The decision was finally made. There was no time left to debate the choice, and there was no room for second thoughts or regrets. The rock lying on the floor, with its threatening message scratched into the surface, was all the proof they needed. It was now completely clear that they were under siege, and their only way out of this danger was to vanish completely.
Inside the cannery, the mood underwent a sudden and serious shift. It changed from one of frantic defense against an attack to a grim, determined execution of a plan. The air in the room, which was already thick with dust and the heat from their electronics, now felt heavy with the enormous gravity of what they were about to do. They weren't just building something anymore; they were actively tearing down their own hard work.
