Washington DC - USA

- Come on! it's really a shame what happened with your proposal José. (In Portuguese, but with an American accent) - Marcus Abraham said on the phone.

- Yeah, Marcus, but well, I expected something like that, not that they would refuse, of course, I was even confident, but prepared for the worst. - José answered on the phone.

- But at least they accepted your seven projects of bio-sustainable machines, apart from the other twenty-two projects by other scientists, this event doesn't even accept more than one project per person, however arrogant Jake may have been, you came out in profit.

- In fact, I know that I have been a "chosen" of Jake for my background and competence, and this time he saw potential again in my projects, but only approved them for the profitable return that he would have, and I understand that investors need to profit selling these machines to other countries to include, but he totally ignored my appeal, Marcus, you know how this plan of mine would only work if executed in specific steps and of course, a lot of money ... Well, not everyone understands how the planet is on the verge of collapse and will soon be uninhabitable for us.

- Certainly, José, and that's why I called you. I want you to come to Washington as soon as possible, I have an extremely important matter to discuss with you, and I need to know your opinion, it is a big thing José, we have discovered a new planet, well, I cannot give details, it is very confidential. And as a friend and supporter of your theory, I know how important you are to this new discovery.

- Dammit, Marcus! Okay, I'll go as soon as I can, I'll give you more details on Chatapp.

- Thank you, José, see you soon. - Marcus ended by ending the call.

Marcus Abraham was a friend of José's, they met at a scientific conference in Toronto, since then they got close and kept in touch, José even commented on his theory of the Extinction of Life on Earth, and Marcus helped to provide data for the José's studies.

- Glup! So the guy asked you to go to Washington to discuss a new discovery? You are important, huh, José ?! - Jorge said, choking a little on his coffee with milk when he heard the news of José, they were having an afternoon coffee at Seu Zé's cafeteria.

- Yeah, and I'm really excited, but I'm afraid too, I say that because Marcus is like me, crazy about theories, and a new planet, it's something big, Jorge, very big. - José replied to Jorge.

- Well, but it's just to discuss ideas, isn't it? It's not like he's going to send you to this new planet.

- Yeah, you're right, I'll calm down. Well, I need to go, I promised to arrive in time to help Cristina with dinner today, thanks for the chat, brother!

- Go there, hubby! - Laughter - See you, bro. - Jorge hit José's hand while he left the establishment.

- Seu Zé, your 'risoles' were wonderful as always! - José said pointing to Seu Zé, thanking him proudly.

- Aoba! Thanks big boy! Check back often! - Answered Seu Zé.

...

It was October 2nd, 7:43 a.m, Washington, DC, the plane José boarded had just landed.

"What does Marcus want from me in this meeting? Tips for exploring this planet? Really sending me there like Jorge said? I honestly don't know ...", thought José a little worried getting off the plane.

From a distance José could see Marcus waving at him, after picking him up at the airport, Marcus took José for breakfast, before taking him to an ASOS (American Study of Space) base to discuss this new planet.

- Well, again, I'm glad you came safely and as we just ate, let's get going, right? We have a long day ahead of us! - Marcus said excitedly.

- Sure, let's go! - José answered excitedly too.

As the car drove through the stupidly enormous avenues compared to Brasília, José looked on in awe, even though it was not his first time in Washington. He was really thoughtful about the reason for his presence, he didn’t ask Marcus at any time since he arrived in the city, he thought it wouldn’t be professional nor appropriate, after all, Marcus said it was ultra confidential, except that they were going to a safe place to talk about it, so just wait.

"Is he really going to send me to another planet? It is not impossible", he thought again, José was frightened by the possibility at the same time that he was excited.

The ASOS base was in the city, it was a small astronomical study division, it would take a few minutes at most to get there. At each corner that turned, José became more nervous, "What difference would I make? I'm just someone who cares about my planet, what influence, would I make by commenting on another one?" that was what was on his mind. José was the type of person who did not trust his own potential even though he was the author of great deeds, he did not consider himself to be someone important.

The car turned towards a sidewalk with a path to the gate of the place, the path was marked by beautiful shrubs properly pruned and lined up. The gate was a sturdy iron, built in an old style for the time, well, the place was founded at least ninety years ago; the car stopped in front of the gate, the driver showed the identity to the guard who was in the reception house across the street too, the entrance to the place was authorized, José was silent the whole way, heard only a few questions and answers between Marcus and the driver, seeing the car enter after the gate opens, José notices the sign that said the name of the place.

"A.S.O.S.: Scientific Division of Astrological Study"

 - "Scientific division of astrological study", huh, my English is not so bad apparently. - José thought reading the sign.

- My friend, it was quiet all the way, is everything okay? - Marcus asked looking at the back seat of the car.

- Hah, of course, Marcus, don't worry! I'm a little asked, but we'll talk about it soon.

Laughs. - In fact. - Marcus, he was a serious and very bright person, with ideals different from the usual ones, but he had his moments of self-centeredness.

José got out of the car already admiring the structure of the place, it was like a university, or like a certain school, with several "houses" for his specific purposes, lawns losing their green, yellowing along with the leaves of the trees, and it was not because of of autumn, José knew this, after all, he made a theory of what it meant.

- I know ... what you said only proves with each passing day ... - Marcus commented next to José, who was staring at the tree.

- It's worrying, Marcus. In a few months we will have to start using masks to avoid breathing a toxic air that the fires are causing, apart from the oxygen disappearing faster and faster from the atmosphere. - José had a low face just to remember the predictions of his research.

A wind passed between the two while some leaves flew by their feet.

- Marcus, is that not going to happen? Am I delusional and just talking nonsense? Making countless brilliant minds listen to these blunders and still want their approval? Could it be ... - José was looking at the cloudy gray sky. - Did I waste two years of my life on this?

- Your low self-esteem and devaluation by your own work, always surprises me, no matter if I've known you for a few years, I can never really believe it. - Laughter - José, the only blunders you talk about are those insecure self-deprecations that you say occasionally, well, come on, you will already understand why you are here.

- Well, I'm sorry. - Laughs. - Let's go.

They enter the central building, José notices the huge lobby that was there, there were shrubs marking the way to the reception that was in the center at the bottom of the lobby, José started to think that it was a pattern of those who thought about the design of the place, he followed Marcus who was going towards the elevator door, at that moment, going towards that door, José wondered if there really was a need for an elevator there, it was a three-story building not too high, "Some stairs were enough, right?", He thought with himself. Upon entering the elevator and propping himself against the wall, he notices Marcus clicking the buttons.

"▼ 5x, ▶ 2x, ▼ 5x, ▶ 3x"

He had clicked the button that indicated the downward direction five times, twice the button that indicated the left direction, five times again that indicated the downward direction and three times that indicated the left direction, again. Below them, there was only the soil, thought José, after that, he notices Marcus typing a password that was requested when clicking that sequence. José was starting to get scared, after all, wasn't it just about a planet that was going to be talked about? Generally, news of this nature is immediately released to the whole world, "Look! The discovery of a new planet!", And José thought that he would only have the privilege of discussing something more that would soon be revealed to the public, nothing much. He remained quiet. The elevator made the journey, José felt that they were going in the directions that Marcus had clicked. A few minutes later, the door opens.

José sees a very strong light, after a few seconds, he can see normally again, he sees, there were many people going to and fro, taking papers, others on computers, something big was happening there, they were trying so hard that they seemed to be doing a job with the deadline very close.

- Come on, José, this is it. - Marcus calls entering a single corridor.

José followed him to a room that opened the door with the fingerprint of his hand, José was at the height of his nervousness, it was too safe for few thing. He entered behind Marcus in silence, passing through the portal, José noticed that the thickness of the wall was at least fifteen centimeters, Marcus closed the door. They both sat.

The room had a metal table and two chairs, as if it were an interrogation room, the walls were cushions, as if it were the bedroom of a schizophrenic patient, two ventilations on the ceiling, the only things that made José think that place it differed from these others, it was the fridge in the corner of the room, the eighty-inch TV on one wall and two scientists, although this last condition did not mean that they could not be in any of those places.

- Well, we are in a room whose walls are fifteen centimeters thick, the path to this underground wing is a zigzag game activated by a security code. Marcus, I can't swallow at all that this is just a friendly conversation to just discuss about a new planet, and what is the reason I'm here? Are you going to send me there? After seven planets beyond Earth, have you finally found one where humanity can migrate to it? Or is it not even about the planet? - José shot, breaking the silence.

 Marcus was serious in silence, staring at José's eyes. This perpetuated for at least twenty seconds, which in that situation, seemed much more.

- For starters, there are no seven planets and a dwarf planet beyond Earth, it is estimated that our blue ball is the last planet in the solar system at least 68 million years ago. - retaliated Marcus.

José opened his eyes wide.