Later that day in the Shin-ra laboratory…
There was a terrible hissing sound as the huge cryo-tube opened and filled the room with a mist like gas. The liquid had been drained and the wires fell from the body of the contained man. When the mist cleared Reno could see the man crouched in the corner shivering like a frightened child. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. Come on out." Reno said softly. The figure rose to his feet and stepped out into the cold white room. He winced as the light invaded his eyes for the first time in almost 7 months. He stood up straight in front of Reno and tried to speak. "W…w…where am I?" he said silently.
"Don't worry, we're just here to help, please sit here." Reno replied in that same soft fatherly tone. He motioned to a chair that had a high back with a headboard. This board had wires attached to a pair of goggles. It looked like a chair overgrown with black weeds as the cables coming from the goggles twisted around the base of the chair, spiralling back up to the headboard. The man rubbed his eyes and brushed his wet black hair to one side. He sat down in the chair as instructed. "Now put those goggles on." Reno continued. The seated figure did as he was told. Reno moved to behind a large computer panel in the back left corner of the blank sterile room, where he was joined by the scientist he had spoken to three days ago. "Now talk me through this again." Said Reno, his voice returning to its usual harsh uncaring tone.
"Well commander," replied the scientist in a frightened style, "the goggles will show him images of his life in soldier and in service to the Shin-ra. Then it will show Cloud trying to destroy Shin-ra's base in Junon. Next Cloud will slaughter this guy's family and then impale him with his sword. I think that this will put him under our control for definite and he will be more than ready to kill Cloud."
"Excellent, activate the device!" Reno yelled.
The room was filled with a green flash and then the seated man began to cry out as the phoney memories probed their way into his brain. When the bright flashes had subsided the man was sweating as if he had just run from Midgar to Wutai and back. He was panting heavily and Reno moved over to him and removed the goggles. "Stand up and tell me who you are." He said.
The man stood up and saluting he cried "Yes sir commander Reno, I am Soldier first Class…
…ZACK!"
