Chapter 9: Ethan Winters: Part 1

Friday 8:13 PM January 7th 2000, Unknown Village, Carpathian Mountains, Romania

"What do you mean that your name isn't Ethan Winters?" asked a dumbfounded Miranda, "But then why do all your documents in the box have that name on them?"

"They are forged documents.", said Vector, "With my employment at Umbrella done with and the fact that I'm host to a virus that many will want to get their hands on, I needed to start a new life under a new identity. Once I get to my destination, I'm hanging up my identity as Vector for good and I'll officially start life as Ethan Winters."

"But then what's your real name?" asked Miranda.

"I'd prefer not to say it," said Vector.

"Why is that?" asked Miranda.

"The less people know about my old identity, the better," said Vector, "Rest assured, I was nobody important nor a criminal. But as far as employment records go, I began to work for Umbrella under my old identity. And if Umbrella was to ever be exposed for what it did, an investigation will trace back my old identity and connect it to my identity as Vector. Then they will hunt me down sooner or later."

Miranda thought for a moment. From the journal, she knew that what Umbrella did regarding monsters, inhumane test subjects and virology was completely illegal and immoral. But it did make sense that Vector would want to cover his tracks so he could start a new life. Even if it meant having to live by a new name.

"I understand," said Miranda, "Ethan Winters, it is then. Now how about your story?"

Vector took in a deep breath and exhaled. He was still uncertain if he wanted to tell Miranda about his life, but was still aware of the consequences if he were to refuse. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Miranda was much more than she appeared to be. A grieving immortal scientist with great power over the valley who loved her daughter so much that she would do anything to bring her back. Even if it meant having to use people like guinea pigs and cannon fodder to achieve her goals.

Vector couldn't help but feel a great deal of sympathy for her. He knew that a mother's love was one of the greatest things in life. For the mother and the child. And for his own experiences, he couldn't disagree. But Miranda was obsessed with bring back her daughter, seemingly being unable to move on forward. And one of the more heartbreaking things for a parent was to outlive their own child.

But what good would it do to tell his story to Miranda? What would she be able to get out of it? Other than fascination with his life story, that is. Probably nothing, but Miranda wouldn't bother with looking him up since his old life was all but erased. Besides, Vector knew that his story wasn't going to be any happier than Miranda's. After all, not a single life of any one person was perfect. There was always something bad bound to happen that would shape that person for the rest of their lives.

But Miranda did tell him some very…incriminating evidence on her part. Vector wouldn't be able to expose her without exposing himself, even if he wanted to tell someone. It would be the same the other way round. Exposing herself would put her in harm's way. They would both keep each other's secret's safe with them. Vector looked up at her and sighed.

"One of my psychiatrists told me that talking would help overtime, but some bad memories never go away," said Vector, "Another reason why I choose not to disclose my old name is because it brings back bad memories for me. But I'll tell you my story anyway."

Miranda's eyes widened at this revelation. She guessed that his past life must have been unpleasant if he was to go to such lengths to avoid his old name. Really unpleasant.

"I was just as regular as one can be in the beginning. A kid who secretly had great ambitions, but was stuck in a life away from it all. I was born in the backwater town of Jacksonville in Oregon. A town once known for being near mines filled with precious minerals, but have since closed down and turned the town into a small tourist destination," narrated Vector, "My father was a miner, but calling him a father at all is a bit of a stretch since he was out a lot of the time. He was either at some far off mine outside the state, hanging out with his friends and drinking heavily at a bar when he was in town or…just ignoring the family that he supposedly had."

"What about your mother?" asked Miranda.

"My mother, on the other hand, was a nurse at a hospital that wasn't even in town," continued Vector, "And like with most female medical practitioners at the time, she was terribly overworked and even more terribly underpaid. Now that I think about it, I was amazed that she still found some time to be with me despite the nightshifts. And I loved her nonetheless. But overall, I was by myself most of the time, even on weekends."

"And when your parents were around?" asked Miranda.

"Some nights my parents would argue about various things that would seem insignificant from a kid's point of view. Who would prepare dinner one night? Who's turn was it to pay the latest electricity bill? Why did Dad have to smell like whisky in front of me?" said Vector, "And when push came to shove, Dad would hit Mom, while I just peered through my slightly open bedroom door and watched it happen. And whenever he decided to lay a fist on me, Mom would be my shield. I was too young to understand the situation of dysfunctional couples, but every time I think back to my mother, I wished I had been braver and stood up for her. Try to be her shield for once. Instead, the only things I could think of doing to cheer her up was giving her a surprise on her birthdays and flowers on her bedside vase with a note telling her I loved her."

Miranda clasped her hands over her mouth in shock, but Vector shook his head, silently telling her that he wasn't looking for sympathy. Vector had long since moved on and recovered from that part of his younger life and now considered his father a distant memory at best and the rare bad dream spectre at worst. But the spectre of his mother was something that he could never get over. Miranda reached over and gently laid her hands over Ethan's.

"It's not your fault, Ethan," Miranda said, "It's a parent's job to give a better life for their children and to be the best role model they can be. But it seems like they were not prepared to be parents or simply got tired of each other. And whatever spark they had in their relationship had burned out long ago."

Vector looked up at Miranda, "I think that, too. Perhaps they were once a young free-spirited couple and married to seal their vows. But maybe after… I was born, they changed."

"Don't you dare blame yourself or your birth on their dysfunctions, Ethan," scolded Miranda, "Remember this. Having and raising a family is a big responsibility for the parents. But perhaps your parents were underprepared for this and ended up with more responsibility than they could ever hope to live up to."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future." said Vector.

"But you said that you were by yourself more of the time. Didn't you have any friends at school? Or any siblings? Or a…girlfriend?" asked Miranda.

"No siblings or girlfriend. And one or two friends, but I didn't want them involved and I barely remember them. And besides, my higher-than-the-average-American grades made me something of an outcast among my peers during my schooling years. Especially when some of the others perform poorly when you compare them to yourself. But I didn't care as friends always came and went," continued Vector, "Growing up in a backwater town like Jacksonville had made me crave for a life that didn't involve dirt and whisky. I guess one thing I really wanted to do was to travel the world."

"And did you?" asked Miranda.

"Yeah," replied Vector, "I signed up for the United States Army as soon as I was out of high school. Not because I simply wanted to travel the world, but just to simply get away from my dull, boring little life in Jacksonville. Besides, patriotism is highly overrated nowadays. Especially when the country you are forced to love keeps on making the same mistakes, at home and on the front lines. And the taxpayers, along with those who lose loved ones to the enemy, are forced to pay for it all. Financially and emotionally."

"You've got a point there. How did your parents respond to this?" asked Miranda.

Vector collected his thoughts for a second before replying. "That's where things really deteriorated between us. My father wouldn't allow it since he wanted me to join him in a new mining business venture he and a few of his buddies set up at the time. I responded that there was no way I would work for him after all the bad things he had done to me and Mom over the years. And you know what he said to me next?"

Miranda shook her head, while Vector just responded, "His exact words were… 'You walk out that door and join the Army, son…and you'll never be welcome back in this house again.'"

Miranda was taken aback by this quote, but she couldn't say that she could relate to it due to having a good relationship with her father, well into her adulthood and up to his deathbed.

"Seriously? He was that angry with you rejecting his offer to work with him?" asked Miranda, "What a selfish man. And what about your mother?"

"Yeah, but it felt good to get up in his face and just refuse him outright," said Vector, "As for my mother, she didn't approve because, as she was a nurse, couldn't stand the feeling of having an officer come to her door and tell her that her son had died in a conflict. I reassured her that I was going to be fine. Even though the look on her face said she was having a hard time believing me."

"A mother can never worry enough for their child," said Miranda.

"Indeed. I went to the nearest recruitment centre. They did the standard check-up on me, asked me a few questions and two days later, I was approved of joining the United States Marine Corps," said Vector as he looked on with a small smile, "I actually remember the physician from the centre who examined me. He told me that I was one of the youngest applicants that he ever come into his office."

"Really?" chuckled Miranda.

"Yeah. He asked me if I knew what I was getting myself into and why I was joining in the first place. I responded that I wanted to travel the world and see it from a soldier's point of view as well as protecting my family," explained Vector, "Of course, I just meant my mother, but the physician didn't know that. He seemed satisfied from my answer, but he did tell me that by joining the army, I was going to have to be at the top of my game if I wanted a hero's welcome when I came home."

Vector then stopped at the last sentence. He remembered those few decades tried to see global peace since the end of World War 2. And it didn't help since America got involved with some more conflicts overseas at the time, especially in the wars in the east. What with all the peace groups and anti-war activism, some returning soldiers didn't get a hero's welcome. Ignores at best and unadulterated hate at worst.

"Once my application was complete, I was going to be sent off to a Basic Training Camp in Fort Benning, Georgia the next day, among other recruits," said Vector, "The reaction from my parents were pretty much what I had expected. As soon as I showed them the acceptance papers that night, Dad just left without a word, probably to go drinking at the nearest bar again. My mother was sad, to say the least."

"I imagine," said Miranda, "She already spent a lot of time away from you and you were just about to leave begin a life-risking career far away from home. That's enough to send any loving mother into tears."

"That's why we spent perhaps the best quality time we ever had together as mother and son that night," said Vector, smiling, "I sat with her and comforted her. I promised that once my training was complete, I was in the career I wanted and I had a place of my own, the first thing that I would do is come back for her and have her move in with me."

Inside, Vector's heart sunk a little bit. That was a promise that he had yet to keep. And he knew that it was already too late to fix things up.

"Quite the…how do you modern people say…'mama's boy', aren't you, Ethan?" teased Miranda.

"I guess, but there is no woman a boy loves more than his mother," said Vector with a chuckle, "We made a dinner of macaroni and cheese together. A dish that we both favoured. A dish that I mastered cooking by myself when no-one else was at home."

"Macaroni and cheese?" Miranda quipped.

"A tubular pasta dish with thick cheesy cream. Any child's favourite beloved food. Simple, but still delicious." said Vector.

Macaroni and cheese. That was perhaps one of the few good things that he still kept from his past life in close proximity to him. Whenever he ate the dish, they were the times when he could just forget all the things that happened around him as a child that he didn't like. Crime in the neighbourhoods. The times he spent alone. Even when his parents were arguing.

"The next day, it was time for me to leave," continued Vector, "Dad still wasn't back yet, but I didn't care much for it. Mom gave me off a send-off as I boarded the bus. Once again, I promised that I would be back first chance I get. I was on a plane for Fort Benning. I arrived that night."

"How did you feel when you arrived at the army base?" asked Miranda.

"The place was just as I had imagined it," said Vector, "Barracks, obstacle courses, gun ranges, drill sergeants. It had everything. When I arrived, I felt excited."

"The young all have a sense of wonder and adventure. And often look forward to a new experience. But when it comes time to actually face the real thing…," said Miranda, "…it becomes apparent that it's more than what they bargained for. What did you think of your new life…after your first day?"

Vector did remember his first day at the Fort Benning Basic Training Camp.

"To say the least…I was completely overwhelmed," said Vector, "It's no joke with the army taking its training regimen seriously, especially with new recruits. Drilling in rules of survival and always thinking on your feet. Being aware that the enemy could be lurking behind any corner. But you're right. If it was supposed to be a new adventure, then it was the hardest one in life."

"I can tell. The way that you handled your firearm at me back in my laboratory says that those lessons will never go away," said Miranda.

Vector chuckled at that. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine." said Miranda.

"Every day for three agonising months, I felt like I was torn apart by basic training," said Vector, "The constant yelling of the drill sergeants to keep up, the sounds of gunfire at the ranges and the runs I had to do with a bag full of equipment. The army would take no weaklings into its corps, but I told myself not to give in and just keep going. But in the end, I made it. With the rest of my fellow recruits."

"That must have been a great day for you." said Miranda.

"Back then it was. Once my Basic Training was completed, I signed up for Advanced Individual Training in the Air Force," continued Vector, "It was still gruelling, but if I wanted to see more of the world, the best way to do that was learning how to fly."

"So you did learn to be a pilot." said Miranda.

"Yeah. But I was still part of the infantry so I was a soldier first and pilot second," continued Vector, "I would travel to several different airbases for training, learning new skills and meeting new people along the way. But I found myself unable to closely connect with people outside of training."

"Why is that?" asked Miranda, "I know soldiers were supposed to be like brothers in arms when on the battlefield. But aren't they still friends on the home front?"

"They are. I'm not so sure what it was that made me think this. Maybe it was my father's alcoholism and sloppiness. Maybe it was my lonely childhood. Or the ruckuses that some of the soldiers would cause when out in the nearby towns," said Vector, looking down, "Whatever the case, I found myself more reserved than ever. I put all my effort into learning new skills and abilities, mastering new weapons and studying harder at classes. I came to see myself as more…skilled than those around me. But as luck would have it, all of that would pay off when I saw my first field mission."

"What happened?" asked Miranda. Miranda's focused on Vector, interested in what could have been his first assignment.

"In 1986, a few years after the Invasion of Grenada, a new threat had found its way into the island country," said Vector, "One of its cities had been infiltrated by foreign terrorists for reasons unknown to us at the time of our deployment. The city they had infiltrated had its population reduced by at least three fifths by unknown means, including local police and military. The part of me that longed for excitement rose up again at that time, enthusiastic for my first infiltration mission. But now I know it was completely misplaced."

"Indeed, but given it was your first mission, it perhaps did seem normal to you. Even if you didn't take into account the chance of dying." said Miranda, "Who was this terrorist group?"

"They called themselves…Il Veltro," said Vector, "That's Italian for 'The Greyhound'."

"If a terrorist group is calling itself after a breed of dog, they didn't sound very threatening," said Miranda, "What did they want?"

"Through their propaganda broadcasts, they were anti-nationalists, but they were more like an armed cult. Going on about how the modern day human race was morally corrupt and they were 'predestined' to fight it. We didn't know what they wanted at first," said Vector, "A few days into the infiltration mission, and encountering several Veltro teams, my unit and a couple others had discovered their base of operations. It was inside an old communications outpost in the jungle, abandoned after the Invasion of Grenada. It was there that we had discovered what they did. And were intending to do."

"Go on." said Miranda.

"They had recently developed a new strain of powerful nerve toxin. The city they had infiltrated was used as a testing ground to test the toxin's effects, which explained the sudden deaths of most of the populace," explained Vector, "Once they had the desired results, they were going to ship the toxin to America and deploy it in its most populated cities."

"Man never ceases to amaze whenever it comes up with new ways to kill people, does it?" scoffed Miranda.

"No, it doesn't. We tried to call for back-up, but we found our communication equipment had been damaged at some point during our past firefights.", said Vector, "But with the lives of millions at stake, we decided that we had to stop Veltro, there and then, and destroy the toxin stored there. It was no more than twenty of us against what felt like a hundred of them in that base."

"No reinforcements? And against an enemy five times as big? Quite the suicide mission." mused Miranda.

"By the time we had reached the main storage facility of the base, we were down to our last half dozen soldiers while they still had a few dozen left at least," said Vector, "I didn't know how I lasted that long, though. It all seemed so easy for me while my fellow soldiers went down. Some so easily while others lasted longer until they fell as well. All while I seemed to be the only one who found it…easy to fight."

"You said it yourself. You put all your effort into your training and continued to improve yourself while the others were not as prepared mentally or physically." said Miranda.

"Yeah. I know that now," said Vector, "During the ensuing firefight, one of the Veltro soldiers fired a shot that ricocheted until it struck a gas tank, igniting it and setting the room ablaze. The toxin tanks had burst open in the process, proceeding to infect everyone in its path, marines and Veltro alike. It was then that we had to flee from the base, or else we would end up the same way. In the end, only myself and another older soldier, Jack Baker, had escaped from the base as it went up in flames. We did, however, sustain a few injuries along the way. And a bullet wound or two."

"What happened next?" asked Miranda.

"Reinforcements had arrived. United States soldiers, along with medics and hazard crews, had come to take the surviving civilians to safety and set up the affected city and the communications outpost as hazard zones. I informed them of what had happened in the base," said Vector, "The commander leading the soldiers came to see me personally while Jack and I were in the nearest uncontaminated hospital, recovering."

"What did he have to say?" asked Miranda.

"He told me that they had been trying to contact our units for some time, but to no avail. I told him that our equipment was damaged along the way, and we had no way of contacting them once we were inside the communications base. He then revealed that several military officials were being investigated when they were found out to have purposely left our units to die against Veltro as an excuse to spark a new war against overseas terrorists. They had secretly sabotaged our communications equipment from the start." said Vector.

At the memory of that revelation, Vector frowned. He would never forget when he had been on the brink of death on a suicide mission. All because some higher ranked officers wanted to prove a point to start an even bigger war. It still disgusted him when he would think back to all the fellow marines who had been with him and lost their lives because of the corrupt chain of command.

"Your own superiors purposely left you and your fellow soldiers to die, all to prove to the world that war is necessary, not matter how small the actual problem?" said Miranda, who was shocked by this, "Bastards."

"An understatement to say the least," said Vector, "He returned again the next day with some more news. For my role in stopping Veltro's activities on Grenada, I would be receiving a Navy Cross and a Purple Heart for my efforts once I came back to America. Jack would as well. And once the ceremony was concluded for all the people lost in the conflict, I would receive an honourable discharge. Not just because of my injuries, but because I had demonstrated bravery in the face of overwhelming odds and completing my service term plus an extra two years."

"You deserved it, Vector," smiled Miranda, "Hell, after all you went through, you deserved the whole country to cheer your name for your service and your photo on every arm base. All while the traitors deserved the worst that was coming to them."

"Despite the fact that those who were responsible for leaving our units for dead were caught," said Vector, "I wanted out anyway. I didn't want to fight for a government whose military officials were willing to sacrifice their own troops as a means to start a war that would spell disaster for countless innocents. And being able to maintain a position so high up that they believed they could do whatever they wanted."

"Just goes to show that no government or its laws are perfect. Corruption happens on all levels of law. From police officers to government officials.", said Miranda, "You made the right choice in leaving."

"So, you see, that's why I choose not to disclose my real name," said Vector, "Despite the few happy memories and moments, life under my old name was nothing but isolation, abuse, betrayal and more than one instances of poor judgement."

"I'm sorry you had to endure all that, Ethan," said Miranda, "But I better understand why you don't want people to know your old name."

"It's fine. I'm over it now. But my life changed a couple of days after the commander left. I got another visitor at the hospital. A man I had never met before in my life. He said he had heard of my efforts during the conflict," Vector explained, "He told me he knew that I was going to get an honourable discharge from the armed forces once I left the hospital. When I asked him how he knew that, he said that it was something he knew by instinct. I assumed that he was an ex-soldier."

"He sounded like he knew who you were despite just meeting. Why did this man want to see you?" asked Miranda.

"He told me the reason that he wanted to see me was because my exploits during the attack had impressed him greatly and I did more than my part during the conflict.", said Vector, "He then asked me if I wanted to continue to fight."

"What did you tell him?" asked Miranda.

"I told him that I felt like I wanted to, but I wasn't confident that I wanted to fight in the army anymore because of what had occurred on the island," Vector replied, "He then told me that he wasn't from the USMC and that he was here with an offer for me in mind."

"An offer?" asked Miranda.

"For a job. A very exclusive job," explained Vector, "He told me he was currently on the search for recruits. Recruits who were experienced in combat and still capable of it. It was for a new private military that was being set up by a company overseas. He said he saw potential in me to be more than what I was in the army. He said that the army was only holding me back and that I would never reach my potential if I stayed with them or retired after the discharge. That someone like me was just what he was looking for in a recruit."

"It sounds like this man knew you better than you knew yourself." said Miranda, "Your hidden potential and your desires, especially."

"You have no idea," Vector replied, "He asked me if I was interested in the offer, but he further stated that I had until that one visit to make a decision because after that, I would not get a second offer and I would never see him again if I refused."

"A one-time offer, hm?" mused Miranda, "I think I know where this was going."

"At first, I thought he was just strong-arming me or putting pressure on me into joining this private military company, but I figured out what was really going on in that moment. I don't know how, but I did," said Vector, "He was testing me. Telling me that this opportunity was not for the faint of heart and only those who know, not feel, what they wanted. As he was about to leave, I told him that I would like to take the opportunity. He smiled and shook my hand, saying that a lot will be expected of me once I recover and that I cannot take this offer lightly."

"An unusual job interview, I must say," said Miranda.

"He told me that once I was out of the hospital, back in the American mainland and the paperwork for my discharge had gone through, he would be waiting for me," said Vector, "When I asked him, how to contact him, where I was to meet him and what his name was, he simply said that 'he will be there.'"

"Did he give you his name?" asked Miranda.

"He didn't tell me his real name," said Vector, "But he told me simply to call him…Hunk."

And another chapter is done and an all-too-familiar character has just been introduced. The reason I've decided to add another part to Ethan's life is not only to share the word count, but to separate two different points of Ethan's past.

I decided to put in Il Veltro from Resident Evil: Revelations as an antagonistic group for Vector's past, but they are represented as a more traditional terrorist group before the whole T-Virus arms race.

The reason I decided to not have Ethan reveal his real name is a reference to Vector in the game. His real name in the game is unknown, so to keep a little bit of mystery to Ethan, I've kept his real name unknown as a reference to the original Vector as his real name is classified. Plus it represents Vector attempting to start a new life. To go forward rather than looking to the past. And who he used to be is not important for the rest of the story. The reason why Miranda refers to him as Vector while I write him down as Vector is because he hasn't come to the point where he considers himself Ethan Winters yet. He's still Vector until he hangs up the outfit for good. That point will come soon.

And, in case nobody has figured it out, Dr Mia Hansen is this story's version of the same Mia Winters from Biohazard and Village.

Anyway, look out for part 2 of Vector's/Ethan's backstory.