Last Exit for the Lost Chapter 21
ShinRa's Secrets
By Damodred
Sephiroth shook his head, picking himself up off the floor, "It was a ruse.
He'd gotten what he came for and left." He smiled grimly, "It's fortunate
that he did. He's very fast." He fell silent. Aerith walked up to him and
laid her hand on his shoulder. He shuddered briefly, then turned to Tifa.
"Put the ninja here," he said, indicating the lab table in the center of
the room. Tifa gave up her burden gladly. Light or not, her shoulders were
beginning to ache and cramp. Leaving Yuffie on the table, she stretched and
wandered around the room, taking in the books and reports lying strewn across
the floor, and the various lab equipment, including the two man-sized storage
tanks. Sephiroth stood by one of them, his hand on the glass and his head
down. She couldn't make out his expression, but he emanated sadness. He turned
around and spoke. "I think it's time for an explanation." He walked over
to the table and composed himself, gazing sightlessly down at the ninja as
he began his story.
"I have always been told by ShinRa that Jenova was my mother, and an Ancient
besides. When I arrived in Nibelheim and saw the Jenova being inside the
reactor and the SOLDIERs being immersed in Mako, I immediately believed that
I was created like them, cloned," he spoke the word with distaste. "Since
I can only remember being with ShinRa, it made sense. I flew into a rage
and rushed back to the Mansion's library, to see what I could learn from
this massive library. After reading much, and learning little I admit I lost
my temper and blasted one of the bookshelves with Bolt. Much to my surprise,
the blast kept going through the wall and into the room beyond, overturning
a coffin as it spent itself. I realized that this was what I assumed to be
a storage shed next door, inconspicuous and always locked..."
Sephiroth took a cautious step forward, his rage subsumed by curiosity. What
were these coffins doing here, in the basement of the ShinRa Mansion? He
knew this used to be a scientific lab, but this? Stepping carefully over
the rubble, he steadied himself on the side of the gaping opening. He froze
as one of the coffins clattered and shook violently. He watched uncomprehending
as some powerful force threw the lid of the coffin all the way across the
small room. He heard a voice groan, and could discern a tall, dark form rising
up from the coffin, a cloak covering its lean frame. He blinked as the cloak
unfurled, becoming a pair of massive bat wings. He stepped back, wide-eyed
as the form grew in stature, losing any semblance of humanity. A loose wall
fragment clattered under his feet and the demon turned to face him, revealing
a face that could be called aristocratic and proud, if it wasn't for the
fangs, the glowing red eyes and pointed, upswept ears. The creature said
something to him in a voice that sounded like rusted metal scraping on concrete
and, receiving no response bellowed in anger, sweeping Sephiroth back into
the library with its arm. As he fell onto the rubble, stunned, he could hear
a whisper in his mind. It said, "Lucrecia, my beloved. I will bring you back
to behold our son." As he faded into unconsciousness, he heard dull thuds
and crackling timber. Then he heard nothing else.
Tifa found herself holding her breath as Sephiroth finished his story. He
considered for a moment, then resumed, "The rest you know. Zack pulled me
from the rubble as the creature - my Father - was destroying Nibelheim. I
went back to ShinRa, determined to find out more about the matter. Each step
of the way, I was met by bureaucratic stubborness, and unable to obtain any
significant knowledge. In light of Nibelheim being rebuilt in secret, and
the incident lost to the world, I believe that it was more than just bureacracy.
Somebody went to great lengths to obscure this place." He paused, drifting
into thought. Tifa spoke up, hesitantly, "How could you just assume it was
really your father?" Sephiroth looked up and waved a hand dismissively, "It
was obvious as soon as I saw him that there was a bond between us." Tifa
nodded. Aerith spoke up from one of the chairs she was sitting in, perusing
a file picked randomly from the floor, "Over the years, we've managed to
find little data. We know that SOLDIERs are created by immersing normal humans
in Mako energy for various amounts of time, and recently by injecting them
with Jenova cells. It seemed that Jenova had astounding regenerative powers,
making its DNA perfect for SOLDIERs. Hojo was the main power behind this,
but I always believed that he stole the idea from someone else. That's mainly
because he improved it little over a long period of time. A true scientist's
work is never finished; he took it for granted that nothing better could
be done. His only step was to immerse the prospective SOLDIERs in Mako for
longer periods of time and see what happens." She looked at Tifa and added,
"Like Cloud." Tifa nodded, but asked, "What does Mako energy do for a SOLDIER?"
Aerith shrugged, "Well, since it's a form of the Planet's energy, it enhances
a person's normal attributes. It makes the quick quicker, the strong stronger,
and so on. Except Mako is the energy that was ripped out of the Planet, and
can't be put back. I ask for the Planet's help, and it's given willingly."
Tifa remembered Aerith's leap onto the top of the truck, and the various
feats of magic she managed over their trip. She nodded, "I understand. But
what would prolonged immersion do?" Aerith considered, noting Tifa's worried
look, "Probably keep enhancing the person. Hence the monsters that were in
the reactor were simply humans disfigured by too much power. Why Cloud was
unaffected..." she shrugged, "there's no telling." Tifa nodded again, chewing
her lip. She stood up decisively, "Let's look through these reports. They
might be useful."
She picked up a report at random and glanced at it briefly. After browsing
through a few pages, she put it back down and picked another one up - she
wasn't interested in the applications of Mako energy in urban development.
She read the title and blanched a little, but went on. This could tell her
what happened to Cloud in Nibelheim, five years ago.
Aerith looked up from her report. She saw Tifa absorbed in a file folder
titled "SOLDIER creation; secondary phase," and Sephiroth had an old and
dusty one titled "Genetic alteration using the Jenova disease." She frowned
briefly, and went back to reading a Personnel file on Professor Gast. She
was eager to find out about her father, not matter that the source of information
was ShinRa's intelligence service. They had all completely forgotten about
Yuffie, still lying unconscious on the lab table.
Aerith perked up as a groan penetrated her absorption. She felt like groaning
herself and stretched, cramped a little from reading for so long. Tifa was
doing the same, and they exchanged rueful smiles. They turned to the source
of the distraction, looking mildly interested as the young ninja walked into
the library, holding her head. "What hit me?" she demanded belligerently.
"I'll..." "Too late," interrupted Tifa. "Sephiroth already killed it." Yuffie
stopped, disappointed, "Oh. Well, you might want this," she said, handing
a folder filled with loose papers to Aerith. She accepted, looking puzzled,
"What's this?" Yuffie answered, grimacing and rubbing the small of her back,
"It's what I'd been lying on all this time, the stupid thing." Aerith nodded
absently, already leafing through the folder. She inhaled sharply, and continued
flipping pages at a faster rate. Walking over to the desk, she swept off
the papers strewn there, sending them falling to the floor. She lay the folder
in the cleared space, arranging the pages to her liking. Turning to the rest
of the group, she asked, "Have either of you found anything pertaining to
our current problem? I believe this," she indicated the papers on the desk,
"will fill in a lot of the blanks." Tifa spoke up, slowly, "It's possible
that prolonged Mako exposure weakens the mind, making it easily controllable.
A perfect SOLDIER doesn't ask questions," her mouth twisted, then she continued,
"Since Jenova pulls itself together when it regenerates, the person implanted
with its cells has a hard time resisting. Maybe that's why the..." she hesitated,
looking at Sephiroth. "Chaos," he supplied, looking grim. "That's what he
calls himself in that form." Tifa nodded, pursing her lips and continued,
"Maybe that's why Chaos took Jenova with him, as another means of controlling
Cloud." Aerith nodded, and said, "That's one part. I also believe that he
originally intended to use it to hurt the Planet, but he's found another
way. This," she pointed to one of the sheets, "talks about the Black Materia."
Everyone looked uncomprehending. Even Yuffie hadn't heard of it. Aerith
continued, "I believe it's used as a means of massive destruction, but I'm
not sure how, exactly. The report is very vague. I also don't know how it
came into existence, but I'm fairly certain it was a mistake." She fell silent,
communing with the Planet briefly, then looked up again, shaking her head.
"I don't understand. There is definitely a sense of wrongness, but I'm not
sure how or why. In any case, this," she pointed to another sheet, "tells
where it is, and how to get there. It's probably what Chaos was after," she
finished, looking at Sephiroth questioningly. He paced the room, expressionlessly
and said, "From what I can tell from this report," he pointed at what he'd
been reading previously, "the first Jenova injections were done on a young
Turk, Vincent Valentine, and his partner, Lucrecia, last name unknown." Everyone
nodded, aware of the Turks' allegiance only to themselves, the past forgotten.
Very often a new Turk would take a new name and from that point be known
only by it. Sephiroth continued, "The two were lovers, and apparently Lucrecia
gave birth to me shortly before she died. Unknown to them, their food was
being laced with various sleeping drugs and they were subjected to tests
while unconscious. When Lucrecia died, Valentine flew into a rage and
metamorphosed somehow, cause unknown. The report is unclear whether it was
this form, or a lesser one. He was eventually contained and locked up in
the coffin where I found him five years ago. From the date on this report
it appears that he was captive in it for more than thirty years." Tifa's
face was drawn tight and pale, and even Yuffie looked a little blanched.
Drawing a deep breath, he continued, "During that time, I was taken in by
ShinRa and raised under observation, to see if any ill effects occurred from
the injections. After positive tests, the process was perfected, theoretically
by Hojo." He threw Aerith a significant look. Tifa whispered, "Thirty
years...what can he be after now?" Sephiroth answered, matter of factly,
"After such a long time confined, his mind certainly snapped. From what I
understand, and what we overheard earlier, he wants to bring Lucrecia back."
Tifa and Yuffie gasped, simultaneously. Tifa spoke first, "Is that possible?"
Sephiroth turned to Aerith, raising an eyebrow. She spoke haltingly, "Perhaps,
for an Assembly of Ancients, working in concert with the Planet. And the
Planet would have to be willing, otherwise..." she shrugged. "Chaos isn't
an Ancient, and I do not believe he'd be willing to ask the Planet. The Black
Materia he's after is a means of massive destruction, it really has no other
use. How can he use it to..." she broke off, thinking. Absent-mindedly, she
spoke, "Let's move on, while I think on this. We'll need a plane." Yuffie
spoke up, excitedly, "Rocket Town! I hear the best pilot in the world lives
there!" Tifa nodded, "Let's go."
On the way out, Aerith caught Sephiroth's arm, turning him around. She looked
up and asked, "Sephiroth...Valentine?" He raised an eyebrow, looking back
at her and his green eyes sparkled mischievously. "I have no ties to that
name; I won't be taking it. Also, if I have a choice, I think I'd rather
be Sephiroth..." he paused momentarily as he took her hand in both of his.
"Gainsborough," he finished softly, pulling her closer.
.