CHAPTER TWO

"Why, can't people just be quiet, and don't rock the boat"

1st Lt. Ian McDiarmid.

(6 months to the Corel Incident, 3 Years till the Nibelhiem Reactor incident, and 4 years Till Final Fantasy)

It is a summer day, and a Newly Promoted Ian is lying on the beach at a newly opened resort called Costa del Sol. He is dressed in a pair of shorts, and a pair of sandals his somewhat muscular torso is showing all under a beach umbrella sucking up the rays.

"Ah, just perfect, peace, and quiet nobody to bother you" said Ian to himself

Just then a multi colored beach ball flies into the air, and onto Ian, which he gets out of his beach chair.

"What in the heck is this?" he asked while picking up the ball.

"Sorry, about that my friend sometimes, and she gets carried away" said a woman's voice

"Well tell your friend to be more care…." said Ian as turns around, and looks at the girl.

Ian notices a girl standing 5 Feet, and 8 Inches. With dark brown hair that is shoulder length, a slim body, and wearing a red Bikini.

"My, name is Marlene Stannic, and what is yours?" asked Marlene.

"The name is Ian, Ian McDiarmid" stuttered Ian.

"Well, Ian want to join us, I am in need of Beach volley ball partner, seeing that my friend, brought me along with her boyfriend, for vacation of course" said Marlene.

"Well I prefer to lie in the sun, and read my book" said Ian.

"C'mon, I think you are the type that lives for excitement" said Marlene.

"Okay, Okay, I guess it would not hurt" said Ian.

Three hours later, Ian returns to his beach front hotel room, he puts his stuff on the ground, and then sits on the front of the bed, with a smile on his face. He looks around the room, then lies down on the bed thinking about the events of the day, and wonders if he will see Marlene again. He gets up, and starts walking towards the shower he hears a knock on the door. He looks through the peep hole, and sees it is the girl from the beach.

He opens it cautiously. "Can I help you?" asked Ian.

She takes a deep breath "You Forgot, your book" she said.

"No, I didn't I have it right here" said Ian.

"Are you sure?" asked Marlene.

"Yes, I am sure of that" said Ian.

"Sorry to disturb you, then" said Marlene.

"Okay" said Ian as he closes the door.

Ian starts walking towards the shower, looks at his book, and then he drops the book, and runs out of his room, and catches up with Marlene, which her face lights up.

"I was wondering, if you are not doing anything right now, I don't supposed that you want to go out tonight, I know we just met" said Ian.

"I would be glad to, my girlfriend pegged as you the type that does not takes risks" said Marlene.

"Well, I guess she is right, but I normally, not this bold, normally I would rather face a firing squad, then ask a girl like yourself out" said Ian.

Marlene blushes, and her hair covers her right eye, and she smiles.

Later that evening Ian knocks on her door, dressed in white slacks, black polished shoes, a black tie, and gray dress shirt. The door opens, and Marlene is dressed in a red dress, and matching high heel shoes, and two diamond earrings. Ian and Marlene are speechless at each other.

"Well I guess we better go then" asked Marlene.

"Ah, yeah" said Ian.

An hour later the two, are sitting down at a table overlooking the water front the two can not keep eye each other's eyes of each listening, and getting to know each other better.

"So you are in Shinra Security Forces, Ian" asked Marlene.

"Yes, I was recently promoted to 1st Lt." said Ian.

"I bet you have seen the world" asked Marlene.

"No, just Junon, and my cramped Apartment" said Ian

The two laughed, and dinner had arrived at the moment, they eat dinner, and then decided to have a quiet walk along the beach, for some reason that they knew that they were meant to be together, just by the way they look at each other, and the closeness.

They decided to stop, and hold each other in there arms, Marlene looks into Ian's eyes she sees the reflection of her, and the moon. She and Ian draw closer to each other, and eventually start kissing, softly at first. Ian pulls away.

"What's wrong Ian" asked Marlene.

"I don't know I had a feeling, it is crazy never mind" said Ian.

"No, I want to know" asked Marlene.

"I feel that, one day that you be ripped away from me" said Ian.

"You know I felt that two, do you think we are destined to be together?" asked Marlene.

"I think we are, love by first sight" said Ian.

"Let's watch the sun rise together" said Marlene.

"Okay" said Ian.

Both Ian, and Marlene, sit down on the beach holding each other in their arms, kissing for bit, then talk some more.

A few days later Ian is on a transport back to Junon, looking at a picture of Marlene, his new love. He knows that she lives at Corel Village, and she works at the new gambling resort "THE GOLD SAUCER" as a hotel receptionist while completing a degree in Mako Energy Reaction.

Meanwhile, at the Mt. Corel Reactor a maintenance crew led by a person named Dyne, which is franticly doing double shifts, just to keep the reactor stable.

"BARRET, hurry up with those coils, or this thing is going to go critical" yelled Dyne.

A large huge black man, with a crew cut, and wearing filthy overalls, runs with a huge coil, and sets it into place.

"Dyne, I just dropped the coil into place, try to run the bypass, now" said Barret.

"Alright, I am going to hit the bypass" said Dyne.

Dyne enters his authorization code into the main computer system, and then it allows his to access the bypass routine, the computer begins to run a diagnostic sequence, and then it starts to runs the bypass. The hum of the reactor returns to the normal, and a computerized comes over the speaker "Reactor, returning to normal status"

Dyne wipes his brow.

"Boy, Barret that was a close one, I wish they send us a proper Reaction Control team, instead of us running around" said Dyne.

"Yeah, this is fucking stupid, .we bust are asses, and they just ship us the parts that we need, and expect US to make head and tails of it" said Barret.

"Don't worry about it Barret, Shinra has probably found out that in the long run it is a good idea to give us what we want" said Dyne.

"Yeah, so how is Marlene doing these days" asked Barret

"Well she is the chip of her mother's block, she has finally learned how to walk, and boy she likes getting into trouble" said Dyne.

"Well I am glad you enjoying it parent hood, in all" said Barret.

"Well seeing that we are the topic Barret, I was wondering if something does happen to me could you look after Marlene, in all?" asked Dyne.

"Sure, Dyne I could do that for you, you saved my can a couple of times before" said Barret.

"Thanks, man I appreciate that" said Dyne.

At Shinra Reactor Control……

"Sir it seems that the Corel Reactor, has had a Major problem for the Fifth time in a row, I think the inhabitants at the Corel Village are sabotaging it" said a computer technician.

"Really, who is in charge of the maintenance crew of that reactor?" asked a Supervisor.

"Dyne Ferguson and his foreman Barret Wallace" said the technician.

"Well then, I guess we should start to have an investigation, we should tell Shinra Security to look into this problem" said the Supervisor.

"Sir, there could be something wrong with that reactor power distribution, or power couplings, why not just send a Reaction Control Team out there to look at the problem" said the Technician

"You could be right, but we should also have SSF, look into the possibility of sabotaging" said the Supervisor.

"You could be right, but it could be an overreaction" said the technician.

"Better safe then sorry" said the Supervisor.

Ian returns to Junon, after an hour and a half boat ride, he gets off, and head to his apartment, he opens the door, and sees Knoxville, at his desk; he turns around, and looks at Ian.

"Well, well did you have a nice time at the new resort" asked Johnny.

"Yeah I did I met a girl there" said Ian.

"Your serious, you met a girl" said Johnny.

"Yeah, and I have a picture of her to" said. Ian.

"Let's see it, probably a fat chick or something" said Johnny/

Ian show's a picture of Marlene. Johnny eyes get big.

"What's her name?" asked Johnny.

"Marlene Stannic" replied Ian.

"HOLY SHIT, if this is the right Stannic, Ian you just hit the mother load" said Johnny.

"Why you say that, Johnny" asked Ian.

"The Stannic Family owns several Controlling stocks in the Shinra Corporation, basically put this way if all the members of the Shinra Family dies without no heirs, they become the next owners" said Johnny.

Ian just about fell over after Johnny said that

"You mean that girl family is rich" said Ian.

"Yeah, I did" said Johnny.

"Well I don't care about the money part, I rather you have not told me that" said Ian.

"Well I thought I would mention that you are the luckiest guy "said Johnny.