::Chapter 12 – Infestation #1::
Cloud stared in awe at the apparition of what was apparently Aerith.
"Cloud, what is it?" Tifa said, staring at a lifeless Cloud.
"It's her, only it's not her... Does that make sense?" Cloud responded, still staring.
"It can't be her, Cloud. You know it isn't her." Barrett yelled, as if to snap Cloud out of his trance.
"You're right. I just can't get the image out of my head." Cloud said, rubbing his eyes.
"Well, we can't see anything, so you have to be strong and fight it. Fight it, Cloud." Tifa said, cheering on Cloud.
"Aerith... I know all I've wanted is for you to be alive again, here with me, but now I've finally come to accept the truth. You are dead. I will go on continuing my life, and I will see you again once I am gone from this world. Until then, I don't need to look back on events and think I could've changed any of them. I love you, Aerith... we all do. Therefore, I know this ghost I see in front of me isn't Aerith. You're not Aerith! You're just an illusion." Cloud said; eyes closed, fists clenched.
The ghost faded away. It was now possible to explore the ruins of this reactor and kill whatever seemed to be living inside. The air raid sirens had stopped now, but since they'd stopped, it had started raining. One bright red dot emanated from the reactor area itself. Whatever it was, it was harvesting Mako at the source.
As the crew got closer, they noticed whatever had landed here was much larger than previously indicated. In certain areas, there were a few small tentacles sticking out of open holes. In Cloud's mind, they resembled the tentacles of the mighty Marlboro, only not as many.
"Cid, do we have any explosives on the ship?" Cloud said, plotting the obvious.
"We have a couple plastik, and the detonators for them." Cid said, scratching his chin.
"Bring one here. Let's scare him out of his home." Cloud turned and waited for the plastik.
Cid ran back to the ship, and re-appeared a few minutes later with a block and a small device which had wires running out of it into the large block.
"Now, chances are it's eating off the Mako lines, so if we do this fast enough it won't even notice, but be prepared for a tough fight." Cloud said, sitting the detonator down, and placing the plastik inside a crevasse near the red beam. He could feel the alien sucking away at the planet's energy. He quickly made his way back to where the detonator was, and dove for the ground. "Everyone lay down, preferably behind something." A few seconds later a loud explosion could be heard, as large pieces of metal collided with each other. A large dust cloud formed where the reactor once was.
A few minutes later, as things began to calm down, everyone emerged from their temporary shelters to see what had become of the alien life form.
"Cloud! It's Gone!" Cid yelled, pointing into the large bombing area.
"What?!" Cloud yelled, quickly looking around the open area. There was a large hole, but an even larger tunnel. The alien had been scared away, not out into the open. They peered over the edge for a second, reassuring what Cid had said. "Goddamnit, Now what?!" Cloud shouted, dropping onto the ground, and sitting there, as if he'd been defeated.
Although the creature had escaped, it was obvious it had been injured. Small pieces of the creature's flesh and blood remained, splattered onto a large sheet of metal near where the large red eye once was. Some of the blood had dripped down the shiny metal, forming a puddle on the ground. Smoke and dust still remained, although not quite as badly as immediately after the explosion. It was obvious the explosion caused quite a stir.
"Well, I guess we should head back. There are two more places meteor was attracted to. I suppose we check those out." Cloud said, still sitting.
"What about that "Aerith being dead" thing?" Tifa said, sitting next to Cloud.
"Well, what if there ARE other things at the other two? We found something here; there might be something at the others." Cloud responded, slowly getting to his feet. "Let's go. We've got two other places to go."
"Sure. So where should we go now, Corel or Mt. Nibel?" Barrett said, walking back towards the ship.
"You pick, Barrett." Cloud said, shrugging.
"Well, I wanna know if home's ok. Let's go there." Barrett responded, making his way into the ship.
"Alright, Corel it is. Everyone know what's up?" Cid asked, looking around. A monotonous "Yes" could be heard from everyone, almost instantaneously.
The Highwind was up into the sky once more, headed for its next stop. Hopefully the incident here was a fluke, and a coincidence that Cloud had been warned of it beforehand. A feeling in his stomach said otherwise. Cloud had a feeling there would be something there at the second site. What would it be though? Another alien? Another Jenova? There were many possibilities.
The Highwind would need to stop at the open field near the town of Corel before the crew would be walking the infamous railroad tracks back to the reactor. A minute later, the Highwind touched down just outside of the small town. The crew made their way into town. Barrett was welcomed with open arms, after saving the town from complete destruction a few weeks earlier. Everyone stocked up on the necessities and headed down the railroad tracks that lead towards the reactor. The Corel and Mt. Nibel reactors were now the only two active Mako reactors left on the planet. AVALANCHE had done one hell of a job, but not without assistance. Not necessarily good assistance either.
The crew made their way out of Corel's town, and down the railroad track path. Shortly after starting, Cid stopped and looked down the track, and took a puff off a cigarette. He sighed and started walking to catch up with the others. "Ah damnit; here we go again."
Cloud stared in awe at the apparition of what was apparently Aerith.
"Cloud, what is it?" Tifa said, staring at a lifeless Cloud.
"It's her, only it's not her... Does that make sense?" Cloud responded, still staring.
"It can't be her, Cloud. You know it isn't her." Barrett yelled, as if to snap Cloud out of his trance.
"You're right. I just can't get the image out of my head." Cloud said, rubbing his eyes.
"Well, we can't see anything, so you have to be strong and fight it. Fight it, Cloud." Tifa said, cheering on Cloud.
"Aerith... I know all I've wanted is for you to be alive again, here with me, but now I've finally come to accept the truth. You are dead. I will go on continuing my life, and I will see you again once I am gone from this world. Until then, I don't need to look back on events and think I could've changed any of them. I love you, Aerith... we all do. Therefore, I know this ghost I see in front of me isn't Aerith. You're not Aerith! You're just an illusion." Cloud said; eyes closed, fists clenched.
The ghost faded away. It was now possible to explore the ruins of this reactor and kill whatever seemed to be living inside. The air raid sirens had stopped now, but since they'd stopped, it had started raining. One bright red dot emanated from the reactor area itself. Whatever it was, it was harvesting Mako at the source.
As the crew got closer, they noticed whatever had landed here was much larger than previously indicated. In certain areas, there were a few small tentacles sticking out of open holes. In Cloud's mind, they resembled the tentacles of the mighty Marlboro, only not as many.
"Cid, do we have any explosives on the ship?" Cloud said, plotting the obvious.
"We have a couple plastik, and the detonators for them." Cid said, scratching his chin.
"Bring one here. Let's scare him out of his home." Cloud turned and waited for the plastik.
Cid ran back to the ship, and re-appeared a few minutes later with a block and a small device which had wires running out of it into the large block.
"Now, chances are it's eating off the Mako lines, so if we do this fast enough it won't even notice, but be prepared for a tough fight." Cloud said, sitting the detonator down, and placing the plastik inside a crevasse near the red beam. He could feel the alien sucking away at the planet's energy. He quickly made his way back to where the detonator was, and dove for the ground. "Everyone lay down, preferably behind something." A few seconds later a loud explosion could be heard, as large pieces of metal collided with each other. A large dust cloud formed where the reactor once was.
A few minutes later, as things began to calm down, everyone emerged from their temporary shelters to see what had become of the alien life form.
"Cloud! It's Gone!" Cid yelled, pointing into the large bombing area.
"What?!" Cloud yelled, quickly looking around the open area. There was a large hole, but an even larger tunnel. The alien had been scared away, not out into the open. They peered over the edge for a second, reassuring what Cid had said. "Goddamnit, Now what?!" Cloud shouted, dropping onto the ground, and sitting there, as if he'd been defeated.
Although the creature had escaped, it was obvious it had been injured. Small pieces of the creature's flesh and blood remained, splattered onto a large sheet of metal near where the large red eye once was. Some of the blood had dripped down the shiny metal, forming a puddle on the ground. Smoke and dust still remained, although not quite as badly as immediately after the explosion. It was obvious the explosion caused quite a stir.
"Well, I guess we should head back. There are two more places meteor was attracted to. I suppose we check those out." Cloud said, still sitting.
"What about that "Aerith being dead" thing?" Tifa said, sitting next to Cloud.
"Well, what if there ARE other things at the other two? We found something here; there might be something at the others." Cloud responded, slowly getting to his feet. "Let's go. We've got two other places to go."
"Sure. So where should we go now, Corel or Mt. Nibel?" Barrett said, walking back towards the ship.
"You pick, Barrett." Cloud said, shrugging.
"Well, I wanna know if home's ok. Let's go there." Barrett responded, making his way into the ship.
"Alright, Corel it is. Everyone know what's up?" Cid asked, looking around. A monotonous "Yes" could be heard from everyone, almost instantaneously.
The Highwind was up into the sky once more, headed for its next stop. Hopefully the incident here was a fluke, and a coincidence that Cloud had been warned of it beforehand. A feeling in his stomach said otherwise. Cloud had a feeling there would be something there at the second site. What would it be though? Another alien? Another Jenova? There were many possibilities.
The Highwind would need to stop at the open field near the town of Corel before the crew would be walking the infamous railroad tracks back to the reactor. A minute later, the Highwind touched down just outside of the small town. The crew made their way into town. Barrett was welcomed with open arms, after saving the town from complete destruction a few weeks earlier. Everyone stocked up on the necessities and headed down the railroad tracks that lead towards the reactor. The Corel and Mt. Nibel reactors were now the only two active Mako reactors left on the planet. AVALANCHE had done one hell of a job, but not without assistance. Not necessarily good assistance either.
The crew made their way out of Corel's town, and down the railroad track path. Shortly after starting, Cid stopped and looked down the track, and took a puff off a cigarette. He sighed and started walking to catch up with the others. "Ah damnit; here we go again."