The Shinra Survivor
By David Kerr
The lone known survivor of the Neibelheim incident, Sosuka has made his way into the Investigation Sector of General Affairs, also known as the infamous Turks. His journey had been hard, but now it has only just began as a series of events lead to a cataclysm of the world as they know it.
As an employee of Shin-Ra and a citizen of the city of Midgar, Sosuka soon learns of a deepening plot taking place because of a terrorist organization known as Avalanche and three other survivors of the incident that he had thought ended five years ago, but the horrors start again as an ex-Soldier gone insane believes himself as the rightful ruler of the planet, and with the power of an ancient being, now nothing more than genetic material.
Another member of the incident, an old friend of his that he though to have died has joined the terrorist organization, bent on defeating the insane ex-Soldier that he though he had rid the world of years ago, but has found to have been un-true.
The events that started five years ago have began to unfold again; can Shin-Ra and Avalanche prevent Sephiroth from taking over the world and destroying humanity?
Chapter 1: The Incident
Midgar, the major metropolis and home of the Shin-Ra Foundation, a corporation that helped win the war. It is here that many men and women are hired and live their lives comfortably and innocently. Not all of Shin-Ra's business is innocent however. As a matter of fact, great amounts of it are invested into defense contracts, the military, biological and genetic engineering. Other dirty secrets are hidden behind miles of paper work. One such incident took place in a small town, over a hundred miles from Midgar. The name has been hidden away as well as the accident and covered up by several branches of the Shin-Ra Corporation.
Of the several survivors of this incident, only one soldier was found alive. He had fallen when the bridge had given out and climbed his way back to town while the party had made their way to the reactor. Two men of the investigation team were killed and taken away by scientists for observation, and one other member of the team, a war hero was killed in action, no further information was given on the incident. This single survivor was only a corporal at the time, but after the incident he was transfer to a different department, Shin-Ra's secret police force. They are the ones who do the upfront work, the difficult work and the undisclosed work, doing what needs done without having to traverse the miles of red tape. He may not like all of what they do, but he does it, he is a soldier, he was infused with Mako energy, just like the members of SOLIDER. He is strong, fast, smart, and good with his gun.
His name is Sosuka Darwyk and he is an agent of Investigation Sector of General Affairs Department also simply known as the Turks.
The cold quiet office left an eerie chill running down Sosuka's back. It usually did that when they left him alone in there. His chair was warm from the last hour and a half of his lack of movement from the same position. There was always one Turk on duty at any given time, and of course he would get the late shift. The office consisted of twelve or so cubicles and a single corner room that contained the long desk were the held their meetings.
He stared at the glowing screen of his terminal, going over the records of a jack-of-all-trade terrorist currently working for a terrorist organization known as AVALANCHE. They had been causing a large amount of unnecessary damage financially to Shin-Ra and President Shinra wanted it stopped immediately. Of course the authorities were currently acting, as well as the more troops being dispatched into the area, but even the president knew it wouldn't be enough.
Their last attack was on a Mako reactor, a large portion of Shin-Ra's profits and the cities energy. It was completely destroyed and because of the unacceptable failure of the security system for it, the Turks were beginning to investigate the matter personally. The one thing that no one else knew that he did was that an old friend of his was working with the terrorist group. He had retrieved the files from the security cameras which transmitted the data to an undisclosed location to be archived. Using his contacts he received a copy and saw his picture.
It had been almost five years since he had seen that face, but he could never forget it. It was the face of a Shinra Soldier who had been at the accident with him, the one that had started his career in the I.S.G.A.D. Sorrow hung around his face as he repeatedly watched as his old friend and brother in arms killed innocent soldiers just doing their job.
But there was something different about him, not just the fact that he was alive when he was supposed to be dead. It was how he dressed and the weapon he carried. Another man who went in there with them dressed and wielded the same weapon, but he too had been killed, and with a little more research into it, he realized he had been killed twice. The SOLDIER First Class he had known as Zach, who had been with him, was killed, escaping from his life as an experiment and he had taken Cloud with him in search for their freedom, and their was the other soldier now, Cloud, and he didn't know what to do with this information.
On one hand, he had his job and his co-workers, even friends on the line if he didn't do anything about this, yet on the other hand, Cloud had been a good friend of his, not to mention that Shin-Ra had taken more from him then almost anyone else. Though there was something different about him now, but Sosuka couldn't quite put his thumb on it.
The sudden ringing echoed through the office and a flashing red glow followed. He looked down to see that his phone was ringing and the red bulb on the top that was flashing, indicating the high priority of the call. There was no time to hesitate.
Reaching down for the phone, he snatched it up and placed the receiver to his ear, immediately saying "This is the Investigation Sector of General Affairs Department, Darwyk speaking, how may I help you," as professionally and calmly as he could.
"This is Secretary Lesuta of the General Affairs Department, according to the rotation schedule; you are currently the only agent on duty?"
"That is correct ma'am, is there something I can help you with?"
"Your current duty is being retracted and you are being reassigned for your shift, I am faxing your new orders to you now," she said, calmly as if he she were ordering lunch, though it had to be serious if Shin-Ra was going against policy of having at least one member of each department working at all hours.
She hung up her receiver on him before he could respond with a yes, a no, or any argument. The single fax machine in their office began to hum as it started receiving the transmission and the rollers drew the paper past then ink stamps, quickly relaying the message. He got up slowly, wearily, worried of what could possibly be on that fax.
As it finished printing out, he gently picked it up, treating it as some might treat a package that ticked like a bomb. He slowly made his way back to his desk, took a seat, carefully avoiding looking down directly at the sheet of paper in his hands. Closing his eyes, he took a single deep, soothing breath and looked down at the paper.
Like all faxes, only twenty percent of it really mattered and when he got to that his eyes widened in fear. There was going to be another attack on a Mako reactor and they wanted him there as support for something new from weapons department. He hated having to go in with machines, they were efficient yes, but there were too many problems with them, but the more power Shin-Ra had, the more money it could waste on its toys. Another mechanical soldier and they planned on testing it on AVALANCHE.
He unbuttoned his blue suit jacket and folded it back. Next he opened a drawer and drew out his two pistols, sliding them into his under-arm holsters, then closed his jacket again, leaving it open. He sighed as he stood up and mumbled, "Time to play the bad guy again," as he walked out the door and quickly made his way to the elevator.
Nearly half an hour later, he arrived at the reactor, the security systems were still in place, and nothing obvious indicated that they had begun their attack on the Mako reactor. He quickly typed in the pass code and the door slid open. Entering quickly, the door slid closed behind him and he continued to the next door. As with the one before it, this too required an access code. It was a secondary security measure, though up until recently he didn't see a point for it, even though it proved ineffective at the last reactor.
He passed through the door after punching in the code and continued to a side room just down the hall and took a look at the punch button computer. It was a special design, made to make it much more difficult to escape from the reactor if it was set off.
It was quite simple; it was six buttons that needed to be pressed simultaneously to open the door to exit the reactor's outer structure. It really was quite ingenious, and even in its simplicity should prove quite a challenge for anyone daring to make the escape.
He left the room, quietly gliding across the floor, seemingly without a care in the world, but inside his mind turned. Worry was the first thing that came to mind. The reason for that was simple, and obviously skilled group of terrorists were coming to detonate the reactor, and he was in the reactor as well. Second, there was the fact that his old friend was with them, and as his friend was the one who had killed Sephiroth. That made it a challenge, even for his skill on the draw; he was no match for someone who had defeated a SOLDIER as powerful as the one who razed an entire town on his own.
He checked his guns, making sure the safeties were off and that they were hanging loosely. Everything was in order and comfortable, but he hoped he had no need to make use of his talent. Entering the elevator, he tapped the button and the doors to it closed and the motors began to grind as it dragged the weight upwards to the next floor.
It was obvious that he was nervous; sweat was gently dripping down his forehead. He began to take slow deep breaths, regaining his composure. Turks didn't get scared, they didn't get nervous, the only thing they felt was the cool calm knowledge that they would win by what ever means possible. That's what all Turks thought when they got nervous; it's no wonder they always seemed so composed, when they were working they became as cold as ice and as strong as steel.
The sweat was soon wiped from his forehead and onto his pants, before he slicked his hair away from his face. He could handle this, it was just another job, and he was a Turk.
Suddenly the elevator stopped and the doors quietly slid open. Sosuka stepped out, calm, strong, with a wild gleam in his eye.
Chapter 2: The Plate
Sosuka woke up in the recovery room; he was groggy and confused, not aware of where he was at. He took in his surroundings, trying to estimate where he could be, but nothing connected, everything was hazy, and his head felt so heavy.
A minute passed, and then another, and slowly his senses began to return, even if they were a bit dull. He was moving slower, and even his mind seemed to have slowed down. However, his perceptiveness could never be dulled and he took in the few things he could see.
The first was the ceiling; this he could see was simple tiles, square, white and full of miniscule holes. Next he felt the bed around him, his largest clue. You could often judge exactly where you were by the location that you were laying down in. This particular time he noticed the metal frame, slightly uplifted back portion, closest to his head, as well as a soft but firm mattress and uniform white sheets.
It was at that moment that he attributed the bed to a hospital, a place he didn't often go. This was the first time in over five years that he had been in one, and he didn't plan on coming back now for longer than that.
Leaning up he looked down over his self, and saw that there wasn't anything the matter except an IV sticking out of his arm, which caused him to shudder at the thought. Quickly, he grabbed the control to his bed and pressed the call button for a nurse. He needed to know how he got there, who brought him there. No matter how hard he concentrated he just could not remember.
Time seemed to pass by as if he was being taken back, not forward. He waited for what seemed like hours, and because he couldn't see a clock, he had no idea as to if it was true or not. He didn't have the energy to press the button again and it dropped from his hand, making no noise as it hit the soft cloth of the bed. His willingness to wait grew strong as his mind grew more easily lulled back into the slumber that had been so abruptly broken.
Thankfully, his wait was not in vain, his call was answered by a young nurse, whose soft eyes drew him in as his mind was weakening. She smiled and kneeled down.
"Is there some way I can help you sir?" she asked, her voice comforting and cute.
His voice, however was dry and cold, and it was obvious that she was slightly frightened by the tone and strength of his words as he said, "Where am I, and how did I get here," which was obviously a demand not a question.
Though still weak, he was a Turk, and Turks didn't get weak, so she had to see that he was still strong. The fear in her eyes as she tried to keep a soft smile on her face reassured him that she felt exactly how he wanted her to feel. He sat up, not even flinching from the pain he felt and awaited her response, his eyes hard, his muscles gleaning from the sweat of his sleep.
"Y-y-you're in the Shin-Ra Employee Hospital, s-s-sir," was her response.
He let a few moments pass by, expecting her to respond to the next part of her question. However she did not and began to fiddle with his I.V, trying not to show him that she was shaking.
"And how did I arrive here," he demanded as she tried not to return his dark, frozen gaze.
She didn't turn, but she was obviously shaking badly now as the sound of vibrating metal could be heard within her grasp as she tried to adjust the height of the I.V. Next he heard her sniffling, trying to regain her composure but failing. She was obviously quite upset, and he had no doubt that it was his fault. Contrary to how he was acting, he felt great concern for her. However he could leave no one to think that he was not the faultless image of what everyone viewed the Turks as. Every time he played this role it tore him up. The whole team knew he had a soft heart, but like the rest of him, he knew he had a job to do.
"Do I have to ask you again, or shall I get out of this bed and go find out myself," he said; his manner as sharp as a knife.
"Y-y-you were b-b-brought in b-by a b-bunch of men in blue suits from a Life Flight," she said, her voice scared and at the same time, concerned.
It was obvious by how she described them of who they were and that she didn't know one thing about them. Most could easily piece together that they were the Turks with enough concentration and logic. That is not to say, however, that every citizen knew about the Investigation Sector of General Affairs Department. For him, this was very good; he could stop playing the asshole, not something he often had the chance to do.
"Hey, look, come here, its alright. I'm very sorry miss, I know your just doing your job, but you can understand how waking up in a strange place, with no idea as to how you got there can cause you to think a little rough, right?"
She didn't answer at first, she was still shaking, trying to look past his past forcefulness and see the kind man he had suddenly become. After another few moments she nodded and walked over to his bedside. Quietly, she sat down upon the cushioned chair beside his bed. He eyes were still a little red, but had softened again as a light smile played across his face.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he gently placed his hand on her arm, his voice had gentled and as he said, "My name is Sosuka," it was obvious by his changed tone that she relaxed greatly and leaned towards him in her chair. His smile had melted her, and it was obvious by how her checks had turned red that she was attracted to him. This hadn't been his intention, but it wasn't as if she was unattractive herself.
She nodded and sweetly said, "My name is Aika," to which a small seductive smile ended it, while she began to check his pulse.
Sosuka scooted to closer to her side of the bed, and by the fact that she leaned over further; it was obvious that she was glad he did. Her smile widened and the two of them began to talk, not about anything in particular, just light conversation with hints of flirting traced throughout. She soon forgot that she had been taking his pulse and was becoming intent on the conversation with him.
The interest she showed was peeking when the door opened suddenly and two men walked in. One wore a blue suit and had his black hair pulled back, the other was blond and wearing a military uniform. They looked Sosuka over and then the gentleman in the blue suit pulled out a badge.
"Pardon us miss, I'm Tseng of the I.S.G.A, and this is Gunnery Sergeant Graves, could we please have a moment alone with the patient?" he asked her, his voice calm, cool, and professional.
The fear she had only recently been relieved of had begun to return, but Sosuka's touch to her arm reassured her, and she replied to the men with a nod. She bowed to them and moved to the door. Before exiting she took one glance back at the patient, and his reassuring smile did its job and she stepped outside.
After she closed the door behind her, his smile faded as he looked at the two men, standing at his bedside.
"Can I offer you a seat sir?" he asked, as he sat up again, the pain returning to his stomach.
"That is quite alright Sosuka, I hope we won't be too long," Tseng replied, "You aren't in too much pain, are you?" he asked afterwards, making small pleasantries.
"No sir, just enough to keep me off my feet for a few days," he replied, his voice solid, although his heart was beating rapidly. Though it was protocol for his superior to visit him in the event of becoming injured during a mission, the idea of his chief being so close made him nervous.
"Good, so I assume you will be in good company while you rest the next few days, then?"
"Sir?" he replied, feigning ignorance.
"Nice try Sosuka, I know you better than that. Don't worry, your not in trouble, we just stopped by to check on you, also, we came to tell you that what happened is classified and we expect your report once you have recovered."
He could only nod in response, and with that the two men felt that they were done. The Gunnery Sergeant nodded to him and Tseng patted him on the shoulder. Then they left as they had arrived, without a word and in a moment. Sosuka didn't mind either, though Tseng had been polite, he still made him uncomfortable.
Aika, the nurse, returned to the room and sat by his bed side. She leaned over and whispered, "There is an armed man outside the door," before leaning back, her face showing that she was unsure and uneasy.
"Don't worry, just pretend he's not there," he said encouragingly.
With that she relaxed a bit and they went back to talking. During which she explained that there was to be a nurse stationed in the room at all times unless asked to leave, to ensure he was well treated. Of course he laughed at this, and suggested that she bring an extra pillow for herself, to which she blushed.