Disclaimer:  The only character in here that is mine is Private Nicholas Williams.  Joy.

Author's Note:  I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!  For now.  I have access to computers that can upload, but it's limited access.  And I need time to actually type all the stuff I have written, so don't expect too much from me too soon.  Plus, I'm hindered by a major addiction to Final Fantasy X.  To all of you who have played it, did any of you wonder just why Auron sounds so familiar?  His voice actor played Major Elliot. 

Oh, and you'll notice that, while most of the previous chapters were in Aki's POV, this one is mostly Hein's.  Get used to it… Aki's going to find herself indisposed sometime soon…

SALVATION

Chapter Seven

They had no clue what to do with him.  Hein accepted the fact that Aki and Sid were now his caretakers graciously, but to Aki, he seemed a little upset.  Though he made it clear he appreciated Aki's company, she knew he'd been eager to find out more about himself.

He was also becoming restless.  Aki tried to include him in the experiments she performed with Dr. Sid, but much of the science was over his head, despite his brilliance, and he was skeptical of what he actually did understand.

Bringing up the spirits and Gaia around him didn't seem wise.  As a result, he was becoming frustrated with their frequent refusals to tell him just what had become of the Phantoms.  And the staff at the lab had been instructed not to tell him.  The few people Hein interacted with outside the scientific complex often didn't know anything, either.

"This is just making things harder," Aki told Dr. Sid.  "We can't keep his life from him forever.  And he's going to be angry when he finds out."

"He'll hate us," Dr. Sid agreed.  "He's not going to like it that we treated him this way.  And it will really gall him that you of all people was his nursemaid."

He'll hate us…  Aki didn't want that.  But she knew Dr. Sid was right; once Hein regained his memory and returned to normal, he would do everything he could to make Aki's life miserable.  He'd likely be humiliated to have been humbled this way before a foe, and would probably reply in kind.

"What have we gotten ourselves in to?" Aki whispered.  Dr. Sid didn't have an answer for that.

*    *    *

Hein restlessly patrolled the corridors he wasn't forbidden from.  This, he thought glumly, is boring.  Even when he'd just been a private, he'd never had to do anything this menial.

Research… Aki had asked him to go to the records room and pull out a few records.  She'd said it would save her time but, while Hein would do anything for the woman, doing research wasn't his idea of fun.  If only she would do the research with him…  He understood that she was trying to cut down on her activities, but he missed her company.  She was the only person here that didn't treat him with the mixture of contempt and fear many others seemed to feel for him.

He still didn't know why.  The gap in his memory was slowly tearing him apart.  What had he done?  What if he had been cruel and abusive, like his father?  What if his wife was hiding from him?  Hein clenched his fists.  He knew he could be an ass, but he didn't think he could hurt anyone.  Not without good reason.

His father had thought he'd had good reason… Hein scowled at the direction of his thoughts.  He wouldn't think about that now.  He had an errand to finish for Aki.

As he reached the records room, Hein drew out a card from the pocket of his leather jacket.  It gave him authorization to get into the necessary files.  And, as he entered the records room, he wondered what else it would give him access to.

The receptionist was quite helpful, pointing out the information he needed, and he quickly downloaded what he came for onto his data pad.  Then he went back to the receptionist and gave her his most charming smile.

"This is incredible, isn't it?" he asked vaguely.  "How the scientists are restoring the earth, I mean."  The information he'd gathered was for the ongoing project, and the receptionist had seemed thrilled to meet someone supposedly involved in the process.

"Oh, yes!  I never dreamed I'd see the day when the Phantoms would be gone for good and I could actually go outside.  It's like a weight lifted off my shoulders," the woman said.

Hein nodded.  "Yes, it is incredible that he Phantoms were defeated.  I just wish I knew how."  She seemed enthusiastic about the subject, and Hein continued to encourage her.

"Don't we all," she said.  "Seems like the Phantoms were here one moment and gone the next."

Hein almost grimaced; that wasn't the answer he'd been hoping for.  "So no one knows how they were defeated?  That's strange."

"Oh, there is an explanation.  No one really understands it, though.  I guess you had to be there."

"Thanks," Hein began unhappily.

"Maybe, since you're working with the scientists, you could understand better than I.  We have recordings of Council meetings from all over the world archived here.  The final meeting in New York is supposed to describe the theory behind the defeat," the woman said helpfully.

Now this was what he'd been hoping for!  "Can I access them?  I'm not sure about my clearance-"

"This card clears you," the receptionist said.  "If you'd like to view the vid, they're stored over there," she pointed, "and there are viewers that way."

"Thank you," Hein said.  "You've been very helpful." He was in no hurry to get back.  And it bothered him that Dr. Sid wouldn't let Aki or anyone else tell him anything.  What could be so bad about knowing how the Phantoms were defeated?

So Hein casually made his way to where the Council vids were stored, using the records room computer system to quickly locate the one he wanted.  He didn't want to be gone too long, after all.

The recording started just before the meeting began, scanning the various members of the Council as they filed in.  Then the camera swept over Dr. Sid, who kept glancing around anxiously, and the military representative.

Hein frowned when he saw him.  From the looks of the man's uniform, the speaker was only a major.  Behind him, his back turned to the camera, was a tall man in a long, dark coat, his posture stiff.  What, Hein wondered absently, was a civilian doing with the military contingent?

Then the Council came to order.  One of the members gave a quick speech that welcomed everyone who attended and very briefly outlined what the Council hoped to accomplish today.  Then he opened the floor.

"Genera Hein, would you like to begin?" the Council member asked.

What did he say? In his seat, Hein froze.  He couldn't possibly have said –

The man in the black trenchcoat turned around, revealing the insignia on his neck and chest.  "Thank you," the general began.

Hein's fingers flew to the controls and froze the image, his jaw slack in astonishment.  It can't be…

But it was.  The cold face was unscarred, and the hair without a speck of white, but there was no mistaking those icy features and the cruel, sarcastic voice.  General Hein…

Hein unfroze the recording.  "Ladies and gentlemen of the Council…  Could you please explain why?"  The general had their full attention as he sauntered over to a holographic image. "Zeus was completed a month ago.  If we attack the Phantoms with this, we will eliminate the Phantoms at their source."

Hein could only gape as his recorded self fell silent and Dr. Sid, now with Aki at his side, presented an opposing argument involving "spirits" and "Gaia…"  The old man still has his stupid theories, Hein thought distantly.

Clearly, Hein's own beliefs hadn't changed with age, either, because the general was cruelly scoffing at them, trying to humiliate Sid and Aki in front of the Council.

"This is ridiculous!  Doctor, with all due respect, did you come her just to talk about some Gaia theory?  To tell us the planet is… alive?  That it has a… spirit?  That's a fairy tale, Doctor, and I'm sorry, but we don't have time for that."  Hein agreed with the general, but thought perhaps the man was almost too harsh.  And everyone around Hein now implied that it was Dr. Sid and Aki who had saved the planet, not himself.  Were their theories actually correct?

Hein watched as the general continued to ridicule the doctor.  He seemed to have the Council behind him… until Aki finally entered the discussion.  Her bold revelation that she was a terminally infected patient kept alive by Dr. Sid's theories won the Council to their cause.  Hein's attention was caught by what almost looked like an expression of fear on the general's face as he watched the holographic representation of the twisting particles inside Aki…  A look which turned to pure hatred when Aki left the Council room.

*    *    *

"So, did it help?" the woman at the desk asked cheerfully.

Hein was in a daze.  General Hein… Zeus Cannon… spirit wave… General..

I was a general…  Take that, Dad…

"It was useful," Hein said weakly.  He pitched his voice higher, and kept the bad side of his face to the woman as he asked, "So, it was the spirit wave thing that destroyed the Phantoms?  What about the general's plan?" he asked casually.  He was grateful the card Aki had lent him hadn't given his name.  He suddenly wasn't certain he wanted to be General Hein as the woman's face contorted in disgust.

"They say he was mad.  A fool.  He's responsible for the deaths of everyone aboard the Zeus Station, and nearly ruined Dr. Ross's mission."

Hein couldn't say anything.  Mad?  A fool?  Responsible for deaths…  Hein turned and walked away before the woman could see him trembling.  So that's what Aki was hiding…  That's why she and Dr. Sid hate me… I nearly ruined Aki's attempt to save the world.  Her man Gray died during that mission…  Did I kill him? 

What kind of monster am I?

*    *    *

Private Nicholas Williams was bored.  After six months of working outdoors with the doctors and helping to save the planet, his guard duties were dull.  And serving under General Emerson, who had a paranoia of all things outside the barrier, was frustrating.  The general had put Nicholas on kitchen duty once just because he'd overheard Nicholas describing his experience to a curious superior officer.  A breach of security, the general had called it.

Yeah, as if no one knew where he'd been the past few months…

He'd just come off duty and was grabbing a bite to eat when a hand caught his shoulder.  Nicholas stiffened and turned to see who had grabbed him.

"Oh, it's you, sir," Nicholas said warily.  The that Dr. Ross and Dr. Sid had picked up nearly two months ago stood behind him, an unreadable expression on his battered face.  Nicholas shifted uneasily; he wasn't certain how to act around Hein, who he knew was in the military and had a superior rank, though he didn't know what that rank was.  "Can I help you?"

"You're a computer expert, right?" Hein said sharply.

Nicholas just nodded, and Hein pulled him away from the crowded mess hall.  His feeling of unease grew.

"Good.  I need you to do a little job for me," Hein continued.  He glanced around, saw they were alone, then went on.  "Can you get into the military personnel records?"

Nicholas gulped.  He did not like where this was going.  "I – I've never tried, sir."  That wasn't quite the truth, but he wasn't going to admit that.

Hein took in Nicholas's nervous expression and gave him a twisted smile that was probably supposed to be reassuring, but failed.  "Don't worry.  I only want to see my own records, nothing else.  I want to know who I am.  Can you understand that?"

Nicholas nodded, knowing that was what Hein expected.  His tone made arguing seem futile.  "Can't you just ask Dr. Ross?" he dared.

Hein scowled.  "Dr. Sid won't let her tell me anything.  Just get in to my records.  I won't tell anyone."

He didn't dare refuse.  Hein didn't sound as if he was used to taking no for an answer.

Nicholas slunk off, leading Hein to an office that he knew to be currently unoccupied and had a terminal he could access.  "We should be able to do it from here," Nicholas murmured.  Then, with Hein watching over his shoulder, he began to manipulate the holographic controls to bypass security and access the military files.

"Okay," Nicholas said.  "I can run a search, but that could take some time, especially if you weren't stationed in Houston.  But, since almost all soldiers were trained at the HMA, I should be able to find something.  But I'll have to search through each rank, and the higher the rank, the tighter the security.  I'll start with sergeant-"

Hein shook his head.  "No, private, I can help you there.  Search for General Douglas Hein."

"G – general?" Nicholas gaped.  "No way!  Aren't you too young?  And that's the highest level of security!  What makes you think you're a general?"

Hein's eyes narrowed.  "Do it," he said coldly.  Nicholas had no choice but to obey.

Much to his astonishment, there was a file for a General Hein.  He looked at his companion with new respect, but Hein ignored him.

"How do I open the file?" Hein asked.

"Here, I'll-"

"No.  I want to see this alone," Hein growled.

Nicholas frowned.  "It can't stay open long, or the security system will realize you're not supposed to be there.  You'll need me to-"

"How long can I leave it open?"

"Fifteen minutes, at most."

"Show me how to open it, and how to exit from it, and I'll take care of the rest."  Hein gave Nicholas a sickly smile.  "Don't worry.  I won't let you get caught.  I won't forget your assistance, Private Williams."

Nicholas wasn't certain that was a good thing.

*    *    *

Hein caught up with Dr. Sid alone in the corridor.  Dr. Sid had an irritated look, and Hein realized with a flash of guilt that he must have been waiting for the information Hein had been sent to retrieve.  Then Hein remembered that he was furious with Dr. Sid.

"Where have you been?" Dr. Sid demanded.  "Aki went out looking for you-"

"I know who I am," Hein said, his voice a dangerous whisper.

That froze Dr. Sid in his tracks.  "What?"

"General Hein, stationed in New York, the highest ranking officer in the USMF," Hein said grimly.  "And, I believe, your biggest obstacle in your quest for the… spirit waves."

"You remember?" Dr. Sid drew back, bracing himself for a confrontation.

"No," Hein admitted.  "But you didn't cover up everything.  I know about my family… My wife Anna and my daughter Sarah, and how they died in San Francisco.  Why didn't you say anything?"  Fortunately, there had been no record of him being abusive to them, but his profile had carried a warning of "potential mental complications."

"We didn't know," Dr. Sid said honestly.  "And what good would it have done you to mourn a woman you don't remember?"

"I've done a number of noteworthy things, actions that I should be proud of.  I'm the youngest general the USMF has ever had!  Why did you deny me that pride?" Hein cried.  "You would have let me believe that I was nothing!  Was it because I stood up for my ideals, even though they violated yours?"  Hein was ranting now, but he didn't care.

Dr. Sid remained silent, his face neutral.

Hein paused, letting his rage cool.  He had something else he needed to know, something that was gnawing at him and making him think irrationally.  "Or," he continued, suddenly quiet, "is there another reason?  Why don't you want me to remember what I was?"

Still Dr. Sid wouldn't respond.  "Tell me…  The records I found were vague about the matter…  Was the death of Captain Edwards an accident?  Or am I the one responsible?"

Dr. Sid cleared his throat.  "Captain Edwards sacrificed himself to save Aki and planet.  However, he was forced into this situation because of your interference and your refusal to see reason."  He wouldn't say any more.

"So I am at fault," Hein whispered, turning before Sid could see the anguish on his face.  "I killed him."

To Be Continued…