Final Fantasy VII: The Story 2nd Instalment
Emerald Princess of Vernea
Chapter Twelve
The rocket seemed to be far taller up close than it did outside of the town. Cloud and the others never realised it until they were stood directly beneath it, overwhelmed by its size. It must certainly have been a fine rocket when it had been built, and a lot of effort had clearly been put in to keep the rocket in good condition. A lot of the rust had been scraped off, and the metal had been frequently polished. It was especially shinier that day, as though someone had scrubbed the metal for hours to make it look as good as possible.
There was no sign of the Captain as they approached the rocket. They only people they saw around the rocket were workers making final adjustments to the launch bay. Now there wasn't a single stray leaf or branch to be found around the rocket. Whatever was happening that day, the people were certainly making an effort to make the rocket and the town look presentable.
Remembering Shera's words, Cloud and the others walked around to the side of the rocket, looking up for a way in. Halfway up one of the pillars they saw a metal platform leading straight to the rocket, where an open doorway could just be seen through the metal. And, from inside the doorway, they could hear the sounds of someone shouting angrily inside.
One by one they made their way up the side of the rocket, using the ladder on the pillar. Only Red XIII and Cait Sith stayed behind, deciding they wouldn't waste their energy climbing up unnecessary ladders just yet. They waited at the bottom, resting on the ground, while the others headed into the rocket.
The sound of the angry shouting became louder as they climbed up. They couldn't make out much of what was being said, other than that it was absolutely filled with frustration and anger, and certainly needed to cut out a swear word or two. Along with the shouting there came the furious clank of metal crashing onto metal, an extra sign to the air of sheer frustration that was radiating from inside the rocket.
Stopping just outside of the door, Cloud and the rest of the group were almost afraid to step inside the rocket. Whoever this 'Captain' was, judging by the sound of his voice, he certainly didn't sound like he was in the best of moods. They waited nervously for a minute or two, and when the clanking sounds subsided, they plucked up the courage to peer round the doorway.
There was a man standing just a few metres away from them, his back to them as he faced the wall, a wrench in his hand as he worked on tightening the pipes that ran along the floor.
Although they couldn't see his face with his back turned, he was dressed in a thick blue jacket with the sleeves rolled right up to his elbows, and brown leather gloves on his hands that were slightly old and worn over the years. He had a head of short blond hair that was pushed back by a set of air goggles strapped around his head. There was a cigarette packet lodged underneath the strap by his left ear, a single cigarette sticking up out of the packet waiting to be drawn.
Looking around at the inside of the rocket, there didn't seem to be much to look at. There was a door leading to the cockpit and another door leading to the deeper depths of the rocket, but that was pretty much it.
There was one thing of notice in the corridor, though. There was a long and fearsome spear lying on the floor by the man's feet. It was incredibly long and made of strong, polished wood, with an incredibly sharp metal point at the top, perfectly shaped for quick stabs and slashes. It seemed quite an unusual weapon to have lying around, since it was precarious in unsteady hands. In skilled hands, on the other hand, it could be an incredibly dangerous weapon.
The man didn't notice them at first as Cloud and the others stepped through the doorway – he was far too busy cursing and mumbling loudly to himself to notice anything. It was only when Barret stepped off the platform and onto the metal floor of the rocket with his huge, heavy boots stamping against the metal that he heard them. He looked up, surprised, and turned around to face them.
His face was coarse and somewhat unshaven, and he had a single cigarette perched in his mouth. He looked to be in his early thirties, and his blue eyes glared at the group with a fierce gaze that seemed about to snap at any given second. He didn't look too impressed to see them either, for not even a flicker of a warm, welcoming smile appeared on his face, unlike the rest of Rocket Town.
"What're you guys doin' here?" the man snapped, so fiercely and on edge that it took the others completely by surprise and made them all jump back.
No one answered at first – they were all taken aback by the man's sharpness and somewhat unwelcoming attitude. After a moment or two Aeris nudged Cloud in the back between his shoulder blades, pushing him and urging him to speak for them.
Cloud complied with Aeris's insistent nudging eventually, for even he was a little bit anxious of the man's fierce demeanour. "We heard the Captain was here," he said.
The man took the cigarette he had been smoking out of his mouth, threw it on the floor and stamped it out with his boot. "Captain?" he asked. "I'm the Captain! The name's Cid. Everyone calls me 'Captain' though." He pulled out the spare cigarette from the packet lodged underneath his goggles, lit it, and stuck it in his mouth. "What d'ya want?"
Cloud was about to ask about the Tiny Bronco, but he stopped before the words left his lips. He remembered the way Cid had been shouting before they entered. He thought it would be best to try and lighten his mood somehow… perhaps ask about something that may just cheer him up slightly until they were ready to ask about borrowing the Tiny Bronco.
"Tell me about this rocket," he said finally, guessing that the rocket was a good topic to start with.
He guessed right. Cid's frustrated frown was lifted instantly, changing into a smile of happiness and surprise. He almost looked like a different person and it took them all by surprise to see such an instant change.
"Wow! Not bad for a kid," the elder man said. "Alright then, I'll explain it to you." He put his wrench down on the ground beside his spear and faced the group. "You know Shinra developed a lot of technological gadgets during the meaningless war, right? Now it's a Mako company, but in the old days it was a Weapons manufacturer. Well, they came up with a Rocket Engine."
"There was so much excitement about the thought of going into outer space. Our dreams got bigger and bigger. They put a major budget into it and made prototype after prototype! Finally, they completed Shinra No. 26. They chose the best pilot in Shinra – no, in the world – me. I mean, come on. And we finally get to the day of the launch. Everything was goin' well…"
All of a sudden Cid spun around and kicked the wall, making everyone jump. It carried such force that it made the corridor shake a little, and the sound of the kick echoed throughout the other empty corridors of the rocket. The happy smile had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, replaced once again by the deep, raging fury that was permanently on his face.
"But, because of that dumb-ass Shera, the launch got messed up. That's why they became so anal!" He stared angrily at the wall as he shouted, until he realised just how much anger he was showing. He quickly recovered himself and turned back to them. "And so, Shinra nixed their outer space exploration plans. After they told me how the future was Space Exploration and get my damn hopes up… DAMN THEM!"
"Then, it was all over once they found out Mako energy was profitable. They didn't even so much as look at space exploration. Money, moola, dinero! My dream was just a financial number for them! Look at this rusted Rocket! I was supposed to be the first man in space with this. Everyday, it tilts a little bit more. At this rate, I don't know which will come first, this thing falling down or me gettin' outta here. My last hope is to talk to the President……"
"Is Rufus coming?" Cloud asked.
Cid responded by taking a large puff out of his cigarette. He blew out deeply, sending a cloud of grey smoke into the air, before putting the stick behind his right ear out of the way. "Yeah!" he replied, his mood starting to lift once again. "It must be news about restarting the Space Program. A young President, that's what we needed. He still has dreams, too!"
Cloud and the rest of the group said nothing. Unfortunately they knew better. Whatever it was that Rufus was coming to Rocket Town for, it certainly had nothing to do with restarting the Space Program. And judging by the amount of effort that had been put into making the rocket look more presentable, Cid was going to be in for one heck of a disappointment. Cloud sighed heavily, and decided to ask the dreaded question.
"Can we borrow the 'Tiny Bronco'?"
The moment Cid heard the words 'borrow' and 'Tiny Bronco', his head snapped around and glared at Cloud with such a fierce intensity that Cloud felt himself shrink back inside. Clearly he had struck a nerve.
"You out of your #&$$# mind?" Cid shouted. "That's my most cherished possession. I can't let you take it."
And to prove that that was the last he was going to say on the matter Cid turned around, picked up his wrench from the floor and began to work again. He completely ignored the people behind him, and when Cloud tried to talk to him again he just banged the wrench on the pipes, drowning out his voice.
Seeing that they weren't going to get anywhere with the stubborn air captain, the group had no choice but to go back down the rocket and back into town. The looks on their faces explained all to Red XIII and Cait as they all stepped off the ladder, and they slowly headed back into town and Cid's house.
The house was completely empty as they went back inside, and they couldn't see Shera anywhere. However they could hear sounds out back, so they presumed that Shera was in the backyard with the Tiny Bronco. No doubt she was making the backyard look respectable in case Rufus did come.
The group all stood silently in the living room, thinking. For the first time in their journey they had reached a dead end and didn't know where to head next. Even if they did borrow the Tiny Bronco, where would they go with it? Further west, to the next small continent? Or up north, to the icy regions of the Northern Continent? Either way they still didn't know which way Sephiroth or Shinra were heading, so their best bet was probably to stick around until Rufus arrived and, hopefully, get a lead on their next destination.
"Excuse me… Cloud?" came Shera's voice.
Everyone looked up as Shera stepped in from the outside. As they suspected she had been clearing the backyard, for her long, white coat was lightly scraped in dirt and dead leaves that she had been shifting out of the way. More proof came from the brush and bag she held on her hands, the bag filled with leaves. Her hair was also a little more ruffled up than before, and her glasses were slightly crooked on her face. "Did the Captain say anything?" she asked as she set the bag down on the ground, adjusting her glasses so they were back in place.
"Nope…" Cloud said, sagging his shoulders.
Shera didn't seem very surprised to hear that. "Oh…?" she said, trying her best to sound a little surprised. But she didn't do a very good job of it.
At that second the front door swung open, banging loudly against the wall of the house and making Yuffie jump out of her skin. Cid then stormed in from outside, his spear in his hand and strolled into the living room. He looked at Cloud and then at the rest of the group one by one, grunted loudly, and then turned and glared furiously at poor Shera.
"$#! Shera. What are you, blind?" he shouted, pointing at Cloud and the rest of the group. "We got guests! GET SOME TÉA! $#!"
As the Captain shouted, Shera flinched and shrank back, hiding half of her face in the collar of her coat. She quickly recovered and pulled herself out again, but her voice trembled nervously when she spoke. "I… I'm sorry," she apologised quickly. She then hurried over towards the kitchen part of the living room and pulled out some mugs, turning on the kettle to make a pot of tea. The others watched as she worked as quickly as she could, but her hands were shaking so much that they expected her to drop a cup at any moment.
"Really, don't mind us," Cloud said, eyeing the way Shera was precariously trying to pour milk into half of the cups. He didn't want Shera to get into trouble because of them being there.
Cid was at the wall then, hanging his spear up on the wall as though on display. When Cloud spoke he could have sworn he saw Cid twitch, for he suddenly turned around and looked fiercely at Cloud. "Shut up!" he ordered sternly Sit your ass down and drink your goddamn TEA! Arggggggh! DAMN, I'm pissed! Shera! I'll be in the backyard tunin' up Tiny Bronco! An' make sure to serve them some tea! All right?"
With that remark said and done, Cid walked briskly past Barret and Vincent and went straight out of the back door, slamming it shut behind him without a care. Like the front door it shut with a slam that echoed throughout the house, making Shera jump again and almost dropping the bottle of milk.
"…Damn, man. Wassup with that guy's attitude?" commented Barret.
Cloud walked over to Shera. "Sorry," he said. "It's our fault."
Shera put down the bottle of milk on the side of the worktop and turned around. She took off her glasses and wiped them on her coat, removing a speck of dirt from the frame. She looked much better without her glasses, they thought. "No, no," she said to them. "He's always like this."
"Is it like this all the time?" asked Aeris, looking a little concerned. "You keep quiet even when he's like that to you?" She looked horrified as Shera nodded, wondering how on earth Shera could cope with a guy like that everyday.
"I think it's a bit too harsh," said Red XIII.
"…It's amazing that you can live with it," said Vincent.
They all tried to picture what it must be like for poor Shera. To live everyday with a man who did nothing but yell at her, order her around and most likely criticise every thing she did. They remembered vaguely in the rocket the way Cid had referred to her – 'that dumb-ass Shera'. How could she possibly live like that? How could she just stand there and take that abuse and not say anything? They found themselves feeling a new sort of respect for Shera, for being able to live through it.
Finished with rubbing her glasses clean Shera put them back on, moving her hair out of the way so she could hook the thin frames over her ears. "No…" she said in answer to Red XIII and Vincent's comments. "It's because of my stupid mistake. I was the one who destroyed his dream…"
One by one everyone looked at Shera.
"What happened?" asked Cloud.
"Hey! Get your ass in gear! You work like a snail! Even the moon'd get tired waitin' around for your ass!"
"I'm… I'm sorry."
Shera worked as fast as she possibly could. She put her clipboard on the floor and opened up a small hatch in the side of the oxygen tank. Peering inside, she could see a large number of cables and wires that organised the flow of oxygen in the tank, keeping it steady so there wasn't an overflow. They were also the cables responsible for keeping the thick metal doors of the tanks securely shut, and it was this that she was looking at.
She wasn't entirely happy with how the system was working. The other tanks she had checked seemed fine, but this one in particular looked like it had a malfunction. It was only slight, but Shera wasn't happy with it. Whenever she pushed the button to close the door it always stayed slightly open, perhaps half a centimetre. And even though the oxygen was contained in another separate tank inside the first one that should contain it, in extreme heat it could possibly burst open. It was a very minimum risk, but she wanted to make sure it was absolutely perfect.
Cid didn't seem to appreciate her caution. He stood behind her, looking over her shoulder with his usual irritated expression, perhaps more irritated now the big day had finally come. They had all been waiting many months for this day to arrive and were eager to complete all their tasks and get the big job underway.
But… of course… Shera was lagging behind.
"Don't take so much time checkin' that $# oxygen tank!" Cid snapped, folding his arms. "Shera, bein' careful's good, but it won't do any good, no matter how many times you check that oxygen tank. That think wouldn't break if hell froze over." He tapped his foot impatiently on the floor, as though that somehow would make Shera speed up.
"But…" Shera said. As she looked up her finger fell on the wire she was checking, and she got a slight electric shock like she was touching the edge of a light bulb, making her wince. Already her finger was tingling and becoming slightly numb, but it had only been a small shock, nothing serious.
"No buts!" Cid shouted, not noticing. "You're not stupid, so be more efficient!"
"I'm sorry…" Shera said quietly, cradling her tingling finger.
Cid then turned and walked out of the engine room, leaving Shera alone to continue checking the rest of the oxygen tanks. Shera was an excellent engineer, but she was just so slow. Cid knew she was just being careful, but there was no point worrying over something so small.
His mood soon lifted as he walked along the corridors leading to the cockpit. Here he was, Cid Highwind, one of the best pilots in all of Shinra, walking down the final paths to achieve his greatest dream. After so many months of waiting and failed experiments, Shinra No. 26 was finally completed and ready to launch. It was only a matter of time now before the countdown would start, the engines would ignite and the pillars fell away, and the rocket would blast off into the sky and, finally, into outer space.
Cid stopped as he felt the usual tingle of excitement bubble inside him – in his veins, and in his heart. He felt like a child going down a slide for the first time, getting the ecstatic thrill of moving at high speed, zooming towards the ground. Only this time he was doing the reverse. He was going up. Up, into outer space.
Cid reached the corridor leading to the cockpit, where there were more workers just completing their final checks. The three men looked up as Cid approached, each with the same excited glow in their eyes and cheeks. Their hands were trembling with excitement as they all dropped their tools and ran to the Captain, gathering around him with large smiles on their faces.
"Captain!" one of the men exclaimed. "Our dreams our finally coming true!"
"We are so proud to be part of the launch of Shinra No. 26," the second man said.
"Captain, preparations are complete! All that's left is lift off!"
Hearing the words 'lift off', Cid felt his excitement rise again. Unfortunately for these men they would not be on board when Shinra No. 26 blasted off, but the mere pride of having worked on the rocket leading up to its launch was enough for them. As for him, he would be sitting in the cockpit watching the ground rush by. He would be the one to see the planet from miles above, amongst the stars.
"Yeah!" he said, struggling to contain his eagerness. "Leave it all to me! I'll be back in a few!"
The three men all suddenly ran away from the Captain and stood against the walls of the corridor. Facing inwards they came to attention and saluted proudly. Cid stared at them for a second, before he began to march proudly down the centre of the line past the saluting men. He felt so proud and so exhilarated as he past them by. Nothing could possibly go wrong now.
"All right, Captain!" the men all said in unison as they saluted him. "Fly our dreams into outer space!"
"Thanks, guys!" Cid stopped in front of the door leading into the cockpit, and turned back to the men. He blinked as though he had forgotten something, until he clicked his fingers and delved into his pocket. He pulled out a fresh back of cigarettes and quickly pushed them under the band of his goggles. Now everything was perfect.
"We're praying for your safety!" the men added finally, just as Cid turned around and walked through the open door.
Standing alone in the empty cockpit, Cid felt as though he was in space already. The cockpit was dark, quiet and serene, apart from the gentle hum of the engines below. He could feel them vibrating through the floor. Somehow those vibrations calmed his excited nerves. Or maybe he was just so excited that his senses were dimmed, making him appear calm and collected.
The pilot seat was right ahead, positioned in front of the main control panel, awaiting him. That was his throne from which he would look down upon the planet. It was not a fancy chair, just plain metal, but to Cid it might as well have been made of pure, solid gold, sparkling in the twilight.
The nervousness hit Cid as he slipped quietly into the chair and looked down at the control panel. This was really it. The moment was really arriving, at long last. His dream… it was finally coming true. He glanced down at his hand and saw that it was shaking from his excitement. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes, so he stilled his hand and quickly checked over the panel.
"Instrument panel… all clear," Cid said, speaking into the open intercom and trying to control the anxious quiver in his voice. "Shinra No. 26, ready for launch."
He paused and took a breath, although when the intercom crackled and a voice spoke back to him, he tensed up again. "Engine pressure rising. Shinra No. 26, 3 minutes to launch. Beginning countdown."
"……Finally," said Cid. He leaned back in the chair and looked up at the ceiling, taking deep, relaxing breaths to calm his nerves. Precision and timing was vital. All it took was one mistake and the launch would either end in disaster, or be cancelled completely. He couldn't wait another six months or so for this moment.
He was just beginning to relax when the emergency lights suddenly came on, followed by the loud and angry whirr of the siren. Cid almost jumped out of his chair, gripping the arm rests tightly. "What the? What happened?" he cried. The intercom crackled again, and the panicked voice of the base control officer came through.
"Cid! We have an emergency situation! A mechanic is still in the engine section of the rocket!"