The sun was just starting to set over the healing lodge by the time Reeve arrived. This was his first visit since the fall of Shinra and he was surprised by how much it had changed. Originally, it was meant to be a resort for Shinra employees on holidays or on stress leave but after the meteor incident Rufus turned it into a healing center for those infected with geo stigma. Once the geo stigma was cured, a little over two years ago, many of the infected people left the healing center to rebuild their lives while others stayed making it their new home. Over time the lodge had grown into a small self-sufficient and vibrant town called Healen built around the original Shinra Cliff Resort. Since the resort was located on a ledge along the side of a cliff many of the homes were also located along the cliff-side and were interconnected by various bridges, ramps, and staircases. The town even used the waterfall for hydro-electrical power, so it did not have to rely on external electricity. Being a former urban developer, Reeve was impressed with the small town and wondered how many engineers Rufus had hired to assist with its construction.
But the Healen hospital was the pride of the town and was considered the best hospital on the planet. It was a massive five story hospital built into the side of the cliff, it was equipped with the latest technology and first-class service. It even had its own helicopter to transport critically ill patients and it was known for providing free treatment to anyone in need, housing some of the best doctors around. Reeve supported Rufus' idea of universal healthcare and ensured that any medical student attending the college in Junon would be required to complete part of their internship at the Healen Hospital to help offset the cost of doctors.
Reeve chuckled inwardly; just four years ago Rufus Shinra and the Turks were some of the most feared people on the planet and now they run a charity organization. To this day the name Shinra still stirred negative emotions in most corners of the globe, but in this town Rufus and his team were considered savours who helped the sick and poor. Rufus had a huge debt to pay for what his company did to the planet and he appeared to be making good on his promise to atone for his sins.
Reeve walked up the long wooden staircase leaning to the front door of the lodge, now the mayor's office. He knocked twice before entering. He looked around as he walked into the main room and noticed the old Shinra company logo sign still hanging on the wall; a reminder of the past. The old lodge had hardly changed since Reeve stayed there years ago, apart from the addition of a few more desks and computers.
On the other side of the room Rufus was sitting alone at the biggest desk writing. Realizing someone had entered, he shifted his attention away from his work. He looked up at Reeve with a somewhat surprised expression.
"Good evening commissioner," the blond greeted him.
"Good evening Mayor," Reeve replied.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Rufus asked with a grin.
Reeve took a file from under his arm and placed it on Rufus' desk before sitting down in the empty chair in front of the desk.
Rufus looked at the files and shook his head. "I keep telling you I don't need these," Rufus informed his friend. "The money I gave you was a donation, not an investment, you are not accountable to me."
"I want you to see how we are putting your donation to good use," Reeve explained. "Plus, being accountable to you will keep me on the right track. Anyone has the potential of becoming corrupt with too much power."
Rufus knew exactly what Reeve was referring to and brushed it off. The Shinra executives, himself included, were some of the worst offenders in history. Reeve was the exception; he was the only one amongst them able to hold on to his integrity while surrounded by corruption. Rufus remembered Reeve was always given a hard time for being the good guy and was considered weak, but in the end, it was him who came out on top.
"I know you didn't come all this way just to give me your quarterly report." Rufus laid down his pen and sat back in his chair. "So why the personal visit?"
Normally, Reeve would just pass his reports to one of the Turks, despite Rufus insisting that they were not necessary.
"I just wanted to go over the plans for next week," Reeve explained. "We will start with the Fort Condor reactor then Corel and Mt. Nibel. We plan on demolishing the Mt. Nibel and Condor reactors completely. The Coral reactor core will be dismantled, and the remaining structure will be retrofitted as an oil refinery."
"What about Junon?" the Rufus inquired.
"That's another issue I wanted to discuss with you," Reeve explained as he shifted in his seat. "The Junon College has requested to use the underwater reactor as a laboratory for ocean research. If you agree, we plan on dismantling the reactor and donating the underwater observatory for educational purposes."
With the destruction of Midgar, Junon became the new capital city under Reeve and the WRO. The city now housed the World Regenesis Organization's main Headquarters and had grown into an intellectual and financial powerhouse.
After meteor, Reeve used equipment from Junon to help build Edge. He also helped the citizens of Junon turn it from a military city into an eco-friendly progressive community with the largest college on the planet since the one in Midgar was destroyed. To assist Reeve, Rufus donated all the Shinra property in Junon to the WRO along with providing financial support so the WRO had everything it needed including a fully functional headquarters. Even with the collapse of the Shinra Electrical Power Company, Reeve knew Rufus was financially secure. The Shinra family had secret accounts in various cities, stockpiles of gold and silver along with several properties that Rufus sold after the economy strengthened under the WRO. He donated a generous amount of money to Reeve and the WRO because he trusted Reeve and knew he had the best intentions for the planet.
The only thing Rufus asked in return was put his Turks on the WRO payroll. The Turks were a family and Rufus wanted to ensure that if something happened to him, they would stay together and work for WRO. Reeve honored his condition without hesitation, it was a small request considering how much Rufus had done for the WRO. Not to mention there were times when it benefited the WRO to have access to people like the Turks.
"You can do whatever you want with the underwater laboratory," Rufus shrugged as he leaned back in his chair. "As long as the reactors are inoperable, I don't care what you do with the remaining structures. The only thing I ask is that you destroy any technology you find relating to mako production, the Jenova project, and Hojo's research."
Reeve nodded in agreement. "You are not the only one looking forward to this mission," Reeve commented, sensing Rufus eagerness to have this mission completed. "It will bring closure to a lot of people."
"Yes," Rufus agreed. "It should have been done years ago."
Reeve was just about to stand when he suddenly stopped. "Do you have the schematics for the Coral reactor?" Reeve asked, having just remembered. "It would help us with the reconstruction."
Rufus nodded. "I will check to see if the plans are amongst the salvaged files," he explained, unsure if they were there. "I have been meaning to go through them, but we've been so busy with other priorities. If they are there, I'll forward them along."
"Thanks," Reeve said as he turned to walk away. He only took one step when he suddenly stopped and looked back at Rufus while pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Oh, there is one other thing. We have been experiencing some problems with WRO employees disappearing or murdered." Reeve walked back and placed the paper on Rufus desk. "So far fifteen are missing; all of them peacekeepers and engineers assigned to the Corel reconstruction project. More recently, an engineer and a scientist were found dead last week in Edge. I was hoping you could ask them to look—"
"Tseng is already aware of your dilemma and is looking into it," Rufus interrupted. "So far they haven't found anything you don't already know. Is it possible the recent homicides and Corel disappearances are not related and just a coincidence?"
"It could be," Reeve agreed. He was thinking the same thing because the recent murder victims had nothing to do with the reactor project, unlike the disappearances from Corel. The only thing really linking them was that they all involved WRO employees.
Reeve had a bad feeling about the disappearances; the last time people went missing like this Deepground first came to the surface from underneath the Shinra building. However, as far as he knew, Deepground was destroyed a little over a year ago.
"If they uncover any information, you will be advised immediately." Rufus knew what Reeve was thinking because he was pondering the same thing. When he became president his father never told him about Deepground despite his subordinates Scarlet, Hojo, and Heidegger having full knowledge of it. Rufus could understand going mad with power but some of the projects his father encouraged were disturbing and the fact that he was not advised of them angered Rufus. He feared there were more disturbing projects out there prompting his desire to discover and destroy anything related to Jevona and Hojo.
"I will keep you updated on our progress next week," Reeve said as he finally turned to leave.
"I have no doubt you will," Rufus commented as Reeve exited through the door.