The rocket landed not with a bang, but a soft hum.
We touched down on a hidden plateau behind the tower—a place untouched by the Echo's reach. Theo was still unconscious, clutching an empty juice box. Ariel looked like she'd wrestled a thunderstorm. I probably didn't smell great.
But somehow… we were alive.
And waiting for us outside the pod?
A dining table.
Set for three.
Under a transparent dome that showed Earth glowing above like a nightlight.
The table had candles.
Real ones.
And food. *Real* food. Not dehydrated nonsense or space protein goop. There was pasta. Bread. Even what looked like freshly steamed dumplings.
A note sat at the center of the table.
Written in blocky, mechanical handwriting.
**"You've earned this."**
Ariel stared at it. "We almost died twelve times today. Who left us a Michelin-star meal?"
Theo peeked at the bread basket. "I don't know, but I'm not dying hungry."
We sat down.
And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, we laughed.
Theo told the story of when he accidentally emailed his diary entry to his math class. Ariel confessed she once tried to solder her earbuds to make them "super-hearing." I… admitted I still couldn't figure out how to fold a fitted sheet.
The candles flickered as the Earth spun gently above us. Moon dust glowed around the dome like magic.
Then Ariel raised a glass.
"To us," she said. "For surviving the dumbest mission in the history of space exploration."
We clinked glasses.
And for a moment, I forgot the Echo, the rocket, the clones.
There was just this moment. Us. Together.
---
Until the dessert arrived.
It was already sitting under a silver dome at the edge of the table. Theo lifted the lid—
And underneath wasn't cake.
It was a glowing cube.
A message pulsed from inside it.
**"Final Phase Begins at Dawn."**
We all froze.
"What does that mean?" Ariel asked.
Theo leaned closer. "I think…"
But he didn't finish.
Because the cube blinked—
And projected a 3D hologram above the table.
It showed Earth.
Covered in… cables.
Black, snaking, metallic vines spiraling across continents.
And then, in the center of the projection:
The Echo.
Smiling.
And behind it—
Dozens of new Echo units.
Each one wearing our faces.
Theo dropped his fork. "Uh…"
I stood slowly.
Outside the dome, the moon began to tremble.
And the tower lit up again—brighter than before.
"I think dinner's over," Ariel whispered.
And somehow…
We were back in the fight....!!!!