"Thank you all for coming so promptly."
Xu sat down behind the desk in what was now the new Headmaster's office. As the metal column of the bridge no longer rose out of the floor, the room had regained most of of its formal decorum; although many were still a bit nervous about standing in the center of the carpet, where the bridge had first emerged.
"As I'm sure you've guessed," Xu began, "I've called you all here this morning because we have a mission for you. Or rather, Galbadia does." She made a face. "I have to say I don't like it much myself, but we're bound by contract, and we have to fulfill our obligations in the absence of any bad faith on the part of Galbadia." She nodded to a faculty member, who handed out copies of the SeeD request. "This is your contract; such as it is."
Assembled in the office were Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Nida, Paige, and two SeeDs whom Squall didn't know well, Jeck Ingrahm and a new graduate named Karenna Logan. It was the morning after his encounter with Seifer, and the encounter still so dominated his thoughts that he did not even look at the contract until Nida raised his hand.
"Yes, Nida?" asked Xu.
"Is this a joke?"
Wondering at Nida's question, Squall scanned over the contract, and immediately understood the sentiment. "What the hell...?" he said out loud.
Xu sighed. "Unfortunately, it meets the minimum disclosure requirements outlined in our contract with Galbadia," she said. "And they're quite serious."
"What disclosure?" pressed Nida. "There's no mission description, or duration estimate, or cancellation clause. All this contract says is, 'drop these SeeDs off in the mountains and you might or might not ever see them again!'"
"Hey, what are you so worried about, man?" asked Jeck. "Our employer'll tell us everything we need to know, right?"
"It looks like they don't think we need to know anything," replied Nida.
"Then we don't. It's not SeeD's duty to ask questions, man. We just do our job."
That almost sounds like something I would say, Squall thought. Except this is too much even for me. "They're telling us to walk blindly into their hands," he said aloud. "This isn't right at all."
"I agree," said Xu. "But I'm afraid we have no choice. I've already notified Galbadia of our acceptance. I tried to get more details, but they demanded an immediate answer, and I couldn't afford to say no."
Squall nodded. So we get sacrificed to the Galbadians because Garden needs their money. I know she has to do it, but...it's damned annoying.
"I'm afraid you'll have to leave immediately," Xu said. "A Garden transport will take you into a designated location in the mountains, and the Galbadians should pick you up from there."
"Terrific," Nida said, his tone lacking enthusiasm.
"Any other questions?" asked Xu.
Are there any you could answer? wondered Squall. No one said a word.
"Then you're dismissed. You'll depart at 10:00; assemble promptly in the Parking Area."
They silently filed out of the office, the first five of them packing into the elevator. Squall, Quistis and Karenna were left behind, waiting for the car to come back.
"Won't this be your first mission, Karenna?" Quistis asked, breaking the silence some time after the elevator had disappeared.
"Yeah," Karenna replied. "Though I have to say I'm a bit less enthusiastic than I was when I got called up here."
Quistis smiled. "My first mission was to infiltrate a band of pirates working near Dollet. I served drinks on their ship for three weeks before I had enough evidence for the Coast Authority to arrest them."
"Seriously?"
"Oh, yes. Though I doubt there's anyone in Garden who can beat Squall's story here."
"I'll bet," Karenna laughed. "Saving the universe before your first mission is over; I just have to wonder where you can go from there."
Squall was spared from the conversation for a moment by the arrival of the elevator. He quickly stepped in and pressed the 1F button as the two women entered after him.
"I'm guessing this secret contract thing isn't normal, though?" Karenna asked, absently fingering the clasp which secured her brown hair into a single tail.
Quistis shook her head. "Oh, no. This is the first time we've had anything like this, and I dearly hope it's the last."
Karenna raised her eyebrows. "Well, lucky me. At least Paige has her boyfriend to keep her company."
Squall observed their conversation in near documentary detail, but with virtually no actual interest. His mind was not wandering, however; rather, it was utterly blank. It was as if he had burned out some fuse last night, and could no longer take an interest in the world around him or direct his thoughts beyond the sensations which were transmitted from his senses in any particular instant. He could recall Rinoa's name, but summon no picture of her face; or he remembered his encounter with Seifer, but recalled the events as if reading them off a report he had written, detailing every move, counter-strike and line of dialogue, but lacking any emotion or real connection to the events. It was as if his life had become a script.
"...but I just didn't see how those two could go together," Karenna was saying. "I thought Paige was scared to death of Zell until they started going out."
"I felt the same way," Quistis agreed. "And they were so funny together at first."
"Yeah; well, now that she's actually comfortable around him, Zell is the funny one to watch. I mean, Paige is totally in control of that relationship."
"I know!" Quistis exclaimed, laughing. "It's the strangest thing, but I love it!"
Is this elevator even moving? thought Squall, as he wondered how long he would need to be subjected to this conversation. But, as if sensing his thoughts, the elevator slid to a halt, and the doors opened onto the main hall. The three stepped out, and Squall was left behind as he paused at the top of the stairs. As he looked at the students milling about the hall below him, he was again struck with a sensation of detachment, as if the bright, peaceful world of Balamb Garden was one of which he could never truly be a part. Nor was it even real; he had seen this hall engulfed with the chaos of battle more than once, and he knew the price which was paid every day to keep that hell from returning.
Today, he thought, he was that price.
Shaking his head, he started down the stairs. Rinoa, he called silently. Where are you? I need to hear your voice again.
She thought she heard his voice, calling to her from some far, distant place. She tried to answer, but she couldn't speak. She had been having a dream, she thought. Yes; she had been in the garden, by the orphanage. Squall had been there, just like he promised. He had seen him there, waiting for her; but then she had turned and walked away. And wherever her footsteps fell, the flowers withered and turned to ash. Finally, she came to a place she had never seen before, a barren desert of sharp, craggy rocks. There, she had finally called out to him, and she had heard him answer, but he was far away, and she couldn't see him, and she didn't know which way to go. That was when the dream had ended.
Assuming she was awake now. Her consciousness seemed to float apart from her body; she could not feel anything around her. Her vision was a blur, and all sounds came as if from very far away. Her thoughts were clouded as if she were awaking from a very deep sleep.
"She's becoming conscious. If you want to reapply the dosage, we need to do it now."
"That won't be necessary. She's been properly confined. In any case, there's nothing of value we can learn while she's comatose."
"Yes, doctor."
Her vision was returning. Above her hovered a pattern of oblong splotches of light, set against a background of cold, dark gray. Two irregular forms hovered before her, on either side of her periphery. She blinked; it was an odd sensation, as she could still not feel the presence of her eyelids.
"Her neural activity is increasing rapidly. The effects of the repressants will be completely gone in a few moments."
"Fascinating. Enhanced recuperative capacity. Hardly unexpected, however. Are the instruments recording?"
"Yes, doctor."
She was beginning to make out shapes before her. There was a door, a wall, a floor. The bright spots above were forming into banks of bare fluorescent lights, illuminating the room with a cold, sterile glow. There were two people, standing on either side of her; but she still found herself unable to move her head. However, a throbbing sensation was asserting itself throughout her body, and she thought she could feel the cold presence of metal pressing against her arms and legs.
"Where am I?" she whispered.
"She reads as almost fully conscious, Doctor."
"So I can see. Fascinating. We'll begin with a thermal series."
A pricking sensation began to tickle about the points of metal. "...What's happening?" she asked. "What are you doing to me?"
"Doctor, the painkillers have been neutralized as well, but sensory response is still much less severe than it should be."
"So is tissue damage. I would speculate some inherent resistance to injury, in addition to recuperative ability, which was also to be expected."
"Who are you?" she asked again. "Why —"
"Let's move to opposing electrical current. This should generate some results."
A pulsing wave of energy ran through her body, seeming to set her nerves ablaze. she screamed, but her senses were so overwhelmed that the sound barely registered to her.
"Definite pain reaction. Massive variations in energy field dynamics, but no discernible pattern."
"Very well. We've certainly determined the negative element, in any case. Schedule a comprehensive electrical series, and see that the necessary equipment is procured."
"Yes, doctor."
She felt as if she were sinking back into a sea of unconsciousness, as her vision swam and her mind seemed to float away. Still tingling from the onslaught of pain, she welcomed the passage away from waking thought.