Fall of the New York Barrier City

The Fall of the New York Barrier City was less a battle and more a tragic example of actions based on incorrect assumption and blind determinism.

An event that echoes the fate of previous destroyed Barrier Cities, the antagonistic invading race of ghosts, known as the Phantoms, infiltrate and destroy the New York Barrier City.

Prelude
General Douglas Hein was a staunch supporter of the use of the Zeus Cannon to attack the Phantoms at their source; the Leonid Meteor. However, his desire to use the weapon was constantly frustrated by the United Nations Security Council; who was constantly voting by majority not to use the cannon. Douglas’ rival to the council’s ear was Dr. Sid, professor and creator of the Bio-Etherium division of science, whose successive theories on the planet’s Gaia and spirits Hien found ridiculous.

When Sid’s protégé, Aki Ross, revealed that she was carrying a Phantom infection inside of her, Hein began nursing suspicions that the Phantoms were controlling her; and through her, Sid. Finding probable cause, he dispatched three of Major Elliot’s men to accompany Aki Ross to the wastelands, discovering that the infection was indeed having an effect on her and on the Phantoms around her. Based on his suspicions he had Aki, Sid and the Deep Eyes squad that had accompanied her, arrested and placed in a USMF holding cell.

Battlefield
The New York Barrier City is located on a natural harbour on the north eastern Atlantic coast, over lower Manhattan.

Battle
Intending to convince the Council to take military action against the Phantoms, Hein gathered a squad of his most trusted men and, accompanied by Major Elliot, infiltrated and apprehended the city’s Barrier control centre.

Deactivating a small part of the city’s barrier, Hein intentionally allowed a number of Phantoms to enter the city; intending to stage a momentary and controllable “break in”. However, the Phantoms began to disperse from the containment area, travelling via the energy pipes that supplied the barrier with energy. One such Phantom made its way to the barrier control centre, killing the operator and causing a feedback that resulted in the centre’s destruction.

With the control centre no longer supplying it with energy, the city’s barrier began to disperse, allowing more and more Phantoms; their bodies visible due to the bio-etheric discharge from the barrier, into the city limits. Surprised and woefully unprepared the citizens of the city, both military and civilian, began falling to the invaders; their souls consumed through mere contact.

As the city’s power supply is cut, the laser grid holding Aki, Sid and the Deep Eyes incarcerated disappears. Escaping through the city walkways the group is momentarily split as Phantoms attack them, however, with the Deep Eyes finding a Bandit hummvy, they are regrouped and make their way to where the Black Boa was being detained in the military hangar.

Aftermath
Despite the death of Major Elliot, Douglas Hein manages to escape, temporarily attempting suicide in guilt over what he had caused, however he instead approaches the Zeus Cannon; still determined to destroy the Phantoms through its use. Members of the United Nations Security Council had also escaped the city, contacting Hein over the incident and giving him authority to use the cannon; unaware that he was the cause for the fall of the New York Barrier.

Trivia

 * According to production staff, there were amazingly no deaths during the Pendulum Escape Pod crash shown on film.