Isolation Chamber
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 7 or any of its characters.
Other info: This is about Sephiroth. There probably won't be any romance, mostly in-depth thought. Possibly a bit more serious this time around. Just a random thought that came to mind that had sparked this. Hope you all enjoy it!
OoOoOoO
OoOoOoO
Isolation. I never truly knew what that word meant. My entire life has been within this box that I've grown to call my world. A shower and toilet occupied two corners of the room, a curtain stretched out to hide them for privacy. The bed was a pillow with two blankets on the hard tiled floor. The walls were white along with everything else in the room besides his clothes. A mirror was on the west wall above his sleeping area, a stand at the foot of the blankets holding assortments of necessities a person needed. There is one thing I find fascinating in this place…and that is the window. It took up the entire east wall. A built in bench hooked below for him to sit at when he was getting check ups, and there were metal slates so he could talk to anyone else on the other side. At the end of it was a box that opened from both ends. That was where his food was put inside so that he could eat. The trick about it, though, was only one end could open at a time. Perhaps it was to block having contact with…other people? There are…people out there. The one that visits most often is a man named Hojo. Supposedly he is a 'scientist' that works on experiments. To tell the truth, I never knew what he meant by experiment, the word was unfamiliar to me. Much like isolation, in fact. I also didn't know that…I was an experiment.
A tapping on the glass caught his attention, his green eyes laid upon the figure behind the window. It was Hojo, the only man that normally talked to him. He had, at times, seen a few lab assistants bustling about or asking Hojo's regular questions when the man was busy. Other than that, though, it was always Hojo there. The man wasn't too tall, and he had brown hair that was pulled back into place. His lined face was accented with glasses that sat upon his nose, completing his look as he always wore a lab coat.
"Hello, Professor Hojo." The caged figure's voice was deep yet cold as it lacked any type of emotion.
"Hello…Sephiroth." Hojo pulled out his pen and clipboard, eyes flashing to the boy's face. "How do you feel today?" His voice cracked with fluctuation, the nasally sound accompanied what seemed to be wheezing laughter.
Sephiroth brushed a strand of long, silver hair from his face, "I feel fine. The same as yesterday."
"I see." Hojo marked several items on the paper before glancing at the boy inside, brow creasing. "What's on your mind? You seem deep in thought."
Sephiroth hesitated in replying. Should I really tell him what's on my mind? Of course, why shouldn't I? He has always given me suggestions before. I can trust Hojo. "I was remembering…when you first put in the window." I had been so trapped as I was encased in a smaller area, one that was the size of the shower. It was not the caging that bothered me during such a period of time… "There were more people, the ones constructing the actual window. Their clothes…they weren't like yours. I am wondering…are there more people like that…out there?"
Hojo didn't speak. The man was staring into Sephiroth's eyes, exploring him, wondering what had triggered those thoughts. What had made Sephiroth start to ponder past his living area to the outside world? "Aren't you happy where you're at? This place was made perfectly for you. Carefully constructed to fit your needs. Why don't you appreciate that?" He had changed the subject so easily it had caught Sephiroth off guard.
"I'm…sorry. I do appreciate this place. I suppose…I only wanted to see more…people. The only things I have seen are you and your colleagues, wearing those coats…calling yourselves scientists. So when I saw those other people, those figures wearing different attire…I became curious."
"Curiosity can be a very bad thing, you should take more caution when you think."
Sephiroth's green eyes looked away, staring down upon the tiled floor. "I will remember that, Professor." But I can't stop these thoughts from conjuring up in my mind… "I don't see you very often. Maybe that is why I have succumbed to such thoughts? Your absence has brought me curiosity."
Hojo ticked at the boy's words. "You want someone to entertain you? Don't be ridiculous, Sephiroth. Here, on this side, we are very busy people, we don't have time to stop and have discussions with you. Perhaps I've made a terrible mistake with this window idea, I'll have it boarded up as soon as possible."
"No, please don't." Sephiroth returned his eyes to the Professor seeing the smile spread across Hojo's face. He had no idea the man was joking with him. "I…really like the window." It had given him sight.
"I see. Well, I suppose we should invest in curtains instead? Maybe that will be a better punishment?"
"If…you think it will help," Sephiroth remarked. He didn't want to be shut out, but he had no say in what happened out there. He, in fact, didn't have a say in anything. Hojo ran the world out there, he turned the lights on and off, he talked to him, he brought him food. Sephiroth owed Hojo everything, didn't he? For caring for him and making sure he had his daily requirements met.
Though, on the other side Hojo wasn't God, and he was far from it. He did feel powerful that he had control over Sephiroth, but aside from that…he wanted more than just the power to control one man that knew nothing. This boy he had created didn't know what he was or how he came to be. In Hojo's mind, if Sephiroth found out his origins…he would rebel and kill them all. That struck fear in Hojo's mind, that was why he abstained from Sephiroth's wants. If he found out too much it wouldn't bode well for anyone.
"Perhaps, Sephiroth, you should practice drawing now? I must be off."
Sephiroth nodded and went over to the white stand, picking up a sketch pad and a pencil. His fingers flipped open the cover and began to go through the various pages. The doodles and actual drawings were all similar, as his subjects were limited to the room, himself, and Hojo. Professor Hojo, although, refused to stay long enough to get a practical drawing of him, so most of those drawings were incomplete. Perhaps I could draw a person? Base the normal attributes from myself…but maybe change the hair? Sephiroth moved to start his sketch, left hand poised above the paper. He frowned. He…didn't know how to change the hair. He had only seen a few styles before… With this thought he decided he wouldn't draw a make-believe person, but instead draw himself. Not that he didn't already have enough sketches of himself, but it was better than trying to think past that.
oOoOoOoOo
Hojo, who had left the room, went past countless experiments mumbling to himself. A boy approached him catching the scientist off guard. "Sir, we have a guest."
Hojo frowned at this information. A guest wasn't normally a guest, it was a pest. They came around and criticized his work, pondering out loud to him about his facility and the operations he went through. They never thought like scientists, they thought like humanitarians. What a dreadful thing to become! But he went to the front of the department anyway knowing better than to push it off. To his astonishment he found one of the President's trusted men standing there. "May I be of some help?" His tone seemed highly dissatisfied at the thought of helping another human being.
The man gently lowered his glasses, eyes dragging around the room, inspecting all the details before repositioning his glasses back into place. "The President wants to know more details on Project S. He says your report was unsatisfactory. His suggestion is that you fix your report and put in more detail, using the project for a better use than just as a human lab rat or he'll end Project S himself."
Hojo felt his heart sink. End the project? He couldn't allow that to happen! This project was too important to him, it held too much secretive information. Sephiroth…couldn't be let loose. "I see." How would he make the reports better, though? His mind shifted to Sephiroth's previous words to him…about wanting someone to talk to. Perhaps…that would work? But…it could jeopardize everything. "What if…we have people observe Project S? It might satisfy the President if he had some input from someone besides myself?"
The figure gave a curt nod, "I'll tell the President of your suggestion." He removed himself from the science department. Hojo, all the while, cursed to himself about the matter. His mind began to plot who he could allow to talk to Sephiroth that wouldn't influence his mind too much. Another scientist would be the most ideal person, the boy would never be curious if he saw someone wearing a lab coat! But Hojo had underestimated the President…
oOoOoOoOo
"These two will be the observers for Project S. The President has issued that they may do as they please; meaning any questions, actions, or orders they so command shall be done. The President finds it very important that they are not restricted…he wants to know the entire scope of Project S without any restrictions." The man pulled out a piece of paper, "Sign this, please."
Hojo's fears had come true. These two boys would most definitely spill too many secrets to Sephiroth, causing his easily impressionable mind to change and start to wonder why he was isolated… The boy would rebel. But…he couldn't refuse the President's orders unless he wanted to get kicked out of his job and perhaps lose his favorite career. Hojo gave a deep sigh before pulling a pen out of his pocket, scrawling his signature on the line. His entire work of so many years was coming to an end…at the signing of this document.
The guard turned and left leaving the two boys before him. One had reddish brown hair and a soft smile on him, the other black hair with the starting of a goatee it seemed. Their eyes glowed bright blue, the usual trademark of any SOLDIER. Hojo couldn't believe that the President would waste two combatants to sit around and converse with a boy that had never seen the sun. "This way…" Hojo walked slowly to the closed off area, flicking the lights on with a finger. He reached out to touch the button to open the door but pulled back, turning to face the two boys again. They looked to be Sephiroth's age, too. Did the President plan it that way? "It is absolutely necessary that you know Project S is a very top secret experiment. The things you will see might astound you to no end, the information you acquire might shock you, and at times you might feel delegated to stop such things. Though the President has disclosed information that you may do as you see fit, I must warn you that letting your tongues slip to anyone else will cause you to wind up on a slab with who knows what being injected into you. This being you are going to meet is sensitive to anything new, so don't—and I mean it—don't tell him too much. His powers and strengths are so hidden he does not know what he is truly capable of. If you say too much he is bound to destroy us all." Hojo took a deep breath and looked back at the closed door. "With that word of caution, let us proceed." The boys glanced at each other before following Hojo through the door. The lights shone down upon an interesting structure in the middle of the room. It seemed to be a room, the only clear view was to look inside the window.
"No doors?" The man with black hair had asked as he rapped his knuckles against the structure to see how solid it was. The sound came back softly, the room was thick.
"Don't do that," Hojo snapped. He pulled the man's hand away from the building, "Talk to him, don't bang on the walls like an ape."
"Sorry?" They got closer to the window. Both of their eyes peered in at the place. It seemed smaller than what they lived in currently, the small items lying about seemed minimal, well-used, yet regarded highly.
"Where is it?" The redhead spoke this time, leaning closer to the glass to see if he had perhaps missed something. His eyes caught something. "Hello?"
There are strangers here that I've never seen before. Their features look different than Hojo's. They stand tall, their hair is short, and they aren't wearing lab coats. My heart is pounding, but is it because I am frightened? I can't tell. Sephiroth gently leaned forward. He was sitting against the east wall in the corner, the window only a few inches to his right. His eyes met those of the two figures and his heart continued to pound. Did Hojo do this on purpose? Has he changed his mind that I am in need of someone to talk to? "Hello." Sephiroth had said it slowly, still in shock at the people before him. They were so different, so odd-looking.
The black-haired figure turned to Hojo, "We will be fine now. When we are finished we will let you know. Now, it's best you leave so we can talk to Sephiroth without any problems."
Hojo sneered but only nodded. He wanted to hear the conversation but knew that he would have to get the details from Sephiroth later. Without hesitation he walked out of the room to work on other experiments.
Sephiroth watched everything, staying in his spot. Could they hurt me? I don't think that's possible…the glass is in the way. But…I am still wary of their presence. It's unusual…there is something about them that frightens me.
"Come closer, we can't harm you," the redhead spoke, knocking on the glass. "See? The glass is too thick for that."
Sephiroth retracted at the noise. Why is he banging on the glass? Did I do something wrong? What if he ruins it? Hojo will take the window away if he does… Sephiroth pulled away from the corner, standing up to full length. He carefully set one foot forward, bringing himself cautiously to the window. They look so interesting up close. Their eyes…so bright, like the lights…their features…sharp and soft here and there… Sephiroth got closer, looking down at them. He sank to the seat, eyes never leaving their bodies. Should I say anything to them? But…what can I say?
"My name is Genesis and this is Angeal. We are here to talk to you and ask you a few questions. If you want to ask anything in return go right ahead, we don't mind answering." The redhead was talking, brushing his hair gently with his fingers. Sephiroth spotted something in his ear. He winced at the sight, wondering why it was piercing his skin but did not speak up.
"What's your name?" Angeal asked first.
"Sephiroth." His eyes now turned to Angeal. He had hair on his chin. That was odd, he had never seen such a thing before. What type of odd mutation was it to have hair grow on your face like that?
Genesis smirked as Sephiroth was staring at them as if they were weird. To tell the truth, Sephiroth looked far from normal. The boy was rather tall, extremely pale, and had the long flowing silver hair that could beat Rapunzel. His eyes intrigued him the most, how they seemed almost cat-like and their green color was so different than anyone else's he had ever seen before. "Do you…like living in there?"
Sephiroth turned his eyes back to Genesis, nodding slowly. Why would I not? Is there something wrong with my place? I suppose I should pick up my sketches from the floor. "It is nice. I appreciate that I live here."
Genesis was caught off guard at those words. Appreciated it? But…it was nothing compared to the rest of the world. "How long have you lived in this place?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "I don't understand."
"How many years have you been in there."
Sephiroth frowned, "What's a year?"
"Three-hundred sixty-five days," Angeal replied. "And every four years there is an extra day."
Sephiroth let his eyes move back to the other man, staring at him wondering what a day was. What were they talking about? Days and years? What type of a system is this? Maybe Hojo did not tell me such things because he knew it wasn't important… "I do not know what a day is."
"Uh…24 hours."
"Nor do I know what an hour is."
"What about…minutes? Seconds?"
Sephiroth shook his head, "That's unfamiliar to me."
Genesis reached into his bag, pulling out a notebook. After awhile he found a pencil and began to jot everything down, right hand looping his words together in cursive. Sephiroth leaned closer, eyes watching the pencil make loops over and over. That is a rather odd way to draw, I have never seen such a technique. What is he drawing, anyway? I don't see anything around here that curls like that. "What are you doing?"
Genesis looked up, hand stopping the swift movements across the page as the questioned was asked. "I'm writing."
"Do you mean…drawing?"
Genesis shook his head, "This is different. Everything you say can be written down on paper."
Sephiroth frowned. His words would go onto the paper? What if he said something he shouldn't? "Not my words," he whispered. Sephiroth's hand gently covered his mouth and looked at the paper, wondering if more would go onto it.
Genesis glanced to Angeal, "Maybe there's a different approach we should take? He seems nervous about…everything."
Angeal shook his head, "I don't see why. It's just obvious that he doesn't know anything." He sat down finally, looking at Genesis's notes. "Keep writing, we should list down the things Hojo has obviously missed in teaching the boy."
Hojo has taught me a lot of things, maybe he didn't have time for all of these other things? Besides, they weren't important. These…years and days…they aren't important. At least, if I'm existing without them then they mustn't be important. Hojo wouldn't withhold information from me on purpose. "Hojo has taught me everything I need to know, I do not understand why you must 'write' these things down."
"You're missing out on a lot of things, Sephiroth, it's important we inform the President about your current condition so you can get a formal education."
Angeal held up his hand, silencing them both. "He is an experiment, Genesis, perhaps Hojo was testing how well the brain can work on basic necessities? He is speaking fluently, even if he cannot read the language he speaks."
Genesis tapped his pen against the notepad. It was true, the boy was speaking rather well for not knowing anything else. "Good point. Perhaps we should read up more on Project S before we go much further? Some background knowledge might be helpful." He rose, flipping the notebook closed. Angeal stood up, too, the two ready to leave so early.
"Wait!" Sephiroth shouted, surprised at his sudden outburst. I can't believe I just yelled at them. Hojo always told me to keep my voice down or else I'd quite possibly break something. I'm not sure if he was meaning it in a truthful sense, but it's always put me on my guard to be cautious. "Don't leave."
Their eyes met again, Genesis staring deeply into Sephiroth's cat eyes. There was confusion and pain in there, the thought of being left and perhaps never seeing them again. At first Genesis wasn't sure what to do, he had never been in such a situation like this one before. He wouldn't want anyone to leave his presence if he was in Sephiroth's situation, but then again he needed to find out more about this boy. There was something unnatural about him that had made him the perfect choice for being caged up like this. What was it? What supernatural aura did he possess? "We'll return soon enough, we just need to look over a few reports."
"Do you have to?"
There it was again. Genesis wondered what was the correct choice. He glanced at Angeal for some type of counseling advice. Angeal looked at the two before grabbing Genesis's shoulders, "We have to. Don't worry, we'll be back before nighttime. You can count on it." Angeal pulled Genesis along and the two had disappeared out of the room.
Sephiroth sat there at the window completely silent. What's…nighttime?
Genesis sighed deeply, following in step with Angeal as they moved to the archives area of the science department. "I don't know if we should have left him like that, he seemed really upset."
"He has never seen anyone else besides Hojo, Genesis, it's obvious as to why he was upset. I think the reports can tell us why he's being so severely isolated."
"It seems so immoral. I mean…I understand caging lions for a zoo so you can stare at them. They're used to captivity. But a man…that's probably our age? It's…just wrong."
Angeal moved down the sections, "They don't think that way. They're scientists. You have to remember not everyone is morally correct in this world. And if you think about it, he has most likely lived in there all of his life. So it's like putting a human into captivity, he knows nothing better than what he was given."
Genesis's eyes scanned over the reports shelved everywhere before picking one out, glancing at the starting number. "How far back do you think this started? When he was first born?"
Angeal grabbed up the first report and glanced into it, seeing the documented photos and illustrations, "I would say yes." Their eyes glued to the pages as each one had a different picture, different descriptions on each.
"A project created from JENOVA, the 2,000 year-old alien…." Genesis whispered. His hand pointed at a particular sentence that caught his eye. "Look, it says while he was in the womb they injected him with JENOVA cells." Angeal grabbed up the second report, quickly opening it up to reveal more information.
"So, over time he has developed quickly and adapted to everything around him. Their isolation began at an early age because of his growth…"
Genesis picked up another report, flipping to the first page. There were more pictures, this time Sephiroth was just a young toddler, but it was obvious there was something odd about him. "'The test subject shows increasing growth in strength. Isolation is still necessary at this point for safety concerns.' They isolated him because he was strong? That's stupid."
Angeal pulled the page over, "Look at the charts in here, though, it shows it skyrocketing in only a few months. Must be from Jenova's cells, I imagine."
Genesis turned a few pages in and saw the drawings that Sephiroth had done when he was little. "At the age of 4 he could readily hold a pencil that steadily? Look at his lines, there's hardly any shaking or erase marks on here." His fingers traced one of the outlines, "I wonder what he was drawing, though. It…doesn't look like anything."
Angeal glanced over his shoulder as he had been poking through a few other reports. His eyes squinted for moment before turning the report to the side. "Looks like a teddy bear."
The redhead finally saw it and smirked, "That's actually pretty cute. I can't see someone like Sephiroth having stuffed toys to play with. Then again, how else would they keep him entertained in that box? I'm sure his tantrums were wonderful to take care of."
Angeal shook his head, "They never did anything if he cried. Look." He handed Genesis a different report, watching the boy settle the items on the floor to explore all of their findings. Genesis opened the report he was given and read over the details. "'We watched from above as Project S threw fits that almost rattled the glass floor. His screams were powerful, beyond the lungpower any human could bellow. The unnerving factor was how he stared up at us in a way to show he knew we were above. For having a one-way glass, it seemed most disturbing to have the boy stare directly at one figure and holler until he almost passed out from lack of oxygen. Still, we chose to not bother with his screaming and hollering. The best way to silence a child was to ignore them. The lights were turned off and all items were shut down whenever he turned to such tantrums. After awhile each fit grew less crazed when the lights went off, and we solved the problem quite easily.'" Genesis shook his head. That was terrible. They ignored him until he was silent, they never bothered to see if he was hurt or if he needed anything. "The poor guy."
Angeal pulled out one of the more recent reports, "This shows the window being built. He looks extremely attentive in this picture." He put the page before Genesis's face. It showed the boy sitting in a crammed box with eyes wide open.
"Oh jeez, he has no room in that ridiculous living space. I can't believe they'd jam him into a box while they worked on making a window. You'd think they'd just put up a curtain and order him not to go near it."
"Well, he is 'dangerous' after all. Have to take as many precautions as you can."
"Right." Genesis slapped the reports closed, "I think I've learned enough. He's probably bored to death in there."
Angeal smirked, "You just pity his situation. You keep thinking about how uncomfortable you would be, but you're not thinking the way he thinks. That's why you're feeling so concerned."
"So? I'm also curious to hear him talk some more. I'm heading back, you can read up on more reports if you want."
OoOoOoO
If they return I must ask about this nighttime. They have talked about other meaningless things, such as hours and days, but something about nighttime sounds intriguing. I know what 'time' is. Hojo uses the word often when he wants something done. 'It's time to get up, it's time to eat, it's time to sleep.' So…nighttime. It is a time of night. But what is night? I have never heard of such a word! Angeal said they'd be back before nighttime…meaning…it is preset, that they do not change nighttime, it happens whether they want it to or not. But what, might I ponder, happens without us being able to stop it? I cannot stop a lot of things, but the people out there can. So…if he cannot stop it, nor Genesis…does that mean Hojo cannot stop it, either?
I thought…Hojo controlled everything, though. I must question them, I must know if it's true that Hojo does not have control over everything. Such a concept! My mind shouldn't even think of such things…such treachery. I feel as if I am denying that Hojo is the greatest person to me…just because he cannot control 'nighttime' if it, as I have concluded, cannot be controlled.
Sephiroth continued to sit there thinking. He had not lifted a finger or made any type of gesture to move from his spot at the window, waiting for Angeal and Genesis to return to talk to him. The room was completely silent. His breathing was so soft he couldn't hear himself breathe, but that was how he was told to act. Quiet and respectful.
If Hojo does not control nighttime…does it mean he cannot control other things as well? Maybe these 'days' and 'hours' they had brought up. Can Hojo manipulate those, too? He has the power of feeding me, turning the lights off, giving me water, letting me draw…
Does he have the power to let me write like Genesis? Sephiroth turned his head to the sketching pad, the pencil was on top of it gently on the stand. His eyes narrowed before he rose from his spot and went over, picking it up carefully. If Genesis can write, I believe I can, too. Hojo once told me that I have the ability to learn and develop faster than anyone he had ever seen. Maybe I can prove to him that he was right? Though, he doesn't need prove, he knows he is right. I know…that he is right. Still this…writing sounds interesting. What does it do once you learn to do it? Is it like drawing, where you can look at it? Does it show how well you've improved from previous drawings, or show you how you look like on paper?
He lowered himself back onto the bench, setting the sketching pad before him as he steadied his left hand. Slowly he began to make loops in a straight line, hardly noticing when Genesis returned.
"Sephiroth?"
Sephiroth lifted his eyes from the paper. Gently he set his pencil down next to the paper and nodded at him, "Hello, Genesis."
Genesis lowered himself to the seat, eye-level with Sephiroth now. "What are you doing?"
"I am writing."
"Can I see?"
Sephiroth held the paper up and watched Genesis's expression. The boy at first seemed hesitant. It was obvious that Genesis couldn't read anything from it as it was a bunch of loops put together, but he knew that discouraging Sephiroth was the last thing he wanted to do. At last Genesis nodded and smiled, "Not too bad. Some more practice and you'll be writing as well as me."
Sephiroth did not return the smile, the facial expression did not register to him. Hojo did it a few times, but he did not know it meant anything. "Thank you." He set the pad down. "It is nice to see you again."
"Same here. You make me really curious, Sephiroth."
Sephiroth shook his head, "Don't say such a thing!"
Genesis frowned, "Say…what?"
The silver-haired boy looked down at the notepad, the loops enticing him. I was curious about writing…and he is curious about me…Hojo will be most displeased. "Being curious is a bad thing. Hojo condones such things. To be curious…is to be defying what you're given."
At first Genesis wasn't sure how to react. But he gave a scoff and shook his head, "You don't know a lot, do you? Being curious isn't a bad thing. It's natural for every human being to be curious about something!"
Sephiroth hesitated. It…was okay? "Then…if it is okay…may I ask what nighttime is? Angeal said you two would be back before nighttime…what is night?"
Genesis smiled as the boy readily accepted that being curious was fine. "It is when the sky turns black, the moon comes out, and the stars grace the heavens above. It is a beautiful sight when the night is lit up with the natural glow…." His voice trailed. He forgot that Sephiroth was in this cage that…he had never seen night. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't describe it like that."
Sephiroth leaned in closer. "Why not? Is your description inaccurate? It seemed nice to me, though I want to know what the sky is now. And the moon. What are stars?"
So many questions, Genesis didn't know how to answer them all. "Well, if you lived out here you would see the night. It happens every single day. There is nighttime and daytime. When it is daytime, it is bright out and the sun…uh…a burning gaseous star in the sky…which is outside when you look up…is always shining down on you. The world moves, so the sun will set or rise depending on the time. When it is morning, or the time that you wake up, the sun is rising. And when you go to bed, or when it is night, that is when the sun sets. For you, nighttime would be like…when the lights go out and you go to sleep. And daytime is right now, when your lights are on. Does that make sense?"
Sephiroth nodded, "I think so. But by outside…what does that mean? Do you mean where you are at right now? If I leaned closer would I see this sun and moon?"
"No, by outside I mean out of this building. I'm actually inside right now."
"How is that possible? I'm inside."
"We're both inside."
"Then why are we not in the same place? You are out there and I am in here. Therefore, I'm inside and you're outside."
Genesis laughed. He didn't mean to, but it was starting to get really interesting trying to explain everything. "I am in a room inside the building. You are in a room inside the room that's in the building. Does that make sense?"
"What's a building? Is it the same as the structures of the room I am in and you are in?"
"Yes! Except sturdier and made of better materials. You got the concept, though! That's good!"
Sephiroth thought harder. What else could he ask? "Does this…sun…does it look like the lights in here? You said it was burning, does it hurt when the light touches you? Does the moon do the same thing? And those other stars you spoke of, do they do the same thing?"
"No, the light outside is warm, but it doesn't burn you or set you on fire. It has a nicer glow to it, and it makes everything look more beautiful. The moon is different than the sun. It's like a faint, glowing star…except its light is very faint. Only when the moon is full is when the world seems more lit up at night, but that is when the stars disappear. The stars are a lot like the moon and sun, except…they're waaaay out there in space. And space is…a giant vast area that encases the galaxies….and…galaxies are areas that…hold planets." Genesis was starting to question what he was saying. He actually couldn't remember what all he learned in science class, and now he wondered if he was telling Sephiroth false things. Oh well, right? Sephiroth didn't seem one to question if he was lying. "But we should leave that type of a discussion for later on, once you know a bit more about the world."
He was completely fascinated at Genesis's explanations. These…things beyond things…areas past areas…
"Does Hojo control the sun, the moon, the galaxies, the light that comes and goes, the nighttime and daytime, the stars, the sky? Does he have power to alter time, to make things change, to make them different than they once were? Does he control writing and drawing, your inside and my inside, this building, or the outside? Does he have….power at all?"
What did he just do? Now he could get in trouble if Sephiroth started to mistrust Hojo and the man's scientific genius. Who knows how that would bode for him. "Hojo doesn't control anything besides your room, Sephiroth. He can turn the lights off, but so can I. He and I are equals, and so are you."
"Equal? How is that possible? If Hojo and you cannot control anything, doesn't that mean that neither of you have power?"
"Well, that's right. We're equal in the fact that we don't have power to change what nature made. We can alter things like your lights or your food choices, but we cannot alter your thoughts or what you physically do inside that room. You could break this window, you could rip apart your furniture, you could hurt yourself…and we would not have any power to stop you. In your room, Sephiroth, you are the one in power."
I…have power? That is impossible. I cannot break things, they will not be repaired. I cannot hurt myself, I would not heal. I cannot destroy the window, it would be gone forever. If I did those things I would have no power at all…and if I did do them, where is the power in any of it? There is none. It shows that I would be acting irrationally, as Hojo would put it. But then again, if Hojo doesn't have power…how would he know what is right and wrong? "This topic disturbs me. May we change it to something different?"
Disturbs him? Genesis couldn't believe this guy. He wanted to know, and now that he knew he seemed frightened of the thoughts he had. "Okay…did you have anymore questions for me?"
Sephiroth nodded, "What is that in your ear?"
Genesis touched his ear and smiled. "That's an earring. People wear them as a…type of fashion. A fashion is a lot like clothing style, where you wear certain things to make a point."
"What point are you making?"
"None, really. For the people who first started to pierce their ears, it probably meant something, but as time goes on it becomes part of a normal accessory."
"Oh. Does it hurt to have something stabbed through your ear?"
"It didn't hurt at all when I got it, but for some people it does. I guess it depends on your sensitivity to pain. That brings up a question, have you ever been hurt before?"
Have I? I don't think I have, at least not in a stabbing sense. Maybe fell over or bumped something, but actual pain? "No…I'm safe from being hurt in here."
"Makes sense. I have another question…have you ever been in contact with another person? As in…touched another person? Or were in the same room with them without glass or walls surrounding you?"
"No….I have not."
"That….is sad. I sympathize that you never experienced such a thing."
"I do not understand."
"Well…" How to put it? He didn't want Sephiroth to feel bad, but his own feelings were getting in the way. "Being around other people feels very…warming…comforting. It calms you, helps you sleep better at night…I'm not sure how to describe it to you. You can hug someone, kiss them, or just be around them and it puts a smile on your face. It's like experiencing something you've always wanted. Um…" Sephiroth looked confused still. "Like… a teddy bear." He remembered the drawing Angeal had figured out.
Sephiroth nodded, "I know what a teddy bear is. I think I had one when I was younger. They're soft and full of fluff. Do people feel like that?"
"No, people can be soft, but they're not full of fluff. The teddy bear, it's like a companion, right?"
"I suppose."
"Well, do you still have it?"
"No, I was told to put it in the box over there. They removed it on the other side and I never saw it ever again."
"Did you…miss it?"
Sephiroth nodded, "I did. It was the only thing I remember always having with me. But what else could I do? It was out there…and I was in here. There was nothing that I could say that would make them return it to me."
"But it was your teddy bear." Genesis frowned, eyes moving over to the box. "They shouldn't have taken it away."
"Hojo said it was unnecessary for me to have it." Sephiroth followed Genesis's gaze to the box. "It only opens one end at a time."
"Why don't you feel isolated, Sephiroth? You're shut inside this room where no one can come in contact with you. It's…sad. You'll never experience anything. No love, no laughter, not even hate or sadness. You were born into nothing and will die as nothing."
Those words struck me. Was the outside world so filled with…wonders that I was missing…that Genesis knew better than me? I've never seen the outside world, but he had never been here in this room. How does he know what is best? "I'm sorry. This room was made for me, I appreciate it for that purpose. Without it, I would not be happy."
"That's a lie, you'd be out here….here where…I'm at. You wouldn't be isolated! You're blind to what they've done to you."
Sephiroth turned his eyes away from Genesis. "What…have they done to me? I don't understand."
Genesis rose, "I'm sorry, I think I'm going to go."
Sephiroth stood up and touched the glass this time, "Why? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I did."
Genesis shook his head, "No, Sephiroth, it isn't your fault. I will see you tomorrow."
"I don't know what tomorrow is."
"It's…when you wake up from slumber."
"Must I wait that long?"
That was right…Sephiroth had no form of entertainment in there. He could not read, he had no television, nor a phone to talk to someone. There weren't any games or items to play with, there was nothing to exercise with, not even pictures to look at. No photo albums of memories, no computers or items or inventories or anything! The boy could throw his hairbrush and mirror on the floor, pick them back up, and do it over again. He only knew how to draw and nothing else. Nothing beyond that. "If I had a choice, I would free you of that room."
Sephiroth watched Genesis set his own hand against the glass, the act almost looked as if they were touching. He was surprised at…how close it was. Comfort. That's how he described it. I…feel excited and yet curious to what this touch is like. "If…I had a choice…you wouldn't leave right now. But…I do not have a choice. In this room….there are no choices."
"Sephiroth…" Genesis connected eyes with him, "If you didn't live in there…you would have choices. Do you understand that?"
"Out there…in the world you live in…I would be able to turn on my own lights? And…get my own food? I think I do understand. But as I said before….there is no choice for me. I must remain in here, appreciating what I have….no matter what it may be."
"Not if I can help it."
Genesis pulled his hand away and walked out of the room, leaving Sephiroth standing there near the window. The lights, after a few minutes, turned off on him.
OoOoOoOoOoO
OoOoOoOoOoO
First chapter is a bit short, but I always like to see how it goes over for people first before I do much else. Comments are appreciated!
