The Last of an Elite
Chapter Twenty One: Friendship
By InterfaceLeader
-~-~-~-
Tseng ducked as the bird's beak came shooting towards him. It slammed into the wall behind, ripping a hole through the metal and concrete.
Tseng slid sideways, out from the gap between bird and wall. The monster was stuck for a second, it's curved yellow claws scraping fruitlessly at the metal as it tried to pull its head back. He took the opportunity to make a quick sweep of the surroundings. He was armed, but firing a gun in the laboratory – where one miss could send lethal chemicals everywhere – didn't strike him as a wise idea and was one reason he had ordered the guards out.
The bird yanked itself free and spun to face the enemy, claws screeching across the floor. It's bloated body swayed backwards and forwards as it focused on the dark shape of the man. Tseng eyed it thoughtfully, and then glanced towards the specimen lift, a reinforced glass dome at the far side of the room.
The bird raced forwards again, beak lowered like a javelin. Tseng stepped to the right and watched the bird shoot past.
"You're not very bright are you?"
The bird spun round again, confused and annoyed. It turned its head sideways, red eyes glittering as it found the figure again. It let out an angry shriek and once again ran forward, determined to spear the elusive human.
Tseng waited until it was almost on him before diving sideways. The bird slid onwards helplessly, straight into the specimen lift. Tseng slammed the door shut behind it, the lock falling into place automatically.
"Definitely not very bright..." He watched the bird attack the curved walls of the dome in a desperate bid for freedom, feathers filling the space inside, until it gave up and sank in an exhausted heap in the middle of the floor.
He started to leave the lab, intending to find the two guards that had run off and investigate what had happened, but paused when he noticed the white envelope that lay on a nearby surgical table, addressed only to "Shin-Ra". Tseng picked it up and opened it.
My fellow employee's,
This is my letter of resignation. I feel Science has lost its power under you, you tame it and profit from it but that is all. The true thirst for knowledge means little if anything to you, and my best work is strangled at birth. Therefore I must leave.
My greatest project is about to show you the true potential of Science. I took the basic tenets of evolution and improved upon them, I merged the schools of biology, chemistry and psychology to create a unified wholeness. I am God, in that I have created a new life form, better that any that currently exist, including man.
I have left you everything else. The monsters in particular. One of the few puzzles I have not yet managed to solve is that of the difference between Man and Monster. Where is the line drawn? Physical appearance is not enough, a thing may look human but carry none of that which we associate with humanity. And by the same coin something that looks bestial may be more humanitarian than any man. I attempted to draw out the essence of humanity, to localise it, but sadly that was a failure. My follower may continue my experiments into this if he wishes.
I must admit to being somewhat disheartened by your lack of enthusiasm for my better projects. Therefore, in order to demonstrate a minor point about the power of Science I have taken the liberty of reversing one experiment you bade me do, and that has been extremely useful to you. One that was a result of my research into that which makes us human. You will find out which one I mean. Suffice to say it will affect those I felt most betrayed and threatened by.
Science has touched and affected you all. I hope you will show it the respect it deserves in the future. Assuming you are still around of course.
Best Wishes –
Dr. Hojo
Tseng folded the letter up and went in search of the President.
-~-~-~-
Reno had never managed to work out why hotels and inns always had rooms with three beds. Why three? Most travellers were either single businessmen or families on holiday. Either way three beds didn't work.
He also wondered why he had to share the room with Rude and Elena. True, there were three of them and there were three beds so it seemed logical. But they were Turks, they should get private rooms with en-suite bathrooms surely?
The third thing he wondered, and that which had caused his puzzlement over the other two oddities, was how Rude – practically the quietest guy in the world – managed to also be the loudest sleeper he had ever met.
As another reverberating snore echoed around the room Reno gave up the fight for sleep. Sliding out of bed he searched around the floor under it for his clothes.
He found his trousers almost straight away, but his shirt took a little more effort, and when he finally pulled it out it was wrapped around something thin and rectangular. He hesitated, looking down at it. He knew what was inside, and he regretted adding it to the small amount of luggage he took on missions, but he hadn't known what else to do with it.
He pulled his shirt on without bothering to button it, and carried the object outside. It was a freezing night, the wind humming as it gusted about the streets of Junon, dragging at the flags and wires and whipping Reno's hair around.
He lit a cigarette, shivering. The sea stretched out before him, a dark seething mass reflecting the cold starlight above, and he felt for a moment as though he was caught between two infinities. Blowing out a lungful of smoke, he dispelled his thoughts and turned his attention to the object.
It was a science/personnel file, slightly larger than the ones he was familiar with. His name was printed on the front in neat capitals: Denli, Reno.
Part of him thanked Elena for smashing up his rib again. Because of her everyone had forgotten he'd been ready to return to work when the file went missing. Another part of him wondered at his sanity at stealing from Hojo of all people. The scientist already had a strange hatred of Turks which Tseng had attributed to one of their former members – Vincent? – causing some problems for the Sephiroth project. The details were hazy, but Hojo's dislike of anyone in a blue suit was well known. And a third part of him blamed Rude for stirring up his curiosity in the first place, with his probing questions into Reno's Mako treatment and scars which had created a mess of strange thoughts that he'd been unable to rid himself of.
All I've got to do is open the file and I'll know the truth. The real story.
He hooked his fingers under the cover but didn't open it. He was cold, he was tired, and he wasn't sure he actually wanted to know what had been done to him.
-~-~-~-
Tseng met Rufus just before the new President left the building, about to board the helicopter that would take him to Junon. Heidegger was there too and they both read the letter thoughtfully.
"Gya-ha-ha! Most interesting President!"
"Interesting is hardly the word Heidegger. When did Hojo leave?" Rufus directed the last question at Tseng.
"Two days ago sir."
"What could he have sabotaged before he went?"
"Almost anything. If he was working at night there would have been few people around, and no one would suspect him of deliberately reversing one of his own projects."
"Indeed. There is very little we can do now. Heidegger, you're in charge of tracking down Hojo and finding out what he has done. Tseng, you were already investigating his records and so forth, continue with your job but be aware of this." Rufus held up the letter.
"Yes sir."
Rufus turned to get on the helicopter, but then paused and looked back. "I'm going to Junon, and a few other places. I'm assuming both Sephiroth and Avalanche have been dealt with. In particular I hope your Turks succeeded in eliminating Sephiroth at Junon."
"....Sephiroth hasn't arrived at Junon yet sir. When he does it will be our top priority to intercept him." Although not necessarily to eliminate him. I don't intend to let all my Turks get killed just because you're underestimating his power.
"Hmmm." Rufus frowned slightly at Tseng and then climbed aboard the helicopter.
-~-~-~-
"Scarlet" Reeve felt uncomfortable in her office after the events of last time he had seen her, but Rufus had demanded he investigate who was stealing the power, and to his annoyance the trail had led to Heidegger's partner, the woman who controlled the army and it's equipment, Scarlet.
"Reeve" Scarlet sighed, feeling just as annoyed to see him. It had been unreasonable of her to expect never to see him again considering they worked together but still...
"Um..." Reeve looked down at the schematics he held and the photo's he had taken at the reactor that was losing power. They made up damning evidence against the woman, but Reeve really didn't feel he was the damning type.
"What do you want? Make it quick." She snapped.
"Oh er...." Reeve flushed "I didn't mean to bother you, I mean I know you're busy and all, but – "
"Stop apologising and spit it out!"
"Er, yes, sorry – but it's about the reactor in sector three. Um, it appears someone's – "
"Stealing power? Kya-ha-ha-aha-ha!" Scarlet laughed. Reeve turned a deeper shade of red.
"Er, yes."
"Quite the detective aren't you? I was expecting Tseng to arrest me, not you. Kya-ha-ha!"
"A-arrest? Oh I'm not – "
"Stealing from Shinra is a crime Reeve." Scarlet smiled. "However I have the power I need. So you can forget about it now. Kya-ha-ha!"
"Erm." Reeve looked down at the bits of paper in his hands. "Couldn't you have just taken the power legally? I mean – you are in charge of the army."
"Someone might have asked what I wanted it for." Scarlet shrugged. "It was easier to just modify the power output point so it didn't register on the meter."
"How did you alter the panel without cutting off the supply whilst you worked on it? It's pretty obvious someone rewired the circuitry and I don't see how that could be done while the power was on – unless you electrified yourself."
Scarlet sighed. "Reeve – you're a good electrician and I've no idea why you haven't figured it out for yourself. Mastered lightening materia. In a defence slot. Kya-ha-ha-ha! Makes things so much simpler."
Reeve blinked. "Of course! But wouldn't it blow the circuit if you were conducting electricity and had a lightening materia?"
"It would have done." Scarlet agreed "But I made some modifications to the defence slot before hand, so most of the output was earthed."
"Really? Can I see what changes you made?" Reeve said, excited. "Something like this could revolutionise safety procedures! And it would be far easier to get into intricate circuits if we didn't have to worry about shielding and so forth."
"I suppose it would." Scarlet said, not having thought about safety procedures. "And that would increase efficiency and hence raise profits wouldn't it?"
"And cut the number of fatalities and work related accidents!"
"Less people to pay damages to – "
The two looked at each other.
Reeve coughed. "Anyway. I'll leave you in peace." He hastily backed out through the door, dropping a few bits of paper and muttering apologies. Scarlet watched him go, feeling oddly disappointed.
"Strange man. At least he didn't ask me what I wanted the power for. Kya-ha-ha!" She smiled to herself and returned to her work.
-~-~-~-
A/N: There aren't any continuity errors (at least I hope not) from when Reno was in hospital. He was able to get the file before Elena broke his rib again. Heh, yes, even the comedy bits relate to the story. ^_~
My beta-reader thinks the last two chapters are a little heavy on plot/character and a little light on humour/action. I couldn't think of anyway of changing the emphasis though, without delaying and confusing the story. So you get a tiny fight scene and some mildly sarcastic comments and that's it. Don't abandon the story, it'll get more interesting soon for those of you who like action ^_^;;