Captain Carter was gesturing to Premier Maître Rousseau to take the C-4 remote detonator and blow up the base, including them. The French didn't argue. He knew there was nothing else to do but this. They would be killed or held prisoners. Either way, they wouldn't accomplish their mission and the bombs would be sent to Earth. They had to destroy the weapons. Enedan and Rossberg from current timeline, Black Stone, and Earth would be able to continue the investigation afterwards.
Rousseau nodded and seized the detonator in the chest rig.
"Merde!" he swore in his native language when he saw the item.
The detonator wasn't in a good shape, too.
The blast had partially hit the case. That wasn't a good sign.
Rousseau's swear made Carter react for she looked up at him when she heard him.
"Sorry, ma'am." Bernard apologized, regaining self control.
Carter had never heard him swear or seen him nervous during a mission, even when the situation was getting bad. Rousseau losing his nerves and going back to a professional behavior a few seconds later, that was something somehow funny at this moment. Carter offered Rousseau a soft smile, which remotivated him.
In the doorway, Sakai shouted, "They're too many!"
Rossberg from the future suggested, "Can't stay here any longer! Let's go inside, Akira!"
That wasn't the best plan, however, they were stuck. It was just a way to stall for time. Sakai ran to Rousseau and Carter. Rossberg closed the door from the console inside and fired at the device to block the door.
Sakai became a bit confused when he saw Rousseau with the detonator in the right hand. Carter seemed okay with that as she was gasping, "Try... Try..."
Bernard gave Akira other bandages so he could put them on Carter's wound and remove the bloody ones. The lady was livid, exhausted. Nobody paid attention to Rossberg building a barricade around Alpha with storage boxes on wheels. As a matter of fact, the room was full of these.
Bernard required in his throat mic, "Enedan, lieutenant, leave immediately! We're not gonna make it to the ship, so, we're gonna blow up the base. I repeat, we're gonna blow up the base, leave immediately!"
To be precise, Bernard would try to blow up the base, but he didn't have time to go into detail.
Noise emerged from outside. Sakai turned around and aimed his coners at the entrance door. Rossberg dropped the barricade; rushed behind the box near Sakai, Rousseau, and Carter; and imitated the Japanese. The attackers were shooting at the door, thinking they could open it this way. Luckily for Alpha, the door remained solidly closed.
In the ship, Enedan and young Rossberg exchanged startled looks. They couldn't believe that they were asked to leave their companions behind, to let them sacrifice. Enedan and Philip couldn't accept that.
"Do you copy?" Enedan and Rossberg heard the French over radio, as they weren't responding.
The woman with the tattoos on the neck spoke, voice quavering, "Bernard... We can't..."
"Leave now!" Bernard firmly interjected into his mic.
In the ship, Enedan finally complied, tears in the eyes, "I'm so sorry, Bernard..."
Next to her, Lieutenant Rossberg was sadly processing the terrible outcome of this mission. Enedan's and Rossberg's hearts broke when they heard Rousseau's voice comforting them with "That's okay.".
But nothing was okay. It was a complete failure.
Inside the dome, the three Black Stone men exchanged looks. Akira had turned around to Carter and Rousseau whereas old Philip was looking back and forth between the entrance and the two other men. Philip nodded at Bernard, meaning that he was one hundred per cent okay with the plan, then, focused on the entrance, ready to fire at will. Akira didn't react, silently accepting his fate. Carter was breathing with difficulty. Nobody wanted to die, but they had to protect Earth. It was their responsibility. And sometimes, great responsibilities come with personal sacrifices.
Bernard gave a last look to Maryanne. Tears were in his eyes. And frankly, he didn't care to show his emotions.
Maryanne gave a last look to Bernard. Tears were in her eyes, too.
Bernard had seen Maryanne grow up as an officer, a team leader, and a human being. She'd had her ups and downs, like him. Life had decided to put them on each other's path and on Alpha's. Two strangers propelled into an extraordinary and overwhelming adventure. Two soldiers, from countries separated by an ocean, united for a common purpose that went from finding a mineral to fight for Earth and Life. Two souls who had risen again and stood by each other and their friends along the way. Especially when one of them had needed a wake-up call...