Spectrum
The drug is still imperfect. Side effects are hard to predict without an adequate model on which to test the substance dubbed 'Kryptonite'/Substance K by the team at Gongaga. So far, all data is from laboratory animals infected in-utero with Sephiroth's cells, and various infusions and derivatives of the crude isolate, as well as all routes of administration, have been tested, with varying efficacy. The results of those tests I have outlined in another report.
Hojo paused, lowered his head from the computer screen to rub his eyes with thumb and forefinger. Surrounding him sat the clutter of a negligent lifestyle - an apple core within an empty coffee mug atop a stacks of old books, leaky pens buried among loose sheets of paper and foldered files. Charts were taped to the window directly in front of him, acting like blinds against the Gongaga sun. A lamp with its light-bulb spent balanced precariously on the far edge of the desk.
And on the bed behind him, a child hummed a tuneless ditty as she flipped through the pages of a heavy tome, pretending to read.
The substance in question was, briefly, purified and amplified from the liquid Lifestream collected from Midgar, shown to be effective against the symptoms of Geostigma. The mechanism of action is poorly understood, however it is obvious from experimentation that the crude isolate is targeted against JENOVA's cells, and is acutely and selectively cytotoxic at high concentrations. This is beneficial in victims of Geostigma, where minimal exposure to the alien cells is enough to cause the disease, but the effects on Sephiroth - he who is nearly a clone of JENOVA - are different and significant.
"Mister Hojo?" Came the girl's voice, after her snatch of song had ended. He turned his head, watched her flop with difficulty onto her belly in her many layers of unfitting clothing, in order to dangle a small hand over the edge of the bed at the pup seated nearby.
"Hmm?"
"My cat's name is Dante. Mama called him that but I called him Fatty and Baba said you don't give cats names 'cause they don't listen to you anyway."
"Is that right."
The pup - an unnaturally quiet, suspicious little whelp - slid over to Amaya's hand and tolerated the awkward pats she gave it. Child and canid had developed a bond somewhere along the way - Hojo hadn't had time to pay attention to when that had occured. But the relationship kept both creatures entertained, which meant he could invest less time in looking after both.
"Puppy is a good puppy," Amaya sighed, pulling gently on the dog's ears. "She likes food and playing. Dante didn't like it when I hugged him, but puppy likes hugs and she's nice and soft."
A child's presence installed a strange mood for someone unaccustomed to it. The little ones dwelt on trivial things and inflated them to the size of worlds, while the world and its very real problems dulled in comparision to the child's trivialities. The gap between ages held an interesting dynamic - it seemed the more weary the elderly became, the more the simple, stupid, joys of a toddler could offset that exhaustion. Did Sephiroth ever chatter like Amaya did? Hojo couldn't remember. Perhaps he had been immune to the impish charms of the young back then because he was young himself, and in any case Sephiroth had never been a real child.
Never a real child, and never a human being.
Gods didn't possess or have any need for parents.
"Mister Hojo?"
"Hmm?"
"What's her name?"
"The dog?" He frowned, and turned back to his computer screen. Back in the days of Shinra pre-Meteor, his dog colony had been named systematically and numerically, but then they had not been kept out of charity or as pets. "He doesn't have a name. You can give him one."
Amaya sank into silent contemplation, and Hojo continued to type, albeit a little distractedly.
In laboratory animals experimentally altered to mimic Sephiroth as much as possible, the effect of Kryptonite is predominantly one of gene suppression. JENOVA's DNA is integrated into Sephiroth's genome, expressing the alien proteins which are, in synergy with mako, in part responsible for his unique and formidable strength. But the foreign genes are nonessential for survival. Once targed and aquiesed by Kryptonite, Sephiroth's powers should be greatly weakened. In essence, reduced to that of a normal man.
I have combined Kryptonite with a few highly potent tranquilisers (again, outlined in another report), which Scarlet West has integrated into ammunition. Together, they should be enough to subdue Sephiroth enough for capture, so he can be brought to Gongaga, where a more long-term containment chamber has been built. The method used for this containment will be submitted in the next report.
"Marshmellow," said Amaya.
"Hmm?"
"I'm gonna call him Marshmallow," Amaya repeated, now rubbing the pup's head rigorously. "Hello Marshmallow! I'm Amaya. My favourite food is marshmallows, but don't worry, I won't eat you."
Hojo blinked, and smiled before he realised he had done so.
"Marshmallow," he muttered, saving the file and starting to sift through the mess on his desk for the references necessary to start the next one. Damn this girl and her inelegant graces. Damn all urchins and the innocence that is their defence to hell. "Hardly a name appropriate for a vicious guard hound. Would you mind if I called him Marsh?"
[ooc: I've been meaning to put that up for a while, just to explain a bit about the 'kryptonite' dealie for those who're interested. ^^; BUT PLEASE IGNORE THE 'SCIENCE' BECAUSE IT IS BULLSHIT.
Matty - for timeline purposes, this should happen about a day prior to Reeve's log with Amaya and Hojo.]