Juno's words hung in the air like a death sentence, the weight of her revelation pressing down on Starr and the team. Arasaka and Militech both wanted the Neural Shard, and they would stop at nothing to get it. But extracting it from Juno's mind would kill her, and that meant their next move could change everything.
Starr's mind raced. The decision in front of her was impossible: protect Juno and potentially let Arasaka or Militech win the race for power, or extract the shard and kill her, delivering the ultimate weapon into the hands of one of the most dangerous corporations in the world. She wasn't sure she could live with either outcome.
"We can't let them have it," Starr muttered, pacing the room as her thoughts spiraled. "But killing her to get it? There's got to be another way."
Nix looked up from the medbay, his brow furrowed as he studied the diagnostics. "I can try to extract it without killing her," he said cautiously. "But the chances of success are… slim. If this is the kind of tech Arasaka buried in her head, there's no telling how deep it goes or how integrated it is with her neural pathways."
Juno shifted weakly on the cot, her eyes opening again, glassy but clearer now. "I won't… survive the extraction," she rasped. "It's too deep. But if you don't take it out… Arasaka will find me. They'll finish what they started. And Militech… they'll use me just the same."
Starr clenched her jaw, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Juno was right. The corporations saw people like tools, disposable assets to be used and discarded when convenient. And now, she was a pawn in their endless war for control.
Vega, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his voice low and steady. "We could destroy the Shard. Make sure no one gets it. Leave Arasaka and Militech fighting for scraps."
Starr looked at him, the idea churning in her mind. "Destroy it?"
"Yeah," Vega said, his eyes hard. "We get it out, and we obliterate it. No one gets their hands on that kind of power."
Starr turned to Nix. "Can you destroy it?"
Nix hesitated. "I can wipe it from existence if I get access to it. But extracting it is still the problem. If we push Juno too hard…"
Juno weakly raised a hand, silencing Nix. "I'll die either way," she whispered, her eyes locking onto Starr's. "If it keeps that power out of their hands, I'm willing to make that sacrifice."
Starr felt the cold weight of Juno's words settle in her chest. She had been in situations like this before, where the mission took precedence over life, where sacrifices had to be made. But this time it felt different. Juno had already been a prisoner for so long, tortured by the very people she had once worked for. And now, she was willing to die just to keep that same power from falling into the wrong hands.
"Starr," Byte's voice came through the comms, tense and hurried. "We're out of time. Militech's team is closing in. I've stalled them as long as I could, but they'll be at your location within the hour."
Starr's heart pounded in her chest. They had to make a choice. Now.
"Do it," Juno said, her voice firmer than before. "Get the Shard out. Destroy it. Don't let them win."
Starr locked eyes with Juno, her stomach twisting at the finality of it all. She hated this. Hated that this was the only option. But Juno's resolve was clear, and in this world, there was no room for hesitation.
"Alright," Starr said, her voice cold with determination. "Nix, prep the extraction. Vega, get ready for company. We're burning this Shard to the ground."
Nix moved quickly, setting up his equipment and connecting it to the medbay's interface. The room buzzed with tense energy, the weight of what they were about to do palpable in the air. Starr could feel the seconds slipping away, each one bringing them closer to Militech's arrival.
Vega took position by the door, his rifle at the ready, while Starr stood beside Juno's cot, her hand resting on the hilt of her Kenshin blade. The blade hummed softly, a faint reminder of the violence that was always a step away.
"Starr," Juno whispered, her voice so soft Starr had to lean in to hear. "Thank you… for giving me a choice."
Starr swallowed hard, her throat tight. "You deserve better than this, Juno."
Juno smiled weakly. "Maybe in another life."
Nix glanced over, his fingers moving deftly across the controls. "I'm ready," he said. "This is going to be rough, and I don't know how long she'll hold on."
"Just do it," Juno said, her eyes closing as she braced herself for what was to come.
Nix activated the neural extraction, and the room was immediately filled with the sharp whir of machinery and the faint hum of data being pulled from Juno's mind. Her body tensed, a low groan escaping her lips as the process began. The neural cables attached to her head pulsed with energy, the data transfer accelerating as Nix worked to extract the Shard.
Starr stood frozen, watching as Juno's body convulsed under the strain. She had seen enough to know what was happening—Juno's neural network was being torn apart, piece by piece, as the Shard was ripped from her mind. The process was slow, brutal, and Starr could see the pain etched on Juno's face, even in her unconscious state.
"Hold on," Nix muttered, his eyes glued to the display. "We're almost there…"
Juno's breathing grew ragged, her chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths. The machines beeped erratically, warning of the strain on her body. But there was no turning back now.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and Nix's display flashed red. "Got it!" he shouted, his hands trembling as he removed the final neural cable from Juno's head. He held up a small, glowing data shard, pulsing faintly with the power of the prototype.
Starr's heart lurched. "Destroy it. Now."
Nix nodded, his fingers already moving to wipe the data from the shard. But before he could finish, Juno's body seized, her eyes snapping open as she let out a sharp, agonizing gasp.
"Juno!" Starr shouted, rushing to her side, but it was too late. Juno's body convulsed once more, then went still. Her chest stopped rising, her eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.
The room fell into a deafening silence.
Starr stood there, staring down at Juno's still form, the hollow weight of her death sinking deep into her bones. It was over. Juno was gone, and the Shard was out.
"I'm sorry," Nix whispered, his voice barely audible as he finished the wipe, erasing the data from existence. The Neural Shard blinked once, then dimmed, its power lost forever.
Starr's hands trembled as she pulled the sheet over Juno's body, her mind numb. There was no time for grief, no time for mourning. Militech was coming.
"We need to move," Vega said quietly, his voice filled with grim finality.
Starr nodded, her throat tight with unshed emotion. "Let's go."
They had won. But as Starr turned away from Juno's body, she couldn't help but wonder what the cost of that victory truly was.