He needed more proof. Hojo sat back in the wooden chair and gave his scrawling notes a cursory glance before removing his glasses. 'I need to recreate that rabbit.' However, he knew that the probability of this happening was not in his favor.
Scowling, Hojo pushed the notebook underneath another sack of papers. 'If there is no reason for the Turk to snoop, all the better.' His eyes settled on the faded yellow envelope package that arrived several weeks ago. Finding he had to eventually open the package, he withdrew a letter opener from the desk drawer and slid the dull blade along the crease of the package. He reached in and slipped out a small bundle of papers with a typed letter attached on the front.
Seeing the University seal on the front made him flinch. He knew that the semester would begin shortly. They expected him be in Midgar in two days. Snorting, Hojo quickly thumbed through the class lists and the request form that he needed fill out for his next set for the teaching assistants. Normally he took the time to select the most ambitious and brown nosing student he could find to the fill position. 'Less chance of them actually backing out when I have them teach for the class. Those classes are such a terrible waste of my time and energy. Mindless, snot nosed students always whining about low test scores and exam dates. I might as well be a babysitter!'
This year, he was able to retain the two TA's he had from the previous year. 'All I have to do is show my face, give out a syllabus and be rid of that whole lot.' Hojo smirked realizing he would back at the main labs for a short time with out Gast or the Turk. "That will give me a chance to pick up a few things to further my research out in this godforsaken hole of a town. And it would be a moment without having that meddling toad breathing down my neck.'
Tossing the lists aside, he glanced at his wristwatch and smirked. Turning his desk lamp off, Hojo crept past down the hallway and out the front door. It was time to check on his white furred specimen.
"He's what?" Hojo pursed his lips in response to the soldier's hurried report.
"Sir, the rabbit got loose and were not able to track it down, sir." The shin-ra soldier swallowed, his face drawn pale.
Hojo peered at him while clenching his fists verging on the motion of throttling the soldier. "You imbecile!" Hojo suddenly calmed as he eyed the soldier. "I assume you have found a more then satisfactory replacement for my work?"
The second soldier stepped forward and saluted. "Sir, we have collected several animals that seem to offer suitable replacements."
Hojo's dark eyes shifted to the young, armed man. Taking it as a queue, Hojo was led to the area where the cages were kept. Instead of seeing the normal collection of wildlife, he found a small bear and several stray dogs.
"I hardly see this as anything resembling a suitable substitute." Hojo looked over the animals in distaste. "I would hate to make a report back at the security department that there had been a terrible mishap with two of their guards."
The soldiers saluted with renewed vigor. "Sssir! The specimen will be recovered, sir!" The second solider stuttered.
Hojo gave the soldier studied look." If not, I have two perfect replacements. I pray that you do not have a problem with small places."
The soldiers looked at each other and swallowed. They saluted and disappeared into the woods. Feeling a mild sense satisfaction, he turned his attention back at the dogs. They were obviously neglected and homeless. Hojo smiled.
"You might be suitable for the experiment. Dogs tend to be the most obedient, after all." He squatted down and examined the canine with a critical eye. "If the President can have his dogs in blue suits, I see no reason why I shouldn't have the same."
The dog whimpered and growled as it backed against the side of the cage.
"How are you doing, Honestas?"
Lucrecia focused the microscope as Gast stood looking over her shoulder.
"I have almost completed the slide test, sir."
"I didn't ask for a test." His voice tinged with confusion. Lucrecia turned the smaller of the two focus wheels.
"This is a task that Dr. Hojo had me perform for some blood samples." Sighing, Lucrecia pulled back and jotted down a few number down on test form. "I am not quite sure myself, Professor. He just told me it was not of my concern." She sat back and shook her head. "I just assumed it had to do with his research on Jenova's DNA code."
Gast rubbed at his mustache mechanically. "I will be sure to ask him about that later when he returns from Midgar. I pity his students." Gast remained silent for a moment, seeming almost miles away. Lucrecia watched him, waiting for further instruction.
"Ah, yes the reason I came over here. I thought you would be interested in this." Gast gestured Lucrecia to follow him. Leaving Hojo's assigned work, she followed the professor back to his desk.
"I was reading through an old ethnographical text on known Cetran rituals and found this." Lucrecia looked down at the open book and where Gast had placed his finger. She looked the passage and then as Gast. She had spent a great deal of time trying to understand the complex and often enigmatic hieroglyphic language of the Cetrans. However she was not able to have the grasping understanding as Professor Gast did.
"I can't read Cetran, sir."
Gast chuckled. "Forgive me, I tend to get a little carried away. This paragraph roughly says this," Gast held up his finger in emphasis, "Paraphrased mind you, that thinking they would receive strength and knowledge of the past ancestors, warriors and priests would grind up Mako crystals into a powder and consume it."
Lucrecia pulled back. "Consuming materia? I am curious to know if they lasted long after the ritual. That had been very hard on their bodies." She uttered. The thought of the little crystal fragments tearing up the stomach and intestines caused her to shudder mentally.
Gast sighed." This is why I brought this up to you, Honestas. Since you specialize in Mako exposure, that you might be able to help find out if Jenova had been exposed to this ritual."
Lucrecia slipped her hands into her lab coat pockets. "That I am not sure we could do that. Mako crystals have a different chemical signature and lifespan then Mako in its liquid and vaporous form. Though I do know those who have had previous expose will be predisposed to a quicker reaction to it then one who had not previous exposure."
Gast's eyes dropped down to the book. "Then make it so, Honestas. I would like you to outline an experiment in how we would test Jenova."
Lucrecia merely nodded and left his office.
Lucrecia twirled the flower around between her fingers. The late summer evening was pleasantly mild. She had spent most of the day outlining and researching different methods of detecting radiation exposure, especially over long period of time. As Lucrecia suspected, she found little to aid her. She knew that it was time now to put some of her theories to work.
"You seem quiet, is there something wrong?" Vincent asked. Lucrecia looked up and smile.
"Just thinking. I am not quite sure how to go about developing a way to test Jenova whether she ate materia or not."
The turk's eyes remained focused off in the distance. "Good, I hoped you were not too upset with how the poke game went this evening."
Lucrecia looked over at him. She then shook her head, unsure how to respond to his often-dry humor. "So? I owe you lunch whenever we return to Midgar." She finally threw off casually trying to mock his usually detached tone. Eventually her eyes drifted back to the yellow flower. "Just don't forget you owe me dinner."
Vincent allowed a brief passage of a grin. "I am a man of my word, am I not?"
Lucrecia continued to play with the flower. "And this coming from a turk?"
"Touché."
Lucrecia continued to play with the flower.
"You like pepperoni and sausage? I know of this little pizza place off of third. Excellent deep dish."
"Pizza sounds fine."
Lucrecia smile. "Good, then it is settled. I think by the time I am done with project I will be ready for some pizza." She paused and then smirked. "Oh unless you are interested in Wutuai?" She added.
"I think pizza is a fine idea." Vincent shifted letting his arms rest on his knees. The turk looked up at the sky in time to see several geese fly over head toward the river outside of town. Hearing laugher, Lucrecia turned in time to duck out of the way from a wayward soccer ball as it flew past and landed a short distance away. Several boys came running up.
"Sorry ma'am, we didn't see you..." Their eyes drifted over to the man seated next to Lucrecia and the gun holster. One of the boys shifted on his feet while staring at the ground. "Really sorry."
Lucrecia came to her feet and walked over to the ball. "Simple physics, boys. You kick the ball in the direction you want it to go and apply enough force, but not too much." She picked up the ball and tossed it to them.
Thanking her, they ran back toward the other side of the field near the backside of the town. Lucrecia turned and found Vincent had already come to his feet, dusting off his pants.
"You handled that nicer then I would have." He muttered.
Lucrecia looked around. "I doubt shooting the ball would have been very effective."
'I wasn't thinking about shooting the ball.' But he thought better of it then to voice that reply. Nevertheless, he could not help but to admire Lucrecia's kind nature, even though she selective of who saw that. He turned his attention back to the mansion and sighed.
Author's note: Believe or not, there are professors who make their TA teach. I am not necessarily happy with this chapter. Though it is about par for the course. I mostly wanted to get Hojo's character set up a little more and set up some either items that will be occurring a ways down the story.