Chapter 2
Aki's scanner beeped furiously as she scaled the newest hill, making Aki give a frustrated sigh.
"Why do you keep beeping at me like this?" She asked her device angrily, glancing at it from where it sat, strapped to her delicate wrist. The little red light was blinking madly as if she we're standing right on top of the spirit, but under her feet was nothing but gravel.
Every few minutes it would beep madly, as if she was right over a life form. However, when she moved closer to the direction it pointed to, the beeping would instantly halt.
Aki was losing her patience with the device she was supposed to trust. She'd been scanning the area for nearly five hours now, and it was beginning to get dark. With a tiny smile, she was kind of glad it was getting dark. That would mean the stars would be coming out.
No matter what, she always felt happy looking at the stars. They reminded her of Gray, the way they twinkled so carefree like Gray's eyes used to...Aki shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to find at least one more life form before returning to Sid in the shelter. Remember, hard work was all they needed to fight these new phantoms. The phantoms were still traveling across the USA, but they hadn't made it quite this far yet.
She'd already discovered another plant, which was difficult to find had Aki not brought her binoculars with her. The plant had been growing on the side of a rocky cliff, and Aki had almost brought her life to an end as she attempted to retrieve it, but somehow was able to maintain her balance over the small rocky ledge.
Finally, it was time to start heading back. The stars had already begun to show themselves, and Aki already felt at peace here, under the bare sky with no barrier and no phantoms to haunt her; at least, not yet. Sid had already contacted the council and they would be going to another hearing in a few days. The barriers were still up and running for the time being.
Gazing at the stars as the Transporter took her back to the Denver shelter on autopilot, she noticed a new star. One that hadn't been there before. When she was a child, she had practically memorized the solar systems and the constellations that lit the night skies.
At almost the same time she'd noticed it, the scanner started acting up again. Perhaps it was this star that was the life form? No, it couldn't be. It was practically impossible. There was no way there was a life form all the way out in space on a star, no less.
However, it wasn't an ordinary star, with a strange aura around it, its color different from the rest. Aki decided to ask Sid about it, he'd know what it was.
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Sid lifted his eyes from the telescope. "That's definitely not a star, Aki. Good work," Sid replied quietly. Night had fallen, and now this 'star' shone even brighter, but it was a bright fluorescent green, not the normal yellow color of a star.
"We need 4 more waves, and this could possibly be one of them," Dr. Sid concluded.
This statement caught Aki's attention and she narrowed her eyes. "A life form...all the way in space?!" she asked. Dr. Sid closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment as he thought of an accurate response to tell her.
"It could very well be. Aki, I'm thinking that maybe it's something from the Zeus Cannon."
Aki didn't even bother to hide the shock the registered on her face, "The Zeus Cannon?! Dr. Sid, you know as well as I do that it blew up, and everyone died along with it! Tell me how there can be a life form out there!" She cried. Dr. Sid opened his eyes and glanced at her momentarily. He smiled lightly at her over-exaggerated expression.
"Aki...listen. I'm just saying. The scanner has never let us down before, we should trust it. I trust you will want to go check it out?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back.
Aki sighed, admitting defeat. "I suppose so, it will be nice to see what Gaia looks like from space. And... Well, if the scanner IS telling the truth, then there is another chance to find another spirit."
Dr. Sid smiled. "Wonderful. I'll have some of the others prepare a ship for you. You'll leave tomorrow morning."
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The first thing Aki did was go directly to the Dream Recorder. Turning it on, she watched the recording of her and Gray. She reached out a cautious hand to touch the screen that Gray was looking around on. "Gray? Guess what.... Dr. Sid thinks there might be a spirit out in space. I'm going to check it out tomorrow. It might be the Zeus Cannon...." she trailed off. Tears filled her eyes. She could never again hear Gray's voice, telling her how stubborn she was, and that was how much she needed him.
Even a cruel word or two would have helped ease the pain of her loss.
"Gray...I miss you," she whispered, as a lone tear fell, she turned off the recording, leaving Gray's face firmly implanted in her memory.
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Chapter 2 by Raine editted by Severus aaaagain
-----------
Aki's scanner beeped furiously as she scaled the newest hill, making Aki give a frustrated sigh.
"Why do you keep beeping at me like this?" She asked her device angrily, glancing at it from where it sat, strapped to her delicate wrist. The little red light was blinking madly as if she we're standing right on top of the spirit, but under her feet was nothing but gravel.
Every few minutes it would beep madly, as if she was right over a life form. However, when she moved closer to the direction it pointed to, the beeping would instantly halt.
Aki was losing her patience with the device she was supposed to trust. She'd been scanning the area for nearly five hours now, and it was beginning to get dark. With a tiny smile, she was kind of glad it was getting dark. That would mean the stars would be coming out.
No matter what, she always felt happy looking at the stars. They reminded her of Gray, the way they twinkled so carefree like Gray's eyes used to...Aki shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to find at least one more life form before returning to Sid in the shelter. Remember, hard work was all they needed to fight these new phantoms. The phantoms were still traveling across the USA, but they hadn't made it quite this far yet.
She'd already discovered another plant, which was difficult to find had Aki not brought her binoculars with her. The plant had been growing on the side of a rocky cliff, and Aki had almost brought her life to an end as she attempted to retrieve it, but somehow was able to maintain her balance over the small rocky ledge.
Finally, it was time to start heading back. The stars had already begun to show themselves, and Aki already felt at peace here, under the bare sky with no barrier and no phantoms to haunt her; at least, not yet. Sid had already contacted the council and they would be going to another hearing in a few days. The barriers were still up and running for the time being.
Gazing at the stars as the Transporter took her back to the Denver shelter on autopilot, she noticed a new star. One that hadn't been there before. When she was a child, she had practically memorized the solar systems and the constellations that lit the night skies.
At almost the same time she'd noticed it, the scanner started acting up again. Perhaps it was this star that was the life form? No, it couldn't be. It was practically impossible. There was no way there was a life form all the way out in space on a star, no less.
However, it wasn't an ordinary star, with a strange aura around it, its color different from the rest. Aki decided to ask Sid about it, he'd know what it was.
-------------
Sid lifted his eyes from the telescope. "That's definitely not a star, Aki. Good work," Sid replied quietly. Night had fallen, and now this 'star' shone even brighter, but it was a bright fluorescent green, not the normal yellow color of a star.
"We need 4 more waves, and this could possibly be one of them," Dr. Sid concluded.
This statement caught Aki's attention and she narrowed her eyes. "A life form...all the way in space?!" she asked. Dr. Sid closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment as he thought of an accurate response to tell her.
"It could very well be. Aki, I'm thinking that maybe it's something from the Zeus Cannon."
Aki didn't even bother to hide the shock the registered on her face, "The Zeus Cannon?! Dr. Sid, you know as well as I do that it blew up, and everyone died along with it! Tell me how there can be a life form out there!" She cried. Dr. Sid opened his eyes and glanced at her momentarily. He smiled lightly at her over-exaggerated expression.
"Aki...listen. I'm just saying. The scanner has never let us down before, we should trust it. I trust you will want to go check it out?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back.
Aki sighed, admitting defeat. "I suppose so, it will be nice to see what Gaia looks like from space. And... Well, if the scanner IS telling the truth, then there is another chance to find another spirit."
Dr. Sid smiled. "Wonderful. I'll have some of the others prepare a ship for you. You'll leave tomorrow morning."
---------
The first thing Aki did was go directly to the Dream Recorder. Turning it on, she watched the recording of her and Gray. She reached out a cautious hand to touch the screen that Gray was looking around on. "Gray? Guess what.... Dr. Sid thinks there might be a spirit out in space. I'm going to check it out tomorrow. It might be the Zeus Cannon...." she trailed off. Tears filled her eyes. She could never again hear Gray's voice, telling her how stubborn she was, and that was how much she needed him.
Even a cruel word or two would have helped ease the pain of her loss.
"Gray...I miss you," she whispered, as a lone tear fell, she turned off the recording, leaving Gray's face firmly implanted in her memory.
-----------
Chapter 2 by Raine editted by Severus aaaagain
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