TWO

Time passed, the weeks and months going by as they always have a way of doing, and while I grew more accustomed to working at Shinra, it always felt like there was something not quite right about the place. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, though. Cait sometimes came to see me, but often I was alone in my little cubicle. The ones that were on either side of me never did get occupied, and I wondered about that at first. But then I realized Reeve must have had something to do with it. It made Cait's visits less noticeable and less prone to being overheard. I sometimes felt like I was the only person on the floor, but it was nice to know he and I could talk freely, too.

Whenever I was on my breaks, I took to sketching out designs for all manner of different guns and bombs and other weapons—the more outlandish, the better. The war with Wutai had finally ended earlier in the year, but there were always monsters prowling around the badlands and creeping into the slums. Fortunately, none ever seemed to make it up to the plate itself. I was glad I didn't have to live down under it with the constant threat of those things over my shoulder. At least, that was how I had felt in those days.

I knew about weapons because of my father. It was one of the only things we could talk about, one of the only interests we shared, even if our motivations for it were vastly different. He lived for his power, and I could tell that even back then. During the war, he had often overseen things from Junon, Shinra's military city far south of here. I remember going there once when I was little and seeing the soldiers on parade. It was one of the only times that I've ever left Midgar. I'd love to go visit more places if I can. There's so much I want to see.

For me, the weapons were about keeping everyone safe, protecting those important to me, and that's why I started designing them. I didn't know then just what it would get me into, both at Shinra and also later on as well. If I had, I never would have done it. Watching your dreams being twisted into something murderous and terrible is something you don't ever forget, trust me.

I was up on the 60th floor again one day with some of my drawings spread out on the table I was having lunch at when I heard the clacking of high heels on the green marble floor behind me. I turned around to see a woman in a blood red slip dress and matching shoes leaning over my shoulder to look at the drawings, her blond hair pulled back into a short tuft with long bangs swept to one side.

"Is there something I can do for you?" I asked.

Her blue eyes narrowed as she folded her arms across her chest. "Is that how you address your superiors, young lady? Stand up!"

I swallowed and did as she asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Save it, girl. You're Heidegger's little whelp, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," I nodded.

She tapped her finger against her arm. Her nails were painted with dark red polish. "I thought so. Do you know who I am?"

I shook my head. "No, ma'am. I don't."

"Hmph!" she fumed. "I can see your father hasn't bothered to teach you very much about the company. But he did mention your interest in weapons design to me. I am Vera Scarlet, Director of Shinra's Weapons Development Division."

I reached out my hand. "Jessica Heidegger, ma'am."

"Well, at least you have manners," Scarlet took it. Her grip was like iron. "So it seems you're not a total loss."

"Thanks… I guess," I winced as she let go.

She frowned. "Not much of a spine, though. We'll have to work on that, I suppose. Don't let anyone talk down to you, Jessica. I don't. They try and I slap them down. Hard."

I straightened and looked her in the eye. "Yes, Director."

"Better," her lips curled into a smile, but there was no warmth in it. "I'll get you whipped into shape in no time."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She pointed to my drawings, schematics I'd been working on in my free time. "You and I have something in common, Jessica. We love our weapons, our guns and our bombs. I could use someone like you as an assistant, if you're interested."

I blinked. "Your assistant? Weapons design?"

"Yes, girl. Don't act so slow. You need to be quick and not show any weakness. Not to anyone, and especially not here. And not to me. Am I making myself clear?"

"As crystal, ma'am," I answered.

Scarlet nodded. "Very good. So what's it to be?"

As tempting as her offer was, I didn't know what do about it yet, or what to think of her. Scarlet, I was quickly learning, was very different from Reeve, and I couldn't say that I liked her. She seemed so harsh, so utterly cold, and yet there was a strength in her that I couldn't deny. An iron will that made her the equal of any man and dared any of them to challenge her. I admit, I liked the idea of learning to be like that. But at the same time, I didn't want to lose who I was, either.

"Can I have some time to think about it first?" I asked.

Scarlet's hand slammed onto the table so hard I jumped. "What did I just tell you, Jessica? No weakness! No hesitation! You see something you want, you take it! Now try again!"

I swallowed heavily, looking her right in the eye. "I need some time to think it over. I'll get back to you tomorrow morning."

"See that you do," Scarlet replied. "I won't make this offer again."

She walked away without another word, and I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd been holding. After she had disappeared inside the escalator room over on the far right side of the floor, I gathered up my things and hurried toward the elevator, intent on returning downstairs to my cubicle to work and try and think about what had just happened. But halfway there, I stopped as an idea came to mind, and I acted on it at once, knowing it was the right thing to do.

Ducking out of sight into a short hallway leading to the restrooms, I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then reached into the front pocket of my slacks and pulled out the small transmitter Cait Sith had given me so many months ago. I hadn't used it very much yet, but now I felt I needed to.

I held down the button on the right. "Cait, are you there?"

"Aye, lass," he answered. "What's up?"

"Can you meet me at my desk downstairs? I just met Scarlet, and… well, it was an unsettling experience, to say the least. I'd rather not talk about it up here out in the open, though. I'm just not sure how much of what goes on in this place gets back to her."

Cait's response was immediate and uncharacteristically serious. "A whole lot more than ye'd think. Ye were quite right tae call mae, Jessica. I'll be doun there on the double."

"Thanks," I told him. "See you in a few."

After slipping the transmitter back into my pocket, I hurried out of the hallway and into the nearby elevator. It didn't take long to get back to the 30th floor, and Cait ambled in only moments after I had sat down at my desk. He hopped up and sat down next to me like he usually did with his legs dangling over the edge as I put my drawings aside. He saw them and looked up at me.

"Ye've been keepin' busy, I see," he said.

I nodded. "It's a hobby of mine. Kinda goes along with all that tech stuff I like, you know?"

Cait picked up one of the sheets. "Aye, I noticed that. But…"

"But what?" I wondered.

He sighed. "It can be dangerous, lassie. Especially in this place. Do ye know if Scarlet saw these?"

"That's why I wanted to talk to you, Cait. She came to see me about a job as her assistant. Weapons design. My father told her I was into it, probably insisted she make the offer. He always said I should have gone into her division right from the beginning, and this is probably his way of getting me in there."

"Are ye gonna take the job?" Cait asked.

I leaned forward. "I don't know. I can do some good with my work there, come up with things to protect everyone. And that's all I want to do with my designs, Cait. But I'm not so sure I like the idea of working for Scarlet. If she were more like Reeve, I'd go for it in a heartbeat. I like him. But Scarlet, she scares me."

"Aye, she does have that effect on people," Cait chuckled.

"So what should I do?" I said.

He jumped back down to the floor. "If ye want mae advice, Jessica, I'd go ahn talk tae Reeve before makin' up yer mind. He'll be happy tae help ye out, ahn he'd want to know aboot this."

"Yeah, I think I will," I agreed. "Is he in his office now?"

Cait nodded. "Aye, lass. Shall we?"

I got up right away, taking all my sketches with me, and we headed quietly over to the elevator, passing in between several rows of cubicles on the way. Almost everyone was at their desks, busy working and not really paying attention to much else. The only sounds were the tapping of keys—the keyboards we used were mechanical, not the flat ones that made a lot less noise, so it was pretty common to hear them even from across the room—and the occasional ringing of a phone.

I saw Marissa in her office, her fiery hair clearly visible through the glass wall, but her green eyes were locked onto her computer screen, so she didn't see me as I went by. It wouldn't have mattered if she did or if anyone else had, but somehow I was glad they didn't. Cait stayed pretty much out of sight, but whether it was because he didn't want to be seen or was used to sneaking about, I didn't know. But just before we got to the elevator, he disappeared with a wink into a nearby air duct, waving at me before he slipped inside.

About five minutes or so later, I stepped out onto the 57th floor and entered a large waiting area covered in soft, thick blue carpet. A young secretary sat working behind a nearby desk with a pair of polished oak doors just behind her and to her right.

She looked up as I walked over. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'd like to speak with Director Tuesti, please," I told her.

"One moment," she replied, picking up the phone lying next to her. "Just have a seat and he'll be with you soon."

I did, and it was only a few minutes later that the double oak doors swung open and Reeve motioned for me to come inside. He didn't look surprised to see me, and I figured Cait must have gotten here first. As I entered the spacious office, I saw that I was right. He was sitting on the edge of a wide mahogany desk like he often did on mine, and he waved at me when I stepped inside. Reeve closed the doors and swept an arm toward a pair of cushioned chairs opposite his desk before settling into his own high-backed leather seat.

"It's good to see you again, Jessica," he said. "Please, sit down."

I did. "I guess Cait's told you why I'm here."

"Only that you were coming to see me and that you'd had a run-in with Scarlet not long ago."

I nodded. "You could say that."

"Seems like she's got you pretty rattled," Reeve noted.

"A bit," I admitted. "She's very… forceful."

He laughed. "That's putting it mildly. Tell me what happened."

Pushing a few strands of hair from my face—I had worn it down a lot back then instead of in the long ponytail I had started pulling it into after moving to the slums—I told Reeve about my unexpected meeting with Scarlet and the job offer she had made me. I also shared with him my misgivings about her as well as my desire to use my designs to help others and protect everyone.

"I know Scarlet probably won't be easy get along with," I said, "but I think I can still learn from her."

Reeve scratched his beard. "She is intelligent, that's true enough…"

"But?" I prodded.

"She's also utterly ruthless, Jessica. She doesn't have the same ideas about weapons as you. I was hoping you would never meet her. One of the reasons I was glad you were working in Systems Operation. I never thought she'd seek you out, though."

I frowned. "My father told her about me."

"That would explain it. They work together often enough. Though it does surprise me. Your father doesn't seem like the kind of man who looks after anyone but himself."

"Believe me, he isn't," I growled.

Reeve raised an eyebrow. "You've seen that yourself?"

"Too often," I sighed. "We don't talk much, and he's always locking himself in his study with his brandy and cigars. Sometimes I'll hear my mom and him arguing. Yelling, actually. Happens pretty often. And she ends up with bruises more often than not. He's also terrible to the staff, and they're all afraid of him. Me too, to be honest."

"I can't say I'm surprised. He's always had a temper, even before he met your mother. I'm sorry you've been caught up in it."

I smiled. "Thanks. What did she ever see in him, anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Reeve said, "but in his younger days, Heidegger did seem to have a way with women. You'd have to ask your mother to know more, though. In any case, you don't think he was just trying to help you out?"

"He's not one to do me any favors," I shook my head.

Reeve sat back in his chair. "I see…"

"We were close once, back when I was little. He spoiled me rotten, got me just about anything I wanted. I can remember him taking me to Junon with him on one of his trips there when I was five. My mom was with us, too. My father had sat me on his shoulders so I could watch as the soldiers marched by in one of Shinra's parades. We had a lot of fun, and it's one of the only times I've ever felt like we were a family. I really miss that sometimes, you know?"

"I think I do," Reeve answered softly.

"Why do people change like that?" I wondered. It was a question I had asked myself a lot over the years. "Why couldn't he have stayed the way he used to be?"

Reeve sighed. "I don't know, Jessica. But power like his has a way of turning people against everything they might once have been. It festers in your heart and eats away at you, bit by bit, until there's nothing left. I wish things had turned out differently for you."

"Thank you, Reeve. So do I. You seem to be alright, though. Power doesn't twist everyone, at least."

He laughed. "You're very kind to say that. Believe it or not, Jessica, I grew up in the slums. Your mother, too. It wasn't until much later that we both moved up onto the plate. I think remembering where we came from helps us to stay grounded."

"Is it true, what they say?" I asked. "About the slums, that is. People talk about them, and I've heard a lot of rumors. My father told me that the people down there are lazy and worthless and that they have thugs and monsters everywhere. Also that they eat rats."

Reeve gazed at me pointedly. "What do you think?"

I pursed my lips in thought. "I don't really know. But I have a hard time believing it's entirely the way he says it is."

"Well, the slums are dangerous. I won't lie to you about that. But in spite of the gangs and monsters, many people still live and work down there. Most of them are just like you and me, Jessica. There's poverty, I can't deny that, but it's not like what the rumors say. Your mother and I never had to eat any rats, either."

"I'm glad," I chuckled. "I don't think they'd taste very good."

Reeve smiled. "No, I don't suppose they would. In any case, do you know what you're going to do about Scarlet's offer?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"To be honest, Jessica, I would prefer you stay as far away from her as you can. Scarlet is a very dangerous woman, and she's bound to have her own reasons for wanting to hire you."

I wasn't surprised. "I understand what you're saying, Reeve. But it's also a chance for me to put some of my designs to use, turn my dreams into a reality, and help people."

"I won't tell you what to do," he leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine. "The choice is, of course, yours to make. But I'm afraid working for her may be a decision you'll come to regret later on. She cares only for herself and has no regard for others. Whatever you decide, Jessica, I ask you to promise me something. Never turn your back on her. Don't trust her for a minute. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I answered. "And I promise. I'll keep my eyes open."

Reeve nodded. "Good. And regardless of your decision, you'll keep working in Systems Operation?"

I stood up. "I will. I like what I do."

"Glad to hear it. You've been doing extremely well there so far. I'm very pleased with your work, Jessica. Keep at it and you could very well be running SO yourself someday."

My jaw dropped. "Really? You mean that?"

"Oh, yes," Reeve smiled, also standing. "You have great potential as well as a natural gift for that sort of thing. Between Marissa and Cait, I get a lot of good reports about you."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

I could hardly believe it. Me, a division head? I had only been here for a few months and had never even thought about a promotion until now. I had just busied myself with doing my work, getting my projects done, and taking on whatever extra jobs Marissa had available for me. I had never expected much in the way of advancement. It was still some years away, of course, and I still had a lot of work to do to earn it, but it made me happy just thinking about it.

I don't think I stopped smiling for an hour after that.

My father came home early that night. I was in my room, laying in bed when I heard his heavy footsteps tromping down the hall. I wasn't sure yet whether to accept Scarlet's offer, but I hadn't discarded the idea either. I'd been mulling it over in my mind, too preoccupied for once to even mess around on my computer like I usually did. You'd think, after staring at a screen all day, that I'd get tired of it.

But usually, I didn't. It was a passion of mine, my program writing and coding, doing all kinds of neat things like that and trying to figure out technological solutions to different kinds of problems. Back then, I had believed that most things could be fixed with the right algorithms or computer programs. It was all I wanted to do, really. But over time, I found out it's not as true as I had once believed. There are some things that no amount of software or hacking skill can change, no matter how advanced the technology is. There are some wrongs that can't be made right by anything other than sacrifice.

Maybe… maybe that's why I don't mind… dying. Blood for blood, you know. Mine, to atone for what's on my hands. I don't know if that's what's happening to me or if I'm just badly hurt and unable to wake up. Cloud told me once that, in spite of everything that's happened, I'm not a bad person, that I wouldn't feel so much pain about what I'd done if I was. It was a sweet thing for him to say, and I believe him. If I do wake up from whatever this is, I'm gonna do everything I can to atone for all the death and destruction I've caused.

Anyway, I got up, remembering what Scarlet had told me about my father letting her know I was interested in weapons design. What I had told Reeve was true. My father hadn't done anything for me literally in years. I couldn't accept that he was trying to be nice to me. It just didn't fit with what I knew he had become. So I decided to get a few answers. I hurried down the hall after him until I finally caught up with him just outside his study. "Just a minute!"

"Hmm?" he raised a bushy eyebrow. "What is it, girl?"

"I need to ask you something," I told him. "About work. I think you know what I mean."

My father grunted. "Oh, that. Get in here, then."

He opened the door, and I nearly jumped out of my skin a moment later when I saw Mom behind his desk. She almost never came in here, he had all but forbidden her to do it. What was going on? Mom let out a little gasp of her own and shot to her feet.

"Richard! I didn't—"

"Save it, Amanda!" he growled, his thick hands bunching into fists. "You know damned well you're not to be in here. What were you doing in my office? Snooping around?"

She put her hands on her hips. "You left some of your papers in the sitting room the other day and I was simply putting them away for you. I wasn't expecting you to be home so soon."

"Clearly not," my father snorted.

Although her excuse sounded plausible enough, and I had seen the papers she had mentioned myself, I knew there was more to it. She was holding something back, and I didn't know why. But I knew it couldn't have just been to avoid his temper. Mom had never tried to lie her way out of it before, and I knew she wasn't going to start now.

My father grunted. "Just get out, woman! But before you do, you'll tell me how you got in here. I keep it locked, and you know it. So what the hell's going on?"

I knew he kept a lot of sensitive information in here from work, he had mentioned it once or twice to me while informing me I was to stay away. But what would Mom want with it? She had never shown interest in his work before, at least that I knew of. I reminded myself to ask her about it later. But in the meantime, I decided to do what I could to try and defuse the potential fight I knew was approaching.

"Mom, I've got news about work," I told her, trying to head off the argument by changing the subject.

She looked over at me. "Yes, dear? What is it?"

Hesitantly, I told her about my encounter with Scarlet and how she had offered me a job as her assistant. But I said nothing about meeting with Reeve and talking with him and Cait. Not now, not in front of my father. I decided to save that for later.

"That's good, Jessica," she said, eyeing my father.

"Hmph!" he growled. "Should've gone into Weapons Development in the first place, girl, like I told you."

My eyes narrowed. "I like what I do and where I'm at."

"You're wasting your time and your talents!"

"Is that why you told Scarlet about me?" I shot back. "So you could have me where you wanted me?"

He glared. "I was doing you a favor, girl!"

I very much doubted that. "You haven't done anything nice for me since I was five years old! And you've practically ignored me ever since I hit puberty! Mom was the one who helped me find and get the job at Shinra, not you. So don't pretend this is about me!"

"Why, you ungrateful little—!"

"Richard!" Mom cut him off, her arms out between us.

For a moment we just stood there, my father and I, our eyes locked on each other. My heart was racing, and my blood boiled like magma. I should have known this would happen. Trying to talk with him always ended up this way sooner or later. It was almost funny. I had spoken up about the job offer in order to keep my parents from fighting again and had ended up getting into it myself.

So much for keeping things calm. I had been so worried about my father's temper that I had forgotten about my own. It didn't show itself very often, but he always managed to bring it out of me somehow. Not wanting to be near him for another minute, I stormed out of his office and down the hall, my parents' voices erupting behind me. When I got to my room, I slammed the door behind me and threw myself onto my bed with a long, weary sigh.

It was about twenty minutes or so later that I heard a soft knock on my door. I got up and opened it to see Mom standing there, a new and ugly bruise darkening her left cheek just under her eye. A wave of guilt washed over me as I let her in. It was my fault, I knew it was. I couldn't meet her gaze as I closed the door behind her, and for a moment there was only silence. I knew she didn't blame me, she never had, not once. But somehow that only made me feel worse, shame and regret twisting my gut into knots. We sat down side by side on the bed, and my fingers gripped the edge so tightly my knuckles whitened. I was really starting to get tired of seeing her like this.

I sighed. "Mom, I "

"No, Jessica," She shook her head. "Don't you start apologizing. It's not your fault. You've always been too hard on yourself."

"But if I hadn't gotten him mad like that…" I began.

Mom patted my hand. "He would have found another reason to do it. He always does. Don't blame yourself."

Easier said than done. I hated the things he did to her, and I hated him for doing them. And I couldn't dismiss my sense of guilt so easily. Despite what Mom had said, I still felt responsible for setting my father off and causing the very fight I had been hoping to avoid. As I thought about that, I felt my anger return, simmering just beneath the surface. I gripped the edge of the bed even tighter.

"Why do you stay with him, Mom?" I asked. "Why can't we just get out of here and not come back?"

She shivered. "It's not that easy. I only wish it were…"

I looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"We can't just pack up and leave, Jessica. You know just as well as I do that your father is one of the most powerful men in Midgar, maybe even the world. He's the kind of man who wants control over everyone and everything around him, including us. If we left now, he would find us eventually, and there's no telling what he might do to us. He doesn't care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants."

"Even us?" I stared. "His own family?"

Mom nodded. "Power is all that matters to him anymore."

I knew she was right, but I hated it just the same. A part of me still wished that somehow, he would go back to being the way he was when I was little. It was a childish hope that for some reason, I still clung to. I guess I didn't want to accept that the man he had once been, the father who had sat me on his shoulders in Junon when I was a child, who had made me feel safe and secure even as he fed me sugary wisps of cotton candy that day, was never coming back.

"Why did you ever get involved with someone like him in the first place?" I asked. "I don't understand."

It was a moment or two before Mom answered. "Back then, he was very different. He could be very charming when he wanted to. Richard hadn't risen to become Director of Shinra's Peace Preservation Division yet, though it was always his goal. We met at a company party late one year and hit it off. There were hints of his darker side even then, flashes of temper that he couldn't hide. I had hoped that, by being a part of his life and giving him love, that it might soften those hard edges and help him become a better man. How wrong I was, though…"

"You loved him," I sighed. "I can't blame you for that. I guess there's still a small part of me that loves him, too. He's my father, after all. And I wish that he would change, that he would go back to the way he used to be. But I know that's not going to happen."

Mom slid an arm around me. "I understand, Jessica, and I know it's hard right now. But I promise, things will be better for us."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Let's just say that I'm working on it and leave it at that."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "It's better you don't know. Enough about that, though. I want you to tell me something, Jessica. That job offer Scarlet made you. Are you going to take it?"

I nodded. "I think so…"

I had noticed her changing the subject but had known that arguing about it wasn't going to get me anywhere. She clearly had something in mind, but I didn't have a clue what it was. I trusted her, though, so I let the matter go. I could always pry her for clues later, but I doubted she'd be very forthcoming about it. And in any case, she had a point. If it was dangerous, I was safer not knowing anything about it. But I would have faced that risk if it meant she and I could be free.

"I see," Mom replied. "But I hope you'll reconsider. That woman… she's very cold, Jessica. And completely ruthless. She's not like you and I, and you might not like working for her."

I had heard that before. "Reeve told me the same thing."

"You went to see him?" Mom asked.

"Yeah. I thought he should know, and I wanted some advice. I like him and I'm glad to work under him."

Mom smiled fondly. "He's a good man, and an old friend."

"He said you grew up together?" I wondered.

"Yes, that's right. We did. But we can talk about that later. What did he say about Scarlet's offer?"

I blinked, remembering how Reeve had avoided talking about that same thing when I had asked him about it the day I had first met him. What weren't they telling me? I was curious but knew I wasn't going to get any answers right now. But maybe later, as Mom had said. So I told her about my meeting with Reeve instead.

When I was finished, Mom gazed at me intently. "That promise he had you make, Jessica—be sure you keep it. Scarlet is not to be trusted, not for any reason. Understand?"

"I do, Mom," I assured her. "And I will."

"Good. Are you sure there's no way that Reeve or I can talk you out of this? I don't like it any more than he does."

I shook my head. "No. I've made up my mind."

"Can you tell me why?" she sighed.

"At first, I wasn't going to. But the more I thought it over, the more I realized this could be my one chance to turn my dreams into a reality. And I know Scarlet's cold and harsh, but she seems to like my designs. I think I can work with her to make sure the division sticks to projects meant to protect everyone and keep people safe."

Mom slid an arm around my shoulder. "Jessica… I'm afraid it may not turn out how you think it will. I just don't want to see you hurt and disappointed. I'm worried about you."

"I know you are," I said. "But I've made my decision."

"Alright. Just be careful."

I leaned against her. "I will, Mom. I promise."

Mom wrapped me in a tight hug. "I love you, Jessica. You do know that, right? More than anything."

"Of course, Mom," I hugged her back. "I love you, too."

Early the next morning, I stepped out of the elevator and onto the 58th floor, where the Weapons Development Divison was located along with Scarlet's office. The place was almost like a laboratory as I walked through the waiting area and into the central room. A few doors led to offices here and there, but it looked like a lot of the research was being conducted right in the main area.

A few men in white lab coats were busy operating some computer panels and taking measurements, while in the middle of the room was a tall cylindrical vat filled with a pale green liquid. As I moved closer, I could see what looked like materia crystallizing inside it. This was how they were made? Was that stuff in the vat… mako? I didn't know much about the process, and I watched for a moment in complete fascination as the little orbs solidified.

"Quit gaping, girl, and get over here!" a familiar voice snapped.

I jumped, my heart racing, as a little gasp escaped my lips. Scarlet's voice had come from near the vat, and I turned to see her lounging in a chair and gazing at the vat and the materia crystallizing inside it just as I had been doing. Composing myself, I started to walk over to her, but I stopped short when I saw her footstool. Or rather, what she was using as a footstool. With my jaw hanging slightly open, I blinked and shook my head to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

"Is that… a soldier?" I stared.

Instead of a piece of furniture, what supported Scarlet's feet as she reclined within her luxurious, red-cushioned chair was a man, a Shinra soldier. He was bent over on his hands and knees with Scarlet's feet and lower legs resting squarely upon his back. As I stood there feeling sorry for the guy, I wondered for just a moment if I wasn't making a mistake by being here. Did I really want to do this?

Scarlet looked up at me, a cold smile twisting her face. "Let this be a lesson to you, Jessica. If you want to get anywhere in this world, don't be afraid to step on those around you. Understand?"

I swallowed. "Yes, Director."

"Now, about my offer. You've made a decision?"

"I have," I replied. "But I need some assurances first. I'm not going to create anything for you that'll be used to hurt people or destroy their homes and lives. I'm here to develop and research weapons for defense, Director. To protect everyone. I don't have a problem creating all kinds of guns, bombs, and other tools for use against monsters and anything else that could endanger the people here. But I won't allow my designs to be used for aggression and destruction."

She gave me that icy smile again. "Oh, of course. Protection is what we're all about in here. You needn't worry."

I gazed at her, doubt still gnawing at me. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she purred, her voice a soothing whisper. "Now, what's it to be, Jessica? Are you in or are you out?"

I reached up to adjust my glasses—yes, I wore them back then, and with my white blouse and dark slacks, I looked and felt more like your typical nerdy office girl than the anti-Shinra resistance fighter I would one day become—and took a long, slow breath. I'll never forget what I did next. How could I have been so naive? Why did I believe her? They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I think this moment was when I laid down the first stone.

I let my hand fall to my side and nodded. "I'm in."