The signal was faint.
Aratak wrapped one of his tentacles around a dial on his control panel and adjusted the amplitude modulator.� It had been too long since the last signal had been received, and he was starting to get worried.
The signal indicator on the far right side of his panel lit up, and he waited.� After nearly five standard minutes of near silence, Aratak finally realized that there was no voice signal presence.
How
is she contacting us?
His mind worked furiously to come up with an answer.� In frustration, he pounded a tentacle on the panel.� His eyes wandered over to the signal indicator, and he realized it was blinking.� He jerked back in shock.� She was using the emergency frequency!
Captain Kaladar entered the communications room, and Aratak swiveled to face him.� �Captain!� he greeted his superior, �we have a signal from the scout that we sent to the class-M planet in quadrant 4!�
Kaladar�s fangs peeked out from his upturned lips.� �It�s about time.� What does she have to say?�
Aratak shook his head.� �Nothing, sir.� It�s an emergency retrieval signal.� Something must have happened to her.�
�Have you triangulated her position on the planet?� Kaladar asked.
Aratak turned back to the controls.� �No, sir.� I�ll get that as soon as possible.�
Kaladar nodded.� �Good.� I�ll set a course to retrieve.� Make sure you have her location by the time we arrive.�
Aratak did the math in his head.� At full speed, that would take ninety-six hours.� He could find her in two.� He smiled to himself.� �It shall be done, sir.�
Kaladar turned and headed out of the room, and Aratak went to work.
Cid rubbed his arms and stamped the ground as he shivered.� �Damn it, Cloud, what�s so special about these Northern Chocobos?�
Cloud peered down from atop their snowy crest, his binoculars scanning the field below.� �I told you already, Cid, they possess a certain�flair for training that�s essential to the breeding process.�
�They�ll probably do anything you say just to get out of this weather,� Cid grumbled.� �Right about now, I�d take out your garbage and fetch your slippers if it meant we could get back to the Highwind.�
Cloud laughed.� �It won�t be too much longer.�� To take his friend�s mind off the weather, he asked, �How are Shera and Caitlin?�
Cid smiled around his ever-present cigarette.� �They�re doing great.� Caitlin starts preschool this fall.�
Cloud shook his head.� �Where does time go?�
Cid�s smile faded a little.� �Time flies when you seclude yourself from almost all your friends, Cloud.�
Cloud ignored the comment, only staring more intently through the viewfinder of his binoculars.
Cid pressed on.� �How long has it been since you saw Barrett?� Or Yuffie?� Or Red?�
He paused a moment before adding, �Or Tifa?�
Cloud turned to glare at Cid.� �It�s not fair to torture them with my problems.� I�m better off on my own, and they�re better off not having to deal with me.�
Cid grabbed Cloud by the collar of his parka and pulled him closer.� �Those people risked their lives for you even after you�d completely lost your mind.� I know you weren�t in your right mind when you gave Sephiroth the Black Materia, but you betrayed the entire planet when you did that!� We still stood by you, even then.� We deserve a little more than you�ve given in return, don�t you think?�
Cloud was silent for a moment, and then looked away.� �I guess you�re right, Cid.� I just��� His voice trailed off, and he pointed to the northeast.
�What the hell is that?� he whispered.� Cid followed his finger and froze.� His jaw dropped, and his cigarette fell from his mouth and into the snow.
From within the North Crater, a massive beam of light was shooting straight up into the sky.� Cloud and Cid watched in awe as it cut through the aurora of the northern lights and continued on through the atmosphere, out into space beyond.
�You don�t think that�s another of those damn Weapons, do you?� Cid asked, afraid to raise his voice above a whisper.
Cloud shook his head.� �I�m not sure, but the ground isn�t shaking.�
As they watched, the beam cut off.� Cloud and Cid watched with amazement as the light disappeared.
�Did you just see�?� Cid began.
Cloud nodded.� �The beam was coming from space, not from the crater.�
�What do you think it means?� Cid asked.
Cloud shook his head slowly.� �I don�t know, but I don�t like it.�
�I think the chocobos can wait,� Cid suggested.
Cloud nodded again.� �I think you�re right.�
Nanaki stepped away from the telescope and growled in puzzlement.� The beam had come from space, and appeared to be aimed at the northern pole.� He went to his chart and followed with his eyes the points his assistants had marked from the past three hours.
Since this afternoon, reports had been intercepted all over the world, describing strange beams of light appearing from the sky, and then disappearing.� Nanaki and his assistants began tracking them about three hours ago, and had pinpointed their locations.� One report had come from Wutai, another from a tracker near the Goblin Forest, and a third from North Corel.� This fourth beam seemed to have stayed longer.� Whoever was sending them seemed to be trying to triangulate the position of something, but what?
Judging by his previous experience with the North Crater, he didn�t like the answer.
Doctor Haverly straightened and wiped his brow.� He didn�t like the fact that the subject was being infused with Mako.� He�d dealt with enough cases of Mako poisoning from his work with the reactor attendants during the reign of the Shinra administration.� He knew what it could do to people, and this man had received more than three times that dosage.� He bent to begin his work again-
-And a hand lashed out from its resting place on the table, grabbing his arm.� He cried out in shock, and the patient sat up, still gripping his arm.
�You�you�you�re��
�Alive,� his patient finished for him.� �Yes, I am.� Thanks for noticing.�
The doors slid open behind him, and Scarlet entered.� �Excellent work, Dr. Haverly.� I see you have accomplished the nearly impossible.�
The patient rubbed his glowing green eyes and ran a hand down his jaw, touching the stitch work that the doctor had done.� �Indeed.� You�ve earned a quick death, my good doctor.�
Haverly quailed.� �Death?� he squeaked.
�You didn�t think we could let you walk out of here after seeing and doing what you have, did you?� Scarlet inquired sweetly.
Haverly turned to look at her with terror in his eyes.� As he did so, the patient reached out with his hands and grabbed Haverly�s head, twisting it sharply and snapping his neck.� The doctor slumped to the floor, and Scarlet looked down with satisfaction.
�Have the signals been sent?� the patient asked.
Scarlet nodded.� �Just as you predicted.�
�Then let us begin.� Send your men to the North Crater and retrieve the specimen.�
Scarlet nodded.� �Yes, Professor Hojo.� Immediately.�� She turned and marched out of the room, heels clicking on the tile floor.
Hojo looked down at the dead doctor�s body and began talking to it.� �Soon, my good doctor, we will draw down the source of the signal and send science into the next level!�� He chuckled evilly, then folded his hands behind his back and stalked out of the room, leaving the corpse alone in the cold operating room.
Cloud stooped by the mass of feathers and blood and sighed.� He examined the wounds and noted the green pus that oozed from around the gaping holes in the bird�s flesh.� Only one sort of creature left those kinds of bites.
Thorn approached from behind him and knelt down beside the Chocobo.� �What happened?� he asked.
Cloud sighed.� �A Midgar Zolom has been attacking my herd.� I�ve got to go hunt it down before it gets any more.�
�Let me help,� Thorn offered.
Cloud shook his head as he headed back into his house.� �You�re more useful here watching the ranch while I�m gone.�
Thorn sighed, but nodded.� �Yes, Mr. Strife.�
Cloud stepped inside and headed to his room.� He opened up the chest at the foot of the bed and pulled out the wide-bladed sword resting within.� He examined it closely as he hefted its weight.� The blue streak in the center of the blade still gleamed, and Cloud felt himself transported back to another time.
�Is that Ultima Weapon?� Thorn breathed.
Cloud nodded.� �Yes.�
Thorn watched with admiration as Cloud laid the massive blade on his bed and turned to his closet.� �I think it�s feeding time for the second generation,� Cloud observed.
Thorn took the hint, nodded, and left, shutting the door behind him.� Cloud smiled slightly as he shook his head.� The boy had potential, but he still needed more discipline before he�d make a decent warrior.
Cloud stripped out of his overalls and pulled his old SOLDIER uniform out of the closet.� As he dressed, he thought of his friends, those who had died in the fight against Shinra, and what the uniform had come to represent to him through their quest.� It was no longer a symbol of Shinra elitism.� It had become a garment of honor.� It had grown to represent Cloud himself.� Of dubious background in the beginning, but slowly shown to be worth more than originally thought or even intended.� He wore it with pride.
As he buckled his sheath to his back, he looked at himself in the mirror.� His eyes still glowed with the Mako infusion he had received at the hands of Professor Hojo, but now they gleamed with something else.� Wisdom, perhaps.� Hope.� He didn�t know.
All he knew was that he was wasting daylight.
He heard the unmistakable hissing from above within moments of entering the marsh.� He looked above as the shadow first passed over him, and the sky darkened.
The Zolom was cruising by him, taking a first look at its prey.� Cloud waited patiently for it to approach again, his hand on his sword.� At last the Zolom turned leisurely and headed back toward him, then began to pick up speed.� Cloud tensed, waiting for the right moment to spring.� The Zolom shot down out of the sky and opened its mouth, swooping down on Cloud.� Cloud waited until the last minute, and then dove aside, leaving the Zolom only moss and soil to chomp down upon as he swooped past.
The Zolom hissed in displeasure and came around quickly, landing not far from where Cloud was getting to his feet.� Cloud somersaulted out of the way again as the Zolom struck once more.� He stood quickly and yanked the Ultima Weapon from its sheath, holding it at the ready.� The Zolom struck at him again, and he jumped aside, this time striking back with his blade.� The Ultima Weapon cut through the serpent�s hood, spurting its pink blood onto the mossy ground.� The Zolom hissed again, this time coming back with a stronger attack.� Cloud dove out of the way for the Zolom's strike, and then fell as the Zolom shoved him to the ground with its tail.� The Ultima Weapon went flying out of his hands and landed a few feet away.� He moved to grab it, and the Zolom intercepted him, snapping its jaws.� He evaded the attack and retreated as the Zolom advanced.
Cloud kept dodging, constantly being kept away from his weapon.� Had it been this long since he had fought, that a Zolom would be the one to do him in?
A sound like thunder echoed through the marsh, and the Zolom spasmed.� Cloud went for his blade as the Zolom recovered from its wound.� He snatched up the Ultima Weapon as the Zolom came around again, and this time he was ready.� The Zolom lurched forward, enraged at the unanticipated attack, and snapped at Cloud in a blind fury.� Cloud easily sidestepped the attack and launched a Climbhazard attack, jabbing his blade into the serpent�s exposed hide and leaping straight up into the air.
As he landed, the Zolom collapsed to the ground, its upper half nearly split in two.� The ground was flooded with the hot blood of the slain creature.� Cloud caught his breath as he sheathed his sword, and his savior came into view.
�You looked like you could use some help,� the familiar voice stated in its usual flat tone.
Cloud smiled.� �I don�t think I�ve ever been happier to see you, Vincent.�
Vincent�s eyebrow arched.� �I suppose I�ll take that as a compliment.�
Cloud laughed, motioning toward the Death Penalty that was still in Vincent�s hand.� �Please do.���