The Cry of the Planet Chapter 5
President Shinra
By Edyn Cross
The President of the Shinra Electric Power Company sat at his large U-shaped desk in his executive office on the seventieth floor looking over the latest Mako energy sales and production reports. The sale of Mako energy to the public had hit an all time high and President Shinra figured that the few coal energy production companies left would soon be out of subscribing customers. Mako energy was mined from underground rivers straight from the Planet and gave off as much pollution as coal, but produced energy a much more efficient rate. The fact that Shinra Inc. owned the only patented Mako Reactor design, made the company into a corporate giant nearly monopolizing the world's power industry. President Shinra didn't care how the Mako got under the surface in the first place; all he cared was that it had made him over sixteen billion Gil last year alone.
President Shinra stood 5'6" and had a stout build and a receding hairline that didn't put him in the covers of any romance novels. On the other hand, to a pretty young female "opportunist," he looked as good as gold. He was in his mid twenties and had bright blonde hair, which accented his stunningly blue eyes and could have possibly been attractive if years of early age smoking hadn't left his face wrinkled and haggard. When it came to Shinra's lifestyle, his income allowed him to spare no expense. He was always dressed in the top of the line fitted suits, mostly maroon as that was his preferred color, his hair sleekly gelled back, and his cigar almost always dancing from his right hand to his mouth.
No smoking was allowed at Shinra Inc. Headquarters, but there is always one exception. The security guards now knew better then to look twice at the President while he is enjoying one of his cigars considering previous events. One former security guard who confronted the President about it not knowing who he was, asked him polity to extinguish the cigar or take it outside. In a furious rage, President Shinra flicked the lit cigar in the security guard's face and fired him on the spot without giving the guard a chance to retrieve his personal items from his locker. Needless to say, the security guard has yet to be able to find another job as he well knew how much weight a firing from Shinra Inc. held on his resume.
President Shinra took one last puff of his cigar before snuffing it out in his ashtray, then slid the Mako sales and production report into the shredder under his desk. He then picked up a memo from his "IN" basket, examined it and rolled his eyes. Yet another request from Palmer, the overzealous head of the Space Program, requesting more funds to get the Space project into high gear. Like Palmer's previous requests, President Shinra slipped the memo into the shredder without a second thought. As he was taking another memo from his "IN" box, President Shinra's phone beeped and his personal assistant's voice came shrieking through the speaker.
"Mr. President? I have Professor Gast on hold for you." She announced.
"Put him through," Shinra said leaning back in his chair.
There were a few beeps and a clicking noise before Gast's distorted voice came though. "President Shinra! How are you doing today?"
Shinra skipped the pleasantries, "What have you found in the Crater, Professor?"
Gast's voice broke in and out of the waves of static from calling form the Crater surface, "Well, President, after placing the creature's genetic material through the computer," Gast paused, baiting the President, "as of four thirteen yesterday afternoon, the life form is a confirmed Ancient."
President Shinra quickly stood up from his chair in excitement, "Excellent! What… Does it look like, Professor?"
"Female in gender, the body itself seems to be just as fragile as any human's, but much taller, almost fifteen feet," Gast thought a moment. "With that in mind, I'm requesting that further research take place in another Shinra lab outside of the Headquarters, as the laboratory there is much too small."
"Hmm…" Shinra paused in thought. "What about the one in Junon? Will that do, Professor?"
"No," Gast replied simply. "That laboratory has the width, but not the height. Plus trying to get the Ancient transported there unnoticed would be quite a task."
"Yes, you're right." The President rubbed his chin. "Alright, I think I have your laboratory. I own a mansion in the small town of Nibelheim on the western continent. I had a relative staying there some time ago, but he died a few years back and the mansion has been vacant ever since. I'll have some of my men set up a lab for you and your scientists in the basement and we'll keep the Ancient stored in the Mako Reactor just north in the mountains. The Ancient will be safe there as no unauthorized personnel are allowed in the Reactors. How does that sound, Professor."
Gast thought for a moment, but a moment was all he needed. "That sounds perfect! When will a team be sent up to retrieve the Ancient?"
"I'll be dispatching one as soon as we get off the phone, Professor." President Shinra opened a small wooden box on his desk and took out a cigar. "In the meantime, I want you back to Midgar as soon as possible to prepare for your departure to Nibelheim. You'll be staying there with your research for quite some time, so pack everything you will need from home and your laboratory. Take with you also your best-trusted scientists to aid you with your research and I will be assigning a personal escort who will keep you and your people safe. A member of the Turks, more likely than not."
Gast rubbed his eyes with his first finger and thumb, "Turks? But, President, they…"
Shinra cut him off, "I've made my decision, Professor. I'll be expecting your arrival back in Midgar by tomorrow. If there's anything else, speak to my secretary."
The President disconnected his line and thought about whom he would want to send to Nibelheim to keep his scientists well protected and dialed his assistant.
"Yes, President?" She asked.
"Bring in the file containing all the profiles of each member of the Turks right away." He said lighting his cigar.
"Yes, President." She complied.
Less than a minute later, the assistant quickly walked into the room carrying four file folders with a photo paperclipped to the front of each one. She set them down on his desk and left as quickly as she came.
Shinra looked through each Turk's profile thoughtfully before making his decision on which one to send. He looked over one file and smiled widely as he made his decision just by looking at the Turk's picture. The picture paperclipped to the front of the file was of a tall man with a narrow face and black hair cut around the bottom of his cheeks. He put file on top of the others and pulled the picture from the paperclip, set it to his left, then placing the Turk's performance history to his right. Utterly flawless was this man's performance as he had a reputation of getting things done quickly and getting them done right. He read Turk's statistics, while enjoying his cigar.
Birthdate: October 13th
Age: 27
Height: 6'
Weight: 180lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Preferred weapon: Gun
Years with Shinra Inc.: 6
Years with Turks: 6
President Shinra read the last two lines with a smile remembering the Turk's hiring date. He had only met the man once, but that one time was enough to remember him… And the President didn't care to remember a lot of people. He was the only one who had been hired into the Turks without being a previous employee somewhere else in the company. He came highly recommended by Heidegger, who the Turks report to, and made quite the impression with President Shinra.
President Shinra puffed his cigar and dialed his assistant again.
"Yes, President?" She asked typing quickly on her computer.
Shinra gave his assistant the name and location where she could get a hold of the Turk that he chosen and told her that he wanted the Turk in his office first thing tomorrow morning. After he hung up, he smiled remembering back to the Turk's final interview six years ago in this same office. When Shinra asked the man one of the routine questions on the hiring interview, the response he got pleased him to no end.
"If you were hired, and requested by any executive board member of Shinra…" The question had read, "Would you carry out assignments which include acts of espionage, deception, lies, violence, and murder?"
The interviewee looked President Shinra in the eye and replied with a simple, "Yes."
President Shinra cocked an eyebrow, "Explain why."
With no expression, the man replied, "Because it's my job."
And with that, Vincent Valentine had secured his position in Shinra Inc. as a member of the Turks.