As I stuck my pool stick onto the pool table the cloudy voice said, “Primitive conflict turned out positive. Native creatures went out of control. They tried to annihilate each other. Used enough force to make the world ours. Crackle”

Those TV shows and Deep Space nine had enforced my mind so much that it was easy to understand what had just been heard. This transmission was from some alien in orbit. It had been assigned to watch over our planet. It must have had some kind of sensor malfunction. It’s just that no pool stick is as powerful as a Klingon weapon. No bar is as safe as the Enterprise. Hearing that transmission made me stand still and refuse to brake.

Just as my opponent was approaching me I heard the voice say, “Conflict has made the atmosphere suitable to our lives. The oxygen hazard has been eliminated. The radioactive spacesuits no longer required. Our survival is rated optimistic. Crackle”

This was starting to sound like a cable TV news broadcast. Right, if there had actually been a nuclear war everyone in Los Lunas would have heard of it already. Albuquerque was used to store nuclear things and had been targeted by Russia in the Cold War, A nuclear missile strike there would have messed up my pool playing several beers ago.

Just as I was about to throw up I that horrific voice said, ” Planet has made itself open to habitation. Nutrition now can be raised without oxygen poisoning. There is now a wide spread fertiliser. All the  none launched missiles can be used for it. Crackle”

Hearing that voice speak about conflict and outer space made me think about Star Wars. With that in mind it was easy to have some hope. Because I had intercepted this voice it could be caught by surprise. I could act just like that little robot had and destroy whatever made that transmission. Just like here. my pool stick could help me win. hat ought to have the whole country buy me a beer.

Just as I started grinning the voice said, “Possession conflict now possible. Settlement now open to every other planet in universe. Must watch-out for competition while on the way into orbit. Space watch on Mars malfunctioned while that planet was being explored from here. Unfortunately there is no alternative if others arrive. Crackle”

I finally had to try to throw that off and get back to playing pool. At the Forty Seven Club nobody can be messing around while playing pool. That had me chug down my can of beer and grab my pool stick. As I looked at the racked balls my mind told me that this alien might have had some kind of device that looked into the future. That way the time it took one to travel in outer space could be compensated for. When the Earth watcher could see into our future it could report on what was imminent. They could then launch the space craft and start the flight our way.