in the way of my domination of the planet Earth!”
The energies hit us hard, causing Millie and me to gasp in pain, and the mechanical cat to spin around in circles as her systems overheated.
“Die, Rumanos!” Wingus shouted amidst peals of his utterly mad laughter. “Die! Die! Die!”
Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. “Room Service!” came a voice from the corridor.
“What in the Six Stars is that?” raged Don Wingus, glaring to-wards the door. “Who dares to interrupt my triumph?!”
“Daniel,” whispered Millie, “the energies are lessening around us.”
“I know, love,” I replied. “Now, Kit-10!”
The robotic feline now shot off another blast of her nose laser directly at Don Wingus, and this one had a result. He stumbled back several paces in pain.
It was then that the swirling maelstrom of golden and crimson Olympianoid energy completely reversed its course, heading back to-wards the wicked Wingus!
“No!” he bellowed as the energies surrounded him. “You cannot do this to me! I am Magister Wingus, the rightful ruler of this world! I am… I am… No! No! NO!!”
Wingus struggled hard, but it was too late for him. The energy from the Club of Hercules soon had enveloped him entirely, and we heard one final roar of outrage from him before the powers suddenly blinked out of this existence -- taking the notorious Don Wingus with them!
I glanced around the room. All was quiet, and the ancient Club sat motionless on the fireplace mantel.
“Are you all right, Mills?” I asked concernedly.
“Yes, I’m okay now,” she assured me. “Are you okay, Daniel?”
“Absolutely, my dear. What about you, Kit-10?”
“My systems are undamaged and now again functioning normally, s--,” replied the mechanical cat.
“Good shooting, by the way.”
“Of course, s--.”
Millie came over and hugged me.
“So that was what you did when you pointed the transonic at the phone!” she said. “You ordered room service!”
“Quite right,” I affirmed, “and everyone knows that they always show up at a time that annoys the guest -- Don Wingus in this case! His distraction gave us a chance to reverse the course of the Olympianoid energy back to-wards him, and it has taken him away into the inter-dimensional ‘Tartarus’ that is the place of punishment for all who oppose the ancient ‘deities’.”
“But what about the Club?” queried Millie.
I used the transonic to scan the ancient relic before again returning my device to its pocket.
“It appears all of this has drained the last of the energies from the Club of Hercules,” I explained. “It will be safe to return it to the museum.”
There was then a repeat of the knock at the door.
“Well, now that everything is cleared up,” I mused whilst going to answer the door, “we might as well stay and enjoy the dinner I ordered, hmmm? Fortunately, this hotel has some excellent kosher choices.”
“For sure, Daniel!” cheered Millie as the hotel attendant brought in our meal. “That sounds delicious!”
***** DANIEL RUMANOS AND MILLIE DRAKE SHALL RETURN
