Humanity's future hangs by a thread-quite literally. When the massive asteroid Aetheron is discovered on a collision course with Earth, scientists predict it will wipe out life as we know it. Global panic ensues-until Galen Michaels, a visionary astrophysicist, proposes an audacious plan: capture the asteroid and use it to anchor the world's first space elevator, creating a pathway to the stars.As tensions rise and loyalties are tested, the crew must make impossible choices. Sacrifices will be made. Lives will be lost. And as Earth's final moments draw near, the question remains: will Aetheron be humanity's salvation, or its doom?The Last Ascent is a gripping tale of ambition, sacrifice, and survival, exploring the limits of human courage as they reach for the stars-and face the dangers lurking beyond them.