P H A S E

Chapter Five: Revival

He fell. Time slowed. Everything became a blur and Brian thought, is this the end? His question was quickly answered. He heard a faint buzz approaching, growing louder. Then with a painful bang he landed on a familiar shape.

"Hello sir." APA said.

"APA," He gasped, "Didn't I turn you off?"

"Not quite," APA replied quite ambiguously, "The park sir?"

"Uh yea..." Brian replied questioningly.

His bike zoomed up the ramp, headed straight for the park. Brian still didn't understand how APA saved him. But not just how, but why? This thought was quickly torn from his mind though as APA jerked to a halt in his usual parking spot. It was then Brian remembered the whole reason for his trouble.

"Jenni!" He yelled. Not caring if anybody noticed. He quickly ran down the gravel pathways, searching the entire park. Up in every tree, behind every bush and perfect white bench. But she was no where to be seen.

"Jenni!" He cried one last time. But all that responded was a far humming sound, much like that of a huge mechanical bee looming towards him. He looked into the sky and saw a huge black Helicopter coming towards him. With two red rings on the sides to direct it's movement. It had one long curved hull with various fins and wings jutting from it. It surged with the red glow of its phase engine. Through its wings and into the cockpit, which had its own set of red, glowing eyes. It's deep mechanical buzz grew louder. It was then he finally realized why his APA had come back on... It was a trap! A blinding spot light covered Brian and he sought to run. But he couldn't, he was frozen in place. Had he been hit by something? The ship blasted over him and spun its blades to stop right of top of him. A hatch opened from its bottom and a sheet of clear almost plastic material came down. Stretched inside a circular metal bar. It lowered right over him. As it dropped over his head it went straight through him like an invisible screen until It reached his feet. then shot back up into the ship, with Brian on top of it. The floor closed beneath him and he was finally unfrozen. He was in a small compartment in the back of the ship. There was a guard in a grey uniform outside the blue glowing wall of his cell.

"Buckle up." A tough southern voice said over the intercom. Brian looked around and saw the seat and buckle the pilot was referring to. He walked over to it and right when he sat down he was pushed back into his seat as they took off. He looked below him as saw the city move past. He just now realized, the floor was made of glass! He gazed beneath him as hundreds of houses zoomed by in a blur. The ship was so smooth it barely made him move in his seat.

"We're leavin' the dome," the voice said now on the guards shoulder where his walkie talkie was, "take him out."

"Affirmative." The guard replied in his deep, electronic voice. He then pulled out some kind of gun and pointed it at Brain.

"NO!" Brian yelled as he fired his weapon. His whole view began fading fastly to darkness. He felt like his whole body was disappearing.

Then everything shot back. With a loud swoosh all of his senses returned and he sat up in his chair shaking. A loud ringing stayed in his ears and his vision was blurry.

"Wh- Where am I?" He asked squinting his eyes.

"That is classified." Said a man's deep almost robotic voice.

Brian's vision was coming back now and he could see the room he was in. All he could see was a metal table in front of him, and a blinding light above him. The rest of the room was hidden in darkness. He was also tied very securely to his chair.

"Was it really necessary to knock me out?" He said finally getting everything back to normal.

"What were you doing on that highway." The man says stepping into the light. He was a tall man, muscular and frighteningly intimidating. He wore the typical black sunglasses and had a sharp military uniform covered with many awards and honors. His face was boney and an almost grey color. His hair was a perfectly styled black combover that almost shined in the single light above them.

"Hey I was just trying to get to work." He said casually. The man stepped closer to Brian.

"You're no good at Lying son." He said in the same tone.

"Why, were you on that highway?" He continued raising his voice.

"I slept in." Brian said leaning back.

"Everything you did out there was intentional, why were you out there!" He yelled that time.

"I was meeting somebody ok?!" He replied still strong.

The man smiled, then paused for a moment, thinking.

"Say, do you have any flying experience?" he asked sitting on the metal table in front of Brian.

"No." Brian retorted.

He leaned ever closer to Brian.

"Did you have any flying experience?" He repeated sternly.

Brian turned his face away from him and shut his eyes. Images raced through his mind. Plane... earth... The academy... Training... Her... He paused. Her...

"Did you?!" He yelled, startling Brian.

"Yes!" Brian said beginning to lose his strength.

"You'll have to excuse the general here, he loses his temper all too often."

"Sir are you in charge here?" Brian said panting.

"Yes," He replied sternly, "General James." He said extending a hand to Brian.

"Oh right." He said seeing Brian's chains.

"So where am I? Who do you work for?"

"I'm with Phase Co., where you are I'm afraid I can't say."

"Phase Co.?" Brian blurted out. "I thought Phase Co would be more humane than abducting their prisoners and knocking them out."

"I apologize for that but that's how things roll around here. Things get done, and they get done fast and efficiently."

"Hey what's this about anyways. What did I do?"

"More than you know Brian," he replied turning.

"Wait I still have more questions!" Brian cried.

"In good time they will be answered, but we know enough already." He said walking back into the darkness. There was a pause, then he heard another thing being fired behind him. His vision faded once again into darkness.