Midgar at night was beautiful. As ironic as it sounded, it was true.
All sorts of holes in the wall were opening, welcoming anyone in to listen
to the local bands and dance the night away. The main attraction was the
3's a Crowd bar, whose bartender was very familiar. At least to everyone
else. Her name was Marlene, and she was about twenty. Everyone kept talking
about her from the days of Avalanche, and Meteor, but I was barely born
back then.
Tonight, I would start my adventure early. The less time I spent sitting around, the more time fending off the monsters, at least in theory. If I were to make it to Junon, I could get Vel to take me in for tonight, and then I could a ship across the ocean, then hotfoot it through the mountains to Cosmo Canyon. It was a farfetched plan, but at a time like this, planning was done on the feet. The security around Sector 3 was light and the route outside had absolutely no one, now that lesser officers were being called to duty.
The path out was just as I expected. Mack's Place was closed, and I remembered the promise I told him. My big job? This could be it. All through the night, as I traveled to the port town of Junon, a millions thoughts and sayings flooded my mind. Don't look to far down the road, Think big, Don't give up, Be nice: You never know when the person you meet may save your life. Whatever. I tried to contain my excitement as I entered the lively city. Shinra troops were filling into whatever ships pulled into the bay. Sneaking on would be too risky, I thought. Mercenaries actual number one rule was risk, but not on their first mission. You had to feel your way in. Or so I thought.
Vel's Diner was abuzz with news of the monster invasion on Nibelhiem. It was eleven o'clock as I spotted my sister Vel, sweating as she filled her register with gil. Her room was upstairs, but it would be better to let her know I was here. She looked very busy though, and one break in ringing up gil would be priceless. Finally, after a couple left, I almost leapt across a few tables, breathing heavily in Vel's face. She was black, like me, but very thin, and of average size, not too big, but not to small. She shot me a disoriented look as a group behind me gathered to pay.
"Sorry, this will only take a sec." I breathed. "Can I stay here tonight? Just tonight. Tomorrow I will be taking the ship. Please."
"Uh, OK." She said, still confused. "Tell me later."
I ran past everyone, embarrassed, although no one was really paying attention to me. I slumped on a couch, and turned on the TV, where coverage of the monsters was being live, with a reporter standing outside Nibelhiem. At a safe distance of course.
"Hello, this Patricia Dominguez reporting. Tonight, we had a chance to interview townspeople, who were found evacuating the city, traveling to Cosmo Canyon."
The montage had terrified people stammering words and cursing the monsters and wherever they came from. Finally, the newscast ended with an overhead shot of a group of birds swooping over the city. I sat anxiously, hoping by the time I got there, I would be able to battle, and hopefully gain a job from all of this.
The door opened, and an exhausted Vel collapsed beside me.
"You OK?" I asked, sitting up.
"Yeah." She said. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, you heard about the news of monsters invading Nibelhiem?" I asked. She tiredly nodded.
"Let me guess, you go over there, and hopefully get to fight, then, by some stroke of luck, gain another job?"
I smiled, then nodded.
"Good for you." She said, smiling lazily. "There's just one more thing. How do you think I got my job?"
Confused, I answered by hard work, not really knowing how to answer it without avoiding a lecture.
"No, risk. I took a risk on the people of this town taking me in, and eating my food. And, it worked."
"What are you trying to say?" I inquired, eager to see where she was going with this.
"I'm saying waiting isn't helping anyone, especially when someone's life is on the line. Tonight, the last ship pulls in at midnight. It's eleven thirty. You have plenty of time to make it. Just keep in mind this may be a Shinra ship, and you may have to sneak on, but that's - "
"A risk I'll have to take." I smiled again. I never thought my sister Vel would just say it like that. But, as most successful business people, she motivated me, and I found myself with a second wind, and at the door, saying goodbye to Vel.
"Before you go." She said, turning and going to her room. "Here. It's about 1000 gil. Use it any way you want. Just don't expect to get it so easily next time."
I thanked my big sister, then sped down the sparsely populated streets of upper Junon, hearing the boom of the ship pulling in. My feet's pace quickened, and I soon found myself at the mouth of the ship, where a group of Shinra guards were busy equipping themselves.
"Ten minutes until departure! Ten minutes until departure!" the navigator shouted from the top deck. The ship was in nice shape, and looked like it was an outdated cruise ship before. I looked around, and saw a group of guys throwing boxes onto the boat.
"Risk." I muttered under my breath. "I'll never know unless I try."
I made my way towards them, almost halting as one looked up, making eye contact with me.
"You Jackie Pace?" he said, causing the others to stop and look at me.
"Uh, no." I answered, now fully stopped.
"Hey you!" All of us looked at the open door on the side of the ship where the boxes went. There was a short, pudgy man holding a cigar with an angry look on his face.
"Get back to work! And you, you're late! Get this done, and board the ship! Don't get left behind!" the door slammed behind him, and I couldn't suppress a smile as I joined them in carrying wooden boxes to a loading area.
"So, what's exactly in these?" I lifted a small wooden container, following someone to the ship's opening.
"Guns and stuff. We are actually apart of this crew fighting as well, but being the new guys, we gotta learn the ropes, and that means doing whatever they don't want to." A black haired man stated.
"Sounds OK." I stated, carrying a slightly larger one, then deciding where to place it.
"That spots good right there." He pointed. "You really must be new here. My names Pat Rosenhowen. I'm twenty-six, but I just joined a few weeks ago. When'd you come on?"
"A few minutes ago." We both laughed, helping each other on a very large box.
"My name's Mike. Mike Redsis. I'm really hoping to fight." I said.
"Cool. Me too. I've always heard stories of battle and such, but I really haven't experienced it before." He stated, placing the box down and following the rest to the quarters. I followed, hoping this crew would take me until I could escape and go out on my own. But right now, the smart thing to do was to stick with them.
"Good to see you all made it." He double taked on me, and took the cigar out of his mouth. "Who are you? Did you sign up with us? You can't be Jackie Pace."
I stopped, and time seemed to stop with me. While I was searching for an answer someone spoke up.
"Remember how you always needed more people? And how you didn't care where they came from?" Pat nodded at me.
"Oh, why didn't ya say so? Welcome! Now, don't expect to fight so soon. All we do is replace anyone who should fall to the monsters." He then stood in front of us, all at attention. "Our plan is this: The Materia Force will attack from the front, and the Sharp Force will attack from every other direction. WE are the last resorts. In other words, if we lose, everyone loses. Right now, we supply the weapons and materia needed. After that, we camp out and wait. Got it?"
"Yes sir!" the room boomed. I quickly joined in, startled.
"Now, go to your bunks. The trip to the coast of Nibel is ten hours. Get some rest and be prepared as soon as we hit shore!"
The trip was long, so sleep wasn't an option. I slept on the floor, as Pat and Andrei used their beds. Andrei was a fairly large individual, and the strongest of everyone. Pat told me he really wasn't very bright, but could wallop anyone and anything around. Pat had black hair and brown eyes, and stood a little taller than me. I was only 5'7", with a regular frame. I wore a pair of jeans and a worn out Gold Saucer T-shirt with low cut tennis shoes. All of the other loaders wore the same type clothing, their uniforms not ready.
The journey to becoming a mercenary had just begun.
Tonight, I would start my adventure early. The less time I spent sitting around, the more time fending off the monsters, at least in theory. If I were to make it to Junon, I could get Vel to take me in for tonight, and then I could a ship across the ocean, then hotfoot it through the mountains to Cosmo Canyon. It was a farfetched plan, but at a time like this, planning was done on the feet. The security around Sector 3 was light and the route outside had absolutely no one, now that lesser officers were being called to duty.
The path out was just as I expected. Mack's Place was closed, and I remembered the promise I told him. My big job? This could be it. All through the night, as I traveled to the port town of Junon, a millions thoughts and sayings flooded my mind. Don't look to far down the road, Think big, Don't give up, Be nice: You never know when the person you meet may save your life. Whatever. I tried to contain my excitement as I entered the lively city. Shinra troops were filling into whatever ships pulled into the bay. Sneaking on would be too risky, I thought. Mercenaries actual number one rule was risk, but not on their first mission. You had to feel your way in. Or so I thought.
Vel's Diner was abuzz with news of the monster invasion on Nibelhiem. It was eleven o'clock as I spotted my sister Vel, sweating as she filled her register with gil. Her room was upstairs, but it would be better to let her know I was here. She looked very busy though, and one break in ringing up gil would be priceless. Finally, after a couple left, I almost leapt across a few tables, breathing heavily in Vel's face. She was black, like me, but very thin, and of average size, not too big, but not to small. She shot me a disoriented look as a group behind me gathered to pay.
"Sorry, this will only take a sec." I breathed. "Can I stay here tonight? Just tonight. Tomorrow I will be taking the ship. Please."
"Uh, OK." She said, still confused. "Tell me later."
I ran past everyone, embarrassed, although no one was really paying attention to me. I slumped on a couch, and turned on the TV, where coverage of the monsters was being live, with a reporter standing outside Nibelhiem. At a safe distance of course.
"Hello, this Patricia Dominguez reporting. Tonight, we had a chance to interview townspeople, who were found evacuating the city, traveling to Cosmo Canyon."
The montage had terrified people stammering words and cursing the monsters and wherever they came from. Finally, the newscast ended with an overhead shot of a group of birds swooping over the city. I sat anxiously, hoping by the time I got there, I would be able to battle, and hopefully gain a job from all of this.
The door opened, and an exhausted Vel collapsed beside me.
"You OK?" I asked, sitting up.
"Yeah." She said. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, you heard about the news of monsters invading Nibelhiem?" I asked. She tiredly nodded.
"Let me guess, you go over there, and hopefully get to fight, then, by some stroke of luck, gain another job?"
I smiled, then nodded.
"Good for you." She said, smiling lazily. "There's just one more thing. How do you think I got my job?"
Confused, I answered by hard work, not really knowing how to answer it without avoiding a lecture.
"No, risk. I took a risk on the people of this town taking me in, and eating my food. And, it worked."
"What are you trying to say?" I inquired, eager to see where she was going with this.
"I'm saying waiting isn't helping anyone, especially when someone's life is on the line. Tonight, the last ship pulls in at midnight. It's eleven thirty. You have plenty of time to make it. Just keep in mind this may be a Shinra ship, and you may have to sneak on, but that's - "
"A risk I'll have to take." I smiled again. I never thought my sister Vel would just say it like that. But, as most successful business people, she motivated me, and I found myself with a second wind, and at the door, saying goodbye to Vel.
"Before you go." She said, turning and going to her room. "Here. It's about 1000 gil. Use it any way you want. Just don't expect to get it so easily next time."
I thanked my big sister, then sped down the sparsely populated streets of upper Junon, hearing the boom of the ship pulling in. My feet's pace quickened, and I soon found myself at the mouth of the ship, where a group of Shinra guards were busy equipping themselves.
"Ten minutes until departure! Ten minutes until departure!" the navigator shouted from the top deck. The ship was in nice shape, and looked like it was an outdated cruise ship before. I looked around, and saw a group of guys throwing boxes onto the boat.
"Risk." I muttered under my breath. "I'll never know unless I try."
I made my way towards them, almost halting as one looked up, making eye contact with me.
"You Jackie Pace?" he said, causing the others to stop and look at me.
"Uh, no." I answered, now fully stopped.
"Hey you!" All of us looked at the open door on the side of the ship where the boxes went. There was a short, pudgy man holding a cigar with an angry look on his face.
"Get back to work! And you, you're late! Get this done, and board the ship! Don't get left behind!" the door slammed behind him, and I couldn't suppress a smile as I joined them in carrying wooden boxes to a loading area.
"So, what's exactly in these?" I lifted a small wooden container, following someone to the ship's opening.
"Guns and stuff. We are actually apart of this crew fighting as well, but being the new guys, we gotta learn the ropes, and that means doing whatever they don't want to." A black haired man stated.
"Sounds OK." I stated, carrying a slightly larger one, then deciding where to place it.
"That spots good right there." He pointed. "You really must be new here. My names Pat Rosenhowen. I'm twenty-six, but I just joined a few weeks ago. When'd you come on?"
"A few minutes ago." We both laughed, helping each other on a very large box.
"My name's Mike. Mike Redsis. I'm really hoping to fight." I said.
"Cool. Me too. I've always heard stories of battle and such, but I really haven't experienced it before." He stated, placing the box down and following the rest to the quarters. I followed, hoping this crew would take me until I could escape and go out on my own. But right now, the smart thing to do was to stick with them.
"Good to see you all made it." He double taked on me, and took the cigar out of his mouth. "Who are you? Did you sign up with us? You can't be Jackie Pace."
I stopped, and time seemed to stop with me. While I was searching for an answer someone spoke up.
"Remember how you always needed more people? And how you didn't care where they came from?" Pat nodded at me.
"Oh, why didn't ya say so? Welcome! Now, don't expect to fight so soon. All we do is replace anyone who should fall to the monsters." He then stood in front of us, all at attention. "Our plan is this: The Materia Force will attack from the front, and the Sharp Force will attack from every other direction. WE are the last resorts. In other words, if we lose, everyone loses. Right now, we supply the weapons and materia needed. After that, we camp out and wait. Got it?"
"Yes sir!" the room boomed. I quickly joined in, startled.
"Now, go to your bunks. The trip to the coast of Nibel is ten hours. Get some rest and be prepared as soon as we hit shore!"
The trip was long, so sleep wasn't an option. I slept on the floor, as Pat and Andrei used their beds. Andrei was a fairly large individual, and the strongest of everyone. Pat told me he really wasn't very bright, but could wallop anyone and anything around. Pat had black hair and brown eyes, and stood a little taller than me. I was only 5'7", with a regular frame. I wore a pair of jeans and a worn out Gold Saucer T-shirt with low cut tennis shoes. All of the other loaders wore the same type clothing, their uniforms not ready.
The journey to becoming a mercenary had just begun.