Chapter III
The Infection
September 23rd – New York City – Mid Day – 5:05 PM
Vela looked about, huddled beneath a lab table and shivering…the infection had taken its toll. Everyone in the laboratory had died, and it wasn't their fault. Innocence was stripped from the unknowing bodies of the living, their souls ripped from inside…the only people responsible for this were the head scientists, the people in charge of all of this. But even they couldn't be blamed; it was the board members, the members of the committee. Those fools on Muerte were so naïve, expecting an outbreak to be impossible. They were wrong, as they were here.
The actual infection began three hours ago…
September 23rd – New York City – Mid Day – 2:00 PM
"The actual viral concentration is complete, Doctor. All we have to do now is make sure that it is stable enough to be tested. The only way we can do that, as you know, is to inject it into the blood stream of a mammal." A tall blonde woman spoke briefly, with a quiet tone. She had a long white coat on, covering a black tank and black pants. Her hair was pulled up in back, her thick glasses shrouding her pretty blue eyes. But behind those eyes stood the mind of a brilliant scientist…and the mind of a cold blooded killer.
The male doctor in front of her looked happy, knowing that the months of research that they had spent working on this project were finally paying off. After countless hours of hard, grueling experimentation it was finally finished. The final product was in front of him, behind three feet of solid bullet proof glass. Serious precaution must be carried out when dealing with such a deadly weapon…the virus was airborne, contracted with a single breath. After about an hour of settling in the air, the virus disintegrates but still holds a presence. Releasing a type of Bio Organic Weaponry Gas (BOW) will reenergize the virus, causing it to become even more devastating. It was truly the work of a genius.
"Alexia Ashford would be proud…" he said, announcing his obvious triumph, "…we have served our purpose to Umbrella, and now it is time to see the final payoff. Margaret, please inject the specimen with the virus." The doctor tapped a few keys on the computer keyboard in front of him, and out of the wall withdrew a cage containing a small child, male. He was naked, shivering and sweating. He was screaming to be let go, in some type of foreign language but the ruthless masterminds behind the corporation could not let him free. He was a test subject, for experimental purposes. His purpose would be served.
The female scientist walked over to the back area where the virus was held, using the controls to withdraw it. She carefully placed it, with the help of mechanical arms, into the receiving pouch and watched it skitter down through the compartment and into the box below. Touching the small vile gave her immense gratitude, knowing that she was able to hold such extreme power in one hand. She emptied the contents into a syringe, carefully walking over to the boy. He was screaming, realizing what was to be done with him. The cage lid was let off and quickly he was grabbed, not let to run. She walked to him, holding the needle up to his neck. He spit at her.
"You little shit…I don't feel half as bad doing this to you as I did before." With that, she jammed the needle into his neck and emptied the vile into his system. The boy dropped like a dead fly. Quickly he was restrained, put into a large holding cell for monitoring. Minutes passed…he was supposed to be mutating…
"What's wrong?! I thought the effects of the virus would be prominent within a few short minutes!" The male doctor rushed to the side of the cell, but the second he was in reach the boy opened his red eyes and from his hand a tentacle shot, piercing the doctor directly through the heart.
Vela watched in horror as Margaret and the rest of the doctors were showered with blood as Dr Kennedy was severed, limb for limb. He was torn into bits and pieces, tossed around the room like some child's toy. Margaret let out a quick scream but she was dead the second it left her mouth. The small child let out yet another devastating blow, decapitating her and forcing her to crumble to the floor. Blood erupted from her headless shoulders, spilling all over the metallic floor. Vela could do nothing but watch in horror, huddling down into a corner as the devastating massacre continued.
One by one the scientists were butchered, hacked into pieces by the renegade boy. He was fully mutated now, his naked body pale but still somewhat stained with blood. Purple pouches of viral fluid built up along his immature body, dripping with sweat and blood. His eyes glowed a dark red, deep with hate and carnage. His empty childhood anger was released through vengeance, chaos and death. Within seconds everyone in the room was dead…the boy was still behind the cage, but he himself was drained. His weight buckling under puny legs, the child collapsed to the ground in a mangled heap. A thick cloud of gas was released from the boy, his body seeming to deflate right in front of Vela's eyes. Blood erupted from his spineless body, his bones protruding out of rotten skin. It was an awful site.
There was a hissing sound from the corner of the room. The glass was cracked on the casing of the virus. Two viles still were contained inside the chamber. The lab shook.
"Emergency detected. Emergency detected. All personal please report to the bottom platform."
The room shook again, and this time the glass gave way forcing the virus to fall to the ground and crack open. It was released into the air. Vela took off like a bat out of hell, racing towards the back door to the virus. Her dark hair blew behind her, she dropped her glasses and raced out the room. She was screaming now, sweat dripping down her face. She ran to the stairs, pushing herself up each one. There was no telling how much time she had. She had to get out…there was no other choice.
"Warning…virus contamination detected. All personnel will be quarantined. Virus contamination detected. All personnel will be quarantined." The automated voice rang in her ears as she raced up to the top step. By now, hundreds of the employees in the lab were frantic. They were five stories underneath the Empire State Building. Even the bedrock and piles, however, couldn't stop the virus form escaping up into the actual building. She slammed against the elevator door, pressing the call button. No signal. The elevators were cut off. She could hear screaming on the other side, people pleading to be let out. Then, a sudden rushing sound gave way and the screams became vague. The elevator had dropped. There was an explosion and the screaming stopped.
"Oh my God…" Vela couldn't believe what was happening. She quickly turned and ran for the laboratory door next to her, but realized it was sealed off. She could see orange gas filling in the room, the scientists fleeing underneath desks with veils over their faces. Even one breath would mean contamination.
No way to get out here, she needed to think fast. As she turned to walk away, she noticed one of the scientists in the room stand up, hunched over with his arms outstretched. That was when the steel shutters came smashing to the floor.
*
Vela cried and whimpered. So many people had died. She had managed to make her way out through a ventilation shaft and through the bedrock. There was one last laboratory before getting into the actual lobby. She hid in the bedrock for a while but the screams of the people down below as they were turned into carriers was unbearable. She had gotten into an abandoned lab, although it too had seen the effects of the virus. By now the virus had dissipated, but still there was the chance that if the controls were given to the wrong person the BOW gas would be released. If that happened, God have mercy on her soul.
September 23rd – New York City – Mid Day – 5:10 PM
Heatherly stepped foot outside her black jeep, just a few streets down from where the Empire State Building was. There was smoke pouring out of the building, like there was an explosion or something. 'Perfect,' she though, 'my luck has ceased to amaze me.' Clutching the virus in her hand, she quickly raced down the streets to find out exactly what had gone so devastatingly wrong.
The Infection
September 23rd – New York City – Mid Day – 5:05 PM
Vela looked about, huddled beneath a lab table and shivering…the infection had taken its toll. Everyone in the laboratory had died, and it wasn't their fault. Innocence was stripped from the unknowing bodies of the living, their souls ripped from inside…the only people responsible for this were the head scientists, the people in charge of all of this. But even they couldn't be blamed; it was the board members, the members of the committee. Those fools on Muerte were so naïve, expecting an outbreak to be impossible. They were wrong, as they were here.
The actual infection began three hours ago…
September 23rd – New York City – Mid Day – 2:00 PM
"The actual viral concentration is complete, Doctor. All we have to do now is make sure that it is stable enough to be tested. The only way we can do that, as you know, is to inject it into the blood stream of a mammal." A tall blonde woman spoke briefly, with a quiet tone. She had a long white coat on, covering a black tank and black pants. Her hair was pulled up in back, her thick glasses shrouding her pretty blue eyes. But behind those eyes stood the mind of a brilliant scientist…and the mind of a cold blooded killer.
The male doctor in front of her looked happy, knowing that the months of research that they had spent working on this project were finally paying off. After countless hours of hard, grueling experimentation it was finally finished. The final product was in front of him, behind three feet of solid bullet proof glass. Serious precaution must be carried out when dealing with such a deadly weapon…the virus was airborne, contracted with a single breath. After about an hour of settling in the air, the virus disintegrates but still holds a presence. Releasing a type of Bio Organic Weaponry Gas (BOW) will reenergize the virus, causing it to become even more devastating. It was truly the work of a genius.
"Alexia Ashford would be proud…" he said, announcing his obvious triumph, "…we have served our purpose to Umbrella, and now it is time to see the final payoff. Margaret, please inject the specimen with the virus." The doctor tapped a few keys on the computer keyboard in front of him, and out of the wall withdrew a cage containing a small child, male. He was naked, shivering and sweating. He was screaming to be let go, in some type of foreign language but the ruthless masterminds behind the corporation could not let him free. He was a test subject, for experimental purposes. His purpose would be served.
The female scientist walked over to the back area where the virus was held, using the controls to withdraw it. She carefully placed it, with the help of mechanical arms, into the receiving pouch and watched it skitter down through the compartment and into the box below. Touching the small vile gave her immense gratitude, knowing that she was able to hold such extreme power in one hand. She emptied the contents into a syringe, carefully walking over to the boy. He was screaming, realizing what was to be done with him. The cage lid was let off and quickly he was grabbed, not let to run. She walked to him, holding the needle up to his neck. He spit at her.
"You little shit…I don't feel half as bad doing this to you as I did before." With that, she jammed the needle into his neck and emptied the vile into his system. The boy dropped like a dead fly. Quickly he was restrained, put into a large holding cell for monitoring. Minutes passed…he was supposed to be mutating…
"What's wrong?! I thought the effects of the virus would be prominent within a few short minutes!" The male doctor rushed to the side of the cell, but the second he was in reach the boy opened his red eyes and from his hand a tentacle shot, piercing the doctor directly through the heart.
Vela watched in horror as Margaret and the rest of the doctors were showered with blood as Dr Kennedy was severed, limb for limb. He was torn into bits and pieces, tossed around the room like some child's toy. Margaret let out a quick scream but she was dead the second it left her mouth. The small child let out yet another devastating blow, decapitating her and forcing her to crumble to the floor. Blood erupted from her headless shoulders, spilling all over the metallic floor. Vela could do nothing but watch in horror, huddling down into a corner as the devastating massacre continued.
One by one the scientists were butchered, hacked into pieces by the renegade boy. He was fully mutated now, his naked body pale but still somewhat stained with blood. Purple pouches of viral fluid built up along his immature body, dripping with sweat and blood. His eyes glowed a dark red, deep with hate and carnage. His empty childhood anger was released through vengeance, chaos and death. Within seconds everyone in the room was dead…the boy was still behind the cage, but he himself was drained. His weight buckling under puny legs, the child collapsed to the ground in a mangled heap. A thick cloud of gas was released from the boy, his body seeming to deflate right in front of Vela's eyes. Blood erupted from his spineless body, his bones protruding out of rotten skin. It was an awful site.
There was a hissing sound from the corner of the room. The glass was cracked on the casing of the virus. Two viles still were contained inside the chamber. The lab shook.
"Emergency detected. Emergency detected. All personal please report to the bottom platform."
The room shook again, and this time the glass gave way forcing the virus to fall to the ground and crack open. It was released into the air. Vela took off like a bat out of hell, racing towards the back door to the virus. Her dark hair blew behind her, she dropped her glasses and raced out the room. She was screaming now, sweat dripping down her face. She ran to the stairs, pushing herself up each one. There was no telling how much time she had. She had to get out…there was no other choice.
"Warning…virus contamination detected. All personnel will be quarantined. Virus contamination detected. All personnel will be quarantined." The automated voice rang in her ears as she raced up to the top step. By now, hundreds of the employees in the lab were frantic. They were five stories underneath the Empire State Building. Even the bedrock and piles, however, couldn't stop the virus form escaping up into the actual building. She slammed against the elevator door, pressing the call button. No signal. The elevators were cut off. She could hear screaming on the other side, people pleading to be let out. Then, a sudden rushing sound gave way and the screams became vague. The elevator had dropped. There was an explosion and the screaming stopped.
"Oh my God…" Vela couldn't believe what was happening. She quickly turned and ran for the laboratory door next to her, but realized it was sealed off. She could see orange gas filling in the room, the scientists fleeing underneath desks with veils over their faces. Even one breath would mean contamination.
No way to get out here, she needed to think fast. As she turned to walk away, she noticed one of the scientists in the room stand up, hunched over with his arms outstretched. That was when the steel shutters came smashing to the floor.
*
Vela cried and whimpered. So many people had died. She had managed to make her way out through a ventilation shaft and through the bedrock. There was one last laboratory before getting into the actual lobby. She hid in the bedrock for a while but the screams of the people down below as they were turned into carriers was unbearable. She had gotten into an abandoned lab, although it too had seen the effects of the virus. By now the virus had dissipated, but still there was the chance that if the controls were given to the wrong person the BOW gas would be released. If that happened, God have mercy on her soul.
September 23rd – New York City – Mid Day – 5:10 PM
Heatherly stepped foot outside her black jeep, just a few streets down from where the Empire State Building was. There was smoke pouring out of the building, like there was an explosion or something. 'Perfect,' she though, 'my luck has ceased to amaze me.' Clutching the virus in her hand, she quickly raced down the streets to find out exactly what had gone so devastatingly wrong.