THE EXPLOSION WILL BE VISIBLE ON THE SCREENS IN THIRTY SECONDS WITH THE

SHOCK WAVE FRONT FOUR SECONDS LATER, CAPTAIN.

Save for the mysterious beeping noise, the control room was silent as everyone stared at the doomed system on the screens.

Owing to some unfortunate timing on the part of the other orbiting planets, the gargantuan bomb took them all out in a brilliant ball of green light which filled the main control room screen. Marshia took the shock wave in her stride, hardly shuddering as it washed over her.

Phoenix was the first to speak. “Oops!” he said.