He hummed. "Best prepare some medication and Restore, Heal, and Revive Materia. Bleeding will likely be an issue."
Some minion nodded, not like they mattered. "Yes Professor."
He glared at one of the slower workers. "YOU! Why are you modifying the breeding harness again!" What was his name? Gary? Didn't matter. "What is your badge id?"
The idiot stammered. "I'm just adding some padding to the bindings to reduce damage to the… to the specimen."
That was what the surgical modifications were for, to reduce the girl's recovery rates but prevent excessive damage that would affect the experiments. What a waste of resources! "Your id?"
He didn't bother to memorize the pattern, simply waving his minion forward. "Send him to remedial conditioning, with more D33 and D23 than standard. And triple R1 and R3 doses. If he survives, solitary for a week."
More and more of his minions were showing disturbing levels of empathy, he may need to change the administrative maintenance schedule for serum applications.
Right, the child would be too young for the original mating experiments, but this might be an ideal time to test the various hormone imbalancing tests. For some reason his agents resisted gathering the younger subjects even after heavy conditioning, so this was a good opportunity.
Speaking of which. "What is the status of collections? I expected better punctuality than this."
Another minion stuttered. "Sir! They've been detained by Security!"
He froze… And the lab stilled with his motionless form.
Turning to the deadman, his face was frozen. "And you failed to inform me?"
The corpse gulped. "You… You told me to stand by until you finished preparing the subject's testing stations."
Irrelevant. "Well, at least you followed orders. Report to remedial conditioning, standard requirements. And someone else will get me a status update! NOW!"
The lab broke into frantic movement. Good.
If ANOTHER of his collection teams had been caught in their duties, or WORSE helping a subject escape again, there would be a heavy price to pay!
~~~Broken Adventure~~~
Professor Hojo stared at his near empty lab in RAGE. "This. This will not stand."
He waved at one of the few remaining assistants. At this rate, he would run out of emergency testing subjects AND assistants/not-so-emergency testing subjects! "Have ANY of our people returned?"
The man was near tears. "No sir."
He wanted to scream. "And Security?"
The assistant winced. "They keep saying we don't have clearance for an update."
His hands clenched… before he held them behind his back. "I see."
No clearance? There were barely any data levels that EXISTED that would deny him clearance! No, this was sabotage from the highest levels. "Call in favors from Scarlet. I've helped the Weapons Development Division many times over the years, and I'd like to see who would stand in the way of TWO Shinra Executives. Get her to send people to pester Security, scare out whoever is acting here."
The man nodded, making notes. "Sir."
Professor Hojo glared at the lack of work being done. "Get anyone we have deals with to send their people to Security as well, get them to find out what is going on, and then send the last of my department en masse! See if they try to detain MORE of my people! If we can't get work done normally, we might as well expose this so-called 'internal political conflict' to the entire facility!"
The now hesitant assistant grit his teeth. "Yes sir."
~~~Broken Adventure~~~
The line of people preceding into the Security office was both orderly and FRUSTRATING to the on duty staff. "Name and Org?"
A tired man sighed. "John Walls, Science & Research Division, Tier 10."
For the love of the Planet, they were all the way down to tier 10 now? That was basically the interns. "I assume you are following the same orders as the rest?"
He nodded. "Find out what happened to… Well, everyone else."
Damn it. "You heard me say this before. No one has clearance to know about that situation without being read into the situation and being quarantined."
John sighed. "But they are all healthy?"
He shrugged. "As far as I know? Yes. But again, neither you nor Professor Hojo, nor any people below or between either of you, have clearance for the needed details."
John hummed. "I heard. But while the subordinates for Executive Scarlet were able to give up and return with little issue, I am in Science and Research."
Right. Professor Hojo. "So, going with the rest?"
He nodded. "Better survival rate."
The officer waved the man into the next room to read the warnings, be told SOMETHING, and then go into lockup. No idea WHAT he was going to be told, and unlike SOME people he wasn't going to ask. Because he didn't want to be locked up in quarantine.
Next. "Name and Org?"
He shrugged. "Greg Gordon, also Science & Research Division. Tier 10."
Planet curse it, there were dozens more people waiting AFTER this!
~~~Broken Adventure~~~
President Shinra looked stunned at the nearly empty room. "Where the hell IS everybody!?"
Miss Scarlet shrugged. "I honestly think the memetic hazard protocols are going on, but I'm not going to try and find out until the automated alerts confirm it one way or the other."
He blinked. "And everyone else?"
She sighed. "Apparently Professor Hojo has many people that 'owe' him favors and called most of them in to 'determine who is trying to undermine his brilliance', as he put it. Man lost his mind by this point. I think he is currently down in Executive Heidegger's office screaming at the moment, and everyone else just didn't bother to show up to THIS meeting because they know that man is going to cause a shitshow today."
He blinked. "Oh." He glanced at her. "And your punctual presence?"
Scarlot shrugged. "I may work with Professor Hojo, but I do not respect him. Watching him lose his mind in rage is cathartic for me."
A distant scream made her grin! "Speaking of which!"
President Shinra frowned at the loud ranting on its way to this very room.
What a frustrating start to an already annoying process.
Still, unproductive meetings were a cornerstone for society.
~~~Broken Adventure~~~
Adam blinked.
Wow! Delaying the automated alerts warning executives about personnel being held for potential mnemonic contamination REALLY messed Shinra up apparently.
Over 80% of the mid tier staff were now in confinement. For the next two weeks! The Security Division had to make makeshift holding facilities! And almost EVERYONE from Professor Hojo's division were in lockup, since the latter half 'volunteered' for quarantine to avoid the man's growing rage.
He had only been able to delay the outgoing emails by 24 hours without setting off more alerts, but it was a major issue right now because the people who could tell or warn OTHERS that the delay was unusual were already in confinement.
Not to mention the procedures were required since true Memetic Hazards could spread if other warning methods were used, hence the reliance on the prewritten automated messages in the first place.
And Professor Hojo apparently was NOT a patient person.
Everyone else was told 'We can tell you later' and THOSE people decided it was worth it to wait for answers.
The Professor on the other hand went nuclear, and forced a bunch of people to basically get paid vacation accidentally.
And uh… This paid vacation was designed to detect mental influence and modification. Professor Hojo would NOT have been so happy to send his people down to join in the fun if he had ANY clue about the actual situation.
From what 'Research' could tell? That was something that Professor Hojo's Division used heavily. There were a LOT of drugs in his people, and it was slowing down ALL the testing of ALL the personnel inside the containment testing facilities. Significantly.
It might end up forcing the entire mass of people to be delayed for much LONGER than the required two weeks needed by Shinra policy just to list all the issues Hojo's people were suffering under. Issues very much AGAINST Shinra policy, evil company that it was.
This was going to be a shitstorm. Especially as the hacked network was showing some horrified emails being sent to all SORTS of people as the situation was being uncovered.
And this was only the tip of the iceberg! Once the initial alerts went out and contact was reestablished with the many employees being tested and the administrative staff under lockdown? Holy shit, it would get nasty!
Was this approved by President Shinra himself? Or maybe by his unloyal son who was so eager to take over, Rufus? Was this just Professor Hojo being a dick like normal?
Times like this needed popcorn.
~~~Broken Adventure~~~
Sarah sighed at the group of soldiers sharing tea with Ms. Gainsborough and Elder Godo. At least they were getting along? Oh, right. "Elder Godo?"
He raised an eyebrow.
Yeah, he seemed to expect something off. Which was fair. "Can I steal Wutai Village?"
The military members stayed quiet as the old man sighed. "I am going to assume, based on the impossible things I've found you do over the last few hours, that such a thing is possible. I must, however, ask for more details."
She waved at the village outside that covered the mountain they were on. "Eventually more conflict will come here after me, after little Aerith. And if I flee, which I could do easily…" She…
Step.
...Moved to the other side of the room. "Well, the people at Shinra wouldn't stop chasing me, but they WOULD likely end up harassing this village anyway to find where I went. Eventually, I mean. There is a big mess going on right now when I kidnapped Ms. Gainsborough and her daughter."
He sighed. "I know you are friends with my daughter, issues were destined to be intertwined with my fate regardless. And Shinra has a history of conflict with my people even without a valuable prize to be won such as yourself."
Elder Godo gave a stern look. "And I would not have adopted you if I was not prepared to support you. Family is important to the Wutai people."
She felt a bit tearful at that. "Thank you, Elder Godo."
He nodded. "You've given a reason for future trouble to find our home, agreed. That said, I still do not understand how this leads to this 'stealing' of our village."
Sarah shrugged. "I thought I could just move the village somewhere. Or if I claim to have stolen it, I can then modify the place to be easier to defend and keep people safe." Oh. "Also, I need somewhere to put a good size home and a church. Because I stole both of those from Midgar."
Elmyra raised her hand. "The home belongs to my husband, and I am glad I did not need to abandon it. I'm not sure stealing is the best term for helping me escape with my belongings and child."
Captain Newcastle sighed. "Of course, why not. She can probably reshape the Planet itself and make it rain gold and gil too, who knows at this point." He noticed the attention and coughed. "I mean, as a representative of Shinra Electric Power Company…" He glanced at the apparently amused Commander who nodded. "Right, as a representative, we would greatly appreciate it if you did not steal, move, or transport the capital city of this entire continent."
The man blinked. "Or destroy it. Or us." He nodded. "Not making any demands or anything, but we would VERY MUCH appreciate it if we didn't have to redraw the maps for the Planet without some level of advance warning or potentially some negotiations."
Elder Godo raised an eyebrow. "And you believe that Shinra would approach such a negotiation in good faith?"
Captain Newcastle slouched. "No, but it would buy me time to hopefully convince the very nice lady to not change global shipping routes and force entire nations to change trade scheduling and good transportations methods without giving people time to adapt."
He waved at Steve, still bound in those ropes in the corner. "Also, when the morons show up I'm hoping to build up enough good will to convince her not to destroy my military comrades or my friends and family."
All the other military men and women seemed alright with that general attitude.
The Commander winced. "I am unable to comment on leadership actions, potential or not… But I can certainly say that if this capital is moved, aside from the numerous disappointed people who currently travel here as a popular and beloved vacationing location… Many people would assume Shinra had simply destroyed the place."
Captain Newcastle pointed at him! "Exactly! Even I would find it more believable that some squad like Squad 66 decided to destroy a foreign nation rather than some very nice and reasonable young woman deciding to steal the place." He nodded. "It could cause problems. And paperwork."
Elder Godo nodded. "My daughter, it would indeed cause paperwork."
Sarah stared at him. "I… I feel like you are not taking this seriously enough."
He shook his head. "I feel like I have little control over the situation, so I am currently drinking my favorite tea and have decided to, as my dear Yuffie would say, 'Roll with it'." He frowned. "Please do not give me additional paperwork."
She huffed! "But I can at least increase defenses, yes?"
He hummed. "I will call the council. While I do have considerable power and political capital, our traditions and the historic nature of our buildings are treasured. We would not be able to tolerate massive stone and steel walls like those enjoyed by Midgar City, for example."
Aww! "But that will take time! And talking! Can't I just steal the whole continent?"
They ignored the distant 'No Stealing!', with Yuffie joining Aerith in her quest without shame or any sense of hypocrisy.
It was good they were having fun.
Her adopted father smiled. "Many important things require us to do actions that are tiring, work with others we dislike, and compromise despite having great personal power to ensure long lasting results and a better outcome for our people."
Sarah sighed. "Yeah, let's get the council together and I'll talk to them I guess. Or I could just have Gaia drain all the mako out of Shinra's place, I guess? It sounds like less work."
Captain Newcastle raised his hand! "I vote for listening to our honorable elders! And not denying my home city of energy, clean water, and monsters for harvesting and hunting!"
Elmyra snorted, and raised her hand to match the rest of the room and Sarah's amused father.
Sarah grunted. "Fine. Be all responsible and stuff. I'm going to go plan out abducting a mutilated alien invader goddess from an unsafe magical nuclear facility! So there!"
She paused in her exit. "Oh, and here are some cookies, please share them with Yuffie and Aerith when they get done playing tag."
After all, she was frustrated and being forced to act mature, she wasn't a monster.
~~~Broken Adventure~~~
Adam grinned! <<Right, done. Probably.>>
But uh. Just in case? Send it to 'Research' and see if it can improve it.
To achieve his goal of generating mako, for making Materia and supplying the lifestream?
Magic. Magic was the best idea. Duh!
Because once he can make lots of magic? Adam could soak a thick slurry of mako and Materia sand with the stuff, and BAM! You will get Huge Materia Crystals, Materia orbs, Materia sand and mako! Problem solved!
But like most stuff that works on Gaia, the best place to start when designing this thing was mostly found by ignoring everything suggested by Shinra entirely.
Adam ended up tossing ALL their designs away, focusing on the base principles instead.
He didn't regret it.
Right! Adam needed to make magic!
And magic here required the generation of potential change. Not as determined by how many people could die or be hurt by a bad result (Fuck you Shinra), just determined by how big the theoretical change would be.
After all, magic was generated by Gaia WAY before humans existed. From her data, way before most monsters existed.
This stuff started from that first spark of life, and the cycle of life and death and the Lifestreams that eventually became Gaia herself. Magic was part of the process.
SO! Adam ended up designing a mini-Gaia. Sort of.
It was a solid orb of metal, iron chosen for elemental stability, with an entry and exit port.
Enriched and heavily energized liquid was pumped into one end, hit a massive number of optional paths that could pass that power in several potential directions at different rates, and exit out the other side.
Initially, Adam was using liquid fluoride thorium, but instead of using the heat generated to run a closed system steam turbine for power like normal? He was just pumping the dangerous material directly into these Mana Potential Orbs.
The thorium would damage the iron and decay over time, but if the magic thing works out that would both strengthen the material AND cause strange issues with the pathways inside the orbs, increasing the potential and magical potency of the finished product.
And if Adam could get mako out of this mess, that should help the thorium and iron container regrow itself too, which would cause more chaos and generate more magic!
This step of research took a LONG time to fiddle with. To the point where Sarah got pulled back to Wutai into some sort of long term 'Wutai Village Improvement Committee' and kept interrupting his science with her daily groans and moans and 'Maybe we should just' statements that he had to hold back.
But he made progress!
It ended up taking seven rings each with seven MP Orbs, but when all seven rings were wrapped around a heated near liquid core of nickel and iron coated in a thin protective layer of lead? It generated a magic field!
Woo!
Why did it take seven rings? No idea, but seven showed up a LOT on Gaia, so it may be a special number in this reality.
Why did the flow have to alternate between clockwise and counter-clockwise from ring to ring? No clue, again. But if you DIDN'T do that, the entire thing started overheating. At least it didn't matter how you oriented the finished MP Tube.
Why couldn't the seven rings be connected into a single spiral? Meh! When Adam tried, the production rate of the magic field went downwards significantly.
At least he learned SOME stuff.
For example, after some tests Adam found that you could remove the needed pumps from the device by actively spinning the seven rings instead of pumping the fluid within them. There was enough resistance in one direction of the liquid flow that agitating the orbs caused them to 'pump' it in the needed flow pattern.
It did require some modifications to the connecting tubes between the seven MP orbs though, and Adam wasn't sure WHERE he had learned about
valvular conduits before, but it worked!
So no moving parts were needed, the nuclear liquid flowed… And, after heating up the artificial near liquid 'Gaia' core of nickel and iron and manually spinning the seven rings in the correct directions?
The magic would keep the core hot, the rings spinning, and the magic generation flowing!
So uh. Adam had a good generator for Magic. A bit of testing and he had a schematic for a simplified version of a MP Tube with it's seven spinning MP Rings that was only about half Sarah's arm in length about as wide.
But Magic wasn't mako by itself. Not if it was this dispersed, this weak, this unrefined.
To make THAT jump, Adam ended up taking seven MP Tubes, flipping every other one, and making an MP Tunnel using the MP Tubes as the outer walls. Cap one end and wrap the mess up in a layer of lead, and the other end produced a concentrated beam of intense magical energy! Almost looked like a thin fog or mist.
So Sarah could make a magical fog machine now, neat!
Six MP Tunnels aimed together, with a final one below… Focused all that energy onto one specific point?
Adam grinned at the slowly bubbling green 'liquid'.
A working, artificial, uninfluenced Mako Spring! A seed for a potential future Lifestream!
Pure, liquid, magical potential. Mmm.
Some changes soon had Sarah's Warehouse producing this stuff directly thanks to the much improved Mana Generation Units, and another swift modification involved increasing the number of Mako Springs in the Warehouse for her internal use later on.
The most optimum number of Mako Springs? Seven. Sigh.
Right.
A thought had a separate, easily ejectable layer of the Warehouse form a sealed chamber and a medically clean room setup within it. Bright glowing green mako began to slowly fill the entire structure, as 'Research' carefully documented the process.
A series of external tubes and wall openings would ensure a constant flow of the magic inside, as the liquid potential energy did NOT like staying still.
Some testing had Adam quickly redesigning the walls of this outermost layer to contain the same meandering pathways that the MP Orbs used, but THIS time instead of liquid fluoride thorium pumping everywhere he had mako flowing through the pathways like a miniature Lifestream network.
Did all the symbology matter? Not sure, but Magic loved concepts and relationships and patterns. So as long as 'Research' didn't declare these actions as efficiency droppers, they got added to the pile!
Although Adam made sure there was no connection to the Warehouse other than the injection process for the newly formed mako. No influence allowed from Sarah's Avatar or Adam or the Warehouse itself, no exposure to Gaia or external Materia or mako, just a chamber that was filled with liquid magic that would eventually be filled in a few hours or so.
Could he make MORE of these Mako Springs? Give up on the optimum 7 operating and put like 49 or 343 instead?
'Research' says no. Despite being related to seven AND better than the OTHER numbers tested, anything more or less than seven would NEARLY be as good at best.
Could he use these seven and combine the results to force liquid mako into the next level of density?
'Research', again, says no. Not until a significant amount of Materia sand was collected first, and it had to be made from this uncontaminated stuff or it would mess up the entire batch. He'd have to make sure to continue looking into improving this process at a later point.
Sure, at this rate of production Sarah would have to wait literal years before it became dense enough to form even the smallest flecks of Materia sand, and ALL of this mako combined wasn't even a drop compared to Gaia's reserves or even comparable to what Shinra's Mako Reactors produced…
But it was enough to act as a recovery room. <<Sarah, I've got a place to put her, it will be ready for patient transfer in three hours and twenty two minutes.>>
His Jumper grinned! "Finally! I've been stuck listening to a bunch of really nice old people talk for FOREVER! Either they don't believe I can do something or they spend the REST of the time telling me not to!"
A glance at the logs. <<Hmm. It mostly seems reasonable though?>>
She snorted. "Yeah, that's why I hate it. Responsibility sucks, let's go steal a goddess!"
He rolled his eyes. <<In three hours and twenty one minutes.>>
Sarah pouted. "Fine. In three hours and twenty one minutes."
Her father sighed in the room. "My daughter, you are speaking out loud again."
His Jumper blinked at the bemused crowd. "Ah. Sorry for being distracted, Father."
Elder Godo nodded. "From what I understand, you have three hours and twenty one minutes to work with us before you must be called away. Let us continue."
Heh. <<It's more like three hours and nineteen minutes now.>>
'Shut up Adam.'
