RESIDENT EVIL Ø

PROLOGUE:

In July of 1998 a bizarre incident occurred in Arclay forest, on the outskirts of Raccoon City, involving a mansion and a secret laboratory.

The cities police department dispatched their special S.T.A.R.S team, who soon discovered every horror conceivable! With only three survivors narrowly escaping, and having no preliminary evidence the case was eventually closed. The three survivors, Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, and Barry Burton headed to Europe to gather enough sufficient evidence and expose Umbrella's secret once and for all. Then another incident occurred in the less resolute mid-western town known as Raccoon City, involving an unsuspecting rookie police officer and a civilian Claire Redfield. They to soon discover the horror, as the city transformed had become a land for the dead to feast in. After stumbling upon Umbrella's secret the two heroes' had fled the city and went searching for answers themselves to expose the faceless corporation. The nightmare continued not after, but in between with a bizarre set of events that lead up to the climax of Raccoon City's demise. Caught up in this fight for survival were Jill Valentine and Brad Vickers, facing the possibility that they were the last survivors of Raccoon City. Hunted by Umbrella's merciless debt collector 'NEMESIS', who came to collect a debt well overdue. Raccoon City was soon destroyed!

Alas, let us delve further into this so-called residence of evil and the secrets of Umbrella, Long before the nightmare truly begun, but more so the events that transpired in the beginning. When was Umbrella created? Whom? These are just a few of many unanswered questions…

A double Decker train hummed across the track quietly, despite the great speed that it was travelling at. It said Raccoon City Cove Travelon the side of the front carriage, passing between the thick woodland of Arclay Forest. The rain came down hard and heavy through the night as the train rumbled onward! The passengers sat around in the luxury buffet cabin, chattering and making odd banter. Some couples, others merely associates in expensive business suits as waiters and waitresses hovered around like bumblebees. In the other first carriage, various execs sat around a man in a suit, punched keys frantically into his laptop filing a memo; a business card lay on the table at the side of the laptop, a very posh print it had the Umbrella signified in the top right hand corner! The ticket collector passed through the middle isle slowly checking each passenger's tickets.

The businessman continued on his laptop oblivious to the fact that torrential rain beat down on his window, and the silent flashes of lightning that lit up the night sky momentarily. The ticket master finally came over to check his ticket; the businessman took it out of his right breast pocket. Suddenly there was a loud splattering sound as something smacked off the window aside him' they looked to see what appeared to be some kind of slug, another one appeared, then another. Weird mucus dribbled over the glass as the things slithered all over the windowpane. They both looked on in astonishment; the ticket master looked up as more mucus dribbled from the ceiling onto his face. Soon the creatures began to appear from all crevices, all over people's dinner plates, the walls, the kitchen soon became infested. Suddenly they travelled onto unsuspecting passengers attaching themselves like parasites, followed by screams as people stumbled about the train with leeches all over the place. The conductors stood inside the control room piloting the train "What's that? What the hells going on back there?" they asked puzzled, suddenly the leeches slithered beneath the door and dropped from the ceiling soon infesting the control room taking over the conductors.

The lifeless high-speed shuttle roared onwards down the track, a sound equalled by the dying screams of helpless passengers gradually muted out by the flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder.

52 hours later somewhere else in Arclay Forest:

A police chopper rumbled overhead, hovering across the tree lines; the tail had S.T.A.R.S embedded down right side in bold white print... S.T.A.R.S the Raccoon City police departments' special operations team, Bravo the name of their particular division. The chopper was on its way to the location of an Umbrella funded mansion, just hours before that fateful night. The anxious team sat aboard the chopper, waiting calmly; while the pilots voices nattered through their radio earpieces and the occasional glint from their police shades. Equipment lay in the overhead compartments, rope buckles and support straps rattled and jingled while padlocks clacked on the compartment doors from the choppers shaky approach.

Bravo team shared alliance with Alpha team; the S.T.A.R.S Alpha team was the main arms division, while Bravo team consisted vaied experts each of different proffession. Rebecca Chambers although only eighteen years old, just surpassed the level of rookie. She was the medic, obtaining almost all knowledge in the field of medicine. Richard Aiken another vital member of the team serving as Bravo teams communications expert. The only link back to headquarters for teams out in the field; having to pull double duty as radioman for both units since Alpha team has no trained operator. Enrico Marini. Bravo teams leader and second in command of S.T.A.R.S task force itself, a dedicated operative and is always proud to serve and lead his unit. Forest Speyer another role in Bravo team as sniper, in addition to his duties as vehicle specialist. A consummate professional and his work earn' him great respect from the rest of his teammates. Next

Kenneth Sullivan the quieter one of the team a talented scouting officer. He's also an expert in the field chemistry. Edwards though to his fellow officers he was known only as Edwards a particular key role as the ballistics expert, a very thorough evidence collector! Photography was also required, as it was on this particular mission. Lastly there's Gene Hunt, or better known as Genie to her fellow teammates, her innocent looks and although female anyway her girlish looks can be deceptive, but make no mistake Gene is a strong willed soldier, graduated at the top of her class in both combat and weapons training, with an excellent sense of judgement and self initiative she makes an all round useful member to S.T.A.R.S.

Almost losing concentration as she stared into the nighttime woodland, Rebecca was woken up by the sound of the pilots shouting back at her and pointing to the mansion. It was only a couple of thousand yards ahead! "Two minutes until drop time." Enrico nodded to the pilots "Alright suit up people, asshole's and elbows right now c'mon." Belts buckled and suits chaffed as they got ready unbuckling themselves from their seats. Kenneth glanced at Richard as they brushed past each other; Kenneth went to unlock the weapons overhead cabinet, suddenly the tail rotors suspension exploded! Causing the chopper to jerk about and take a nosedive for a split second, the pilots tried to control it again "I can't hold her." "Hold on I'm gonna ground this puppy."

The tail dragged the whole chopper around like a spin top. Eventually the thing hit the ground with a thud! The tail was left smoking, surrounded by woodland and a circle of leaves and branches which the rotor had sliced through. Light coughs broke the silence; Richard brushed himself off as Forest helped him up. "Is everyone okay? We alright back there?" "Kenneth?" - "Here!" "Richard?" - "Here!" Rebecca came over to the main pilot with her hand resting against the seat "We're alright!" She said to the other pilot! The side door slid open as numerous pairs of feet jumped out into the woodland, crunching through twigs and dead leaves; Rebecca looked back at Tanner the other pilot for a moment and gave him thumbs up, and nodding through his sun glasses he returned the gesture before she exited the downed aircraft "Spread out. Check the surrounding area!" Enrico ordered, everyone switched their gun lights on to break through the darkness, Richard waved his gun around as his feet crunched over piles of dead leaves, Edwards tucked his camera away in it's side bag. Kenneth and Forest covered each other wandering past tree's "Check over there."

Rebecca heard them say in the faint distance as she crunched through leaves. The gun lights spread out into the vast woods, Forest backed up slowly taking re-steps of the same area, and suddenly he jumped as Richard bumped into him "Jesus, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" "No. Are you trying to give me one?" "Knock it off!" Enrico snapped, Kenneth marched back to him "Sir, checked the perimeter. I don't think there's anything here; I suggest we just head straight for the mansion." "Noted. Alright people saddle up we're heading straight forthe mansion; let's move it!" They paused, distracted as a flock of crows burst from out of the trees and fluttered away squawking, there was sudden gunfire followed by a scream "Tanner!" Enrico and Kenneth ran in the direction of his gunfire, which slowly died out, they came only to find his freshly mutilated remains beneath a tree, slumped in a lifeless heap as if he had been dragged out of the chopper.

Rebecca swung around as she felt something brush past her, suddenly accompanied by Edwards "Stick close. The way this place looks I doubt anything's safe out here." he said touching her shoulder; she saw something in the bushes, going closer they saw a turned up MP van, the MP's lay strewn about the ground "Oh my god. What the hell happened here?" Rebecca took the clipboard she found stuck in the bushes; there was a prisoner file and photo on it "What's this?" She read through it while Edwards checked out the van wreck, stepping over the bodies "Lieutenant. Billy Coen. Court marshalled and charged for the murder of twenty three people…" "…Rebecca" Edwards interrupted suddenly they heard gunfire "Watch yourselves?" Someone shouted; something suddenly moved inside the bush near her, a shape growled and dived out at them moving about the darkness, to fast for them to identify.

It lunged for Rebecca "Rebecca get down!" Forest shouted suddenly appearing, he shot at it, Edwards jumped out the way, Enrico and Kenneth were still under attack from wild dogs "Regroup." Enrico screamed "Over there!" "Head for the mansion!" the team scrambled through the woods trying not to get lost, heavy breathing as feet frantically ran through woodland foliage. Kenneth and Forest fired back at the dogs what chased them "Don't stray, don't stray!" Edwards screamed when he suddenly tripped over a tree root and tumbled through the dirt. Rebecca ran as fast as her legs would take her accidentally splitting from the rest of the team, the noise seemed to get quieter behind her. She slowed down out of breath; she could see light in the distance assuming it was probably the others and went to investigate. She came out into the clearing only to find the light came from the train...the train from earlier. It had literally stopped in its tracks, although it had stopped she could hear the engine rumbling and humming, and the head beams were still on "A train…" she said to herself as it slowly began to rain.

Pulling one of the doors open, she clambered in gun drawn with the torch on. The lights in the carriage joiner were off and the side door was left open letting heavy rain spit through, as it beat down on the windows. Her shoes crunched on the carpeted floor as she walked down the middle isle; she went and opened the door leading into the next carriage. The lights were on and the distorted sound of a voice on someone's radio broke through the noise of the rain. "This is Rebecca Chambers of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S police force. If there's anybody in here will you please identify yourself now!" She walked further in to see the radio in the lap of a corpse, soon noticing other lifeless bodies still in their chairs, Rebecca put her hand over her mouth from shock "What happened in here?" she asked herself unaware of the activity behind her, the radio dropped to the floor as the corpse slowly rose from one of the passengere seats.

Rebecca switched around to see the tall looming figure of the un-dead stagger towards her "Hey, i need to ask you some..." she paused noticing something very wrong with him "Whoa! Stay, just stay back okay." The man didn't listen "I said stay where you are, or I will open fire!" the man still staggered towards her with his arms out, she suddenly shot out aimlessly, the lumbering thing was pushed back as it's body was filled with bullets "What the…" the other bodies were beginning to rise, a man in a suit and the train drivers staggered towards her all decayed and decrepit. She kept firing soon fresh out of her first clip, some fell while others got up again! One fought his way through at her snarling and drooling saliva, Rebecca was almost out of ammo "oh no!" suddenly the door behind her slid open with a loud thud, she turned around in fright only to be relieved to see her fellow S.T.A.R.S compatriot "Dylan!" she said in a relieved tone "In here!" He answered as he pumped his shotgun and began blasting aback at the crowd. Quickly pulling the across shut again. "Give me that." Rebecca gave him the plank of spare wood from the side and wedged it into the opening right in the sliding mechanism itself to jam it.

Looming shadows shoved and barged at the door "That ain't gonna hold for long" "How did you…" "…Luck of the irish, c'mon we need to get off this train." they ran to the other end of the carriage, straight through into the corridor; suddenly the train jerked as it moved again "…the hell?" Dylan wondered as he looked around "Who started it up again?" Rebecca asked "What the hell's going on?" Dylan looked out the window for a moment, it was still raining heavily "I don't know but somebody's definitely driving this thing" the two of them carried on down the hall leading to the cabins, crunching on smashed glass and noticing two broken windows as the rain spat through. The two S.T.A.R.S members continued their search down the hall "What's going on in this train? And what were those things in the woods? How'd you manage to get here? Are the others still trapped out there?"

Rebecca asked "…I don't know I got turned around somewhere, Richard disappeared! We were at the chopper trying to radio an S.O.S back to headquarters when those things were all over us, he didn't make it. They were all over the place, they tried to drag him out, I pulled him back in…but it was too late." There was a sudden bumping sound coming from the luggage compartment across from them, they turned to the direction of the compartment door that was open. One of the cases fidgeted about and wobbled, Rebecca pulled out here S.T.A.R.S issue Beretta, Dylan followed her.

Both of them took small steps closer gradually, Dylan pulled the cock suddenly a large Possum dived out at them and scurried "Jesus." Dylan thought as he exhaled a sigh of relief, Rebecca went to examine the compartment. Dylan withdrew his gun but was suddenly grabbed by another crazed passenger "What the fuck? Get! Get off me!" He said struggling with the brain dead fool, the man snapped and snarled trying to bite his neck. "Rebecca!" She pulled her Beretta out again and pulled the trigger only to hear it click on empty "Not now!" Dylan pulled his gun out and whacked it in the face repeatedly, but to no avail only annoyed the ravenous creature. Dylan was overpowered and subdued as the zombie took grip of his arm and shoulder squeezing him into submission "God…Damn it!" He said having to use all his strength trying to break free of the zombies grasp; Rebecca struggled to help him, trying to pry its un-dead fingers loose.

Dylan having his left arm locked in an upward position, was pushing the barrel end of his gun up into the zombies head, forcing it into the creatures chin shot two bullets one after the other; there followed a silence as brain fragments splattered all over the ceiling before the zombie dropped to the floor in a dead heap "Son of a bitch!" Dylan held his hand over his arm "You okay? Let me take a look at that." "No! I'm fine it's okay" "Okay." She replied hesitantly "C'mon we have to get off this train" Rebecca and Dylan made their way through to the next carriage, only to be startled by the sight of someone running around the corner "Hey, you, hold it!" Dylan shouted, "Stop right now." They chased him into the kitchen "Hold it…Right there!" Dylan ordered as he pulled the cock back on his Beretta.

The man stopped seeing this was a dead end anyway and slowly put his hands in the air "Turn around." He turned around with handcuffs hanging from his right wrist; Rebecca gave him a look of recognition "Billy Coen?" "What? You know this guy?" she side glanced at Dylan for a second "He's a fugitive." "What? What prisoner? What are you talking about?" "Earlier! During the attack we found a turned up truck and two dead MP's, he...killed them." Dylan glanced back and forth at the two of them, still slightly unnerved from the attack "Alright hands up keep them where I can see them!" Rebecca kept her gun locked on him "Cuffs!" Dylan urged as she unhooked them from her equipment belt and gave them to Dylan "I'm already in handcuffs officer." Billy said sarcastically "Shut up!" Dylan turned him around aggressively and searched him quickly before locking the cuffs around his wrists, and clicked the others back on too.

"Son of a bitch they were good men just doing their jobs, couldn't face the prospect of military prison, cause you know what they do with new boys right? Yeah you know!" Billy remained silent and turned around again, Rebecca looked at him "What you did…how could you do that to them?" He didn't say a word and just looked at her "If you didn't know already there's a lot of weird shit out here and I'm the least of your problems!" "Maybe you didn't hear me the first time, this might help improve it. Now move!" Dylan ordered escorting Billy at gunpoint back into the hallway of other carriage "Where are we gonna put him?" "In here."

Dylan let go of him for a second, while Rebecca kept her gun on him as Dylan checked out one of the cabins to see if it was unoccupied and the lights were still on "Alright in here." Rebecca escorted him into the cabin; Dylan pushed him in "Get in!" he demanded, Coens' boots clipped and clopped on the wooden floor heavily; he was quite tall, over six feet about the same height as Dylan. Dylan re-cuffed him to the railing at the far end by the window next to the bunk, there was a blurred view of the forest as the rain continued to beat down. "We'll keep him in here for now, besides he's not going anywhere anyway." A sharp pain suddenly shot through his arm from the nail wounds, he had to sit down as he clenched his teeth "damn it!" "Let me look at that." "No, I told you I'm fine." "It might get infected."

He gave in as she took his arm gently observing his wound, the skin around the bite marks was swollen and septic, "I'm gonna dress this." Dylan sat on the lower bunk as Rebecca took out her med-kit and began dressing his arm with bandage. Coen stood in thought still cuffed to the railing, Dylan glanced at him "Hold still." "Sorry." Rebecca finished bandaging his arm before she asked him to try opening and closing his hand to test his reflexes and let the blood flow "All good. Thanks Chambers." Billy observed curiously "What happened to his arm?" Rebecca looked over to Coen "We were attacked by one of those things out there." "Son of a bitch was strong like hell to! Man he got me good." Dylan held his arm again "You're bit?" Rebecca looked back up at him for a minute not realising as the rain had calmed gradually to mere spitting, as the train roared through the upcoming tunnel. Beacon lights flashing past the windows, with a swoosh sound from the velocity of the train.

Outside in the hall, blood dripped from the ceiling from the previous fight. The corpse lay on the floor, its decayed hands, green bony fingers and the sight of it's sunken in face would make you want to vomit. Suddenly its eyes opened bloodshot and snakelike, the others heard a shuffling noising from the bedroom. "What the hell's that?" Dylan and Rebecca slowly towards the doorway, Dylan cocked his gun "Careful, it could be another one of those things!" Billy could only stand and watch as the lights in the hall fizzled out. Dylan stood by the window facing opposite the room taking momentary flashes of light coming from the tunnel, the shuffling continued as he looked out into the shadows, a flicker of light revealed the shadows of more than one shape "Oh shit!" Dylan yelled as one lunged at him forcing him to the floor, Rebecca shot at the other shape in the darkness.

Billy looked on through the doorway in slight panic, while pulling at the pole to see if he could get it loose suddenly noticing another shape crawl out from under the bed. "Shit... hey!" he called while the others still had their hands full, it reached out for his boot, Billy kicked back at it and pulled himself as far back as he could. He slumped to the floor in the corner next to a dresser while the zombie crawled towards him. It moaned and snarled, trying to reach for his leg! Its fingers were coated in a slime like substance and its left leg had decayed to bone which had began to show. Billy pulled at the railings in an attempt to free himself, shuffling about accidentally nudging the small dresser, which toppled over, a drawer fell out revealing a gun inside. "Rebecca!" he shouted, she turned to face Billy but trying to help both of them wasn't possible, Dylan still fighting with the zombie on the floor. Billy noticed the light glinting off the guns chrome finish with the corner of his eye, trying to reach for the gun with one foot, while avoiding the zombies grasp.

Dylan rolled left now free from the creatures grasp, he quickly scrambled to his feet as it' stood up snarling; with the cock of his gun Dylan immediately fired two shots into its chest only forcing the zombie back, with no time to think he fired again this time straight through its head, the lumbering freak froze in its tracks before crashing to the floor. "This time stay dead!" Billy dragged the gun in with his foot; he grabbed it with his hands and turned away squeezing his eyes shut as he shot the cuff chains in two, quickly freeing himself. He jumped to his feet before letting off three rounds, there followed a ping after each bullet as it flew through the creatures skull. Rebecca rushed towards the doorway and saw Billy, unaware of the zombie creeping up behind her; he fired straight into its head. Almost falling into her arms she squealed moving aside as it crashed to the floor! Billy stood there, the guns barrel end smoking; he drew it back and tucked it into his pants. Rebecca looked at him again "…Thanks." He walked towards her "Stay back!" She said snapping out of it as she pulled her gun out on him, the exiled soldier paused in his tracks "You're gonna shoot me? I just saved your butt little lady."

"Don't make me shoot you." Rebecca said sharply "You're welcome." he said walking towards her again, Rebecca pulled the trigger only to hear it click on empty again, she closed her eyes for a second "Looks like you're out!" Billy said as he walked past her into the hallway, Dylan leant against the window holding his arm. Blood seeped from the bandage "What happened?" Dylan quickly drew his gun on Billy "Whoa! Take it easy." Billy held his hands up halfway "How'd he get loose?" "We got other things to worry about, like getting off this train alive!" Billy interrupted. Dylan held his arm, breathing heavily through his nose; she looked at his bandaged arm now torn and bloodied, he writhed in agony holding the wound shut trying to stop himself from bleedind too much.

"Can you move okay?'' Dylan nodded in comprehension. The three stood there for a moment as the train reached the other end of the tunnel, back out into the nighttime woodland. Rebecca looked at Billy who towered over her by at least a few inches, maybe a foot at the most. She looked at the eagle tucked into his pants, glancing at the Celtic tattoos on his well built arms. "I… appreciate what you did for me back there…but I'm gonna have to ask for your gun." He stared at her for a moment reaching for it "…Your gun Lt." She ordered, Billy pulled it out and passed it over to her, she put it into her side-bag. Dylan stood up straight and ignored the pain, as it had now stopped bleeding. "Alright let's get the hell of this train!" They moved down the rest of the hall, heading towards the control room. Lifeless corpses from the last fight lay strewn about the floor, Rebecca and the others came up to the door leading into the control room "C'mon" Billy saw another door at the side, as he stood behind them.

He thought for a second glancing back at them, before sneaking away into the next room! Unaware Dylan and Rebecca walked into the control room, it was quite spacious but there was nobody inside. In front of them were various devices, a few electronic flat screen keyboards, and several levers. At the side were three LCD screens attached to the ceiling, displaying a map of the train's route. Dylan looked at the main flat screen panel next to hundreds of switches, it was set on auto navigate. Rebecca looked through the huge windscreen, the train lights lit up the stone track revealing the vastness of Arclay Forest. "It's set to auto navigate and I can't deactivate it! This thing is definitely going somewhere." Meanwhile Billy had checked the other room and was now on the second floor of the carriage via the service ladder. It was a bar; there were various stools and tables about the place.

It was quite vast considering he was in one carriage; various bottles wobbled on the bar top and loose beer pumps jingled. He stood by the edge of the bar, and then suddenly stepped back in horror as he saw the mutilated and decomposed body of a barman. There were missing chunks of flesh all over his body, and his torso had been completely torn out. There was nothing left except an empty hole; Billy saw a shotgun propped up next to the corpse. Things were getting weirder, what the hell would a shotgun be doing behind the bar of a train? Billy still thought it might be a good idea to take it anyway; he looked up for a second noticing the ceiling was black with weird dents and bumps.

He frowned before he heard a noise and looked around, but there was nothing in sight. There was a door at the opposite end of the room and holding the shotgun in one hand, he marched across the floor. Reaching for the doorknob, Billy stopped after hearing the noise again; he grabbed hold of the doorknob frantically trying to turn it. The door was locked much to his detriment, hoping that he wouldn't have to face whatever was behind him. He turned around slowly and pumped his shotgun ready for whoever or whatever was behind him. Billy looked around to see nothing but froze in horror he looking up to see a gigantic black shape move down the wall. Hissing and scuttling as it came down; the soldier stared into the emerald green eyes of a giant scorpion like creature. Shell after shell he blasted into it, the shotgun shells merely bounced off the creature's somewhat impenetrable armour. A huge black tail swung around and smacked him in the gut, sending him straight through a wall into the next room. Luckily not to badly hurt but certainly knocked for six!