Leo still couldn’t believe that something so small could turn an entire planet’s ventasium into a pile of rock. Then again, when the universe first got its start, it was no bigger than an electron. There were microscopic viruses that could replicate from a single source and spread all across a planet, taking millions of lives. The atomic bomb was triggered by the splitting of an atom. Sometimes it just takes a little nudge . . . then it is all downhill from there.

Crayt stretched on a pair of gloves and opened a deep freeze drawer behind him, a plume of frosty air rolling over its lip. The Aykari removed several trays, some containing vials of liquids, others samples of rocks that didn’t look that different from the dead gray lump still sitting inert inside of its canister on the tester. Nothing he removed looked particularly dangerous. But in the right combinations . . .

“It is remarkable, really,” Crayt said. “Just consider: it took the Aykari hundreds of years to fully unlock the power of EL-four eight six. It has taken us only a matter of days to potentially render it obsolete.” He filled one of the compartments with a dull yellow powder; it reminded Leo of the garlic Gareth would sprinkle on their pressure-cooked spaghetti back on the Beagle. He and his brother would sometimes have spaghetti wars, flinging noodles at each other, seeing how many they could get to stick in each other’s hair, at least until their father walked in and caught them. Leo’s stomach hurt thinking about it.

Crayt continued his delicate operation. “The formula is complex, but the raw materials necessary to nullify the element’s power are not that uncommon. We might have discovered it sooner . . . that is, if we had ever imagined a need.” The Aykari pointed at the device. “You know what this means?”

Leo nodded. Then shook his head.

“It means the balance will shift. Once this discovery is out there, most highly evolved species will have this new technology at their disposal. They will be able to choose whether to harness the power of EL-four eight six or eradicate it completely.”

Sure. Unless somebody else chooses for them, Leo thought. After all, the Orin weren’t given the choice. The Djarik weren’t either, not at first, which is why they fought back. He watched as Crayt used a set of metal prongs to carefully remove a glowing green rock from its container and gently place it into the device. He immediately thought of the kryptonite from his brother’s Superman comics, a story about an alien who comes to protect the Earth. An alien with only one weakness. What was the Aykari’s weakness?

Leo had a feeling he was looking at it.

“What will they do?” he asked. “The Aykari? What will they do with the Earth if we use this thing? If there’s no more V?”

Crayt stared at him for a moment. “I think you only need to look at the very world you are standing on to answer that question.”