The Future Imperfect
AN – Thanks for the great response for the last chapter! Sorry if there are any reviews I haven't replied to, my notifications from fanfiction have stopped working (again) so I'm not sure I caught them all.
Chapter Twelve
Cloud looked up at the towering Shinra building, that was at the dead centre of Midgar and stood sentinel over the entire city. It gleamed a menacing black and green against the night sky, a shining beacon of Shinra's wealth and prosperity.
Footsteps clanked next to him. Cloud snuck a glance sideways to see that it was Angeal, his square jaw visible underneath the pointed SOLDIER Third Class helmet he was wearing.
"Home sweet home." The SOLDIER muttered quietly. "I guess some things never change."
Cloud hummed in reply, turning back to scan the building looming above them.
Another heavy footstep and a man dressed in the uniform of a trooper flanked Cloud on the other side. Without needing to check, he knew it was Sephiroth. The man was dressed as an elite security guard, the red pauldrons and scarf denoting the rank. Genesis was wearing the outfit of an ordinary trooper, something he had already complained about endlessly. They hadn't exactly had the luxury of choosing, their outfits were based on whichever uniform fitted them best.
As before, it had been Tifa's idea for the change in disguise. As she'd put it "An outfit that allows you to go unnoticed in the slums won't work in the Shinra building". When they had run across Shinra security patrols on their ascent to the plate, she had suggested raiding the bodies for their uniforms. The SOLDIERs had hated it, but unfortunately no one had a better plan. Angeal had been particularly unhappy, but Cloud thought that might be because the only uniform they had found that fit him was that on a SOLDIER Third Class. It was a slightly different uniform to the one he was used to, he had confided to Cloud, but it still felt wrong to be putting it on. It felt wrong to him to be fighting against SOLDIERs full stop.
The disguises wouldn't work if anyone was actively looking for Angeal, Genesis or Sephiroth – they were too distinctive, as were their weapons which they were all still carrying despite swords not being a part of a trooper outfit. But Genesis had admitted earlier that he was convinced they had all died at some point over the last seven years, so no one had any reason to be looking for them. Which was very helpful, as this infiltration would be difficult enough anyway without having to worry about what happened if anyone in Shinra recognised the First Class SOLDIERs.
Otherwise, their journey to the plate had been largely uneventful. Between the six of them, they had brushed aside the Shinra troops that had come after them, even some sort of flying monstrosity that must have come from the Advanced Weaponry Division. Now they were stood on a raised walkway overlooking the main entrance, which was teeming with security guards and troopers.
"Rolled out the welcome wagon." Barret noted as he came to stand the far side of Angeal.
"Let's just think this through." Cloud cautioned, looking down at the troops.
"So, I got an idea. Full frontal assault, guns blazing. Make for a good story!"
Genesis glared at Barret. "And you are supposedly the leader of an anti-Shinra group? However have you survived this long?"
Cloud rolled his eyes at their bickering. "Why did we bring you two along again?" He looked down at the scene below them. "Rear entrance. We'll get inside via the parking garage."
"A sound plan." Sephiroth agreed, sending a small smile Cloud's way. The blond ducked his head, embarrassed by the praise. Genesis brushed past them and headed for the stairs down towards the ground level.
"Well, we can't waste more time standing around here."
They made their way onto a bridge that ran above the slip road into the parking garage. Cloud paused in the middle of the bridge while Tifa leant over the side to watch the oncoming vehicles.
"That one there!" She cried, watching a truck coming towards them. "That's a Shinra truck, isn't it?"
Cloud nodded. "Come on." He positioned himself on the edge of the bridge, watching the truck coming towards them.
"What-?" Barret was cut off as Cloud and Tifa swung over the bridge simultaneously, landing on the roof of the truck. A second flash and Sephiroth leapt over the far side of the bridge, hitting the truck roof just behind the first two.
Cloud looked back to see the rest of their party still on the bridge, openly gaping as they disappeared on the truck through into the garage entrance.
The truck rolled to a stop by a barrier, a pair of security guards checking it over carefully. But they didn't look up at the roof, only scanning the contents and the underside of the vehicle. The three riding on top of it crouched low, keeping in balance as the vehicle moved off again and trundled through the garage before finally entering a bay.
"Let's leave it here, it's late. We can unload tomorrow." One of the troopers in the truck called to the other as they disembarked, earning a grunt in return. They locked the truck and were turning to leave when shouting came from the entrance to the garage, accompanied by gunfire and some very familiar shouting.
Cloud exchanged a look with Sephiroth and Tifa before rolling his eyes and jumping from the truck. A swipe with the flat side of the Buster Sword quickly laid out both the troopers, who were thrown in the back of the truck for good measure. Then they made their way over to the commotion.
Barret, Genesis and Angeal had engaged the security guards at the entrance, drawing more to them with the noise. Cloud jumped into the fray, scattering the guards that were arriving from deeper within the garage.
"Bring it on!" Barret shouted as he ran to engage them.
"The idea was to not get noticed!" Cloud called after him.
"Stealth ain't my style." Barret replied, letting loose with his gun arm.
"You never planned to be stealthy in the first place." Cloud sighed in exasperation, swinging his sword to pick up the stragglers. A burst of fire flew past him and hit a guard hound that was about to attack. Cloud shot a quick nod of thanks towards Sephiroth as he finished it off.
"Hey!" Barret almost sounded offended. "This ain't on me!"
"He's actually correct," Genesis sighed as he casually flung fireballs in all directions, knocking back guards effortlessly. "Angeal had the ignominy to fall off the top of the truck directly onto a security guard."
"It was an accident." The man in question ground out as he took out the last guard dog before holstering his sword. "I overbalanced. I'm not exactly built for stealth."
"Exactly my point!" Barret jabbed the air with his gun arm for emphasis.
"Both of you have about as much grace as a behemoth stampeding around a china shop." Genesis flicked his fingers at them. "Still, the damage is done now. There won't be a guard down here who isn't aware there are intruders."
"Then we have to make sure they can't report our identities back to the tower." Sephiroth stated calmly, drawing his sword. Angeal sighed and rolled his shoulders.
"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this."
"We can incapacitate where possible," Genesis reassured him. "But they weren't fighting to capture us just now."
Cloud moved over to the gates into the next section of garage and eyed the troops that were waiting there, weapons ready and alert. "They don't know exactly where we are, but they know we are coming." He looked back at the others. "Ready?"
He hit the button that opened the doors and ran through.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Angeal wiped his blade on the jacket of the last trooper he'd taken down. He'd relegated his Buster Sword into his holster on the back and was now using a standard SOLDIER broadsword again. It was slightly less noticeable and he could almost convince himself it was part of the disguise, although Sephiroth and Genesis were still very blatantly using their custom swords despite being in trooper uniforms.
"There's no one left down here." Genesis reporting, returning from the far side of the garage. Cloud nodded and headed towards the stairs up to the entrance lobby of the Shinra building.
"Nobody's home." Barret stated, walking into the lobby.
"It's late," Angeal agreed, looking out of the windows. "They've remodelled in here since our time."
"Do you have any idea where they would be holding Aerith?" Tifa asked, looking up at the floors rising above them. There was a central lightwell that spanned almost thirty floors, making them feel very small.
"I'm thinking a research facility, that would make the most sense." Cloud replied.
"Floor sixty-five." Sephiroth stated. "Hojo would not let anyone else handle the last of the Ancients."
"If Hojo is still here," Genesis reminded him. "For all we know, he's sitting on a beach in Costa surrounded by bikini clad women right now." All those who knew Hojo cringed at the mental image that conjured up.
Sephiroth shook his head. "No, Hojo is responsible for SOLDIER. He would not be allowed to leave."
"We can check at the reception desk." Tifa said, moving over to a hexagonal desk that was surrounded by a blue forcefield. She looked at it warily. "I don't know about you, but I don't think we should try touching it."
"We could just keep heading up." Cloud suggested, heading towards sweeping stairs that went up to the next level.
"You won't be able to get to the elevators without a keycard." Angeal informed him with a frown. "I'm not sure how we are going to get any further into the building."
"There is no hate, only joy." Genesis stated dramatically. "For a keycard awaits those who are bold enough to take it." He pointed at the reception desk, where the all-important keycard had been left next to the main terminal.
"But how do we get in?" Cloud asked.
"Going up and over maybe?" Tifa scanned the room. "Pretty sure I could reach it if I hop across the lights." Hanging light fixtures almost made a path from the mezzanine to the reception desk, several metres in the air. "I'm the only one that would be light enough to do it."
"We don't have to resort to lights." Angeal told her with a smile. "One of us could easily give you a boost." The forcefield around the desk was about twice the height of a human, which was well within a SOLDIER's capabilities.
"Oh." Tifa's cheeks reddened slightly. "Of course. That makes sense." She looked between the three. "So, who is up for it?"
Genesis grimaced ruefully under his trooper helmet, rolling his left shoulder. "O for a muse of fire, that would ascend! But I would not wish to risk it, my dear."
"I imagine you will be more comfortable with Angeal." Was Sephiroth's cryptic reply as he stepped away from the desk. Tifa didn't deny it though as she took in a deep breath and turned to Angeal.
"Ok then. Ready?"
He clasped his hands together and nodded. Tifa ran forwards, lightly springing into his hands. With a heave he threw her upwards, she flipped once in mid air before neatly dropping through into the centre of the reception desk.
A quickly drawn breath had him glancing at Genesis, whose eyes had tracked Tifa's every move. A sneaking suspicion began to wind its way across Angeal's mind as he watched the redhead, while Tifa held up the keycard triumphantly.
"Fine work." Barret cheered as Tifa moved over to the console.
"I should be able to disable security from here…" She told them, reaching forwards to start typing on the keyboard. Almost instantaneously the forcefield dropped away. Tifa backed away, hands up.
"Hotdamn, girl."
"But… I didn't do anything." Tifa looked at the computer in confusion.
"We can't worry about that now. Can you use that thing to check where the lab is?" Cloud asked her.
"Mmhmm. Bingo – Professor Hojo's lab, sixty-fifth floor."
"Looks like he is still here." Genesis sighed. "Correct as usual, Sephiroth."
"We'll only be able to get to the fifty-ninth floor initially." Sephiroth informed them, walking to the stairs up to the mezzanine. "Then we will have to try to upgrade the keycard for access to the secure floors. The reception desk at floor fifty-nine might be able to help us, if we can persuade them that we are needed for security on one of the higher floors."
"We have our keycards, we could see if they still work?" Angeal suggested, but Sephiroth shook his head.
"We would risk triggering security, it is likely our access privileges have been revoked."
"We can worry about that once we've reached the fifty-ninth floor." Cloud stated, heading up the stairs towards the mezzanine.
"An' how we getting up there? I vote elevator." Barret looked from one to the other hopefully.
"We can probably risk the elevator." Angeal suggested. "Keep the distinctive swords out of sight and look like the four of us are escorting Barret and Tifa."
"Yeah!" Barret exclaimed enthusiastically. Tifa rolled her eyes at him fondly as she used the keycard to get them access to the elevators. "Let's go!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Cloud looked down at the city from the Skyview hall on floor fifty-nine. Lit up at night, the view was spectacular. Cloaked in darkness the recent destruction couldn't be seen, the only evidence was a dark shadow where Sector Seven should have been lit up like the rest.
"So this is the Skyview Hall, hm? Bet this place cost a fortune and then some." Barret was grumbling behind him. Sephiroth huffed out a breath of amusement from his position next to Cloud.
"Your friend is certainly consistent in his convictions."
Cloud spared him half a smile as Barret came stomping over. "Damn fools. The ones who come here at night to take in the view. So pretty and marvellous and beautiful, but every little light burning bright runs off her blood and bit by bit they bleed her, never stopping to think how it'll end for 'em."
They stood silently for a few moments, just taking it all in.
"We need to find the reception desk." Cloud reminded him, reluctantly turning his back on the view. Tifa was standing with Genesis towards the centre of the room, she waved them over.
"It says to scan the keycard here," Tifa explained, holding up the card. "Are we ready?" Receiving nods from the others, she tapped it against the reception desk.
A hologram of a woman popped up on the desk.
"You must be here on our grand tour. Visitors have access to floors sixty, sixty-one, sixty-two as well as floor sixty-three. You will proceed in that order. By the exit of each floor, you will find a device that will allow you to update the keycard in your possession, thereby allowing you to access the next floor. And now begins your grand tour, please enjoy the Shinra experience." The hologram disappeared with a little wave.
"Why does this whole thing gotta be such a big pain in the ass?" Barret complained.
Tifa frowned at the keycard she was holding. "I don't know about you, but this is kinda weird."
"You think everything is going too well?" Cloud asked her, having thought the same himself.
"Yeah, I do. Think this is a trap?"
"We don't have much choice either way," Genesis told her gently, grasping her lower arm and squeezing softly. "But we will be there with you."
Tifa gave him a small smile. "That helps, thank you."
Genesis ducked his head again, but not before Cloud noticed a dusting of red on his cheeks. Cloud narrowed his gaze suspiciously at the redhead, but was distracted as Sephiroth stepped past him.
"I believe this tour is new. I am curious as to what it contains."
"Yeah, let's get this party started!" Barret stomped after Sephiroth, who had stopped by a pair of glass doors. Tifa passed Cloud the keycard and he let them all through and up an escalator. At the top, there was a large door surrounded by engravings. Cloud shrugged and, with no other option, used the keycard on the pad next to the door.
It opened to reveal a golden statue of President Shinra on a plinth in the centre of the room.
"Welcome to the Shinra building, our humble home." A tinny voiceover announced, which Cloud quickly tuned out as he stared at the monstrosity in front of him.
"Well this is definitely new." Genesis commented from close to the door.
"Oh hell no." Barret stomped straight up to the statue. "What is this?"
"I think I just threw up a little." Tifa almost looked green as she walked around the room dedicated to President Shinra. Posters showed him through the ages, meeting various dignitaries or standing with his old schoolmates. A replica of his gun, an ostentatious golden pistol, had a dedicated display case.
"This does seem a bit excessive." Angeal agreed, bringing up the rear of their group.
"Come on," Cloud led them to an exit at the back of the room. They found themselves in a dark corridor, before large screens on either side lit up and the tinny voice was back, this time annoyingly enthusiastic.
"Hey everybody, how's the grand tour? I hope you're all enjoying yourselves. Wasn't it fun to learn about Shinra and our esteemed president? And to get a peek at the president's momentos? That was super cool!"
"I don't know whether to be more offended by the irritating tone or the language." Genesis grumbled. "Whoever came up with this script should be fired. At this point I don't care if it's from their job or from a cannon."
Sephiroth was watching the screens, which were showing the department heads. Cloud stood next to him as a set of five figures stood on the screen.
"Where is Lazard?" Sephiroth asked suddenly, drawing their attention to it. "Heidegger, Hojo, Scarlet and Palmer are there, but no Lazard. Has he been replaced? I'm not sure who this is." He gestured to a man wearing a blue suit with a neat goatee who stood with his arms crossed.
"That's someone in City Planning… Tuesti, I think his name is." Angeal supplied as the images disappeared from view to be replaced with one of the president. "He wouldn't know anything about SOLDIER, he can't be a replacement for Lazard."
"Looks like we'll find out," Genesis waved to the door that had just opened at the far side of the corridor. "We've been promised the opportunity to find out a little about what they do here, which must include what the departments are responsible for."
"These all look so familiar," Tifa commented as they passed through the door to find a set of large machines on display.
"Cos we've destroyed a bunch of 'em already." Barret replied with a satisfied grin. Cloud walked over to a hologram of a woman wearing a low cut dress.
"Scarlet." Sephiroth informed Cloud quietly. "She rose to prominence during the early years of the Wutai war, due to the advanced weaponry she sent to the front line. A lot of it was experimental, we spent a lot of time trying to stop it from malfunctioning and attacking civilians or even our own troops. But the President loved it and she was quickly elevated to an executive director."
Cloud nodded thoughtfully, but before he could reply Genesis called over to them. "I've found a SOLDIER outfit! Next to Hojo."
They passed the hologram of the director of the Space and Aeronautics division – "Palmer," Sephiroth muttered to Cloud. "Utterly useless head of a redundant division in our time, and judging by the lack of content on display not a lot has changed now" – and moved on to a hologram of a man in a white coat. Next to the hologram was a mannequin dressed in the same uniform that Angeal was currently wearing, that of a SOLDIER Third Class. Genesis had leant forwards to look closer at the mannequin, before turning around and scanning the room.
"I can't see Hojo actually running SOLDIER though, it must be under Heidegger. What on Gaia happened to Lazard?"
Cloud started to tune Genesis out. He was looking at the hologram of the man, which was glaring out at the room with a scowl on his face. Tifa leaned for a closer look and accidently activated it. Professor Hojo's voice filled the room.
"Welcome to Shinra headquarters. My duties as director of Research and Development are, in all likelihood, far beyond your ability to comprehend. So, there will be no presentation, as it is a waste of my time and yours…" Cloud stopped being able to take in the voice, as he was thrown back to a time when he had heard it in person. As the bespectacled, hunched figure leant over towards where he was held, the front of the white lab coat brushing against the outside of the tube. Cloud's breathing started to pick up, blackness encroaching on the edge of his vision.
A hand on his bicep distracted him. He looked over to Sephiroth, who was standing next to him with his arms folded. Hidden by his left elbow, his right hand had reached out to hold Cloud while his gaze remained on Hojo.
Cloud breathed deeply, turning away from the scientist. "Thanks," he murmured. The hand gave his arm one final squeeze before gently letting go. Cloud carefully averted his gaze to see the rest of the group had congregated around a hologram of a tall, portly man with a large bushy beard wearing a stylised military coat.
"Somehow SOLDIER has been incorporated into Heidegger's department." Angeal explained to Sephiroth as he approached. "No sign of Director Deusericus anywhere."
"That explains the new uniforms," Genesis sniffed, gesturing to the prominently pointed helmet Angeal was wearing. "Heidegger never did have a sense of style. I mean, just look at that coat. Positively garish."
"But what has happened to SOLDIER?" Sephiroth asked, sounding a bit lost. "It was the pinnacle of Shinra's fighting forces during the war, headed by a man who was reportedly the illegitimate son of the President himself, and yet now barely anything remains? Lazard Deusericus is gone, we are gone, and it's just become a minor subdivision within Heidegger's domain."
"Well shit. I know you said you were from the past an' all, but I din't really believe it. Now though… you've nearly convinced me." Barret scratched his head with his good arm. "I dunno what to tell you, I don't know what happened. It was a while ago though, back when I still used to buy into their bullshit, there were lots of rumours. Rumours Shinra shot down, about SOLDIERs goin' rogue an' all that. Reckon I would have carried on thinking that it were just a rumour, but now… knowing what I do, knowing a bit about Corel, an' Nibelheim," he nodded to Tifa, "I think maybe it's one of Shinra's cover ups. But we ain't gonna get your answers here."
Angeal rubbed at his jaw with his hand. "Sometimes it feels like this is a bad dream. I know seven years is a while but… it's not that long, really. How did things get so messed up? Everything I've always known is gone now." A heavy silence fell, Genesis and Sephiroth considering Angeal's words while the rest fidgeted. Cloud's gaze fell onto each SOLDIER's face in turn, all were wearing similar expressions of confusion. He shook his head. He didn't have the answers they needed, he could barely remember anything from the last few years, not since Hojo – well, probably not the time to dwell on that.
"Barret's right, no answers lie here. We need to keep moving." Cloud stated. They passed by the final hologram, the suited man who spoke about infrastructure projects and city developments, before moving to the door out of the room.
They found themselves in another corridor lined with screens, and the tinny guide telling them all how they would learn about the city of Midgar in the next room.
Sure enough, a large scale model of the city filled the space. The broken plate above Sector Six, caused by an accident during the construction process, helped to orientate them. The slums, hidden deep beneath the plate, were glossed over as though they were not there. Which, Cloud reflected, was probably exactly what Shinra had in mind. Easier to ignore a problem when you didn't see it, after all.
"Rotting pizza in the sky." Barret murmured, as they moved swiftly past it and on to the next part of the experience, which happened to be a Virtual Reality tour. As soon as the six of them stepped into the large theatre they were directed to, the walls disappeared and they were subject to a green idyll.
"The hell-!?" Barret shouted as the world moved around them. A new voiceover piped into the room as they soared above a green planet covered in flowers and filled with people wearing unusual clothes.
"In the distant past, our planet was home to a people we call the Ancients. Many millenia before we discovered mako, these precursors were already pioneering its use. Somehow they learned of the great reservoir of energy pulsing beneath their feet. And once they had… the Ancients developed the means to harness this bountiful energy and bend it to their will. The fruits of their labours have survived to this very day in the form of certain kinds of materia. Their scripture, too, has endured: "We who are born of the planet, with her we speak. Her flesh we shape. Unto her promised land shall we one day return. By her loving grace and providence may we take our place in paradise."
The images around them changed as the people vanished and green turned to ash.
"Alas, the Ancients themselves are long gone. Two thousand years ago, a meteor brought an end to their civilisation. But before their fiery end, did the Ancients find their promised land? Even now, we have only too wonder. Times have changed – and the Shinra Electric Power Company is committed to changing and evolving with them. Like the Ancients, we have harnessed the power of mako."
The image was now showing Midgar, its mako reactors glowing brightly as they converted mako to electricity, before changing again into a futuristic city gleaming white above a green forest.
"Are they out there, watching us? Waiting for us to join them in some blessed corner of the world – a green and verdant land, where boundless mako energy will provide for our every need? Shinra is working for you, to fulfil the hope of the Ancients and lead us to that promised land. We shall not rest until our dream is realised."
The images disappeared to be replaced with the Shinra logo.
"That was…" Angeal looked like he was struggling for words.
"Chocobo shit?" Barret supplied.
Genesis snorted. "An apt phrase."
"That it?" Barret asked as the theatre rematerialized around them.
But then, with a flash of static, the theatre was gone again. The image now showed the streets of plateside Midgar. An orange glow filled the air. Cloud looked up to see a cloaked figure standing on a building, in front of an orange ball looming vastly in the sky.
People ran screaming past them, and Cloud flinched even though he knew they weren't real and would just pass through him.
Twisters hit the city, moving down the streets. Cloud looked over to where Tifa was cowering away from the raining debris and gasped as the tall figure of Sephiroth stood behind her, his back to them. He was wearing his trademark leather coat and his silver hair was floating in the wind being kicked up by the firestorms around the city.
A second, similarly tall figure in a trooper outfit stepped protectively in front of Cloud, holding Masamune ready. The image flickered around them and the false Sephiroth disappeared. Cloud stepped around their Sephiroth, looking up into his face to see his jaw clenched tightly as he stared at where his doppelganger had been.
The Shinra tower toppled and fell, before the whole simulation flickered to a close.
There was a momentary silence while they digested what they had just seen.
"It oughta come with a warning!" Barret exploded. "That ain't for kids!"
"That huge meteor…" Tifa rubbed her arms for comfort. "What was that all about?"
"It doesn't make sense." Genesis agreed, moving closer to her, almpst without realising he was doing it. "The first part is the kind of saccharine promotional material I was expecting, although rather more enlightening about Shinra's plans that I thought it might be. The second… I don't think that is something Shinra would intend to show anyone. It's almost as though someone has hacked their programme."
"That must be what happened." Angeal stated, looking around at the empty theatre. "Though it would have taken some technical skills. I could almost feel the heat coming off that thing."
"Like I said, nothing you should show a kid." Barret frowned. "Nor the first bit too, all that twistin' of the Ancient lore to promote Shinra. It ain't right."
Sephiroth strode to the exit silently, looking tense and with his blade still unsheathed. Cloud followed, unwilling to bring up what he had seen when the others clearly had not. The tall SOLDIER hit the button that unlocked the door, inflicting them to more of the tinny voice recording while they were congratulated on completing their tour. But the voice cut out abruptly before the end of its spiel. Instead, the door slid open to reveal a short, grey haired man with a pointed goatee in a white jacket.
"Greetings and welcome. Avalanche, I presume? My name is Hart and it's a pleasure to meet you."