The cable car steadily made its way down the tracks, leading deeper and deeper beneath Raccoon City. Inside, the three passengers sat in silence. BJ and Claire busied themselves by checking their ammo supply while Sherry attempted to rest on the bench her brother had laid her on.
BJ's jacket had been torn and dirtied after the elevator collapsed, so Claire took it upon herself to give the younger Birkin her red-leather one to keep her warm and comfortable. And although it seemed to be working, she shifted restlessly from time to time.
From his place on the floor by the controls, the Marine would look up every time Sherry moved. Feeling helpless as whatever their father had infected her with rampaged through her body.
Their mother claimed she had a way to cure her. She had better have been honest with them. Otherwise…
"She'll be okay." He turned his attention to Claire, who looked back at him with encouragement. "Your mom said she had a cure. We'll get it."
BJ shook his head, "Part of me wants to believe her, despite everything that's happened in the past. I can't take her word for it, not until I see it for myself. But I don't have any other choice." He said while loading rounds into another clip.
They were running low on ammo. Hopefully there would be more wherever the car was taking them.
"She sounded genuine. But you're right." Claire replied. "Hopefully she was honest."
Sherry groaned from her resting place. BJ went to get up, but Claire had been closer and beat him to her. "Claire?" asked the girl weakly.
"Hey, how are you feeling Sherry?" asked the young Redfield.
"Your coat's really comfy." Sherry replied, curling into the jacket a bit more.
Claire smiled, "My brother gave it to me. You know, it's supposed to be lucky." she ran her hand through the little girl's hair. "You're gonna be okay. Your big brother and I will make sure of that."
Sherry winced as she rolled over to face the older woman, "I'm really glad Billy has you. I was worried he'd be alone."
"What do you mean?" the brunette asked.
"Billy gave up so much to take care of me. Mom and dad were never around, but Billy was always there when I needed him. He never spent time with many girls, because he was always my big brother first." Sherry looked toward BJ who was focused on his task, occasionally looking up at them but unable to hear what they were saying. "I always felt bad, thinking I was keeping him from having a girlfriend."
Claire smiled sadly at her, "I don't think that's true. Big brothers will always do what they can for their sisters, especially when it's just them. My brother Chris was always there for me too, and always told me he never regretted it, not for a moment."
Sherry looked back up at her and smiled, "That's why I'm glad he met you. You're so amazing. And the way Billy looks at you…I think he really likes you."
A blush dusted Claire's dirty cheeks, "R-Really?" she asked, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. Making sure BJ wasn't paying attention, she leaned in close. "Honestly? I really like him too." Both girls laughed softly before Sherry began to cough violently.
"Sherry?!" Claire exclaimed, their good mood shattered as she helped her sit up. BJ was beside her fast as they both supported her while she held her head in pain.
"Hang in there, Sher. We'll get you better." her brother said as the automated system let them know they were arriving at something called NEST.
Gathering their weapons quickly, BJ picked up his sister as the door opened allowing them to step out onto the platform of the station they had stopped at. Going down the steps, they rounded a corner and were met with a white-metal door with a display screen in the center.
Approaching slowly, Sherry's bracelet activated and the door slid open. Two others behind it doing the same and allowing them entry.
A couple lights flickered on the darkened corridor beyond, revealing a reception area. A large Umbrella logo stood out behind the main desk, letting them know who the facility belonged to.
"Welcome to NEST." The automated system broadcasted. "Enjoy your visit."
BJ bit his tongue. Wanting nothing more than to curse out the facility but focused on the task at hand. Claire motioned toward an open door across from the desk, they stepped inside to find a small office with a bed in the corner.
Laying his sister down on the bed, the Marine looked around the room for anything hinting to what they were here for. "Now what?" he wondered out loud.
Claire was at a nearby computer, going through the files available. "There's information here about an anti-virus. Something called 'Devil'. It's down here in the labs, we just need to get to it."
Nodding, BJ knelt down beside Sherry. "Okay, I'll be right back. Okay Sherry? Just rest for now." His sister didn't respond, drifting in and out of consciousness. The Marine removed the ID bracelet from her wrist before kissing her on the forehead.
"Alright," he said, taking a deep breath and heading to the door. "Stay here and keep an eye on Sherry. I'll get that anti-virus."
Claire spun around with wide eyes, "Whoa, wait a minute!" She followed fast and grabbed his arm in the hall outside. "What the hell does that mean?"
"We can't leave her here alone. I can get the cure on my own." the Marine explained.
"By yourself? Are you nuts?" the young Redfield asked in disbelief.
"I need you here making sure Sherry's safe."
"While you get yourself killed?! How is that helping Sherry?!"
"I have to do this, Claire! I'm the only one who can-"
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" Claire shouted, grabbing BJ by his shirt and slammed him against the wall by the door. "Why?! Why do you have to do this by yourself?! After everything we've been through?! Why would you put yourself-"
"BECAUSE I WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!" The Marine snapped. "Everything I've ever done, everything I fought for, was for Sherry! Mom and dad were never there, I was all she had! When I Ieft for the Marines…I was intending on coming back and taking her away from this place. Away from THEM. No matter what it took…but now…" He clenched his eyes and banged the back of his head against the wall. "I wasn't strong enough to protect her. I couldn't save her from any of this. If I fail now…"
A pair of hands held his face, his eyes opened to see Claire gazing back at him in understanding. "BJ. I know you think you're the only one that has to do this. But you're not alone. We've been through Hell, and there's probably more waiting for us out there. I'm not letting you face it alone. We're both gonna go out there, find that anti-virus, save your sister, then we're all going to leave this place…together. Okay?"
BJ couldn't look away from her eyes. The determination in them and in her voice penetrated through the haze of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Somehow, despite how he had kept himself together throughout this nightmare, Claire had become his anchor as much as he had become hers. Proven with how she had pulled him essentially from what could have been a suicide mission.
Taking another breath, centering himself, BJ nodded. "Okay. Let's do this, partner."
The young Redfield smiled before the ringing of a phone made them jump in alarm. Drawing their pistols and aiming at the reception desk where the sound was coming from. Lowering their weapons, they approached the ringing phone where BJ answered it.
"You made it, good." His mother spoke from the other end.
"Cut the bullshit runaround. Where do we go from here?" BJ asked bluntly.
"I saw your friend read the files on the Devil anti-virus. The problem is that the facility's supply is currently empty."
The Marine slammed his fist on the desk, "Then how the hell do we get Sherry what she needs?"
"We will need to make more. I have almost everything I need to do it, but I'll need you to meet me in my lab at the center of the facility to finish it. The ID bracelet should get you through a few of the doors, but you'll need to acquire higher clearance chips in order to reach the lab. Those are sadly scattered throughout the facility, among the dead, but I think you're more than capable of solving that."
BJ rolled his eyes, "Yeah, no worries about that." He went to hang up-
"William!" the Marine paused before bringing the phone back to his ear. "Sherry doesn't have long. About an hour at best. You two need to hurry."
"You just make sure that cure is ready for when we get there. If you fail her…" he let the threat hang in the air before slamming the phone down on the receiver.
"That was harsh." Claire commented, "But deserved after everything I've heard so far."
BJ brought out his shotgun and made sure it was loaded, "Then she knows how serious I am." He approached the office and looked in on Sherry as she laid on the bed. Shifting in her sleep and groaning softly. Clenching his fist, the Marine closed the door and turned to his partner. "Let's go."
X
Doing a bit of searching around the surrounding area, the duo found a file containing a list of people who had ID bracelets that would let them deeper into the NEST facility. From the date stamps, there was only one person who had the clearance to open the next few doors that could still be nearby.
With only one door they could enter with 'Guest-Level' Clearance, BJ and Claire were making their way down a dark corridor. Their flashlights shining through the shadows and finding dried blood smeared on the walls and floor.
"Starting to think we might be the only ones alive down here." Claire said as they passed the bloody surfaces.
"Good thing we're already used to that." BJ replied. Turning a corner, they found two doors ahead of them, one at the end of the hall that needed next level clearance and another on the wall to their right that opened when they got close.
Stepping into the darkened cafeteria, they were greeted with a female zombie in a bloody lab coat that shuffled toward them almost immediately. A short burst from Claire's machine pistol to its forehead put it down fast, but the gunfire caught the attention of two others that rose up from behind overturned tables and closed in.
BJ drew his MK.23 and put a round through each of their heads in quick succession. Threats taken care of, they checked the room for anything useful and found a couple boxes of ammo and a new combat knife the Marine slipped into the sheath on his flak vest.
Dividing up the spoils between themselves, the duo made their way out of the cafeteria and through the kitchen to another corridor that led to a sleeping quarters for the staff. The shutters for the sleeping pods were all sealed…save for one that had a bloodied arm hanging out of it.
And hanging off the limp arm, was an ID bracelet with a blue chip bearing two bars in it.
Claire reached the limb first, removing the chip from the bracelet and looking it over. "Looks like what we're looking for." she said, passing the new clearance chip to BJ who replaced the one-bar green one in the bracelet he had clipped to his belt with it.
"One step closer." he agreed as they went back the way they came.
Coming to a cold stop when another zombie came lumbering out of the darkness toward them. Only this one was different compared with the others.
This undead was dressed in full black body armor, complete with a helmet and gasmask that had shattered eye lenses that showed its empty eyes.
Claire raised her pistol, but BJ lowered it. "He's armored. You'll waste ammo." he stated while holstering his MK.23 and drawing his new combat knife. The armored zombie drew closer, reaching out to grab at them when the Marine struck.
Sidestepping the zombie's reach, he slammed his heel into the back of its leg with a sickening crunch and dropped it to its knees before yanking the head back and exposing the neck where he drove the blade of his knife up through its chin and into its brain.
Pulling the blade free, BJ dropped the corpse before taking a second to examine it. "That's definitely not security," said Claire as he stepped closer.
"No. He's too well armed. Looks like Black Ops." said the Marine as he checked the dead man's gear. Finding a patch on the shoulder bearing the Umbrella logo. "I heard rumors that Umbrella had their own private army. Highly trained to handle things normal security couldn't. Guess this proves it." BJ finished his search and managed to find two fragmentation grenades and three clips of ammo for his AR-15 on the soldier that he stashed in his own vest and packs before standing back up.
"Whatever happened, Umbrella called in their attack dogs to deal with it. But I have a feeling they weren't sent here to solve the outbreak." Leaving the body, the duo backtracked to the reception area and used their new clearance to go through the door they couldn't go through before.
And finding themselves on a platform facing a wide chamber similar to that of a missile silo. Two more platforms were on the adjacent walls with a central one in the middle above a seemingly endless abyss.
"Damn…how big is this place?" Claire wondered as they took in the large chamber.
"Don't know. But I'm pretty sure Raccoon City's taxpayers would have been pissed." BJ commented back. A nearby panel caught his attention, he stepped over and pressed the large switch by the screen.
A long metal bridge extended from their platform and connected to the one in the middle. Weapons held firmly, they crossed the deep chasm to the central platform and found the body of another black-armored soldier laid out on the metal. This one with a tape recorder held in his hand.
Claire removed the device from his cold fingers and hit the playback button on it;
Alpha to Ghost. Target moving to the West Area. Must be going to retrieve the G-Virus and the antiviral agent.
This is Ghost. Understood. Rendezvous at point W-3.
Understood.
This is Alpha. Arrived at destination.
Understood. Standby for target.
This is Alpha, I've got eyes on the target. He's going to open the safe.
Roger. Awaiting the signal.
Got eyes on the G-Virus.
We're going in…
Doctor Birkin, you'll come along with us quietly.
"They were after the G-Virus." said BJ when the recording came to an end. "Umbrella sent them here to collect what they could. And came after my old man because he was the only one that could give them access."
"They said the West Area. That must be where your mom's lab is, and the antivirus." said Claire.
"Then we better get moving," said the Marine. The central platform had a large elevator on it, but required level-4 clearance that they didn't have at the moment. On the other side were two more panels, one requiring level-3 clearance, and the other level-2 like the one they had just activated.
Hitting the switch on the one they could use, another bridge extended allowing them to cross to one of the other platforms that led into another reception area similar to the one you'd find in a hospital. Finding nothing to use, they pressed on through the nearest door…
And found themselves face to face with a large cracked window where the body of a man in a yellow hazmat suit was crushed into the glass from a massive plant vine.
"Jesus." BJ muttered, looking past the body at the large, overgrown greenhouse on the other side of the cracked window. "What the fuck were they doing down here?"
Claire noticed something on the body and got the Marine's attention, "BJ, look!" she pointed at one of the body's arms where an ID bracelet with a purple 3-barred chip was displayed.
"Or course. Can never be easy for us can it?" BJ said before they moved to the only other way out of the room. The door attempted to open, but a series of vines kept it from going more than a foot. The Marine took out his knife and cut the plants and got the door to open the rest of the way, straight into a small lab room with vines almost completely covering the walls and ceiling.
Flashlights and guns leading them, BJ and Claire slowly trekked along. Staying on alert in case something decided to jump out at them.
Which didn't take very long as a body suddenly dropped from the ceiling to the floor in front of them. Limbs twitching, it slowly rose to its feet and revealed that it wasn't a zombie…or even human for that matter.
Although it had a human shape, the creature's body was made entirely out of plant matter. Thick vines making up the majority of its main structure with moss covering it like skin, it had no definition features like eyes or a mouth yet it emitted an otherworldly scream at them. More vines sprouted from its form and lashed around violently before it lunged toward the duo.
A barrage of 9mm and .45 caliber rounds tore into the plant-creature making it stagger back before collapsing to the floor.
"Ok, that was new." said Claire as they both reloaded. The creature began to get back up to the young Redfield's disbelief.
"So is that." BJ drew his knife in his free hand and slashed a vine that stabbed at him and fired two more rounds into the creature's head to no effect. He quickly switched to the flamethrower, "Get clear!" Claire got out of the way as the Marine unleashed a jet of fire into the living plant who let out a bone chilling howl as it flailed about. Collapsing to the floor again, this time a smoldering husk.
Taking a moment to check the body, a second plant-creature came shambling around the corner. BJ didn't hesitate to light up this one as well and burnt it to a crisp.
"If this is what we're dealing with now, don't waste bullets." He said, getting a nod from his partner who took out her grenade launcher and loaded a flame round into the barrel.
Quickly making it out for the lab and into an observation room that overlooked the greenhouse. "I think they controlled the greenhouse from here." BJ commented while looking over the nearby consoles and displays set up along the walls.
Claire had her attention on a different panel near the main window. Curious, she hit a few buttons;
"Dispensing Solution." The PA system announced as sprinklers activated throughout the greenhouse. When the cycle ended, the console released an empty canister that the young Redfield took out.
"I think this is used to spread something to the plants." she said holding up the canister.
BJ looked from the find to a nearby file laid out on a desk. Picking up, he read it over a couple of times before nodding. "They were genetically engineering plant life here in the labs. This system was designed to dispense solutions to affect their growth." He turned a page and read the next data sheet. "They also have a formula for an agent that will kill the plants as well. Our best bet will be to kill everything in the greenhouse to get that ID chip."
Claire clipped the canister to her belt, "So what do we do first?"
The Marine tore out the page with the formula and tucked it into his pocket. "They have all the components for the agent in the nearby labs. We just need to collect them and mix them properly to make it." He checked the flamethrower and saw the fuel was almost empty. "We need to find more ammo for your launcher and the thrower too. Especially if more of those chia-freaks are skulking around. So make your shots count."
Stepping out of the control room, the duo were met with the humid air of the greenhouse. The heavy foliage blocking out the ambient light and casting the room in shadows, giving it the look and feel of a dark forest.
Eyes and ears open, sticking together, BJ and Claire began to slowly traverse forward. WIth so many thick plants around them, there was no way to tell if something was laying in wait just out of sight. The Marine leading with his flamethrower primed to burn the first hostile that got within range.
And they didn't have to wait long.
From around the corner ahead, another of the plant creatures they'd encountered came shambling into the open. Vine coated arms reaching out to grab them, only for a belch of flame to light it ablaze in a burst of heat and loud screeching.
A second creature dropped down from the ceiling and staggered to its feet. BJ didn't give it a chance as he delivered a hard kick to the still burning plant monster into the newly arrived one, the flames spreading to it as well as both burned to a crisp.
Hostiles dealt with, the duo continued forward. Following along the pathway leading through the greenhouse to a hatch in the floor that was locked tight. The only clue to get it open was a series of symbols marked on the hatch door.
"There must be a digital lock nearby." Claire offered as they got moving again. Making a full rotation around the room until they came to another door marked 'Drug Testing Lab'.
Thankfully the room was empty, save for a corpse in a hazmat suit in the corner. "Looks like the chems we need for the herbicide." said BJ, standing in front of a storage locker that contained a series of chemicals. The unit locked with a similar series of symbols just like the hatch they tried to get through.
However, most of the symbols were missing due to part of the sequence being torn away.
"Got instructions here." said Claire, bringing over a file that contained how the herbicide was supposed to be prepared for it to be effective. "I don't see a way to open the locks though."
Pocketing the instructions, BJ motioned toward the door, "Lets head back to the control room. There might be something there." They left the lab and got back to the control room without issue, finding a control panel set up in front of a bank of monitors showing a map of the greenhouse they had walked past when they first arrived. The keys on the panel matching the symbols they saw on the hatch and the locker holding the chemicals.
Taking a second to recall the symbols, the Marine punched in the keys that matched. There was a buzz and click as the hatch marked in red on the map switched to green. Unable to get into the chemical locker, their only other option was to see where the unlocked opening would take them.
The open hatch led them below the greenhouse, the lower level filled with large pipes that were used to keep the room operating and powered. Their flashlights cutting through the darkness as they pushed onward. Finding a door at the farthest end that took them back into the main facility. Floors covered in debris along with splashes of blood that also reached the walls that stood out even with the lack of light.
Entering what had once been an employee lounge, finding the torn and shredded bodies of Umbrella scientists scattered among the shattered tables and vending machines. Clare managed to find extra flame rounds for her launcher while BJ checked the corpses for anything useful.
Finding nothing they could use, the Marine moved to a nearby circuit panel that had been pried open. Giving the wiring inside, he found that something had been crossed with the circuitry and needed to be recalibrated in order to get things running again.
Glancing at the body laid slumped beneath the panel, BJ saw an electric device the size of a serving tray clutched in their hands. A small screen was set in the middle with a series of knobs on either side.
A signal modulator, a special piece of equipment used to fix electrical wiring. And something that would definitely help them.
"Lets see if we can get the lights back on." he said, picking up the modulator and hooking it up to the panel that had been opened. Switching it on, BJ tuned it to the correct channel before working the knobs to find the right frequency.
Unaware of the large shadow moving across the ceiling toward him.
Claire looked up from storing her new launcher rounds, "Got something?"
"Just about…just need to…there!" The modulator's screen turned green, the lights around the lounge flickered before coming back on again, bathing the area in light. "That should make things easier for us. Now we just need to-FUCK!"
Whatever was going to be said was cut off when something wrapped tightly around his good leg and yanked him off his feet, the modulator hitting the floor by his head before he was suddenly dragged toward another hallway.
The long, slimy appendage that had him by the leg led upward to the ceiling, where a Licker hissed as its prey was brought closer.
"BJ!" Claire unslung her grenade launcher only for a second Licker to come out from the corridor they had come in through and dive at her. The young Redfield barely managed to avoid being cut into ribbons as the attacking monster crashed through several overturned tables as it passed. Flipping itself around after landing and hissing at her.
Grunting from another sharp pull, BJ tore his knife from his vest and sat up, grabbing his leg for support and slashing at the Licker's tongue. The sharp blade slicing the appendage clean off and freeing him while the one it's attached to screeched, blood spraying from its mouth after its ruined tongue returned.
Rolling to his feet, the Marine tossed his knife into his other hand and flipped it to the reverse-blade position while drawing his sidearm in the other. The Licker dropped to the floor and screeched through bloody teeth before lunging at him. BJ avoided the creature's claws and slashed with his knife, the blade carving into the side of its brain as it passed as he turned after it and fired several rounds into its exposed flank.
Back with Claire, she was doing the best she could to keep some distance from the Licker attacking her. Unable to use her launcher, she drew her machine pistol and emptied an entire clip into it. But the small rounds didn't seem to deter the creature as it shot its tongue at her like a javelin.
The young Redfield jumped back to avoid the attack, but her foot caught on a chair and sent her crashing to the floor. Her gun clattering out of reach. The Licker screeched and jumped at her, arm and claws spread out.
Desperate and without a weapon, Claire reached out and grabbed the first thing she could reach. Gripping a large trophy in the shape of a DNA helix, she sat up and thrusted the sharp points forward just as the Licker reached her, both ends piercing through the creature's chest and plunging into its heart.
BJ had switched to his shotgun as he and the Licker he was facing circled one another. The Marine kept his gaze locked on it, trying to find an opening that would help him take it out, but the distance made it too difficult.
His foot bumped into a tipped over chair and he paused, a plan forming as he braced himself. The Licker hissed dangerously, muscles tensing…
Seeing his moment, BJ swung his leg out and kicked the chair at it. The Licker jumped over the oncoming projectile, and put itself in the path of the Marine's 12-gauge muzzle that blasted it point blank and tore into the front half of its head. The body dropped to the floor not even a second afterward with blood already pooling beneath it.
Wracking the pump of his weapon, he looked around the lounge and saw Claire laying under the other Licker that had attacked them. "CLAIRE!" he jogged over to check on her and found the Licker dead.
"Get. This. Thing. Off of. Me." she grumbled from beneath the dead monster.
BJ let out a relieved laugh before shoving the body off his partner who had a large amount of blood covering her front. "You good?" he asked while helping her up.
Claire wiped some of the blood off her neck with a grimace. "If I didn't need a shower before, I sure as hell need one now."
"Hey, even covered in blood you're still prettier than most of the girls I've met." the Marine said without thinking, a moment later feeling his face burn as he turned away missing the similar look on the young Redfield's face.
Turning their attention to the Licker's body, they were surprised to see something imprinted on the bottom of the trophy used to kill it. A series of symbols like the ones they'd seen for the greenhouse's locking system.
"Aren't those symbols the same as the ones on the chem locker?" asked Claire, referring to the first two on the image they were looking at.
"They are." BJ agreed, taking out his knife and prying the small plate containing the passcode off the trophy's base. "Hopefully this'll help us get that locker open to get what we need."
"Only one way to find out."
X
A/N: They've made it to the NEST facility, but time is of the essence.
Doing what i can to keep the updates coming, inspiration is still fleeting at the moment but steadily getting better over time. I should have the next one up and ready in the near future so stay tuned!