There is hope, but first one must find it. Jon Ryan has saved humanity time and again. But he is called upon by fate to once again defend his species. As he prepares for a horrific war with the vicious and ruthless Berrillians, a new, more existential threat arises. A mythical race know as the Last Nightmare enters our universe, intent of destroying it. They have consumed twelve universes in the infinite past they've lived. So far, no force has been able to even slow their conquest. The annihilation of everything looks to be a certainty. As the last hope to combat the indomitable threat, an impossible alliance must be forged between old friends and bitter enemies. Every civilization realizes that defeat is so certain that only such a cooperation might stop the Nightmare. Humans are gifted the fantastic technologies to walk among the stars to help in the fight. To be so close to a magical era for humanity yet so likely to perish is a crushing weight. Can Jon pull one more miracle out of his hat? Jon has met and won many insurmountable challenges. But he faces one he never expected and seems unable to master. All the fighting, all the death, and all the suffering are changing him. He's growing darker and less human with each passing crisis. Will he become the emotionless machine he is housed in? The dark forces of The Berrillians are relentless. Having lost the technological war to The Alliance, they revert to guerrilla tactics. They threaten to terrorize the galaxy into submission. It's a game they are very good at. With no relief in sight, humanity turns once again to a weary Jon Ryan for answers. He develops a plan, but if it succeeds it's brutality threatens to push him over the edge. Jon must answer the question as to whether survival is worth his soul?