Resident Evil: Beginnings

Prologue- Paint it Black

The room was blindingly white, computer screens filling the walls of the spacious area. Men and

Women in lab coats milled about quietly, some holding charts, other conversing within their own

tiny circles. It seemed strange, that even within a scientific world there would be cliques. But as in

the common world, so beaucracy reigns within various teams and factions. This was the Umbrella

Corporation and they were the future.

Or so they thought.

Chapter one

Marvelous Things

The Arctic is frigid, or beyond so from the point of view from a warm blooded, woman from the Southern part of the hemisphere. Angelica Burrows, one of the top biological enhancement scientists, shivered in her office chair. After being transferred from the office in New York, the woman thought she had mastered cold weather, but she was wrong. Even though the office temperature was a comfortable seventy five degrees; she could seem to feel any draft that was present within the facility. Grumbling to herself as she pulled her arms all the way into her long sleeves. Eyeing the computer screen that splayed out in front of her, azure eyes scanned the quick stream of information that was spilling out onto the page. She was a fast reader, always

had been.

At a young age, her IQ levels had been off the charts, prompting an anonymous tutoring donor to draw attention to her and her family. At the age of fourteen she had graduated high school; at the age of eighteen, college. Quickly after she had been contacted by the CEO of the Umbrella Corporation,Ozwell . He was impressed with her credibility, and had offered her a position within their biogenetics department. It had been seven years, and even after that, she still felt a little out of place. Now within her mid twenties, the woman had easily made her way through the ranks. Now the head scientist of her department, the still relatively young woman hardy looked the part. Her long, blonde hair was always slung into a messy pony tail, her bright, sky blue eyes always containing a gentleness that most had abandoned after the first year of settling in. Known for her humane, yet effective, way of experimentation, Angelica had been nicknamed "Angel" for her superior intuition. Almost everyone got along with the outgoing girl, almost everyone..A tall shadow loomed behind her, casting it's flickering form over the bright screen. Raising an eyebrow, Angelica slowly swiveled within her desk chair. "I'll have those serotonin reports in by the end of the day, William."

William Birkin stood straight, his arms folded within a professional stance. His dark eyes seemed to shine with the fact that he was annoying her. This man was one of Spencer's "pets" ,as the rest of the staff would refer to him as. He had been a child prodigy, and friend of the Ashfords, the right hand family and main sponsor of Ozwell and his company. He had joined early on, becoming a rather endowed scientific mind of the Umbrella Corporation. In layman's terms, he was everyone's boss. Angelica ran her fingertips though some of her stray strands of hair, pushing them from her face as she looked up at the man. A coy smile graced her full lips before she turned back to her work. "Where's your shadow today?"

Birkin huffed at her comment, no matter how true it was. Of course, she was referring to his long time coworker and friend, Albert Wesker. Wesker was a man of few words, but William could understand him even if he wasn't speaking. They had joined the Corporation as the tender age of seventeen, and had been trainees within the same program. The young men had bonded well, and eventually had become assigned as district managers for the various experimental facilities across the North American seaboard. Everyone seemed to be on edge when they came through for inspections, all except the woman before him. She had been assigned project manager for quite some time, and had gotten used to William's cynicism, and Wesker's criticism. "I am right here ,Miss Burrows."

A gravelly voice caused both to turn towards the doorway. Albert Wesker leaned against the doorway, the ever present , silver aviators hiding the ice blue eyes that lay behind. The man had a presence, Angelica would give him that. The man was tall, hair a white, blonde that was constantly slicked back into perfection. His piercing blue eyes made most of the female staff swoon, along with a fighter's body that was toned and fit. It made Burrows laugh at some of the antics the younger women around her enacted to try and draw his attention. An emotionless attitude masked most of what Wesker felt about the attention, but he was a genius in his field despite appearances. His cool demeanor clashed with Angelica at times, but both had managed to work together...civilly. Looking to the heavens as if in prayer briefly, Angelica stared at both her superiors with icy eyes.

Pausing the computer feed forcefully, her white hands clasped upon her lap in apparent annoyance." Surely this isn't a social call , boys. And my deadline on the data isn't due for another six hours..so..." Wesker pushed off the door, his gloved hand retrieving a compact file folder that he had been clasping to his side. Tossing it towards her, the man sat comfortably in another desk chair that was stationed at an unused terminal. She caught it deftly, opening it in one, fluid motion. Seconds ticked by as her almond eyes flitted across the pages, widening as she concluded her skim through. "Is this a probable hypothesis?" Birkin slowly nodded, unfolding his arms to slip his hands within his pockets. "The Progenitor strain could open a new world of opportunities for mankind. But we need someone who has the knowledge to synthesize and put it through the proper trials. It could take weeks, it could take years..But Spencer was explicit on getting You as the head scientist."

The woman's mouth shifted slowly, eyes averting back towards the paused screen behind her. She had been here for almost three years, trying to re-write the basic structure of plants and animals to survive in weather conditions that weren't inherent to natural habitat. All her work would be handed to someone else..as she relocated to somewhere she did not know. Sighing inwardly, she looked at both of the men before her, gripping the papers within her hand. After the last statement, Angelica knew she really didn't have a choice.. If she stayed there, it more than likely would be the last chance for any advancement for a long time...

Setting her jaw, Angelica directed her gaze towards the silent man in the chair adjacent hers. A smug smile was curving at his thin lips, causing her immaculate eyebrows the furrow in confusion. Then the question hit her.. "And who exactly would be project manager on this?" Wesker moved forward upon his seat, his long fingers steepling together in a sign of glee. Well, a sign of glee for him at least. "Our propriator,James Marcus, William here, and myself our course..."

Angelica eyed him carefully, her face giving no reaction to the information that he had laid before her. Wesker shifted in his seat, the woman's calculating stare becoming unusually and increasingly present within his sights. It made him ...uncomfortable, and that was a feat indeed. Swallowing, the woman tersed her mouth, now staring at William as she stood. "And where is exactly is this facility going to be located?" Birkin clipped back, his impatience at her answer finally showing through his professionalism. "The main facility will be under construction for some time, but the temporary base will be outside a small town named Raccoon. It will be located near the mountain range of Arklay." Slowly Angelica looked down at the files before her, an old burning tugging at her interest. She had grown complacent with her plants over the last few years..and now the familiar burning of excitement ran through her veins.

Sucking in her breath, words came flooding out before she could even give time to analyze the variables. "When do you need me.." Wesker stood up triumphantly, his hands folded behind his back. A blonde eyebrow raised over the sunglasses, giving Angelica the mental impression that he had already known her answer from the beginning. "Your plain will be leaving at o' eight hundred hours tomorrow morning. We will be meeting you there, my dear." The two men turned to leave, quietly talking between themselves whilst doing so. Clearing he throat, Angelica spoke over them, causing the pair to turn in surprise. "The virus is unstable..it's tectonic and symmetrical variables constantly shifting in genetic code. How do you expect me to do this alone, and without my assistant?"

Drawing off his sunglasses, Wesker gave his partner a sidelong glance. William returned his gaze and turned back towards their new coworker. "You may bring one of your personal assistants. No more. Any other accommodations and information will be exchanged tomorrow morning at the facility. Good evening, Miss Burrows." Sitting back into her chair, Angelica watched the two men leave, her eyes narrowing slowly. Turning back towards her computer, she stared blankly at file folder before her. She was going to have to contact Lisa...

…

"Kiyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Sunlight streamed from a window upon the left side of the room, illuminating the source of the

overly loud cry. A punching bag was hanging in the middle of the room, taking an obvious

amount of damage as a woman in tights landed blow upon blow. Having already packed,

Angelica decided to enjoy a few last hours in her quarters before saying a final goodbye. Her hair

was swept back into a common bun, it's tight coils lumped upon her head in a golden mass.

Sweat gleamed off her skin, causing an ear bud she had attached to her ear to slip on occasion.

Finally stopping to take a light breather, Angelica sat down upon a plush chair, her legs swung

over one of the arm rests. Planting her arms behind her head as a self made pillow, the woman

kept her conversation skills despite panting heavily. "I'll be transferring within the week. Yes, I'm

bringing Lisa back with me. I'm not positive, but the look on her face said she couldn't wait to be

back in the states. Personally I'm looking forward to short sleeves again. Don't worry, Trent. I'll

be on the next plain outa here, I won't be late." Smiling to herself, the woman sat back up to grab

a half filled bottle of water of the coffee table.

Trent had been like a dad to her over the last few years. He and James Marcus headed the training facility she had attended for orientation after being signed on. He was tall, with crinkly blue eyes and a reassuring smile. But he was far more than that. Before Umbrella had managed to snag him, Trent had been one of the top metaphysicists in N.A.S.A, far exceeding many an intellect that he was training. Both he and she had the same sense of humor and outlook on life, making them fast friends and eternal mentors to one another.

Gulping down some of the refreshing liquid, Burrows wiped the splatter from her mouth, chuckling at her friend on the other line. "I've missed you too. I'm so glad we will be working together again. Hey..I've gotta go, but I'll see you when we touch down in Raccoon?" Her smile widened as they said goodbyes, slipping off the earpiece and placing it upon the clear table. Sighing as she searched her surroundings, Angelica bgean making her way to the bathroom. A quick shower

was in order before she left..

…

"Oh my God , Angel, you should see this veiw!"

Lisa couldn't sit still in her chair, constantly peaking out the window from time to time. Angelica groaned, waving an arm at her friend before rolling her head the other direction for more rest.

The overlays had been terrible for her, jetlag having kicked in on the first flight and never left.

The time zones had thrown her sleep cycle off, as well as her stomach's, and Burrows was in no

mind for seeing the "view." Trevor, however, had been as energetic as ever, leaving the other

woman with one conclusion. Next time she would be tranquilizer darts. The thought crossed Angelica's mind, but only in jest. In truth, Trevor had become one of her best friends after being stationed at the Arctic Facility, her bubbly personality hard not to like. Unfortunately she had one draw back...she was a chatter box and hopeless romantic. Constantly trying to marry Angelica off,

Lisa would only save one man for herself, Albert Wesker. Much to her friend's dismay, the woman swooned whenever he was brought up, most of her conversations revolving around his "pretty ole blues."

Poking the limp woman beside her, Lisa snorted gently, her bright, brown eyes wide with

excitement. "Wake up sleeping beauty, we're almost there!" A searching hand planted upon her

face, mussing the red hair in an exaughsted attempt to acknowledge her presence. Muffled

behind the fingers, Trevor tried to detach herself. "Uh, honey, you got your hand on my face.."

Sleepy blue eyes slanted open, opening up in a wide, bleary apology. "I'm sorry...uh...yea.."

Sitting up further in her seat, Angelica blew some of her tousled hair out of her face. Sure

enough, the pilot made his announcement, prompting both females to refasten their buckles.

Minutes later, the women were exiting with their carry ons, the cool, mountain breeze rustling

through their forms. A black limousine had been parked at the edge of the landing strip, the driver

now extending the car doors open for the pair. Sliding into the slick, leather seats, both women

were taken aback by the luxury that they were experiencing. "Well,doll,I think we hit the big time!"

Chuckling gently, Lisa ran her hand over the soft fabric of the vehicle. Angelica paid no mind to

her for the time being, he wide eyes locked upon the view that her friend had been raving about

earlier. The trees were in full fall bloom, golden yellows and rouge reds blazing throughout the

foliage that covered the mountain side. Birds migrated South, leaving skyward trails of their flock

to be watched in wonder. Burrows took in the nature around them with reverie, the pleasure of

knowing this would be normality from now on painted a smile across her tired face. They would be located on the outskirts of Raccoon, towards the mountain range. Only wildlife and hikers would be out in that area,leaving it untouched by the industrial plagues of man. Sucking in an awed breath, Angelica turned back towards Lisa with excitement lighting up her eyes. "You know, I think you're right.."

Spencer settled into is plush chair, a crystaline glass of alcohol nestled into his left hand. He hadn't been too keen on turning one of his winter houses into an underground facility, but after Marcus had laid the ground plans, it had begun to grow on him. Besides, it had been quite some time before he had designed a security system ... Smiling genuinely at the two men sitting in front of him, the older man extended his free hand. William Birkin met his grasp, handing over a small file folder of information. Flipping through the small booklet of papers, Spencer looked surprised. "You actually convinced her to join the program? To be honest I had thought my request was more of a wild goose chase.." Wesker leaned forward from the comfort of his seat, folding his hands in front of him in the familiar pose of discussion. "Miss Burrows has a unique way of getting her job done. I do suggest that we only utilize her during stage two of the progress." William nodded in confirmation of his friend's statement, tapping one of the paper's edge. "She is known for a strict code of ethics, it may get in the way of some of the tests we wish to run. Are you sure this is our scientist, Ozwell?" Taking a sip of his beverage, Spencer savored the burning taste as it slid down his throat. Averting his eyes to his proteges, the ceo paused briefly before continuing his conversation. "Did you see what she did reviving the ancient cells of those plants that actually contained the Progenitor? She can manipulate DNA better than any mind I have come across in my carreer. And she has the highest IQ that has been recorded within out faction. That includes usurping you two as well.." Birkin and Wesker gave each other a side long glance, not having known this information the entire time they had dealt with the woman. James Marcus had been the primary researcher upon the project, only referring to those he felt he could trust with the information. Research on the various virus strains had been active since 1977, but only almost ten years later, had the research blossomed into something tangible. Ozwell replaced the file on the top of the table between them, scooting the article towards the two men. William took the file from the polished, wooden furniture, eyeing them with a bored interest. Wesker's expression remaining cool in nature, only trying to gauge Spencer's true motive. The business tycoon's funding for Bio Organic Weaponry was unheard of in the field, and had raised several questions within the Umbella's employees. The older man smiled. It wasn't the smile of an honest man, tipped with the sharp steel of industrial malevolence. Looking at his protégés sternly, Ozwell Spencer lifted his glass towards the two men. "After stage two, if she becomes a problem, we will…dispose of said problem promptly. Now, gentlemen, we have more pressing matters to discuss." Withdrawing a secondary file folder, Spencer sent the object skidding towards Wesker's side of the table. Both opposite men raised their eyebrows. This was going to be an interesting conversation. They could just feel it.