Chapter 25: Measuring Strength
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With his right foot firmly planted on the ground, Carlos propelled himself upward as if he were powered by a spring.
His upper body leaned forward, right elbow bent, and he leaped aggressively towards Andre, who stood to the side, aiming to strike down with his elbow. A powerful blow from that elbow could hit Andre's heart and send him sprawling to the ground. Carlos had only one chance, and it had to be a fatal blow.
"Oooh...!"
The onlooking teammates winced, fully aware of the likely outcome.
In that moment, Carlos thought Andre hadn't reacted, but suddenly, a foot shot out from below. Andre's foot had arrived first, kicking Carlos directly to the ground, leaving him sprawled like a cooked shrimp.
Carlos could only manage to squat on the ground, struggling to contain his nausea. His face flushed, and the sensation was far from pleasant.
"The winner gets to claim my share!" Andre laughed, thoroughly pleased.
On the plane, Carlos kept a close eye on Andre.
"Why?"
Andre: "What do you mean, 'why'?"
"How can you be so strong? I thought Alice was the most formidable human I'd ever encountered, but you don't seem to be much inferior to her. That doesn't add up; there shouldn't be too many people like you," Carlos remarked. He glanced at the soldier seated nearby and at Varion, who sat in front.
"Do you want to know?"
Carlos held Anna close and nodded slowly.
Andre glanced at Varion and, seeing no objection, began to explain.
"Since you were once a member of the company, you should be familiar with the R-1 type drug, right?"
Carlos's eyes widened suddenly, his pupils constricting. "You mean the kind of potion that can push a person beyond the limits of the human body? Isn't that just a rumor?"
"Who told you it was a rumor?"
"Damn, this is unbelievable. If such a thing exists, why are we soldiers training so hard? We could have the potion and everything."
"No, are you saying you became so strong because you injected this drug?" Carlos honed in on the crucial point, although he wasn't thrilled about being defeated.
"Absolutely. Would you like to join us? If you do, you'll have a chance to get it. Dr. Varion is your best option, trust me," Andre assured him, patting him on the shoulder.
Truth be told, since Varion didn't kill them right then, he likely had other plans in mind. After all, if he needed a sample, whether they lived or died didn't really matter. If he took them back alive, there must be some other purpose.
"Soldier, when you arrived, was Dr. Ashford already dead?" Varion suddenly asked from his front-seat position.
Carlos nodded. "Yes, it appeared that he was killed by someone named Kane, but Kane is also dead, at our hands."
"That's a shame."
"Doctor, that Kyle is Kane's younger brother."
With this revelation, it seemed the two were indeed siblings, now reunited.
Dr. Ashford still had value; his knowledge was essential in T-virus production. Few individuals at Umbrella could match his expertise regarding the T-virus.
"So, tell us now, what do you intend to take us back for? If you want something from us, it might be easier to kill us."
Anna chimed in, looking over as well.
"When the time comes, you'll find out, and you won't have a choice," Varion replied ominously.
Shortly after their departure, another group of individuals arrived in the valley. Judging by the signs, they were from different Umbrella bases. The leader of the group was a clone of Isaac, likely Alice.
"Doctor, there are signs of a large group of people in the vicinity," reported one of the members.
Isaac inquired, "Can you identify them?"
"No, they've been cautious and removed all means of identification."
Isaac's gaze shifted to the lifeless body of Alice on the ground. He gave a cold command, "Take her back and initiate the Alice project."
The Alice project was a venture led by this particular Isaac. Through the creation of Alice clones, a new generation of Alices would be produced to further his research on the T virus.
"Also, check the surveillance in other locations to see if we can determine who else is here. Not many would dare to come at this time."
"Understood, Doctor."
....
Back in the Las Vegas base, Andre greeted Carlos with a tap on the shoulder.
Carlos, who had been curious throughout their journey, had not heard of Varion's existence despite Anna and one of the others being an Umbrella employee and the other being the daughter of a high-ranking employee.
"Arrange accommodations for them. And make sure their information is not disclosed to the public."
"Of course, Doctor."
Anna, observing the White Queen, couldn't help but wonder, "Why does she resemble me?"
"That's correct, Anna. The image is modeled after you. Please follow my instructions, and I'll arrange your accommodations."
Carlos, surprised, questioned Andre, "Aren't you going to confine us?"
"Indeed, as per the Doctor's orders."
He took Anna's hand and followed White Queen to their designated resting place.
"Don't worry too much," Anna reassured Carlos. "From what I can see, they won't harm us. We must serve some other purpose."
"The T virus," Anna added.
"What?" Carlos exclaimed, taken aback by her revelation.
Anna pointed to herself and then to Carlos. "We've both been infected with the T virus, but we survived."
Carlos considered the implications. If that were the case, why hadn't they been imprisoned? If they attempted to escape, they would gain nothing. Moreover, the base was equipped with surveillance cameras everywhere, making it nearly impossible to evade detection.
It was best to stay put and safe.
Outside, the plan involving Alice was still in motion. However, this generation of Alice had an additional feature: the Combat Auxiliary Biochip.
This technology, recently developed by Umbrella, enabled individuals to perform various calculations and access the outside world through the chip, including detection, control, positioning, and more. Its primary function, however, was human control.
Connected to a dedicated satellite, it could manipulate individuals with implanted Combat Auxiliary Biochips. If someone exceeded expectations or posed a threat, the biochip could be activated to terminate the host.
This technology was relatively unknown, even within Umbrella, and had only been perfected in the sixth installment. Isaac had installed and upgraded the latest generation of these chips, and they held significant power.
When combined with the R-1 Type Human Evolution Serum, they could potentially unleash even greater potential.
The outside world was still at the beginning stages of chaos, and the plan related to Alice was far from over.
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