before the picture went black. It leaned back and took a deep breath and felt his shaking start. It appeared there was going to soon be an open couch on the Council. It knew the real reason it couldn’t use the reserve fleets was because he had taken one of the next generation of battleships and used it to destroy a planet in the new harvesting. Returning it to the reserve fleets was an error that would have gotten him killed. He had rushed and brought other ships back following the Second’s orders, which he had previously ignored, once he learned of the spore. He knew those fleets were contaminated when he brought those ships back but it was the only way to save him from certain death. It was a good thing the Second had issued that order several thousand cycles ago. It turned to its board and sent the self destruct signal to the old facilities and fleets. Four hundred planets exploded and more than eight million ships and crews ceased to exist. Now it could begin the construction of the fleets and processing centers. It was angry about the long time he was going to have to remain awake to build the new structures but he looked forward to destroying eight universes. He never tired of seeing death and destruction of other species and this was worth staying awake to view. It would provide many pleasant dreams when he returned to his couch.
Chapter Five
Dani jerked wide awake from a nightmare that had her trembling, “Robby!!”
“What’s wrong!?!”
“I need you here, now!!”
Scotty teleported to Dani’s room on Bristone and reached for her. He saw her shaking and crying out of control, “What’s wrong. Tell me what’s wrong!”
Dani was breathing short breaths as she held on to Robby with all her strength. Robby wrapped her in his arms and said, “Shhhh, everything’s alright. I’m here now.” He rocked her slowly in his arms and she began to slow her breathing.
After twenty minutes Dani’s breathing slowed to a point where she was able to say with a quivering voice, “Everyone is going to die, Robby. Everyone.”
Robby fought hard not to over react but felt his heart rate increase, “What do you mean?”
“I’ve had a vision and everyone living in this universe is going to die.”
“Show me, Dani.”
Dani let him into her mind and he saw the vision she had just experienced. As Scotty watched, he felt his anxiety level skyrocket, “Are you sure this is a vision?” Dani leaned back and looked at him; he sighed and shook his head, “I was hoping I saw it wrong. We need to tell my parents.”
Both of them suddenly started trembling. Dani wailed, “We can’t tell anyone!”
Robby was stunned; his sense of danger went off the scale when he thought about warning Scotty and Julie. The danger level was lower when he thought about saying nothing. “Oh, Robby, everyone is going to die.”
Robby saw the vision of Bristone burning. The atmosphere had been blown away by one of the giant Black Ships and the continents were cracked down to the planet’s core, causing molten rock to spew miles above the dead planet’s surface. He saw that all of the Empire’s planets were burning just like Bristone. He knew from the vision that no planet with an intelligent species on it in this universe was still alive and that trillions had died in agony. He also saw that he and Dani were on Bristone’s surface talking with his parents when the beam was fired. He heard the warning from Anglo and looked up at the night sky just before the Invader fired that terrible beam.
Dani put her head on his chest and continued to cry. This was a psychic vision and it was going to happen; there was no avoiding it and nothing could stop it. He looked at it again and felt fear and anger in equal measure. He looked down at Dani and took a deep breath. There was a reason for this; there had to be. He had to find it. He knew that even if he found it, life in this universe was ending soon and he couldn’t warn anyone about what was coming.
He held Dani through the night and couldn’t get the vision out of his mind. He knew Dani was suffering from what she saw but he didn’t have the words to comfort her. He was shocked beyond words and fought to control his anger at a Creator that would allow the death of so many worlds. Finally, Dani took a deep breath, got up, went to the kitchen and filled a bowl with ice cream. Scotty followed her and she said, “Ice cream always makes me feel better. We need to think this thing through and we can’t if we allow our fear to overwhelm us.”
Robby filled a bowl with cookies and then put the ice cream on top. Dani furrowed her brow and he said, “Cookies always makes it better.” She reached over and put a layer of cookies on top of her bowl.
They ate in silence and Dani said, “Why are we being warned?”
Robby shook his head and chewed the cookies for a moment, “We can’t prevent what we’ve seen.” Dani nodded. “That means something must be done to reduce the damage of this vision. Otherwise, there would be no reason for seeing it.”
“There’s one other reason.”
“What is that?”
“This has to happen to prevent a larger harm.”
“What could be worse than this?”
“I don’t know but I sense that is the reason.”
Robby pondered her idea and said, “We have always said that psychics appear at a time when creation is out of balance. When evil is threatening the balance, psychics appear. Do you think our universe is a pawn in the larger game?”
Dani looked at Robby and nodded, “Picture the Creative Force as a parent and the universes are its children. These Orange Creatures are killing the children of this Force. We are shocked and angered at what’s going to happen here but how many other universes have died at the hands of the Invaders. If we have to die to stop them, we will. If we attempt to change the future, I sense we will still be destroyed but greater harm will follow. The Invaders may not be stopped.”
“So why have we been warned?”
“I don’t know but we can’t tell anyone. Do you understand that?”
Robby nodded.”
“I’m serious, Robby. Your parents are going to die. Can you stand by and watch that happen?”
Robby took a deep breath, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”
“We are there with them, Robby.”
“I think that is the reason for this vision, Dani.”
Dani tilted her head, “Why do you say that?”
“We know it’s coming; we have armor and can teleport out. This warning gives us enough time to react before we’re hit. This vision is to save us.”
Dani looked him in the eyes and nodded, “Then if we are going to be saved, there must be others that can also survive.” She thought a few moments and sighed, “Here’s what we’ll do. We can’t do anything to prevent this but we can determine what we can do to minimize it by making sure we look at every future decision and determine the level of danger. If it’s high, we can’t do it. Will you agree to do this?”
“That means we can’t offer any choices. It may impact what’s coming in a very bad way.”
Dani looked at Robby and he saw a small smile, “What?”
“I suspect that it’s not us that are being saved.”
Robby stared at her, “I don’t see any other possibilities.”
“It could be our children.”
“But we don’t have any children.”
Dani stared at him and Robby wondered what she meant. Then he understood, “Not right now, right.”
Dani reached and hugged his neck, “No, not at this moment. Give it a few months.”
Robby hugged her and kissed his wife. He looked inside and knew she was right. He focused on her and could feel the child.
Dani signed and said, “I’ve wondered why Timmy and Virze were made the new rulers of the Empire instead of us. Now I know.”
Robby thought about it and slowly nodded, “You have always been better at this than me. Timmy’s decisions
