So what's going to happen? Don't ask me, read! That's what the U.S. government does with it's budget. It gives whats left to the school systems.
"So Vincent, how are things going for you?"
"Okay, I guess."
"I know there's more than that. I know you Vincent. Back in the day half the time you wouldn't shut up and the other half you wouldn't even say that much. How are things really going?"
"Better then a short while ago. Do you know what I went through after Lucrecia died?"
"Hojo locked you into the basement and hid the key. You stayed in there for the better part of four decades."
"You knew?"
"That was mostly why I stayed here. Please remove your claw."
Vincent and Baxent were in a small examination room. Baxent was at a medical console and Vincent was sitting in a large chair equipped with fairly disturbing scanners attached to the sides. Vincent removed his claw, more un-at-ease with the claw then the medical equipment closing around him.
"Thanks, it helps to get a undisturbed scan. This will take a minute, hold still."
Flipping a switch on the console, Baxent activated a bar over Vincent's head. The bar slowly moved down in front of Vincent. When it came to the top of Vincent's head, a green light shone out. Wherever it touched Vincent's skin it left it glowing slightly. The bar made it's way down the floor and then back to the top. It went down again, this time emitting a red light. It repeated the process once more. Once at the top again it stopped and moved into a resting position.
"Thanks. It's been a long time since I had to use this thing. Always nice to know you can still do things you could do a long time ago?"
"Is this the psychological portion of the exam?"
"You could say. Plus talking kills the time waiting for the results to come in. It's mostly automated."
"What was that light? I don't know of any machine like it."
"Shouldn't know. It was only used for these labs. It uses raw Mako energy to detect Jenova cells in a human's body. Jenova cells become charged with Mako upon contact. The red light was a specific spectrum that I used for the creatures in you. But enough about my work, what are you doing now? I doubt still with Shin Ra."
"I think the gunshot wound was a clue I wasn't needed anymore. Besides, Shin Ra was dismantled about four years ago. It was reformatted as the World Democratic Order."
"Then I'm not being paid anymore. That's alright, I can retire now. You may not know it, but this job paid well. Considering that I haven't done anything except basic maintenance for almost forty years I feel pretty good. I'm thinking about living the rest of my life in Costa del Sol. How about you? What do you want to do?"
"Keep working. I'll retire someday I feel old."
"You're old now. Take a long vacation. Take a decade off, have fun."
"I don't have that sort of money."
"Sure you do. You are, or were, on active duty according to the payroll. And without the need to cut room and board you've saved up a large amount on money. Especially with forty years of interest."
"I never kept real track of my accounts. I thought Hojo would have terminated my pay along with my life."
"Hojo doing a mere assistant's work? I keep your pay going. You even got a bonus for working on a 'special project.' Kinda funny, a guy came here roundabout twenty years ago to give you an award for your hard work and dedication."
"So how much do I have?"
"Let me calculate for a second. I just put it into an account for you, I can't access it."
Baxent punched a few numbers into the computer and mumbled under his breath.
"It was a long term account so you got 5% interest per year. So, if my calculations are right, you should have about four and a half million gil. I wouldn't be surprised if you had more."
"Really?"
"Really. So what do you plan on doing now? You're fairly young, handsome and loaded. Going to find someone nice and settle down?"
"I'd like to."
"In my opinion, you only have to look in room 12. I think it's obvious you like her. I don't just think it's because she looks like Lucrecia either. She reminds me a lot of you before you slept. You had your serious side, not that you could tell in-between the jokes."
"I've changed."
"I figured. What I think you need to work on is the fact that everyone changes. Not always for the better. Maybe you should try to change back. You were quite the lady killer if I recall."
"Another lifetime."
"Funny thing about life. It nearly always finds a way to surpass death. I don't even think it really dies either. It just stays around somewhere."
Vincent didn't realize it at first, but then he noticed he was laughing. Vincent was laughing like an idiot.
"I say something funny Vincent?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Before you go to Costa del Sol, head to Cosmo Canyon. You'll get it then."
"As strange as it may seem to hear you laugh, gotta say its better than nothing. Welcome back to humanity. Looks like the results are in. Let's see what's up with you."
Yuffie couldn't sleep. It was a very nice room. Whoever lived here before Yuffie had come had very good taste in clothing. Yuffie didn't think the previous owner would mind her borrowing a few things. Oddly she felt like someone was helping her choose a dress from the wardrobe. It was a silk kimono from Wutai. While normally she hated anything pink, she liked this one. The kimono was basically pink, but the ends of the sleeves were dyed sea-blue. A cherry blossom design was sown into the dress. A green sash held everything together. There was even a matching comb she could put into her hair. The design was a lot like one her grandmother wore. It wouldn't seem that odd except that in Wutai, designs were kept by the family that made them. So a similar design was either a extreme coincidence or the owner was from Wutai. Yuffie had long learned not to trust coincidence. Yuffie packed the kimono into her satchel, knowing her father would know whose it was. Yuffie fell into bed, to tired to stay awake and think. Reaching over to turn off the lights, Yuffie saw a picture on the bed stand. It was picture of a beautiful woman standing between two men. One was a small man with a rather distracted look on his rather ugly face. The other guy was tall and handsome, and Yuffie felt like she knew him from somewhere. What was the real puzzle was that the woman looked just like her. Could this be Lucrecia? If so, was this her room? Too tired to keep thinking, Yuffie drifted off into sleep, where she dreamed of two men fighting each other and the wrong one won.
"Vincent, I have one question for you."
"Yes?"
"In your personal records it doesn't give a nationality. I think it might help explain things a bit more."
"I was born on a ship in international waters, so I don't truly belong anywhere."
"That's not what I meant. Where were you're parents born? Where were you raised?"
"My father was a consular to Wutai where he met my mother. I was born on a trip to Wutai."
"On the way to Wutai?"
"My father went back and forth from Midgar and Wutai."
"Where were you raised?"
"I grew up mostly in Wutai."
"And that would be were you learned to fight?"
"Yes. My father didn't discourage it as he thought I might get into the Turks. He did make sure I trained with a gun, which I took up as my preference. So why the history lesson?"
"One more question please. Did you train at the Pagoda of Five Gods?"
"For a while. Relationships became strained as Wutai became anxious to have nothing to do with Midgar. Why?"
"Several reasons. First, you have an enormous concentration of Jenova cells in your system. Far to much for normal circumstances. I think it's because your system has fully recovered from being technically killed and trying to hold everything together. It's now trying to do something."
"And that is?"
"That's the second thing. I'm sure you know that warriors who master the School of the Pagoda of Five Gods can turn into monsters. I imagine that it gave Shin Ra a hard time during their war. Imagine if the Wutains had the access to materia we did at that time. The war could have gone on for decades. I'm telling you this because you might be in danger from your own monsters. The Jenova cells are rejuvenating all cells, not just yours. I think that sooner that later, they'll try to break out."
"'Break out?'"
"I think that the cells will be expelled by your system and create a hybrid of everything in you. Well, not everything."
"What's that mean?"
"Your arm. It's not being affected by the Jenova cells in your body. Your transformations still effect it, but it isn't being taken over."
"So how long do I have?"
"Don't know. It all depends on you. If you activate the transformations it will speed up the process. You need to relax and laugh. You keep being angry, depressed, or upset it will happen soon. Of course it'll happen no matter what you do, but do lighten up."
"If it'll happen no matter what I do, why don't I just get angry? Or is this your opinion?"
"No, this is a doctor's order. You stay angry, your body would be dealing with stress instead of trying to get rid of all the monsters. If it's not expelled, it won't leave your body, it will take over your body. You will cease to be Vincent Valentine and become what Hojo called Order."
"Order. What the hell is that?"
"Something Hojo came up with. He speculated that if you lived then it was possible that everything in you would form in sync with each other. He called it Order as a joke. Your Chaos may be somewhat evil, but Order would be primal instinct combined with human intelligence. When Hojo found out that he couldn't force Order to unite, he tried to wait it out, but he forgot it."
"So I can't transform anymore?"
"You can, but I wouldn't. It might hurry the process up even more. Of course after the expulsion you won't be able to transform into any of them anymore."
"'Of them anymore?'"
"You might still be able to transform as a result of your training in Wutai, but I don't know the particulars. I'd go on all night, but its midnight now and I need my sleep. Remember, room 7."
"Yeah whatever."
"I said no depression. Now go to bed. You look like you could use some sleep."
Vincent stared at Baxent in disbelief. Then started to laugh again.
"I don't know if what I say being a joke to him is a good or what. Night Vincent."
The next morning.
"So how was your night's sleep?"
"Remember how I said I like a quiet night's rest?"
"And how."
"Why didn't you tell me she snores like a wounded dragon?"
"Quote: 'but your still a man, even with all the etcetera,' end quote."
"I deserved that then."
"What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing Yuffie. Coffee or tea?"
As I said, Vincent gets back at Baxent. But What of Order? When Will this ordeal take place? Will I even use it now that such an obvious plot develpoemt has been stated? Stay tuned for the next mediocre chapter. And read & review if you could.
"So Vincent, how are things going for you?"
"Okay, I guess."
"I know there's more than that. I know you Vincent. Back in the day half the time you wouldn't shut up and the other half you wouldn't even say that much. How are things really going?"
"Better then a short while ago. Do you know what I went through after Lucrecia died?"
"Hojo locked you into the basement and hid the key. You stayed in there for the better part of four decades."
"You knew?"
"That was mostly why I stayed here. Please remove your claw."
Vincent and Baxent were in a small examination room. Baxent was at a medical console and Vincent was sitting in a large chair equipped with fairly disturbing scanners attached to the sides. Vincent removed his claw, more un-at-ease with the claw then the medical equipment closing around him.
"Thanks, it helps to get a undisturbed scan. This will take a minute, hold still."
Flipping a switch on the console, Baxent activated a bar over Vincent's head. The bar slowly moved down in front of Vincent. When it came to the top of Vincent's head, a green light shone out. Wherever it touched Vincent's skin it left it glowing slightly. The bar made it's way down the floor and then back to the top. It went down again, this time emitting a red light. It repeated the process once more. Once at the top again it stopped and moved into a resting position.
"Thanks. It's been a long time since I had to use this thing. Always nice to know you can still do things you could do a long time ago?"
"Is this the psychological portion of the exam?"
"You could say. Plus talking kills the time waiting for the results to come in. It's mostly automated."
"What was that light? I don't know of any machine like it."
"Shouldn't know. It was only used for these labs. It uses raw Mako energy to detect Jenova cells in a human's body. Jenova cells become charged with Mako upon contact. The red light was a specific spectrum that I used for the creatures in you. But enough about my work, what are you doing now? I doubt still with Shin Ra."
"I think the gunshot wound was a clue I wasn't needed anymore. Besides, Shin Ra was dismantled about four years ago. It was reformatted as the World Democratic Order."
"Then I'm not being paid anymore. That's alright, I can retire now. You may not know it, but this job paid well. Considering that I haven't done anything except basic maintenance for almost forty years I feel pretty good. I'm thinking about living the rest of my life in Costa del Sol. How about you? What do you want to do?"
"Keep working. I'll retire someday I feel old."
"You're old now. Take a long vacation. Take a decade off, have fun."
"I don't have that sort of money."
"Sure you do. You are, or were, on active duty according to the payroll. And without the need to cut room and board you've saved up a large amount on money. Especially with forty years of interest."
"I never kept real track of my accounts. I thought Hojo would have terminated my pay along with my life."
"Hojo doing a mere assistant's work? I keep your pay going. You even got a bonus for working on a 'special project.' Kinda funny, a guy came here roundabout twenty years ago to give you an award for your hard work and dedication."
"So how much do I have?"
"Let me calculate for a second. I just put it into an account for you, I can't access it."
Baxent punched a few numbers into the computer and mumbled under his breath.
"It was a long term account so you got 5% interest per year. So, if my calculations are right, you should have about four and a half million gil. I wouldn't be surprised if you had more."
"Really?"
"Really. So what do you plan on doing now? You're fairly young, handsome and loaded. Going to find someone nice and settle down?"
"I'd like to."
"In my opinion, you only have to look in room 12. I think it's obvious you like her. I don't just think it's because she looks like Lucrecia either. She reminds me a lot of you before you slept. You had your serious side, not that you could tell in-between the jokes."
"I've changed."
"I figured. What I think you need to work on is the fact that everyone changes. Not always for the better. Maybe you should try to change back. You were quite the lady killer if I recall."
"Another lifetime."
"Funny thing about life. It nearly always finds a way to surpass death. I don't even think it really dies either. It just stays around somewhere."
Vincent didn't realize it at first, but then he noticed he was laughing. Vincent was laughing like an idiot.
"I say something funny Vincent?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Before you go to Costa del Sol, head to Cosmo Canyon. You'll get it then."
"As strange as it may seem to hear you laugh, gotta say its better than nothing. Welcome back to humanity. Looks like the results are in. Let's see what's up with you."
Yuffie couldn't sleep. It was a very nice room. Whoever lived here before Yuffie had come had very good taste in clothing. Yuffie didn't think the previous owner would mind her borrowing a few things. Oddly she felt like someone was helping her choose a dress from the wardrobe. It was a silk kimono from Wutai. While normally she hated anything pink, she liked this one. The kimono was basically pink, but the ends of the sleeves were dyed sea-blue. A cherry blossom design was sown into the dress. A green sash held everything together. There was even a matching comb she could put into her hair. The design was a lot like one her grandmother wore. It wouldn't seem that odd except that in Wutai, designs were kept by the family that made them. So a similar design was either a extreme coincidence or the owner was from Wutai. Yuffie had long learned not to trust coincidence. Yuffie packed the kimono into her satchel, knowing her father would know whose it was. Yuffie fell into bed, to tired to stay awake and think. Reaching over to turn off the lights, Yuffie saw a picture on the bed stand. It was picture of a beautiful woman standing between two men. One was a small man with a rather distracted look on his rather ugly face. The other guy was tall and handsome, and Yuffie felt like she knew him from somewhere. What was the real puzzle was that the woman looked just like her. Could this be Lucrecia? If so, was this her room? Too tired to keep thinking, Yuffie drifted off into sleep, where she dreamed of two men fighting each other and the wrong one won.
"Vincent, I have one question for you."
"Yes?"
"In your personal records it doesn't give a nationality. I think it might help explain things a bit more."
"I was born on a ship in international waters, so I don't truly belong anywhere."
"That's not what I meant. Where were you're parents born? Where were you raised?"
"My father was a consular to Wutai where he met my mother. I was born on a trip to Wutai."
"On the way to Wutai?"
"My father went back and forth from Midgar and Wutai."
"Where were you raised?"
"I grew up mostly in Wutai."
"And that would be were you learned to fight?"
"Yes. My father didn't discourage it as he thought I might get into the Turks. He did make sure I trained with a gun, which I took up as my preference. So why the history lesson?"
"One more question please. Did you train at the Pagoda of Five Gods?"
"For a while. Relationships became strained as Wutai became anxious to have nothing to do with Midgar. Why?"
"Several reasons. First, you have an enormous concentration of Jenova cells in your system. Far to much for normal circumstances. I think it's because your system has fully recovered from being technically killed and trying to hold everything together. It's now trying to do something."
"And that is?"
"That's the second thing. I'm sure you know that warriors who master the School of the Pagoda of Five Gods can turn into monsters. I imagine that it gave Shin Ra a hard time during their war. Imagine if the Wutains had the access to materia we did at that time. The war could have gone on for decades. I'm telling you this because you might be in danger from your own monsters. The Jenova cells are rejuvenating all cells, not just yours. I think that sooner that later, they'll try to break out."
"'Break out?'"
"I think that the cells will be expelled by your system and create a hybrid of everything in you. Well, not everything."
"What's that mean?"
"Your arm. It's not being affected by the Jenova cells in your body. Your transformations still effect it, but it isn't being taken over."
"So how long do I have?"
"Don't know. It all depends on you. If you activate the transformations it will speed up the process. You need to relax and laugh. You keep being angry, depressed, or upset it will happen soon. Of course it'll happen no matter what you do, but do lighten up."
"If it'll happen no matter what I do, why don't I just get angry? Or is this your opinion?"
"No, this is a doctor's order. You stay angry, your body would be dealing with stress instead of trying to get rid of all the monsters. If it's not expelled, it won't leave your body, it will take over your body. You will cease to be Vincent Valentine and become what Hojo called Order."
"Order. What the hell is that?"
"Something Hojo came up with. He speculated that if you lived then it was possible that everything in you would form in sync with each other. He called it Order as a joke. Your Chaos may be somewhat evil, but Order would be primal instinct combined with human intelligence. When Hojo found out that he couldn't force Order to unite, he tried to wait it out, but he forgot it."
"So I can't transform anymore?"
"You can, but I wouldn't. It might hurry the process up even more. Of course after the expulsion you won't be able to transform into any of them anymore."
"'Of them anymore?'"
"You might still be able to transform as a result of your training in Wutai, but I don't know the particulars. I'd go on all night, but its midnight now and I need my sleep. Remember, room 7."
"Yeah whatever."
"I said no depression. Now go to bed. You look like you could use some sleep."
Vincent stared at Baxent in disbelief. Then started to laugh again.
"I don't know if what I say being a joke to him is a good or what. Night Vincent."
The next morning.
"So how was your night's sleep?"
"Remember how I said I like a quiet night's rest?"
"And how."
"Why didn't you tell me she snores like a wounded dragon?"
"Quote: 'but your still a man, even with all the etcetera,' end quote."
"I deserved that then."
"What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing Yuffie. Coffee or tea?"
As I said, Vincent gets back at Baxent. But What of Order? When Will this ordeal take place? Will I even use it now that such an obvious plot develpoemt has been stated? Stay tuned for the next mediocre chapter. And read & review if you could.
