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Doctor Jennifer Wenham stepped down from the control room on the 68th Floor, shaking her head at the mess of an experiment. Hojo had failed to anticipate the fear that the Cetra would have, or that that would drive the beast into a frenzy and make it attack. And, of course, Hojo would avoid mentioning that particular failure. Instead he would suggest a 'revolutionary' idea to the board, and then try again. That wasn’t science— that was just madness. Ever since the Sephiroth project ended, that man had skated by on reputation, and no one dared tell him that his experiments wouldn’t work.
At this rate, the Cetra wouldn’t be alive much longer, let alone tell them the location of the Promised Land. No, someone had to intervene. It would take a few hours for Hojo to get clearance to try the experiment again, and after her recent experiments, Wenham had authority to get in.
Much to her chagrin, however, she had to admit that Hojo had the point. The Cetra was exceptionally strong willed, and it would take years to break her, if they even could. At this rate, Shinra would be better off starting from scratch. If the calculations were right, that beast was long lived indeed. Beasts were often obedient, much easier to manage than humans. And something that had the obedience of a beast and the sense the Cetra supposedly had for the Promised Land, now that would be something…
"Transfer the Cetra to chamber 19, and Subject XIII to chamber 20." A smile appeared on Doctor Wenham’s face. Hojo had simply been approaching it from the wrong direction. The male had no incentive to mate as is, and the two species were incompatible. Even if you could bridge that gap, the male would not see the extra as a mate— not to mention the wait would only yield one offspring, three at best. But if you were to reverse their roles, and make a few minor changes, then…
Doctor Wenham walked to the elevator. "Why settle for one disobedient Cetra, when you could have a hundred willing pawns?" she wondered out loud as she headed for the experimentation chambers.
---
The infusion pods were in the style of those used in the Mt. Nibel Reactor, old technology repurposed for Wenham’s experiments. After disposing of the previous contents, Hojo had abandoned them. Such arrogance, to think that there could’t be something to be found from failure. Still, his loss was Wenham’s gain. The pods themselves were linked through a network of tubes and cables with several displays around them. Wenham herself stood at a control panel in the darkened room and observed as Subject XIII’s container was sealed. She continued to as the Cetra was dragged in, heavily sedated, having been drugged and stripped by a pair of assistants.
"Hmm. Not a bad body. She certainly could have made a decent breeder," she commented to herself before looking up at her assistant. "Make sure you get that materia. Any other substances could interfere with the procedure!" With that done, she activated the displays and a recording device.
"Notes on second Cetra reproduction experiment, lead scientist Doctor Jennifer Wenham. Recent experimentation with mako energy has shown that the body and mind become exceptionally malleable. This experiment will demonstrate the effect of unprocessed mako used to bridge the gap between two incompatible species. Flooding experiment chambers with mako energy now."
Some modifications had been made to the chambers. The metal upper half had been replaced with clear reinforced glass to allow an observer to see any changes that the experiment may cause. As it stood all eyes, Doctor Wenham’s included, were on the chamber containing the Cetra. She took a syringe containing blood samples of both the Cetra and Subject XIII and injected it into a pipe leading to both chambers, and followed it up with a syringe of off-white goo.
"Modification agents introduced into both chambers," she dictated to the machine, and waved an assistant to the control panel.
"Introducing first hormone mix into chamber 19. Introducing first hormone mix into chamber 20." The assistant's statements were simple and to the point. Wenham preferred assistants like that.
"Hormone mixtures have made contact with mutation agent," Wenham stated, looking down at the Cetra woman, and the room fell silent. After ten minutes, Wenham spoke, suppressing a small amount of glee. "First changes observed in chamber 19."
The changes to the Cetra were small at first, but impossible for Wenham to miss now that she noticed them. Her fingernails lengthened and darkened, becoming like claws, as did her toenails. Her canine teeth had become more pronounced— telling if they were any sharper would require a more hands on investigation.
"Changes observed in chamber 20," stated the one assistant forced to look away from the Cetra chamber. "It looks—"
"Silence." Wenham cut the man off before he could speak further. "I want observations only, no speculation. Introduce second hormone mix."
"Second hormone mix introduced to chamber nineteen. Second hormone mix introduced into chamber twenty."
It was only five minutes this time, as the chamber flooded with chemicals. This time the transformation was more pronounced. The Cetra's sleek feminine frame grew muscular and lean. It was not so much as to destroy her femininity— as Wenham saw it, at least— but she had gained height and muscle tone, looking less like a waifish flower seller and much more like a ring fighter. To Wenham's surprise, there were also improvements to the Cetra's feminine features, her breasts growing slightly and her rear firming up and gaining a little extra bulk.
More noticeable than that, though, was the sudden growth at the base of the spine. It developed rapidly and extended into a long tail, ending in a gathering of fur that seemed to resemble nothing so much as an open flame.
"Changes continue in chamber nineteen, proceeding as expected," Wenham noted aloud to her assistants.
"Testosterone levels in chamber nineteen increasing, but to acceptable levels. Estrogen levels in chamber twenty spiking, but within predicted range. Reducing hormone stream to chamber twenty." The assistant at the control panel prepared to dial back the chemical flow.
"Doctor Wenham, I don’t think this—" The assistant tried to speak, but Wenham shot him a glare that wilted his will. "Uh, changes observed in chamber twenty," he finished, quietly.
After another five minutes, the changes had ceased. The Cetra looked like a slightly feral, bestial beauty. It was, as far as Wenham was concerned, a fascinating result from introducing Subject XIII’s DNA.
Finally, Wenham looked at to the assistant at the control panel. "Introduce the final hormone mixture and stabilising agent to both chambers. The subjects seem ready."
"Final mix initiated. It’s all in your hands now, Doctor."
It all came down to this. If this final step failed, the whole experiment was a waste, and they were back where they started. Rather than simply releasing the hormones into the solution, this one had to be carefully injected while the patient was still in the chamber. Taking control of a manipulator inside the chamber with controls at the side, Doctor Wenham guided the syringe carefully to its target. The long needle pierced through the skin of the Cetra's groin with some difficulty. She introduced the dosage with a careful, steady hand before moving the injector to the subject's left ovary to apply a secondary dose. The injections completed, Wenham let the injector withdraw under automatic control and stepped back.
"Final transformation agent introduced to subject's reproductive organs. Transformation should be taking place shortly." She sighed. It was slightly easier for Subject XIII; she could leave it to the loud mouthed assistant, who seemed to be wincing as he completed the procedure.
"Now we wait," she said quietly. This was it. There was, of course, no guarantee this would work. This bit was all conjecture— but if ShinRa technology could create SOLDIERs, it could surely adjust such a simple characteristic to seem as if it had been there at birth.
The answer to that came when the assistant by Subject XIII gasped. "Doctor Wenham! It’s working!" he yelled out.
There was no rebuttal from the doctor this time, as she watched the Cetra’s sexual features rearrange themselves in a truly unnatural way. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the process, both horrifying and intriguing— in more ways than one.
The Cetra’s vagina seemed to shift and seal up to reform into a scrotum. Two bulges formed underneath, eventually dropping out— pair of testes that could shame just about any human. Two virile, potent spheres brimming with enhanced seed. Wenham felt herself lick her lips- lust was unbecoming of a scientist, and yet she couldn't help herself.
Wenham's eyes then focused on the Cetra's clitoris as it became erect, seemingly straining against the limits of its flesh- and then outgrew them. The clit continued to swell, billowing out and mutating, skin shifting to make a pathway for the semen produced by those heavy balls to be expelled. In a few moments, the only appropriate term was a penis, maybe nine or ten inches- and yet it was not done changing and mutating.
"Detecting skeletal adjustments and bone growth in chamber 19, Doctor!"
Wenham heard the assistant's input, but did not respond. How could she, when she was watching the culmination of her work- her victory over Hojo?
Even as the Cetra's baculum grew in to support her new arrangements, Wenham was fascinated by the features the newly grown cock was forming in front of her. Feline barbs grew along the middle of the penis, small things- but as Wenham pressed her face closer to the glass to observe the growth, something seemed off about them compared to those of the other subject.
The feline traits, however, were contrasted by the notable canine trait at the Cetra's base- a bulbous growth- no, a knot. If ever there was an arrangement designed to ensure impregnation as much as possible, it was the one on the Cetra- potent seed, produced in heavy testes, with a cock designed to induce ovulation and then ensure the mate had the maximum chance of insemination.
"So… this is what mako can do. And we’ve been wasting it on energy." There was a tinge of madness to her voice, and she felt flushed.
I should stay clinical, she thought, mentally reprimanding herself. This is too vital a moment to get distracted by baser urges.
"Preliminary results?" Wenham asked, turning her face away from the recording device.
"Both subjects show signs of full sexual maturity, all organs operating properly. Use of hormones has ensured that both subjects are prepared for mating."
"Good, prepare both subjects for transfer to 68th floor. I’ll be sure to credit Professor Hojo for his contributions." Wenham turned and walked across to the other pod, looking down. Now that was different to what she expected. "So this is what bridging the gap between man and beast gets you… How very interesting."
And then Wenham looked up to the assistant at the control panel. "The procedure seems to have been an unqualified success. End recording."
The assistant, wanting to keep his job, complied. Wenham was more… normal than Hojo, but not that much more so.
"Uh, ma'am? You, uh, might want to, um, freshen up before you reach floor 68."
Wenham stared daggers at him, but he persisted, making some gestures around his neck, before returning to his duties.
On the way to floor 68, Wenham slipped into a restroom. The mirror showed her what the assistant had been trying to convery to her. Frustratingly, he had been right to warn her.
It wouldn't be professional to show up Professor Hojo with a drool stained lab coat.
---
Nanaki felt dazed and bleary as he awoke. He had been placed in a chamber with that girl. Aerith, he thought they called her. Or ‘Cetra Subject’ as the scientists preferred. He had attempted to bluff his way out by threatening the girl and trying to get at that Professor Hojo, and then…
He shook his head, trying to remember, but all it did was get some of his mane in his face. He opened his eyes, and was surprised by how much his mane was blocking his vision. It seemed… longer, somehow, like it had grown unchecked for some time. How long had they knocked him out for?
He found his thoughts interrupted, however, by a sniffing sound. He tried to spring to his feet, but stumbled, the drugs in his system throwing him off. His paws felt all wrong, and his legs were trying to go the wrong way. Everything felt wrong. But most importantly, someone else was in here with him. It was… the Aerith girl?
It looked like her but she seemed bigger somehow. Her hair, once immaculately braided, was wild and all over the place. She was also naked and crouched on all fours, looking Nanaki up and down. "You smell good," she purred, sllinking forward with new confidence and a hungry look in her yes. "You look good, too. Not like when you were trying to scare me. But that’s not going to happen again, is it?"
Nanaki tried to move back, and stumbled again, falling onto his back. And then, on the polished metal ceiling, he saw what she meant. His paws were no longer paws, but humanoid hands with sharpened claws. His forelegs were more like arms, while his hind legs were unmistakably humanoid. His feet still looked like paws, at least, but more elongated. His face was… he still had his muzzle, but it felt shorter and his field of vision felt narrower, and he was almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of colour he was seeing.
But most importantly, he was most noticeably female. That was far and away the most jarring part. The topmost two breasts were the largest and most prominent, but there were two sets of smaller breasts below those, as if trying to appeal to humans as well as his kind. His genitals had changed, with a vagina made to match his new body.
He hadn’t even had time to take that in before an overwhelming musk assaulted his senses, and his vision became blurry again. He tried to stand again, but all that happened was that he fell face first onto the floor. His body was reacting without his brain's input, his legs shifted to put his rear in the air, his tail flicking in a manner that felt… arousing.
That was all the invitation the Cetra woman needed. She stood to her full height with a smile that bared all her fangs.
"Finally presenting? Good girl," Aerith growled, her cock coming into plain view as she stood up. Nanaki could tell it wasn’t hard yet, but he suddenly knew he wanted it.
Needed it.
His body was so hot, his new vagina needed that cock in him. Right now. He didn't care about needing to fool the scientists, or pretending to be a wild animal. As he saw that wonderful, majestic cock walking towards him, all he could do was whine desperately.
"P-please…"
This all seemed wrong to Nanaki. He tried to gain control of his thoughts- his thoughts? He… was a he, wasn't he? That's…
His brain stopped as Aerith walked past him and behind him, soaking up his scent with her nose before advancing forward. Nanaki froze as he felt Aerith lean down, her cock poised at Nanaki's entrance.
"You're so much more polite this time," Aerith said, and for all the menace in her tone, there was this sense of playfulness. "Has my mate secretly been a sweetheart this whole time? It's cute."
C-cute? Nanaki wasn't… she- he'd never been cute- at least not since she was a cub. It was getting so hard to think… that scent was filling her nostrils and her body was desperate with need, her whine growing ever higher in pitch.
"You're right, our first encounter had way too much foreplay, not enough action. Let me make it up to you."
Nanaki's brain short-circuited as Aerith thrust into her virgin cunt, unprepared for the sheer sensation of being taken like this . Any thoughts- and gender concerns- she was having gave way to the cock driven forcefully into her cunt as her mate leaned over and grabbed her forelegs- arms- the words didn't matter as the limbs were pinned to the ground. As Aerith grew more enthusiastic, her breasts pressed into Nanaki's back and Nanaki felt balls bigger than hers had ever been slapping against her with each thrust.
Nanaki was barely cognizant of the gas being pumped into the chamber as she started thrusting back against Aerith with her limited control of her body.
Nanaki needed to be bred, oh god, she needed to be bred. She needed Aerith to use her harder, more viciously. She needed to mate. She opened her jaw and let out a wild yowl of lust and pleasure. She needed to mate. That was all she could care about right now.
That limited, wild communication seemed to work fine for Aerith, rutting away as her knot slowly swelled up. They were both clumsy, with no sense of timing or rhythm, and it didn't matter- not with how much their other impulses had been overridden with lust and the overwhelming biological urge to fuck until Nanaki was with litter.
Nanaki struggled against the woman, trying to get her deeper- and then she felt sharp teeth pierce into her shoulder and she froze, letting Aerith pound into her with everything she had.
"Almost… there…" Aerith grunted, her thrusts speeding up, her body tensing more and more. Nanaki felt like she was made for this- and felt like Aerith was made for her. A perfect match.
In reality, it was not a long period of mating, but it felt like ages. After all, they were both fairly new to this.
The climax came swiftly, Aerith releasing her seed into Nanaki with a howl, and Nanaki let out a stuttering yowl as her body shuddered with orgasm. She could feel Aerith's knot swell in her, to keep all that valuable seed inside- and Nanaki pressed closer against Aerith, to do her best to hold it all inside her.
Nanaki felt exhausted and yet… fulfilled. Her legs were giving out under her, and Aerith put one of her strong arms underneath Nanaki and lowered them both to the ground.
Nanaki felt a rough tongue against the back of her neck, and even though Aerith's muzzleless face was the wrong shape, it was comforting, if another show of dominance that Nanaki responded to well. She belonged against this woman now.
"You really are quite sweet…" Aerith murmured into her ear, before moving to fully enwrap her, shielding her. "I'm keeping you."
Nanaki slowly sank into a feeling of warmth. She wasn't the last anymore. She wouldn't be alone any more if she'd done her part right.
Maybe their first litter would have enough cubs to match the number tattooed on her leg.
After ten minutes of blissed out silence, Nanaki's ears twitched, hearing an approaching voice.
"…experiment would be considered a total success. Pheromone compound will be released for another 30 minutes to optimise chances of pregnancy."
Nanaki could hear the voice's owner close- a human woman? She remained silent, not letting her intelligence show let, playing the dumb beast- something made easier with Aerith covering most of her body.
"Now, ‘Aerith’, if you help Shin-Ra find the Promised Land, we’ll be happy to provide you all the mates you want. Are you ready to work with us now?"
Nanaki's eyes shifted to her mate, studying her reaction. Surely they did not expect her to agree to that deal?
"…What?" At least Aerith seemed as baffled as Nanaki was- and she held Nanaki closer. "Why would I… ?"
"Hmm. I guess it's not the mako on its own that makes you turn off your common sense in favour of being a sex obsessed maniac. Annoying. Well, consider this: You've definitely impregnated your little mate now. It's up to you whether you search for the Promised Land for us- or if one of your spawn does it."
Nanaki managed to peek out to see the scientist talking to them. She didn't recognise her, to be honest. Aerith, though, seemed discomforted- greatly so. Nanaki let out a soft, almost imperceptible purr- an attempt to comfort her mate. And maybe herself…
"And of course, if something happens to that one, well… we can put you back into that frenzied state again. You did both seem to enjoy being unable to think of anything but breeding. Maybe we'll get you addicted to the concept, how does that sound?"
Aerith growled defensively— though to Nanaki, she surprised by the low, menacing sound that came out of her mouth.
The scientist jumped back, clearly shaken, but seemed to regain her composure.
"…Keep our offer in mind, Cetra- before we make the decision for you."
The scientist turned and walked away, and Nanaki felt her new mate relax her grip on her slightly, even if they couldn't separate yet.
"…I'm sorry," Aerith murmured, sounding fatigued and tired. "You got caught up in all this."
"…it's fine," Nanaki responded. "Hojo would have used us for some other experiment if this hadn't happened."
It was… honestly a little weird how comfortable she was with it. Was it something the scientist could have done to make her more docile?
After a few moments of silence, the other woman spoke up. "I'm Aerith. What's your name?"
Nanaki blinked. Of course- for all the other girl knew, Nanaki was just a beast who had learned to talk. She could make use of that…
"…Hojo named me Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever. You can call me…" She paused, for a moment. Nanaki was a warrior of Cosmo Canyon, not… this.
"…Whatever you like."
Aerith seemed to pause for a moment. "…I think… Red is kind of cute. Like you."
---
Tifa snuck onto the 68th floor mere steps behind Cloud and Barret, taking position behind some barrels. There was a glass chamber, dimmed so they couldn’t see inside it, but they could hear loud thumping noises coming from it. The trio saw Hojo walk past and then stopped as a female scientist blocked his way.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to turn up. Prepared to admit your hypothesis was flawed?" the scientist said, a smirk on her face. Hojo, to his credit, didn’t seem to rise to her bait.
"Hardly." The one word response seemed enough to elicit anger from the woman, but she bit her tongue. "Where are the subjects?"
"Wanting to repeat today’s failure? A bit late for that."
"Today’s failure?" Tifa whispered to the other AVALANCHE members with her, a hint of worry in her voice. "You don’t think he already tried that plan he was talking about in the board room?"
Cloud’s voice came back just as hushed. "From what I’ve heard about him, he’s a pretty sick piece of work."
"That’s all kinds of messed up," Barret’s deep voice replied. "Maybe we-"
"Wait, look. Something’s happening." Cloud cut him off.
"Just deliver it and Subject XIII here." Hojo ordered, waving the woman off like a servant. It was clear that this irritated her.
"Oh, but they’re already here. Didn’t you notice as you came in?" The woman's voce turned smug and she pressed a button on a remote. In response, the clear chamber lit up, and now Tifa could see what what inside.
There were two people in the chamber— or two humanoid monsters at least. One had fiery red hair, clawed hands and a tail, and the other with messy brown hair and similar traits. The red haired one was smaller, but it seemed to be pinning the brown haired one against the wall.
In that struggle, the brown haired one turned and Tifa saw Cloud's eyes widen. In the space of a breath, Cloud surged forward, drawing the Buster Sword from his back.
"Aerith!?" he yelled, any chance of stealth gone. While the woman looked surprised, jumping back, Hojo seemed unfazed.
"Aerith? Is that its name? Well, it hardly matters." Hojo turned his back on the intruders, looking at the other woman. "I am pleasantly surprised, Doctor Wenham. It seems you made my theory work after all."
The woman, presumably Doctor Wenham, looked at Hojo briefly with hate in her eyes, backing away from the terrorists. "That’s, that’s AVALANCHE!" She yelled, fumbling for a security alert buzzer.
In that moment, a roar of machine gun fire took everyone’s attention. Bullets hit the chamber, and alarms started going off wildly as the chamber started to flood with gas- and the door opened. Aerith's attacker launched out of the room at the scientists with a burst of strength, managing to body check Hojo and send him sprawling.
"Stop! You might hit Aerith!" Cloud shouted, grabbing Barret’s gun arm.
"What have they done to her?" Tifa gasped as she moved past Cloud, watching Aerith stumble dazedly out of the tube- and seeing the obvious changes to her. Aerith wasn't just taller and apparently sporting brown red fur in some place; there was a noticeable new addition between her legs that was hard to ignore. Embarrassed, Aerith tried in vain to cover herself even as Tifa pulled her to safety
There was no time to process any of this- the experiment chamber's elevator had sprung to life.
"Ahaha," Hojo let out a far too calm laugh, "it appears you’ve called up a very dangerous specimen. Have fun with it." He called as he backed away, making for the door.
"Damn you!" Wenham yelled at the fleeing Hojo. "Don’t you have any fail safes!?"
"…That’s a particularly vicious specimen." A female voice came from near the ground, the furred, wolflike woman pushing herself up to all fours- awkward, but more stable on her feet.
This looked to surprise both scientists, but Hojo wasn't interested in observing any more from his current position.
"It can talk?!" The other scientist shouted, shocked by the development.
"I can do more than talk, Doctor," the bestial girl growled- and Aerith, supported by Tifa, shot the scientist a death glare.
"Tsk- you'll pay for this, you freak!" she shouted before running for the same exit Hojo used and locked it behind her.
"I'll fight alongside you," the girl said as she shifted into what Tifa could see was a low battle stance. She didn't have any weapons, but Tifa could make out a materia-slotted barrette in her hair.
"Red?" Aerith looked worried for the girl, but the girl— Red— just looked determined.
"Tifa, get Aerith out of here." Cloud spoke firmly and with authority. Meanwhile Barret had yanked off his vest to throw to Tifa- something to cover Aerith with.
"Go on, get movin'! " Barret shouted, raising his machine gun at this incoming monstrosity.
"Aerith, come with me!" Tifa grabbed the other woman's arm, and despite her increased size, managed to pull her off balance and get her moving towards the elevators.
"You'd better not slow us down," Cloud muttered as he leveled his sword at Hojo's dangerous sample, putting the monstrous woman's state of undress to focus on the battle at hand.
---
It was very, very hard for Tifa not to focus on the changes to Aerith. The thin layer of fur across her skin, the new height, the new muscle…
Her very prominent… other new additions.
But she still seemed to be Aerith- the girl who she had entrusted Marlene to. A friend.
Still, the goal was to get her out of there.
"…I'll see if I can grab you something that will cover you up on our way down, but right now we have to get out of here," Tifa said as she pulled Aerith into the elevator and hit the button for the 1st floor. It was going to be a risky gambit, but leaving via the front door seemed to be the best option right now.
They had a few minutes at least before the elevator hit the lobby. Tifa knew they'd draw attention no matter what, but it would help if she could find Aerith some clothes.
"Right…" Aerith mumbled as she leaned against the wall of the glass elevator and slid down it, with nothing but her long hair and Barret's oversized vest to cover her. It was the first chance Tifa had gotten to look at her now, beyond the initial obvious changes. The dark red fur running over Aerith's body seemed to complement her brown hair nicely, and she had a build that Tifa couldn't get with years at the gym- she just didn't have the right structure for it. And then there was the biggest change that Aerith was hunched over trying to hide.
Realizing she was staring, Tifa turned away from Aerith to give her some privacy, and looked out the glass window. They still had 50 floors to go, even with the override the card had given them. It gave them time to plan.
"Can you run on your own? We're going to have to make a break for it and focus on clearing the exit and then… we'll have to hope Cloud and the rest catch up."
"Y-yeah…" Aerith's voiced sounded strained. Tifa couldn't blame her.
"What we do from there… I don't know. But we promised we'd get you home."
"Tifa…"
Tifa could see Aerith's reflection in the glass, just barely… and the other girl started to rise. Tifa turned quickly to make sure she was okay.
"Hey, don't get up, we've still got a bit, keep restin—"
The rest of Tifa's sentence was cut off by a strong hand grabbing her by the throat and slamming her against the glass wall of the elevator with force enough to crack the glass and cause a horrific, searing pain through Tifa's shoulder. Aerith's other clawed hand grabbed her left leg by the ankle and forced it upwards so that her foot nearly met her shoulder, immobilizing her.
Tifa looked up at Aerith, but she couldn't talk. Aerith's eyes were panicked- but more than that, there was need- something primal, furious, and unstoppable.
"I'm sorry… you smell too good… you're driving me crazy…" There was so much pain in Aerith's voice, but it was hard for Tifa to take it in. "I can't hold back any more…"
Tifa could barely breathe, but Aerith gave her a broken smile.
"I promise I'll make it feel as good as I can- trust me."
In an office guarded by ShinSec Grunts, Doctor Wenham rapidly cycled between fear of the consequences of losing her test subjects and rage at ShinSec's incompetence at stopping them.
But she had lost the Cetra. Unemployment was the best she could hope for. Death seemed much more likely.
And so, she sat there, waiting for her inevitable execution. When she heard the door open, terror gripped her heart. She held her breath as a man in a black suit with long black hair entered, flanked by a younger blonde woman in the same outfit.
She knew what those suits meant.
The Turks.
"Doctor Wenham." The man's voice had an edge to it that seemed sharper than any knife. "This will be a short meeting."
Wenham didn't dare speak. She had a feeling that would only limit her time on this world.
"I am here to inform you that you are officially under probation with ShinRa Electric Power Company. As part of that, you are no longer allowed free travel from the building or unauthorized travel of any form."
"…What?" That didn't make sense. Probation? Not termination?
"Professor Hojo and another board member were impressed with your work," the man said, as if he knew her question. The blonde simply glared at her. "As such, you've been given a chance to prove your worth to the company. Elena, the files."
"Here, sir." The blonde stepped forward and placed a large manilla envelope on the desk in front of Wenham, before stepping back.
"Professor Hojo has requested you handle these three projects in the next twenty four hours. Failure to do so will result in immediate termination. Am I understood?"
Wenham simply nodded, too shocked to risk opening her mouth.
"Good. We're done here."
With that, the Turks turned and left, leaving Wenham alone. Hands shaking, she reached for the envelope and opened it.
Inside were three dossiers.
Lockhart, Tifa.
Strife, Cloud.
Wallace, Barret.
And attached to the top of them was the entire brief, with Professor Hojo's stamp of approval. It was short, to the point, and contained the essence of everything that infuriated her about the man in two simple words.
'Impress me.'