Carrying my half-empty glass of expensive wine with a poised grip, I took care not to spill any while attending to the guests. Eminent families consisting of high-ranking Shinra bureaucrats, Mako distriburots, and other high stature executives for companies I had no idea existed were quickly forming inside. The mood was airy and carefree, the music was loud and lively, and the women were gorgeous. But I could not find the time to enjoy myself or relax, considering after all, this was the last time I would be able to live in opulence again.
I remember this particular night in August with a distinct vividness. My brother Auric and I were attending a formal gathering in our penthouse in upper Junon, for us, hosted by our mother in celebrtion for our departure to Midgar the following morning. Our mother, Audri, was born into wealth as the inheritor to 'Mondail Refinery,' a steel manufacturer who is contracted by Shinra. As children, Auric and I were both sent to an exclusive private school only attended by the children of people who find themselves at gatherings such as the one we were holding that night. My brother Auric never truly fit in into an academic setting; he was very crafty and often plotted acts of espionage against teachers which usually caused him frequent trips to the counselor's office. I, on the other hand, was quite the opposite of my brother. Luckily having taken advantage of the resources at the school, I quickly excelled to the top of my class in politics and literature. My teachers were grooming me for a career as a military tactician regardless of my wishes. Adhering to the status quo had its perks of course, but I still sometimes became envious of the more stress-free and workless childhood my brother had.
The following morning at 6:00 AM, we were both up by daylight. The mixture of the cool ocean breeze and anxiety washed away whatever fatigue I was feeling from not sleeping very much the night before. I would be taking the taxi parked outside to the Junon harbor, where I was to board a ship that would then be transporting me to Midgar to begin my SOLDIER training. After having researched the Junon docks a few nights prior, I was certainly not looking forward for the week long trip ahead. An old classmate of mine turned SOLDIER, recounted to me that one of his worst experiences thus far, was unquestionably the trip by boat. The recruits are sent to sea on extremely decrepit transport ships which were used primarily to transport food. "The smell.." they warned; I could imagine the scent of rotting food mixed with the ocean's already distinct odor.
While nearing the harbor, I started to hear the commotion of the crowds ahead. Mothers and girlfriends hugging their sons; sons saying goodbye to their siblings who are waving them off. I tip the driver, take my suitcase, and walk over to the line to look for Auric who left the house an hour before me. I called out his name several times, but to no avail. Within a few minutes of searching, the recruiters yelled through their megaphones for us to form a line and proceed to board to one of the three boats that were departing. I was quite confused as to why Auric would decide to leave our house without me and most likely end up traveling alone. But the atmosphere was very intense, and I had no time or desire to contiune worrying.
While waiting on line I contrast my mental image of the boat juxtaposed to the real thing in front of me. Civilians were not allowed in this part of the harbor, as it was used for importation and exporation, so I have actually never seen the vessels with my own eyes. They were similar to pictures I've seen in magazines, except much more rusty. The hull was bright white, with a painted horizontal light blue line spanning its width; on it was painted a sequence of random numbers, which I imagine was her name.
As we boarded, we were given a ticket with a number which were later used to divide us into 4 groups (the cards were evenly distributed with the numbers 1-4 on them). My number 3 was ordered to head down the stairs on the deck, into the cabins, while the other groups were still assembling on top. On our way down the stairs, we were all reminded of "the smell" which was articulated to me earlier so succinctly. We were each assigned a bunk four recruits per room. We greeted eachother with an extra amount of friendlyness, knowing that we had no acquaintances here.
The first bunkmate Joseph was clearly much older than the rest of us, in his late thirties perhaps, and seemed quite out of shape. My second bunkmate named Alexander whom I soon befriend and end up going on a series of missions with in the future was seemed about my age; blonde hair, medium height and slim. My final acquaintance who went by simply 'Rob' was very tall, had jet black hair, and appeared more nervous and excited than the rest of us. The ship was still docked and we were temporarily exempt from any duties. After what seemed like an hour of introductions and formalities, I learn that all lf them shared a common factor: they all came from very poor families. This came as a surprise to me at the time being as sheltered and surrounded with the rich as I was.
About an hour after the ships departure, an ironicly loud message from the loudspeaker interrupted our conversation. "In regards to a recent terrorist bombing of another mako reactor, the trip to Midgar will be delayed. We will be docking slightly off course and recruits will be regrouped in a village off of the coast named Kalm." I've read in the newspapers about the recent terrorist bombings against Shinra reactors. The attacks were purportedly done by a radical anti-Shinra group who went by the name of 'AVALANCHE.'