Diamond in the Rough (FFVII Dirge of Cerberus)

Chapter X

Vianca sadly stared at the motionless body of Shalua inside the pod. She had helped Shelke move her sister onboard the Shera, Cid's airship. They didn't give up on the possibility that she could still recover, despite her deathly state. Shelke sighed and turned away from the sight.

"Now, to get started on making adjustments to the system so I can perform an SND."

Vianca watched the younger girl take a seat at one of the computers. "Shelke, did you really mean what you said? Are you going to show me the reports on Aegis?"

"Not just you. I'm going to show everyone. There is information that ties Aegis to Omega. Dr. Crescent's research coincides with Dr. Larissa Hauke's findings. But there are a few things I can show you after the meeting --- things that only concern you."

The white-haired girl nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Shelke. I'm glad that I can rely on you."

Shelke stiffened at those words. "Rely...on me...?" She didn't look back at her, only began typing on the computer. "Right."

Shelke had never been relied on before, and for some reason, she felt a sliver of joy over it. Vianca smiled a little, and went to the door to leave. She didn't want to bother Shelke too much and disrupt her work. But just as the door to the sick bay opened, Vianca bumped her forehead into someone's chest. She jumped in surprise and looked up into those familiar crimson orbs.

"Oh, Vincent. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming in."

"It's fine. Your head okay?" He lightly touched her forehead where she'd bumped into him, but retracted his hand when he realized what he was doing.

"Don't worry, it didn't hurt," Vianca replied with that pretty smile of hers. "I've had much worse." She stepped aside, letting him inside. The automatic door closed behind him. "What brings you here, Vincent?"

"Nothing really. Just walking around and waiting for the meeting." The male looked over at the silent redhead at the computer. "What are you working on, Shelke?"

"I'm in the process of modifying this equipment so I can perform an SND, a Synaptic Net Dive."

"Synaptic Net Dive?" Vincent repeated. "You mentioned that before. What exactly is it?"

"My specialty within the Tsviets," Shelke elaborated. "While retaining consciousness, I project an image of myself into a virtual reality called a network. I can also use this ability to negotiate with data on the subconscious plane of sentient lifeforms. However, this often involves a great risk to my own sanity. For Shinra, the success of the SND project was crucial for their next step in..." She paused, realizing she was rambling. "I'm sorry. I seemed to have gotten off track. Simply put, I'm creating a personal network terminal within the airship's main control console." Glancing over her shoulder, she realized Vincent was staring absentmindedly at her. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. You just remind me of your sister."

Shelke froze momentarily, unsure of whether to take that as a compliment or not. She decided it was probably a good thing. Shalua was bright, of that she knew. Vianca broke the silence with a soft laugh, unable to contain herself.

"I can see the resemblance, and not just in appearance." She smiled. "You and Shalua...once you start talking about this kind of thing, you don't want to stop. It's rather pleasant to see such a quirk. It's so much better than the other Tsviets."

Shelke was almost blushing at her comments, but hid it well as she continued typing. "Are you going to keep lingering and distracting me, or are you two going to give me the silence I need to concentrate?"