Before Crisis Chapter Summaries – Chapters 15, 16 & 17

Part 6 of the Before Crisis chapter summaries.

With SOLDIER in shambles following the incident at Nibelheim, the Shinra informant believes that the only ones capable of causing problems for him and AVALANCHE are the Turks.  Formulating a plan to trick the Shinra Company, AVALANCHE allow the Turks to infiltrate and destroy their headquarters in Wutai.  Leaving Shinra’s Executive believing the leaders of AVALANCHE to be dead, the informant promises that the most significant attack on the company has yet to come.

Read on to find summaries for Episodes 15, 16 and 17…

15.  To the Ends of a Distant Sky

Rocket Launch Site  [ν]-εγλ 0003/04/11

At the Shinra No.26 rocket launch site, Vice President Rufus and his escort, the player Turk, watch the rehearsal for the ceremonial air show performed by the legendary Shinra pilot, Captain Cid Highwind.  Landing his aircraft, the Tiny Bronco, Cid approaches the two, appearing excited about his opportunity to be the first man to fly into space.  Rufus mutters his distaste that the ceremony and the launch is a waste of money and nothing more than a publicity stunt.

As they speak, a thug steals the Tiny Bronco.  The player chases it down and jumps on, knocking the pilot out of the cockpit before it takes off.  Unable to take control of the plane, it shoots into the sky.  The player contacts Cid and follows his directions to manoeuvre the craft and land it safely.  Meanwhile in the nearby woods, the thug tells Sears that he was unsuccessful in stealing the Tiny Bronco.  Sears orders him to sneak into the Shinra No.26 and steal one of the oxygen tanks to stop the launch and embarrass the company before they execute the informant, Rufus’, plan to assassinate the President.

Cid takes the Turk and Rufus to see the inside of the rocket.  Rufus alerts them to a stranger’s presence and sends the player out to apprehend the intruder.  Locating and defeating the man, they return to the cockpit.  Cid soon discovers that while the player had been chasing the intruder, another had stolen one of the eight oxygen tanks.

Later, a meeting is held to discuss what will happen due to the new events.  President Shinra is determined to show the world the strength of his company while Cid states that he is willing to risk his own life for the dream of flying into space.  Rufus argues that under the circumstances, the launch should not go ahead.  He is unsuccessful in his plot and plans for the scheduled launch remain in place.

The next day after the launch ceremony, Cid is nowhere to be found.  Tseng orders the player to go look for him.  They find him in the woods chasing the thugs from the rocket.  Helping him defeat the men, they return to the launch pad.  Explaining that he had found more men trying to sabotage the replacement oxygen tanks, Cid boards the craft as the final countdown approaches.  In the control room, Rufus is frustrated because Verdot refuses to leave the President’s side and AVALANCHE are unable to get near enough to assassinate him.

Meanwhile as the final countdown begins, Cid realises that one of the mechanics is still in the oxygen room.  She explains that she is still unsatisfied with the results after the second intrusion, and keeps working as the rocket nears lift off.  Although willing to sacrifice his own life, Cid is unwilling to sacrifice that of another and pushes the abort button.  The rocket does not launch and his dream is shattered, leaving the Shinra Company humiliated.

Later at the resulting Executive meeting, Rufus Shinra quizzes his father about the space program and it is scrapped.  The other members of the Executive begin to see Rufus as a strong candidate to replace the President.

Read full script here, or watch video part 1 here and part 2 here.

16.  The Inevitably Muddy Flow of Fate

Corel  [ν]-εγλ 0003/05/08

The strengthened AVALANCHE take control of the under-construction Mako Reactor in the Corel Mountains.  Elfé declares to her comrades that they cannot allow any more Reactors to be built as they are killing the Planet, and that AVALANCHE will reveal the secrets of the facility to the world to cause major economic and political problems for Shinra.  Meanwhile, the Turks arrive at Corel Village having discovered AVALANCHE’s return, and are ordered by Tseng to split up and enter the facility from different routes to recapture it from the terrorist group.  Reno, Rude and Tseng head up the mountain while the player Turk begins to make their way through the coal mines.

After a short while, they meet a large miner who is working to put coal in the mine carts.  The player asks if they are going in the right direction to the Reactor, to which the man replies that they are but there is some final unscheduled construction work going on.  The player tells him that he has been tricked by anti-Shinra forces, and he decides to help them navigate the dark tunnels of the mine.  He introduces himself as Barret.

As the two progress through the caves, they come to a place where AVALANCHE have set up artillery to prevent intruders.  They are able to smash their way through in a mine cart and eventually reach the end of the tunnels.  Suddenly part of the wall collapses and Barret uses his strength to keep it in place.  He tells the player to hurry on and stop AVALANCHE.  The Turk thanks Barret for his help and exits the mine, beginning along the mountain towards the Reactor.

Meanwhile at Shinra Headquarters, Chief Verdot calls the President to alert him that Rufus has unexpectedly arrived at Corel.  He orders Verdot to take the secret emergency measures to keep Rufus from doing anything stupid and maintain the company’s reputation.

Following the railway tracks, the player is able to make their way to the Mako Reactor and defeat the AVALANCHE patrolmen to get inside.  Coming to a junction in the passages, the player is stunned to find Vice President Rufus.  Rufus explains that he has come because AVALANCHE have gone too far.  Reno, Rude, Tseng and Verdot suddenly appear.  Verdot orders the others to seize Rufus as he is the one controlling AVALANCHE, and that they have been given instructions by the President to place him under house arrest at the Turk Headquarters.

Suddenly, Fuhito and a number of AVALANCHE operatives emerge on the walkways above.  Rufus orders Fuhito to kill the Turks but he refuses, telling him that he has organised a new division of AVALANCHE and no longer needs Rufus’ help.  Rufus begins to regret what he has done.  AVALANCHE attack but the Turks protect Rufus and are able to defeat their opponents.

As the battle ends, Elfé and Sears join Fuhito and inform him that their preparations to blow up the Reactor are complete.  As she speaks, Verdot looks up, stunned to see his daughter, Felecia.  Elfé’s jaw drops as she sees her father, and her memories of how she had come to be experimented upon after the bombing of Kalm and discarded by Hojo as dead came back to her.  With her memories returning, there is a blinding flash and Elfé collapses in pain with her illness.  Seeing this, Fuhito realises that the key to his plan was for Elfé to regain her memories.  Grabbing her, he escapes, with Sears giving chase.  The Turks tell Verdot to rescue his daughter, even if it meant forfeiting his job by saving the leader of AVALANCHE, and he resigns as Chief before disappearing after Fuhito and Elfé.

Knowing that the facility is set to explode any minute, Reno, Rude and Tseng move to get Rufus to safety.  Multiple Ravens appear and the player holds them off while the others escape.  As the Turk struggles to fend of the Ravens, one of their comrades appears to lend a hand.  The two run towards the exit, pursued by more Ravens.  As they approach it, the body of Sears falls from above, knocking the player from the walkway and into the depths of the Mako Reactor.  The other Turk manages to get to the rendezvous point as the first of the bombs go off and reports what has happened to Tseng, leaving Reno and Rude convinced that their comrade is not yet dead.

Meanwhile, President Shinra orders Director of Weapons Development, Scarlet, to fly out to Corel to take control of the situation…

Read full script here, or watch video part 1 here and part 2 here.

17.  The Snarling Burst of Chaos

Corel  [ν]-εγλ 0003/05/08

The player regains consciousness after falling to the lower levels of the crumbling Reactor, only to find Sears nearby.  The player tries to call for help but it is in vain.  Sears explains that he knows the layout to the facility thanks to the blueprints Rufus gave AVALANCHE, but he is unwilling to help the player escape.  They do battle and the Turk discovers that Sears has been badly injured in the fall.  As they continue to fight, monsters appear, and they decide to suspend their hostilities towards each other in order to defeat the foes.  After slaying many beasts, Sears prepares to attack the player again, but the Turk says that it would be much more productive to work together to get out before the entire structure collapses.  Unconvinced, Sears agrees.

As they progress through the Reactor, a Raven appears.  The Turk warns them that if they come closer, they will kill Sears.  Sears states that the Ravens will be targeting him too, since he is now seen as an enemy of Fuhito’s new AVALANCHE, and that it was Fuhito who had caused him to fall. Sears fights the Raven but as he does so, he drops a strange Materia to the ground.  The player notices a pyramid-shaped crystal inside.  Sears snatches it back up and explains that he had found it in Fuhito’s lab.

More Ravens appear and the player Turk curses Elfé for discarding her men in such a way.  As they fight their way through, Sears reveals that Elfé is being used by Fuhito, whose real goal is to return all life to the Planet so that it may live a bit longer.  He explains that by using the Materia embedded in the back of Elfé’s hand, Fuhito can destroy all life, but that he has not been able to complete his mission yet.  Sears states that something is not right with Elfé, as she has become unnaturally lethargic, and Fuhito has betrayed them all.

Struggling on, Sears tells the story of his past and how his parents were killed by Shinra, causing him to hate the company.  He eventually became the leader of the large group of bandits that had raised him.  When he tried to rob a group of people one day, his men were stricken down by the girl that led the party.  She revealed herself to be Elfé, part of an organisation who opposed Shinra, and recruited him for his strength and hatred towards the company.  Since then, he swore to stand by her side and will do whatever it takes to get her back from Fuhito.  The Turk agrees as they have to help Verdot’s daughter and stop Fuhito’s plan.

There is a rumble and the Reactor begins to collapse.  The two negotiate their way through the facility as it crumbles around them and fight off more Ravens, but Sears’ condition gets worse and he is barely able to walk. He gives the player the special Materia and orders them to escape, leaving him behind, but the Turk refutes this and carries him on.  As they approach the exit, there are many explosions and the floor begins to fall away.  Knowing that it is their duty to complete their mission, the player has one final push for freedom but finds that the exit has been cut off by a missing walkway.  Desperate to do whatever he can to save Elfé, Sears summons all his strength to launch the Turk clear of danger, but is trapped as the Mako Reactor finally caves in.  Reno and Rude rescue the player, but they are unconscious and in a bad state due to Mako exposure.

Later, Tseng arrives back at Shinra Headquarters and is summoned to the President’s office.  He explains that Rufus has been put in the secret holding room at the Turks’ Headquarters and that he will ensure the Vice President’s role in AVALANCHE and his whereabouts will be kept from the Executive. President Shinra orders that Tseng link up with the Turks’ secondary division in order to replace the injured members, and that as part of the company’s policy to eliminate any threat to their secrets, he is to lead the finding and assassination of Verdot.

Read full script here, or watch video here.

Intro and Episodes 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-22, 23-Epilogue, Rescue and WEAPON, Special Episodes