Chapter 17: Shinra No. 26

"So, what’s the move? We just gonna keep patrolling until the rocket launches?"

"There’s a chance it’s already been tampered with," I replied. "I want to talk to the head of maintenance."

I looked up at the massive rocket while coordinating with Cid. Someone might try to sabotage it soon, but the damage could already be done. If we wanted this launch to go off without a hitch, we needed the lead mechanic’s perspective.

"Technically, that lard-butt over there is the one in charge, but he’s useless," Cid scoffed. "He’s just a name on a piece of paper thanks to the budget cuts. He doesn't actually touch the hardware."

"Uhyohyo! It was a real struggle just to scrape this crew together, you know!"

"Y-you’ve been running things that haphazardly...?" 

"Well, you might not realize it since you were busy tinkering with machines in Scarlet’s Advanced Weaponry Division, but we don’t have the budget to manage or retain engineers like they do."

"Yeah, rocket development is nothing but a money pit," Cid added. "Everything’s single-use; nothing can be recycled. Maybe those Mako Reactors they’re always bragging about are 'eco-friendly' or whatever, but rockets? They just add more junk to the cosmos."

It was true. As Shinra poured its resources into building Mako Reactors, the budget for the Space Development Division was slashed year after year. I’d seen the numbers in the financial reports, but hearing it from the people on the ground hit differently.

"Then who is the technician most familiar with the Shinra No. 26?" I asked.

"Oh! That’d be Shera," Cid barked. "She’s slow as molasses, but her maintenance skills are top-notch."

Cid shouted for a nearby staff member and asked where Shera was.

"Shera? I think she went to check on the oxygen tanks," the staffer replied.

"By herself? Then she’s probably still there."

Cid grumbled about her being "good but painfully slow," but the staffer's next comment gave us both a bad feeling.

"Actually, a few temporary helpers went over there to assist her..."

"When was this?! And how many of 'em?!" Cid demanded, cornering the man.

"J-just a moment ago! Two men!"

"Follow me, Cloud!"

Cid took off, and I bolted right after him.

"Is 'temporary help' even a thing here?" I asked as we ran.

"Hell no! These days, everyone’s been pulled away to work on Mako Reactor construction. There's nobody left for the rocket."

"What does Shera look like?"

"Glasses and a lab coat! She’s a klutz, and she wears that coat instead of a jumpsuit even during maintenance, so you can't miss her. Besides, she likes working solo. Nobody else usually bothers to help her."

We sprinted up through the rocket’s interior. I stayed right on Cid's heels. I could have overtaken him, but since I didn't know the layout, I just kept my hand on the hilt of the Buster Sword, ready for anything.

"Hey! Don't go swinging that thing in here! If you hit an oxygen tank, the whole place goes up! You gotta take 'em down with your fists—no Materia, no weapons!"

"Tch. And if they’re armed?"

"They probably aren't carrying anything obvious. If they’re posing as temp staff, they’re likely hiding a small blade or maybe some Materia at most."

"Understood. Cid, pretend you don't notice anything and draw their attention. In the meantime, I’ll..."

"I’m telling you, this is a problem! These oxygen tanks are vital for burning the fuel during launch. If anything goes wrong..."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. But we're in a hurry too, lady."

"Hey! Shera, you in here?"

I opened the door and called out to her, trying to keep my voice as casual as possible. Two young men were standing near her. Their clothes matched the rest of the crew, but I didn't recognize their faces.

"Ah, Captain!"

Damn it. There are terrorists right next to her, and she’s looking relieved just because she sees a familiar face. If they took her hostage—or worse—I’d never hear the end of it. She clearly wasn't happy about letting these guys handle the maintenance. No matter how much Cid or anyone else told her a part was "good enough," she wouldn't stop until she was personally satisfied.

"That idiot Palmer is here for once and says he wants to ask you something. It won't take long, so come with me."

"Executive Palmer? That is rare. But Captain, listen! I appreciate the help, but maintenance on the rocket requires experienced technicians..."

"Quit complaining and just get over here!"

"Alright..."

Reluctantly, she started walking toward me.

"I don't recognize you two. Which department sent you as backup?" Cid asked.

"Sir! We’re from..."

Good. They hadn't realized we were onto them yet. Now that Shera was behind me, I could act as a shield if things went south. While the terrorists desperately rattled off whatever cover story they had memorized, the "merc" had moved into position.

Alright. Time to wait for the signal...

"Gwah!"

"Wha—?!"

One of the terrorists was suddenly struck from behind. The other moron, who had been too busy talking to me, spun around—and I delivered a crushing kick right to his groin. He took the hit to his vitals, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the spot.

"Hmph. Got some nerve trying to mess with my rocket," 

"I’m supposed to hand them over to the Turks for interrogation later, so try not to hit them anymore," 

I was surprised he noticed I was about to go for a few more rounds. I’d heard he was the bodyguard and secretary for the Head of the Advanced Weaponry Division, but he was surprisingly observant. He didn't seem like he was doing this for a promotion; he just seemed like a genuinely meddlesome, good-natured guy.

"Fine, fine. You helped out, so I’ll let 'em off with one good punch. Happy?"

"Fine. It's better not to cause a scene and provoke the AVALANCHE faction working with Sephiroth. I’ll keep them detained inside the rocket for now."

"Then let me get one hit in on that other guy as 'rent' for using my space."

"If it’s an order from the Captain, I can’t argue. Do what you want."

"Heh, I like you. You're quick on the uptake."

I punched the first terrorist square in the face and then turned back to Shera. Her previous look of annoyance had vanished, replaced by a worried gaze as she looked at me.

"C-Captain!? What is going on...?"

"These guys are AVALANCHE members posing as backup staff. Even if you’re buried in rocket tech and cut off from the world, you’ve heard the name, right?"

"They are an anti-Shinra insurgent group," I explained. "We believe they infiltrated to target the launch of the Shinra No. 26. Shera, did they do anything suspicious?"

"Yes! They were trying to mess with the oxygen tanks when I wasn't looking. That's why I was arguing with them."

"I see. If they messed with this, they might have touched other things. Looks like we’re starting the maintenance over from scratch."

"Understood! Since they were so fixated on these tanks, I’ll start my re-inspection right here!"

If our regular crew had done the work, I’d trust it, but with AVALANCHE involved, we had to check everything. I wasn't sure if we’d make the launch window. Cid had already mouthed off on TV about needing a bigger budget; if we failed now, he’d just be giving the President an excuse to cut funding even further.

"Huff... puff... hey! You two... ran off so fast... leaving me behind..."

The door swung open, and Cloud and I instinctively tensed up, but it was just the "fatty" gasping for air. Why the hell did he follow us?

"Yo, Fatty Palmer. Surprised you could actually run this far."

"W-well, the President and Vice President are being targeted, and AVALANCHE infiltrated the rocket area! I was afraid I’d be targeted too! But Cid-chan and Cloud-kun just ran off... and Sephiroth disappeared too!"

"Idiot. Nobody’s targeting you. We already caught the infiltrators over here."

"Uhyohyo! As expected of Cid-chan!"

Well, even a guy like him knows more about machinery than a rookie. Since he usually does nothing, I might as well make him work for once.

"Alright, Palmer! We’re re-doing the entire inspection of the rocket. You’re helping!"

"Eeeeh~? I just finished running! I can't possibly work now~"

"Shut up! We're out of time, so I’ll take help even from a lazy Executive. Hey, does anyone have any sweets?"

"Oh, I have some monaka left over from the ceremony guests..." Shera offered.

"Perfect. If you want this, get those hands moving!"

As soon as I took control of the snacks, Palmer stopped whining. He grabbed Shera’s tools and began inspecting the nearest components.

"Cloud, you help too! If you were in Advanced Weaponry, you should be a pro at maintenance."

"I’m already on this ship—or rather, this rocket. I’ll help until the end."

"That’s what I like to hear! I’m gonna go give orders to the rest of the crew."

I had to get things moving. I didn't know if Sephiroth was done with his business yet, so I couldn't use the radio. I had to personally check on the other areas. I ran through the rocket, shouting orders to the maintenance teams I passed before sprinting to the next spot. Even for a guy with my stamina, sprinting back and forth in these cramped corridors was exhausting.

Maybe I should cut back on the cigarettes...

"I knew it. No matter how many times I check, Oxygen Tank No. 8 isn't giving the right reading."

"That might be where they tampered with it. Do you need anything?"

I was working closely with Shera to re-inspect every inch of the rocket where AVALANCHE had been. We finally found an anomaly in the tanks that supplied oxygen for the launch.

"Can you hold the light for me? Executive Palmer, can I borrow that ratchet?"

"Uhyohyo! The offset one? Here you go."

Shera reached into a cramped space filled with parts and checked the interior.

"Just as I thought. A component was intentionally loosened. It would have failed under the vibration of the launch."

It seemed AVALANCHE wasn't trying to use explosives; they wanted to stop the launch through "mechanical failure." Usually, for a group that wants to broadcast their message to the world, a bomb is a much louder way to make a statement.

"Why would AVALANCHE stop at just removing a part?" I wondered. "An explosive would be easier, and a failure blamed on 'poor maintenance' doesn't exactly scream 'terrorist message' to the public..."

"Uhyohyo~ maybe they realized bringing in explosives wasn't realistic~?" Palmer suggested, wiping sweat from his brow while unwrapping a piece of candy. I have no idea where he was hiding that...

"Do you know the statistics for AVALANCHE attacks? Most of them are raids by enhanced soldiers. Actual bombings are rare. Specifically, they almost never succeed in smuggling bombs into high-security facilities."

"Is that so? I didn't know the specifics of their tactics," Shera admitted.

"Shera-chan, you’re an employee! You should watch the Shinra News occasionally... It’s because we know exactly what size and mechanism those bomb units use. They get caught immediately during inspection. We have metal detectors, of course, but lately, the Science Department has been using 'doggies' that can sniff out explosives."

"I had no idea! So those military dogs I see sometimes have that job too?"

Apparently, the idea of using the sense of smell of existing Guard Hounds to detect explosives was proposed by the Science Department after the war with Wutai. It was a counter-terrorism measure requested by Vice President Rufus.

That was all well and good, but...

"Uhyo! I forgot! Heidegger-kun told me to keep that a secret until they were ready to announce it. Don't tell anyone, you two!"

Palmer reluctantly handed me a piece of candy. I suppose that was my "hush money."