About

Jenova Project Mk 02

Cuda was not born. He remembers what it was like being created, though. Sharp, and cold.

A final experiment in the Jenova project from the great minds at Shinra labs, 02 was brought into being in a world of harsh lights and sharp metal tools, naked and cold against the world. They hoped to rebuild what had been lost in Sephiroth, start again with a new child of Jenova. Naturally, they succeeded.

For the first eight years, 02 didn't speak. He barely seemed to notice people, humans. This cold, uncaring demeanor piqued the interest of Professor Mach, who experimented for months with behavioral and speech therapy, trying to draw out 02's personality. Like all the researchers working on the 02 project, he wanted to recreate Sephiroth. And so he earned 02's trust, built up one brick at a time, bringing him treats and fun puzzles and things that didn't hurt, things that weren't so sharp, little, soft things.

And one day, 02 ripped his head off his body without moving a finger.

It became clear that the remnant they had raised up had more to him than the ability to hold a sword and look like the General. The focus shifted from experiments on the body to experiments on the brain. What gave 02 his powers? What would make them stronger, weaker? How could we control them?

Short answer: They couldn't. It didn't matter what fail safes were put into play, 02 slaughered scientists and Turks and SOLDIERs as he pleased, all without moving a muscle. After a while, it became a fact of life in the labs.

Professor Az Hund discovered a way to survive 02's slaughter, by ignoring him. 02 hated being perceived and look at, let alone acknowledged. Pretend he wasn't there, and he'd do the same for you. The two began a sort of dance of ignoring each other, letting the other live without being bothered. As the only senior scientist left alive on the project, Hund was put in charge of 02's wellbeing and the honing of his abilities. By the time he was twelve, 02 had powers unmatchable; the ability not only to kill, but to perform minute, delicate tasks, the ability to start fires with his mind, the ability to speak to others without speaking at all, and perhaps most importantly...

The ability to speak to Jenova.

Hund knew the end goal. 02 was to become Sephiroth, a sequel, a new edition, let loose to ravage the planet once more. But Hund was young enough to be afraid of the consequences of following through, and foolish enough to think he knew better. The day he smuggled 02 out of the labs, he became a wanted man, dead or alive, and 02 became a child.

To anyone else, it would have seemed insane, taking the remnant child out of the labs and letting him loose on humanity. But Hund knew 02, knew what made him tick, and he knew that time away from the lab would mellow the child, making him less and less dangerous to be around. Unfortunately, considering his status as a fugitive, he couldn't stick around for too long. Instead, he contacted two friends, Turks Wulfe and Fawkes, and asked them for that favor they owed him.

Through Wulfe and Fawkes, 02 was passed off on an unsuspecting SOLDIER deserter, Rise, and so began the next chapter of 02's life.

Cuda

(This section a work in progress.)

At first, 02 had no idea what to make of Rise; the man looked like a SOLIDER, especially in the eyes, but he wouldn't even look at 02. (Rise was freaked out. This actually helped to cement their close relationship, as it made 02 more comfortable.)

As they drove towards Rocket Town, away from the prying eyes of Midgar, Rise asked him for his name. 02 had none to give. Frustrated, Rise told him to think of something. (02 did not, but Rise later named him anyway.) The two moved into a little shack on a plot of land, away from civilization, and began a life of solitude and quiet.

This would last until the appearance of the other remnants; Cuda became hyper-aware of their presence in his mind, and wanted to go and meet them. Eventually, the other remnants would take notice of Cuda as well, and when the three of them appeared on Rise's doorstep, looking for their brother, he readily let them in.