The first manned mission to Mars, funded by a philanthropic billionaire and the ESA, is approaching the red planet after a 10-month journey. On board are scientists, top astronauts and a young psychologist tasked with overseeing the mental health of this historic mission. But, just hours before launching the most eagerly awaited landing procedure of all time, another mission, carried out jointly by a giant multinational IT company and NASA, equipped with a more modern and faster plasma-powered spacecraft, overtook them before losing contact. Those who thought they would be the first to walk on Mars thus unwittingly became a rescue mission for their competitors.