Siro considered for a moment. "Well," he said. "We're here, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, are we the Outlaws or not?" Siro said, in a voice that was almost challenging.
"Yeah, let's keep going....."
The name "Outlaws" was actually a name Ramul had come up with for their little unit. He justified it that: "Well, they won't have us anywhere else, right? I'm far too paranoid and you're far too concerned with the bystanders, so they put us here. That makes us outlaws." So this had been the unofficial name for Shinra Special Infiltration unit B ever since.
"Here," said Siro. "I'll try to call up HQ."
Ramul titled his head to one side. "You know, they loaded me up with hundreds of robotic features, some that don't even make sense. And they never bothered to install a communication radio to HQ in my helmet....."
But Siro wasn't listening; his mouth was a concerned frown as he tapped the com button on the side of his helmet. Once, twice, three times.
"No signal...." He said.
Ramul looked around, the color of his goggles changing to a slightly darker green. "I'm seeing a lot of interference, looks like a heavy duty radio jammer..."
Siro shrugged. "Look's like we're on our own."
"Not the first time, we are the Outlaws after all."
"So," said Siro. "What now?"
"Well, since this is not human work," deducted Ramul. "And the only non- humans here are in the laboratories in the upper floors, we need to go up."
"Stairs this time?" Siro pleaded.
Ramul consented: "Why not, HQ doesn't care about us anyways."
"Um....where?"
"Honestly," said Ramul disapprovingly. "Haven't you ever been inside this tower?"
Siro shook his head, Ramul laughed. "Guess it's a special engineer privilege."
"But you're a senior grunt now, so shut up."
"Har har."
"So?" Asked Siro impatiently. "What way, Mr. Engineer?"
Ramul said nothing; he started walking to the left, down the hall. Siro followed suit, making sure not to trip over any of the dead businessmen. All the time the two wondered, what did this, and more importantly, where were they now.
"Stairs...." Said Ramul, pointing to the obvious staircase.
"Yeah, no shit," said Siro. Suddenly he made a noise that sounded like he was choking. "Oh man, look at that!"
Siro pointed to a red suited businessman who was impaled on the wall with the broken, steel leg of a table. He hung limply, head rolled to one side.
"Now, that," remarked Siro. "Is bad decorating....."
"You have a sick sense of humor," commented Ramul.
"Hey, just trying to lighten the mood a bit."
"We are the worst infiltration team alive," Ramul said suddenly. "You realize this?"
"Everyone here's dead anyways......" Muttered Siro.
"You're probably right."
The pair climbed the stairs; nearly tripping over yet another Shinra businessman lying dead, face down on the first few steps.
"I guess they're hiring now," said Siro. "I should apply."
"Yeah," laughed Ramul. "Shinra Incorporated, get your dollar's worth of eternal damnation!"
"Someone's testy....."
"63rd floor," commented Ramul. "I have no idea what goes on here, but I hear it's a ridiculous waste of Shinra money."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Ramul said. "Something to do with security doors and tokens......"
"Trippy," said Siro. "Guess we keep going."
They ran up to the next level.
"64?" Enquired Siro. "What's this all about? It smells like ass."
"Recreation center."
"Let's get massages!'
"Everyone's dead, remember."
"I was jokin'!"
They kept running up to level 65.
Siro stopped and his entire body twitched for just a second. He clutched his head, but in a moment he was okay.
"There's mako here, lots of it," he said, slightly out of breath.
"And we come to another huge waste of Shinra Gil," Ramul said. "Apparently there's a giant model of Midgar made totally out of materia."
"That's crap!" Exclaimed Siro. "We don't even get paid and they have a materia statue of Midgar!"
"We're military, we don't need pay," Ramul said, sounding slightly like a brochure. "Shinra provides us with food, shelter and all necessities."
"Keep talking like that and they'll make a materia statue of you soon."
"I hope not....."
At this they ascended another flight of stairs, finding themselves on floor 66.
"This is where all the really important people meet," Ramul said.
"Like Heidegger and all of them?"
"Yeah," Ramul said, turning his head to the right. "This place is actually pretty secure. I'm still surprised whatever did this got through all the security......never mind."
"Let's keep on going."
They continued on but Ramul stopped at floor 67.
"This is it," he said.
"What's what?"
"This is where Hojo's lab is," Ramul responded. "We might find some clues and-"
"What?"
"Shhh....." Ramul's lenses began glowing red as he used his heat sensors. He suddenly straightened up, nearly causing Siro to trip over a gruesomely murdered Shinra employee.
"What!?"
"There's something in the lab," Ramul said. "Something alive."
Before Siro could stop him Ramul took off down the hall towards the lab. With no alternative, Siro raced after him. They came to the corner and turned into the crate filled laboratory.
"Yeah?"
"Well, are we the Outlaws or not?" Siro said, in a voice that was almost challenging.
"Yeah, let's keep going....."
The name "Outlaws" was actually a name Ramul had come up with for their little unit. He justified it that: "Well, they won't have us anywhere else, right? I'm far too paranoid and you're far too concerned with the bystanders, so they put us here. That makes us outlaws." So this had been the unofficial name for Shinra Special Infiltration unit B ever since.
"Here," said Siro. "I'll try to call up HQ."
Ramul titled his head to one side. "You know, they loaded me up with hundreds of robotic features, some that don't even make sense. And they never bothered to install a communication radio to HQ in my helmet....."
But Siro wasn't listening; his mouth was a concerned frown as he tapped the com button on the side of his helmet. Once, twice, three times.
"No signal...." He said.
Ramul looked around, the color of his goggles changing to a slightly darker green. "I'm seeing a lot of interference, looks like a heavy duty radio jammer..."
Siro shrugged. "Look's like we're on our own."
"Not the first time, we are the Outlaws after all."
"So," said Siro. "What now?"
"Well, since this is not human work," deducted Ramul. "And the only non- humans here are in the laboratories in the upper floors, we need to go up."
"Stairs this time?" Siro pleaded.
Ramul consented: "Why not, HQ doesn't care about us anyways."
"Um....where?"
"Honestly," said Ramul disapprovingly. "Haven't you ever been inside this tower?"
Siro shook his head, Ramul laughed. "Guess it's a special engineer privilege."
"But you're a senior grunt now, so shut up."
"Har har."
"So?" Asked Siro impatiently. "What way, Mr. Engineer?"
Ramul said nothing; he started walking to the left, down the hall. Siro followed suit, making sure not to trip over any of the dead businessmen. All the time the two wondered, what did this, and more importantly, where were they now.
"Stairs...." Said Ramul, pointing to the obvious staircase.
"Yeah, no shit," said Siro. Suddenly he made a noise that sounded like he was choking. "Oh man, look at that!"
Siro pointed to a red suited businessman who was impaled on the wall with the broken, steel leg of a table. He hung limply, head rolled to one side.
"Now, that," remarked Siro. "Is bad decorating....."
"You have a sick sense of humor," commented Ramul.
"Hey, just trying to lighten the mood a bit."
"We are the worst infiltration team alive," Ramul said suddenly. "You realize this?"
"Everyone here's dead anyways......" Muttered Siro.
"You're probably right."
The pair climbed the stairs; nearly tripping over yet another Shinra businessman lying dead, face down on the first few steps.
"I guess they're hiring now," said Siro. "I should apply."
"Yeah," laughed Ramul. "Shinra Incorporated, get your dollar's worth of eternal damnation!"
"Someone's testy....."
"63rd floor," commented Ramul. "I have no idea what goes on here, but I hear it's a ridiculous waste of Shinra money."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Ramul said. "Something to do with security doors and tokens......"
"Trippy," said Siro. "Guess we keep going."
They ran up to the next level.
"64?" Enquired Siro. "What's this all about? It smells like ass."
"Recreation center."
"Let's get massages!'
"Everyone's dead, remember."
"I was jokin'!"
They kept running up to level 65.
Siro stopped and his entire body twitched for just a second. He clutched his head, but in a moment he was okay.
"There's mako here, lots of it," he said, slightly out of breath.
"And we come to another huge waste of Shinra Gil," Ramul said. "Apparently there's a giant model of Midgar made totally out of materia."
"That's crap!" Exclaimed Siro. "We don't even get paid and they have a materia statue of Midgar!"
"We're military, we don't need pay," Ramul said, sounding slightly like a brochure. "Shinra provides us with food, shelter and all necessities."
"Keep talking like that and they'll make a materia statue of you soon."
"I hope not....."
At this they ascended another flight of stairs, finding themselves on floor 66.
"This is where all the really important people meet," Ramul said.
"Like Heidegger and all of them?"
"Yeah," Ramul said, turning his head to the right. "This place is actually pretty secure. I'm still surprised whatever did this got through all the security......never mind."
"Let's keep on going."
They continued on but Ramul stopped at floor 67.
"This is it," he said.
"What's what?"
"This is where Hojo's lab is," Ramul responded. "We might find some clues and-"
"What?"
"Shhh....." Ramul's lenses began glowing red as he used his heat sensors. He suddenly straightened up, nearly causing Siro to trip over a gruesomely murdered Shinra employee.
"What!?"
"There's something in the lab," Ramul said. "Something alive."
Before Siro could stop him Ramul took off down the hall towards the lab. With no alternative, Siro raced after him. They came to the corner and turned into the crate filled laboratory.