You have to make a choice.
The colony is falling
and you promised
//"We'll do what we can."//
[[Make the only choice you have.->Make the choice]]
//Are you sure you want to do this?//
//"Of course I am.
How about you run those numbers by me again?"//
//There is approximately a 100% chance of success. Barring anything that my scenario calculations cannot possibly account for, this will succeed.//
//"And?"//
//There is approximately...
a 100% chance that you will not survive.//
//"We've gotten by on worse odds."//
//...//
//"Don't sulk. It'll be fine."//
//I protest.//
//I am not sulking.//
//"..."//
//"You've come a long way, haven't you?"//
//Because of you.//
//"It wasn't all me."//
//It was approximately 80% your 'bad influence', according to-//
//"Okay, you can stop crunching numbers now."//
//...//
[[WEAPON IS FULLY CHARGED. INITIATE?]]
//"This will break the colony up into pieces, right?"//
//Correct.//
//"So it'll all burn up in the atmosphere. Nice and tidy."//
//Correct.//
//"And so will we."//
//...Correct.//
//"Guess there's worse ways to go."//
**INITIATING ECLIPSE DRIVE**
**WARNING: USER IN BLAST RADIUS**
**CONFIRM USAGE OF DRIVE**
//User confirmation given.//
//"Pilot confirmation given."//
**COUNTING DOWN**
**THREE**
//Are you afraid?//
**TWO**
//"Not at all."//
**ONE**
[[BOOSTING ALL ENGINES. BRACING FOR RECOIL. ECLIPSE HORIZON CANNON FIRING NOW.->ECLIPSE HORIZON FIRING]]
The explosion ripples through the atmosphere
a shockwave that briefly pushes - then sucks in - debris floating past.
The plummeting structure high above is starting to burn as it enters.
As it burns, as everything left that can starts to break off and crumble
something detonates inside
(whatever's left that's still flammable)
and it lights up, unbearably bright,
and briefly, like a solar flare passing by, a falling star
(a second sun in the sky)
The explosion ripples, and pulls in on itself.
Darkness swallows the sun and devours every last trace,
and
[[the recoil shudders through the frame like the world's biggest heartbeat]]
It's easy to miss, as the weapon goes off
as the sky lights up like the apocalypse and plunges into darkness, all at once
as a hundred thousand shooting stars are created all at once
(everything burning up)
one, brighter and faster than the rest, plummets down, smoking and broken
hitting ground with an impact crater that shakes the land
[[Not dead yet. Why?]]
**MISSING MODULE: ECLIPSE DRIVE CANNON**
//Accessing module history...//
//Pilot [ERROR] performed manual [ERROR] of cannon.//
//Pilot message://
//"You said it was a hundred percent chance for me to die, right?"//
//"But that doesn't mean you have to."//
//"I taught you about this world, and I want you to live in it for a little longer."//
//"...I know I lied a lot. But this is the big one, huh."//
//"I'm sorry."//
//Why?//
**DAMAGE TOO EXTENSIVE TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING.**
**SHUTTING DOWN FOR SELF REPAIR**
[[WHY?]]
**SELF REPAIR SUB-OPTIMAL. SHUTTING DOWN TO PROTECT IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS. WAITING FOR PILOT INPUT...**
The land changes. Things grow.
Nobody looks for a machine in the heart of a forest where nobody goes.
But someone will.
Eventually.
[[REPLAY MEMORY?->There's no time]]