* Suited walker: ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ Phew!
* Kneeler: Is it just me or does the Conference Room smell? There's some sort of stench coming from somewhere...
* Secretary: Whew, I'm so sick of carrying all these files... But I get to meet lots of guys. I guess that's the benefit of being a secretary!
* Leftmost man: Hey, when you're in the bathroom, do you ever hear whispers coming from somewhere?
* Next man: They're having another executive meeting. I wonder if it's about that Plate incident.
* Man near bathroom: It gives me the feeling that I AM alive. The feeling of moving this world, just with my hands.
* Woman: Come on, we're building the future of Mako!
Toilet cubicle
* Toilet
* Flush?
He flushes the toilet.
* Get out of here
* Climb up?
He climbs onto the toilet, and leaps up to the vent.
Air vent duct
* Other vent
The party looks through the vent and sees the Conference Room.
Barret: Geez--! That's a lotta suits!
Reeve: We have the damage estimates for Sector 7. Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the damage is estimated at approximately 10 Billion gil...
Conference Room
Reeve: The estimated cost to rebuild Sector 7 is...
President Shinra: We're not rebuilding.
Reeve: What?
President Shinra: We're leaving Sector 7 as it is. And restarting the Neo=Midgar plan.
Reeve: ...then the Ancients?
President Shinra: The Promised Land will soon be ours.
President Shinra: I want you to raise the Mako rates 15% in every area.
Palmer: Rate hike! Rate hike! Tra, la, la! And please include our Space Program in the budget!
President Shinra: Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase.
Palmer: Oh man!
Vent
Reeve: Sir. If you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence...
President Shinra: It'll be all right. The ignorant citizens won't lose confidence, they'll trust Shinra, Inc, even more.
Heidegger: Ha ha ha! After all, we're the ones who saved Sector 7 from AVALANCHE!
Barret: That dirty #$*$^
Conference Room
Hojo enters.
President Shinra: Hojo. How's the girl?
Hojo: As a specimen, she is inferior to her mother. I'm still in the process of comparing her to her mother, Ifalna, but for now the difference is 18%
President Shinra: How long will the research take?
Hojo: Probably 120 years. It's probably impossible to finish in our lifetime. Or in the lifetime of the specimen too, for that matter.
Hojo: That's why we're thinking of breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand our research for a long time.
President Shinra: What about the Promised Land? Won't it hinder our plans?
Hojo (thinks): That's what I need to plan. The mother is strong... and yet has her weaknesses.
He laughs.
Vent
President Shinra: That concludes our meeting.
They all start leaving. Scarlet looks up at the vent.
Scarlet: Something stinks...
She leaves.
Cloud: They were talking about Aerith... right?
Barret: I dunno.
Tifa: Probably.
Cloud: Let's follow 'em.
Floor 66
* Next man: Sittin' here facing the monitor... day in, day out... I kinda feel... ...forced... into doing it. And I just don't have any motivation.
* Follow Hojo
Cloud hides around the corner.
Cloud: Hojo... huh...?
Floor 67
The party follows Hojo up the stairs, and he leaves the door open.
Barret: I remember him.
Barret: That Hojo guy. He's in charge of the Shinra's Science Department. Cloud, don't you know him?
Cloud (shakes): This is the first time I've actually ever seen him. So... that's what he looks like...
* Lone man: Let's see... The specimen Hojo asked me for is...
* Follow Hojo
Cloud hides. A suited man walks in.
Man: Is this today's specimen?
Hojo: Yes. We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level.
The man leaves. Hojo taps on the glass wall of the enclosure.
Hojo: My precious specimen...
He leaves. The party comes out of hiding.
Tifa (taps the glass): Precious specimen...?
Tifa: Is it going to be used for a biological experiment?
Cloud has a look in the metal container.
Cloud: Jenova...
We see a headless thing from Cloud's point of view.
Cloud steps back, and collapses. Tifa runs over to him as he stands. He falls back, and she catches him.
Cloud: Jenova... Sephiroth's... So... they've brought it here.
Tifa: Cloud, be strong!
Cloud: Did you see it?
Barret: See what?
Cloud: It's moving... ...still alive?
Barret takes a look.
Barret: Where's its $#&*&@ head? This whole thing's stupid. Let's keep goin'.
Floor 68
Cloud: Aerith!
Hojo: Aerith? Oh, is that her name? What do you want?
Cloud: We're taking Aerith back.
Hojo: Outsiders......
Barret: Shoulda noticed it earlier, you...
Hojo: There's so many frivolous things in this world.
Barret aims at him.
Hojo: Are you going to kill me? I don't think you should. The equipment here is extremely delicate. Without me, who could operate it? Hmm?
Cloud: Ugh.
Hojo: That's right. I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves.
He turns to the control room.
Now, bring in the specimen!
Aerith stirs in the tube. A lion-like creature rises through a hole in the floor. Aerith panics and runs around as the creature growls at her. Aerith bangs on the glass to Cloud.
Aerith: Cloud, help!
Cloud: What do you think you're doin'?
Hojo: Lending a helping hand to an endangered species... Both of them are on the brink of extinction...
Hojo: If I don't help, all these animals will disappear.
Tifa: ...animal? That's terrible! Aerith is a human being!
Barret: You're gonna pay!
Cloud: Barret! Can't you do anything?
Barret: Awright!! Step back!
Hojo: Stop!!
Barret opens fire on the chamber, and it begins to glow. Cloud and Barret react. Hojo runs over to the door.
Hojo: Wh... what are you do-- Oh! My precious specimens...
He looks closer. The animal leaps out of the chamber and pins Hojo to the floor.
Cloud: Now's our chance to get Aerith!
He runs in. After a while...
Aerith: Thanks, Cloud.
She gets out of the enclosure.
Tifa: Cloud... what's wrong?
Cloud: ...The elevator is moving.
Hojo: This is no ordinary specimen. This is a very ferocious specimen!
The creature looks at the party.
He's rather strong. I'll help you all out.
Tifa: It talked!?
I'll talk as much as you want later, Miss.
Cloud comes out.
Cloud: We'll take care of that monster. Somebody take Aerith somewhere safe...
* Tifa, I'm countin' on you! / Barret, take care of her!
Aerith leaves with the chosen character.
Cloud: What's your name?
Red XIII: Hojo has named me, Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish.
Cloud (turns toward chamber): Come on!
Battle H0512
Cloud: Aerith, are you all right?
Tifa: She seems all right, ...in many ways.
Red XIII: I have a right to choose, too. I don't like two-legged things.
Barret: What are you?
Red XIII: An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see.
Red XIII: ...You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way.
Aerith: Cloud... so you did come for me.
Red XIII leaps the rail to Aerith. She backs away.
Red XIII: I apologise for what happened back there. I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard.
Note: apologiSe. Is this a transcriptional error on my behalf, or does Red XIII have an accent?
Barret: Now we've saved Aerith, ain't no need to be in this buildin'! So let's get the hell outta here!
Cloud: If all five of us go together, we'll be noticed. Let's break up in two groups.
Press the (MENU) button to access the Menu.
Press the (CANCEL) button for Change Party.
Press the (OK) button when finished.
The two rejected characters:
Barret: Later! Meet up at the 66th Floor Elevator! (leaves)
Red XIII: Don't be late. Do you know where the Elevator is? The 66th Floor! (leaves)
Aerith: I'll see you later! We'll be waiting at the 66th Floor Elevator. (leaves)
Tifa: We'll be going first! Meet at the 66th Floor Elevator. (leaves)
* Control room man: No! Please don't kill me. I only did what Hojo told me to do. To prove it to you... here, this is the key card to the 68th Floor. Would I be doing this if I was the enemy? <Keycard 68> (legs it)
Floor 69
[
Tifa: Where are you going? Everyone's waiting for us at the 66th Floor Elevator.
Barret: Where you goin'? Everyone's waitin' at the 66th Floor Elevator.
]
What if the party is Red and Aerith?
Any lift
Rude enters.
Cloud: H, hey! What is it?
He points up.
Rude: Would you press 'Up' please?
Cloud: Turks! Must be a trap...
Tseng enters.
Tseng: This must've been a real thrill for you... Did you enjoy it?
Cloud: Ggh...
Floor 70
Rude, Tifa, Cloud, Barret, Red XIII, and Tseng enter and stand in front of President Shinra. Half of them have their hands cuffed behind their backs.
Cloud (looks around): They got you, too?
Cloud: Where is Aerith!?
President Shinra: In a safe place. (stands)
President Shinra: She's the last surviving Ancient... (starts pacing, shrugs)
President Shinra: Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history.
Red XIII: Cetra... that girl is a survivor of the Cetra?
President Shinra: Cetra, or the Ancients, will show us the way to the 'Promised Land'. I'm expecting a lot out of her.
Red XIII: The Promised Land? Isn't that just a legend?
President Shinra: Even so, it's far too appealing not to pursue. It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile. ...If the land is fertile...
Barret: then there's gotta be Mako!
President Shinra: Exactly. That is why our money-making Mako Reactor is necessary. The abundant Mako will flow out on its own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built. Shinra's new glory...
Barret (struggles): @$#*^%! Quit dreamin'!
President Shinra: Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power.
President Shinra: Well, that is all for out meeting.
Rude: Come on! Outta his way!
Cloud, Tifa, and Red XIII leave. Barret puts up a struggle.
Barret: Hold it! I got a lot to say to you!
Rude drags him away.
President Shinra: If there's anything else... talk to my secretary.
