Recommended Game Story · Cyberpunk 2077 Part 18
Chapters in this story
Spoiler Warning: This is a commentary series covering major events, companion stories, branching paths, and endings of the main game and Phantom Liberty. Each ending is the result of different choices and does not all happen at once. It does not transcribe original dialogue or reenact every scene. Unstated inner thoughts are distinguished as interpretations. AI illustrations are symbolic reconstructions, and V's appearance, gender, and relationships vary depending on the playthrough.
Chapter 1 · The blank space in the promise to live together
This episode covers the case where Song So-mi's escape is assisted during Firestarter. Song So-mi prepares a way to be treated at a facility on the moon, and V travels with her to the NCX spaceport. As Reed and Myers' pursuit closes in, the airport becomes a site of armed conflict. The state power's operation, taking place in a space with passengers and staff, shows how much the safety of others can be disregarded for the purpose of retrieving one individual.
While V overcomes obstacles with Song So-mi, the commonalities between the two can be felt most strongly. Both are fighting against changes encroaching on their bodies and want to escape the utility defined by larger organizations. However, the fact that their pain is similar is not proof that they have given each other the same information. The more one feels they understand the other, the more likely it is that they will not ask about the facts the other is hiding.
During the journey, Song So-mi confesses that the neural matrix is not a solution that can treat both of them, but a single chance to be used for herself. This statement forces V to reinterpret the help received so far. It cannot be concluded that the fear and gratitude Song So-mi showed in the face of danger were all lies. However, the responsibility for moving V while hiding crucial treatment information does not disappear. The truth of emotions and the honesty of a transaction are not the same thing.
There are many interpretations as to why she spoke at the end. One can read guilt, exhaustion from being unable to hide it any longer, and the sense that V treated her as a person. I do not define any one of these as the sole official inner thought. What is clear is that V was belatedly given the right to know and choose. The contradiction that if one wants Song So-mi's freedom, V's free judgment is also important, is revealed here.
Chapter 2 · Wands and Swords, Reed at the door
In front of the shuttle, Reed demands that Song So-mi be handed over. For him, this moment may be the last chance to save a colleague and finish the mission. For V, it is a moment to choose whether to let the person who betrayed them go free anyway, or to return them to the hands of the state. Both can use the words of saving a person, but the shape of the life those words point to is different. For Song So-mi, not only survival but the freedom not to return is at stake.
The result of standing against Reed and sending Song So-mi to the moon is classified as the King of Wands. Reed dies and Song So-mi boards the shuttle. V does not get the treatment they believed was promised and must continue to look for other paths in the main game. Subsequent contacts and gifts provide clues, but V has not fully confirmed the progress of the treatment on the moon or all the forces behind it. This result cannot be explained as a salvation where no one was lost or as an acquittal for all of Song So-mi's actions.
The result of handing Song So-mi over to Reed is classified as the King of Swords. Song So-mi is placed under NUSA control and Reed survives. At this point, V can make a deal requesting treatment or choose to hand her over without expecting a reward. Not every V automatically reaches the Tower ending just because Song So-mi was handed over alive. There is a further step of securing the treatment offer and deciding whether to actually accept it.
When comparing these two results, it is worth distinguishing between whether to forgive the other person and where to send them. V may not want Song So-mi to be used as a tool again, even while not forgiving the deception. Conversely, one might trust Reed and prioritize survival. Either way, the player decides within imperfect conditions created by others. That is why the short distance in front of the shuttle feels longer than the time spent walking through the entire city.
Data and Writing Guide
This is an original commentary and critique written by the TroubleMaker operations team, referencing public data and with the help of AI. Official introductions and visual materials are from the developer, and the separately marked walkthroughs are community data comparing events and branches. This is not a full reproduction of all dialogue, quests, or choices, and the content distinguished as interpretation in the text is not a definitive explanation of official lore.
Data verification date: 2026-10-17.
CD PROJEKT RED official work introduction
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