It had been nearly two and a half weeks since Bravo Team arrived at New York, and everything was going normal. However they had yet to face a real mission. Jamal could easily see that his men were getting bored. Even Ricky was looking forward to going back to the old city clearing routine. It was December 13 and it was getting late. Ricky and Logan had went turned in while the girls spent the night on the town considering there wasn't much to do. Jamal was taking a walk along the tarmac when he heard the whine of a jet engine. "What the hell? It's nearly midnight, why the hell is a troop dropship coming?" Sure as hell there was a small older troop dropship coming in to land. It was older than Bravo Team's newer version. The ship landed and Jamal saw the soldiers step down its cargo ramp. It was the Deep Eyes and they had some scientist with them. He could see Ryan and the rest of them snapping their armor off. Gray was with the scientist. The scientist was a girl, and a looker at that as well. She looked about in her late twenties, early thirties. Her body was nearly perfect and her face displayed the beauty of an Asian American. It looked like she and Gray were arguing about something. "Look, you know the rules," Gray said, "absolutely no civilians are allowed in the old cities after the 11:30 curfew." "Well I'm sorry Captain but this lifeform was worth it." The scientist said. "Jesus Christ, you risk the necks of my soldiers all for some half-dead weed not even worth $2.50." "It may be a weed to you but this weed could be what saves this sorry planet's ass if my work is finished." "Geez," Jamal thought, "pretty harsh words." "Let's go doctor." Gray said as he and Deep Eyes led the scientist off into scanning. Something about that scientist seemed familiar. Like he had seen her before.

The next day, Jamal was walking with Ricky and the two of them ran into Neil in the mess hall. "Hey Neil, let me ask you something?" "Huh, sure Jamal, what do you need?" "Were you guys on duty last night because I heard a transport landing last night." Jamal asked him. "Umm yeah, yeah we were. Why?" "Just curious of what you guys were doing." Jamal replied. "Umm we…um…I don't know if I can tell you that." Neil said. "Arresting someone." Ryan said as he popped in out of nowhere. "Who?" Ricky asked. "Some civilian scientist in the old city past curfew. They told us there was an unregistered ship in the city and we were the first squad that they contacted." "Um sarge are you sure we can tell them this. I mean this scientist was sorta important and we wouldn't wanna spread stuff." Neil said. "Relax Neil, it's no big deal. If you guys are curious who it was it was Dr. Ross." Ricky nearly fainted when he heard this. "YOU MEAN THE DR. ROSS?!" He asked. "Yea, the Dr. Ross. Hell I think they should let her off the hook. I mean she did save Gray's life last night." Ryan said. "What, how?" Jamal asked. "Phantom particles, he got infected," Ryan said, "She got him in the operating room and zapped the particles with a bio-etheric laser." "So that's why I heard the alarm going off for a little bit." Ricky said. "Yea, now if you'll excuse us. Neil and I have some work to do." Ryan said. "Geez Captain," Ricky said "We haven't even been here a month and we've already got some action." "I dunno Rick. Something is telling me this is only the beginning."

It was mid-January and Jamal was in the council meeting. It was his first and he couldn't have been anymore bored. It was mostly just the council talking about how humanity had to fight on and keep surviving. Jamal hated shit like that and nearly started snoring in his seat. Gray sat next to him. Gray, who had recently been cleared from his hospital stay after being infected, woke up Jamal at least twice. "I know this crap is boring," he whispered to Jamal, "but try to stay awake. Count sheep or do something." Then it got interesting when the council began debating with General Hein on why the Zeus Cannon's firing had been postponed. The Zeus Cannon, Earth's latest military spear against the Phantoms. It was basically a giant cannon in orbit above the earth. General Hein had been pissed off that Zeus hadn't been fired yet even though it had been done for at least a month. Jamal didn't like him one bit. That was one thing he and Gray had in common. They both agreed that Hein was a bit psychotic when it came to offensive actions against the Phantoms. Then the council let Dr. Gaius Sid talk about his department, the Bio-Etheric Sector. Then Jamal saw her. Dr. Ross, sitting next to Dr. Sid organizing his reports. Instead of wearing the old dingy combat suit he saw her in the night Deep Eyes brought her in, she was in a formal white work suit. It seemed as if there was some other-wordly aura of beauty surrounding her. Then Jamal heard the word being uttered from Dr. Sid's mouth. Gaia.

The theory that the Earth itself had a spirit was utter nonsense to Jamal and because Sid had mentioned it the entire council started mumbling amongst each other. Jamal, ignoring the council looked over to see Gray staring at Dr. Ross. He then heard Dr. Sid bring up some idea about a way to disable the Phantoms without firing the Zeus. "This guy's crazy. Hell, the Zeus cannon is our best option for beating the Phantoms." Jamal thought to himself. Hein must've been thinking the same thing because he started criticizing Sid, calling his Phantom-disabling spirit wave, a "touchy feely army of plants and animals". Until Dr. Ross stood up to defend Sid. Saying that the partially completed wave was already proven effective in containing phantom particles in an infected patient and keeping her from death. That was when Hein yelled for proof. Then she did it. She reached into breast, covered by a breastplate and touched it. Instantly a hologram appeared in front of Dr. Ross's chest. What the hologram displayed, shocked everyone…including Jamal. It was a huge Phantom blob, wriggling and jiggling within a spirit-blue sphere. Hein stepped back in horror but Sid held his head down. "Gray, damn man are you seeing this." Jamal asked Gray. "Yeah…I see it." Gray replied. Jamal looked over and saw that Gray had gone ghastly pale. Almost as if he felt that Dr. Ross had just died. Jamal looked down on the council floor and saw Dr. Ross leave the table towards the exit. Then she looked up at Gray who looked away. Then she locked eyes with Jamal for a split second. Something in Jamal's head told him not to stare but he couldn't help it. Something about this Doctor had him spooked abit and the feeling he had about Unit 113 not surviving for much longer hit him hard like a train. The council room was cold and silent after she left.

To Be Continued…