So something bad is about to happen; a nuclear weapon is about to go off, or an asteroid is about to impact the planet and the only way to avoid this is if someone stays behind and sacrifices himself to stop it. But who will go? All of these characters are life long friends. There's no easy way to decide. Or is there? One of the characters has an Incurable Cough of Death and only a few months to live. He'll do it - after all, he's dying anyway, and in a far less dramatic and spectacular way. Compare The Last Dance.