Disclaimer- I own nuffin.
"Cid! You crazy bastard!" a middle-aged man yelled in the middle of a busy bar one evening in Rocket Town, grinning widely, "I cant believe you were the one of us picked to go to Midgar for Shinra's new Space Program!". The man sitting across from him smirked confidently setting down his glass of beer, and took a long drag off his cigarette, blowing out a mouthful of smoke "Well, what did you expect? Shinra did say they wanted the best of the best, and when they called me, they got just that." Cid was a middle aged man, with blonde hair sticking up from under his flying goggles. A blue aviators jacket was draped across the back of his chair. "I still say that you're just a lucky, lucky, bastard" the other man said, slamming down his mug on the table "Yeah well, I think you're just a regular bastard so we're even".Cid replied, still with a trace of a smile playing on his lips. The two had been friends for a long time, and this kind of talk was their way of congratulations.
"Well Cid, Im just glad one of us got picked. I knew it was down to us two anyway, the rest of these rookies don't know nuthin about flying nuthin." This got a general roar of disapproval from the other people bustling through the crowded pub, but Cid and his companion just laughed and clinked their glasses together. "To Midgar!" Cid toasted, his friend echoing him.
Later that night, Cid said his goodbyes, and headed home to his empty house. Opening the door, he flicked on a light and the Mako lights flooded the building. His love of flight was obvious, just by looking through his belongings. Models of airships and rockets hung from the ceiling, while complex aeronautical charts covered the walls. Most were covered in a layer of dust, except for the largest model of a rocket that was in the middle of the first room. Cid walked over to it, and sat down on a creaky wooden chair, pulling up close to it. He picked up a small screwdriver sitting next to the model, and unscrewed the top layer of the rocket. Setting it aside, he bent in close to examine the interior. Every inch of this rocket had been custom made by himself. Every lever, every tile, every centimeter was perfect and precise. This was what he was bringing to Midgar to show the high end executives. He pulled his cigarette out of his mouth, and rubbed it out into the ash tray. When he was working on this was the only time he would ever stop smoking.
Cid stayed up long into the night, doing minor tweaking to his design. It all had to go smoothly in Midgar. He couldn't afford any mistakes. He had been planning all his life, ever since he was born and given a toy airplane and looked up to the sky, he had been fascinated with space. He had to go out there, at least once. To go higher than anyone else, to see everything all at once, to go where noone has gone before and gaze at the never-ending vastness of the universe. He had to go at least once. The reason why he was going up didn't matter. If Shinra offered him an opportunity to get there, He would do anything to grasp the chance.
The next morning, a large Shinra airship landed in the large meadow behind Rocket Town, and Cid was there waiting. His trademark cigarette tight in his lips, goggles resting on his forehead. A small suitcase was on one side of him, and on the other was a crate tightly nailed and taped shut. The propellers blew cold wind into his face, and his hair swayed in the breeze. Completely undeterred, Cid stared up at the Airships balcony with narrowed eyes. A airman leaned over the side and shouted down at him "Are you Highwind? Cid Highwind?". Cid waved up at him with one arm, "Yeah! Who else would I be?"
A rope ladder was thrown down, and landed with a thud next to where Cid stood. The Airman quickly slid down it, and reached for the crate. Cid smacked him upside the head, "Don't touch that!", and tossed his suitcase at the Shinra employee instead. The Airman glanced at him, and started up the ladder, carrying the luggage up with him. Cid followed after, carefully holding the crate to his side. Very slowly he made his way up the ladder, puffing and swearing the whole way up.
Eventually he reached the top, and glared over at one of the crew members. "So this is the great Shinra company, is it? I have to say I expected something a little more extravagant then a rope ladder. If anything had happened to my cargo, there'd be Hell to pay." Cid flicked the butt of a cigarette over the side, and lit up a new one, "How long is this trip gonna take? I've heard this Airship is Shinra's pride and joy."
"I'm not sure, Sir, but I have been given strict instructions to take you straight to your room and that you stay there for the entire journey. You aren't officially with Shinra, so you are obviously not going to be allowed to just wander wherever you want." The Crewman put his hand down on the holster of his gun, and Cid glared at him momentarily.
"Well, wheres my room then?" Cid grunted, and shifted the crate into a more comfortable position. He was willing to do whatever Shinra wanted, and if that meant he had to stay in his room for the entire journey, that was fine. He'd trade an airship for a spaceship any day.
The crewman broke into a smile, and lifted up Cid's suitcase, "Excellent Sir, this way if you will..." and opened the door to the interior of the Airship, gesturing for Cid to go first.
Cid let himself be pushed through the hallway, clutching the crate close to him the whole way. They walked past several closed doors, some with windows. Through one window Cid saw what must have been the engine room, and sighed slightly. He wanted so badly to go in and see the massive motors work. He wanted to watch it in motion, and find out as much as he could about it. It was just who he was, and nothing could change that. The thought of flying out to space was, however, enough to get him past the door. Just barely, though.
Eventually they got to a small room, with a bed on one side and a window in the other. There was barely enough space for Cid and his luggage, but he still somehow managed to smile out as the Airman closed the door behind him. He heard the lock click into place. Looking out the window, he had a wide view of Rocket Town. It was empty and desolate looking. "Too early for anyone to be awake..." he thought, as he felt a shudder run through the entire airship around him. An intercom rang clear above the doorway, "All crew and personnel, prepare for takeoff". Cid braced himself against the bed, still gazing out the window as the Airship rose up off the ground, and slowly coasted over Rocket Town.
Once they had flown past Rocket Town's borders, Cid collapsed back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, putting his hands behind his head.
--------------------Thats it for Chapter 7, and yes this will relate to the rest of the story...--------------------
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