Chapter 11 "JENOVA & PROJECT S" - #840529

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MEETING TITLE: "JENOVA & PROJECT S"
PROJECT S MEETING TRANSCRIPT #840529

Meeting Attendees: Professor Gast, Professor Hojo, Mariella Haynes
Date of Interview: 05.29.84
Location of Interview: Room 6C, Floor 29, HQ
List of Acronyms:
Professor Gast=G
Professor Hojo=H
Mariella Haynes=M

Intelligent Verbatim Transcript

[Begin Transcript at 0:00:05]

Mariella (M): "Small meeting today?"

Professor Hojo (H): "Very few people know the true nature of Project S here at Shinra. You should count yourself lucky."

M: "I think I can safely say that Mr. Lemb and I have found it to be a pleasure to work with Sephiroth. I hope we can continue to make headway with this program as we move forward."

H: "Well, that depends on the recommendation of the Board, doesn't it?"

Professor Gast (G): "Yes. Shall we start?"

[Pause]

G: "As we know, the results that have been brought back from my recent trip to Nibelheim have been conclusive. JENOVA is not a part of the Cetra race but is another entirely separate biological organism. Most research indicates that it is completely alien in nature."

[01:00]

H: "Fascinating, is it not? We have been playing with foreign DNA for the last few years. It's like playing with fire without being able to see it."

G: "Fascinating or not, this was not the objective of Project S. Sephiroth has no means to lead us to the promised lands. This is further enforced by both Project G's and Project S' lack of progress in, as unscientifically as I can put it, 'sensing' the planet."

M: "Sephiroth did try."

H: "This is not about effort. This is about results."

G: "Results that he cannot deliver. The Board has gone over the data and presentation about Project S. It requires funding among other support systems. They have recommended to R&D that the entire program be shut down against my wishes."

M: "What does that mean?"

H: "Shut down of the entire program."

G: "You all would be debriefed, reassigned to more relevant projects, the files would go into deep storage, JENOVA itself would be sent into dormancy. The NDA forms would not be released. The reactor would be shut down. The Nibelheim residents would get a written notice giving some substitute explanation. The townsfolk would be hurt by the lack of economy but there are other towns that-."

[02:00]

H: "What about Sephiroth, himself?"

G: "They want the complete destruction of any mutated biological assets deemed dangerous."

H: "Sephiroth?"

G: "Yes, Sephiroth has been marked for disposal."

M: "No."

H: "Project G?"

G: "…the Project G samples are allowed to live. Congratulations, Professor Hojo. Because of your methods, S, no, Project S is the only experiment that successfully had a high biological graph with JENOVA. The Project G samples are both infertile and did not come into what the Board decided was dangerous graphed value."

M: "…disposal means?"

[03:00]

G: "The method of death…is up to us but the entirety of Sephiroth must be destroyed. No samples must remain. If the Board's request goes through."

M: "We can't let this happen."

H: "What are their concerns?"

G: "Without funding, he carries too much vital genetic data to be out of the control of Shinra. In their mind, he is a loaded gun."

H: "Reproductively or physically?"

G: "They are concerned mostly about the spread of foreign biological data."

H: "Surely Sephiroth is sterile from the extended mako exposure. Most humans are by the end of the mako therapy."

M: "He's still developing physically. We never thought to test it."

G: "No need. His blood test shows positive indications of hormone development. If I was forced to guess, I would say the JENOVA cells make him resilient to mako. That also explains why trying to heal him is difficult. JENOVA fights the will of the planet. Regardless, they wish to stop the future uncontrollable spread of alien DNA."

[04:00]

H: "How about a sterilization?"

G: "I'm afraid that the Board would consider it reversible in the wrong hands."

H: "So this is about Wutai?"

G: "Politics should never mix with science but it inevitably does."

M: "He's so young to have that done."

G: "He is too young to die by the recommended methods listed here."

M: "Lethal injection…? I thought it was impossible?"

H: "We engineered a specific poison to kill rogue SOLDIERS last year. One dart in the back to knock them out and then another supplemental injection in the neck. They drop like flies. It's beautiful. You should come watch sometime."

M: "Gods. He would never see it coming."

G: "The only comfort with this solution is that it is an easy death. Coupled with that initial sedative, he would drift off asleep and simply never wake up."

H: "There is too much left to do with him. He has such untapped potential. We can aggravate the JENOVA cells. He could be of value."

G: "I have given us an opportunity to present an alternative solution to the Board. If we don't present it by the end of the day tomorrow, the project and Sephiroth are terminated, effective immediately. I cannot stress that they will most likely reject anything."

M: "Who will…?"

G: "If you or Landon refuses, you will be forcibly removed from the premises and a stranger from another department will do it. They may decide to use a more unkind method."

[04:41-04:55 No sound audible]

G: "Before you get too far down that line of thinking, may I remind you that Shinra can track the boy at any time."

H: "You are the only one that knows where the tracker is located."

[05:00]

G: "Correct."

H: "Tell me."

G: "Removal of the tracker sends out a distress signal."

H: "Where is it? In the thigh? Chest cavity?"

G: "I can't tell you."

H: "Why not? I thought you cared for the boy."

G: "Because as much as I despise this, I understand the calamity of science. I don't want S to be scrubbed from this planet but running away with Project S, a Shinra funded program, will only lead to more death. The Turks and SOLDIER would be involved."

[Pause]

G: "Think about it. Many would die and in the end, S would still die. That way it would be in fear and terror. He would know he was part monster. Our selfishness would only lead Sephiroth to more pain with the same outcome."

M: "How can you be this heartless? Don't you know that Sephiroth worships you? And you are suggesting that he should die?"

G: "Do not take my antipathy for heartlessness. You have undoubtedly read my letters. You know how I feel. Emotion is not going to get us a clearer answer to save S."

H: "It is easy enough to sign a paper to kill a child that you do not understand. It's such a waste."

M: "Fine. We need another solution then."

G: "He has shown great levels of intelligence. Why don't we recommend he is transferred directly into my lab for further testing? He could become a strategist."

H: "No one will ever trust him."

M: "Not with those eyes."

H: "They want nothing to do with JENOVA?"

G: "Not at this point."

[06:00]

G: "I have offered to adopt the project as my own personal program and keep a close eye on him. I proposed it to the Board when they voted."

H: "They said you were a fool."

G: "No. Not in so many words but the answer was still no. They will not be convinced."

M: "We need something that they are more afraid of than JENOVA."

H: "The boogie man…?"

G: "If this was the time for childish yammering, Hojo, I would expressly tell you."

H: "Well, the director of the R&D program does have teeth."

G: "I will allow that comment this once."

M: "What about SOLIDER?"

H: "What about them?"

G: "No. That is not an option."

M: "It's the only way. He is incredibly strong. What if JENOVA cells mixed with mako are the way forward? Towards a more effective SOLDIER program?"

H: "The president does fear Wutai. Use politics against them."

G: "He is a child."

H: "We both know that's not true. No matter what, his childhood ended as soon as they had a vote on floor 64. Now it ends with poison in his veins, a bullet in his brains or as a child soldier. Grim choices at best."

G: "Where is the integrity in this?"

M: "Where is the integrity in letting him die?"

H: "Where is the integrity in allowing a child to be exposed over and over to mako?"

G: "I could you ask you the same question."

[07:00]

H: "What other solution do we have? Project S needs to survive. He is too valuable as an asset. We'll use their fear against them."

M: "He would be a good soldier, given a few years. He's rule-abiding and a perfectionist. We could put him in proper school and train him. It keeps him under the umbrella of Shinra and has low overhead. As Professor Gast mentioned, he is as sharp as a whip. He could be the keystone to us beating Wutai."

H: "Things can be put in place to better control him. The touch has been light but it doesn't have to be this way."

G: "I can't approve this. This will turn him into a monster. His disposition isn't for war and bloodshed. He will crumble. He will die in other ways."

H: "Better that than this way."

[07:20-45 No sound audible.]

M: "I'm sorry Professor Gast but we must move forward. Professor Hojo can present the idea."

G: "They will still not approve this. I will not approve this."

M: "Since Professor Hojo is in charge of the program, I am sure that the Board would be interested in his opinion."

H: "Let him fight."

M: "Let him survive."

[Transcript End 08:13:03 Transcribed by Edin Morse. Reviewed and verified by Professor Hojo.]

Well. The good times are over. What do you think?

Since this is a report, it is a double upload week. I'll see you all on Monday although I think you will just hate me for it.

Thanks for reading as always -Quin