Chapter 5

General Hein, Aki and Dr. Sid stood in the newly built Council's chamber, the remaining six council members sitting at the metal benches. So far Aki could not point out any difference from this council chamber to the one in New York, besides the fact that the ceiling was higher and there was another row added behind them for the majors and Captain's of Houston.

"First I must say I am happy to see that General David Hein survived the explosion of the Zeus cannon, which unfortunately had no effect on the phantoms." Councilman Drake said, voice echoing through the chamber, "We are now here to discuss the new phantoms, which I am told are both from our world at theirs. Dr. Ross, please elaborate."

"Members of the council, I am here to tell you the threat now posed in our own Gaia." Aki started, "The Spirit wave was a success, but something much have contaminated the Gaia once again. In the Zeus Cannon's attack, we lost five of the eight spirits, so we will have to find them again to heal Gaia. So far I have two more, but the next three will probably not be as easy to find. It was luck that I managed to stumbled on the first two.

"The Gaia is producing more phantoms then before, but one out of every hundred is Gaia's natural blue, which probably suggests that it is the opposite of the red." Aki paused, since she usually expected General Hein to contradict her, but he just sat silently in his chair, looking rather bored and rather depressed, almost like he lost his usual confidence, "We would like to do this ourselves, but the phantoms are spreading so we will need protection."

Councilwoman Hee nodded in approval, "That sounds fair. The Deep Eyes Squad of Houston would be more then helpful trying to find the spirits out of the barriers. And speaking of the barriers, we are still not sure if the phantoms are immune or if they are not. They did get through the New York Barrier, so what prevents them from coming here?"

Aki sighed, "I am not sure what to say to this. Them forming such a fast immunity to the barrier was a shock. I wouldn't have foreseen that happening myself; no one would have."

General Hein stayed silent, but he desperately wanted to tell them the trust and get it over with. He knew he would be discharged and possibly imprisoned for first-degree manslaughter if he did, or maybe even second-degree murder, depending on how much he told them. He knew people were going to die from his actions, enough to alert the council, but not millions.

"General Hein, do you have any input?" Councilwoman Hee asked, almost sensing his discomfort; she was very perceptive, and that was probably why General Hein hated her the most.

"No." He said quietly, and all the council looked at him, disbelieving, but General Hein couldn't blame then; there was never a session where he would just be quiet and out of attention.

"So you don't know anything about how the phantoms got through the barrier?" Councilwomen Hee inquired her gaze kind but somehow disturbing.

"No." This time his voice was more strained, and he felt his body tense.

Councilman Drake looked back at Dr. Sid, "Do you have any theories, doctor?"

Dr. Sid stood, shaking his head, "I find it very hard to believe the phantoms could form an immunity, since they're ghosts. Only living things form immunities."

"Thank you, Dr. Sid." Hee said, "when will have another session tomorrow at 9:00 PM after we overlook the evidence regarding the phantoms."

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Aki was waiting in the small, emptied hallway when General Hein spotted her.

"Well, that's the first time you haven't insulted me in front of the council." She said, walking in stride next to him, "Why didn't you talk?"

"I had nothing to say." General Hein replied dully.

Aki tilted her head, "There's a first for everything."

"I feel they don't have respect for me after the Zeus Cannon incident, and I fear that if I did talk I might let something slip about the barrier." Like is just did now, he added silently, but he wasn't sure if he said it on purpose or not; he didn't have time to ponder it.

"What? You know how they got in to the city?" Aki asked, eyes wide.

He chuckled slightly, "Unfortunately, yes I do."

"Well?" She asked after a moment of silence, "What happened?"

"I let them in." He said truthfully.

"You WHAT?!" She asked, grabbed his shoulder and slamming him back first into the wall; he made no attempt to stop her.

He sighed, "I just told you, I let-"

"I know what you said, but why?"

"Why do you think? Because I was angry with the council. I wanted them to use the Zeus Cannon, so I made it look like the phantoms were more of a threat."

"So you just let them kill everyone?" Aki growled, glaring into his eyes.

"No, I had them in a contained space. I was going to kill them, but they got into the pipes."

"What pipes?"

"The bio-ertheric energy flow." He said, breaking eye contact, "I was there, above the pipes, watching them float in and take the life out of the men I knew and worked with. My friend, Major Tobias Elliot, got hit in the chest. I watched him die." He looked back stonily into her eyes, "So don't think that I didn't suffer for that. When I made it to the escape pod, it was high above all the other buildings. For about a half an hour I just stood there and watched everyone below die, because of me."

Aki's grasp weakened, and she stepped back, "And you aren't going to tell the council?"

"Do you think I'm insane?" He snapped angrily, "They would have me stripped of rank and thrown in jail for murder. I'm not going to tell them."

"You should get it over with before you're accused of lying and have to face bigger consequences…"

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By Severus and Raine, of course

Disclaimer: YES, I will not harm these characters. I mean, I already brought one back from the freaking dead.... jeez.

Thanks for the reveiws! General Hein would say Hi but he's kind of obsessed with his ice cream right now.

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