Chapter 9 : The Last Month – Part Three

  The hangar was cavernous—floor polished steel, ceiling lined with magnetic cranes and powered rigging arms. At its center stood five gleaming suits of armor, upright in charging cradles like statues of modern gods.

  MARS ADAPTIVE MOBILITY SUITS: MAMS-9

  Engineered for survival on Mars and functionality in space.

  “Suit systems online,” ORION announced overhead. “Begin neural sync calibration.”

  Devon stepped forward. The back of his suit irised open, hydraulics hissing as the exoskeleton wrapped around his frame. It sealed with a final sigh—and the world sharpened. Breathing, muscle movement, vision—everything heightened.

  “Vitals stabilized. Mobility suite green,” came ORION’s voice, now embedded directly in his mind.

  These were more than suits—they were lifelines. Pressure-sealed for the Martian atmosphere, zero-G optimized for EVA maneuvers, and capable of regulating internal conditions from freezing void to solar-exposed heat . He flexed his fingers—felt synthetic muscle respond like his own. He jogged, leapt—hovered a meter off the ground before landing with barely a sound.

  Around him, the others were adjusting.

  Kai cartwheeled down the hangar, laughing through the comms.Talia toggled her HUD’s medical overlay, scanning Arjun’s wrist with a playful smirk.Amara practiced silent combat gestures, each motion linked to field-response macros.

  Two hours later, they were sprinting obstacle courses. Vaulting 3-meter walls. Hauling simulated payloads. Simulating Mars gravity. Practicing close to zero-G movement in suspensor rigs. The suits didn’t feel like gear anymore—they felt like extensions of themselves.

  After cooldown, they sat in a circle on the hangar floor, helmets off, cooling systems hissing quietly.

  “I still can’t believe this is real,” Talia said, wiping her forehead. “We’re going to Mars.”

  “Best part?” Kai grinned. “We get to wear superhero armor while doing it.”

  Arjun pushed his glasses up. “They’ll function as pressure suits, med units, and exo-lifters. And they still weigh less than a 1990s refrigerator.”

  “Somehow you made that sound cool and boring at the same time,” Kai said.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Devon smiled faintly. “I’d rather be boring than bleeding out in a dust storm.”

  They all went quiet for a moment—until ORION chimed in.

  “You are ready. Each of you has reached optimal performance metrics. All systems nominal. Launch is in three days.”

  Talia blinked. “Three?”

  “Your final day will be spent with your families. As protocol requires.”

  ---

  The Next Morning

  Under a bright Florida sky, the team stood before rows of cameras, reporters, and cheering civilians at the Kennedy Space Center media pad. Behind them, Horizon One stood tall and elegant—sleek, matte silver, humming with the power of centuries of human ambition.

  Director Leona Hart took the podium.

  “Epsilon Squad represents not just the peak of human capability—but our collective belief in the future. These five are not just astronauts. They are ambassadors of Earth, of peace, of perseverance.”

  Each cadet gave a short statement—prepped and brief. But when Talia looked into the cameras, she paused and added something more:

  “If you’re watching this—don’t stop dreaming. We’re going so you can keep building what comes next.”

  After the broadcast, the team was given private time. Families were ushered in quietly.

  Devon hugged his mother, their hands trembling but no words spoken. Amara spoke in hushed Spanish to her grandmother over a video link from Medellín. Arjun’s parents, stoic but proud, simply touched foreheads with him and whispered a blessing. Talia’s little brother handed her a toy rover she had built for him years ago. Kai stood last—hugging a younger sister tightly, joking through his tears.

  No one asked if they would return.

  ---

  Launch Day

  The tower loomed above them, lit by a rising sun. As they climbed into the elevator, silence fell between them. Not from fear—but gravity. Finality.

  At the top, the airlock to Horizon One waited, open like a gate to the future.

  One by one, they stepped inside, suits secured, systems green.

  “Horizon One to Launch Control,” Devon said. “Cabin sealed. Crew secured.”

  “Roger that, Epsilon. T-minus 60 seconds.”

  The engines began to growl beneath them, vibration rumbling through steel and bone. ORION’s voice came softly now, no longer from the speakers—but inside their minds.

  “I will be with you every second.”

  Devon looked at his team, nodded once. They were no longer just cadets. They were the mission.

  “Light it.”

  The engines roared to life with a thunder that shook the world.

  Flames engulfed the base of Horizon One as the tower released its hold. For an instant, there was stillness—then a brutal upward surge slammed them into their seats.

  T-minus zero. Liftoff.

  Acceleration crushed their chests, the force of Earth’s resistance trying to hold them down. Devon felt every bone vibrate. His helmet HUD flashed telemetry: altitude climbing fast, velocity pushing past Mach 1.

  “Structural integrity stable,” ORION said in their heads. “No anomalies detected. Stay focused.”

  Outside the small, reinforced windows, the blue sky deepened to violet. Clouds became streaks, then vanished entirely. They were punching through the stratosphere like a spear through water.

  “Passing Kármán line,” ORION confirmed. “Welcome to space.”

  Gravity loosened its grip. The brutal pressure faded, replaced by weightlessness. The crew floated slightly in their harnesses as the first-stage boosters separated with a sharp clunk and drifted away, trailing smoke into the void.

  A moment of quiet awe filled the cabin.

  Earth curved below them—a swirling blue marble wrapped in white clouds. The sun glinted off the solar panel arrays as they deployed with a soft thrum of servos. The ship stabilized, now orbiting the planet they had just left behind.

  Kai let out a slow breath. “We're really doing this…”

  Talia stared out the window, eyes wide with wonder. “This isn’t just a mission.”

  “No,” Devon said, voice steady. “It’s the beginning.”

  Behind his words, ORION echoed:

  “Destination: Mars. Estimated transit time: 213 sols . Trajectory locked. All systems optimal.”

  As Horizon One engaged its long-range ion engines and tilted gently toward deep space, Earth shrank behind them—replaced by stars, silence, and the invisible pull of destiny.

  They weren’t just leaving home.

  They were heading to make

  a new one.

  Humanity had taken its first breath beyond Earth—on the path not just to visit Mars... but to conquer it.