Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, or any of the characters from it. SquareEnix does. I also do not make any money from the writing of this story. Enjoy.
With the Best Intentions
Chapter One
She had spent the entire weekend inside some sort of vehicle, and was about sick of it. Having spent most of the time trying to read, which had proven to be quite difficult. Whether it was violent jostling of airship turbulence, jarring attachment of train cars or just her own nerves, she hadn't progressed a single chapter in her book.
She began her day at seven in the morning, not early by most people's standards (or her own, for that matter), but the trials of trying to reach the other side of the planet were starting to take a tool on the young scientist. The day before was spent mostly on an airship with passage from Junon Harbor to Corel City in the west. Today, she sat on a train, journeying further westward towards the city of Nibel. Herself and her colleagues reached Nibel by suppertime, and after a quick bite to eat, they boarded a Shinra transport that would take them across the valley floor, through the very large and sprawling city of Nibel and up into the foothills of the mountains where Shinra's newly completed scientific research complex was patiently awaiting it's staff.
Her sore muscles were screaming at her to move, but she felt to tired to even re-position herself. She felt that if she just held out longer, that her bed would surely cure any muscle ailments. She soon realized, that much more time in that particular position would surely do damage even the best nights sleep couldn't fix. She bended over, let out a deep, heavy sigh and sat back right, setting her shoeless feet upon the seat in front of her.
The transport was not unlike a city bus, although it was much nicer not to mention more comfortable. The transport consisted of two thirty-four-seat box-cars that were pulled by a large truck, the kind of truck that hauls freight from town to town. Shinra was obviously not skimpy in how they treated their employees while traveling. Each seat was plush, soft and clean, and the windows were clean, and of course tinted. Her particular car was only about half full, and she lucked out having the entire back row to herself. Save, one sleeping scientist wedged in the corner to her right, deeply asleep. Most everyone in the car was sleeping, except one dark haired man seated directly in front of her at the other end of the car. He smiled and gave a short nod, she smiled back, but resolute to get some sleep.
Sighing, once again, she closed her eyes, and tried to sleep. Her neck hurt, so she wadded up a sweater and shoved it between the window and her neck, hoping that it could tempt sleep to visit her. But, it just wouldn't come. She was bored. That's just simply what it came down to. She was bored, and not even sleep would choose to entertain her. She went at it a while longer, hoping that maybe just pretending could pass the time. And, for a moment there, she was sure she was asleep, and that an hours time had passed. Suddenly rejuvenated, she looked at her watch. It had only been five minutes. Her sudden energy left just a quickly as it came.
Frustrated, tired and bored, she threw her "pillow" at her feet, and grabbed for her computer bag. She supposed, that her computer could keep her company. It had in college, was this ride through the city all that different?
Her computer was small and made of a sleek silver alloy. She pressed the small round button on its side and it came to life, it's light illuminating her features. The strange chord, the computer emitted at start up, however, was louder than she and anyone in the car had been expecting. Several staff members cast scandalous looks in her direction. She smiled meekly, and immediately plugged a set of earphones, to prevent any future offences. She was slightly embarrassed, but their scoffs did little to rattle her nerves. One of the few benefits of sleep deprivation, she supposed. She opened a small file marked "article" and stated typing away, while listening to some classic music.
She was pleased to find, that after a few minutes of constant typing, that it wasn't bothering anyone. She was slightly encouraged by this, and took it as an omen of good things to come, and kept at it. Although it wasn't bothering anyone, it seemed to have attracted someone's attention. The dark haired man in the front of the car was giving her a warm smile, apparently acknowledging and forgiving her previous interruption of silence. She reciprocated the gesture, and turned her attention back to her writing.
She hadn't intended to invite any company with her small acknowledgement, but the dark haired scientist had taken it as such. She heard a few annoyed sounding grunts through her earphones, and to her surprise, she saw him climbing over two older-looking gentlemen who were thoroughly annoyed with the ruckus. He walked slowly, to the last row, pausing at her side.
"Are you working hard?" The dark haired man asked, simply. Then taking the seat next to the one her feet were occupying.
"I guess you could say that." The man chuckled at her response.
"So, what is it that you are writing? A University final?"
"No." She stated clearly. She was little annoyed at his presumptuousness. She didn't look that young did she? "It's pro-Shinra article for a student magazine. Recruiting tactics, you know…"
The man smiled, but she didn't look him in the eye. She just kept typing. "I hope you're at least getting paid by Shinra for all of that wonderful propaganda."
She looked up at him, and smiled. "Of course."
The both laughed. "Good answer!" He said, "You'll definitely do well in the company. You'd make a great Turk with that kind of attitude."
"And waste a very good, and very expensive education?" She giggled.
Several moments of silence passed between them. Sensing the conversation over, at least for a minute or two, she turned her attention back to her computer. Between paragraphs, she would look to see him looking out the window.
They were now on the western side of Nibel City. The very large city was split east and west by the Mereck River, which flowed south from the mountains to the sea. West Nibel was where the wealth was. Not only was it home to the very powerful financial and arts districts, it also featured many towering condominiums pushed at the night sky.
"What a city." The man ahead of her said to no one in particular. "Have you ever been here before?"
"No," she replied simply. "I've never really seen much of the world, actually. It's nice to think I'll be somewhere besides Midgar."
"Midgar is very intimidating, isn't it? I've never liked it much myself." He replied. Another few seconds of silence, the man gave her a very scandalized look.
"Forgive me, Miss," she hated being called 'miss'. "What ever happened to my manners?"
Manners? What did manners have to do with Midgar? But, her question was soon answered as he thrust his thin hand in her direction. Sensing a rather lengthy conversation on the horizon, she folded the screen of her computer downwards, and placed it on the seat next to her.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Howard Joslinn."
She took that as her cue to also introduce her self. She shook his hand. "Lucrecia Harver." She recited simply, and adding a very faint smile.
While she held his hand, she actually took a moment to observe his appearance. Howard had a thin face and a thin build and seemed to be maybe about thirty years old. His dark hair was thin, short and unruly with wild cowlicks casting tufts in every direction possible.
"Are you a scientist?" Howard asked, adjusting the wire framed glasses to a more comfortable position.
"I'm just an intern to Doctor Ghast. What a fine way to use my doctorate, right? Fetching coffee…" Lucrecia was more than a little bitter at her position in the research team. She had put in a year with Shinra, and hoped that it would provide her with a more, glamorous position. "But, I suppose everyone has to start somewhere."
Howard laughed. He enjoyed her personality. She was smart and witty, qualities not many scientists at Shinra possessed.
"May I ask where you studied?"
Lucrecia smiled. She had been waiting all weekend for someone to ask her about her impressive course of studies. "I started at Junon Health Sciences University. I was going to be a doctor. I didn't like it much there, so after a couple of years I transferred to U of M, in Life Sciences."
"Do you have a doctorate?" He asked, noting that her education was very Impressive. Better than more than half of the researchers on Shinra's payroll.
"Yeah, from Metropolis University."
"That's very prestigious. It's a wonder you're not a lead." He said. Howard was a tad jealous. He had attempted numerous times to gain acceptance to that very elite scientific university, and found himself rejected. "Out of all the places you could go, why choose Shinra?"
"Shinra called me back first. And, I was through being a student. I thought about extending my studies in Cosmo, but the time didn't seem right for that. I think Shinra can give me some real opportunities in the future."
"Cosmo?" He pondered the word for only a second. "You're a Mako energy slash Lifestream specialist, aren't you?"
Lucrecia blushed. "I am."
"Well, Miss Harver, know that I would never even dream of asking you to fetch my coffee."
Lucrecia was slightly offended by the tone in his voice. On one hand, she thought this gentleman to be very nice, something she hadn't experienced in her previous year's work at Shinra. But, all of his questions concerning her education had her suspicious of his intentions. Was he trying to keep her out? Was he a fellow intern? She had to ask.
"Permit me to ask," She paused, wanting phrase her question most delicately. "But exactly is your role in this endeavor?" Her accent was showing.
"I am the resident chemist and assistant to Doctor Ghast." Howard replied.
Lucrecia was thoroughly embarrassed. Howard Joslinn was her boss. "I must apologize sir, for my earlier behavior. I was not aware of you're status."
'Damn,' Lucrecia thought inwardly. 'There I go and be all submissive.' That was the one part of her upbringing that she never fully escaped from. When embarrassed, she always slipped back into her home accent and spoke with an ardent sense of propriety.
"You must be from Issaquahe." Howard smiled, unperturbed. Issaquahe was a small, very wealthy aristocratic nation on the northern continent of Contell. Many of the worlds rich and powerful hailed form that nation.
"Is it that obvious?" She asked. Her heritage was something she had always tried to hide. Wanting to be taken seriously because of her academic and intellectual merit and not the depth of her family's pocketbook.
"Only when you're embarrassed. It's the accent." Howard's eyes shone brightly at her, not judging in the least. "I had you pegged as being from Junon for sure."
Lucrecia couldn't help but smile, despite her deep embarrassment. Silence settled, and she found herself looking out of the window. Night had befallen, and they were now traveling through the forest. They'd be at the complex in at least a half hour's time.
Howard was silent for the duration of the trip, resting his head against the back of his seat, with his eyes closed. Lucrecia put the things she had strewn about her area back into their respective homes, and put her shoes back on and slipped into the jacket that had been between her lower back and the seat. Doubting that sleep would come, she followed Howard's lead and rested her head against the cool window.
However, sleep choose to come this time.