Prologue
PROLOGUE
The SOLDIER Applicant
Shalua Rui's studious gaze drifted inquisitively over the billboard walls of the waiting room at Shinra, Inc.'s Military Headquarters, briefly reading the optimistic headlines of the newspaper clippings that spoke of the nearing conclusion to the War against the weakened Empire of Wutai. Pale autumn sunlight filtered from the office beyond, casting shadows of the swaying curtains over the blue carpet. All was quiet but for the low, muffled voice of the interviewer as he spoke to the previous candidate in the adjacent room, and the repetitive ticking of an overhead clock that now read '15:34'.
My interview was meant to start five minutes ago, she thought irritably to herself, what the hell's taking them?
It had been a long few days for Shalua; flown by the Company from her home near the armoured coastal city of Junon to the vast metropolis of Midgar. Although she had recently turned sixteen, it was her first real time being on her own, and the furthest she had come from Junon since the death of her mother. The room in the barracks she had been assigned for the duration of her stay had been less pleasant than what she was used to at the Junon Military Academy, but gave her a taste of what to expect as a member of the Shinra Army's elite force.
She glanced up as the glass door of the interview room swung open, watching a young man with spiked blonde hair shake the hand of the interviewer, and mutter his thanks. Shalua had seen the boy a number of times over the last couple of days, wandering the corridors of the barracks without sound, once smiling shyly at her as they crossed paths. She had heard his name, Cloud, only in passing, simply acknowledging him as the lone infantryman who sat by himself in the mess hall.
Shalua stood from the sofa as the boy walked by, quickly brushing down strands of her long auburn hair and adjusting her plaited red Academy uniform in the wide mirror of the opposite wall. Pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, she grabbed her bag from the floor, and followed the interviewer's beckoning arm for her to join him in his office.
The room was broad and lined with collections of shelved books and documents, touched by a faint fragrance of vanilla. The blinds on the windows had been partially closed, concealing beneath them a view of the facility's yard where afternoon drills were taking place, and beyond it the streets of Midgar's suburb. A mahogany desk bearing piles of neatly stacked papers and folders was situated at its centre, on which rested a single sheet with her name printed across it.
"Welcome, Miss Rui." said the bald man politely, closing the door behind them. "My name is Hart. Please, take a seat."
"Thank you." nodded Shalua, placing her bag by her feet as she sank into the soft leather chair.
"I understand you are not a regular candidate for entering SOLDIER." he began, pacing the room and dropping into the seat behind his desk. "Your application is very different from what we are used to receiving."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Although we do not discriminate against women, we find that most of our applicants at your age are young men with experience in the Security Department."
"I don't follow, sir."
"Reading over your file, and speaking to your instructors, it seems you have a real gift for scientific research. You finished top of your class did you not?"
"My marks were second only to those gained by Lucrecia Crescent over thirty years ago." smiled Shalua bashfully.
"Quite an achievement." Hart congratulated her, frowning thoughtfully. "So, why not work for one of our Science Divisions?"
"I enjoy working in the field." replied Shalua with a shrug. "I think my skills would be a great asset to any unit, and it beats being locked up in a research lab or office all day."
"Oh, really?" grinned Hart, his eyes moving over the room. "I quite like it in here."
"I'm sorry, I…I didn't mean it that way…"
"It's quite alright." he said, chuckling to himself. "I personally think you are a perfect candidate, and will certainly be putting your name forward but, as a formality, there are some questions I'll have to ask."
"Okay."
"Do you have any medical issues before the examination process begins?"
"Examination process?" stammered Shalua.
"Yes." answered Hart. "There is an intense examination to test the physical and mental strength of any possible SOLDIER candidates."
"What does it involve? I heard a rumour that it was some kind of Mako infusion."
"Unfortunately, it is a Company secret, so I am unable to disclose that information." he sighed. "Shall we continue?"
"Yes, of course."
"I already know most of your education history, so it's just really a few personal questions."
"Alright."
"Have you lived in the Junon area all of your life?"
"Yes, I was brought up there."
"And your parents?"
"My mother died of illness three years ago." Shalua looked away, her eyes falling to the floor. "I never knew my father, but he was a SOLDIER also."
"Any brothers or sisters?"
"Yes. One"
"Age?"
"Nine."
"Have they shown any signs of future potential that the Academy should develop?"
"Yes."
"And what's that?"
"Synaptic Net Diving."
"I'm sorry, what?" Hart spluttered, stunned by the response.
"Synaptic Net Diving." repeated Shalua. "Y'know…SND."
"I know what it is." he responded sceptically. "Are you sure? It's an incredibly rare ability."
"Positive."
"Okay, well…um…could you please excuse me for a moment?" he murmured uneasily, picking up the phone receiver on his desk and punching the speed dial.
"Yeah…sure…" said Shalua, watching Hart's brows furrow as he turned his back to her. After a few seconds, there came a female voice from the other end of the line.
"SOLDIER Department" she chirped. "How can I help?"
"Hi, it's Hart." he answered in a lowered tone.
"What can I do for you?"
"Can you put me through to the Director?"
"He's in a meeting with Director Veld at the moment." advised the secretary.
"Please call him immediately and tell him to come to my office."
"But…"
"Do it!" snapped Hart. "It's important."
"Yes, sir." she replied, hanging up.
"I'm very sorry about this." gulped Hart, clearly flustered, smiling restlessly at Shalua. "The Director should be down shortly."
"What's wrong?" asked Shalua, growing concerned.
"It's…uh…it's nothing." he said quickly. "Just Company policy, that's all."
Even in the warmth of the office, Shalua felt a chill creep down her spine. What the hell's going on? Hart nervously began rearranging the folders on his desk, muttering incoherently to himself, taking great care not to meet Shalua's questioning stare. The distant commands of the infantry's drill sergeants could be heard from the grounds below, reverberating through the air like fog horns.
She spun sharply on her chair as the door behind her opened, and gazed confusedly at the man who entered. He was slim in build, clad in a blue pinstripe suit jacket and grey trousers, and appeared a number of years younger than Hart. His hair was blonde in colour, long and wavy, hanging to one side of his narrow face. The man strode across the room, glaring fiercely at the interviewer.
"This had better be good, Hart." he growled.
"I thought you would want to know, sir," mumbled Hart, "that our SOLDIER applicant here, Miss Rui, has just informed me that a young member of her family has the gift of SND."
"Is this true, Miss Rui?" the man enquired, his tone immediately shifting, lowering his spectacles from his face as he spoke.
"Yes, sir." she nodded.
"Interesting." he mouthed pensively, taking a seat at the edge of the desk, and offering his hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lazard. I am the Head of the Department of SOLDIER."
"I know, sir."
"Then you will also know that SOLDIER and, of course, Shinra, Inc. in general care a great deal about developing the abilities of youths through our Academies." said Lazard. "Especially ones as unique as this. It is very important that we begin as early as possible in order to achieve maximum results. Do you agree, Miss Rui?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then, tell me," Lazard asked softly, leaning closer to her, "where is the child now?"
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