I lumbered up the white stairs, my head tilting about in lethargic circles. I blinked several times in an attempt to focus, and my gaze fell on the giant leafy potted plant which was probably quite old for a house plant. Who takes care of that plant anyways? My eyes flickered to its doppelgänger on the floor. And who makes the floors so shiny? I live here and I've never seen anyone doing these thing. I stopped and stared at the reflective white marble which was full of a new, profound mystery. Maybe janitors only come out in the early morning to clean. Or do the little Shinra robots that electrocute your ankles also work as tiny vacuums? I wonder…
"How was the mission, Zack?" I lifted my head; in front of me stood a man with a purple SOLDIER uniform. Or was it violet? I comes off sort of reddish, kinda like a grape…. "...Are you OK?" Kunsel asked, his friendly smile dropping from his face.
"Tired," I replied without much thought. Kunsel deserved my complete attention, seeing as we don't see each other much anymore, but unfortunately my bed had the priority.
"I'd love to let you go to bed, but the science department wanted you? I was going to text you, but I managed to run into you luckily enough." The science department. I knew what that meant. The science department didn't want me. They never want me. In fact, they want me to run far away from there. Hojo wanted me. And that's why the science department wants me to run. Because Hojo. I sighed. "Never catch a break, huh?" Kunsel laughed. I couldn't help but smile. "I'll give you a hand as soon as I get promoted, but until then, just weather it out." With an encouraging pat on the back I shuffled over to the elevator. What could that man possibly want?
"I want you to drink this," Hojo ordered indifferently, hardly looking at me. From their desks at the edges of the room I saw scientists turning their heads and exchanging darting glances with me and each other; some had eyes wide open, others were pale, all were grimacing and trying to look busy. I took the grape-purple concoction from the professor's hand and examined it carefully, curiosity quieting the voice calling for sleep in my head.
"What does it do?" I asked whisking the fluid side-to-side.
"Honestly I thought you wouldn't have the mind to ask," Hojo huffed. "Within that flask– stop tilting it, you'll spill it!" I jumped, holding the flask to my chest protectively. He stared at me with narrowed eyes before continuing. ""Within that flask is the power to morph into other creatures.
"Morph?" I echoed. "Like turn into?"
"What other morphing is there?" he hissed. "Now stop interrupting or I won't bother to explain, seeing as you don't want to hear it!" A moment of silence passed. "Better. Now, seeing as creating monsters of animals does no good, why not turn people into monsters? They already understand commands, comprehending language, and with being more capable of complex ideas, and hardly more, than a creature, they can probably– and I stress probably–… perform better."
"You can't just turn people into monsters!" I barked, quickly flinching from the sharp resonation of my echo in the open room. A million blurred, haphazardly pieced memories poured into my head and I reached exhaustively for the right words. "... What about their families? They can never return like that." My mother... And neither... can the son… I had half a mind to pour the bubbling contents onto the floor.
The professor snorted and shook his head, his eyes swiveling away and then returning on me from over his glasses. "What's the difference between what I'm doing here and what has already been done to you?" he returned casually. Pacing with easy deliberate steps, the man continued, his lips curling uncertainly and then without restrain. "You, eh hehehe, people, SOLDIERS, have been infused with mako energy. What's the difference between that and a little more power? Who wouldn't want to be made stronger, faster– more efficient, generally? Those foot soldiers could be made more deadly with just a drink, just a sip, and it would be all thanks to me. I work to make the ultimate soldier– no one ever said they had to be human. In fact, who's to say human is the best way to be? Why be simply human when one can be…." He paused, his heels clicking together amongst the silence. "... Superior, eh? Heeheeheehee, yes. Superior." He continued with his ramblings, but I didn't dare listen; my stomach moved uncomfortably. Then what should an angel fight for Zack? What do angels dream of?! Angels dream of one thing... To be human. I opened my mouth, but something in my throat made me choke. Finally taking notice, Hojo's face distorted in disgust and he turned away, the white coat flaring behind him. "Oh stop, I have a cure regardless. This form will not be permanent." He glanced back at me from over his glasses. "For now, at least." Approaching his desk, Hojo lifted a clipboard and gestured at the glass testing chamber to the side of the room that had "SAMPLE" written on it. "Now step in there and drink my creation. If you don't," he added with a smile, "I could very well get someone else to. An infantryman maybe?" I glared down at the flask and then up at him; his body shook and twisted with laughter. My stomach threatened to crawl up my throat, my head buzzed the dull siren to sleep, but I knew whatever could happen to me may very well kill someone else. A little bit of sleep can wait.
I marched toward the oversized test tube bitterly and turned on my heel once inside. The door had already clicked shut. "Go ahead," Hojo managed before another fit of laughter struck him. I released a tense breathe before gulping it down. I winced as the metallic, carbonated brew fizzled down my throat. Shaking my head, I flicked my tongue in my mouth; the taste was of warm plastic and thick metallic carbonated sludge. I felt my stomach ready for a revolt and swallowed to try and fight it. Gross as it was, I tried to focus on the warm metallic flavor rather than what was to possibly follow. "How do you feel, SOLDIER first class?" Hojo giggled. I waited. My heart felt like it was racking my ribs and shoulders. I needed to leave but I didn't dare move, ready for when something happened. Anything.
…
Anything.
I looked up at Hojo. He was watching expectantly. I shrugged. "Guess it does nothing then."
"WHAT?!" Hojo squawked. "Nothing? It can't do nothing!" Rubbing his chin, Hojo paced back and forth, his figure distorted and green from inside the glass. "... It must be because you're a SOLDIER… Yes, that's it! Genius," Hojo smiled. "I'll try another test, something… stronger." Going back to the desk, he started writing, his back to me.
I waited for a moment before tapping on the glass. "Can I go? Please?" The professor looked back at me, his eyes invisible behind his shining glasses. He seemed indecisive and my heart started sinking. He couldn't keep me here, could he?
"I suppose I wouldn't want to keep you here; you'd keep asking questions and stopping my genius! Maybe it'd due to give you a share of it, though I'm almost certain it would be a waste of my time and effort. Teaching pests…" he continued to grumble as he shuffled over to the control panel, and with a push of a button the test tube opened. "I expect you to return soon enough…? Yes, you will." Hojo showed all of his teeth as his hysterical laughter filled the tense room. I stepped down the walkway and talked to some of the scientists, half expecting a gift of pity or thanks, like a Hi-potion or Elixir, but they were still too busy; I reassured an uneasy few that I was fine and decided to head to my room.
Memory of the frigid mission before, along with the affair that grew only further behind me with every step, pulled at my arms and dragged my feet. By time I crossed the hallway to the elevator my pace was that of a highly motivated snail. I knew I wasn't going very far, but hopefully I could get into my bed without my shoes on.
When the elevator stopped my body jolted forward and my knees buckled. "Man, I'm more tired than I thought…" I gazed up and down the hall, my eyes drooping and head lowered. "Where was I go…?" Right, my room. I tried to straighten up and pick up pace, but it came off as an awkward, long-strided shuffle. Keeping my eyes open was a challenge. Turning a door knob would be more so, I realized. "Ugh…." Where was I? Was I even on the right floor?
"Hey, you alright Zack, sir?" came the cheerful peep of a stranger. "What are you doing on the infantryman floor?" I tried to look at the person, but my eyes crossed instead. I quickly gave up and closed them, seeing as they were clocked out for the day.
"Hey, could you do me a favor?" I murmured blindly, straining to keep my voice up.
"Umm…. Sure, sir…?"
"Get me to the SOLDIER floor. There's a door. With 'Zack Fair' on it." I couldn't keep it up anymore. I could barely stand. I leaned over myself, resting my hands on my knees. Laughter started bubbling up, the laughter of a desperate man. I smiled. "I….. I need it, pleas-hee-hee-hese." My body shook lightly with giggles; I heard the soldier start giggling too. I think he understood, being so tired it was funny. I could have cried, but I was too tired. Crying requires caring, and I was too exhausted to care.
"Of course, sir, just, hahaha, just take my hand and I'm sure we can get you to… a room." I couldn't have been more happy with an answer. Taking his arm, we returned to the elevator. I saw my hand, my vision swirling, and the once the elevator stopped I collapsed, half on the floor and half against the infantryman. I'd have to apologize to the poor guy later, and get his name too, because I couldn't speak right now… I could hardly see anything.
White slowly inched past along with blurred red and purple shapes, my legs and face felt warm and numb….
"... Man you seem tired. What type of jobs... you into? When…. Now I'm not so sure…"
… The infantryman's gloves were leather and brown… Just like…. Did he know….? I may have asked, but… I couldn't…
… Where…? … The door… dark…
"...you…?"
… It was really hard to breathe… really...
"Sir?"
… Everything…. feels….. numb...
Cloud?
