LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 47: Chapter 47
Alicia Marcus, daughter of James Marcus, the scientist who developed the T-virus and one of Umbrella's founders, rolled into the room in her automatic wheelchair. Her presence immediately drew everyone's attention, but what struck the group most was her striking resemblance to Alice, the group's silent but deadly companion.
Ethan, however, wasn't particularly surprised. In the Resident Evil movie world, Alicia was revealed as Alice's original template, her "true self." He had little patience for the Final Chapter's convoluted retcons, but that wasn't what concerned him right now. What mattered was that Alicia was one of Umbrella's highest-ranking executives and she held answers.
The Red Queen's earlier comment about waking Alicia had prepared Ethan, so he simply waited for her arrival. Alicia didn't take long, and when she appeared, her demeanor was far from hostile. Instead, she greeted the group with surprising warmth, even seeming relieved by their presence.
What followed was a long and detailed explanation that filled in the gaps for everyone. Alicia recounted the origins of the T-virus, her father's tragic death, and Umbrella's grandiose, horrifying plan for humanity. With her explanation, the group finally understood the full scope of what they were up against.
Alice, however, had a personal revelation that shook her to her core. "I'm... a clone?" she asked, her voice low but filled with disbelief.
Until now, Alice had believed her memory gaps were temporary, side effects of her injuries or some kind of lingering sedation. She thought her memories would eventually return. But hearing Alicia's explanation, she realized she had no past to recover. There was no childhood to remember.
"This..." Alice trailed off, struggling to process the revelation.
Alicia, who looked like an older version of Alice, leaned forward slightly, sympathy written across her face. She regarded Alice as an extension of herself, a continuation of her life in a way. Trying to comfort her, she spoke softly, "You don't need to dwell on this. You are you. Your life, your experiences, they belong to you alone. Yes, the way you were created is different, but that doesn't make you any less of a person. Think of it as starting life a little differently, but walking your own path from there."
Ethan couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't here to watch the two of them have a heartfelt heart-to-heart. Interrupting, he said bluntly, "How you deal with this in the future is up to you, but right now, we have more urgent matters to handle."
Alice snapped out of her thoughts, while Alicia looked to Ethan, her expression softening with understanding.
"You want this to end, don't you?" Ethan asked Alicia directly.
She hesitated briefly before nodding. "Yes. I don't want humanity to be wiped out like this," she said, pausing. "Especially not because of me."
Ethan shook his head. "You're not responsible for this. The T-virus is just a tool. A dangerous one, sure, but tools only become a problem when they're in the wrong hands." His voice grew colder as he continued, "In the hands of someone like Isaacs, it's a weapon for global destruction. But in the hands of someone with good intentions, it could be refined into a medical breakthrough that saves lives."
His tone shifted back to practicality. "But right now, the T-virus is a threat to the world, and we have to stop it. Do you know where the antidote that can neutralize all the viruses is?"
Alicia's expression became curious as she studied Ethan. He was an enigma to her. She was certain he wasn't part of Umbrella, yet he knew far more than any outsider possibly could. Ever since the Red Queen had woken her, she'd been observing Ethan through recordings. From the moment he entered Raccoon City, he seemed to have one goal: reaching the Hive. He wasn't here by accident—he'd come directly for the secrets buried in the Hive's depths.
"The antidote," Alicia finally said, "is kept by Dr. Isaacs. He doesn't let anyone near it. Even I couldn't access it."
Ethan frowned. "So, we'll have to wake Isaacs? Great," he muttered sarcastically. "We'd better be ready in case he decides to go down fighting and take us all with him."
The mercenaries, overhearing this, spoke up confidently. "Leave him to us," one of them said. "We'll make him regret ever waking up."
Their bravado was reassuring, but Alicia interjected, her tone cautious. "You'll also have to deal with the Red Queen. Isaacs programmed her to prioritize his commands above all else. As long as she's active, she could turn this entire base into a death trap."
Kaplan grimaced. "So we can't shut her down?"
Alicia shook her head. "The Red Queen has a built-in defense mechanism. Unless Isaacs himself disables it, there's no way to completely shut her down."
Ethan crossed his arms. "Then it's simple. Where's her central host? If she can't be reasoned with, we'll destroy it."
Alicia's eyes widened slightly. "Destroying the Red Queen would provoke Umbrella's retaliation. You might succeed in stopping her here, but Umbrella won't let this go unpunished."
James, who had been gearing up to join Ethan in blowing up the Red Queen's host, hesitated after hearing Alicia's warning.
Yes, they were preventing a catastrophe that could destroy the world, but there was another issue they couldn't ignore: Umbrella, the colossal corporation behind all of this, was still intact. Worse, it was now controlled by a group of clones completely unaware of the real situation.
Their current actions had placed them in direct opposition to Umbrella. By uncovering the corporation's most closely guarded secrets, they had painted targets on their backs. From now on, they would be hunted as enemies.
Could keeping the Red Queen's host intact prevent this? And what about Alicia, the daughter of one of Umbrella's founders? As long as the Red Queen's host existed, it could serve as evidence to prove Alicia's true identity. Perhaps with her as their shield and a high-level agreement in place, they might avoid a tragic, heroic demise.
"So, what's the plan?"
The situation had become more complicated, and no one seemed to have a clear solution. In the end, all eyes turned to Ethan. Time and again, he had offered suggestions that proved correct, and now they silently waited for him to decide.
Ethan didn't hesitate. "Forget about everything else for now. Blow up the Red Queen."
The T-virus was the immediate threat, and their priority was securing the antidote. Umbrella's corporate machinations could wait. Truthfully, Ethan had no grand plan for dealing with Umbrella. From the start, he had no intention of taking on the corporation directly. His goal was straightforward—get what he came for and leave this world behind as quickly as possible.
The mercenaries, however, didn't have that luxury. Ethan couldn't exactly take them back to the Sea of Calm, nor could he bring a group of strangers he didn't fully trust into his own circle. This was their fight, and they would have to deal with the fallout.
Once the decision was made, the mercenaries moved quickly and efficiently. The explosives were placed and detonated without a hitch. Even when they encountered minor resistance in the main engine room, Alicia, acting as an insider, provided key information that allowed them to avoid any significant setbacks.
And just like that, the Red Queen was destroyed. The ease of it all left Ethan slightly uneasy, as if something crucial had been overlooked.
It was Alicia who offered an explanation. "This base was designed to remain completely hidden. The possibility of someone finding it was never seriously considered."
She was right. If Alicia hadn't deliberately left clues for Alice in the original timeline, no one would have discovered this massive underground facility. Its defenses reflected that overconfidence.
With the Red Queen gone, the base shifted from automated control to manual. The group worked together to 'wake up' the slumbering Umbrella executives, one by one, eventually reaching the infamous Dr. Isaacs, their supposed "final boss."
Isaacs, for all his pomp and arrogance, proved utterly powerless in the face of hardened mercenaries. His grandiose behavior crumbled under their no-nonsense brutality. Within minutes, his defiance turned to submission.
The other executives weren't any better. Pampered and accustomed to privilege, they couldn't withstand even basic interrogation techniques. The mercenaries easily extracted valuable information, including the location of the T-virus antidote.
But they also uncovered an unexpected advantage. These high-ranking executives weren't entirely foolish. Anticipating complications in their grand plan, they had prepared countermeasures to control their own clones. If the plan to destroy humanity went awry, they needed to ensure their own survival and the restoration of their identities.
Ethan smirked at the revelation. "Well, with these 'hostages,' I think your safety is guaranteed—for now, at least."
In the days that followed, the group remained in the underground base. The awakened executives quietly began using their hidden methods to retake control of their identities, replacing their oblivious clones in Umbrella's corporate structure. Once restored, they intended to return to the surface and resume their lives as elites in society.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries gradually departed, one by one, having reached a tentative agreement with the executives. Soon, the underground facility grew eerily empty.
Would the executives seek revenge later? That was hard to say, but Ethan wasn't particularly concerned. By the time any fallout occurred, he'd be long gone from this world.
In the meantime, Ethan secluded himself in one of the base's isolated laboratories. For weeks, he studied the T-virus in its purest form, along with the ultimate antidote capable of eradicating it globally.
When Ethan finally emerged from the lab a month later, the base was almost deserted. Only a handful of people remained—Alicia, Alice, and Arthur. By then, Ethan knew his time in this world was almost up. Just a few more days, and his journey here would come to an end.
His departure would mark the conclusion of his trip to the world of Resident Evil.