Sitting in the back corner of the lounge in the base, Kael's eyes were shut as he lounged on the sofa, nodding his head along to the tune of the music in his neural implant. The hum of the base surrounded him - Selix and Kier bickering over some new invention, Rava polishing medical tools at the bar, the constant whir of cooling fans from Selix's computer array. The neon lights cast pulsing cyan and magenta shadows across his cybernetic arm as it rested on his thigh.

The metal door slid open with a pneumatic hiss, cutting through the ambient noise. Kael opened one eye, cybernetic iris adjusting instantly to track Zekiel's approach. His friend's combat boots echoed on the metal floor, the smell of gunpowder still clinging to his leather jacket.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Zekiel said, giving Kael's leg a rough shake. "We gots a job to do."

Kael groaned, pausing his music with a thought. "Why the rush? What's the score this time?"

Zekiel tossed a data chip to Selix, who caught it one-handed without looking up from her screens. "Some rich client, spoke through proxies. Offering 5 billion credits to hit one of Live Tech's satellite buildings."

The base fell silent. Even Kier paused his argument with Selix. Five billion credits might as well be an impossible number for a single job.

"Live Tech?" Kael frowned, the name triggering a subroutine in his memory. "They do holographic displays. Why would anyone pay that much for corporate tech?"

"That's what we're gonna find out," Zekiel said, grinning. "Client wants a specific briefcase from their safe. Temperature controlled, heavy security."

Selix inserted the chip into her terminal, her fingers flying over the holographic keyboard. "Floor plans coming up. Ten stories, top floor security vault." She whistled softly. "That's some serious encryption. Whoever your client is, they've got connections."

Kael stood, his cybernetic leg servos humming softly. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up - an instinct honed through years of near-death experiences. "Five billion for a briefcase? Something's not right here."

___

Three hours later, Kael clung to the exterior of Live Tech's satellite building, rain cascading down his face as he peered through a ventilation shaft. The first five floors had been easy - standard security, predictable patrols, just as the intel promised. But floor nine had erupted in chaos, security bots swarming from hidden compartments and armed guards flooding the corridors.

"K! Now would be a good time," Zekiel's voice crackled in his earpiece as gunfire erupted below.

Kael accessed the security panel with his cyber link, feeling the connection burn in his temple as he bypassed three layers of encryption. The vault door slid open with a hydraulic groan, revealing a surprisingly small interior - nothing but a single metallic briefcase resting on a pedestal, temperature gauges showing sub-zero readings.

"Got it," Kael muttered, grabbing the case. It was heavier than expected, cold through his gloves.

Behind him, Zekiel screamed, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor. Kael spun, pistol rising, to see his friend unconscious on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. Three guards advanced, weapons raised.

"Time to go!" Kier's voice cut through the commotion. "Emergency exit on the roof - I'm patched into the elevator!"

Kael slung Zekiel over his shoulder with his cybernetic arm, the briefcase clutched in his human hand, and ran for the stairs. The case grew colder against his palm as he raced upward, guards shouting behind him. At the roof access, he shoulder-checked the door, diving through as bullets ricocheted off the metal门框.

The elevator platform arrived with a grinding noise, Kier leaning out the door. "Hurry!"

Kael slammed onto the platform, Zekiel still unconscious beside him. As they descended, he stared at the briefcase, condensation forming on its surface. What could possibly be worth this? Five billion credits. Almost getting killed. Zekiel bleeding. None of it made sense.

Back at the base, Rava immediately began treating Zekiel's wounds while Kael paced, the briefcase sitting on the table between them. The gang watched silently, the weight of what they'd risked hanging in the air like smoke.

"We should check it," Kael finally said, his voice breaking the tense silence.

Selix looked up sharply. "Are you crazy? That thing could be booby-trapped. Or worse."

"We almost died for it," Kael replied, stepping toward the case. "Five billion credits for a briefcase? I need to know why."

He reached for the lock, feeling its cold metal beneath his fingers. His cybernetic eye whirred, attempting to scan the contents, but the case blocked all internal sensors. IA's holographic form appeared beside him, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Kael. The interior is lined with military-grade scanning interference material."

Zekiel groaned from the medical table. "Just open the damn thing already."

Kael flipped the locks, each releasing with a soft click. The gang leaned forward as he lifted the lid, cold mist billowing outward. Inside, on a bed of velvet, lay a figure - humanoid, barely breathing, skin cold to the touch but undeniably alive.

Kael stepped back, stunned. "What the hell..."

The figure stirred, eyelids fluttering open. For a moment, no one moved as those eyes - whatever they contained - met Kael's cybernetic gaze across the cold mist rising from the open briefcase.