April 16 - I am currently undertaking a new project which, for lack of a better name, I am calling Project Phiros. Having obtained DNA samples from two specimens, both of endangered species, I will attempt to form gametes from these samples and simulate meiosis. Once an acceptable zygote is obtained, I will finally be able to test out the new Accelerated Growth Environment (A.G.E.). Using A.G.E, it should reach maturity fairly quickly, and I will ascertain whether the offspring is viable or not.
April 22 - I am having trouble getting the homologues to stay together during synapsis. They seem to have a natural aversion to one another. Perhaps Mako could be used as some sort of catalyst?
April 25 - I managed to cross over both chromosomes by allowing Mako to infuse the DNA of both species. However, the chiasmata are breaking down to early, and the fusion is incomplete. I will experiment with different levels of Mako -- too much seems to make the homologues too weak to hold together, while too little causes them to repel each other too strongly.
May 1 - Finally! With careful regulation of the amounts of Mako during meiosis, I have created a zygote. Because it was such a delicate process, I think it is worth cloning a few in case A.G.E. damages the first one. I am still unsure as to how high a growth acceleration ratio I can safely use.
May 25 - As I suspected, the growth acceleration ratios I used on the first two zygotes were too high - 100:1 and 50:1. They first didn't mature past the fetus stage, and the next died in infancy. I need to get the fastest rate possible, however, so I believe I will try 30:1 next. If it works, it will be fully grown in about six months . . .
June 26 - After one month, the 30:1 zygote has progressed to the stage of about a two and a half year old child. I believe that I can sustain this rate of acceleration until maturity. It is remarkable how complete the A.G.E. device is - the child can talk and walk, and even shows rudimentary combat skills, just as I programmed A.G.E. to teach it. Truly, I am a genius.
August 24 - The specimen is about seven years old now, but I am worried about the DNA compatibility. The child occasionally suffers from fits, where it appears both parents' DNA are exerting their influence in conflicting ways. I hope I can rectify these . . . strange manifestations before I run out of time.
October 12 - Sephiroth and research into the JENOVA project have been increasingly demanding more of my time -- I'm afraid I haven't given this specimen the attention it deserves - it continued to suffer fits, getting more violent each time, until yesterday one of the forces seems to have prevailed. I'm still not sure which, though . . . I hate to leave my lab without knowing, but there are more pressing issues. I also have my suspicions that the specimen is sterile; that shouldn't be a problem, but it does indicate that there may be some flaws in the A.G.E.'s early development routines.
Phiros closed Hojo's journal silently. That was the last entry. When Weapon had attacked the Shinra building, Phiros had broken out of the A.G.E. device and found the building deserted. After constructing some clothes out of old lab coats and bedsheets, and finding Hojo's secret stash of junk food in his desk drawer, Phiros began to read. There were many of Hojo's journals in the lab; like any good scientist, Hojo documented everything, and although deciphering his handwriting was difficult at first, Phiros had learned much.
But finally it was time to leave the nest, time for wings to be stretched, and time to fly forth. Somehow escaping the decrepit Shinra building, Phiros now strode through the streets of Midgar. Long, creamy white-gold hair rippled softly from where it was tied back with a strip of white bedsheet. Light, almost glowing blue eyes flowed gently behind thick lashes, as if with the strength of the ocean behind them. Phiros' lithe, slender figure was hidden beneath the layered clothing that formed a sort of sashed robe and long cloak. Bare feet hid themselves beneath the long hem of the robe; there were no shoes in Hojo's laboratory.
When Phiros passed people by on the Midgar streets, people wondered if the flowing white figure was an angel, or an apparition, or some sort of malevolent spirit. Whatever they thought, each person was relieved when Phiros' calm figure passed, seemingly without seeing.
Though the two components of Phiros' DNA never fully merged, and sometimes caused pained conflict deep inside, right now both had the same directive. For once, Phiros knew exactly what to do, with no nagging voices whispering alternate plans of action. And, for the first time since leaving A.G.E, no external forces guided Phiros' actions. Freedom was a wondrous thing.
Reno prided himself on his ability to tease a smile from any woman's lips. Most of the time, he flirted just for the sake of flirting. Other times he was looking for something else, although he didn't always know what. But this time, he was flirting to dispel the jittery worms that threatened to eat away his stomach. Oh, he told himself it was for the challenge, to prove that he could do it. But it was no coincidence that before every battle, Reno's rakish smile always emerged to put away self-doubt and fear.
"We've landed too far away," Vincent stated, shading his eyes from the late afternoon sun and scanning the horizon. "It won't reach us for at least twenty minutes."
"It's not worth moving closer," Yuffie pointed out, "This hill is the only good defensive position in the whole area." Reno could tell she was trying to sound logical, but he knew that she really just didn't want to get back in that helicopter if it could at all be avoided.
"Well, then, how about a warm-up match?" suggested Reno suddenly, "You know, a little friendly sparring to get our blood moving. How about it, Yuffie?," he asked, giving her a little wink, "You can show me how good you are."
"Heh heh, sorry Reno, but no. You wouldn't be able to help us much with the Weapon after me and Conformer got through with you." She made a few swooshing feints, and Reno backed away a little from its sharp points in spite of himself.
"No weapons, then. 5 minutes. Vincent here will time us, right Vince?" Reno looked expectantly at the ex-Turk, and although Vincent looked at him a little suspiciously, he finally nodded.
"Five minutes. Just a warm-up; pull your punches."
"All right, Reno, you're gonna get it! You'll be senseless after I amaze you with my elite ninja skills!," Yuffie shouted gleefully, setting her Conformer carefully by Vincent's feet and then bouncing around a little. Reno tossed his nightstick aside casually, and said, cocking his head, turquoise eyes glittering with mischief, "I'm ready."
"Ready!," Yuffie announced with a mock salute.
"Go," Vincent said simply, starting the timer on his watch, which was normally hidden underneath his long sleeves.
Yuffie, for all her earlier bouncing around, now just stood there, looking almost as casual as Reno. He feinted a left kick, then a right punch, mainly to see her reaction. She didn't even move. Reno sauntered up closer, his very stance jeering and taunting. The closer he got, the shorter she looked, and he marvelled at how small she was, how her arms could be so slim and be so powerful at the same time. He aimed a kick low, not expecting to connect, and then whirled around for a backhand slap.
This time he was close enough that she had to dodge, but she barely moved from her spot, and he could almost feel her skin as his fingers whizzed past. For some reason, she wasn't attacking Reno. As if detecting his puzzlement, the corner of her mouth twitched in amusement. Heh. So that's how it is, Reno smiled to himself. Slowly, he stepped closer, and bent his head down until he was inches from her face. Still, she made no attack. She was watching his eyes, of course -- no woman could resist his glowing, encompassing eyes. Neither blinked or looked away. Yuffie was still smiling a little, and -- was that a blush? Reno smiled back, a little, but then suddenly he felt a gentle, yet firm pressure on his throat.
"Time," Vincent said calmly, his voice cutting between Reno and Yuffie like a gust of wind. Reno looked down to see Yuffie's hand capable of crushing his windpipe in a second. She grinned.
"That makes me the winner -- of course!!" She stepped away from Reno, who stood silently for a moment. I didn't even see her hand move . . . Then, with a short, mocking laugh, he grinned smugly. Sure, he hadn't won the skirmish -- but that hadn't been his real goal. His only purpose had been accomplished when, even if just for a moment, he had seen that innocent blush, that slight, involuntary parting of the lips. Yes, Reno still had his touch. Not that he had doubted that, of course.
He had thought for a moment that maybe she was too young, too battle-oriented, but no, Yuffie was closer to being a woman than a girl, even though she didn't seem to know it yet. Looking at her now, it was obvious that she was unaware of how her too-small shorts didn't fit her anymore, or how her tank top was now so tight he wondered how she could fit it on. She wasn't wearing these clothes to be provacative - she just didn't seem to notice that she no longer had the body of a child.
"We should formulate a method of attack," Reno heard Vincent say, and he turned and looked at the monster of a man who had somehow become their informal leader.
"An ambush!," suggested Yuffie excitedly, and Vincent nodded.
"Optimally, we would be able to attack it from several directions simultaneously -- that way we can keep it confused and do more damage." Reno nodded. This man still thinks like a Turk, he realized with a wry smile. He knew what was next, and he interrupted,
"Someone should stand at the top of the hill acting as the main target. Not so obvious as to look like a trap, but obvious enough that the Weapon'll head there. Then, right before the Weapon reaches the decoy, the other two will attack it from behind." Vincent looked at Reno slightly less coldly, which Reno took to be a sign of approval.
"Exactly."
"Heh. That'll be me," Reno stated proudly, picking up his nightstick from where he had dropped it before and shouldering it lightly. "Deception is my specialty."
"As you wish," Vincent shrugged, maroon eyes still locked onto Reno piercingly. With a disarming wink at the two, Reno turned and began to scan the area, formulating his plan of action. He sensed Vincent and Yuffie taking up positions below, lying on their bellies beneath the short scrub bushes that grew in the area between Kalm and Midgar. Amethyst Weapon was getting close, and Reno hoped it hadn't noticed Yuffie and Vincent hiding. He wondered how intelligent and perceptive these creatures were, but he wasn't worried. Reno never worried.
But, as Weapon approached, its massive wings beating gusts of air across the grasses and shrubs of the plain, somewhere deep from Reno's instincts came a strong desire to run. Years of training and battles brought about an almost instant suppresion of this desire, and instead Reno turned around and casually started walking. Of course, with his nightstick in hand, the Weapon was sure to believe that Reno meant to wait for the Weapon to pass and then attack it from behind. That was the plan, anyway. Reno resisted the urge to look over his shoulder to see if it was working, relying instead on his sense of hearing. He could hear the flapping noise getting louder, proof that the Weapon was still approaching.
Reno removed his sunglasses from their perch on the top of his head, and pretended to polish them. He took advantage of their reflective surface to use them as a mirror to see behind his shoulder. He could see the monster getting closer -- sure enough, it was headed straight for him. Just as the purple behemoth began to land, the air strangely silent without the sound of its beating wings, Reno whirled around and shot an EMP burst from his thin, flexible, multi-purpose rod. If this Weapon is at all electro-mechanical, this should confuse it a bit.
At the same instant, a gunshot rang out from the grasses behind the creature, ripping a hole through one of its papery metal wings.
Nice thinking, Vincent, Reno acknowledged in his head, Now it can't get an aerial advantage. Yuffie's shuriken followed close behind, and with a screech of metal on metal the other wing was rendered useless as well.
The Weapon lurched a bit under the three sudden, near-simultaneous attacks, but it didn't waver in its course towards Reno. The Turk scowled and cursed under his breath. EMP isn't working; gotta try something else. Flicking the thumb-switch to a different position, he aimed the rod and fired again. A bolt of lightning arced out from the slender tip of Reno's weapon to the creature's head, causing electricity to swarm over its metallic surface like a horde of angry ants. That, combined with attacks from both Vincent and Yuffie, shook the creature a little more, but it did not appear to be damaged.
The Weapon paused for just a moment before it lumbered on, threatening to trample Reno with its clawed talons. Reno got a good, close look at Amethyst Weapon as he dashed to the side, and he realized that, although it appeared to be made of metal, it was not an electro-mechanical creature. It had no wires, no hydraulics, no whirring of motors. It looked as if it had been born inside the Planet, forged like a cave from long centuries of erosion and gentle caressing of water, fire, and wind.
The creature turned, massive hawk-like beak swooping down to narrowly miss Reno's head, and then it turned towards the base of the hill where Yuffie and Vincent assailed it mercilessly. With a flap of its fan-like tail, Reno watched the monster hop closer to what it perceived as it more dangerous assailants. Folding up his nightstick and attaching it to his belt, Reno reached under his jacket and pulled out his pistol. He wasn't sure how much damage it would do; he could see a few punctures on the back of the bird where Vincent's massive rifle had hit its mark, but they didn't seem to have slowed the creature permanently. At the very least, though, Reno should be able to add yet another distraction.
He jogged a little closer to ensure he was in range, and already the Weapon had almost reached where Yuffie was hiding. He carefully placed a few shots to joints, tail, and head, but he wasn't sure his bullets had even made it through the surface of the Weapon's . . . skin? hide? armor? Reno couldn't tell for certain. Just as he was beginning to look for an alternate attack method, he heard Yuffie screeching,
"Wah!! Get away from me, you big buzzard!" Reno could just barely see the Weapon clawing and pecking at a small figure, which he assumed was Yuffie.
"All right, you asked for it! ULTIMA!" The sky darkened, and swirling dark green energy whipped around the Weapon. While the attack caused no visible rips or tears in the Weapon's surface, it moved a little more slowly, a little less surely. At the same time, however, it redoubled its attack on Yuffie, letting out a bestial shriek and leaping towards her, claws outstretched. The nimble ninja back-flipped out of its way, but at the same instant the creature's beak tore through the air and struck Yuffie's leg with its sharp, curved point. Stopped in mid-flip, Yuffie dropped to the ground without a noise.
*@#^% thought Reno, Gotta do something! If she's unconscious . . . Not waiting to finish that thought, Reno whipped out his nightstick and made use of one of the few materia he had in its meager four slots. He hated relying on magic instead of his own skills, but he was too far away, and his pistol wasn't doing anything. Whipping his weapon through the air, he invoked the Fire materia. A sphere of flame, seemingly coming from inside the Weapon itself, expanded and crackled to engulf the monster in searing flames. While it didn't seem as effective as Yuffie's Ultima, the creature paused for a second, and in that instant, Yuffie stumbled to her feet and managed to let off another Ultima. Under the concealment of the magic's dark green haze, Yuffie ran over to where Vincent was standing, and Reno watched her panting to catch her breath as he jogged down the hillside to join them.
"I think its slowing down," he stated confidently, leaning his nightstick on his shoulder.
"So are we," Vincent replied, glancing at Yuffie pointedly. She seemed to be all right, except for the foot-long gash on her leg that oozed blood steadily. Vincent muttered the words that would activate the Restore materia in his armor, and the bleeding slowed, and finally stopped. Yuffie still seemed a little drained, though.
"At this rate, we'll spend all afternoon and all night wearing each other down," Vincent continued, pausing for a moment to fire a few shots at the Weapon, who steadily hopped towards them, nimble and determined. "We need to do something else."
"We don't have anything more powerful than Ultima!," Yuffie protested, favoring her left leg a bit as she flung her shuriken at the Weapon, more out of habit than out of any expectation to do damage. "At least, I don't, not since Cloud took away my Knights of the Round. It's not like it really needs to be levelled up, but he stuck it in his Apocalypse anyway." The Weapon was almost on top of them, now, yet they still continued their futile physical attacks. Reno shook his head. I'll think of something -- I always do.
Nanaki, Shera, and Cait Sith had shut the second and third reactors down with no problems. As the helicopter landed at the fourth reactor, however, they spotted several guards outside the entrance, their stoic poses interrupted only by a small scratch or shuffle when it seemed no one was watching.
"Oh, bother," Red XIII muttered, "What is our course of action now?"
"Well, I'm certainly not going to attack my own soldiers!," Cait Sith stated, "And there's no other entrance, so I think we will need to try something a little more . . . subtle. Perhaps we can trick them into letting us in." Red nodded, eyes glinting. big bureaucracy no time blah
Shera turned around and solemnly suggested, "I think we should put Nanaki in a dress and have him distract the soldiers with his charm while we sneak in." Red looked at her in alarm, until she laughed and waved her hands. "No, no, I'm joking, don't worry. Besides, I think Cloud would be better at that." Nanaki barked a short laugh, and Cait Sith chuckled a bit. Teasing Cloud about cross-dressing was a popular pastime.
"OK, let's be serious now," Cait Sith continued, "Since Shera's the only one who could really look official, she should be the one to enter and shut down the reactor." Shera nodded in agreement.
"I can do it -- I've watched you enough times. With this lab coat I certainly look like a technician. But . . . how will we make them let me in?"
"The President of Shinra will write you a letter!," Cait Sith said gleefully, pulling out a pen and paper from the glove box in the cockpit.
"But what about when I come out and they notice the reactor's shut down. Won't they be suspicious?," she worried.
"Hmmm," muttered Nanaki, "we have to think of a reason for that." The two thought silently as Cait Sith scribbled, his handwriting barely legible as he tried to use the pen with two paws.
"What about a leak?," suggested Shera.
"Yes, yes," Red agreed, "tell them you suspect a leak in the reactor, and you might have to shut it down before it can be fixed." Nodding thoughtfully, Shera pulled an electronic device out of her pocket. Holding it up, she asked,
"Do you think they'll believe that this multi-meter is a Mako leak detector?"
"Sure they will!," Cait Sith piped up, "They're not usually too bright. And with this letter, how could they not?" He handed her the scribbled note, which read:
To whom it may concern:
Please admit this technician to the reactor. She is a personal friend of mine as well as a skilled engineer. Thank you.
Sincerely,
President Reeve
Shinra
"It's, ah, very simple," Shera finally said.
"Hopefully you won't have to show it to them," Red said dryly.
"What's that supposed to mean?!," cried Cait Sith indignantly. As Red and Cait debated the merits of verbosity versus brevity, Shera slipped out of the helicopter and walked confidently up to the reactor entrance.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," she said pleasantly, and tried to walk casually past them. They stepped aside for her, and even nodded to her as she passed.
"Glad Shinra finally sent somebody to deal with that wacko," one of the guards muttered, and Shera froze. Someone else is in the reactor?! Composing herself, she turned around and asked,
"Yes, what can you tell me of the situation?"
"Don't you know? Well, anyway, this person all in white comes waltzing in here about an hour or two ago. We yelled to stop, but of course they didn't pay no mind, and then a little while later all the panels went crazy, saying there was a leak. Well, we weren't going to risk the radiation ourselves for some fool like that, especially if they might've been the cause of the whole thing. Anyhow, you look like a doctor or some such; hopefully you can take care of him."
"Or her," another soldier added, "I couldn't really tell."
"Don't matter anyway," the first soldier stated, "But best of luck to ya; we'll just be right out here backin' you up."
"Thank you. I will do what I can," Shera said truthfully, and then entered the reactor. About ten yards inside, a barely visible haze glowed faintly on the floor, which she assumed was evidence of the Mako leak. Shera knew that there were risks associated with exposure to Mako like this, but there was probably little chance of any lasting effects as long as her exposure time was short. Still, she felt fear caressing her ankles as though it were carried through the Mako mist. Quickening her step, she made her way to the control room, hoping she wouldn't run into the intruder the guards mentioned.
Remembering the urgency and noble reason for her task gave Shera new resolve, and she strode forward more purposefully. I'll just shut this down quickly, and get out, and that will be that, she thought to herself, and she relaxed a little. Punching in the codes as she had watched Cait do, the door to the control room opened, and she stopped with a silent gasp. Through the window that separated the control room from the rest of the reactor, Shera glimpsed a white-cloaked figure down at the reactor's core. She -- or he, Shera was too far away to tell -- appeared to be trying to tear the reactor down using a strange, whip-like weapon. She could see a huge gash in the glowing surface of the reactor column, and the Mako oozed out of it like gaseous pus from a festering wound. Though the reactor was damaged, it continued to pump Mako through the gap, and Shera suddenly remembered that she was here to turn it off.
Shaking her head to dispel the cloud of dizzy entrancement that threatened to seep further into her head, she rushed over to the administration panel and pushed the button to shut down the reactor. Seized by a sudden urge to flee, Shera only glimpsed the two ocean-like, glowing orbs that watched her escape. She ran and ran, the dim emergency lights casting a sinister glow on the Mako secretions that whirled on the floor. Shera could hardly see -- it was an effort to keep her eyes focused, and she stumbled drunkenly through the hallways. She managed, though, to keep herself upright until she finally reached the exit of the reactor. Breathing in huge gasps of the clean, cool air, Shera stopped for a moment, her muscles trembling from the sudden exertion.
"Well, ma'am? Anything we should know about?," one of the soldiers asked, watching her with concern.
"Don't . . . go in there," she wheezed, shaking her head a bit, "Seal it off . . . I had to shut it down."
"Right, ma'am, we'll get on it right away." She nodded breathlessly, and then tottered over to the helicopter. After a few minutes, she managed to tell Cait Sith and Red what she had seen, but it didn't sound nearly as frightening now that she was back in the comparatively familiar confines of the helicopter. The stranger hadn't even come near her; why had she been so upset and felt so afraid?
"I don't know; maybe the Mako was making me feel jumpy," she said, almost to herself, but it sounded like a poor excuse. Her fear faded, and she laughed at herself a little. "Sounds like a ghost story or something, doesn't it? Perhaps I just . . . exaggerated things a bit." Red shook his head.
"Shera, I believe you had every reason to be afraid. Anyone who is trying -- and is able -- to destroy a reactor without explosives or magic, and is not afraid of to be near the Mako, must be someone who is either very powerful, or very insane. We should go together next time, in case we encounter this sinister figure again." Shera nodded, her heart beginning to slow its rhythmic beating, and the ferocious bursts of blood through her veins subsiding to a gentle coursing. Neither Nanaki nor Cait Sith wanted to tell her that, in the shadows of the helicopter's interior, her eyes glowed ever so slightly.