Two voices echo in a dark, vertical air vent deep within the Shinra
Tower.
"So, Siro, are you gonna tell me what this mission is all about?" This first voice was odd sounding, as though it was computerized and accented with the sound of grinding gears. But the voice still had a human quality which made it very curious.
"Huh?" responds another voice, male and more natural and flowing. Also it lacked the synthesized quality of the other.
"Listen, you may have received the orders, but I am still higher rank here, Lieutenant."
"Alright, alright, chill out, SPECIAL LIUETENANT Ramul" Laughed the other voice. "Listen, there's a grate here, lets get out of this damned hole and then I'll tell ya."
Suddenly the air conditioning grate in one of the empty floor 62 hallways smashed out of its hinges and onto the carpeted floor with a loud clang.
"Woops," said the second voice. "Guess I'm still not used to this Mako thing."
"Just get out, your ass is in my face."
A figure crawled nimbly from the small opening. It was a young man of light stature, but he moved as though he was much stronger then he looked. He wore the standard SOLDIER 2nd class uniform: Dark blue sleeveless shirt, armored belt and shoulders and of course the oversized sword: Hard Edge strapped onto his back. He wore a SOLDIER helmet that covered all his face but his mouth, which was grinning. His movements displayed a sort of tensed power, and the weight of the massive sword seemed not to hinder him. He stood, one hand on his hip, watching the grate through the visor of his helmet.
Another figure now crawled from the vent, less nimbly though. This character was definitely much different then his companion, or any humans for that matter. His arms and legs were oddly long and his entire body was covered with red armor. His stance also gave off an air of power, but it looked more robotic and less human. The two green goggle-like eyes on his helmet only served to further give off an inhuman appearance.
His name was Ramul, he was once a very prized Shinra mechanical engineer with intelligences in many varied areas, especially innovation and robotics. He invented a robot called the Air Buster, which he had hoped would make him rich. But he was injured in an explosion and was nearly killed. But Shinra cybernetically enhanced him and he became a Shinra Special Combatant, working to squelch a rebellion in Midgar. His wit and creativity earned him great respect and he was promoted to Senior Grunt. Although he is mostly human, he can't help thinking that Shinra has some sort of control over his robotic parts. He has a genuine distrust of almost everyone, especially since the accident, but he still puts complete faith in his young cohort, Siro.
Siro, like Ramul, entered into Shinra and quickly accelerated through the ranks. He always wanted fame, to be noticed, to be another Sephiroth. He made it to SOLDIER just the month before and in that time managed to rise up to 2nd Class. Although he was very loyal to Shinra he always put the lives of the innocent civilians first.
They seemed odd, standing side by side, but they were a special unit. Their exceeding skills in battle, tactics and above all stealth did not go unnoticed by Shinra and they were placed together in a reconnaissance and assassination team called the Shinra Special Infiltration Unit B, or SIU B. Regardless of difference in demeanor, rank and condition, Siro and Ramul soon became good friends and trusting partners.
"So," said Ramul. "Mind telling me why we are breaking into our own facility using an air duct?"
"Why, tired?"
"I'm not designed to get tired anymore..."
"Right.....Anways, HQ says that something's up," Siro said. "It's been three hours since anyone has had any radio communication with any floors above 62, and what's worse, someone messed up the elevator so no one can go up. Also, the president is up there."
"And?"
"They think there's some foul play involved," Siro shrugged. "Supposedly the last contact was from President Shinra himself, saying that they had caught a group of spies who were infiltrating the tower."
"And?"
"We aren't supposed to ask questions," Siro said in a mock disapproving voice. "Our job is to do what HQ says and look pretty." Ramul gave his equivalent of a laugh at this.
"So how do you propose we go about this recon?" Ramul asked.
"Stairs?"
"Is that the best you can come up with?"
Siro shrugged. "Wanna go back into the air duct?"
"Don't you know anything? The air duct stops at the roof of this floor, there's no way to climb it all the way to 63."
"Alright, then what do you suggest?"
"Something much more dramatic......"
Within ten minutes Siro and Ramul found themselves scaling the sheer outside wall of the Shinra tower, with nothing to keep them from plummeting thousands of feet down to the ground.
"Why, exactly, are we doing this? There's stairs, Ramul!"
"Quick promotion opportunity, now shut up and climb."
At the window of the 63rd floor Ramul opened a window with his clawed hands and climbed inside, closely followed by Siro. They found themselves in a dark, empty meeting room. The chairs were stacked neatly on the sterile, steel table.
"I didn't even know you can open these windows from the outside," Siro commented.
"It's amazing what you learn in Shinra Engineering Academy."
"No......it's just unsettling I guess." Siro stepped forward.
"Wait!" Ramul suddenly barked. "Something's wrong....."
"What's this now?" Asked Siro sounding confused, but stopping dead in his tracks.
"Listen....." Ramul commanded.
Siro waited for a few seconds, then said: "I don't hear nothing....."
"Exactly," Ramul said, looking around cautiously. "Isn't it weird that in the busiest section of the Shinra Tower you would find complete silence?"
"Yeah," said Siro nervously, slowly unsheathing his sword.
"No, wait," Ramul said, urging Siro to sheathe the sword. "Let's go check it out."
So they crossed the dark, empty conference room, to the door. Siro grabbed the handle, but froze; he felt something seriously wrong about this whole thing.
"Maybe, we ought to report to HQ...." Siro suggested.
"Let's just go," Ramul urged.
Siro took a deep breath and opened the door. Suddenly something that was leaning against the door fell back onto his legs.
"What-" Siro stopped and looked down. It was a suited Shinra businessman. He was dead, a long gash down the center of his rib cage.
"What the hell?" Siro said, pushing the dead man to the floor, where his head fell with a sick thud. Ramul bent down to examine the still bleeding wound. Siro stepped out into the strangely dim hall.
"This looks like a sword blade, from something really long and sharp."
"Man, oh man," Commented Siro in a voice filled with anxiety and confusion. "Ramul, you got to come check this out!"
Ramul stepped out and looked where Siro was looking. But it would not have mattered where he looked; because there were dead businessmen and staff littered all up and down the hall. Blood was stained in streaks on the walls, pooling on the floor, and even splattering the ceiling. Many of the ceiling lights were shattered, and the door across the hall looked like it had been ripped from its steel hinges and thrown down the hall with great force. Ramul had to back up a step in shock, but he nearly tripped over a dead man in doing so.
"Okay, I got one...." Siro said, staring straight ahead. "I spy with my little eye, something dead and wearing a suit."
"This doesn't look human, Siro," said Ramul. "What do we do?"
"So, Siro, are you gonna tell me what this mission is all about?" This first voice was odd sounding, as though it was computerized and accented with the sound of grinding gears. But the voice still had a human quality which made it very curious.
"Huh?" responds another voice, male and more natural and flowing. Also it lacked the synthesized quality of the other.
"Listen, you may have received the orders, but I am still higher rank here, Lieutenant."
"Alright, alright, chill out, SPECIAL LIUETENANT Ramul" Laughed the other voice. "Listen, there's a grate here, lets get out of this damned hole and then I'll tell ya."
Suddenly the air conditioning grate in one of the empty floor 62 hallways smashed out of its hinges and onto the carpeted floor with a loud clang.
"Woops," said the second voice. "Guess I'm still not used to this Mako thing."
"Just get out, your ass is in my face."
A figure crawled nimbly from the small opening. It was a young man of light stature, but he moved as though he was much stronger then he looked. He wore the standard SOLDIER 2nd class uniform: Dark blue sleeveless shirt, armored belt and shoulders and of course the oversized sword: Hard Edge strapped onto his back. He wore a SOLDIER helmet that covered all his face but his mouth, which was grinning. His movements displayed a sort of tensed power, and the weight of the massive sword seemed not to hinder him. He stood, one hand on his hip, watching the grate through the visor of his helmet.
Another figure now crawled from the vent, less nimbly though. This character was definitely much different then his companion, or any humans for that matter. His arms and legs were oddly long and his entire body was covered with red armor. His stance also gave off an air of power, but it looked more robotic and less human. The two green goggle-like eyes on his helmet only served to further give off an inhuman appearance.
His name was Ramul, he was once a very prized Shinra mechanical engineer with intelligences in many varied areas, especially innovation and robotics. He invented a robot called the Air Buster, which he had hoped would make him rich. But he was injured in an explosion and was nearly killed. But Shinra cybernetically enhanced him and he became a Shinra Special Combatant, working to squelch a rebellion in Midgar. His wit and creativity earned him great respect and he was promoted to Senior Grunt. Although he is mostly human, he can't help thinking that Shinra has some sort of control over his robotic parts. He has a genuine distrust of almost everyone, especially since the accident, but he still puts complete faith in his young cohort, Siro.
Siro, like Ramul, entered into Shinra and quickly accelerated through the ranks. He always wanted fame, to be noticed, to be another Sephiroth. He made it to SOLDIER just the month before and in that time managed to rise up to 2nd Class. Although he was very loyal to Shinra he always put the lives of the innocent civilians first.
They seemed odd, standing side by side, but they were a special unit. Their exceeding skills in battle, tactics and above all stealth did not go unnoticed by Shinra and they were placed together in a reconnaissance and assassination team called the Shinra Special Infiltration Unit B, or SIU B. Regardless of difference in demeanor, rank and condition, Siro and Ramul soon became good friends and trusting partners.
"So," said Ramul. "Mind telling me why we are breaking into our own facility using an air duct?"
"Why, tired?"
"I'm not designed to get tired anymore..."
"Right.....Anways, HQ says that something's up," Siro said. "It's been three hours since anyone has had any radio communication with any floors above 62, and what's worse, someone messed up the elevator so no one can go up. Also, the president is up there."
"And?"
"They think there's some foul play involved," Siro shrugged. "Supposedly the last contact was from President Shinra himself, saying that they had caught a group of spies who were infiltrating the tower."
"And?"
"We aren't supposed to ask questions," Siro said in a mock disapproving voice. "Our job is to do what HQ says and look pretty." Ramul gave his equivalent of a laugh at this.
"So how do you propose we go about this recon?" Ramul asked.
"Stairs?"
"Is that the best you can come up with?"
Siro shrugged. "Wanna go back into the air duct?"
"Don't you know anything? The air duct stops at the roof of this floor, there's no way to climb it all the way to 63."
"Alright, then what do you suggest?"
"Something much more dramatic......"
Within ten minutes Siro and Ramul found themselves scaling the sheer outside wall of the Shinra tower, with nothing to keep them from plummeting thousands of feet down to the ground.
"Why, exactly, are we doing this? There's stairs, Ramul!"
"Quick promotion opportunity, now shut up and climb."
At the window of the 63rd floor Ramul opened a window with his clawed hands and climbed inside, closely followed by Siro. They found themselves in a dark, empty meeting room. The chairs were stacked neatly on the sterile, steel table.
"I didn't even know you can open these windows from the outside," Siro commented.
"It's amazing what you learn in Shinra Engineering Academy."
"No......it's just unsettling I guess." Siro stepped forward.
"Wait!" Ramul suddenly barked. "Something's wrong....."
"What's this now?" Asked Siro sounding confused, but stopping dead in his tracks.
"Listen....." Ramul commanded.
Siro waited for a few seconds, then said: "I don't hear nothing....."
"Exactly," Ramul said, looking around cautiously. "Isn't it weird that in the busiest section of the Shinra Tower you would find complete silence?"
"Yeah," said Siro nervously, slowly unsheathing his sword.
"No, wait," Ramul said, urging Siro to sheathe the sword. "Let's go check it out."
So they crossed the dark, empty conference room, to the door. Siro grabbed the handle, but froze; he felt something seriously wrong about this whole thing.
"Maybe, we ought to report to HQ...." Siro suggested.
"Let's just go," Ramul urged.
Siro took a deep breath and opened the door. Suddenly something that was leaning against the door fell back onto his legs.
"What-" Siro stopped and looked down. It was a suited Shinra businessman. He was dead, a long gash down the center of his rib cage.
"What the hell?" Siro said, pushing the dead man to the floor, where his head fell with a sick thud. Ramul bent down to examine the still bleeding wound. Siro stepped out into the strangely dim hall.
"This looks like a sword blade, from something really long and sharp."
"Man, oh man," Commented Siro in a voice filled with anxiety and confusion. "Ramul, you got to come check this out!"
Ramul stepped out and looked where Siro was looking. But it would not have mattered where he looked; because there were dead businessmen and staff littered all up and down the hall. Blood was stained in streaks on the walls, pooling on the floor, and even splattering the ceiling. Many of the ceiling lights were shattered, and the door across the hall looked like it had been ripped from its steel hinges and thrown down the hall with great force. Ramul had to back up a step in shock, but he nearly tripped over a dead man in doing so.
"Okay, I got one...." Siro said, staring straight ahead. "I spy with my little eye, something dead and wearing a suit."
"This doesn't look human, Siro," said Ramul. "What do we do?"