[ My apologies for the delay, I've been revising the previous chapters trying to ensure that I conveyed all I wanted- though I'm probably still missing some things. Please re-read the other chapters if you wish, and I hope you enjoy this final installment. I want to dedicate this story to my bronados on Tumblr. Thanks for reading! ]

Key:
Inner thoughts
"Dialogue and stressed dialogue"
Words with inflection

..

Fate?! How absurd. Klaus was in the worst of moods; on some level he knew that he might later regret behaving this way but right now he'd reverted into a sour insecure child. He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palm. The thoughts thrashing around in his mind were overwhelming; She's just giving up?! - She doesn't think we can finish... She doesn't believe in our work. She doesn't believe in me?...!... All this time... Well if she doesn't think it's worth being here, then it's not worth having her.

We don't need you, he replayed in his mind. (She looked sad...) NO, WHO CARES! SHE'S THE ONE THAT'S LEAVING. (Leaving... she's leaving...) That stung.
He staunchly told himself that the team and the admin computer's A.I. was all he needed to finish this. Distress tried to creep into his grieving heart, but his petulance was boundless and left no opening. He'd never dealt well with rejection.

The doors whooshed closed behind him. "Alvis, prepare my station." Klaus articulated as he made his way across the room. He halted mid-stride and focused his gaze on the two scientists standing near the left wall console; the red-haired woman looking frazzled and a taller man with short brown hair and thin wire glasses who also looked quite troubled. More importantly, both were unprepared to begin the day's work. "What are you doing?"

"Haven't you heard...?" the female scientist began, taking a step forward looking seriously concerned. "It was unlikely that we were going to finish anyway," she tried to approach the subject cautiously, "but now that Meyneth is leaving... There's really no point Klaus, let's just-"

"You're wrong." he stated stiffly as he grabbed the marked papers he'd formerly been working with and tried his damndest not to snap at the woman. "We've progressed further than previously assessed, it's not impossible!" His hands were trembling slightly. "We just have to-"

"Klaus, stop." The male scientist stated coldly. "We can't do it; God knows we've done our best until now. You need to accept that it's over."

"It's nobody's fault. It can't be helped, it's just fate." The female scientist added trying to be helpful, as though she was trying to convey they weren't blaming Klaus.

"Fate..." Klaus' throat burned. "God knows you tried? Because I'm not seeing you try now." His arms had fallen to his sides and he was clenching his hands tightly, crumpling the papers he held. His own team... didn't believe in what they were doing; didn't believe in him. Give up?! Because SHE's leaving?! ~Meyneth~... If Meyneth were the one staying, would they think differently? He raised his eyes, glaring into their own with a cold expression. "You are not dismissed."

"Klaus," the redhead began, "we shouldn't waste any more time-"

"Waste?" Klaus looked at each of his colleagues. "If you don't do your job, I'll ensure that all your time in this field has been a waste. Prepare the phase transition program. Input first scenario parameters. Now."
His passion... no, his infuriation was the only thing propelling him now and he rejected the thought of failure. Today I will seize my destiny.

All semblance of emotion was gone from his face and his voice, it was as if he was a completely different person. He was mentally distancing himself. Part of him recognized this, and didn't want to be so emotionally isolated. He wanted to motivate and reassure them but his team had rejected him, Meyneth had left, and his logical side saw no point.
And he was right, and they couldn't disobey a direct command.
It was likely that at best, they thought, this stunt would fail and wreck the system; and so they retreated to their free-standing consoles in the middle of the room and prepared to get it over with.

"Station prepared," a smooth, computer generated voice stated. Klaus quickly keyed a few commands into a prompt and entered a password.

"Alvis, open the window." He was fleetingly grateful there was one team member he wouldn't have to threaten into submission. The large panel of glass framed by metal faded from a silvery grey color to become transparent, revealing the orbit trail of the station that looped around their former planet as well as the empty blackness of space.

"Alvis, run and configure scenario XeN001 with controls to the main console."

The large door to the room opened and Meyneth stepped in, still clicking that pen of hers. She was stopped in her tracks by the view of the man standing in front of the main console, inputting information for... No, he can't be...-

"Let's begin the experiment!" Klaus announced joyfully; he was going to prove that fate and Gods had no place here; that he was all this experiment needed to succeed.

Meyneth pulled her hand from her pocket and lurched forward,"No! The results have not been confirmed! It's too dangerous!" She ran to Klaus and grabbed his right arm trying to pull him away from the console; What is wrong with him? Why is he doing this? This is-

"Ridiculous! It's perfectly safe!"

She tried to push herself between Klaus and the console, holding his right wrist in her left hand and grabbing his coat collar with her right hand. Why... won't he look at me?

Suddenly he turned to meet her gaze, but something was wrong. His expression was frightening, his eyes glinted with hatred but he had a smile on his face. He grasped her shoulders hard and she flinched, reaching up to pry his hands off. He began speaking and released her with a shove, letting her fall to the floor. She landed hard on her side and grimaced; there was a sharp pain right under her ribs but she stubbornly pushed her palms on the floor and looked up at the man that used her be her teammate.
"We are about to bear witness the birth of a universe!"
He rapidly typed on the keyboard sprawled before him as he spoke. "Once, only a god could perform such a miracle. But today, mankind moves one step closer to the divine!"

"Stop, Klaus!" She shouted, pulling herself up and reaching for the keyboard in a final attempt to halt this catastrophe but it was too late.

A blinding light exploded from the console with a rumble and rocked the station causing everyone to fall to the floor. Klaus was brought to his senses, for the first time he was aware of exactly how dangerous this was... and how he might lose everything. There was a humming sound outside the space station, and the light was making its way around the containment ring. Something is wrong. Klaus turned and scrambled to Meyneth who was clutching her chest. He pulled her into an embrace with his trembling hands. "Meyneth, are you-"

"My pacemaker..." She breathed quietly; the light outside dimmed almost completely then began to grow brighter. "Klaus you-" she winced and took a shuddering breath; that's when he realized his hand was warm and covered in-
"Blood?!..." He exhaled sharply and looked down at her coat where about half a red pen was protruding from between her bottom ribs. Klaus felt a lump in his throat.
"I didn't... I'll get help Meyneth, it will be okay..." Finally he noticed the limp bodies of his comrades, they were... fading? The light outside gleamed like the sun until the entire station and nearby planet were enveloped.

"What have I... Meyneth, I'm..." He tried to articulate his thoughts before... whatever was about to happen. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset, I didn't want you to leave me. I-" They were surrounded by the light as well and everything was quiet. There was a sensation that felt like drowning, as the space which they occupied collapsed in on itself, and there was nothing.