I thoroughly enjoyed this long short story -- novelette? The fate of the universe is at stake, multiple alien species are involved in this conflict, and one in particular -- the Draconians -- want to go out with a really big bang. When the Xin, a legendary species (you may remember them from the X-Files), arrives on the scene, it's unclear what their motives are. Do they want to save the universe or destroy it so life can start over? You'll just have to read THE ARMAGEDDON MACHINE to find out. Well-written, fast-paced, with intriguing characters (despite a few goofy names), that will have you on the edge of your seat as the action amps up to a fight for the finish.