Inevitable Errors
Genesis Rhapsodos was bored. Bored, bored, bored. The was in Wutai was having a lull so all three Generals of SOLDIER were currently in Midgar, but instead of kicking back and having fun like Genesis wanted them to Angeal was spending all his spare time training his puppy Zack Fair while Sephiroth buried himself in paperwork. He didn't even need to do the paperwork! SOLDIER hadn't crashed and burned while Sephiroth was in Wutai not doing paperwork, so why would a few more weeks make any difference?
Genesis swept down the hallway towards the lift, red coat flaring behind him, when he noticed Zack shuffling nervously opposite the door to Sephiroth's office.
"Hey, Zack!" The Crimson General greeted the second-class. "What's up?" Angeal's puppy rarely , if ever, looked either serious or concerned so him being both was almost unprecedented.
Zack jumped and turned to face genesis. "Did you know Seph was seeing someone?"
Genesis blinked. "The Iceburg has a girlfriend? Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess. No, I didn't know. I thought his fanclub had put him off dating and he's not exactly approachable anyway. How did you find out?"
Zack looked embarrassed. "I walked in on Sephiroth kissing a Turk in his office. The Turk pointed a gun at me and told me to get out or die."
Genesis stared for a moment, then it registered that the puppy wasn't having him on and the Crimson General almost fell over laughing. "Se, Sephiroth? In his office? Gaia and Cetra he must have it bad," he wheezed between chuckles.
"I can hear you, you know," said a cool voice from across the hall. Genesis looked up to see the Silver General himself standing in the doorway to his office, bangs slightly mussed and coat nowhere in sight. "Come in, both of you," Sephiroth said, pinning them with a chilly stare, "There are things we need to discuss privately."
Genesis immediately followed Sephiroth inside. He may have been jealous of the silver-haired SOLDIER's fame and accomplishments but he really wanted to find out more about the person who'd managed to hack through Sephiroth's standoffish attitude and get the man acting human. Once inside the first thing Genesis noticed was the paperwork scattered across half the floor, then Angeal leaning against a wall looking uncomfortable. Turning to scan the room again, the flamboyant General finally spotted the Turk lurking beside Sephiroth's desk.
He certainly wasn't much to look at. About six feet tall and very slender with loose black hair that drifted around his shoulder-blades and obscured most of his face, all Genesis could be sure of was that he didn't seem to have a spare ounce of fat anywhere. Peeking through the hair was a single red eye over a slice of pale cheekbone and a section of pointed jaw. What was really unusual was the Turk's stillness, like a predator patiently waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. No matter how nondescript -if red eyes could be considered nondescript- Sephiroth's sweetheart was a killer through and through.
Zack entered the room behind him and wandered over to lean on the wall next to Angeal as Sephiroth carefully shut the door behind them.
"The cameras are out and the microphones jammed," Sephiroth said flatly, "so we can speak freely for once. Genesis, please listen rather than just dismissing what I have to say out of hand."
"My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the Goddess," Genesis quoted cheerfully, settling down to lounge across one of the chairs. This may not have been how he planned to spend his morning but he certainly wasn't bored any more, so all in all the day was looking up.
"This is Valentine," Sephiroth said as the Turk stepped forward to stand so close to the Silver General their shoulders almost touched. "She's found information about us and the SOLDIER project that we need to hear, even though she really shouldn't be giving the information out."
She? Well, Genesis supposed that Valentine could just as easily be female as male; one of the supermodel types with no curves to speak of. It was hard to tell what she really looked like with the hair obscuring her face. Angeal also seemed to find her gender a surprise; maybe that was why he had been so uncomfortable. No, more likely it was the Turk part. A lot of SOLDIERS had male lovers, mainly because the mako made them so strong they had to be very careful indeed when dealing with unenhanced people. It was difficult to be that careful in bed.
"Generals, second-class Fair," the Turk said politely, inclining her head ever so slightly, "I would prefer you not refer to me in public as I do not officially exist. I have no salary, receive no orders and have no place in the chain of command. President Shinra required plausible deniability for the majority of my... projects."
She paused. Genesis wondered what it was she did that was so against company policy that a Turk needed to have plausible deniability.
"For the past seven years I have been monitoring and investigating the Science Department and their involvement in the SOLDIER program. It makes interesting reading, provided you enjoy horror that is." Valentine paused again, a faintly distasteful moue twisting her mouth. "All three of you Generals have considerable history with the project that you should probably be aware of in the interests of your future health, and if Fair ever intends to make first-class he may wish to learn the risks involved as well."
"Such as?" Genesis drawled, not liking the sound of this. The Turk produced a data disk like a stage magician plucking a playing card for midair.
"Records of professor Hollander's Project G -short for Project Gillian- which was the first experiment in the implantation of J-cells into human test subjects," Valentine said calmly, "and the forerunner of the SOLDIER program. Test subjects are Gillian Hewely, the original, Angeal Hewely, conceived specifically for the program and Genesis Rhapsodos, control specimen and arguably the first ever SOLDIER."
The words hit Genesis like a rampaging Behemoth and Angeal actually swayed, face white as a sheet. "No," the Dark General whispered, stricken. "It can't be..."
"Sephiroth was the product of a parallel project carried out by professor Hojo that used slightly different methods," Valentine continued relentlessly, "for which he gets a disk of his very own and the dubious privilege of being considered the ideal that all later SOLDIERS should be striving to achieve despite not actually being one."
Genesis frowned. "Sephiroth isn't a SOLDIER? Is this some kind of joke? He's the Silver General, the Cetra-damned Hero of Wutai. Of course he's a SOLDIER!"
"I never actually joined like you three did," Sephiroth said dryly. "Hojo just told me one day that the President insisted I do more for the company than just create data and had me shipped out to the front lines in Wutai. I was fourteen."
Genesis certainly hadn't known that. Valentine hadn't either by the looks of things since her hand twitched towards her gun for a moment before reaching out to squeeze Sephiroth's hand instead.
"We're test subjects?" Angeal whispered hoarsely, still in shock. "Science projects?"
Valentine's eyes narrowed. "You are people. Human beings. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Being human is a matter of making the right choices and none of you chose this. Except Zackary Fair, that is." The second class seemed startled to suddenly be at the centre of attention.
"What does that say about the puppy, I wonder?" Sephiroth muttered just loud enough for SOLDIER hearing to pick up.
"Hey! That's not nice!" Zack floundered, "I joined because I wanted to be a hero! To help people!"
"I will be sure to attend your funeral then," Valentine said dismissively, "as that is generally the only reward heroics receive."
The puppy looked completely crushed and Angeal frowned, pulling himself together for his protégé's sake. "That was unnecessary," the dark-haired first-class said disapprovingly, "Zack is an excellent SOLDIER."
"I concur," came the surprising reply. "His survival however depends on him learning to look before he leaps. Would you like to read the data disk?" The Turk twirled the flat circle between his fingers.
"I would," Genesis butted in, "Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return. I do not want any nasty surprises coming out of the woodwork. Better learn the worst now."
Valentine calmly handed the disk over to the Crimson General. "As I told Sephiroth, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have after you have finished reading."
"Why are you doing this?" Genesis asked. Turks didn't just hand out secret documents and offer to fill in the gaps, especially not undercover Turks. Angeal might, but he was a SOLDIER and ridiculously hung up on honesty and honour.
"For Sephiroth," Valentine said simply, kissing the Silver General on the cheek and heading for the door, "He's the most important person in my life. I'll be around; my PHS number is at the end of the disk, messages only please."
There was a long pause after she left. Genesis broke it. "Well, she's got it bad for you hasn't she Sephiroth? Lucky for us she's the generous type. The goddess descends from the sky: Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting. Come on Angeal, lets find out how badly the Science Department has screwed us over." the Crimson General dragged his lifetime friend towards the door. "Don't worry Sephiroth, I won't tell on you and Angeal's too honourable. Puppy, heel!"
"Hey! I'm not a dog!" Zack protested as he trailed after his dazed mentor. "What are we going to do about all this?"
"We read the information for ourselves," Angeal said, rousing himself and straightening up, "and make up our own minds as to who has been telling us the truth. Zack, this is both confidential and personal so not a word to anyone in unsecured surroundings. Understood?"
"Yes Angeal."
Genesis wondered how bad this was going to be. My friend, the fates are cruel...
Errors, because everyone makes mistakes. Genesis wanted time in the spotlight, so he gets to go first. Next up will be more Cloud, who is riding to someone's rescue...
