Chapter 11
Dreams
"Sir, are you sure you want to continue this procedure?"
"Yes, I have calculated it very carefully that I am compatible for our procedure."
"But there are certain risks sir-"
"I don't care, go on with the procedure I estimated it correctly and everything will go fine!"
"Dr. Stanford! We don't have certain scientists in this facility that knows the procedure besides you."
"I just gave you the disk damn it! It contains all information on the procedure. Get the best out of this facility and proceed!"
"But-"
"I am 100% sure nothing will go wrong! I will be the next subject for the Icarus Program and this will be complete unlike our first subject."
"Very well sir, we must first have some of our most essential needs before we could start."
"I know that, so get our men and get me that beta hetero nonserotonin, it will deliver most of the mutation."
"Yes doctor." it was all the man can say before he goes out of the room they were at.
"Doctor Connors, I assure you that my program will be better than yours and I will be the dawn of our new generation B.O.W.'s!"
Caleb quickly gave the phone to Jill as she grabbed it from his hand. She read the message that was written on the phone and said that the two of them were fine.
"Where are they?" Carlos asked.
"They are heading somewhere in San Francisco." Jill and Caleb said in unison.
"So, we're taking a detour?" Carlos asked again.
"Of course, we'll go there and fetch them."
"Why do they have to go there?"
"I don't know. Maybe Umbrella is after them and they have to move somewhere far away, I think."
"Why would they let Alice out if they have to get her later on?"
"I don't know I'm not from Umbrella you know."
Caleb relaxed back on the seat and looked outside the window. There is nothing really to see except for the darkness. He thought that he might be away from the nightmare he saw in Raccoon City, but it was only temporary. He knew that the virus outbreak in Raccoon City was the start. He was thinking more clearly now ever since he had escaped from the facility. He thought that the procedures somehow boost his intelligence and he's glad it happened.
"Caleb, it's almost midnight you better get some sleep." Jill said as he was snapped back to reality. "We'll be there by morning."
Caleb followed what she said and leaned on the window. He just noticed he just had a long day. Killing someone, almost got run over by a car, meeting up with Alice, getting himself almost killed by a person he doesn't know, and doing some kind of runaway. His tiredness just kicked in just in time as his eyes were slowly closing.
He was in a dark place, nothing engulfed him but fear. It was like everywhere. There was no escape from that fear as it become more distinct in his deep blue eyes. It was like there is no hope. He thought if that is really reality. Neither the world nor humanity is saved from the destruction that they have cast upon themselves. Then his thoughts were turned to what was the cause of the destruction. It was the Umbrella Corporation, they are the reason this nightmare started. No ones when the nightmares will end or even if it would really end.
His thoughts were interrupted when sounds were coming from the darkness before him. He noticed that he was now sitting against the wall behind him. He felt a little safer now at least. There is 'something' to lean to and he knew it wouldn't let him down. The sounds were more distinct, he knew the thing was approaching his direction. His heart was pounding fast against his rib cage. He never felt it since the outbreak from his hometown. His eyes were more adjusted to the dark now as he saw a figure before him. It wasn't monstrous at all, rather it was humane.
"Caleb, it's nice to see you here." the figure spoke, its voice was cold and fear struck him as he heard it.
"Who are you?" the boy replied, fighting off the fear he is feeling.
"I am you."
"What? That is impossible?!"
"You fool. We are inside your dream."
"You can't control me that easily." he started thinking positively as he could, ignoring the fear that had engulfed him. Little by little, light was beginning to show. In a few seconds the small room he is in was filled with light. However, something else struck him, he could see himself, but it was something he didn't expect. He couldn't notice it was him. The 'Caleb' before him was not human but rather a monster. He had scarlet red eyes and his Sclera (white part of the eye) was black. He had fangs that was extending outside his lips that a bit gray. His skin was color gray as if it was already dead, blue veins were seen in some parts. His nails were and seemed he had claws now. It was also colored black. As he looked to it more, fear was coming back. The light in the room was fading away as darkness was growing inside. He felt so hopeless inside.
"You see Caleb, I am growing inside you. I am also the source of your powers. But I still need Umbrella. We cannot use our powers unless we let them finish the procedure."
"I will never turn in to you." the boy shot back, gathering all the courage he had left."
"But don't you want power? You know we are always together and you can have it. Plus, you can never stop me from growing inside you."
There was a dim light that let him see the 'thing' before him. It grew two black wings from its black, stretching almost endlessly.
"I am your future." he made a devilish grin and winked at the boy before him. Caleb didn't know what it meant as he was shot back to reality.
"Caleb, we're here."
Jill was the one on the driver's seat while Carlos was beside her. They must have shifted while he was asleep. It was daytime and the blinding light from the sun hit him as he was trying to sit. His back was quite aching from sleeping on the seat. It seems that it was already noon as he noticed the sun was directly above them as he felt the heat that was coming from the outside.
"Where are we?"
"San Francisco."
He looked to the view in front of them. He was shocked from what he saw in front of them. The city was in ruins, there was no human to be seen from his sight. They were on top of some hill where they could see most of the city.
"What happened here?" the boy asked.
"The infection probably had reached this area."
"How can we find the two of them then?"
"We haven't heard of them still. We're going to stay here for the meantime. Or should we go down?"
"What are we going to do there?"
"Find something? Maybe there could be survivors down there." Carlos interrupted.
"We'll hide the van then go down there. We'll see what we can find."
The van started the engine and they went for the city. The ruins they saw became more detailed. The city was like Raccoon City. It was deserted and nothing to be seen except for some scraps that were around. Dead bodies we there too but it would be best to consider them as those flesh eating monsters they saw from Raccoon City. They found a nice spot in front of a restaurant that was in ruins.
Caleb was nervous as he knew he would come to face with those things again. As soon as they were properly parked, Jill got out of the van with her gun at the ready. She quickly opened the door of the van. Caleb grabbed his gun under his jacket and got out too. The two inspected the nearby areas with a steady aim. They got in the store and they walked cautiously towards the counter. They could smell the food that was now rotting. Two bodies began to rise. There were two reanimated bodies of waitresses in front of them. They shot together in unison as if it was only on gunshot. Their head exploded and their body fell on the floor, lifeless. Jill proceeded on while Caleb went back to the van parked in front of the restaurant. Carlos was already outside. Surprisingly, he was on top of the van. A sniper rifle was held as he began shooting those things from a distance. Near his foot was an assault rifle. More bodies began to rise from inside the store. He turned around and found more of them. Caleb shot and nailed bullets through the heads of the bodies.
Caleb froze as he heard more consecutive gunshots as it echoed through the walls of the buildings. Carlos was already using the assault rifle and was mowing down small groups of those things. Jill finally came out of the store with her gun still in her hands. The three kept shooting the things that were approaching them. In a few minutes, none of them was to be seen moving anymore. Caleb had used all of his extra magazines and so is Jill. The two went to the back of the van. Jill opened the door and Caleb grabbed one of the bags that were filled with magazines. He grabbed three magazines. He hid the two under his jacket. He released the clip that was inside his gun and slammed another one in.
"Should we go now? We're not really welcome here." Caleb asked.
"I'm sure a survivor could have heard those gunshots. They are bound to come here, thinking it's a rescue."
"What if there are?"
"Then we'll take them with us." Jill interrupted.
The two got inside the van, guns at the ready. Carlos was still on top of the vehicle, pretty unlucky he had to burn under the sun. Jill grabbed the extra sniper rifle from the back. The vehicle is more like a mini-bunker now.
"Are those gunshots?" Angie asked Alice who was beside her.
"It looks like they have come. We'll have to move now before they might think we're not here. Do you think the three of you are up for a run?" Alice asked, referring to the people behind them. There were two boys and one girl at her back. They still don't know how they would survive. The girl had a long dark blond hair and had deep blue eyes. Beside her was a younger boy who had also short sandy blond hair and has dark eyes. Beside him was another younger boy who has short brown hair that comes along with his brown eyes.
"I think so." the girl responded.
Alice smiled at her. The five of them had locked themselves inside a room where only a small lamp was giving them light. Alice approached the door and grabbed the door knob. She turned it slowly and opened the door with her gun at the ready. There was nothing there. Few gunshots were heard coming from at least three blocks east of their location.
"The coast is clear." she turned then the blond haired girl at her back. "Can you shoot?"
"I'll try."
"Stay at the most rear and keep an eye out. Don't worry. Nothing is going to happen as long as we stick together." She took out a gun from one of her holsters and gave it to the girl.
The five of them walked out of the room and proceeded to the source of the noise with caution. All of them were alert. Their eyes were like moving in every possible direction. They are keeping an eye out because those things might come after them. A few were to be seen loitering around but they didn't shoot because they don't want any attention. Suddenly, one of those things noticed them. It was now approaching them at its slow pace. Without hesitation, Alice pulled the trigger as the bullet went through its head, making it explode on impact.
"Run!" Alice shouted to her group as more of those things were coming out of the buildings. All were going towards their direction. The five of them made a run for it. Alice was shooting the ones on their way. The girl however, did not dare to shoot. The blond haired boy grabbed the gun from her hands and replaced her position. He was now at the back of the group and shot the ones that approaching them. He was shooting at random parts of the body so some were still standing. He ignored it and began shooting at their knees. One by one, the things were falling down, but not yet dead.
"I'm out of bullets." he shouted.
They still kept running. Alice knew that she was also running out of bullets, making her shoot less. She slammed her last magazine inside her gun and still kept shooting.
"Were those gunshots?" Jill explained as soon as she heard it.
"Looks like it." Caleb reacted, slamming a new magazine inside his gun.
"Carlos! Get inside, we're moving out!" Jill shouted enough for Carlos to hear.
He got down with the guns and got inside the van. Jill started the engine as she drive the van off from the parking space.
"It's getting nearer." Caleb exclaimed.
"Caleb and I are going to shoot the ones on the way from the window." Carlos said. "Are you ready boy?"
"Sure."
The two of them got their heads and one of their arms outside the window, shooting the ones on the way. Jill ran over the bodies, making it quite a bumpy ride.
Meanwhile, Alice was now out of ammo. She just kept knocking the ones on the way to the ground. Their movement got slower as more of them were coming from their backs. Just in time, the van was in their view.
"There they are!" Angie happily exclaimed.
Gunshots were coming from the van as it was coming closer. Alice' group stayed on their spot, waiting for them to stop.
"It's them!" Caleb said, still shooting the ones on the way.
The van finally stopped in front of them. Caleb swung the door open with a small smile on his face. He got out of the van, still at a steady aim for the ones that were nearing, shooting them of course.
"Quick! Get inside!" he shouted over the noise from the gunshots. As soon as the five of them got in, he shot the last one and got inside too.