With a nod, Rafael retrieves more medical supplies, but Kane can’t seem to silence the voices of his past.A good leader takes responsibility for his actions.That’s what his uncle always said.
And isn’t this his fault? He ordered Echo to broker a deal near the border and sent Wren into Midtown for a doctor.
He reaches for the gloves in the medkit. Rafael inhales sharply, eyes snapping to Kane.
“I’m helping you. Whether you like it or not,” he insists, sliding on the gloves. “If Echo dies tonight, I want to be the one responsible.” When Rafael says nothing, Kane stares him down. “Explain every step as you go, and how I can help. I can’t read your mind. Understand?”
An emotion flickers across Rafael’s face. Respect or maybe confusion. But focus soon returns as he presses the scanner into Kane’s hand and grabs another tool.
“I’ll reposition the strands of the neural lace to align with the corresponding neural connections,” Rafael explains. “You can provide real-time feedback on her neural patterns. Then I’ll use an electro-stimulator to send low-level impulses through the lace. This will confirm responsiveness and hopefully restore a functional connection.”
Kane’s hands move automatically, following his instructions. The scanner beeps steadily as he tracks the neural patterns.
Rafael holds the electro-stimulator near Echo’s hand, his other slowly adjusting the lace. The care he shows for Echo—a stranger, for Kane despite everything, for Wren earlier—strikes something unexpected. It’s a kind of decency Kane rarely sees from outsiders, and often doesn’t trust.
Nevertheless, there’s something almost admirable about it, even though softness has no place in their world.
As the operation continues, his gaze drops to his wristlink. Not much time left. Kane forces his attention on the readouts as Rafael sends the last pulse through her lace.
With a sigh, he pulls back, shoulders slumping.
Kane sets down the scanner. “What’s next?”
“If the procedure was successful, her neural activity should stabilize soon,” the nurse answers, glancing at the other lieutenants around them. “Patients typically regain consciousness within thirty minutes to an hour, depending on the duration of unconsciousness.”
Too much uncertainty for Kane. He glances at Echo’s vitals in his overlay.
>ID: AYAKA “ECHO” WATANABE
>NRL ACTIV: LOW / STABILIZING
For the first time all night, the data isn’t bleeding red. But who knows how long it’ll last?
“Coda.” Kane eyes the techie hovering near the billiard table. “Sift through Echo’s contacts. Find a doctor nearby we can trust—someone to take over. Maybe permanently.”
“On it.”
While Coda’s fingers move in a blur, Kane watches Rafael pack away the medical kit.
After Natural Order’s sudden attack—and with no medic on hand—he knows what must be done. The thought twists his gut, but hesitation won’t keep his people alive.
“Until then, someone needs to monitor Echo.”
Rafael goes rigid and peers up, color draining from his face.
Kane’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t want this—for him or the nurse—but wanting changes nothing.
The survival of their crew rests on his shoulders. That’s all that matters.
5
Chapter 5 - Rafael
Unexpected barely describes Rafael’s night. He was kidnapped off the streets, dragged into the slums, threatened at gunpoint, all before being forced to save a woman’s life. And the chaos isn’t over. Barely minutes after being told he’s not leaving, Rafael’s ushered through a back door of the bar and led down a set of stairs.
His surroundings are dark, filled with the sounds of water dripping nearby and the hum of machinery in the walls. Whether they’re in a basement, tunnel, or somewhere else isn’t clear. Brick walls close in along a narrow path, lit only by a faint strip of green light along the floor.
He glances at his wristlink. The interface is black—dead—something Rafael’s never seen before. VitaCorp tech is supposed to work anywhere in the city. His stomach twists, though the sight in front of him isn’t much better.