Hojo's face was now a violent green, and Tweek and Foxx seemed to be
having a bet on how long he would last before puking.
"He can't last more than a minute." said a scornful Foxx.
"Ah, but you put too much faith in him. He'll last fifteen more seconds."
Scythe and Reeve were conversing softly up ahead, and Cora only caught strains of whispers.
"So, bro, you think ..."
"No, that's stupid ..."
Cora sighed and leaned back into her lovely chair. Hojo bolted past her, making violent gagging sounds.
"Thirty two seconds!" Tweek said, beaming.
"Lucky." Foxx muttered. The only noise beyond the soft talk of Reeve and Scythe was the clicking of Ada's laptop.
"What're you up to?" Cora asked softly.
"Just checking out some stuff on Umbrella." Pandora replied. "Seeing what happened to Delta Team."
"Well, they were all slaughtered, weren't they?"
"Yeah, so I'm seeing who's the new team leader and such."
"You nerd." Cora said teasingly.
"Hey, this stuff might come in handy some day." Ada grinned, then the smile on her face disappeared. "Uh, Cora..."
"I think you might be interested in this." She pushed the laptop at Cora and Cora read off the screen, frowning.
Umbrella UBCS Delta Team.
Team Leader: Linden. Others: Marx, Janison, Smith, Black, Merandez
"Merandez?" Cora asked, confusion coming after her face. "But I'm not on Delta Team."
"Well yes, but you're listed as 'C. Merandez. So it's a different Merandez who's on Delta Team."
"It can't be. Mom's too old, and Amelia is only fourteen." Cora shook her head, but worry was still coming onto her face. "It can't be."
"I'm sure it was just a mistake." Ada said, but she didn't sound like she meant it.
The sky flew on through the sky, carrying a very worried UBCS team.
*
Cold.
The man shivered, clutching his blanket tight around him. The bed was soft on his back, the blankets high, but he was so cold. He quickly figured out why - he wasn't wearing any clothes.
/The G-Virus./
He sat up, looking around wildly. Sandy brown hair fell in his eyes. Where was it?
"It's mine!" he snarled at no one. "Get away from it!"
/Who am I? ... I'm ... William Birkin. Yes, I know that. William Birkin/
He stood up weakly, wrapping the blanket around him like a cloak. He shivered again.
/Violet? Where are you? Sherry? Annette?/
He made his way to the wardrobe, a simple piece. He smiled. Who needed vines and flowers carved into their furniture? Who cared? Furniture was an unnecessary expedenture.
He looked inside for the G-Virus. It was not there. So he dressed simply. A black button up shirt, black slacks, and a labcoat.
/Who bought these clothes? Albert?/ Birkin thought irritably. He prefered white. He wondered where Albert was. Had he gone through with this mad plan to double-cross Umbrella?
For some reason, the thought bought a touch of irony and a painful, blurred memory. A man in a gas mask... William strained. The memory was gone, but he knew it had something to do with his G-Virus. A man in a gask mask ... and his G-Virus.
He dropped the matter. It was unimportant. There was a rap ont he door.
"Wait!" William called. "I'm not decent!" He waited until he had gotten his shoes on and wriggled into his labcoat. "All right." he said, feeling much more confident now that his trusty labcoat was on and he knew who he was, if not where Violet or Annette or Sherry were. "Come on in."
The door swung open and a young woman came in. If he recognized her, it was only a vague memory from a press conference so long ago. If it was the same woman.
"Hello, Mr. Birkin." she said respectfully, in a tone that belied her scruffy appearance.
"Who the blazes are you?" he asked.
"I'm Cassandra Spencer." she rose an eyebrow. "I've come to make sure that the shots that Catherine gave you aren't malfucntioning."
"Shots?!" William's eyes narrowed. "Have you infected me?"
"No. We bought you back from the dead, Mr. Birkin. Now, what is your full name?" She paused at the look on his face. "It's procedure. We had to do this with the other two patients as well."
"William Raymond Birkin."
"Wife?"
"Annette."
"Daughter?"
"Sherry."
"First thought?"
"G-Virus." William admitted sulkily. "Do you know where it is?"
"No." Cassandra said with a small smile. It was the type of look that shouted 'LIE!' from a mile off. Birkin narrowed his eyes even further , until they were only slits of pale blue.
"Are you sure of that, Miss Spencer?" She was wearing a shirt with a red and white pill on it. 'TOOL' proclaimed the pill. How was she related to Oswell? Why did he allow such shennadagins.
"Positive." she said crisply. "Do you have any more questions?"
"Yes. Who are the other two patients?"
"Um..." Cassandra hesitated. "I don't know if that's authorized for me to say it..."
"Tell me!" demanded Birkin. Cassandra gave a slow nod.
"Alexia and Alfred Ashford."
Birkin's face turned a deep shade of pumice, and Cassandra hurried out the door before he could protest more.
*
Alexia woke up with a hand entwined in her own.
"Dearest Alexia!" Alfred said in his silky voice. "You are awake?"
"Alfred?" she asked crisply, then sat up. A slice of pain went through her head, and she fell back with a cry.
"Alexia!" Alfred said, then noticed with a blush that the blankets had fallen back and the twins were both bare. Alexia didn't turn red, but merely stood again, ignoring the pain in her limbs and the dull ache in your head. "Sit down, Alexia. I will fetch your clothing."
"You are a good worker ant, Alfred." Alexia murmered. "A good worker ant." She was tired and the pain was great. No wonder she was slipping so far as to compliment her bumbling twin. When all he was doing was bringing her clothes! A ten year old could do as much! She scowled to herself.
"Alexia, please don't be displeased." begged Alfred as he laid down a black silk dress and black slippers.
"Fool! I am not dressing for a funeral!" Alexia said.
"I'm sorry, dear Alexia." Alfred said. "But black is all they had."
"No weapons?" Alexia asked.
"No, but you have your T-Veronica virus." Alfred said confidently. "You can defend us both."
/Maybe he is smarter than I give him credit for./ Alexia thought reluctantly as she dressed in he black gown, complete with a black scarf and black shoes. /But this pain ... Perhaps I am still feeling the effects of the Linear Launcher? Perhaps I should rest some more./
She sat down, her head spinning and her muscles aching. Alfred was wringing his hands.
"Are you all right?" he asked, just as the door swung open. A young professional looking woman with the gleam of intelligence in her eye and a clipboard in her hand walked in.
"Ms. Ashford? Mr. Ashford?"
"That's Doctor Ashford!" shouted an infuriated Alfred. The young scientist didn't seem to mind.
"I just have to ask you a few questions for procedure."
"What's your name, girl?" Alexia asked. She rose a slim, white hand to silence her furiously spluttering twin. To Alexia's mild astonishment (which she did not show on her face), the girl looked at her as if she was just an ant. A worker ant!
"Catherine Spencer." she replied calmly. "Now ... can I ask you the questions, please?"
Alexia sat down on her narrow cot as though it was a throne and gave a regal nod. Alfred narrowed his eyes at Catherine as if he was about to cut her down at a moment's notice. A fool, in some ways. But a very useful fool. And Alexia did feel a slight affection for him.
So the girl began to ask questions. Their names? Alexia had felt furious at that, but she had kept her face clear. If they were treating her like a dunce, then she could bear it. Their first thought? Alfred said 'Alexia', Alexia had pondered upon where she was. Their father? They answered in unison - the useless Alexander Ashford, disgrace to the Ashford family.
Catherine smiled, took her notes, and then wished them adieu.
"She was disrespectful to you, dearest Alexia." Alfred said sharply. Alexia waved off the concern. She would deal with them in due time. In due time.
"He can't last more than a minute." said a scornful Foxx.
"Ah, but you put too much faith in him. He'll last fifteen more seconds."
Scythe and Reeve were conversing softly up ahead, and Cora only caught strains of whispers.
"So, bro, you think ..."
"No, that's stupid ..."
Cora sighed and leaned back into her lovely chair. Hojo bolted past her, making violent gagging sounds.
"Thirty two seconds!" Tweek said, beaming.
"Lucky." Foxx muttered. The only noise beyond the soft talk of Reeve and Scythe was the clicking of Ada's laptop.
"What're you up to?" Cora asked softly.
"Just checking out some stuff on Umbrella." Pandora replied. "Seeing what happened to Delta Team."
"Well, they were all slaughtered, weren't they?"
"Yeah, so I'm seeing who's the new team leader and such."
"You nerd." Cora said teasingly.
"Hey, this stuff might come in handy some day." Ada grinned, then the smile on her face disappeared. "Uh, Cora..."
"I think you might be interested in this." She pushed the laptop at Cora and Cora read off the screen, frowning.
Umbrella UBCS Delta Team.
Team Leader: Linden. Others: Marx, Janison, Smith, Black, Merandez
"Merandez?" Cora asked, confusion coming after her face. "But I'm not on Delta Team."
"Well yes, but you're listed as 'C. Merandez. So it's a different Merandez who's on Delta Team."
"It can't be. Mom's too old, and Amelia is only fourteen." Cora shook her head, but worry was still coming onto her face. "It can't be."
"I'm sure it was just a mistake." Ada said, but she didn't sound like she meant it.
The sky flew on through the sky, carrying a very worried UBCS team.
*
Cold.
The man shivered, clutching his blanket tight around him. The bed was soft on his back, the blankets high, but he was so cold. He quickly figured out why - he wasn't wearing any clothes.
/The G-Virus./
He sat up, looking around wildly. Sandy brown hair fell in his eyes. Where was it?
"It's mine!" he snarled at no one. "Get away from it!"
/Who am I? ... I'm ... William Birkin. Yes, I know that. William Birkin/
He stood up weakly, wrapping the blanket around him like a cloak. He shivered again.
/Violet? Where are you? Sherry? Annette?/
He made his way to the wardrobe, a simple piece. He smiled. Who needed vines and flowers carved into their furniture? Who cared? Furniture was an unnecessary expedenture.
He looked inside for the G-Virus. It was not there. So he dressed simply. A black button up shirt, black slacks, and a labcoat.
/Who bought these clothes? Albert?/ Birkin thought irritably. He prefered white. He wondered where Albert was. Had he gone through with this mad plan to double-cross Umbrella?
For some reason, the thought bought a touch of irony and a painful, blurred memory. A man in a gas mask... William strained. The memory was gone, but he knew it had something to do with his G-Virus. A man in a gask mask ... and his G-Virus.
He dropped the matter. It was unimportant. There was a rap ont he door.
"Wait!" William called. "I'm not decent!" He waited until he had gotten his shoes on and wriggled into his labcoat. "All right." he said, feeling much more confident now that his trusty labcoat was on and he knew who he was, if not where Violet or Annette or Sherry were. "Come on in."
The door swung open and a young woman came in. If he recognized her, it was only a vague memory from a press conference so long ago. If it was the same woman.
"Hello, Mr. Birkin." she said respectfully, in a tone that belied her scruffy appearance.
"Who the blazes are you?" he asked.
"I'm Cassandra Spencer." she rose an eyebrow. "I've come to make sure that the shots that Catherine gave you aren't malfucntioning."
"Shots?!" William's eyes narrowed. "Have you infected me?"
"No. We bought you back from the dead, Mr. Birkin. Now, what is your full name?" She paused at the look on his face. "It's procedure. We had to do this with the other two patients as well."
"William Raymond Birkin."
"Wife?"
"Annette."
"Daughter?"
"Sherry."
"First thought?"
"G-Virus." William admitted sulkily. "Do you know where it is?"
"No." Cassandra said with a small smile. It was the type of look that shouted 'LIE!' from a mile off. Birkin narrowed his eyes even further , until they were only slits of pale blue.
"Are you sure of that, Miss Spencer?" She was wearing a shirt with a red and white pill on it. 'TOOL' proclaimed the pill. How was she related to Oswell? Why did he allow such shennadagins.
"Positive." she said crisply. "Do you have any more questions?"
"Yes. Who are the other two patients?"
"Um..." Cassandra hesitated. "I don't know if that's authorized for me to say it..."
"Tell me!" demanded Birkin. Cassandra gave a slow nod.
"Alexia and Alfred Ashford."
Birkin's face turned a deep shade of pumice, and Cassandra hurried out the door before he could protest more.
*
Alexia woke up with a hand entwined in her own.
"Dearest Alexia!" Alfred said in his silky voice. "You are awake?"
"Alfred?" she asked crisply, then sat up. A slice of pain went through her head, and she fell back with a cry.
"Alexia!" Alfred said, then noticed with a blush that the blankets had fallen back and the twins were both bare. Alexia didn't turn red, but merely stood again, ignoring the pain in her limbs and the dull ache in your head. "Sit down, Alexia. I will fetch your clothing."
"You are a good worker ant, Alfred." Alexia murmered. "A good worker ant." She was tired and the pain was great. No wonder she was slipping so far as to compliment her bumbling twin. When all he was doing was bringing her clothes! A ten year old could do as much! She scowled to herself.
"Alexia, please don't be displeased." begged Alfred as he laid down a black silk dress and black slippers.
"Fool! I am not dressing for a funeral!" Alexia said.
"I'm sorry, dear Alexia." Alfred said. "But black is all they had."
"No weapons?" Alexia asked.
"No, but you have your T-Veronica virus." Alfred said confidently. "You can defend us both."
/Maybe he is smarter than I give him credit for./ Alexia thought reluctantly as she dressed in he black gown, complete with a black scarf and black shoes. /But this pain ... Perhaps I am still feeling the effects of the Linear Launcher? Perhaps I should rest some more./
She sat down, her head spinning and her muscles aching. Alfred was wringing his hands.
"Are you all right?" he asked, just as the door swung open. A young professional looking woman with the gleam of intelligence in her eye and a clipboard in her hand walked in.
"Ms. Ashford? Mr. Ashford?"
"That's Doctor Ashford!" shouted an infuriated Alfred. The young scientist didn't seem to mind.
"I just have to ask you a few questions for procedure."
"What's your name, girl?" Alexia asked. She rose a slim, white hand to silence her furiously spluttering twin. To Alexia's mild astonishment (which she did not show on her face), the girl looked at her as if she was just an ant. A worker ant!
"Catherine Spencer." she replied calmly. "Now ... can I ask you the questions, please?"
Alexia sat down on her narrow cot as though it was a throne and gave a regal nod. Alfred narrowed his eyes at Catherine as if he was about to cut her down at a moment's notice. A fool, in some ways. But a very useful fool. And Alexia did feel a slight affection for him.
So the girl began to ask questions. Their names? Alexia had felt furious at that, but she had kept her face clear. If they were treating her like a dunce, then she could bear it. Their first thought? Alfred said 'Alexia', Alexia had pondered upon where she was. Their father? They answered in unison - the useless Alexander Ashford, disgrace to the Ashford family.
Catherine smiled, took her notes, and then wished them adieu.
"She was disrespectful to you, dearest Alexia." Alfred said sharply. Alexia waved off the concern. She would deal with them in due time. In due time.