Heidegger waited until Sephiroth had shut the doors before moving, and his first movement was to sag in relief. "At least he still follows orders," he said to no one in particular.
When he could, he turned and left the gymnasium the way he had come in. On his way out, he took a slightly crinkled piece of long, thin yellow paper out from beneath his left breast pocket, crumpled it up into as small a ball as he could manage and stuffed it into the trash bin just outside the locker room doors across from the gymnasium entrance.
His chronocomm beeped loudly into the quiet hallway, prompting a startled yelp from him. Flipping the chrono plate open, Heidegger found himself looking into a familiar face.
A thin voice, made thinner by the cheap speaker set into the wristband, issued from the face. "Report," it said only.
"I was successful," said Heidegger, wiping at the sweat sheening his brow and trying to slow his heart rate before he fainted.
"Where is he now?"
He dabbed at moisture leaking into his mustache. "Out. I sent him running."
"Excellent. Come upstairs." The face blinked out.
Heidegger snapped the chronocomm plate shut; then, after availing himself of the closest bathroom to relieve the pressure that had built up in his bladder while talking to the tall boy, waddled into an elevator and pressed the topmost button.
Interdepartmental Message -- Personnel Use Only
To: Major General Heidegger,
Military Operations Division, Main Bldg.
From: Doctor Mjarlene T. Lundsky,
Research Dept., Main Bldg.
Re: SOLDIER Trainee Sephiroth
Comments:
At approximately 1546 hours this afternoon, Trainee Sephiroth apparently became upset with the testing methods being employed to measure his capabilities and left Room 38-15 in the Eastern Research Wing abruptly. I managed to catch up with him and attempted to ascertain what had provoked his sudden departure, whereupon he stated, in no uncertain terms, that he thought the tests were a waste of his time and efforts; and I quote, "that I could have done all these nice little tasks when I was three". There is understandably some cause for concern over this, since everything depends upon his cooperation with the research teams. The data we have been collecting upon the pioneer subject of the Jenova Project has been invaluable to us thus far; further acts of cooperation on Trainee Sephiroth's part are absolutely necessary for the research to continue.
Having watched him grow up from infanthood to the young man he is now, I must admit to feeling somewhat responsible for him. He appears to resent all the tests he is subjected to; I am under the impression that they only serve to emphasize to him just how different he is from other trainees his age, and this may be one source of his resentment. To be honest, most of us who have watched him develop up to this point aren't quite certain how to react to him; he pushes away anyone who attempts to sympathize or otherwise comfort him, says even less when merely treated in a clinical fashion, or lashes out at the nearest inanimate object at random when praised. Myself, I can't help but feel guilty when I wonder whether being in a lab for most of his life has had something to do with these quirks in his personality; after spending as much time as I've had around him, I have to admit feeling somewhat motherly towards Sephiroth, and I would like to do nothing but help him understand himself better without breaking any departmental laws of project confidentiality. However, any attempt either I or my colleagues have made has been rebuffed, much to our collective frustration; and so it comes down to you, as he appears to have more respect for a uniform rather than a lab coat.
Please contact me ASAP at extension 351587 to discuss this matter. I have some ideas that I feel may work and require your input, since his martial training falls within your jurisdiction, and, unfortunately, there is little we can do ourselves at this point; even less should we lose control over him. Thank you for your prompt attention.
- Dr. M. Lundsky
