"You can take it to court, if you like, Mr. Wallace, but I'm afraid that won't be of any benefit to either yourself or Shin-Ra. At the moment we'd prefer to simply get on with business than busy ourselves with counter-suits and dealing with the courts. If you push the matter, you'll only find that our contracts are completely in order and are not, as you say, unconscionable." The TURK's tone was smooth and self-assured, unruffled as his carefully pressed suit and perfectly straight ebony hair. His words were completely with out accent, neither from his native Wutai, nor his years in Midgar, a pure academic manner of speech that the much more colloquial oil-driller found unnerving.
"However, rather than wasting time and money in legal battles, or simply parting empty handed, President Rufus has authorized me to make a proposition. The truth is Shin-Ra intends to drill that land as well, however we no longer have either the staff or the equipment for a project of that scale. As Wallace and Dyne Drilling has already hired in most of the miners of North Corel and the geologists of Bone Village, it leaves us little option than to contract with you in this endeavor.
"Before you jump to objections, Mr. Wallace," and Tseng had indeed interrupted Barret, circumventing a stream of colourful anti-Shin-Ra sentiments, "I would ask you to remember that our corporation is not entirely the same institution with which you dealt during the events at Corel. I can personally vouch for then-Vice-President Rufus' noninvolvement, as well as the TURKs' department. As I understand it you're well aware that the military attack was under the initiative of Scarlet and Heidegger."
"You expect me t' believe they didn't have you're boss's go-ahead on that one then?" Barret's massive arms were crossed firmly over his expanse of chest, his entire attitude radiating his complete lack of faith in the TURK's sincerity, and disinclination to accept his excuses. Tseng did not appear ruffled.
"Yes, actually, I do. If left to Rufus' wishes and given to my department, there would have been a much more subtle and thorough investigation, and those particularly responsible for the damage to the reactor would have been dealt with. Severely and publicly. The leveling of an entire unarmed village only enforced the image of Shin-Ra as a stupid, brutal animal. Rufus much prefers the concept of intelligent, localized lethality.
"Your average human beings are well capable enough to keep themselves in line, especially if they understand that it is specifically the act of stepping out of line that brings trouble. Keeping even those who mind their own business, get to work on time every day, concern themselves with their families, in constant terror for their lives… only inspires heroics…"
"How's that any better than how his old man was runnin' things, huh? Didn't seem like there was any less need for heroes, after Rufus took over, not to me."
Tseng tilted his head to the side, sheaves of black hair sliding across his shoulders as he regarded Barret, looking surprised at the former Ecoterrorist's blatant insinuations. "Those were circumstances far beyond Shin-Ra's control in any capacity, that required the actions of you and yours. As for the attitudes of the company's current incarnation… Aren't they the ideal? Those with great power shepherd those who only aspire to live their lives in calm, and wield their might only against those who would disrupt the social order? If things had progressed in Corel, as I had described, even you would still be contently enjoying the benefits of our corporation's good will."
"With the Makou reactors still suckin' the life outta the Planet? I don't think so."
"We were unaware of the ecological impact of the reactors at that time. Until Meteor there was no concrete proof of a Living Planet, only religious dogma and untested theories. I won't say the lack of investigation into the matter wasn't a fault, but the situation has changed vastly. The concerns of the Shin-Ra are the concerns of the Planet. We understand now with an all too painful clarity how our destinies are intertwined.
"For Shin-Ra to prosper, the world must prosper, and Shin-Ra does possess a great talent for rapid success in the areas to which the corporation applies its efforts. We have much to offer one another, if we can put aside our differences and work together. We each have our reasons to distrust one another, but we have come together before, when the world was in crisis. This time the threats may not be so eminent, but the stagnation of the world is nothing to be taken lightly. If you can agree not to begrudge the Shin-Ra company some measure of personal success, we would gladly see everyone enjoy the Planet's Renaissance."
Tseng fell silent, watching the other man carefully, reading signs in every tiny motion, every grumbling breath, every twitch of Barret's shrewd chocolate eyes. He was already certain that a concrete answer would not come from this meeting alone, but also that the uncharacteristic lengths of speech to which he'd gone had not been wasted efforts. There was at least an uncertainty haunting the edges of the oil-driller's thoughts, a crack in the armour of his intense prejudice against the Shin-Ra Corporation.
"Neither of us can make head-way on this project until we reach some manner of accord, Mr. Wallace, so feel free to consider my offer at your leisure. I'm sure many difficulties will arise from the North Corel men in regards to a joint venture, but if at some point you feel inclined to accept, rest assured we can find perfectly peaceful means of ensuring their cooperation. Shin-Ra, by any other name," and he smiled softly, letting the implications hang.
Barret was hardly as well-versed in contracts as the Shin-Ra assassin-cum-lawyer, but he did understand the suggestion the TURK was making. Wallace and Dyne Drilling could contract out to one of Shin-Ra's subsidiary companies and the regular employees would never know the difference in where the paychecks came from. Unless someone decided to follow the paper trails and realize Shin-Ra was the parent company, the involvement of the fallen world-power would be a complete non-issue.
Barret Wallace didn't appreciate that manner of underhanded deception. At all.
He didn't get a chance to educate the TURK on that matter though. Tseng's cell phone began ringing on the tail end of his words, and from the look on his face as he surveyed the video-screen it was not a call he'd be able to simply let ring through. Standing and bowing with formal courtesy, Tseng excused himself from Barret's cramped mobile office, entreating the driller to think the offer over one last time, before stepping back out into the dusty Corel evening, flicking open his new phone and taking the call.
He gazed out at the burning orange sunset, playing hide-and-seek between the chilly Corel Mountains as he listened to Elena's brief on the attack at Healin Lodge. Cursing Rude and Reno's ineffectiveness he agreed to return to Midgar, for the safety of the President, as soon as he could get in the air.
Flicking the phone closed and pocketing it tersely, he made his way across the mostly empty field, toward the flat stretch and the waiting helicopter. Over the foothills that banked the plane, two children on birdback raced one another back toward the little village of modest, cozy houses, laughing to one another and goading each other on. The great green chocobos upon which the children rode whistled and warked, sharing in their riders' enthusiasm in the cool of the evening.
Tseng paused at the edge of the flat where the helicopter rested, still and silent, not yet prepared to take off. Watching the two he felt a sincere wish that the rebuilding of Shin-Ra was as beneficial to the world as he had pitched to his former adversary, though he had no reason to doubt it was any other way. It would indeed be quite a long while before Shin-Ra actually had the sort of global power that could be abused in the old ways, but the world was wiser now. Even if they'd been inclined to, the Shin-Ra wouldn't get away with anything truly sinister.
Suddenly one of the riders pulled something from his saddle bags and threw it down in the other bird's path. The girl's mount suddenly pulled up sharply, throwing its petite rider into its feathery neck before it dove for the ground, pecking furiously. The little girl slid down the animal's bowed neck to the ground, landing with a quiet "Oof!" and the reigns still in her hands, recovering herself enough to at least glare perturbedly at the willful animal.
"Tantal greens," she muttered to herself. "TANTAL GREENS! DENZEL, THAT'S NOT FAIR!" The boy seemed not to hear her though and the girl simply sighed, brushing off her knees before she noticed Tseng had approached her, gallantly offering a hand up off the dirt. She took it shyly and the two regarded one another for a moment in silence before Marlene was able to work up a quiet, "Thanks…"
She recognized him, Tseng was sure. He certainly knew who she was, and though he was not surprised to see the girl, godchild of Barret Wallace, whom the TURKs had kidnapped along with Elmyra Gainsborough two years before… He was taken a little off-guard by her appearance. The twisting braid, the soft pink scarf tied in her hair… The deliberate meaning behind that was not at all lost on him, and made him suddenly feel just how long it had been since he'd seen his beautiful, most favorite prey, the Cetra child, Aerith.
She'd looked just like this when she'd first been brought in by Hojo and his independent forces, along with her mother Ifalana. Tseng had only been a trainee then, hoping some day to get his promotion into the TURKs… And he'd tried to quell his pity for her frightened loneliness because sympathy was a weakness he shouldn't be able to afford.
He'd never been able to be anything but sympathetic to that poor girl however. Had foolishly risked everything to keep her hidden from the rest of Shin-Ra, trying to persuade her to go by her own free will. All the nostalgia crept back into him now and he was forced to remember she was gone, completely, from this world… He'd avoided Sector Five for two years now, not admitting even to himself that this let him pretend she might still be tending her flowers there, happily, and in fear that his next visit might take her away.
Sephiroth had taken her away, with the same cold steel blade that had rendered Tseng unable to do anything to prevent it.
"Ojisan…?" But the little girl's eyes were the warm hazel of the dusty earth, not the deep green of secret forests like Aerith's had been. Though the feeling was close, it wasn't quite the same. Tseng snapped himself from the trance at last and smiled gently.
"My name is Tseng, remember? Shall I help you back up?" With a wide and trusting smile, Marlene Wallace nodded her little head and accepted the TURK's careful boost back up into her saddle as the great green bird picked up its beak, finished with its favorite snack. Giving her mount a soft kick, the girl took off toward her hometown again, waiving over her shoulder at him.
She called out her thanks and called him by name before disappearing back among the houses. Tseng watched until she was completely out of sight before turning back to the helicopter.
Author's remarks: Short and sweet, but I wanted to get something up and finally the inspiration for something that could be a complete chapter came to me. I've been struggling through some powerful bad writer's block at the moment and still have a couple chapters started but no where near complete enough to put up. :P Sorry for the very long wait, I'll see what I can do to get things kicked into gear again.
Translations: Ojisan – Literally, it's the respectful way to say "uncle" but much like other familial terms it's also the polite way to talk to a stranger you don't know. In this case it indicates a man of enough years to not be your Oniisan (brother) but not enough to be your Ojiisan (Grandpa).