THIRTEEN

"Ah, my precious specimen…" Hojo wheezed.

Although I wanted to growl, I kept silent. I would not give him the pleasure of seeing me react to his words. Instead, I stared coldly at him with my good eye as I sat on my haunches within the thick, cylindrical glass chamber that had been my world for the past year. I didn't move, aside from the almost involuntary way my tail would often drift about, the flame at its tip reflected in the glass walls of my prison, and I might as well have been a statue for all the response I provided. Hojo stared at me, his dark eyes greedy and calculating.

He was pale, thin, and slightly hunched, with a long white lab coat, dark clothes, slightly opaque glasses, and black hair tied into a thin tail that hung down his back. I had come to expect his visits and tests, but I didn't like them at all. The only means I had, for now at least, to retain some measure of control in this place was to refuse to go along with his twisted games and experiments as much as possible. Hojo was aware of how intelligent I was, of course, and I had caused him a good measure of frustration with my unwillingness to show it.

He went on. "Come now, Red XIII. You and I both know quite well that you are no mere animal. Also that you are the last of your kind. A pity, really. But don't despair. We can still preserve your wondrous race and ensure that it will not die with you. In fact, my procedure will save another nearly extinct species as well."

I knew better than to believe him, however. In my time here, I had been poked, prodded, and more. It filled my days, and it never seemed to end. I had been brought to the upper level of Hojo's lab today, which was also called the Drum. Most of the time, he kept me downstairs for observation, and I was due to be returned there soon. That was where I spent most of my time in this horrid place.

But Hojo had been unusually excited today and had kept babbling on about a new specimen that had just arrived. And for some reason, I was to be part of his experiments with… whatever it was. I hadn't been here in the Drum very long, but I knew this area well. It was filled with glass cylinders similar to the one that contained me. Some were empty, but others were occupied, most with all manner of Hojo's twisted, ugly creations, bizarre mutations and monsters. The walls were metal, and a pale blue glow hung in the air. I hated it.

It was then that I noticed for the first time that one of the cylinders held not a monster, but a young woman. It was directly across from me about twenty feet away. She was sitting on a stool, her hands in her lap and her head slightly down. Her light pink dress, short red jacket, long braid of chestnut brown hair, and small, slender hands were very out of place in this chilly, sterile facility but also quite vibrant. The girl hadn't seen me yet, though, for her eyes were closed as if in prayer or perhaps contemplation. She was holding together well.

Hojo noticed me looking at her. "Ah, I see you've found our newest specimen. A rare and magnificent breed, much like her mother. Watch her closely. If the procedure is successful, she will surely bear you a fine and healthy cub. And thus, both of your races will survive. Interspecies mating rituals are so fascinating to observe."

I barely managed to keep my claws sheathed. This was his plan? To breed us—myself and the girl? It was monstrous, terrible, and I had no intention of going through with it. I knew the girl would refuse to be a part of it as well. She hadn't moved, but I was certain she'd heard every word that Hojo had spoken to me. The only reaction I saw her give was a slight twitch of her fingers. That was all.

Hojo smiled cruelly. "If you will excuse me, I must go see my prize specimen now. Feel free to observe us if you wish, however. She is quite marvelous indeed. But vulnerable as well."

Then he turned and walked over to see the girl in her glass prison. She looked up and opened her eyes to reveal a pair of irises that were a deep, vibrant green, like shimmering emeralds. Hojo stood before her, but I noticed that he kept himself slightly off to the side so that I could see all that happened between them.

"How are you enjoying your accommodations thus far, Aerith?" he asked. She didn't answer. "A trifle sparse, I'll admit, but you should find them familiar. It's been so long. Fifteen years now. You've grown since I last saw you, my dear. Yes, you have…"

He paused for a moment to watch her. Aerith didn't react, much as I hadn't when he had spoken to me. She simply sat there, fully upright, and met his gaze without flinching. Hojo rubbed his chin thoughtfully before stepping a little closer to her.

"So, about this precious promised land of yours," he went on. "You misunderstand my intentions. The only reason I help to satisfy Shinra's endless material greed is so I can be left alone to pursue my great work. That is, our great work. You're going to help me, my dear, whether you wish it or not. As you well know."

Again, Aerith remained silent, so Hojo leaned forward, his narrow face almost touching the glass as he scrutinized her. "You're the spitting image of your mother, did you know that? A pity she didn't trust me. If she hadn't tried to run, things might've played out quite differently. She wouldn't have had to die, Aerith. How terribly tragic, to lose the last of the pure-blooded Ancients… but not completely."

I blinked. The girl was an Ancient? That certainly explained Hojo's interest in her. I'd thought they were extinct. But this girl seemed to be one of them. She looked away for just a moment at the mention of her mother. I had lost my own many years ago, so I understood all too well how difficult the reminder must've been for Aerith. She fixed her gaze defiantly back on Hojo a moment later.

His next words chilled my blood. "Would you like to see her again? Albeit through the lens of one of my microscopes. Did you really think we'd leave her to rot in the gutter? We collected, sorted, and catalogued every last bit of that precious specimen—hair, skin, organs, bones—all of it as breathtaking as in life! As in you, my dear! Ifalna was perfection and elegance, right down to her cellular structure. And there it is again, in you. That very same elegance."

I let out a low growl before I could stop myself while Hojo cackled softly. Aerith's face paled, and her hands trembled slightly, but she kept silent and showed no other reaction. I admired her composure. After a moment, Hojo took his phone from his coat pocket as he got a message of some kind. Apparently, he didn't like it, because he curled his lip in a disgusted sneer and hissed through his teeth.

"Oh, yes… another meeting," he grimaced. Then he looked back at Aerith. "Just sit tight. I won't be long."

Then he was gone, walking away and out of the room. There was a hall there with an elevator—I could see glimpses of it whenever anyone entered or left the lab—and Hojo left to go downstairs, presumably for that meeting he'd spoken of. Once the door had closed behind him and we were alone, Aerith let out a small gasp and leaned forward, holding herself and looking down. It seemed her strength had finally given out, at least for the time being. I looked at her, curious and little worried. It couldn't have been easy for her to hear Hojo's words.

After a moment's thought, I decided to break my silence and reach out to her. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" she blinked, looking up at me. "So you can talk."

"Yes. How did you know?" I wondered.

Aerith smiled a little. "Just a hunch. You're so different from all the other things Hojo has here. Not scary at all."

"Thank you," I told her.

"Sure," she replied. "So, um… you've probably heard it already, but my name's Aerith. What's yours? I kinda doubt it's really Red XIII. That sounds like something Hojo thought up."

It was. "That's true. I have another name. But I don't share it often. I haven't had the best experiences with you two-legs. At least, those not of my hometown. So just call me Red XIII."

Aerith pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm… sounds kinda cold and sterile, to be honest. Like this lab. So how about we tweak it a bit, make it warmer? Let's see… Red! How's that?"

"Much better," I admitted. "I think I like it."

She nodded. "Great! It fits you, makes you seem more like a person than a lab experiment. And speaking of that, I heard what Hojo said to you. About what he means to do with us."

I had figured as much. "Don't worry. I hate it, too."

"Glad to hear it," Aerith said. Then she smirked. "No offense, Red, but you're not really my type."

I didn't mind. "None taken. Neither are you mine."

She chuckled. "Good. Because this isn't exactly the ideal place for a date. Not that we could do much here. Still… it's nice to have someone to talk to, you know? Makes it not so lonely."

"Yes, it is," I agreed. "I'm glad for the company."

Aerith smiled. "Me too. How long have you been here?"

I sighed. "Too long. A year, maybe a little more."

"I'm sorry," she said, placing her hand on the thick glass wall of her cell. "You must miss your home a lot."

"I do, Aerith. Very much," I murmured.

She straightened. "Don't worry. My friends are coming to save me, and I know they'll help you, too. They'll be here soon, and we'll escape together, Red. That's a promise. And once we're free and far away from here, I'd love to hear all about your home."

"Then you shall," I promised as an idea began to form in my mind at her words. "It is a beautiful place, Aerith. The most wondrous in the world. In the meantime, however, I'm to be sent back downstairs soon. But before I have to leave, there's something I'd like to know first. If the situation calls for it, can you pretend to be afraid?"

Aerith nodded. "Yeah. I have an old friend who could probably do it better—she used to be an actress—but I think I can pull it off. Might not exactly be an award-winning performance, but it should get the job done, just the same. Why do you ask?"

I gazed at her intently. "Because I have a plan."

We found ourselves in a lobby when we stepped off the elevators. A hall stretched off to the right at the bottom of the room and probably led to the escalators while another went left, and in front of us was the museum entrance. Barret and Tifa were on either side of me, and as we went inside, my nose curled in disgust.

In the middle of the first room was a huge gold statue of President Shinra, and every exhibit and display in here was about him, all of it in the most glowing, gushing way possible. Photos, items, video clips, and more. It was totally nauseating, and my fingers clenched into a fist as I thought of all the people that were dead because of his plan to drop the plate. Jessie was dying thanks to him.

Suddenly, a translucent blue hologram of a chirpy, energetic young woman appeared in front us. "Welcome to the Shinra Building! This is our humble home! Isn't it great?"

"Oh, hell no…" Barret muttered.

The automated narrator went on. "Here in the Memorial Museum, you can learn all about our president, the esteemed Rogan Eliot Shinra, as well as the various divisions in the company. And of course, the city of Midgar and the miracle of mako energy. Whatever takes your fancy, you're sure to learn something new!"

Barret snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Jus' shut the hell up already."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Tifa murmured.

"When you're ready to move on," the narrator said, "just slide your keycard through the scanner by the door, and it'll open right up so you can go see our next amazing exhibit!"

The hologram winked out, and we headed toward the door leading into the next area. The room was pretty big, though, with that hideous statue dominating the whole place, so it took a minute to cross it. And as much as we wanted to ignore them, we couldn't keep from glancing at a few of the exhibits on the way. All of them were the same sickening lies and propaganda we knew from Shinra.

"Man thinks very highly of himself," Barret snorted.

Tifa nodded. "He's terrible…"

The next hall was lined with holographic displays showing several different areas of Midgar, all from the upper city. They shifted, pulsed, and changed every few seconds. The guide's annoyingly cheerful voice came on through the overhead speakers as we made our way further. I sighed and did my best to ignore it.

"Hey, everybody!" the guide said. "Enjoying the grand tour so far? Wasn't it fun to learn about Shinra and our esteemed president? And to get a peek at his mementos? Super cool, huh?"

"Like hell it is," Barret growled.

The guide ignored him. "Now, moving along! The next exhibit will teach you about the important work we do here. You'll get a closer look at our primary divisions! Each of them has several secondary divisions, too—for example, Systems Operation is a secondary division of Urban Development. But we'll just focus on the main ones here. I hope you're ready to be amazed, because you simply won't believe all the incredible adventures we have in store for you!"

The door ahead of us slid open, and we stepped into another large room. This one had assorted displays of equipment, weapons, machine parts, and more, with life-size holograms of the five executive directors amidst them. They stood quietly here and there around the area, like a set of statues made of light and energy.

Tifa gazed at the displays. "This looks familiar…"

Barret nodded. "Yeah, 'cause we've destroyed a buncha these things already. Trashed their metal asses."

He was right. Many of the parts were from mechs like the ones we had fought in the reactors and at the warehouse. I saw a sweeper's arm, an inactive monodrive, a slug-ray, a grunt's clawed gauntlet, and more. Tifa read the sign next to what looked like a prototype of the Valkyrie, then blinked and looked at us in surprise.

"Jessie made this…" she said. "I mean, she designed it."

Barret sighed. "Thought it was hers. Gotta admit, she did a helluva job on it. Too bad it got away from us."

Tifa pointed to the sign. "Yeah. We'll get it, though. See what it says here? Developed by Jessica Heidegger. Lead Designer, Shinra Weapons Development Division. Wow… according to the date on this, Jessie was only seventeen at the time. It looks like there might've been some early versions before this, but she completely redid it."

"Girl's definitely a genius, ain't she?" Barret marveled.

"Yeah, she really is," Tifa agreed. "Too bad we can't trash this thing for her, though. I'm sure she hates how Shinra's misused her designs to cause so much pain and death. I know I do."

Stepping close to the Valkyrie prototype, I drew Buster and slashed the mech to pieces in a few quick cuts while Barret and Tifa just stood there gaping at me. When I was finished and the Shinra drone was just a pile of scrap at our feet, I shouldered Buster and looked at the others, the corner of my mouth turning up.

"Oops," I smirked.

Tifa smiled. "Thanks, Cloud. That'll make her happy."

Barret chuckled. "You awright, merc."

"Uh, yeah…" I looked away. "We'd better go."

It looked like we had to activate each of the directors' holograms in order to move forward and access the next area of the museum. There was a card scanner set next to each one. Scarlet's was the closest, and as I slid the keycard through the slot, she started talking. Her voice was as icy and cold as ever, just like on the TV in Sector 5 yesterday. Her dress was slitted, tight-fitting, and blood red.

"Welcome to the Shinra Building," she spat. "I am Vera Scarlet. You are a nuisance. As the director of the Weapons Development Division, I oversee the creation of the most advanced weaponry ever seen. All in the service of Shinra, to keep you and the rest of our citizens safe from any who would threaten us. Midgar will be protected. And anyone who dares to stand against us will regret it."

"Charmin' woman," Barret grimaced. "Musta been tough for Jessie to work under that frigid bitch."

I nodded. "Had to be. And she did it for years."

Tifa frowned. "I'll be sure to remember that when I deliver Scarlet her knuckle sandwich with a side of pain."

"Now that'll be a sight to see!" Barret grinned.

We moved on, coming to displays about the space program. Charts of stars and planets along with parts from some kind of rocket engine. The next hologram was a short, pudgy older man in a suit the color of dark mustard and a hideously bright yellow tie. Tufts of gray hair grew on either side of his bald head, with another one in the middle, and he had a pair of beady, pale blue eyes.

"Wait, what?" he blinked when I activated the hologram. "I have to read this paper here? Just a moment… ahem… Welcome to the Shinra Building. The Space Exploration Division has taken rocket systems for military applications and adapted them to aid in searching for new and precious resources out in the infinite reaches of space. That being said, since we have plenty of mako at present, those plans are… currently on hold. Bit of a shame, really. Oh, my! I forgot to introduce myself! How embarrassing! I'm Director Willard Palmer."

Barret folded his arms in front of him. "I heard he does nothin' but sit on his ass all day since his program got scrapped."

"Something about a failed rocket launch," Tifa added.

"There was an old one that crashed into Aerith's church," I said. "It was a test model or something. Probably not what made Shinra cancel their plans for going to space, though."

The next section was devoted to the Science Division, with various exhibits showing the different things they did there. Nothing about the monsters we knew they were making, though. No way they'd have had that on the tour. A hologram of Hojo was nearby, and I shivered when he started talking in a soft, eerie wheeze. It was almost… familiar. But I was sure I'd never met him before.

He sighed. "Welcome to the Shinra Building. I am Dr. Hojo. As the director of the Science Division, my duties are almost certainly beyond your comprehension. So there will be no presentation, as it would be a waste of my time and yours. Rest assured, however, that we are making great strides. Albeit, not at this particular moment, because I'm filming this rubbish instead. And now, I believe I've wasted quite enough of my precious time as it is. Science waits for no one, and you least of all. My important research awaits me. So, good day."

"Creepy…" Tifa shuddered.

I nodded. "No kidding. He's the one who's got Aerith. So we'll have to find him and make him let her go."

Barret grimaced. "Ain't gonna be easy, merc."

"I know," I said. "But we've gotta do it. She and Jessie need us. And I don't plan on letting them down."

"Likewise," Tifa agreed.

Barret pumped his fist. "Damn straight!"

Peace Preservation was the next area, lined with assorted gear and weapons used by Shinra soldiers. There was also that grunt's claw that I had noticed earlier along with one of their suits and metal helmets. As I looked over it all, Tifa's eyes narrowed. She leaned forward a little and read one of the signs by the display.

"This brings back memories…" she sighed.

I glanced at her. "Not good ones, by the looks of it."

She shook her head. "No. It says that shock troopers—what we call grunts—are just ordinary soldiers who've undergone extensive training and special treatments to better defend Shinra' people and facilities. All volunteers, at least according to this."

"All bullshit, more like," Barret grimaced. "Tifa an' Jessie uncovered the truth behind 'em. An' it ain't pretty."

"What is it?" I asked.

It was Tifa that answered. "You remember me telling you about the time she and I went on that scouting mission just after she joined us? It was then. That supply depot was for more than just holding spare parts for the mako reactors. A lot more…"

"Can't say I'm surprised," I said. "What happened?"

She went on. "Jessie and I snuck inside—we'd seen a friend of hers being dragged in there by some soldiers. One of her regular customers. So we wanted to help him. But… we were too late. They took him, put this stuff on him, and injected him with drugs. They turned him into a grunt, Cloud. Not all of them become what they are willingly. I'm sure you've heard the stories of people, guys mostly, going missing down in the slums in the middle of the night."

I had. "Yeah. Figured Shinra was involved."

"Up to their ears," Tifa nodded. "In this case, the soldiers didn't put him out well enough before they started working on him, and he woke up. The drugs, they fried his mind, Cloud. Danny started attacking the soldiers and us. We… we had to put him down. Jessie ended up having to kill her own friend. She had tried to get through to him, to save him, but it didn't work. He was just… gone."

"Damn…" I swore.

She gazed at the display. "It was hard for her, but Danny hadn't left her a choice. He'd gone after her and pinned her down while I was busy fighting the rest of the soldiers. When it was over, we used a few of her grenades to torch the place on the way out. And wouldn't you know it, a patrol spotted us right as we got outside."

I nodded. "That's when you went into the sewers."

"Right," she said. "And you know the rest. We headed back but ran into those sahagins on the way there. During the fight, Jessie, she… she saved my life. One of those monsters had thrown its trident at me, but I'd been battling another one and hadn't seen it. Jessie had, though. She pushed me out of the way and took the blow herself. That's how she got so hurt back then. I got her home just in time."

"Took her a good week or so to recover," Barret said. "But she's one tough girl. She pulled through jus' fine."

I knew she was. "And she'll do it again. She'll make it."

"Count on it," Tifa agreed.

When I saw the hologram standing nearby, I felt my blood start to boil. It was Heidegger, and seeing his ugly, bearded face made me want to hit something. I'd known he was the head of Peace Preservation, but it was still unnerving. I glared darkly at him, seeing Jessie in the pillar, screaming as current swept all through her body from her father's trap. I saw her hurled across the platform as the console exploded, saw how she fell into the inferno, how badly hurt she was when we finally found her in the ruins. She was dying because of him.

Before I could stop myself, I punched the hologram in the face. My fist went right through it, of course. But it still felt good. As I withdrew my hand, the image shifted and warbled, then reformed as I let my arm drop to my side. Tifa and Barret didn't say anything. They just stood by me, understanding in their eyes. With a sigh, I slid the keycard into the scanner and activated the hologram.

Heidegger grunted. "Hmph! Welcome to the Shinra Building. I am General Richard T. Heidegger, Director of Peace Preservation. My men and I are tasked with maintaining order in this city, and we will do that by any means necessary. If you follow the law and listen to Shinra, you have nothing to fear. But if you don't, we will find you. Shinra's enemies will be punished quickly and without mercy."

"Bastard…" I growled.

Tifa took my arm. "Cloud…"

I found my rage rising again. "You saw what he did to Jessie. That's not something I can just forget. Sector 7's gone because of him, and she almost went with it. She's still at death's door, Tif. And a lot closer than she was in the sewers, I'm betting."

"That's true," Tifa murmured. "I've never seen her so terribly hurt, Cloud. Not even back then. But…"

"But what?" I asked.

She turned me to face her. "I know you're pissed at him, Cloud. So are we. But you can't forget why we're here. We might see Heidegger at some point before we get Aerith out, and when we do, you need to stay in control and stay focused. Jessie needs your help if she's going to have any chance to survive. We can—and we will—deal with her father later. But right now, she and Aerith are what's important."

"Hate to admit it, but Tifa's got a point," Barret agreed. "Same thing you been tellin' me all night."

I relaxed. "Yeah, I know. And… thanks."

He chuckled. "Anytime, merc. Best move on, though. We still gotta sit through one more'a these damn things."

"Right," I nodded. "Let's go."

The last area was for Urban Development, with various displays on mako, the reactors, and the construction of the city. The hologram was of a dark-haired man maybe in his early forties, with a neatly-trimmed beard, a dark blue suit, white collared shirt, red tie, and soft brown eyes that didn't seem to have the hostility or apathy that his fellows did. As I slid the card into scanner, I was surprised at how calm and professional the guy sounded. Almost normal, actually.

"Hello, and welcome to the Shinra Building," he greeted us. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Reeve Tuesti, director of the Urban Development Division. Our mission is to provide the people of Midgar with energy created from mako. We also take pride in maintaining our city's public infrastructure, the pillars and railways that run throughout it and help connect us with each other. Currently, we are constructing a new intraplate expressway, and when it is finished, it will provide much easier access to numerous locations across Midgar. We appreciate your patience and understanding in the meantime."

Tifa gazed thoughtfully at him. "He doesn't seem so bad."

"Still a Shinra," Barret muttered.

"So were Jessie and Marissa," she reminded him, giving him one of her patented glares. "Cloud, too. Don't forget it."

He shrugged. "Yeah, yeah…"

"Besides, you heard what Domino told us," she went on. "This guy was the only one of Shinra's executive directors to speak out against the president's plan to destroy Sector 7."

"Lotta good it did us," Barret grumbled.

Tifa put her hands on her hips. "At least he tried. That's more than the others did. So give it a rest!"

I agreed. "Right. You think Jessie knew him?"

Tifa nodded. "She was a director too, at least for a while. She might have worked under him, actually. The tour guide said her division was part of his, remember? So she probably did."

"We'll ask her later," I decided.

"Imagine having an ally this high in Shinra," she murmured. "That would really be something, you know? I still can't believe Domino's on our side, too. The mayor himself."

It was a lot to take in. "Yeah. That was a surprise."

"A good one, though," Tifa smiled. "But anyway, I think we should get moving. Looks like we're done here."

"It's 'bout time," Barret said.

Ignoring him, I headed toward the door as it slid open. Ahead was another curving hallway decorated with lights and holographic diplays amidst the black marble. As we walked inside, the guide started talking again, her voice as cheery and annoying as ever.

"Really impressive, wasn't it? I hope you enjoyed learning all about our divisions and the wonderful ideas and solutions that are produced to benefit us all! Here at Shinra, we strive to ensure the safety of all our great residents around the clock! Now, moving along! The next exhibit will teach you all about the miracle of mako energy and our reactors as well as the city of Midgar itself! This is also the last stop on our tour, so be ready to have some fun! Come on!"

Another door at the end of the hall opened, and we went through. It led into another large room. This one was round, and the only thing in it was a scale model of Midgar, complete to the last detail. It was big, over ten feet across, and our entire goal with this little trip into Shinra's propaganda nightmare. We were almost done.

The hologram of the guide reaappeared next to the model as we all gathered around it. "This is the city of Midgar, our home, recreated at a 1/10000 scale. As you can see here, the eight mako reactors form a ring around the center of our city and keep Midgar running day and night. The mako flowing beneath our feet is a truly limitless resource. And it's completely safe, with no negative side effects to us or our environment. It's an absolutely perfect form of energy!"

"At Shinra, we've created technologies to extract it and transform it into the clean fuel and electricity that powers all that we do," the guide went on. "Thanks to the amazing miracle of mako energy, our lives our better than ever before. Mako keeps our lights on, powers our cars and appliances, and has made Midgar the city that never sleeps. A triumph of technology and a shining testament to man's limitless potential. And that's the end of our tour! Congratulations! You can call your yourself a proud Shinra scholar! Have a great day!"

"Nothin' but a buncha lies!" Barret snarled when the hologram had vanished. "Goddamn Shinra bullshit!"

I glanced at him. "Except it has made people's lives better."

He snorted. "Made 'em blind to the hard, cold truth. Even I bought into it once. Pisses me off to think 'bout it."

"Let's just focus on why we're here, guys," Tifa said.

I nodded. "Yeah. Gotta get upstairs."

I didn't see the scanner at first, but then on a hunch, I reached over and gave the Shinra Building replica a little twist. The top swung open to reveal the slot. No doubt it had been installed by Domino's agents to help us rescue Aerith while we'd been on our way to see him. I took out the keycard and inserted it, and a moment later, there was a beep as the scanner updated it. When it was done, I pulled the card out and held it up as I turned to look at the others.

"All set," I said. "Now let's get outta here."

There was another door on the other side of the model, and it slid open as we went toward it. Inside was another hall, and it led us all the way back to the elevators, right where we'd started from. Once we went inside, I swiped the keycard through the scanner next to the panel, and the button for the 66th floor lit up. I pressed it as the doors closed, and we started to move upward again.

Barret scratched his chin. "Never knew this place was so high-tech. Lotta fancy shit goin' on back there. Makes us folk from the slums look like goddamn savages or somethin'."

"It's Shinra," I said. "What'd you expect?"

He chuckled. "Says the company man himself. You probably know all 'bout it, though—all them rules, regulations, an' red tape. That sorta thing. Probably like comin' home, ain't it?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Never worked here."

"Always out in the field, huh?" Barret said as the elevator started to rise. "Guess that's where the action is."

"More or less," I shrugged.

Tifa tightened her gloves. "Remember, that meeting's going to start soon. We need to find a way in."

I nodded. "We will. No turning back."

We didn't have any doubt about that. Somehow, we'd eavesdrop on that meeting and figure out a way to get into the Science Division. We'd gotten this far, made it through six floors and past security with a little inside help, and now we were almost to Aerith. But it was only going to get harder from here. More than we realized.

A whole lot more.