- 4 hours ago
He Renamed My Dream for His First Love ASD
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Zane Smith announced in front of everyone that he was going to hand my private satellite station
00:04On my wedding day, my fiancé, Zane Smith, announced in front of everyone
00:08that he was going to hand my private satellite station to his first love, Vivian.
00:13And rename it, Vivian's Heart.
00:16Right there. I didn't hesitate.
00:18I just put my signature down and transferred the facility straight to the Deep Space Exploration Charity Foundatio.
00:23After the ceremony, Zane stopped me in the bridal suite.
00:26Vivian needs this project to complete her astronaut dream.
00:30Can't you be a little more generous?
00:32My station is mine.
00:34If it's going to be used to fulfill someone else's dream,
00:36then it proves it no longer belongs to anything between us.
00:44Enough. The wedding is over.
00:46Don't give the guests something to laugh about.
00:55Half an hour later, a brutal white glare stabbed my eyes.
00:59Rust-red wastelands stretched in every direction,
01:02and grit whipped across my cheeks like metal filings.
01:05My wedding dress was sunk deep in the sand.
01:08Every time I tried to move, it felt like fighting my way out of a bog.
01:12The hatch opened.
01:14He lounged against the doorway with a champagne flute in hand.
01:17A mocking smile on his face.
01:19The encrypted dark web livestream was already running.
01:22More than a dozen hidden cameras had me boxed in from different angles,
01:26trained on every second of my humiliation.
01:28Aren't you the one who cared most about principles?
01:32So how does it feel to be dumped out here by the person you trusted most?
01:37Does this make sink in?
01:39Whoever controls the resources is the one who gets to talk about principles.
01:45The simulation system was activated remotely.
01:48A dust storm slammed into me,
01:50iron oxide powder blasting my face.
01:53The metallic grit flooded my mouth and nose until it tasted like pennies.
01:57I threw both hands up to shield my face,
01:59and without changing my expression,
02:01I pressed a button hidden on the necklace at my throat.
02:04Then I lifted my head,
02:06locked eyes with one of the cameras,
02:07and snapped.
02:11You done get your ass down here and pick me up.
02:13Right now.
02:14The livestream chat went feral.
02:17Dust spilled into my collar,
02:19rough against my skin.
02:22Then,
02:23the low-temperature system engaged.
02:25The air dropped fast.
02:27Down to minus 20 Celsius.
02:28Back then,
02:29just to get close to Zane,
02:31I'd gone undercover at Star Trek Exploration as a cleaner.
02:34I told him my parents were gone,
02:36and all I had left was this satellite facility,
02:40my family inheritance.
02:47You think I'm doing this to punish you for refusing to give the facility to Vivian?
02:53He said.
02:54You're wrong.
02:54I'm teaching you reality.
02:56Besides that inheritance,
02:58what do you have?
02:59A cleaner's identity,
03:01average understanding,
03:02and you still act like you're above everyone.
03:05Vivian needs resources to reach her dream,
03:08and you rushed to donate the facility.
03:10The second you realized someone else might benefit.
03:13I stared at him,
03:14and suddenly felt how unfamiliar he looked.
03:17Zane,
03:17I said.
03:18You're a disappointment.
03:20The wedding's off,
03:21we're done.
03:27Calling it off?
03:28Laura,
03:29three years.
03:31You're really going to throw it away?
03:32Laura,
03:34besides that inheritance,
03:35what do you have?
03:37He said.
03:38Cancel the wedding?
03:39You think I care?
03:41You walk out of here,
03:42and you're nothing.
03:44Then,
03:44he ordered the pilot.
03:46Drop lower.
03:47Wake her up.
03:51The shuttle dropped.
03:53More than ten meters in a single lurch.
03:56A blast of hot exhaust hit the ground
03:58and exploded into a storm of sand,
04:00slamming into me head-on.
04:02I turned my face away,
04:04my body shaking uncontrollably in the cold.
04:07The footing I'd fought to find on the loose soil
04:10vanished in an instant,
04:11and I lost balance again,
04:13half my body sinking into the soft, simulated ground.
04:17Night fell.
04:18On Zane's command,
04:20every searchlight snapped on.
04:22White light knifed through the dark,
04:23so bright I couldn't even force my eyes open.
04:27Laura,
04:28is your pride really worth it?
04:30I don't even care what the facility's called.
04:33Zane just needs to see your goodwill.
04:35As soon as she finished,
04:36the shuttle dropped another five meters.
04:39The engine wash pressed down like an invisible hand,
04:42forcing me deeper into the sand.
04:44The rock I'd been gripping shifted.
04:46Just enough.
04:47Sand surged up to my chest in a heartbeat.
04:50Cold grit poured into my dress,
04:52and every breath turned heavy,
04:55thick,
04:56claws to suffocation.
05:00Zane's laughter carried across the range.
05:03Laura,
05:04he said,
05:04voice amused.
05:05Aren't you the one who cares most about dignity?
05:08Now you can't even breathe unless I feel like letting you.
05:11How's that feel?
05:12Vivian chimed in,
05:14gentle as a knife.
05:15Laura,
05:16seeing you like this is heartbreaking.
05:18Then,
05:19Zane said,
05:20if you transfer the Foundation's management rights to me,
05:23and apologize to me,
05:25in front of everyone,
05:26I'll forgive you too.
05:27She added,
05:28for secretly tampering with my training report?
05:31Zane's shout detonated through the speakers.
05:34You messed with her training report.
05:36I stared at the nearest camera,
05:38disbelief flooding my chest even harder than the sand.
05:41I didn't.
05:42My voice cracked apart in the wind,
05:44but he didn't care.
05:46Activate the waste dump protocol.
05:48Zane snapped.
05:49Let's see if she can think straight after that.
05:55Coolant mixed with sand slid off me in slow, filthy drips,
05:58pooling into a murky puddle at my feet.
06:01For a few seconds,
06:02the dark web stream went quiet.
06:04The laughter inside the shuttle cut out like someone had snapped a wire.
06:08Laura,
06:09I'm giving you one last chance.
06:12Bake right now,
06:12and I'll shut everything down.
06:14If I hadn't needed to get close to him,
06:16why would I ever have learned extreme environment survival in the first place?
06:20Vivian gasped,
06:21all sugar and alarm.
06:23That was when everyone finally noticed.
06:25After peeling off the ruined outer layers,
06:28all I had left was a slip underneath.
06:31Zane's face flushed red in an instant.
06:33He snapped.
06:33Vivian said you're shameless down to your bones,
06:37and I didn't believe it.
06:38But you.
06:39His accusations came down like punches.
06:42Anger blew through the last thread of restraint.
06:45I shouted at the camera until my throat burned.
06:48Zane,
06:49for three years,
06:50when have I ever wronged you?
06:52Without me,
06:53your company wouldn't have made it past seed money.
06:56Anyone can judge me.
06:58Anyone but you.
07:03Zane's face twisted on the monitor feed.
07:05You help me?
07:07Besides that busted satellite facility,
07:10what have you ever given me?
07:11Vivian's voice slid in again,
07:13soft as a hand on his arm.
07:15Zane?
07:16Laura might be in shock.
07:18She's saying things she doesn't mean.
07:21Besides,
07:21she's always known I'm the one in your heart.
07:24Other voices on the shuttle chimed in,
07:26low and uneasy.
07:27Something in Zane snapped.
07:29Activate the XB7 test arm.
07:32Let's see how long she stays tough.
07:34Vivian rushed in with practice concern.
07:37Zane,
07:37that's too dangerous.
07:39She may not like me,
07:40but it's not like she deserves.
07:42Off to the side,
07:43somewhere in the dark,
07:44a sharp screech rose,
07:46like rusted metal being twisted by force.
07:48It wasn't a factory robot arm,
07:50but more like the boom of a construction crane.
07:52At its end was not a gripper,
07:54but a three-claw grabber big enough to clamp a car.
07:57The arm swung through the dust
07:58and locked onto my position.
08:00Under the lights,
08:01the steel flashed like a blade.
08:03Zane's voice came again,
08:04and this time,
08:05there was a tremor buried under it.
08:07Then,
08:08right at that moment,
08:09an electromagnetic pulse buzz
08:10ripped through the air.
08:12She did nothing wrong.
08:14You are the ones
08:16truly at fault.
08:21I turned toward the voice.
08:23At the edge of the range,
08:24three all-terrain assault vehicles
08:26were already in position.
08:28A man jumped down.
08:30Moss Sterling,
08:31in his hands,
08:32was an electromagnetic sniper rifle,
08:33so cold and severe,
08:35it looked more real
08:36than anything in a sci-fi movie.
08:38Zane's voice shook
08:38through the shuttle's comms,
08:40disbelief cracking it.
08:41What?
08:42What are you doing here?
08:44Moss didn't spare him a glance.
08:46His eyes swept over me.
08:47Anger,
08:48controlled to the point
08:49of being lethal.
08:50He strode to the edge
08:52of the range.
08:52Miss Green,
08:54take my hand.
08:55Stepped into the sand
08:56without hesitation
08:57and held a hand out to me.
08:59I didn't hesitate for a second.
09:01His team moved fast.
09:02In under 30 seconds,
09:04they had me out of the sand
09:05with professional rescue gear.
09:07Above us,
09:08Zane's shuttle
09:09still hovered in place.
09:10The loudspeaker went dead silent.
09:13Moss lifted his head.
09:14His gaze was a blade.
09:15Who are you?
09:17This is private property.
09:19You're trespassing.
09:20I was wrapped in a thermal blanket
09:22and sheltered in the middle
09:23of the crowd.
09:24Then,
09:25he looked up at the shuttle again
09:26and when he spoke next,
09:28every word landed
09:29like a verdict.
09:30I'll make him pay.
09:35Inside the assault vehicle,
09:36the ballistic armor
09:38sealed out the wind,
09:39but the cold still crept up
09:41from somewhere deeper than skin.
09:42It was the kind of cold betrayal
09:44leaves behind,
09:46seeping out of your bones,
09:48out of your soul.
09:49Moss sat across from me
09:50and pulled professional monitoring gear
09:53from a medical kit.
09:54Your vital's a staple,
09:56but your core temperature's still low.
09:57We need continued monitoring.
09:59He paused,
10:00lowered his voice.
10:01I shook my head,
10:03let my gaze drift
10:03to the night racing
10:04past the window.
10:05Zane's eyes,
10:06whenever Vivian's name came up,
10:08how he couldn't hide the nostalgia,
10:09how he'd pour everything out
10:10without hesitation.
10:12The contempt in his face
10:13every time I tried
10:14to set a boundary,
10:15every detail linked up now,
10:17clean as a single line,
10:18a three-year substitute game.
10:20My voice came out hoarse.
10:22Moss stopped what he was doing
10:23and looked up.
10:25You're not a joke.
10:26You trusted the wrong people too much.
10:32He brought up a tactical tablet
10:34and unlocked an encrypted file.
10:35I scrolled.
10:36Each piece of evidence
10:37landed like a punch.
10:38Vivian had been using Zane's obsession
10:40with his first love
10:41to demand resources,
10:42then siphoning most of it
10:43into personal accounts.
10:45Did Zane know?
10:45I asked.
10:47Current evidence says he didn't,
10:48but he allowed himself to be used.
10:51Here's a recorded call
10:52from a year ago.
10:54Vivian,
10:54I'll give you anything
10:55as long as you're happy.
10:57I'll sort things out with Laura.
10:58The legal team
10:59has prepared the documents.
11:01In addition,
11:03Vivian is involved in fraud
11:04and the FBI
11:06has launched an investigation.
11:08Steady and precise.
11:10He tapped another line item
11:11I opened my eyes.
11:12Notify global media.
11:14Moss's gaze sharpened.
11:16Understood.
11:17Tomorrow at 9 a.
11:19The vehicle descended
11:20into Etherus's
11:21underground command center.
11:23When the doors opened,
11:24the executive team
11:25was already lined up
11:26on both sides,
11:27silent and rigid.
11:28Boss,
11:29welcome back.
11:30All systems have been restored
11:31to your highest level access.
11:33I looked at the familiar world
11:34waiting for me
11:35the holographic strategic map,
11:37the real-time global surveillance feeds,
11:39the encrypted lines
11:40that could reach heads of state directly.
11:42Three years.
11:43And I finally didn't have to pretend.
11:49The holographic screen lit.
11:51My gaze swept the hall
11:52and settled on the main camera.
11:54Today,
11:54on behalf of Etherus,
11:56I'm announcing two decisions.
11:57First,
11:58with immediate effect,
12:00Etherus shall unilaterally terminate
12:02all cooperation
12:03and all ongoing
12:05joint development projects
12:06with Mr. Zane Smith's
12:08Star Exploration Corporation.
12:10Second,
12:10I am personally offering
12:12a $10 million reward
12:14for a complete chain of evidence
12:16proving
12:16that Miss Vivian
12:18fabricated her academic credentials
12:20and employment history,
12:21regardless of where
12:23the evidence originates.
12:24Miss Green,
12:25does this mean
12:26your engagement
12:27to Mr. Zane Smith
12:28is officially canceled?
12:29The moment the briefing ended,
12:31my private comm device
12:33began vibrating non-stop.
12:34Unknown number.
12:35Laura,
12:36pick up.
12:37We can talk.
12:38It's all Vivian's fault.
12:39I got played.
12:40The company's going to die.
12:42Please.
12:43I blocked all of Zane's numbers
12:44with a blank expression.
12:46Hand the communicator to Moss.
12:47Want me to cut him off completely?
12:49No.
12:50Let him do it.
12:51Let him experience
12:52what it's like
12:53to have no one
12:55to turn to for help.
12:56Back in the command center,
12:58the global sentiment dashboard
12:59refreshed in real time.
13:01Defense Queen,
13:02exposed as
13:03cleaner $10 million
13:04global bounty
13:05on ex-fiance's
13:06first love
13:07Star Trek exploration
13:08blacklisted across the industry.
13:10Moss passed me
13:11an encrypted tablet.
13:13Subject.
13:13Give me one chance.
13:14I deleted it,
13:15then empty the trash.
13:16I lifted my eyes,
13:17calm and merciless.
13:22In 72 hours,
13:24every lifeline was severed.
13:26Day 3,
13:279.17 a.m.,
13:28Cape Canaveral.
13:29Zane stood in front
13:30of the control room's
13:31massive floor-to-ceiling window,
13:32staring at the silver-white rocket
13:34on the pad.
13:35Pioneer 01.
13:36The voices coming through
13:38the comms shook,
13:38and no one bothered to hide it.
13:40Navigation system self-checked.
13:42Passed.
13:43Launch countdown?
13:44Nine minutes and worse.
13:45Etherus released
13:4617 technical documents
13:47authored by the anonymous consultant.
13:50Vivian came up beside him.
13:51Her makeup was still flawless,
13:53but her eyes were unfocused,
13:54glassy with panic.
13:56She held out her tablet.
13:57The headline burned.
13:58The subhead was even harsher.
14:01Zane shoved the tablet away,
14:03his voice rough.
14:04Countdown, six minutes.
14:05If we launch successfully,
14:06we still have a way out.
14:08Four minutes,
14:09a fuel tank monitor flashed red.
14:11The control room jolted into chaos.
14:13Zane lunged at the panel.
14:14Three minutes,
14:15the navigation console began strobing.
14:21Every status light
14:22on the second stage separation system
14:23went dark.
14:24Too late.
14:25Two minutes,
14:26one minute.
14:27Every status light
14:28on the second stage separation system
14:29went dark.
14:31Suddenly,
14:31a memory came flooding back.
14:34Zane,
14:34if we formulate the equations
14:36for that transformer unit
14:37in this configuration,
14:39the assembly will break apart
14:40at an altitude of 300 meters.
14:43Pioneer 01 rose into the sky
14:46with a roar that shook the glass.
14:48For a heartbeat,
14:49the control room erupted
14:51into weak,
14:52desperate cheering,
14:52and then the screaming started.
14:55The rocket began to shake violently
14:57like a drunken giant.
14:58Loss of control.
15:00Flame bursting from the body,
15:01the whole structure twisting.
15:03Then it veered,
15:04straight toward the fuel depot.
15:06The control room went dead silent.
15:08Zane's fingers loosened.
15:09The phone slipped from his hand
15:11and hit the floor.
15:12Slowly,
15:13he turned toward Vivian.
15:15Tell me,
15:16that separation plan.
15:17You said you wrote it yourself.
15:19Three all-nighters,
15:21alone.
15:22Vivian took a step back,
15:23lips trembling.
15:25I,
15:25I used some references.
15:27Zane grabbed the coffee cup
15:28and smashed it onto the floor
15:30near her feet.
15:34Zane locked himself inside
15:35what used to be his office.
15:37The place was wrecked,
15:38curtains drawn tight.
15:39Empty liquor bottles everywhere.
15:41His phone kept lighting up.
15:43Creditors,
15:43suppliers,
15:44attorneys,
15:45reporters.
15:45Until his tablet
15:46force-pushed an emergency alert.
15:48The headline was only one line long,
15:50but it froze the blood in his veins.
15:52His hands shook
15:53as he opened the video.
15:54On screen,
15:55Michael Rosenberg,
15:56former NASA chief engineer testifies,
15:58white-haired,
15:59sharp-eyed,
16:00looked straight into the camera.
16:01His tone was calm,
16:02certain,
16:03and devastating.
16:04The old man adjusted his glasses
16:06and continued without a tremor.
16:07Over the past three years,
16:09I have been closely following
16:10the technological progress
16:12of star exploration.
16:13All the major breakthroughs
16:15they have claimed,
16:16as well as the original design
16:17schematics behind the
16:18recently exploded
16:19Pioneer 1,
16:21bear a striking resemblance
16:23to the solutions provided
16:24by an anonymous consultant
16:25known only as L.
16:27I have corresponded with L more frequently
16:30than anyone else
16:31on technical matters.
16:32And her grasp of aerodynamics
16:34is the most exceptional
16:36I have encountered
16:36in my four-decade career.
16:38It was only yesterday
16:39that I confirmed
16:40via Ather's public statement
16:42that L is none other than
16:44Ms. Laura Green,
16:45the controlling shareholder
16:47of Ather's.
16:48Beneath the video,
16:49evidence scrolled
16:50in crisp bullet points.
16:51The last image
16:52was the one that finished him.
16:53Redacted technical email exchanges
16:55between L and Star Trek
16:57exploration timestamp proof.
16:59L submissions
16:59predating Vivian's
17:01claimed completion dates.
17:02A photo of Laura's
17:03cleaning badge
17:04placed beside
17:05Atheris'
17:05official leadership portrait.
17:10Zane's tablet
17:11slid out of his hands
17:12and hit the floor
17:13with a crack.
17:14Zane started laughing.
17:16He laughed
17:16until tears spilled
17:17down his face.
17:18A knock came at the door.
17:20Mr. Smith,
17:21reporters from
17:21The Wall Street Journal,
17:22The New York Times,
17:23and Aviation Week
17:23are downstairs.
17:24They're requesting a response
17:26to Engineer Rosenberg's testimony.
17:28His assistant's voice
17:29was cautious,
17:30almost fearful.
17:31Zane didn't answer.
17:32He sat in the dark,
17:33staring at the broken
17:35display screen on the floor.
17:36On that broken display,
17:38Laura,
17:38wearing a custom suit,
17:40eyes calm and razor sharp,
17:41was addressing the world.
17:43In Aerospace,
17:44Truth is the baseline
17:45for survival.
17:46Slowly,
17:47Zane bent forward
17:48and buried his face
17:49in his hands.
17:50Behind her,
17:51Atheris' deep space
17:52blue emblem
17:53glowed like a sky.
17:54The moment he decided
17:55to rename Laura's facility
17:57for Vivian,
17:58he'd personally pushed
17:59his real stars
18:00out of his world.
18:01And now,
18:01his world had nothing left
18:03but bankruptcy,
18:04liquidation,
18:05and endless dark.
18:10The encrypted dark web channel,
18:12the same one that had once
18:14live-streamed Laura's humiliation.
18:16The feed shook as it focused.
18:18Only this time,
18:19the person being dragged
18:20across the sand
18:21and thrown down
18:22wasn't Laura.
18:23It was Vivian.
18:24Zane appeared on camera.
18:25He rasped into the lens,
18:27voice dry and torn.
18:28He grabbed Vivian by the hair
18:30and slammed her face
18:31into the sand.
18:32Vivian fought wildly.
18:34Zane hit the first button
18:35on the control panel.
18:36The simulated dust storm system
18:38engaged,
18:38wind howled in,
18:40iron oxide powder
18:41roaring across the ground
18:43and swallowing Vivian
18:44in seconds.
18:44She shrieked,
18:46clutching her face
18:46as she rolled in the sand.
18:48Zane watched
18:48without expression.
18:49Then,
18:50hit the second button.
18:51Dark green,
18:52sticky,
18:53reeking,
18:53so chemical
18:54you could almost smell it
18:56through the screen.
18:57cold,
18:58so cold.
19:00Ah,
19:00my eyes,
19:02my eyes.
19:03Zane,
19:04don't,
19:04please.
19:05I was wrong.
19:05Vivian's voice
19:06started to shake.
19:07The viewer count
19:09skyrocketed.
19:13Zane's actually lost it.
19:15Reverse,
19:15you know?
19:15Zane ignored the chat
19:17completely.
19:17He stood and walked
19:18to the console.
19:19His fingers hovered
19:20over the big red button,
19:21the XB7 test arm activation.
19:23He turned back
19:24to the camera,
19:25eyes wide
19:25with a near-breaking madness.
19:27Vivian realized
19:28what he was doing.
19:29She tried to crawl away,
19:30frantic,
19:30but her lower body
19:31was already frozen in place.
19:33No.
19:34Zane,
19:35I'll die.
19:36I'll really die.
19:39Die.
19:40Laura almost died here too.
19:41She clawed forward,
19:43nails gouging
19:44deep trenches
19:44into the sand.
19:45The arm advanced.
19:46At the instant
19:47the claw was about
19:48to slam down,
19:49Zane slammed
19:49the emergency stop.
19:50The grabber froze
19:5120 centimeters
19:52above Vivian's head.
19:53Vivian had passed out.
19:54He walked straight
19:55to the camera,
19:56then dropped to his knees.
19:57His knees hit the sand
19:58with a heavy thud.
20:00Tears ran down his face,
20:01cutting clean lines
20:02through the grime.
20:03He started bowing hard.
20:05Forgive me.
20:06Dot,
20:07give me one chance.
20:08We can start over,
20:10Laura.
20:11Please,
20:12answer my calls.
20:14Read my messages.
20:15Over and over,
20:17forehead striking the sand
20:19with dull,
20:20brutal thumps.
20:24The main hall of
20:25Etherus Industries Group's
20:26annual technology summit
20:28was packed.
20:29I stood at the center
20:30of the holographic
20:31projection grid.
20:32I said,
20:33my voice carried cleanly
20:34through simultaneous
20:35interpretation.
20:37Today,
20:37Etherus Industrial Group
20:39officially launches
20:40the Artemis Project
20:41worldwide.
20:42A restrained wave
20:43of shock
20:44moved through the room.
20:46The holographic screen lit.
20:47This is a trillion-dollar
20:49initiative aiming to build
20:50humanity's first
20:51fully commercial
20:52and sustainably operated
20:54lunar base by 2030.
20:56This is the core
20:57of the Artemis program,
20:59the Cislunar Orbital
21:00Transportation System.
21:01And a technical proposal
21:03unfolded so dense
21:04and elegant,
21:04it pulled the air
21:06out of the hall.
21:06I flicked to the next page.
21:08A set of design sketches
21:09appeared,
21:10dated three years ago.
21:11This is the original proposal
21:13I provided to
21:14Interstellar Exploration
21:16three years ago.
21:18Enter the identity
21:19of Anonymous Consultant L.
21:21Some of you may recognize this,
21:23I said evenly.
21:25The hall erupted.
21:26I went on,
21:27hand moving across
21:28the interface.
21:29The full system architecture
21:30spread across the screen.
21:31I hit the demo trigger.
21:32Heavy rocket vertical landing,
21:340.01 meter precision
21:35orbital rendezvous
21:36and docking.
21:37Error under one centimeter,
21:38lunar soft landing,
21:40shock absorption,
21:41performing flawless
21:45When the demonstration ended,
21:46the room held its breath,
21:48then broke into
21:49thunderous applause.
21:50In a cheap motel somewhere,
21:52Zane staring at the
21:52Summit livestream
21:53like it was a sentence.
21:55He watched the technical glory
21:56that could have been his.
21:57He watched Laura
21:58under the spotlight
21:59of the entire aerospace world.
22:01This should have been mine.
22:03This should have all been mine.
22:05A reporter from Aviation Week stood.
22:07The question came sharp as a blade.
22:09Ms. Green,
22:09while you're unveiling
22:10a historic program,
22:11your former fiancé,
22:13Mr. Zane Smith,
22:15is hours away from
22:16Star Trek exploration
22:18entering bankruptcy liquidation.
22:20How do you view
22:21his company's collapse?
22:22And is there
22:23personal revenge involved here?
22:25I smiled slightly and switched slides.
22:27A comparison appeared on the screen.
22:29And truth.
22:30Like the technology we just showed you,
22:31Zane stared at the screen,
22:33at Laura's steady face,
22:34and something in him snapped.
22:36The applause came louder this time.
22:37Harder.
22:38Like a verdict.
22:39He was going to the Summit.
22:40He grabbed his car keys
22:41and bolted out of the motel room.
22:43She would forgive me.
22:44She had to.
22:45She would.
22:48In the post-summit media lounge,
22:51reporters closed in on me
22:52from every direction.
22:53Ms. Green,
22:54what's the Artemis program timeline?
22:56Will Aetheris partner with NASA?
22:58What's your view on destructive competition
23:00in private aerospace?
23:01I answered with practiced politeness
23:03while Moss and the security team
23:05moved me toward a restricted corridor
23:07when a familiar figure
23:09lunged in from the side.
23:11Let me through.
23:12I need to talk to her.
23:13Up close,
23:14he looked even worse
23:15than he had on the live stream.
23:17He tried to shove past the security wall.
23:19Moss stepped in front of me,
23:20flat and unmoving.
23:21Zane thrust up his phone.
23:23On the screen,
23:24the desert live stream played.
23:25The reporters lit up instantly.
23:27His voice cracked.
23:28I woke up.
23:29It was all Vivian's fault.
23:31She lied to me.
23:33I've cut her off completely.
23:35Tears riding it.
23:36He shoved the phone closer.
23:37I cut him off.
23:38My voice didn't rise.
23:39Zane surged forward.
23:40He didn't get close enough to touch me.
23:42Moss' fist met his face.
23:43Zane flew backward
23:44and hit the floor hard.
23:46Security piled on him immediately,
23:47pinning him down.
23:48Sirens grew louder,
23:50closing fast.
23:50He still fought,
23:51still screamed.
23:52I said,
23:52we can close the net.
23:56In the storm of flashing cameras,
23:59an FBI spokesperson stood at a podium
24:01covered with microphones.
24:02He looked stern
24:03and formally read
24:04the official agency statement
24:05in his hands.
24:06Following an investigation,
24:08Vivian is suspected
24:09of forging academic degrees,
24:11falsifying astronaut credentials,
24:13committing commercial fraud,
24:14and selling sensitive
24:16aerospace technologies
24:17to overseas institutions.
24:19These technologies
24:20actually originate
24:21from M.S. Laura Green,
24:22the controlling shareholder
24:24of Atheris Industries Group.
24:26Vivian has been
24:26formally arrested
24:27and faces 17 federal
24:29felony charges,
24:30carrying a maximum prison sentence
24:32of 45 years.
24:33As the official statements continued,
24:35the spokesperson's lips
24:37moved steadily.
24:38Each word conveyed
24:39in a cold,
24:40resolute,
24:41and authoritative tone.
24:43Vivian's wrists
24:43were tightly handcuffed
24:45with cold metal.
24:46Two expressionless FBI agents
24:48stood on either side of her
24:49as she walked down
24:50the courthouse hallway
24:51while a crowd of reporters
24:52rushed forward,
24:53frantically taking photos.
24:55In front of the towering
24:56and heavy door
24:56of the federal courthouse,
24:58Atheris' legal team
24:59walked up in suits,
25:00holding stacks of thick
25:01litigation documents.
25:02They entered the courtroom
25:03with an overwhelming
25:04and majestic presence.
25:06The judge's gavel
25:06fell heavily on the soundboard,
25:08producing a deafening,
25:09endlessly echoing roar
25:10that instantly hushed
25:12the entire venue
25:13into silence.
25:14A heavy solemnity
25:15enveloped the courtroom.
25:16The judge read
25:17the final verdict
25:18in a calm
25:19and authoritative voice.
25:20All equities,
25:21pedants,
25:22and personal assets
25:23under the name
25:24of Zane Smith,
25:25including real estate,
25:26vehicles,
25:27and bank deposit,
25:28shall be fully frozen
25:29and subject
25:30to compulsory
25:31judicial auction
25:32with all proceeds
25:34to be used
25:34for full compensation
25:36of losses
25:37suffered by
25:38Atheris Industrial Group
25:39on a priority basis.
25:44But Vivian ran away.
25:46After escaping from prison,
25:48Vivian teams up with Zane,
25:50planning to sneak
25:51into the launch control room
25:52and seize the scene,
25:53attempting to coerce
25:55the other party
25:55into dropping all charges
25:57and compensation claims.
25:58Half past four in the morning,
26:00three days later,
26:00stared down
26:01at the glowing tablet
26:02in hand.
26:03Moss followed closely
26:03behind me
26:04with a blank expression.
26:05Moss stood aside,
26:06slightly lowering his head.
26:07A huge blue holographic interface
26:09unfolds instantly.
26:11The hidden door
26:11of the side equipment room
26:12was suddenly slammed open
26:13violently.
26:14The muzzle of the stun gun
26:15was firmly aimed
26:16at my back.
26:17Don't move.
26:18Move once,
26:19and you won't move again
26:20for the rest of your life.
26:21Moss instantly assumed
26:22a defensive stance
26:23to fight back.
26:24Zane stepped out
26:25from the shadows
26:25on the other side.
26:26I turned around
26:27extremely slowly
26:28with a calm expression.
26:29You too.
26:30Move.
26:31And you dies.
26:32I know.
26:33I know you'll come.
26:35Vivian was completely
26:36enraged by my calmness.
26:37Shut up.
26:38Get on your knees.
26:40Hands on your head.
26:41I stand upright.
26:43Vivian gasped sharply.
26:44Her face turning pale
26:45with rage,
26:45I gracefully pressed
26:46the red button
26:47with my right index finger.
26:48On the huge holographic screen,
26:50he is an undercover agent
26:52of Sterling International.
26:54Every single move
26:55in your plans
26:55has been under my surveillance
26:57ever since you first
26:59contacted him.
27:00And you, Zane.
27:02That motel
27:03is Aliris' property.
27:04With six hidden cameras
27:06and 12 wiretaps
27:08in room 307,
27:10Zane was stunned
27:11upon hearing
27:11room 307,
27:13Vivian screamed in despair
27:14and frantically pulled
27:15the trigger of the stun gun.
27:16Moss stepped forward
27:17and knocked the two men
27:18down sharply.
27:23Panoramic view
27:23of Spark Signal
27:24Launch Station.
27:25At half past five
27:26in the early morning,
27:28Zane and Vivian
27:28trembled in the cold wind.
27:31Laura, please.
27:32I was wrong.
27:34I swear to God,
27:35I was wrong.
27:36Just let me go.
27:37It was Zane's idea.
27:39He forced me.
27:40Let me go.
27:41I'll testify.
27:43I'll hand over
27:44every crime
27:44he ever committed.
27:46Zane shouted
27:47despairingly
27:47into the void.
27:49Vivian's eyes
27:49were filled with horror
27:51and a sense of betrayal.
27:53Laura's voice
27:54came through the speaker.
27:55Three years ago,
27:56you took my facility here.
27:57Four days ago,
27:58you tried to take
27:59my life here.
28:00Now, it's my turn.
28:01I pressed the green start button
28:03on the console decisively.
28:04The maintenance platform
28:05ascends along the track
28:07and moves away
28:07from the ground.
28:08A huge mechanical arm
28:10stretched out
28:10and pushed the two
28:11into the dark hatch.
28:13Zane and Vivian
28:13let out screams.
28:14The heavy alloy hatch
28:16closed instantly.
28:21I reached out
28:22and turned on
28:22the live feed
28:23inside the rocket cabin.
28:24The two people
28:25on the screen
28:25couldn't move an inch.
28:27Laura,
28:28you can't do this.
28:29This is murder.
28:31Murder?
28:32No.
28:33This is an experiment.
28:36Zane roared
28:37into the communicator.
28:38I picked up
28:38the intercom microphone.
28:39My tone calm.
28:40I slid gently
28:41on the main control panel.
28:42The screen shows
28:43the live broadcast is on.
28:44My eyes were firm
28:45and calm
28:46and my tone steady.
28:47The camera suddenly zooms in.
28:48As you can see,
28:49today,
28:50we're conducting
28:51a special launch.
28:53These two volunteers
28:55will enter low Earth orbit
28:57for a 30-day survival trial.
28:59I pressed the final
29:00red launch button.
29:01The rocket turned
29:02into a dazzling streak of fire.
29:04Two glasses of champagne
29:05clinked softly
29:05inside the control room.
29:10Zane and Vivian
29:11floated inside
29:12the narrow rocket cabin.
29:14Two oxygen tubes
29:15are connected
29:16to the two people
29:16in the picture.
29:19Crazy scrolling live
29:20comments all over the screen.
29:23I cut off Vivian's
29:24oxygen supply
29:25for 10 seconds.
29:27Vivian began
29:28to struggle violently.
29:30Her eyes widened sharply.
29:32Zane abruptly
29:33pulled out
29:33Vivian's oxygen tube.
29:35Vivian's struggle
29:35ceased instantly.
29:37Zane didn't even
29:38glance at her.
29:40You see that?
29:41Laura?
29:42I killed her.
29:43I killed her
29:45for you.
29:46So forgive me now,
29:47okay?
29:48Bring me back.
29:50I'll do whatever you want.
29:52Anything.
29:52I'll listen.
29:58Zane begged frantically
29:59into the communicator.
30:01I just watched
30:02the screen calmly.
30:04I issued the order
30:05indifferently.
30:06Let them drift
30:07in orbit for a month.
30:09Then activate
30:10the recovery procedure
30:12to bring the capsule down
30:13and hand it over
30:15to the FBI.
30:16Moss logged
30:17the directive.
30:18Laura finished
30:18her champagne,
30:19set the glass
30:20on the console
30:21and headed for the door.
30:22I'm going to rest.
30:23The live screen
30:24turned black
30:25instantly.
30:26I stood up
30:27and walked
30:27to the floor-to-ceiling window.
30:29I turned my back
30:30to the room
30:30and gave the order
30:31Moss stood aside.
30:32Additionally,
30:33regarding the life support system,
30:35on the 10th day,
30:37reduce Zane's oxygen quota
30:38to the minimum
30:39survival threshold.
30:41Let him experience
30:42what true despair
30:43feels like.
30:44After Moss
30:45recorded the instructions,
30:47the rocket
30:47carrying the two traders
30:48continued to orbit
30:49low Earth orbit,
30:50silent and cold,
30:52like two specks
30:53of dust
30:53no one cared about.
30:58Inside the dimly-lit
30:59Decoy 7 cabin,
31:00red alarm lights
31:01are flashing.
31:02Vivian's body
31:03floated cold in midair.
31:04Vivian's eyes
31:05were wide open.
31:07Zane stared
31:07at Vivian's body,
31:08on the verge
31:09of a mental breakdown.
31:11A harsh red light
31:12blazed from the console.
31:13Zane began coughing
31:14violently due to
31:15severe oxygen deprivation.
31:17Zane mumbled to himself
31:18with vacant eyes.
31:20Zane reached out,
31:21trembling,
31:21and tapped
31:22on the control panel.
31:23Playback footage
31:24on the screen.
31:25Zane in reality
31:26stared fixedly
31:27at the replay.
31:28The video footage
31:28kept playing relentlessly.
31:30Zane frantically
31:31turned off the playback.
31:33Are you really
31:33this cruel?
31:34Well then,
31:35in the end,
31:35only these memories
31:36will stay with me.
31:38After Zane comes down,
31:39the Spark signal
31:40launch pad
31:41three months later,
31:42now Phoenix Station,
31:43inside the control center.
31:45As the countdown
31:45reached zero,
31:47the giant silvery-white rocket
31:48on the ground launch pad
31:50soars skyward.
31:55The entire control center
31:57burst into thunderous
31:58applause and cheers
31:59in an instant.
31:59The young engineer,
32:00Amy,
32:01jumped up in excitement.
32:02I stood at the top console
32:03watching the incoming
32:04data packets.
32:05Moss walked over to me
32:06holding two glasses
32:07of champagne.
32:08Moss handed me
32:09an electronic tablet
32:10flickering with heavily
32:11encrypted symbols.
32:12Display the official judgment
32:14of the federal court
32:15with a bright red seal.
32:16Pop up the update systems
32:18of major financial institutions.
32:20Zane rummages through
32:21discarded electronic devices
32:22at the junkyard.
32:23Switch to surveillance
32:24camera footage.
32:25I swiped across the tablet
32:26with a blank expression.
32:28Amy ran over
32:29and broke the icy silence.
32:30Amy stopped beside me
32:31and tilted her head.
32:32Back then,
32:33why did you hide
32:34who you were
32:35and go to Star Trek
32:36as a cleaner?
32:38With your position,
32:39you could have invested
32:40or just bought
32:41the whole company outright
32:42to see clearly
32:45what people look like
32:46when you take
32:47the hello away.
32:49I stopped smiling
32:50and turned my head slowly.
32:51The satellite on the screen
32:53is unfolding
32:53its solar panels.
32:55Sunlight falls just right
32:56on the satellite's
32:57titanium alloy shell.
32:58I lifted my chin slightly,
33:00my eyes clear
33:00and filled with relief.
33:07Outside the huge
33:09curved glass dome,
33:10the neon lights
33:11of the city
33:12twinkle far away
33:13in the extreme
33:14distance below.
33:17Laura Green leaned back
33:19on the luxurious
33:20chaise longue.
33:24Moss walked in
33:25with a cup
33:25of steaming hot tea.
33:28Moss walked over
33:29to Laura
33:29and handed her
33:30a cup of hot tea.
33:32Laura stretched out
33:33her hand
33:33and took the teacup.
33:37Congratulations.
33:39Everything has
33:39finally settled down.
33:41Laura took a small sip
33:42of the hot tea.
33:45Moss stood aside
33:46and remained silent
33:47for a few seconds.
33:48A faint smile
33:50tugged at Laura's lips.
33:51Laura turned to look
33:53at the surveillance screen.
33:54Moss was about
33:55to turn around
33:55and leave.
33:57Thane applied for a job
33:58at Phoenix Station
33:59yesterday.
34:00Even a janitor position
34:01would suffice.
34:03Yet the system
34:04rejected his application
34:05automatically.
34:07Where is he now?
34:09Someone saw him
34:09washing cars
34:10at the gas station
34:11last week
34:12for $8 an hour.
34:14Notify HR.
34:16All subsidiaries
34:17and partners
34:17of Acerus
34:18shall never hire him
34:20permanently
34:20not even
34:21as a janitor.
34:23Understood.
34:24Laura fell silent
34:25for a moment.
34:26Laura stood up
34:27and looked up
34:27at the starry sky
34:28outside.
34:29Laura stared at it
34:30with a firm gaze.
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