Chapter 11

("..I want him in the Nemesis Program.")

("Matt!")

("You were programmed as a weapon of destruction, and now, you will be tested..")

("..My dear Alice.")

She saw herself in a shower, and gas poured in through the pores of the shower walls. Within moments, everything turned dark. She awoke frightened, naked, in a shower, and the curtains draped around her, when she obviously pulled them down on herself as a defense. Who was she? She couldn't remember back then. Her relationship had been arranged, and then all came crashing around her: She had worked with Umbrella.

Alice awoke with sweat pouring down her face and she clasped her chest. Her heart was pounding with such force that it was causing her pains. She was panting, and looked around her in the darkness. She blinked a few times to regain sight of her night vision. Everything seemed as it should have been.

But something wasn't right. How did she escape so easily from Umbrella? Surely, something would happen soon. She knew Umbrella. She was their top weapon next to Nemesis, after all. She sighed, and held back tears of remembering Matt, whom Umbrella had evolved into Nemesis. Surely, they wouldn't try experimenting with someone else to see if their genetic background could confirm with the necessary DNA pattern to make a weapon such as herself? In other words, her DNA correctly synthesized with the T-virus bacterium, and she didn't undergo evolution to her physical appearance, but her senses and strength had increased tremendously, as well as her survival skills. She was nicknamed "Alice Alpha."

Why had they called her that? She remembered the doctor faintly whispering a name for her: Alice Alpha. But why? He had referred to her as only Alice before, or "precious specimen," which she so despised. Everything was still suspicious. Umbrella hadn't tried to find her. They hadn't put up a photo on the news of her in hopes of someone finding her. No SWAT teams or anything. Of course, S.T.A.R.S was still backing her, so she was at least protected in this fashion. Of course, she was a weapon herself, but she wasn't sure to what extent.

She could not rest. She groped for the remote to the television, and quickly turned it on in hopes of finding something that would quickly bore her and put her at ease enough to catch sleep. She grabbed the robe near the end of her bed and wrapped it around her to warn off the chills that ran up her spine. The only thing that the television could pick up was the news. She decided it was better than nothing.

"Investigators are still asking no one in the area of a radius of forty miles from the French Broad near the City of Asheville to drink the water. They are calling it 'contaminated' because of the gasoline pumps that broke and spilled into the river. Officials are still claiming that this may take a few weeks to clear up this situation. Because of the heavy rains and downpours for the last few days thanks to Frances, they are saying that the floods pouring into the villages of Asheville could keep the 'contaminated' water within the city for even longer, perhaps a month. Remember, do not bathe, drink, or wash your hands in this water due to the bacterial--"

"Bullshit," Alice murmured, switching off the television. "That's happened before, something similar, sure, and it had nothing to do with Umbrella." She smirked. "You think you're being smart this time, but realize that I was one of your top priorities. It was just a coincidence that the floods happened within the city."

She stood from her bed, and wrapped her robe around herself tighter. "I've got a bit of a drive to go tomorrow. I think I'll catch me a ride on over to Asheville."

"It's a further drive than you think," Carlos said, entering the room. "Why are they broadcasting news all the way out here from Asheville? It's over a hundred miles away."

"Because Umbrella knows that the virus can reach much further than that, and they know people are cautious ever since the Raccoon City incident."

"But I thought everyone who witnessed that was brainwashed, arrested, or killed."

"They were. Most of them, any ways. There have got to be people out there that still know, but know the consequences of telling anyone about it. They'll just be called liars and make themselves targets. The only smart enough people to keep their mouths shut are the teenagers that survived."

"You think there might be one living out as far as Asheville?"

"That's why I'm going to investigate there. Umbrella hasn't tried coming after me yet. They know how vital I am. There's a Umbrella factory right under the Mission St. Joseph's hospital in Asheville, and no one knows! I'm wondering if this whole thing about the water is covering up two stories."

"Well, if you're going, I'm going with you," Carlos said, smiling.

"Oh no you don't," Jill said, entering the room in only a tank top and short shorts. "I know your intentions, Carlos."

Carlos scratched his head nervously, and laughed. Alice shook her head, puzzled.

"It would probably be safer, any ways," said Jill. "I know you can kick some major ass, but we may need to split once we get to the city. We don't want a similar accident such as Raccoon occurring in another city. I know Asheville looks small, but it has a high population density."

"I have family I want to make sure is safe there," Alice admitted, "so why don't we kill two birds with one stone?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," said the brunette. "We'll leave a little after daybreak. That fine?"

"It's fine with me," Carlos replied, "I haven't been sleeping well, any ways."

"Same here," Alice mumbled, "because I have a bad feeling about something happening up there."

(Didn't expect the setting to change so quickly, eh? Muwhaha!)