mooglenet_backup | 1. [Accidental Voice]

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1. [Accidental Voice]

[He remembers climbing stairs, counting them out of habit - a trick of training observational skills taught in elementary anatomy over four decades ago. Fifty five and not even halfway up. So many steps for such a tired old man. So many lights, blurred by the Midgar rain with its tinge of green bringing the smell of acid and regret.

Sephiroth - the singular thought. Hojo's own life and that of the Silver General's, cumulating to this spectacular moment. Sephiroth - the only true success, he who exceeded all of Hojo's grandest predictions and is about to do so again.

A vial of glowing green and several capsules rest in a metal case within Hojo's inner pocket - the promises of his last surrender. The sound of his heartbeat is as loud as that of rain striking metal at his feet. Hojo is happy. About to give up everything to see Sephiroth rise and cast off the last chains which bind him to humanity, the professor finds himself truly happy, for the first time in years.

Until the flash goes off in his peripheral vision, and he stumbles.

And wakes up in another place of lights, without the rain.]

What-

What is this? [There is a slight note of panic in his voice, the sound of shuffling as he takes a few tentative steps. The next jumble of words come out in the low, urgent tone of one who is accustomed to speaking to himself.]

Hallucinatory side-effects of the J-cell treatment? But- the calculated induction dose should be too low to penetrate into the central nervous system. The rate of infection is slow, initially slow- It is the next dose which contains the lipophilic mutagen-

[A few choppy breaths, then a growl of frustration:] Sephiroth!

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Hey, are you hallucinating too?

[ Here, have some snarling. ]

Professor Hojo.

[He starts. That voice is coming from-?

Hojo fishes the device out of his pocket, glancing down at it before raising it to his ear.]

That depends, young miss. [He calms himself by degrees, forcing more oxygen into his lungs.] If I am indeed hallucinating, then you are likely the by-product of some disturbance in my neural processes.

[A grim chuckle follows, laughter at his own attempt at humour in a time like this.]

Please, introduce yourself. Your identity may shed more light on my current...situation.

[And here - have a derisive snort of laughter.]

A beast incapable of speech, using a communication device? No. Speak. Who are you?

[That simple utterance is the one which almost makes Hojo choke.]

Sephiroth.

[So many things come to mind that he pauses again, his mouth open but no syllables emerging.

Five full seconds later,]

...Your location?

[So damn calm despite his current strange situation and the man he was currently speaking to.]

From what I've seen about what is currently happening to the world; Memoria.

Unfortunately, I can not give anything more specific than that as the phone's map and tracking feature seems to be currently disabled while we're in this place.

[Hojo swallows, hard. He despises not understanding.]

And what, exactly, is this place? Is Memoria a part of a greater whole?

[Something is wrong. This isn't Sephiroth's voice - or rather, it is, but not belonging to the man Sephiroth had become.

This sounds like... clinical detachment. Before the passion of JENOVA consumed.]

[Almost half-wishing he hadn't responded to his name at the moment but answers anyway since there was nothing really to gain or lose by keeping silent or revealing what he'd seen so far]

If you are here, it is possible that you are in Gaia and not in Memoria. Until I find a way out of the castle which apparently is Memoria, I am unable to clarify as to exact locations.

[A pause of a minute or two as if he was distracted from this conversation by something before getting back to the man.]

Suffice it to say, Professor, you are now currently in a new world and not in Midgar any longer. In fact, if I recall right, the Midgar on this world is in ruins.

[Not in Midgar anymore-?

But the canon-

He takes another deep breath, sighs, and begins to speak more slowly. Suddenly cautious.]

How long have you been here, Sephiroth? In this new world, so to speak?

[ He is so sick of mad scientists that he could break his phone. But he won't, because the moogles will facepalm at him. ]

You don't know me by a name, just a designation.

[Well, that is a surprise, but the common thread gives Hojo footing.]

And I have known precious few sentient animals. Thirteen - correct? You were promising; I was so sorry when you chose to leave me.

Do the Roman numerals I had marked on you still complement your tribal tattoos? Would you like to become a specimen again?

[His voice is a drawl with an undercurrent of paranoia still present, but Hojo falls to this method of communication as if on instinct. His specimens can always sense fear; better they did not know he is afraid, and lost.]

Looking forward to breeding me that much?

[ He growls. ]

You're a bit late on that, I'm afraid.

[ He knows letting Hojo know that he's not the only crazy scientist around is probably a bad idea, but he's only a teenager, technically, and can't resist the urge to rub the fact that Hojo isn't 'special' in. ]

You have been caged. By whom? Did you go willingly, Red Thirteen? Did you miss captivity and docility?

Give me details, boy. Where are you? What is happening?

[His voice is that of the lion tamer, but slightly cracked from disuse. Perhaps it will not be effective now with its slight tremour; perhaps it had never been effective on this one. But there is no harm in trying.]

And why should I tell you, Hojo? So you can attempt to one-up another scientist?

We are on Gaia. As for what is happening... that, I doubt many can answer. But here, the dead are alive and time flows strangely. You have proven that much yourself.

[ He hears the tremor, but of interest to Hojo would be the shake in his own voice -- Dr. Cid's experiments have left him sick, likely from the combination of the nethicite the Archadian tried to bond with him and the Jenova cells Hojo injected him with so many years ago. ]

Are you injured, Red Thirteen? You don't sound well at all. I would hate to learn my precious specimen is being mistreated.

[The dead are alive, the creature says. Hojo suppresses a shudder. There would be time to pursue that train of thought later.

He makes a small disapproving tsk with tongue and hard palate.]

Whoever is tampering with you now obviously doesn't understand the intricacies of your physiology as I do. Why - just listen to the state of you! I can't attempt to do anything without proper resources, though, if you shared what information you have...

...perhaps I would be able to help you.

Of course not; he's from a different world. I am still an endangered species, just even more of a curiosity now.

[ There's a note of bitterness in his voice. ]

You would have to know what he did, first, even if you truly did want to help, and I can't tell you that.

[ He quickly tries to steer the subject away; Hojo's offer is almost tempting, and that is really just a sign of how much damage the experiments did. ]

I'm warning you, Hojo. If you touch any of my friends, or any of the other good people here, I will make sure that you stay dead, different world or not.

[Hojo's mind whirls, extracting what he can from what he is given. They are in a different time, still on Gaia, where death means nothing and people come from different dimensions. Would this count as proof of the multiverse theory? His thoughts are scattered and random - there is too much potential here. Too many opportunities. He finds it hard to concentrate.

The professor's voice becomes more steely. Determined. Once he has a goal, everything else comes easily.]

Your friends, boy? You are trying to defend your friends in your current condition? So there is another scientist here, fiddling with my masterpiece, hmm? Are you saying you can't tell me what he did to you, or that you won't?

Because the latter is hardly beneficial for you, is it, Red Thirteen? It is in your nature to protect these friends of yours. But how can you, if you are so severely ill?

Let's try this again - share with me what information you have, and let me help you. Otherwise, may hell come upon these good people while you're uselessly wasting away!

This would be the start of my fourth month here.

[He's tempted to ask about the man's timeline, to find out just where in time the man is from; be it his present or his future. However he refrains from it for now, perhaps the man might slip with something which would reveal what he desired to know without the question needing to be posed to him.]

[Four months? Impossible!]

And prior to that? What were you doing prior to your arrival here?

[Since that question ends that charade, the general manages to get the phone to switch from voice to video at least on his own end anyway. Hopefully the other man would remain using voice, it made it easier converse with him when he was just another voice on the other end of the phone. He'd deal with the face to face when it came to that, but for now it was time to show his hand metaphorically speaking.]

Prior to my arrival, I was awaiting new orders. As I had just returned from an investigation in Modeoheim.

[The device next to his ear flashes, and Hojo pulls it into his line of sight. The picture on-screen almost makes his breathing irregular again. Sephiroth's features are still young, free of the tint of JENOVA's madness. Green eyes hardened by war, but not yet by betrayle.

Hojo pauses, not sure how to proceed. Gaining knowledge of the circumstances behind his origin caused Sephiroth to soar to greater heights than Hojo ever imagined, but Sephiroth's wrath became a wildfire more intense than that which burned his birthplace down. What to do now that that history is essentially erased?

The Northern Crator...back in his own Gaia where the One Winged Angel lies dormant and in wait...there is where Hojo is truly needed.

...isn't it?]

I see.

[Pause, again. He hates hesitance for its telling nature, but this is difficult.]

What can you tell me about this world, General? [He switches to the title. It has always been easier.]

[I would be rather simple to fall into old habits and mindlessly report what he'd learned while here. However, he still didn't know himself just where the other man was from himself time-wise. Thus he balked at falling into that habit, as easy as it might have been to give into it and pretend nothing was changed between the two of them. He couldn't do that now.]

I think I've told you enough already, Professor.

[This a quiet pause, the general in a sense readying himself for the battle of words which no doubt this rebellion would cause to occur.]

I think it is time you answered a few of my questions now...[the next word briefly breaks the calm expression, feline eyes actually showing several emotions within the span of seconds; anger, and disgust being the foremost of them.] Father.

[The device slips halfway out of his hand, his whole mind going numb at the last spoken word. Hojo sees the shade of green in Sephiroth's eyes darken and flash, negative emotions conveyed so effectively without words, and feels the ground beneath his feet rush away as if he is standing in a receding tide.

For a while, he is stricken dumb and mute, looking into the face of the man he did not- could not- call son. When he finally speaks, his voice is a hushed hiss, and uncharacteristic. Edged with panic, and almost young. Thirty years old.]

What did you just call me?

[The question wasn't unexpected really, though the way the voice had changed was interesting enough to make him almost wish the man had switched to video with him. Now that he'd made the first move however, he was committed to this line of action or rather questioning.

The temptation to look away as he answered was there but resisted as it might be seen as a sign of possible weakness, as would switching back to voice likely. He did manage to keep his voice calm however, despite the quiet riot of mixed emotions that had been brought up from the back recesses of his mind where he'd shoved all of the information he had been told about his future.]

Father.

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