Chapter 19: The Science of Time

Even without her watch Alice could tell they'd only been in the air for an hour. Her curiosity as to where they were was peaked. The blonde's view of the cockpit was blocked so she had no idea of their location when they touched down. The back hatch lowered, and Alice was hit by the smell of salt. Isaacs nodded to her to be the first off the Osprey. She walked forward with reluctance.

The hanger door was closing, but Alice saw the ocean. It would seem that they were on a huge freighter. The Alaskan coast was nowhere to be found, but even if she saw a coastline there was no guarantee that it would be Alaska's. For all she knew they could be closer to Canada. She wondered briefly if Claire and K-mart had been taken here as well. The white hanger was lined with three other Ospreys, but none of them could be told apart from the one next to it.

She was escorted through the ship to what she assumed to be Isaacs's lab. The room was completely white except for the medical and electronic equipment that lined the walls. What struck her most was the single operating table in the center of the space. Alice couldn't help the anxiety that caused her heart to race. What will he do to me this time?

As if on cue, Isaacs came up from behind her, and pulled his lab coat from a hanger on the other side of the room. He put it on and Alice felt a chill run down her spine. She hadn't suffered fear for herself in a long time, but Isaacs inflicted pain on her like no other, and always did so with a smile.

Isaacs put on a pair of sterile gloves with excitement, and when he turned to face her Alice's breathing caught for a second.

The doctor noticed. "You may think me evil, but everything I do – I do for the pursuit of science; to better myself and mankind."

Alice despised the weakness she was feeling, and reverted dangerously back to her old nature. Anger dripped from her every word, but she had to remain in control.

"Oh, yeah. You helped mankind real well."

"I helped you," he countered, and began to look her over. "Think of all that you can do now. It's not my fault that you fail to see your potential."

The blonde hated hearing Claire's words fall from this man's mouth. He circled her like a starving predator.

"Now that you're finally back, I have the last piece I need to complete my work. Though I must admit you seem changed. Your powers have grown?"

"Yes."

He shook his head, and stopped his pacing. "That's not it. There's something else going on with you. You seem…" Isaacs's light-colored eyes bored into hers as if he was willing her soul to finish his statement for him. "I suppose it's of no consequence. You're here. Would you like to know what I'm going to do with you?"

Isaacs walked to a computer panel extending from one of the walls, and began to hit buttons on the key pad below it.

"No," she answered, "but I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway." Alice watched as computer generated images of her body appeared on the screen. Next to them text began to scroll endlessly downwards.

Isaacs chuckled once. "You would be correct." He did a final key stroke, and turned back to face her. "I am going to use you to find a cure."

Alice couldn't believe her ears. The words made her mute.

"Your skepticism is not surprising, and certainly not unwarranted. After all, Umbrella's greedy superiors took a medicinal breakthrough and turned it into something with vastly effective military applications. Believe me when I say, most of us were just following orders."

She barked at him, so wanting to lash out physically, but holding back. "That's not good enough Isaacs! Everyone has a choice. Placing the blame on the guy in charge doesn't exonerate you from your evil."

The doctor picked up a medical scalpel on the table next to him. He stared at the blade as he twisted it. When it caught in the harsh fluorescent light he looked back at Alice. Playing with the tool was meant to scare her, and on some level it worked. His superior height allowed him to look down on her.

"And just what exonerates you, Project Alice? At least I am here trying to set things right. If I can derive an inoculation that would prevent people from becoming infected or even some kind of cure from your blood – mankind can begin to heal from the damage done to our species. What can you claim?" He rolled the scalpel in his fingers. "Did you help or hurt those you came across on your travels?"

This can't be, Alice thought. Tell me I'm not being lectured on heroics by the man who turned me into – into this.

Alice's mind was drawn to Claire and then K-mart. If her blood could provide them with immunity then she would submit to Isaacs. Blood, why is it always about blood? She was still angry, but she knew she had to swallow it down.

"Do what you need to doctor. I won't put up a fight."

A sparkle seemed to light his eyes as one side of his mouth upturned in a half smile. "It's going to hurt."

Alice's nostrils flared. "I expect nothing less."

"Strip."

The blonde followed the command until she was completely naked.

"Magnificent," he said, but she had no fear of lust from him. Isaacs only wanted her like a young genius wanted to win at the science fair. She was his project, and his guarantee for the blue ribbon prize.

He nodded at her then looked at the table, and Alice lay down on top of it. The slab was like ice on her bare skin. She was too focused on the light emanating from the bulb above her to give attention to what Isaacs was doing as he moved about the lab. She had to temper herself for the pain as she'd done so many times before. Though Umbrella only had her for weeks, now they would have her until they decided to let her go or until she snapped.

Isaacs appeared over her still form with a syringe in hand. Without hesitation he slipped the needle into the sensitive skin of her inner elbow. As he drew the plunger back the plastic barrel filled with dark blood, and he spoke.

"You always had such perfect veins."

Isaacs pulled the needle out, and walked away with the vile. "I'm afraid that's all the pain for now. If I'm right, and I usually am – you will find tomorrow's attempt much more to your liking."

Alice began to rise from the table, but Isaacs stopped her.

"Not so fast. We have tests to run yet. I want to learn everything."

She folded her arms over her chest; not to hide, but to show a sign of aggression.

"Down," he ordered, and Alice lay back out. He brought over a handheld electronic device, and proceeded to scan her body with it. She had no idea what it was for, but the doctor seemed to like the readings he got.

"Sit up."

Alice did as he commanded. Her legs hung off the table, but she was too high to reach the floor.

"I want you to demonstrate how you disabled the satellite-"

"On you?" Alice interrupted with sadistic glee, but Isaacs was not amused.

"Do not forget what of yours I have."

The blonde had forgotten, and she was taken aback when it was pointed out to her.

Isaacs interrogated her. "How did you kill my men?"

"I cut their spinal columns." Her answer was perfectly cool, but the doctor's reaction was one of unguarded interest.

"Fascinating. How does that work?"

"If I understand how something functions I don't need to see it to alter it."

The doctor nodded in thought, and then walked over to his desk. He pulled out a drawer as he continued to speak.

"So a gun-" Isaacs withdrew a pistol and showed it to her, "say this one? You could render it inoperative from the inside?"

The blonde nodded.

He pointed the silver barrel straight for her chest, and turned off the safety with his thumb. "Show me."

Alice hadn't recovered enough from her excursion in the Alaskan field. It was likely that if she tried now she would fail. Any other time it would've been as easy as flipping a switch, but this time her focus would be severely difficult to maintain.

The thought of refusing entered her mind before it was quickly rebuffed by the remembrance of the consequences if she did so. Claire and K-mart's lives depended on how well she could follow this torturous man's instructions.

Her head filled with pressure to the point where her vision blurred, but she didn't need her sight to do what was asked of her. She concentrated on the gun. All she had to do was break the trigger pin and the gun wouldn't be able to fire. She was sure Isaacs was studying her intensely as the pupils of her blue eyes expanded.

The force caused her to begin panting. If she was pushed much further she would suffer another nosebleed, and probably faint. Isaacs looked at the gun in curiosity, then aimed it at her again, and pulled the trigger. He laughed when the gun did nothing.

"Impressive. How about stopping a bullet?"

Alice swayed on the table, but the doctor didn't seem to notice; he was entirely too quick to believe that his Project could not fall short. Isaacs walked out of the lab for a moment after placing the gun down. When he returned an Umbrella soldier followed him in. The man's hungry eyes consumed the blonde's naked flesh, but it hardly registered to her.

Isaacs gave the order. "Shoot her, one round."

The man in the black combat suit raised the assault rifle to his shoulder. "Yes sir."

Alice only had an instant to try and muster the willpower as he aimed for her. He pulled the trigger. A fierce pressure instantly filled her mind and overwhelmed her. The bullet found its mark, and went straight through her chest. She hadn't even slowed it down. Blood poured from the wound, and she fell off the table.

Isaacs sneered with disappointment. "What a mess. It would seem that I pushed her a bit too far. Take her to her cell."

Alice was losing consciousness from the shot and the exertion to stop it, but as the solider lifted her in his arms she heard a final comment from Isaacs.

"I guess there was more pain for you today after all." He laughed.

Then everything went black.

Gotta just love to hate the good doctor...

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