011302A - Reactor Shift Report
Operating Pressure: 15.5 MPa
Power Output: 13.54MM KWh
Capacity Factor: 33.8%
Level: 87.2%
Crew Shift Change Notes:
The level safety high alarm override is still engaged. Please use caution when operating the reactor storage outflow valves. The reactor continues to operate at reduced power output.
Outflow valve CV-29845 is fully closed. See work permit JR-5485 for details.
XVII. Deluge
"-bout time. Kisaragi isn't stupid. He knows they can't hold out forever," Rufus said as he strode into the board room, shaking his head, "He just wants to make this as difficult as possible for me. Just like for my old man." Veld and Tseng followed behind Rufus, Tseng stopping once he entered to take the typical position guarding the boardroom door.
Reeve watched as Rufus took his seat, Dark Nation not trailing him for once.
"Now," Rufus said, starting the meeting, "Heidegger. I gave you until the end of the month, and I've still seen nothing of value come about from the resources we put in." Heidegger stiffened then responded..
"Sir, the new commander is en route as we speak. Rhapsodos was always a lacking option. I-"
"My patience is limited," Rufus continued, ignoring Heidegger's stuttering excuses, "So, I'm discussing more…radical solutions…with this board."
Reeve sat up. The last time he heard something like this from Shinra Senior, the war in Wutai began. Reeve's hands tightened into fists, his nails digging deep enough into his palms that they hurt. That was enough to remind him where he was and keep his composure. Next to him, Scarlet leaned in with obvious anticipation—that woman.
Every time this happened, the weapons department received more funding. Reeve suspected that this time was no different.
"Mister President," Scarlet said, "You'll have our capabilities on your desk before the end of the day. The board, of course, supports even the hardest decisions you make."
Hojo grinned nastily from where he sat.
"There is a certain something I want to test," he said as he folded his hands together. "I am excited for the data this will generate…" Rufus smiled coldly.
Reeve sat deeper in his chair as the board room erupted in suggestions. A sense of foreboding overwhelmed him instead.
Rufus let this go on for a while longer. It was again something Shinra Senior used to do before he announced a decision he already made.
Rufus held up a hand. The romm quieted. Both Hojo and Scarlet leaned forward.
"The weapon is already operational," Rufus said, turning to the screen behind him as it was pulled up to a sight Reeve was intimately familiar with, having participated in its installation. "It is simply a matter of targets."
A sense of dread sank and settled deep in Reeve's stomach, even as Scarlet clapped in delight. Hojo pushed his glasses up, looking satisfied as he leaned back again. All that filled Reeve's vision was that familiar schematic of Junon's mako canon.
"Stop this-" Reeve began to object. Rufus's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you need to be excused from the board?" Reeve's mouth shut with a quiet click. Then his teeth clamped down and his jaw tightened as he tried to prevent himself from speaking out more.
Palmer bounced in his seat. His eyes glinted with glee. "Shouldn't we take out Wutai City? End the nation once and for all," he said.
"Wutai City is Wutai's capital. It should be a last resort," Heidegger said nervously. "We haven't exhausted more conventional ways-"
Scarlet scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, "The president is impatient. Because of your incompetence." She turned to Rufus. "What about Da Chao, then? Show the Wutaians that Shinra can obliterate even their god."
Heideggers eyes bugged.
"Are you serious? Da Chao is next to Wutai City," he gestured with his hands, "One miss-"
Rufus raised a hand, and the board room fell into silence.
"All I hear is obstacles. Enlighten us, Heidegger. What are the best strategic targets, then?" Rufus turned to Heidegger. Sitting next to the heavy-set man, Reeve could see beads of sweat slowly drip down his temple. He was the only one other than Reeve to hesitate about the new plan.
"There's Fort Baikal, Fort Touya, and…Fort Tamblin. Baikal is the biggest fort but not the most strategic. With how far northwest the front lies, if Fort Tamblin were to fall, Wutai City would lay exposed to conventional attack."
No, this is all wrong!
"Then we have our targets," Rufus said coldly.
"Please reconsider," Reeve said, standing up. "The mako canon will indiscriminately kill thousands of people. Women and children, not to mention the Shinra's own people. It is too much! We -"
"Thank you, Director Tuesti," Rufus said cooly, leaning back in his seat. "This call is mine. It's become clear that Wutai will fight for those last woman and child. There are no civilians there. A swift end may risk some lives, but more are saved in the balance."
Reeve sat down hard as the board room around him erupted in applause. He stared blankly at the screen before him. Next to the diagram, numbers reported on the mako storage levels below Junon. He watched Rufus order Tseng to ready a flight to Junon. The course of action decided, Rufus swept out of the board room.
There must be some way to get the word to the troops stationed at Wutai, get people out of there. Maybe even warn the Wutaians. He looked at Heidegger, who caught his eye and nodded.
Then, he thought of the half-completed projects in his workshop. Of a boy who sparked his joy in creating again.
Cloud, stay safe…
Hojo, silent as Rufus selected his target, let out a deranged laugh. He kept laughing as he stood and wordlessly left the room. Reeve absently noted Heidegger making hurried calls to put some operation on hold.
General Sephiroth in the flesh. What a sight. Sebastian saw him in the mess, but standing in front of them in the briefing room, the man felt more imposing somehow.
Sebastian sat with Zack on one side and Essai on the other in the now familiar briefing room, glad to be reunited with his friends. In front of them, Gainsborough- Clay, as most Soldiers got to know the man, led the verbal briefing while Sephiroth also stood, an imposing shadow next to Clay's side. His presence alone commanded absolute silence in the briefing room, packed to the brim with more listening outside.
Sephiroth's arrival at camp was kept on the down low, but you could only keep the news from the grapevine for so long. Especially after having lunch with Cloud in the open. That sent the rumors spinning in a different way. Even so, no one said a thing outwardly. If Sephiroth wanted to stay unnoticed, there must be some Company Top Secret (™) reason for the choice. And Soldiers were loyal to each other.
The morale that took a beating with Genesis's illness and withdrawal rebounded on the news.
"Tamblin's the most well-defended fort in Wutai," Clay said gravely, "The fortress dates back hundreds of years and never fell." The grainy images showed a well-built wall. Solid rock cut into large blocks seemed to fit so tightly together that water could not seep through the cracks. "First is the forest, likely more mined and defended than anything else we've seen. Then comes the old dry moat and stone walls. Between that and the keep is a maze of baileys designed to confuse and trap attackers."
"I'm feeling less and less good about this, you guys," Essai whispered, leaning over. Sebastian shushed him, but after Clay's words, his stomach was queasy too.
"Luckily, General Sephiroth has shown us a different way to approach the fort," Clay continued, then pointed upwards.
"Oh no," Essai said. This made Sebastian look over, ready to ask what was wrong with him.
"From the air," Sephiroth finished for him. There was a slightly amused smile on his face. Suddenly, cold sweat was running down Sebastian's forehead as well. There were rumors that an amused Sephiroth in training bodes ill for the other Soldiers.
"With the advanced capabilities of Soldier, we discovered a more rapid troop insertion method," Clay continued. Sebastian ignored the "Oh no, oh, no, oh no" coming from his friend quietly to the side. "Where before, our landing techniques would be too slow, and we would be shot down, our crafts can fly low enough that Soldiers will be able to jump directly onto the ramparts, neutralize defenders, and open the gates from the inside."
Sebastian gaped and looked at Zack, who seemed to take this all in stride. Sebastian shook his head in disbelief. Man's been hanging out with the Firsts too much. On the cusp of being one himself, no doubt. Is this what they got up to all the time?
"We'll start the attack with a series of bombing runs over the fort," Clay continued, "Due to the heavy smoke from Mount Tamblin, we will be flying in low and fast."
"We will go in following the main bombing run. I will provide more detailed instructions to the Soldiers here along with the pilots," Sephiroth said.
"Meanwhile, the regular army will be taking the front door," Clay said grimly, "We'll bring the main mech vanguard and we'll be relying on you boys to give us a hearty welcome."
"Sephiroth concluded. "Get some rest. We set out tomorrow night."
"Mr. President," Tseng said as he hung up the phone, "Genesis reported in from the shorebase. He was injured and requested to stay in Junon to receive a check-up from Professor Hollander."
"Granted," Rufus replied without looking up. "The wayward and disobedient dog finally returns."
"Heidegger's replacement commander is also delayed en route due to Wutai gunship attacks…"
Rufus sneered. "We won't be needing his doubtlessly intrepid leadership." Tseng stewed in silence for a while longer as he watched Rufus work. When Rufus finished looking through a report on his desk, Tseng found the words he wanted to say.
"Sir, I am not questioning you, but…"
"But you already are," Rufus paused in his reading and placed the papers down. He folded his hands together. He sighed. "I'm a product of how I was raised. My old man threw you aside if you didn't achieve results. So I did. And even after I- even after he died, I chase his shadow."
Tseng observed Rufus's face. It slimmed since his father's death. And though Rufus hid it well, heavy lines of exhaustion lined his eyes.
"But firing the mako canon…not even the former-" Tseng began hesitantly.
"Because he couldn't," Rufus said, seemingly unoffended by Tseng's line of questioning. "The Wutaians sabotaged it when the war first started. After that, mako prices surged, and the returns didn't justify the costs. I myself don't care about Wutai at all other than annoyance at the mess my father left me."
Tseng thought of Wutai. Intellectually, he knew it was his mother's homeland. But his family left so long ago, he owed it no alliance. And yet, something didn't sit well with him.
"Why did you ramp up operations in Wutai? Why do this at all?"
Tseng watched him tap on his keyboard to bring up a screen.
"Tell me, do you know about the so-called Promised Land?"
The question threw Tseng. Of course, he did. Seeing it was Tseng's most closely held wish. Tseng's thoughts flashed to a lively girl in the slums. He tensed.
"...Yes, sir." Rufus laughed.
"I know about the girl," he said, "Hojo asked me to bring her in almost the day I became president. I refused."
"Hojo…"
"The man loves spouting fairy tales. But, much as I loathe Hojo, he gives me results elsewhere," Rufus waved at the topic as if dismissing it before switching to another. "Limitless mako. A gamble, certainly. But that's what it takes to bring this company to a new era and surpass my old man. And that means we need to stop wasting time and resources."
"If your goal is the Promised Land, then-"
"Wutai was a thorn in Shinra's side since the beginning. Wutai and Cosmo Canyon. But where Cosmo Canyon capitulated under… forceful negotiation… Wutai remained unrelenting. Did you really think my old man only went after Wutai for mako? No. He wanted Wutai on its knees and out of Shinra's way, but he went about it without understanding Wutaians at all," Rufus said. He opened a drawer in the desk and made a face at the cigars left there. He tossed the entire box into the trash and pulled out a treat instead.
Dark Nation perked its ears at it. Rufus smiled when it took the treat from his hand. Then, his hand went into the desk again, this time retrieving a pill bottle. He shook it twice, taking out a pill, which he swallowed dry. Then he turned to Tseng again.
"Wutai has a healthy reservoir of mako underneath its land. That's true. Even if we warred for another decade, the mako recovered under Wutai would be sufficient to recoup the costs. What it costs me now is attention and manpower. And the longer it drags on, the less our own troops care to fight. Even now, recruitment is at an all-time low. Did you know?" He leaned back into his chair. "Wutai's diminished but still able to harass Shinra abroad. I want them controlled. I want them to bow their head to Shinra's might. Only then can we pull the troops out and focus on a higher goal."
Tseng bowed his head.
"I…see." His mind was in turmoil.
Tseng didn't get a chance to say more.
"Paying the price in mako now is a worthy investment. How are we on the preparations?"
"Mako levels are holding steady," Tseng responded, "We think we'll be able to get at least one if not two, shots on Wutai. However…"
"Yes?"
"We have had to redirect power from the city supply to achieve the needed levels," Tseng paused. "Most of the lower city has had rolling blackouts for weeks now."
Rufus looked down, and a strand of hair fell over his face.
"Like I said, a gamble I am willing to take."
Outside, a helicopter made the final approach to the landing pad—right on time. Rufus turned to see what Tseng was looking at.
"Contact Junon. Let them know we're on our way."
As they boarded, Tseng wondered what Rufus's price truly was and whether they would ever hit it.
Kunsel really needed to stop meeting them like this. In his own defense, however, he was meant to be here. Cloud was just taking a breath of fresh air on a rampart close by Kunsel's post.
The last night, the eve of the big operation. The base was on high alert, and Kunsel took an early shift before he rotated to get some rest. It was also a miracle that Sephiroth at least hadn't noticed his presence. Kunsel understood, though. The man had other things occupying his thoughts.
"Any objections to more company?" Sephiroth asked as he approached where Cloud sat. Cloud shook his head.
"Not at all," the blond waved to the pile of half-filled sandbags he was sitting on and shifted over to accommodate the general. It was a funny sight. Sephiroth moved fluidly even to sit, but his chair was still a low pile of sandbags that didn't accommodate his long legs, forcing him to stretch out. From his vantage point at the walls, Kunsel saw the back of them, one short and small (though filling out!) and the other long and broad. Where one had golden hair that defied gravity, the other's long silvery tresses shone in the fading sunlight.
"I didn't see you at the mess," Sephiroth said.
"Oh," Cloud started, "I went to the army mess. With Gen gone, I wasn't… sure of my welcome going by myself."
Kunsel felt indignant... Cloud is a friend, and Kunsel wouldn't be the only one who would say so. He settled in to listen, curious to see if a Soldier was treating Cloud poorly and, if so, whether he could pick out a name. He couldn't abandon his post anyway, so he may as well fill his time spectating. And if they wanted to have a conversation in Soldier earshot, then, well, it mustn't be a secret.
Also, if I flee now, Sephiroth will definitely notice.
"Has anyone been…untoward?" Sephiroth asked, and Kunsel nodded along. Yes, do tell.
"Oh, nothing like that," Cloud hastened to explain, "I just - when I was there before - I think the dynamics change when I'm there. People are nice, but… they keep staring? I don't know how to explain it. I didn't feel like I was very welcome."
My friend, Kunsel thought exasperatedly, they have crushes. They're being nice because - you know what, never mind, this isn't useful. I'm just talking to myself now.
Sephiroth let out a thoughtful, if slightly displeased hum.
"If anyone behaves in a manner that makes you uncomfortable," he offered, letting the threat of reprisal hover in the air instead. Those poor bastards. If Sephiroth gives them a talking to they might die.
Cloud nodded. "Thanks."
Yeah….good luck buddy.
The pair sat silently for a while as the valley grew darker. The sun slowly disappeared behind the mountain, and Kunsel was silently plotting his own escape as his shift drew to a close. He rather intercept his relief before their position is exposed. As Kunsel frantically planned his retreat, Sephiroth spoke again.
"You… are from Nibelheim, right?"
"Oh, ja. Did Zack tell you?" Sephiroth shook his head.
"No, I- I've been there," Sephiroth explained. Is that a stutter Kunsel heard?
Cloud looked over at Sephiroth. Kunsel could see his profile, brows raised in surprise.
"When?"
"Years ago," Sephiroth said, "I wanted to tell you before but it was never a good time. We met a long time ago when you were very young."
Cloud paused. Then he shook his head, "I don't remember much of my childhood. I'm sorry that I forgot."
Sephiroth let out a chuckle. "When I said you were young, I meant it. We lived in the Shinra manor then, and Claudia worked part-time."
"My… mother did?" Cloud asked, voice still in shock. Sephiroth nodded.
"You look a lot like her now. Back then, I was barely a teenager, and you still only came up to my stomach. But you were already running your mother ragged."
"The Shinra manor," Cloud repeated thoughtfully. "She brought me with her?" Sephiroth shook his head.
"You used to sneak in after her, looking for her when she was working," Sephiroth said, "That's how we met."
Kunsel suddenly itched to sneak away and cursed at missing his chance earlier, shift on watch be damned. The conversation was starting to sound more intimate than Kunsel was comfortable eavesdropping. He took a step, and the sound of the gravel under his feet shifting thundered to Kunsel's ears. He watched in slow motion as Sephiroth's head snapped toward the sound. Thankfully, Cloud started speaking, diverting Sephiroth's attention again.
"Did I make a big mess?" Sephiroth chuckled softly again.
"If you ask the scientists, well…" he shook his head, "Claudia would sneak in things she called creature comforts. Posters, handmade quilts, homemade food. You'd help her put up posters around the research- ah- rooms."
"That sounded like something Mom would do," Cloud said. Then, he paused before haltingly asking, his voice quivering, "Will you tell me more about her? She died when I was six or seven. After that- I just don't remember her very well."
"Oh…I am sorry."
Sephiroth's arm came up to hover over Cloud's shoulder, and when the blond leaned in, that was implicit permission for Sephiroth to envelop Cloud in a half hug. When they parted again, Sephiroth let his arm linger around Cloud's shoulder.
"I miss her. Even though I don't remember her well," Cloud admitted. Sephiroth was silent for a little while. Then he sighed.
"I missed her too." They sat in stillness for a while again before Cloud broke the silence.
"About the airdrop-"
"Still no. You cannot come," Sephiroth said, ending the discussion before it could start (maybe for the nth time?). Even so, his voice was a little rough. "I promised Genesis I would keep you safe, but I…Will you promise to stay safe?"
Cloud snorted softly. "It's a war." When Sephiroth stayed silent, he reassured, "I'll stay behind the mech units. It's the Soldiers you should be worried about."
"For their sake or the Wutaians'?" Sephiroth asked, his tone serious as though truly puzzled. Cloud broke out in laughter.
Taking the opportunity, Kunsel made himself scarce. More like an ahriman out of hell.
There was being a fly on the wall, and there was whatever this was. He'd be mincemeat when the general found out he had an audience.
Deepground.
The word stared back at him. It was buried in the Science Department files they retrieved from Sephiroth's terminal many months ago.
Was this the target of the hacking?
References in the documents made oblique references. Listed among many Shinra labs hidden beneath the slums. One of Shinra's many sins on their way to create their empire built on mako.
When Veld originally read the files, they sickened him.
It sickened him more as the path to create Soldiers became clearer the further he digged, crossreferencing the documents against Turk's internal files. All those disappearances in the slums. People no one would miss. Countless experiments. Carried out under their feet. Under Veld's very nose.
These were the people the Turks were tasked to protect. Secrets Turks were told to bury. Could Kalm have been…
Veld closed his eyes. Maybe it was cowardice. He didn't want to face the truth. He picked up his glass and took a sip. The liquor burned on its way down.
Then he picked up his phone and tapped out a short message. Gun, perhaps, had the right idea. What Veld needed was time.
The engine roared overhead as Roche looked down. His palms were sweaty where he grasped his broadsword. Around him stood other Soldiers in a row, staring backward as the ramp lowered closer to the tree line.
They had a narrow window to make the jump. Too soon, they end up outside the walls, hopefully uninjured and free to join the regular army in their push at the gate. Too late, and they are in the surrounding forest with beasts, mines, and frankly, not where the action is.
Ahead of them, unseen but distinctly audible, planes dropped the last of the payload along with lighter mech units that would hopefully keep defending forces occupied enough they wouldn't shoot down too many carriers.
All around them, the forests were ablaze. Thick black smoke rose up, illuminated against the night sky by the red burning embers. Animals fled as their homes burnt to cinders.
"Jump window countdown started," the intercom echoed. Roche gulped and braced himself. At this speed of travel, they would have to jump blind. They would be traveling in the same direction a little after they jumped, necessitating jumping when there was still forest underneath their feet. At least, that was what the general explained. Something about relative velocities. Frankly, Roche didn't pay much attention to any physics class that didn't involve making bikes go faster.
The trees moved as sweepers made their way, and bursts of fire were visible between the thick canopy. The army was already engaging with Wutaians below.
"-our. Three. Two. One."
"Go! Go!"
Roche moved without thinking along with the others, and soon, his feet were over empty air. It wasn't long before Roche orientated himself. Coming in a little short, he held his hands in front of him and grabbed onto the stone ledge hanging over the scene of battle below.
"Intruders on the wall!"
Roche looked up and flipped himself over. Wutaians were running toward him, rifles and swords brandished. Roche blocked the first hail of bullets as other Soldiers also lept down, recovering quickly to fight inside the compound.
From his vantage point, Roche could see that at least some of the bombs and mech units had landed on target. Within the fortress, craters dotted once smoothly paved courtyards. There were collapsed walls that once made up the inner bailey. Corpses and wrecked sweepers dotted the scene.
Somewhere, a bell was being rigorously rung. Multiple red towers were already ablaze, their windows shattered, and tongues of flame reached out from within, licking their way up the wooden sides, crackling the protective paint.
The smoke was almost choking. When the wind picked up, it made Roche's eyes water.
But Roche didn't get to observe much longer before a Wutai defender charged at him. Roche's sword met his with an audible clang. A horn echoed through the fortress, the sound bouncing off the walls and th central keep. It was as if there were multiple horns going off at once from multiple directions, adding to Roche's disorientation.
"Don't let them get past the outer wall!"
"Sephiroth! Don't let the demon leave alive!"
Roche disengaged, pulling back his sword to block a few incoming bullets, then flung himself behind a stone wall as a larger magic blast was sent his way. Around him, other Soldiers were engaging with Wutaian units while more still leaped down from above. Below, sounds of fighting, explosions, and gunfire rang out as the regular army bombarded the gate.
Next to him, Essai said, "We need to open the gates. Come on!"
"Sebastian?" Roche asked. Essai shook his head, a worried look on his face.
"Mr. President, this way," a trooper greeted them as they stepped onto the bridge.
The operations room was dim, lit only by the glow of multiple instruments. One wall comprised of clear ballistic glass faced the sea and overlooked the cannon. In the moonless darkness just before dawn, the lights of Junon's few fishing vessels bobbing in the waves were the only sign of life past the lit barrel of the cannon. The other wall had a range of monitors with readouts of the cannon's status. At the center of the room was a small console. Tseng thought that its size belied its ominous purpose.
The trooper brought them to the console, where the launch authorization panel was already lit. As he explained, he cleaned a button with an alcohol pad.
"A drop of blood here arms the system." Rufus looked at the button and pressed down. There was a mechanical whirr when he pulled his finger off. A drop of blood was still dripping from it. Another trooper with a medical badge attended to the finger.
The screen changed.
"Analyzing…Shinra Authorization complete."
"The weapon is armed. Fire on your command."
Tseng looked down the length of the barrel. Wutai was not even visible over the horizon. Then he turned to look at Rufus.
The panel lighted Rufus's face. The bags under his eyes were more visible than ever in the cold blue light. The control room fell into silence. Only lifeless machines beeped away, calculating trajectories around the planet's curvature. Everyone waited with bated breath, awaiting that dreaded decision.
"Fire."
The room seemed to unfreeze as everyone scrambled to their stations, reading codes back and forth that Tseng barely recognized. Around them, the system ramped up. Through heavy glass, Tseng could hear machinery sound as the cannon charged. The walls seemed to hum. The whole of Junon now became a weapon of war. Alarm lights flashed throughout the city as blast shields were raised over Junon's main streets.
Plasma particles began to gather at the tip of the cannon. The lilac color temporarily blinded Tseng. It was so bright he didn't see the moment the cannon fired. Instead, he felt the weight of the blast reverberate through the fortress. It felt like the entire city was pushed right into the bedrock that held it in place by the canon's recoil.
As Tseng blinked the afterimage of the flash from his eyes, he saw that the thick ballistic glass had cracked.
"Do you hear that?"
Genesis looked out past the bow of the ship. It was a spartan military vessel bound for Junon. The boat was mostly empty, having already dropped off the supplies and men. A skeleton crew managed it as it made the silent journey back. A day ago, it cleared the most treacherous waters off Wutai, but to evade stray gunship attacks, the ship still sailed completely dark. Only the stars lit their path northward, starkly clear on a moonless night.
Technically, they didn't want passengers on deck, but no one contradicted Genesis or his recalcitrant glare.
Beyond the water gently lapping against the metal hull, something else was in the distance—a light, then a dull thud.
Angeal tilted his head, eyes gazing out into the pitch black.
"Thunder?"
No storm clouds obscured the stars as far as the eye could see. Above them, on the ship's mast, Genesis thought he saw flickering blue sparks. They looked like will-o-wisps, but Genesis knew better. The ship was picking up a charge, just like if they were heading into a storm.
Then Genesis saw it.
It lit the horizon like a false dawn, following the sea's curvature over the horizon. As it appeared overhead, a solid beam of light lit the ship as brightly as daylight. As it passed, a thunderous roar echoed across the sea, and gusts of wind buffeted the ship, rocking it violently. Additional waves followed, knocked into its bow, almost throwing Genesis off his feet.
When Genesis could see again, he blinked away the afterimage of the beam of light. His heart was pounding. Then he looked westward.
The beam had made an impact further west. In Wutai.
Genesis's feet were running toward the bridge before his thoughts caught up. A second pair of footsteps echoing against metal told him Angeal followed close behind.
"Turn this ship around!" he yelled.
The ship's captain also stood stupified on the deck. Genesis grabbed the man by his collar.
"Did you hear me? TURN IT AROUN-"
Genesis was interrupted by a cough. He cupped his hand over his mouth, and when he removed it, bright red blood splashed across his palm and dripped onto the deck.
"I- I- I- 'm sorry, sorry, I can't, I-"
The radio crackled.
"Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. It's a rogue wave of some kind! Came out of nowhere - our ship is capsizing, please help-" Genesis let go of the captain as his first mate took over, communicating with the emperiled boat.
Angeal pulled Genesis close.
"They'll be okay. They're okay," he said. He grabbed Genesis's bloody hand tightly in his own.
Sebastian missed the jump. Of course, he did. Just when he thought this wouldn't get any better. Luckily, he landed (painfully but largely unharmed) on the edge of the forrest and near the advancing regular army. He quickly joined their ranks.
"Cure."
A green glow washed over Sebastian, who turned to see a now familiar head of spikes.
"Thanks, Strife," he nodded. They turned as one to the imposing red gate in front of them. Around them, sweeper units were laying heavy cover fire while troopers fired into the air at the airborne monsters that the Wutaians released.
Sebastian could spot Soldiers' silhouettes fighting with Wutaians above in the low light of burning embers around them.
Essai…
Beyond the thick stone wall and gate, marked with black, more fires could be spotted. Sebastian could also hear the distinctive clang of metal. He could recognize heavy close-quarter fighting anywhere
Around them, mechs shielded them from the heaviest bullet fire.
Sebastian wasn't a religious man. When he died, Sebastian thought, he'd just know nothing and return to the earth. But this. This was perhaps the closest he'd come to hell.
"We're holding position until they open the gate," Cloud said. The imposing metal doors in front of them towered over the amassing army. On either side, its defensive towers were already on fire. Black smoke rose from what used to be impressive red Wutaian architecture.
"They'll open them," Sebastian said with conviction, "You stay with me, alright?"
Just as he said this, a deafening roar sounded overhead. For a moment, he thought another Wutaian storm was rolling in. Sebastian didn't look forward to fighting in the mud.
But instead of lightning, a beam of light pierced the heavy smoke. It was so bright it whited out Sebastian's vision for a moment.
"Fuck! Get down!"
After the beam of light passed, the sound followed. The roaring grew louder. Then, it was the only thing Sebastian could hear. Sebastian's ears rang. Something wet slid down his face.
His ears kept ringing. The ringing was all he heard as the light passed over the fort and slammed into Mount Tamblin. The shockwave threw Sebastian off his feet and uprooted trees. When Sebastian could see again, hell was the only way he could describe the scene around him.
He was in hell.
The phenomenon Genesis saw was St. Elmo's fire. I expect something like a Mako cannon would be supercharging the air around it and generating plasma.
Kind of hinted at, but I think there is a time zone difference between Wutai and Junon, which is the reason for the difference in the perception of time. Distances in Final Fantasy VII are a little screwy, though (and throws me off even more in Rebirth), so I'm going with Junon coming out of the night as Wutai is entering it, or a roughly 7-8 hour difference. It is also winter now / rainy season in Wutai and both are in the same hemisphere, therefore longer nights. Depending on where you are on Earth, 7-8 hour time zone difference equates to 5k-7k miles (longer if you compare cities close to the equator). The fastest missiles we have now are ~18k miles per hour. I have no idea what speed a Mako cannon would do, but probably more than that. Even so, it isn't instant and puts us at 20 minutes between firing and impact. I think that math works right (fingers crossed).