Chapter Ten

Peter, Adam & Arynn came to a vaulted door at the end of the long dark and damp hall.

"This is where Umbrella stored its more precious cargo years ago," Peter started. "When the company folded and Spencer went into hiding, its rival took over what was left and put everything down here." Peter turned and looked at Arynn, "Even my own work."

As the mutated man keyed in the combination to the door, Arynn couldn't help but wonder what exactly was behind the door. Was there something more hideous and terrifying than Sabriel? Or was it the one thing that Arynn wasn't ready to face.

The door opened and Peter went through first. Arynn walked in last and she was in utter awe. What lied ahead was an eerie dungeon from the medieval time period. The old bars that used to separate the convicted from the innocent were still intact, but the rock embedded walls showed signs of deterioration. There must've still been water around the area because Arynn could erosion along the murky green color of the inner walls behind the locked gates.

"Isn't it amazing?" called out Peter, letting his voice echo through the barren quarters.

Arynn remained quiet as she and Adam followed Peter past the isolated cells and towards the last one on the right side of the pathway. It was the only one unlocked and it had a modern doorway carved right into the ancient rock ahead of the group.

"When I was a boy, my father once took me to a place like this on the outskirts of Northumberland. This is the last ever made. Isn't it magnificent how this hospital was built over it?"

As they journeyed deep into the claustrophobic area, they walked into a grander room filled with empty stretchers and large stasis tanks. There were untouched beds off to the side. The scene reminded Arynn of the dormitory room and observation room in the levels above. The beds in the dormitory room were neat and clean as if no one had been there for quite some time but the beds on the other side were dirty and full of dried blood. There was an old stench about the room that made Arynn wonder how long ago were experiments being done. The sight was making Arynn nauseas.

"What was going on down here?" She asked.

The mutated researcher was on the other side of room when he turned to face her.

"I'll show you!" he said as he opened a nearby door and went into the dark room ahead. Adam ran to Arynn and held onto her hand.

"It's gonna be okay," she assured him. The look on his face was of terror and fear. Arynn wondered what the boy was afraid of. "Wait here." Arynn said as she let go of Adam's hand. The little boy wouldn't release her and she had to talk to him. "Listen, I won't leave you. I'll be right back. Okay?" She whispered.

"No you won't…" Adam whispered back.

"Why?" Arynn asked

"I don't like that place." the little boy replied before looking away.

Arynn widened her eyes and left the boy behind. She walked into the dark room. There was very little light and it was hard for Arynn to see anything.

"You want to see it for yourself?" Peter whispered. His voice was so close but she couldn't see him.

"Show me!" Arynn yelled as she looked around.

A light came on and Arynn saw Peter standing at the edge of a balcony overlooking rows and rows of large stasis tanks. Arynn slowly walked over and joined him. She wasn't sure of what she was looking at but she knew there were objects floating in those tanks. She turned to the stairwell leading down to the enclosure and Peter held out his hand to welcome her.

"Go ahead…" He whispered.

The woman's curiosity was getting the better of her. With every step that she took, there was a sense of fear within her that wanted her to turn back around. But she couldn't, she had already came too far to not see this through.

"Uncle Alexander had no idea of what Alexia's virus could do and Great-Uncle certainly didn't know what the Progenitor had in-store!" yelled Peter. The reverberation of his voice made the objects stir in their tanks.

"I don't understand all of this," Arynn said with her voice lowered.

"You soon will." Peter called, "As the last of the great Ashford line, I have made my promise to restore what my family has lost!"

"And what's that, Intelligence?" Arynn replied turning back to him.

"Very funny," Peter replied as he pushed the woman along. "The glory of the Ashfords!"

Arynn stopped before the first 15-foot tall tank. She stepped up close to it and peered up to take a closer look. Peter stepped behind her and put one hand on her shoulder. She clinched her first but continued to glance.

The being inside was very tall and lean. Its muscles were very contoured and distinct. She could even make out the pulsing veins bulging from its biceps and triceps. The toes curled and the feet moved slowly to the current of the water inside. There was a steel sturdy staircase next to the gigantic tank and Arynn walked to it. Peter remained quiet as he watched the woman ascend to the head of the tank.

"Once you see what we've created, you'll be impressed!" Peter yelled.

Arynn ignored the man and stood still before the tank. She could now get a good look at the pale tall creature. There was no doubt it was human or at least resembled a humanoid. It's hands and fingers rested at its side and its face was silent and unresponsive. As Arynn investigated the being, there was something familiar about the person's face. She looked back towards the now small doorway back to the ancient jail cells. The nose and check bones made her think of Adam, the mysterious boy who appeared out of nowhere in the middle of utter chaos. And why or how did he suddenly appear? Was it that he had been here all along in these murky confined ancient rooms? Page had hinted to Adam being Arynn's son. But how…Arynn wondered.

"What is this?" called Arynn as she looked down to Peter.

"It's your future…it's our future!" the scientist shouted.

The being stirred as if it could hear the two.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Arynn shouted.

Peter started to walk up the stairs but Arynn immediately took out her knife and threatened the scientist.

"Don't come up here!" she shouted, "Tell me what the f***k is going on!"

Peter took his foot off of the step and back down to the floor. He half-smiled as he went around to the controls of the tank. Arynn couldn't see him but she cautiously stepped down and off of the stairs. She walked around and found him using the control panel.

"A while back, my uncle told me that he had just made the greatest breakthrough in medical history." Peter started.

He began to tap his finger against the side of the panel then took a breath. "He found a way to not only create human embryos, you know like my cousins, but he was able to create embryos already embedded with the genetic coding of the progenitor virus."

"I thought Alexia had injected herself with a strand of it." Arynn replied as she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, she did." Peter responded, "but…" he paused. "Remember that she created her own version based on bugs. My uncle had already envisioned something much better. Before Alexia killed uncle Alexander, he perfected a more evolved form and kept it hidden."

"So what does this have to do with me?" Arynn shouted.

"Everything…" Peter hollered. "Don't you get it by now?"

"Enlighten me," Arynn replied sternly.

"You were created from ancient DNA of the first virus found on earth. With your bloodline, we made the ultimate virus. You of are a select breed, Arynn. And with your genes and mine, I have perfected our offspring into individuals who will reign supreme!"

Arynn backed away looking up at the bodies floating in each tank, she couldn't imagine what Peter was telling her.

"Why?" she whispered as she could feel her eyes starting to water.

Peter laughed. "What do you do when you have a female carrier able to inflict instant infection?"

"I don't know." Arynn replied trembling.

"You duplicate her!" Peter shouted as his legs shifted into the black substance and he immediately took a step and appeared before her. Arynn gasped.

"Don't fight what I've already given you." Peter hissed. "You are meant for so much more. I can see the potential."

Arynn looked down and saw that Peter's body was losing its human features he was becoming what Dorus was.

"I can't do this…" she whispered.

"Yes, you can…we've done this before…" Peter hissed.

The words echoed in her head as she thought back to when she was escaping Raccoon and a man attacked her in the forest. She blacked out during the ordeal and woke up ravished. When she could, she was able to find her boyfriend's car and leave before the nuke could penetrate the outer regions of the city. Now as she watched Peter's face turn into something else, she knew what had happened to her and who was responsible.

***

The elevator carrying Hernandez and Page came to a stop on the last basement floor. This was it, all he had to do was to find Arynn and Adam and get out of this place but with his injured leg, Hernandez wondered how he would pull it off. Page led him out of the elevator and out into the vacant concrete hall. The soldier looked to the young woman wondering how she was able to pull him along. She was strong for her size. I guess anything is possible, he said to himself.

"You can't fire down here…" she whispered.

"Why?" Hernandez softly replied.

"Lotsa' gas lines are hooked up. Blasting anything will break the pipes."

"How do you know that?" The soldier asked.

"I've been down here before." Page replied.

There was a slight pause as Page helped Hernandez to the end of the hall. She leaned him up against the wall while she opened the door to a dark room. The door was old and the most of the label text had withered off.

"You never told me why you're working for him." Hernandez continued with the questions, hoping she would crack.

Page snickered and helped him into the room. "You're becoming a nuisance. You don't need to know" She whispered.

"Hell the f***k yea, I do." The soldier blurted.

"Shh" Page replied. "They'll hear you…"

"What? Who?" Hernandez asked.

"The others. Now shutup!"

The soldier remained quiet while watching the young woman climb up the side of an empty cabinet. She took out a small narrow tool and began to unscrew the vent.

"Here!" she called out with a whisper. She handed the vent to Hernandez, "Put it down gently." She continued. He did. "Come on." She commanded.

With his leg, he tried hard to hoister himself up the countertop. He lost his balance but Page held onto his shoulder firmly. She helped him up and seemed to push him legs up and into the small shaft.

"I can't move my leg," he said.

"Just follow me." Page replied continuing to push him along. She jumped up and into the shaft and took the lead.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Just keep moving. This is a short-cut." She whispered.

***

"Arynn, every creation must have an equal. You are mine." Peter called out as he let his liquefied body form tentacles.

"What do you want from me?" Arynn demanded.

"I want your blood." Peter replied. "I need your blood."

His mouth opened and his tongue began to grow and slither out. It coiled itself around Arynn's neck and attached itself creating an impenetrable suction. Arynn grabbed at the elongated tongue and tried to free herself. It detached itself from the man and tightened its grip.

"What are you doing!" she shouted as she could feel it piercing her skin and tightening its grip. She was losing air and energy.

"I've been waiting for this moment to have you and absorb you!" Peter shouted

Arynn's eyes widened as she was growing weak.

"These children are the byproduct of the first super virus, Arynn! The pains you felt back on the train and what was removed when you came here was just the start. You once felt this after I had you in the woods."

"What?" Arynn struggled to reply.

"When you fled to Arizona, I knew you would be there. We removed the growth ourselves. We watched over them for years—watching their development."

Arynn continued to think back to that time. Her memories were cloudy and all she could feel was the immense pain. It felt similar to the pain she felt after Peter shot her at the Research Facility. Was it possible that the pain was pregnancy pains? Arynn shook her head as she denied that thought. After all, if she really was pregnant then why didn't it feel like a pregnancy? There was something that Peter wasn't telling her.

"When I was young before Alexia infected my uncle, he told me that you would be unique. He said that I had to keep close watch over you and make sure that you never left Raccoon. That I had to do what I promised." Peter replied.

Arynn struggled to free herself but the tongue continued to tighten. She sliced at it and vigorously sawed at the flesh. The tongue let out piercing squeals. Peter took Arynn's hand and led her down the aisle past the numerous tanks. She was able to breathe while the tongue firmly held on.

"You're reproductive organs are also superior, Arynn," Peter continued.

Arynn grabbed the tongue and threw it. Peter stopped and looked her dead in the eye.

"You can only mate with one type of person in this whole world…" he whispered.

"Who you?" Arynn yelled, "No f****ing way!"

Peter smiled then laughed. He grabbed her arm once again and dragged her along.

"It was possible when I was human." He said, "But now that I have evolved, I can't. To my amazement, I was able to find another suitor for you. Someone you know very well."

Arynn didn't even want to ask. Peter came to a door and opened it. Inside was a white sterile room with a white couch and a hall leading to another room. Arynn gulped and kept quiet. As the two entered, she could feel warmth from the room that reminded her of back home. Another familiar scent caught her attention almost immediately. It was a smell that she encountered early on in her excavation of the Raccoon ruins.

"Have a seat." Peter offered politely.

"No." Arynn replied folding her arms, "I wanna stand."

"Fine." The man exhaled as he turned around. "But you will not leave here until he is finished."

"What?" she questioned the ex-scientist.

"Don't try my patience…"He whispered as he walked to the door and closed it behind him. She heard him lock it from the outside and Arynn rubbed her neck nervously.

She was now alone, by herself, vulnerable. She did not like this feeling and wished that she could close her eyes and be somewhere else. She sat down on the soft leather sofa and fiddled her thumbs. She started to hear breathing and it almost frightened her but she remained calm. From around the corner of the room a man appeared dressed in combat clothing. He was tall and well built. Arynn could see the contour of veins healthily protruding from his arms. As the man walked towards her, Arynn thought back to the various people she had encountered since the disaster. She hadn't really invested in too many relationships and never let people get too close. She wasn't ready to give up her sanctity or let some man have his way so that her children would be freaks. She rose up from her chair and readied herself. She was going to take this person out. As she reached for her knife she stopped. An overwhelming feeling invaded her senses. She was starting to tremble and she let the knife fall to the floor. She was now face to face with the man and she knew exactly who he was.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Arynn…" the man said keeping his eyes from meeting hers.

"Tripper…" she replied letting her voice trail off into a whisper.

The soldier who had helped her and saved her ass many times in the underground facility still seemed to maintain his quietness and demeanor yet there was something different about him.

"We looked everywhere for you…"Arynn continued.

"I know." The soldier replied keeping his distance.

"Where were you?" she questioned as she took some steps closer to him.

"Back off, Arynn." The man answered sternly as he held his hand up. "Don't come here."

"Why?" she questioned.

"They injected me with something—I, I—I'm not the same anymore."

Arynn gulped and clinched her fist.

Tripper touched his head in pain. He was leaning to the side as if he was dizzy.

"Let me take you out of here," Arynn whispered.

"No don't come near me." Tripper commanded, trying not to lift his voice.