Chapter One
New York – 25 September 1998
It had happened.
What analysts from the Umbrella Corporation had theoretically deemed the "Worst Case Scenario" – A citywide Outbreak. There was a file exploring its probability in the desk drawer of every major Umbrella executive based in North America. Most copies had gone unread. Until now.
Suited business men in all fifty States were now nervously scanning through their copy of it, making demands of each other over the phone.
"Why wasn't I notified about this!"
"Who's responsible!"
"No one said this would happen!"
But one man did. He was the author of the paper smugly entitled "The Inevitability Factor". His name was Doctor Neil Gregory. He was currently in a meeting.
Mister Li slowly turned a page of his own copy of The Inevitability Factor. He was sat behind his desk – Opposite, was a silent Doctor Gregory.
Making visitors wait was a routine reserved only for those special guests – The ones Mister Li didn't necessarily wish to feel comfortable. Honesty was so much easier to extract from someone filled with uncertainty, after all.
Unfortunately, it didn't seem to have the desired effect upon Doctor Gregory, who had played host to Li's parlour games many a time before. He merely resorted to counting ceiling tiles to pass the time, picking up from his last visit.
With a resounding sigh, Mister Li closed the paper and laid it on the desk between them.
"Why did you write…this?" He asked bitterly, gesturing vaguely to the document in front of him.
"You told me to, Mister Li." Replied Doctor Gregory, tearing his interest away from the tiles.
That's true, agreed Li's inner-executive, much to his annoyance. But at the time, you didn't know it would actually happen. It offered, in hopes of a compromise.
"I asked you to surmise the probability of an outbreak--"
"--Which is exactly what I did."
Li glared. There was no other word for it. Even italic definition did it little justice. He loathed interruption. Well, when he wasn't doing it, anyway.
"'Inevitable'?" Li spat out the word as though it tasted rotten.
"Yes, Mister Li. As I told Mister Rodgers earlier, the very idea that such material could be--"
"You've talked to Mister Rodgers?" Li gasped.
"Yes, Mister Li. He phoned me earlier regarding my report. He had some questions which…"
Li tuned out while Doctor Gregory recited the issues that Mister Rodgers had shown interest in. This was bad. If Mister Rodgers knew…
That damn report. That damn scientist!
Sat in every Umbrella building in the country right this moment, was a document that depicted—No: bragged the impossibility of continual containment of a substance known as the T-Virus, right down to mathematical detail. And now that the news of the outbreak had reached the large ears of the Corporation, there would be questions. Questions directed at Mister Li – Doctor Neil Gregory's immediate superior.
Umbrella asked questions like no other Corporation in the world. Li needed a bargaining chip…
He realised Doctor Gregory was still waffling on.
"That's quite enough," He said, holding up a hand that requested silence. "Thank you for your time, Doctor, but I realise you're a busy man, so I'll let you get back to work."
The good Doctor sat opened mouthed for several seconds before survival instinct took hold. He tramped out of the private office in sullen silence.
It was several seconds after the door was closed that Mister Li picked up his conference telephone and tapped a number that was also reserved just for those special guests.
A voice answered.
"Doctor Gregory is on his way out, now – See that he leaves…Safely." Instructed Li.
"Understood." Replied the voice.
That was one matter taken care of, but more lay ahead. Li would have to place a lot more calls before the day was out. But that was okay – He was owed a lot of favours.