: Chapter Five : The Gold Saucer
As the carriage chugged further away from the earth and up into the sky, the atmosphere darkened. Fireworks glittered in an apparently black night sky, and balloons of all different hues were flittering against the wind. Red looked out in perplexity.
"Why's it so dark? It was early morning when we left."
"Computer simulation," Tifa explained, matter-of-factly. "It looks so real, doesn't it."
"It sure does," Cloud agreed, awed by the glistening lights and the soaring, coloured trails left by the firework rockets. They lit up the ebony sky with iridescent flares, sending flashing reflections into the monorail tram. Before long, the gilt-coloured form the Gold Saucer came into sight, drawing closer to the car. As they drew closer to the entrance through which the Ropeway led, the boisterous strains of band music came flooding into their ears. They passed straight through a psychedelic rainbow arc and into a long, dark tunnel, and then out again into a large hallway. The carriage crept to the end of the Ropeway and then shuddered to a halt. The door slid open automatically, allowing its passengers to walk out into the Gold Saucer hall.
The five stepped out on to the platform and stared round in wonderment.
"This is amazing!" Aerith exclaimed as they got lost in the crowds of exuberant people and the flocks of vibrant, multicoloured balloons floating over their heads. The whole room had the look of a child's playground. Miniature trees and gingerbread houses painted in the most brilliant colours lay about, purely for decoration. Paid actors dressed up as bloated Chocobos bounded around, promoting the various rides and excursions in silly voices. Little children were running around restlessly, waiting for their parents to pay the entrance-fee. A woman was positioned at the paying counter, dressed in a spruce navy and gold uniform, smiling a wide, red smile at her customers.
"Exploitin' the innocent people, that's what I call this!" Barret moaned vindictively.
"That's not true!" Aerith rebuked him."People come here to have a good time, to enjoy themselves! The world has too few places like this!"
"Well, I bet it's only the rich people who come here!" Barret grumbled. Aerith bit her lower lip.
"Barret, you're impossible!"
They queued up in front of the counter and were made to wait several minutes before the other customers had gone through. Eventually, they got to the smiling woman.
"Yes sir?" she addressed Cloud in a light, airy voice.
"Uh...how much would it be for all of us?"
"Would you be a group?" the woman asked, but did not even wait for an answer to her own question "For groups it costs 3000 Gil. Or, alternatively, you could get a lifetime pass. This allows free access to the Gold Saucer at any time that is convenient for you."
"How much does that cost?" Cloud inquired.
The beam did not leave the woman's face. It was as though she had been specially trained to have it there.
"Lifetime passes cost 300,000 Gil."
"I told you only rich toffs come here," Barret commented loudly, only to be met by a jab in the ribs by Tifa. The woman threw him a fleeting scowl and then turned back to Cloud.
"So what'll it be?"
"Well, there's no way we can afford 300,000 Gil," he replied. "So I guess we'll just get the day pass."
The woman received the money and handed them each a pass. Then she gave Cloud a swipe card.
"Let me explain how the Gold Saucer works. The maximum amount you can spend on games and other various entertainment here is 1000 Gil. Depending on how well you play in certain games, you will receive credits called GP. If you receive any GP, swipe this card into the provided scanner. The card will be charged up, and the GP can be exchanged for prizes in the Wonder Square. Incidentally, if you choose not to exchange for prizes, you can come again another time and change later, so remember to keep your card safe at all times.
"There is also another square called the Battle Square. This section has it's own credit system called BP credits. However, these become invalid once the Battle Square is left. Can you remember all that?"
"Yep," Cloud nodded.
"Okay, enjoy yourselves."
They followed the crowds through to the next room, which was the meeting point. From this room seven gates led to the various squares inside the Gold Saucer: Wonder, Round, Event, Speed, Ghost, Battle, Chocobo. In the middle of the room was a computerised screen monitor that was the information centre system. The five of them gathered round together in front of the screen.
"What does it say?" Red asked, standing on his hind legs to get a better look. Cloud ran his finger along the sensors to receive a description of each of the square's events.
"Let's see. It says here there are seven parts to the Gold Saucer." He began to read out aloud. "The Wonder Square: an amusement arcade and GP exchange. Round Square: gondola tour of the Gold Saucer. Event Square: watch and participate in a special pantomime. Speed Square: take part in a virtual reality roller-coaster shoot-em-up ride (That sounds like fun!). Ghost Square: spooky hotel for the family. Chocobo Square: bet on your favourite Chocobo at the Chocobo races. Battle Square: test your skills against formidable foe in the Battle Arena."
Tifa let out a breath.
"Wow - there sure is a lot to do here!"
Cloud grinned.
"I'll say. I've just got to go to that Speed Square. Guess I'll check out Wonder and Battle too. I need some sword practice."
"I want to look at the Chocobos," Tifa said. "They're so cute!"
"Great, let's go!" Aerith exclaimed, then she turned to Barret. "Are you coming, Barret?"
Barret pulled a face.
"I'm not havin' nothin' to do with it!"
"But Barret, we're meant to be having fun..."
"Then go have your fun!" he exploded. "I'm not in the mood to go muckin' around!"
He turned his back on them, folding his arms sullenly. Aerith walked up behind him and spoke cheerfully to him.
"Oh? You're still mad about Corel? Well, that's just too bad."
He shut her out completely and Aerith walked back to the others jovially. Tifa whispered doubtfully to her.
"Aerith...don't you think that was a bit harsh?"
"No way!" she cried. "He needs cheering up!"
Tifa still looked unconvinced.
"Well...if you say so."
"I've decided," Cloud broke in, still staring at the information board. "I'm going to the amusement arcades first."
"I'll go with Tifa," Red cut in. "I don't really mind where I go."
"Where shall we meet up?" Tifa asked. "It's such a big place, we might never find each other again."
"Well..."Cloud glanced up at the digital clock on the screen. "Let's wander round for three hours and then meet up at the Battle Square."
"Hey, good idea!" Tifa grinned wickedly. "I'd love to see you test your strength. Bet you'd beat everyone there!"
"Well, that's settled then," Red finished. "The Battle Square, in three hours time."
"Right!" Aerith turned round to look for Barret, but he'd disappeared. "Where's Barret?"
Tifa shrugged.
"Who cares? He's such a misery anyway. I'm going." She and Red went through the Chocobo Square gate and disappeared in a horde of other people. Aerith turned to Cloud.
"Hey, Cloud, can I come with you?"
"Sure," he replied. "Do you mind going to the arcades first?"
"Not at all," she answered, good-naturedly.
They walked together toward the Wonder Square gate. This led straight to the Wonder Square hallway, which was equipped with all the latest virtual reality gadgets. A Mako-powered billboard advertised a new attraction coming soon, and moving spotlights lit up the glass and chrome constructions in radiant shades. The actual amusement arcade was through an airy corridor. A dark room lit up with flashing neon lights, it was filled with people who were avidly playing at the various machines. The tumultuous tinny sounds emitted from the computers raged round the square, one over another, blaring so much so that it was hard to hear oneself think.
"What do we play on first?" Aerith called over the din.
"Hey look!" Cloud pointed at a machine. "It's a motorbike sim!"
"You love motorbikes, don't you," Aerith stated, grinning at him. He looked at her in surprise.
"Don't tell me you hadn't noticed, Aerith!"
"Of course I'd noticed!" She looked strangely offended. "Go on, try it out. I'll wait for you here."
Cloud jumped on to the seat of the motorbike and pulled the virtual reality glasses over his eyes.
"Hey, Aerith, don't even bother waiting up for me!"
Tutting impatiently, Aerith helped him to get the money through the slot, and waited quietly for him until he had finished.
"Hey!" Cloud cried as he got off the seat. "I won 200 GP!"
Aerith walked over to take a look.
"You must be really good at this."
"But of course!" Cloud grinned as he swiped the card through the machine's scanner. "Wow, what a great start to the arcades! 200 GP!"
The time seemed to flash by without a trace, and soon it was time to find the others. As they travelled through to the Wonder Square hallway towards the Battle Square, they were suddenly stopped.
"Have your fortunes told here at the Wonder Square! Only five Gil each fortune! Happy fortunes, love matches, destinies! Fortunes to be told!"
Cloud and Aerith turned to see who was calling out. A large, white toy mog was standing by the entrance, but it was not him who'd been shouting. On his head was sitting a tiny black cat, dressed in miniature clothes with a megaphone in his hand. It was he who'd been calling out in a comical, high-pitched voice.
"Walk past, just ignore him," Cloud muttered to Aerith, but the strange cat on the mog had noticed them, and for some reason, had decided to single them out.
"Hey, you guys, over there!"
Cloud and Aerith tried to hurry past, but the mog suddenly bounded over and into their path. Cloud looked up angrily at the cat.
"Hey! We don't want any stupid fortunes!"
The cat looked upset.
"Oh please! It's only five Gil. And the fortunes are as genuine as you'll get them. Please?"
There was something disarming about the cat's small white face and Mongoloid eyes. Cloud found himself giving, although rather begrudgingly.
"Okay then, cat. But you'd better make this good."
"Right." The cat quickly pocketed the five Gil coin and then proceeded to sit down on the mog's head, quite still, with his legs crossed. After about ten seconds or so, he began to go into a trance-like state and began to rock himself back and forth. The mog produced a piece of paper and pen from a large pouch on it's ample belly and handed it to the cat, who began to scribble frantically on the sheet. Then, he seemed to wake up from his rapture, and handed Cloud the slip.
Looking down at it dubiously, he read it out loud.
" 'I can guess your favourite colour. It's blue.' What? Some fortune!"
The cat looked flustered. He grabbed at the slip of paper and read it again.
"Whoops! Did I write that? Sorry. Let me go again."
"No, I really don't think..." Cloud began, but the cat insisted.
"It's free of charge!" and before anyone could stop him, he'd begun to go through the whole procedure all over again. He handed the finished fortune to Cloud. Unfolding the not skeptically, Cloud began to read it once again.
" 'Tomorrow, your wife will be bereaved,'" Cloud looked up at the now extremely embarrassed cat. "Hey, do I look like I'm married!"
The cat began to apologise profusely.
"I'm sorry! Please, give me one more chance! This time, I'll get it right, I promise!"
Once again, he went into his supposed trance and produced one of his nonsensical strips of paper. Cloud opened it and looked at it cynically, expecting the usual fraudulent rubbish.
"This had better have been worth my while," Cloud warned, before reading the unsightly script. " 'You will find what you seek, but you will lose something dear to you.'"
Cloud stared at the writing incredulously, unsure of whether to believe it or not. The cat looked genuinely amazed.
"Oh my God! Did I really get that! I've never read a fortune like that one before!"
Aerith read the paper over carefully once or twice.
"Do you think it could be true, Cloud?" she asked, quietly. Cloud screwed up his face uncertainly.
"It sure sounds...drastic."
The cat, however, seemed elated by it.
"This is great! My first proper fortune!" he looked at the two with an exuberant expression. "I'm sorry, but I'm coming with you guys! I've got to find out whether this all turns out as I've predicted!"
Cloud put his hands up quickly.
"Hey, not so fast...!"
The cat turned serious.
"I'm sorry, but there's no way you're going to stop me! I'm coming with you whether you say no or not!"
Cloud was still reluctant.
"Well...I'm not sure..."
"Hey, what I could possibly do to offend you? I'm just a harmless cat!"
"Who tells bad fortunes," Aerith put in sarcastically, but the cat pretended not to hear.
"So how about it? My name's Cait Sith - I'm a fortune-telling toy cat." Both Cait Sith and the mog held out their arms to shake hands. Feeling rather bewildered, Cloud and Aerith complied and introduced themselves. Then the cat, mog all, followed them through the Speed Square entrance and into the large plaza. Cait Sith spent most of the time talking on and on about himself and his mog, that he had apparently magically reanimated. Fortunately or otherwise, he was cut off by someone advancing toward their group and addressing them.
"Having a good time, my friends?"
A burly, muscular man with long, shoulder-length hair and a walrus moustache was speaking. He was wearing a flashy tie with a tawdry suit, and passed Cloud an overtly approving look.
"And how are you finding the Gold Saucer, my boy? Good?"
Cloud tried to hide his repulsion aimed toward the man.
"And who might you be?"
The man laughed loudly in a booming tone.
"Oh, I do like a boy with spirit!" he grinned at Cloud. "The name's Dio, my boy, and I'm the owner of the Gold Saucer. My good friend, Rufus Shinra, persuaded me to build this theme park when he was still vice president! I'm forever indebted to him, you know, boy? And what's your name, boy?"
"My name's Cloud," he answered in repugnance. "And I'm not 'your boy.'"
Dio failed to take offence.
"You know, I'm curious. Earlier on, I saw this young boy enter the park. I'd say he was about your age. Strange boy, he was. He had a long, black cloak and bright Mako eyes just like you."
"Sephiroth!" Cloud gasped. Dio looked interested.
"Oh? So you know about him, do you?"
"Where'd he go?" Cloud demanded. Dio suddenly turned from buoyant to annoyed.
"I don't know. He left."
Cloud turned to Aerith.
"Oh great! We've lost him!"
"I told you he'd come up here," Aerith said slyly.
"Well, he didn't look like he was having fun," Dio interrupted flippantly. "Anyhow, I suppose I'd better leave you to enjoy yourselves. Have a nice time, Cloud."
He walked off in the direction of the Round Square. Cloud stared after him in distaste.
"Oh man," he breathed.
"That Dio," Cait Sith remarked, "he definitely bats for the other team!"
"Tell me about it," Cloud rolled his eyes. "He thought I was into Sephiroth or something."
Aerith stared at him in horror.
"I hope not!"
Cloud returned her a look of offence, rather than anger.
"Hey, what do you take me for!"
Aerith suddenly burst into laughter.
"Cloud, I didn't mean anything!" she began to walk off. "Hey, let's go on to the Speed Roller-Coaster! I'm sure Tifa and Red won't mind if we're a bit late."
After having a ride on the Speed Roller-Coaster, they managed to clock up enough points to win a special prize. The woman at the collection point handed Cloud a small package of glittering dust.
"What the hell does this do?" Cloud cried, ready to ask for his money back. The woman explained to him in an air of forbearance.
"It's called stardust. When you sprinkle it on an enemy, it uses powerful magic. But I'd use it wisely, because it's very rare. The only time it's usually used is on the higher-class enemies at the Battle Square."
Realising the dust could come in useful during the near future, Cloud pocketed the pouch. After that, the three went back to the Wonder Square to play more arcades, and then exchanged their copious amounts of GP for equally amounts of Gil. Then, Cloud and Aerith realised that the three hours were definitely up.
"Hell, we'd better get down to the Battle Square. The others will be waiting for us."
They travelled down the Battle Square. Red and Tifa were already standing outside the large Battle Plaza.
"We were wondering whether you'd ever come!" Tifa greeted, and immediately noticed Cait Sith "Who's this?"
Cait Sith abruptly gave a little bow on top of the mog's head.
"Cait Sith, fortune-teller. Charmed to meet you."
Cloud introduced the others to the cat.
"Cait Sith, this is Tifa and this is Red XIII. We've got someone else in our party - Barret - but he's in a bit of a mood at the moment."
Tifa placed her hands on the hips and shifted her weight to one side.
"Oh, that man! Let's just get on with enjoying ourselves, shall we?"
They all seemed to agree on the proposal and they climbed the great staircase up to the Battle Arena. As they got to the top, something peculiar seemed to greet them. A Shinra security guard was stumbling forward from the arena doors, moaning in pain and clutching at his stomach.
"What's wrong with that man?" Aerith asked, perplexed. Cloud began to move forward to assist the man, but the guard suddenly let out an agonised cry and simply tumbled down on to the floor. Stupefied, Cloud bent over and rolled the man on to his side. There was a bullet wound to his chest. As the others gathered round in horror, Cloud questioned the man in an urgent voice.
"What happened here? What's going on!"
The guard opened his mouth, but nothing came out but a choking strangled sound. Then the man closed his eyes and his head lolled backward. Cloud shook his head hopelessly.
"Dead."
"But who'd shoot him?" Cait Sith intervened, shocked. The others looked at each other fearfully, wordless. Barret had a gun. Barret had been full of bitter remorse not long ago.
But was Barret a cold-blooded killer?
Cloud stood up.
"We've got to check this out."
The five rushed into the Battle Arena.
Not a sound was to be heard as they entered. The previously bustling place was now filled with bleeding corpses, all riddled with gunshot wounds to various parts of their bodies. Blood was splattered everywhere on the shiny, marble floors and ceiling.
"This is terrible!" Tifa exclaimed. "Who's done this!"
"Well, Sephiroth couldn't have done this. He uses a sword." Cloud lowered his voice. "And I find it hard to believe Barret did either."
"Don't you think Sephiroth just might have used a gun to kill these people so that people wouldn't think it was him?" Red suggested skeptically.
Cloud shook his head with certainty.
"No. Sephiroth would never use a gun. Let's just put it this way. He's a war hero. His sword is his pride and joy. That sort of thing means a lot to people like Sephiroth."
A movement at the further end of the room startled him. The woman at the reception desk was trying to sit up, unsuccessfully. She was drenched in blood. Cloud ran to her and held her stained hand.
"What happened?" he begged from her. "Who did this to you!"
The woman coughed, spilling blood on to her white desk.
"A man came..." she spluttered roughly, "...he shot all the people...I begged him to stop..." She faltered off, gasping for breath. Cloud gripped her hand tightly, trying not to lose her attention.
"What did he look like, tell me!"
The woman, however, slumped forward on to the desk again, spent. Cloud released her hand, choked and furious. He turned: and saw Dio standing in the doorway, complete with a band of Shinra guards. Obviously horrified at what he saw, he gazed at Cloud with a sudden sternness.
"Well, well, my boy, I must say I'm very disappointed in you."
"Wait!" Cloud cried indignantly. "We didn't do anything! They were all dead when we got here!"
One of the Shinra personnel pointed an upbraiding finger at the group.
"I know them, Dio! They're from that rebel group, AVALANCHE!"
Dio drew himself straight, his face taut with wrath.
"I'm afraid," he began, in a low, dignified voice, "that I'm going to have to arrest you all for the murder of these innocent people."
"Please!" Tifa cried wildly. "We've done nothing! It wasn't us...!"
"Sorry," Dio cut in coldly, "but you're wanted terrorists." He motioned to the guards. "Arrest them!"
There was nowhere to run or hide. The guards closed in on the five, dragging Cloud forward, handcuffing him with an electronic tag device. Taunting and cackling the guards shoved him out to a side door. Dio walked up to him.
"You're making a big mistake," Cloud spat at him vehemently. Dio simply shook his head gravely.
"I must say, I'm very disappointed in my, boy. Very disappointed." He glared round at the five, contempt complete on his face. "You will pay for your crimes down below! Take them away!"
With this last instruction, Dio said no more and turned his back on them, leaving them to be taken 'down below'.
-oOo-
Next: An old acquaintance from Barret's past makes an appearance...