"Is there any chance of an Outbreak happening here?" Cora asked.
"Not really." Carlos said after a moment of thought. "Outbreaks are rare, but deadly as hell. Sometimes it's an accident. Once or twice it's been done intentionally."
"Maybe the scientists should try sleeping. Even if their as obsessed as they claim to be." Cora said, the Rebel in her coming out. A couple of the scientists laughed, but most of them glared.
"Anyway, don't worry about an Outbreak until you're caught in the middle of one." Carlos caught a glimpse of Cora's tag. "It may be sooner than you think, when you get promoted up."
"Like that's ever going to happen." Cora rolled her eyes, and strode out of the labs. Her mind was racing as fast as the men and women scrambling up and down the halls with messages and orders and notices.
Cora went to visit her Mother. Surely no one would mind. Only the scientists were doing a work, and a few even did that through Christmas and Vacation.

Laine didn't have her TV off, and Amelia was sulking because she wanted to know what was going on. Laine was watching her daughter very carefully to make sure that she didn't switch from cartoons to the news.
"Don't worry, Cora." Laine said. "Umbrella will clean this up, swish swish."
"They always do." Cora said bitterly. She had found a bug beneath the single painting in the room, and was hence angry that she couldn't vent now that the shit had hit the fan. "This is an entire city. Lots and lots of lives that we're counting on Umbrella to save."
"They'll come through." Laine said placidly. Months in fine living under Umbrella's care had softened the lines in her face, and she smiled. Once Cora had even heard her laugh. Angel rejoiced at that, Rebel darkly predicted that Mother was getting her hopes up only to have them crushed.
Suddenly, the cartoons were replaced by a stern faced man.
"We interrupt the current programming to update you on the situation in Raccoon City. Some of the scenes are NOT recommended for younger viewers, so children - better turn away!"
"Let's watch something else." Mother said hastily.

Cora felt useless as she stepped outside. Somewhere, across the ocean, was what she had been training for and what she had been avoiding since she had woken up in Umbrella's medical room.
Salven stepped out of a door, beaming from ear to ear.
"Hey, Merandez." he said in a good natured tone. "Lydia finally said that she forgives me."
"Well done! It only took you, how many screaming matches?"
"Ha, ha, very funny, American." sneered Salven. "I notice you've been promoted to Intermediate. What, do you think you're going to get a spot on USF Gamma or USF Delta? You aren't. They're reserving that spot for me."
"I don't know." Cora said doubtfully as the two walked along. "I heard that Dinzali was thinking of quitting training and going back into the action."
Salven burst into laughter and Cora stared at him.
"Dinzali?" he gasped.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Cora gave Salven a good smack upside the head. He straightened, glaring at her.
"Dinzali's a French midget. You can't honestly picture a French Midget up against the likes of, say, Oliveria or a Hunter or something."
Cora had no idea what a Hunter was, but she honestly thought that Salven was being an idiot.
"You've never trained under Dinzali, have you?" she said, putting as much disgust into her tone as she could.
"No, why the hell should I? Her lessons are probably horrible." Salven put on a horrible French accent, which mingled with his Mexican accent and made his voice sound as if he had been punched in the throat recently. "Boujour, class! Time for some fromage! Now, let us run away from the enemy!"
"God, Salven, with all the time that I've been spending apart from you, I forgot what a racist asshole you are."
"I'm not racist, I hate everyone equally." Salven said in what he thought was a jaunty way. Cora rolled her eyes and shifted her duffle bag.
"Let's go to the shooting range. I'm bored."
Salven was surprised.
"What, don't you want to hear about what's happening in Raccoon?"
"No." Cora said, shaking her head. "It's all the same. Death, zombies, and flesh being eaten. It's like a B class horror movie, except it's happening in real life. It's way too depressing. Plus, I heard that they might start sending in Intermediates if things get bad enough."
"It won't be that bad." Salven said. "Just picture it." He drew his gun from a holster that hung from his hip. Cora noticed the nude woman clumsily tooled into the leather almost immediately. "C'mere, you filthy T- Virus infected goons!" Salven sneered down a corridor.
"Is there an outbreak?" A scientist squeaked. Salven dropped his gun out of surprise, and a shot rang out. Cora burst into laughter as the scientist stared, shook his head, and then walked away.
"Real smooth there, gunslinger." Cora said, shaking her head. Salven and Cora heard shouts down the hall.
"Good luck!"
"Don't fail!"
"Kick some zombie ass for me, eh!"
"I guess they're sending out the lucky contenders." Salven said sarcastically. "See? No intermediates. Let's go to the shooting range. Maybe they'll have a TV in there."
"Fine." Cora shrugged. She'd rather there wasn't a TV, but she didn't want to be in a crowd of people. "Let's go. Just try not to drop your gun."
"Up yours."