This chapter is mostly how I left it with a few more conversations thrown in. Thanks to Writer's Anonymous for looking this over!
Chapter 4
End of July 1978
Albert stared up at the branches of the tree above, his lab coat spread beneath him with his arms folded under his head as a pillow. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the sun bore down on him through the leaves. His sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose, shielding his eyes from the sun's piercing rays. He shifted, stretching his arms before putting them back under his head. He needed moments like this, alone, to keep relatively sane in this facility.
It had been almost a year since he began his training at Umbrella's Management Training Facility, and it was starting to wear on him. Learning to be a responsible scientist was dull with all the classes he, William, and all the other trainees were required to take.
The only thing he vaguely liked about any of this was Marcus's studies with the Progenitor Virus. Despite the weirdness of his teacher, Marcus provided him with material that actually sparked his interest.
Now that it was summer, he was having a hard time concentrating in the hot stuffy classrooms of the facility. He didn't understand why, with how wealthy Spencer was, he couldn't afford to equip the facility with air conditioning. It was next to impossible to remain focused on the lectures when the heat was this bad. He was so envious of the trainees who were almost finished with the program.
The noise of rustling grass made him turn his head. William was making his way over to him. His shirt was open and his tie hung undone around his shoulders. When he reached Albert's side, he shrugged out of his lab coat and tossed both it and his book bag to the ground and sat down, back against the tree.
"It's hot," William whined, pushing his sweaty bangs out of his face.
"Your powers of observation never fail to amaze me," Albert said dryly, closing his eyes under the shades. As much as he enjoyed William's company, he had come out here to be alone, and didn't want to listen to him complain about the heat; that's all he seemed to do since the heat wave began.
"There were a lot of people in the conference room when I left."
"I recall hearing people talking when I passed it."
"Are you going to go?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I wasn't formally invited."
"Do you know what its about?"
He sighed. So much for getting quiet alone time. "I would assume that it has something to do with future assignments. Many of the other trainees are almost finished with the program."
"Oh." William slouched against the tree trunk. "Hey, Al, did you notice how Dr. Clegg messed up on the example-?"
"We are not in class anymore, William," Albert said, trying to sound irritated. Usually, if he sounded annoyed enough, William would stop doing whatever was getting on his nerves. "And how often have I asked you to not call me Al?"
William let out a large huff and pulled his bag toward him to get some work. Once he got the papers he wanted, he settled into the grass next to him and began reading.
Thankful that his attention was finally elsewhere, Albert returned to staring up at the tree above him. His thoughts returned to how much he wished he were almost done with the training facility. He felt confined here, unable to work on things that truly interested in him.
"Wesker! Birkin!"
"Now what?" he groaned and propped himself up on his elbows. He spotted Professor Todd moving through the trees, looking terribly exhausted.
"Wesker, Birkin," the professor panted as he finally reached them. He leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees and gasping. "Everyone...is waiting for you...in the conference room."
"Why is everyone waiting for us?" William asked, sitting up. He leaned forward, looking very pleased that people were waiting for his presence.
In Albert's opinion, it seemed as if William viewed it as reassurance that he was an important individual.
"Dr. Marcus is making an announcement that everyone needs to hear," Todd explained, pointing back towards the facility.
Nodding silently, he stood up and brushed the grass off his lab coat. He waited for William as he shoved all his papers and notes back into his book bag before starting off with Professor Todd to the facility.
Silence fell over all the other trainees as they stepped into the conference room. All of their eyes focused on them. William shrunk back into him, almost as if doing so would make them all stop looking at them.
Albert stared them down behind his dark sunglasses, despite the feeling that they were talking about them before they walked into the room. Trying to appear unfazed by the stares of the others, he placed a firm hand in the middle of William's back and pushed the younger boy forward, towards one of the open benches.
Dr. Marcus stood up as soon as the two settled into their seats. He moved slowly, almost as if he was hindered by something.
"Before I begin this meeting," Marcus said, grasping the edges of the podium as if he needed its support to stand. "I would like to reflect on our company motto. Obedience breeds discipline, discipline breeds unity, unity breeds power, power is life."
"Power is life," Albert rolled his eyes as he finished with the rest of the trainees. Marcus made the trainees "reflect on the company motto" at least once a day, making the whole thing seem like a cult ritual to him. But he figured if it secured his job, he'd do it smiling.
"My students," Marcus said, holding his hands out to them. He gave them a kind smile, one that a proud father would give his children. "I am glad that all of us are here together today."
"Yeah right," someone whispered from behind Albert and William. "I've been here for two years and I've only seen him twice."
The boys exchanged gleeful looks, knowing that they were the only ones who got to see Marcus on a relatively consistent basis. But they also knew it was why so many of the other trainees despised them so much. It never bothered them because they knew they deserved this special attention.
"This meeting was called to let you know of some important news." Marcus paused, his eyes looking a little glazed over. "I have been told that, as of tomorrow, July twenty-ninth, this facility will be shut down."
Murmurs of surprise and confusion washed over the crowd of trainees. The whispers were quickly replaced by cries of outrage and concern filled the room as they tried to grasp what that would mean for their future.
Albert glanced at William and could tell from the expression he wore that he also had no idea what to think about the new development. He thought back to the last time the two had seen Marcus to see if he had made any indication that the facility would be closing, but couldn't remember anything off about him.
"They are shutting down the Management Facility?" William looked bewildered. "Why would they do that?"
"I don't know," Albert replied, equally as confused. His eyes wandered over to where Marcus was standing, trying to regain control of the room.
"Attention, attention," Marcus said in a calming voice, holding his arms up. "Please be silent." As soon as the room quieted down, he continued with his speech. "Our company's great president, Mr. Spencer has decided to have other plans for this facility. I understand that many of you might be worried about your futures but there is no need. All of you will be given assignments at one of Umbrella's many different branches, which I will distribute to you in just a moment. For those of you who require more training to finish your degree, extra classes will be provided for you at the location you are assigned to. Thank you and have a good day."
When Marcus finished speaking, the trainees moved around him, eager to get their assignments. Albert stayed back, feeling slightly uncertain about this new turn of events. Why would Spencer close down the training facility so suddenly?
Something seemed off, and it bothered him to no end that he couldn't figure out what. But on the other hand, he was relieved that he would finally be working somewhere other then the Management Training Facility. It was the chance he has been waiting for!
"Hey, Al?" William asked, breaking Albert's thoughts. He was biting his lower lip and looking at his hands in his lap. "We're going to be transferred to the same location, right?"
"Going to miss me if we aren't?" Albert asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," William snapped, a little color rising in his cheeks. He folded his arms tightly over his chest and nodded toward the line of trainees. "I just don't want to get stuck being partnered with Harris or some of the other morons over there."
Albert smirked. Ever since the two had made the arrangement their first day here, William had all but attached himself to his hip. He rarely went anywhere without his older partner, and always consulted him for just about everything. He supposed it was some kind of protective mechanism, a way to not get pushed around in this place. It didn't bother him so much that William was so clingy because it saved him from having to deal with all the other idiots. It was a relationship that benefited them both, and Albert knew that William would not give up the one friend he had made while here.
"Did you say my name, Birkin?" Harris asked, swaying as he walked over to them. He had a piece of paper in his hand and gave them a smug smile. "Afternoon, Albert."
"George," Albert returned, a fake smile stretched across his thin lips. Just last week Harris had gotten under William's skin and Albert had to spend a good hour consoling the younger boy. He really was not in the mood to do so again.
"What do you want?" William asked, moving closer Albert.
Harris grinned back, his dark green eyes flashing. "I was curious to see what position you received. I don't know what they could give someone with the maturity level of a five year old!"
Albert sighed. "We haven't gotten ours yet. Where were you assigned to?"
Harris took a piece of paper out of his back pocket and held it up for both of them to see. Albert took off his glasses and read the paper. "Chicago?"
"Indeed," Harris said proudly, puffing his chest. "I was the only one assigned there. Most of these suckers were assigned to France, China, Rockfort, you know, crap locations."
"Did anyone get assigned to the Arklay Facility?" William asked quickly.
"Nope," snapped Harris, looking somewhat bitter. Everyone knew the Arklay Facility was where Umbrella's most prestigious researchers were sent. "But, there is always chance for advancement."
"Ah, there you are boys," Dr. Marcus came up to them, holding sheets of paper. "Both of you are going to be employed at the Arklay Research Facility as Chief Researchers. I felt that both of you were advanced enough in your abilities that you could handle the job. The Lab Manager and Mr. Spencer have both approved of my suggestion and you will begin immediately."
"Thank you," they said in unison. Albert's pride swelled at this revelation, and he immediately looked forward to starting. He had skipped all of the lower rungs and had gone straight to the top of the ladder. He glanced over at William and could see that he too, was experiencing a rush that inflated his ego.
"A helicopter will arrive tomorrow to take both of you to the Arklay Facility," said Dr. Marcus, looking at them carefully, perhaps noticing how this new position had just given them a rush of power. "Arklay is under Spencer's control so he will be watching you both. Make sure you do not displease him. Good afternoon."
Marcus bowed slightly to them and backed away. Albert watched him leave then turned back to Harris and had to hold back his laughter. Harris's face was reaching purple with rage and disbelief.
"I guess some people don't need to worry about advancing," William said, still looking too shocked to actually make it a good dig at Harris.
"Well…" Harris said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll be there a year from now to pick up the pieces of the failed facility." He gave them one final smirk and then swaggered off to join the rest of the trainees.
William opened his mouth to say something but Albert squeezed his shoulder. "Don't. He isn't worth your time."
The last day of July, the helicopter arrived at the Management Training Facility to pick up the two boys. Neither of the boys had ever flown in a helicopter before and William seemed especially excited about the trip. He kept his face glued to the window, marveling at the views from the height. Albert found the flight quite enjoyable but kept his excitement to himself. He had to keep some level of maturity so that everyone would take them seriously.
"There it is!" William exclaimed suddenly. He pointed out the window, smiling extremely widely. "There's the Spencer Estate!"
Albert scooted closer to him and looked out the window. Below them was a large expanse of forest, and right in the center of a clearing was the top of the Spencer mansion. The building was far enough away from Raccoon City to ensure privacy of all the experimentation going on but still close enough that should something bad happen, the researchers would be able to get to the safety of the city. But despite the mansion's true purpose, it looked rather ordinary from this height.
"It doesn't seem that special," Albert leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not something to be this excited about."
William rolled his eyes. "Do you ever get excited about anything?"
He tilted his head forward so he could look at William over the rim of his sunglasses. "There are very few things in life worth getting excited for."
The helicopter touched down on a helipad not far from the mansion. Waiting on the helipad was a middle-aged man dressed in a white lab coat. His brown hair was starting to grey at the edges and he had kind brown eyes framed by wrinkles. He smiled warmly at them when they exited the helicopter and Albert was surprised that he almost believed the man's smile was genuine.
"Welcome," the man said, reaching out with his hand to greet them. He took Albert's hand first. "My name is Mark Johnson, now the former Chief Researcher of this facility. You must be Doctor Birkin?"
"Actually, this is Doctor William Birkin," Albert inclining his head toward William. Normally he would have been annoyed at the mix up but the man seemed actually pleased to meet them. "I'm Doctor Albert Wesker."
"Ah," Johnson seemed a little taken aback by the correction but he quickly recovered. "Well then, welcome Doctor Wesker, Doctor Birkin." Johnson shook William's hand.
"Thank you," William said politely.
"I'm glad you both arrived so early," Johnson said, glancing at a watch on his wrist. "A majority of the staff has yet to go on lunch. You'll be able to meet them before they head out. Please, follow me." Johnson motioned for them to follow and started to head towards the mansion.
During their walk, William had pulled out some of the notes he had made on the Ebola project and was going over them. Albert assumed he was doing so because he hoped to impress Spencer, should the man ask them about it.
"Will we be meeting with Mr. Spencer?" Albert asked. He had hoped the President would be there for introductions. It would make a statement to the other researchers to show that he and William were not a team to mess with. He also hadn't seen Spencer since the man had offered him a job at Umbrella two years ago. There were so many questions swirling in his head about the reason the Management Facility was closed and he hoped that meeting with Umbrella's President would answer some of them.
The smile on Johnson's face fell. "Trust me, you don't want to meet with Spencer."
William looked up for the first time since they started walking but didn't say anything. Albert shrugged and the two continued forward.
After walking about five minutes, the three entered the clearing surrounding the mansion. It had a large entry, with a tall dark oak door. Columns stretched from the ground to the shingled roof. It almost fit what Albert's perception of Spencer; traditional and elegant, yet had a forbidding feel to it. While on the ride over, both William and Albert had been briefed on the layout of the area so there was no need for a tour.
"The labs are down in the basement," Johnson explained once they were inside. He showed them to an elevator. "All of the labs are down three floors."
The elevator door clicked open and the boys followed Johnson inside. Albert leaned casually against the wall behind him, arms crossed while William, completely oblivious, had his face buried in his notes.
The long descent finally came to a halt and the three stepped out into a large laboratory. Computers and experimental equipment filled the room. The center of the room had a large table with a horribly mutated woman chained to it. Her skin was discolored and her large humpback caused her to curl awkwardly on the table. Researchers surrounded her, all taking notes as they studied the woman.
William took a step closer to the woman and muttered something. Albert couldn't tell if it was praise, cursing, or just a general comment.
"Uh, everyone? I'd like to have your attention please," Johnson said loudly.
The scientists in the room stopped what they were doing and faced them. Many of them had looks of surprise when their eyes fell over Albert and William.
"Everyone, this is Doctor Birkin and Doctor Wesker, our new Chief Researchers."
A stunned silence followed Johnson's announcement. Albert could almost hear the spiel going through each of their heads: 'What? They are the new Chief Researchers? My god, they are practically children!' He had heard it so often it disgusted him.
"Doctor Birkin and I are pleased to be working here," he cut it, taking control of the situation. "We expect all of you to work hard and we thank all of you in advance for your complete cooperation. Now if Doctor Johnson would be so kind, we would like to begin introductions."
Johnson looked surprised at how quickly he had taken control but nodded and started to take them around the room for formal introductions. Albert concentrated on memorizing their names and what their jobs were, knowing full well that William would most likely forget to. Most of them were just consultant researchers who were going to be answering to them now. He tried his best to appear pleasant and normal, making small talk for both of them since William's social skills were inadequate at best. He could only hope that they were making a good impression to their new subordinates.
After meeting with all of them, Albert excused them so that they could settle into their new labs. Their current work on the T-Virus had been shipped ahead of them and Albert couldn't wait to begin research again. Dr. Johnson offered to show them to their new labs before going on lunch.
Their private lab was at the end of a long hallway, completely isolated from all the other labs which were located on the floor above. It was completely clean, with two desks and various file cabinets spread across the room. Two new computers were situated on each of the desks as well as state of the art microscopes. Albert was in awe of the whole thing. He especially smiled at the plaque on the wall with his name engraved on it with the words Chief Researcher under it.
"Besides this, there is a private office off to the side there," Johnson explained. "Usually my assistant, Victoria works in there. She will be working for you both instead now."
As if on cue, there were two short knocks on the door and a woman entered their lab. She was thin with wavy dark brown hair that fell about midway down her back. She had high cheekbones and blue-green eyes that were framed by dark lashes. Her nose was small and slightly upturned. She wore the standard white Umbrella lab coat over a lavender blouse and black skirt that reached to her knees. Albert could tell that she was young, roughly the same age as he.
"Doctor Johnson are these the new Chief Researchers?" She asked, her voice sounded slightly raspy.
"Ah yes," Johnson nodded. "Victoria, this is Dr. William Birkin and Dr. Albert Wesker."
Victoria smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Albert said. He waited for William to say something but he never did. Albert cast a sidelong glance at the younger boy and had to hold in a groan. The younger scientist's mouth was hanging open slightly and his eyes were firmly trained on Victoria.
Victoria blushed slightly and held out the stack of paper in her hands. "I brought your mail."
Albert sighed heavily and elbowed William. The younger boy jumped, as if he was shocked and took the paper from her. "Oh, thanks."
An awkward silence followed and Johnson cleared his throat. "Why don't we let these boys settle in? I still need a few of those Trevor files on my desk."
"Yes, sir," Victoria said and followed Johnson outside. The door clicked shut behind them and Albert let out a long sigh.
"We are finally here," William breathed, still clutching the mail.
"Indeed," Albert said, dropping down into one of the chairs. "Could you be any more awkward?"
"I didn't do anything!" William protested, starting to look at the papers. "Here"
William pulled a couple pieces of paper and two rings of keys. He passed one of each to Albert and began reading the paper.
Albert held the keys in his hands, studying each of them closely. They were labeled with letters and numbers, indicating the floor and level of security they allowed the owner to pass through. He smiled, feeling the rush of power that these keys gave him. He could go anywhere and do anything he wanted, whenever he wanted. This place belonged to them now.
"I'm so glad we are getting new identification cards," William said, indicating the paper he held in his hand. It was an order form for their new identification badges. "I really hated my old one. The picture made me look like a small child."
"You are a child," Albert smirked at William good-naturedly. "But I agree, it is definitely time for you to get a new card. You've grown quite a bit since last year."
"I have!" William said, flexing his rather small arm muscles. Albert just sighed heavily, shaking his head.
The rest of the day was spent mostly organizing their lab and securing Ebola samples and documents for William to read. William was very particular about what supplies he needed and where they were kept.
Finally, after all of the researchers had come in one by one to sign out for the night, Albert and William took a break and admired their work. The lab resembled their personalities; William's side a disorganized mess and Albert's neat and empty. Satisfied, the two scientists relaxed in the empty facility, glad that it was just the two of them.
"Alone at last," William breathed, sitting in one of the chairs. He let out a dark laugh. "It's only our first day and I've already had my fill of those people!"
Albert snickered. "That's not a good start."
"I know!"
"We need to do something to take your mind off them," he said in mock seriousness, dangling the keys in front of William's face. "Want to go exploring?"
Reviews are always welcome! Special thanks to Littlevamp and Jillvalentine for the reviews! They mean a lot :)