II

II

21st September

Nibel Mountains

The darkening storm clouds loomed on the horizon like a wall of silver, casting an ominous shadow over the plains to the north. They had been well warned before take-off of the approaching tempest, but it was not in the nature of a Turk to remain idle when there was still a chance to complete the mission. The pilot she was designated, on the other hand, had needed some persuading, but he yielded eventually to her charm. Or his commander. Or her shotgun. It did not matter which.

Now, though, as the B1Α helicopter dipped and shuddered with each violent gust, Heidi wondered if she had made the wrong call.

West of their position, the crooked summit of Mount Nibel thrust towards the heavens like a colossal barbed spire. Several more peaks could be seen intermittently below, materialising for a few seconds at a time as the iconic mists of the ranges churned in the wind. Even in mild weather, this was a bleak landscape. Why the Company had opted to construct a Mako Reactor here was beyond her.

Well, other than the obvious

It had been more than forty years since Shinra, Inc. had initially ventured into the energy industry. For the first decade of its existence, the business was called by its original title, Shinra Manufacturing Works. However, developing a way to utilise its effects as a power source, they were quick to monopolise Mako. The innovation saw them become the dominant provider of cheap and unlimited energy, thus Shinra Electric Power Company was established.

Their method of extracting Mako from the rivers that ran beneath the Planet's surface was through the use of complex Reactor systems. The prototype was built at the height of Mount Nibel in [µ]-εγλ 1968; it was Shinra's finest achievement. For almost half a century, it had been operated and protected by legions of dedicated employees.

But, something's gone wrong

According to Tseng, the site workers had been reported missing by concerned locals. The Turks' immediate assignment was to determine the cause, and the primary contender so far was the recent increase in monsters. Nevertheless, an installation as old as this was likely to have fallen into disrepair, and she would have to rule out a structural accident before filing her conclusions.

The aircraft suddenly rattled again, sending Heidi's stomach lurching as they lost a dozen feet in altitude. She glanced at the pilot, sweat heavy on his brow, and allowed herself a smirk.

"I see the Reactor." She pointed to the bulbous chimney nestled within the mountain's crown of twisted grey rock. "Set me down as close as you can."

"Negative," the soldier replied, his voice crackling through her headset. "It wouldn't be safe to land in these conditions. We should turn back, ma'am."

Heidi rolled her eyes. Typical

"We ain't abortin' the mission 'til we've made at least one pass over the facility," she told him, her tone firm. "Take me in."

Veering several degrees to the south, the chopper swooped up and around Mount Nibel. It was a minute or so before their ascent brought them to the isolated shelf at its pinnacle, offering a substantial view of the archaic tower and smokestack of the main building, and the mass of piping that seemed to branch off in various directions. Whatever Mako fumes may have been escaping the chimney were swept away instantly, evaporating into the atmosphere in a ghostly haze of pale green.

Heidi strained to assess the layout of the brick-and-steel erection through the gale, and visibility was gradually worsening. Reaching into the breast pocket of her black suit jacket, she withdrew her personal terminal device. As expected, there was no reception on the cell phone, so calling Tseng was out of the question.

Considering her options, the Turk removed her headset and unfastened her seatbelt, clambering from the chair and out of the cockpit.

"Wh…what are you doing?" the pilot shouted over the din of the helicopter's rotors.

Drawing her long, sandy-blonde hair into a ponytail and strapping her shotgun across her back, she gave him a playful wink. "Improvisin'."

At the rear of the hold hung a row of emergency parachutes. She grabbed the nearest one and slipped it over her arms, recalling what she knew of jumping from airborne craft. Since her youth, Heidi had pushed her limits and tested herself in exciting new endeavours. Much of that was hunting with her father or honing her sharpshooting skills, but it sometimes included more extreme activities like catching wild chocobos or skydiving.

Her old man had once even chartered a private Cessna to fly them over the family estate outside Mideel; seeing the forests and orchards and orange groves while freefalling had been a thrill she would never forget. Leaping from a B1Α into a desolate mountain range was hardly comparable, but it was necessary.

"Are you sure about this, ma'am?" the pilot yelled again, circling the summit.

"Just keep her steady," Heidi instructed, heaving open the side door. A wave of icy air crashed over her, unpleasantly sobering as she tried to calculate the most effective trajectory. The helicopter shook ferociously as they slowed to a stationary position, hovering several hundred feet above the Reactor. "We good?"

He peered over his shoulder apprehensively. "As good as we'll ever be."

"Alright," she acknowledged with a mock salute. "Here I go!"

Stepping forward, Heidi threw herself from the hatch, plunging into the swirling mists. As soon as she was clear of the rotary blades, she opened the parachute, and was at once seized by the storm.

The force of the jolt knocked the breath from her lungs, disorientating the Turk as she was dragged up and down, left and right by the currents. She could vaguely make out the crest of Mount Nibel, the chimney, the pipes, but they were quickly disappearing into the fog. Everything was a blur; the entire world was spinning; it was all she could to do to keep the canopy from being torn off her back.

Heidi's heart pounded in her chest, and she was overcome by the grim realisation that she might not survive the jump.

Then, as if nature had suddenly flicked a switch, the winds eased off, and she was momentarily able to regain her bearings. She had been blown quite a distance from the target, however, and had lost audio and visual contact with the B1Α. If there was no way to get back to the intended landing site, her best course was to aim for another of the treacherous peaks.

Pulling the toggle in her left hand, she felt herself swing sharply down towards the nearest ridge. It was a cluster of warped rock formations, resembling something between a conch shell and a Great Malboro. Slithering granite limbs protruded from every precipice, and Heidi had to battle against the rising gusts as she navigated their malicious entanglement.

With a hard bump, she touched down on a broad outcrop, hastily ripping off the parachute's straps before she was hauled back over the cliff. No sooner had she let go, the canopy shot skyward, vanishing seconds later into the turbulent yonder.

See ya!

Scrambling across the overhang, Heidi took shelter inside a small hollow, shielding herself from the squall. She rubbed her arms for warmth and buttoned her uniform jacket as high as it would go, yet still the biting chill of the ranges gripped her skin. As she gazed out over the gloomy vista, fleeting breaks in the clouds granted her glimpses of Mount Nibel. She estimated she was about a mile from its eastern flank, but getting there would be a challenge.

A challenge I willingly accept, Heidi motivated herself. Completing the mission without question is the duty of a Turk.

Waiting for a lull in the onslaught, she abandoned her sanctuary and set off down the ridge. The wind lashed at her legs as she jogged, tossing dust and gravel all around her. Even in the monsoon season that struck Mideel and Banora and the other towns of her country each year, she had never experienced a storm so fierce, so angry.

Descending the winding trails, Heidi was extra careful when she could be, conscious that one missed step meant her demise. Her footing was unstable where the path narrowed to little more than a ledge, and she clung to the crags as she shuffled along. Shrill cries sporadically pierced the air above, causing her to draw her shotgun once or twice, only to discover she had stumbled too close to a harrier nest. As territorial as the huge, indigo birds were, none dared take flight in these conditions.

After an hour or so, the gradient levelled and the track widened, eventually weaving its way back up between the largest of the rock projections. It brought her at last to a secluded spur, overlooking the gully that separated her from the pinnacle of Mount Nibel and its Mako Reactor. The roar of rushing water resonated from somewhere far below, but the surrounding mist was too thick to gauge how deep or how dangerous the ravine really was.

Yet, that was not Heidi's main problem.

Spanning the chasm was a single rope bridge, weather-beaten and dancing in the gale as if desperate to tear free of its tethers. The crossing would have proven daunting on a clear day, but it would be reckless at best to attempt to negotiate it in such a tempest. She growled in frustration, recognising her assignment would be delayed further. Checking her personal terminal again, she swore.

Where is the Godsdamn signal? HQ won't even know if I'm still alive. Can't I catch a break for once…?

It was then that Heidi heard the first of the screams.

18