Chapter IV: Don't You Drink Their Poison Too
A few months passed and Alexia found herself in the Antarctic Labs of Umbrella. While she was pleased with her success, she had yet to receive any word of congratulations from Dr. Birkin. But she was not yet persuaded to lose her optimism. After all, she had not sent him any letter of praise when he too had accomplished the same feat (and being but seven years old at the time was no excuse for her behavior). So instead of pining over the lack of attention, she focused on the arrival of her brother and father at the labs.
While Alexia resided in the Antarctic, Alfred had been forced to remain in England. Not that he hadn't desperately attempted to join his sister in the isolated, frozen land of course. He had pleaded and begged with his father (something that the boy rarely allowed himself to do) but to no avail. Alexia was certain that she could have swayed her father's decision but she was the one that wished for her sibling to remain in Europe. She was aware that it was somewhat a decision of cruelty considering how much Alfred hated everything about their home (excepting herself when she had lived there) but she did not wish for any distractions from her work. For this reason, she also ordered her doting father to stay at home, allowing both only to visit once every two months. The young researcher could only imagine the tangible tension smothering the Ashford Manor.
Because of these visits, which Alexia figured she would find to be quite frequent, she had ordered for bedrooms to be built, including one for herself. The girl refused to use any sleeping quarters used by her father and had begrudgingly taken to sleeping in her office until their completion, for she would rather be uncomfortable than use a room that belonged to Alexander or spend any time in the living quarters of the employees, who were obviously quite below her rank. The rooms that were built upon her request weren't nearly as lavish as the ones in England but they still had a sense of pointless elegance. However, as of yet, the construction of the bedrooms had been the most excitement the Umbrella employees had seen since Alexia had become head researcher. Though Alexia needed very little time to be caught up to the type of research that Umbrella was conducting (the nature of which, she was a little surprised to find, didn't bother her in the least), she hadn't exactly made any progress so far.
Life at the labs proved to be not much different than life at home or university for Alexia, only it was slightly more interesting. Some small secret hope had nestled its ways inside her mind, a hope that maybe, just maybe, that they wouldn't view her as just a demanding child or that uncontrollable jealousy wouldn't permeate the air; that they would simply exalt her. But of course, it was the opposite of the reality she desired. But Alexia had an effective way to remedy this disappointment.It's better this way. If they liked me, I might be forced to pretend that I actually like them. A queen doesn't need her peons to like her, she just requires them to do her biding. This is exactly the same. And so most of her time was spent in solitude, or at least as much time as she could possibly spend on her own.
Alexia stood in the hangar waiting with feigned impatience, she truly had nothing else of importance to see to but acted that way simply because it was in her usual nature. However, she was beginning to feel a bit antsy as the seconds passed by like minutes. She really didn't know why, she was never all that happy when her guests came to visit for a week or so. Certainly, she would be all smiles for them and be as amiable as was expected of her but she never really found any real joy in seeing them. Then again that joylessness was applicable to anyone she saw, a way of being that mixed strangely with her previous hope of being accepted by her fellow researchers. Still, people became more of a nuisance day by day and she tried to spend as much time solitarily as possible.
She knew why she had such a dislike of people now (or at least a greater dislike than she had previously had) but she refused to acknowledge the fact any change in her character had taken place. Over the few months, she had tried to forget any memories she had of university but those remembrances still seemed to float about in a ghostly fashion within her mind. There was only one person in the entire universe who she still wished to meet. She was convinced nothing would ever change her mind, nothing would deter her determination. Dr. Birkin…
She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of the blades of a helicopter, the chopper slowly landing before her. She planted a welcoming smile onto her small lips, shivering in the freezing air that filled the room despite the extra layers of clothing she had specifically put on to fight the low temperature. She welcomed her guests back for their second visit, her brother was beaming with joy while her father beamed with pride. Alexia spouted empty words of happiness at their arrival and showed Alfred to his new room before excusing herself to retire to her own bedroom that was right beside his. With Umbrella constantly questioning her about any results in her research, she had been working tirelessly. She now had a tendency to work all day and night, only taking a few hours to sleep every morning. If she didn't make some progress soon she was somewhat… afraid that Umbrella might then ignore her genius and terminate her employment.
Changing into a nightgown, Alexia climbed into bed and laid down with a yawn. I must think of something… but how can I manipulate the strand of the virus they gave me into something new and interesting? Something of value… She sighed quietly, wondering how it was possible that she, a girl with unmatched brilliance, could not formulate some plan, some idea, for a job she had worked so very hard for. She let her eyes fall shut heavily, wanting to forget for just a while about her work and Umbrella. She wanted to dream of something pleasant, something transcendent, something ethereal. Love.
And then she woke up however she did not wake up in reality. Her eyes instead opened upon a dream world, a dream world tinted red. But the overall colour clouding her vision was secondary in her thoughts compared to the pair of familiar eyes gazing back into her own. Although she could not see the colour, Alexia could somehow feel that they were the same shade of clear blue that her own eyes held. The small face held a worried expression streaked with tears.
"Mommy," the young girl whispered with concern, "Mommy, your tummy… your tummy hurts, doesn't it?" Alexia sat up, feeling confused at the girl's words but at the same time realized that they were true. She couldn't physically feel the pain but she knew it was there, searing through her stomach as if it were about to burst from the inside. She looked down at her stomach only to see it bulging beneath the peach gown.
She looked back up at the mirror image of herself and stroked the girl's blond hair soothingly. She felt herself looking at this child with so much adoration and pride, two emotions that she didn't think she would ever feel toward another person, real or imaginary. Yet somehow, the unborn child causing her pain seemed to be more dear to her heart. "Do not worry, my dear. Mommy will be having a baby soon. And then we all shall be very happy."
The young child shook her head vehemently. "But Mommy, it's hurting you really, really bad! I don't like the thing in your tummy at all!" The girl was quiet for a moment and Alexia took a moment to look around the room. It was a plain room, the only furniture in the room being the bed Alexia sat on. Everything was covered in silky sheets floating in the winter wind that was seeping through the roots and thorns that covered the windows. It looked like she was in the tower of a familiar castle. "You should get rid of it, mommy."
"Don't be silly, dear. Once the baby is born, I am sure that you will love your new brother or sister." Alexia cooed lovingly to the little girl. But the child didn't want to listen, she believed that she knew what was best for her mother. She promptly started crying again before running off, clutching to the skirts of a woman standing in the opposite corner of the room. Alexia hadn't noticed the woman standing there before but she recognized the figure that was legendary among the Ashford clan. Veronica Ashford.
"'Ronica! 'Ronica Mommy won't listen to me! Tell her that the baby is bad! The baby is hurting Mommy!" She sobbed into the purple skirts as the woman tried her best to console the girl but she did so in a detached manner. Veronica looked up and simply stared at Alexia in a chilling manner, but Alexia refused to remove her gaze from her ancestor.
"Well, what shall you do?"
"I will keep this child, of course. My children are important to me." Alexia answered, unmoved by her other child's tears. However, Alexia couldn't seem to fathom exactly why her unborn child was so essential to her considering the constant pain it put her through. But she refused to give up a baby that was so inexplicably close to her heart.
"Very well. Though you should know that little Veronica here has been waiting so very long for your return. You have been asleep for many years." The elder Veronica replied, motioning to the young Veronica still clinging to her regal dress. "However, if that baby is of such significance to you then you must keep it regardless of the repercussions."
Alexia was about to ask Veronica of what consequences she spoke of but before she could a new scene began to play in her dreams. Red. There was red absolutely everywhere and this time it wasn't just the tainted color of the dream itself. No, it was definitely blood. Alexia could almost feel the thick crimson fluid dripping warmly from her hands and mouth, staining her innocent peach taffeta gown with an eerie shade of red. But where did it come from? She looked down at the person the blood belonged to. William Birkin, his entire torso torn to ribbons and Alexia was clearly able to see the mutilated organs scattered about his body.
Alexia felt as if she were about to be very sick but a feeling in her stomach told her to keep eating. But she couldn't. She examined his body and also noticed the strewn bits of fabric in colors that reminded her of dragonflies, feeling like she could feel the insects writhing within her mouth and stomach. But what was more distracting was the eagle chained to his right wrist, trying desperately to fly away and she could see it's heart pumping furiously… on the outside of its chest. It made her hungry again.
"Are you quite satisfied now?"
Alexia turned around suddenly, only to see her ancestor once more, looking at her with a perfectly stoic expression. The young Ashford stood up carefully, casting one last glance at William and wondering why she would ever kill her beloved in such a way. "What do you mean?" She questioned Veronica. "Why is this happening? And where is my little Veronica?"
"Veronica is now a part of you."
"What do you mean she is a part of me now?"
"You ate her. Do you not remember? That unborn child of your's… Venus I believe you called her… she made you devour young Veronica."
"You're lying! You must be!" Alexia screamed immediately, but she knew her denial would fix nothing. "No, I'll get them back… I'll get them back…" She wasn't entirely sure what happened next or what she did but suddenly she began vomiting up everything she had eaten, blood and distorted body parts mixing in a pile of acid on the floor. Collapsing to the ground, she began to futilely try to put the parts back together. But slowly ants began to crawl from the gore and eat the mess on the ground. "Get away! Don't touch her, you stupid creatures!"
At that point, Veronica went over to Alexia and attempted to calm her down. "Stop, Alexia. Those ants are all that's left of Veronica. Those ants are Veronica." Her words seemed to work. Alexia stopped thrashing about but tears came down her face in waterfalls, cascading in trails of sorrow and hopelessness. "Protect them, they're all you have left." Alexia nodded and then the scene quickly changed again.
Veronica was gone, William's corpse was gone, the vomit on the ground was gone. Alexia was alone and clutching her stomach fiercely. It had never hurt that much before. "Venus… calm down. I'll find you more food. You must wait." She whispered to her stomach through clenched teeth. But the unborn child of love would not wait and Alexia could feel the girl chewing her way out from the inside until she felt something bite her arm. She pulled both arms away and peered down at her stomach in horror. What she saw wasn't a baby, she would never consider the monster dwelling inside her body a baby. "Get back inside, don't come out." She pleaded but crimson fluid began to cover her body and the monster named Venus continued to content itself with chewing on her mother's internal organs. But still… Venus was still so very dear to her… so very dear…
Alexia awoke with a start and her hands went instinctually to her stomach. The scientist breathed a sigh of relief to find nothing amiss and settled back into the bed. She glanced at the clock and deemed it was time to get ready for another day of what she thought would probably hold nothing more than disappointing results. After dressing herself and doing all other necessary things she believed were needed to look presentable, she made her way towards her personal office. However, along the way she heard a sound of glass crashing followed by much vulgar cursing.
Annoyed and curious, Alexia made her way towards the sounds until she arrived at the door of one of her staff. She knocked politely, inquiring as to what the problem was and asked if she may enter. When she didn't receive a reply, she huffed with impatience and after a moment or two, entered regardless of permission. "What is going on in here?" She demanded as soon as she walked in, watching with vague interest at the antics of the researcher frantically moving about the bed.
"I was trying to move my ant farm…" The man began to explain.
Alexia couldn't help but get a look of questioning upon her face. Why would anyone ever think of bringing ants, of all creatures, to the Antarctic? She thought as she crossed her arms and stared at the ants now crawling all over the sheets of the bed.
"But I accidentally tripped and the whole thing just fell all over the bed."
Alexia was not impressed with the researcher's clumsiness. "I hope," she began in a cold voice, matching her equally frozen glare, "that you don't show such carelessness while you are working."
"O-Of course not, Dr. Ashford."
Alexia more or less ignored the annoying man's reply and cast another glance to the ants that began to explore the fabric they had landed on. "Well then, what do you intend to do with these ants?" She knew that naturally there was no way the ants could survive the freezing air that captured the Antarctic but with various samples of the Progenitor around the facility there was no telling what could possibly happen to the insects if all employees proved to be as inept as the man that stood in the room with her.
"I'll exterminate them all. I believe that would be the simplest solution."
As the man began to move about to start the procedure to get rid of the insects as soon as possible, Alexia just stood for a moment. But without any warning, rage suddenly had a tight grip on her. "You will do no such thing." She ordered immediately with sibilance snaking through her voice. She pushed the man out of the way and began to collect the ants in some way. She didn't know why she was suddenly so angry for there was really no reason. Perhaps it was the dream or perhaps she didn't like the thought of the man killing innocent ants just because of his own bumbling ways. Either way she was determined to save the tiny creatures. "Leave." The man obeyed her order without a word, knowing it was best to avoid Alexia's wrath.
Alexia carefully gathered all (or at least many) of the ants back into their glass home. She then left the room and slowly made her way back to her office. Once she made the trek to the tasteful work space, she entered the small lab attached to the room setting the ants in an enclosed space and removing them from the glass container with much care. She looked at them for a bit as she began to think of what she could try with the Progenitor for that day and her mind led her back to the thought she had briefly while in the graceless researcher's room. What would happen if an ant came into contact with the Progenitor? Though I think it would be most wise to research the ants themselves first.
So Alexia gingerly searched for the queen ant, deciding that the mini monarch would be the best place to start. She spent hours in the small lab as she meticulously studied the tiny creature. But those hours spent with the imported fire ant queen proved to be entirely fruitless until Alexia found something strange. The queen held a strange strain of DNA that held properties that were familiar to the child genius, yet it was something she had never seen before, something that was endlessly fascinating to her.
She drew away from her work for a moment to think of plans, exhilarated by her new discovery. She needed more ants, food for the ants, inform her team of researchers of what she intended to do with the insects… I cannot believe my good fortune in happening upon this unique virus. If my plan works as I wish it to then perhaps finally Dr. Birkin will give me the recognition and attention I deserve.
More months passed and the month of December arrived quickly as Alexia's project made progress. She no longer lost sleep racking her brain to find a way to improve the Progenitor and to keep her position as the youngest head researcher of Umbrella. Instead life returned to the best normalcy that there could be when working for a corporation such as the pharmaceutical company. And Alexia found she had more time to spend with her family that pestered her and distracted her from her work. However, she still couldn't resist the urge to check how progress was going even when she knew she should have been visiting with them.
On the December visit, Alexia had been spending time with Alfred, admiring a portrait that now hung in the main hall replacing a picture that was once of Veronica Ashford. Alfred was scrutinizing the picture and Alexia was bored. "Don't you think there is something odd about this portrait, Alexia?" He questioned as he looked over the picture. There were random holes situated on the portrait and Alfred was certain it had something to do with the jewels the three of them possessed but he wondered what exactly it meant. Though he had to admit, the painter of the picture had successfully managed to transform the distant group into something that looked like a loving family. He thought it would be perfect if Alexander's hated figure hadn't been included.
"You're simply over thinking things, brother. As far as I know, Umbrella facilities have many meaningless little oddities. I'm sure that father is just following suit." She replied, crossing her arms and scanning about the hall, emoting a sense of ennui. She looked at the doors leading to their bedrooms (located to the left of the painting, up the stairs), the door to the right which led to where 'prisoners' (they were nothing more than guinea pigs) were kept, and finally her gaze fell longingly onto the blue doors leading towards the lab where her research was taking place. "While you contemplate Umbrella's sense of useless décor, I must go and check on my work."
"Again?" Alfred asked disappointedly and looked over to Alexia, his crestfallen expression matching the tone of his voice. He wasn't oblivious, he had noticed Alexia's increased aloofness, even towards him. Alfred had never been informed of what exactly happened at the university but Alexia always refused to talk about it, always finding something else to do or changing the topic of conversation entirely. It hurt him deeply that Alexia was acting so remote but he didn't want to press the matter in case he accidentally ended up hurting her. He would much rather die than cause his dear sister any unhappiness.
"Do not fear," she giggled light-heartedly, yet she still seemed detached, "I promise I will return." And with that, Alexia began her trip down to the lab on the floor below. Once she exited the elevator she began to walk towards the railing of the walkway, looking down below she admired the giant anthill that was slowly building. After a few moments, she turned and walked towards her office, wanting to gather a few papers from her desk. But as soon as she turned the corner, she heard the door to the lab open and heard loud talking. It was her father speaking to one of the researchers. Normally, she would have continued, but easily hearing the topic she couldn't help but eavesdrop (as rude as she knew that was).
"… Yes, that Birkin boy is insanely jealous of my sweet Alexia. I know it is horrible to say so, but it makes me feel more proud of my bright daughter. Especially, when you consider that the boy was once hailed as a prodigy himself but now he is simply eclipsed by Alexia's brilliance."
"Yes, it's no secret amongst Umbrella employees that Birkin absolutely hates Dr. Ashford."
"I have heard the same thing. I've never thought that I'd be so happy that someone loathes my daughter so completely."
Alexia didn't need to hear anymore, yet she couldn't move. It didn't matter anyway, all she could hear echoing throughout her mind were the words, "Birkin absolutely hates Dr. Ashford." She just stood there, shaking with disbelief and seething with unspoken rage. She stood there for a few minutes, barely registering the sound of the chattering dying away and the elevator rising up to the higher level. Lies… they're lying… my father and that imbecile are rotten liars… Dr. Birkin cannot hate me. Why would he hate me? I love him so why…? But Alexia ceased her thoughts immediately as soon as she admitted to herself that she loved him. Don't be silly. It isn't possible to love someone you've never met. So don't think such foolish thoughts… She thought as she fell against the wall, becoming the only support to keep her standing as she became dazed by her thoughts.
Still, she couldn't deny that thinking what she did felt right. It made her feel that strange happiness that she once felt when she had found his picture laying innocently among forgotten files. It made her heart leap slightly and made her want to smile despite the lies that swam through her head wickedly. Well, that isn't important at the moment. I must make sure that this falsity isn't true. But how can I achieve that? Her mind shifted through various ideas until she settled on one. If this fabrication is somehow real, then perhaps if he knows that I have no ill-will against him, he may then amend his hatred. Sending a gift seems to be an acceptable offer of peace. A Christmas gift will do nicely.
Alexia mindlessly made her way back to her room, not even slightly noticing Alfred's inquiries as to her disheartened state. She closed her door and locked it behind her, ignoring her brother knocking on her door and she began to search her room. What could I possibly give him? I need something with meaning. Something important to me. The only item she found was a large gold pendant. Aside from the jewel she wore on her choker, the pendant was the only other heirloom Alexia owned. It was an expensive piece of jewelry, very beautiful despite its age. It opened up so that a picture could be put inside (Alexia removed Veronica Ashford's picture) and could open yet again to hide something behind it. This will do.
Getting some paper and a pen, she sat down at her desk and began to write. In the missive, she explained the importance of the included gift, Alexia wanted him to understand she was willing to part with such a cherished object just for him. She made absolutely certain that no trace of her true feelings were shown in the letter, the girl wasn't prepared to confess her affection to him yet and definitely not through a letter. Once she finished the friendly but civil note, she began to wrap the pendant up to be received. Hopefully, he'll like it. My father's words were poison to my mind but Dr. Birkin will surely contradict that venom.
And there you have chapter four of this story. Sorry, this took me so long to write. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to research the different types of ants and come up for a reason for them to be in the one place they would never appear. X.x;
Anyway, on to more author notes.
1. The dream is a little messed up because this time I actually decided to go with what each thing meant symbolically. Luckily, most of the motifs of Code: Veronica fit with this not-so-much of a love story.
2. Sorry, if I went through the discovery of the virus a bit quickly, but I know next to nothing about science in general. So I didn't want to get too specific and screw things up.
3. Much thanks to MA-121 for the idea of the pendant. I must stop being lazy and getting ideas from you. XD
4. I think Venus the Zombie Fetus is my favourite character so far. XD
Anyway, next up we get to meet a certain doctor I know Alexia is dying to meet. ;)