The JENOVA Project
Chapter 6
Professor Gast closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for the characters on the page before him to stop swimming and blurring. He had long since sent Lucrecia home, and his was the only light still on among the looming shelves of Shin-Ra's vast archives.
He was immersed in some of the oldest records he'd been able to find, possibly even older than the fragmented scrolls that had led him to identify Jenova as one of the Cetra. This book, called simply The Chronicles, while old and tattered, was obviously a re-copy of an even older tome. Thankfully, its author has decided to include both the original Cetra text and the translation, meaning Gast could compare the two and determine how accurate the translation was.
"All but forgotten by man, are the days after the Calamity fell from the skies," Professor Gast read, intrigued to see that the text seemed to be elaborating upon the fragmented scrolls. "But the Cetra can never forget. Once, we were at peace with this Planet, believing we could achieve the Promised Land. O! Beware Heaven's Dark Harbinger! For it walks amongst us, wearing many faces, none its own, hardening the hearts of Cetra and human, turning brother against brother, haunting us with the faces of the dead…"
Here Gast came to an author's note abruptly cutting off the text, explaining that the original tablets from which this had been taken were also in fragments, and that the translation was incomplete and in places only an approximation. The Professor signed, pushing the book away from him and resting his head on the desk. Another wall between him and the knowledge he sought. As his eyes struggled to remain open, and the sly fingers of sleep reached out to claim him, he thought he saw something at the bottom of the page which would change everything.
"Beware Jenova, the Calamity From the Skies"
Professor Gast stood in the middle of what appeared to be a town square, though the buildings looked like nothing he'd seen in any town before. White paving stones were underneath his feet, and around him were immense buildings of what also seemed to be some kind of glowing white stone. The shops and houses must have been constructed by master craftsmen and masons, for they rose up in smooth curves; some looked like a wave crashing, others like giant seashells. Beautiful, luscious green plants and vibrant flowers were planted everywhere. Around him people walked to and fro, laughing and chatting as children ran and played; none of them seemed to see the strange man in a labcoat standing in their midst.
Suddenly there was a deafening roar, and Gast looked up with the others to watch in silent, helpless horror as a giant ball of fire raced across the sky over their heads. People gasped and pointed, the children all stopped in their tracks, looking to the adults for answers. The meteor faded from view, but what seemed like only seconds later, the earth began to shudder violently. The roar was replaced by a high-pitched wail of agony, and the townspeople held their hands over their ears, falling to their knees, their screams joining the cries of the Planet. Gast could only watch as an enormous cloud of ash appeared on the horizon, rising quickly to blot out the light of the sun.
The dream changed, or perhaps just skipped forward. Dirty, rag-clothed people sorted among the debris of the once-beautiful city, searching for survivors, belongings, anything that may not have been destroyed by the catastrophe. There was another roar, this one quieter but no less terrifying. From out of the tangled, dead underbrush appeared creatures. That was the only word he could think of to describe them. Most bore some faint resemblance to animals—and, he realized with horror—people, but they had been twisted, corrupted by someone or something until they were rabid monsters. Someone screamed, and then the monsters were pouring into the ruins of the village in a never-ending wave. Gast shut his eyes tightly, unable to watch as these people, who had already lost so much, who were utterly indefensible, were ravaged.
The screams cut off, and Gast opened his eyes. He nearly screamed himself—he was standing at the precipice of a giant cliff, staring down into the darkness who knew how many hundreds of feet below. He took several steps back, and as he looked out realized this was not a cliff. He was standing at the edge of an enormous crater, likely the one left by the meteor he'd seen earlier. He heard voices murmuring behind him, and turned to see a large group of people gathering at the base of the slope formed by the crater's edge. He walked down to them, and saw they resembled the villagers he'd seen. These people were clean and still wore bright, intact garments, though he saw that there were no children with them now. What were they doing out here in this desolate wasteland?
They went quiet all at once, some pointing behind him, and Gast turned to see a figure approaching from inside the crater. Why would someone be in there? He wondered with shock as they came forward. The sun struggled to shine through the haze of ash that still covered the sky, but Gast still had to squint to make out the person approaching. What he saw filled him with dread.
It was Jenova, her pale blue skin now a normal pink hue, her membranous wings gone, or perhaps just hidden. She looked very much like the people waiting next to him, though her serene, beautiful face could not be mistaken. She was clothed in a long, simple white gown, and she spread her arms out in a benevolent gesture of welcome, her lips curved in a smile that did not reach her cold, cat-like eyes.
Professor Gast was haggard and still haunted by his dream as he shuffled into the lab the next day. Perhaps, he would often reflect later, that was why he was so unprepared for the events of that day.
He entered the room to find Shin-Ra workers packing much of his equipment into boxes. Off to the side, Lucrecia stood watching everything with wide eyes. And there, standing in front of Jenova's tank and directing the workers, was Hojo.
"What is going on here? Hojo, what's the meaning of all this?" Gast demanded, pushing his way past the confused workers to stand before Hojo. The shorter man gazed at him over the rims of his spectacles as if examining an insect.
"I should think that would be quite clear. President Shin-Ra has deemed a change in direction necessary for this project. And it's Professor Hojo now." He explained with disdain, dismissing Gast to turn and examine Jenova.
"Excuse me? I have heard no such thing!" Gast was furioius, who was this little upstart to think he could just sweep in and take control of his project? And more importantly…"Hojo, whatever you think you're doing here, it must stop. The whole project must stop. We were wrong, we were so wrong…"
"I don't know what you're blathering about, but I can ssure you I have no plans to do any such thing. In fact, it was my promise to the President that I could move this project along, to take it where you could not, that got me this promotion."
Professor Gast looked to the corner, where Lucrecia still watched silently, his eyes pleading with her to be the voice of reason, to understand him.
"Hojo, the entire JENOVA Project was founded on a lie!" He shouted, gathering a pile of papers and crumpling them in his fists before scattering them about the room. The workers all paused to stare at him in confusion, exchanging glances as they no-doubt wondered whether or not to call security on him. Gast began to pace the room, trying to let out the nervous energy which now filled him.
"Yes," Hojo surprisingly agreed. "The lie that you were ever a true scientist. Finally, the JENOVA Project will begin to see some progress!"
"No, Hojo," Gast interjected, pleading with the man. "I was wrong. I now have serious cause to doubt whether what I discovered near the Northern Crater is even an Ancient at all." Lucrecia gasped, but Hojo dismissed the notion with a "hah!"
"Don't be preposterous," he replied, not even bothering to look at Gast as he continued checking items off the list he held. "It is documented that the location in which you found the specimen is near the purported location of the Ancient's lost capital, and that coupled with the rock samples—"
"I know, that's why I assumed Jenova to be an Ancient," Gast cut in, this time getting an angry glare from Hojo for his interruption. "But further research has shown me that this may not be the case. Please, before we do anything, we must—"
"The time for poring over dusty books of legends and fables is long past, Professor," Hojo said, his inflection mocking Gast's title. "As is the time for you to make anything of yourself. President Shin-Ra has promoted me to head of this project, and in order to ensure we have all the Mako we need for the human trials we're relocating to the Mako reactor outside Nibelheim."
Professor Gast could only stand there agape, feeling as though his world were crumbling around him. In a way, it was. In what seemed like no time at all, he had made a monumental discovery, skyrocketed to the top of the Science and Research Department, and now, tossed away like so much garbage.
"I won't stand for this! This is my discovery, my project! This was to be my life's work! You can't-"
"Ah, but I have," Hojo said with a smile. "It's too late, Gast. Jenova is mine now. I suggest you leave before I call security to escort you out. Go find some other line of work; one you're less likely to fail at."
Weeks later found Gast—he still had trouble coming to terms with the fact that he would no longer be called "Professor"—drowning his sorrows at a bar in some backwater town called Cosmo Canyon, far from Midgar. He was badly in need of a shave and a haircut, but couldn't be much bothered to care.
Better that no one recognizes me, he thought, tossing back another shot of whisky, relishing its warm burn as it traveled down his throat. His mind still struggled to process what had happened at Shin-Ra headquarters. Where did I go so wrong? He asked himself. Perhaps he should have taken more time, done more research on Jenova, instead of jumping to conclusions. Perhaps if he hadn't been so eager to make a name for himself in the world of science…but it was too late. Hojo was somewhere in the Nibel mountains with the specimen, doing Planet-knows-what with it. And the worst part was, Gast couldn't even fault him for it.
"Was I any different?" He slurred aloud, holding up his glass for the bartender to refill and tossing it back before staring pensively into its emptiness. "Any less ambitious? I'm the one who claimed I'd found an Ancient…of course the President would want to believe such a thing…"
He had tried to get in to see the President after leaving what had been his lab, but had been turned away. He had to convince someone that he had been wrong, that Jenova was not an Ancient. There had been no more clues in the Chronicles about what she—or it—was; nothing to tell him whether his nightmare had been true. But he knew. And no matter what, he had to find the truth.
"Excuse me," someone said from behind him, bringing him out of his drunken haze. He turned unsteadily on the bar stool to see a tiny, withered old man with a long white beard standing there, smiling.
"What?" Gast replied rudely.
"Are you, perhaps, Doctor Faremis Gast?" This startled him, how did anyone here know who he was? Slowly, warily, he nodded.
"Ah, yes, good. I am Bugenhagen, I consider myself something of a scholar. And I have something I think you will very much want to see."