Chapter 9
To Question Why
(Squall)
Before Squall and Rinoa had left Garden, Xu had found—on an old map—an access road that once traced along the outer rim of the Great Salt Lake, providing a link across the mountain range, connecting Esthar to the East and the Horizon Bridge and Fisherman's Horizon in the West.
That road, left untended for nearly two decades, was a ghost of itself. Time and the elements eroded it away until it was no more than a gap between the trees and steep mountain cliffs. Nature's reclamation of the man-made path was so complete, that they drove past it three times before Rinoa noticed the faint shadows of tire ruts worn into the salty earth.
Squall put the civilian car into four-wheel drive and turned down the trail. A recent rainstorm had turned the road into gray mud that sucked at the car's tires, threatening to glue it to the ground. Squall kept the car in its lowest gear, fighting through muck and over rocks and fallen trees. He'd chosen a more durable all-terrain vehicle for the journey—instead of a faster or more comfortable one—and he was now glad of his decision. Still, even with the car's capabilities, progress was slow and tedious.
(Better than walking, but not by much.)
The high salt concentration in the soil denied life to all but the hardiest scraps of grass and weeds. Desiccated skeletons of trees, poisoned by Esthar's experiments in the region, scratched their branches along windows and roof of the car. Through the trees to the north, Squall could see the white rim of the Great Salt Lake, like a crater in the distance. Towering in the south were the Esthar mountains, blue and gray and jagged.
The road went from muddy to rocky as they headed further east. With every minute, the sharp crags of the mountains edged closer to the lake, narrowing the gap between the rocks and the dry lakebed. Salt from the lake, tossed around by the breeze, sprinkled across the road and up the mountainside, giving the landscape a perpetually snowy ambience, even in summer.
After nearly an hour of driving, the road abruptly ended. The mountain cliffs cut immediately north, blocking the way forward and forming an impassable wall of rock. That wall extended north to the lake, as far in the distance as Squall could see. He stopped, parked the car, and turned the key to shut the engine off.
"I think we're here," he said. Rinoa, who'd been half-dozing, straightened up and blinked.
"Huh?" she muttered, looking around.
The wall ahead appeared normal, and a casual glance would notice nothing amiss. But while the rest of the cliffs in the area followed natural curves and slants—sculpted by eons of water and wind—this section cut across the road at an almost perfect ninety-degree angle. Furthermore, the omnipresent salt, which worked its way into every crevice and dent in the mountains to the south, flittered across the surface of this barrier without ever landing.
(Nothing in nature is this perfect.)
Squall stepped out of the car. He was glad to be wearing his civilian clothes again. The fur that lined his jacket helped shield his neck from the steady, cool breeze coming from the lake. Rinoa stepped out of the passenger side and looked over the top of the car at him.
"Are we just gonna leave the car?" she asked.
"I guess so," Squall said. "We're not staying long, and it's not like it's likely to get stolen out here."
Squall approached the strange cliff face and pressed his gloved hand against it. Instead of being rocky and coarse, it was smooth like a window, and cold. This confirmed it: the cliff was merely a projection, formed by the millions of holographic panels that completely surrounded the city of Esthar. The panels had been programmed to project natural scenery to the outside world, making it seem as if the city beyond had vanished completely.
(This is it.)
"Now we just gotta find a way in," Squall said. He blinked away the salt in his eyes and looked around.
From his previous trip to Esthar, he knew that there was at least one service tunnel leading through the holographic panels and into the city. But it was far to the north, near the middle of the Great Salt Lake, and quite a hike from where the two currently stood. It would be easier if they could find an access route that was nearby.
Squall rapped his knuckles on the panel, hoping that the image would glitch and reveal what was hiding behind it. The picture turned to static around his knuckle for a moment, but did not turn transparent.
(I wonder what it costs Esthar to maintain these panels…)
"Is there a way in?" Rinoa asked.
Before he could answer, Squall heard a mechanical whirring noise from behind the panel, like many gears working together at once. The panels next to Squall and Rinoa turned off their scenery projection and turned flat gray. The effect was disorienting, as if a chunk of the cliff had simply ceased to exist.
(I guess they know we're here.)
A moment later, the grayed-out panels separated from their mates and pulled backwards before sliding behind the holographic wall and out of sight. With the panels no longer blocking the road, Squall and Rinoa could see a long steel tunnel leading onward, just wide and tall enough to accommodate their car. Squall stared, seeing mostly black emptiness, save for a tiny blue light an indeterminable distance away.
"Back to the car," he said, and the two reentered the vehicle. Squall fired it up and drove into the tunnel, the tires rumbling along the metal grating. Once the car was inside, the holographic panels slid back to their original positions, locking the two inside. When the tunnel was sealed, overhead lights in the tunnel flickered to life, illuminating their path.
The tunnel was hexagon-shaped, like much of the architecture in Esthar. The walls were flat and featureless, except for an occasional series of pipes and cables running in the edges of the tunnel. The engine of their car produced a loud, monotonous hum that echoed in the shaft, drowning out Squall's thoughts.
Soon, the tunnel ended at a blue hexagonal platform, illuminated on each of its six corners by glowing lights. The tunnel was surrounded by darkness. Squall stopped the car in the middle of the platform and waited. Robotic arms emerged and gripped the edges of the platform, the arms working in unison to pull the platform away from the tunnel and lift it straight up through the darkness.
Everything was pitch black for several seconds, until suddenly the platform broke out of the shaft, revealing the sprawling blue net of Esthar's floating highways. The roads connected countless buildings that stretched to the horizon like an ocean made of glass. In the distance, looming over the rest of the city, was the Presidential Palace—the massive golden heart of Esthar.
Esthar was a city without gardens or natural beauty. Everything within its limits was maintained, operated, and built by humans and machines. It was a stark, efficient, practical city. Nothing wasted, nothing built that didn't serve the purpose of increasing Esthar's strength and functionality.
The mechanical arms that held the platform pushed and pulled the blue hexagon to one of the nearby blue-glass highways that arced above the buildings. The platform docked with another, larger platform, and the arms freed themselves and retracted into the outer walls of the city, disappearing from sight.
On the larger platform was a small security checkpoint, with a steel gate barring access to the adjacent highway. A shiny outpost building sheltered two Esthar soldiers in their drab gray uniforms and full identity-concealing facemasks. One of these guards approached the driver's side window of Squall's car. Squall rolled down the window and looked up at the soldier.
"You've been given permission to enter by the President," the soldier said, his voice muffled by his mask. "But your car has to stay here."
"Why's that?" Rinoa asked, leaning across the middle armrest of the car.
"Rubber tires damage the roads," the soldier said. "Only hovercars are allowed beyond this point. You can leave your car in the assigned parking over there."
The guard pointed to a few empty parking spaces near the edge of the platform.
Squall nodded. "Understood."
He drove the car to the marked parking spaces. There were only two: a pair of yellow rectangles outlined on the blue platform. Esthar preferred its privacy, almost never admitting outsiders, so there was simply no need for more elaborate guest accommodations. Squall was surprised that this guard post existed at all.
(I wonder why they bother maintaining this station.)
He rolled to a stop in one of the yellow rectangles and shut off the engine.
While he would have loved another chance to explore the city and learn more about it and how it worked, the pressing concerns of Garden and Timber—and the mystery of the sorceress from time compression—weighed heavily on his mind. Every second wasted was another chance for something to go wrong back home. He, with Rinoa right behind, marched up to one of the Esthar guards.
"What's the fastest way to the Presidential Palace?" he asked.
"Take the pipes across the road," the soldier said, pointing vaguely behind him. "At the second stop, switch over to the Presidential Line."
"Thanks," Squall said. Rinoa smiled and waved at the guards as she followed him.
In addition to the staggeringly complicated network of skyways that reached almost every point in Esthar, there was an equally impressive maze of glass tubes. Circular transport platforms shuttled pedestrians through the tubes quickly, ensuring that no one in Esthar ever had to walk far to get anywhere.
Squall and Rinoa crossed the skyway to the tube on the other side. There was a gap in the red glass of the tube, which formed a hub between multiple other tubes and allowed them inside. There, sitting in the middle of the gap, was a circular platform with wide, round seat in the middle. The two sat down on the cushion.
Detecting the weight of passengers, the transport hovered above the ground, emitting a high-pitched sound and a soft glow. A series of lights shimmered at Squall and Rinoa's feet, illuminating a panel that asked which direction they wished to travel. Squall pressed one boot on the button that pointed the direction the guard had indicated. The transport emitted a confirmation chime, then sped off towards the Presidential Palace in the center of Esthar.
Rinoa sat with her hands in her lap and her eyes going in all directions. She occasionally bumped into Squall as she twisted and turned, gawking at all the sights of the city. Squall, too, couldn't help but let his eyes drift back and forth across the majestic city skyline. The order and purpose of the buildings gave him a sense of peace. A feeling that everything was under control—as least as long as it was in Esthar.
"This is so cool," Rinoa said breathlessly.
"Hm?" Squall said. He looked at her. "Oh, I forgot. This is only your second time here, right? Second time being awake, anyway."
"Yeah. First time doesn't count," Rinoa said. "I was sleeping."
Rinoa continued to shuffle around, looking at anything and everything. Through the red glass of the tube, the city had a wavy, distorted look, adding to the alien quality of the unique nation. On distant skyways, hovercars zipped along at speeds only seen on racetracks elsewhere in the world. Giant glass buildings, simultaneously delicate and intimidating, towered over each other, competing for pieces of the sky. People in the traditional white robes of Esthar milled about in city squares and along the hundreds of walkways around the city.
(I like it here.)
Esthar was the pinnacle of human achievement. Through a combination of science and magic, the people of the nation had gained dominion over the forces of the planet, taking the elemental power of nature and bending it to their will. They were a nation of thinkers, dreamers, loners, and—now in the absence of the Sorceress Adel—a peaceful people, wishing to be left out of the political turmoil of other nations. In another life, Squall would have been happy to count himself among the city's denizens.
(But I'm a SeeD, and my duties lie elsewhere.)
The transport stopped and hovered above a hole in the tube. Beneath the hole was another skyway, with several more tubes running to and from it in all directions, like spokes on a wheel. A feminine computer voice asked if they wanted to depart. Squall found and pushed a red button with his foot to decline the offer, and the platform continued on to the next stop.
(Second stop, then switch to the Presidential Line.)
After a moment, Squall noticed that Rinoa had become still. No longer gawking at the scenery, she'd become quiet and thoughtful, staring down at her hands in her lap.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I can't tell what I'm more nervous about," Rinoa said. "Talking to Ellone and Odine, or worrying about Timber and what's going on back home."
(I'm worried too…)
Garden was always in his mind. When he'd been just a regular SeeD, he thought nothing of leaving Garden and trusting its leadership to others. But since becoming Commander, he felt somewhat anxious about SeeD when he was away, like a parent leaving a child home alone. He had to remind himself that Garden was in capable hands, and had survived for over a decade without his constant surveillance.
"Quistis can take care of Garden and Timber," Squall said. He reached over and rested a confident hand on her shoulder. "You just have to focus on the present right now. We need to ask the right questions, and not forget about anything. We might not get another chance to come back here for a long time."
"Right," Rinoa said. He couldn't tell if his words had much effect, but she seemed to loosen up a little after his speech.
(I'm no good with words…)
The platform reached its second exit, and slowed to a stop above another hole in the bottom of the tube. Once again the computerized voice asked if this was their stop. This time, Squall pushed a green button with his foot, and the platform dropped down out of the tunnel and hovered a step above a walkway. The two stood up and hopped off. With one smooth motion, the platform rose up and into the tube, returning to its starting point, leaving Squall and Rinoa on the walkway.
There was a tube running parallel to this walkway. Bold, white text on the side read "PRESIDENTIAL PALACE" with an arrow pointing north along the tunnel. Squall and Rinoa entered the tube and sat on another transport. This one, like the other, rose from the ground with a whine and a glow and sped off.
"I'm worried they're not gonna know anything," Rinoa said. "That this will all be a big waste of time."
That thought had crossed Squall's mind more than once already. After Rinoa had fallen into a coma, he had journeyed to Esthar in search of answers. He'd assumed that a nation as advanced as Esthar would be able to quickly figure out what was wrong with her. He'd been disappointed to discover that they could not, and the best solution they could offer involved a convoluted trip into outer space that, ultimately, revealed little and only furthered Ultimecia's plans.
Now, once more, he was journeying to Esthar for answers. He hoped to have better luck with this second trip.
(They have to know something.)
"This is Esthar," Squall said, speaking with a confidence he did not quite feel. "If they don't know right away, they can find out. At the very least, we can ask them to start researching the answers we need. The trip won't be pointless."
"I hope so," Rinoa said.
The platform stopped again, this time in front of the Presidential Palace. The enormous structure that had been lurking on the horizon all this time was now right upon them, obscuring a wide swath of the sky. Squall tapped the green button by his foot, and the platform settled down, allowing the two to step off. They exited the tube and stepped onto the walkway, mingling with other pedestrians and heading up towards the building.
The Presidential Palace was aptly named. It was not merely the center of Esthar's government and military, it was an ostentatious work of art, a true palace if there ever was one. Squall couldn't tell which pieces of the building were functional and which were merely displays of Esthar's skill and technology. Encircling the building were pipelines with flashing blue lights at set intervals, making the whole edifice look like the world's largest model of an atom, completed with nucleus and electrons.
(Maybe that's what it's supposed to be…)
The two walked down the path towards the front door, passing a number of Esthar people in their elaborate robes who cast wary glances at the oddly-dressed foreign couple. The front wall of the palace was a shimmering wall of gold, with golden arches spanning across the entryway. On either side of the path, the floor had been artificially colored a natural shade of green, impersonating grass without having to deal with the hassle of growing or maintaining real plants.
Outside the front entrance was yet another circular platform. This one was larger than all the rest they'd seen thus far. Squall and Rinoa sat on it and waited to be carried into the palace. Unlike the regular street platforms, this platform created a translucent pink bubble that enveloped the transport. The protective bubble shielded its passengers from wind and kept them from falling off as the platform shot off into the heart of the palace at high speed.
The core of the palace was a cavernous hub, dozens of stories high, with hundreds of tubes extending to every sector of the massive building. A central pillar sat in the middle of the vast space, glowing and pulsing. Other transports, surrounded by pink bubbles, darted around like bees in a hive.
A computerized voice, masculine this time, asked for Squall and Rinoa's destination.
"President's Quarters," Squall said, speaking slowly. He remembered that this platform was voice-activated from his last trip to Esthar.
"President's Quarters," the voice repeated.
Now that it had been given a specific destination, the transport gathered speed as it raced along glowing pillars of light and around blue and gray machines of indiscernible function. The transport flew upwards before turning and ducking into another tube many stories off the ground level.
Once it'd gone a ways into the tunnel, the platform slid to a stop at the start of a long hallway. The bubble surrounding them evaporated as quickly as if Squall had popped it with his finger as the transport settled down to the ground. Squall and Rinoa stepped off and continued on foot.
They passed a number of closed doorways in the red-carpeted hall. Each doorway bore the crescent-moon-and-star insignia of the nation of Esthar, and had at least two guards standing watch outside, armed with futuristic rifles. Though their masks obscured their faces, Squall could feel their watchful eyes follow him down the hall.
(I wonder what they think of my gunblade.)
(Do they think it's a threat, or a primitive toy?)
After a short distance, the hallway extended out beyond the walls of the building, reaching into empty space. Here it turned into a glass tunnel, reinforced with metal. Squall could look down between his feet and see, obscured through the glass, a frighteningly long drop straight down onto the buildings and streets far below. He pressed on, despite a persistent, nagging fear that the glass would shatter and send him plummeting to his death.
(Don't look down.)
Finally, at the very end of the hall, was another doorway, flanked on either side by Esthar soldiers. Squall approached the soldiers, then stopped. Rinoa stood by his side.
"You are expected," one of the guards said. "Wait here and I will alert the president of your arrival."
The guard turned around and opened the door, vanishing into the room beyond. Several minutes of awkward silence passed, before the guard returned. He nodded and gestured for the door.
"The President is waiting," the guard said.
"Thanks," Rinoa said. Squall nodded.
Squall stepped forward and pushed open the door. The room beyond was iridescent purple, with strange cables and devices reaching around the walls. Squall couldn't tell if they served a purpose or were just decorations. The middle of the room was dominated by a low, flat desk—obsidian or granite or synthetic, Squall couldn't be sure—that was scattered with papers. Behind the desk sat Laguna Loire, President of Esthar. Beside him stood his two best friends, Kiros and Ward, dressed in the white robes of Esthar.
Laguna, apparently, had still not taken a liking to Esthar's customary attire and wore an untucked pastel shirt and khaki slacks. When the two walked into the room, he glanced up from the paperwork around him and beamed broadly, as if Squall and Rinoa were a pair of visiting celebrities.
(He's always excited to see everybody.)
"Hey, guys!" Laguna said, waving. He stood up quickly, clipping his knee on the edge of his desk. He cried out and winced, then—showing more caution—stepped away from the desk and walked around it to greet his guests. He limped on his sore leg over to Squall and shook his hand, then shook with Rinoa. He rubbed his knee for a second, his long black hair falling over his face, his grin never fading. Kiros and Ward followed behind him, remaining a respectful distance behind the President.
"So, what's the occasion?" Laguna asked. "I guess you're here on business, right? I woulda sent someone to escort you here, but you guys never give me any warning, you know? All I can do is tell the guards to let you in."
(We don't need an escort.)
"We're here to ask some questions," Squall said. He turned to Rinoa. "You want to handle this?"
"Yeah," Rinoa said. She took a deep breath, then said, "We'd need information about Adel. Can you help us?"
Laguna nodded thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. To Squall, he seemed to almost be mocking Rinoa with his exaggerated movements and silly expression. Squall had to remind himself that Laguna had always acted that way, for as long as Squall had known him.
(He's like a cartoon character.)
"Adel, huh?" Laguna said. "I know some stuff, but I'm not really the expert, you know? I came into the picture pretty late. But I'll do my best to answer any questions ya got. So… whaddya wanna know?"
Rinoa got right to it. "There's this memory I have," she said. "Of Adel a long time ago. And I want to know more about it."
Laguna's hand went from his chin to the back of his head. "Like… how far back are we talkin'?" he asked.
"Thirty or forty years, at least," Squall said. "Maybe more."
"Psh, I won't know anything then," Laguna said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I thought you meant, like, ten or fifteen years ago. That's all I would know."
His arms uncrossed, then went to his hips.
(Does he ever hold still?)
Rinoa pressed on.
"Well, do you know how Adel came to Esthar?" she asked. "Or where she came from?"
"Nope and nnnope," Laguna said. He turned his body at an angle to Squall and Rinoa and looked at the wall thoughtfully, once more crossing his arms. "From what I heard, she just kinda showed up suddenly. One day she wasn't here, the next she was. She started doing sorceress stuff, took over the place, and made herself ruler. Well, until I came along, anyway. When I first came here, I'd kinda thought that she'd always been in charge of Esthar, or at least had been in charge for a really long time. Well, she was in charge for a long time, but not as long as I was thinking. Some of the old fogeys around town still remember what it was like here before she came, and they remember when she changed everything. But how she got here, why she came here, and where she came from… I dunno. I guess maybe—"
"Laguna," Kiros said, his voice soft, but stern. "You're rambling."
Laguna smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Heh, yeah, a little."
(Some things don't change. Some people, either.)
Trying to keep the conversation on point, Squall said, "We're also here for another reason. A sorceress we encountered during the time compression event suddenly appeared in our Garden. We thought maybe Dr. Odine or someone else would be able to help us figure out how and why."
"Heh, you know, funny you should mention that," Laguna said. He crossed his arms and smiled. "Cause two days ago, the same thing happened here."
Rinoa gasped. Even Squall was taken aback.
(Damn it. I was hoping it was an isolated event.)
"What?" Rinoa said. "There's another one?"
"Yup," Laguna said. "Popped into town near the airport. Just… bam, suddenly there's a sorceress. People were freakin' out, but we got her under control before she did any damage."
Squall crossed his arms and looked at the floor.
(If there's two, then there's probably three, or four.)
(How many sorceresses did we fight in total?)
"What do you mean?" Rinoa said. Squall, absorbed in his thoughts, only half listened to the conversation. "What did you do to her?"
"I sent some soldiers out and they rounded her up," Laguna said. His hands returned to his hips. "From what I heard, she didn't even put up a fight. Dr. Odine called dibs on her, so she's been at O Lab ever since. We thought about talkin' to you guys about it, but we never really got around to it. Been busy around here, you know? And Esthar shut down most of its outside communications, so it'd be hard to get the word out to SeeD, even if we tried."
(If they all come back at once, then there could theoretically be a dozen new sorceresses in the world. It'd be chaos.)
"She's not hurt, is she?" Rinoa asked. She stepped forward, hand pressed against her chest. "What's Odine doing to her?"
Laguna shrugged. "Beats me. I kinda just… let him do his thing, you know? Best not to get in Odine's way."
(What would Galbadia do if they got ahold of a sorceress? Or Timber, for that matter?)
(… Or both at once?)
"I… I have to go to O Lab," Rinoa said. She looked around anxiously. "Which way is it?"
"Hey, don't sweat it. I'll take you two," Laguna said. He waved his hand. "I'm itchin' to get out of the office for a bit anyway. And Ellone is there now too, so I can visit her while I'm out. Two birds with one stone, eh?"
(Wait…)
"Why's Ellone at O Lab?" Squall asked. He looked at the President.
"Um… I think Odine can explain it better than I could," Laguna said. "I'd just end up forgettin' something important and confusin' you. So lemme take you to Odine and he'll tell you all about it. Okay? Okay!"
"Laguna," Kiros said. His face was a mask of pent-up frustration. "Squall already knows the way to O Lab. You don't have to personally escort them. And we've still got a lot of work to do here."
Laguna waved him off. "Eh, it can wait," he said. "I'll be back in a bit, 'kay? Hold my calls."
Kiros sighed. "Fine…"
"Let's go," Laguna said. With a bright smile, he led his two guests out of his office. Kiros and Ward exchanged a glance. Ward rolled his eyes and shrugged.
Out in the hallway, the two Esthar guards stiffened to attention when they saw the President. They started to follow behind him, acting as personal guards, but he dismissed them with a wave, sending them back to their posts.
"Lemme catch you guys up real quick," Laguna said. "A lotta stuff has been goin' on around here since you left. As you can see, we finally cleared the city of monsters. One hundred percent containment again. Hoo boy, that was a pain. You couldn't go anywhere without an escort for like, a week. Totally messed up the whole country. You know, like the economy and what have you. But the Esthar plains are still completely overrun since the Lunar Cry, and we can't get troops or scientists over to our satellite buildings or anything. It's like a monster mosh party out there. You can't swing a sword without hitting ten or twenty of 'em. It's crazy. We've been dumping artillery on the plains to thin the horde, but it's not doin' much."
Squall didn't pay much attention, allowing Laguna's voice serve as white noise in the background of his thoughts.
(If two sorceresses appeared in as many days, then there must be more.)
(We have to finish up here as quickly as possible.)
They reached the end of the hallway where the circular transport awaited them. Laguna plopped down hard on the chair and waited for Squall and Rinoa to join him. When they were all seated, Laguna kicked a button at his feet, sending the platform into motion. When a pink bubble encased the platform, Laguna continued talking.
"By the way, the Ragnarok is still stuck in the side of the Lunatic Pandora," Laguna said. "We haven't been able to get it out, so I guess it'll stay there for a while. Thought you might be curious."
"Sorry about that," Squall said.
Laguna shrugged. "Hey, no biggie," he said.
(Galbadia would probably execute any sorceresses on sight.)
(They won't chance another incident like with Deling.)
The platform sped out through the front gate and emerged into the sunlight of Esthar. It slid to a stop, disintegrating the pink bubble. The three stepped off the platform and Laguna led the way to the nearest tube, further down the road.
(But what about Timber and Dollet? What would they do with a sorceress?)
"The loss of the lunar base really screwed things up too," Laguna said. "Again, not your fault. But we had a bunch of research projects going on up there, and the Esthar scientists are riled up at losing a big chunk of their data. Yeah, most of it was backed up on files here in the city, so it's not like they lost everything. But they're still upset about losing the equipment, you know? And they've been all up my back about that."
(This man never shuts up.)
Another platform waited at the tube across the street. Laguna flopped down, soon joined by Squall and Rinoa. Laguna kicked another button, sending them down the tube away from the palace.
"The scientists want more funding to replace their lost equipment," Laguna said. "And the military wants more funding to fight off the monsters in the fields. And the techs are telling me that the holograph panel things need maintenance and need more funding. Odine wants funds for an expedition to retrieve the Lunatic Pandora so he can study it some more. Everyone needs money, and they're all coming to me to get it."
"Because you're the president," Squall said, coming down from his thoughts and rejoining the conversation.
"Well, yeah. I'm just sayin' it kinda sucks bein' president sometimes. I mean, it's not like I wanted to be here. I didn't campaign to be elected. Oh um… I'm rambling again, aren't I?"
"Yes," Squall said. Rinoa lifted her hand to her mouth to conceal a smile.
"Oh, sorry. Kiros and Ward are always on me about that. They're tryin' to get me to cut down on it. Say it's bad manners or something. But I'm just tryin' to be friendly, you know? Bein' open and honest is important, don't you think?"
"Yeah, sure," Squall said noncommittally.
(I should still find out as much as I can, while I've got his attention…)
"Is there any other news we should know about?" Squall asked.
"You mean with Esthar or in general?" Laguna asked. He crossed his arms and looked up, as if the answer was written on the top of the tube. "Well, we always got a lot going on here. It's a big country, you know? The sorceress and the Lunar Cry and all that business kinda took over the news for a while. Ellone's been doing good. She talks about you guys a lot. She likes it in Esthar, but I think she'd rather be back on the White SeeD ship, you know? I dunno. I try not to bug her about it."
(Sis…)
"Oh, we're here," Laguna said, pressing a button to stop the transport.
The platform eased to a stop. Across the road was an ornate blue building. It didn't particularly stand out from the rest of Esthar's architecture, and would have gone unnoticed if it weren't for the words "Odine's Laboratory" written on the inside of the tube, on the road, and on the building itself. Laguna jumped off the platform and headed down the walkway into the building, his guests a step behind.
O Lab opened into a small entryway, with strange machines on either side. In the middle of the room was yet another hover platform, which could bring passengers up the transparent tube near the ceiling and straight ahead to the second floor.
(I wonder how the people of Esthar get any exercise…)
Laguna walked around the platform and headed for a door across from the front entrance, marked with Esthar's seal.
"Dr. Odine's probably gonna be on the first floor," Laguna said. "That's where he does most of his researchy stuff."
As he approached the door, it automatically withdrew into the ceiling, admitting the trio inside. The next room was empty and gray, with several more doors leading to different parts of the lab. As they walked through, Squall recognized this as the room where Ellone was being held before Laguna found her.
Laguna picked a door and proceeded inside.
The room beyond the doorway was filled with a countless number of ongoing experiments. Computers measured data as colorful chemicals and liquids were combined in test tubes and beakers. A handful of aides scurried around the lab in modified white Esthar robes. They went from station to station, monitoring the equipment and making sure everything ran smoothly. Occasionally, they would mark something down on a clipboard, or punch some numbers into a keypad.
Ellone sat on a chair in the far-right corner, with a strange helmet strapped to her head. The helmet had dozens of glowing wires extending from it, all connecting to a nearby computer. A monitor next to her displayed a chart with crisscrossing lines moving up and down the screen in rhythmic patterns. Ellone looked bored, but otherwise unaffected by the experiment.
(Why is Odine running tests on her?)
When she saw Squall and Rinoa, she smiled and waved. Rinoa waved back, while Squall nodded curtly.
Dr. Odine himself was easy to spot, with his purple robes and his absurd red-and-white striped collar that resembled a flattened umbrella. He shuffled quickly around the lab, double checking his figures, nodding and mumbling to himself.
Squall was about to approach the doctor when his eyes fell upon a large tube on the far side of the lab.
The tube was filled with a pale green liquid. Floating in the tube was another one of the sorceresses from time compression. Her limp blonde hair drifted in the bubbling liquid. The ornate clothes she'd worn in her battle against the SeeDs were wet and clung to her emaciated frame. She was not hooked up to any breathing apparatus, despite being underwater, yet somehow she still gave signs of life. Her eyes were half-lidded, but blinked occasionally. At intervals, her arm or leg would twitch.
(So it's true. There's another one in Esthar.)
Rinoa pushed her way past the aides and past Odine, stepping right up to the tube. She placed her whole hand on the glass, her fingers spread wide. She stood there for a moment, watching the sorceress. The sorceress responded to Rinoa's presence, slowly raising her own withered hand towards the girl, her arm limp in the water, reaching for Rinoa but unable to touch her.
"Vat are you doing?" Dr. Odine asked Rinoa, finally taking notice of her. He stomped on the floor and shook his fist. "Step away from zat!"
One hand still on the glass, Rinoa spun around to face the doctor. "Why is she in this tube? What are you doing to her?"
"Ve are learning about ze sorceress," Dr. Odine said. "Ze great Odine finally has a test subject worthy of his talents. Ze data I obtain from her iz invaluable!"
"Let her out," Rinoa said. "You can't do this to her."
Dr. Odine shook his finger at her. "You are crazy! Get away from my experiment!"
(She's not just an experiment. She's a sorceress. A person.)
Squall examined the sorceress in the tube. It—she, Squall reminded himself—was dead, same as the other one that had appeared in Garden's cafeteria. She was dead, and Squall and the others had killed her. When he had battled that same sorceress only a short time ago, he had felt nothing. No remorse, no pity for his foe. Even Rinoa had joined in the battle without hesitation or regret.
But that was different. That was a battle. Now, their foe has been defeated, and she was being used like an animal, like a piece of meat. Squall was not particularly sentimental about using cadavers for research, but there was something still distinctly alive—maybe even conscious—in that body. Thinking about it made him shudder.
(It could be Rinoa in that tube.)
(Trapped. Suffering.)
Squall stepped forward and approached Odine. "Let her out of the tube," he said.
Odine spun around. "Vat? You too? Everyone here iz crazy!" He faced the president. "Laguna! Do something useful and arrest these two! They trespass in O Lab! They interrupt my work!"
Laguna grinned and scratched his head. "You know, I would, but I kinda agree with them. I don't really like the idea of using people as test subjects. Maybe you oughtta let her go?"
Odine threw his hands up. "You are useless! I vill not vote for you in next election!"
"You never voted for me to begin with," Laguna said, crossing his arms.
"And I vill keep it zat way!" Odine yelled. He stomped his feet in rage.
"Let her out, Odine," Squall said. He moved forward to emphasize his statement, subtly drawing attention to both his superior height and the gunblade strapped to his waist. Odine looked up at him and sneered.
"Or vat?" Odine said. "You kill Odine? You break my hand? Vat vill you do, huh? Nothing! You cannot threaten Odine. Get out of my lab!"
(He's got a point. I can't threaten him. I need him.)
But Rinoa had a different idea. She slapped her hand hard against the glass, using some of her sorceress powers to strengthen the strike. The sound of the impact was like a gunshot in the laboratory, causing all the aides to stop what they were doing and turn to her. Tiny spider cracks appeared in the glass underneath Rinoa's hand.
"Let her out," Rinoa said. "Or I'll break her out."
It was faint, but Squall could hear Odine growl just a little bit.
"Step away from ze glass," Odine said. His hands balled into fists.
"Let her out," Rinoa said. "I'll give you five seconds. Five… Four…"
"Fine!" Odine said. His shook his hand at Rinoa. "But you do something for Odine in return!"
Rinoa hesitated. "What do you want?"
"You become experiment instead!" Odine said. "You still sorceress, right? You become my test subject."
"What? No!" Rinoa said, a look of disgust crossing her face.
"Yes! Or no deal!" Odine said. He crossed his arms and grinned smugly. Rinoa pressed her hand harder against the glass, glowing magical energy pulsing from her fingertips as she focused her powers. The tiny spider cracks spread out, growing longer and deeper. Rinoa's magic produced a soft hum in the air.
She continued her countdown from where she'd left off. "Three… two…"
Odine shrieked, hopping from foot to foot and pumping his arms. "All right! Stop counting! Let Odine do one test on you, then I will let ze sorceress out. One test!"
Rinoa withdrew her power—the light and the sound fading away—but kept her hand on the glass.
"What's the test?" she asked.
"Simple! Painless! Let Odine analyze your brain waves," Odine said. "You plan to absorb ze sorceress, correct?"
She nodded.
"Then let me get your readings before and after. Quick and painless, Odine assures you."
Rinoa hesitated. She looked to Squall, questions in her eyes. He thought for a moment.
(I don't think Odine will try anything underhanded.)
Squall nodded to Rinoa.
"It'll be okay," Ellone said, still sitting in the corner with the odd device tied to her head. "I've gotten brain scans before without any problems."
Rinoa paused, then let her hand fall to her side. Odine sighed in relief. Inside the tube, the sorceress stopped reaching towards Rinoa, allowing her hand to go limp and float in the water. Odine pointed to the chair where Ellone was currently sitting.
"Go to ze scanner," Odine said. He pointed at Ellone. "You! Get out."
Ellone seemed startled at Odine's tone, but she complied. She unclipped a chin strap and pulled off the helmet. When the helmet was no longer touching her head, the nearby monitor near her went blank, no longer churning out numbers or graphs. Ellone set the helmet on the chair and moved away.
"Don't worry," Ellone said to Rinoa. "It's harmless."
Rinoa nodded, then took the helmet in her hands. She placed it on her head and fastened the chinstrap. Immediately, the monitor returned to life, spitting out all sorts of new data. The wavy lines on the screen vaguely resembled the ones Ellone had been putting out, but they rose and fell at different frequencies. Rinoa turned and sat in the chair, looking with trepidation around the lab. Squall moved across the room to stand near her.
(If Sis says it's okay…)
Squall nodded at Rinoa, reassuringly. She tried to smile, but the heavy weight of the helmet made her smile strained and uncomfortable.
Odine pointed at one of his aides.
"Get backups of all ze data," Odine said. "Don't miss anything!"
The aide nodded and moved to the monitor by Rinoa's head, keying in some letters and numbers into a keypad. A printer a few steps away released copies of all the charts and numbers while Odine stepped up to the monitor and studied it. Squall stood next to him, trying to decipher the strange data. He thought that it would be simple, but the data seemed to be encoded, and made almost no sense at all. Included among the familiar numbers and letters were strange glyphs that flickered seemingly at random.
(Does he encrypt his own research?)
Squall wouldn't be surprised if he did. Odine had a world-wide reputation as one of the greatest living scientists, and protecting his research from competitors was probably a primary concern of his.
After a moment, Odine nodded. With great regret, he looked at Rinoa.
"Okay," Odine said. "You may have ze sorceress now. But do not take ze helmet off until I say!"
Odine reluctantly turned to face one of his aides. "Release ze sorceress," he said.
An aide at another computer nodded and input a series of codes into a computer. A warning klaxon sounded once, and the green fluid began to drain out of the tube. Rinoa and Squall watched as the fluid emptied out, leaving the sorceress in a crumpled, waterlogged heap on the floor of the tube. The aide pressed another button, another klaxon sounded, and the glass tube slid down into the floor and out of sight.
"Bring ze sorceress here," Odine said.
Two aides nodded and stepped into the tube. Their shoes squeaked on the wet floor as they bent over, one on each side, and lifted the sorceress up by her armpits. Allowing the sorceress' legs to drag on the floor, the aides hauled the limp body across the room and dropped her roughly at Rinoa's feet. Rinoa scowled at the two men, but said nothing.
(They're carrying her like a sack of meat.)
"Go ahead," Odine said, softly. "Take her."
Rinoa bent down, careful not to unplug any of the wires on the helmet. Her fingertips brushed along the bare skin of the sorceress' shoulder. The sorceress shook. The motion seemed to transfer to Rinoa, making her arm, then her entire body twitch. She shuddered in the chair, then was still.
As with the sorceress in Garden's cafeteria, the sorceress on the floor exhaled luxuriously, as if she'd been holding her breath for hours. A gentle, heatless blue flame engulfed her and she was gone a moment later—no trace left behind. Rinoa slumped in the chair, seemingly worn out by the event, but unharmed.
"Okay?" Squall asked.
Rinoa nodded and rubbed her eyes, as if she was sleepy.
Odine saw none of this. He was glued to the monitor since the sorceress had been removed from the tube. After a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought and frustration.
"How can this be?" he muttered.
"Can I take the helmet off now?" Rinoa asked. She already had her hand to the buckle on the chinstrap.
"One second!" Odine said, waving his hand at her without looking. "You ruin my experiment! You vill be patient!"
Odine gestured for one of his aides to approach him. The aide joined Odine at the monitor, crowding Squall and making him take a step back. Odine and the aide whispered back and forth for a few seconds, occasionally glancing at Rinoa. The aide rushed to the printer and pulled out a few sheets of paper, comparing the results from before and after, and showing them to Odine.
After a while, the doctor turned Rinoa.
"You may take off ze helmet," Odine said. Rinoa unbuckled the chinstrap, stood up, and set the helmet onto the chair behind her. The monitor went blank again. She stepped over to Squall, who placed a protective hand on her shoulder. The aide swooped over and picked the helmet up. He and Odine took turns examining it.
"Iz it defective?" Odine asked. "Damaged? Calibrated?"
"Everything seems fine," the aide said, eyeing the helmet. . "The helmet is in perfect order."
"Damn it all!" Odine said. "Odine must come up with new hypothesis."
"Why?" Squall asked. "What just happened?"
Squall crossed his arms. He noticed that both Laguna and Ellone were now standing behind him, watching Odine.
"Ze old hypothesis iz wrong," Odine said, not looking at Squall. "Odine must come up with a new one. Such things happen in science."
"I understood that much," Squall said. "But what was the original hypothesis?"
Odine sighed, as if he was being asked a simple question by a slow-witted child. He turned around to face the group. "Until now, ze theory was that ze sorceress powers compounded when a sorceress passed her powers to another sorceress. Then that old sorceress power is added to new sorceress power, and new sorceress now twice as strong as before. Understand?"
(He thought Rinoa would get stronger after absorbing the sorceress.)
Odine eyed Squall. Squall nodded that he understood, and the doctor continued.
"That would explain why Sorceress Ultimecia is so strong, yes? She iz last sorceress in ze world, and absorbed all other sorceresses, making her ze most powerful. But look."
Odine gestured at the screen.
"Girl in blue absorbed sorceress power, and there iz no change! Energy level, brainwave pattern, all exact same as before! Ze sorceress powers do not compound! But I have other hypothesis."
(Now we're finally learning something.)
"What's the other hypothesis?" Squall asked.
"Odine no tell you!" Odine said. He shook with anger. "Odine cannot test hypothesis now, because you ruin my experiment! Leave my lab! I help you no more! From now on, I put armed guards at front door! No one enter without permission! 'Specially not idiot president and moron child friends!"
"Hey!" Laguna said, mildly offended.
Squall sighed. Odine was probably the only one in the city who could answer their questions, and—by their actions—they may have irrevocably turned him against them.
(I hope it's not too late to convince him to help us…)
Swallowing his pride, Squall spoke up. "We actually came here because we need your help," he said.
"Why Odine help you?" Odine muttered. "You cause nothing but trouble."
(If I was Odine, I probably wouldn't help me either.)
As Squall was thinking of a way to convince the doctor, Ellone stepped forward, standing beside Squall and Rinoa.
"Dr. Odine," she said softly, but firmly. "Please answer their questions, or else I won't let you run any more tests on me."
Odine growled. He glared at Ellone. "Fine. Everyone iz against Odine today. Vat do you vant to know? Make it quick."
(I see how it works. Just threaten his experiments and he caves in.)
(I'll have to remember that.)
Squall turned to Rinoa. "Rinoa? You want to ask, or should I?"
Rinoa bit her lip. "I have so many questions. Let's… let's just start simple. Where did that sorceress come from?"
"Ze sorceress appeared in ze city a few days ago," Odine said. "Was caught by Esthar soldiers and brought here."
"I know that, but why did she come to Esthar at all?" Rinoa asked.
"Odine only have guess," Odine said. "No test data to verify yet."
"Well, what's your guess?" Rinoa asked.
Odine shifted uncomfortably. He looked at Laguna and Ellone, then answered. "Sorceress came for Esthar's draw point," he said. "Energy from ze draw point attracts ze sorceress, brings her here. That is my guess. Odine has no proof, and needs more research to confirm."
(Of all the places in the world, of all the times in all of history, the sorceress came to Esthar for a common draw point?)
(I don't understand.)
"A draw point?" Squall asked.
"Yes," Odine said. His voice rose with a hint of anger. "You are SeeD, no? You should know what draw point iz."
"I know what it is," Squall said. "But they're very common. There must be hundreds or thousands in the world. Why did it come to this one?"
"Esthar's draw point iz biggest in ze world," Odine said. "Other draw points spit out little bits of magic. One spell here. Four, five spells here. Pitiful little amounts. Esthar's draw point hundreds of times ze size, produce hundreds of times ze energy. Massive energy for ze sorceress. Like giant beacon for ze sorceress."
Squall crossed his arms. "I didn't know draw points got so big."
"Of course you don't," Odine said. "Only Esthar knows. We keep it secret from Galbadia, so they cannot harvest the energy like Esthar."
(Harvest the energy?)
The information clicked in Squall's brain.
"Is that how your technology is powered?" he asked. "By this massive draw point?"
Odine snarled and looked to Laguna. "They are making me reveal Esthar military secrets! Arrest them! They are Galbadian spies!"
Laguna scoffed. "Eh, they ain't no spies. Go on. I'm actually curious to hear about this too. You always keep me out of the loop on this kinda stuff."
Odine grumbled, but continued. "Yes. Esthar technology powered by draw point. We learn ze trick by studying old Centra technology. They harvested draw points generations ago. Ze technology make Centra greatest nation in ze world. Now it makes Esthar ze greatest."
(Interesting…)
"But if Esthar has the biggest draw point," Squall said, "Then why did a sorceress come to our Garden? Wouldn't they all be drawn here, to this one?"
Odine muttered under his breath and looked at Laguna. Laguna nodded for him to continue. Odine rolled his eyes. "Garden iz made from old Centra technology. Iz powered by massive draw point too. Not as big as Esthar draw point, but still big enough to attract ze sorceress. But this iz all hypothesis. Stop asking Odine questions! I know nothing."
"But if you're right…" Squall said. He looked way and slipped into his thoughts.
(If he's right, then all the Gardens are powered by draw points. That explains why we never needed to fuel up the Garden: it was sitting on its energy source the whole time.)
(But if all the Gardens have the same energy source, and they're all on draw points as large as ours…)
"Would other sorceresses be drawn to Galbadia Garden or Trabia Garden?" Squall asked.
"Iz possible," Odine said with a shrug. "Also draw point in Timber. That one in Timber iz second biggest. Iz what make land so fertile. Also one in Galbadia. Two on Centra continent also. Maybe more in ze world. Odine has not found all draw points yet."
(Hmm…)
(If more are coming, and Odine's hypothesis is correct, then they might head to those places.)
(Hopefully they'll be more attracted to the draw point in Esthar. If they spread out among the different draw points around the world, it would be terrible.)
"Well, that might explain why the sorceress came to Garden," Squall said. "And we now know where to expect more, if more come."
(That's one question answered.)
"I still don't know how we never realized it," Squall said, partially to himself. "Balamb Garden's been sitting on a massive draw point, and no one figured it out?"
"SeeD use Guardian Forces to find draw points," Odine said. "But ze GF looks for small draw points with condensed energy to form magic spells. GF do not detect large, disperse draw points, because GF cannot use such energy. If they cannot use it, they ignore it. That iz why you never know about it."
(Makes sense…)
"I still want to know about Adel," Rinoa said. She looked to Squall, then to the doctor. "So what do you know about Adel's past? Can you help us there?"
"Ze sorceress' past?" Odine asked. He shook his head. "Not much. Everything Odine know about sorceresses, Odine learn from studying Adel. She no like to be studied, but I find ways to get information from her."
"Do you know where she came from?" Rinoa asked.
"No. I know nothing. She come to Esthar and make herself ruler," Odine said. "I make weapons for her, and I learn about sorceresses and magic from her. That is all I know."
"Umm…" Ellone said, stepping into Squall and Rinoa's view. "If you're trying to learn about Adel's past, I might be able to help you. I admit, I don't know much myself. But I can send you into her past. Maybe we can figure out something that way."
"Really?" Rinoa said, brightening. She clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. "I would really like that!"
Ellone smiled. "We can start now if you like. Although, we should probably go somewhere a bit more private," she said. "Follow me."
Ellone and Rinoa started to leave the lab. Rinoa stopped and looked at Squall. "Are you coming with?"
Squall shook his head. "Find your answers. I still have some questions I want to ask Dr. Odine."
Odine grumbled.
"Okay," Rinoa said. "I'll be back."
With that, she and Ellone stepped outside. The door slid shut behind them.
"Hurry with ze questions." Odine said. "Odine still have much work to be done."
Squall paused to think, making sure he wasn't forgetting about any important questions.
(We came here to learn about the sorceress in the cafeteria and Adel's past.)
(We already asked Odine about the first question, and Ellone and Rinoa are looking into the second.)
(Was there anything else?)
"Hey, doc," Laguna said, waving his hand. "Tell him about why you had Elle here in the first place."
(Oh, right.)
"Fine. Iz because of Lunatic Pandora," Odine said.
(Huh?)
The doctor shuffled over to a nearby computer and pushed a few buttons. Squall followed after him and looked at the monitor. A second later, a new crop of graphs and charts appeared. Squall couldn't decipher the numeric codes that accompanied the charts, but he could see that both charts were identical, rising and falling in perfect unison.
"This iz why I study Ellone again," Dr. Odine said, tapping on the screen. "Here iz problem."
Squall narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand. It looks like they're both the same."
"Yes, exactly," Odine said. "Identical charts. Problem iz, chart on right is Ellone's brain patterns, and chart on left is energy field from Lunatic Pandora."
(The same brain pattern.)
(Didn't Odine say that he made the Junction Machine Ellone by copying Ellone's brain patterns?)
(If the Lunatic Pandora can copy her patterns…)
"What does that mean?" Squall asked.
"That what Odine try to figure out!" Odine said. He jumped in the air in his fury. "But stupid SeeD comes in and first wreak sorceress experiment, and now Ellone experiment walk out of ze room. You ruin all Odine's experiments! Odine might as well quit! Become farmer in ze mountains! Raise goats!"
(He's a bit… temperamental.)
"Ellone will come back," Squall said, trying to calm the doctor. "But what's the significance of this?" Suddenly, he was struck by an idea. "Does the energy signature of the Lunatic Pandora have anything to do with the appearances of the sorceresses?"
"Of course it does!" Odine said. "New energy signature and sorceress both show up on ze same day! Exact same day!"
Squall crossed his arms and looked to the floor, completely lost in thought.
(Ellone's power is to link two periods in time.)
(If the Lunatic Pandora is producing identical brain waves to her, then it's possible that it also is linking two periods in time, perhaps drawing the time compression sorceresses here.)
(That's why they're coming to this time period instead of any other.)
"But why now?" Squall said. "What made the Lunatic Pandora start doing this?"
"No idea," Odine said. "Cannot study Lunatic Pandora up close. Only long-range readings from Esthar. Too many monsters in the plains to retrieve Lunatic Pandora."
Squall looked at the doctor. "What else can you tell me?"
