Solon stares at his grandfather and the black-suited man with curious eyes.
"Let's go inside, Solon," Mason says, leading him and the man into the living room, where they sit down at the table.
"Now, let me introduce you to my acquaintance here. This is Dell from the Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department… better known as one of the Turks."
A Shinra employee? A Turk…
"As a member of the Turks, he's in charge of recruiting potential candidates for SOLDIER. I've talked to you about gathering more information before deciding if you should join. I'm not clear on all the details, obligations, and requirements myself—I just know it comes with a heavy price. That's why I invited Dell. I thought he'd visit in a few years, but it looks like he was on a job and used the opportunity to stop by early," Mason explains.
"You're Mason's grandson, Solon? I owe him. It's an old story, but I'm glad he finally asked me for something so I can return the favor. As a Turk, recruiting viable and qualified candidates for SOLDIER is one of my core tasks. You won't find anyone who can tell you more about the process. I'm already considered quite old for this kind of fieldwork, so I'll likely retire to a desk job soon. Let me make this short—before even testing you, I don't recommend that you join SOLDIER at all, regardless of your qualifications."
What? Why? What's he saying?
"May I ask why not?" Solon asks, maintaining a calm and neutral expression.
"Hmph, that's already a point for you, young one. You keep a cool head and don't panic or easily give away your emotions. That's a quality we look for in candidates. I can answer your question, but Mason, the answer already comes at a cost. If either of you ever talks about this, you'll be hunted down and silenced… permanently. Usually, I'd never share this, especially not with candidates. But I owe you, and without this explanation, you might think I'm just looking for a reason to deny Solon," Dell says.
"We promise, Dell. Solon can be trusted with secrets… he's already carrying quite a few heavy burdens," Mason says, his expression serious and pained.
Solon nods solemnly.
"I'll caution you again. Never leak this information… Good. Now, where to begin? Aside from the hard and dangerous tasks of working for Shinra, don't think you can just quit SOLDIER. If you join, your journey to retirement will be one of the most difficult paths you can imagine. You'll enter into a lifelong oath with Shinra. Even if you retire, you'll never truly be free from them. I promise you that. Now, Solon, tell me—what is a SOLDIER?" Dell asks, testing his knowledge.
"A highly trained, Mako-enhanced human who works for Shinra. SOLDIERs have enhanced physical capabilities and increased affinity with Materia," Solon answers confidently.
"That's true, of course—but that's not all. Normal Mako-infused humans suffer terrible consequences. In fact, the effects are so severe that Shinra abandoned this method years ago. Most people couldn't handle raw Mako—it simply wasn't feasible. Rarely anyone survived, and those who did weren't strengthened enough to justify the insane risks. The truth is something quite surprising. Everyone joining SOLDIER is injected with special cells in addition to the Mako treatment you mentioned. This almost magically solves most of the problems stemming from the Mako infusion. That part, of course, isn't public knowledge. These cells come from an ancient being called Jenova. I'm not aware of the details myself, but every SOLDIER receives these cells," Dell explains.
"Dell, this ancient being… what is it?" Solon asks. Mason also looks surprised, his face thoughtful and worried.
Dell glances at Solon and responds, "At first, people thought Jenova was a Cetra—an ancient human blessed with unique abilities. But that quickly turned out to be false. Jenova is a foreign entity with an unexplainable background. You could consider it fully alien. That's all I know."
"So they're taking such a huge risk to allow SOLDIERs to endure the Mako treatment… These cells—are there side effects?" Mason asks, his concern evident.
"Mason, without those cells, the results would probably be worse. But you're not wrong—there are side effects. Let me start at the beginning," Dell says.
"There have been two major experiments: Project G and Project S, which produced a total of three prototype SOLDIERs. Project G is considered a complete failure, while Project S can be considered at least partially successful. By now, you've probably heard of a SOLDIER named Sephiroth, right? He was the candidate for Project S. I'll spare you the exact methods, but just know these experiments were long-term, planned even before the subjects' births. Sephiroth, while not gaining the power of the Ancients, is still the most perfect human being in terms of combat compatibility Shinra has ever seen."
"Using a simpler, short-term process—injecting these special cells into a young subject to help them endure the Mako treatment—is what would turn you into a SOLDIER. It would give you similar, though less impressive, abilities than Sephiroth," Dell explains, his tone solemn.
"Sephiroth's success with Project S gave Dr. Hojo his current position and influence. He's Shinra's top researcher and scientist, all because of Project S. His success can't be denied," Dell states.
Hojo…
"I still don't get why you don't recommend it. The process seems to work just fine. Or are the side effects from those cells really that severe?" Mason asks, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Yes, the process is especially demanding on the mind of the SOLDIER injected with those cells. To put it simply, depending on the person, the SOLDIER treatment can significantly reduce your life expectancy and may have other unknown side effects. I know there have been cases where SOLDIERs are reduced to lifeless, soulless husks after just a few years. It's rare, but we Turks expect most SOLDIERs can only fulfill their duties for a decade, maybe two at most, before suffering a similar fate. The specific side effects are unknown even to me, but nearly every SOLDIER I've talked to lives for the moment—some even go crazy, no longer worrying about the future. I think only Hojo, the President, and maybe a few of the higher-ups and, of course, veterans in SOLDIER who are already experiencing these side effects truly know the full extent," Dell explains.
"So that power comes at a heavy cost, and on top of that, I'd lose most of my freedoms doing dangerous jobs for Shinra…" Solon says, his expression solemn.
"No offense, Mason. I'm only telling you this because I owe you a lot! Joining SOLDIER just isn't something I'd recommend for your boy. He seems plenty strong and talented already—he could easily succeed without that treatment, whether in combat or inheriting your craft."
"He's right, Solon. Let's forget about this," Mason says, his voice firm but tinged with concern.
I wish I could—I want to repay you, Grandpa!
Dell, noticing the determination still burning in Solon's gray eyes, raises an eyebrow. "You look like it's not that easy for you, boy. Why do you even want to join SOLDIER?"
"Solon, your father wanted you to join for something as petty as revenge. Do you want to join just out of some cheap desire for power or stubbornness to spite your dead father? I thought this was about improving your craft! This isn't helpful at all. Skill comes with age—this path will prevent you from becoming a great Artificer!" Mason says, clearly shocked that his grandson is still considering it.
"I heard… SOLDIERs who reach First Class have special freedoms. I heard Sephiroth even has a fan club and enjoys privileges. If he requests something, Shinra has to obey—they can't afford to lose him, right?" Solon asks Dell.
"That's true. Is it fame or wealth you're after? SOLDIER is certainly a way to achieve that, but at what cost? I know plenty of fighters who can keep up with SOLDIERs without the treatment. Trust me, this is a shortcut, but there are other ways to gain strength," Dell tells him honestly.
"If I become a SOLDIER and reach First Class, and Shinra depends on me, surely I can ask them for a favor? Their experience with Mako is the best in the world—surely they could…" Solon wonders aloud, but his grandfather interrupts him, realizing his motive.
"Solon… is this about your mother? She's slowly recovering. She might not live to old age, but her condition is stable. She would never want you to sacrifice yourself for her!" Mason says, tears rolling down his face.
"You're way too young anyway, Solon. Consider joining when you're at least 12, maybe I can tell you more about the side effects by then—we are learning new things constantly… with each fallen SOLDIER. I've seen some of your abilities earlier, and I can recommend you without a problem. Still, we might as well test a few more things to assess your potential. To be honest, making First Class is a pipe dream for almost everyone. I can count the SOLDIERs who've reached First Class on my hands, and a few of them are already dead. Worst case, you join SOLDIER but don't even make it to Second Class. As a Second-Class SOLDIER, you'd have some influence, but Third-Class SOLDIERs are seen as expendable grunts," Dell explains, laying out the hierarchy of SOLDIER.
This isn't what I wanted to hear… I guess I can't cure Mom this easily. Even before the accident… I can't say I deeply love my mother, but Grandpa does. Curing her would've been the greatest gift to him. I can't give up like this.
"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Dell. Please, at least test my talent. If you tell me honestly that I don't even have a shot at Second Class, I'll forget about SOLDIER and give up on it completely," Solon says, his face set with determination.
Solon, Mason, and the black-suited Dell walk back outside to the area where Solon had been sparring with Cloud earlier. Solon grabs his Broadsword, slotted with his two Materia, and takes it with him.
"Nice sword. At least you're familiar with the weapon you'd be using. That's already a good head start. Now, I've brought a collection of Materia you could use. As a child, you should already be able to cast a single spell with the help of a non-demanding Materia, like Fire. We can use Ethers, which I've prepared to let you cast more spells if necessary. If you can't cast a single spell at your age, it means your aptitude for magic is average at best, which would result in a low affinity for Mako treatments. If that happens, I'd advise you to quit thinking about SOLDIER right away. Trust me, even with the Jenova cells, accidents happen during the treatment, and quite a few don't make it," Dell explains before looking closely at Solon's weapon, spotting two green Materia slotted into the hilt of the sword.
"However, I see two magic Materia slotted into your sword. Looks like you're already used to casting magic! Show me what you've got then, boy. If you can cast a spell with some success, you'll pass this first test," Dell says, his enthusiasm and curiosity obvious.
Solon walks toward another large stone, similar to the one he trained on earlier that morning.
Once again, he unleashes a Fire spell, sending a fiery missile hurtling toward the stone. The missile explodes with such force that cracks appear across the stone, the heat of the explosion reaching even Solon, his grandfather, and Dell, who are standing quite a distance away. Dell looks visibly impressed.
Next, Solon casts Bio. The spell doesn't affect the stone much, but the toxic green bubble smoothly wraps around it, showing off Solon's skill and accuracy. The toxic magic lingers for a few seconds, and Solon can smell the toxic fumes even from where he's standing.
Finally, Solon takes a deep breath, gathering the necessary magic, and unleashes Quake—a spell far more MP-intensive than the other two combined. This time, the stone doesn't just crack; it almost explodes, with large chunks of rock being thrown into the air by the sheer force of the spell.
This felt nice! I feel some improvement already!
Mason claps, beaming with pride. "That's my grandson! Quite impressive, huh? What's wrong, Dell? Don't tell me that aptitude isn't enough?"
"You… Mason, there's something seriously wrong with your grandson. How can he cast spells like that? He's already at a level far past what one could hope for, even after his initiation. He's a monster! Show me the Materia. It has to be something with the Materia—there has to be an explanation! The Materia must be some rare, never-before-seen treasure!" Dell says, visibly confused, his thoughts racing.
Solon shows him the Poison and Petrify Materia, along with his Fire Materia. Dell stares at them intently.
"Simple Fire Materia—nothing special there. Poison and Petrify in one Materia? That's rare… it can't be artificially produced. Only nature can do that… for now, at least. Both Bio and especially Quake are rare and hard-to-cast spells. Many people can't cast them just like that. However… there's nothing particularly unique about this Materia—no rare Mako mutation increasing its power. In theory, anyone can use this Materia, but most people don't have enough mental capacity—or MP, as we call it—to cast spells efficiently. Most people could barely cast a simple Fire spell once or twice, and with much less force than you, even with training."
"So if it's not the Materia…"
"Solon's talent is… scary. Mason, I can't believe it! It's the best I've ever seen, to be honest. And I've recruited two dozen candidates just by myself. There seems to be something abnormal going on with Solon—I can't explain what… yet! At this point, it looks like First Class isn't just possible… it's even somewhat likely! In fact, there must be something unusual about Solon. Talent like this isn't normal—it should not be possible. There's something… different about him," Dell says, his tone a mix of excitement and concern for his friend's grandson.
Dell opens his suitcase, revealing dozens of Materia, various devices, and other supplies.
"Let's take this seriously. I'll find out what makes you so special, boy," he says, his eyes gleaming with interest as he looks at Solon.
Now I'm getting scared! Is he a recruiter or a mad scientist?!