Operation Nemesis
By: Gardie
Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil, Sony, Capcom or any of those other wonderful billion dollar companies and franchises which I have drawn ideas from.
AN: Did I forget to space everything properly last chapter? Where're the reviews! Don't want me to keep writing RE stories?
omegadestroyer7: The lack of resemblance could be because I wasn't originally thinking of doing an RE fic. But you'll see it is RE now.
Chapter 2
We've reported to the higher-ups and are now awaiting our next mission. I was hoping for a break but I'm no longer in command of my own life. I must now follow my commander's orders.
"Hey man. You're Rage, right?"
I turn to see the source of the voice. It's the newly-recruited soldier sitting next to me. We were both in the skirmish earlier. He offers me his hand and I shake it.
"Yes," answer, "That's me. Who're you?"
"John. None of us were introduced yet so I decided I might as well introduce myself."
"Well we've been rather rushed. No time for introductions."
John shook his head in disagreement.
"It's polite to greet the people you're working with and there's always time for manners."
I can't help but grin at the way he spoke of manners. I haven't heard many people like that.
"You're right. I'm sorry," I say.
"No need to apologise. Just don't forget your manners. Imagine how the world would be without any civility. If everyone was unfriendly."
"That sounds to me a lot how the world used to be," I reply, thinking how people treated each other.
People seldom greeted anyone, at shops, at parties or anywhere else. I remember watching people pushing in front of others in queues, hooting if a car hesitated for a moment and people walking right past those in need.
"I know," he replied sadly, "And look what happened. The world is in tatters and we're forced to kill to survive. The reason I joined was in the hope that I could help end the war before everyone was killed."
That's just the same reason why the war started isn't it? There were two opposing views so they began to destroy each other. Now John wants to eliminate the other view so the war will end. Isn't it possible for us to co-exist?
"So why did you join?" asks John, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"I want to find my parents … if they are still alive anyway."
"I'm sorry," he says, "I shouldn't have brought it up."
"You couldn't know," I mutter, "It's not your fault."
That depressing turn killed any possibility of further conversation and we resumed an uncomfortable silence.
"Alright everyone, follow me!" shouts a commanding looking man.
Everyone rises and follows him into a darkened room. We take our seats, facing a white wall for a projector to shine on.
"There're rather few of you," comments the captain after surveying the survivors, "But we'll have to make do."
He pushes the button on a remote which starts a projector. The image that appears on the screen shows our country before and after the war. After the war there are large areas marked out in red. The key states that those areas have been completely annihilated by the combat.
"As you can see," begins the captain, "we are in a bad state. Over 90 of all urban structures have been destroyed, an estimated 80 of the population are dead and we've already been plunged into a second war without sufficient time to recover.
This has left us a number of problems. They are all speculations as we don't have the man power, equipment or infrastructure to confirm or deny them. Almost certainly there are unexploded missiles, grenades etc. that pose a significant risk to civilians. It is unknown how many bodies are still lying in the open increasing the risk of disease substantially. And lastly we are unsure if any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons were used; if any were they will have long lasting effects.
While that seems like a list of insurmountable list of difficulties we have a plan of action which should ensure safety for our citizens, accelerate economic growth and provide the greatest ability to defend ourselves against the resurgence of Phoenix militants."
He clicks the remote and the a few yellow circles appeared over the map.
"Those yellow-locations are the areas that have taken the least damage. We have decided to evacuate as much of the population to these areas as possible. That way we will be able to concentrate and utilise everyone's skills instead of having refugees spread over the country and unable to take action alone. You will be doing this job; collecting, protecting and transporting civilians from where they are now to this designated area."
Before the captain could continue his briefing the door opens and three people enter. The first was in a military uniform and is wearing numerous military insignia.
"Colonel!" stutters the captain, saluting, "I didn't expect you."
"No you did not," agrees the colonel, "The mission is cancelled. Your new mission is to escort these two people back to their laboratory."
The other two people are wearing white lab clothes and are … my … parents.
"Mom! Dad! You're alive!"
We're outside the briefing room now and in a private room.
"When you left to join the army and didn't return I thought you'd been killed!"
"Oh, we didn't join the army, honey," says my mom, ruffling my hair.
"You didn't?" I ask.
"I left to help the army," replies my dad, "I'm not a soldier!"
"Umbrella offered to help the military," explains my mom.
Umbrella? I know that name. Yes! That's the company my dad worked for.
"I was working on a project that could have signalled a clear victory for us," my dad says, "But I needed your moms help to finish."
"We still didn't succeed though," my mom says sadly, "Although we are pretty sure we can finish now. Then we'll be able to end this war."
"We sent for you after the war but the messenger said the whole city was n ruins and he couldn't find you," confesses my dad, "We hoped you'd survived but there was no way to find you."
"We don't want to lose you, dear," my mom sobs, "We'll have you assigned as our bodyguard. That way you can stay with us and we'll be a family again."
I am so happy to be reunited with my parents. We didn't get attacked once on our way to their lab, where I am now. All the time we talked and I learned that Umbrella made a deal with the government to lend their assistance in return for major tax breaks. Now that probably won't be possible but Umbrella's labs are all still in near-perfect condition and they're keeping their promise to assist the soldiers.
"Rage," calls my father, "Do you want to watch one of our tests?"
"What are you testing?" I ask.
"It's our final test of our new virus. If this goes well we will be able to manufacture it and begin administering it to selected soldiers."
"It sounds interesting," I reply, "I'll come and watch."
My dad nods and leads me through the complex web of passages that make up the lab. I haven't yet managed to learn my way around, save for a few essential routes I use daily. As we walk I glance through the observation windows set in certain walls. I didn't know what my dad actually did and know that I do it's kind of unsettling. He's the project co-ordinator for mutation viruses. Umbrella is a huge corporation that has many products the most dangerous of which are their biotechnology products; viruses that do a variety of tasks from healing and immunisation to deadly weapon-quality diseases. I can see some of the effects of those viruses through the windows. My dad assures me the viruses are secure but I can't help but be nervous. It doesn't help that as he is telling me I'm safe I am watching an animal slowly be liquefied by a virus that is only a pane of glass away from me.
"All the glass in this building is at least 20cm thick," my father assures me.
I don't know why they would possible need glass that thick. What is that strong in this lab?
"Through here," instructs my dad, holding a door labelled restricted pen for me.
I walk in and see my mother is already inside. She's watching a host of computer readouts while a group of technician monitor others.
"This is our main project," my dad tells me proudly, "The NG-virus."
"What does it stand for?" I ask.
"Next Generation. Our previous viruses were limited to only one effect. This one was designed specifically for military application. When injected into a soldier it will increase their strength, stamina, sensation and everything else tenfold. Mutation is an unfortunate side-effect but an acceptable one."
"Mutation?"
"Yes. Their entire body changes structure. Internally they remain almost identical but their skeleton's strength and their muscle mass increase dramatically. Occasionally they will also develop other limbs or eyes but those cases are rare. In fact after mutation they can be even more effective."
"Because they have more limbs?"
This is a thing I never expected to hear and I can't keep up with it. My dad's talking about people changing and getting stronger it's all very overwhelming.
"Not their body. That interferes with their actions and movements. As they mutate their body sends stronger signals along the nerves. Those signals are basically electrical charges. In our bodies they are extremely small but in the mutated bodies they allow the mutant to power small motors or computers. That means we can attach a prosthetic gun to their arm and never need to charge it. The body will provide the necessary energy."
I just nod. I can't follow all that. I get the just of it, I think, but I don't understand all his explanations.
"Let me show you how it works," he offers, "Commence the test!"
I walk up to the observation panel in the room and look down into a large testing area. The whole room is made out of metal. A door slides open and a creature walks out. It looks scarcely human. It looks over two metres tall! Its arms and legs are thick and its skin is a dark colour and looks like rubber.
"The skin we can't help. It's flame-resistant though," comments my dad.
"All the readings are normal," reports my mom.
The mutant looks around the room and, after not seeing anything, seems to almost go to sleep on its feet.
"Release the dogs."
A technician pushes a button and two more doors in the mutant's room open. Two dogs step out of them. The first dog has brown and black fur and is twice the size of a normal dog. Its body is lumpy, jutting out at every huge muscle. On its paws its claws have grown thicker and longer and look like they would make a deadly weapon. The other dog is normal size but has obviously been treated with the virus I'd seen earlier. Its flesh had been eaten away in places and as it moved it left a film of mucus and blood.
"The small one has the NG-Virus and Flesh-eating virus," my father informs me, "With the two viruses together the infected creature decays but still lives. I want to see whether it has combat potential."
I feel nauseas looking at the creatures in there. Is he going to make them fight? I don't like the sound of that. I try control the sick feeling in my stomach and see what will most likely soon be a part of our side's arsenal.
The dogs snarl at the large mutant who seems to be more alert even though he's barely shifted position.
"His adrenalin levels are rising rapidly along with his rate of respiration," my mom reads from the computer screen, "His muscle tone is increasing and his pupils have dilated. Heart rate is up and his digestion is down. Almost all non-essential organs have practically shut down."
The smaller dog suddenly sprints forward and leaps at the mutant's face. In a burst of speed that I never expected from his size he lashes out. There is a heavy thud, accompanied by a yelp, as the dog is sent flying backwards from the blow. The small dog strikes the wall on the opposite side of the room. As it slides down it leaves a dirty red trail on the wall. Amazingly it climbs to its feet as if nothing happened.
The bigger dog now charges in. As the mutant swing a fist at the large hound it grabs his arm in its jaws and bites down. There is a splash of blood that drips to the floor but the mutant doesn't make any sign that it's felt anything. It kicks up, its foot landing in the centre of the dog's underbelly. The canine is ripped from the mutants arm and falls to the ground a short distance away. The mutant turns its attention back to the smaller dog and rushes it. The dog doesn't react in time and is soon being pummelled by a rain of fierce punches. The weak skin of the dog tears away easily to reveal the dark red muscle underneath. The constant hits are now splattering blood. The dog snaps at the mutant even under such severe punishment but is unable to get a good hold or escape. Moments later its neck is crushed under one of the mutant's fists and it lies still.
The bigger dog has circled behind the mutant while t was distracted and chooses this moment to launch its attack. Unfortunately for it the mutant senses it and swings his torn arm at it. Before it hits two bones suddenly force their way out of the mutant's palm. They cut through the dog's chest and sever the shoulders and head from the rest of the body. The large chunk of meat flies toward us and crashes into the observation window at the centre of a myriad of spidery cracks. I jump back as the view becomes red.
"The readings are back at normal level," my mom states, "No lingering effect. The body prepares itself immediately and terminates the effects immediately once they are unneeded."
"That's excellent. I'll inform the military and see what action they would like to take," smiles my dad.
Everyone files out of the room leaving me there alone. I can't believe what I just saw even though I know it was true. It scares me. It scares me that my parents created that and that that thing will soon be a part of the military shortly. My heart is still beating. I turn away from the cracked window and leave the room, not even bothering if I get lost.
I make it back to my room but I'm actually more alone now than ever. I left Nana and my only friends to fin my parents but I can scarcely believe these are my parents. They've changed. I never thought that they were the kind of people that would make a creature like they did. I don't like it but there's nothing I can do. I'm still lingering in the past, before the war. No one politely asked if this was the future I wanted but now it's mine, along with all the horrors that entails.