*This is my first fanfic, please don't be too harsh on me. By the way, this is my own take on the Racoon City Saga, not connected with the movie or anything. This first part doesn't give a terrible amount of the plot away at all. Gimme some feed back on what you think is going on. Thanks!*- Gaiden



Chapter 1- Coffee.

Dean Ryder, the all American working man. Ever since the Umbrella Inc. takeover of the town in '79, life got considerably quieter in the growing town. Back in '79 Ryder still worked for the local press. His big break came in summer of '79 after some local kids drowned in the lake up in the marshes, Ryder was the guy that noticed that somehow the kids didn't 'drown'. Incompetent police officers and lazy morticians are one thing, having a sleazy tabloid journalist solve a murder case is something else. After receiving numerous awards from various papers and a short lived public love affair with the name 'Dean Ryder', Ryder was at the topic of the crop for solving the murders. He was the Chief Editor of the 'Racoon Chronicle'. Then came the takeover. But that was all back in the days when Ryder's brain was fully focused on the jobs at hand, and his waistline was at least 5 sizes smaller. Once the takeover came, Ryder lost all his achievements with his firm,. lost his office, everything. He even came close to losing the job entirely if it hadn't been for his past 'awards'. Instead of firing him completely, Umbrella decided to keep him on the pay role, as Department Manager of their newly established 'Umbrella Official Press' or, 'Contradiction- Capital' to most of the public. These days however, Ryder was usually the first one out of the building when five o'clock came, and usually the last one to leave the coffee machines at lunch. Days seemed to drag in since he lost his zest for the job. He couldn't wait to leave the offices and get back to finishing that six-pack of Bud back at home-a trait his ex. Wife found to be so disgusting she left packed up and left him. 'Ditto' to her was Deans' response. Today however, was the day Dean Ryder had a lot more riding on his day at work than he first thought.

Ha. Sun. Sun in Racoon City, that's rare in December. Ryder made his way across Anderson Street, occasionally giving a glance at the shop windows - which were filled with coloured lights and decorated trees. The holiday feel in the air always reminded him of his own kids. How they would wake on Christmas morning and rush down the stairs to see what Santa Claus had left them. Ryder grunted. His kids all had little ones of their own now, and he didn't see any of them anymore since they left home. He looked at his watch, "fuck." 8.45am.All that window shopping had made him late. Not that he wanted to go to work today, or any day for that matter,. He just didn't want Foster coming down on his ass. He picked up the pace.