Sid knew something was wrong, even before he saw Aki lying unconscious in Gray's arms. He didn't see the strained look on the soldiers face as he laid her down on one of the operating tables, his worry more than evident in his eyes.

'She just collapsed, doctor,' Gray said as one of the Deep Eyes came in with what had to be the sample. Sid gave a preoccupied nod, instructing one of the technicians to check that the sample matched what was needed for the fourth spirit and moving to Aki's side.

'How long ago?' he asked, years of clinical experience hiding the tinge of concern in his voice.

'About half an hour. We got back with the spirit as fast as we could,' Gray replied almost apologetically. There was nothing to be sorry for; to get from Tucson to New York in such a short amount of time took a miracle.

'It's a match, doctor,' the tech said suddenly, prompting Sid to nod. Gray was ushered away from Aki as the other lab hands moved into action, hooking the unconscious scientist up to a nondescript machine with what appeared to be thousand of leads coming out of it. The Deep Eyes watched, half-perplexed and half-desperately worried as they watched the techs work from a distance.

'Is she going to be alright?' Gray asked, unable to hold the question back. Sid looked up at him steadily, his eyes betraying what he really thought.

'I hope so,' he replied uncertainly. 'Once the spirit is in, all we can do is wait,' Gray sighed, trying to be near to Aki while staying out of the way of the bustling lab hands. Behind him, the rest of the Deep Eyes – still in their armour – were watching tensely.

'Hey,' Neil murmured, breaking their silence as he looked around. 'Where'd the other guy go?' Jane and Ryan twisted around, trying to catch a glimpse of infantry armour amongst the machines.

'He was right behind us when we got off the ship,' Ryan said, frowning. The surviving 307 was nowhere to be seen.

'Sir. One of the soldiers we sent after doctor Ross has returned,' Hein allowed a contented smile to creep across his face as Elliot spoke. 'He says he has urgent news about the doctor,'

'Excellent. Send him in,'

The smile was quickly replaced by a slightly raised eyebrow as the soldier strode in, still wearing almost all of his armour. He'd managed to remove the helmet though, and Hein could see the man was pale and drained; as if he'd suffered a major shock. Even so, the soldier saluted smartly; a gesture that Hein didn't bother returning.

'What's this "urgent news", captain?' he asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

'We reached the wastelands without problem, sir, and proceeded to search for what doctor Ross needed. Moments after finding it, the doctor collapsed and the phantoms began attacking,' The soldier frowned slightly, as if confused about something. 'It was like something was attracting them; they shouldn't have been able to sense us through the buoys that were dropped beforehand,' He shook his head a little. 'I managed to escape with my life, as did the Deep Eyes and the doctor, but my men weren't so lucky,' If Hein had been a more compassionate man, he might have shown a little sympathy for the lost troops, but that had never been a problem to him. Soldiers were easy to replace; there were always good supplies of people who wanted to fight the phantoms. Besides, there were more important matters for him to worry about, so a vague nod was his only reaction to the news.

'You say the phantoms were attracted to something?'

'It seemed that way, sir,' the soldier replied, quietly upset that his superior had brushed off the deaths of his friends so easily.

'And that doctor Ross collapsed at the same time?'

'Near enough, sir. As soon as she was down, that was when the phantoms appeared,' Hein took his eyes off the soldier, quietly mulling over this information.

'Interesting. . .' he murmured. 'Was there anything else odd about the doctor?' The soldier shifted uneasily where he was stood, looking down at the floor for a brief moment before replying.

'Well, while she was unconscious, she was talking. Most of the time it was just garbage, but then suddenly she became clear; as if she had woken up then and there,' Hein nodded slightly again. This was more like it. Alright, so it wasn't hard evidence that there was some sort of alliance between Ross and the phantoms, but it was getting there.

'What did she say?' The soldier frowned.

'When she was clear, it was like she was having a conversation with someone only she could see. She started by saying something about a phantom. I couldn't hear what else she was saying clearly, but she did mention the phantoms several times,' Hein sat forwards, allowing a frown to settle on his face.

'Are you saying she was having a conversation with a phantom?' he asked, somewhat incredulously. The soldier almost shrugged.

'I couldn't say, sir. But that's what it sounded like. . .' Hein had to physically stop himself from smiling. This was good enough; the council was always worrying about what happened to terminally infected patients. If they managed to stay alive for longer than a few days, the victims would always degrade mentally, withdrawing within themselves. Anytime you could get them to make any sense, all they would talk about was phantoms. Though there had never been any solid evidence that a terminal infection meant some kind of link was made between the human victim and the phantom fragments, the possibility was always there.

'Do you have any evidence of this, soldier?' The 307 nodded slightly, reaching into his belt and pulling out a small tape. The helmets the soldiers wore were able to record everything the soldier did and said; something that had been built in originally so that debriefing could be made easier and more efficient. But of course, the tapes could be removed from the armour and used for other purposes. This is perfect, Hein thought. If what the soldier said was true, then this would be more than enough to get the good doctor locked up for treason. Maybe even good enough to stop that little "Spirit project" the bioetheric division was running.

'Good work, captain,' he said, standing and taking the tape. Such vital evidence couldn't be left in the hands of a mere captain.

'Major, I want doctors Ross and Sid arrested immediately. Confiscate all materials pertaining to their project as well. Traitors like them should not be allowed to roam free,' Elliot frowned slightly.

'Are you sure that's wise, sir? Without consulting the council?' Hein turned to glare at the other officer.

'Would you rather have them free, so that they can escape?' Elliot remained silent; he knew when not to argue. The glare on Heins face turned to a sneer. 'Then follow your orders and don't question me,' The major nodded slowly, turning to leave and relay the orders. Hein remained stood where he was, idly examining the tape in his hand. This would definitely be good enough to get rid of doctor Ross, and would at least hold up that projects of Sid's, if not destroy it entirely. But it still wouldn't be enough to convince the council of what needed to be done; what had to be done. He would have to take drastic measures now; the time for talking about it had come and gone. It would all be worth it in the end, because he was right. Zeus was the key to winning this war, not some crackpot theory about plants and animals and nature. He would prove that to them all.

His gaze flicked back to the 307, who was still stood – a little uneasily – in front of him.

'Captain, gather a squad of men and bring them here. We have a job to do. Dismissed,' The soldier saluted, turned heel and left quickly but Hein didn't see or hear that as he moved to gaze out of the shaded window behind his desk. Finally, they would all realise the truth, and soon they would be thanking him for destroying the phantoms once and for all.

Everything was white; so blindingly white that she reflexively tried to squeeze her eyes shut. But there was no response; she couldn't even feel her body, let alone control it. What the phantom had told her, coupled with this bizarre sensation of nothingness led her to a rather grim conclusion. I'm dead, she thought slowly. I lost. The phantom won. . . For all she had heard about it, death was not like she had imagined. She had always thought she would have been angry or enraged – or at least a little saddened – by her own death, but no. She felt completely at peace, as if she were calmly drifting along on a warm air current. She could feel no pain anymore and for the first time she realised; she was free. Death was a release.

'Aki?' She frowned, or at least she would have done had she any control over her body. That had sounded strangely like Sid, but surely. . . It couldn't be him, she thought, straining to hear anything else through the white. It felt like someone had wrapped cotton wool around her head, muting anything and everything that could be around her. This was beginning to remind her of the hazy moments surrounding her infection, when she was able to hear and nothing else. But surely that wasn't the case here. She was dead, wasn't she?

'Is she alright, doctor?' This was starting to get surreal. Gray? She thought, a strange thought crossing her completely confused mind. Is this hell? Am I going to be forced to have to listen to the people I love but not be able to talk back to them? That was cruel, even for hell, but it was the only explanation she could come up with. She couldn't quite figure out what was going on; her mind wasn't letting her think straight.

'She should be fine,' the voice that sounded like Sid said. 'The fourth spirit is in. Her vitals are lifting,' As soon as he said that, feeling began to return to Aki's limbs; she could just sense her fingers and toes as if they had been separated from the rest of her body and were floating free in this whiteness. They were warm, making her realise just how cold the rest of her was. Then, the warmth began to spread up her limbs, replacing the numbing, icy cold that she now realised had been there. Her mind began to clear, though slowly. She tried to move something – anything – and was pleasantly surprised to find that her body was paying attention to her.

'Aki? Open your eyes, Aki,' Now why didn't I think of that sooner? she thought, pooling her energy and doing her best to open her eyes. The white parted and suddenly she could see them stood over her.

'Aki!' Gray exclaimed, his expression widening to a very relieved grin. Aki did her best to smile back, but could only come up with a weak frown instead.

'What happened?' she asked groggily, not sure if hazy memories concerning a conversation with a phantom were true or not. Gray opened his mouth to reply, but Sid managed to get there first.

'It doesn't matter, Aki. What matters now is that – '

'Everyone stay right where they are. You're all under arrest,' Aki couldn't quite see what was going on from her vantage point on the bed, and her mind was still being incredibly slow. She blinked slightly, unsure of whether to believe what she had just heard. Even as she was gently hauled to her feet, and she caught a glimpse of armour through the sudden wave of nausea, it didn't occur to her what had just happened.

'Sid?' she whispered, confused. One moment she had been floating along on a cloud of peace, and now nothing wanted to make any sense. If anyone would help her, it would be Sid.

'Don't worry, Aki,' he reassured her from somewhere to her left. 'It'll be alright,' Even through her drowsiness and confusion, Aki could make out his tone and it gave her the distinct impression that nothing was going to be alright.

The barrier stations had long interested and disgusted him. True, it was amazing what could be done by science to protect the masses, yet it was all too horrifying at how easily everything could go wrong.

'It's been a while now. . .' he mused out-loud. The soldiers around him were unsure of how to respond, or even whether to reply at all. They were all still wondering about their orders; why were they going to the control station to arrest everyone? Hein began to think – not for the first time – that he should have brought Elliot along on this one, rather than leaving him in charge of the arrests in the labs. The major might be growing a little rebellious these last few days, but he knew what had to be done, and he was willing to do it. But naturally, the Deep Eyes had gotten involved, and had to be restrained as well. They would probably get court martialled along with all the rest. No matter, he thought casually. They can always be replaced, They were just more sacrifices made for the greater good.

They were nearing the very core of the station now, a place that was always situated deep underground. Though phantoms could go through the earth to get to bunkers and the like, they often chose not to. The thinking was that the barrier control stations were the most important parts of a city. If they fell, the city fell, and so they had to be protected. Placing them underground was just part of that. It had been seven years now since he had been surrounded by that low hum of the generators. Last time, he had been there to congratulate and commend the scientists on their latest foolproof design. So much for that, he thought bitterly. Two months later, the supposedly "perfect" barrier had developed a crucial fault and the entire city had been devoured by the phantoms. He'd lost everyone he'd ever known; all the people he'd ever loved in the fall of the city. It had taken seven years; seven long, painful years, for him to reach this point. His revenge was so close, and yet so far. The council was not going to get between him and the retribution he deserved to hand out. They would learn of the mistakes they were making, even if it meant teaching them the hard way. This was for everyone who hadn't escaped San Francisco. This was for the family he had lost.

Hein's expression hardened as the lift stopped and his soldiers disembarked. The barrier technicians were already peering nervously through the glass at the fully armoured troops that were approaching. Well, all they had to do was co-operate, and none of them would get hurt.

'Arrest these men,' Hein said, gesturing with a wave of one arm. There wasn't a struggle; techs had never been known for their courage in the face of an armed squad of soldiers. One of his men took the main control panel and began to tap away.

'Decrease power to sector 31,' Hein said, gazing down at the main generator as he spoke. If no-one would listen to him when he spoke, then they would all learn. There was an uneasy silence all around as the soldiers exchanged glances. One of them stepped forwards, frowning under his helmet.

'But, sir. Without the barrier, the phantoms will – '

'I know what will happen, soldier,' Hein growled, rounding on him fiercely. 'What do you think I am?' The soldier didn't answer, but no-one else even moved. Hein, still glaring, shook his head. 'You will lower the power to sector 31. You will allow the phantoms to enter. The barrier will be closed and then every soldier in this city will move to destroy those phantoms,' Why couldn't they see that what he was doing was for their sake? Did they want to continue fighting and dying when the answer to all their problems was right there, not being used? Why were they fighting him? Why didn't anyone try to see it from his point of view? Did they want countless more cities to be lost; for more people to lose friends and family needlessly? He wouldn't let that happen. No-one was going to stop him. Not now.

'Do you understand?' A few soldiers nodded warily, but most of them remained completely still and very unsure.

'But why, si – '

'That is an order, captain,' Hein snarled, turning away from the soldiers to face the generators again. 'And you will obey it,' The soldier watched Heins back for a moment, indecision tearing him apart. This was not the right thing to do, or was it? Why would the general order such a thing if he didn't think it was the best course of action? But then again, the general wasn't exactly the most stable of people. The captain shook his head slightly, sighing. No, he couldn't disobey a general, not on a direct order. And so, he nodded to the soldier and the control panel and stood back, hoping that Hein knew what he was doing.

Sector 31 was completely still and silent, save for the occasional shufflings of an old homeless man who was rummaging through the trash. It had been a hard day for him, and all he wanted to do now was lie back and get some sleep. It might have been easier for him if those punk kids hadn't stolen the simple box he once called home. Still, what could he do? Just rummage through the garbage and hope to find a new home.

The light around him flickered suddenly, making him look up and frown at the source. He was almost directly next to the barrier here so it was as bright as day. But had it. . ? He stared at it for a moment, seeing no answer as it continued to hum and glow. He shook his head and turned away. Nah, he thought, his mind back on finding something useful.

The barrier suddenly flickered again, for longer this time; the hum dying for a moment. The man turned away from the trash, his mind off that now as he gaped at the barrier. It was no longer the strong orange it was supposed to be; it had become a pale, faint yellow and it was fading still. He took a reflexive step back, still staring as something started to come through the barrier. A large, ugly head followed by a strong, ethereal body. The phantom stared at the man for a split second, knowing full well that he could see it. And then it attacked, so quickly he didn't have time to scream. More phantoms began to pour through the gap in the barrier, quietly wondering how this was possible all of a sudden. Not that they minded; it was another chance to lessen the power of the native creatures.

New York had just lost its first victim. And the Fall was only just starting.