SCENE 01 – After some deliberation, the Sandmen decide that it would be too dangerous to leave Simon on the orbital by himself. Apollo grabs as many technical manuals as he can carry and the Sandmen prepare for launch.

Simon is able to speak with Anna-5 and get critical telemetry information from her which aids the other Sandmen in their preparations.

SCENE 02 – After running down the pre-flight checklist, the Sandmen feel the shuttle begin to shake as it hurtles forward, breaking the Earth’s gravitational pull. However, too much fuel is burned on the launch and the shuttle’s flight azimuth must be adjusted in situ. This is the last thing the Sandmen are able to do before they black out from the G-force of the launch …

SCENE 03 – Emerging to the sound of alarm klaxons and the control panel of the cockpit lighting up flashing numerous alarms, the Sandmen foggily realize that the oxygen level is dangerously low, possibly caused by a leak or rupture in the shuttle while they were unconscious.

The shuttle is also on collision course with the orbital and its rotation must be adjusted to match the rotation of the station in order to dock safely.

The Sandmen are unable to correct the rotation of the shuttle and the craft veers off course leaving them with only moments to decide their course of action before they are lost in space or collide with the orbital, while Simon watches helplessly from the launch bay control room of the station.

SCENE 04 – The Sandmen make a desperate attempt, against all odds, to open the entry hatch of the shuttle and use the pressure to propel them into the launch bay of the orbital. They are unaware that one can only survive 20 seconds in the vacuum of space. They shoot out from the shuttle like bullets from a gun at a speed of 15 meters/second …

SCENE 05 – … this plan does not go well. Phoenix and Apollo miss the launch bay entirely and ricochet off of the station’s hull as Simon watches on in horror.

Simon notices that the launch bay has a massive cargo hook and arm, controlled via joystick. He knows he will only have time to risk rescuing one of the Sandmen. As Apollo is closer to the launch bay, Simon reels him into the launch bay before closing the bay doors. Simon lies on the floor of the launch bay, unresponsive.

Meanwhile, the shuttle careens into a section of the orbital, sending alarms off throughout the station.

SCENE 06 – Simon rushes Apollo to a med bay and is able to get him stabilized, but at a cost: Apollo’s left arm has to be amputated as it was frozen solid and then crushed when he impacted against the station, shattering like glass. The extreme environment and radiation have also further weakened Apollo. He will live but his recovery will be slow.

Phoenix is lost to space. Simon searches the med lab and with the help of Apollo they are able to make a clone of Phoenix using Carousel technology. The clone is successfully created but the machine is broken in the process. The clone of Phoenix is put into an incubation pod where it grows at an extraordinary rate. However, his memory ends where he last used a teleport pad, as that’s what the Central Intelligence uses to create the clones from Carousel, and he emerges from the incubation pod with no memory of anything that happened after he stepped into the teleporter several days earlier.

The Sandmen now have 3 days before the planet Nibiru is close enough to Ascension Station for the Annunaki to launch to the station and join with their human worshipers.