Chapter VIII
The Plot Thickens
Water began to rush up to their feet, and Ada knew it wouldn't be long before the floor gave way and they would be swimming with the Neptune…they had to get out of the waste disposal room before it was too late. Heatherly stood up to her feet and clutched the Magnum she carried in her hand. Walking slowly over to the door opposite of which Ada had entered through, she came across a small keypad.
"Look at this…M+DC+LX+V…its some type of code." She announced, realizing that it was printed in the Roman alphabet…the keypad directly underneath the inscription would open the door and allow them deeper into the waste plant, "If we add the numbers together, we'll come up with the code…"
"But do you have any idea what M or DC or LX or V stand for…" Ada whispered, realizing how difficult this actually would be, "V equals 5…so the last digit is 5. L is 50 and X is 10, so LX would be 60. So the last two digits are 65."
Heatherly was surprised at how much Roman alphabet knowledge Ada had, and how easy she was figuring out the puzzle. She felt like the weak link, because she had absolutely no knowledge about what M or DC meant…
"We have to hurry Ada…the water is about to crush the floor, and the Neptune creature will be up here with us…we have like thirty seconds before this floor gives way…" The imprint of the shark's body against the reinforced floor could be seen, its fin already protruding through the metal.
"M is a thousand…" Ada said, examining the code some more, "So we have the first digit is 1, and the last two are 65. What is the second digit…" she began to sweat as the realization of how little time she had left began to settle in… "D is equal to 500…and C is equal to 100…so DC must be 600!" Ada said.
Heatherly caught onto the puzzle quickly, "Then the code is 1000+600+60+5, giving us 1665!" She quickly tapped the numbers onto the keypad and watched the door slide open. She bolted through with enough time to watch the floor explode as water pushed up through from the sewer. Ada threw herself through the door, rolling over onto her side to look at the creature in the turbine room. It thrashed up into the room, speeding towards them.
The door began to lower, and the shark continued to press forward. Ada scooted back, finding herself wading in knee deep water. Heatherly was running, realizing that the shark would make it through before the door shut. Ada quickly turned around and began to run, equipping the dual magnums and loading them with full clips.
SPLASH!
The shark was through the door, speeding towards the two girls at increasing speed. It thrashed about the water, rippling through and causing chaos to fill the small hallway. The water level was up to Ada's waistline, crippling her ability to run faster.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Three shots fired from Heatherly's magnum, and Ada turned to see blood drawn from the oversized shark. It roared in pain, diving under the water to move quicker and stealthier. Its sleek, grey body maneuvered under the water and raced for its target with a fierce anger that couldn't be stopped. Ada became frantic, rushing forward to reach her friend in time but she knew the further she moved the further the shark followed. Just as she though that her fate was sealed-
BAM!
Another shot fired, and the shark slapped its head against the wall, screaming out in pain. Blood gushed from a massive hole in its eye, and Ada realized exactly what had just happened. The shark's eye was gouged out, making it blind and irrational. It thrashed against the brick coating of the flooded passage, water splashing everywhere. Ada waded forward, reaching Heatherly with seconds to spare before the shark retaliated. The gate in front of them opened, and they quickly hurled themselves inside.
Spinning around nearly instantly, Ada saw the shark come swimming forth almost making its way into the small chamber they were in. It smashed against the gate, nearly breaking through. They were cornered, trapped inside this now shoulder deep corridor with a water level that continued to rise. In a matter of minutes the water would be over their head.
"Ada, I think its an elevator!" Heatherly screamed over the sound of rushing water, becoming frantic over the situation, "We can probably go up if we hurry!"
She quickly began to search for a call button. Ada began to tread water as it rose over her head. There was about six or seven inches between the top of the elevator car and the water level, and Heatherly was moving slower than to Ada's comfort, "Hurry damnit! We're gonna drown!"
SMASH!
The shark continued to push forth, attempting to break into the elevator.
DING!
Heatherly found the call button in the knick of time, and the elevator began to rise. Water began to pour out of the small compartment, and as they continued to rise up the tunnel Ada heard the shark barrel through the gate and fall down the shaft into the sewer below. A sigh of relief was let out from Heatherly as the situation fell to a calm. She looked at Ada with wide eyes.
"We made it…" she grunted, "…if it wasn't for you we'd still be in the turbine room."
Correcting her, Ada laughed, "No, we'd more than likely be inside that shark if it wasn't for me. That was an extremely close call. I doubt that thing is dead though." Ada squatted to the floor, and began to calm down. Heatherly stood against one of the black elevator walls, her arms crossed and her eyes closed.
"…Ada, there is something I have to tell you."
Ada looked up, puzzled at what she had to say. It had been a long time since the last time they had spoken, and they had quite a bit to catch up on. Not that they were ever actually friends, but Ada just wanted to know what she had been up to.
"I was in London when the Opera House exploded…I was actually the cause of it. It wasn't a terrorist bombing, like the news reported. That was just a front that Umbrella created to make sure that they were kept out of the suspect list." Heatherly said, pausing as if something even more shocking was to be unveiled, "…I took something while I was there, it was the reason that I went there."
Ada was stunned, "…Heatherly, what did you take?"
She pulled out two small viles out of her backpack, filled with red liquid, "…they were keeping the T Alexia Virus in cold storage there, and they were keeping it here as well. I have in my possession two of the four viles of the virus that Umbrella created, and the other two are here."
"…so there really is a laboratory here then." Ada was shocked. No wonder they were attracting so much attention here, no wonder Gregory wanted Heatherly dead. She knew about his secrets, and she actually had a copy of the virus, "Gregory said that our next move should be to go to the Central Power Core, and investigate exactly why the real elevator system is shut down."
"Do you think its worth investigating?" Heatherly asked, "It could be a trap."
Ada knew that Gregory meant business, and although he was criminally and mentally insane, he was a genius. His laboratory had some of the most intricate traps and puzzles she had encountered, even more so than the Raccoon Police Department. If he said to investigate the Power Core, than that was exactly where she wanted to go.
"…the Neptune Project is already in progress." Ada said, stepping out of the elevator car and into the now extinguished lobby, "…and if my predictions are right, we have about four and a half hours to stop it."
*
"Délia and Dimitri, I'm so proud of you both." Their mother said, smiling down at her bright eyed children. They were the smartest children any parent could ever hope for, and the opportunities that would be given to them were incredible and undeniable. They would live in the most luxurious of houses, be treated like royalty and have the most loving parents any child could ever hope for. And one day, they too would be heir to the company that is known worldwide as Umbrella Incorporated.
"And you, Gregory. I am exceptionally pleased with your progression. I am so very very proud of you. You continue to amaze me." Their father said. He was sure that his children would be perfection, each of them were so beautiful. They had the eyes of their father, they lips of their mother and the brain that only a genius could possess.
"…but you…" their mother looked at the girl in the corner, "…you have made little progress little girl. I am tired of your attitude, and tired of your slow abilities. If you don't shape up soon Vela, I don't know what we're going to do with you." She frowned, and the three other children let out a small chuckle. Their devious behaviors were keeping their small sibling from progression mentally and emotionally. If it wasn't for them…
Vela whimpered, "I'm sorry mother…I really am. I'll try to do better…I promise."
*
Hillary pressed forward, her feet aching from the large amounts of stair climbing that they had done. They had made it up to the thirty fifth floor, and her feet were absolutely killing her. It was a desolate area, not the place she was used to seeing on a daily basis. The Empire State Building is typically bright and lively and full of hustling and bustling people…but not today. Not on the 23rd of September…it was cold and dark, the only light shining from the few overhanging lamps and fires that burned and smoldered in the dusty corners.
"Just keep moving Hillary…" Ja comforted her, holding his pistol tightly in his hand. He had given her one too…what the hell was he carrying a pistol for? "When we make it further up, maybe we'll be able to find a working elevator or something."
"Don't plan on it…" a voice said from above. Ja saw a shadow moving from the above steps, coming closer and closer to him, "The central power core was turned into a massive nesting area for the infected wasps and bees to create a hive…they nest inside the chests of hosts, feeding off their internal organs before eating them alive."
A man came into view, his features illuminated from a small fire in the corner. He was tall, well built and dressed professionally. He had a tight black suit, unmarked from the chaos that filled the building. He grinned, his twisted smile extending from ear to ear. He let out a small chuckle before beginning again…
"My name is Gregory Spencer, and I am the President of Umbrella Chemical and Pharmaceutical. Ms Wilkes, you look cold. Can I get you anything while you stay here…"
Hillary backed up into Ja's comforting arms, "We're not staying here," Ja protested, "…as soon as we can we're getting the hell out of here."
She interrupted… "How do you know my name…"
Gregory laughed, throwing his hands up into the air, "I know everything about everyone who comes in and out of my laboratory. This is my playground; I know everything about my toys. You, actually, are one of six living members still roaming this building. I am one of them, and there are three other women wandering the halls. One by one you'll all die, either eaten by the monsters that fill my Hell or…"
"Or what?" Ja shouted, his stomach churning with the hatred and disgust he had for this poor and insane soul, "Tell me!"
"Or I'll have to kill you myself. If you play the game wisely, you'll live. Play foolishly, and you'll die!" Gregory shrieked, "Hahahahaha!" He quickly turned and bolted the other way, back up the steps. Ja heard a door open and shut, and grabbing Hillary by the arm he quickly rushed up the steps but he was too late. Gregory was gone.
**
The Plot Thickens
Water began to rush up to their feet, and Ada knew it wouldn't be long before the floor gave way and they would be swimming with the Neptune…they had to get out of the waste disposal room before it was too late. Heatherly stood up to her feet and clutched the Magnum she carried in her hand. Walking slowly over to the door opposite of which Ada had entered through, she came across a small keypad.
"Look at this…M+DC+LX+V…its some type of code." She announced, realizing that it was printed in the Roman alphabet…the keypad directly underneath the inscription would open the door and allow them deeper into the waste plant, "If we add the numbers together, we'll come up with the code…"
"But do you have any idea what M or DC or LX or V stand for…" Ada whispered, realizing how difficult this actually would be, "V equals 5…so the last digit is 5. L is 50 and X is 10, so LX would be 60. So the last two digits are 65."
Heatherly was surprised at how much Roman alphabet knowledge Ada had, and how easy she was figuring out the puzzle. She felt like the weak link, because she had absolutely no knowledge about what M or DC meant…
"We have to hurry Ada…the water is about to crush the floor, and the Neptune creature will be up here with us…we have like thirty seconds before this floor gives way…" The imprint of the shark's body against the reinforced floor could be seen, its fin already protruding through the metal.
"M is a thousand…" Ada said, examining the code some more, "So we have the first digit is 1, and the last two are 65. What is the second digit…" she began to sweat as the realization of how little time she had left began to settle in… "D is equal to 500…and C is equal to 100…so DC must be 600!" Ada said.
Heatherly caught onto the puzzle quickly, "Then the code is 1000+600+60+5, giving us 1665!" She quickly tapped the numbers onto the keypad and watched the door slide open. She bolted through with enough time to watch the floor explode as water pushed up through from the sewer. Ada threw herself through the door, rolling over onto her side to look at the creature in the turbine room. It thrashed up into the room, speeding towards them.
The door began to lower, and the shark continued to press forward. Ada scooted back, finding herself wading in knee deep water. Heatherly was running, realizing that the shark would make it through before the door shut. Ada quickly turned around and began to run, equipping the dual magnums and loading them with full clips.
SPLASH!
The shark was through the door, speeding towards the two girls at increasing speed. It thrashed about the water, rippling through and causing chaos to fill the small hallway. The water level was up to Ada's waistline, crippling her ability to run faster.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Three shots fired from Heatherly's magnum, and Ada turned to see blood drawn from the oversized shark. It roared in pain, diving under the water to move quicker and stealthier. Its sleek, grey body maneuvered under the water and raced for its target with a fierce anger that couldn't be stopped. Ada became frantic, rushing forward to reach her friend in time but she knew the further she moved the further the shark followed. Just as she though that her fate was sealed-
BAM!
Another shot fired, and the shark slapped its head against the wall, screaming out in pain. Blood gushed from a massive hole in its eye, and Ada realized exactly what had just happened. The shark's eye was gouged out, making it blind and irrational. It thrashed against the brick coating of the flooded passage, water splashing everywhere. Ada waded forward, reaching Heatherly with seconds to spare before the shark retaliated. The gate in front of them opened, and they quickly hurled themselves inside.
Spinning around nearly instantly, Ada saw the shark come swimming forth almost making its way into the small chamber they were in. It smashed against the gate, nearly breaking through. They were cornered, trapped inside this now shoulder deep corridor with a water level that continued to rise. In a matter of minutes the water would be over their head.
"Ada, I think its an elevator!" Heatherly screamed over the sound of rushing water, becoming frantic over the situation, "We can probably go up if we hurry!"
She quickly began to search for a call button. Ada began to tread water as it rose over her head. There was about six or seven inches between the top of the elevator car and the water level, and Heatherly was moving slower than to Ada's comfort, "Hurry damnit! We're gonna drown!"
SMASH!
The shark continued to push forth, attempting to break into the elevator.
DING!
Heatherly found the call button in the knick of time, and the elevator began to rise. Water began to pour out of the small compartment, and as they continued to rise up the tunnel Ada heard the shark barrel through the gate and fall down the shaft into the sewer below. A sigh of relief was let out from Heatherly as the situation fell to a calm. She looked at Ada with wide eyes.
"We made it…" she grunted, "…if it wasn't for you we'd still be in the turbine room."
Correcting her, Ada laughed, "No, we'd more than likely be inside that shark if it wasn't for me. That was an extremely close call. I doubt that thing is dead though." Ada squatted to the floor, and began to calm down. Heatherly stood against one of the black elevator walls, her arms crossed and her eyes closed.
"…Ada, there is something I have to tell you."
Ada looked up, puzzled at what she had to say. It had been a long time since the last time they had spoken, and they had quite a bit to catch up on. Not that they were ever actually friends, but Ada just wanted to know what she had been up to.
"I was in London when the Opera House exploded…I was actually the cause of it. It wasn't a terrorist bombing, like the news reported. That was just a front that Umbrella created to make sure that they were kept out of the suspect list." Heatherly said, pausing as if something even more shocking was to be unveiled, "…I took something while I was there, it was the reason that I went there."
Ada was stunned, "…Heatherly, what did you take?"
She pulled out two small viles out of her backpack, filled with red liquid, "…they were keeping the T Alexia Virus in cold storage there, and they were keeping it here as well. I have in my possession two of the four viles of the virus that Umbrella created, and the other two are here."
"…so there really is a laboratory here then." Ada was shocked. No wonder they were attracting so much attention here, no wonder Gregory wanted Heatherly dead. She knew about his secrets, and she actually had a copy of the virus, "Gregory said that our next move should be to go to the Central Power Core, and investigate exactly why the real elevator system is shut down."
"Do you think its worth investigating?" Heatherly asked, "It could be a trap."
Ada knew that Gregory meant business, and although he was criminally and mentally insane, he was a genius. His laboratory had some of the most intricate traps and puzzles she had encountered, even more so than the Raccoon Police Department. If he said to investigate the Power Core, than that was exactly where she wanted to go.
"…the Neptune Project is already in progress." Ada said, stepping out of the elevator car and into the now extinguished lobby, "…and if my predictions are right, we have about four and a half hours to stop it."
*
"Délia and Dimitri, I'm so proud of you both." Their mother said, smiling down at her bright eyed children. They were the smartest children any parent could ever hope for, and the opportunities that would be given to them were incredible and undeniable. They would live in the most luxurious of houses, be treated like royalty and have the most loving parents any child could ever hope for. And one day, they too would be heir to the company that is known worldwide as Umbrella Incorporated.
"And you, Gregory. I am exceptionally pleased with your progression. I am so very very proud of you. You continue to amaze me." Their father said. He was sure that his children would be perfection, each of them were so beautiful. They had the eyes of their father, they lips of their mother and the brain that only a genius could possess.
"…but you…" their mother looked at the girl in the corner, "…you have made little progress little girl. I am tired of your attitude, and tired of your slow abilities. If you don't shape up soon Vela, I don't know what we're going to do with you." She frowned, and the three other children let out a small chuckle. Their devious behaviors were keeping their small sibling from progression mentally and emotionally. If it wasn't for them…
Vela whimpered, "I'm sorry mother…I really am. I'll try to do better…I promise."
*
Hillary pressed forward, her feet aching from the large amounts of stair climbing that they had done. They had made it up to the thirty fifth floor, and her feet were absolutely killing her. It was a desolate area, not the place she was used to seeing on a daily basis. The Empire State Building is typically bright and lively and full of hustling and bustling people…but not today. Not on the 23rd of September…it was cold and dark, the only light shining from the few overhanging lamps and fires that burned and smoldered in the dusty corners.
"Just keep moving Hillary…" Ja comforted her, holding his pistol tightly in his hand. He had given her one too…what the hell was he carrying a pistol for? "When we make it further up, maybe we'll be able to find a working elevator or something."
"Don't plan on it…" a voice said from above. Ja saw a shadow moving from the above steps, coming closer and closer to him, "The central power core was turned into a massive nesting area for the infected wasps and bees to create a hive…they nest inside the chests of hosts, feeding off their internal organs before eating them alive."
A man came into view, his features illuminated from a small fire in the corner. He was tall, well built and dressed professionally. He had a tight black suit, unmarked from the chaos that filled the building. He grinned, his twisted smile extending from ear to ear. He let out a small chuckle before beginning again…
"My name is Gregory Spencer, and I am the President of Umbrella Chemical and Pharmaceutical. Ms Wilkes, you look cold. Can I get you anything while you stay here…"
Hillary backed up into Ja's comforting arms, "We're not staying here," Ja protested, "…as soon as we can we're getting the hell out of here."
She interrupted… "How do you know my name…"
Gregory laughed, throwing his hands up into the air, "I know everything about everyone who comes in and out of my laboratory. This is my playground; I know everything about my toys. You, actually, are one of six living members still roaming this building. I am one of them, and there are three other women wandering the halls. One by one you'll all die, either eaten by the monsters that fill my Hell or…"
"Or what?" Ja shouted, his stomach churning with the hatred and disgust he had for this poor and insane soul, "Tell me!"
"Or I'll have to kill you myself. If you play the game wisely, you'll live. Play foolishly, and you'll die!" Gregory shrieked, "Hahahahaha!" He quickly turned and bolted the other way, back up the steps. Ja heard a door open and shut, and grabbing Hillary by the arm he quickly rushed up the steps but he was too late. Gregory was gone.
**