Part 4/12:
While Ava remained in touch with Michael through video calls, the circumstances on Earth grew increasingly dire—wars erupted over dwindling resources, exacerbating the division among nations. Some people speculated that the Shephard device posed a threat, fearing it could open portals to alternate realities and allow monsters to invade theirs. As fear and paranoia set in among the crew, conflicts erupted, sometimes erupting into physical confrontations that tested their fragile unity.
With only limited power left for attempts, the situation became increasingly urgent. On their 47th test, the crew finally succeeded in generating a beam, but the joy was short-lived: the beam overloaded, causing a catastrophic explosion that left the space station reeling in disarray.