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Chapter 5 - To Midgar he cometh
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Zak quickly packed a small bag and collected his fathers travelling cloak. It was a long black cloak complete with hood, his father had been a bigger build that him and so the cloak dragged along the floor a few inches but Zak was not bothered. After turning off the water mains and electricity mains to his home Zak put up the hood and left his home. Zak passed the water tower and the old car when he paused just on the outskirts of the village
"What is it?" he asked turning around to see Sapphire crouched on the roof of the old car. Today she had her fathers sword slung across her back. It was a long platinum double ended sword which could be separated in the centre to create two swords. "Where are you going?" she asked straightening up.
"I am off to Midgar" replied Zak, no need to tell her about his problems.
"What's in Midgar?" she asked
"It's personal" said Zak walking forwards. Sapphire jumped and landed ahead of him
"What about Nibelheim?" she asked
"What about it?" asked Zak looking back at the town then back at Sapphire
"You have become a powerful warrior, without you we are defenceless" she said
"I honestly do not care" said Zak stepping around her. As he walked forwards he was forced to duck as Sapphire almost decapitated him. Zak twirled around drawing his own weapon and pointing it at her
"What are you doing?" he asked
"If you won't stay, then I'll have to defeat you" she said holding out the weapon in one hand.
"You won't be able to" said Zak
"We'll see" said Sapphire and attacked again. End this said a voice in Zak's mind as the ring grew hot. Zak struck the weapon and sent Sapphire crashing into the old car. By the time Sapphire had sat up Zak was nowhere to be seen.
When Zak awoke he was stood by the small, newly built, railway line "What?" he said looking around.
The bemused Zak walked for over an hour following the tracks of the railway until he heard the sound of a coming train. Whirling around Zak began to wave his arms. The long grey train slowed to a halt
"Where are you going sailor?" asked the driver leaning out
"Midgar" said Zak "And yourself?"
"Midgar also young sir" said the driver opening the door "Climb on in"
As it turned out the train was used to transport parts for reactors, Midgar had been under attack five years ago and so now the reactors were needed more than ever. Sitting with his back against the wall of the train Zak dosed off into a deep slumber.
He awoke in the old hotel in Nibelheim. Looking around he saw a dark haired young man lying in the bed next to his own. Further on there was a blonde haired Soldier. Zak swung his legs out of the bed and got to his feet. He crossed to the door and threw it wide open giving a soldier a fright causing his gun to go off and shoot a melon sized hole in the roof "Sir!" he cried gasping "I did not hear you" he said a tad unnecessarily.
"You get some sleep" said Zak in a cold low voice. The guard nodded and walked into the room discarding his weapon and slumping into the bed that Zak had just occupied. Zak strolled over to the large windows and leaned upon the mantle piece and looked out at the Nibelheim mountain range, it was a beautiful sight a collection of mountains that were surrounded by mist. Today the sun was sparkling through the mist and from behind the mountains causing the sunlight to turn into azure shards as it hit the town. Zak looked sideways into a side window and saw his reflection. Zak gasped and woke up; the train driver looked down at him
"Good morning" he said
"Where are we?" asked Zak looking out of the train window
"We're nearing Midgar" said the driver pointing out of the front window. They were near a tunnel which would enter the city which was hazy in the distance. With a roar the train vanished into the tunnel and for another few minutes they travelled in the dark before they reached the ramp that circled the centre giving Zak a view of the city's six plates and a single missing part.
"What happened?" asked Zak pointing to the missing part
"No-one knows" said the driver shrugging "There's so many different stories"
"Which one do you believe?" asked Zak
"I don't" said the driver concentrating on the driving. Zak nodded and returned to looking back at the city. This was his first time in Midgar yet he seemed to know his way around by looking down at the city.
The train slowed to a complete stop beneath the Shin-Ra building.
"This is our stop" said the driver. The train slowed to a complete stop and Zak jumped out, the driver tossed him his bag
"I hope you find what you're looking for" said the driver saluting Zak. Zak nodded
"Thank you" said Zak saluting back and walking away. The city was smoggy and dirty but the Shin-Ra building was massive and glittering, all except for the top seven floors which were burnt out. Zak strolled into the foyer of the building and looked around, it was nothing like he had ever seen; security cameras, armed guards, laser sensors, explosive proof glass, digital locks on ever single door Zak could see, pressure pads, X-Ray scanning units, infrared gun cameras, motion detectors and steel floor tiles that could be electrified at the touch of a button. "Impressive" muttered Zak.
"Yes, sir?" asked the woman behind the desk
"I'm here to see the physician" said Zak
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked
"No" said Zak. The woman chewed the end of her digi-pen
"Go right up, floor twenty two" she said handing him a visitors badge.
As Zak walked along the foyer many different cameras scanned the badge, if he had no been wearing it he would have been blasted over seven hundred times within a minute. The guards parted to let him pass and then unlocked the elevator for him. When Zak got inside there was a pair of armed guards within the lift.
"Which floor?" asked a helmeted soldier
"Twenty two" said Zak. The soldier read his badge and confirmed it before pressing the 22 button.
The elevator sped upwards swiftly and quietly. When the doors pinged open Zak expected the floor to be like any other office building but the square, which had many other doors leading away, was as highly protected as the foyer. Zak passed many sets of guards before being pointed through a plain white door into a large white room. A young man looked up over his square spectacles
"Yes?" he asked
"My name's Zak and I was wondering if you could figure out just what is going on with me" said Zak. The doctor motioned to the table. Zak set his bag upon a chair and sat on the table.
"What's going on?" asked the doctor. Zak explained about the enhanced strength, speed, weapon skills and the visions. The doctor wrote something on a card
"Give this to the guard in the lift" said the doctor handing the card to Zak
"What is it?" asked Zak reading the numbers 26
"A psychiatrist" said the doctor. Zak got to his feet and walked out of the room throwing the card away; he rode the elevator to the bottom floor and walked out into the city of Midgar.