Laguna slowed the vehicle to a stop and stood to look around. "Where
the hell is this place...?" he said to the sand and the rocks of the
mountains.
"In a valley," Seifer remarked.
"Do you SEE any other valleys?" Laguna yelled back him.
"I haven't been paying attention..."
"Shh..." Squall put his gloved hand in front of Laguna. He pointed off into the distance. "Looks like a patrol..."
Laguna squinted his eyes, "Ah ha..." Laguna jumped over the side of the jeep, "let's go."
"Walk, all the way over there?" Seifer complained.
"I doubt this place will be as easy to take as the sorceress tower. Not to mention, I have no idea how to get around in here."
"Stealth and slow it is, then." Seifer shrugged.
Laguna and Squall watched the patrols closely for an hour.
"Guys, I'm getting a cramp..." Seifer complained.
"Shhh!" they both admonished him.
"Geez..."
"Once we get my daughter out alive, you can shoot your place out of here," Squall whispered.
"Goody..."
"Now!" Laguna ducked in swiftly to the door in the side of the mountain.
The exterior of the complex betrayed the interior. Outside where there was nothing but sand and rocks as far as the eyes could see. On the inside, stainless steel seemed to be the main theme in the decorator's mind. Everything was pristine and clean. Not a spec of sand could be seen in the well-lighted corridors.
The party eased their way down the hallway, having not seen a soul.
"How the hell do we blend in?" Seifer wondered aloud.
Laguna ignored his comment and continued on looking about. "Lovely... looks like we will have to split up," he pointed down several hallways forked off. He headed down the center corridor while Squall and Seifer went down the other paths. The walls seemed to buzz with electricity, which raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
He really didn't like this place. The longer he walked inward, the more he wanted to run out of there. There was more than just "science" going on here. He hugged the wall and continued on cautiously, his machine gun at the ready in a moment's notice.
He stopped at a door. He tried to listen for anything, but didn't hear anything but the buzz of electricity. He sighed, and opened the door.
He stood shocked. His eyes met with a girl with long dark hair and brown eyes. Beautiful brown eyes, brown eyes he thought he'd never look into again. He whispered, "Raine..."
She looked back at him with blank eyes, "Can I help you sir?"
It couldn't be her; she was dead. Not only dead, but if she were still alive, she'd be 23 years older. But he remained astonished.
"Science is a wonderful thing, isn't it, President Loire." Laguna spun around on his heel and came face to face with a man in his early forties with prematurely gray hair that actually looked silver. His face was lined with age and sleeplessness. His eyes were a sharp cold menacing blue. His thin fingers removed his wire-framed glasses and placed them in the pocket of his white lab coat. "Unfortunately, you are not welcomed here." The man motioned his hand and before Laguna had a chance to react a splitting pain came from the base of his skull knocking him out cold.
* * *
Laguna's eyes opened but immediately shielded them from the bright overhead lights. "Shit," it hurt to squint even. It took him a minute to get his wits about him. He shielded his eyes with his arm to try to scan the room again.
He saw a woman looking over him, "Are you okay?"
Her voice! His eyes widened, he sat up straight and the pain caught him off guard. He fell off the side of the table he was laying on straight on the floor. "At least I didn't hit my head..." he thought.
"Sir!" the girl called.
"What do you want?" Laguna groaned scooted up against the wall, figuring if he needed to make a stand, he could at least use the wall for support.
"Sir, take it easy, you got a bad bump on your head," she gently moved his arm from his head and tried to coax him up again.
"Who are you?" Laguna asked.
"Why do you ask?" the girl tilted her head. Just like she used to do. One of the many ways she made his heart melt.
"You... remind me.. of someone..."
"Raine," she responded simply, "now, get back on the table."
"That's impossible!" he barked, his eyes betraying his physical and emotional pain.
"How so?" she asked. She squatted down in front of him.
"You look exactly like her," he reached out with his hand to touch her face, she quickly jerked back.
"I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea who you are talking about. I've been here all my life. Now please," she stood, "get back on the table. I want to help you."
"Why?" he asked, really buying time as he was having a hard time trying to stand up.
"Because, I was instructed to. And besides, you are hurt."
"But you people hurt me," he argued.
She sighed, "Would you please let me help you?"
Laguna's headache was throbbing beyond belief. He thought even if she killed me that would be an advantage over this. He finally resigned and climbed back on the table. He figured he must've looked like a total idiot. But then why did he care? His grandchild was still kidnapped. This girl looks so much like the love of his life, but she wasn't she couldn't have been. He had no idea where his son was or rather if he was in trouble. His heart couldn't help but throb when the girl came near him. He commanded it to stop, but its rebellious nature complimented his.
"You've said you've been here al your life, how long has this place been here?" Laguna asked and then winced when she dabbed at the back of his head.
"About 2 and a half, three years," she answered.
Laguna frowned, "What?"
"Oh," she smirked, "I am a genetically engineered person. I'm based on a living person who died several years ago. They used some of her DNA to make me. In those 3 years I have basically been implanted with knowledge and what not as if I were 25 years old.
"A clone?" Laguna shook his head, "how was the DNA retrieved?"
"I don't know. I'm not exactly privy to such information. I do my job as Mr. Naxon lays out for me," she shrugs and that's it.
Laguna's mind raced. She was a clone of Raine. The only DNA they could've gotten was if they retrieved her body from where it was buried. But the grave looked untouched when he saw it earlier. But then they had that transportation device. He watched her closely. She moved like Raine, she talked like Raine; her business like matter was like Raine. She was Raine, except for she wasn't. She was made to be a distraction to him. They knew that they would've taken my granddaughter.
"Does your job involve kidnapping?"
"Kidnapping?"
"Yes stealing children from where they belong. When they are at the tender age to suckle at their mother's breast? Is that what working for Mr. Naxon means?"
She looked startled, "If it is for the greater good..."
"Who is Mr. Naxon to determine the greater good?" Laguna glared at her. This was not Raine. Raine stood up for what was right.
"He's a very intelligent man..." She started.
"I'm sure he's reminded you of that several times." Laguna scoffed. "You're not a clone, you are a drone. A drone to serve his meglomaniacal purposes."
"I... no..." Raine frowned.
"Is beating me over the head for the greater good?"
"You were in his way..."
"That's life, doll. People get in each other's way; people disagree because everybody thinks they are doing what is better for the greater good. No one man has it all down pat, especially one that kidnaps babies," he scolded her.
Raine stared at him hard. Laguna began to feel like an idiot. She didn't know better, he was taking his anger out on her. Her eyes started filling with water.
"No, Raine..." his expression softened.
"You're wrong!" She threw down the bandages. She shook her head. "I was supposed to help you and all you do is insult everything I believe in. I can't do that. I don't have to listen to this."
"Does the truth hurt that much?" Laguna winced, why did he move his head so much?
"Truth?" Raine cocked her head to the side. Her expression changed as she walked up to him, "I know that the person I was cloned from was someone you loved dearly." She placed her hand on Laguna's thigh.
"She was my wife..." Laguna said huskily. His eyes darted down at her hand. "What are you..."?
"I know what kind of truth men want," she grinned lustfully. Her hand slid up his thigh and her face closed in on his.
"What are you doing??" he grabbed both of her wrists and forced her back.
"I thought that is what men wanted, I don't mind really," she looked at his eyes.
"What have they done to you here?" He scowled back at her.
"Is that not true?" Her face restored back to innocence.
"No, not a real man," he said. "Do you know what love is?"
"It's not necessary," she shrugged.
"It's necessary! Love is the reason for living! Our love for our neighbors, our love for our children, our love for our mates, it's the act of giving of one self and receiving love in return. My grandchild is somewhere within this complex, undergoing who knows what, and I'm trapped here with one messed up clone," he ranted.
Her eyes were horrified. Laguna realized he still held her wrists, and then dropped them. "I ... I'm sorry, please I didn't mean to hurt you. My granddaughter is lost; I have to find her again. She's my chance to make it right. I was a horrible father... I've got to bring her back, not just cause she's my chance, but she needs her mother, her mother needs her... I'm rambling..." Another shock of pain radiated from the back of his head. He grabbed his head tightly.
Raine saw that and picked up fresh bandages from the side of the counter. She silently moved his hand and applied ointment to his wound. She used a glue like substance to close the wounded and put a small cloth pad over. She wrapped his head a couple of times with the wrap and fastened it closed. She went back to the counter and came back with a small white pill. "Here, take this," she said solemnly, "It will help with the pain."
"No," Laguna refused. He stood back up and balanced himself on the table, "where's my gun."
"I don't know," she answered.
"Are you forcing me to stay here," he glanced back up at her.
"No," she shook her head.
"Then I'm leaving," He said quietly.
"I have to tell my boss..."
"Then tell your boss."
"In a valley," Seifer remarked.
"Do you SEE any other valleys?" Laguna yelled back him.
"I haven't been paying attention..."
"Shh..." Squall put his gloved hand in front of Laguna. He pointed off into the distance. "Looks like a patrol..."
Laguna squinted his eyes, "Ah ha..." Laguna jumped over the side of the jeep, "let's go."
"Walk, all the way over there?" Seifer complained.
"I doubt this place will be as easy to take as the sorceress tower. Not to mention, I have no idea how to get around in here."
"Stealth and slow it is, then." Seifer shrugged.
Laguna and Squall watched the patrols closely for an hour.
"Guys, I'm getting a cramp..." Seifer complained.
"Shhh!" they both admonished him.
"Geez..."
"Once we get my daughter out alive, you can shoot your place out of here," Squall whispered.
"Goody..."
"Now!" Laguna ducked in swiftly to the door in the side of the mountain.
The exterior of the complex betrayed the interior. Outside where there was nothing but sand and rocks as far as the eyes could see. On the inside, stainless steel seemed to be the main theme in the decorator's mind. Everything was pristine and clean. Not a spec of sand could be seen in the well-lighted corridors.
The party eased their way down the hallway, having not seen a soul.
"How the hell do we blend in?" Seifer wondered aloud.
Laguna ignored his comment and continued on looking about. "Lovely... looks like we will have to split up," he pointed down several hallways forked off. He headed down the center corridor while Squall and Seifer went down the other paths. The walls seemed to buzz with electricity, which raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
He really didn't like this place. The longer he walked inward, the more he wanted to run out of there. There was more than just "science" going on here. He hugged the wall and continued on cautiously, his machine gun at the ready in a moment's notice.
He stopped at a door. He tried to listen for anything, but didn't hear anything but the buzz of electricity. He sighed, and opened the door.
He stood shocked. His eyes met with a girl with long dark hair and brown eyes. Beautiful brown eyes, brown eyes he thought he'd never look into again. He whispered, "Raine..."
She looked back at him with blank eyes, "Can I help you sir?"
It couldn't be her; she was dead. Not only dead, but if she were still alive, she'd be 23 years older. But he remained astonished.
"Science is a wonderful thing, isn't it, President Loire." Laguna spun around on his heel and came face to face with a man in his early forties with prematurely gray hair that actually looked silver. His face was lined with age and sleeplessness. His eyes were a sharp cold menacing blue. His thin fingers removed his wire-framed glasses and placed them in the pocket of his white lab coat. "Unfortunately, you are not welcomed here." The man motioned his hand and before Laguna had a chance to react a splitting pain came from the base of his skull knocking him out cold.
* * *
Laguna's eyes opened but immediately shielded them from the bright overhead lights. "Shit," it hurt to squint even. It took him a minute to get his wits about him. He shielded his eyes with his arm to try to scan the room again.
He saw a woman looking over him, "Are you okay?"
Her voice! His eyes widened, he sat up straight and the pain caught him off guard. He fell off the side of the table he was laying on straight on the floor. "At least I didn't hit my head..." he thought.
"Sir!" the girl called.
"What do you want?" Laguna groaned scooted up against the wall, figuring if he needed to make a stand, he could at least use the wall for support.
"Sir, take it easy, you got a bad bump on your head," she gently moved his arm from his head and tried to coax him up again.
"Who are you?" Laguna asked.
"Why do you ask?" the girl tilted her head. Just like she used to do. One of the many ways she made his heart melt.
"You... remind me.. of someone..."
"Raine," she responded simply, "now, get back on the table."
"That's impossible!" he barked, his eyes betraying his physical and emotional pain.
"How so?" she asked. She squatted down in front of him.
"You look exactly like her," he reached out with his hand to touch her face, she quickly jerked back.
"I'm sorry sir, but I have no idea who you are talking about. I've been here all my life. Now please," she stood, "get back on the table. I want to help you."
"Why?" he asked, really buying time as he was having a hard time trying to stand up.
"Because, I was instructed to. And besides, you are hurt."
"But you people hurt me," he argued.
She sighed, "Would you please let me help you?"
Laguna's headache was throbbing beyond belief. He thought even if she killed me that would be an advantage over this. He finally resigned and climbed back on the table. He figured he must've looked like a total idiot. But then why did he care? His grandchild was still kidnapped. This girl looks so much like the love of his life, but she wasn't she couldn't have been. He had no idea where his son was or rather if he was in trouble. His heart couldn't help but throb when the girl came near him. He commanded it to stop, but its rebellious nature complimented his.
"You've said you've been here al your life, how long has this place been here?" Laguna asked and then winced when she dabbed at the back of his head.
"About 2 and a half, three years," she answered.
Laguna frowned, "What?"
"Oh," she smirked, "I am a genetically engineered person. I'm based on a living person who died several years ago. They used some of her DNA to make me. In those 3 years I have basically been implanted with knowledge and what not as if I were 25 years old.
"A clone?" Laguna shook his head, "how was the DNA retrieved?"
"I don't know. I'm not exactly privy to such information. I do my job as Mr. Naxon lays out for me," she shrugs and that's it.
Laguna's mind raced. She was a clone of Raine. The only DNA they could've gotten was if they retrieved her body from where it was buried. But the grave looked untouched when he saw it earlier. But then they had that transportation device. He watched her closely. She moved like Raine, she talked like Raine; her business like matter was like Raine. She was Raine, except for she wasn't. She was made to be a distraction to him. They knew that they would've taken my granddaughter.
"Does your job involve kidnapping?"
"Kidnapping?"
"Yes stealing children from where they belong. When they are at the tender age to suckle at their mother's breast? Is that what working for Mr. Naxon means?"
She looked startled, "If it is for the greater good..."
"Who is Mr. Naxon to determine the greater good?" Laguna glared at her. This was not Raine. Raine stood up for what was right.
"He's a very intelligent man..." She started.
"I'm sure he's reminded you of that several times." Laguna scoffed. "You're not a clone, you are a drone. A drone to serve his meglomaniacal purposes."
"I... no..." Raine frowned.
"Is beating me over the head for the greater good?"
"You were in his way..."
"That's life, doll. People get in each other's way; people disagree because everybody thinks they are doing what is better for the greater good. No one man has it all down pat, especially one that kidnaps babies," he scolded her.
Raine stared at him hard. Laguna began to feel like an idiot. She didn't know better, he was taking his anger out on her. Her eyes started filling with water.
"No, Raine..." his expression softened.
"You're wrong!" She threw down the bandages. She shook her head. "I was supposed to help you and all you do is insult everything I believe in. I can't do that. I don't have to listen to this."
"Does the truth hurt that much?" Laguna winced, why did he move his head so much?
"Truth?" Raine cocked her head to the side. Her expression changed as she walked up to him, "I know that the person I was cloned from was someone you loved dearly." She placed her hand on Laguna's thigh.
"She was my wife..." Laguna said huskily. His eyes darted down at her hand. "What are you..."?
"I know what kind of truth men want," she grinned lustfully. Her hand slid up his thigh and her face closed in on his.
"What are you doing??" he grabbed both of her wrists and forced her back.
"I thought that is what men wanted, I don't mind really," she looked at his eyes.
"What have they done to you here?" He scowled back at her.
"Is that not true?" Her face restored back to innocence.
"No, not a real man," he said. "Do you know what love is?"
"It's not necessary," she shrugged.
"It's necessary! Love is the reason for living! Our love for our neighbors, our love for our children, our love for our mates, it's the act of giving of one self and receiving love in return. My grandchild is somewhere within this complex, undergoing who knows what, and I'm trapped here with one messed up clone," he ranted.
Her eyes were horrified. Laguna realized he still held her wrists, and then dropped them. "I ... I'm sorry, please I didn't mean to hurt you. My granddaughter is lost; I have to find her again. She's my chance to make it right. I was a horrible father... I've got to bring her back, not just cause she's my chance, but she needs her mother, her mother needs her... I'm rambling..." Another shock of pain radiated from the back of his head. He grabbed his head tightly.
Raine saw that and picked up fresh bandages from the side of the counter. She silently moved his hand and applied ointment to his wound. She used a glue like substance to close the wounded and put a small cloth pad over. She wrapped his head a couple of times with the wrap and fastened it closed. She went back to the counter and came back with a small white pill. "Here, take this," she said solemnly, "It will help with the pain."
"No," Laguna refused. He stood back up and balanced himself on the table, "where's my gun."
"I don't know," she answered.
"Are you forcing me to stay here," he glanced back up at her.
"No," she shook her head.
"Then I'm leaving," He said quietly.
"I have to tell my boss..."
"Then tell your boss."