Chapter 46.5: The Point of No Return

The next morning, the Nexus sanctuary was a hive of controlled chaos. The custom-built neural interface rig stood in the center, a gleaming, intricate web of bio-luminescent conduits and humming processors. It looked less like medical equipment and more like a gateway to another dimension.

Jason stripped to the waist, revealing the countless scars that crisscrossed his body – marks of a lifetime fighting the system. He took a deep breath, the sterile air of the sanctuary doing little to calm the tremor in his hands. Luna was by his side, meticulously cleaning the site of his neural interface, her touch gentle but firm.

"This is it, Jay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No turning back."

He nodded, meeting her gaze. "I know. Just… try to keep the lights on out here."

Spider gave him a grim thumbs-up from his console, already prepping the external monitoring systems. "We got you, boss. Just try not to get your brain reformatted into a spreadsheet."