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transmissions this whole time?  For all we know, they could be just as advanced as we are by now.”
    Tomen looked at his commanding officer with a wide open smile.  This theory of Scoren’s went too far now and crossed the threshold of being a joke.  “You have a rare grasp of the conspirator’s mind, sir.  Going down that train of thought, isn’t it just as likely they blew themselves up trying to perfect one of these advanced technologies they gathered while covertly listening in on our transmissions that are thousands of generations ahead of their capabilities?”
    Scoren’s monitoring consol e released a soft alert that drew his attention away from the conversation momentarily.  While hitting some controls to bring up the details of the alert message, he said, “Laugh all you want ensign, when this sensor grid alarm winds up being a fleet of Alpha ships coming to destroy the closest listening outpost to their system you’re going to look like quite the fool.” 
    The sensor readings came up onto Scoren’s screen. A space fold was forming close by.  He focused the sensors on the projected destination and waited for the arrival of a Novi ship. 
    As if appearing from nowhere, 35 large vessels came through the event horizon.  Warning sirens wailed as the computer quickly determined the ships were not of Novan design.  All readings and data were instantly transmitted back to Novus as part of the emergency protocol.
    A sharp blast of static came through the Flashtrans system followed by an eerie silence.  Suddenly a harsh series of barks came through the speakers which the computer immediately identified as the language of species Alpha and translated, “Let it begin.”
    Lieutenant Scoren watched in dismay as his console tracked a massive volley of torpedoes launched from the armada.  He looked over at Tomen and in a defeated tone said dryly, “I hate being right all the time.”
    **********
    Hastelloy waited for Dr. Holmes to finish jotting down notes before continuing his story.  “As it turns out, the decision by the Novi council to stay away from the Alpha system was a catastrophic mistake.”
    “The self-imposed limitation left the Novi woefully unaware of the Alpha’s hastened development, much less the massive military buildup that had taken place over severa l generations.  The Novi were not prepared for conflict on such a massive and sudden scale.  Before we could amass a proper defense against the Alpha attack our adversaries already assimilated four nearby habitable planets and employed the populous into their war machine.
    “In the end it was no one’s fault, and it was everyone’s fault.  The Novi were merely exploring the galaxy when they happened upon the Alpha and forever altered their perception of the galaxy.  The Alpha simply tried to protect themselves and become as technologically advanced as their competitor.  Both had ample opportunity to communicate and make peace with the other.  Neither side availed themselves of the opportunities that came and went. 
    “The Alpha time line was fractured forever,” Hastelloy concluded.  “A once peaceful people transformed into a ruthless war machine bent on conquest.  The tragic result was war on a scale never seen before in the galaxy.
    “This is where my personal story begins.  I’ve been alive for over 10,000 years.  I have spent that entire lifetime at war with the Alpha.”
    With that last statement Dr. Holmes felt the need to interrupt and clarify a few things.  “So the method you and the Alpha use to travel great distances is space folding?  Could you describe that process for me please?”
    Hastelloy seemed to welcome the break from his story and looked thoroughly satisfied that Dr. Holmes was engrossed enough in the story to ask clarifying questions.  “The technique is very complex, but the concept is quite simple.  You can take any two points in space, no matter how far apart and fold them together.