Europa, July 16, 2027. 0730 Hours.
Kenji Sato opened the airlock, shouting as the core room shook. “Clear the way—shard’s going out!”
Anika Sharma pulled the shard free, her voice tense. “It’s out—but it’s still active!”
Xiaotong Zheng wrestled with the console, her genius a brilliance, her presence magnetic. “It’s too far gone, Mitchell! We need to eject it—now!”
Rachel Voigt dragged a wounded merc back, her tone fierce. “Move, or we’re all fried!”
John Mitchell shielded his eyes, his leadership a steady force. “Zheng, can you stop it?”
Elias Moretti’s scanner screamed, his voice panicked. “Radiation’s critical—we’ve got seconds!”
Yuri Leonov kicked a merc aside, grinning amidst the chaos. “Eject it? Into space? I like it!”
Li Wei braced against the wall, his expression grim. “Core’s shutting down—we’re safe!”
Sarah Carter treated burns, her focus sharp. “Everyone’s alive, John—barely.”
Mikael Heikkinen’s voice crackled through comms. “Shard’s in orbit—NeoCorp’s done.”