Test and Prey
Experiment log #2033, 22nd of February, 1998.
I, Dr. Alex Wesker, and my assistant Daniel Fabron shall conduct a field test as part of Project: Resistance.
The experiment is carried out at an abandoned warehouse filled with B.O.W.s, using four test subjects as participants of the research. All subjects are injected with a virus of my own creation to determine whether they can cope with high level of adrenaline in their blood… and that adrenaline rush is triggered through intense emotions such as fear, agony, and loss.
A document folder on my work table contains everything I have written about the current batch of subjects. Fabron can take a look if he wants to, but I don't need to read them again.
Firstly we have Dominic Johnson, 31 years old male, a recidivist who was arrested thrice for theft and is due to be transported off Raccoon City.
Next, we have Julie Santos, 17 years old female, a high school student allegedly expelled for endlessly vandalizing her school's facilities and was subsequently banished from her home.
And then we have two siblings, James and Quinn Parsons, 23 and 20 years old respectively, both are currently homeless and in dire need of money.
The world does not need their pitiful and purposeless existence. I mean, really, look at these people. A former prisoner, an expelled student, and homeless siblings. What can they contribute to this world in their current state? Society will be better off without them.
That is why they are here.
That is why they are best suited as expendable assets to Umbrella Corporation.
XXXXX
Being a young Licker is hard, especially when it comes to finding food.
This one is still new when it comes to hunting, for this Licker is newly taken out of its testing chamber, so it relies on its older Licker companions to bring down four interesting entities that may become their new kill today.
Yes, these four preys, the Two-Legs as the Licker likes to keep in mind, are quite dangerous compared to the lumbering things which reek of decomposing flesh. Unlike them, the Two-Legs are quick-footed and able to fight back. Sometimes the Licker may feel them physically striking it with hard objects; other times, the Two-Legs are throwing sharp things at it with surprising speed. The physical violence isn't solely directed at it, but also to the lumbering rotten things.
The young Licker feels uncertain.
But that uncertainty turns into motivation when it smells blood. Yes, an older Licker successfully lands a hit on a Two-Leg, causing it to scream in pain and retaliates by killing its assailant. Blood trickles down from it, invigorating the remaining two Lickers as they seek to claim the Two-Legs as their own. The dead Licker is left behind, now nothing more than a corpse.
The injured prey is slowing down the group significantly.
That doesn't mean they won't keep fighting, however. Once in a while, a Two-Leg may throw another sharp thing, puncturing the Licker's muscle to deter its chase.
The younger monster tries to corner them before they escape farther. It manages to sneak into a narrow gap in the wall while the older one herds the prey entities from behind.
Sneaking through this dark tunnel, the young Licker patiently waits until the Two-Legs get close enough for an ambush attack. And when they do, it immediately jumps at them with lethal speed.
One prey is caught beneath the Licker's grasp.
It goes straight for the Two-Leg's throat to kill it quickly, but the Two-Leg prey raises its arm to protect itself. The Licker's teeth snapped shut around the prey's arm. The commotion draws the attention of another Two-Leg, which promptly hits the young monster away from the downed prey.
Now two of the prey creatures are wounded.
Disoriented, the Licker hisses furiously as it senses its preys making a run for their lives. Crawling on its four limbs, the Licker makes a mad dash at the Two-Legs, ignoring its older companion which fell at their hands. If it succeeds at bringing them all down, then all the meat will belong to the young monster.
Soon, the monster rapidly closes in on them, but then it senses something else in the vicinity…
The smell of muck and decay. The deep growling sound. The feeling of dozens of long, thin limbs flailing all over the place…
It is here! The Ugly Slime!
The Licker fears it. The Licker hates it. The Ugly Slime is the most unknowable thing that it has ever known. It cannot see, yet it remembers the sensation of being trapped and squeezed so tightly by Ugly Slime's limbs, so when the telltale signs of the Slime's presence enter its senses, the Licker retreats to a safer place… preferably somewhere high and far away that can be reached by no one…
If the skinless creature can feel emotion, it may feel sorry for the Two-Legs as they possess no claws, no fangs, not even a long tongue to save themselves from Ugly Slime's merciless grasp. From what the Licker has heard before, Ugly Slime always eats its victims messily.
Boy, does the Licker hates being right. The sound of meat being squeezed and smashed, coupled with wet slurping sounds convinces the young monster that Ugly Slime is being gluttonous today. The Two-Legs' panicky screaming does not help, either. Not long after the Ugly Slime's assault on the prey creatures, a loud sound echoes in the area. It sounds like something is being thrown across the place, hitting many objects in the way; perhaps Ugly Slime dislikes that one prey.
The Licker can only wish for the Ugly Slime to leave behind some scraps from the Two-Legs after it is done playing with them.
The Licker remains huddling in its little corner when it smells one prey entity running past its hiding spot. Aha, so a Two-Leg manages to escape the Ugly Slime's long limbs!
This chance to get a decent meal must not be squandered!
Jumping out of its hiding spot, the Licker dashes towards the sole surviving Two-Leg while it's out of breath, unable to run anymore. The monster surprises its prey with a pounce, followed by clawing the prey's chest three times and then finishing it via a bite to the throat. The Two-Leg's squeal of terror is swiftly silenced.
The Licker lets out a triumphant hiss at its victory.
XXXXX
A final note; three test subjects are killed by Yateveo, while the last one ends up as Licker chow.
With the conclusion of this test, I write down some final thoughts before facing Fabron.
In the meantime, the Licker busies itself with the fresh corpse it has slaughtered, unable to hold its hunger anymore. I see this as a good alternative to the standard cadaver disposal procedure. All the wardens have to do is simply contain the Licker and other adjacent B.O.W.s and the scientists can begin decontaminating the arena, as well as burning up the remains of the Licker's food.
"I knew they would never survive, but all in all their performance was the most interesting we've seen," I voice my thoughts on the test subjects. "On one hand, we had two siblings that are constantly on each other's throat. On the other hand, we had a recidivist and an expelled high school student surprisingly adept at working together to overcome obstacles."
"Oui, doctor. I don't think we'll find another group of test subjects with such an interesting dynamic."
"Let's not burst into tears so quickly, Daniel. We're still in possession of twenty-eight subjects ready to be put into the arenas."
Come to think of it, we do have three more arenas for future testing, and none of them have been used yet. Justified, since they are just recently constructed. I open up my PDA to check them. Ok, so we have a disused laboratory, a casino, and an amusement park as new testing arenas for Project: Resistance. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, so we cannot waste too many resources for the experiment.
Personally, I consider the last one to be intriguing. This park consists of a haunted mansion, a cart ride through a tunnel with scary ornaments, and a plaza area. The entire setting is dark, cramped, and labyrinthine if I'm not mistaken, which is perfect for stimulating fear and disquiet in test subjects. More adrenaline means the virus travels faster in their bloodstreams.
"Which arena will you use next, Dr. Wesker?"
"I'd like to use the amusement park arena if you don't mind."
"Trḕs bien, consider it done, doc. I'll have Mr. X ready once you give the green light."