Infinite Progress, Starting with Arasaka

Connecting Chris's recent words, Umbrella's cleanup crew! Jill's eyes instantly sharpened. She gently cocked her shotgun, slung her travel bag over her shoulder, and crept forward.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

The knocking continued, as if to confirm she was asleep or to ascertain if anyone was home. The sound of the lock being picked began.

The door opened. Jill, hidden to the side, focused her attention to the extreme. The moment a gun barrel first poked through the doorway, Jill moved. "Umbrella's mongrels!" she shouted, raising her shotgun, BANG!

The shot rang out, and she saw the figure in a black combat suit with a red and white umbrella logo fall.

Instantly, rat-a-tat-tat—

Gunfire erupted.

Meanwhile, in the western part of Raccoon City.

A convoy of heavy-duty multi-purpose transport trucks broke through the rain curtain and arrived at a gas station.

With an explosion, a shambling figure crouching on the ground, gnawing on something, had its entire upper body blasted apart and sent flying to the ground.

"It's already spread this far?" Chris, fully armed, stepped out of the vehicle. He looked at the mangled corpse being gnawed on at his feet, his expression grim. He then fired a shot to the head.

He exchanged a glance with the U.S.F. mobile unit members behind him, then put on his helmet.

"Attention, we have entered Raccoon City. Operation commencing."

Chapter 029: Sin, Chaos, Carnival

September 25, 1998.

Evening.

"Mom, pant... pant... Mom, I can't run anymore!"

In the rain, two figures, one tall and one short, ran desperately from Raccoon Street, which was completely blocked, into the Acrley Scenic Drive on the outskirts of the city. They ran through the rain, along the muddy roadside, struggling forward.

"Not yet, hurry, sweetie, faster! You can do it, we have to get away from here as quickly as possible!"

The shorter figure stumbled several times, but her mother caught her. Her soaked golden hair stuck to the woman's face, and rainwater streamed down her cheeks. She panted heavily, soaking wet. Glancing back at Raccoon City, a hazy expanse with only a faint glow remaining, fear was etched deeply on her face.

"They've gone mad, everyone has gone mad!"

Over there, under the rain curtain, distorted lights and piled-up figures swayed, accompanied by chilling groans that could be heard intermittently.

The woman tightly gripped her daughter's hand and continued to run, her speed inevitably slowing. In the dark rain curtain, the mother and daughter's figures appeared so small, as if they could be swallowed by the storm at any moment.

Finally, a small puddle caused the girl to fall. Her mother had to stop to help her up and pick her up. However, the hypothermia from being completely soaked and escaping the city had nearly exhausted her strength, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

"Roar." At this moment, the chilling roar from behind them reached them again.

Approaching from a distance, a bloodied and mangled figure entered the mother and daughter's sight. It reached out a pale hand, opening its bloody maw, and lunged at them. "God help us," the mother said, her face filled with despair, but she instinctively shielded her child behind her.

Suddenly—

The muzzle flash bloomed in the rain curtain, and flesh and blood splattered.

Bright flashlight.

As if seeing the mother and daughter, the light quickly adjusted to become gentler. It was then that the mother saw clearly. A tall figure with glowing arms, wearing a dark, full-coverage combat suit, combat boots, a heavy ballistic vest with armor plates, and a full-face helmet with a respiratory filter mask and a single-lens, three-power night vision device, walked towards them.

He lowered his massive steel gun, half-crouched, and extended his hand to the mother and daughter.

The little girl stared blankly at the U.S.F. glowing letters on the figure's chest.

Picking up the girl with one arm, he helped the woman, whose face showed relief and gratitude, to a small roadside service store fifty meters away.

"Sorry, an inspection is necessary. Have you been bitten or scratched?"

The U.S.F. soldier led them under a makeshift rain shelter. Using his flashlight, he carefully inspected the mother and daughter's limbs, neck, and torso. After confirming there were no wounds, he draped them with foil thermal blankets.

Only then did the woman clearly see that the small roadside service store was surrounded by seven large, heavy-duty multi-purpose transport trucks. Some of the truck beds had been deployed, forming temporary strongholds similar to RVs.

Several people, wrapped in thermal blankets like her, sat in the corner with vacant eyes.

A group of fully armed personnel moved up and down, transporting, assembling, and calibrating monitors, host computers, medical kits, ammunition boxes, M2 heavy machine guns, M134 Gatling guns, autocannons, multiple rocket launchers, and various other items she couldn't identify.

The crisp sound of gunfire rang out intermittently.

A U.S.F. guard, perched on the roof of a vehicle and setting up a high-precision sniper rifle with a silencer, pulled the trigger, eliminating wandering zombies within his line of sight.

"An Umbrella security guard, but what is this logo?"

As a resident of Raccoon City, she couldn't have had no contact with Umbrella.

These people were undoubtedly from Umbrella, with the red and white umbrella-shaped logo on their chests. But what was the black background with yellow stripes on their shoulder pads? MILITECH...

"Militech?"

She whispered.

But she quickly cast aside these unnecessary thoughts, holding her child tightly. She... had already lost her husband. Her husband had stayed behind to protect them, only to be swarmed by those 'cannibalistic disease' patients. Now, she only wanted to protect her child's safety.

"The National Guard is expected to arrive within 12 to 24 hours. At that time, you will be safely evacuated."

A U.S.F. soldier guarding the survivors handed them bottled water and food.

"Thank you."

Standing far from the entrance of Raccoon Avenue, Chris took in everything. Beneath his helmet, he turned his head with a complex expression. "The ones Arasaka truly needs to pay for their crimes aren't the lower ranks, but the higher-ups like William Birkin."

"He naturally bears the guilt. His arrogance and stubbornness ruined everything."

Vera's voice came through the earpiece.

"..." Not taking the bait, Chris looked at the closed display screen embedded in the side of the transport vehicle next to him. On it, Vera's clean, neat, and beautiful figure appeared on screen, her hands resting naturally on the desk.

"Things have gotten this serious, you finally believe me?"

Chris said.

"I believe you. The promise is in effect. When you bring the evidence out of Raccoon City, I will publicly announce my withdrawal from Arasaka and lead the California branch and the Arasaka operations in the USA to break away from the control of the Paris headquarters."

"I will also publicly denounce Spencer and William Birkin's crimes before Congress. They concealed the company's history and deceived me. I will make them pay. So, good luck."

"I hope so."

Chris moved out of the camera's view. The extraction point was set. He walked to the front of the vehicle, waved to the U.S.F driver in the cockpit, and then began to pick up speed, walking into Raccoon Avenue, completely blocked by abandoned vehicles.

Around him, U.S.F soldiers clearing scattered zombies quickly converged on Chris. With him as the spearhead, they moved in tight coordination, advancing rapidly into Raccoon City.

As the unit responsible for the support, the U.S.F driver directly angled the vehicle across the intersection, deploying stabilizing supports.

Hum... hum...

Under the control of the drone operator, waterproofed small reconnaissance drones were released by the U.S.F soldiers. Inside the vehicle, firing ports opened, and several M2 heavy machine gunners immediately chambered rounds. Support teams then proceeded to high ground, methodically setting up firing positions.

Arasaka Industrial Park, San Francisco, Director's Office.

A massive split-screen display unfolded before Vera. An overhead view of Raccoon City occupied the central screen. Moving green dots and miniature vehicle outlines represented the U.S.F mobile units she had dispatched.

Although it was a "monkey version" several generations behind, and the related supporting technology still needed time to be implemented, and the timing wasn't quite right, the personal tactical terminal system was at least equipped to individuals, allowing Vera to monitor and command in real-time from a thousand miles away, sitting comfortably.

It was also a way for her to experience Arasaka-style surveillance operations within Arasaka.

After all, she couldn't and wouldn't go to Raccoon City herself.

A wise person does not stand under a crumbling wall.

She was the director, not a grunt. A large group of people depended on her for their livelihood. Take those U.S.F soldiers, for example. If they died, Vera would be responsible for their pensions and their families. They probably wouldn't want Vera to venture into the hell that was Raccoon City either.

Most importantly, Vera was afraid of dying.

William Birkin, who had turned into the G monster, was still roaming Raccoon City. Vera was afraid he might go berserk if he happened to spot her.

Vera had a good understanding of herself. She had indeed habitually provoked William over the years, often teasing him when she had the chance.

William probably hated her to death.

In that case, after the investigation in Washington, perhaps some of the blame for William Birkin's corruption would be placed on me...

Chuckling to herself, Vera shook her head and shifted her gaze back to the U.S.F she had built.

"It's a shame the feedback speed is too slow, and there are errors in the marking. There's no clear first-person perspective from individual soldiers... If only the vehicle factory was in production. Without aerial vehicles and mecha units, and the weapons are also lacking, these 'MaxTac' aren't fierce at all..."

Although it felt incongruous for an old relic like the M2 to appear among so many old models from Arasaka, Militech, and even Nokotomi, and for it to be used by "MaxTac," she didn't care.

Vera couldn't produce smart weapons and personal electromagnetic weapons at the moment, so she'd make do with what was effective.

The M2 heavy machine gun was not without reason called the U.S. Army's heirloom.

"Have the publicity department package these live footage clips from Raccoon City."

After glancing again at the delayed transmission of the U.S.F mobile units rescuing and receiving survivors in the western part of Raccoon City, Vera picked up the microphone and issued instructions to her office secretary.

"This segment, where they rescued a mother and daughter from the jaws of bloodthirsty zombies at the last moment, is excellent. The angle, the lighting... and the little girl's upward gaze, it's perfect."

Since she had already decided to go solo and leave Arasaka, she naturally needed to showcase the distinct qualities of their new Arasaka in California compared to the old Arasaka. Promises, integrity, honesty – the old Arasaka had none of these, but my Arasaka, Vera's Arasaka, has all three!

Even a little bit counts.

"Director, the drones have detected several transport helicopters from the European headquarters. Headquarters personnel have already intervened in Raccoon City."

Just as Vera was distracted by the footage of U.S.F rescuing survivors, the voice of U.S.F Squad 4 Leader, Andrelov, pulled her attention back to the center. Under the operation of the frontline personnel, the footage captured by the drones was moving.

In the light rain, several transport helicopters with a umbrella-shaped logo were hovering above a building in Raccoon City. They seemed to have unloaded some items and were preparing to lift off.

"Chasers, Tyrants? Or other units? The timing is earlier, and the scale is so large? Spencer must know about my actions."

Vera pondered for a moment, picked up the microphone, adjusted the channel, and said, "Increase vigilance. It's highly likely to be a B.O.W. researched by the Paris headquarters. We are currently in a hostile state with the Paris headquarters. Repeat, hostile state."

Then, she paused.

"Mr. Redfield, your partner might be in mortal danger."

A few minutes earlier.

"Arasaka's bastard dogs!"

Jill Valentine's voice, accompanied by a blast from a 12-gauge shotgun, pierced the silence of the apartment building.

With a scream, the unlucky fellow who was first to kick down the door and enter leaned back, his face blasted by close-range buckshot. Blood sprayed from his body, and as he fell, his finger unconsciously pulled the trigger, sending bullets flying wildly.

"Fuck! Get to cover!"

"That S.T.A.R.S. bitch is inside!"

The person behind them cursed in a low voice. At the same time, Umbrella's U.U.T.U. (the unit responsible for cleaning up messes) soldiers wove a dense net of fire with submachine guns and rifles, instantly covering the narrow space of the doorway.

The tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets in the room were instantly pulverized, sending wood chips and cotton flying.

After firing the first shot, Jill executed a tactical roll, taking cover behind a load-bearing wall. At this moment, she subconsciously tightened the strap of her backpack. Chris had said on the phone that Umbrella was here to destroy evidence, and she had to protect...

As she thought this, Jill's peripheral vision caught two Umbrella soldiers leaning out. Two round objects were thrown in by them. Without time to think, she lunged towards the half-open bathroom.

The moment the grenades exploded, shrapnel flew. Jill curled up behind the door, using her hands and feet. Ignoring the discomfort of the ringing in her ears, she took two flashbangs from her tactical belt, bit off the safety pins, threw one outside, then stood up. As soon as the flashbang detonated, she rolled out of the bathroom.

Bang! Bang bang!

Someone screamed as they couldn't dodge in time.

Using a shotgun blast with one hand to continue blocking the door, Jill released the pressure plate of the remaining flashbang with her other hand and threw it outside. Without any intention of engaging further, she kicked open the living room window and jumped onto the external metal fire escape of the building.

"She's getting away! Chase her!"

Rat-a-tat-tat—

Rat-a-tat-tat—