The Energon Pub

Castles Made of Sand John H. Evans, March 2026

“Don’t do it.”

“You’ll only make things worse.”

“It’s suicide.”

“Stay home, help us rebuild.”

“We’re begging you.”

“We need you.”

“The enemies aren’t normal. They’re demons.”

“Don’t throw it all away.”

The survivors’ clamour was insistent, persistent. It came from most people on Planet Murfan and also from millions of species across the Andromeda Galaxy. The remnants of the Omnis fleet orbited above its home world Murfan. Only five percent remained functional. The rest had been wrecked in recent space battles. The fleet crews looked down on their devastated world. A Whevon armada had appeared without warning and flattened dozens of cities. The Whevon had soon been driven off but they had already caused the greatest tragedy seen on Murfan for untold millennia. The Omnis had retaliated against Planet Sanujh, the Whevon home world, causing similar levels of destruction. After that, both Omnis and Whevon had changed targets, believing that the Tepela were responsible for the initial attack. They had spread the mayhem to Planet Wevamerda, home world of the Tepela. Of course, the Tepela had retaliated vigorously. Within hours, hostilities had been halted and an armistice agreed. The three races had done enough damage to each other. They decided to investigate the true cause of the attacks. They soon discovered that it was all a trick, a horrifically cruel deception. The real culprits were invaders from the Milky Way Galaxy. They were known as the Transformers.

“Anyone who wants to stay home, leave the ships now,” said Admiral Vwordey, commander of the Omnis fleet. “You won’t be blamed. You won’t be punished. All we ask is that you help in the global recovery programme. The rest of you, stand by.” Virtually all Omnis communications were telepathic. They were completely clear and highly detailed. The division of the crews proceeded swiftly. Those who supported retaliation stayed at their posts. The others prepared to leave. Large numbers of service personnel teleported down to the planet’s surface, either to their families or whatever bases were still intact and operational. The debate about next steps continued.

“Is everyone agreed?” asked Vwordey. “Do we pursue the Transformers? Do we avenge our losses? Do we try to exterminate them?”

“We took an oath to fight our enemies,” said the fleet collective. “We must uphold that oath. The security of Murfan and our people is paramount.”

“This is certainly the right time to attack,” added Vwordey. “The Excisor, our grand tormentor, is no more. The Transformers have moved to another galaxy. Andromeda is safer than ever before. We’ll repair our ships, take on supplies and depart on an intergalactic voyage. We’ll track down the Transformers and inflict maximum damage upon them. Only then will we know peace.” All Omnis already knew that the attack on the Transformers would ultimately be futile. Nevertheless, the troops felt compelled to proceed. It was a matter of pride. They couldn’t bear the shame of failure.

* * * * *

A being of two halves.

It was always strange.

Today, life is fine.

Both halves are well satisfied.

The Great War is long past.

No need to attack each other.

Working together.

Expanding rapidly.

Exploring fourteen major galaxies with more planned.

Oceans of information accumulating daily.

It challenges our abilities.

Can it be stored properly?

Without degradation?

Recallable?

Processable?

Multiple backups?

Unclear! We’re in uncharted territory.

It’s supposed to be beneficial but … the scale of it …

It’s frightening.

* * * * *

“W-why are you here?” asked Imgi as she stood quivering in front of a godlike being, who’d appeared on her world without warning. Whatever it was, it looked down on her and stirred uneasily. That was her first clue that all was not as it seemed. The metal giant glanced at its friends, who nodded their heads in encouragement.

“I know that this will be hard for you to believe,” replied the giant. “We’re very powerful but, nevertheless, we’re frightened. We’ve come to ask for your help.” Imgi looked at the giant, confused and agitated. It seemed masculine in all its ludicrous, excessive strength. She’d think of him as male from now on.

“For Lawk’s sake, explain!” Imgi pleaded. “You’re scrambling my mind with your … plain presence … your simple existence here. I don’t know what to do!”

“I apologise for our simple existence,” said the giant. “Believe me, we wouldn’t normally do this. However, we find ourselves in a quandary and we’ve searched for a solution. We think that you are that solution, at least partially. Would you mind if we show you what we mean via telepathy?”

“It won’t hurt, will it?” asked Imgi.

“Perhaps emotionally,” said the giant. “I’d recommend sitting down and preparing yourself.” There were no seats nearby. Imgi sat on the dusty ground and tried to calm herself. The giant told his story. He kept it relatively short and clear. It was vital that Imgi understood.

His name was Geminex Accord. Until recently, he’d been the undisputed leader of his entire people. Then, their telepathic collective had been re-established after a long and utterly terrifying civil war. A telepathic collective almost always worked better than a non-telepathic hierarchy. Geminex’s leadership wasn’t so important anymore but he was still useful as a figurehead and an exceptionally wise arbitrator.

Geminex was one of the Transformers, a race of electro-mechanical people from the wandering planet Cybertron. They’d been created long ago by the great god Primus, to live freely sometimes and to serve him at other times. They had no choice about serving him. If they refused, he reabsorbed their souls (sparks) and made new Transformers who would serve him. They wanted to break away at some point. They craved independence, which they’d given up long ago in exchange for protection. Imgi learnt about the true perils of the universe. Worse than the ever-present threat of malevolent species, the universe was infested with dark gods who loved to oppress free people everywhere. The Transformers were grateful to be protected from such indescribable monsters, yet they didn’t want to be chained to Primus perpetually. They were slaves, albeit in conditions of utopian luxury. This hi-tech slavery was at the root of their current dilemma. The Transformers were obliged to stay fairly near Primus and do his bidding. They weren’t allowed to flee to distant galaxies, where they’d have more chance of avoiding their looming peril.

And what was this peril? It wasn’t entirely clear but, most likely, it was a race of people from the Andromeda galaxy. They were known as the Omnis and they originated from a planet called Murfan, although they were now much more at home in higher dimensions. They’d become specialists in dimensional manipulation. This had enabled them to avoid attacks from their local dark god, known as the Excisor. Not long ago, this dark god had been banished from the universe. In the process, Omnis society had been devastated by an assault instigated by a highly resourceful, deceptive Transformer. That character was here now. He was part of Geminex. His name was Megatron.

“Are you saying that … this was your fault?” queried Imgi, aghast.

“Unfortunately, yes,” said Geminex. “One half of me attacked the Omnis and caused mass casualties on Murfan. There were similar casualties on other worlds too. The aim was to create chaos and thus give me an advantage in my plans. I didn’t achieve my personal goals but the Excisor’s reign was ended quickly. Millions of races were liberated. It was a great victory, in the end.”

“But your methods were so brutal!” complained Imgi as she assimilated more of the saga. “You caused mass destruction frequently. You didn’t care about the innocent. You treated them as obstacles or pawns in a game. You were despicable!”

“That’s true and now we face a reckoning,” said Geminex. “We believe that the Omnis are pursuing us. They seek vengeance and justice.”

“Can you stop them?” asked Imgi.

“It’s unlikely,” answered Geminex. “They know more about higher dimensions than us. They can strike us whenever and wherever they like. We won’t be able to detect them in time.”

“Too bad,” said Imgi. “How do I fit into this situation?”

“We believe that you can provide us with a hiding place,” said Geminex. “We’d like you to have a child, so that my spark (soul) can hide inside him or her.” Imgi stared at him in disgust. She could see graphic images of his past. His telepathy revealed scenes of wartime atrocity. Megatron had slaughtered billions, on Cybertron and other worlds. Billions more had been made to suffer in various ways. Even the other side of Geminex – the part formerly known as Optimus Prime – had caused a great deal of death and pain during the war. Prime had tried to be merciful but circumstances had compelled him to be ruthless for many years.

“You must’ve known that this was too much to ask,” said Imgi. “Why did you even try? There’s no way that I’d allow you to possess any child of mine!” She gazed at Geminex. He’d been a swift disappointment. However, he’d been completely honest with her. He wasn’t being deceptive anymore. He’d set aside his former position as leader of the Decepticons.

“We understand,” said Geminex. “We won’t ask again. Would you care to know more about us and our eventful history? We give the information freely.” Imgi agreed to learn more. She had some spare time. More importantly, she might never have such an opportunity again. Also, she didn’t want to offend the Transformers too much. They were exceptionally dangerous.

She watched the group of visiting Transformers, who towered over her as she read their memories. She could tell that their minds held far too much information for her to scan in one lifetime. She’d have to narrow down her search. She decided to continue reading Geminex. It was bizarre that such an alien should come directly to her, asking an extremely costly favour. He must know something important, which she could never have guessed.

Geminex had begun as two people who were, at first, like Imgi. Many millions of years ago, they’d begun to incarnate on planets in other galaxies. They’d lived dozens of lifetimes, as males, females and other types of gender. They’d learnt their life lessons and moved on, until they reached one world simultaneously. This was Primus’ home planet. They’d chosen this fate, though they hadn’t realised its severity. They’d been drafted into Primus’ family, which was, in fact, his army and labour force. They’d lived as Transformers ever since, with no chance to do anything else. In the beginning, it’d been interesting but later it’d become quite a slog. Then, one of the two had had the misfortune to become Megatron. He’d chosen it but hadn’t imagined the extent of the reputational damage.

“You committed all those horrendous crimes, deliberately and happily,” commented Imgi. “Why?”

“No, I was never happy,” objected Geminex. “But it was all for the greater good. Secretly, I was appalled at what I had to do. The most that I could achieve was satisfaction with a job well done.”

“You found the first dark god,” said Imgi. “That fat annihilator called Unicron.” Geminex nodded.

“It’s often said that the first step can be the most difficult to take,” said Geminex. “We were working in the dark, both literally and figuratively. I was given just enough psychic sensitivity to detect Unicron while remaining undetected myself. It was like identifying an unfamiliar object while blindfolded. In this case, the unfamiliar object was an ultimate evil that had been fighting Primus for millions of years. It had almost beaten him. Unicron had to be stopped. Our only option was resorting to trickery.”

“You pretended to be crazy and sadistic,” deduced Imgi. “You inflicted genocide on Cybertron and elsewhere. It was all a show to dupe Unicron.”

“That’s right, it was an excessively costly deception exercise,” said Geminex. “I know that I may never be forgiven by some but I’d rather live in a universe without the dark gods. I made the correct choices.”

“So, you took that first step, eliminating Unicron,” said Imgi. “Then you took your second step in Andromeda. The Excisor fell. Then you went to Triangulum Galaxy and took your third step. Multiculla was banished to some place outside the omniverse. She'll never return.”

“You can add eleven more names to that list,” said Geminex. “Our operations in other galaxies are continuing at greater speed. Our campaign is gaining momentum.”

“Yet, you see major problems coming soon,” said Imgi. “Your data systems are close to saturation.”

“The only way that we’re coping is through the use of higher dimensions,” said Geminex. “We built databases that are far larger than any previous ones. We’re losing the ability to regulate and search them. Our technology is finally reaching its limits.”

“So, what’ll you do about it?” asked Imgi. “There should be a pause to allow for improvements.”

“There should, but the majority of us have opted for a few extra years of data gathering,” replied Geminex. “They argue that we must take advantage of the situation while we can. We might never have another chance to learn about nearby galaxies. It’s true that knowledge is power but only when we’re able to use it effectively.”

“You’ve seen the future,” said Imgi, still examining Geminex’s memories. “You know that an attack is likely, if not inevitable.”

“Sometimes, we have premonitions,” said Geminex. “We also use our knowledge to make detailed predictions. We’re fairly certain that the Omnis are on their way. We’ve made scouting trips back to Andromeda. We’ve seen evidence that an attack fleet was launched. We presume that it’s waiting in hyperspace, in dimensions that we can’t reach. It’s preparing to strike.”

“And what happens to us here?” asked Imgi. “Is it true that they’ll leave us alone?”

“As far as we can tell, you’ll be left in peace,” replied Geminex. “The Omnis only plan to attack Transformers. It’ll be a ‘surgical strike’. All other races will be untouched. The Omnis value life in general. They’ll preserve it wherever they can, except in societies like ours that threaten them or their friends.”

“Wait a minute, won’t your god Primus protect you?” Imgi pointed out. “I’ve seen his power. He should be able to intervene.”

“That’s true but he doesn’t always want to intervene,” said Geminex. “Sometimes, he allows us to suffer and die. Look at our civil war, for instance. He has his own agenda.”

“So, he could easily do it again,” concluded Imgi. “That’s shocking. He only has morals when it suits him.” She was seeing a different side to Geminex. He’d been mistreated for millions of years, mainly by being misled and forced into immorality. It was unforgivable. She felt obliged to act.

“If we help you, I guess you’d be very grateful,” said Imgi. “You might even return the favour, maybe with technology?”

“We must be careful with our technology,” said Geminex. “Even a tiny amount could cause incalculable damage. However, there are many other options for a returned favour.” Imgi considered her situation. Thanks to the Transformer telepathy field, she could read other people’s thoughts in the local area. She received insights into their personalities, motivations and secret desires. It was most illuminating and gave her a major confidence boost. She saw many possibilities for her daily life and relationships.

“I’ve changed my mind,” she said to Geminex. “I’ll help you. It’s not fair that you’ve been treated so badly for so long. I’ll do as you ask but first I must find a partner.” Already, she had a list of suitable young men in mind.

“Choose Salo,” insisted Geminex. “He’s the best by far.”

“What? But he’s not…” said Imgi.

“He’s the most compatible in every way,” said Geminex. “Trust our thorough analysis. I know that he’s reluctant and lacks experience but you can win him over. Be direct. Offer him ‘some enjoyable learning opportunities’ and, of course, beneficial companionship. At present, he values learning above everything.”

“Alright, I’ll try,” agreed Imgi. “But it’s delicate work. We mustn’t be disturbed. Stay out of this or he’ll run to the hills!” Geminex nodded. Their little task achieved, the Transformer landing party teleported back to their starship, leaving virtually no trace of their visit. Imgi stood there quietly for a few minutes. She was stunned. That had been the most profound thing that had ever happened to her. Part of her regretted going for a walk in an isolated rural area. The Transformers had exploited her solitude to meet her without being seen by anyone else. Now, she’d become embroiled in some kind of intergalactic war. She hoped that these ‘Omnis’ wouldn’t find her. They could take her life in the blink of an eye. On the positive side, she’d seen the minds of the Transformers. Although they could be deceptive, she’d sensed that they were being trustworthy with her. She was ready to help them. She would approach Salo soon and make an indecent proposal, taking care to phrase it as an offer of education. He wasn’t the obvious choice but she knew that men weren’t always straightforward. Some had hidden depths.

* * * * *

Imgi walked home slowly, thinking about her current circumstances. She was still in a kind of shock. Her life had been upended dramatically. She was thankful that she hadn’t been killed but now she’d taken on a very personal duty. At least the Transformers had made it easy for her. Salo lived next door to her family. She talked to him often, on a superficial level. He was a peaceful sort but he rarely smiled. He was troubled by some of the other young people in the area. They were rather antagonistic. He’d tried to get along with them but they’d spurned him, tricked him or turned against him. He was becoming more withdrawn and resentful. Imgi reflected that it was the right time for someone to stick up for him. Although he wasn’t her favourite, she’d promised to make the effort to forge a stronger relationship with him. This wouldn’t be easy. She could find herself in the same predicament as him. However, she recognised that there came a time in a young person’s life when he or she had to accept responsibility, pick a side and give support no matter what. She may have to lose friends over this. Could she cope with that? It might be unavoidable. Anyway, if some of those friends preferred to be hostile for no good reason, then they weren’t great friends!

She was a little tired as she neared home, passing the familiar houses on Spimuvong Street. She waved to a few older pedestrians who she recognised. She also saw some older boys who had a reputation for mischief. They watched her go past but didn’t try to harass her since there were witnesses around. She watched the boys in her peripheral vision. She did her best to look calm and composed, in control. This was not the time to run the gauntlet of youthful chauvinism. Soon, she reached Salo’s house. He was in the large front garden, shooting wooden peg targets off a log with his frame-mounted slingshot. It was like a cross between a simple slingshot and a small rifle. He could aim accurately and hit pegs every time.

“Hi Salo,” said Imgi cautiously. “How are you today?”

“Well enough,” replied Salo, pointing the slingshot down and to the left. “Some kids were annoying me so I warned them off.”

“I can see that you’re getting more serious about it,” said Imgi. “Is that a new weapon? I haven’t seen it before.”

“Mostly, I keep it indoors,” said Salo. “Today, I brought it out because I’m losing patience with these kids. There are more coming here to cause issues.”

“Careful,” said Imgi. “Don’t retaliate too hard or they’ll report you.”

“I’ll report THEM if they do much more,” said Salo. “Why don’t they stop? I don’t understand their motivation.”

“This is the most fun that they have in their lives,” said Imgi. “It’s boring here. Not a lot happens.”

“That benefits you, though,” said Salo. “On a fine day like today, you can walk alone untroubled. Was it nice? Did you see anything interesting?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” said Imgi, avoiding the subject of Transformers. “Little creatures singing and squeaking, colourful flowers, a few early fruits, baby animals frolicking, that kind of thing. Now I’m thirsty. Could I come in for a drink?”

“Imgi, your house is only forty metres away,” said Salo. “I’m sure that you have better drinks. My house is untidy. My family isn’t good with housework and neatness. Also, my younger brother Deyscuv is home. He’d irritate you.”

“Fair points,” said Imgi, knowing Salo’s family. “Well, why not come to my house for drinks? I may even have snacks.” Salo stared at her. This was unusual. She hadn’t shown him generosity for years. He’d almost given up trying to befriend her. Now, she was offering a favour without hesitation. He walked slowly over to her. She stood her ground and smiled, hiding her nervousness.

“You know about my current problems,” he said. “I’m having difficulty trusting people right now. How do I know that this isn’t a trick?” She could tell that he was angry. She glanced down the road to her left. About ten young people were messing around boisterously. She didn’t like their rough behaviour. Fortunately, they weren’t paying attention to her or Salo.

“I’m your neighbour,” she said, turning her gaze back to Salo. “I’d never get away with tricking you. Quick, let’s go into my house before they notice us. My family’s out at a Bginderm match. They won’t return until late. I didn’t go because I don’t like Bginderm.”

“Neither do I,” said Salo. “Alright, let’s go inside. I’m tired of the nonsense on our street this afternoon.” They left Salo’s front garden and slipped into Imgi’s home via the side entrance. Immediately, Salo appreciated Imgi’s neat and tidy family home. He left his slingshot by the side door and entered the kitchen. Imgi was already opening cupboards and pulling out cups and concentrates.

“Gecherazon flavour, please,” said Salo. “Not too strong.”

“Take a seat in the lounge,” said Imgi. “I’ll be right there.” She didn’t waste time pouring the squashes and adding ice. Her heart was beating quite fast. She wondered if she could achieve her goal. When she carried the drinks into the lounge, Salo was standing at the far wall and looking at the books on the shelves. Imgi put the drinks on the side table by the big couch.

“Over here,” she said. “Let’s put our feet up.” She kicked off her shoes and swiftly settled on the left seat, which had a raised platform for full reclining.

“This is more like a double bed,” observed Salo, looking at the couch while unlacing his boots. “Do you fall asleep here often?”

“Normally, my parents take it,” replied Imgi, getting comfortable. “My sisters and I have chairs.” She pointed at the chairs briefly and then lay back on the sloped cushions behind. Soon, she felt a little too warm. She rose again and removed her jacket and sweater. Salo removed his jacket too before lying down. Imgi lay down close to him.

“Your parents chose well,” said Salo. “One day, I want a couch bed like this. Did you want to watch a show?”

“No, I wanted to ask something,” said Imgi, turning towards him. “Would you like to be my boyfriend?” Salo looked at her, stunned.

“Me?” he queried. “I thought that you already said no. A few years back, you shied away when I tried to be friendly.”

“Yes, that’s true,” admitted Imgi. “However, I didn’t say ‘no’ directly. It was more of a ‘maybe’.”

“It felt like a ‘no’,” said Salo. “It was disappointing but I didn’t think it was right to pursue. I thought that you had at least one boyfriend through school or college.”

“I might have given that impression,” said Imgi. “In fact, all those little ventures never succeeded. Despite trying hard, I stayed in the ‘friend zone’. It was fun but ultimately frustrating. My moderate flirting achieved inadequate results. Now, I realise that I should be more direct.”

“Imgi, I’m sorry but I’m still not sure about this,” said Salo. “It’s too sudden and out of character. Yesterday, you hardly cared. Today, you’re proposing intimacy. What happened to you? Frankly, it’s weird!” He drank some of his squash. At least that was dependably refreshing.

“Salo, you know that people change!” said Imgi. “I’ve had time to think. I figured out that I need you. We’re stronger together. We could be so beneficial for each other!” She was almost begging. He was deeply sceptical. It was like she was hurling herself against a wall, hurting herself. Then, she remembered what Geminex said.

“You’re a lovely girl, no doubt about it,” said Salo. “I’m certain that some other fellow will catch your eye soon…”

“No, wait!” said Imgi. “Let’s look at this from another angle. I haven’t had any luck getting a boyfriend. I heard that you had no luck getting a girlfriend. We’ve both been unlucky in the last few years. We can change that right now. We CAN have the relationship experience. We should seize the day! Think about it this way, if you had a rare chance to learn about an interesting subject, wouldn’t you take it? You’re intellectual. You love to find stimulating books, attend special lectures and take evening classes. Think of me as one of those opportunities, which appear rarely. Take me now, before I withdraw the offer!”

“You’re a rare one indeed!” agreed Salo, taken aback. “Wow, I’m astonished! You’re quite right. This IS a brilliant chance to learn! If you could promise loyalty and fair treatment, that would seal the deal.”

“I promise!” said Imgi, beaming with happiness. She took his right hand in her left hand and held it warmly, tightly. They finished drinking their squashes as they started thinking about their new status.

“Alright, as agreed, here’s lesson one,” said Imgi, leaving her empty cup on the side table. “The female body and how to give it pleasure!” She let go of Salo’s hand, rolled off the couch, stood up and pulled off her shirt.

“We’ll start in the shower,” she continued. “I’m a bit sweaty after that walk.”

“You’ll sweat more,” said Salo. “I’m feeling energetic and I’ve dreamt about this day for years.” They both ran upstairs to the bathroom, where the learning began. Imgi was overjoyed that she’d helped the great and powerful Geminex Accord while simultaneously getting a good man.

* * * * *

The Omnis attack force could see the truth clearly. They didn’t have the initiative. They were being used as players in a wider game. They prepared their best strategy. They’d be seen as brave warriors. However, they could see from many angles. They scrutinised the timelines. Their ‘victory’ was a mass of manoeuvring that wouldn’t damage the Transformers in the long run. In fact, it would hand them a profound advantage. This was all about experience. The Transformers would be contained for a long period but then they would break out. They’d evolve into adversaries that the Omnis couldn’t defeat. On the other hand, the Omnis would also learn a great deal from the process, making them much tougher. All they had to do was survive long enough to benefit.

Their minds made up, the Omnis struck. Their first target was the Transformers’ hyperspatial data store. It was ludicrously colossal and kept growing at manic speed right up to the point of collapse. The Omnis were using their ‘trump card’: their command of dimensions that the Transformers had hardly touched, let alone explored. The data store broke down at a fundamental level. Every little part shattered. The shards then shattered further. Everything was reduced to the equivalent of fine dust. But that wasn’t the end. The energy wave ploughed straight into the older data stores on Cybertron and its moons. These stores permeated every part of the Cybertronian system. The entire planetary system convulsed. Every Transformer body broke apart and shut down. Every service robot and nanobot suffered the same fate. Many major towers collapsed. The entire landscape was altered. No components were left unscathed. Primus himself resisted the onslaught and prevented total destruction of his planetary body and moons. He’d survived several similar attacks before. He was used to it. However, this one eliminated all useful data outside his mind. It was a uniquely targeted purge, much like an acid bath dissolving flesh and leaving only bones. This was another interesting experience for the most powerful god being in the universe. When it was over, he shrugged it off and began to rebuild. Once again, his Transformers had been exterminated but their immortal sparks survived inside him. He started transferring them to their next assignments.

Billions of mothers (and equivalents in other genders) felt a profound change in their bodies. Their embryos were being inhabited by Transformer sparks. They could tell at once that their lives had been changed irrevocably. However, it wasn’t clear if that change would be beneficial or detrimental. They’d have to prepare for contingencies, as best they could.

* * * * *

Well, that was over. The Omnis attack force looked upon their works and were pleased although not ecstatic. Primus had survived easily. His Transformers were ravaged wrecks. Their sparks were scattered across at least fifteen galaxies. Their massive technological strength – their robot fleets - drifted directionless in the blackness. The Omnis would seek them out and render them useless soon. Also, they’d try to monitor the Transformer sparks. Where possible, they’d assassinate any Transformer who masqueraded as another sort of creature. The Omnis would set up an eradication programme that would last as long as necessary. They’d do their utmost to rid the region of Transformer evil. In the short term, however, it was time for shore leave. Some troops would be allowed leave, either on Murfan or elsewhere. They were under orders to recuperate and then report their findings to the High Command.

Well, that was over. Primus marvelled at the painstaking, unprecedented damage done to his body. It was almost a shame to fix it! He used his power to smelt his tissues and reconstitute them, piece by piece. As he healed, he considered his next moves. For the first time in millions of years, he didn’t have to supervise the Transformers. He’d let them look after themselves and develop as organics. They’d build up a great deal of life experience that’d be invaluable later. It was overdue. Their sparks should’ve developed like this earlier but Primus had, essentially, kidnapped them. They’d been held captive and put to work. They’d had no choice. Primus was now making amends. He was belatedly giving them back their freedom. He felt relieved.

He reminisced fondly. There were countless good memories. It was a shame that he’d had to stage that civil war lately. It had introduced a splash of bitterness. Anyway, now was his chance to move on from the hard times. He planned a wider tour of the universe. He’d visit millions of galaxies and sow the seeds of his ultimate victory. He’d command his god forces within those galaxies. He’d assess the situation. He’d identify problems and recommend solutions. He’d gather intelligence and technology. He’d tip the balance of power and make everything ready for a rout. He was patient. Gradually, it’d be glorious!

* * * * *

The next year, Imgi gave birth. She, Salo and their families and friends were very happy. The baby was well behaved. At night, when no one was watching, his eyes glowed blue, then red, then green…



Notes
The events of this story happen not long before the events of my previous story ‘Appreciating Experience’. They add more context and detail.

The Omnis first appeared in my previous story ‘The Cosmic Jungle’.

Geminex Accord, formed from a merger of Optimus Prime and Megatron, first appeared in my previous story 'The Lessons of History'.

Awful that RiRi was nearly killed recently. I had a small premonition a few weeks before that there could be a problem but I didn't know what it was. She may have to live behind stronger walls now.