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Transmission

Chapter 1

This is Merlin's fault!

It was a typical Saturday morning, a mid-winter day and twelve days before Christmas. And I still haven't done the Christmas shopping! I had to stay home because:

It was a stormy grey day and pouring it down with rain. The consequences of winter. I'm the only person in the house, which means I have to baby-sit an over-exited and a complete smeghead of a dog named Spike.

Feeing the pressures of boredom overcome me, I decided to play some Playstation. (Actually, it's a Playstation 2, but what're you gonna do?) I flicked on the switch and started to flick through the games. Just Bring It?…….Too many times.Metal Gear Solid 2? Nah, starting to lose its va-va-voom. Hm? Final Fantasy VII, eh? Haven't played that one for a while. I pressed to open disc tray button and put disc one inside. There was a slight diversion in which the cat-flap rattled and the always familiar black-and-white cat came into the room and looked up to me with the 'I'm hungry' look that I knew so well. He let out a long low 'meow!' (He's half Siamese.)

'Whassat, Merlin'? I said without thinking.

I looked down at him. 'Not now.' I said.

I looked back up to the screen. It was still black.

Without warning, Merlin suddenly dived forward and sank his long, razor-sharp claws in my leg. I jumped up, my calf very painful.

'ARGHHHHHH! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!' I screamed at him. He just looked at me more smugly. 'Alright already!'

I stormed back to the kitchen and seized the bag of cat food and threw some, rather haphazardly, in his bowl. That's enough to last him 'till Christmas Eve.' I thought.

I turned back to the screen. It is still blank.

'It's crashed! Hasn't it?'

As I started to walk towards the PS2, I noticed the 'holes' in my leg Merlin put there a minute before, was starting to really hurt and, sure enough, as I pressed the disk tray button again, the pain reached such a pitch I thought the room was dissolving around me. Trouble was, it was dissolving around me!

Disorientated, I looked at my surroundings. It is very different than the place I just left. Yet, so familiar. It was a train station. Two men, both wearing strange red uniforms were standing with their backs to me. I looked down at my own clothing. The clothes I was wearing before I came was a tan sweater and blue jeans. Now, however, I'm wearing a suit. A black blazer, pants and a tie. With a white shirt. I gazed at my new garments for a second. I then looked to see a train pull up at the station. A young man suddenly leapt out. I watched as one of the guards went for him, but the man, (who I recognised as Biggs.) was ready for him and gave him a backbreaking judo throw. The other guard started to run towards him, but was caught by surprise by a red-haired girl who leapt out of the train and gave a stiff kick to the guard in the mid-section, knocking the wind out of him.

A short, fat young man stepped out and ran out, following the other two. Neither one giving me so much as a glance. This changed, however, the wrong way as a man of a big burly build. He had black skin. I recognised this man as Barret, followed by another young man of around twenty-one dressed in purple.

'C'mon, newcomer. Follow me.' Barret said to the man in purple. (Who, you should've guessed by now, is Cloud.)

As they ran passed me, Barret caught sight of me and eyed me, suspiciously.

'Who're you?'he said with somewhat dislike.

'I'm…' I paused there. Wondering if I should use my real name.

'I'm…Seath. And I'm a, uh, a….an explorer!

Barret suddenly raised his gun-arm and pointed it at my face.

'Liar! That suit……You're obviously from Shinra!'

'What? No!' I replied, putting my hands up. As I did, I noticed black straps across my body. I followed them to the sides of my body. And I found two holsters. Both holding two handguns. One silver, the other black. I drew them out and pointed them out to Barret.

For a while, we stared each other down. Then I finally put my guns down.

'Look.' I said. 'I'll prove to you that I'm not from Shinra!

'Oh yeah? How?'

'I know your goal. To blow this up,' I jerked my thumb to the reactor. 'and not many people from Shinra would allow it. So what if I came with you? What if I helped you blow it up?

For a tense moment, Barret stood there, not moving. Then finally he lowered his gun and grinned.

'You've got yerself a deal!' he said.

But he suddenly drew his gun up again.

'But I'll tell ya. If you try anything, and I'll fill you up with more lead than a church roof!'

Biggs poked his head through the corner. 'C'mon, you guys! What are you doing?

Barett and Cloud ran after Biggs. I stood there for a split second. Looking up at the two-hundred and fifty foot reactor.

'Time for the first taste of action' I thought drawing a gun and advancing forwards.