Final Fantasy VII: Reflections - Book 1: Descent

ONE

"Jessica! Hurry up! You don't want to be late!"

That was my mom, always reminding me about whatever I needed to do. Always worried. I was sixteen, and it was my first day at my new job. My first job ever, actually. A systems engineer and network tech in Shinra's Systems Operation Division. That was the group that managed and maintained all the computers, data, and software used by Shinra as well as their network infrastructure. Things like the central mainframe for all the ID scans from the trains.

I looked up to see Mom standing in the doorway of my room. She looked a lot like me. The same long, auburn hair and brown eyes. And like me, she was slim and short, so seeing her was like seeing myself in about twenty years or so. We had the same nose, too. I don't think I got very much from my father as far as how I look, though. I'm kinda glad for that, to be honest. Mom had aged pretty well, and you could hardly tell she was thirty-nine. She looked more like she was thirty. It gave me hope for how good I'd look at that age.

"I'll be right there!" I said, shutting down my computer. "I was just checking some files before we left."

Mom shook her head. "Always on your screens, aren't you?"

"I like it," I shrugged as I got up.

"Oh, I know you do, Jessica. But it wouldn't hurt for you to get out a bit more and make some friends."

I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. We'd had this discussion before. Lots of times. I followed her through the house with its soaring ceilings, spotless floors—Mom had always fussed about keeping things clean and neat all the time, which was probably why she always sighed whenever she saw the scattered mess that was my room—and then into the main hall leading into the foyer.

She and I had butted heads for years over the state of my room, but so far it had stubbornly resisted most attempts to keep it clean. As long as I could get to my bed, my desk, and the door, I was content, even if I had to step over a virtual disaster zone of wires, cables, computer parts, circuit boards, discarded clothes, adapters, and other bits and pieces of electronic equipment to get anywhere. My desk wasn't much better off, and it was a wonder that I could ever find anything in it. But somehow I always did, as much to my own surprise as Mom's.

Anyway, when Mom and I finally reached the front door—I swear, it must have taken us five minutes just to walk from my room to there, the house was so big—we found the housekeeper there waiting for us. Celeste was an older woman, in her late sixties, and had kept the estate clean and orderly for as long as I could remember. She was the head of the household staff and had been like a grandmother to me ever since I was little, and I loved her dearly.

"I just thought I'd see you off before you go, Jessica," she said. "This is a rather big day for you, after all."

I smiled. "Thanks, Nan."

I had called her that from the time I was five, but she never seemed to mind. And she had taken care of me a lot back then whenever Mom wasn't home. She was gone a lot not just because of her job—Mom was in charge of the Shinra Company's Public Relations Division—but also because of who she was married to. If my father wanted her present for some executive dinner or whatever, she had to go. You didn't say no to him, because if you did, you wouldn't like what he'd do to you. Nan and I had both seen the bruises that he'd left on Mom more than once over the years. My father wanted his way or else.

"Celeste," Mom said, "Richard has another meeting tonight, so he'll be at the office late again."

Nan nodded. "Of course. And you?"

"Jessica and I will be home around six, I should think. Please have Theresa make certain dinner is ready by then."

"Certaintly, ma'am. Anything else?"