Chapter 1: The Fallen Angel
Location: Shinra HQ: Midgar.
Time: 30 years before the events in FF7...
"Hmmm, not good enough", muttered the bespectacled scientist as he peered intently through the electron microscope. "Damn! It still isn't working!" he cursed, and tossed the petri dish aside with supreme disdain. "Genetically, the Cetra were nearly identical to us. This should be working..... but it isn't. Why, goddammit!?"
The middle-aged microbiologist slumped into a nearby chair and removed his glasses, then gingerly rubbed his eyes in order to clear his vision. After all, he had been working nearly continuously for the previous 2 days, and the long hours were beginning to catch up with him. Nontheless, this experiment was far too important to postpone simply because he was feeling fatigued, and he was determined to perservere, no matter what.
"A fusion of Cetra and Human DNA should not be this difficult", he muttered to himself. "After all, the two species did inter-breed for a while before the Cetra's extinction, so their genetic material is obviously compatible. Why, then, will this refuse to work for me?"
"Professor Gast!". The voice shook the man out of his self-induced trance, bringing him back to reality. He responded quickly, for he recognized the man who greeted him- Asaki, a lab attendant who regularly assisted him with his more sophisticated research. He clutched a small Data CD in his hand, and from the look on his face, Gast could tell it contained something important.
"Professor, the results from the carbon-dating are back, and I think you'll find them to be extremely interesting". Asaki's face showed his own excitement at the information held on the disc, and Gast shifted position to get a closer look at the monitor of a nearby computer as Asaki loaded the CD. Roughly 6 months ago, a team of archaeologists working in the far reaches of the Northern Continent made a spectacular discovery- a corpse, apparently that of an Ancient, a Cetra. The remains were discovered near the Gaea's Cliffs, an area where the Ancients were known to have lived, which only strengthened Gast's theory that they had indeed stumbled across a long-dead member of the race. The specimen had been dubbed "Jenova", and was in a remarkably well-preserved state. This had originally puzzled Gast, but he eventually conceded that the harsh temperatures of the region would have frozen the body and prevented any tissue or cell decay. To be sure, he wanted to know just how long the body had been buried, and so he ordered a carbon-dating of the rock-bed which surrounded it. And now, finally, the results were back...
"2,000 years? Is that accurate?" were the first words Asaki uttered after the data came onscreen. "Could it really have been in the ground that long and have remained in such good condition?".
"I believe so", Gast replied. "Think about it. 2,000 years ago: that was when the Cetra began to die out, and we have accepted that this corspe is indeed Cetra. 2,000 years ago is the latest possible time it could have died. They were still around at that time, and we know for a fact that it isn't human, so what else could it be? If only we had another sample of Ancient DNA to compare it with.....".
Gast scanned through the set of figures on the monitor one last time. The geological stratum that Jenova was discovered in was 2,000 years old: logic then dictates that Jenova died 2,000 years ago, and that she was indeed an Ancient, since genetic testing had proven that she was not human. Logic did nothing to assuage his doubts however: since he knew in his heart that something was terribly wrong. Every time he looked at the remains of Jenova, a horrible sense of foreboding and fear swept through him. Some might call it premonition, but not Gast: he was a man of science, and had no time for such silly superstitions. Still, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, the same nagging doubts would return to haunt him, again and again and again.
Asaki retrieved the disc and left, since he knew from past experience that Professor Gast was not fond of any interference whilst in the midst of an experiment. Gast returned to his microscope, observing a small collection of Jenova cells under the lens. Using the mortified cells from Jenova, he had been able to synthesise new, fully alive and active cellular material that was 100% identical to the original source cells. It was these cells he was attempting to fuse with human DNA. Folklore from areas which had previously been Ancient colonies dicates that the Cetra possessed tremendous powers, both magical and mental. Unlike humans, they did not need materia in order to use magic. They were an extremely intuitive race who were capable of such incredible feats as "planet-reading": communicating with the very planet itself. Imagine if a being could be created with such abilities, with the wisdom and knowledge of the Ancients. Imagine the possibilities. By merging human and Cetra cells in a procedure similar to conception, Gast hoped to create a new form of life- a Cetra/ human hybrid with all these skills, and possibly more.
Gast was anxious to complete the project, since he knew that the Shinra executives were closely following his progress. Heidegger and Scarlet in particular; the President had ordered them to take special interest in this experiment, saying that it would be pivotal in determining the outcome of the war raging in the far West, near Wutai. Since Heidegger and Scarlet were in charge of the bulk of Shinra's military operations, this was all the incentive they needed to keep a close eye on Gast. They never approached him directly, but Gast knew that they regularly squeezed information out of his assistants in order to determine just how well the experiment was going.
Gast knew exactly what President Shinra was hoping for. Originally, instead of creating a new lifeform, the President had hoped to infuse existing members of the Shinra's army with both Jenova's cells and large quantities of Mako radiation, granting them the abilities of the Cetra, and raising their combat potential to an unprecedented new level. A reactor was constructed in the Nibel Mountains for the dual purpose of shipping and processing Mako energy, but also as a holding ground for human test subjects that had been deemed worthy of being infused with Jenova cells. The result of the experiment was an elite strike force which was tentatively labelled "SOLDIER".
Soon enough though, problems began to emerge. The majority of test subjects were unable to survive the sheer energy infusion and began to slowly die, thus rendering the experiment useless.
Gast had then put forward a theory of his own- if they were unable to infuse humans with Cetra DNA, then why not create a new being from scratch with the DNA of both races? The idea was accepted, and Gast's experiment began soon after. But, no matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn't work....
Asaki knocked quietly, then stepped nervously inside the darkened lab. If Professor Gast was busy, then he could very well be thrown out again if he made too much of a disturbance, so he moved as silently as possible. He had forgotten his clip-board after he reviewed the Data CD, and he was determined to retrieve it before Gast misplaced it himself. A smile cut across Asaki's face,"Heh, what a fine pair we are. The two absent-minded professors..." He noticed the board on a nearby terminal, grabbed it, and prepared to exit the lab when he spotted Gast...
It was not unusual to find the Professor like this: in a state of extreme concentration, some might even call it meditation, but something was different this time. His eyes shone with an intensity and inspiration that Asaki had never before seen in the man. Asaki simply stared at him for what seemed like hours, before cautiously speaking for the first time since he entered the lab, "Professor Gast?". Gast raised his hand, and held up one finger, indicating for Asaki to be silent. "I've got it. By God, I've got it..." he whispered. That said, he leapt to his feet and ran out of the lab...
Location: Shinra HQ: Midgar.
Time: 30 years before the events in FF7...
"Hmmm, not good enough", muttered the bespectacled scientist as he peered intently through the electron microscope. "Damn! It still isn't working!" he cursed, and tossed the petri dish aside with supreme disdain. "Genetically, the Cetra were nearly identical to us. This should be working..... but it isn't. Why, goddammit!?"
The middle-aged microbiologist slumped into a nearby chair and removed his glasses, then gingerly rubbed his eyes in order to clear his vision. After all, he had been working nearly continuously for the previous 2 days, and the long hours were beginning to catch up with him. Nontheless, this experiment was far too important to postpone simply because he was feeling fatigued, and he was determined to perservere, no matter what.
"A fusion of Cetra and Human DNA should not be this difficult", he muttered to himself. "After all, the two species did inter-breed for a while before the Cetra's extinction, so their genetic material is obviously compatible. Why, then, will this refuse to work for me?"
"Professor Gast!". The voice shook the man out of his self-induced trance, bringing him back to reality. He responded quickly, for he recognized the man who greeted him- Asaki, a lab attendant who regularly assisted him with his more sophisticated research. He clutched a small Data CD in his hand, and from the look on his face, Gast could tell it contained something important.
"Professor, the results from the carbon-dating are back, and I think you'll find them to be extremely interesting". Asaki's face showed his own excitement at the information held on the disc, and Gast shifted position to get a closer look at the monitor of a nearby computer as Asaki loaded the CD. Roughly 6 months ago, a team of archaeologists working in the far reaches of the Northern Continent made a spectacular discovery- a corpse, apparently that of an Ancient, a Cetra. The remains were discovered near the Gaea's Cliffs, an area where the Ancients were known to have lived, which only strengthened Gast's theory that they had indeed stumbled across a long-dead member of the race. The specimen had been dubbed "Jenova", and was in a remarkably well-preserved state. This had originally puzzled Gast, but he eventually conceded that the harsh temperatures of the region would have frozen the body and prevented any tissue or cell decay. To be sure, he wanted to know just how long the body had been buried, and so he ordered a carbon-dating of the rock-bed which surrounded it. And now, finally, the results were back...
"2,000 years? Is that accurate?" were the first words Asaki uttered after the data came onscreen. "Could it really have been in the ground that long and have remained in such good condition?".
"I believe so", Gast replied. "Think about it. 2,000 years ago: that was when the Cetra began to die out, and we have accepted that this corspe is indeed Cetra. 2,000 years ago is the latest possible time it could have died. They were still around at that time, and we know for a fact that it isn't human, so what else could it be? If only we had another sample of Ancient DNA to compare it with.....".
Gast scanned through the set of figures on the monitor one last time. The geological stratum that Jenova was discovered in was 2,000 years old: logic then dictates that Jenova died 2,000 years ago, and that she was indeed an Ancient, since genetic testing had proven that she was not human. Logic did nothing to assuage his doubts however: since he knew in his heart that something was terribly wrong. Every time he looked at the remains of Jenova, a horrible sense of foreboding and fear swept through him. Some might call it premonition, but not Gast: he was a man of science, and had no time for such silly superstitions. Still, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, the same nagging doubts would return to haunt him, again and again and again.
Asaki retrieved the disc and left, since he knew from past experience that Professor Gast was not fond of any interference whilst in the midst of an experiment. Gast returned to his microscope, observing a small collection of Jenova cells under the lens. Using the mortified cells from Jenova, he had been able to synthesise new, fully alive and active cellular material that was 100% identical to the original source cells. It was these cells he was attempting to fuse with human DNA. Folklore from areas which had previously been Ancient colonies dicates that the Cetra possessed tremendous powers, both magical and mental. Unlike humans, they did not need materia in order to use magic. They were an extremely intuitive race who were capable of such incredible feats as "planet-reading": communicating with the very planet itself. Imagine if a being could be created with such abilities, with the wisdom and knowledge of the Ancients. Imagine the possibilities. By merging human and Cetra cells in a procedure similar to conception, Gast hoped to create a new form of life- a Cetra/ human hybrid with all these skills, and possibly more.
Gast was anxious to complete the project, since he knew that the Shinra executives were closely following his progress. Heidegger and Scarlet in particular; the President had ordered them to take special interest in this experiment, saying that it would be pivotal in determining the outcome of the war raging in the far West, near Wutai. Since Heidegger and Scarlet were in charge of the bulk of Shinra's military operations, this was all the incentive they needed to keep a close eye on Gast. They never approached him directly, but Gast knew that they regularly squeezed information out of his assistants in order to determine just how well the experiment was going.
Gast knew exactly what President Shinra was hoping for. Originally, instead of creating a new lifeform, the President had hoped to infuse existing members of the Shinra's army with both Jenova's cells and large quantities of Mako radiation, granting them the abilities of the Cetra, and raising their combat potential to an unprecedented new level. A reactor was constructed in the Nibel Mountains for the dual purpose of shipping and processing Mako energy, but also as a holding ground for human test subjects that had been deemed worthy of being infused with Jenova cells. The result of the experiment was an elite strike force which was tentatively labelled "SOLDIER".
Soon enough though, problems began to emerge. The majority of test subjects were unable to survive the sheer energy infusion and began to slowly die, thus rendering the experiment useless.
Gast had then put forward a theory of his own- if they were unable to infuse humans with Cetra DNA, then why not create a new being from scratch with the DNA of both races? The idea was accepted, and Gast's experiment began soon after. But, no matter how hard he tried, it just wouldn't work....
Asaki knocked quietly, then stepped nervously inside the darkened lab. If Professor Gast was busy, then he could very well be thrown out again if he made too much of a disturbance, so he moved as silently as possible. He had forgotten his clip-board after he reviewed the Data CD, and he was determined to retrieve it before Gast misplaced it himself. A smile cut across Asaki's face,"Heh, what a fine pair we are. The two absent-minded professors..." He noticed the board on a nearby terminal, grabbed it, and prepared to exit the lab when he spotted Gast...
It was not unusual to find the Professor like this: in a state of extreme concentration, some might even call it meditation, but something was different this time. His eyes shone with an intensity and inspiration that Asaki had never before seen in the man. Asaki simply stared at him for what seemed like hours, before cautiously speaking for the first time since he entered the lab, "Professor Gast?". Gast raised his hand, and held up one finger, indicating for Asaki to be silent. "I've got it. By God, I've got it..." he whispered. That said, he leapt to his feet and ran out of the lab...
