TRIGGER WARNINGS (for the entire story, not just the chapter):

- Death
- Violence, blood and light gore
- Torture
- Child abuse and death 
- Animal abuse and death
- War
- Torture (implied and shown)
- Non-graphic child birth

If any of these are sensitive topics for you, please be cautious on whether or not you choose to read this story.

This story is based around the world and characters featured in Final Fantasy VII, which belongs to Square Enix. However, much of their interpretation and portrayal in this story is my own.

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Project S was going to change the course of history.

Doctor Gast slowly drummed his fingers along the thick file on his side of the table, pages upon pages of research into his magnum opus. His eyes were withered and weary from a long night of no sleep. How could he bring himself to slumber when he was so close?

He knew his health was important, for he'd not be able to work at his best without sufficient rest. But no matter how much he'd urged himself to remain in bed, seal his eyes shut, and let his mind drift away– Project S had utterly ensnared him.

His other two colleagues were sat at the table, a slim man named Professor Marcus Hojo– an ambitious scientist who rose the ranks of the Shinra Corp's science division at an alarmingly high rate– and Professor Lucrecia Crescent– a top biotechnologist with countless credentials, eager to pursue her passions in science.

They'd all seen the proof. Jenova, that strange being dragged out from frozen dirt, was an 'Ancient'- referred to as Cetra in more professional fields. Every single test had shown it to be so. And now, with backing from the Shinra corporation, they were given the funds to conduct an experiment to resurrect this extinct race through the power of genetic engineering. Construct the one who shall converse with the planet, as the Cetra once had thousands of years ago, so they may lead humanity to the so-called 'promised land'.

Gast had no right to refuse this. Whether the myth of the promised land was to be taken literally or metaphorically, the existence of someone who could speak to the planet would be invaluable to science. Yes, they'd be living under Shinra– but this was for the sake of a greater good. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, so they say.

What started as the Jenova Project had now birthed Project S.

"I'll do it," Lucrecia whispered softly.

Doctor Gast frowned, leaning forward from his chair.

"What do you mean?"

"I can offer a foetus for Project S."

Doctor Gast was silent for a few moments. It was rare for him to be shocked by something– and perhaps it was too strong a word to describe his current state– but this willingness to get one's own flesh and blood involved was certainly a surprise. He glanced at Hojo, trying to search for whatever emotion was in the beady eyes half-hidden by his dark glasses. All he saw was the grin he was all too familiar with; a mask Hojo always wore to hide his true feelings. Gast suspected, however, that the grin was not actually incongruent with the professor's thoughts.

Lucrecia reached her hand to Hojo's and intertwined her fingers with his own– he stiffened. Gast's brow twitched upwards.

"You, ah, have conceived?"

"No," Lucrecia shook her head. "But I am willing to do so for the sake of this project."

She looked back at Hojo, and Gast wondered if she was attempting to please him. 'Science is above all' was a phrase the professor liked to repeat.

"We've been together for a few months now, so there won't be the issue of searching for a father."

Hojo groaned quietly, rubbing his forehead. Gast could tell he'd not wanted her to say that; for whatever reason, he'd noticed the professor was extremely private about his personal life. All Gast knew was that Hojo was a man who ascended from the slums when all the odds were against him, that his fascination with science was all-consuming, and that he did not like to interact too personally with others– it seems Lucrecia became an exception to that.

"I see," Gast offered the couple a polite smile, noting that Hojo's cheeks had flushed a light shade of red. "I admire your dedication, Professor Lucrecia, but you must understand– this is an experiment. We have been commissioned by Shinra to do this on their terms. You are a brilliant scientist, there is no doubt of it– but we have access to willing donors already, so I've heard."

He sighed.

"I fear you cannot afford to get attached to the subject. Regardless of who their parents shall be, they are Project S. Donors may have compelling motives to give up their child, perhaps a need for money or such. But you , Lucrecia, you are truly willing to give your own offspring to this experiment for the sake of... what, exactly?"

"Science," Hojo interrupted.

Lucrecia had been about to answer the question, but her partner (my, Doctor Gast would have to get used to this development) already knew what to say. She shut her mouth and looked down at her feet, nodding in agreement.

"Is that not motive enough, my boy?" he cackled.

"Doctor  Gast," the older scientist corrected, a soft sigh huffed from his nostrils.

"Yes, Doctor Gast, my apologies," Hojo cackled. "But surely, it's understandable why one may be willing to make sacrifices for the sake of something that is truly greater– and not some fleeting materialistic need."

Professor Hojo leaned back on his chair, the unsettling (yet strangely charismatic) crooked grin spreading across his pallid face.

"Besides, I frankly believe it is more logical for Project S to be the offspring of two great scientists than the spawn of some wretched derelict from the slums. It would be more likely to carry above-average cognitive capabilities, and I have no doubt Shinra will find that useful."

Gast wondered for a moment why Hojo always seemed to hold such bitterness for the people of the slums, when they hailed from the very place that he'd arisen from. And he most certainly did not like the tone with which the professor spoke regarding these people in an unfortunate situation. He of anyone should understand that greatness could come from anywhere, considering his own roots.

But the doctor did not express his distaste for Hojo's words. He remained stoic, pushing his delicate glasses up his nose and scratching his moustache.

"I see..." he murmured in a quiet voice. "Professor Lucrecia, you understand what this procedure would involve, correct? Jenova's genetic samples will be injected into Project S while they are still in your womb. There may be unforeseen side effects, perhaps even a risk of death."

Doctor Gast bit his lip. He knew he could not allow personal opinions to get in the way of this experiment, but he could not help but hope that, somehow, he could change Lucrecia's mind about this. She was one of the best scientists he knew, a wonderful and passionate character– he knew such a sacrifice could break that, even if she refused to see it so.

"I am aware of the risks," she nodded, eyes hardened with sincerity. "This is what I wish for. I, of my own free volition, consent to all necessary procedures for the sake of Project S."

"Now, now, let's not be so hasty," Hojo chuckled, his hand squeezing hers back. "There is still a process of approval we must go through, petty paperwork and evaluations. But I have no doubt you, my dear, shall have the honour of conceiving Project S."

His grin widened, almost looking like it was splitting his face in two.

"And I am sure we can all agree it shall be our greatest achievement yet."

The doctor sighed and forced himself to smile. Was he allowing personal feelings to cloud his judgement? He knew that, without a doubt, he'd not be so hesitant were the conceiver a woman he did not know, some 'derelict of the slums' as Hojo had so eloquently put it. It was just that Lucrecia had potential, real potential– and the idea of something going wrong and impacting her prospectives as a biotechnologist was one he despised to consider. Her ambitions were admirable, in many ways she reminded him of himself. But to give up one's own child to science, for the sake of ambition and ambition alone... he could not help but question if she had truly assessed the risks of an emotional attachment.

Well. Who was he to stand in the way of such dedication?

"Doctor," Lucrecia called to him in a soft voice. "It will be all right. Just think, in a little over nine months, we shall have a human-cetra hybrid. The project will be a success. The specimen will, eventually, give us– and Shinra– all the knowledge one could ever crave. Just think of it, Doctor Gast– to communicate with the planet Gaia itself. It could speak of things we've never even dreamed of!"

Doctor Gast smiled at the professor's words. And for just a moment, he caught one on Hojo too– not one of his plastered sneers, but a genuine smile; the corners of his lips quirked up into a little beam. How strange it was, to see such an expression on Professor Hojo– even if it only lasted a split second.

"We all know Shinra seeks monetary gain," Professor Hojo spoke, the lens of his glasses reflecting both of his colleagues. "Endless resources in the promised land; such a single-minded endeavour. They fail to see the value that knowledge itself can bring."

"They are blind to it," Doctor Gast muttered. "But it matters not. We are the ones leading this project. Though Shinra has its own interests, it is not incongruent with our wish for knowledge. So, Professor Hojo, Professor Lucrecia."

The doctor stood up, acknowledging them both with a respectful nod.

"We will make sure that Project S will change the world forever."