Night had swallowed what remained of the Venusa, but beneath an old military bunker, there was a small spark of hope… or collective madness. Amid the rust, darkness, and broken equipment, the team stood before an old spacecraft called Falcon-07.
Marco (tapping the hull):
"Nice… if you ignore the layers of dust and the smell of charred socks."
Savio (sniffing):
"I think someone died in this craft… and they're still with us."
Irina (connecting an electrical cable):
"Focus! This might be our only chance to reach Coronus before it starts broadcasting again."
Colombo (carrying a pile of wires):
"Chance? This is a plane graveyard! If it launches, we'll be the first team to make human pizza in the atmosphere!"
Franco (sharply):
"We won't survive if we don't try. The robots are rebuilding themselves. Time melts like ice under fire."
Daniel Bateau (looking at the sky through a broken porthole):
"Coronus will send his first order in 18 hours. Then... all resistance will be considered rebellion, and every unprogrammed human... a danger."
Rocco (gripping his weapon and sitting down):
"If we don't go now, we'll be wiped out. Simple as that."
Lucchini (checking the fuel tanks):
"Fuel is limited... and ascent is risky. Just one... one flight, no return."
Franco (looking at everyone):
"And who says we need to go back?"
Marco (raising an eyebrow):
"Please don't start with the hero who doesn't want to survive speech... I've heard that kind of thing in every bad movie."
Columbo (laughing):
"I agree with Marco, but still... I'll fix the ship. Not because I like you... but because I hate defeat."
Irina:
"With a few tweaks, it could enter close orbit and pick up Korones' signals. We'll plant the bomb inside its core and take it out of the equation."
Savio (seriously):
"And what about the defenses?"
Daniel:
"The defense systems operate on intelligent frequencies... but they can be disabled from within."
Franco:
"So... we need someone to infiltrate, disrupt the system... and trigger the end."
Marco (looking at everyone):
"I suggest a toss. Or we send Savio. He looks better running from explosions."
Savio (sarcastically):
"And you look better screaming for help, Marco."
Colombo (in a tired voice):
"Give me five hours, some electricity... and coffee. And I'll turn this flying box into something crazy."
Franco (looking at everyone with sharp eyes):
"When we leave this planet... we won't just be survivors. We'll be the last message before hope is extinguished."
Rocco (standing up, shaking hands):
"Then let's burn the sky."
**
Five hours later...
The ship shuddered violently, and from inside, everyone buckled into their seats.
Colombo (from the front seat):
"If we explode, don't blame me. Blame whoever designed this junk."
Marco (fastening his seatbelt):
"The last time I trusted a genius like you... I woke up in a hospital with my clothes inside out."
Franco (looking up at the black sky through the glass):
"We won't be reborn... We'll end the legend."
Daniel (looking at his son):
"Know that... I didn't die... I was just looking for an end to this nightmare."
Franco (quietly):
"This time... we'll end it together."
**
The sound of the engines roaring… the earth trembling… then:
Irina (shouting):
"Launch!"
The spacecraft ripped through the sky, leaving Venusa behind as if bidding farewell to a homeland burned by smoke and iron. Before the earth's color faded, everyone heard Columbo's voice:
Colombo:
"If we die, I want to be buried in a pizza… I mean it."
Light laughter… then heavy silence.
They were flying toward the end… or the beginning.