Chapter Text
13:19, January 7th 2006… Shanghai, China.
Winter had hit the city hard, or as hard as it ever would. Couples and those who had ventured into the frigid air did so quickly with their heads down and huddled under layers of clothing as they sought safety from the cold. Dutifully those who had left the warmth of their homes mulled around them quietly and without complaint, drawing attention to the young couple interacting playfully in the dusky street.
A red scarf bellowed out behind a young woman as she laughed, short red hair peeking out over the woollen fabric that fell around her shoulders. “Honestly Enlai this is MILD,” she said in accented English watching her companion, a tall man wielding a set of files like a shield from the cold.
Enlai bristled at her dismissal of his suffering “Yes, yes mild. You say this every year and yet it never seems to make this temperature seem any warmer.”
She laughed again at this despite his obvious un-amusement. Striding a few steps ahead of him she twisted on her heel and placed her hands on her hips, her form was domineering yet her expression grinning, “Well then when you come back home with me next year you’ll have a comparison worthy of increasing your endurance when dealing with such a temperature.”
Enlai mumbled under his breath in Chinese before smiling softly at her “I found the Scottish summer to be a test of my fortitude love; I don’t doubt that winter will do so tenfold.”
She laughed before pecking him quickly on the cheek and once again striding ahead of him “March then good sir! I have germs I wish to see cultured overnight.”
He sighed heavily before following her as she approached a tall building, its windows glimmering in the low sun and slight haze. The independent science and technology company Orb had opened its shanghai complex’s doors over twenty years ago and had since seen the footsteps of some of the world’s finest minds entering to conduct work which would change the world. The red scarf currently flowing picturesquely in the wind belonged to such a mind.
Looking up at the small camera located on the gate to the complex gardens she smiled “Jennifer Helen Hale. One, five, two, six, zero, zero, eight.”
There was a pause before the red light above the door turned green and she was able to push the gate open. The garden space which lay before the building they both worked was beautiful, a place for active minds to rest and cultivate ideas. A haven for those who worked there and a nightmare for those who tended it, dealing with plant life out with their own climate was a challenge she was glad she did not have to undertake. The smell of the plant life however was captivating, enough so that she had to pause for a moment to take in the smells she would likely only encounter in this one slice of heaven. A little piece of spring all year round, raising an eyebrow she looked at the impatiently hunched over man beside her, one which not everyone could appreciate.
They approached the entrance way through the gardens outside the facility easily; security guard’s mingling around them, she waved easily as the past one she was particularly friendly with, a rarity she had found as it seemed security was an ever changing employment within the company.
As the entrance way drew near she once again looked up at the small camera and watched as the doors opened for her. Not waiting for her companion to catch up she approached the elevator and pressed a finger firmly against the keypad, allowing it to scan her finger quickly. It beeped its agreement and the elevator begun it’s decent.
Enlai reached her with a sigh, tugging quickly at his scarf to dislodge it from around his neck. He hummed contently at the warmth of the building, relaxing his hold on the files before removing a couple and passing them to Jennifer as the elevator reached them.
“Thankfully they seem to be safe from that soy disaster at the restaurant but I noticed something in there you may want to take a look at.”
“Soy related or otherwise?” she snarked.
“Otherwise naturally, it wouldn’t be of interest unless I wished to see you orchestrate some feet of OCD madness in removing the stain.”
She huffed her amusement, taking the files and watching as the elevator doors opened for them. Stepping into the small room she leaned against the mirror before opening the file. Inspecting the page she was silent for a moment, her eyes flicked as she consumed the information before her. “If this is right then we could create a vaccine and have it ready for human testing within the month…” she said quietly, though seemingly not surprised. She flicked the file closed with one hand as the elevator prepared to open once more. “This is good we can work with thi-“
The doors refused to open.
Enlai moved first, attempting to force the door as if to jump start it before inspecting the keypad. “We’re on the floor,” he said, tapping quickly on the computer panel “the doors just won’t…open.”
He typed further on the pad as Jennifer moved to inspect the doors “Is there a code or anything? Perhaps the idiots in hygiene development started another fire?” there was no need for panic she reminded herself, the elevators and most systems in the building were completely computer operated. Designed by the best in the world. They wouldn’t have shut down without a good reason.
“No there-“ he stopped, going silent and eyes wide.
“Enlai?” she asked, moving to look over his shoulder.
A symbol had appeared on the screen. A siren blared above their head and a loud voice spoke quickly in Chinese, and then English, Spanish and a further few languages the same repeated phrase. “Contamination detected, containment protocols have been engaged, evacuation is advised.”
“Enlai what floor?” she demanded, eyes wide. A biohazard symbol reflected up from the console, burning its way into their retinas as panic begun to form under their skin. Contamination would mean the elevators would be shut down; they would need to exit the elevator manually or wait until power was restored.
“We’re the only department that deals in biohazards…” he whispered, eyes wild as wheels turned in his head.
Jennifer grit her teeth turning to look at herself in the mirror. No, it couldn’t be…
“Enlai what have you done?”
It gained her a sharp look but for the most part she was ignored as he moved to pry the doors open, gripping either side of the door and moving to pull it apart. She turned quickly gripping his arm and forcing him away from the door “Are you insane? Anything could have been released out there!”
He grits his teeth, spinning quickly and pushing her away before tugging his coat off. “There’s only one thing that could set that alarm off.”
She glared, swiping her hand to the side as if trying to indicate that this is not new news “I’m aware of your little side project,” she snapped “Yet I had naively hoped that you would not be stupid enough to bring the people in this building,” a laugh “the people we work with under threat!”
He ignored her, rolling up his sleeves “something must have gone wrong with the equipment,” he started, combing a hand through his hair and motioning with his hands quickly “They’re in a sealed room, I hadn’t allowed anyone near them after the last-“ he shook his head.
“The last failure?” she snorted, “Failure is a minor burn and a hitch in a theory, killing your assistant is a disaster.”
He twisted, moving close to her to look her in the eye “How do you know that?”
The walls inside of her came down and her face was Stoney “This is my department Dr Song, nothing goes on here that I don’t know about.”
He attempted to meet her gaze before looking away quickly and approaching the doors again. There was silence for a moment as he once again attempted to pry the doors open. The air between them tense until a chilling sound ripped through the silence, there was screaming on the other side of the doors. Footsteps running, people banging on the other side, begging.
“Oh my god…” she gasped, a hand going over her mouth.
Enlai stepped back from the door shaking his head “No the…the germination period, it’s too soon…”
“Every human body reacts differently, the virus could have gotten to a weaker host,” she started, placing her back firmly against the mirrored wall.
“No, no you don’t understand…” he started, standing beside her as the noise grew more panicked and horrified “They must have gotten loose.”
Jennifer felt her strength leave her as the words sunk in. “Please tell me you…” she put a hand to her mouth and leaned on the wall for support. The clean small space seemed to shrink as the horrific noises from just outside continued to surround them… until there was nothing. Silence closed in and even their breathing seemed to grow louder.
“We had the opportunity to study the virus when attached to host cells I couldn’t-“
She waved him off with a look of disgust clinging to her features. She moved to the doors again and inspected them before looking back at him “The emergency protocols should engage if we apply enough force to each side.”
“Jennifer you can’t seriously-“
“What use are we to anyone in here?” she snapped “If we reach my lab…”
He didn’t reply and merely moved to the other side of the door; gripping the edge he readied himself “On three?”
She nodded, “One, two,” a breath “three”
They yanked the door on each side, straining to get it to open before there was a quiet chime and the systems rebooted allowing the doors to open as they would normally, the door panel flashed red in warning as if disapproving of the action.
Both fell back into the elevator in shock at what awaited them. There were no bodies on the other side of the door. But the blood, the blood was caked on thickly to the floor, the walls…dripping from the door and pooling and collecting in the space of the now opened elevator. Fresh and shimmering in the light from the windows overlooking the city it streaked across the floor and down the hallway to where they could hear more screaming.
There was no smell however; the air freshening systems seemed to be working overtime releasing a hint of roses to cover the gore surrounding them.
Swallowing thickly she moved to exit the elevator, expensive heeled shoes stepping wetly into the thick liquid. “What happens to those who are infected?” she whispered, her breath came in shorter bursts as she walked further into the hallway, the once spotless room in disarray.
Enlai moved to follow closely behind her, he looked down into the blood “The host’s body deteriorates quickly depending on how the virus is transferred but…” he gagged, heaving and bending over as he rushed to find an area not covered in the blood of those he knew. “After the virus reaches the brain it’s only a matter of time.”
There were footsteps from somewhere not far, shuffled harsh footsteps from those who made no sound. “Matter of time until what?”
“Reanimation.”
Her eyes widened for a moment and air seemed to leave the room, there was a beat, but only a beat before she sprang into action. Running in heels as only a woman who has withstood the pain of them for years can she raced down the corridor, through the hallways she’s known and walked for years in a frantic haze of clicks and clacks and the panting of the man behind her. She wasn’t sure if there was anyone else around them but the race down the corridors to her lab was shorter than she remembered it ever being, paying attention to nothing until she twisted to grab her companion by the arm and pull him into the room. She had already moved again, slamming the door quickly behind them before the danger they were in resurfaced in her mind and she moved to scan the area for anything which could do them harm.
It was empty. Blessedly un-touched by the chaos raging outside, it seemed even in the state they were currently in no one dared enter her space.
The room was pristine, clean and organised with everything in its place and the place clear to even those who had entered only once. She pulled her lab coat from behind the door and quickly pulled it on before plucking her name tag from the pocket and removing a small memory card from the plastic behind her picture. Her own blue eyes stared back at her, the smiling face of her younger self seemingly judging her for her inaction leading to this moment.
She rushed to her computer, watching as it flickered to life even as Enlai approached her from behind, removing the door from his attention. “What is that?”
“Data on a cure I put together.”
“Cure?”
“I don’t know if it’ll work on those that are…” she couldn’t say it “It should work on recently infected.”
She tapped on the keyboard, ignoring the questions that were suddenly thrown at her, how did she know? Why had she been working on this? Did she not trust him?
She didn’t. She had learned not to trust anyone, had done faster than most even before she arrived in shanghai at fifteen.
She engaged the machine, allowing it to generate the necessary ingredients with the formula input. A machine to her left whirled to life in joining with the others and the room became a noise of pleasant humming as machinery did its work.
Having done this she turned, heals clacking as she looked at him, really looked at him for the first time in months. Enlai Song was not your average scientist; there was no hint of the geeky stereotype which followed them, no. He was a strong man, fuelled by his obsession with improving the human body, an obsession that had brought them to this point. She had thought him handsome, kind, but the look on his face was neither handsome nor kind. The man before her was deranged with the failure that surrounded him. The inability to understand and compute the threat what he had been playing with posed.
She closed her eyes for a moment. Taking this moment she blocked out the sounds around her, she wouldn’t engage him in this argument. Her silence would be his answer as she focused on the sounds of her cure being brought to life. Focus on saving any lives she could before they escaped.
She opened her eyes, watching curiously as he screamed at her. Narrowing her eyes she pushed him back, moving to inspect the progress. One sample almost complete.
“Jennifer please!” he cried, gripping her arm and turning her, imploring her as he looked into her eyes “this cure it....you’ve ruined me.”
Her face twisted as she pushed him away “You’ve destroyed the people we- our friends, colleagues,” the realisation hit her, there was a high school student in the lab this week for experience, “You’ve murdered a child!”
Her face was one of pure rage as she advanced on him, this was not a man. This was a monster.
There was a bang at the door in front of her, and a cheery chime behind her. Both moved into action, Enlai braced himself against the door, turning the lock quickly and cursing quickly in Chinese about their stupidity.
‘You mean yours’ Jennifer sniped mentally as she quickly pressed keys into the computer to release the first dose and begin another.
There was more banging and she could hear Enlai cry out as the room shook and she was knocked off her feet by a force, hand gripping the vile tightly to protect it.
She fell against the counter, Enlai against her having somehow made the journey across the room in milliseconds….no, he was thrown.
In the doorway stood a huge beast, gripping the door within a meaty fist it looked down at them, eyes bulging and bloody, what was once clearly a human body was now a hulking mass of meat and fluid. Puss had built up around joints giving the impressions of muscle mass, veins bulging from discoloured skin and a mouth… jaw unhinged and hanging, his face held together by flimsy skin and pulled muscles.
It was horrible, turned her stomach and caused bile to rise in her throat. She couldn’t contain the scream of horror as it advanced, not thinking she moved, running to the other side of the room and avoiding a swing she slid her body under him and towards the door. There was no thought to the man behind her, the man she loved as fight or flight choose flight and her feet carried her away.
She was half way to the elevator when the sounds of someone behind her caught her attention, she turned seeing Enlai. Relief swept over her but it was short lived as she noted the mass of flesh also following behind them. He moved swifter than she’d have expected and was joined by…
“Oh god,” she whispered, eyes glued to the mutilated young girl as she moved, stepping back. The young girl was in tatters, ruined to a point where she wondered how the body was still able to move, how it hadn’t collapsed in on itself. She screamed as she tripped falling back she felt a hand grip her leg.
“Jennifer!” Enlai yelled.
Her eyes widened as she looked down at her leg, kicking out wildly to free herself she spared no time to look upon the face of her capture, not allowing herself but yet not having the will in any case. The body fought her but Enlai gripped it by the shoulders and tossed it away, quickly pulling her to her feet he held her hand tightly and pulled her back towards the elevator.
There was a manual override located by the elevator doors which would allow them access to the stair well, risky for those outside but it would offer them an escape. A chance to take the vaccine outside, to save those who were still alive somewhere, there could be survivors after all, there should be more bodies.
Allowing herself to be pulled along she placed the hand with the cure clutched tightly against her chest, keeping this safe was the priority. Even if they didn’t survive this could be reverse engineered without her there to make another. Then perhaps someone could find a way to reverse the process for those past the point of saving by any other means.
Panting with shock, fear and denial at the entire situation she forced herself to keep moving, gripping the hand that held hers tight she looked firmly ahead. They swerved as something or someone launched themselves at them from a room they passed, yelping they continued, human or not they had no time to take the risk and stop she decided, eyes widening with shock at herself.
The walls seemed to have been painted in blood during the short time they spent in the lab, or perhaps they were like this before, she didn’t know. Her once organised and brilliant mind was a mass of jumbled thoughts and a mantra telling her to keep moving, escape, to toss Enlai to those who chased them for his crimes. Let him die, how dare he escape?
They twisted around a corner, nearing the elevator. The security of a possible escape had begun to dawn on her and she had to coach herself into continuing forward. There was a thump behind them and suddenly she felt herself being flung forward, rolling into the entrance way in front of the elevator. She slid in along the blood, feeling her hand be ripped out of Enlais she brought both hands up to clench around the vial protecting it as her back met cold steel. The breath left her body as she looked up and watched in horror as Enlai had to force a creature from on top of him, its teeth deep within his arm.
Blood dripped from the wound onto his face and chest as he struggled to release himself. Would saliva infect him? She wondered, quickly running the calculations and possibilities through her mind. Transmission of lesser diseases were always a possibility but a man made one like this? One which had been played with and assaulted and had a million possibilities in how it could act without proper study…she’d never know.
Her eyes moved from the cure, to him, and back to the beast walking towards them.
She felt numb.
Enlais screams seemed to melt away as she found herself making a choice. Looking up she found it had already been made for her, the keypad was destroyed.
Eyes widening she flung herself forward, kicking out at the body she gasped as her heel mashed its way through weakened bone into the fleshy innards of the thing currently chewing on her lovers arm. Ripping her foot from it she wrapped her arms around Enlai and dragged him back to the doors of the elevator.
Gripping him tightly she couldn’t help the sob that left her mouth as panic begun to set in.
They were going to die.
Enlai was pale, blood dripped from his arm in warm threads as she gripped him close to her, his hand holding the arm wrapped around his shoulders.
He looked up at her, a soft look on his face, suddenly calm.
“I love yo-“
The elevator door burst open with a chime; they fell back as the world spun into chaos once more.
Gun fire was let loose and bodies, so very close to them begun to fell in wet, mutilated mounds. More blood seeped into the ground as the bodies fell.
“Alpha, move in and engage all hostiles,” a male voice, American, rang out from above her, “Cody contact HQ and inform them we have survivors.”
“Yes Captain,” the voice replied, moving away from them leaving only one pair of boots in front of them. She looked up, inspecting him. He was tall, built like a tank with shaggy brown hair. She almost laughed; he looked as though he’d stepped out of the screen of a bad action movie.
The numb feeling failed to settle, leaving her feeling empty, yet strangely full and heavy. She looked down at the man in her arms and shook him lightly.
“Enlai?” she whispered. He didn’t respond, possibly as shocked as she was.
“Enlai?” she tried again, this time he stirred, turning to face her.
She screamed as his teeth dug into her hand.
“Shit!” the man cried out, turning on them.
Teeth continued to press into her hand and she tried to rip it from his mouth but the grip on the space between the bones of her fingers was too great. Sobbing and screaming she looked at his face.
His eyes were glassy, face pale. And blood seeped around his mouth from the grip on her hand. The wound on his arm has clotted quickly, but his gaze. The glassy eyes held none of the brilliant man she once knew.
The man shed fallen in love with.
Sobbing she said his name over and over again, watching in horror as a bullet entered the back of his head. Blood splattered over her.
The shock of the action forced her hand from his mouth. She let loose a loud sob of horror as he crumbled into her lap. Ignoring the residue and seeping of fresh, still warm blood into the soft cloth of her trousers she moved to cradle his body. Clinging to him she brought him close to her chest, pressing her face into the remains of his jaw as she felt warmth growing in the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t understand it, couldn’t process it but her mind had a will of its own and was forcing her to grieve for the man who caused all this. The man who had died at the hands of his own creation. Letting out a scream of dismay, of confusion at the events which continued to rush and race past her own comprehension.
Minutes begun to pass and she came back to herself, feeling a hand on her shoulder attempting to move her she could hear the man speaking to her, urging her to show him the wound and cursing his own slow action.
She continued to sob, clutching at the corpse in her arms in a grip which the muscled man before her could not break.
“No, no, no, no,no” she sobbed, rocking him back and forwards.
“Ma’am!” the man yelled, gripping her shoulder in a bruising grip, all softness gone from his voice and body “You could be infected I need to see that wound.”
Time seemed to still between them as she looked at him, not understanding what he was saying.
She had just witnessed the infection transferring through saliva, through a bite and she had just been bitten. Eyes widening with fear she realized the cure had slipped through her fingers, stumbling back she escaped the strangers grasp and crawled along the floor, shuffling around looking frantically for the small vile.
Her eyes were frantic and she could hear the man let out an alarmed breath as he stood an attempted to get her up.
She didn’t acknowledge him, carefully weighing herself more heavily on her untouched hand as she crawled along the floor, squelching in the blood and grasping hopefully for the small clear vial of hope.
There it was! Hidden ever so slightly behind a potted plant.
She shuffled forward a few paces stretched to grip it when she could go no further, wounded hand reaching out she caught it.
Perching herself against the nearest wall she grasped it desperately, pulling blood coated legs to her chest she sobbed and panted.
How long did she have? She thought frantically.
“I need a needle,” she tried to say.
“Ma’am-“
“I need a needle!” she yelled, face twisting with her desperation. He stumbled to comply, moving to a back pouch on his person before moving to a side pocket on his bullet proof vest. The logo on his arm was made visible to her at the movement.
BSAA?
He retrieved a small needle from the pouch, releasing it and squirting out the contents before passing it to her.
She took it with shaking hands, inserting the tip quickly into the cork of the vial before extracting the solution with practiced ease.
Hands shaking she raised the needle to her arm. There was no veins, did she have time for this?
Beginning to panic once more the man cursed, ripping the needle from her hands he quickly pulled her head to the side and shoved the needle into the side of her neck. She cried out from shock and pain as the needle penetrated flesh.
Within seconds it was removed and he was stepping back from her. “I hope that was what I think it was.”
She panted, leaning against the wall and waiting, waiting for her body to die, for her to lose control. Would she be conscious she wondered? What happened to those infected? Was reanimation really the best word?
Would she find out?
Minutes continued to pass but the man stayed with her, even with the gun fire and obvious fighting.
She looked out across the hall way, to the mass of meat which had ruined her life, had it not tossed that other thing at them…would they have made it out?
Tears welled in her eyes again as she felt her shoulders quake. She was sad that he was gone. She didn’t understand why, this was his fault, he was responsible. His end was almost poetic! Yet she was sad, distraught even at the loss.
How illogical.
She took an even breathe. Her heart rate beginning to calm as the minutes served to prove her humanity.
“My name…” she started “My name is Jennifer Hale.”
The stranger nodded “Yeah I know, Chris Redfield BSAA.”
“Bioterrorism…You knew about Enlai?”
The man seemed to pause, looking down at the remains of the dead scientist in question. “We were aware that he was doing research into the T virus yes,” he seemed to swallow, aiming his gun down the hallway and stepping in front of her. He let out a quick burst of fire causing her to flinch before continuing “We were also aware that another scientist, Jennifer Hale, you, were sabotaging and controlling these events while creating contingences and antidotes.”
He stopped again, looking down at her he kneeled to get on her level.
“I’m sorry…” he started.
Jennifer laughed bitterly “You thought it better that he continue so I could?”
He shook his head “Not me but-“
“Your superiors?”
He nodded, standing once again and watching as his team moved back, checking the rooms and securing each area as they went. No survivors followed them.
Time stretched out and neither spoke until they were on the last room.
“Is that necessary? Killing them?” she asked quietly.
“They’re not human anymore,” he said quietly, regretful “There’s nothing we can do.”
That couldn’t be possible, there had to be a way. If they had been ‘reanimated’ then there was still brain function, access to primary function, a heartbeat. There had to be a way to reverse the process given that the body had not been damaged beyond repair. She looked at the body of the pussy creation which seemed to be melting into the floor at a reasonable pace. Why did that person react in such a way when others did not?
“I disagree.”
*~*~*~*~*
02:31, July 2nd 2006- BSAA Brondock Facility
The lab was empty at this time of night. There was only the faint hum of machinery and occasional flicker of a computer screen to keep her company as she sat perched comfortably on a plush chair reading.
BSAA Records- Jennifer Helen Hale…05/03/1983
Date of edit- June 29th 2006
…User access level 8
Document incomplete.
Jennifer Helen Hale had been born in a small town in Scotland in 1983, to be precise on Saturday the fifth of March. Records show that – ACCESS DENIED-
It is recorded that she met disgraced scientist Enlai Song during her time at the company though their romantic relationship –ACCESS DENIED-
Details of the events prior to January 7th 2006 show evidence of Hale’s investigation and suspicions into Song’s work which developed into the search of a cure and sabotage of major experiments by song. The actions of Doctor Hale served to be in the interest of humanities future in the war of Bioterrorism and as such the BSAA deemed it unwise to intervi-
There was a thwack as a paper was slammed over the top of her head.
“That was unnecessary,” she hissed, pulling the paper from her head and turning around to frown deeply at her attacker.
A middle aged woman smiled gleefully down at her, “Well you didn’t hear me knock or call you.”
Wincing at this she folded the paper neatly before turning to face her friend, “I’m going to head in soon Angie I was jus-“
“There won’t be anything new on that file that they’ll let you see Jen, You know this.”
Ignoring the distasteful nickname she tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and turned blue eyes to the ground. Naturally she knew that they would be hiding information from her. Even having gained a clearance level after clearance level in her short time with the BSAA they still did not fully trust that she wouldn’t leave.
“Doesn’t hurt to check,” she said, smiling softly and taking a moment to stretch, wincing as her back popped. “Was there a reason you came to find me or we’re you just looking to tell me off again?”
“Both of course,” the older woman grinned. She pulled out a chair and flopped down onto it with a groan of pleasure. She made herself comfortable before speaking again, pulling her hair pin from greying black hair and placing it on the desk. Weary brown eyes turned to inspect her for a moment, calculations and analysis working through the talented brain of a woman who had seen more of the world than many others.
Deciding that she was in a good enough state to complete her mission she spoke “There are four more suspicious articles in that paper,” she motioned to the paper, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back further. “Now I’m not the type to jump onto a band wagon when it comes to conspiracy theories but I think you may be onto something.”
“Well that’s good I hate being wrong,” Jennifer grinned, picking up the paper with graceful fingers and finding the articles outlined in red.
Silence fell between them as the younger looked through the mound of paper. Four suspicious events that were no doubt linked in some way to bioterrorism.
The first was an “Accident” at a mining facility in Russia, all of the miners had been killed and yet the facility was untouched and would be re-opened in a few months. No doubt there would be records on the BSAA database about this in the next week.
Next was a page is an article about the death of the ex-head of Umbrella, she raised an eyebrow at this having believed that the BSAA would have covered up the death of such a high priority target. Then again with the death of one of their top ranking agents and founders hanging over them it was to be expected that some things would fall through the cracks.
Third was an article about the death and kidnapping which had occurred to a family in Louisiana. A woman and her son had been found mutilated barbarically in their home while her husband was serving in the Marine core. Their young daughter had yet to be found and it had been assumed that she was kidnapped.
“This one is awful but I don’t see the relevance other than maybe physical evidence on the bodies, which I doubt you have.”
Angie hummed for a moment “I didn’t either but the name of the husband, I saw it before when we were organising files onto the mainframe,” she paused for a moment “Aaron Rohan Wulff, he’s been on the BSAA’s watch list for a while but a blood test from his time in the military brought him to our immediate attention.”
She stopped for a second, contemplating how to continue “We don’t think he’s fully human but the brass are too afraid to stir things up with everything that’s going down elsewhere. They believe he’s too integrated into society now for them to do anything about but from what I saw of the file…I don’t think they believe they could bring him in.”
Jennifer looked thoughtful at this “But if his family were killed by people connected to whatever he is, whatever he was created by…he could come willingly right?”
“Hence why I added it to our list of conspiracy theories,” Angie nodded.
Jennifer smirked at this “Better keep an eye out for him joining our ranks then, see if we can get some time to do tests.”
She received a dark laugh at this, turning to look at the final article.
This one caught her attention. It was a small piece, hidden away at the back of the paper where the editor clearly wished it to remain unhidden but perhaps was forced to print it by a tenacious writer. The article claimed the government was flawed and run by a host of bad people but in particular mentioned the Simmons family, slating Derek Simmons for his decisions both before Racoon city and after. The writer shared many of her own opinions about the man. Even having only met him once as she touched down on American soil to be welcomed into the BSAA she could tell there was something not quite right about the man.
Her investigations so far seemed to prove this was the case.
“Good to know we’re not the only one’s reading the signs,” she mumbled, flicking the paper closed once more and placing it on the desk. She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose and sitting forward. “Thank you for bringing this to me Angie, I’ll add it to the others when I get back to my room alright?”
Angie smiled at this “Hopefully after you get some shut eye, how long has it been since you slept young lady?”
“Not as long as you’d assume actually.”
“Nightmares don’t count as sleep.”
“Actually-“
The older woman held up a hand before standing up “None of your facts and figures girl, just take the pill the doctor gave you and get some quality sleep alright?”
She looked at her imploringly before turning to walk away, stopping at the door frame and resting a hand on the metal frame as she took a breath. “It won’t get any easier my dear,” she said softly “Not for a while yet…best you take the help you’re given.”
Jennifer looked down at her feet at this. The people here understood her position better than anyone. The majority of them, like her had been shook by bioterrorism in some personal way which had drove them to the BSAA in hopes of preventing it and yet here she was, a few months in and working herself to the bone when time seemed to stretch in front of her.
She looked up to respond to her friend only to find her gone. Smiling and chuckling dejectedly she stood from the chair, grasping the paper she left the computer station and moved to exit the room. As she stepped through the door way she couldn’t help but stop and marvel as all of her tools and machinery stopped at her exit. How amazing she thought, to be this connected to her work.
Shaking her head she stepped out into the corridor and headed towards her room. Perhaps tonight the screams would stop.