Adult-FanFiction.org : Games

Optio	By : Ripsi Category: +M through R > Resident Evil Views: 8319 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Resident Evil fandom/franchise or any of their characters. I make no money from this fanfiction. It is merely a piece of fiction written by me.

Chapter List
- 1-Annus Novus
- 2-Domus
- 3-Calor
- 4-Posco
- 5-Ludus
- 6-Felix Dies Valentini
- 7-Desiderium
- 8-Dormientes
- 9-Curre
- 10-Gravatus
- 11-Vita
- 12-Vigilo
- 13-Arcanum
- 14-Phasma Phasmatis
- 15-Possessio
- 16-Mutatio
- 17-Anniversarium
- 18-Monstrum
- 19-Lues
- 20-Vita Post Mortem
- 21-Iterum
- 22-Eam
- 23-Fidelitas
- 24-Veritas
- 25-Pacisco
- 26-Mundus Novus
- 27-Febris
- 28-Chemia
- 29-In Aeternum
- 30-Frater
- 31-Historia
- 32-Familia
- 25
- 26
- 27
from someone new. Here it is!
Optio
Chapter 26: Mundus Novus
March 21, 2002 Friday 11:27 PM
Subject: Redfield, Claire
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: Excited
People were stumbling out, still ready for another round of whatever poison they decided on tonight. Men without shirts howled at the sky, and women in what they considered clothes handed out glow sticks to those yet to get drunk... Or high. Jack, ever the soldier stood observing the rowdy crowd with his massive arms crossed, and I almost blurted out that he looked like a cop more than a bodyguard; however, I think it would've been quite a boneheaded move to mention any type of law enforcement at this scene. He looked very much like a Wesker protégé tonight in a black body shirt, although the blue jeans were a visual reminder that he was no Wesker. I tried to ignore my own choice of attire I guess by criticizing Jack's. The girls here made me feel like I'd become too stuffy and modest; I mean, I thought a tube top was enough skin, but apparently to not stand out as overdressed I needed to take off my jeans and just call my underwear a pair of shorts. Damn it German youth.
The girls that were draping glow sticks around people's necks came over to us, yelling excitedly in their native tongue, but I could only make out a few things they were saying only because English and German were close. Seriously, I only spoke enough to get by.
Before I could give Jack a rough translation he yelled, "They said, 'Don't be shy, come on inside,'" something that almost pissed me off until I realized he understood them completely.
"You speak German?" I began walking to the door of the club.
"My last name's Krauser remember?"
Oddly enough, I didn't take his reply as smartass, but I actually smiled, finding it interesting that he wasn't just a meathead with no brain. Of course as much as I enjoyed the thought of being buddies with my bodyguard, I was soon introduced to an almost impossible amount of stimuli. The noise had been loud but almost background music outside, now though it was so loud that the bass was causing an obvious (to me) thump in my chest that refused to synch with my heartbeat, the darkness was making my other senses more sensitive too quickly to make up for my lack of visual acuity, and then the strobe lights started up. The rainbow of colors shot from wall to wall, not staying in place top long unless it was to morph into some generic flower shape. How in the fuck did this not cause a bad reaction with whatever kind of drugs everyone here was on?!
"Never been to one of these!" Jack yelled, startling me out of my assessment.
"Only in America." Of course our raves were less… awesome? Not like I’d get to experience it to the extent I did with the raves on US soil anyhow. I doubt Al would have appreciated me doing even the most microscopic line of blow, not that I had a desire to anyway, However, people were more willing to share heroine and coke than they were weed.
“Well?” Jack was holding his arms out as a means to ask what I was up for. I mean that was a good question, I didn’t know anyone here, -I don’t think- and if I got drunk I feared what would happen. Would Jack have to hold my hair tonight? Kick a stoned offender’s ass? A woman with short, pink hair and a lip ring walked over to us, tray in hand, and under the flashing lights they looked like vials to me.
Before I could ask what it was though, Jack grabbed two of them, “Danke!”
“What is it?”
He handed me one. “I don’t know!”
I held it up to see if I could determine the liquid by its scent, but just as the tube was leveled with my mouth, Jack pushed my elbow up, forcing me to catch the mystery drink in my mouth before it spilled down into my top. As I guzzled it down I could make out his form in the dark, taking his vial to the head. It wasn’t until after his touch was no longer felt against my elbow that I felt all the incredibly, impossibly bitter taste that had been contained in the tiny tube. I felt the alcohol all right, and I hadn’t even begun walking but I felt better once I saw Jack grimace.
He looked pained as he exclaimed, “It’s Absinthe!”
“Real Absinthe?”
Taking the tube away from me slowly he said, “Let’s hope not.” He placed our empty vials on the tray of one of the funky-haired girls who were prancing around serving the Absinthe. “I don’t think Wesker would appreciate you overdosing on neurotoxin.”
“Oh I’d be fine!” I yelled back, starting to feel a bit warm.
Frowning, yet slightly smiling he asked, “What?”
Another waitress passed by, and before Jack could stop me I grabbed avail and took it to the head, stomping my feet at the bitter taste.
“Please don’t be a sloppy drunk!” his voice was pleading, probably with the fear that Al would lose his shit if I passed out in my own vomit in the dark. More than likely he’d just shake his head, grin a little if he was in a good mood. Jack worried too much, however, it wasn’t as simple as laying his head on Al’s lap to be forgiven… thank God. “Just try not to black out and disappear in here okay?”
With a mischievous grin I wriggled my brow. “Never had Absinthe! No promises!” As I attempted to take a step forward I felt my legs turning into jello and my body felt so much warmer and loose.
Jack’s arms shot out to stabilize me, his strength surprising me. That once ruined arm must have gotten a pretty good crash course in rehab, because I could tell that the grip in it was stronger than his other one. He seemed to know what I was thinking, or he felt a bout of self-consciousness since he let go.
Because our staring became too awkward I tried to look away, only to make the moment worse when my eyes caught what I could only describe as a red glow. It was so subtle that I could have been imagining it. I mean, it could’ve been an effect of the glow stick… which was green. But it didn’t help that when the strobe light went dark and the glow was more noticeable.
When he finally noticed the light he was emitting, he grabbed hold of his limb. “Wait here!” He tried to look calm, but failed when he bulldozed his way through the crowd.
Good job Claire, I thought to myself, feeling oddly vulnerable in the sea of German ravers. Just as those pesky feelings of loneliness crept up I caught the sight of a girl upon a platform, swinging her hair crazily, so crazily that she missed the beat a few times, but no way was she stopping. Something about the girl seemed oddly familiar, but I didn’t know anyone with two-toned hair. The top layer of her tresses was blonde, the bottom black, she was a little pale, and she possessed a tight, slender body. Her implants were so firm that despite her head-banging and gyrating, that there wasn’t a single nip-slip even though they were bound only by a black bustier. In all her wild dancing I failed to notice her bottoms were only a pair of black, low-rise panties. I guess her furry boots were supposed to make up for being half naked.
I know I was supposed to stay in place, but I fucking knew this girl, and to get a better view I maneuvered through the crowd of people, feeling my head swirl just a bit. Initially I hadn’t planned on getting that close, but I was about six feet away.
The woman’s head flew back, her hair flying out around her, and because so much time had passed the song ended, and she noticed me staring.
“Sara?!”
March 21, 2002 Friday 10:15 PM
Subject: Arti, Maritza
Location: Sylt, Germany
Status: Sobering up; exhausted
I’d never been to Sylt before, and just by looking at the homes I totally saw why. Seaborne looked like he was at Disney World and given the key (the greedy idiot). Honestly though, the houses were nice, so I would cut the scientist some slack right now, especially since we’d managed to make our whole trip awkward, thereby resigning ourselves to a weird isolation that neither of us had low enough amounts of pride to break.
As we neared the front door I asked seriously, “This kind of place you aspire to live in doctor?” I rang the doorbell since he seemed to be too paralyzed by the “majesty” of the home. It wasn’t even a mansion. It was an oversized piece of German architecture on overvalued land.
He quickly muttered, “It is a lovely home.”
As the door slowly opened to us, I wanted to kick myself for thinking I’d see our employer standing there, but he didn’t greet people; he was the boss. My train of thought though was only on such a track because I never thought she would open the door to me, and I certainly never believed she’d show herself to anyone with hopes of being her competition.
“Hello,” she purred, stepping back to open the door wider for us. As I waited for Seaborne to cross the threshold I stared at the infamous Ada Wong, taking her in without fear of being caught doing so. So this was the woman who was partially responsible for Leon still being around and despite my gratefulness I hated that she had to be the one.
Once I stepped into the foyer I extended a hand to her, and with an indiscernible expression she took it into her own, shaking twice. God that bitch had soft hands, and that’s how she probably reeled people in, under the pretense that she was some delicate flower. “Maritza Arti.”
The name, “Ada Wong,” left her plum tinted lips smoothly as she shut the door, grace in the slightest move that she made. Even her blue jeans looked professional on her, her red blouse fitting her skinny frame perfectly.
“Where is Dr. Wesker?” Seaborne had faded off into the foyer, out of my own reality until I heard his question.
“Here.” The deep voice alarmed my company and me, but Ada stood there, statuesque and unwavering in the presence of one the world’s most wanted men, only shadowed bin Laden. But if the world knew most of the shit he’d done…
Seaborne looked like he was about to throw himself at his master’s feet, but instead he bowed his head. “Sir.”
The man he was treated like an untouchable god shook his hand. “Dr. Seaborne.” I swear that kiss-up lit up like the 4^th, and he’d already known the man prior to this! “Miss Arti.”
Shaken from my nasty thoughts about my coworker, I tried to play cool by only saying, “Hey.” Noticing how dark the house was I peeked into the hallway curiously. “Where’s Claire?”
Still in his usual business tone, he ushered us into the hallway, “Claire is out. Enjoying Berlin for her birthday.”
Seaborne eagerly followed Ada further into the house, but I slowed down to match Wesker’s pace. “Alone?”
Scoffing, he placed a hand on my back to either ease me or force me along. “Of course not, she is in good hands.” Before I could ask if he was certain he added, “Even if she were alone, she’d still be fine.”
My mouth was set to inquire further, but we had reached the kitchen where Ada was already getting Seaborne to help her bring some plates into what I assumed was the dining room. Wesker was always an imposing figure and even though he was coming off quite domestic right now I wouldn’t dare mention it. The guy was over six feet tall, he had unlimited resources and power I didn’t want an opportunity to gauge, so I’d behave tonight. We walked past a dark den and right into the dimly lit -and rather unimpressive- dining room. My mind was occupied with too many things to worry about décor though, and I went on autopilot as I took a seat near the middle of the table, Ada sitting right across from me while Seaborne sat at one end, Wesker at the other. Two dishes were set before each of us, one holding your generic garden salad, and the other containing steak, brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes. What I really wanted was to just throw back the glass of champagne next to my meal but I decided against it since I knew after today I needed to limit myself to only one glass.
“How kind of you Ms. Wong to prepare dinner for us,” Seaborne almost exclaimed, getting in where he could.
Deciding to at least pretend that I cared about showing any civility I added, “Yes, thank you for this. I know it’s quite late.”
Her smile bothered me so much; it seemed like she always knew something we didn’t, and that was surely the case but to portray such thoughts at every moment? She took a sip of her champagne, holding the glass close to her face even after she was done, “It’s no trouble at all. We’re all allies here.”
But not friends, I thought coldly, knowing that my feelings toward her were totally unfair since she probably didn’t even know that I was dating Leon. However, disclosure was a tricky thing, and it all depended on if she worked for Wesker or with him. The difference mattered greatly as he had no true obligation to tell her depending on their work relationship, but I doubt someone like him would intentionally create conflict between us when we were all here to help. I just wasn’t sure what I was helping Seaborne help Wesker with. Somehow I had missed everyone digging in, and so I made the sign of the cross before doing the same, earning an odd glance from Seaborne. His attention was ignored, as I really didn’t give an elephant squat what he thought about me still choosing to recognize how I was brought up. When no one addressed it though, he continued to nibble away at his salad, probably hating that he was the only hardcore scientist here.
This dinner wasn’t meant for talk obviously, it was meant as a thank you for the coming days here, and I would not ruin this for my employer by acting out. I was sure that after this we would be shown to a temporary room before being shipped off to Berlin tomorrow. Any questions would be saved for after dinner, something I’m sure Ada would appreciate, and she was the last person I needed to piss off. She needed to stay far away from Denver, and far away from the subject of Leon. Too bad the latter desire of mine would most likely go unfulfilled, because there was a slight chance Wesker could hit home tonight.
March 21, 2002 Friday 11:52 PM
Subject: Redfield, Claire
Location: Berlin, Germany
Status: Nervous
Oh shit, was all I could think right now, the scenarios of how this could end playing out in my head, all of them ending in our relocation and possibly the silencing of a familiar face.
Like the Energizer Bunny on crack, the girl with the two-toned hair jumped down from the platform and dove at me. The hug she surprised me with crushed me with its force, and I think one of her nipples finally broke free of the bustier.
“Hi, Stephanie,” I said nervously.
She pulled back to look at me, obviously taking note of my change in hair color, but I don’t even think in the dim light that she noticed I was wearing contacts as well. “Where have you been?!” Rather than wait for what would’ve been at least a thirty second delay while I came up with a lie, she grabbed my face and pulled me into a kiss. The last time this happened I could’ve sworn that I told her I wasn’t a lesbian, but I also ended up having sex with a woman not too long after that… Being as tipsy as I was, I took a little more time than I would’ve liked to pull away, but when she tried to pry my mouth open with her tongue my body started working again and I escaped her lip lock. “We need to talk!” Without the option to object being given, she grabbed hold of my hand and began to lead me back to the club entrance, snaking around people quickly, and even when she ran into someone she just kept going. When we emerged I felt the difference in temperature immediately despite the Absinthe in my system, but because of it I didn’t mind too much. Stephanie had to have been both high and drunk though to be outside in what I considered underwear, but I wouldn’t dare question her sense of fashion out of fear that she’d probably attempt to get naked.
She led me a little ways down the street where we would be able to understand each other without yelling directly into each others’ eardrums something I’m sure mine appreciated. “Oh my God it’s so good to see you!” she yelled, hugging me from the side, but I made sure to hold my face away at a safe distance since it seemed that these surprise kisses were going to become a regular thing from her. “Dude where the fuck have you been?”
When she began to stumble I took it upon myself to anchor us to a spot against the building neighboring the club, knowing that the alcohol in my system would not help me at all if she did a face plant while hanging on to me. “Stephanie what are you doing here?”
Ruffling her hair, she looked at me before pinning me between her and the brick wall, still holding onto my hand. “I know what I want to be doing,” she said with a playful giggle.
“Dancing?”
My attempt to carefully divert her thoughts away from screwing me had obviously failed when she shook her head. “You can call it that. Hey, wanna see my boob-job?” Okay, she was obviously high, because she didn’t even pause to hear me, and in less than a second I was looking down at a pair of perfect DDs. “You can touch them,” she whispered, stumbling back and forcing me to grab her hands to steady her. Why the hell was I surrounded by oversexed nymphos with shelf tits so much? More importantly, why did they assume that I was down for getting gone down on? Just as that thought formed, Stephanie whispered, “I’m the best at what I do.”
“Stephanie,” I said sternly, holding her by her shoulders, “you’re drunk.”
“And up on X,” she laughed. This explained a lot. “But you know I’ve always been into you,” she added, ruining my theory.
In a moment of sheer exasperation I asked the sky, “Do I have lesbian pheromones or something?”
That made her back off, and she leaned against the wall next to me, still smiling. “You do give off a vibe.” She leaned down, scaring me for a second, but then she came back up holding a lighter and a cigarette. I was sure that those items came out of her boots, or at least I hoped they did. As she lit the stick she cupped her hand over the flame, taking a few puffs. “So, how’s Mr. S, I see no ring?” That she noticed?
“Well, I didn’t think it was a good idea to have it on at a rave.” The lie came so easily, but the truth bothered me deeply; that ring was at my apartment last I checked, and I know Chris had found it. Along with the fancy dresses I never asked for, the loads of Victoria’s Secret casual wear that was totally overpriced, and the designer blouses and shoes, he found that engagement ring. He knew I was off with Al and he knew there was a ring worth well over ten grand.
Rather than use that sentence to her advantage and say something else insinuating that she wanted to sleep with me, she seemed to notice that my mood had shifted. However, she took the serious tone and decided to speak accordingly on a subject that I had thought about a few times during and after fleeing Red Lodge. “What the hell happened the day you guys left?” She took a drag of her cigarette before offering it to me. “At first we heard you left for family reasons but then people started coming forward about a break-in, a shootout, and some crazy hick said you guys were spies or some shit.”
I took a hit from her cigarette, only because I needed those three seconds to come up with something believable. “No, it was just some serious family shit.” I tried to pretend that I didn’t taste the tobacco, and that it didn’t bother. Oh, it did.
Sighing. she tilted her head back to look up at the sky, but in her current state I was sure she was looking beyond just the dome of black and stars. “Some doctor nearby jumped on the spy bandwagon after that.”
Calm on the outside, but burning up with dread on the inside I turned to face her. “Stephanie, you know how crazy that sounds?”
With a shake of her head she prematurely threw the cigarette to the ground and faced me. “Sara, your hair and eyebrows are dyed, you’re wearing contact lenses, and you disappeared off the face of the planet until now.” Frustrated, she pushed herself up from her slouching position, “I mean fuck, is your name even Sara?”
As I saw her preparing to take off I almost yelled, “No,” to both her leaving and her question. “If you knew my real name it’d only get you in trouble. And if you really knew his name you’d be in even more trouble.” I could have let her go, storm back into the club and jump back on stage, but if she remembered this night and went back to Red Lodge, there was a chance she’d mention us. Red Lodge would talk, people would hear. Chris would hear.
“You were the first person I told. When I told my parents… my mom freaked. My dad said it didn’t matter, and I think he he’d known for a while. So I enrolled in school, took a few business classes, he bought me new tits, and my mom finally started speaking to me when I needed help sitting up on the couch. I was becoming her baby again.” Her lip quivered and she looked to me, tears dripping from her eyes like water from a broken faucet. “Then she started asking if it was that Sara Ivanov’s fault. If you did something to me when I stayed with you guys. I never wanted your fiancé Sara but I knew she wanted me to, and I knew I wanted something else when I dreamed about you in your home.”
So that night was weirder than I had originally thought.
“You made me realize that there was no point in hiding from those things anymore. And my mom realized I could still be her beautiful little girl who wore high heels and loved lipstick. And she realized that she could love me even if I loved women.”
I’d thrown her world off its axis and I never realized it until now. I was flattered that I gave her the courage she needed to finally come out, but this was my birthday and now I was hearing about the bomb that went off after I fled Red Lodge. I was starting to think it would’ve been easier for me to just let her tongue wrestle me and feel me up the whole night. Selfish as it sounded I didn’t get to jet anywhere because I felt like it, -contrary to her belief- and I didn’t get to make a spectacle of myself without fear of consequence anymore.
I was about to give her my new alias to make up for all that she’d gone through, figuring that it wouldn’t do any harm since it’s what I’d tell anyone else, but the sound of a man yelling stopped me, and we both looked around to see where the noise was coming from.
“Claire! Claire where are you!”
Fuck me, I thought, seeing Krauser zip in our direction at a speed I didn’t know a man his size could sprint. Then again, Al’s anger was plenty incentive to run a marathon from Denver to LA. Before he ran all over Berlin screaming out my entire name I pushed myself off of the brick to wave him down. “Here Jack!” Stephanie looked confused, and I only said, “Obviously, I’m Claire.” We watched him come to halt and he came over to me, giving me a look over like I was a recovered child. “I’m fine.” There was no point in making him worry more than he already had, especially with his whole glowing arm thing.
Jack did a double take at Stephanie, possibly realizing that he had been calling me by my real name. He was so slow to catch up, in Mixcoatl it was Illyria even after he knew it was Claire and now he was calling me Claire when I was supposed to be Illyria. “I was looking all over for you.”
“No shit,” I muttered. “This is Steph. She’s an old friend.” I placed a hand on her shoulder, and she began to wipe away her tears. “This is Jack.”
“Hi.” The blond wasn’t sure whether to shake her hand, but I think it was best if he just kept his distance because I wasn’t too sure that I wanted Al to know she was here.
With a sniff she said, “Hey.”
An awkward silence fell upon us so I licked my lips and offered an explanation for Jack, one that was quite true. “Jack is my bodyguard.” Of course for a second I questioned myself in divulging that information since it would only further cause her to question exactly who I was and what I was into.
“You don’t have to explain.” With Stephanie’s last statement came a feeling of relief.
Despite the hole I’d dug for myself tonight I managed to smile, and possibly for the sake of saving the night so did Jack and Stephanie. “It’s my twenty-third birthday.”
“Then shouldn’t you be raving with your friend?” Jack’s deep voice caught me off guard, but his words surprised me more than anything.
In a form of silent agreement, Stephanie grabbed my hand and we started walking back to the club, Jack lingering behind us. With a quick glance back I noticed him looking down at that arm of his, but we would deal with that when we got back to Sylt, and Al would know what to do. I just hoped that the problem wasn’t a time bomb waiting to go off, and that tonight would not be the night that we found out exactly what he was now capable of. Hang in there Jack.
March 21, 2002 Friday 10:58 PM
Subject: Arti, Maritza
Location: Sylt, Germany
Status: Worried
The evening was sufficiently awkward, business talk would only make it all worse, but we didn’t come here for a work retreat. As Seaborne went on about how great a meal Ada put together while she threw out, “It was nothings,” I took this opportunity to turn and ask our employer, “Do you have a phone I could use?”
This request brought the strangest smirk to his face, one that said he knew exactly what I planned on doing. For a moment I thought he’d be cruel enough to ignore me, but instead he mouthed, “Kitchen counter.”I doubt Ada and Seaborne even noticed me, getting up to leave, which was fine with me. So I made my way back to the kitchen, finding the phone on the counter to my left, and I couldn’t have gotten to it fast enough. Dialing his cell with lightening fingers, I almost gave a sigh, like he was a drug I’d been missing this entire time and this would somehow tide me over. It was unbearable listening to the phone just ringing away, and when I feared I’d be resigned to getting a hit out of his voicemail I felt way more pathetic than I already had before.
“Hello?” He sounded skeptical, probably because this number was blocked, and good for me because he’d know I wasn’t in Sicily if it wasn’t for that.
“Leon, babe?”
“Maritza. why are you calling from a blocked number?”
“No clue,” I lied. “It’s my aunt’s phone so I know better than to ask questions.”
“How’s your grandmother?”
I looked around the kitchen like I was really
there; trying to believe my own act as though it would make it any less of a fabrication. “She’s sleeping. Everyone is actually.”
Sounding a bit more like he believed me he laughed, “What, no party for you?”
“Well, it’s not about me. But trust me there’s a feast for Rome in the refrigerator.” And your ex-flame made it, I thought bitterly. I had to remind myself though that Leon didn’t know Ada was even here, and she had no idea that I was seeing him… I didn’t think.
“So, when am I going to get to plan a vacation over there?” he joked, but I knew that he was serious in a sense.
“When you’re ready to be absorbed into my family. Because they would probably sucker you into being Leon Arti somehow.” Maybe someday.
“Yeah, yeah. I got a flight to pack for. Call me tomorrow and kiss everyone for me. Tell them your boyfriend wants his ticket to Sicily.”
Fighting the urge to get way too emotional, I said, “I love you Agent Scott Kennedy.”
“I love you too babe. Bye.”
Before we ended up saying goodbye for half an hour I hung up, almost melting into the wall in my happiness. I placed the phone back in its receiver, turning to leave, only to be stopped in my tracks at the sight of Ada standing in the doorway.
“Hi.”
Her purr had disappeared, replaced by a face I wasn’t sure she could make, and I wasn’t sure if it was disappointment or betrayal that caused it. Did she feel “played” by Wesker? “You missed briefing.”
“It’s not meant for me anyway,” I admitted, Hell, it was for Seaborne and more than likely I’d hear it tomorrow anyway since I’d apparently become his entourage.
“Oh.” More awkward. “So you know Leon?”
“I lived across from Claire.”
“You two became… friends.” She tried to make it sound like a statement, but I heard the hope in her voice.
“Something like that.”
With an awkward smile she looked around, pretending that she forgot what she’d come in for in the first place. “Wesker will show you and Seaborne to your rooms when you’re ready. You’re overnight bags are on their way.”
“Thanks.”
She nodded and began a slow walk back to the dining room, one that said she wanted the option to turn around and ask more questions, but instead she disappeared into the doorway. Leon was mine now, and she needed to accept it. Maybe I wasn’t willing to get into a catfight over this man, but Ada didn’t know that. She did know though that my loyalty to Wesker was unquestionable while she was merely a freelancer with no sure ties to anyone, and he would protect those worth their investment prices. He told me all about her and her risks in Raccoon City, but she had no idea who I was and what I had been willing to do in the past to become one of his most trusted. The day Wesker stopped caring about my feelings for Leon in all of this was the day I’d have to run, and so far that day was nowhere in sight.
March 22, 2002 Saturday 1:07 PM
Subject: Redfield, Claire
Location: En route to Sylt, Germany
Status: Hung over
“Never again Jack!” My groans of pain could be mistaken for the sounds of a dying deer no doubt, and boy did I feel like I was dying. I never wanted to drink Absinthe again, and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why I grabbed more vials of the Devil’s Liquid. It lead to me acting like a complete fool, falling all over the floor and riding across Berlin with Stephanie to hit up a more conventional club where we were too out of it to even fit in. At one point I remember not being able to get up and being slid across the floor while holding onto Jack’s leg, while Stephanie took over one of the go-go dancers shifts. Worst of all, I remember Stephanie dancing with me like a horny guy desperate for a hookup during last call, and at one point I willingly made out with her which led to a whole make-out session that lasted the entire ride to her hotel room while Jack sat in the corner of the cab embarrassed for both of us. Why the hell was I making out her? Oh yeah: lowered inhibitions, increased libido- all the classic signs of someone who is too drunk.
It didn’t help that we had to wake up at six this morning just to be on time for our flight, and now on the train ride back I was still half asleep, half drunk, and depending on my shades to keep the sunlight from making my head explode all over the over travelers.
“Maybe you’ll listen next time. I only told you to stop drinking sixty-eight times,” Jack muttered. He gave a sigh of relief when the station was in sight, since now he’d be able to get some real rest. I may have kept him up all night with my rolling around on the floor, babbling and groaning without cause, but despite how annoying I got, he was there just in time to hold my hair when I was over the toilet bowl. He probably didn’t want to be seen as that kind of person, the one to have your back or hold your purse but Jack was exactly that type of guy. Thank God for that.
The ride back to the house was quiet, probably for the best too, because there was no explaining away what happened last night. Jack paid the driver and we got out with him rolling both of our suitcases, and for some reason the driver didn’t take off just yet. I pulled out my keys and headed straight for the front door, so ready to crash into my own bed and piss Al off by staying there all day long. I unlocked the top and bottom locks, ready to cross the threshold and breathe in the familiar scent of what had become our home.
“I’m baaaaack,” I sang, attempting to run through the hallway, but I felt too shitty to reach the required speed for it to be considered “running.” I passed through the empty kitchen, expecting to at least find someone in the den. Oh boy was I right. Jack was obviously not paying attention as he almost bumped into me, and I heard him muttering a few expletives but none managed to register in my mind. Dr. Seaborne was standing at the bottom of the stairway while Al made his way down,
“Hey.” I hadn’t seen Ada sitting on the loveseat, and I guess she didn’t appreciate being missed. “Nice to see your upkeep is still going along.”
My mouth was open, mainly because the last gynecologist I had was standing there, staring me down like I was his newest test subject. More than likely that was the case; why the hell else would he be here? Was it time?
“Claire!” Seaborne rushed over to me, extending his arm eagerly, but only out of politeness did I shake it.
“What’s going on?” I asked stupidly, knowing full well that today was the start of the experimentation, and that this little vacation had lasted long enough.
Al walked over to us calmly, as if he had any other emotions that that, sardonic and angry. “Krauser would you mind taking Claire’s things upstairs?” He must have nodded, because I only saw him heading up. “Dr. Seaborne is here to help up figure out what the result would be if we were to choose to procreate. Unless you changed your mind?” he asked, giving me the power in the situation.
Nervous as I was about this after the outcome of our last pregnancy, I nodded my head slowly at him. “I think it would be good to know what would happen in case…” I trailed off, for some reason fearing that finishing the sentence would end up somehow divulging way too much about our sex lives, but the creepy look on Seaborne’s face told me that there would be a questionnaire about such things.
With a gleam in his eye the doctor professed, “Claire you and Dr. Wesker could usher in a whole new world.”
My brow furrowed as I tried to figure out which emotion I wanted to stick with right now. Was it confusion, shock, or something else? I would go with confusion since I had no idea what the hell he meant by that. “What is he talking about Al?”My eyes landed on his shades, and I saw Seaborne excuse himself in my peripheral. I even saw Ada get to her feet and head off somewhere; hopefully they were actually out of earshot and not just pretending to be.
Al led me to the loveseat that Ada was previously occupying, speaking to me in his usual tone since he preferred not to baby me when such things were happening. I was grateful for that too, because I wasn’t always logical and a firm voice reminded me that I needed to really think and not just react. “There is a clinic in Berlin. They have been working on making exogenesis a reality. They are in the phases of testing artificial wombs for use for human fetuses. Dr. Seaborne is here to help us determine if we could produce a child that would be…”
“Not a wild animal.” I finished, not even thinking when I said it.
He did not correct me though, so it meant that he was at a loss for words on the subject of what he cut out of me. “You agreed that we should find out.”
“I also pretty much agreed to growing a child to term and then terminating the pregnancy.” I knew he wasn’t looking at me right now; his eyes were either on the floor or on his gloves. “But Umbrella had so many test tubes and ways of growing things. Why is this so much more complicated?”
“We never grew human babies. And we never cared how B.O.W.S. would affect a human host if carried by one because it was not a possibility.”
What do you want Claire? You’re not even ready for a kid, and you haven’t even entertained the idea of one so the decision was easy. I made that decision before. Could I stand being torn to shreds from the inside out again even with regenerative abilities? Could I stand to see the disappointment on Al’s face again that he tried so hard to deny existed? My logical side knew that this was the best thing for us right now, and it was only a matter of time before I ovulated again and drove him over the edge with my damned hormones seeping all over the place.
“We have to,” I whispered.
He looked back up to me before grabbing my hand, wordlessly telling me that he was sorry, and that this was necessary. Al didn’t do things just because, and he didn’t like his time being wasted, so I know that he had thought about this too. There could never be another tragedy like the one before, for both of our sakes. Because I was different though, maybe this time the result would be too, and maybe I’d be able to have that bundle just yet. I just wasn’t too sure of Seaborne’s intentions in all of this. When men like him spoke of new worlds things didn’t always come out the way they envisioned. However, being a smart man one could only hope that his dreams didn’t make him suddenly ignorant those of past. All it ever starts with is an idea, power, and a vision, and those very things have also led to quick ends.
- 25
- 26
- 27
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Optio