Chapter 6: His Precious Specimen
Cloud: We found something up on Floor 67.
Barret: Seems that Hojo guy has somethin.
Perry: We'd better get going then.
Cloud: Let's go.
We all ran to the elevator.
Cloud pushed the up button to get to Floor 66.
Barret: Seems Hojo left the door open to that floor. So we need to take the stairs from here.
Tifa gazed out the window on the world.
Perry: Wonderful view, eh?
Tifa: Yeah.
I had the urge to put my arm around her, but with Cloud and Barret there…
Perry(whisper): Should we tell Cloud and Barret about us?
Tifa(whisper): I don't think so. Cloud has…well…it would interfere with this whole thing.
Perry(whisper): Yeah, you're right.
I noticed Cloud and Barret weren't looking so I gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
Tifa(whisper): Oh. Thank you.
Perry: No biggie.
We reached Floor 67.
Cloud: Let's go! The stairs are this way.
We walked to the stars and went up. Like they said, the door was unlocked.
Barret: Where is Hojo?
Cloud: Maybe back this way.
We ran down a hall with a sign marked "Test Lab Elevator"
We arrived in a small hallway with boxes and some red creature in a tube.
Perry: Someone's coming.
We all hid behind some boxes and watched a man talk with Hojo.
Perry: What are they saying?
Hojo: What a beautiful specimen. Move it upstairs.
Man: Right away.
As the two left the area we came out and looked.
Tifa: This thing is going to be used in some kind of experiment.
Cloud looked into some tube and collapsed.
Perry: What?
I looked inside and saw Jenova. Without her head. I could taste my own vomit after that.
Barret: Where the &%)*s it's god damn head?
Cloud: It's alive. Still moving.
Tifa: Cloud, be strong.
Cloud: Let's keep moving.
Perry: There looks like there is an elevator in the back. We can use it to get upstairs I think.
We made our way to the back.
Upstairs we encountered Hojo.
Cloud: YOU! Give back Aeris!
Hojo: hmm…that's her name? I didn't see why a name mattered.
Barret: You monster!
Hojo: I'm just lending a hand to an endangered specie.
Tifa: That's terrible. Aeris is a human being.
Perry: That's right. She's a person too. So why don't you give her back before I remove you from existence?
Hojo: Kill me? And what? This machinery is very delicate. Who would operate it without me?
Cloud: He's right. Stand down.
Perry: Damn you!
Hojo: Bring in the specimen.
The elevator in the test chamber moved up and the red creature was now with Aeris and it didn't seem to like her.
Cloud: Barret, do something?
Barret: Stand back!
He fired multiple rounds into the chamber doors and the chamber got white.
Hojo: NO! My precious specimen!
He opened the door and the red creature pounced on Hojo.
Cloud: Aeris are you alright?
Aeris: Yeah. Thanks!
She ran out of the chamber and before Cloud could leave he stopped dead.
Tifa: What is it?
Cloud: The elevator is moving.
Red creature: He's rather strong. I'll help you out!
Tifa: It talked!
Red creature: I'll talk as much as you want later.
Cloud: What's you name?
Red creature: Hojo has named me Red XIII. You may call me what you wish.
Cloud: So it'll be you, me, and Barret. Tifa, Perry, keep Aeris safe.
As they went to face the monster I grabbed Aeris by the arm and led her to safety with Tifa.
Aeris: So, you made it this far.
Perry: yup.
Tifa: He's a tough one.
Perry: You would know.
Aeris: What's the deal here?
Tifa: What deal?
Aeris: Nevermind. I'll tell you later.
We watched as Cloud and the others slowly beat the creature into submission.
Barret: Take that sucker!
After the creature was presumed dead we all came back together.
Cloud: Is Aeris alright?
Tifa: She's seems alright. In many ways.
Barret: Don't seem to see why we're here anymore so let's get the hell outta this building.
Perry: Yeah.
Cloud: Let's go to Floor 66.
Perry: We can't just wander around in a large group. Let's split up.
Red XIII: A wise decision. Who shall be the groups?
Cloud: I'll take Barret and Red XIII.
Perry: And that leaves me with the ladies.
Tifa: Don't flatter yourself.
Perry: hehehe
Cloud: …just get down there as soon as possible.
They went ahead, then we all followed after collecting some Potions scattered around the place.
Tifa: Let's go.
After arriving in the elevator we were captured when we reached the bottom.
Soldier: Don't move!
Guards with guns surrounded us.
Perry: We can't win this one.
They took us away to a prison on this very floor.
I was locked up with Aeris.
Perry: Hey, don't be so rude!
Aeris: This is going to get tricky.
Perry: yeah. Wonder what cell Tifa is in?
Aeris: I knew it.
Perry: Knew what?
Aeris: you like Tifa.
Perry: …well…
I was turning a very bright red. Luckily most of my face was covered from a cloak I wore. (think, Auron)
Aeris: I could tell by the way you both stood together.
I thought back to when we rescued Aeris and realized that Tifa and I stood very close together.
Perry: What do you plan to do with that information?
Aeris: nothing.
From behind the wall I thought I heard a voice.
Aeris: What?
Tifa: Just what I was thinking.
Aeris: Don't worry I'll keep it a secret.
Tifa: I hope so.
Aeris: You two are something.
Perry: Yea.
Tifa: Sure.
Aeris: So, what do we do now?
Perry: I'm going to bed.
I was heading for the bed and looked at Aeris for a second. Then I headed for the wall and lied down next to it.
Perry: Pleasant dreams.
As I slept the two girls continued to talk.
Aeris: So you really like him?
Tifa: Well…
Aeris: Don't act all embarrassed.
Tifa: Is he asleep.
Aeris went up to me and checked to see if I was sleeping.
Aeris: He's sleeping soundly.
Tifa: It turns out that I…
Aeris: Oh my gosh!
Tifa: I know! I'm in a terrible spot here.
Aeris: I see.
Tifa: Do not tell Perry about it. Keep it safe.
Aeris: Okay.
Aeris slowly went off to sleep.
In the morning I woke up and found that Cloud had opened my door.
Perry: Cloud, how'd you open the door?
Cloud: Well after we got captured I woke and found mine open.
Perry: I'll wake up Aeris.
Getting to my feet I went over to Aeris' bed.
Perry: Aeris.
She wouldn't wake. I nudged her slightly. Nothing. Then I thought of an old trick. I plugged her nose and she woke up gagging.
Aeris: cough…what was that for?
Perry: You wouldn't wake up.
Aeris: How'd the door open?
Perry: Cloud did it. But let's get moving. It turns out that something is amiss here.
(Something is amiss, and its not the Shinra Building. Just what did Tifa say to Aeris through the wall? And why would Perry not want to know that?)
Cloud: We found something up on Floor 67.
Barret: Seems that Hojo guy has somethin.
Perry: We'd better get going then.
Cloud: Let's go.
We all ran to the elevator.
Cloud pushed the up button to get to Floor 66.
Barret: Seems Hojo left the door open to that floor. So we need to take the stairs from here.
Tifa gazed out the window on the world.
Perry: Wonderful view, eh?
Tifa: Yeah.
I had the urge to put my arm around her, but with Cloud and Barret there…
Perry(whisper): Should we tell Cloud and Barret about us?
Tifa(whisper): I don't think so. Cloud has…well…it would interfere with this whole thing.
Perry(whisper): Yeah, you're right.
I noticed Cloud and Barret weren't looking so I gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
Tifa(whisper): Oh. Thank you.
Perry: No biggie.
We reached Floor 67.
Cloud: Let's go! The stairs are this way.
We walked to the stars and went up. Like they said, the door was unlocked.
Barret: Where is Hojo?
Cloud: Maybe back this way.
We ran down a hall with a sign marked "Test Lab Elevator"
We arrived in a small hallway with boxes and some red creature in a tube.
Perry: Someone's coming.
We all hid behind some boxes and watched a man talk with Hojo.
Perry: What are they saying?
Hojo: What a beautiful specimen. Move it upstairs.
Man: Right away.
As the two left the area we came out and looked.
Tifa: This thing is going to be used in some kind of experiment.
Cloud looked into some tube and collapsed.
Perry: What?
I looked inside and saw Jenova. Without her head. I could taste my own vomit after that.
Barret: Where the &%)*s it's god damn head?
Cloud: It's alive. Still moving.
Tifa: Cloud, be strong.
Cloud: Let's keep moving.
Perry: There looks like there is an elevator in the back. We can use it to get upstairs I think.
We made our way to the back.
Upstairs we encountered Hojo.
Cloud: YOU! Give back Aeris!
Hojo: hmm…that's her name? I didn't see why a name mattered.
Barret: You monster!
Hojo: I'm just lending a hand to an endangered specie.
Tifa: That's terrible. Aeris is a human being.
Perry: That's right. She's a person too. So why don't you give her back before I remove you from existence?
Hojo: Kill me? And what? This machinery is very delicate. Who would operate it without me?
Cloud: He's right. Stand down.
Perry: Damn you!
Hojo: Bring in the specimen.
The elevator in the test chamber moved up and the red creature was now with Aeris and it didn't seem to like her.
Cloud: Barret, do something?
Barret: Stand back!
He fired multiple rounds into the chamber doors and the chamber got white.
Hojo: NO! My precious specimen!
He opened the door and the red creature pounced on Hojo.
Cloud: Aeris are you alright?
Aeris: Yeah. Thanks!
She ran out of the chamber and before Cloud could leave he stopped dead.
Tifa: What is it?
Cloud: The elevator is moving.
Red creature: He's rather strong. I'll help you out!
Tifa: It talked!
Red creature: I'll talk as much as you want later.
Cloud: What's you name?
Red creature: Hojo has named me Red XIII. You may call me what you wish.
Cloud: So it'll be you, me, and Barret. Tifa, Perry, keep Aeris safe.
As they went to face the monster I grabbed Aeris by the arm and led her to safety with Tifa.
Aeris: So, you made it this far.
Perry: yup.
Tifa: He's a tough one.
Perry: You would know.
Aeris: What's the deal here?
Tifa: What deal?
Aeris: Nevermind. I'll tell you later.
We watched as Cloud and the others slowly beat the creature into submission.
Barret: Take that sucker!
After the creature was presumed dead we all came back together.
Cloud: Is Aeris alright?
Tifa: She's seems alright. In many ways.
Barret: Don't seem to see why we're here anymore so let's get the hell outta this building.
Perry: Yeah.
Cloud: Let's go to Floor 66.
Perry: We can't just wander around in a large group. Let's split up.
Red XIII: A wise decision. Who shall be the groups?
Cloud: I'll take Barret and Red XIII.
Perry: And that leaves me with the ladies.
Tifa: Don't flatter yourself.
Perry: hehehe
Cloud: …just get down there as soon as possible.
They went ahead, then we all followed after collecting some Potions scattered around the place.
Tifa: Let's go.
After arriving in the elevator we were captured when we reached the bottom.
Soldier: Don't move!
Guards with guns surrounded us.
Perry: We can't win this one.
They took us away to a prison on this very floor.
I was locked up with Aeris.
Perry: Hey, don't be so rude!
Aeris: This is going to get tricky.
Perry: yeah. Wonder what cell Tifa is in?
Aeris: I knew it.
Perry: Knew what?
Aeris: you like Tifa.
Perry: …well…
I was turning a very bright red. Luckily most of my face was covered from a cloak I wore. (think, Auron)
Aeris: I could tell by the way you both stood together.
I thought back to when we rescued Aeris and realized that Tifa and I stood very close together.
Perry: What do you plan to do with that information?
Aeris: nothing.
From behind the wall I thought I heard a voice.
Aeris: What?
Tifa: Just what I was thinking.
Aeris: Don't worry I'll keep it a secret.
Tifa: I hope so.
Aeris: You two are something.
Perry: Yea.
Tifa: Sure.
Aeris: So, what do we do now?
Perry: I'm going to bed.
I was heading for the bed and looked at Aeris for a second. Then I headed for the wall and lied down next to it.
Perry: Pleasant dreams.
As I slept the two girls continued to talk.
Aeris: So you really like him?
Tifa: Well…
Aeris: Don't act all embarrassed.
Tifa: Is he asleep.
Aeris went up to me and checked to see if I was sleeping.
Aeris: He's sleeping soundly.
Tifa: It turns out that I…
Aeris: Oh my gosh!
Tifa: I know! I'm in a terrible spot here.
Aeris: I see.
Tifa: Do not tell Perry about it. Keep it safe.
Aeris: Okay.
Aeris slowly went off to sleep.
In the morning I woke up and found that Cloud had opened my door.
Perry: Cloud, how'd you open the door?
Cloud: Well after we got captured I woke and found mine open.
Perry: I'll wake up Aeris.
Getting to my feet I went over to Aeris' bed.
Perry: Aeris.
She wouldn't wake. I nudged her slightly. Nothing. Then I thought of an old trick. I plugged her nose and she woke up gagging.
Aeris: cough…what was that for?
Perry: You wouldn't wake up.
Aeris: How'd the door open?
Perry: Cloud did it. But let's get moving. It turns out that something is amiss here.
(Something is amiss, and its not the Shinra Building. Just what did Tifa say to Aeris through the wall? And why would Perry not want to know that?)