Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the FF:TSW characters. Square doesn't accept bribes either.
Author's Note: Aki's discovery yields a surprise…
The Other Side
The ship had landed on solid ground once again, and when Aki emerged from the crater for the second time that morning, her bearing had changed. She had radioed only that she had discovered something "of great importance", and asked Dr. Sid to obtain the records of the Deep Eyes' personal scans. Very soon after her request, she got a reply that the files had been located. Once back aboard, Aki slipped off her shoulder pack, reaching in to withdraw what it has contained and handing it over to Sid, who was waiting for her in the main bay.
"So, this is it? Hmm…" A glance at Aki's face revealed her expression to be unreadable and he wondered what she was thinking Was it hope? Or, maybe, carefully guarded optimism? He went over to the main science station and activated the spiritual scanner, a compact machine that Aki herself had used when she located the first spirits. The holographic control console took shape and color before him. "I'm going to reset the parameters for human patterns. Now, let's see just what you've discovered here." He placed the ovo-pack in a small chamber, slid the opaque shield closed and manipulated a few controls. After another moment the message "scan complete" appeared and both scientists watched as the results scrolled up on the display. Aki anxiously hovered beside Dr. Sid, chewing her lower lip as he brought up the Deep Eyes' scan records and correlated the data. The older doctor blinked, peering closer at the screen. "Aki," he said slowly, "you've made quite a find here. I think that a congratulations may be in order!"
Her heart skipped a beat as Dr. Sid continued. "The primary spiritual signature of this ovo-pack is human, and is that of the captain! And that's not all…look here!" He touched another holographic key and the display subdivided itself into four quadrants, assigning a familiar name to each. Gray's was first, followed by Ryan, Jane and Neil. Just below each name was data that represented the person's scan records.
Aki could hardly believe what she was seeing. "Wait, let me check something." She keyed a control to bring up another window, and on the screen the four bio-etheric signatures separated and were superimposed atop the waveforms of their respective counterparts. They all matched.
"Doctor…look!"
Sid's gray eyes shone. "Yes, I see! All four are present! The pack is discharged to a large degree, though…its levels are almost depleted. But I can do something about that." He withdrew the ovo-pack and opened a plate at one end, exposing a recharge port and connecting it to a power cable in order to stabilize the existing power level. Then he turned to face her, his voice serious.
"Aki, when you were injured on the Tucson wasteland mission, I saved you by implanting the seventh spirit directly into your body."
"And Gray was my spiritual support!" Her hand went to her chest, and through her clothing she could feel the device that was no longer crucial to her survival. "My chest plate was damaged and he was my 'anchor' while you operated." The wheels of her mind turning, Aki thought for a moment. "If the seventh spirit was placed into me via the plate, couldn't we do the same for Gray? His spirit is present in the ovo-pack, and we could use it to restore him."
Dr. Sid leaned back in the chair and tugged his beard contemplatively, mentally running through several scenarios. He was silent for so long that Aki nearly fidgeted. Then he spoke. "It is a plausible hypothesis. However, complete spirit transfer and restoration has never been successfully performed. If indeed we do successfully restore the captain, the other Deep Eyes must be restored, of course, and quickly. We don't know how stable the bio-etheric matrix of the pack is." Now he stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. "The captain was your link to this world when you needed him. I think that it's time that you return the favor. His spirit needs a way to return, a 'guide', as it were."
The possibility that Gray might again rejoin her gave Aki newfound courage and she felt her heart give another little flutter. She took a deep breath, glancing once more at the display, then met Sid's gaze with one of determination.
"I'm ready. Let's do it."
As Dr. Sid began to prepare for what they hoped would be a successful procedure, Aki went to retrieve a wheeled gurney from the ship'semergency supplies, unfolding it and rolling it back to the sleep chamber. She and Dr. Sid transferred Gray to the stretcher and moved him to the lab, where the equipment had been set up. That done, Aki started to unfasten the front of her environmental suit. Then she caught herself and blushed slightly, embarrassed, hastily excusing herself and walked out into the main passageway. She finished undoing the Velcro and buckles and shrugged out of her top. A wide, thin band of elastic metallic mesh ran around her back, just beneath her shoulder blades, securing the chest plate against her body. Her fingertips located the release; there was a click and the ingenious solid-state contraption that Dr. Sid had fashioned slid free. It was, quite literally, a weight off of her chest. Holding it in her hand, she took a moment to marvel at the mechanism that had generated a shaped force field within her and keeping her Phantom contagion in check. Her life had actually been saved life twice; once when she was initially infected, and again when it deflected a bullet from one of Hein's soldiers in the Tucson mission. Now–hopefully–it would play a key part in restoring a lost soul.
Sid's voice echoed down the passageway. "Aki?"
"Coming, doctor." Aki rapidly donned her top again and returned to the lab. The room's illumination had been turned down and the surgical control sphere glowed in its standby mode. She handed the chest plate over to Dr. Sid and looked down at where Gray lay. Small sensors adhered on his temple and the back of his right hand, leading to nearby equipment. Upon the screen were displayed numerous bio-functions, and when Aki glanced at these her double take turned into a gawk of astonishment. The lines representing Gray's brainwaves, heartbeat, respiration and all other body activities were neither flat nor active. Yes, they showed typical peaks and dips, but they were not in motion, looking instead as if they had been frozen in mid-function.
Dr. Sid noticed her look of amazement. "I can't even pretend to understand what has happened to him, but the sooner we can get underway, the better the chances are of his recovery."
He plugged another pair of slender leads into the chest plate and, with Aki's aid, secured it to Gray's torso. He then connected the device to a thicker cable that ran to the ovo-pack over on the main operating control stand. Then he touched the plate's activation switch. It cheeped and a green 'ready' light glowed. After making a few more checks and satisfied that all was set, Dr. Sid looked across at Aki, motioning towards the second table that was arranged alongside Gray's. Aki sat down upon its edge and swung her legs up to lay flat on her back and reached over to hold Gray's cool unfeeling hand. "It seems like the roles were reversed, not too long ago," she said with a small smile.
Sid placed an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "You have a strong will, Aki. Your spirit is likewise. Let it be the captain's guide home." He raised the subdermal injector and touched its cold metal tip to the side of her neck as she forced herself to relax. Aki heard the hiss and felt the slight sting as the drug, injected by a short burst of pneumatic pressure, entered her carotid artery and spread through her brain like wildfire. Within seconds, it seemed, she was struggling to keep her eyes open, and with the last of her flagging strength she turned her head to look at Gray. The final vision her imagination conjured up, before everything faded and she was whisked into oblivion, was of innumerable embers of blue light.
Aki opened her eyes…and saw nothing. No strange vista this time, no gigantic moon rearing from the horizon into hazy sky, no arid ground rumbling with the approach of alien troops. And she heard nothing save the soft sound of her own pulse. In front and behind, above and below, an endless field of black surrounded her…she was floating in a stygian ocean of inky blackness. Her zero-g training automatically took over and she instinctively twisted in place, but there was nothing to see. She raised her hands before her face, then looked 'down'. She could see herself as always, a solid corporeal body.
"Hello?" she called. The sound was oddly muffled, as if she were shouting in a soundproof room. "Gray? Can you hear me? Where are you?"
There was no response, and she began to despair. Would she be able to successfully restore his spirit? Or was this all in vain? She felt very alone, drifting in the vast emptiness that had housed Gray's soul, his thoughts and dreams. Aki closed her eyes.
How long she had been here waiting, she had no idea. Time had no meaning. But something whispered on the edge of her awareness, like a faint sensor ghost on a scope, and she could not tell from which direction it had come. It was distant but hauntingly familiar. She concentrated, reaching out into the void with all her senses.
I'm here, she said wordlessly. Gray, if it's you, find me! Please!
Another heartbeat, and she felt the presence draw nearer. Her eyes opened again. But now, something had changed.
A faint sparkle flickered dead ahead. She could not tell if it was far or near, or if it was drawing closer or growing in intensity. It began to develop into a vaguely humanoid shape, edged in electric blue. As the details began to fill in, the features became recognizable. Finally the apparition was floating silently before her, composed of brilliant blue light. It reached out a ghostly hand, and tentatively she did the same. Their fingers touched, then intertwined, and her heart filled with joy as she felt the warm familiarity of Gray's soul envelop her. His voice, no more than a whisper but still perfectly clear, sounded within her mind.
Aki…it's you! How? You're not–?
No, I'm still alive and kicking, Gray, she answered, her reply tinged with humor.
But how is it possible that you're here?
Your body is back aboard the Black Boa and you're wearing my chest plate now…Dr. Sid and I are going to use it to try and restore your soul. I'm your spiritual support this time.
His ethereal laughter echoed in her head. We do keep saving each other's butts, don't we? But what happened to the Phantoms? Did the wave work?
Yes, it was successful! They're gone! We were about to depart when the ship's scanner detected the ovo-pack from your Nocturne rifle. I retrieved it, and we discovered that it contained not only your spirit, but also those of the other Deep Eyes! Upon the heels of her enthusiasm, a wave of sorrow rolled through her. If General Hein could have held his fire, you wouldn't have had to sacrifice yourself. Even he could have seen that the waveform was working!
Hein! What happened to him?
The Zeus Cannon overloaded, and the station was destroyed.
How typical of the general. And so, now you're going to try and bring me back?
She grasped his other hand as well as she was able. Yes. You, and Ryan, and Jane and Neil too. Somehow, your spirits all remained here, while the Phantoms departed with the alien Gaia. Your body is in a dormant state; all of your critical functions are suspended. We assume that the same thing holds true for the others. We must get to them as soon as possible!
Gray brought up a hand and brushed his fingertips lightly along her cheekbone. The touch was that of the softest feather. Then show us the way back.
Then concentrate, Gray, she urged. Focus on returning to the material world. And to me.
His eyes closed and his outline seemed to grow softer, fading, and she felt momentary panic as his voice sounded in her mind once again. It was fainter now, and his touch became more and more tenuous. It was like trying to hold onto a handful of smoke.
Something's happening…Aki! Gray had all but vanished, only a slight wisp of nebulous blue vapor marking the space he once occupied.
Then he was gone, and she was left alone in the darkness once again.