When Every Second Counts
Chapter 11
The Greatest Show of Love
The gleaming, almost twisted cityscape could be seen for miles from atop the abandoned building. The remains of both old New York and Barrier City Forty-two had a ghostly aura in the seemingly endless sunset.
She did not remember why she was here. She had no reason. She was a major in rank. She remembered not why. Those people that were as family, if not closer, were dead. Perhaps the reason lay there, or perhaps it had to do with the Phantoms being gone. Whatever the reason, it came with a great sense of guilt.
Jane looked down the side of the skeleton of a building. The ground was so far below, and what were left of the windows reflected the Sun's rays into a glorious display of color. Why it did not hurt today, when it had hurt every other day that she had looked upon the world from this point, she did not know. She felt only a deep sense of calmness.
Turning away from the view, she walked back towards the transport waiting for her. She stopped halfway as she noticed a familiar figure standing between her and the craft. She was almost startled when she realized it was Neil. Almost, but not quite. Then, just as suddenly, it seemed the most normal thing in the world.
"Hey," he said simply. She could see him clearly in the waning light, and thought it must have been an illusion that she could almost see him better the darker it got.
"What are you doing up here?" she asked, a bit more harshly than she meant to.
"Looking for you," the tech pouted, "Why not happy to see me?"
"No, not at all," Jane paused, "Or yes, I don't know. I meant, 'How did you find me?'"
"When you take a trip every other day to the top of an abandoned building, word kinda spreads around," Neil said. His expression was unclear, but not because he was hiding something or not showing emotion. In fact, it seemed to be the exact opposite, as though he was trying to express a thousand emotions at once. He was smiling as he said, "There are some pretty weird rumors and other things to go along with it, but it seemed the right place to go."
Jane tried to respond, but somehow she was unable to say a word. When she stopped trying, she heard herself say, "I thought you were dead." Neil only shrugged, and somehow the action itself made Jane uneasy.
"Well, ya know, the others weren't sure if you really wanted us around," Neil said, "But I thought you might be sad without us."
"Are they alive too?" Jane asked, still strangely calm. The fact itself was driving her insane. She did not have to suppress feelings of any sort; she just was tranquil.
"If you can call it that, yeah," Neil replied, "You never tried to find us did you?"
"No, I haven't had the time," the woman stated, not phased by the accusation.
"Not even when you're all alone up here for hours?"
"It's different," Jane said, "I need to be alone sometimes."
"Does it hurt?" Neil asked.
"Yes," the major could not tell whether it was a lie or not. She assumed it was not, but was unable to tell.
"Want me to stop it?" The stars were beginning to shine in the still twilight. The sun was gone. The moon was nowhere to be seen. Despite the shadows, Jane could still see Neil as easily had he been standing in daylight.
"What?" Jane asked. She moved her hand as Neil reached for it, and watched him suspiciously. She was not afraid, even though she felt that normally she might be.
"I can stop it from hurting," Neil replied, "I can make it go away."
Before Jane could say a word, the technician had taken her wrist in his hand. Her skin felt as though it burned when his palm touched it. She almost tried to pull away, but something in the back of her mind prevented her from doing so.
"Do you remember anyone ever telling you in school, anything that the kids said 'bout Phantoms?" Neil carried on, smiling sadly, or perhaps apologetically, "What happens when one kills you, do you remember those stories?" He placed his other hand against her neck, and the burning sensation touched there too. She stood, unmoving, as Neil continued, "They said that if a Phantom killed you, you'd become one, kinda like vampires, remember?"
Jane thought she should have felt something, but all that was felt was simply that calm sensation as Neil moved his hands so slightly. His hand moved through her neck and she felt her body simply drop away before opening her eyes to the dimly lit transport.
"Damn," She groaned, looking around. A slight nauseous feeling was present, presumably from the dream or because whatever drugs that her system had been given in the past day were wearing off. Thank god.
She hated the stuff, and felt she never could think clearly with the effects playing upon her mind.
"So who was it?" Hein asked, turning and giving her a sympathetic, if not friendly, look, "A friend? Family member? Enemy?"
"What?" Jane brushed the free-floating tendrils of hair back from her eyes and regarded the man with a glare. What business was it of his?
"You're dream, corporal," Hein said coolly, "Of course if you're not interesting in talking about it, I don't care. But, just to inform you, they don't go away." He turned his attention back to the screen before him and concentrating on his task.
Out of the window of the small craft, the massive space station that was Zeus loomed over the Earth as the Greek God might have done.
