FF8 Presents The Thing

Chapter 2


Raijin was with Fujin in the radio room. They were given the job of radioing the other base. Raijin was still puzzled over the whole attack. The chocobo looked quite cute! Not that Fujin seemed to care. She has been trying to contact the base. Her efforts have only yielded static.

Fujin, “ DEAD!”

Raijin, “ There has to be someone out there, ya know? Someone has to be hearing us.”

Fujin frowns as she tries again. There has been nothing for weeks. She has a feeling no one was out there to hear them. But Seifer asked them to try and try she shall.

Laguna on the other hand was anything but disturbed by the recent events. Skates on his feet, he rolls down some of the hallways like an overgrown kid. Slides ito the Rec room that holds the dead bodies.

Laguna, “ So are we back at war with Galbadian nations?”

Irvine, chewing on a long toothpicks, “ I was wondering when El Captain would shoot the crazy guy.”

Squall only gives him a stern look as he dislikes killing anyone. Knows Irvine does also. Irvine was trying to push back his unease with some teasing.

Squall, “ How long has the other station been there?”

Seifer, “ Maybe eight weeks.”

Quistis and Kiros rejoin them. Kiros has a slight limp.

Squall, “ Is that enough time for cabin fever to set it?”

Laguna, “ Maybe.... sometimes people just can’t take the pressure. In a lonely place like up here? Anything can happen. “

Irvine, “ Anyone can go crazy, partner.”

Laguna, “ Take Irvine for example. Give him a gun and he thinks he is a cowboy!”

Squall, “ How many assigned to the base?”

Seifer, “ There were six sent. That leaves four unaccounted for.”

Quistis, “ Maybe... but if these two men went crazy, they might have done the others in by now. “

Squall shrugs, “ We can’t bring the dead back.”

Quistis, “ Squall, I want to go check the base out.

Squall, “ How is the weather?”

Kiros, “ The wind is gonna be kicking some for a while.”

Squall, “ Think it’s flyable?”

Kiros, “ It will take an hour in and an hour out... Good pilot can do it.”

Irvine, “ I can fly us there.”

Selphie, “ But I wanna be pilot!”

Irvine in that suave way, “ But we got a hurt little chocobo who needs a cute lil cowgirl to take care of him. Only you fill the job, gal.”

Selphie, “ Well yeah! I need to baby him!” Hugging the chocobo.

Squall looks to Seifer, “ Think you can handle it?”

Seifer scowls at the implication he was anything but ready to do the job, “ Of course. “ Brushing some bangs back into formation of his otherwise perfect hair.

Not long afterward, Zell is using an industrial torch to help warm the engine of the chopper up. Squall, Kiros, Quistis, Irvine, and Seifer come out of the bunkers. Quistis has a medical bag with her.

Seifer, “ This is stupid... ‘

Squall, “ We need to go there. “

Seifer, “ I don’t mind risking my neck for a good reason but this is... “

Squall, “ A very good reason. There might be people needing help.”

Seifer, “ Yeah yeah.... SeeD and their bleeding hearts.”

Seifer manned the controls. Quistis decides to ride with him as his skills were sharper then Irvine's when it comes to piloting. Irvine takes the rest of them in the second chopper. The winds are indeed violent.

Selphie watches them fly off, “ Good luck , guys.”

The choppers move along the ride of ice. The ominous columns of smoke doesn’t give them much hopes of survivors. The smoke is tar black and seems to get bigger and bigger the closer the get.

The choppers set down outside the camp or what was left of it. There are debris and small fires strewn everywhere. Some of the remaining buildings are huge gaping holes in the walls.

The group get out of the shoppers to explore the base. Inside the larger building are the charred remains of a woman, a dog, and some chocobo. Strange melted goo seem to bind the bodies into a odd but fascinating grotesque sight. Something about this reminds Squall of Rinoa. He feels fear strike his heart and forces himself to look away. They move along out into the hall. Sound of static is heard. This lures them further along to another door but something seems blocking the door on the other side.

Squall, “ ... Anyone there?”

Silence is all that greets them.

Squall, “ We’re SeeDs. We just want to help you.”

Still no answer.

Seifer, “ That's it. Move aside.”

And with that Seifer gives the door some solid kicks. Seifer was actually stronger then he looks. Sound of chair and moves falling as they can now open the door. There are computers in the room with an radio in the corner. Snow has fallen in through a huge hole in the roof. There is also a man sitting infront of the radio in a chair. Quistis goes to check on him only to look away.

Caraway has line of frozen blood from his wrists a to the floor. His throat was also slashed open. The razor sits on his lap. They all turn away from this horrifying sight. Irvine turns the radio off. No need for it anymore. The door on the other side of the room is locked.

Quistis, “ What happened here? This was more mere case of cabin fever.”

Irvine, “ Wasn’t Rinoa suppose to be?”

Squall speaks softly, “ I only know she was helping her father on a project. She never told me what it was.”

Seifer, “ Hey cowgirl, help me open this door.”

Irvine, “ Name is Irvine, padre.”

The two of them bust the heavy door open. They find anther corridor with wooden steps that lead down into darkness.

Seifer, “ Who wants to go down first?”

Then something smacks Quistis in the face! They look around for an attacker. Quistis starts to giggle as she looks at a Centerfold calendar with a flashlight. This eases the tension some.

Irvine, “ I’ll protect it.... “ aka take it and look over the barely dressed girls later. “ I’ll stay behind if you cow pokes don’t mind.”

Squall, “ Good you can bag the bodies.”

Irvine pouts, “ Do I have to?”

Squall, “ Either that or come along.”

Irvine sighs, “ You are so cold. But fine.. “

The rest go down the corridor. The corridor is supported by wooden beams that have long ago started to crack from the ice it holds up. The mysterious fire also eroded its strength.

The three make their way to a steel door. Underneath it is a trapped arm holding a welding torch that long went cold. They open the door and the arm falls to the floor. It was severed clean off the owner. But yet no sign of the body. Squall is sickened by this. Quistis has to take moment to close her eyes and compose herself. Seifer refuses to let himself be sickened though deep inside he was all the same.

At the end of the passage is another room. Inside are papers that fly to wild winds coming inside through a hole. The place is in chaos. They can see it was once a laboratory. But it does have some video equipment.

Squall, “ Lets quickly get anything that looks useful. I’m going to check a few more rooms.”

Quistis was gathering the papers and file work as Seifer collected some tapes he found. Quistis also finds a small tape recorder with tapes to play. She pockets them for now. Senses something ominous behind her. Hair on her neck rises. Turns and sees.... nothing.

Seifer, “ Are you okay?” some concern in his face.

Quistis nods grateful, “ Yes, it seems all this place has me jumpy.”

Seifer can find no fault in that as he also felt on edge about this place. He might be an ass but he really did watch out for his comrades. This place was not a good for anyone to linger in.

Seifer, “ Lets just hurry up and get out of here. “

Quistis pauses to listen to the tape. Caraway’s voice making notes on something. She turns if off when she hears Squall call for them. Squall is in a small room that's more significant item is a 6 foot long block of ice. There was once a shape inside the ice but it is gone. The room also has snapshots. One is of Caraway, Rinoa, and some grunts standing next to the block of ice when it held something. Just then a one armed body comes crashing from above.

Squall seems visible shaken, “ I vote we leave now.”