Filed Under: Final Fantasy VII: Before Crisis

0001/2/30

3:30 p.m.

Junon

[NARRATION: AVALANCHE had seized the Mako cannon and aimed it at Midgar and the Shin-Ra company headquarters in particular. They hoped that by destroying Midgar, they could send a clear message to the company. The battle between AVALANCHE and the Shin-Ra company has escalated even further, it seems…]

[Reno, leading a complement of Junon army soldiers stops in the middle of the street. He whistles lowly.]

Reno

Will you look at that.

[Across from Reno and his squad, a large company of AVALANCHE members blocks the road. They far outnumber Reno’s squad.]

Reno

Are you guys ready for this? We’re going to break our way through that blockade.

AVALANCHE

Don’t let anyone get through here. We’re going to keep this road blocked off until the Mako cannon is fired.

Reno

All right, guys. Listen up: if that cannon goes off, it’s goodbye Midgar. That’s why we’re going to do everything we can to get that cannon back!

AVALANCHE

Victory lies ahead of us! Move out! Down with the Shin-Ra!

[The AVALANCHE troops run at Reno and his squad.]

Reno

(Drawling) Alllll right. We’re going in! Charge!

[Cut scene to an underground tunnel. You call Tseng to give him an update.]

Player

I’ve reached the underground pathway, sir.

Tseng

All right. I’ll explain the situation to you. AVALANCHE has shot the President. They’ve also managed to seize the Mako cannon. That’s why we’ve moved security from A to S level.

Player

Shin-Ra’s emergency failsafe security system.

Tseng

That’s right. Of course we’ve also moved the cannon’s security system to the highest level, effectively shutting them out from the system.

Player

That’s encouraging.

Tseng

Veld is with the President right now. He’s going to be coordinating our movements from there so that we can move quickly to get the situation here under control. I’ll be relaying your instructions to you in the meantime.

Player

I understand. What should I do?

Tseng

Reno’s cohort is heading for the cannon. Rosalind, I want you to head for the cannon’s control room from using the underground passage. You’re going to finalize the lockdown sequence for the cannon from there.

Player

Yes, sir. I’ll stop the cannon from firing.

[You are now given control. You make your way through the underground passage. Halfway there, you hear a scream.]

Player

?!

[You enter a large room. The bodies of AVALANCHE operatives are littered about the floor. Three bulky green security robots are at the back of the room, on standby.]

Player

?! This is the security system that Tseng was talking about, huh?

[You make your way to the centre of the room and have a look around. You spot the robots.]

Player

And these are the security robots. (Thought) They’re bigger than I imagined. There’s no way anybody can get through something like this.

Security System

Intruder detected.

Player

?!

[Red lights begin flashing.]

Security System

Elimination subroutine activated.

Player

What?! What’s going on?!

[FIGHT: Proto Golem [x3]]

Player

(In fight thought) Something’s not right! They’re trying to eliminate me, too. I don’t have a choice. 

[A door at the end of the room opens with a loud noise.]

Player

(Thought) Why?! The security robots should be able to distinguish between Shin-Ra employees and intruders.

[Your PHS goes off.]

Tseng

Rosalind, are you all right?

Player

Yes, I’m fine. But it looks as if the security robots are malfunctioning.

Tseng

Calm down and listen to me carefully, Rosalind. The emergency failsafe security program has been activated to the highest level.

Player

(Thought) I guess that explains it.

Tseng

The way the security system works at that level, the robots and other features of the system target anything that moves. The system was designed to eliminate anything that remained in the building once that security level had been activated.

Player

In other words, the security program will attack without discrimination.

Tseng

That’s right. I want you to go to the cannon’s control room and lock down the cannon. Just make sure you’re prepared. This is the world’s most sophisticated security system you’re dealing with. Rosalind, can you do it?

Player

I’ll do it, sir. (Thought) Besides, Reno’s probably got it a lot harder, leading that attack on the front.

[You enter through the door that has opened and find yourself in another system of tunnels. You will run into Guard Hounds and Blood Tastes on your way to the control room.

You finally come into a small room with a load of twisted wreckage littering the floor. Suddenly, what you thought was a wall comes crunching down the corridor – the room is slowly shrinking – it will crush anyone who remains inside. You turn to the exit and find yourself facing two Blood Tastes. The door you came in through seals shut. You are trapped. The security system activates.]

Security System

Intruder detected.

[Alert klaxons sound.]

Player

(Thought) This can’t be! I’m stuck in here.

[FIGHT: Blood Taste [x2], Crushing Wall [x1]]

Player

(In fight) At this rate, I’ll be crushed along with the scrap metal. I have no other choice. I have to stop it!

[Yet another door you haven’t seen before opens off to the side of the room once you’ve disabled the security system in that room.]

Player

It opened! Thank goodness. (Thought) I’m up against the most sophisticated security system in the world, all right. I’ll have to be more careful as I go along.

[End of Chapter 3.1. You may move forward to the next chapter or save your game and return to the main menu.]

 

[You arrive in a large room. There are searchlights sweeping across the room, as well as a number of Proto Golems on standby. Tseng calls you.]

Tseng

All right, Rosalind. I want you to listen carefully. You’re going to cross the room to the other side without getting spotted by the searchlights

Player

What happens if I get caught in one of them?

Tseng

The security system will activate and try to attack you.

Player

All right, I understand. So I should dodge the searchlights, then.

Tseng

That’s right. Be careful.

Player

Yes, sir.

[You are given control and must now make your way across the room. There are trapdoors in various spots on the floor as well, so you must watch out for them, as well as the searchlights and the Golems at the same time. If you fall down, you get optional dialogue.]

(OPTIONAL DIALOGUE)

Player

I fell down a trapdoor. But how do I get out?

[You now have to get out of the room and back into the searchlight room. There are Proto Golems in the trapdoor room, so be careful. Your field of vision will also be limited in this room because it’s pitch black.]

Security System

Intruder detected. Elimination subroutine activated.

[Once you escape the trapdoor room, you will be returned to the searchlight room. Every time you fall through a trapdoor, you have to go try and get back here again.

When you have made it to the other side of the room, you find yourself in yet another room. The door to the searchlight room seals shut behind you. There is a machine here, and on either side of the machine, a glass capsule. What could this room be?]

Player

Great. I’ve been locked in another room.

Security System

Intruder detected. Commencing scan operation.

Player

(Thought) Now what?!

[A laser makes its way from the left side of the room to the right. As it goes, it records its progress. The laser beam runs over you.]

Security System

Scan 20% complete. Scan 40% complete.

Player

(Thought) What’s going on here?

Security System

Scan 80% complete. Scan 99% complete. Scan complete. Commencing data transfer to Materia.

[A white light flashes three times.]

Security System

Data received by Materia.

Player

By the Materia?! (Thought) I’ve heard of this. The Shin-Ra company’s unparalleled security system…

[One of the capsules opens. A humanoid form comes out of it and shifts into...]

Player

(Thought) Me?! So the Materia really does exist.

Clone

Intruder detected. Elimination subroutine activated.

[FIGHT: Clone. Note that the clone is at the same level you happen to be at the time.]

Player

(Thought) It looks like I’ve managed to get out of this somehow…

[Your player stretches a kink out of their shoulder. They reach into their pocket for their PHS.]

Player

Mr. Tseng, I’m calling to give you a progress report. I’ve defeated the clone.

Tseng

That’s good news, Rosalind. The control room is located just off the room you’re in now. Don’t get careless now.

Player

Roger. (Thought) I’m finally there…

[You enter through a sliding door into another room.]

Turks Headquarters

Tseng

(Thought) Reno hasn’t contacted HQ yet…?

[Switch to Reno. He is still fighting against the AVALANCHE soldiers. It is evident he has been there for a while, as there is a sizeable pile of felled AVALANCHE operatives. The Junon guards he started off with are nowhere to be seen. Reno is panting. He’s running out of energy.]

Reno

There’re still lots of ‘em left, huh?

[Four AVALANCHE men run at him. Reno begins another wave of attacks.]

[End of Chapter 3.2. You may move onto the next chapter or save here and return to the main menu.]

[Four AVALANCHE men are inside what looks like an underground passage in Junon. An AVALANCHE special guards the entrance to one of the corridors.]

AVALANCHE A

The preparations for the firing of the Mako cannon have been completed. This is Midgar’s last day.

AVALANCHE B

We’ve waited a long time for this day…

[The camera moves to show another AVALANCHE special guarding another entrance. You speak from off-screen.]

Player

That’s as far as you’re all getting.

[You run in from the left side, taking the men there by surprise.]

AVALANCHE A

The Turks?!

AVALANCHE B

She used the underground passage to get here?!

AVALANCHE A

All by herself?!

Player

That’s why I’m here.

AVALANCHE A

How are you going to fight all of us by yourself? It looks like you came all the way down here for nothing. Heh heh heh…

Player

I’ll show you all – by myself! I’m not going to let you fire that cannon!

AVALANCHE A

Kill her!

[FIGHT: AVALANCHE [x2], AVALANCHE Special [x1]]

AVALANCHE

You – you bitch!

Player

Get out of the way. I’ll shoot.

AVALANCHE

Get her!

[FIGHT: AVALANCHE [x2], AVALANCHE Special [x1]]

[The PHS rings. It’s Tseng.]

Tseng

Rosalind! Rosalind!

Player

Tseng?! Calm down, sir.

Tseng

We’re in big trouble. The cannon’s override switch has been activated.

Player

?! What can I do?

Tseng

Go to the control room and shut down the override!

Player

Understood. How long do we have until the cannon fires?!

Tseng

1 minute. The control room is up ahead. Hurry!

Player

Roger.

[You enter a large open room. AVALANCHE members are standing in various places in the room, guarding it. You have to make it to the other side and into the control room before the 1 minute is up. You can fight AVALANCHE if you want, but time is a priority here. The clock will be ticking down. Tseng will warn you when the timer starts reaching certain increments.]

Player

(Thought) I shouldn’t waste any time getting into fights here. Just concentrate on running!

AVALANCHE

They’re here! Get her!

[You reach the entrance.]

Player

(Thought) Please, let me make it!

[You enter a darkened room. You turn a corner and witness a gruesome scene – a large number of AVALANCHE are dead. Whatever attacked them slashed them up, even leaving deep gouges in the floor and the walls. There is blood everywhere.]

Player

This is…

[You run into the centre of the carnage.]

Player

(Thought) Terrible… What could have done this?

[After some investigation, you come to the entrance to the control room.]

Player

(Thought) There’s something up ahead here. But I don’t have any choice but to go.

[Inside the control room. You make a quick inspection.]

Player

(Thought) There’s no one here.

[The PHS sounds.]

Tseng

Good job, Rosalind.

Player

Huh?

Tseng

You stopped the cannon, didn’t you?

Player

What are you talking about? I just got into the control room now. I’m about to stop the cannon from here.

Tseng

Now…?! Rosalind, it wasn’t you?! Then who…?!

Player

I do have something to report, though, Mr. Tseng. I just game across a whole bunch of dead AVALANCHE men in the room just before this one.

Tseng

(Thought) It couldn’t be… him?! No, that can’t be right. That’s too fast, even for him.

Player

(Continuing with report) Whoever it was that did it was no amateur, sir. Only someone with a lot of power could have done that.

Tseng

(Thought) Then it might be him after all…

[End of Chapter 3.3.]