Bindings To The Past

by InMyMindsEyes

She was just a quiet girl who worked in IT when she crashed into a situation that started a cycle of events that changed everything. Wanting to get to the very heart of it all to stop a life changing alteration before it gets too far, Elodie discovers the location of a certain Village and sets things in motion. Some for the better, some for the worst.

4. Virus Detected

You'd think the road would be empty at six in the morning. Everyone should be asleep, right? Maybe except a few doctors and nurses, those wonderful folks the world can't turn without. It isn't though. Even as I stand at my bus stop with the sky barely starting to lighten up, I watch car after car roll by me but thankfully, the sidewalk is bare of anyone else. This morning the sky has an unusual dash of orange cast onto the unusual pale grey cloud though, otherwise the day promises to be like every other. Checking my person once again, I make sure I have everything I need for work. To say that I was nervous for some reason was an understatement. I had this feeling on the back of my neck that something was… off. And it wasn't the weather.

I was almost halfway through the week back to work and only now would I be able to get my hands back on my desk computer. When Taniesha had said that security had increased, she wasn't kidding. When I had walked into the lobby and swiped my card to enter, I was pulled aside and questioned. Well it really felt like an interrogation. Staring at the security officer who couldn't have been much older than me I answered his questions almost as rapidly as he had asked them.

"Who are you?"

"Elodie Buchanan."

He let out a dull sound in the back of his throat, his mouth turning downwards in a frown. "Strange name."

"Well it's the only name I've got." I joke with a shrug.

"Sounds like a slave owner's name."

It was a solid effort to keep my face neutral even while I felt slightly appalled by his racist association. Instead I just look at him drolly. He was taller than me by a handful of inches. Bigger too but certainly not brighter.

"How did you get this ID?" He holds up the laminated card in front of my face. I look from it to him and raise a brow.

"It's mine."

"Yours huh? Why don't you match your ID photo?"

Oh sweet god.. "Its been a rough few months."

"What do you do here?" He asks looking the badge over once again.

"I.T work."

He looks at me and narrows his eyes. "Who do you report to?"

I shrug. "That's what I am here to find out."

"Why haven't I seen you here before?"

I lift my hands up in an 'I-don't-know- fashion. "You must be new."

The more questions he had asked, the more I found myself becoming more sarcastic and soon I was becoming irritatingly bored. It wasn't till a figure stepped up and laid a hand on the security guards shoulder that I felt some form of relief when I wasn't the main focus anymore as the security guard looked to the hand then to the body connected to it. The face I didn't recognize but I knew the look of higher authority when I saw it.

"She reports to me."

"Mr. Hollister, I'm sorry I wasn't aware-" The security guards mouth snapped shut when Hollister held up a hand. Casting the guard a blank stare he jerked his head back out towards the lobby and sent him on his way without a word. Looking back to me he held his hand out.

"Jase Hollister." He took my hand in his with a firm grip when I offered my own. "I'm the new head of this branch of Tricell." He stood a few inches taller than me in a charcoal grey suit, a square face with a cleft chin, a pointed nose, large ears, defined cheekbones and angled lips. His hazel eyes are rounded under thick eyebrows. He has short, fine, black hair which is lightly gelled and he has a neatly kept beard. He looked European, Spanish or Italian most likely.

"Mr. Littz's replacement." I clarified as I put the two and two together immediately and got a nod in return. "Nice to meet you."

"You as well." He let go of my hand. "I've heard many things about you and it's good to finally put a name to a face. Although speaking of faces," he held up my ID between two fingers, "this needs to be updated if we want to avoid more situations like this in the future. Come with me." I had followed blindly and thankfully, no one else had bothered me when I got my card updated.

Looking at it now while the bus rocks me from side to side as it moved over these familiar roads, I compare the two. I had kept my old one out of sentimentality. Even the ID badges had been updated, the layout new but the two pictures still seemed odd. I could see the similarities but the change had been one that still took people by surprise. I hadn't gotten any work done, but the IT team had welcomed me back when I visited our floor.

I don't think I had ever gotten so many hugs, handshakes or compliments in my life. The team had gone around saying that I looked good, despite the accident or the change in appearance. Looking up from the badges I look around the bus as I pull out my mp3 and plug in my headphones. There are those who chatter, their voices rising and blending in the sweet ritual of friends. Some absorb themselves in music like myself and others who looked pensive, no doubt their thoughts drift into worries that will most likely plague their day, and a few who closed their eyes and tried to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

I was envious of the ones who tried to nap. Since my breakup with Isaac, I hadn't had a decent nights sleep. Well.. Not really.. I always slept but never felt fully rested. My sleep pattern plagued with the feeling like I was forgetting something. Like when you forget if you turned off the lights or lock your door. I hadn't had any of those… I didn't know what to call them. Daydreams? Flashes? Sensations? Visions? I mentally roll my eyes and drop it. Whatever they were, I hadn't had any since that night.

When my stop came up, I stood and pulled my bag up as I moved with the motions of the bus as I pulled the stop line. I watched as Tricell came into view. I had told Isaac the truth. I hadn't wanted to work here, but the money had been worth it. Even as I stepped off the bus into the early morning air I couldn't help but get the feeling that my time here was coming to an end. I started towards it but found my steps slowing as a shiver rolls over my shoulder. Looking towards the sensation I feel my stomach drop when I see an 'Underground Garage' sign. I had gone out of my way in a small detour to avoid the sight the first day I came across it, my skin had broken out in a whole sweat, my lungs struggled to let air in or out of me.. I had stood there for a minute before I managed to mentally force my limbs to move as I stumble my way to the bus stop.

The whole way home I felt phantom feeling of the concrete pressing into my back and had rubbed the back of my head, maybe just to convince myself that it wasn't really there, even as my eyes had moved from seat to seat on the bus.

But today, my eyes couldn't stop from looking to that garage entrance. I stopped halfway and glared in its direction. This was getting ridiculous. It was just a spot. Despite my nerves making my skin prickle, I started walking towards it. I shouldn't have to go out of my way to enter or exit in a different door just because the one closest to my bus stop was where I .. got hit. My legs stop and I can feel them trembling as I stand right where I had been.

It had been right here.

I blew out a shaky breath as I took it all in and a few things caught my interest. The pavement had been touched up since I had last been here. The colour was darker than it had been. Even at night the cement had been its regular bland grey, but here now, it was a faded black.

It was just a coincidence.

Taniesha had said they were updating a few things while I was away.

Regardless, I felt proud for just standing here, despite the fact that internally I was panicking. It was just a stupid spot on my companies property. Nothing more. Nothing to be afraid of. Breathing that in and letting it fill me, I start towards my entrance, a secret smiling gracing my lips as I walked in. Waving to the guards at the desk I swipe my new ID.

"Morning Howard, morning Clark." I pull out my headphones and wait for them to process my information. Howard nods in greeting and goes back to drinking his coffee as he scans in someone else on the opposite side of me. Clark types something and looks up to me and for all its worth, he certainly reminds me of his namesake. Clark reminded me of Christopher Reeve's superman. All he needed were those goofy glasses and I could think of 5 people that would be all over him.

"Elodie," Clark smiles and shakes his head. "Still can't get over the whole.. new look. Like.. It looks good, n-not that you didn't look good before, er anything." I find myself patting my hair down. I didn't tie it into my usual bun today and instead managed a loose singular braid down my back though a few strands always seemed to come loose.

"It's okay Clark, I still have a hard time seeing you roll up in your little hatchback and not stepping out of a phone booth." That had him laughing and handing my back my ID.

"Ready to get back to the grind?" He asks as I step pasts the gates.

"Eagerly." I admit and glance to his computer screen and frown at the image of my face, ID number and punch-in time. Looking back to him I cast him a sideways glance. "Clark." He leaned back in his chair, his hands lacing in his lap, a knowing smile making his teeth flash. "What am I going to be looking at today?" I ask and he takes a deep breath through his teeth and mocks a pained wince.

"I look forward to the damage you get done." He joked and I playfully whine as I start to the elevator. The motions were automatic, pressing my floor, feeling the ride, saying good morning to those that joined me and when I stepped off the elevator, a bittersweet feeling filled me when I looked around at the rows of glass cubicles and head for mine. When I got there, I looked over my desk and saw the last few papers I had been working on before I left and chuckled. My desk had been cleaned, but my work unaffected. That didn't distract my eyes from the 'Welcome Back' card that rested on it. Reading it over I smiled as I sat down to my desk and logged into my computer.

Initiating operative system. Loading your configuration….

Unlocking my other drawers I was pulling out my headset when the system window popped up. Glancing to it I frowned when I started looking it over. It mentioned updates to my computer that needed to be done and gave a list of all things that had changed in our servers. When I opened the server to get a hands on look at it, I found my face scrunching up as I looked over the lines of code but was distracted by my first phone call of the day..

It was going well and thankfully it was pretty much straight forward, however on my end, it lead me down an avenue that left me puzzled and at the end of the call I was left feeling frustratingly perplexed at what exactly had popped up on my screen.

Have you ever looked at something and without having to even delve much deeper, you could tell it didn't look right or was done wrong? Well that's what I was looking at and it wasn't until Taniesha poked her head inside my cubical with a killer watt smile that I came up for air a little while later. It no doubt hadn't been much more than an hour or so but I had to pause my typing and stretch out my hands, the joints cracking softly.

"Hey! Man I can't even begin to explain to you on how good it is to see you back here!" She nudged me and I took off my headset and looked at her.

"It feels good to be back." I admit and then turn in my chair to point a finger to my computer screen. "Out of curiosity, when the system got updated, did anything seem strange to you when you began to work?"

Her eyes widened and her mouth gapped open. "Er, um no. I was more or less looking forward to you having problems with our new server layout." She pointed to our main login screen.

"Oh that's messed up too, don't get me wrong." That had her laughing as I opened the section I was looking at. "But I can't help but get the feeling like something is wrong here." I say quietly, my fingers tapping on my desk rapidly.

"I don't see anything wrong." Taniesha offhandedly stated as she looked over my shoulder. "And we have alerts for our server if something does happen."

"Yes, but with the changed system the response time could have been unknowingly altered of changed. And if anyone were to get in, they could patch in a backdoor that they can get in or out of without any authorized users ever knowing they are inside both our machines or our systems." I rested my face on one hand and stared at the screen. "What I can't seem to understand is that we had been correcting the security and maintaining the firewall to ensure things like this, so why is it looking so threadbare now?" I ask gesturing to it.

"After you had your accident, Hollister brought on a new guy and he said he cleaned it up because it was so complicated." Taniesha offered and that had my hand dropping hard on the desk as I gapped at her.

"Really?" When she just nodded I almost wanted to throw my stapler in brewing irritation. "We were the ones responsible for that firewall, it took us months to fine tune. I can't believe- they just can't- just because it's simpler doesn't mean it's better." I say offhandedly and rub at my eyes as the irritation moved behind them. "Our wall was complicated for a reason. So shit like this doesn't happen." I point at the screen once again and glare at it. "Our firewall wasn't complicated, it was intricate." I run my tongue along the top row of my teeth when a thought pops into my head. Without wasting a second, I open up our companies main website and start working. Taniesha watches over my shoulder and when she sees a certain window pop up on my screen, she gently taps my shoulder.

"What exactly are you looking for?" She asks and I find my head shaking from side to side.

"Something about this isn't sitting right with me.." I mutter when I get back to looking over lines of code. When I hit a wall I frowned. "I have to try to look at it from a different angle." Going on a strange gut feeling I went to our homepage for our company and did basic finicking and without to much work; there it was.

I almost let out a victorious 'woo' but managed to keep it quiet in the office. Looking back over my shoulder I see Taniesha behind me, only now she is holding two coffee cups and holds one out to me. I hadn't even heard her leave or return. "Did you know that there was a potential hole in our firewall that could make our lives very complicated if things went awry?" When her eyes widened and mouth hung open, she lowered her coffee to my desk and leaned over my shoulder once again. Sparing the tech babble, me and Taniesha looked it over and she confirmed I had been right. Whatever had been updated left a hole that could be easily accessed to extract information and all on our main website page..

The only thing was, I didn't know how long it had been there.

"We should bring this to our head of security, Easton." Taniesha offers as she leans down to grab some almond milk for her coffee. I set mine down without having a sip and pick up a pen to twirl it in my fingers while my mind starts to work things out again.

"Even if we brought it up to Easton now, he no doubt wouldn't believe us if we told him it could have been there for months or even days.. We would need physical proof that this was an issue for him to even act on it. We would need-" I don't even finish the thought as a moment of spontaneity hits me and before I think about what I am doing I have already opened a new window and get to transferring over the codes that I was looking at. This seems to get Taneisha's attention and soon she is back looking over my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" She askes after she takes an audible slurp from her coffee as I clicked my mouse a few times.

"I'm making a point." I return shortly and she turns to look at me curiously.

"How?"

I glance at her over my shoulder as I continued to type. "I'm currently downloading our most recent list of buyers from our marketing server from an outside source. Because I can." I explained as I turn back and clicked the 'download' tab and waited while the bar started to rise. "If the new system was good, it would stop this foreign download before it even passed the 30% mark and send out an alert to our team." But instead I watched it steadily continue to rise and looked to Taniesha with a raised brow when it surpassed the halfway mark. No alert either. "See?"

"What are you going to do with them?" She asked, her dark eyes not leaving my screen. That had me shrugging and lacing my fingers together.

"Nothing I can't already do." Her shocked face had me shrugging. "Look we already have access to stuff like this anyway. This is just to prove a point." I leaned back in my chair and watched the uploading bar go solid and save onto my computer desktop. Glancing to my watch I clocked the time at 10:22. "And now we wait." I say as I look to Taniesha who just continued to stare at me with her eyes going wide and slowly, a smile tilts up the corners. Not even needing to say anything, she walks from my cubical to hers with a 'I-can't-believe-you-did-that' look and settles into her chair.

Just to double check, I pull up the security wall server and print off what I need and set that in my 'outgoing' bin on my desk. Like it was an inside joke I was smiling to myself when my desk phone rings and from what read out on my screen the main floor, but the extension that followed was one I recognized. Picking it up, I smiled as I answered.

"Mr. Strickland! How's our favourite security guard doing?" I ask glancing a look to Taniesha who almost swivelled full circle in her chair and waved. And just like old times, I pass along her hellos and chuckle when he belly laughs in my ear.

"Ellie, goddamn I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice again!" I fully smiled now and started to organize my desk and its papers, the memory of working on them coming back full swing and while getting the work updated, I caught up with Mike.

It certainly felt good to be back to work.

Rolling past 2PM I was beginning to become more and more frustrated at the system and the result was becoming more and more present in my temples and had started trying to spread to the center of my cranium. The ache started off dull, as if some lazy torturer is standing right behind me, only applying enough pressure to the sides of my head to be an annoyance. But now, it was starting to make my eyes hurt. I hadn't gone this long looking at a screen for some time and though physically I felt like I could go through a wall no problem, my mind was feeling virtually fried.

That was right about the time that everyone in the IT department got an electric memo on their screen that there was to be a meeting in the board room to discuss a few things in half an hour. My gut had me thinking of my earlier intrusion… Regardless, I was mentally grateful for the break in work, I pushed from my desk and pulled my bag out from under it and took out my travel bottle of Advil and debated on taking one before the meeting. Looking to Taniesha who was finishing up a phone call, I set the bottle aside.

The meeting would be informing and not too taxing and would give my eyes the rest I needed. Making sure I was logged out of my computer, I walked out of my cubical in time to see the other IT's headed the same way. Damn. I walk in the same direction as everyone else and see that our security boys in black uniforms going into the large boardroom as well. I couldn't help but get the sensations of sheep or cattle being herded. A tap on my shoulder and a cursory glance over it and I see Taniesha looking at me with wide eyes, her coffee cup in her hand almost had me fumbling a step.

"You are not seriously bringing your coffee?" I ask pointing to it. Kissing her teeth she stared me down while she took a long sip.

"Board meetings will not hinder my daily dose of caffeine." She stated earning a scoff from me.

"I think that's like your 4th cup."

"Why you all up in my business?" She asks with her head swirling around. "I ain't in yours. I ain't in your face asking why your bringing papers to a board meeting." She looked me up and down before kissing her teeth again. "All hell, are you in a notetaking phase again?" She looked at me almost as if she were looking at a something that made her sick. The jab brought back memories of when the merger had happened and Tricell had expanded. She had sat across from me as I took pages after pages of notes. I remember her mouth opening up a little more with every page I turned. Then again, it hadn't been that big of a notebook and well.. Yeah.

"These aren't notes for me." I state but she just leans back a little with a doubtful glare.

"I bet you have notes on 'em then." Her eyes flick down to the papers and I hate to say it but my face did warm a little. I did have notes on the back of the papers.

"I'm feeling a little verbally attacked here." I state and almost watch her head angle downward until her chin nearly touched her chest.

"You started it by going after my coffee." She raised her cup.

"I wasn't going after your coffee; I was stating a fact."

"Mmmhm." Pursing her lips through that hum had me staring at her.

"It must be the coffee since I have never seen you act this eccentric before." I jest and as if proving my point she snaps her fingers at me, a playful smile flashing.

"You saying I'm acting blacker?" I gap at her bluntness and hope to god no one is overhearing us in the halls.

"I said eccentric. Not.. ethnic." I skirt and try hard not to laugh at her pointed blank stare.

"Good. Cause if you did, I was going to say that's racist." She jabs back and I am briefly reminded of the security guard from a few days earlier.

"It would certainly go with what Dave Goulin, the security guy from the main lobby said about my name." I muttered and with her brows meshing together I leaned in to say; "He said that my name was a slave owners name." I watched her jaw shift out slightly and opened with a sharp click.

"And your saying this to a black woman because?" she drawled and my eyes shot to the ceiling.

"Oh my god!" I laughed exuberantly at her. "It was still part of the conversation and it played in to what you were saying!"

"So wait," her eyes squinted at me in confusion. "Are you saying that you're racist?"

Oh for- "Taniesha Carter," I enunciate, "I am not racist because of my name or, I hope, in general." I clarify and watch a slow grin fill up her face.

"Good. I just love pushing your buttons." My shoulders bounced as I quietly laughed, shaking my head. "I know you aren't. Because if you were," Her dark eyes moved from me and looked at the boardroom door, "I would have to cut your tires." Then narrowed in thought. "Like that douchebag, Dave's. Like who the fuck says that?" She snaps quietly. "I think your name is nice. It's different."

"I suppose. And to clarify, I don't have a car." I state as she rolls her eyes upwards when we are cut off by a short line of security guards who walk in ahead of us. Tanisha touches my arm with her free hand and leans in.

"Do you think this had-"

"Something to do with my recent downloads?" I finished for her and watched her head bob up and down. I shrug. "Maybe. But there's only one way to find out." I say in a subtle whisper when we join up with the rest of our crew and continue into the boardroom and settle in one of the few chairs. Looking around the room, most of IT sat on one side of the long table. The other side was mostly the boys in black uniforms. I see Clark and Mike talking to one another and Mike ends up quietly laughing at something Clark says before I am able to catch their eyes. I wave and almost start to say something to them when 3 men walk in, each one in suit jackets.

One I recognized being Hollister, the others I didn't know. Standing at the head of the table with the other two standing beside him. One with dark ebony skin on his right and the other one stood with both arms behind his back, almost militant. Hollister looks around to all of us and lingers on a few before he starts in.

"Good afternoon everybody. I would like to thank you all for taking time out of your day to come to this spontaneous meeting and wish it was under good circumstances but it has come to our attention that we had a breach in the security firewall and several files were downloaded." I casted a look to Taniesha who looked back to me with look that's crossed between panicked and excited as murmurs and alarmed glances moved around the room. I shrugged and looked back to Hollister whose eyes moved slowly over person to person. "We want this to be made top priority and as well we want the intrusion that was flagged traced and to find out who the culprit was." He stressed and a few people took notes when I lifted my hand getting his attention..

"There's no need, Mr. Hollister." I called out. He frowns and looks me up and down, no doubt recalling our introduction from a few days ago.

"Ms. Buchanan." He straightened. "When, in the time of your employment did we go so lax in needing to know important information such as a breach?" His voice had dropped so low that I see the man to my right sink back in his chair almost as if he was terrified just being in eye line with him. Nerves had my eyes moving over the three men who stood at the end of the large table and with my hands in my lap, my right hand found my left index finger, gripping tight, twisting it back and forth a little. Staying facially relaxed, I met his dark eyes.

Squeeze, twist, twist, crack.

"Since the intrusion and the breach were mine." I stated and almost felt the heat in the air leave the room with everyone's intake of breath. Two security officers started moving in my direction and for a second, I felt a twinge of fear when I saw that one of them was in fact Dave. But like before Hollister raised a hand and stilled them.

Squeeze, twist, crack, twist, crack.

"I take it that since you are being forthright with this information, you have some semblance of a reasonable explanation to all this."

Squeeze, twist, twist, crack.

Releasing my hands, I clench them tight.

"I do." I state and explain my findings to the group, laying out the printed off pages and caught Taneisha's snort when she saw my notes written in both the margin and on the back of my papers. I didn't cast her a glare but made a mental reminder to hide all her cubical coffee mugs in the future. Several eyes followed my words as I explained it and even after I finished talking they seemed as shocked as I had been.

"This is grounds for several warnings being; intentionally breaching security, violating individual privacy and breaching of your work conduct." The black man on his right stated harshly and I looked back at him; perplexed.

Squeeze, twist, twist, crack.

"Nothing I have done today is any different than what I have in the past. The only difference is, is that there would have been no warning even if it was actually happening from an outside source if I hadn't done it myself. And since I saw the flaw I decided to see what physical measures would be taken in regards to this. A test or drill, if you prefer." I looked from them to the security guys and a few of my coworkers. "Not to brag but merely to inform, I had been able to do this at 10:30am. When did you receive notice of this?" I asked and when he shrank back and lowered until he sat in his chair, I got the feeling that it hadn't been that long ago. After I had explained I'd watch as some of my colleagues nod in understanding and they too had begun asking question.

Why had they been notified so late after this had been done? Why did the system leave that particular pathway accessible? Why hadn't the system alerted us in general? What else were they missing out on? What else was the system missing? Things like that.

It wasn't until after the commotion had been calmed that I looked around the room once again. My eyes settled on the one who had vaguely threatened me and the familiar burning behind my eyes flashed briefly as I leaned my head to face him fully.

"As for the warnings I believe I am in line for some recognition that should cancel them out." I don't really know where that burst had come from, but the heat my words brought filled the space in my chest and had my head swimming a little.

My offer seems to have caught everyone's attention and all heads turned to him. I did my best not to show the twinge of irritation at his scoff when he looked around at his colleagues and gestured towards me with a 'can-you-believe-this-chick?' expression. It certainly had my teeth grinding slightly and before I could open my mouth I had an urge to convince him to do it. The thought swelled in my mind and I nearly gasped at the sensation that slowly filled me.

I didn't take my eyes off him, although it felt like a piece of me was stretching out to him along with the stinging that had taken up residence behind my forehead now and felt like it pressed away from the center of my mind, like I was pushing the sensation outwards. Towards him.

Like throwing out a mental grappling cable. And for a second, I mean the briefest blip, I feel a.. connection? Like the theoretical rope had fund purchase. I can vaguely feel something creeping up in the back of my mind as I almost gap when I watch him blink a few times before temporarily looking like he was lost in thought. I don't hear anything, not even the people speaking around us, but I can see them in my peripherals, moving and talking around us.

It wasn't until the militant man looked between the two of us and then grabbed onto his shoulder and shook him gently. My breath caught in my throat when the connection is lost with a snap, like an elastic that was pushed too far or too tight and returned to its regular state with an angry snap when he blinks hard once again. Then, he just looked downwards, confused and alarmed at the table while I am dealt with a wave of dizzy spells that have me digging my fingernails into my palms. I send up a silent thanks for the fact that I was sitting down. If I had been standing, I fear I may had dropped to the floor.

What.. was that?

"I'm sorry." A new voice spoke up and I pushed the dizzy feeling away as I had to lean forward a little to look down the line to a man with round glasses. "I don't understand."

Squeeze, twist, crack. I let my fingers go again.

"Which part?" I manage as my head recenters itself. My words may have held a little bit of bite as I looked down the line to him.

"You believe you deserve recognition?" He clarified and I found my head lifting with a frown for a second and jerked my head to one side.

"I should say so. I was in a coma for several months and my first week back and I have pointed-out some pretty gaping holes in our new system." That had a few sets of eyebrows raising, a couple small gasps and a yet, one person looked on with what I could tell was intrigue. The one who had been standing upright in a 'at ease' position was looking me over and I felt the skin on the back of my neck stand up.

Glasses leaned forward and casted me a glare.

"I'm in charge of security for all computers on the system. Roman Cedar." He introduced himself and yet my eyes narrowed a little as I looked him over. For all computers? This was news to me. Unless.. Something clicked as I glanced to Taniesha who must've read my face and gave me a tight nod. So this was the new hire. "Though this was overlooked when the system was updated, I can assure you of its sophistication and in fact it was that level of sophistication that would have led us to you in less four hours." He said it confidently enough and had sat a little straighter as he looked at the three heads of the table.

Four hours?

That's all?

"Impressive." I nodded tightly feigning appreciation for a moment. When he looked smug I felt another wave of warmth fill my chest. "Or at least it would be." I look to a few people beside me and across from me before turning to look back at him again. "Impressive, that is, except if you had known what exactly what to be looking for, your idea level of sophistication in the algorithm you used, may as well have been written on a college dorm room window, because your system isn't working properly." The bluntness of my words had several people widening their eyes as they glance to one another, however I could have sworn I saw Taniesha cover a laugh with a sip from her coffee. "But if that's what you were hoping to achieve," I lift a shoulder then drop it. "Keep up the great work." I leaned forward a little and push the papers towards Roman. "And you're welcome."

The look on his face, hell everyone's had me nearly cracking a smile. It was quite interesting. Even if internally I was shaking, my outward façade seemed to be holding up well enough.

"I had heard you came back and it seems you have done it with a little more theatrics that I or your team, for that matter, have come to associate with you." Hollister breaks in and I think there's a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"I have a new found love of simple flair." I return and a few people smile although with a quick glance to Taniesha, I can't tell if she looks like she's about to expire or explode.

"Well then, the next time you catch something like this, you bring it to our attention. Don't go off and do things spur of the moment." Hollister sternly adds and I sink back in my chair and nod.

"Yes sir." I sat back and waited until the end of the meeting concluded. Every now and then I would look to the man who stood off to Hollister's left and for a minute, met his eyes. He was watching a few people around the table but he seemed to really be looking at me. I didn't take my eyes of him and when he continued to stare, I widened my eyes a little with a gentle shake of my head.

'What?' I heard my internal voice snap out in my mind and for a second, I could've sworn I saw him stumble back a step. Like, actually stumble. I immediately frowned as he managed to get his composure as Hollister continued to talk. The rest of it wasn't note taking worthy.

Pushing the thought out of my mind, I walked out of the meeting with everyone else except Taniesha is all but bouncing around me with a few others around us.

"I can't believe you went toe to toe with the new head!" Taniesha shakes my shoulder as we walk out of the boardroom. Casting a glance over my shoulder I see Hollister talking to the man who had stood on his left. He hadn't said a word. Just observed. "When you said your chaos comes in waves, you weren't kidding. But you didn't give me any warning." She gently smacked my arm getting my attention and I gently laugh while rubbing my arm.

"I'll remember it next time. I swear." I promise and head back to my desk.

"There's a reason why she's the best" Clark added looking to his colleagues with a faint smile as he passed us on his way to the elevator.. I met his eyes and gave him a smirk of my own. When we got back to the desks I found my Advil sitting right where I had left it and it wasn't until I started to sit that the pressure from before came back with a sudden vengeance. My hands trembled as I struggled with the bottle.

"Everything okay?" Taniesha asked as she lingered in my cubicle. "You acted… different in the boardroom." She admits and I found myself bitterly chuckling to my self as I shook out a pill into my palm. I debated for a second then shook out another.

"Just from what Mr. Cedar had said-" I stopped and swallowed the pills down with some cold coffee, "-it irritated me."

"I could see that. Could've sworn I saw something in your eyes for a second."

That had me pausing and turning to look at her. "My eyes?"

"Yeah, I think it was a trick of the light or something but I could've sworn they.. I don't know.. flashed or something?"

"Flashed?" I echoed and watch her mouth press together in a tight pout.

"Like I said, it might've been a trick of the light. Your eyes are different from before," her words are thoughtful but from the look on her face she watched my expression fall, "but like a good different." I guess you've got more than a splice of temper," she commented as she looked over me as I took a swig of coffee and swallowed. "It goes with hair like yours, I reckon."

"Sure doesn't feel like mine." I admit and turn to unlock my computer. "The temper or the hair."

"Still can't believe you didn't dye it." Her voice held a soft tone that had me looking at her as I sipped my cold coffee again. "When I came to see you, it was like it was gradually coming in. Like streaks. But now.." She lets out a hum. "I think it gives you like a… Mysterious edge." She weaves her neck side to side with a hum of approval. "Not just a quiet girl in IT anymore."

"I'm still just a girl in IT." I counter and set the cup back down on my desk. "Though I think what I said to our new boss may have upset him."

"Oh honey," she waved a hand in the air in a 'never mind' gesture as she stalked back to her chair and sat down. "You know how many times any woman wished to have spoken to a man in a position of power, one who thinks he is better at our job and tried to man-splain what it is we do, to us, in the same way you did?"

"I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say a fair few?"

"Oh honey, more than a few." She swivelled in her chair, her green braids swirling around her shoulders. "We could do with some more women of power in our society."

"We have a few." I say and my eyes narrow on the thought before adding, "And every time they certainly have rocked the patriarch world."

"Yeah girl." She claps her hands together and a smile blooms on her face. "Fuck the patriarchy."

"Um… Not sure that's what I was getting at but," I nearly smile at that. "Sure." I add shaking my head with a small shrug.

"Nah, girl. Say it with more conviction than that!"

I glance around our office towards the hallway and feel a little better when I don't see anyone wandering around. "Alright." I look back at her with a slanted grin. "Fuck the patriarchy?"

"I said conviction, not a question. Louder!"

The sound of her voice echoes around us and I nearly gap and look around. "Tanisha, if someone hears me I could get in trouble or-"

"You can blame it on your accident." I send her a hard stare and she softens a little, but still teasing. "Like a side effect or a-"

"Tanisha, I got hit by a car and went into a coma. I didn't develop Tourette's." I state and her laugh is almost infectious.

"It could be a verbal way to escape your trauma." She offers stressing on the word trauma with a dramatic flair and when I don't break my stare she deflates a little. "Fine. But.. just once, for me?" She asks gently and I can't help but roll my eyes with a shake of my head.

"Fuck the patriarchy." I say a little more confidently and her face lightens up.

"That's it, better. One more time!"

"Fuck the patriarchy!" I announce louder.

"There we go!" She calls with a solid clap of her hands. I am laughing in jest with her and it shuts down quickly when a set of footsteps come to our dual cubical. Our laughter is shut down when a man comes into view. Looking between the two of us, I feel the humor fly out the door when he looks between the two of us. He looks from Taniesha to me and faces me directly. I recognize him from the meeting, but I don't know his name. He was wearing one of the lab coats.

"I need you to come down to my lab and help me. I think my files were corrupted and need them accessible as soon as possible." He states and I feel a chill creep over my skin.

"Come down?" I echo and glance to Taniesha who frowned for a second. "I'm sorry, but I have been out of the system for a little while, I believe I can access your computer from here." I pat my hand on my desk and he doesn't break his sights on me.

"Not on the Basement Level 3. Systems are separated now." Taniesha says softly leaning around him to look at me. The look on her face is so different from before that I almost swallow nervously. "Something about security measures. But only with high clearance are able to be called down there." She says emphasizing a few words and I feel my stomach cramp. If I was being called down then that meant… Nodding I look to him.

"I just need to gather a few of my things and my handheld and I will be down in 15 minutes." I state. He doesn't move but instead looks me over with a scrutinous eye that has me feeling unsteady.

"Make it 5. Don't waste my time." And with that, he's off. I sign out of my computer and start to gather a few things I may need. I grab my portable handheld server, a manual book, a USB and a few pens. I look to the clock and decide that after this, I would go out to a very late lunch so I decide to grab my bag from my desk. Looking to Taniesha who is now busy on her phone I stand in her doorway and get a sense of foreboding. She turns around to grab some papers when she looks to me and give me an encouraging smile.

I do my best to return it and head towards the elevators. Entering I have to insert my key card into a little slot beside the buttons and when a small green light appears, I push the BL3 button and descend.

Squeeze, twist, twist, crack. Squeeze, twist, crack.

Looking down to my hands I inwardly scold myself and try to pull myself together. My nerves were getting the better of me and it was beginning to show. Damn. I haven't cracked my knuckles in a long time. On that thought I laughed to myself in bitter irony. A decently long time.

When the doors open I drop my hands back to my sides and step out to be nearly wincing. The sight left me feeling apprehensive and a sudden pressure flooded my head.. Thanks Advil, for doing your damn job..

Wall to wall, floor to ceiling it was pristine clean white.. everything. Walking down the hall I couldn't help but glance around me as I had never ventured this far. Never had the need too. It was strange, even in hospitals they held the smell of sanitisation. In here it didn't smell like anything.. I would've thought that you would be able to even the briefest hint of various chemicals.

But since I was here, I took in all I could, get myself situated and made it sink in deep to my memory. Some sections of the labs were visible through large glass windows, some with scientists working with glass vials with coloured liquid, some working over microscopes, other talking over tables that were covered in papers. I watched as one scientist that was working on the vials lift his head a little.

"Computer," he waited and a slight beep sounded and was followed by a robotic voice that responded with a basic 'What can I help you with?'. I found my feet stopping as I watched him. "Make note on newest addition to vials batches TB-6581 that the union seems successful and will be monitored or further updates. Authorization code DG56-F4."

'Confirmed Dr. Ferriss.' The robotic voice returned and he simply went back to work.

Huh. Looks and sound like the voice activated system worked. And as a bonus they had to use either their personalized codes or a group code for the project in order to solidify the command they gave.

Noted.

Walking down further of the pristine corridor I heard a few raised voices as I neared a corner.

"The only way we're going to figure this out is by autopsy."

"What if that doesn't work? We don't have a large supply of them anymore to run tests on. If more of them exist-"

"They don't and that thing isn't talking. We'll have lost the only live opportunity to study him if you're wrong."

"The autopsy will work," the Doctor grumbled before casting me a glare as I turned the corner. "What are you doing here?" She asked and I found myself holding up my gear.

"I'm here to fix-"

"Colton's Server." The other woman finished for me. She gestured to the hall behind them and to a door with a large grey sign above it. "You'll find the moron pacing in his lab down there." She supplied and with a nod, I move onwards in the direction they sent me in. My legs feeling like jelly as they continued their conversation. "I can do extensive studies on the remaining bodies. I believe the brain slice samples alone will unlock the mystery."

Nausea settled in my stomach at hearing them speak so callously about brains and samples of such..

"I say we wait and run more live tests." The other woman whined when she spoke. "If I don't get significant results, we could-"

"Do worse if we do it your way. I know you're impatient but the risks are just too great if you're wrong. We need to play this safe."

"Fine," The other snapped and the sounds of heeled shoes following me had me picking my pace up and all but racing into the door. The lab was spacious and had a room that must've just been used to observe that connected to it with most of the wall being used as a window like the ones I had seen in the hallways. Several lights blinked on and off in this room, probably motion sensors. The walls and tables were covered in more glass instruments, tubes, vials and several refrigerated cabinets with frosted glass. A wipe board with formulas that I couldn't decipher even if I wanted too, was off to the side and stepping out from behind it, just like they had said, the scientist who had come to me earlier looked like he had all but pulled the hair out of his head by the way it was standing in all kinds of different directions.

I could hear him cursing to himself about his stupid computer and something about loss of his breakthrough work. By the looks of things, he didn't even hear me open the door, but he turned when I knocked loudly to break him out of his frantic pacing.

"I brought all my-"

"About time." He gestures to a big computer that rested on a faraway desk. "It's over there."

Wow, okay. Right to it I guess.

Dropping my bag beside the desk, I sat down and turned on the computer. While I waited for the system to load, I glanced to the vials in the refrigerated cabinets. They were a mix of all colours, and it had me shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

"Problem?" Colton asked as he watched me. I shook my head bust did in fact gesture to the cases.

"Nothing. Just seeing all these bottles that are no doubt filled with chemicals make me nervous." They looked so fragile. So small. Deadly.

"You have a right to be."

"Ever mix anything that blow up like in a chemistry class?" I joke to try to lighten things up.

"Its not often but several of us have had a few small chemical eruptions."

"The whole floor looks to clean to have had eruptions."

"The walls and glass are made with a triple plated reinforced glass." He states tapping his fingers on the table. "Keeps things in and explosions out of the hallways. It would take a serious amount of force to bust them."

Damn. Casting a glance to the windows again, I find myself fascinated. It looked so fragile. Like fine crystal.

"What is taking you so long?" He demanded after a few minutes of typing.

"I wish I could tell you that I could work faster, but you have a lot of files to got through to ensure that there aren't any more corroded files that I am missing. Its just running another check to make sure I haven't missed any."

He groaned. "You make it sound so simple."

I shrug. "That's my job." I had a migraine forming and I tried not to focus on it. I go on to tell him in the simplest way possible of what I am going to do and listens well enough.

"You remind me of the old IT woman we had a while back." He states and I blinked a few times to focus on who he was talking about.

"You mean Louanne Conners?" I ask lifting my eyes from his screen.

"I guess so." He fixes a stack of papers and looks to me. "Did you know her?"

"Yes." I sat up a little. "She was the one who trained me for the job. Before the merger."

"What was she like?" He asks "Before the merger?" He clarifies and I think on it a moment.

"She was very passionate about political drama and loved conspiracy theories." Much like Taniesha, but I kept that to myself.

"She lived in Atlantis long?"

I frowned and clicked on all files that needed repairing and hit a few keys. "Has most all her life I think."

"Quite a looker, last I recalled." He says offhandedly and I peer over his monitor as he moved around his lab. I was growing bored with his line of conversation and tried a different approach.

"She was in the Miss USA contest." I lie and catch his interest that was almost palpable when he stumbled a step.

"Oh? When was that?"

I faked thinking about and said; "Twelve, thirteen years ago."

"She win?"

I shrugged. "Came in third." I clicked on a few things.

"Big disappointment, I'll bet." He walked over to the desk and rested his hip on the corner of it.

"For her old co-workers. She didn't mind."

"She didn't? Why not?"

"Nothing bothered her." I watched the files I had selected slowly change from one corroded symbol to file folder symbols again. Halfway there.

"Is that so?" He asked, his brow raising.

"She's that way. Always happy." That was the truth. She made you feel comfortable and radiated a warmth from her that settled.. just right.

"She married?" He asked and I almost gapped at him. I don't know why I was still playing into this, but it certainly proved interesting to see how this guys mind worked. And he wasn't staring at his screen so much. Gave me time to look through a few things now and again. When a few files came into view after scrolling through, I felt my stomach flop when 'Test Theories and Trails' popped up. A tap to my shoulder had me looking up at him from my sitting position. "I asked if she was married."

I swallow and make a quick shortcut to that file on the desktop. "Yes."

He frowned. "To who?"

"Henry Conners."

"He owns a café down on Main." He supplies himself and frowns once again, crossing his arms over his chest. "Seen the advertisements on busses."

I only took buses in the early morning and late evening so I didn't really get to see any advertisements so I just took his word for it and played along. Wasn't him, but that wasn't the point. "That's right."

"What's she doing with him?" I was a little confused by his question. Instead I blinked at him.

"What do you mean?"

"What I said. What's she doing with him?"

"Well... they're married." I say it like I am explaining it to a child who asked a silly question and see him scoff.

"A woman like her with a dumb coffee shop owner." He grumbled.

"He's not dumb," I say and when his files are completely repaired I am happy to cut the conversation short. "Your files are all done being repaired, now I just have to open them to make sure they are still accessible." I explain pointing to a few things. When I move his mouse to click on one, he stops my hand.

"Why do you have to open them if they are repaired?" His voice no longer holds the easygoing tone of making small talk but now, has a cautious edge that had my skin prickling and my headache pressing against my temples once again.

Treading carefully I explain. "This is just to make sure that it still works, you don't want to open up a file and its all-jumbled letters and numbers. The file might be repaired but its contents might still need some tending too."

"Will that take long?" He asks looking at the clock on his wall. For me, it wouldn't take long.. Maybe 15 minutes. But I had secure knowledge at my fingertips and some of it may not be accessible from my computer. And not only that… I wanted… needed to know… about my stay in the hospital. There was more, there had to be more. I could feel it. And if I could find a link to that information from here, I'm going to take that opportunity.

"Could take a little over an hour. Almost 2." I wince a little and turn to him. He's looking thoughtful and looks from the door to me. "Why?"

"I'm only asking because I need a break and was going to take my lunch." He looks back to me and I am met with a very observative and cautious stare. "They said you were the best. Why would it take you so long?"

"It takes me that long because I haven't been working on this server before and don't want to mess up anything while down here, it's a completely updated system and you have over 200 files to get through. You could go get some lunch if you want." I make a show of slouching in the chair and manage to cross my legs on the chair to get more comfortable. "This is gonna take a while and I brought mine with me anyway so I'm good to stick around and get this done." I click on a file and sure enough, some of the writing is all jumbled up. Its an easy fix and with a few keystrokes, its good as new. The whole time he watches me as I save it and reopen it once again to make sure its good to go. When it comes back all clear, I move onto the next one. I fix another 3 before I turn to look at him over my shoulder and stare him down as he shifts on his feet. He looks mentally torn and I could feel it radiating off of him.

It calls to me and like ghost fingers reaching out, I mentally feel something connect with me. I want him out of here so I can both work and perhaps.. dig a little deeper. I need him gone. I feel the sensation from the boardroom rise in my mind and instead of panicking or internally fumbling, I feel it out, testing the waters so to speak.

"You should probably go eat something." I feel my throat warm as the words glide from me, the tone sounding a little uneasy at first, my apprehension and nerves slinking through. He notices and looks to me a little startled and I take a calming breath and try once again. "There's no use for you here right now and it's no use trying to work if your hungry. You should go on a long-deserved break. You've earned it."

I don't have time to be startled by the sounds of my words as the left me. It sounded echoey, like certain sounds were being drawled out and drifted around us to him. I could've sworn I felt them take hold somewhere and when I felt the feeling waver, I mentally pressed harder. I waited and for a second thought I just was in a staring contest with a guy in a damn white coat until I noticed his shoulders relax a little with a long sigh that spoke volumes.

"I should eat something." He ran a hand over his hair and settled it into a better state than before. My heart was in my throat as he moved around and got his things and headed for the door. "Get you anything?" He asked, his voice sounding empty and bland.

I felt my whole body tremble as the shock settled while he started to get his coat and wallet from his desk drawer.. My hand lifted to my throat and wrapped around it, and though my skin felt cool to the touch, the inside of my throat still felt warm.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just… take your time." What was going on with me. My hand left my throat and grabbed at my forehead. How was this happening? I didn't even really know what it was. This didn't make any sense.

I watched as he walked out the door, looking calm as could be, though his face did hold a faraway look and when he was out of sight, I now faced his computer. My hands shook and my stomach was filled to the brim with nerves. No sense in thinking or worrying about this right now and focus on something that made sense to me.

I was breaking so many confidentiality rules here, and god, looking back up to the window where Colton had walked by, I felt like I maybe had broken a bit of my own morality with whatever I had done, but again, I couldn't think about that right now.

Now, looking at this guys computer, it seems to me, he's done a number of slightly unusual things. He's established fail-safe protocols to wipe the memory if there's any attempt to access certain files. That had me feeling a little victorious when I was able to get into them. There were 4 folders, and after a quick skimming, the first two were all project notes and variants of projects. The third one however opened and at the top of the listed contents was a file titled 'Candidates Developments'. If there was anything to find, it would potentially be linked on here.

Clicking it open with trembling fingers, I started reading.

'In spite of our large body of test candidates, development of t-Phobos within subject has been considerably delayed. Like the natural Progenitor Virus, the prototype had a high mortality rate due to the sheer violence of the mutations it caused, which had to be limited or slowed down to have any chance of creating viable superhumans.

A solution to creating superhumans was found in the stress hormone, norepinephrine, and it was agreed the virus would remain dormant in a subject until exposed to certain quantities of this hormone. Although in reviewing recent test subjects who were subjected to torture, or witnessing torture, to increase their Norepinephrine; subjects were then monitored 24 hours a day, with researchers noting their condition every 10 minutes.'

Holy. Fucking. Hell.

Progenitor Virus? Superhumans? Torture?! I could feel my breath coming out in unsteady wavering gasps as I scrolled down.

'As of now, I can confirm the following;

1. The new vessel must be mentally strong, and be able to overcome any emotion of fear.

2. After the transfer it will take six months before the transferred mind can be stabilized. During this time the vessel should be protected at all costs. No exceptions.

After some more research I have found out that perhaps splicing the virus with something that hasn't been manufactured in labs may prove to be the most useful in terms of creating something new..

With the BSAA hovering and cracking down harder on us it has just become more apparent that time is of the essence. We must work quickly.

I've put together the list of members who are most suited for this round of trials. They all have had experience dealing with bioterror and viruses. Their psych evals came out with flying colors. They faced some unspeakable horrors and came out in one piece, indicating a strong resistance to emotional trauma.

After speaking to the director, he has also brought in a few new candidates to be added into the trials due to what seems to be a mixture of liability issues and interest of potential.

No. 07 hasn't been directly involved in any bioterror incidents, but her test results were promising so I included her as well.

An attached memo had me glancing to the door of the lab and after someone walked past. They had glanced in and I no doubt looked bored and made a small show of grabbing my handheld and fiddling with the dark screen. Looking back to the memo, I opened it.

'Stuart,

All things considered I think this is a pretty strong list of candidates. I'm sure you'd agree.

It's all in your hands now. I'll be out there as backup in case you need anything.

01. Fisher, Neil.

02. Lastimosa, Mathew.

03. Conners, Louanne.

04. Crowe, Xavier.

05. Jones, Piper.

06. Coleman, Robert.

07. Buchanan, Elodie.

08. Holmes, Megan.

09. Redfield, Claire.

10. Dixson, Ian.

11. Thompson, Edward.

12. Martins, Tamara.

Results: Three died immediately. Another five eventually either mutated, became mentally compromised or were disposed of.

Others that have been infected by other means have been monitored as follows;

M2-L87 is already showing the effects. The male has had a violent outburst in his sleep two days ago, so violent that he'd broken several bones in his hand when he punched it into a wall. What made the violence interesting was that it had no connection to the male's emotional state—though he didn't know that. It had been initiated by the changes the infection had caused in his brain. Further monitoring needed.

Subject E7-B91, however, continues to function in spite of her advanced infection, leaving Colton to conclude that it has something to do with the variant of the t-Phobos, making it capable of lasting longer within its host. Added to the fact that while unconscious and unable to be emotionally compromised, the micro-doses we were able to administer over the course of her 'medical treatment' proved to be fruitful.

Minor physical alterations have occurred over the course of time and from the review of her charts, her body has already begun showing signs of enhancements that we can only hope will develop over the course of her trails. In the events of things, close monitoring will be required since E7-B91 is looking to be our best subject yet.

Be sure to keep all updated data forwarded to A. Wesker. He seems to have taken an interest on the remaining subjects.

-Excella Gionne'

My heart stops.

I'm not exaggerating. I swear, for a pure second, my chest seized and all the blood flowing in my veins pauses, then it races. In a blur I am standing up from the chair, the momentum knocking it down as I hold onto the desk for dear life with both hands as the world spins. I feel my mouth water and let out a curse when I try to calm my breathing but to no avail.

They took Louanne. They used her for- they used me in- I'm... Infected.

The floor gives way from under me, my legs being unable to hold my weight up, my stomach churned so violently, so quickly that I didn't even have time to prepare myself. The rest of the information on the screen blurs as my eyes began stinging till they went dark, my whole-body shakes and soon I was choking from lack of air. I was panicking, drowning in a sea that held no water and yet, the air I managed to get into my lungs may as well have been car oil from how thick the air had felt. When my stomach heaved for the first time, my hands latched over my mouth to brace against my lips as I turned my head this way and that looking for a waste basket and was racing over to upheave my whole stomach into a paper bin.

With each upheaval of my insides, my eyes lost their focus, my tears burning as they rolled down my face and yet between each bout of it, I managed to let out a scream that shook the very walls and a few lights even popped above me, a few sparks landing around my legs..

My brain felt like it was tearing through my skull itself in hopes to get out into the world around me with each passing thought as my emotions ran rampant through me but the one that came out on top and swinging was rage.

Who could have- Why did they- How had they- Where did they- What variant-

With every question that went unfished, left unanswered, my head twists away from the bin and when my eyes finally refocus, I see the computer again, the screen having been logged out but the keyboard in no longer intact. The keys all over the ground. Swiping an angry arm over the ground to send the keys flying, I stand, and don't even feel anything when I feel a wave of emotion leave me and the desk scraps along the ground away from me. I stalk towards it and grab hold and pull it back to me.

I re-read the report on myself once, twice, five times, each time I still couldn't believe it. I have never had difficulty reading and storing information in my mental vault. It was something I've prided myself on, but this, these reports and chemical layouts had me failing to comprehend and store it the first go around. The list of names daunted me. Several names had been crossed out, leaving only a select few still in the clear. My name included... Holy sweet God. By the time I had it all memorized, I was still shaking as it settled in my mind. Locked forever. It was seared into my mind and as fate would have it, guess who came back from their lunch?

Colton strolled through the door and when he noted the rooms disarray, he stopped and dropped his to go coffee cup, the contents spilling all over the floor. The dark liquid was a refreshing contrast against the albino floor.

I watched the shock and disbelief play over his face and when he finally looked like he was going to speak, he was stalking towards me and as I stood up, a new sensation took over me.

In times of great shock, I believe there is a feeling of disbelief that comes over you, that takes over, and you kind of go through the motions. You do what you're supposed to do, but in fact you're not there at all. The survival instinct and fear of dying start to fight, making space for some surprisingly irrational thoughts in between.

His large hand moved to grab my bicep and with a quick twist, grab and spin, I had his arm pinned behind his back, his hand held wide at a horrible angle and his fingers slayed wide. I recalled Jin holding me in this position after I had snapped at him and internally wince at the memory of him dislocating my pinky, my middle finger and my index. It hadn't been particularly pleasant.

"What did you do to me?!" My voice sounded malevolent, my words wrapping around him as I squeezed his ring finger and away from his back. He winces when press just a little harder.

"I didn't do anything to you-"

"LIAR!" My voice didn't sound like mine as I pressed his finger back until his fingernail touched his wrist, the popping crack and his pained yell had me feeling a small blink of bliss even as I struggle with keeping him in this pin. My eyes burned as I tried to keep my head. My hands were slipping on maintaining my hold and his shouts were no doubt attracting attention. "You injected me with some type of virus!" He slows his struggles and looks over his shoulder at me.

"I didn't administer it or anything! I just keep the records!" I release his broken finger and move to another. "And you weren't given anything that wasn't approved from higher up!" His voice sounded panicked, and he had every right to feel like that.

"Then who gave the approval of it?" I already had an idea. I just had to hear it.

"It was from higher up the chain!" He states growing frantic as my finger tightens on another finger.

"I'm not in the mood for guessing games, tell me who!" I demanded jerking his hand back and starting to pull it backwards in my direction as my grip intensified. He struggled and I kicked at the back of his kneecap, bringing him down to one knee with pained grunt. The finger I had been holding onto bent backwards and gave way as well, only this one having an odd angle to it. "I will break every goddamn finger then move onto other joints that will hurt far more!" I yelled above his pained screams. His free hand moved about but when I held his thumb in one hand, and his pink in the other and started pulling them away from one another, he stopped cold.

"Albert Wesker!" He wailed. A mixture of knowing and shock washed over me leaving me cold.

I knew it.

I had wanted to make sure. I could feel him breathing heavy in front of me while I held tight onto his hand but that didn't last long. With a surge of frustration, I pulled in opposite directions, my body surging with a strength that was still new to me as his fingers bent backwards like banana peels, effectively ruining his hand. Dropping to both of his knees, he cradled his broken hand as I slowly stalked around him. My skull radiating pressure as I met his eyes, and searched for that sensation from earlier. My anger and adrenalin both aiding me and foiling what I was trying to do. It was hard to get a grip on it. It was still new. I pressed the thrumming pain outwards to him and felt it when I latched on. My mental visual was like I had grabbed on with the tensile strength of a bear trap. He groaned again and brought his hand to his chest, like he was trying to protect it from me.

"Bring Wesker to me."

I could feel his struggle, it was strange. Like when you have a fish on a line and you can vaguely feel the thrashing and flailing about. "B-but I can't just- It would take hours to-"

"Now! And not a word of this, of me or anything involving the virus to anyone. Not. A. Soul." I could feel something in the back of my mind, the the phantom feeling of a strand of some sort in my hand and when it shifted erratically, trying to escape, I tightened my focus on it until I felt something give way, like when you hold a singular stand of dry pasta and it snaps in different places in hand. The pressure I was exerting rushed outwards of my head in the direction of him, hitting him hard enough that had me almost gasping. His face shifted like I had hit him then immediately went blank.

"Not.. a word." He mumbled and like a blank zombie, he rose to his feet, unsteady but he managed to do it. Still cradling his hand, he moved from me, and walked in a haze out the door.

I stood there for a second absorbing it all when I heard the doors lock loudly. My heart had jumped when the green light above the doors went dark and I was walking to them with a quick pace, pieces of keyboard sliding across the floor as my toes kicked them away as I reached metallic plates. When they refused to open, I felt trapped once again. Only this time, I wasn't in my body. Now I was in a different cage.

"Computer!" I called and waited for the Bing and robotic voice. I was worried that the flare up had caused the server to crash, but I received a little relief when it returned with its 'How may I assist you?' How indeed.

"Unlock lab door."

'Authorization required.'

I tried my sign in and clearance but when the negative sounding beep followed behind it I wanted to throw something at the wall when the words;

'Authorization and access clearance revoked. Therefore, denied.'

Shit!

I tried not to panic once again and paced. They must've put a lock on this when they heard me and Colton. Okay, think this through. I was trapped in a room without clearance to this server but if I was on any other floor, I would be able to get out of here in a- wait. My pacing stopped. Stalking to my handheld, I opened it up and after checking the reception, I smiled. I may not have access on this floor, but my handheld was still connected to the servers above me. Its connection wavered in places but it still was good to go.

Within minutes I was able to transfer myself higher clearance, though it wasn't a small feat and after a second try, my verbal commands were met with no problems. Looking to the doors, now unlocked but I made it so that the light was off, as if to indicate that they were still locked, I mentally tried to piece together what I was going to do.

'Remember, Elodie. Before you can control your opponent's body you must first control his mind. Set up the playing field so that it benefits you, or have it so that it works to your advantage.'

Before I could have changed my mind or regain my sanity, I took a deep breath.

"Computer!" I called out and I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't want to leave any trails that lead back to me. An idea popped into my head and tentatively I tested it.

"Sign in authorization Alpha -four -black- nine- red."

'Access granted. Welcome Elodie Buchanan.' I hated the way the robotic voice said my name but that wasn't the concern right now.

"Access recent data entry on verbal and sound recognition memory and grant full access and copying rights to current speaking user.. Please verify command."

'Verified and granted.'

"Perfect." I rattled off my requests, my code lines to ensure that it was executed properly and last… I thought of my colleagues up above, my eyes going to the ceiling as a pit in my stomach grew monstrous in size.

I did promise Taniesha a heads up..

And I wouldn't go back on my word. And she needed to get things in order for her to do what I was about to ask of her. When it was all ready, I steeled myself with a calming breath as I finished setting up my secure orders, save, and disregard any and all orders from A265-W52, or Albert Wesker, and upon inquires- state classified by authorization Delta-four-nine-Q.

Licking my dry lips, I grew startled when my tongue came into contact with a damp feeling and the taste of something metallic filled my mouth. Lifting my hand to my lips I wonder if Colton had gotten me with a wild elbow that I hadn't registered at the time. My fingers came into contact with a small line of blood that I now could feel trickling out from my nose. Brushing it away with my back of my hand, I pushed the worry of what it might mean as I hunkered down back at the desk and got to work.

It couldn't have been more than a few hours when I felt something change, like a sudden chill filling a room that makes the hairs on the backs of your neck stand at attention. I had finished my preparations, thinking of anything and everything that could unfold.

The good news is, is that I had about 4 hours to get everything I had planned in order. Thanks Mr. Cedar. The bad news is..

Is that there was no going back after this.

But there was a large part of me that was happy to do so.

The sound of claps is what had me spinning around to face the thick glass adjoining wall.

And there he stood.

Tall, arrogant and with a downright pleased smug look on his face that nearly had me running up to the glass and taking a swing but managed to refrain.

"Wesker." I gritted out, even though my heart started to hammer in my chest and my legs to shake.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance. You have my attention, Ms. Buchanan." His head angled a little from side to side as he looked me over. "I will admit, I didn't think you'd have made it this far along." He looks just like he did back then, wearing black everything, his dark glasses covering his eyes, blond hair slicked back. "Seems your not just the plain little thing I thought you were."

I felt my hands tighten into fists at my sides but kept my face passive. "Not that I don't love our reminiscing chit-chat, I want to know why… WHY you would do this to me. How?!" I didn't dance around the point and the sooner I got what I needed.. the sooner I could act.

"Do what to you? Hmm?" He gestured around him. "I seem to recall you were in need of medical assistance and we helped you." He smiled, the bastard.

"Yes. I asked the hospital for the paperwork, and what they gave me was a bold-faced lie if I ever saw it. I didn't sign those papers."

"Are you sure? I believe that is your signature on those papers."

"Don't pull me around. I'm smart enough to recall anything and everything I have ever signed and I know for a fact that hospitals wouldn't sanction the dispersing of something like a virus." I pointed out. He watched me blankly and I almost wanted to stomp my foot on his face. "You at least owe me the truth and not some half-assed bullshit." I bite out. He takes my words and mulls them over before he minimally shrugs.

"You're the smart one.. you haven't figured it out yet?" His jab makes my teeth grind but I refrain from returning it. "Fine." He blows out a breath. "I suppose I can give you a hint," He leans towards the glass and presses a hand to it. "Mr. Reeds liked your work."

"Mr. Reeds?" I echo, my face frowning in thought. "What does he have to-" It hits me with such force I have to throw my arm out to find the arm of the desk chair to sit down.

My last report to Reeds.

I had signed my name on a post it note and stuck it to the papers addressed to him. They must've taken that and just copied my name onto the documents they would have needed to have been able to minister the doses while I was in the hospital without raising any suspicion. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to forge a signature but they had managed to get a copy of my most recent one. They would've looked like the care giving workplace and I the willful.. Oh sweet god. My breath caught as it all blurred together in my mind. The doctors notes, the Tricell papers, the interview, the car accident-

"Litz.. He didn't transfer, did he?" I ask as my plans for this place solidify more and more.

"No." Wesker says tensely and I lay my head in my hands and squeeze my eyes shut at the memory of the echoing gunshots in the parking lot.

"Why.. Why me?" I feel my voice waver. "I was just girl who worked in IT. Why.. Me?!" I struggle to keep my voice even and not let it become a shrill.

"Alright." He crosses clasps his arms behind his back again, just like the time in Litz's office. "You started off just being a liability to our dealings so I had you called in. After a brief discussion with Litz, which no doubt you can recall, I found you to be a perfect specimen we had in mind for trials." He looks at me like he's now bored and started to walk side to side in the room he was currently in. "Orphaned at such a young age, tragic by the way." I felt the colour leave my face. "Your parents weren't much but they didn't deserve to die the way they did. Is it true you watched them die?" I was up and striding to the glass wall with a surge of anger so thick and foul that I felt my body pulse with it.

"I'm warning you, Wesker. Don't utter another word to me about them." My voice changed again, my eyes pulsed with a heat so intense that I was worried they would water, but no. They held up. He didn't take my warning and just kept on going.

"It makes no difference to me what happened to them, all that matters to us was that you having no guardians, no siblings and no caretakers. Which meant no one to come after you if you went missing. Also adding to the fact that you were in several systematic homes, bouncing around from place to place tends to make a background check a little hard when you don't have a steady history. You we're unable to find a place that suited you and before you had a grip on things, you had outgrown the system, and it spat you out into the world. From the notes on your file however, it said that the traumatic event involving your family is what triggered you to start recalling things in great detail. Starting with the death of your parents."

The interest was unmistakable in his tone. My throat felt tight and ached with the held pressure of wanting to scream at him.

He wasn't mistaken. What worried me the most was that those notes, the ones from a child psychiatrist I had seen so many years ago, they were supposed to be sealed... "But the events helped to get yourself into a decent enough school to help you branch out. You had enough knowledge in many field that you would have proven to be the best subject in our pool."

He had certainly done his research... He replayed my whole life for me in bullet points and it just steadily made me want to scream.

"As much as I... Appreciate that walk down memory lane, let me make something clear to you. I'm a person, not a subject or a goddamn lab rat for you!" I throw back my body trembling as glimpses of my past threatened to fill my mind. No. I pushed them away. I couldn't think about that right now. Couldn't afford to let that swallow me or cloud my thoughts. "You signaled me out. You ruined my job, my body, hell, my life!"

"I wouldn't call it ruined. More like... Enhanced."

"Enhanced?" I gaped at him. "How?!"

"Can't you tell?" He asked. "I will admit, you were not what we had in mind. But you said it yourself. You and your mind can adapt at a rate that baffled us. So we decided to try out something… new."

"I can read a book with the best of them and you thought that I would be perfect for pumping a virus into?" I felt like vibrating and was tempted to throw the desk chair at the window. "Maybe you should try it sometime if you think that sounds like a bright idea, you black pleather wearing son of a bitch!"

That had his jaw tensing just a little.

"What makes you think I haven't?" A glint of something flashed in his eyes that had muscles in my back tensing. He stepped closer to the glass and I could see that pale sickly blue change into something else. "But instead of thinking about me and my adventurous ways, why don't we take a closer look at you." He leaned back. "I had always assumed that the variety of effects the virus brings about on its host were mere random mutations. However, witnessing first-hand the effects on some other subjects combined with what I know of other transformation points to a common thread between their outcomes."

"What's your point, Wesker?" I gritted out.

"The point is, is that the host's mindset appears to influence the evolution of the virus." He stood a little taller. "From what I have been told, before our experiment, you didn't have quite the temper. Though I can admit, your newfound tenacity is... respectable." That had me narrowing my eyes at him. "Your sight has been greatly improving as well as your reflexes. And that is surely only the beginning."

"B-beginning?" I echo cautiously.

"Oh yes. Though it seems you have already begun to find that out yourself, haven't you?" He jerked his head towards the hallway. "Colton's out there, and he barely managed to babble something about you wrecking his lab and demanding to see me before he slipped into some kind of state. One that seems to makes him incapable of doing any work related to what we are trying to accomplish here. I may as well have been speaking to a toddler." He blew out an irritated breath. "Since he didn't prove to be useful anymore, I had him disposed of." He waved his hand and I felt my stomach clench tightly.

"Just like that?" When he nodded as if the conversation was a bore to him, I couldn't believe it. What had I done to him?

Had I unintentionally gotten a man... killed? The urge to vomit had me swallowing harshly.

"From what I can gather your mind is truly your best asset. It's.." he paused for a beat and then, his sickening grin graced his face. "Fascinating. I watched you fumble in the boardroom earlier though. That was not pleasing but you are in the early stages."

"Early stages." I shake my head in disbelief. "Do you even know what they mixed the virus with?"

He shrugged. SHRUGGED!

"In all honesty, I let Umbrella scientists do their jobs. That's what they're paid for. I know that yours like several other are unique. The only one with knowledge of what is in your body is Colton, his work behind you and you. Well in a physical sense, that is. I will say I was curious and didn't press to ask since there was an off chance that you wouldn't make it past the dosage stage. But now that you have taken out the only scientist with the knowledge to have made you into something new and exciting leaves me feeling very… annoyed. Then again, it would take nothing to take a sample of your blood and find out what it is."

"Not going to happen." I crossed my arms and watched him shift into a look that was fully displeased.

"What makes you think that you can stop me?" He inquired SMUGLY. "I am stronger and faster than you. You who are incapable to keep you head straight." As he started towards the door leading to the exit of his adjoining room I threw out something, anything to make him stop.

"MSD-6377." It was the slow stop to his easygoing walk that had me feeling a hint of pleasure. "It's your ID number, right?" "I saw it while going through the corrupted files. Along with a little more information about you."

"That's all?" He almost smirked as he looked over his shoulder. "That's from several years ago."

"And yet, even with information that is however old, when the BSAA comes here to find out what you have been doing to people, people like me, then you will no doubt, have to run and hide." That had him turning back around to look at me through the glass. His face had shifted into mild irritation. "And if you think that you can take any of the information from me or this building and get away nick free, you're mistaken." His head tilted to the side a little, almost like he needed a new angle to fully look at me. "See, you think that you can mess with my life, and I can't mess with yours." For the first time since we had spoken, I found myself smirking. "But I can."

"And what happens when the BSAA find out you are one of the carriers of this virus? Hmm? Think they're just going to let this go, let you walk around or put you down like those in Racoon City?" He scoffed. "You are what I have made you to be." Those words would haunt me for years to come. "The sooner you accept that, the easier it will be to accepting the gift you have been given. Only a handful of human truly matter. Everyone else is just so much chaff."

"I would rather die staying true to who I am, then change into something I can hardly recognize. If that makes me chaff then so be it."

"Foolish sentiment." He stepped away and paced in front of the glass. I could see his hands clenched at his sides and that gave me hope. Seems my BSAA dig got him at the very least, feeling nervous. "I don't think you understand what I am trying to say." He dragged out tensely. "You may be blind to it, but there is something about your biological makeup that is accepting of this spliced virus. And once we increase the dosage amount, we shall see how much changes. Aren't you even the least bit curious?"

"Foolish or not, you can bet your ass you ain't leaving here with any access to any goddamn information on any floor in this building unless you give me what I need."

"Its charming that you think I need or require access to this building." He looked at me pensively. "But what is it you think you need?"

"I want this virus out of me! I'm not curious I want-"

"What, you think we created a cure? Some type of serum?" He mocked. I held my nerve.

"I think you did." I stated. "If not for humanity then for yourself. Because like everything you have endorsed, they are still without control. Just like me." That had his face slipping back into a blank slate, but I didn't miss the twitch in his jaw. He looked ready to pounce. And so was I.

"There isn't one." He bit out. "You want a cure; you can find that out all by yourself. Not that you will have the chance."

"Computer. Seal Lab Observation room P7H0-TO5 with my authorization." I heard the ping even from my side of the glass but that wasn't even the best part. No, the best part was the look on Wesker's face when he heard the lock click and turned with such fast movement that if I had blinked I would have missed it. Instead, he pulled and jerked the doors to get out and when that didn't give way, his arm hit the door with enough force that the ground under my feet shook.

"State of the art. Stronger than bullet proof glass." I told him and managed to conceal my wince when he tried harder a few more times by subtly leaning away. Looking over the glass I sent up a silent thanks to science. "Its seems your enhancements.." I say slowly looking back to him, "are still in need of work."

"You've really started to become quite and inconvenience for me." His eyes flashed a dark red, even visible through the dark lenses.

"And to think, the only thing that's stopped me from being such, was a thin firewall that was put in thanks to someone you hired." I stepped back from the glass and gestured all around me. "But now, after this, I really don't give a shit about you or this job anymore. And you can threaten to hunt me down, to capture or kill me but you can't kill me, because not only am I a new experiment that hasn't gone pop, yet and you want to keep me under observation. But you now need the information that's rattling around in my head. Because the rest will be gone. In more ways than one." I go to my bag, my steps picking up in pace when I hear more hard bangs on the glass.

"Computer!" I called out and waited until the computer hummed. Wesker's eyes moved from me to the large computer as a faint green light turned on indicating it was listening. "Cue information transfer command and upon completion, que Shred authorization alpha-8-L1T7S."

'Authorization Confirmed, Ms. Buchanan. Connection successful. Starting commands.'

The rooms around us grew busy as people began to call out in panic and try to shut down their computers as their screens were scattered with lines of code before flashing blue then shutting off.

Wesker looked fit to be tied. "Now I can't stay here long. Only because I have already blown the whistle on this place, so that gives you… hmm," I glance to my watch and tilt my head side to side, debating. "however long. But from what I understand is that you, Albert Wesker, are wanted for more than one count of Bioweapon terrorism. And when I am out there, they wont bother with, how did you say it?" I tiled my head, my hair falling in front of my eyes. "little ol' plain me." That had his eyes, a one sickly blue goes reptilian red as he glared at me.

"I am going to get to the very bottom of this, go all the way back to the beginning of all this if that's what it takes... And when I do, I am going to find a way to make my life mine again. And I will not die simply because I am an experiment, an inconvenience or a loose thread to someone like you. But mark my words, Albert Wesker. Whether its me or someone else who does it, you will get what's coming to you."

Grabbing my bag and stalking back to the glass, I stare him down. I see he had made a few spiderweb fractures to the glass but nothing on my side.

"You might not have a memory like mine, Albert Wesker," I enunciate his name as I put my face right up to the glass, never once taking my eyes off him. "but you will remember that."

Turning on my heel, I get the hell out of there and did my best to ignore the frantic thumping as Wesker tried to physically get out of that room. I got the feeling it wouldn't take him long, even if he managed to break through. I had to get out of here. Hustling through the hallways, I recall the layout and hurry to the stairway avoiding the elevator at all costs. I almost make it to the door when sirens start blaring and red lights flash on and off. The scientists looks round and its like all hell breaks loose. They start throwing their stuff on, packing shit away with such a frantic flair that I could only would imagine would be because they have a particular alert for someone who is about to crash this party. And that they were close by.

"Something is wrong with the system!" … "I can't access my files!" … "My work is gone!" … "We need to gather the physical copies and leave!"

Those were the last words from those scientist that I heard before I was opening up the stairway and hauling ass up the stairs. Each floor passed in a blur, the sounds of my footsteps echoing all around the walls, the sound of my breath racing out of my lungs and soon, I was busting out of the door to the ground floor. I was away from any exit that I could use and took off down the hallway, avoiding any and all large groups of people that were racing out of the building.

I was nearing the lobby when an arm shot out from an open doorway and caught me in the shoulders. With the added weight of my backpack and my gear, I felt my feet leave the floor and my back soon met it, the air not returning to my lungs for a long second. I was grabbed by my shoulders and lifted to be tossed into the room where the arm must've shot out from.

"Bet you're the bitch that caused this, aren't ya?" I knew that voice. Blinking hard, I gasped in air and was met with Dave's face again.

"Get out of my way you dumb gorilla." I managed to get out. My mind flaying out in panic when I heard a distant sound of a robotic voice on the overhead speakers.

'Toxic chemicals in the air detected. Initiating lockdown sequence.'

The vials downstairs. I kicked out with my legs in hopes of getting space between him and me, he just grabbed onto my foot and with a strength I didn't anticipate, lifted me up and threw me into a set of metal filing cabinets. Getting up, I wince at the ache in my ribs.

"Fine. You wanna do this?" I drop my bags and push the tendrils that are in my face, out of it. "Alright." I take a slow breath and calm my breathing. From shoulder-to-shoulder stings like hell and every breath makes me feel it. "Lets dance, big guy."

Dave took in a deep breath, and his chest puffed out, the veins in his neck fattened. He was ready to swing. He was the kind of man who had a tell so obvious, it was practically written across his forehead.

'You keep your face straight. Your body loose. Your steps light. And if you do it right, they'll never know it's coming. Its smooth and graceful.' Jin had said.

Dave's face turned from ruddy to crimson right before he reached over and grabbed my wrist. He pulled my arm toward him, as if he meant to twist it behind my back.

I kicked with my right foot, catching his knee, the kneecap bending inward a little. He howled and let go of my wrist, so I threw a backhanded fist, catching him across the temple. When he staggered backwards I braced for when he came back at me like a charging bull. Stepping sideways, I catch his wrist, spin and move his momentum away from me and bending at the waist, I have him up and flipping over himself to land flat on his back, his head crashing against the stone floor with such an intensity I started to lean over to see if he was okay when I hear the sound of a gun being cocked by my ear.

I freeze. I knew how to disarm when held and point blank but I had never had a real one drawn on me before.

"You caused quite a bit of commotion haven't you, Ellie?" I knew that voice. I turn to look over my shoulder and just beyond the barrel of the handgun that was pointed at me, was Mike. Dressed in his Security uniform still, but some blood was trickling down the right side of his face from his temple. "You better have a good reason for all this hubbub."

"I hope you got my message." I turn to face him and freeze when the barrel presses harder into my temple. "Mike?"

"You said.. these people.. the scientists.. were experimenting on people.. Like you?" I manage a tight nod and gesture with a slow hand to my face. "Then that means.. You one of those things.. those.. monsters."

How… could I even begin to tell him? I couldn't. I didn't have time.

"Mike please… let me go. Just let me go." I didn't have it in me to mental press forward, the sirens, the people screaming, the gun fire, the adrenalin.. it was all too much. "Its still me. I'm still me. For what its worth, that's all that matters right now." When his gun lowered, he just jerked it away from him towards the exit then moved out of my way. I got to my feet cautiously, feeling like a sudden movement would only make matters worse.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." He bit out tightly. "I hate owing favours. We," he gestured between the two of us with a hard look on his face that had me swallowing, "are even." We both flinched when a vent above our heads burst with a thick white vapor and instinctually I covered my face, Mike did the same. Shoving me out of the hallway, he moved me through the crowds, some stood on the grass lawn to watch, some were being taken down to the ground by officers then getting handcuffed and others, like us were hightailing it out. I got the first breath of fresh evening air in my lungs and felt my whole world change in an instant.

Gunshots ran out again, people screamed, I heard several cars start up, their tires squealing to get out of the parking lot and with a hard shove, I am propelled forward.

"Now, RUN!"

It didn't sound like Mike, the voice sounded different, and yet I dint stop to ponder it. So I did. I ran. God, did I run. I made it nearly to the end of the lot line before I looked back and saw Mike being grabbed by several people before police officers joined him at his side. I didn't see Taniesha once and that had me slowing. I wanted to stop, turn around and do something. Anything. It was a good thought until I saw a chopper soaring through the sky, a beam of white light shining from the nose of it to the building below. I recognized the acronym. There was both my hope and my physical finger to Wesker all in one.

But I couldn't stay here. I couldn't be in the same place with a potential Wesker bomb ready to blow up and be in that vicinity. I made a promise to him that I would figure out where this all started. Then, and maybe then I could do some good and fix what they had done to me.

With that thought, I sprinted towards the future, leaving my past theoretically, burning behind me.

AN:

Hello guys!

So this chapter took a little while to be written and for that, I have made it a little longer in apology.

I was worried that I would have to break this up into two chapters but I really wanted to keep a whirlwind feel to this chapter because that's kind how our leading lady is feeling right now.

I know this chapter is a lot to process but I would appreciate any words at all because I will admit, I had a hard time writing this one for several reasons that I wont bore you with but I hope it doesn't show in my writing. You guys light up my day with your reviews and they make me want to keep writing…

AND FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PLAY; HERE ARE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU!

Who wants a friend like Taniesha?

What do you think about Elodie's blooming abilities?

How did you guys feel when she spoke up in the boardroom?

What do you think about her confrontation to her 'results'?

Did you suspect her plan in the laboratories?

(And if you are feeling up for it)

What was your favourite line when Elodie confronts Wesker?

Tell me yours, and Ill tell you mine!

Next chapter to be up hopefully soon/1 Started a new job so things are going to be a little strained, but believe in me and I will deliver as fast as I can!

Until next time!

~IMME