Chapter 9 Part I

While the cadets marched through the Amazon forest, advancing through the dense vegetation, another red alert was triggered in Palermo following malfunctions in the ground station on Mars, it seemed that the oxygen dispensers had stopped working.

Lucrezia was forced to call the directors' meeting again to which Sofia decided to also bring Andrea after promoting her to her deputy.

<< Thank you for coming with such short notice but our Martian outpost on the ground is having problems with the oxygen dispensers and we can't understand the reason so we must look for a solution as soon as possible >> explained Lucrezia in the throes of agitation;

<< Have you tried to see if there is any external damage? Maybe a sandstorm raised some debris that found its way into one of the oxygen production plants >> Carla tried to suggest;

<< There is no external damage, the malfunction is internal >> Lucrezia retorted.

Other directors put forward various proposals, some of which had already been tested while the others were tested but proved unsatisfactory.

<< Let's try turning off Pandora and see how it goes, after all, what do we have to lose? >> Sofia began.

Everyone present looked at her with a rather questioning air as Pandora had never shown signs of malfunction in missions to Mars.

<< What makes you propose this solution? >> asked Carla;

<<For some time we have noticed that the rate at which it self-updates has further increased therefore I believe is installing new updates and this prevents from carrying out its tasks as best possible>> Sofia specified;

<< I agree with you >> added Andrea shyly.

Lucrezia looked at the girls with a rather worried look because they were proposing something extreme and yet all the attempts made to restore the oxygen had proved inconclusive therefore she had to act as quickly as possible as the astronauts present in the Martian structure were rapidly running out of oxygen at their disposal and risked dying.

She could not allow her mandate as director of the fifth level to be soiled by such ignominy, it would have meant giving up any ambition to replace Carigge who would retire within a few years and as the director of the fifth level of the Astronautical Headquarters of Palermo had excellent chances of becoming the head of the Italian Space Agency, he should not have allowed an unexpected event to stop his race towards that seat which he saw as the crowning moment of his career.

<< Pandora deactivation authorized, tell our Martian outpost to switch to manual oxygen management mode >> Lucrezia ordered.

In the meeting room the tension rose so high that it could be cut with a knife and a ghostly silence descended worthy of a cemetery at midnight.

For Lucrezia it represented the last resort and if that attempt had failed the astronauts in the Martian outpost would have died but Sofia was also putting her career on the line because if it had ended badly they would have accused her of having proposed an unholy solution by condemning the members of the Martian station.

<<Come on, let's go!>> thought Sofia as she and the others waited for news from Mars with her hands clasped as if in prayer.

After a few seconds of waiting, the announcement came that the oxygen levels had returned to normal so the astronauts were safe.

A cry of joy arose in the meeting room, the various directors hugged each other and a tear of emotion fell from Lucrezia's face as she thanked Sofia and Andrea with her eyes for saving her place.

When Sofia returned to her office she was immediately joined by Lucrezia who wanted to personally congratulate her for what she had done.

<<You were very courageous but the Agency needs people who openly say how things are>> he said, hugging her;

<< I only did my duty but I think it is clear that Pandora is becoming a problem, if on the one hand it is increasingly intelligent on the other it has already risked compromising two missions and this worries me a lot >> Sofia replied;

<< I am fully aware of it but as you well know I cannot simply deactivate it, it is vital for the functioning of the Agency as a whole >> replied Lucrezia who however did not disagree with her friend;

<<So what do we do? Are sticking to the original plan?>> Sofia asked her;

<< For the moment yes, let's wait and see what happens in the hope that no further misfortunes will happen >> said Lucrezia, hugging her again before leaving the room.

Sofia didn't agree with that decision at all, she felt that if they hadn't intervened promptly sooner or later someone would have died, however she decided to obey what she had been ordered to do, perhaps out of friendship or perhaps out of excessive respect.

He understood the very complicated position in which Lucrezia found herself but Pandora was proving to be increasingly unstable, for some time it had escaped the control of the programmers who helplessly watched its self-updates but as long as it had not damaged any missions no one had had any objections however, if his excessive intelligence became a danger to the Agency then it had to be stopped.

<< It was a big mistake to rely completely on Pandora, now we are so dependent on it that we are subject to its whims and this is not good >> thought Sofia looking out of her office.

While at the Astronautical Headquarters we were thinking about whether Pandora was still a resource or was starting to be a threat in the Amazon forest, the various groups of cadets who were training had very different problems.

For days Leonardo and the others had been walking through the trees and dense vegetation in search of the intermediate point to reach, the Puranga Conquista Sustainable Development Reserve, led by Orlando who used the stars that appeared at night to guide them and yet they had not yet arrived.

<< Are we sure this is the right direction? >> asked an exhausted Alice as they took a five minute break to refresh themselves with what little water they had left;

<<I'm one hundred percent certain of it>> Orlando replied;

<< We've been walking for days and the prospect of successfully completing this exercise is getting further and further away >> added Chiara;

<<We must not lose heart, I have faith in Orlando's abilities as a navigator, if he says we are going the right direction then that's it>> Leonardo replied, siding alongside his friend.

After having argued and once peace had been made between the two, a strong friendship had been created which now pushed them to support each other, however they were very tired.

As soon as the sun rose they woke up, ate a frugal breakfast and set out marching through the forest from dawn to dusk and then rested at nightfall.

<<Maybe we should also walk in the dark, at least for a while, this way could shorten time>> Lucia proposed;

<< Let's not talk about it, we are already very tired and if we didn't rest we would risk running aground, at which point we would be devoid of energy and condemned to fail >> replied Alice;

<< I agree, resting at night is useful for recharging the mind and body but time is ticking and from my calculations we should have already spent a week in the middle of this bush so we don't have much time left to complete the test >> suggested Chiara who was counting the days since they left Manaus;

<< Night is falling so it's best to camp and tomorrow we'll think about what to do >> Orlando proposed;

<<Okay, let's prepare the tent>> Chiara replied.

After the first night in the forest in which they had been forced to sleep outdoors due to the argument between Leonardo and Orlando, they had procured some long tree branches which they used as a skeleton to keep the hut formed from the fabric found in the kit given to them stable. at the start of the race from Manaus.

Their biggest concern was the water that was starting to run out and having to spend another week in the forest would soon run out making it imperative to get more.

<< Guys, bad news, we have officially run out of water to drink so in the next seven days we will have to make do >> Alice announced showing the empty bags;

<<How was this possible? We've only been on the march for a week, supplies should have lasted at least two>> Orlando protested, grabbing a water bottle to see if her friend was actually telling the truth;

<< The biggest problem is called temperature, in fact, having to walk all day under this humidity we are subject to heavy sweating which translates into a greater need for water by our body >> explained Chiara;

<< Let's stop feeling sorry for ourselves, rather we have to find a way to get out of this bad situation otherwise we will fall into the trap of dehydration and it will be game over >> Leonardo specified.

That night the temperature was very high as was the humidity and it was difficult for the boys to sleep. Furthermore, being sweating through the roof did not help calm their spirits, on the contrary it instilled further doubt and fear in their hearts.

<< I need to drink, this thirst is killing me >> said Orlando, getting up from his bed in the tent and going out into the open;

<< Wait, I'll come too, it's suffocating in here >> Leonardo replied.

The two were joined by the girls who struggled to sleep a wink in a similar context, everyone tried to find a solution to the problem but no one could think of a way to refresh themselves with the necessary liquids.

In the meantime, the night slowly but surely gave way to day and while the first timid rays of the sun showed themselves to the world, bringing a new day, the discussion raged among the boys on how to overcome that moment of difficulty.

<< Is it possible that there was nothing in Prescotti's manuals regarding this situation? >> Lucia asked but at the time she didn't get an answer, however that sentence triggered Leonardo's eidetic memory and he had an idea.

<< Maybe there is a solution but I don't know if it will work. First we need some cylindrical wooden sticks that are empty inside and open at the ends, similar to small tubes >> he told them, getting up suddenly and starting to look for them;

<<What would you like to do with us please? Chew them?>> asked Alice;

<<Give me a hand and you'll see>> he replied.

Orlando and Lucia followed him closely while Alice and Chiara were the last to be convinced by their friend, on the other hand they had nothing to lose so they supported Leonardo in his research.

They found three while another four were obtained from some twigs that lent themselves very well to the purpose, after which Leonardo grabbed a machete available to the team and with the plate began to stick the sticks into the tree trunks.

A silvery liquid began to slowly leak from the plants pierced by the wooden tubes.

<<You are a genius!>> Orlando exclaimed, placing his mouth right under that sort of fountain but Lucia abruptly sidestepped him to fill one of the bags;

<< Luckily ours are filter bottles otherwise we would be in trouble >> added Alice as she eagerly helped her friend to replenish the water supplies;

<< If Leonardo hadn't had this extraordinary intuition we would have failed >> said Orlando, taking refreshment from the trunk of another tree;

<< In reality it's all thanks to my eidetic memory without which I would never have been able to graduate from the Polytechnic. In any case it was written in one of Prescotti's manuals so we should thank him >> he explained to his friends;

<< Today seems to be our lucky day, we have just solved two problems. Look over there people >> Orlando announced, indicating with his hand a sign placed in the center of some enormous trees on which "Puranga Conquista Sustainable Development Reservee" was written in red and the Agency's logo stood out beneath the acronym.

Attached to the wooden sign, a small metal object sparkled which turned out to be a hologram emitter. When the boys turned it on, Prescotti's big face came out and he was very proud and congratulated them for getting there.

<< My congratulations to you, you have reached the intermediate finish line and you still have the time necessary to complete the test but know that one of the competing teams has decided to withdraw therefore your achievement shows how strong you are however now the question is : Will you be able to complete the rest of the route in time? Don't bother chatting with me here and go! >> he urged them in an enthusiastic voice;

<<Did you hear? Let's get a move on>> said Leonardo driven by a surge of happiness.

They resumed walking with renewed vigor led by Orlando who during the night, when the vegetation permitted, used the stars as a compass while the tree trunks provided enough refreshment and liquids to avoid dehydration.

<< The way in which they are replenishing themselves with water is ingenious, and having someone on the team who knows how to orient themselves using the stars is really a nice stroke of luck >> said Prescotti's assistant while he and his boss followed the teams via some satellites of the Agency, ready to alert the rescue teams if someone decided to retreat;

<< That's not luck my dear, it's called talent. This team has so far shown that it has all it takes to go into space, however I have still set a few traps, we'll see how they fare.

The road towards the Rio Negro State Park Southern Section is still dotted with obstacles even if they are not very far away >> replied the officer munching on some chilli chips;

<< Can I have some advance information on this? >> asked the assistant;

<<If I did would ruin the surprise for you so look and admire>> Prescotti replied laughing.

The officer felt guilty for making the test too hard but if they had made it this far then they would be able to get to the end.

The march of Leonardo and his companions continued quickly, so much so that, on some days, they felt so good physically that they decided to walk even at night, encouraged by Prescotti's words.

They knew how to orient themselves and drink, and a light wind began to blow behind them, making the journey much more pleasant, although the most important thing was the newfound harmony between the various members of the group.

They laughed and joked about the strengths and weaknesses that each of them had shown during the last two tests, however Prescotti's pitfalls did not take long to manifest themselves.

One night while they were eating canned food camped under the trunk of a large tree, they heard howls coming from inside the forest, scaring them to death with fear, especially because, given the place they were in, they couldn't light a fire otherwise they would have risked to start a gigantic fire.

<< Take the machetes, if some beast intends to feast on us they will have to sweat out their dinner >> Leonardo exclaimed boldly.

Orlando ran into the tent, took the weapons and distributed them to his friends, ready to defend themselves from any ambush, meanwhile the verses became more and more insistent as if the creature or creatures in question were approaching.

<< Ready for defense >> said Orlando, keeping Lucia behind him;

<< We'll slap them on the face >> added Chiara.

The darkness in which they were shrouded did not favor their vision but, having the sturdy trunk of the tree behind them, they could only be attacked from the front and that was an advantage.

Minutes passed, then hours but the howls and threatening calls were not followed by any practical actions so the boys began to wonder why those animals didn't attack them since they didn't have fire.

<< Let's lower our weapons >> Lucia began suddenly;

<<Why on earth? Have you decided to give up? Know that I have no intention of failing if had skin an animal alive>> Orlando replied;

<< Don't you understand what's happening? There is no ferocious animal, the sounds we are hearing are artificially emitted by some device placed by Prescotti to scare us and make us slow down >> explained the girl;

<<Are you sure? They seemed very real to me>> said Leonardo who didn't really want to lower his weapon;

<< I'm sure of it otherwise we would already be under attack by now, don't you think? >> she replied;

<< I think he's right but, just to be on the safe side, Leonardo and I will remain on guard while you girls go and rest >> proposed a prudent Orlando.

If an animal wanted to turn it into its dinner it would have met its match.

Looking at Lucia and Alice's faces, you could see that they were at their limit and needed to rest, so the two men of the company took charge of the defense of the fort.

<< Let's hope he's right, I don't want to have a limb taken off >> Leonardo began as he crouched with his back against the trunk of the tree;

<< I agree with you, can you imagine what it would be like to go into space without an arm? >> Orlando replied bursting out laughing;

<< First let's think about surviving in this infirmity, there will be time for space >> Leonardo retorted, placing the machete on the ground;

<<Are you feeling well? You seem a little pale to me>> Orlando said, noticing an accelerated sweating on the face of his friend who wanted to answer him but felt his tongue numb and his brain seemed disconnected from the rest of his body.

Leonardo placed both hands on the ground, his head was spinning so much that he couldn't even sit still and in the end he collapsed on the ground almost unconscious but with his eyes still open however he could barely distinguish the figures of his friends who were calling him worry.

<< Help girls, Leo is sick! >> Orlando shouted entering the tent.

When the girls rushed outside they found their friend lying on the ground in a pitiful condition, he looked like a vegetable more than a human being.

<<What happened?>> Alice asked seeing him in that state;

<< I don't know, we were joking when all of a sudden he started to feel ill. I swear it happened like this >> Orlando replied.

Chiara intervened promptly by raising Leonardo's head while Lucia tried to get him to drink something but without success.

<< The heartbeat is regular and there is no fever, I think it's just tiredness due to lack of sleep. Let's not forget that he has had many sleepless nights between guards and walks so he needs to rest, help me lay him down on the trunk of the tree >> said Alice.

Together with Orlando he took him, resting his back and head at the base of the gigantic tree under which they had placed their tent.

<<For this night I will remain on guard with Orlando, if Leo were to wake up we warn you>> proposed Lucia who had not been alone with her boyfriend for too long.

When the two were alone in the moonlight they held each other tightly, transmitting all their mutual affection.

<< Finally some privacy >> Orlando began;

<< Yes, it's about time >> replied the girl;

<<First I saw you very tired so decided to stay out here, know protect>> Orlando said, swelling his chest;

<< Very brave of you but above all you were even better at making peace with Leo, it is essential that we remain united >> Lucia replied, hugging him.

<< I realized that he is a good boy and I had misjudged him, the one full of prejudices was me and not him.

I'm happy I had the opportunity to get to know him better, I think I made a good friend in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

When they say the world is small >> said Orlando, looking at the moon shining high in the sky with the stars framing it.

The following morning the first to get up was Leonardo and seeing him open his eyes, both Orlando and Lucia ran to him to provide him with the necessary help while Alice and Chiara, who had spent the night in the tent, woke up a few minutes later.

<<How do you feel?>> Lucia asked him;

<<To tell the truth, I'm a little dizzy but overall I can't complain, in fact sorry for having made you worry everything is ok now, serious>> replied Leonardo who was in fact much better.

The ability to get some shut-eye for a few hours had helped him a lot, however there wasn't much time left before the exam deadline arrived.

<< Guys we have to move because we are about to run out of time at our disposal >> said Chiara;

<< How much do we have left? >> asked Alice;

<< Not more than a day or maybe less, I couldn't say exactly, lately the tiredness has overwhelmed me and I've lost count of the days. We've been in this forest for too long and I can't stand it anymore, I'm serious>> Chiara replied, bending down on her knees and bursting into liberating tears;

<<Come on, don't do this, we are all at our limits but now the goal is very close and can't give up, it would be a real shame>> Orlando told her to console her but he wasn't lying, according to his calculations they would arrive at Rio soon Negro State Park Southern Section which meant passing the exam;

<< Do you remember what we said to each other at the beginning of the test? United until the end. Do you want to be the one to break this promise? >> Leonardo asked her;

<< No, no but... >> Chiara whined;

<< I don't go anywhere without you, neither to the destination nor in space nor anywhere else in the universe, since I met you you have changed my life and now that you are in difficulty I won't be the one to abandon you >> Alice said looking her straight in the eyes.

That declaration of love brought her back to her senses, she dried her tears with the sleeves of her suit and got back on her feet.

<< Sorry for the moment of weakness and in any case I thank you for the certificates of esteem, I swear that it was not my intention to slow you down >> Chiara explained, justifying her moment of weakness in which physical tiredness had mixed with mental tiredness, causing her to collapse.

<< Don't even say it as a joke, we can all have a difficult time, it's part of the growth process that life forces us to do every day but the important thing, what makes the difference is not how many times you fall but how you get up > >Lucia consoled her.

Those sentences were followed by a collective hug after which they set off again, they didn't know exactly if they would make it in time also because they had to make some stops to drink from the trees and after two weeks in the Amazon forest they couldn't walk quickly like before.

They marched non-stop all day and when dusk announced the arrival of evening they saw in the distance, nestled among the trees, a metal sign with the words Rio Negro State Park Southern Section at the top and below it the logo of the Space Agency.

<< Guys we're here, we're here! >> Orlando shouted running towards the sign, hugging it as soon as he reached it;

<< Look here >> said Chiara, grabbing another hologram transmitter positioned under the license plate, it was very well hidden and only an attentive eye would have noticed it.

As soon as they turned it on, a hologram shot off virtual fireworks everywhere, then Prescotti's face appeared.

<< Congratulations for completing the test on time, this means you survived the Amazon rainforest. Now you can activate the locator and a rescue team will come to pick you up within a few minutes >> said the virtual projection of the officer.

Chiara took the marker from her backpack and placed it on top of the sign.

<< Let's all reward him together, it was a team effort >> proposed the girl.

The five cadets placed their hands on the instrument and pushed the power button, launching a red flag into the air which was immediately recognized by the rescue team who took off an eVTOL from their base on the banks of the Rio Cuieiras.

While they waited for the rescue team, the five cadets thought about what they had done in those two weeks, from their arrival in Brazil until then, realizing that they had grown enormously, both humanly and professionally.

<< Here is our taxi of salvation >> said Lucia seeing the eVTOL arrive on the horizon;

<< Do you think we will miss this place? After all, we've been through a lot here >> Alice asked;

<< I want my bed back! >> Orlando exclaimed.

One at a time they got on the flying vehicle after which they said goodbye to what had been their home for two weeks and, observing it from above, they realized that they would miss it.

<< Goodbye the Amazon forest and thank you for teaching us so much, we won't forget you very easily >> Alice said, becoming emotional.

The eVTOL brought them back to Manaus after a few hours of travel and when they arrived, they found Vittori and other representatives of the Agency waiting for them at the airport, meanwhile further eVTOLs arrived from the forest carrying the cadets who had managed to pass the test.

<< Apparently there are still many of us >> noted Leonardo as he observed the Aurora team descending compactly from an eVTOL;

<<I'm afraid that to win a place as an astronaut we will have fight the death, my friend>> Orlando told him;

<<For once I agree with you>> his friend replied, watching other eVTOLs unload the latest test winners.

Once back in Palermo the cadets enjoyed a few days of rest before having to face the next test, in fact Prescotti decided to give them some freedom after having made them spend two weeks in the Amazon forest so the boys took advantage of the opportunity to spend some time together getting to know each other better and cementing their union.

They spent every free evening at "Atlantide" where they talked about the future but above all about their respective pasts, so it turned out that Alice had grown up in a large family, whereas Chiara had always suffered from not being able to show her true self, fearing her parents' reaction and this it continued to make her feel uncomfortable.

<< Each of us should pursue our own happiness so you have to tell them and if they are not willing to accept you, know that here you have a second family ready to welcome you >> said Sofia who now regularly participated in those meetings;

<<You're right, we appreciate you for who are so forget the prejudices of those who, in 2071, still don't accept diversity others>> added Lucia who revealed that as a child she had suffered a lot due to arguments and the separation of her parents .

There was very little to say about Leonardo, everyone knew his story and yet in one of the evenings it came out that for a short period of his life he had grown up with only his paternal grandfather as the other three grandparents had died long before his disappearance of parents.

<<It must have been very hard for you>> Sofia told him, caressing his face;

<< Each of us has had our difficulties, the important thing is to overcome them and move forward >> he replied in a melancholy tone.

The only one to remain silent during the telling of those stories was Orlando who, fortunately for him, had grown up in a wealthy family that had never allowed him to lack for anything.

His parents got along very well and mother nature had given him great ability in scientific subjects which had led him there.

<< What can you tell us about your past? >> Lucia asked him;

<<Well what can I tell you?! Unlike you, haven't had all these problems but I'm not ashamed of it, know I've been lucky so yes, from a certain point view consider myself privileged>> replied Orlando who didn't like talking about all the wonderful days spent together with father, they were his personal memories and he preferred to keep them in his mind;

<< Lucky you, you can't imagine how much I envy you >> added Alice who at night still dreamed of arguing with her brothers.

<< It must be nice to have brothers to share your feelings with, but I am an only child and I can assure you that loneliness sucks >> said Leonardo;

<< You're joking right? It's much better to be an only child because when you have pestilential brothers who do a lot of pranks on you like throwing flour in your hair or something else I can guarantee you from personal experience that you risk exhaustion >> replied Alice who however spoke about it with the smile on the lips.

In truth, she missed those moments of squabbles that always ended with the stipulation of a truce over a slice of chocolate cake.

<< Do you already know what the next exam will be? >> asked Sofia;

<< To tell the truth, no, even if the options are starting to run out, perhaps the one at the bottom of the sea could represent a very difficult obstacle, especially if faced at this time of year >> Chiara replied;

<< In my opinion the next test will be the one in the high mountains, done in winter it is more difficult and Prescotti will not miss the opportunity to make our lives hell >> added Orlando biting into a piece of lobster.

When the evenings ended they divided into three small groups and each went their own way, Leonardo spent the rest of the nights under the sheets in Sofia's apartment who was still struggling with deciphering the Pandora code.

<< Are you still at a standstill with Pandora? >> he asked her one night after having sex;

<< That's right and luckily there have been no other accidents, at least for now. Poor Lucrezia is crushed by enormous pressure and I have to be honest, when the oxygen ran out on the Martian outpost I feared the worst but luckily we managed to patch things up just in time >> she replied;

<< I hope you'll have sorted out this mess by the time it's my turn to go to Mars. We are talking about Pandora, she manages everything within the Agency and if she doesn't work everything stops.

Now that you make me think about it, when we were in the jungle the smart mode of our suit stopped working >> Leonardo revealed to her;

<< You can rest assured, in that case it was Prescotti who deactivated the suits, it is the standard procedure to make the test more difficult otherwise with the help of technology it would be too simple to overcome >> Sofia replied;

<< You seem very sure about it >> said Leonardo;

<< I know for a fact so don't worry, also it seems to me that you managed quite well so case closed rather I'm worried about our Jovian outpost from which we only receive news from time to time due to the long distance.

A malfunction there would be a catastrophe and the Agency cannot afford to lose any more astronauts in that area of the solar system >> Sofia thought out loud.

<<If you want I can help solve the mystery of Pandora, I'm good with these things>> Leonardo proposed to her, increasingly intrigued by that complex artificial intelligence;

<<Are you sure? I wouldn't want to distract from your training and if remember correctly said that weren't interested in the fifth level>> Sofia retorted;

<< You're right, however, see it as an external consultancy and if we were to reach some discovery, I promise that the credit will be yours alone >> Leonardo guaranteed her.

Sofia looked at him for a few minutes undecided on what to do, on the one hand his help would have been very useful to her on the other it risked distracting him from his main task i.e. training and if something had gone wrong she wouldn't have forgiven herself, especially now that the next exam was looming.

In the end he gave in, accepting his help on the condition that this did not affect his performance in the various exam tests.

<< I promise you >> he said, kissing her hand;

<<Now that we are colleagues, where would you like to start?>> he asked him;

<< Since I have an eidetic memory, when I saw the Pandora code in your studio the other evening it stuck in my head and between one test and another I had time to reflect on how to speed up the process of deciphering the code. code so I thought we could use Apollo >> he explained to her;

<<Do you happen to have a dog and never told me? I didn't know they let animals be kept in the dormitories at Headquarters>> she provoked him;

<< Apollo is a complex quantum interface integrated with UnderWorld, a quantum AI that I designed at the polytechnic capable of predicting the change of viruses over time.

If we associated Pandora's behavior with that of a virus and considered the code you discovered as its DNA, we could insert Pandora's code into Apollo which, thanks to integration with UnderWorld, will decipher its future intentions >> he explained;

<< Yours is a very interesting idea but Andrea is already working on a similar approach so I'm sorry, you arrived late >> said Sofia;

<< Damn this Andrea must be really smart, in any case I brought Apollo with me, if you want you can use it anyway to check if your friend's results are correct.

I guarantee you that it has extremely high precision so you can trust the results >> Leonardo said taking a USB stick out of his jacket pocket and handing it to Sofia.

<<Okay, we'll check but to be safe we won't tell Andrea>> Sofia replied, taking the pen in her hands;

<< If we agree, why don't we get to work straight away? A few minutes ago I received a communication from the Agency and another exam will start tomorrow morning so I can only help you now or when I return but I don't want to wait >> he proposed;

<<So what are we waiting for? Let's get to work>> Sofia cut in, jumping out of bed.

That same night they worked hard inserting the Pandora code into Apollo, when they started the deciphering process it was already dawn and Leonardo was forced to escape to Palermo airport where the cadets had been summoned for that very morning.

<< Go and make yourself count, I'm sure you'll do great >> Sofia encouraged him;

<< Thank you, let's hope it's true. In any case, keep me updated on Pandora, if there is any news I want to be the first to know >> he replied giving her a kiss on the forehead;

<<You can count on it>> Sofia shouted at him as he closed the apartment door.

<<Now let's see how intelligent Andrea is>> thought the girl seeing Apollo at work.

Meanwhile Leonardo rushed to the airport arriving just in time for the roll call, the sun had just risen and that morning it was very cold however when he arrived he was very surprised to see that it would not be Prescotti but a woman who would lead the exam. in camouflage, very thin and of medium height, in her fifties and dark-skinned.

She wore her long black hair pulled back into an elegant bun, wore a light blue cap with a white-headed golden eagle feather prominently displayed, and had large brown eyes with green veins highlighted by the sunlight.

The woman immediately demonstrated a very severe attitude, from her look it was clear that she was a lover of rigor and discipline, in fact when she saw Leonardo arriving very slightly late she threatened to throw him out of the test.

<< We are not at the playground here, preparing to become astronauts is a very serious thing, do you understand me? >> he resumed it with an inflexible tone;

<< I ask for forgiveness, ma'am, it won't happen again in the future >> Leonardo apologized, very intimidated by that very stiff woman;

<< Very good and this must apply to all of you, we are not here to waste time but to train and if someone doesn't like it they can go home, in any case let's not waste time talking and let's start immediately but first a short presentation.

My name is Maria Ersilia Tariconi, I am an army colonel and like Prescotti I have a specialization in survival in extreme environments.

I will be your examiner for the next tests as Prescotti has been called to Rome for urgent commitments and has asked the undersigned to replace him.

In this survival exam you will face the SEEMO program and there is no need to explain what it is or how it works however I have decided to make some changes to the exam to make it more realistic than what you will find in space.

Each team will spend a month in Aquarius which is located at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Lampedusa. Once inside the laboratory you will find all the information necessary to correctly complete the month of training.

We have drawn the starting order of the groups and the first to leave will be the one composed of Leonardo, Orlando, Alice, Lucia and Chiara who are asked to take a step forward.

The other groups will have to wait their turn but don't worry, you will all have the same time to try your hand at the SEEMO program.

Each team will be transported by an eVTOL to Lampedusa where the mission will begin.

That's it, I wish you good luck>> said the colonel, motioning to the boys he had called by name to take a step forward.

<< That's your eVTOL, I want to tell you that you were the best both in the Amazon forest and on Etna, furthermore Prescotti spoke very well about you so I have high expectations, don't disappoint me or you will regret it >> the officer warned them glaring at Leonardo;

<< Don't worry ma'am, we will do our best >> Chiara replied while the other members of the group nodded their heads;

<< I really want to hope so, now go >> Tariconi dismissed them, meanwhile the eVTOL behind them started its engines.

<< Can we know where the hell you were? Because of you, the colonel is angry with us >> Alice said, scolding Leonardo in a grumpy tone;

<< I was 10 seconds late, it doesn't seem like a big drama to me >> the friend defended himself, finding her excessively aggressive towards him;

<< I'm with Leo, when he arrived we had been there for a very short time, in my opinion Tariconi's reaction was excessive >> Orlando defended him by fastening his seatbelts;

<< Stop crying over spilled milk, rather let's not waste time talking and concentrate on what we have to do >> Chiara continued, closing the discussion.

The eVTOL quickly took off in the air in the direction of Lampedusa and as they traveled Leonardo felt guilty for having put the group in a bad light with the colonel, although the delay was venial he could not allow his distraction to go to compromising the team's work so he promised himself to give his best.

Once they arrived in Lampedusa, the eVTOL dropped them off near the port where a boat rented by the Agency was waiting for them, identical to the one used in Brazil to go up the Rio Negro with the only difference that the propulsion was electric.

Once on board the captain would take them out to sea and from there they would dive, reaching Aquarius.

<< Good morning guys, I'm Captain Mariano Fantizzoni and I will have the pleasure of taking you to the point where you will have to dive >> began an elderly man with a white hair and beard.

He was at least seventy years old and perhaps even a few years older, his clear blue eyes stood out on his face creased by the saltiness of the sea that had carved his features over many years of navigation.

He was wearing a blue jacket, cream-colored trousers and large black rubber boots while nervously chewing the mouthpiece of a long wooden pipe in his mouth.