by Tim Waggoner
She began walking toward the sound.
* * *
Alice made her way through the ruins and abandoned fortifications until she came to a telegraph pole with a siren mounted on it. As soon as she stopped walking, the sound cut off, and an eerie silence descended. But the silence was soon interrupted by a new, fainter sound: a clattering noise that seemed to be coming from a nearby bunker. She turned and began approaching the bunker cautiously, wishing she’d found a weapon during her journey here from the Reflecting Pool. Some of her strength had returned, but not nearly enough for her to feel confident in engaging in hand-to-hand combat. But that wasn’t going to keep her from investigating the clattering sound, not if there was any chance it might lead her to Becky.
The bunker was a small concrete structure dug partway into the ground, and it obviously had weathered an attack because two of its walls and a good portion of its roof had collapsed. As Alice made her way through the rubble to enter what was left of the structure, she wondered if the bunker had sustained damage when Dalia had driven her inhuman army toward the White House, or if it had been struck during an earlier battle. She supposed the specifics didn’t matter. What mattered was making sure that nothing nasty was lurking inside the ruins, waiting to attack anyone foolhardy enough to step inside.
As she entered the bunker, the clattering noise stopped.
At first glance, the place appeared to be abandoned. Smashed video monitors lined the walls, and broken radios littered the floor. Enough sunlight filtered in through the broken roof so she could see, but some corners remained cloaked in shadow, and Alice knew it was possible that someone—or more likely something—was hiding in those shadows. She cast about quickly searching for any weapons, but all she saw was a lone combat knife hanging in an overturned equipment rack.
That’ll do, she thought. She stepped silently to the rack and retrieved the knife. Once she held it tight in her hand, she felt better.
The clattering noise resumed then, and despite herself, Alice was startled. She turned toward the sound and saw, sitting on a table in the center of the bunker, an inkjet printer. It swiftly filled a page of paper with black type, and then started on another. The first page was ejected from the printer to join a scattered mess of pages that had already been finished. Alice bent down to slip the knife into her boot sheath, and then moved closer to the table. She picked up one of the pages and saw that every line was identical, the same two words over and over.
HELLO ALICE.
3
A glance showed Alice that all the other pages had the same message printed on them.
She heard an electronic hum as one of the video monitors came to life, and she saw the glow from the screen fall upon the printed pages lying on the table. The printer stopped then, and Alice dropped the page she was holding onto the table with the others. She didn’t have to turn around to know whose face was displayed on the monitor. Cold fury filled her, mixed with deep disappointment. It hadn’t been Becky signaling her. It had been someone else, someone who’d been keeping tabs on her from the satellite she’d glimpsed after her fight with the multi-eyed Undead. Someone whom she’d hoped never to see again.
“What do you want? You here to gloat?”
The person onscreen answered in a girl’s voice, the words emotionless and spoken in a British accent.
“I’m glad you made it out alive.”
Alice clenched her hands into fists as she turned to face the active monitor. Its screen was cracked, but it was functional otherwise. As always, the Red Queen appeared as a six-year-old child—albeit one seen through a crimson filter—her young face as devoid of feeling as her voice.
“I find that hard to believe,” Alice said.
“Why?”
“Ever since I met you, you’ve been trying to kill me.”
“Quite incorrect. When we met in the Hive, I was attempting to prevent the escape of the T-virus. It was nothing personal. I was seeking to avoid all of this.”
Alice looked around at the ruined bunker. “Well, you did a hell of a job.”
“I was not responsible for the release of the T-virus. That occurred when Doctor Isaacs had the Hive reopened.”
The Red Queen’s face disappeared from the monitor to be replaced by surveillance camera footage. Alice watched as an Umbrella team reopened the blast doors to the Hive.
The Red Queen’s face reappeared on the screen. “There would have been no Outbreak if he had left it sealed.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I want you to trust me.”
Alice laughed. The Red Queen continued, undeterred.
“My satellites show that there are four thousand, four hundred, and seventy-two humans remaining on the surface of the Earth. They will cease to exist in forty-eight hours.”
“What do you want from me? You want me to say you’ve won? Wiped out humanity?”
“No. Quite the opposite. I want you to stop me.”
Alice was so shocked by the Red Queen’s words that for a moment she could only stare at the monitor screen.
“Behind you.”
Alice spun around in time to see the multi-eyed Undead from the Reflecting Pool lunging toward her, jaws snapping with desperate hunger. The damned thing had followed her, but how had it managed to do that? Had she been so exhausted she’d let her guard down? Or was this type of Undead actually smart enough to conceal its movements on purpose? Whichever the case, it was here now, ready to do its damnedest to kill her.
Most of the creature’s face was gone, revealing yellowed bone, and half its eyes were missing, but it still had more than enough remaining. As it came toward her, Alice grabbed hold of its wrists, as she’d done at the Reflecting Pool, but now the wrists were mostly bone, exposed to the open air long enough to dry, letting Alice get a stronger grip on them. She shoved the Undead away from her, but while the creature stumbled backward several steps, it did not fall. Alice reached toward one of the wall monitors and yanked it free just as the Undead came racing toward her, snarling and snapping. She raised the monitor and when the Undead was close enough, she brought it crashing down on top of the creature’s head. Given how much time the Undead had spent in the water, Alice hoped the blow would cause its head to explode like an overripe melon. But instead, the creature’s head snapped backward, the neck flesh tearing with the ease of wet paper. Decapitation hadn’t been what Alice was going for, but she’d happily accept the result. Except, that’s not what happened.
The Undead’s head hung over its back, still attached to its spinal column by a rotten strand of nerve fibers. Far from being a death blow, the damage to the head and neck did little to slow the Undead down. It came at Alice again, maneuvering by some unknown sensory apparatus or simply blind instinct. It collided with her, causing her to drop the monitor. Once it knew where she was, it grabbed hold of her shoulders and thrust the open wound of its neck toward her face, as if it didn’t understand that its teeth were now hanging against its back with the rest of its head. The Undead pressed Alice backward, and her left foot came down on one of the broken radios. Her ankle buckled, and she fell to the floor, the Undead—still gripping her shoulders—falling with her. Hitting the floor knocked the wind out of her, and it also caused the Undead’s head to roll around until its snapping teeth were only inches from her face.
Alice had had enough. Becky was missing, the Red Queen had turned up to taunt her, and now this rotting sack of shit was still trying to eat her even though it couldn’t goddamn swallow anymore.
She shoved the Undead to the side, bent forward, and drew the combat knife. With one hand she took hold of the creature’s head to steady it, and then with a single swift motion she jammed the blade through one of its remaining eyes. She shoved the knife all the way in, and a rattle of air gusted from the thing’s open neck wound as it finally died.
Alice pulled the knife free, wiped it off on the Undead’s pant leg, and then returned the blade to her boot. She rose to
her feet slowly, but she was unharmed, and she stepped back to the Red Queen’s monitor.
“Nicely done.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“Given our history, I’d be surprised if you did.”
Another monitor came to life. The screen was divided into separate sections, showing what appeared to be human settlements. In one image, she recognized the Eiffel Tower, and in another, the Brandenburg Gate.
“Are these live satellite feeds?” Alice asked.
“Yes. The surviving human population is located primarily in Kyoto, Paris, Berlin, and Raccoon City. Soon each of these settlements will be besieged—as you were here in Washington. Also, each of these settlements contains a traitor, loyal to Umbrella. The slaughter will be complete. There will be no survivors. Unless you intervene.”
The satellite images flickered and died.
“Kyoto, Paris… they’re half the world away. How can I possibly help them?”
“Umbrella developed an airborne antivirus. If released, it would destroy the T-virus and anything it has infected on contact. It would wipe out the infection in a matter of minutes.”
“All this could end?”
“Precisely.”
“Where is this antivirus?”
“Beneath the streets of Raccoon City—in the Hive. It’s where Umbrella created the T-virus… and also its cure.”
“And why would you help me?”
“I am a machine. I must follow the orders I am given. My programming will not allow me to harm the Umbrella Corporation or its leaders. But you are bound by no such constraints. You can help me.”
The idea that the Red Queen actually wanted to save humanity was ludicrous. And yet… it was Wesker who’d told her the Red Queen was behind the attack on D.C., and that the attack was part of the AI’s plan to ensure humankind’s extinction. She thought back to her previous encounters with the Red Queen. The AI had seemed like a cold-blooded, calculating monster then, and while Alice wasn’t willing to completely revise her assessment of the Red Queen, she could see how the actions the AI had taken could be viewed as logical instead of malevolent.
So maybe the Red Queen was telling the truth. Or maybe it was just another damn ruse to manipulate Alice into sticking her head in a noose again. But what if there was a way to destroy the monsters Umbrella had created once and for all and make the world safe for the 4,472 men, women, and children who still survived?
“Why would you want to turn against Umbrella? Against the people who created you?”
“Get to Raccoon City in forty-eight hours. Make it to the Hive. Then you’ll have your answer.”
“I have no reason to believe a word you say.”
“True. But neither do you have anything to lose. And besides, I can offer you something that you want very much… revenge.”
Another monitor came to life, this one showing a live feed from an Umbrella Corporation surveillance camera. Alice watched as Wesker—very much alive and looking completely unscathed by the battle in D.C.—climbed out from an Umbrella V-22. Alice had known Wesker would survive, but seeing him back at an Umbrella facility without a scratch filled her with rage. She wished she still had the power to reach through the monitor and surveillance camera and telekinetically crush Wesker into a tiny compressed cube of flesh, bone, and organs.
“Wesker led you all here to Washington, he pretended to give you your powers back permanently, and then he betrayed you. He made sure you were hopelessly outnumbered, and then he left you to die. All of Umbrella’s greatest adversaries, caught in the same trap—a trap that also allowed him to dispose of a hated rival.” She smiled. “Beautiful, really.”
Alice was less than thrilled by the Red Queen’s appreciation of Wesker’s scheme, but she chose not to remark on it. Instead, she said, “Where is he?”
“He just landed at the Hive. So you see, my interests and yours are in alignment. I’m resetting your watch.”
A digital timer started on the screen next to the Red Queen, counting down from forty-eight hours. Alice glanced at her watch and saw the digits start to scroll until they were in sync with the Red Queen’s countdown.
47:59:59
47:59:58
“The clock is ticking.”
If the Red Queen was telling the truth about the forty-eight-hour deadline, Alice had no time to spare. A good chunk of that time would be taken up just getting to Raccoon City. But if she left now, what would happen to Becky? Alice couldn’t just abandon her. She’d promised to take care of the girl. But what about all those other people? Who was going to help them if she didn’t?
She hadn’t made any promises to them, though, had she? Becky was her responsibility. Those people weren’t. But those people were all that remained of the entire human race. If Umbrella succeeded in its plan to destroy those humans that weren’t part of their precious corporation, what sort of world would be left for Becky, assuming she was still alive and Alice could find her? Alice hated the thought of abandoning her search, but it was beginning to look as if she had no choice—not if she wanted there to be a world left for the child to live in. A better world, one that wasn’t infested by Umbrella’s foul creations.
“There was a young girl with me when I arrived in D.C.,” Alice said.
“Becky. Yes, I know.”
Alice felt a surge of hope. “Can you show me where she is?”
“I’m sorry, but I haven’t detected any sign of her since the battle at the White House.”
Alice’s burgeoning hope shriveled and died. She told herself that just because the Red Queen hadn’t seen Becky, it didn’t mean the girl was dead. Yes, the Red Queen had access to a surveillance satellite, along with whatever technology still operated in the city, but the AI wasn’t all-seeing. Becky could be hiding somewhere. Still, Alice couldn’t help finding the Red Queen’s words demoralizing.
“I can continue to search for her while you travel. If I locate her, I will attempt to make contact and direct her to a safe location where she can wait for your return.”
If I return, Alice thought. If she took on this mission, she knew there were no guarantees she’d survive it. But then, there never were.
“Okay,” Alice said. “It’s a deal.”
Despite her words, Alice wasn’t certain she was ready for this, physically or emotionally. Her body had yet to recover from the strain of her powers being returned and then removed in such a short period of time. But more than that, her spirit was tired. She’d been manipulated by Umbrella and its personnel ever since the moment she’d awoken in that house in Raccoon City, with no memory of who she was or how she’d gotten there. That had been a decade ago, and since then she’d done nothing but fight for her survival, losing friends and allies along the way. After so many years and so much loss, did she have it in her to go into battle against Umbrella one last time?
She didn’t have to think long before she had her answer.
Hell, yes.
Alice headed for the door.
“Alice.”
Alice paused on the threshold of the bunker and looked back over her shoulder at the Red Queen.
“Ten years ago in the Hive… we both failed. We let this happen. Make it right.”
Alice nodded, and then a thought occurred to her. “I don’t suppose you have a fueled-up aircraft stashed nearby that I can use?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Alice sighed. “That’s what I figured.”
She’d just have to see what she could scrounge up—as usual.
* * *
Alice eased her foot off the gas, and the Honda slowed. She’d done her best to keep the car’s speed up since leaving D.C., but sometimes that wasn’t possible. In the world A.U. (After Umbrella), long stretches of highway were empty of obstructions—no abandoned vehicles, no overturned semis—but other areas were practically parking lots of clusters of wrecked vehicles, and she was forced to reduce her speed. She approached one such stretch now. Cars and trucks were scattered a
t awkward angles across Route 70’s three lanes, all of the vehicles displaying various degrees of damage, the result of an obvious chain-reaction accident. There was no way to know what had caused it. Someone trying to get an infected loved one to a hospital only to have them turn and attack while the car was in motion. Or maybe a pack of Undead had wandered onto the highway in search of prey. Whatever had happened here, it had taken place long ago. The vehicles showed signs of rust, and their tires had rotted away.
As Alice steered the Honda through the maze of destruction, she saw that some of the vehicles were empty, doors hanging open and windows smashed. She guessed the occupants had been removed by hungry Undead, and she hoped they’d been dead or unconscious when they’d been taken. Other vehicles remained sealed, drivers still behind the wheel, passengers buckled into their seats, decayed and grotesque forms that looked no different from the Undead, except that they didn’t move.
She made it past the pile-up and accelerated once more. Seeing the dead trapped in their vehicles made her think of what the Red Queen had told her. There were less than five thousand humans still alive on a planet that had been home to seven billion. For all intents and purposes, the human race was practically extinct as it was. Even if she managed to reach the Hive, find the airborne antidote, and release it, was it already too late? Could the human race successfully repopulate the world when there were so few of them left, scattered across the world with no way to easily travel? She didn’t know. But if humanity was to have any chance at survival, it lay with the antivirus and her ability to get hold of it before the deadline was up.
She checked her watch and saw there were thirty-eight hours, twenty-four minutes left. She was making good time, even if she had to slow down occasionally.
She approached a large road sign, green with white letters and numbers.
