A/N: Okay, here's the usual disclaimer - I do not own FFVII or anything related to it, although I do own my original characters.
Well, I hope you enjoy this, all kinds of reviews welcome, except if your just asking me to review your story, in which case don't bother.
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The President of the Shinra Company looked out of the high window of his office to watch as another section of the Neo-Midgar plate was slowly lifted into place.
Neo-Midgar had been difficult to design – it was his grandfather, Rufus Shinra, who had decided that the Northern Crater was the Promised Land, however owing to its location, the urban development department took a few years to actually produce plans for the city structure. Eventually they had favoured building a single Mako Reactor over the top of the Crater, and building a raised city on the area of land that had been known as the Great Glacier.
President Shinra turned to his desk to study the plans of the new Reactor – it was going to be the biggest and most powerful Reactor ever constructed, a feat that was still regarded even by the Science Division as being a gamble. He also knew that they had to finish and activate the central reactor soon, as already people were moving to the city, mostly Shinra employees and their families who had tired of living in the remains of old Midgar.
"President Shinra!" said a female voice from the door to his as-of-yet-unfinished office and he looked up to see Janelles, head of the Science Division walking in without knocking.
"What is it now Janelles?" he asked, having already seen her sixteen times in the past two hours.
"The Reactor should be functional at last!" she said gleefully, passing him a remote control with a large green button on it.
"Oh, this is a pleasant surprise," he said seriously. "I thought you were having problems with the pipe valve for the depressurisation of tank forty-six?"
"We still are, but until that pipe is lowered into the Lifestream we need not worry," replied Janelles, straightening her large glasses.
"This is excellent news Janelles," replied President Shinra happily, and with those words, he started up the main Mako Reactor.
There was a high-pitched whistle as steam began to pour from the many vents in the sides of the reactor and a loud whooshing sound as the Reactor actually begun harvesting the Lifestream.
"Beautiful…simply beautiful," said Janelles, awestruck by the power of the huge Reactor perched over the Crater.
"Isn't it?" responded the President, equally in awe, staring out the window of his office with wide eyes.
"That should help the temperature problem too," said a male voice from the doorway – it belonged to Hera, head of the Urban Development Department. "Attaching the new plate section was a total nightmare President, we had to thaw all the connections and pipe work first."
"I don't see what you have to complain about!" said Janelles indignantly. "If you'd only listened to me and waited until the Reactor was activated before you started building!"
"Janelles, Hera, that is enough," said the President sharply. "Hera, return to your office and await further instructions. Janelles, I wish to talk to you more."
"Yes sir!" said Hera, and he left the room with a quick, and unnecessary, bow.
"What of…Jenova?" asked the President quietly, just to make sure no-one was listening in.
"That's the current problem I'm having," replied Janelles with a sigh, flicking back her long red hair. "It is in the Lifestream, that much is known. Although how much of it is not could be a problem in the future. Its head has entered the Lifestream too, or should have, so I've removed that part from Hojo's list."
"Hojo…that's a name I haven't heard for many years…"
"I've still got his head after it was recovered," said Janelles, stopping herself before she volunteered to show it to the President.
"Only you could hang onto such a thing," he said with a sigh.
"I find mutations quite fascinating you know…" she said dreamily.
"Anyway Janelles, I've been concerned about the idea of using any new materia we create if so much of Jenova is in the Lifestream," said the President quietly.
"The Reunion is inevitable for as long as we have the Lifestream," responded Janelles calmly. "If we use the materia, we'll just postpone it for a while, maybe for the extent of our lives – unless someone with Jenova cells is sent to gather them…"
"All members of Soldier were injected with Jenova cells," sighed the President, realising the extent that the current problem could reach.
"That was a long time ago," said Janelles quickly. "They are all old, if not dead by now."
"I know, so is Cloud Strife too," said the President with a slight smile – his grandfather had told him that Cloud had given the Black Materia to Sephiroth.
"There is one question still to be answered though – was Jenova controlling Sephiroth, or vice versa?" asked Janelles, and left the office to allow the President to muse over it in peace.
The Shinra building stood in the centre of Neo Midgar much as it had done in the old Midgar and offered a dominating view of the surrounding land and sea. The outside of the building was completed, but the inside was still being worked on, so everywhere you went you would find blocked-off corridors and rooms. Janelles entered an elevator and took it up a floor to her lab – President Shinra had placed great importance on the progress of science, and she had been given a higher office than him.
As she passed by huge specimen tanks and apparatus, she spotted the tank in which Hojo's head was stored, still the same as ever. After staring at it for a few moments she proceeded on, finally stopping at a computer that displayed the readouts for the Reactor.
"Jenova fell to the planet," she said to herself, not really studying the complex series of numbers and symbols on the screen. "Jenova wants to take control of the Lifestream, to rule this world." The numbers on the screen changed, but Janelles didn't notice. "Or does it? Maybe it needs the Lifestream to survive, like we need water and food…"