Chapter Six: Dark Plans
It was just before sunset over Midgar as a lone figure stared out of the window to his conference room. He was watching the hustle and bustle of the nighttime city, admiring its beauty and its technological wonder. Not a day went by that he wasn't proud of the city he lived in. Well enough, he was in charge of the company that ran the whole city. He was president of the most powerful company in the world, let alone Midgar. He was President Shinra.
He stood with his hands behind his back, watching over the city that he governed. He was in his office, which lay at the very top of the Shinra Headquarters building. It was the most important building in the city, because it was not only the center of its politics but also the center of its power.
He had been just 25 years old when he founded the Shinra Electric Company. He was always the young entrepreneur as a child, but he never had any ambitions to become as successful as he was. That could be attributed to the work of some great scientists. The development of Mako reactors was really what had made him rich, although he'd had success before that in limited areas.
He scanned across the skyline of the city, at the railroads that ran along the outer wall and at the spotlights that stood erect at the border between each sector of the upper plate. It was a marvel of technology. A true testament to the power of the human race. He looked proudly upon the Mako reactors that were within his view. They had put him where he was today.
There was never a day that he didn't wake up thanking God for the city that lay before him, because it was his livelihood and the epitome of his pride in the company that he owned. But exceptional circumstances were forcing him to make drastic measures, and it was going to entail a tough decision. He loved the city, but he loved the company even more and he had to do his best to maintain the company's welfare. No terrorist group, not even one as successful as Avalanche, was going to get in his way.
He had been able to deal with it when one of his reactors was destroyed. It wasn't the first time he'd lost a reactor. They weren't unknown to have problems every once in awhile. One had actually collapsed of its own volition once. But when Avalanche took down the second one, and then escaped to fight another day, it was the last straw. He knew where their headquarters was. Any group as well known as they were couldn't stay hidden for long. They had hit his company hard enough, and now it was time to strike back. It was a tough decision, possibly the hardest in the 61 years that he'd been alive, but he knew it was the only way.
Behind him was a conference desk, and sitting at it was quite possibly the most talented group of people that he'd ever worked with. They were his chief administrators. They ran the company at his side, and were always his source for unbiased comment, advice, and information. Without them, he knew, Shinra was nothing.
He was still facing the window, but he knew exactly where each member of his team was sitting. To his left was Reeve, Heidegger, and Hojo. To his right were Scarlet, Tseng, Elena, Reno, and Rude. All were waiting patiently for him to begin the staff meeting that he had called at the last minute, just hours before.
Reeve was his Chief of Popular Relations. A relatively young man, he was tall, skinny, and very knowledgeable in his field. He was in charge of making sure that the people living in cities controlled by Shinra, especially Midgar, were kept happy and crime-free. If anyone knew the pulse of the city, it was Reeve. The President could always depend on him to let him know how the people were feeling, and how they were likely to react to a new policy or decision.
Heidegger was the Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the head of Soldier. A retired general, he had been too old to be a member of the Soldier program. He was, however, an experienced fighter and an excellent strategist. He was an older and very plump man. He had gone a bit senile in his old age, and he was known to laugh at just about everything (in a very voluminous belt of a laugh which, at times, irritated the President), but he knew what he was doing. Most of the major military engagements of the Shinra were left under his control, although he had very little control over Soldier. He was mostly only given control of the army. Soldier was left to those with more experience in it.
Hojo was the chief scientist of the Shinra, and he was well known throughout the world as one of the most scientifically capable men on the planet. Also an older man, 20 years before he had founded the Soldier program after he discovered that infusing the bodies of human beings with just the right amount of Mako could make them superhumanly strong and exceptionally agile. His discoveries had led to amazing developments in the Soldier program, as well as the development of the Mako reactors that powered the city and had made the Shinra so powerful.
Scarlet was the Chief Advisor, and she was always on hand to give the President advice on his decisions. A younger woman, she preferred to dress to fit her name and today was no exception. Her long dress gown was a dark red color, and it made her look very attractive. There had been rumors for a long time that she held such a prestigious position because she had inappropriate relations with the President, but such accusations had been vehemently denied by both herself and the President as both sexist and misguided.
Tseng, Elena, Reno, and Rude were the four members of the Turks. A secret organization established by the President in the early days of the company, the Turks were always on hand to do his dirty work. Tseng had been there since the beginning, and was in charge now. Reno and Rude had also been members for a good amount of time and knew what they were doing. Elena, an attractive young blonde woman, was their most recent addition, and a bit of a rookie. The President was hoping that she wouldn't be insulted if only the men worked on the next assignment that he was about to give them, because it was going to be of utmost importance.
"I would like to begin this meeting, if you're all ready." He announced, turning away from the window to face his company.
They nodded, eager to see what the meeting was being held for. Being that it was called on such short notice, it was fairly obvious that it was because of something important, and a major decision had been or was going to be made. These kinds of meetings always got everyone excited, because it was times like these that they got to show their true colors, and demonstrate to the President just how advantageous they could be to the decision making process.
"Alright then. First order of business is to settle how progress is doing in each of your departments. We'll start with you, Mr. Reeve." He said, formally beginning the meeting.
Reeve loosened his tie and took a deep breath. He hadn't been expecting to give a progress report at this unscheduled meeting, but as usual he was ready to give one anyway.
"The people have been showing a lot of concern over the two reactor bombings. We've been getting swamped with calls and mail from people wanting to know of they are in danger from the terrorists or Mako leaks, and such. And, we've been getting a steady flow of calls from people claiming to be Avalanche." He said quickly.
"Very good, Mr. Reeve. Thank you." The President responded, and then cleared his throat. "I don't think we need to concern ourselves with any calls claiming to be Avalanche, because I assure you the real ones will not call us. However, we currently know their location and I have an idea that may solve all of our problems."
Reeve raised an eyebrow, but the President held up his hand to hold back his unspoken question.
"No questions just yet. I will explain in a few minutes, but I will say that this will mainly be a job for the Turks so the rest of you won't need to concern yourselves with Avalanche anymore." He said. Everyone nodded, and he continued, "Now, if we could please hear from Mr. Heidegger."
Heidegger gave a hearty one of his trademark laughs, his entire body rumbling and even making the table shake a little as he did so.
"Well, uh, I don't really have anything to report, Mr. President. I wasn't expecting to give one today." He said, obviously a little embarassed.
"That's okay, Mr. Heidegger but please next time come prepared even if it is not a scheduled meeting." The President commented, and then turned to Hojo. "Dr. Hojo, do you have anything to report right now? I know we haven't really had any major experiments going on lately."
"Nothing new to report, really." Hojo answered. "The experiments with the specimen from Cosmo Canyon have been making slow, but steady progress. Other than that, the science department is waiting for something new to come along right now."
The President nodded. "That's what I expected. However, if we are successful in our attempts to catch the so-called Ancient that is living in the slums, then perhaps you will have something more exciting to keep you occupied."
"Do you mean the late Professor Gast's daughter?" Hojo replied. "How is that going? For obvious reasons, we will all benefit if she is brought in so that I can do the proper experiments. Your dream to find the Promised Land will never come true unless she can be brought to me. She is the last of the Ancients. Our only link to our ancestry."
"Yes, I know." The President said. "And we have been making our best efforts to bring her into our custody so that you may begin your experiments. However, in the last attempt her capture was prevented by a former member of Soldier, who is as yet unidentified." He said, looking at Reno.
"Yes, I was unable to capture her, but I will not fail next time. She can only outrun the Turks for so long." Reno said, feeling compelled to defend himself.
"And we all have faith that you will keep that promise." The President replied, making it clear that he knew Reno's talents, as well as those of the other Turks, and he trusted that they would bring the young woman into custody. "But that is not my major concern right at the moment, although it is still one of our main objectives. I have another, more urgent task for you, which is why I called this meeting."
Reno shifted anxiously in his seat, as did Rude and Elena. Tseng remained calm. These sort of things didn't get him excited anymore, much as he did love what he did. The other two men still got nervous with anticipation each time, although they had been doing this for long enough that Tseng wondered why. He knew it wouldn't last. Elena, being new to the job, was reasonably excited, as Tseng expected her to be. Unfortunately for her, she was about to find out that this would not be one of the assignments that she'd be allowed to participate in.
"I want you all to listen to my plan without any comment at first. I will open this up for questions when I am done explaining, but I don't wish to be interrupted while I'm speaking. My plan is going to be controversial among you, and I realize that, but I think when I'm finished you'll realize that it is the best way to do this." The President began. Everyone nodded, and he continued. "You are all obviously aware of the terrorist group Avalanche, and how much of a thorn in our sides they've been lately. I have lost two of my reactors to them, and not only am I very angry but so are the people of Midgar. I am tired of dealing with them, and I want them all dead. We have confirmation that there are at least four or five of them, and one of them is an ex-member of Soldier. I believe he may be the man that you dealt with when you tried to retrieve the Ancient, Reno. This group must be stopped at all costs, or else they will continue to undermine the good of this city." He stopped for a few moments to gauge the reaction of his audience. They seemed to be angered by the very mention of Avalanche. He hoped that anger would help them deal with what he was about to tell them.
"However," he continued, "I will not make martyrs of them. They have quite a following of fellow anarchists in the slums, and nothing will insight the trash living down there more than the execution of their heroes. Therefore I have decided that I will destroy the very place from which they operate, and make it seem as if they did it themselves. My hope is that we will be successful in not only killing the group, but also convincing the people of the slums that their idols betrayed them in the end. I have confirmation from a reliable source that the group operates out of the Sector 7 slums, so that will be our target." He paused again, long enough to let the others know that they could now ask questions.
"What exactly do you have in mind, sir?" Reno asked. "I mean, you've told us that you know where they are and that you want us to destroy them, but how do you plan on doing that?"
"Well, that's the controversial part. Make no mistake, however, I have already made my decision on this and it will be done as soon as possible, whether you agree with me or not." The President answered. "I have decided that you will destroy the pillar that holds up the Sector 7 plate. We will broadcast news stating that this is the suicidal work of Avalanche."
"You want us to destroy Sector 7?" Reno asked in disbelief. Looking around the room, the President could see that everyone else was just as shocked as Reno.
"Yes, that is my plan." He replied.
"But hundreds of innocent people will die, both in the slums and on top of the plate!" Reeve said, clearly very concerned.
"As I have made clear in the past, I do not care about the people living in the slums. I allow them to live there simply because senselessly killing the poor wouldn't go over well in our worldwide diplomacy. As for the people living above, I will take care of that. We will evacuate Sector 7, claiming that there are Mako leaks." The President replied.
"I don't like this at all, sir." Tseng said, breaking the silence that he had kept throughout the meeting so far. "I don't feel that any deliberate destruction of this city is justified, even to put an end to Avalanche."
"Would you rather Avalanche destroy another reactor before we take action?" The President retorted. "I thought I made this clear before, but I'll repeat myself. There is no option here. I want you three to get ready for this mission as soon as possible, and I will do my part in evacuating the upper plate and fabricating the news report." He said, looking at Tseng, Reno, and Rude. "By the way, Elena, I don't feel that you are ready for a mission like this, although I do not mean that in any way as an insult to your abilities."
Elena nodded, a little disappointed but more than little expectant of hearing that. Reno and Rude looked at each other nervously, knowing that they had no choice but to destroy a part of the city that they loved so much. Tseng remained expressionless, but it was still obvious that he was angry about the decision. He just hoped that the President wasn't making a terrible mistake.
"Well then, if everyone is clear on this then I think this meeting is over. Everyone besides the three that I have just given orders to can go back to their standard orders. As always, what has been said at this meeting is between you, me, and the four walls." The President said. With those words, the meeting was at its end. His staff got out of their chairs and left the conference room, all shaking their heads with disbelief, disappointment, or a combination of both.
The President ignored their discontent. He knew that this was the best way, and in good time they would come to know that as well. One way or another, Avalanche would be destroyed and they would be forgotten just as quickly as they had started. He had never tolerated insolence in his life, and that was not about the change.
He waited until the last of his staff had left, and then he turned to once again look out his window and admire the view of the city. One day he would be in charge of a city even more impressive than this one. One day, he would be in charge of a place that would be so amazing that it would defy imagination. For right now, however, he had to defend the one that he had. As the sun fell below the skyline and the city was bathed in the darkness of night, he sighed with anticipation and hoped that with the beginning of the new day would come the end of a great enemy.
It was just before sunset over Midgar as a lone figure stared out of the window to his conference room. He was watching the hustle and bustle of the nighttime city, admiring its beauty and its technological wonder. Not a day went by that he wasn't proud of the city he lived in. Well enough, he was in charge of the company that ran the whole city. He was president of the most powerful company in the world, let alone Midgar. He was President Shinra.
He stood with his hands behind his back, watching over the city that he governed. He was in his office, which lay at the very top of the Shinra Headquarters building. It was the most important building in the city, because it was not only the center of its politics but also the center of its power.
He had been just 25 years old when he founded the Shinra Electric Company. He was always the young entrepreneur as a child, but he never had any ambitions to become as successful as he was. That could be attributed to the work of some great scientists. The development of Mako reactors was really what had made him rich, although he'd had success before that in limited areas.
He scanned across the skyline of the city, at the railroads that ran along the outer wall and at the spotlights that stood erect at the border between each sector of the upper plate. It was a marvel of technology. A true testament to the power of the human race. He looked proudly upon the Mako reactors that were within his view. They had put him where he was today.
There was never a day that he didn't wake up thanking God for the city that lay before him, because it was his livelihood and the epitome of his pride in the company that he owned. But exceptional circumstances were forcing him to make drastic measures, and it was going to entail a tough decision. He loved the city, but he loved the company even more and he had to do his best to maintain the company's welfare. No terrorist group, not even one as successful as Avalanche, was going to get in his way.
He had been able to deal with it when one of his reactors was destroyed. It wasn't the first time he'd lost a reactor. They weren't unknown to have problems every once in awhile. One had actually collapsed of its own volition once. But when Avalanche took down the second one, and then escaped to fight another day, it was the last straw. He knew where their headquarters was. Any group as well known as they were couldn't stay hidden for long. They had hit his company hard enough, and now it was time to strike back. It was a tough decision, possibly the hardest in the 61 years that he'd been alive, but he knew it was the only way.
Behind him was a conference desk, and sitting at it was quite possibly the most talented group of people that he'd ever worked with. They were his chief administrators. They ran the company at his side, and were always his source for unbiased comment, advice, and information. Without them, he knew, Shinra was nothing.
He was still facing the window, but he knew exactly where each member of his team was sitting. To his left was Reeve, Heidegger, and Hojo. To his right were Scarlet, Tseng, Elena, Reno, and Rude. All were waiting patiently for him to begin the staff meeting that he had called at the last minute, just hours before.
Reeve was his Chief of Popular Relations. A relatively young man, he was tall, skinny, and very knowledgeable in his field. He was in charge of making sure that the people living in cities controlled by Shinra, especially Midgar, were kept happy and crime-free. If anyone knew the pulse of the city, it was Reeve. The President could always depend on him to let him know how the people were feeling, and how they were likely to react to a new policy or decision.
Heidegger was the Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the head of Soldier. A retired general, he had been too old to be a member of the Soldier program. He was, however, an experienced fighter and an excellent strategist. He was an older and very plump man. He had gone a bit senile in his old age, and he was known to laugh at just about everything (in a very voluminous belt of a laugh which, at times, irritated the President), but he knew what he was doing. Most of the major military engagements of the Shinra were left under his control, although he had very little control over Soldier. He was mostly only given control of the army. Soldier was left to those with more experience in it.
Hojo was the chief scientist of the Shinra, and he was well known throughout the world as one of the most scientifically capable men on the planet. Also an older man, 20 years before he had founded the Soldier program after he discovered that infusing the bodies of human beings with just the right amount of Mako could make them superhumanly strong and exceptionally agile. His discoveries had led to amazing developments in the Soldier program, as well as the development of the Mako reactors that powered the city and had made the Shinra so powerful.
Scarlet was the Chief Advisor, and she was always on hand to give the President advice on his decisions. A younger woman, she preferred to dress to fit her name and today was no exception. Her long dress gown was a dark red color, and it made her look very attractive. There had been rumors for a long time that she held such a prestigious position because she had inappropriate relations with the President, but such accusations had been vehemently denied by both herself and the President as both sexist and misguided.
Tseng, Elena, Reno, and Rude were the four members of the Turks. A secret organization established by the President in the early days of the company, the Turks were always on hand to do his dirty work. Tseng had been there since the beginning, and was in charge now. Reno and Rude had also been members for a good amount of time and knew what they were doing. Elena, an attractive young blonde woman, was their most recent addition, and a bit of a rookie. The President was hoping that she wouldn't be insulted if only the men worked on the next assignment that he was about to give them, because it was going to be of utmost importance.
"I would like to begin this meeting, if you're all ready." He announced, turning away from the window to face his company.
They nodded, eager to see what the meeting was being held for. Being that it was called on such short notice, it was fairly obvious that it was because of something important, and a major decision had been or was going to be made. These kinds of meetings always got everyone excited, because it was times like these that they got to show their true colors, and demonstrate to the President just how advantageous they could be to the decision making process.
"Alright then. First order of business is to settle how progress is doing in each of your departments. We'll start with you, Mr. Reeve." He said, formally beginning the meeting.
Reeve loosened his tie and took a deep breath. He hadn't been expecting to give a progress report at this unscheduled meeting, but as usual he was ready to give one anyway.
"The people have been showing a lot of concern over the two reactor bombings. We've been getting swamped with calls and mail from people wanting to know of they are in danger from the terrorists or Mako leaks, and such. And, we've been getting a steady flow of calls from people claiming to be Avalanche." He said quickly.
"Very good, Mr. Reeve. Thank you." The President responded, and then cleared his throat. "I don't think we need to concern ourselves with any calls claiming to be Avalanche, because I assure you the real ones will not call us. However, we currently know their location and I have an idea that may solve all of our problems."
Reeve raised an eyebrow, but the President held up his hand to hold back his unspoken question.
"No questions just yet. I will explain in a few minutes, but I will say that this will mainly be a job for the Turks so the rest of you won't need to concern yourselves with Avalanche anymore." He said. Everyone nodded, and he continued, "Now, if we could please hear from Mr. Heidegger."
Heidegger gave a hearty one of his trademark laughs, his entire body rumbling and even making the table shake a little as he did so.
"Well, uh, I don't really have anything to report, Mr. President. I wasn't expecting to give one today." He said, obviously a little embarassed.
"That's okay, Mr. Heidegger but please next time come prepared even if it is not a scheduled meeting." The President commented, and then turned to Hojo. "Dr. Hojo, do you have anything to report right now? I know we haven't really had any major experiments going on lately."
"Nothing new to report, really." Hojo answered. "The experiments with the specimen from Cosmo Canyon have been making slow, but steady progress. Other than that, the science department is waiting for something new to come along right now."
The President nodded. "That's what I expected. However, if we are successful in our attempts to catch the so-called Ancient that is living in the slums, then perhaps you will have something more exciting to keep you occupied."
"Do you mean the late Professor Gast's daughter?" Hojo replied. "How is that going? For obvious reasons, we will all benefit if she is brought in so that I can do the proper experiments. Your dream to find the Promised Land will never come true unless she can be brought to me. She is the last of the Ancients. Our only link to our ancestry."
"Yes, I know." The President said. "And we have been making our best efforts to bring her into our custody so that you may begin your experiments. However, in the last attempt her capture was prevented by a former member of Soldier, who is as yet unidentified." He said, looking at Reno.
"Yes, I was unable to capture her, but I will not fail next time. She can only outrun the Turks for so long." Reno said, feeling compelled to defend himself.
"And we all have faith that you will keep that promise." The President replied, making it clear that he knew Reno's talents, as well as those of the other Turks, and he trusted that they would bring the young woman into custody. "But that is not my major concern right at the moment, although it is still one of our main objectives. I have another, more urgent task for you, which is why I called this meeting."
Reno shifted anxiously in his seat, as did Rude and Elena. Tseng remained calm. These sort of things didn't get him excited anymore, much as he did love what he did. The other two men still got nervous with anticipation each time, although they had been doing this for long enough that Tseng wondered why. He knew it wouldn't last. Elena, being new to the job, was reasonably excited, as Tseng expected her to be. Unfortunately for her, she was about to find out that this would not be one of the assignments that she'd be allowed to participate in.
"I want you all to listen to my plan without any comment at first. I will open this up for questions when I am done explaining, but I don't wish to be interrupted while I'm speaking. My plan is going to be controversial among you, and I realize that, but I think when I'm finished you'll realize that it is the best way to do this." The President began. Everyone nodded, and he continued. "You are all obviously aware of the terrorist group Avalanche, and how much of a thorn in our sides they've been lately. I have lost two of my reactors to them, and not only am I very angry but so are the people of Midgar. I am tired of dealing with them, and I want them all dead. We have confirmation that there are at least four or five of them, and one of them is an ex-member of Soldier. I believe he may be the man that you dealt with when you tried to retrieve the Ancient, Reno. This group must be stopped at all costs, or else they will continue to undermine the good of this city." He stopped for a few moments to gauge the reaction of his audience. They seemed to be angered by the very mention of Avalanche. He hoped that anger would help them deal with what he was about to tell them.
"However," he continued, "I will not make martyrs of them. They have quite a following of fellow anarchists in the slums, and nothing will insight the trash living down there more than the execution of their heroes. Therefore I have decided that I will destroy the very place from which they operate, and make it seem as if they did it themselves. My hope is that we will be successful in not only killing the group, but also convincing the people of the slums that their idols betrayed them in the end. I have confirmation from a reliable source that the group operates out of the Sector 7 slums, so that will be our target." He paused again, long enough to let the others know that they could now ask questions.
"What exactly do you have in mind, sir?" Reno asked. "I mean, you've told us that you know where they are and that you want us to destroy them, but how do you plan on doing that?"
"Well, that's the controversial part. Make no mistake, however, I have already made my decision on this and it will be done as soon as possible, whether you agree with me or not." The President answered. "I have decided that you will destroy the pillar that holds up the Sector 7 plate. We will broadcast news stating that this is the suicidal work of Avalanche."
"You want us to destroy Sector 7?" Reno asked in disbelief. Looking around the room, the President could see that everyone else was just as shocked as Reno.
"Yes, that is my plan." He replied.
"But hundreds of innocent people will die, both in the slums and on top of the plate!" Reeve said, clearly very concerned.
"As I have made clear in the past, I do not care about the people living in the slums. I allow them to live there simply because senselessly killing the poor wouldn't go over well in our worldwide diplomacy. As for the people living above, I will take care of that. We will evacuate Sector 7, claiming that there are Mako leaks." The President replied.
"I don't like this at all, sir." Tseng said, breaking the silence that he had kept throughout the meeting so far. "I don't feel that any deliberate destruction of this city is justified, even to put an end to Avalanche."
"Would you rather Avalanche destroy another reactor before we take action?" The President retorted. "I thought I made this clear before, but I'll repeat myself. There is no option here. I want you three to get ready for this mission as soon as possible, and I will do my part in evacuating the upper plate and fabricating the news report." He said, looking at Tseng, Reno, and Rude. "By the way, Elena, I don't feel that you are ready for a mission like this, although I do not mean that in any way as an insult to your abilities."
Elena nodded, a little disappointed but more than little expectant of hearing that. Reno and Rude looked at each other nervously, knowing that they had no choice but to destroy a part of the city that they loved so much. Tseng remained expressionless, but it was still obvious that he was angry about the decision. He just hoped that the President wasn't making a terrible mistake.
"Well then, if everyone is clear on this then I think this meeting is over. Everyone besides the three that I have just given orders to can go back to their standard orders. As always, what has been said at this meeting is between you, me, and the four walls." The President said. With those words, the meeting was at its end. His staff got out of their chairs and left the conference room, all shaking their heads with disbelief, disappointment, or a combination of both.
The President ignored their discontent. He knew that this was the best way, and in good time they would come to know that as well. One way or another, Avalanche would be destroyed and they would be forgotten just as quickly as they had started. He had never tolerated insolence in his life, and that was not about the change.
He waited until the last of his staff had left, and then he turned to once again look out his window and admire the view of the city. One day he would be in charge of a city even more impressive than this one. One day, he would be in charge of a place that would be so amazing that it would defy imagination. For right now, however, he had to defend the one that he had. As the sun fell below the skyline and the city was bathed in the darkness of night, he sighed with anticipation and hoped that with the beginning of the new day would come the end of a great enemy.