NYC's skyline sees a towering Gaudi Hotel, Twin Towers and a bronze Statue of Liberty. In its depths, operates the Department of Defense. It's 2012, and the air and the skyline are so refreshing. It would be a shame that a show of lights would appear there. Yet, such a thing happens, and the whole Statue of Liberty vanishes into thin air.

Chapter 1

The day we almost died

"We have no answers for this!" says agent Farnsworth at the Fringe Division department. "What do the cameras nearby show us?" asks agent Broyles, commanding the operation. "There's a man in a suit and a knocked-out woman who seem suspicious," says agent Francis, while viewing on the many cameras. "Camera nine. It's for a second, but the image can be frozen." Facial recognition is run through the framed picture. One identity is not recognized. It just doesn't exist. The other person takes everyone by surprise.

"Liv?" asks agent Lee. "That's impossible! She's on maternity leave." Agent Lee makes a phone call, on the other end, agent Dunham answers. "Hello Thyron!" says Olivia jokingly. "I'm trying to feed a big hungry baby. Is it about the DOD?" The call is being wiretapped, but agent Dunham doesn't even seem to care. "What do you know?" asks agent Lee. "Not much about it!" says Olivia. "We're trying to get in contact with Mrs. Bishop." The video feed of agent Dunham's house shows her maternity chores being quite sloppily executed. She hasn't even left the house. "You better come here Liv," says agent Lee. "There's something you'd like to see."

"Honey, have you seen the news?" asks Olivia Dunham. "The DOD's missing. I've been called out of leave." The red-haired lady is trying to feed one baby. His name is Henry Bishop. The woman's partner comes out from the kitchen into the living room, and stares blankly at the TV. His father works there, and now has vanished into thin air. He picks his phone, but his father's line seems to be out of service. He calls her mother. "Oh, Peter," Ms. Bishop says on the phone. "I'm afraid Walter's gone."

Peter's phone drops to the floor and gets broken. Meanwhile, little Henry cries in his car, as agent Dunham from the Fringe Division prepares to study yet another crazy event. A vortex in the DOD. It has come from nowhere, without a warning. A big cough is heard from the hall that connects agent Dunham's flat. "Blessing, honey," says Peter. "But I haven't sneezed," says Olivia to Peter as she continues to babble agent-like stuff on her ear plug-in cellphone.

The key of agent Dunham's door is sounding, and it isn't agent Dunham opening the door. She wields her gun and aims it to the door. "Whoever is opening the door, stop or I'll shoot!" says Olivia in fear. The keyring stops sounding, but the pistol slips from agent Dunham's hands. It never gets to reach the floor. It floats gently, without falling. Then it is left on the floor, as if it were moved by the will of someone else. The keyring sounds once more, and the door is left open ajar.

An unexpected figure is seen on the other side of the door. Completely drenched, stands a blond lady, completely identical to the red-haired agent Olivia Dunham. She enters slowly, completely trembling, and then falls leaning in the wall. She can't even walk. Agent Olivia Dunham tries to pick her gun again, but it slides into the kitchen, far away from her. "Don't waste your time shooting," the blond lady says. "It'll bounce and kill you. I know you have perfect aim, but I have telekinesis. And a pretty powerful one."

Olivia Dunham is completely shocked to be talking to someone almost identical to her. "Last time I saw you, you were at the DOD," says the stranger. "If you are here alive, then it means that there has been a pretty powerful fringe event." The stranger is now lying on the floor with a pretty unfriendly face, like a haunted puppy. "I'm fucking mad!" she says. "Gosh, Peter, I was hoping you chose our universe. But, in the end, not even that matters. You belong with me."

Agent Dunham puts out her ear plugin. She tries to approach that lady akin to her, but with a long coat and shirt. A truly formal person indeed. Olivia sees the woman is armed, yet without any harm intent. The blond woman's hands aren't even near her gun. She grabs a badge and throws it to the floor. "It's completely useless now," she says. Red-haired Olivia Dunham picks it up and reads it. "FBI. Olivia Dunham."

"What is this joke?" asks Olivia. "The FBI doesn't even exist anymore." The blond lady picks a photo from her wallet and gives it to Olivia. The photo exhibits the blond lady together with two other ladies. A woman strikingly similar to her late sister Rachel and a young girl. "Her name's Ella," the blond says. "She's my niece. But I don't have to explain this to you, do I?" Then, she passes out.

Agent Dunham checks her. "She seems fine," she says to Peter. "Check her wallet while she remains unconscious. I'm going to the Fringe Division." "Shouldn't we report this?" Peter asks while nearing the doppelganger. "She trusts us," says Olivia. "It's better if she helped us on her terms." Peter grabs the doppelganger and puts her on a couch. Little Henry starts crying. "I'll take care of him," says Peter. "You go."

V

Agent Dunham arrives at the Fringe Division, where she receives a short briefing on the disappearance of the Statue of Liberty. "So, we are looking for a woman who looks exactly like you, Agent Dunham," says agent Broyles. "She's our main suspect of the DOD disappearance. Together with this other stranger no one has ever seen before." Olivia swiftly recognizes the face. "That lady is sleeping on my couch," says Olivia calmly. "I thought she was facing a real hard time so I let her rest there."

Agent Broyles checks once more the video feed on Dunham's flat. This time, it appears that the blond lady and Peter Bishop have left the flat together. No intention to hide. "They've got to be nuts," Olivia says while slamming at a table. "There's martial law out there. They won't get through any checkpoint." Broyles orders to track Peter's car. The tracing system shows them exiting New York. "Where the heck they are going?" asks Olivia as a phone call comes in. "Hey, honey…" says Peter "I'm on my way to Boston. We are going to my dad's office on Harvard Campus. The lady by my side thinks we can find clues on the DOD's disappearance there." Agent Dunham hangs up in full rage. "He's fucking nuts!" says Olivia. "They are heading to Boston."

"OK," says agent Broyles. "From the feed and phone call we've got, Peter Bishop and our main suspect are heading to the Harvard Campus in Boston. The suspect is to be considered a possible shapeshifter. Prepare a team to intercept them. Dunham, Francis, Lee, get ready to go to the scene." Soon, the tracking device stops working. "Agent Broyles," says agent Farnsworth. "Our satelital feed is failing. It's getting harder to keep track of the suspect. Storms have been intensifying since the DOD event." Olivia tries to communicate with Peter, but her device is failing too. Everyone is set on a race to capture the doppelganger.

A

A pair of bald men dressed in suits is having a pleasant chat at a dinner while eating jalape?o burgers. One is quite slender, and identified as a suspect of making the DOD disappear, according to Fringe Division. The other one, is quite plump. "I suspect our experiment has been intervened by a third party," says the slender one. "I agree, September" says the plump one, named December. "But rescuing Dunham from that accident is an excess of intervention." The slender man sets up a pair of flat binoculars, and scans the sky. "The zero event has been reset to this day," says September. "An intervention of such scale must have been done with our technology. It seems that, despite our evolution, we still share interest in experimenting with this era." The plump man takes another bite on the spicy hamburger. "It is still too early to draw such conclusions," says the plump one. "I will have our team inspect this timeline. But it doesn't seem to have affected our future."

"So, for you to know," Peter says. "The only reason I'm driving you to my dad's lab is because I know you." He keeps a calm smile, while humming to rock music. "Zeppelin?" asks Olivia. "No, it's ABBA," says Peter. "Pretty cool rock band." Olivia still looks startled as usual, and watches little Henry cry. "Where do you have the milk?" she asks. "Your boy is hungry." "Pick up the bottle of water and look for dried milk," says Peter. "I don't have any warmer, though." "Don't worry about that," says Olivia. "You drive." Olivia mixes the ingredients in the bottle, and warms the water with her ability. A few lights go on and off on the road.

"So, how much do you know about me?" asks Olivia. "Dad told me that there once was a blond girl called Olivia that would appear and disappear from her lab at Jacksonville." Olivia tries to recall that moment, but it is hard for her to remember anything from the time she was a child. "I was used as a test subject for an experimental drug as a child," says Olivia. "That's where the abilities come from. Destruction by Advancement of Technology. That was the fear of the scientists. They tried to create super-soldiers that could keep technological advancements in check, but it all went out of control."

"They are placing controls everywhere," says Peter. "But I think we can make it. I still have my address in Boston, so no problems there. But you have no show me." Olivia is making the baby burp. "Well, we can use the mother card!" says Olivia. "People over here are quite easy to bluff." "You play poker?" asks Peter. "No," answers Olivia. "But, I have talked with lots of gamblers."

"Last minute news," says a reporter on the radio. "A strange storm is starting to emerge in NYC's skyline. Where the Statue of Liberty should be, lightning strikes and creates rainbows in the middle of the night. As if it were a change of scenery, it is possible to see glimpses of the daylight. Could this be linked to the mysterious disappearance of the Statue of Liberty?" Olivia sits Henry back in its chair and belts him tight. "Peter, I will pay all of your speeding tickets!" says Olivia in distress. "You better go on full gas before we start losing more than a bronze statue!" And, so Peter goes on full throttle.

R

Peter and Olivia make it to Walter Bishop's lab at Harvard University. It is a quite abandoned place, unlike the rest of the campus, where everyone is commenting on the portal opened in NYC. "That's odd," says Olivia. "Lights are on. Should I pull my gun out?" Classical music is heard quite loud from the office in the basement lab. Olivia doesn't reach her gun after all. "That's gotta be dad," says Peter. "This place looks like it hasn't been used in ages." "Well, it's about to be used now," says Olivia as she knocks at Walter Bishop's office door.

"You may come in," says Walter. Peter enters and hugs Walter, while Olivia stands unfazed. "Hello, Dr. Bishop," says Oliivia. "Do I know you?" asks Walter. "I'm certainly not your daughter in law," says Olivia. "But this is definitely your grandson." "You've been at the DOD," says Walter. "What do you know about that?" Olivia scratches her head. "1985, Reiden Lake fringe event," says Olivia. "Does it ring a bell to you?" "Not at all," answers Walter. "Allow me to look at your notes," says Olivia. "I still need to figure out what is going on," says Olivia. "The rules have changed." Walter Bishop nods, and watches Olivia diligently scan his old works, most of them incomplete.

Olivia starts reading it all. "I think she's the girl you saw at Jacksonville," says Peter. "She is definitely worried about that portal in NYC." Walter turns on the old TV at his office, where he can see the portal leading to something akin to water in the daylight. A few entities appear from the other end of the gate. They can fly, like gargoyles, and they start attacking reporters working on the site. "This is definitely not accidental," Walter says. "But there isn't much I can do. I have to present my resignation as Secretary of Defense".

Olivia picks one of Walter's papers, and slams it into the desk. "This is what we need to start making now!" orders Olivia. "You can hand in your resignation when we've closed that portal." The papers talk about an experimental element based on ambar. "I could do it if I had the proper funding," says Walter. "But right now my hands are tied." Olivia slams the desk once more. "Walter! You are the most important scientist of this era," says Olivia. "I don't want to hear stuff like I can't work without funding. Tell me what you need." Walter starts making a list in a paper for Olivia. "Send the list to agent Farnsworth," orders Olivia. "She'll have us all shipped immediately." "That autistic agent?" asks Peter. Olivia nods him back. "Please, get out of my office, and prepare all my equipment," says Walter. "I've got to put my coat on."

I

The Fringe Division Department receives another call. "Who is it?" asks agent Phillip Broyles, surprised to be called from a strange line. "Agent Broyles," says Dr. Walter Bishop on the other side. "It seems our experiment in the DOD activated itself. I have had contact with a person who was in the place. She believes that those portals we are seeing might get out of control. I'm preparing a containment device for such contingency." "Do you need anything, Mr. Secretary?" Phillip asks. "I would like you to send me one of your agents to assist me here, in case our witness chooses to be uncooperative," Walter says. "If the agent has some scientific background, it will be even better." "Sure, immediately," answers Agent Broyles.

He exits from his offices into the main command room. All news on the gargoyle incident have gone public. "Do we have any leads on what lies on the other side of these portals?" asks Broyles. "Not much, but atmospheric conditions in the area are giving imaginary numbers," answers Agent Farnsworth. "Whatever is happening there is new to our state of the art. If this is true, then we might be under the ZFT scenario posited by Dr. Bishop: Destruction by Advancement of Technology." "That's why we were created in the first place," says Broyles. "Another thing," says Agent Farnsworth. "I just received a call from Peter Bishop. He wants me to help him to prepare some strange device that may trap those portals. I've made all the orders he requested to be shipped to Boston ASAP. He also wants me there. What do you suggest?" "Go," orders Broyles. "There isn't much to be done here. I'll keep everyone posted."

Agent Olivia Dunham, the ginger one, is showcasing her shooting skills against some gargoyle. "Not bad for being nearly a year on maternity leave!" says Agent Lee. "Those flying monkeys are a heck of a treat!" says bald and scarred Agent Francis. "Not the kind of business I signed in for." "Farnsworth…" calls Agent Dunham. "We've got one down. Are there any traces of biohazard in the atmosphere?" "Farnsworth is on her way to Boston," answers Broyles. "Our satellites can't pick anything right now. Those portals are causing interference in all our systems. Evacuate the area and proceed with caution."

A gargoyle-like creature lies in the corner of a street, without any trace of normal blood. "Fringe Division here," orders Agent Lee. "Evacuate the area immediately. And give your Show-Mes to Agent Dunham. We might require information from you later." The witnesses gather around ginger Agent Dunham. There isn't much they can explain now, they can only secure the scene and make sure that thing doesn't wake up again. "It's strange," says Agent Francis while looking at the corpse. "I could bet you it once was human." "Your spider-girl will surely love it," jokes Lee while taking a sample. "Alright, we need elements to carry the corpse back to the Division." "We're dispatching a team right now," says Broyles, amused.

A

Back at Boston, the provisions for Dr. Walter Bishop arrive. It's mainly snacks, and some DOD equipment to test gas-like substances. "We can surely start now," says Walter while eating some liquorice. "Without the equipment Agent Farnsworth secured for us, we would have all been trapped in that ambar." A small size canister is deployed inside a glass pool. It starts emitting some gas, until it occupies the whole area, and stops. "A successful attempt!" says Walter. "Well, can you replicate it at large scale?" asks Olivia. "We need to know how many of those portals are open," says Walter. "Otherwise we will end up sucked." "I saw three on the TV," Olivia says. "But, who knows. Make five of them to be sure."

"So…" says Agent Farnsworth. "How did you survive the DOD event?" "I think someone rescued me," says Olivia. "I couldn't survive that on my own. But what worries me the most is what lies beyond those portals. There shouldn't be anything on the other side, yet there is something." "What do you mean by that?" asks Peter. "The place where I come from has been destroyed," answers Olivia. "How can you be so sure?" asks Peter. "That's what the machine at the DOD does," answers Olivia. "It destroys universes." Olivia grabs her mouth with her hand. She just can't believe all the beans she's spilled. But that's part of Peter's charm. She just can't hate him.

"How do you plan to deploy these canisters?" asks Walter. "We could hire a civilian boat," Olivia suggests. "I know of someone trustworthy, but I have no money." "I'll cover it," says Peter. "We shouldn't be expending any more resources without showing some results." Olivia takes Peter's communication device and contacts a black, versatile taxi driver named Henry. He wants to hire a boat from his cousin. $2000 the hour, and a deal is made. "Olivia will kill me if she sees what I did to our savings," says Peter. "Don't worry about that," says Walter. "If we make it, I will refund you."

Farnsworth is working alongside Dr. Walter Bishop. She's just amazed at being able to work at a lab. "She looks like a machine," says Peter. "Not even I can get along that well with Walter in the lab." Olivia smiles. "That's a natural match!" she jokes. "What worries me is identifying the source of those portals…" says Peter. "If we can't, it doesn't matter how well Walter builds the ambar, it'll get sucked up." "And all our telemetry and satellites can't read that event," Agent Farnsworth adds. "That is not a matter," Olivia says. "Get things done, and leave deployment to me. I know how to deal with those. I can spot them with my eyes."

T

The gargoyle incident has been put under control, and Agents Dunham, Francis and Lee are back at the Division. The preliminary blood sample analysis confirms Agent Francis' suspicion. The creatures have traces of human DNA. "Modified human beings," says Agent Francis. "Who on Earth could have possibly done this?" "What do you mean?" asks Olivia. Bug-loving agent, and girlfriend, brakes into the scene. "This kind of biotechnology is unusual," says Mona Foster. "We haven't developed anything that may even resemble this. Transhumanism, a full human chimera." "But, why should someone do that?" asks Olivia. "I don't know…" says Mona. "That's up to you, agents. I give you clues, and you investigate. The last case we had like that was that of the Candyman, and that doesn't even scratch the surface of what has been done here."

"Agents, we have some news…" says Broyles. "Secretary Bishop is engaging the portals. Agent Farnsworth is on the scene. We'll keep you posted with the progress." Olivia tries to call Peter, but the signal is jammed. "Damn it!" says Olivia. "I'll kill that bastard when he's back! He took our baby to the eye of the storm!" After some brawling, Agents Lee and Francis manage to retain Agent Dunham. They've never seen her that angry in all their years of service.

The tides nearby the portals are extremely calm, as if the rules of water didn't apply there. "The engine's broken down," says Henry, completely frustrated. Olivia looks as calm as the water. "Don't worry," she says. "The portals are not the cause of the event." On the middle portal, she sees the bronze Statue of Liberty, intact. She is tempted to cross the portals, but that is a bad idea. The boat is being slowly propelled by telekinesis, until Olivia spots a glimmer in the water. "Hand me in a pair of binoculars," Olivia asks. She focuses on the glimmering patch of water.

A silver box the size of five or six gun cases piled is glimmering on the middle of the river. "That's some high end technology, but it does have a familiar pattern of lights," Olivia says, while watching the red and green lights dance. She tries to use her telekinesis to turn off the box, but it backfires. "That's some nasty protection," says Olivia with a bleeding eye. "There is a box in the middle of the water. That's your Fringe event." Peter grabs one of the canisters and tosses it far away. "That's a nice launch, my son," says Walter. "But you misspent one of the canisters." Olivia uses her telekinesis once more, and makes the canister float and get near the silver box. Walter activates the ambar, and the box becomes trapped in it. All portals close immediately, and the tides and the boat's engine slowly recover their normal ways.

E