An explosion ripped through the Florida sky on a hot morning. No one expected a routine inspection at the Cape Canaveral launch site to turn into the most horrific tragedy in SpaceX history. A giant fireball exploded, engulfing the entire test site in seconds. Amidst the billowing black smoke, a name rang out that silenced the world: Elon Musk.
Witnesses at the scene said that at first they only heard a thunderous screech, then an explosion that reverberated in their chests, followed by a terrible pressure that shattered glass and sent rolling doors flying. An unnamed engineer admitted to the press: “Everyone ran in panic, I saw Mr. Musk thrown onto the concrete floor. The smell of smoke and burning metal made it impossible for anyone to breathe.”
Paparazzi and local reporters quickly arrived. Flashes flashed through the smoke and dust, capturing an unprecedented chaotic scene: engineers covered in blood ran out of the building, firefighters in protective gear rushed into the sea of fire, while Musk fans outside the factory gate cried out their idol’s name. Police immediately blocked off the entire area, rescue helicopters circled in the sky, but the heat from the explosion made it almost impossible to approach.
Emergency medical teams quickly loaded Musk onto a stretcher, covered with fireproof silver sheets. Ambulance sirens blared, weaving through the jostling crowd to the point that an iron fence collapsed, causing some fans to suffer minor injuries. Inside the vehicle, medical staff continued to perform CPR, squeeze oxygen bags, sweat pouring down their foreheads. But all efforts were in vain. A doctor at Jackson Memorial Emergency Room revealed: “We gave him multiple shocks, the ICU was on all night. But his body was no longer responding.”
Meanwhile, global social media went crazy. The hashtag #PrayForElon climbed to the top of Twitter after just 5 minutes, then was quickly replaced by #GoodbyeElon when the news of the death was confirmed by major news agencies. The Nasdaq electronic board even temporarily suspended trading of Tesla shares for 30 minutes, and the cryptocurrency community was red with this shocking news.
Musk’s family was rushed to the hospital surrounded by police. Relatives burst into tears, the image of the young son covering his ears and crying shocked the world. Musk’s close colleagues such as Gwynne Shotwell and many veteran engineers hugged each other in the hospital hallway, their eyes red with disbelief that the steel leader had collapsed.
In Washington, the US President sent urgent condolences, calling Musk “a man who changed the trajectory of human history, but died in the flames of his own dream of the universe”. In Europe, thousands of fans gathered in front of Tesla’s headquarters in Berlin, lighting candles and praying all night. In Tokyo, electronic billboards simultaneously displayed the white text: “Thank You, Elon Musk”.
The scene of the explosion continued to be cleaned up, but a double incident suddenly occurred. The rescue helicopter carrying a group of engineers injured in the explosion suddenly made an emergency landing due to engine failure. Fortunately, the pilot was able to control it, but that moment only made the atmosphere more tense, people screamed because they thought there was going to be another tragedy.
The Florida night was immersed in the cold white light of the hospital. It was said that the ICU never turned off the lights from the moment Musk was brought in. But finally, a death knell softly rang in the silence. The medical team walked out, their faces dazed. One short sentence: “He did not make it.”
The official news was released at 3:12 a.m., the whole world was shocked. Outside the hospital, hundreds of fans burst into tears, many knelt down, lighting candles on the rain-soaked sidewalk. The atmosphere of mourning was everywhere, as if the whole of humanity had lost a symbol.
Countries announced that they would fly their flags at half-mast, while in California, San Francisco Square turned into a giant sea of candles. People held up black-framed portraits of Musk, singing with tears in their eyes. The world had lost a great dreamer, but from there, a memorial promise was raised: “SpaceX will never stop. His dream will continue to fly.”
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