Chapter 2
Foot Steps
Cloud and Tifa continued to do what they had been doing for what seemed to be hours: walking around and constantly looking up. Looking up as if the high roof held some answers.
"What exactly are you two looking for?" asked a familiar voice, Cloud and Tifa turned to see someone they hadn't entirely expected.
"Reno," Tifa said in a voice that sounded unsure as to whether she should consider him an enemy at the moment. He and the Turks had helped them in the past, most notably back in the days of the Geostigma.
"Whatever it is, I guarantee you won't find it on the roof," Reno said, "even if it was up there I don't know where you'd get a ladder big enough to get that high."
"What do you know about this place?" asked Cloud.
Reno looked at him curiously, "It appeared out of nowhere."
"That's it?" asked Tifa.
"How much can a guy know about something that just up and appeared out of nowhere?" asked Reno.
The two of them stared at the Turk trying to tell if he was playing dumb.
"I thought you Turks knew about everything," said a gruff voice from behind Reno, the Turk turned to see Cid Highwind accompanied by the rest of the stereotypical gang Reno saw with Cloud: Barret Wallace, Yuffie, Red XIII with a Cait Sith hanging comically off his back.
"The whole family's back together again I see," Reno said, "I don't see Bahamut so this must be for this strange little structure standing in the middle of nowhere. To answer your question Turks know about everything related to Shinra, therefore this is not something related to Shinra."
"There's a document in the next room and it mentions Hojo," Cloud challenged.
Reno looked surprised, "Then this is one hell of a side project."
"Interesting," Red XIII said trotting over to Reno, staring for a moment and then moving past as if to survey the large room. "Shinra constructed, but Shinra doesn't know about it."
"This sounds like it's gonna be really confusing," Yuffie complained.
"This sounds a bit like time travel!" Cait Sith said excitedly bouncing on Red XIII's back.
Everyone looked at Cait Sith.
"What exactly do you know about time travel?" asked Reno.
"Oh, well, nothing, I just mean that's what it sounds like to me," Cait Sith said.
"I think we should check the place out before we draw any conclusions," Tifa said.
"Now that's the kind of uncomplicated goal I like," Yuffie said.
"Alright then, nobody goes anywhere alone!" Barret ordered.
"He is correct," Red XIII agreed, "we don't know nearly enough about this construct."
"There are a lot of locked doors that I can't figure how to open," Cid said. "If it's the same way with every damned door in this place it's gonna be a short exploration."
"This place does look pretty Shinra," Reno added, "if there's a way to open the doors I should be able to find it. That is of course if you don't mind my tagging along."
"Don't you have some…Turk stuff…to do?" asked Yuffie.
"Don't know if you really noticed, dear, but Shinra's in a bit of a mess," Reno said condescendingly, "if you were paying attention while you were trying to save the world you'd remember the Turks really don't have much of a job anymore. Though I do still keep this snazzy outfit, wouldn't feel right losing the suit, you know?"
"Whatever," Yuffie said grabbing the closest person, which happened to be Cid, and dragging them off. "Come on, let's go find something useful."
Cid reluctantly let himself be dragged away and that was cue enough for everyone else to start searching. Cloud went off with Tifa and Red XIII always traveled with Cait Sith on his back nowadays. That left the unlikely pairing of Reno and Barret.
"Well, we could break your 'nobody travels alone' rule just this once," Reno suggested.
"Sounds like a damn good idea," Barret said and moved off alone.
"Alright, guess there's no chance we're gonna be friends, eh?" asked Reno. Barret grunted something inaudible, "okay then, see ya later!"
The combined efforts of the group still left much of the huge building unchecked, what they did find didn't give them any answers. Most of the doors were locked and appeared to have no way of opening, Reno, to his surprise, could find no way to get the doors to move.
"Looks Shinra, smells Shinra," Reno growled, "but it ain't Shinra. So who the hell made this place?"
§
Cloud and Tifa found a hallway, one of many, that led to an open side door. Inside was what looked like living quarters. The place was as immaculate as the rest of the building; it looked as if no one had ever been in the place. The only thing that betrayed the look of desertion was the fact there appeared to be some folders similar to the ones Vincent had been looking through before. There were three such folders, only one had any paper in it. Cloud bent down and picked it up; he pulled out the single piece of paper and read it.
"What's it say?" asked Tifa.
"Sounds like some routine scientist stuff," Cloud said, for some reason he decided to check the back of the page. What he saw made him jump back a bit. "Tifa…"
"Whoa, is that blood?" asked Tifa.
On the back of the page was four words written in what looked like blood but could have been any red substance.
"Don't bring them back," Cloud read the words.
"Bring who back," Tifa muttered.
"Probably the Cetra," Cloud replied, "because of the guardians I'd say. This is the first proof of anyone actually being here. If this is blood then why was this person the only one left alive to write a message?"
"This place leaves too many questions and not enough answers," Tifa said shaking her head.
§
Barret ran into Red XIII and Cait Sith due to some confusing hallways and decided to explore onward together. They ran into a long series of identical doors that wouldn't open until they came to a hallway that led straight into a large open door, one similar to the one that led into the room with the tubes they had been in.
"Perhaps an identical room," Red XIII said.
"That would be bad, wouldn't it?" asked Cait Sith.
Barret just nodded and led the way, "Keep your eyes open, if there's anything other than us in there kill it!"
"This place looks quite deserted; I doubt there's going to be anything in there," Red XIII replied.
"Hell if I know, don't like this place one bit, just keep your eyes open," Barret retorted entering through the doorway.
They stepped into an identical room as the one before, tubes surrounded them. In fact identical was very literal. The room was exactly the same in every aspect, dead quiet, a nondescript grey as everything else in the building and just as deserted.
"Now where the hell is everybody?" asked Barret, "big place like this and no damn people, something's wrong here!"
"I believe you are correct, my friend," Red XIII said, "but whatever is wrong has already happened, I believe that whatever happened here has happened and has left. This place holds no answers for us."
"I think we should've just left it alone and hoped it went away again," Cait Sith muttered.
§
Cid and Yuffie stood in what seemed their thousandth dull grey hallway; each one was the same, doors that won't open, grey, grey, more dull grey.
"You'd think they could have at least had some flowers or something," Yuffie complained.
Cid looked at the small girl and then shook his head, "Come on, let's just go find everyone else and get the hell outta this place. There's nothing here."
"You got something better to do?" asked Yuffie.
"Yeah, I'd rather do a lot of things than walk around this place forever, wouldn't you?" Cid asked then waved his hand, "don't answer that, I don't care what you do in your spare time. I'm getting outta this place."
"Hey, you can't leave me alone here!" Yuffie said.
"Watch me," Cid muttered looking around and then going in a direction that he thought might be the way they came.
"Barret said no one goes anywhere alone!" Yuffie warned.
"Take a look, does it look like I give a damn what Barret said?" asked Cid rhetorically and started walking away.
"Fine, don't need you anyways!" growled Yuffie and walked in the opposite direction. After a few second of walking Yuffie stopped as she heard a noise. "Cid, is that you?" She turned and looked behind her, then looked back ahead.
She heard another noise, this time like a tapping. It sounded like small footsteps, small footsteps coming toward her. Yuffie looked around frantically, "Who's there?" Yuffie was about to draw her weapon when the small footsteps sounded like they were coming from a different direction. Her heart was racing, knowing she could easily come face to face with the thing that wiped out everyone who had been working in the building. The small noise sounded like they were behind her now, Yuffie froze, preparing herself to turn and attack whatever it was coming up behind her. The small feet noises were clearly coming closer. She was determined to let the thing think she was unaware right up to when she attacked. Her heart was beating so loud it almost drowned out the tapping of the feet behind her, she was ready to turn and attack when the noise stopped and started again quickly. This time it sounded like it was in front of her again. She looked down the hall in front of her in confusion, the footsteps sounded like they were approaching again, this time from the front.
"What is wrong with this place?" she whispered, the small noises got louder as they seemed to approach. It suddenly occurred to her that whatever this thing was it might be invisible…invisible and watching her.
Yuffie, wishing she hadn't left Cid, finally lost it and turned to run, ready to sprint all out until she was sure she was far away from the noise. As her body made the one-eighty turn her eyes made out the figure standing in front of her and it took only a split second for the rest of her to react to the sight and scream. The piercing scream could likely be heard throughout the whole building, and it would have gone on longer had she not run into the thing in front of her accidentally and it wrapped its arms around her.
"Are you alright?" asked Vincent looking at her. Her eyes were closed tightly ready for whatever the thing was to kill her. As she heard his voice her eyes slowly opened, after a few moments she looked up and saw the face of their mysterious friend who had been absent when they arrived.
"Vincent, you scared the…" Yuffie found she had trouble talking, her heart was beating so fast and she was shaking so bad her words caught in her throat.
Vincent could physically feel her shaking, "What did you see?"
It took her a few seconds to finally be able to speak, her mind came to terms with the fact she was now with a friend, in his arms no less, and it allowed her to use her voice. "I didn't see anything."
"What?" asked Vincent.
"I mean, I heard something, it sounded like foot steps, small ones," Yuffie said, "they sounded like they were in front, then behind, then in front again…I could never see anything…I could just hear them."
"You didn't see anything?" asked Vincent, "disembodied foot steps, you're sure it wasn't something else?"
"Of course I'm sure!" she said indignantly and glared at him, getting some of her old self back, "I'm not crazy or anything!"
Vincent's blank stare completely disarmed her; it was hard to be angry at someone who always had a face that looked like it both understood everything and nothing at the same time.
"I wasn't suggesting that you were insane, I just mean it could be something caught in the ventilation system, something like that," Vincent said.
"Well, it wasn't, I heard foot steps!" Yuffie was adamant about the foot steps. "You can let me go now, I'm fine."
Vincent did so and stepped back, "I may have found some answers but nothing very clear."
"Where did you go?" asked Yuffie.
"To see someone who may have had answers," Vincent replied, "let's go see if we can find the others. I spotted Cid on the way here, I instructed him to tell everyone he saw to meet back where you all started."
Yuffie nodded and followed Vincent back the way she'd come with Cid, she took one look back and suddenly heard the foot steps again. She jumped and grabbed Vincent's right arm. "There it is again!"
Vincent nodded and looked around, "I heard it, too."
Yuffie realized she was clinging to his arm and let go, Vincent drew his gun and looked around. "Stay near." He ordered and started walking around cautiously, trying to follow the noise. After a while Vincent stopped and turned to Yuffie, "It's walking back and forth."
"The foot steps?" asked Yuffie.
"Yes, they're continually going back and forth, that's why you heard them in front and then behind, and in front again," Vincent replied.
"So where are they coming from?" asked Yuffie.
"Of that I have no idea," Vincent replied following the noises curiously.
"Weird," Yuffie murmured.
"Not surprising for such a place," Vincent said holstering his gun, "we should find the others; I may have an explanation for this."
"Really?" asked Yuffie.
"Well, it's really more of a guess," Vincent admitted.
"Better than nothing," Yuffie said.
The two of them walked away from the strange foot steps and almost immediately ran into Reno was ran on from their left side from a connecting hallway. Yuffie and Reno both jumped in surprise, Vincent, as always, was calm.
"I swear I came by here before," Reno said, "then again this place all looks the same."
"I know the way," Vincent said, curiously not inquiring as to why Reno was here.
"He showed up before us," Yuffie said without Vincent asking.
"It doesn't matter, we have no enemies here, for now," Vincent said, "I know the way."
Reno watched Vincent go by and looked at Yuffie curiously and just decided to follow.
"Place is getting weirder by the minute," Reno muttered.
The three of them easily found their way back to where the search had begun, thanks to Vincent they were the only ones back.
"I may have to go find them," Vincent said.
After a few moments Cid appeared with everyone else.
"This place is really hard to get around in, everything looks the same," complained Cid.
"Vincent, you're back," Tifa said smiling, "find anything out?"
"Not as much as I'd hoped, but Lucrecia did know something about Hojo's experiments with time. Unfortunately we may have a complicated issue, as far as she knows Hojo never even started the project as Sephiroth came first. So this place never existed," Vincent said.
"So then how the hell're we standing in it?" asked Barret.
"Hojo created it," Vincent replied.
"You just said Hojo didn't get around to it," Tifa said looking confused.
"Not in this time he didn't," Vincent said.
"Huh?" asked Yuffie.
"I see," Red XIII said, "you're suggesting a Hojo from a different time and place created this."
"You're saying this place came from another time?" asked Cloud.
"The future," Vincent said, "how or why I don't know."
"Okay, so this place was made and the experiments were done by a Hojo from the future," Cloud said shaking his head, "so then how come everyone's gone?"
"I have a theory," Vincent said, "I believe they couldn't survive travel to a past that they didn't exist in."
"What?" asked Yuffie hopelessly lost.
"This place is not only from a different time, but also likely from a different plane of existence altogether," Vincent said.
"Wait, wait, hold it," Cloud said waving a hand, "you mean like an alternate dimension?"
"Exactly," Vincent replied.
"I'm lost," Cid said, "alternate dimensions? So you mean these guys died because they came to an alternate dimension they didn't belong in?"
"I believe so," Vincent said.
"I can see Hojo coming up with something crazy like that," Reno said shaking his head.
"So then what about the foot steps?" asked Yuffie.
Everyone looked at her curiously and Vincent immediately filled them in on the noises he and Yuffie had heard, then continued. "This is of course a guess, but I think the foot steps trapped in a back and forth motion might be a person who is stuck between times or dimensions."
"Someone who is still enough in their own world to be alive and enough in ours so we can hear their foot steps," Red XIII said, "could we communicate?"
"I wouldn't recommend it from our end," Vincent said, "even talking to someone from here may result in it killing them. Although I have one more thing to show you that could let us talk to this person."
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Yuffie muttered.
"You and me both, sweetheart," Reno agreed.
"I know of a way to send someone back, rather forward, to the time of this person," Vincent said.
"Wait, if you send someone where they don't exist, wouldn't they die?" asked Tifa.
"So we send someone we know must exist," Vincent said.
Red XIII nodded, "We can assume that this alternate world must have some similarities to our own or it would not exist. So therefore at least one of us must exist in that world."
"Which one of us?" asked Cloud.
"Damn high stakes to be betting on an assumption, Vince," Cid said, "it could be any of us."
"I know exactly who it is," Vincent said, "and don't call me Vince."
"Who is it?" asked Tifa.
"Aeris," Vincent replied.
"Great, well, guess that means we can all go home," Reno said, "because she ain't here!"
"She isn't now," Red XIII said, "but we could bring her back."
Cloud's eyes widened, "As great as this all sounds aren't we forgetting about the guardians?"
"He's right," Tifa said, "and do we really need to go back that bad? I mean, honestly, it's not like this big building is a threat to us deserted."
Vincent gave her a blank stare that told her otherwise.
"Is it?" she asked, less sure of herself.
"If it remains in the incorrect plane of existence," Red XIII said wisely, "it will begin to tear our world apart."
"This building doesn't exist here, this technology, not invented," Vincent explained. "This is a very serious paradox."
Everyone was silent for a few moments until Reno spoke up, "Well, that's just dandy…when do we bring her back?"
"Right now," Vincent said, "we bring her back right now, before it's far too late."