Days of Exile
Chapter 8 – Hojo's New Assistant
11 December 0007
Meia widened her eyes and stared at Tseng. "But… But you said…" Her eyes grew even bigger as she glared at Tseng, fear now being overcome by anger. "You… You tricked me?" She screeched. "So you are going to kill me after all?"
Tseng opened the door. "Goodbye Meia. I don't ever want to see you again. Perhaps you can join Patricia and Marshall in the Lifestream. I'm sure Marshall will teach you a thing or two." He said and with a short shriek, Meia was thrown into the room. The door behind her swung shut and then a click sealed her from freedom. Meia threw herself at the door, screaming for Tseng, but Tseng heeded nothing. She then heard him say, "When I'm back in half an hour… Meia will no longer be alive."
"Let me out! TSENG!" She screamed but she knew that Tseng had walked away. Meia shrieked and tried to kick the door, but the door wouldn't budge. "This is not funny, Tseng! Let me out!" There were no windows, only a small netted air duct for air ventilation, much too small for her to crawl out. "Ventilation…" Meia murmured when it suddenly hit her. What if Tseng was intending to poison her by gassing her?
Tears welled up her eyes as thoughts of disappointment filled her head. The consequences of returning to Midgar was certain death, she knew that. However, she didn't expect that Tseng would really kill her on sight. Weren't they comrades just months ago, fighting hand-in-hand to take down the anti-Shinra terrorist group, AVALANCHE (the one led by Fuhito)?
Perhaps, I have been too arrogant. She thought. Of course Tseng would kill me; he's under orders to keep the exiled Turks from returning to Shinra. It's just that… I didn't expect he wanted to kill me THAT badly…
Perhaps the good Tseng that saved Veld and Elfe had died and in place was the cold-hearted and merciless Tseng, the uncontrollable, unpredictable Turk with his hair down. The one who had already treated his exiled comrades as good as dead.
Another thought caught her attention in her mind. Why did Tseng use such a weird phrasing as to refer to her as a third person? Why did Tseng purposefully say 'Meia shall die' instead of 'you shall die'? Was there something that she had missed out?
Thoughts filled her head but none of them provided a useful conclusion, nor a solution as to how to get out of the room. Meia had a mission to complete, after all. In the end, Meia decided that she'll have to break through the door and fight her way around. She would've much preferred sneaking around, but Tseng left her with no choice.
Meia prepared her handgun and was going to shout a "Fire" spell to burn the door when from the corner of her eye, she saw the stack of boxes behind her. Meia turned around and recognized the boxes. "The Archives…" She said softly.
In front of her stood boxes that used to occupy a room in the Turks' Archives Room. Inside the boxes were personal belongings of deceased Turks. It was some sort of tradition to keep a box of the dead Turk's personal belongings as a memento. Now they no longer sat in the small room, but in Kido's old room.
Meia walked slowly towards the boxes, her fingers sliding across the boxes and their names. Only when she stopped at Patricia and Marshall's name, did she give a small sigh. Patricia and Marshall were two senior Turks who were sent to Banora to investigate the disappearance of Genesis Rhapsodos. They eventually perished, killed by him.
Stupid Tseng. She thought. If you hadn't talked about Patricia and Marshall just now, I wouldn't be looking at their boxes and thinking of them.
Patricia was like the mother of the Turks, who took care of the emotionally withdrawn young Turk Cissnei, and often counseled Reno in his early years of being a Turk. Reno and Cissnei treated her with respect, reverence even; the latter Turk subconsciously taking up the 'mother figure' in the years right before and after Patricia died. The Turks appreciated Pat's frankness and often described her care and concern as 'brutal love'. Meia would laugh when KK recounts how she should arm-lock Haato and force him to eat broccoli, or when Jasper (whom Patricia and Marshall met in Bone Village, before Jasper became a Turk) talks excitedly about how they taught him to live life as how he wanted to. Meia never properly interacted with Patricia, though she expected that she would've enjoyed being in her company.
Marshall was a quiet and polite man who held a gentle disposition, but Meia was definitely fooled by his appearance, for Marshall was a master of disguises. Whoever that Marshall imitates, he would imitate so realistically that the closest of friends might mistaken him for the real person. When he disguised himself as Reno, Meia was fooled, completely. Because Meia would've never thought that the shy and gentle Marshall could carry himself with the same confidence and devil-may-care attitude that was signature Reno.
Marshall…
Suddenly, everything clicked, dispelling her doubts about Tseng's unusual words. Why he referred to her as a third person. Why he mentioned Patricia and Marshall. Why he threw her into this room in the very first place. Everything made sense. Meia stilled her head and tried to recollect all her thoughts in order. Tseng's last words flooded her head like an illuminating light.
Goodbye Meia. I don't ever want to see you again. Perhaps you can join Patricia and Marshall in the Lifestream. I'm sure Marshall will teach you a thing or two.
… Tseng wanted me to disguise myself now that I'm here in HQ.
It seemed such an absurd idea that Meia wondered if she was just being paranoid or too desperate to escape this place. There seemed to be no other solution more likely than this. If not, why would Tseng mention Marshall, or insist on using her name instead of 'you'? It felt as if he wanted the image of Meia to die and disappear.
But there was the bigger argument that out there in Sector 5, Tseng had really wanted to kill her. Even though he had assured her at the rooftop that he wouldn't kill her… could she trust him?
Meia frowned and sat on the floor, tired from the bombardment of her own thoughts. What if Tseng didn't mean all these and wanted to kill her? Meia felt her face flush as she imagined Tseng walking in, a gun in his hand, and finding her all dressed up differently. He'll think that I'm an idiot.
Still… staying in this room isn't getting me anywhere. I'm going to go ahead with the disguise and face the humiliation if it turns out that I was thinking too much.
Meia pulled out Marshall's box and looked through his contents. Indeed, there were many things that were used for disguise. Wigs, clothing, makeup, face paint, face clay… the list went on. There was no time to waste, if Tseng said that Meia will be no longer alive in half an hour, then Meia must get ready in the remaining twenty minutes.
She pulled out the smallest clothing that she could find – a cream silk shirt and a pencil skirt – and hurriedly put it on. Marshall was small, but taller than Meia, so she found the pencil skirt a little too long. But in the end, she managed to make everything fit with pins and socks stuffed in Marshall's high heels.
As Meia put on the wig and assessed her look in the mirror, she thought. If Tseng sees this, he'll think I look ridiculous. Then again… what kind of mission was Marshall doing that required him become a female? She looked at Marshall's makeup kit and cringed. There was no way she was going to wear makeup that was seven years old. So she dropped the idea and hoped that her bare face would be good enough. Shinra employees generally wore makeup. The only exception seemed to be the female Turks. However, Meia did find a kohl pencil and added a mole on her chin, hoping that it would be a good embellishment.
Finally, she gave herself one last check in the mirror. She looked fine. At least, she looked like a proper human and not a failed attempt to disguise herself. Meia had only one experience where she went undercover in Don Corneo's mansion. Her disguise was well-done. Too well-done. She thought, resisting a shudder. She checked her watch and tossed it in the bag that she had been carrying. Tseng will be here any minute now. She sat by the chair in the room and prayed earnestly that her efforts will not be in vain.
When Tseng opened the door, he found a young lady inside Kido's old room. The lady squinted against the blinding lights coming from the corridor and Tseng took a good look at her. She was probably no older than 20 years old and looked very scared. Her cascading brown wavy hair fell past her shoulders and was almost waist-length. She had a beauty mark on her chin and bright hazel eyes that sparkled with fear and uncertainty. Her face was bare but she didn't need to wear makeup anyway; her porcelain clear skin looked more flawless without makeup.
The first thing that Tseng thought was, She looked ridiculous.
Then, he smiled to himself. She was indeed very smart to have spotted his hidden message. She wasn't groomed to be a Turk for nothing. Then again, Tseng thought that he had made it very obvious, so he wasn't going to credit her for this. In a gruff tone, Tseng asked, "Who are you?"
"M…" She stammered. Clearly, she hadn't thought it through. "Matilda… Ederfeld." She finished her name for him.
Tseng nodded at the initials. It was good enough for now. "Follow me." He said in his standard Turk tone that he used to new employees of Shinra. "And for the love of Gaia, please don't make too much noise or look too excited to be here. Professor Hojo doesn't like his assistant to be the chirpy, talkative type."
Without pausing to register the look of pure horror on her face, Tseng turned and led Matilda Ederfeld out of the Turk floors.
"So you're fine with it?" Rude asked.
Reno snapped out of his thoughts and stared at him. "Wha-?"
Rude pulled a straight face despite his annoyance. Reno's expression was easy to read, much like a bright neon sign rather than a book. Rude didn't need to undergo any training to detect anything amiss with his redheaded partner. Reading Reno has become a very regular thing for Rude to do, because even though Reno rattles on and on, he hardly shares his opinions and feelings. Then again, Rude wasn't the welfare-sort. However, it was a concern for Rude when Reno wasn't listening to his instructions. And from Reno's face, it was clear that he wasn't listening to Rude.
"Focus, Reno."
"I am focusing, geez!" Reno argued. "I can't exactly be looking at anything else, can I?"
Rude followed Reno's gestures. He squinted his eyes against the afternoon sun and stared at the vast plains of dull grey, a result from the explosion of Mako Reactor 1 days ago. The Mako Reactor was completely cordoned off and shut down because of the (new) AVALANCHE's work. Shinra had sent some SOLDIERS to evacuate the citizens but from the looks of it, it's either the citizens had long fled or the SOLDIERS were too late.
"This sucks." Reno declared. "I've been on my feet the entire day. First, I sent that exec Reeve Tuesti to Costa del Sol via the chopper. Then-" Reno choked a little on his words but he continued within half a beat. Rude noticed. "Then I had to go blast a Sector tower to smithereens. And now, I'm stuck with post-mortem of the Mako Reactor 1 explosion." Reno threw his hands in the air with frustration. "I want a break!" He groaned.
"… We'll have our break when our day ends. That would be in a few hours." Rude walked towards the Mako Reactor and lifted the danger tape, motioning Reno to stoop under. Reno sighed with exasperation, but swiftly swooped under the tape and soon, the both of them were on the other side, entering the entrance of the Mako generator.
"When I go back to HQ," Reno continued. "It's the showers, yo? This place stinks."
"…"
"Didn't Tseng send the cleanup crew to spruce this place a little?" Reno twirled his wrist lazily at the surroundings. Broken hinges, shattered glass, broken railings, the sound of static electricity, machines blackened with soot. "Or is it that we got to broom up this place ourselves?"
"…"
Reno knelt in front of one of the machines. "The code is not broken by force." He observed. "Someone in AVALANCHE must've hacked the system and gotten the code."
"…"
"We gotta head back to HQ later and inform Tseng to tighten the security." Reno grinned at Rude.
"Reno."
"Man, that means more reports to fill in! I hate writing reports!" Reno grimaced. "I gotta head to the infirmary first. My stomach hurts. BIG TIME."
"Reno!"
"What?" Reno frowned at Rude.
"You are regretting it."
Reno blinked at Rude. "What are you saying, yo?"
Sometimes, Reno was that simple-minded. That, or Reno refused to face the truth.
Rude folded his arms. "You are feeling sorry for Sector 7."
Alas, the crack that appeared in Reno's composed façade. His eyes would widen, before Reno would laugh and say that Rude has been drinking too much or something similar. Nevertheless, it was those signs that tell Rude that once again, Reno was as easy to read as a bright neon sign.
Rude picked up a piece of cloth on the floor and quickly recognized it as an emblem of a SOLDIER First Class. There weren't any more SOLDIER First Class after Zack Fair, so it was impossible to pick up such a thing here in Mako Reactor 1. Realising that this could be a clue regarding their newest threat, Rude tossed the cloth into a clear bag that he had brought along and turned to Reno. "Do your job well and keep your emotions to yourself. You are a Turk."
"I. Know." Said Reno through gritted teeth. How many times had Rude reminded the same thing to him? Rude didn't bother to count, but reminding Reno about his emotions over eight years must count for some substantial amount.
Ignoring the sudden aggressive attitude from Reno, Rude continued to survey the area. The delicate balance of good and evil has always plagued Reno; Reno would spend nights wondering about the deeds he did. But Reno wasn't the only one suffering. Every Turk had their share of demons, nightmares and guilt. Ultimately, Reno will snap out of it, just like every other Turk before him, and continue his job. He has to. By tomorrow, Reno will behave as if he did not complain about the workload, as if nothing had ever happened.
As if Reno had never pushed the button that sealed the doom of hundreds of people.
Meia made a conscious effort not to chew on the inside of her lip as she followed Tseng along the corridors of the Shinra Building. She knew where they were heading; the interior design of the Shinra conglomerate had never changed much since she left. They were heading towards Floor 68 – The main science laboratories, that's also where Hojo was given complete privacy to do his 'research'.
Meia has never met Hojo before. Somehow she didn't run into Hojo while she was here, much to the Turks' relief, she supposed. Hojo was famous for researching on the extraction of superhuman abilities. If he were to conclude that Meia's photographic memory is something worthy to extract for his SOLDIERs…
Meia cringed.
However, her father left a brilliant description of Hojo in his many journals, written while he was still a Turk. When Meia inherited the journals, it was hard for Meia not to wonder and speculate the look of the (her father quotes) "mad scientist". From a distance, Meia saw that the notorious scientist was lanky and thin. So thin, she could imagine Rude lifting him and carrying him over his shoulder. Meia almost giggled at the thought, and subdued her mirth when Tseng shot her a disapproving look.
"Professor Hojo." Tseng said, with as much affection as a rock.
When the lanky man turned around, Meia tried not to stop breathing. Before her stood the man responsible for the forward-moving vision of Shinra Electric Power Company. Thanks to his research, Shinra has an army of superhuman SOLDIERs through his Mako enhancements. Most of his research were confidential work so not many knew of them. However, Meia did know one thing for sure: Hojo was responsible for the many innocent lives taken in the process of perfecting his research.
Joesph Etsky's impressions of Professor Hojo were not too different from the fresh, new ones that Meia formed. Professor Hojo still sported a low ponytail, leaving no fringe. His rimless glasses gave Hojo a piercing look, as if Hojo was (quote her father) "always targeting the next man to be his test subject". His jaw was hard set into a scowl and Meia knew that Hojo was not going to be a man suitable for idle conversation.
There always seems to be a chemical reaction whenever the head of the Science Department speaks – some sort of indescribable irritation toward the man. "You." The scientist regarded Tseng lightly. Meia learnt later that "you" will be the most polite term Hojo would use on anyone. Hojo turned back to his clipboard. "What could possibly be more important than my investigation of the Ancient?"
Meia tensed and almost fell forward to tackle him. Control got the better of herself and she took a deep breath. If this madman is going to hurt Aerith…
Beside her, Tseng took a small sigh of relief at the girl's efforts to control herself. "Professor. You asked for an assistant-"
"The President asked for an assistant for me." Corrected Hojo, not bothering to look at Tseng. "I don't need anyone. But since it's here I might as well make some use for it." Meia wrinkled her nose slightly when she realized that Hojo was referring her as an 'it'."You there." He barked at Meia.
"G- Good afternoon, professor!" Meia squeaked. "I'm Matil-"
"I don't care who you are." Hojo waved her off rudely. "Are you of any use in the lab?"
Meia coloured. "No." She admitted truthfully. "I was an admin-"
The bespectacled man scoffed loudly at Tseng. "Why get me an assistant if she's useless?" He looked at Tseng. "Admininstration? Anyone can do administration." Meia felt the flush burn on her cheeks and wondered how Tseng could tolerate him without as much of a frown. "Put her in my Archives Room and keep her there. I don't want any unnecessary people around."
Tseng dipped his head slightly. "As you wish." He gestured Meia towards the lift. "This way, Miss Ederfeld." As they walked away, Meia tried not to make her sigh of relief audible. From Floor 67, they walked back to Floor 66 and took the elevator. When they stepped out of the lift at Floor 32, Meia gawked at the place.
Towering dark shadows lined the room, casting its darkness upon one another until the room was very dark. It was when Tseng switched on the main power by the side that Meia saw that the room was large, the size of the Turks' Lounge. Endless shelves of books and files were stacked, however in a haphazard manner. Some folders were even tossed on the floor, covered by a light layer of dust.
"This is the Science Archives." Tseng explained to Meia. "Nobody, except Professor Hojo, President Shinra, myself and Professor Hojo's assistant knows its access."
"What happened to the previous assistant?" Meia asked.
"… She left." Tseng replied coolly. Meia knew that there was probably something more to his answer, but she did not probe further. "This is no ordinary Archives. This is Professor Hojo's most private collections. In the period when the assistant left, no one has cleaned up the room." Tseng pushed a stray piece of fringe behind his forehead. "That would be your first task today, Miss Ederfeld."
Meia kept her face cool, but inside she was almost twitching with excitement. "Yes, Mr. Tseng." She answered politely.
"No one will disturb you today, so arrange this place and clean it up. Your desk is at the back. I'll come back in the evening and we'll finish up the administration later." Tseng looked around the room a second time. "Should you need anything, the pantry is at the back of the room."
"Thank you, Mr. Tseng." Meia smiled. "Shinra is really kind to their employees."
Tseng stared at Meia briefly, his face scrutinizing her for any signs of sarcasm. There was none. Without as much of a reply, Tseng turned around and walked into the waiting elevator. Soon, the elevator doors closed, leaving Meia in a room of silence.
Meia heaved a sigh of relief. How did things turn out like this? Just an hour ago, she was a renegade Turk who returned to Midgar to find out more about Sephiroth's heritage. Now, she's a lab assistant to Professor Hojo? She shook her head. At least she's still alive, and strategically placed at the vault of where the most confidential files are placed. So was Tseng helping her after all?
Her PHS rang and as if she was disturbing anyone, Meia quickly answered the phone to kill its blaring ring. "Hello?" She whispered.
Veld's voice spoke from the other end, startling her. "Meia, what is the situation now?" Meia grinned with relief. How typical of Veld to talk like that. She quickly recounted the incident to Veld. When she was done, Veld was amused but Meia did not understand why. "Don't worry about Tseng." He said. "I trust his character."
"But sir, he tried to kill me." Meia frowned to herself. "I'm really confused about his inclination."
Veld hesitated for a moment, but only to assure her that Tseng was a trustworthy person. If anything, the only person she should confide in while being in the building is Tseng.
Meia caught the hidden meaning behind Veld's word. "Veld, are you telling me that after today… I got to stay in HQ as a fake lab assistant? I can barely keep myself hidden in the Upper Plates and now you- wait a minute sir, were YOU the one who asked Tseng to bring me to the Shinra Building?"
She could almost hear Veld smile over the phone. "You've said it rightly." Before Meia could protest, Veld continued. "I need someone who can give me information on the happenings in Shinra. Meia, listen. There is something important you need to know..."
As she heard Veld explain a possibility, her heart sank. How was she able to complete the mission this time? Nevertheless, she knew that Veld was counting on her with the very important thing. With an almost shaky voice, she agreed to stay in Shinra Building. At least, until she could gather enough information about everything that she needed to know.
The call ended and Meia stared at the PHS in her hand. The weight of the issues burdened her, but Meia cannot give up. The fate of many laid within her hands. And if Veld says that Tseng is trustworthy, then I shall believe. A spark of hope burst in her heart as she thought about how perhaps Tseng was, like what Reno insisted, still the same Tseng she knew.
Feeling more encouraged, Meia bowed her head and started reading the piles of material in the Science Archives.
When Tseng walked in at the Science Archives to look for Matilda Ederfeld, he found her rifling through the papers of Professor Hojo's work. "May I know what are you doing, Miss Ederfeld?" He asked coolly.
At the sound of his voice, Matilda flinched and her head shot up. However, when she saw his face, she relaxed. "Oh, Mr. Tseng." She said. "I was just rearranging the reports." She held the papers and their files at Tseng. "Let's not even talk about arranging in order, the reports are not even in their real folders!" She smiled.
Tseng suppressed a smile. The previous laboratory assistant was a heartbroken, problem drinker who often snuck a few drinks here and there on the job. It didn't help that the object of her unrequited affection, Zack Fair, died months ago. Since then, the lab assistant was grieved to a fault. Blaming the death of Zack on Shinra, she purposefully messed up the reports, a rebellion in her way.
A stray strand must always be removed, and it's nothing that the Turks cannot solve.
A simple check discovered that her house was in Sector 7 slums and then everything that was already planned made it all the more convenient. An innocent phone call to her to give her the day off and then… Problem solved… This morning.
Tseng looked at the new lab assistant. This was a kind of meticulousness that he had never seen in her before. He nodded curtly and informed her that they will have to leave the work for tomorrow. He needed to bring her to the receptionist to fill in her employee's form and then show her the places that she has access to, then dismiss her for the day. Employees of Shinra do not live in the headquarters.
As Matilda packed her things, Tseng thought about the implications of bringing her into the building. Surely someone would recognize her. He doubted that, however. Her disguise was so good that he almost didn't recognize her as –
Tseng stopped himself. She is no longer a Turk. She is Matilda Ederfeld. Stop thinking of the past, in case you blurt out something you shouldn't.
Quickly, he brought Professor Hojo's new assistant out of the Science Archives and shut the door behind him.
Now, the mystery to what Meia will be doing is solved!
I'm still trying to make things happen – it's definitely not as if I know what I'm doing already. So bear with me!
Once again, thank you for your reviews! Hope this chapter has appeased some of your two-week-long anxiety!