Chris was woken up by a foul smell, he found himself in what seemed to be a hospital's operation room. Olga was panting above his head, her breast a bit too close for his comfort, he could feel the soft texture of her skin on his chest as she bent over to clean his wound.
The pain from his shoulder was unbearable, he hoped he would just die and end this suffering.
"You still alive dude?"
J.D. asked, seemingly noticing him having opened his eyes, Olga was more than overjoyed that she had succeeded in bringing him back from the dead, hopefully not as a zombie.
"Is he better, because we need to move shortly, the zombies are multiplying and our bullets won't last for too long"
Alice said, seemingly uncaring about him. In her mind she was hateful of him killing Spencer when they could have saved him, they could have had another helpful pair of hands and a man with a good head on his shoulders. You have to understand that Chris killed him before they could make anything clear, in her mind Chris had lost her trust with what he did.
"Can he stand?"
J.D. asked Olga, whom sadly denied the possibility.
"He needs total bed rest and medical care"
Olga stated, causing everyone's faces to fall, it was evident that they didn't want to leave anyone behind, but as the situation had it, they couldn't stay in one location for long.
In the Red Queen's Chamber the A.I. was using its holographic projector to talk with the people there.
"The corportation has sent reinforcements, you're estimated to be saved in 1 hour 22 minutes, your friends have been staying in the West medical ward for some time now, do you wish me to isolate them from the zombies?"
The A.I. asked as if it was the nicest child in the world, wanting to make its parents proud.
"Fuck them! What did they do while we were here fighting off the zombies!"
Jason shouted and some people backed him up on this.
"Your friends have eliminated more than 420 zombies, ruined the Biological weapons farm project, killed male ID Spencer and have successfuly pissed off the corporation"
The little girl replied, seemingly wanting to laugh, but being unable to, as everyone's faces had gone agast. You have to understand that the other group only had 5 people and only one of them being a "player", although Alice could easily be called the protagonist of the series, thus she probably had some sort of plot armor, probably, the others were all people that were supposed to die.
"Red Queen, can you lead them towards us, by sealing passages that would threaten them?"
George asked really serious to everyone's surprise, they simply couldn't see why he would want them there.
"You idiots, they have survived for so long, meaning that they probably have guns!"
George explained, just to make sure that more people would side with him, rather than Jason.
"It's impossible to safely guide them here, unless you wish to send a rescue party"
The Red Queen stated and pointed towards the door, causing the people inside to faulter.
"We're going out"
Kaplan and Matt stated, causing the two groups to be at a weird stalemate. Jason was all for following Kaplan, but instead of George, anything that would undermine his authority was fine, but he had no idea why Kaplan and Matt wished to get out.
In the end the Red queen opened the door for them to get out and the two NPCs and Jason's small group of three left, it was only Jonas and Hera who followed him, although others would ocasionaly side with him, they weren't crazy enough to head outside into danger.
Jason was princess carrying Hera, whom didn't wish to ruin her shoes by stepping on human remains, especialy when there was the potential of them being still alive.
The others looked as they left their safe haven for the unknown future that could potentialy lead to their death. George was even more conflicted because Nick told him that they had two choices now, they could either try and sabotage the other groups, thus solidifying their own authority or they could wait until they got the new objective and most probably be forced to come out of this safe spot.
George and the others selected the second, after all by now they knew that only one person had to finish the objective and everyone would advance with him, all they had to do was have some people in the outside and they would be safe while the others complete the mission. That's also how Nick survived for so long, it was a win win strategy, because the others would want to get more points, while they only wanted to survive.
Jason and the others were rather nervous as they followed Kaplan and Matt out of the hallway, mostly because they didn't know whether the Red Queen would suddenly activate the lasers and get rid of them.
-So you're Jason?
-I am, but shouldn't we go a bit faster, I'm sure there will be tons of zombies outside
-Unlikely, there was only 500+ reasearchers in the lab, thus it's completely safe to be outside right now, what I'm most concerned about are the humans
-Are you talking about those corporation guys, the queen talked about?
-Who else, I'm 100% sure that they will shoot us on sight, no question asked, your friends in there are idiots, if they think that the Corporation's A.I. is their friend
-So where should we head now?
-Where else, the Western Medical Ward
"Wait, didn't you say there shouldn't be any zombies left?"
Hera panicked as a limping person approached them.
Kaplan looked at the slow moving creature that didn't look like a threat at all in his eyes, he approached it, side stepped and turned its neck in an even weirder angle, until its head almost came off and he kicked it down as it begun to crawl towards them even more slowly.
"What's so threatening about this thing?"
Kaplan asked as he pressed his foot on its back, causing it to be unable to move any further.
"Just come on already, you bunch of civilians!"
Kaplan was really full of himself, as he moved through the hallway after a short reconaisance, it was insane how good he was without even a weapon, he would just kick the zombies to a side and then block all their movements, of course there being only a few of them helped a lot and the group moved like ghosts in the half empty facility.
The Umbrella units had waited for half an hour trying to reach the survivors on the radio before they begun their descend into the facility, their mission was simple, seek and destroy. The previous sanitation team had gone rogue, they had to be dispatched with due haste and the A.I. had to be retrieved.
They manualy opened the entrance to the hive, leaving a small group behind in case the hostiles decide to outsmart them. The remaining troops had entered the facility and weren't happy that they were forced to use the stairs.
At the main facility they saw the dead scientists, shot by a bullet in the head all of them dead. The bullets in the researchers' corpses were enough proof that their assumptions were correct.
They moved with caution as they had no way of knowing where the enemy was hiding, the Red Queen didn't seem fond on communicating with them either.
Reason stated that the A.I was probably fully in the hands of the rogues, they had to be careful of anything electronic, their best choice was to just EMP the place, but that would cause more damage than good, after all their enemy also possessed night vision equipment.
Suddenly they heard a sound from above.
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"The enemy is in the ventilation! Shoot to kill!"
It was moronic to assume that a person could fit through the ventilation shafts, non the less in their state they unloaded a clip into the ventilation shaft, before ordering a soldier to check what was crawling inside.
The soldier moved a desk and opened the shaft with some difficulty, only to have a zombie dog's head pop out of the vent and bite him on the nape, he didn't die, but unknown the others this was how he had been infected.
Their medic recorded the incident as a mild wound caused by a rabid dog that escaped the research facility and ended up in the vents, nothing that modern medicine couldn't fix.
Meanwhile Kaplan and the others reached the Western medical Ward.
"Don't Shoot! we're unarmed!"
Kaplan shouted as they approached the ward, the people next to Chris begun securing their weapons, just in case Chris decides to shoot at Kaplan as well, just a precaution.
-What's the situation?
-Spencer killed One and locked everyone inside the Red Queen's Chamber, I heard that you killed him, good job, that bastard confessed that all of this was his fault he was going to sell the virus and didn't even want to share, what about your side
-Nothing really, killed some monsters, got some trophies and we now have the corporation at our asses wanting to kill us, how come I can only see 5 people, what about the others, did they become zombies?
-Nah, those idiots decided to stay in the Red Queen's chamber, saying it was safer there than ouside
-You know they might be right, there's something terribly wrong with this place, I could have sworn that there were only 500+ people in the facility, but these things don't stop coming, the last ones look even worse than the ones before, at least the previous ones were wearing clothes
-Do you have my tools, Spencer took them
-Here, all yours, I've kept them hot for you
-Let me see the situation
Kaplan connected his mini computer into the system and before long he was agast with the results.
"There were 1200 corpses held in the morgue not far away from where we are now, I suggest we move out, there's also worse things to care about than Lickers in this facility"
Kaplan stated as he was mortified, almost regretting leavig the Red Queen's Chamber.
"What could be worse than those monstrosities?"
J.D. asked rather curious, but Kaplan wouldn't answer. Then he begun to curse and pout, it was impossible to say what could cause him to have such a fit.
"Insects, they had to go experiment on freaking insects! There are Spiders and Roaches that are infected with this virus, it's a matter of time before they escape the facility and bring the end of the world!"
Kaplan stated, making the others understand that they hadn't been paying attention to the smallest of insects, they were too preocupied with things that tried to kill them, rather than petty insects.
-Is there a way to stop this?
-Only the Red Queen could do it, but I think it's already too late, all we can do is protect the cure and make sure that it's reproduced and distributed to the populous
-Is that even possible? We're stuck down here
-My family is in Racoon City! I don't give a damn about the corporation, It's my parents whom will suffer, do you think that two elderly people can survive a zombie apocalypse?
"You're screwed either way"
Chris spoke from the bed in the ward, causing Kaplan to become enraged.
-What did you say!
-I said that you're screwed, you think this facility is the only one developing the virus, do you really believe that the virus won't mutate, I can guarantee that this cure in a few years time will be useless?
-How do you know about this?
-Because I was briefed better than you guys, I even knew that Spencer was a scumbag, I even helped you isolate him by asking you to put him to the radio, you people are just pawns, you're not unlike us in a way, only difference is that all I have to do is survive for another 3 hours before my next mission objective is given to my and once I succeed or fail, I'll be out of here, just like I came
-Olga, cut his hand, right now and give me his watch!
Everyone was shocked, even Jason wanted to protest, but the alternative to this could be them cutting his arm off.
Chris was in total panic and Olga was apologetic, but she trusted Kaplan more than she trusted Chris. Even Alice wasn't sure whether to intervene or not, J.D. and Rain didn't seem to care either way, mostly because his hand wearing the clock was already wasted, he probably wouldn't be able to use it either way and this device might be their only chance at survival.
In their eyes, the bracelet device looked no different than a clock, they couldn't see anything suspicious about it, other than it being indestructible, it was a regular clock that even showed the right time.
The main reason that they discovered that in the first place was because of George, whom used it as proof of them having been abducted and forced into this.
"Don't worry I'm make it fast and as painless as possible"
Olga promissed, but Chris wasn't about to lay down and see his hand being cut off, he tried to resist, but J.D. and Kaplan held him down. For them this strange device might mean survival, they were willing to do anything to survive. Jason and the others just stood there as if they were looking at a horror show where the mad scientist was cutting off a person's limb.
Chris resisted as much as he could, but his struggles only made the proccedure even more painful. The results however didn't make them happy at all. The moment they took his hand off the device disappeared, right in front of their eyes.
"Where did it go?"
Kaplan shouted in despair, it was as if his only chance at survival had just disappeared.
Slap!
"Pull yourself together man, you saw it yourself, it disappeared right in front of our eyes, this device is probably meant to stay on him, just look at his other hand"
Everyone looked at Chris' other hand and the watch was now there and as much as they would like to know what would happen if they cut off all his limbs, it was probably pointless to even try.
J.D. was angry with Kaplan, who let his emotions get the better of him, but he could also sympathize with him, if something were to happen to Rain he too would go out of his mind.
-Is he alive Olga?
-I don't know, shock from the operation might have knocked him out, but we can't be sure that he will wake up any time soon
"Why did it have to be like this?"
Kaplan begun to mop in a corner of the room, his crying sound echoing in the now silent room. Alice wanted to comfort and reassure him that everything would go fine, but J.D. stopped her.
"Give him some time, he'll be fine, just make sure there's no insects carrying the virus around us, you've the best vision out of all of us, you're the only one we can count on"
The three tourists/players just sat down, trying to figure out what to do next. Truth be told J.D. and the others didn't trust them with anything and were skeptical even allowing them to accompany them.
"You have to help us!"
Jonas said to J.D. whom was seemingly the leader of this group.
-Why even bother, you'll just disappear after the mission is over, like he said
-You don't understand, If we accomplish our mission everything will be over, our higher ups will contain the mess and all you have to do is help one of us out of this facility, which is the most probably final objective
-What makes you think we can trust you?
-Did the man whose hand you just cut ever lie to you?
-For once he's not part of the KGB
-Did he ever say he was?
-No, but he...
Honestly J.D. and the others were hard pressed to find any point at which Chris had lied to them, even before they had cut off his arm, he hadn't lied, at least they didn't believe he had lied.
"I promise you on my honor that once we're out of this facility and leave everything will disappear, the T-virus, the zombies, everything will be over"
Jonas' words cause Kaplan to stand up from his corner and look at him as if he was the Messiah.
-Are you telling the truth?
-I promise you, If I'm lying right now may I die where I stand, may my parents die without a grave, may I lose all sense and live like a dog in the streets!
-J.D. I'm helping them get out of here, what's your opinion?
-Wait, we have to survive for 3 hours before we get out of here
-That's not a problem, as long as you're outside after the 3 hours are out you'll be fine right?
-I suppose so...
"I refuse! I believe that we'll be safer inside the Hive and we need you Kaplan to highjack the Hive's A.I."
J.D. said, causing the happy Jonas' face to fall into a state of confusion and unsatisfacation, not knowing where his plan had fallen short.
"I agree with Kaplan! someone has to get out, the truth has to be revealed! We have to save the world, even if we will die trying!"
It was Matt that spoke up, his memories were fine and he knew from the start that he might die trying to reveal Umbrella's schemes.
Alice stood there as if in a trance, right now however she was more clear than ever on whom she was and what her purpose was, she was Agent Alice and she would reveal the truth behind Umbrella's schemes.
She stood next to Matt and looked at Rain and J.D. with a determined stare, she had taken her side, she would give up her life for hope for something greater than them all.
"What about you Olga?"
J.D. turned to look at Olga, whom stood next to Chris, sewing his hand back on with a needle, the idiot had made such a mess, she had tried her best to make the cut as clean as possible.
-I'll stay here here with him, someone has to
-You cannot, because he's going with us to the Red Queen's Chamber
-What? he's wounded and shouldn't be moved around
-He might as well be dead if we leave him here
-But if we move him, he will die
-Do you think we have a choice?
Everyone looked at the seemingly asleep person on the bed, the only positive was that there were beds on wheels in the ward, the problem was that they would be hard pressed to keep him safe from any fast moving monsters or the corporation's goons.
Suddenly they saw those very goons rushing towards them, with their guns on dangling behind them. J.D. and the others could only laugh as J.D. said.
"And here I thought that only in games Zombies bring you ammo to shoot them with"