Chapter 25

The hospital wasn't far, but the cluttered streets, broken machines, zombies, and other nasties made getting there a somewhat daunting task, especially since it was nighttime and thus vision was impaired. Celia and Sultan seemed to have no problems getting about; indeed it was as if they knew these parts like the back of their own hands. Or, in Sultan's case, paws. For the rag-tag S.T.A.R.S. members following them, however, it was a different story.

Claire, for the most part, was keeping as close to her brother and his wife as humanly possible. She kept scanning the terrain nervously, looking for hidden beasts while her confused mind still struggled to accept the fact that this was the year 2010 and the surviving residents of whatever city this was were reduced to hiding out in hospitals while vicious monsters prowled the streets. Not exactly a vacation in Disneyland. In fact, it was feeling more and more like a venture into the Realm of Nightmares.

All this in the year 2010? What happened?! How far did the virus outbreak spread? Were whole states infected? Countries? And...what happened to our future counterparts? Chris says he saw Alan, and Alan obviously was having issues, but what about everyone else? The questions were endless. Claire couldn't even begin to guess at them.

On the other side of Chris, Jill gave her husband's hand a gentle squeeze. This wasn't as it should be. Then again, what in their lives ever was?

All around in every direction she looked was nothing but death, carnage, rot, and destruction. It was like being on some horrendous battlefield right after a big war. So many people dead...and not just people, but animals as well. There were enough dead and mutated cats and dogs languishing about to start a pet cemetery, and three or four times that many people. Against all odds, it seemed impossible that anyone other than the virus-carriers should be able to survive in this bleak, dead city.

So much death...by and by, her eye caught a few corpses too small to be adults. Viruses didn't care about age. Jill looked away, tried to keep her eye on the woman and tiger in the lead. But there was just no shaking the horrific images from the back of her mind.

How many other mothers had lost their children? How many others had grieved over loved ones that would never return? And how was it that Celia could be so cheerful in such trying times? And...here was perhaps the scariest one of all...why wasn't anyone trying to escape this city? Her natural curiosity won out, and at last she could hold the questions no longer. Celia was just going to have to like it or lump it.

" Celia? How did this city get like this? " She paused, feeling kind of stupid as the answer to that was quite obvious, and added as an afterthought, " I mean, what kind of virus spilled here, and why hasn't anyone done anything about it? " She stepped over a tire in her path and shook her head at the grisly sight of even more death just around the corner. Those poor people.

Celia didn't even look back. " Massive viral spill." She stately flatly, " T and G types mostly, I think, though there may have been another we call the X-virus because not much is known about it. We couldn't stop it. By the time anyone realized anything was wrong it was too late."

" Why didn't..." Chris's question was cut off by the super-load moan of a zombie lunging in for the kill. Rounding the charred remains of an overturned semi laying on it's side blocking a large intersection, the group came face to face with a whole nest of zombies!

" Stay back, we'll handle this." Celia decreed, pulling a magnum from a holster Chris had somehow failed to notice strapped around her hip.

Bam! Bambambam!

The Asian woman was an excellent shot. The first three zombies went down instantly--their hideously disfigured faces reduced to mush.

" Raaaaaaawwrr! " With a battle cry that was half roar and half snarl, Sultan lunged at the next two--an orange and black whirlwind of teeth and claws. Both virus-carriers went down under his weight, and it was only a matter of seconds before the big cat tore them to shreds just as easily as if they were made of paper-maché, completely comfortable with the idea of getting dead, congealed, virus-blood in his mouth and all over his shiny coat.

Chris's eyes widened in disbelief. " You sure he's vaccinated against the viruses? " It was too good to be true.

Celia checked to ascertain it was safe to continue before answering. " Yes. No more questions, please. My leader can help you. She's the one who created the vaccines, you know." There was a bit of a change in her voice. Sadness was at last creeping in; the whole cheery visage just an illusion projected solely for her company's benefit. Celia wasn't ecstatic about living in zombie-central, and who could blame her?

That's a good thing. Chris didn't see how anyone could even pretend to be happy in these conditions, even for the sake of keeping up morale. Obviously a hell of a lot had happened in six years and he had every intention of interrogating this 'Leader' their black-haired guide kept talking about.

The minutes ticked by in relative silence. With all the monsters prowling around, it was a smart idea to make as little noise as possible. Not like Celia was going to be offering any answers anyway. Which isn't a bad thing, the S.T.A.R.S. captain supposed, rubbing his temple and wincing at the pain still lingering in the back of his head and stomach, Not talking until you reach a safe area is actually a very smart tactic. His head throbbed with an enforced pain, and not for the first time it took all his effort not to cry out.

Alan had done some serious damage. Getting kicked in the stomach by him didn't hurt any less than it had with Wesker, only Wesker hadn't sent him flying into a brick wall next to a hungry monster. Not that his ex-boss would pass up the chance, of course. He wondered if his nephew knew--or cared--just how close he had come to killing him. Alan, what's gotten into you?

A few more minutes of walking, and the street opened up into a wide parking lot that was, for the most part, devoid of clutter and dead bodies. To the side of this lot, the milky-white surface of a large building reflected in the it be?

Yes! It was the hospital!

Now we're getting somewhere! Chris thought, then instantly changed his mind. Something was wrong with this picture. The windows were all dark, with no light shining from within. If the building was full of survivors and refugees, wouldn't there be some kind of light coming from at least a few of the windows?

The hospital itself wasn't small; there had to be seven stories and several different mini-clinics and divisions. What the hell is going on here?

Chris was about to ask when just in front of him Celia suddenly stopped and froze in her tracks, like a wary doe about to cross an open meadow. Sultan crouched at her feet, plainly well-trained and obedient.

" Celia, what's wrong? " Claire worried.

The black-haired Asian girl turned on her in a whiplash frenzy, her face heavy with panic, " Shh! It might not be safe...quick, get low! "

Nobody argued.

Celia knew this area better than anyone--if she said it wasn't safe, it probably wasn't. Instinctively the S.T.A.R.S. dropped low to the ground, crouching behind an ugly beat-up pickup that had most likely been a piece of junk even before the outbreak. One of it's doors still hung open, suggesting that it's owner had fled into the streets.

Celia killed her flashlight, dashed for the pickup, and kneeled down so close to Chris that the casual observer would have guessed him married to her rather than Jill. Her dark eyes were wild with worry, and she kept glancing around anxiously.

The others looked around too.

It was eerily quiet, save the constant moans of the undead citizens and the noises they and other creatures made bumping into things and ripping them apart in their neverending quest for a fresh meal.

" Be very quiet." Celia whispered, and her voice was so quiet that Claire over on the farthest end of the little line could just barely hear.

Sultan lay flat on his belly exactly where he had stopped; a resting coil of muscles and fur. Alert, he scanned the area with lively eyes and fully-erect ears.

After three minutes had elapsed with no threat on their lives, Celia rose up cautiously and motioned for the others to do the same.

" What was that all about? " Claire wondered, careful to keep her voice low.

Celia shook her head gently, her expression grim. " The Weskers. We have to be very careful messing around out here."

" You got that right." Chris groaned, the last to stand up join the others following her lead to the hospital, " I already met up with Alan."

It was as if a bullet had been fired.

Celia was halfway through the lot when she suddenly stopped, and for a wretched instance her new friends were afraid something was seriously wrong. When she turned, it was quickly enough to startle even Sultan. The big cat actually leapt back a pace. Dark eyes fixed firmly on Chris's.

" You met Alan?! You are lucky to have escaped with your life! " She looked surprised, in awe even.

Chris swallowed nervously. What is wrong with this messed-up future? He opened his mouth to reply and was cut off sharply by Claire.

" But Alan Wesker's good! "

Celia shook her head firmly and gave the expectant mother an odd look, as if she'd just declared herself the Queen of Nepal. " Wha? Good?! Where have you been all this time, under a rock? Maybe he used to be, but that was before..." The young woman stopped mid-sentence, catching herself. " Nevermind." She waved it aside, turning back to the building, " She said you probably wouldn't make much sense. She has volunteered to explain it all."

Now Chris was getting frustrated, and he wasn't the only one. " Who's she? Why do you insist on being so vague? "

" Celia, how can you expect us to trust you? " Jill voiced, speaking up for the first time in a while, " Why won't you at least tell us her name? "

" It would certainly help." Claire agreed.

Now they were at the doors, and Celia opened them carefully, checking out the interior of the darkened room. " Quiet, you are about to meet her. Sorry I couldn't answer you more, but it's not a good idea to talk in enemy territory."

The room looked awfully inviting. At least it did to Sultan. He bounded in happily and without fear, which his human friends took as a darn good sign. Still, the three time-travelers were a little reluctant to follow when Celia entered the room, despite her assurance that it was safe.

However, anything was better than sitting outside in Ground Zero. One by one, Chris, Claire, and Jill all mustered up the courage to follow their through the doors.

Once inside, Chris had to force his eyes to adjust to the dark. They were standing in a large reception room, filled with untidy rows of traditional ugly hospital-style waiting chairs and a wide hallway straight ahead going down the middle to other rooms. There were soft shuffling noises and quiet voices coming from these other rooms, and they all sounded human. It was impossible to catch exact words in the snippets of conversation, but some of the voices were strained, as if in pain.

" Dr. Ashford! " Celia called out, causing the whole room to jump.

" Ashford?! " Chris spat instantly, fully prepared to grab the girls and bolt out the door. I knew this was too good to be true! No wonder Celia didn't want to say much, it was a trap! It was a trap and we walked right into it!

" Alexia?! " Claire panicked. She shot Celia a poisonous look, and Jill was already turning for the door.

Now Celia was frantic. " Calm down! Calm down! Ally isn't going to..."

" It's quite alright." A soft, soothing voice from the mouth of the hall announced, drawing Sultan to spring up and bolt gleefully over to the source, " I am not Alexia. Do not be afraid." Directly ahead, a shadowy figure approached with slow steps until a female shape could be discerned.

Then...light! A tiny spark and a lone flame flared into existence, followed quickly by another and another and another. A candle holder. The flickering glow of the growing flames illuminated the face of a pretty yet refined young woman with flowing, straw-colored hair and eyes of dazzling cobalt. She looked very much like an Ashford, though not quite as beautiful as Alexia or Alexis. This one had more of a soft look to her.

She awarded the wary S.T.A.R.S. a small smile, and Jill's hand froze inches from the door, " A pleasure to see you again, Chris, Claire, Jill. It is sad you come during these bleak times. May I offer you some food or drink? Perhaps medicine? You all look very tired." Her warm gaze extended to Celia, and she excused the Asian with a nod. " You may go now, Celia. Thank you for bringing them here. Carter wishes to speak with you."

Celia gave a pleasant nod before passing her leader and jogging off down the hall, apparently to 'Carter' whoever the heck he was.

By this point Chris wasn't sure what to expect anymore.

Neither was Claire. She approached he friendly Ashford slowly, studying her expression very closely, as if she expected her to lunge out and attack her at any moment.

The blonde gave a gentle laugh. " It's alright. Don't you remember me? "

Claire shook her head, and Chris and Jill hurried to her side.

The Ashford took a step closer, and now they noticed that she was wearing a white labcoat with a dark-blue shirt tucked all business-like underneath.

" I'm Alexandra." She jerked her head back a bit and motioned with her eyes the way Celia had gone. " Of course, around here I go mostly by either Alex, Ally, or Dr. Ashford. Perhaps you knew me as a child? " She shut her eyes briefly, trying to grasp a fleeting thought. " We met in Africa, remember? I'm the daughter of Alfred and Alexia and the sister of Ash and Alexis. Please do not be alarmed, despite my last name I am actually very tame."

There was a moment of shock as Chris and the girls absorbed this information.

" You're Alexandra?!" Claire gasped, unable to take her eyes off the woman, " But you...you're..."

" Older? " Alexandra finished, " Yes. In reality I am only nine years old, but as you may already know my T-Veronica virus accelerated my cellular growth, causing me to age much faster than I normally would have. Based on my research, and a mirror of course, I calculate my projected age to be about twenty-two."

For the first time, Claire managed to crack a smile. " So you still have your virus? "

Alexandra nodded. " Yes. Now if I may ask please, before we continue, what year are you from? "

" You know about the time-travel? " Chris marveled, spying a free seat nearby. Well, he was awfully tired of running around...what harm could it do to rest for a few minutes? He went over and plopped in the chair, drawing Jill and Claire to clone the motion in the two seats on either side of him.

" We're from 2004." Jill answered, exhausted.

" 2004? That seems like eons ago. This is 2010. You have a lot to catch up on. I had a feeling someone might be coming, but I didn't know who exactly to expect." Glancing around the room, Alexandra's gaze fell on an end-table off to the side. As her company watched, she set the candleholder down and pulled said table into the center of the room until it was right in front of them. Next she sat the candleholder atop and pulled up a seat alongside the makeshift light-table before at last sitting down.

Her actions had not went unnoticed by Sultan. With a contented chuff, he lay down next to her side, side heaving up and down rythmatically, completely in Heaven.

There. Now the stage was set.

Alexandra folded her arms across her lap and blew a stand of golden hair out of her face before continuing. " There is much to discuss. I will be happy to share what information I can with you."

" Alright. How did you know we were from the past? " Chris asked, creeped out by this fact, even if it was in a good way. He reached a sweaty hand over and lightly patted Jill's hair in a comforting gesture. The less-than-ecstatic redhead leaned over in her seat and snuggled into him, taking comfort where she could. Claire reclined in her chair, tucking both legs up under her in Indian-fashion while she waited anxiously to hear what was sure to be fascinating news.

They were all tired.

Claire especially was effected, being three months pregnant and thus extra-weakened. Boy, what she wouldn't give for a nap. If this turned out to be a safe enough place, she saw no reason the others wouldn't object to just an hour or two of shut-eye. Who knew? Maybe lightning would strike and Alexandra would know where to find a piece of the Hylen. It could happen. For just once in their lives, Lady Luck could decide to deal them a good hand.

Jill made herself comfortable against Chris's shoulder. All that had happened was just too fantastic to believe...why not? At this point she didn't care, all she wanted was to get in, get the Hylen piece, and get back out. I wish this wasn't the future, She complained silently, If it were the past, perhaps I could have done something to save Crystal.

Crystal.

Such a cruel twist of fate she'd died so young, and here Jill finally got a chance to travel in time, to possibly change something, and--BAM!--here she was stuck in a cold future miles away from home. As if that weren't already enough weight on their shoulders, even if they did get all the Hylen pieces together there was still Veronica to contend with. It was just too much.

For just once, couldn't crisises stop happening all the time? At this rate I'll be dead before I'm thirty-five. Which isn't all that far off. Such a dismal thought.

Alexandra's face fell. Whatever she was about to say, she didn't appear happy to be saying it. She just stared down at the floor and shook her head slowly. " The reason I know is because..." She finally looked up, pinned Chris's gaze, " In this time, none of you are..." the words stuck in her throat, and it was with difficulty that she forced them out, " ...alive." She hung her head sadly, and it was touching how genuine the emotion was.

Chris looked away, suddenly feeling very sick. " I see. Alexandra, what happened? What city is this, and how did things get to be...this bad? "

" And while we're at it," Claire shivered, " Where are the other Ashfords? "

Alexandra was on the verge of tears. When she spoke, her voice was torn with sadness, " The other Ashfords are dead. I am all that remains of that family."

" Even Veronica?! " Jill's voice carried a high note of surprise. If Veronica was dead then that would mean they had won the battle on Majika Island. That was a good thing, wasn't it? So why did this city look like the biblical battle of Armageddon had taken place in it?

Alexandra bit her lower lip, eyes moistening with unspent tears. " I don't know what happened to Veronica. All I know is that I have neither seen nor heard from her for years. There are rumors...some claim she is alive, others insist otherwise. Either way, she is the least of our problems at the moment. Listen, and I shall tell you a story." She paused briefly to draw breath before continuing, " Not many years ago, in the summer of 2005, all Hell broke loose. The competition between Umbrella and HCF escalated to a all-time dangerous level, one which led them to engage in what we now like to call 'The Viral Wars'. During this time, they proceeded to unleash countless bio-weapons and viruses. At first the attacks were only on rival bases. You know, the we-attack-Umbrella-Umbrella attacks-us kind of deal. But as you can guess, things quickly got out of control. Monsters and infected victims escaped into neighboring cities and in doing so spread the T and G viruses at an alarming rate from town to town. As if that were not already bad enough, at around the same time HCF operatives came out with the deadly X-virus. Similar to the G-virus, this soon became the most deadly of them all as it could remain potent for days transmitted through wind and water. Like the Bubonic Plague, this new virus moved very quickly. By the time the President realized it was a national emergency entire cities were overrun with whole states well on their way. In an attempt to try and stop the spread, the U.S. military bombed as many of these known infected cities as they could off the map--even going as far as to massacre any suspected carriers-- but it wasn't enough. The viruses spread unchecked throughout North America like wildfire, and thanks to airplanes and ships it wasn't long before they reached Europe. Within two years there were outbreaks all over the world; way too many for the planet's armed forces to deal with. Within three years, civilization as we knew it effectively ceased to exist. Believe it or not, this was once Salem Oregon, the capitol city teaming with people. Now it's this...this wasteland." She shook her head helplessly, gazing into the candle flames as she spoke.

" What?! The entire world is overrun?! " Chris gasped, " Impossible! No virus can spread that fast! "

" X-virus could." Alexandra supplied gently, " It killed probably three billion people all by itself. Victims got violently sick and died within a day of contracting it. Thankfully they didn't mutate into the living dead, but that's the only redeeming quality about it. It was highly contagious, but only to humans and dogs. It was especially brutal in the third-world countries where tons of people lived in such close proximity to each other. Eventually it died out when it killed so many victims that there was no one left alive to pass it on. All cities for miles around are like this one. Thanks to X-virus paving the way, T and G viruses were able to spread unchecked."

" That's awful." Jill sighed.

" Terrible." Alexandra agreed, " And that's not even the worst. Thanks to the viruses running rampant, all kinds of strange and deadly creatures began cropping up all over. I don't even know about half of what's out there. It hardly needs said that none of these beasts appears to be friendly. Bio-weapons rule the world now, preying on the few humans and animals that still exist." She paused again, let the information sink in. When no one offered an immediate response...perhaps they couldn't...she continued. " This city once housed a R.A.I.N. base, and it was here that I worked hard with other scientists to come up with vaccinations and cures. I was able to develop both to a better degree for the T-virus and a vaccination for the G-virus using some of the anti-disease properties of my own virus...."

However, the shell-shocked S.T.A.R.S. were barely listening. It was a lot to absorb, and damn, it was just too morbid to be true.

" What happened to the others? " Chris inquired, not caring that he was cutting Alexandra off mid-sentence, " I mean, the rest of the Bayview S.T.A.R.S. and people we know. Did anyone survive? Steve? Carlos? Rebecca? Sherry? How about my son Seth? "

Alexandra's frown deepened. God, she hated being the harbinger of such awful news, but it had to be said. " Sorry. Everyone you mentioned is dead, save one. Carlos is still alive, but he's insane. And I don't mean a little insane, I mean completely speaks-no-coherent-sentences insane. A scouting-team and I found him barricaded up in an apartment building in this very city about four months ago. When we found him, he was huddled in a tight ball sitting over in a corner next to Rebecca's body, rocking back and forth babbling gibberish that didn't make sense. Poor guy looked like he hadn't bathed, slept, or eaten in days. When we tried to offer help and asked what had happened, he went completely psycho and tried to attack us. I sedated him and brought him back here where we treated him. In the meantime we gave Rebecca a proper funeral. He's made little improvement these past few months, and even though he won't verify it we suspect he and Rebecca were on their way here to find us when something really traumatic happened. He's here right now. I could take you to him, but I'm warning you right now he probably won't recognize you."

Both girls looked to Chris. He was the leader, it was up to him to decide the best course of action for all involved. That, plus the fact that they were both feeling tired and drained, made him the unanimous choice. Moving....or talking, was just too much effort. Claire in particular was enjoying the much-needed rest. Chris let his gaze wander to her, and she pleaded with her eyes to stay there.

Can't blame 'em. We do need a bit of a rest. No, now was not the time to be moving. Rest awhile. Learn more. They were going to have enough to deal with as it was once they got that blasted Hylen piece back to the present.

Or past, however you wanted to look at it.

And once they did that...Chris was no fool. If she was anything like Alexia, Veronica Ashford wasn't just going to stand idly by and let him and the others trounce her. No, she was going to put up a fight, and if Angelique's little speech was anything at all to go by then taking her down wasn't going to be any easier than facing both Wesker and mutated Alexia working together by himself in a confining room with only a pocket knife.

Er....for that, we can wait. No sense in rushing to our painful deaths. " Eh, that's alright." The overwhelmed S.T.A.R.S. leader sighed, looking Alexandra over up and down like he expected her to mutate at any moment, " Maybe in a minute we've..." ....been through Hell and back, and this future makes me want to commit suicide... " We've been through a lot lately, and we need a little bit of time to recuperate."

" I understand." Alexandra said melodically, her voice barely above a whisper. While seeing her old friends alive and well again brought her great joy, it was also a haunting reminder of what had originally happened to them. It was having quite a profound effect on her, really. A blast from the past.

Chris, Jill, Claire...she studied each in turn, almost-forgotten memories stirring inside. They looked so haggard and worn. It hurt her to see them like this, hurt her to imagine the emotional hell they must be going through realizing that their world was lost.

Some future they had to look forward to. It isn't right. Then again, what about this world ever truly is?

" Alexandra? "

" Hmm? " The blonde-haired scientist looked up, as if from awakened from dream. They shouldn't have to see this....

" What happened to us? How did...how did we die? " Chris's tone was bleak and morbid, matching the expression on his far-too-pale face. He really looked like he'd been through it all. His uniform was ripped and places and stained here and there with blood and mud; his dark brown hair matted and messy. His eyes were devoid of any happiness...maybe even hope.

Alexandra turned her head to the side, shying away from the saddened gaze of the man who was once one of her mother's most loathed enemies, and instead pretended to be interested in the bland off-white of the far wall.

It was a lame attempt to mask her emotions, and she knew it.

" Your...deaths? Are you sure you want to know? Such a morbid topic for discussion. Those memories bring me no pleasure."

" I would hope not." Claire forced a faint smile, " I remember you from Africa. You were such a sweet little girl. Alexis misses you."

" Alexis..." A single tear swelled in the corner of the young scientist's eye. That memory was one of the saddest. The tear rolled down the soft white of her cheek and fell to the floor; one more drop in an ocean of sorrow. So many deaths...so much suffering...

The action had not gone unnoticed by the S.T.A.R.S. in her company. Claire looked away. It wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help but to feel something of guilt for bringing up what was obviously a hard subject for the young Ashford.

" That's okay." Chris offered immediately, leaving Alexandra a way out, " You don't have to tell us if it's too painful."

Alexandra shook her head slowly. Then she poked a finger into one of the red-orange-and-white flames of a candle, causing her company to jolt back in reflex.

" That's alright, my friends. I suppose one can't help but to be curious. It's human nature." Her voice came a little stronger now, less nasal. She allowed the tip of her finger to catch on fire before at last drawing it back and holding it before her face. Twin flames danced in the serene liquid blue of her eyes. " We're a very curious species."

As the others watched, she took the flaming digit and folded it along with the others into a fist. When the fist opened it was to reveal completely uncharred skin. Alexandra looked up, receiving six anxious eyes with a hollowed, grave expression. This was going to be a little hard, but they had asked and they deserved to know. If situations were reversed, she'd want to know. God, I hate this.

Drawing a deep breath, she started, " You all learned of the threat ahead of time and for almost a whole year managed to evade it. During that time you fought valiantly and made a strong effort to take down the companies responsible and look for ways to counteract the viruses. You saved a lot of people. If it weren't for you the death toll would have been much higher. You kept moving around, but eventually the viruses and their carriers caught up with you. Sherry died first: direct exposure to the X-virus. She suffered for less than twenty-four hours before her death. After her, it was you, Claire, and Melissa."

Claire's jaw dropped. Melissa?! That must mean that I'm...it's a girl! I'm carrying a girl! Wait, she dies too?! No! We can't let this happen! There has to be some way to avoid this! There has to be!

" Melissa?! " She couldn't help but to try out her daughter's name, speak it for the first time. Unconsciously, she gave her stomach a gentle pat.

Alexandra nodded gravely. " Yes." Her eyes settled on Claire. " You are pregnant still with her."

" Congratulations, it's a girl." Chris said with as much cheer as he could muster. Suffice to say, this wasn't much. What should have been a heartfelt tiding of joy to his sister and unborn niece came out sounding stale and unenthused.

He really was happy for her, but knowing both mother and child were destined to die in two years along with himself and the biggest portion of people he knew slash cared about did take the shine off it.

What was the point? What was the point in going on if this was how it all turned out?

Carlos insane. Alan off the deep end. Everyone else dead. Was this the future they had to look forward to? Was this the world they were trying to save?

Even more important, was this a world worth saving?

Compared to this, maybe Veronica's world wouldn't be so bad after all.

Jill acknowledged this news with a slight nod. Beyond that, she couldn't even pretend to smile. Couldn't even fathom the thought of feeling anything but extreme grief and despair. So Claire's going to have a little girl. So what? She'll just die like mine did. It doesn't matter. What we did before...what we're doing now...none of it matters. You can't change what's been done. If you're losing the game, you can't just start up a new one. It doesn't work that way. There's no silver lining to this cloud.

" Please. Go on." The redhead prodded, opting to keep her inner feelings personal. For better or for worse, she just had to know what had happened. Perhaps Alexandra was right. Humans were a rather inquisitive species, even when it would e better if they weren't.

" I wasn't there, obviously, so some of the next that I am about to tell you could have happened slightly differently, I don't know. I heard it through other...sources. When Claire and Melissa caught the X-virus, Alan was the first on the scene. By that time Melissa was already gone but Claire still had a few hours left to live..."

" Alan." Chris cut in, his voice reduced to a feral, low growl, " What is wrong with him? I swear, he tried to kill me a little bit ago."

" Yeah," Claire agreed, piecing the puzzle together, " And on the way here Celia mentioned something about the Weskers..."

" Please! Just let her finish the story! " Jill snapped, tired of all the interruptions and chronic depression doing it's dirty work on her tact, " I'm sure she'll get to that. Right? "

" Yes." Alexandra agreed solemnly, " I'll get to that. Anyway, Alan was the first to arrive. It is important to understand that back then the X-virus had no cure, and no one has ever recovered from it. Claire was in terrible pain. After placing her final requests and goodbyes with him, she begged Alan to break her neck and cease her suffering, to which he complied. "

" Alan killed me?! " Claire gasped, shocked.

" He didn't want to." Alexandra replied softly, like a mother soothing her children after a bad dream, " I wasn't personally there, but the X-virus is some nasty stuff. Everyone I've ever seen contract it never wanted to live out the full twenty to twenty-four hours. That's how much you suffer. What Alan did was a mercy killing at your own request to spare you the last few hours of torment. I don't blame him for that. As I was saying, he knew the X-virus was highly contagious, though the T-2 virus made him immune to it. Unfortunately, the rest of the S.T.A.R.S. chose that moment to come home and knew immediately that something was up." Caribbean blue eyes played on Chris's, giving him an all-around bad feeling about Alexandra's next words. " Alan tried to reason with you, but you wouldn't listen. He was forced to knock you and Steve unconscious and load you both up in the van to prevent you from going into that room and sharing the same fate. Jill and the others allowed him temporary command and after gathering everyone up you all fled the city. Not long after that, Steve died. The details there are kinda fuzzy, but from what I gather of it one of the underground tunnels he and other refugees were hiding in to escape a city the air force was bombing collapsed in unexpectedly from the aftershocks. Jill..."

Alexandra turned away, set her sights on a sleeping Sultan. This definitely makes the list of the top ten things I never want to do again. " Jill, you were killed by a hunter...or a group of hunters...details kinda foggy in that department as well. Really tore Chris up."

" It would." Chris admitted, snuggling a little closer into his wife as if she were something that was slipping away. His face was pained, haunted. All of his family dead. All of them... " What happened to everyone after that? "

Alexandra leaned forward on the table, but rather than to Chris her eyes were now on the floor. She bowed her head. " That's...that's where things get the most muddled. Like I said, I spent most of the time just trying to survive with my family, moving from place to place. A very severe outbreak of the X-virus caught us unprepared in South Dakota, and, as you can imagine, my brother and father didn't survive it. After all the contagious areas we traveled through...put it this way, if it weren't for Mother and I having the T-Veronica virus, I wouldn't be here talking to you right now. The city we'd been occupying at the time had became surrounded on all sides by infection. Clearly a miscalculation." She shook her head, fought back the tears, " It wasn't until seven months ago that I found Alan. Alone. He was completely different than I'd remembered. Nastier. Colder. He's the one who informed me about the S.T.A.R.S.. But when I asked about my sister he...he completely came unglued. He started yelling, saying that Alexis was dead and that it was all Chris's fault. I couldn't even get him to tell me what had happened, much less why it was Chris's fault. I tried to calm him down, tried to reason with him, but then Wesker showed up and I learned your fate."

There was no mistaking that the word 'your' was directed at Chris.

Damn. Chris felt a lump rise uncomfortably in his throat, swallowed. His own death. He was about to be told how he would die, and for some terrible reason he had a strong feeling it had something to do with Alan.

" Let me guess: Wesker killed me? " There was a tinge of hope in his voice. Much as he was starting to despise his 'nephew', a part of him still clung to the hope...still desperately wanted to believe that Alan wouldn't do something like that.

Alexandra blinked. " Why, yes. I guess that would be pretty obvious. But he didn't do it alone. Chris..." she had to force the words out, " I don't know for sure what happened. All I know for fact is that Alan blamed--still blames--you for Alexis's death. You never stood a chance against both of them. They...I...I get the impression they tortured you before they killed you. Both Wesker and Alan. I'm sorry...but the Alan you knew is no longer with us. He's lost his conscience, and at least part of his mind, too, from the looks of it. He's just like Wesker now---even worse on some level because he's good at fooling people into thinking he still cares whereas Wesker's always been more straightforward. He's too fargone...if he were to see all of you here, now, I honestly don't think he'd hesitate to kill every one of you. Old friends don't seem to mean anything to him anymore. Alan, Spade, and Wesker are among the biggest reasons we have to be so careful around here. After the world was more or less overrun the three of them used the ensuing chaos to take over; three separate rulers sharing a wide kingdom. Wesker runs Acid Rain. HCF answers to Alan. Umbrella to Spade. They get by pretty well, thanks to their virus and unity against any powerful enough to challenge them.

" Hold on, Spade has the T-2 virus? " Claire inferred.

" When did this happen? " Chris added.

Alexandra's lips twisted into a crooked line. " Spade has the T-2 virus. She's almost as powerful as Wesker and Alan, but not quite. I'm not sure when it happened, but logic points to Wesker giving it to her shortly after the viruses began to spread in order to protect her. Whatever the case, the Weskers staked little 'territories' around here for the time being, and I hate to say it but this city--Salem--is right in the hotspot where all three 'borders' overlap. We have Spade to the South, Wesker to the Northeast, and Alan to the Northwest. Lately they've been coming dangerously close...I think they suspect something may be up here and that's why they've been hanging around. We would move but...it's too dangerous. An attempt to do so would be forfeiting the lives of nearly everyone here, and that's not a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Right now we're kind of stuck playing a waiting game to see if one or more of the Weskers won't move off and give us a chance to escape."

" But that doesn't make any sense! " Chris shouted out of frustration, perhaps a bit too loudly.

Sultan woke up and lifted his head with a start, wild amber eyes focused readily on the source which had disturbed him.

Alexandra reached down and patted him on the head. " Shh. It's okay."

" Why would the Weskers care about a bunch of injured and sick refugees? "

" They don't believe the weak are fit to survive in this world."

" So they'd kill them?! " Jill was appalled.

Alexandra shrugged helplessly. " Maybe, maybe not. It's risky. But even if they did let these people go, they'd definitely kill me. I can't let that happen. These people need me."

" By 'these people', you mean the other survivors, right? "

Alexandra stood up, prompting Sultan to his feet. " Yes. Follow me, I have something to show you." She spared a moment to blow out all of the candles, plunging the room into almost total blackness.

" Alrighty then." With a bit of effort--he had to confess the idea of leaving the chair was not one which held much appeal--Chris rose and followed woman and tiger down the hall, Jill and Claire close behind.

" We have to keep it dark in here," The good doctor explained without turning back, " We don't want anyone--human or non--to think this building's occupied."

" Oh." Claire said. Suddenly turning the lights out didn't sound like such a bad idea after all. Smart.

" The Weskers and most virus-carriers bar zombies have excellent sight, which is why we try to avoid too much activity near windows. The T-2 carriers in particular have an extraordinary sense of hearing, so we talk in low voices and let the moans and howls of the undead do the rest to cover for us."

" Sounds like you've really thought this out." Chris mused, a little impressed at Alexandra's careful attention to details.

" We had to. Around here, being careful is the key. We even have a saying: ' The man among us who does not sneak, will not live throughout the week.' Sad but true. We live by a harsh set of facts. Here." Not halfway down the almost pitch-black hall, Alexandra stopped by the dark silhouette of an elevator. A press of a button, and the automatic doors swung open. " Going down. Please be my guests." In true hostess's fashion, the courteous scientist extended a hand and gestured for her company to step in first.

Well, second anyway. Sultan had already dashed in and made himself secure against one corner. From the looks of it this was a ride he'd taken many times.

" Thanks." Chris gushed, going in.

Jill was next. She strode in to stand by Chris without even giving Alexandra a second look.

Claire was last. " Wow. You're not like an Ashford at all." She marveled, stunned by the sheer politeness the T-Veronica carrier was showing. She took her place at her friends' sides.

Inside the elevator was light, and Alexandra couldn't resist a tiny smile as she stepped in and hit the 'B' button. Chris, Jill, and Claire were all in a tight clump in one side of the elevator while Sultan had the other end all to himself. It was kinda comical, really. Even tame tigers could have that effect on people.

" Thank you." She straightened her labcoat, " I've been trying to redeem my family's name."

Claire managed the ghost of a smile. This may be a bleak future, but it was comforting to know that benign people like Alexandra somehow, someway, despite all that had happened and all the negativity they must endure, still existed. Keeping a positive outlook in such trying circumstances had to take real inner strength. How Alexandra managed to pull it off so well, she didn't know. But it was refreshing and extremely nice to see.

" You're doing a very good job of it."

" Just got to take things one day at a time. The Weskers are our biggest concern at the moment. One is bad enough, but if you get all three together they're...well, I don't like to use the word invincible, but they're pretty close to it. They..." This time Alexandra couldn't help it. Her voice trembled, cracked a bit, and her lower lip quivered, " They killed my mother."

Great! Did she stay dead this time? Chris rejoiced inside. He didn't dare say that aloud. Alexia may have been an evil psycho-bitch, and she deserved a slow, painful death being eaten alive by the ants she liked so much, but her passing had obviously hurt Alexandra.

He couldn't see why--Alexia probably wouldn't have shed so much as a single tear over any of her offsprings' deaths, yet Alexandra mourned her death as deeply as any daughter would her mother.

Either Alexia had turned a new leaf over the past six years, or else Alexandra was insanely benevolent and forgiving. It seemed almost unreal.

In fact, if the three misplaced S.T.A.R.S. members had been polled right then they would all have agreed that Alexandra Ashford was the single nicest person they'd ever met in their entire lives. Bar none.

How does she do it? Perhaps the T-Veronica virus wasn't the only weird thing floating around in her blood...had Alexia tampered with her DNA perhaps? Somehow bio-engineered her to be that way, either intentionally or by accident? And if so, just what chemicals and genes determined a person's temperament anyway? It seemed a unique personality would be more linked to the soul and the individual, not genetics.

The again, who really knew for one hundred percent anyway? It baffled the mind.

The end of the elevator's decent was heralded by a shrill metallic 'ding'. Alexandra stepped out lightly into a cool dimly-lit corridor composed of dull white tiles.

Even though she hated the Alexia and the other Ashfords--save Alexis, of course--with a passion, Claire couldn't help but to feel sorry for the young scientist. Evil or not, you had only to watch her to know her family had meant a lot to her. How she could love them was unimportant. The important thing is...I know what it's like to lose a family member. Once they were all out, she laid a hand on their blonde-haired hostess's shoulder.

Alexandra turned around slowly, her expression sad but caring. She didn't say anything, She didn't need to. The saltwater welling up in the corners of her eyes spoke volumes on it's own.

God, she really does care. " That must have been horrible, losing your family like that. I know I'd be devastated if anything ever happened to mine."

Chris and Jill stopped, sharing in the sadness that seemed to be the center of life in this miserable time. Normally hearing about Alexia's death would have been cause for celebration, but seeing Alexandra so shaken up over it robbed them of that joy. For a moment, just a moment, it felt like Alexia wasn't all that bad after all.

" It happened only two months ago." Alexandra went on, as if in a dream. She hadn't been asked, but somehow it just felt right to reflect on what had happened, to try and make peace with it. It was a very vivid memory; each day it replayed over and over in her head, one of a million memories she didn't want that came back to haunt her. " Mom and I had only been in this city for a week, and I'd just discovered a pocket of survivors that needed help..."

" And Alexia was okay with this? " Chris couldn't help but to wonder. Inconceivable that Alexia could ever care about the common person.

Alexandra shook her head. " Well, she didn't love it, but over the years I think she'd gotten used to my habits and even halfway accepted them on some level. After Dad and Ash died, our bonds strengthened...for a little while. When I got older she grew very jealous of me because she believed I had surpassed her both in intellectual prowess and physical strength."

" Was that true? " Jill wondered, surprising everyone by speaking up for the first time in several minutes.

Alexandra did not look happy. " Yes. It was. I don't like to talk about it--makes me feel all guilty--but Mom was right. When I was the equivalent of '13' I was already her intellectual equal, and at '15' I surpassed her. That was also the time my virus fully awakened and I inherited all kinds of new powers. In a fit of rage, Mom tried to kill me once, but by then I was too strong and she was forced to concede. I tried to talk some sense into her, but you can't reason with an unreasonable person. For a long time after that I thought she hated me. Still, she stood her ground and kept me in her life, constantly undermining everything I said or did. I could never figure out why she wanted to keep hanging around me like that when we were as different as night and day. But looking back on it now, I think I know."

" Why? "

" Mom was..." Alexandra's eyes flitted back up, golden lashes damp with moisture, " ...to be completely honest, I think she was afraid to be alone. I was familiar, I was the last tie she had to the life she'd lost. True, she was constantly berating me, putting me down, and killing my pets. She didn't agree with my views on the world at all, even when I sat her down explained them until I was blue in the face. I tried and tried, but she refused to open up to me. We used to get into arguments all the time about humanity and love versus power and ambition, but she eventually stopped when she found I could argue her to the ground every single time. Deep down, I think she finally realized that completely dominating the human race and making yourself a 'Queen Ant' was a completely unrealistic goal and more than a little selfish."

At this she smiled a bit, reaching up with one hand to lightly massage her temple. The she actually pulled off a dry laugh, " Mom always did have a superiority complex the size of China. I used to joke with her about it." The smile slipped, " At least, I tried to. Half the time she took me seriously. I swear, her sense of humor was seriously messed up. She laughed over the most inappropriate things. Anyway, to skim the cream here, I think Mom wanted to hate me, but couldn't. And the fact that she couldn't only bothered her more. Whenever I helped someone or did my part to try and make the world a better place, she'd grumble and growl about how I was wasting my time with 'worthless peons' and how, if only I'd help, we could create a society together and rule it. People should fear us, she said. I disagreed, but she never really gave up trying. I think at the end though I may have gotten through at least a little. When I found the survivors, Mom ranted and raved over and over about how foolish I was being to the point where it reminded me of a little kid throwing a temper tantrum. She smashed things. She yelled. She glowed her eyes and unleashed a verbal hurricane of abuse that I guess was meant to offend me, but secretly made me crack up inside. Yet she didn't dare make a move to stop me or hurt a single person there. After she stormed off I had to apologize to my new friends for her brash behavior, and that's when I discovered this hospital was actually a secret R.A.I.N. base, and they were more than happy to share. I didn't see her again until after a few days later when she found me out and about rounding up food and followed me back. I made her promise not to hurt anyone, and to my surprise she agreed and made herself at home in the labs here. Sadly, I could never trust her and constantly had to check in and see what she was up to, but she seemed to have...mellowed out some. I did love her and care about her, even if I did believe she was a homicidal megalomaniac who would probably kill me if given half the chance. I mean, she was my mother. I couldn't forgive the things she'd done, but at the same time I couldn't condemn her. "

" Understandable." Chris relented. He still hated Alexia's guts. But in all fairness, she wasn't his mother.

Alexandra continued; " Knowing she was a great scientist and how much she loved virology, I tried to get her to help me and R.A.I.N. work on a vaccine against the X-virus, but she only laughed in my face and said: 'You're so smart, you make a vaccine against the X-virus.' Don't see what the big deal was. I was only trying to give her a productive hobby that didn't involve mutilating animals behind my back. Anyway, I realize it's much too late to make a long story short now, and I've rambled on a bit more than I thought I would. Sorry."

Claire was understanding. " It's alright. We can all be ramblers sometimes." Her lips tugged up in the faintest stages of a smile, " Plus I enjoyed hearing it. Kinda makes Alexia seem like she wasn't completely evil after all."

" Oh, she was evil alright. No mistake about that. She just found herself in a situation where she couldn't act on her impulses. And the wonderful thing is, I didn't put her there. The fact that she was willing to make a sacrifice in order to stay around me even though she didn't really like me makes me believe she did have a spark of light in her, however diminished. If she had lived, perhaps over time I could have gotten her to be a better person. Or at least gotten her on the right track to being a better person." She shivered involuntarily, took in the faces of the people around her.

Determined and overbearing Chris. Strong and emotional Jill. Optimistic if not a bit naïve Claire. All here. All talking to her in the here and now. Tired and deeply depressed they may be, but seeing them alive again...it felt like they were back from the dead. Just being able to talk to them again was surreal. So much that had been left unsaid, then to discover the grisly truth from the recently evil Alan...it had been quite the unfortunate turn of events. Now...now it felt almost like they'd been given a second chance to get things right. She put a hand over Claire's and gave it a tender squeeze. A quick sparkle of something wonderful crossed her eyes, and this time she did actually smile.

" Thank you. I needed that."

Wow. Claire blushed a bit, drew back her hand. " No problem."

Alexandra nodded. " Feelings entirely mutual, my friend. Anyway, to conclude this little history tidbit, my mother went outside about eight weeks ago unannounced to do...something. I'm not really sure what. One of my friends saw her leave, so as quick as I got back from my daily rounds he told me. Hoping for the best, but fearing she may be up to no good, Sultan and I scouted the city. When we found her, a behemoth monster easily the size of four bull elephants had her trapped amidst the rubble of some buildings. She was in first form, but she clearly didn't have time to upgrade and was losing. I shifted to my second form, which is my most powerful, and rushed to her aid. I was just in time. While the monster was busy with me, Mom attacked it from it's blind side and together we were able to defeat it. But Mom was injured. She made it out of the rubble okay, I resumed human form, and we were on our way back to the hospital when we were suddenly surrounded by all three Weskers. We never saw them coming. I got blind-sided by Spade before I could even register what was happening and ended up knocked fifty feet into a crowd of zombies. I easily overpowered them, but I was too late to save my mother. The monster had weakened her worse than I thought and she couldn't survive a physical assault by both Wesker and Alan. I'll save you the graphics and just say that it was very messy, especially with the knife-like clawblade things the trio wear now. It's Wolverine meets the Flash with a bit of the Hulk's strength thrown in. Even they seemed surprised to have beaten her so easily. I quickly shifted to second form, put on a light show to distract them, dived in, grabbed my mother, and flew out. That was about all I could do. Later I held a little funeral and buried Mom--Alexia--out in the same park Rebecca's body now rests in." She shook her head slightly, pained, " It's never easy saying goodbye."

" That is awfully sad." Chris forced himself to say, even if he didn't really feel that way one hundred percent, " I just...I mean...wow. All she's been through, you'd think Alexia would have....I mean, that's a little...quick."

" I know. I think she could have held on longer if she'd really wanted it. The sad truth is....I think she wanted to die. During the end there, she seemed so...detached. The last few days before her death she was very silent and indifferent to everything and everyone around her. That's not like her. Usually she'd verbally attack people---usually the R.A.I.N. scientists--and try to make them feel inferior. She may have been evil, but I cried for her. I think Dad and Ash's deaths cut her deeper than she would admit. I guess what it all boils down to is: no one ever truly wants to be utterly alone. Even insane evil geniuses. That kind of isolation catches up with you after awhile, guts you from the inside out. All those years...perhaps near the end Mom's superiority complex was the only thing holding her together. Her main focus in life was being better than everyone around her, so I guess when I finally surpassed her it crushed her spirits, destroyed her sense of purpose. And with no one she felt she could confide in she sort of...slipped into a major depression. One from which she never recovered. At least, that's what I think."

" It makes sense." Claire reasoned, " I personally thought she was an insane evil bitch who needed to be put down for crimes against humanity, but now that I think about it, yeah. She did seem awfully close to Alfred."

" Loneliness is a terrible thing." Jill agreed, leaning her back against the wall and staring deep into the reflective surface of the tile beneath her. " I guess even evil people experience the same range of emotions we do. Happiness. Pride. Anger. Hurt. Hope. Frustration. Actually, they're really not worlds different than us. Just heartless killers."

" True." Alexandra agreed, " They experience less of the positive forces and detach themselves from everyone else. Think about it: the root of all evil is selfishness."

Come to think of it, yeah. Jill thought, Wesker killed Crystal because of a personal vendetta against Chris and I. Very selfish reasons. The creators of the T-virus only had their own personal gain in mind. Be the best at this, make the most money at that, blah blah blah. Oh, I'll kill half a million people if it'll get me enough money to buy a nice little strip of property along the California beach and buy that brand new Lamborghini I've been wanting. Or this is how I think it should be. Selfish.

Chris's thought processes were apparently on the same level as Claire's, because his next words were, " Yeah. Come to think of it, when do you ever see the words 'unselfish' or 'empathetic' used to describe any criminal? Big difference between the guy who short-changes Grandma at the filling station and the guy who, say, murders half a thousand people for the benefit of a scientific breakthrough, but when you get right down to it, selfishness in one form or another is the fuel behind the deed."

" Exactly." Alexandra stated, pleased to have gotten the point across. Mother understood this, I just couldn't get her to understand why being selfish was such a bad thing. And...as usual, you've been the cause of another rambling-session Alexandra. Congratulations. She mentally scolded herself, Get back on track here. You have a job to do you know.

" That was a nice little conversation and, dare I say, a bit philosophical, but I'm afraid I got off-track. Follow me."

" Sure." Claire replied spontaneously. She and Chris were right behind, following Alexandra to this thing she wanted them to see, whatever it was.

Jill answered with a shrug of her shoulders and a slow, unhurried gait a few feet behind the main cluster. Sometime during the course of the conversation, Sultan had slipped out from the elevator and now he was nowhere to be seen. Probably nothing important, she decided. Obviously the cat had gotten bored and decided to go elsewhere.

Luckily Alexandra's destination was not far. All throughout the conversation the S.T.A.R.S. had been hearing muffled talking, just like upstairs earlier. Just a little ways down the hall they came to an unmarked iron door on the right. The voices were coming strongly from the other side. Alexandra opened the door, and a flood of light poured out into the dim hallway.

Inside was a well-lit room, rectangular in shape and lined to either wall with single rows of patients in hospital beds. There were a number of people in white labcoats scattered around: attending patients, reading charts, manning equipment, and offering words of encouragement to the worried friends and family of the crucially ill. They all looked up when their head scientist walked in.

" Alex! How's it been? " One man, a young black guy dressed in plain street clothes greeted, then paused. His eyes were now glued on the unexpected visitors trailing behind. " Who's..."

" Easy there, Martin. These are my friends, Claire, Chris, and Jill." She stopped and rounded on the trio with a smile, " Claire, Chris, Jill, meet Martin. He's on one of the Outer-Missions units, which means he goes out regularly to check for other survivors and gather essentials. It's a risky job."

The S.T.A.R.S. members nodded a greeting.

" Hi." Claire waved a few fingers.

Martin's face brightened. " So good to see new faces! For awhile I was worried things were in worse shape than we'd previously thought. Used to be meeting new people wasn't such a big deal. Now it's like, a miracle or something."

" Yeah, well it used to be the world wasn't overrun with monsters." Chris added wryly.

Alexandra cast him a forlorn look. " You speak of better times. We all wish that world back."

" I know I do." Martin agreed absently before turning back to the stack of papers he'd been reviewing prior to the meeting, " I would stay and chat but...uh...duty calls. Sorry. Perhaps another time? "

" Of course." Claire answered. She found her attention wandering around the room, taking in each of the people there. There had to be at least fifty in here. The majority were in hospital beds. Those who weren't were taking their temperatures, administering shots, reading gauges--normal doctor-y stuff. Except that most of these labcoat-clad doctors had the R.A.I.N. logo sewn neatly onto their clothing with blue thread.

R.A.I.N. stands for Rational Advancements In Nature, Claire reminded herself, Kinda like a smarter, friendlier Umbrella. Her heart rested easier. She remembered coming across a bunch of documents pertaining to R.A.I.N. back in the African Umbrella base. They were the good guys: a collection of some of the smartest people in the world all dedicated to helping humanity from better ways to grow and engineer crops to working on cures to cancer and Umbrella's viruses.

Speaking of which, seemed they'd had a cure for everything except the T-2 last she'd checked. Which could only be good. That was the biggest reason Umbrella and HCF despised them so much.

Come to think of it, she was fairly sure R.A.I.N. competed with Umbrella on the sales floor as well. They were into pharmaceuticals too. Or at least behaved that way.

Sure felt refreshing to be surrounded by friends.

Meanwhile, Jill was making her own observations. She couldn't help but noticing a lot of the people in the beds were children. Which stands to reason. They're the most vulnerable.

Again, the image of Crystal surged up in her mind.

Again, she forced it back, tried to suppress it.

Didn't work.

There has to be a way to get her back. Alfred and Alexia both died, and now they're up and walking around like it never happened. And Alexia was IN PIECES! If scum like them can come back, why not Crystal? A faint voice tingled at the back of Jill's brain. A small demon, one she hated herself for acknowledging, but which existed just the same--constantly poisoning her thoughts--asked: What about Veronica? She's an all-powerful sorceress immune to aging and other worldly things, perhaps she would have the power to resurrect Crystal. Yes, maybe I should look into that...

" Jill? Jill! "

" Huh? Wha..." A light tug snapped her out of her daze.

Chris was there, his hand on her shoulder and concern playing along the edges of his mouth.

What was I thinking? She shoved his hand aside and straightened. " I'm okay."

Chris was skeptical. " Are you sure? You looked...zoned out. C'mon." He lead the way to Claire and Alexandra, who were already at the next bed.

A little boy...seven, maybe eight...was sitting upright amidst a sea of blue covers. His short, tasseled red hair was disheveled in true bed-head fashion, accenting the look of his white hospital gown. When he looked up and saw Alexandra standing over him, his green eyes sparkled with excitement.

" Ally! " He leaned over the metal railing of his bed to give her a hug, a task which was easened by the recipient kneeling over and taking him in her tender embrace. Elated, the boy buried his face into her, hugging her waist tightly.

" Ally! I'm so glad you're back! I drew a picture for you, want to see it? " He released his hold, and Alexandra gave him a kiss on the forehead before rising back up and straightening.

" Sure Dev. I'd love to see your picture."

Thrilled, Dev swirled around. As the S.T.A.R.S. crowded in to watch he lifted his pillow to reveal a little 'picture' rendered lovingly in blue crayon. Before anyone got a chance to see what it was, however, he was bouncing about wildly, thrusting it into Alexandra's face.

" Here! You like it? You like? "

" Alright then, what do we have here? " The T-Veronica scientist held the paper out in front of her so that everyone could get a full view.

The central figure was a down-turned pentagon, one strikingly similar in appearance to the Ashford crest. Only, instead of the infamous hawk grasping a haldberd, this 'crest' depicted a either a dog or a wolf sitting proudly with a single red rose held lovingly in it's mouth. The entire thing was blue, save the rose's red bud. It wasn't spectacular art, but it was pretty dang good for an eight year old.

" It's the new Ashford crest! " Dev blurted excitedly before anyone else had time to ask, " I was talking with Tem this morning and we both agreed you weren't like the other Ashfords we'd heard about, so then I said you needed a different family symbol, and he agreed. So I drew this." He reached out and tapped the dog, " See, it's a dog. Dogs are known for their loyalty. And the rose..." now he fingered the red bud, " means love, symbolizing your love for all of us. Everything else is blue for peace, purity, and loyalty. You know...true blue."

Alexandra's smile was as warm as fresh-baked cookies. " Aw, thank you! What a thoughtful gesture. I love it." She nodded energetically, " I'll hang it up in my room."

" Really? You really do? " Dev trilled, " Guess what? So did Tem! He said he was going to have a real one engraved in a special alloy just for you! "

He's going to wha...The blonde scientist actually blushed, her cheeks filling with the same rosy color of the flower in the drawing. Aw, how darling! She leaned forward and gave the little artist another hug, locks of golden hair spilling over her shoulders and brushing with his cheeks.

" It's wonderful. I'm very proud of you."

Dev giggled happily. Then Alexandra pulled away, paper still in hand. She displayed it regally in front of her friends. " Pretty good, isn't he? "

All three adults nodded on impulse. It was the polite thing to do, and besides, it was a pretty good picture.

Has a nice meaning to it too. Claire thought, touched. Around here, Alexandra's generosity and kindness seemed to have spread like the plague. A lot of kind words could be heard, and even the darker snippets did not go beyond polite conversation.

Alexandra put a hand to Dev's forehead, then pulled it away with a small sigh. " Fever's going down. I need you to relax for me, kay Dev? I have to go now, but I'll be sure to have Susan come by with a warm cup of cocoa for you. You'd like that, wouldn't ya? "

The words were meant to be reassuring, but Dev frowned slightly. " Promise you'll be back? " He whimpered, sounding like a little lost puppy.

Saying 'no' would have been unthinkable. Alexandra put on her most winning grin, " Of course! I would spend time with you now if I could, but I have some old friends to catch up with, and it's very important stuff. Tell you what, I'll read you a story a little later on tonight if you're still awake. Kay? "

All traces of a frown were instantly erased. " Okay! " Dev settled back into his blankets and waved. " Night Ally."

" Night Dev." If she knew him, he was going to be awake later on. Persistent little devil. With this in mind, Alexandra--"Ally"--continued down the row, her gaze touching each of the patients in turn. Had to make sure everything was in working order...

" What's wrong with him? " Jill asked, her question so quiet it was barely audible in the lively clatter of the room.

" Dev? He was infected by the T-virus from a zombie's bite. I arrived too late to save his parents, but I was at least able to save him. I rushed him back here as quickly as I could and injected him with the cure, but it's been a slow recovery. That's the way it is sometimes. He suffers from frequent fevers and flu-like symptoms. He should be just fine within another couple of days though."

" Oh." Chris's face fell. " Does he have any other...family? People who know him? "

" None." Alexandra announced sadly, " That's why I'm adopting him as my son. He needs someone to look out for him, and I'm the closest thing to a mommy he has." A smile flickered briefly on her lips, " Plus he gets along famously with Sultan."

" Where is Sultan, anyway? " Jill couldn't help but to ask.

Alexandra did not seem concerned. " Oh, he's around here somewhere. Probably ran into my bedroom for a drink. That's where his dishes are."

Something was bothering Chris. Something he should have caught onto much sooner...

" Alexandra? My son..." He paused, and now all eyes fell to him. Talk about being in the spotlight. " What did...I mean, before we got sent here, we all had a visit from Future-Seth. Remember? " His gaze swept his family, waiting for their support. Both women nodded.

" Yeah." They agreed.

His motion backed with fact, and reassured that that whole Future-Seth thing hadn't been some wild hallucination worked up from stress, he continued, " Seth was almost five in my time, but this version of him was sixteen. He said he was from the year 2015. Are you sure he's dead? "

" 2015? " It was Alexandra's turn to be surprised, " That's...I'm pretty sure he's dead. Alan said he died in a fire. I can't imagine why he'd lie about it."

" No." Jill said firmly, her voice a little icier than usual, " This Seth was from 2015. He seemed completely normal."

That was pleasantly shocking. Alexandra felt her mood improving.

" Aha! " Her sudden outburst startled the whole room, " Of course! Alternate timelines, paralell universes! " She slapped a hand to her forehead, then began to babble excitedly, " This timeline isn't set in stone, it's just one of an infinite number of other possible timelines, other universes. The Seth you encountered must have been from one of those dimensions, an alternate reality."

" So what you're saying is this isn't how the future will be, only what it might be? " Chris beamed, a full smile spanning his face for the first time since his daughter's death.

" Exactly! If my theory is correct, somewhere along the course of history those timelines were ripped, and the stream of time was split. Kind of like plunking a large rock in the middle of a very shallow river. Tell me, what do you know about how you came to be here? "

" Well, this is going to sound crazy, but a witch sent us after a piece of either white wood with golden carvings or a shiny red garnet orb. By the way, you seen either of those? " Chris's voice carried a note of hope.

Alexandra shook her head, but her smile never dimmed. " Oh, there's nothing like that around here, but if you got here in the first place the laws of the universe demand you return to your own time at some point. If you do, you have a chance to stop this future from ever happening..."

" Dr. Ashford! There you are! "

During all the excitement, the group hadn't noticed a lean older guy with graying brown hair swept back neatly and wearing a white labcoat approach from the side. He wasn't what you'd call young--Chris placed him anywhere from 50-70 years of age. The words 'Tem Rainfield' were clearly emblazoned under the R.A.I.N. insignia. For a moment, their eyes met, and the older man gave an apologetic nod before redirecting his attention back to Alexandra.

" Tem! You surprised me." Alexandra breathed, clearly startled.

Tem shook his head sadly.

Chris didn't like that. Chances were, he had bad news.

" Sorry, but a couple of...situations have arisen. We've ran out of the T-virus cure and we're all out Pyloxideum. Megan and Jess have been infected."

Alexandra's eyes widened in abject horror. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. " Oh dear...if they don't receive the injection within six hours they'll die! "

Tem nodded gravely. This was a dire situation. " The Acid Rain base stationed to the Northeast has Pyloxiduem, we're sure. Problem is, that's Wesker's territory."

Alexandra recoiled visibly at the name. This just kept getting worse and worse.

" What's Pyloxideum? " Chris wanted to know.

Alexandra pinned his gaze. She looked haunted. " It's a crucial ingredient of the T-virus cure. Without it, we can't prepare the antidote."

" That's bad." Chris didn't need to say what they were all thinking. Someone was going to have to venture into Weskerville and get the Pyloxiduem ...or else whoever Megan and Jess were, they were as good as zombies.

Alexandra shook her head, a look of determined bravery set into her features, " I'm going to have to get that Pyloxideum then..."

" I'm afraid I would have to advise you against that." Tem, stated, his voice stained with worry and pain.

" What? " Alexandra cried, " Why? "

" Because," Tem didn't sound just worried--now he was out and out panicked, " Alan is right upstairs in the reception room. He's found us, Alexandra. And unless you come up there right away and talk, he's threatened to start killing the people up there with him until you do."