A flat plain of damp orange sand stretched to the horizon in all directions. Without warning a blue slug landed on High-Tech Green Thing’s helmet.

The slug slid down to the front of the helmet and peered at High-Tech Green Thing through the visor. “Give me all your money or I will eat you.” It said in a deep and resonant voice.

High-Tech Green Thing laughed. “You can’t harm me. My body armour can withstand the force of a thousand nuclear blasts at ground-zero. It can certainly keep you out.”

The blue slug grinned. “No problem.” It dropped to the ground and started chewing on High-Tech Green Thing’s left boot. The boot’s armour began to disintegrate slowly.

High-Tech Green Thing remained defiant. “It will take an hour for you to get all the way through to my feet. All I have to do is stomp on you and you’re finished.”

The slug looked up. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

The slug called out strange and incomprehensible word. Several thousand more blue slugs fell from the sky and landed on High-Tech Green Thing. They began eating away at his suit’s armour, chuckling with glee as they did so.

High-Tech Green Thing was highly distressed. “Please stop! I’ll give you more money that you can dream of! Please don’t hurt me!”

The slugs shouted in unison. “Too late!” They started chewing on High-Tech Green Thing’s flesh. Blood spouted from deep and agonising wounds. The pain was unbearable…

“CONDITION RED: HIGH-TECH GREEN THING IS REQUIRED IN THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY.”

High-Tech Green Thing sat up, sweating profusely. “These dreams of mine are mad!” He was drenched in sweat. “I should remember to take my suit off when I sleep.”

“CONDITION RED: HIGH-TECH GREEN THING IS REQUIRED IN THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY.”

“What is it now?”

“THE SLIME HAS RECONSTITUTED AND HAS SPREAD TO SEVEN NEIGHBOURING GALAXIES. IT IS GAINING MASS AT AN EXPONENTIAL RATE.”

High-Tech Green Thing was not happy. “What’s wrong with our weapons? Why won’t that stuff go away?!”

“THE WEAPONS INSTALLED ON THIS VESSEL HAVE FUNCTIONED WITHIN NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. THE ANSWER TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION IS NOT AVAILABLE.”

“OK. I’m on my way. Be there in a second.” High-Tech Green Thing rolled off his luxurious bed and onto his well-padded chair. He operated the chair’s controls and began a swift journey through the flying machine’s access channels. He arrived in the cockpit in seconds. “Options, please.”

“THERE IS ONLY ONE OPTION: ACTIVATE THE UNIVERSAL DESTABLISER.”

High-Tech Green Thing was shocked beyond belief. “The Universal Destabliser! But that’s the ultimate last resort weapon. It’s only to be used when all other last resort weapons have been tried and when there’s absolutely no hope left for anyone or anything.”

“THAT IS CORRECT.”

“Are you saying that we have used all the other last resort weapons?”

“THAT IS CORRECT.”

“Are you saying that there’s absolutely no hope left for anyone or anything?”

“THAT IS CORRECT.”

“The Universal Destabliser will destroy the entire universe as we know it, won’t it?”

“THAT IS CORRECT.”

Destroying the entire universe was a momentous responsibility. High-Tech Green Thing had to think carefully for a few moments. “What will be left afterwards?”

“NOTHING. ALL MATTER WILL CEASE TO EXIST. ALL SPACE WILL CEASE TO EXIST. TIME WILL CEASE TO EXIST.”

“You mean time will stop?”

“NO. TIME WILL CEASE TO EXIST.”

“Wow. How are we going to survive?”

“THE TIME SHIELD MAY ALLOW OUR CONTINUED EXISTENCE.”

“May? You mean there’s a possibility that the time shield won’t protect us?”

“THAT IS CORRECT.”

“Is there any point in destroying everything anyway? Couldn’t we just run from the slime and live long and fulfilling lives?”

“THE SLIME WILL HAVE ABSORBED EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE IN TWENTY-THREE MINUTES. THERE WILL BE NOWHERE LEFT TO RUN TO.”

“Hmm… So what you are saying is we should destroy everything first to stop the slime having its own way?”

“THAT IS CORRECT.”

High-Tech Green Thing was happy with that justification. “Brilliant! You obviously hate the stuff as much as me. Charge up the Universal Destabliser.”

“CHARGING UNIVERSAL DESTABLISER…”

High-Tech Green Thing activated the intercom. “Bad news. The slime is back. Don’t worry; I’m going to destroy the entire universe. That can’t fail to eliminate the oozy blighter!”

The video display of the rear cabin showed that the villagers really didn’t care anymore. They were as drunk as skunks. Mayor Billshot was, as usual, flat on the floor in a pool of vomit. Ysabell was hanging limply over the Sprag cyborg’s legs. Sprag himself was sat bolt upright – completely unaffected by any of the alcohol that had been poured into his neck orifice by young Bilbarph and Janis.

Another video display showed a view of the sickbay. Jock the apeworm had regained consciousness and was sitting up in bed, no doubt wondering where the hell he was.

High-Tech Green Thing barked an order. “Activate the time shield.”

“ACTIVATING TIME SHIELD…”

A green shimmering glow passed over the cockpit windows.

“TIME SHIELD IS NOW ACTIVE.”

“Has the shield ever been tested?”

“NO.”

“Hmm… OK. You may as well fire when you feel like it.”

“FIRING UNIVERSAL DESTABLISER…”

A loud and deep humming sound was heard, followed by violent vibrations of incredible strength. Within a second the space between all matter became nonexistent. All matter, with nothing to keep it apart, slammed together at infinite velocity and vanished from reality. Time, with nothing to pass through it, had no reason to continue and ceased to be.

Onboard the flying machine, several silent seconds passed by. High-Tech Green Thing broke the silence. “Well? Give me an update?”

“EVERYTHING HAS CEASED TO EXIST.”

“Wow! And we survived! Excellent work!”

“CONDITION RED: THE TIME SHIELD IS FAILING.”

High-Tech Green Thing was suddenly highly stressed. “Fix it, then!”

“THERE IS INSUFFICIENT POWER TO MAINTAIN THE TIME SHIELD.”

“How long until it fails?”

“TWO SECONDS.”

“Oh sh…”

A globule of slime popped into existence. It began to grow and evolve. To fill the void the slime created time. To fill time the slime created space. To fill space the slime created matter.

The slime was all powerful.

The slime was all knowing.

The slime was everything.