"Oh?"
Simmons leaned forward with an interested expression. "I'd like to hear the details."
"Establish a Biohazard Strategic Prevention Department. Use the old method—recruit from Umbrella's former 'White' and 'Blue' Umbrella divisions. In exchange for long-term service to the Federation, their crimes can be reduced appropriately. They can be used, but cautiously. I believe the White House Side already has a plan."
"As expected, you couldn't be kept in the dark."
Simmons extended an invitation. "Vera, are you interested in helping establish the Bio-Terrorism Defense Organization?"
"No interest."
Tsk. He was probing her because he had become interested in the Super Virus.
Vera took a sip of cider and refused bluntly, shaking her head with clear disinterest. "Come to me if you need technical support, customized equipment, or anything like that. I'll definitely help solve it. But... my research is at a critical stage. The next generation of Enhanced Cybernetics and Prosthetics leaves me no time."
"..." Simmons laughed speechlessly. Right.
Asking Vera to establish the Bio-Terrorism Defense Organization—whether it was civilian or official, she probably would not do it. She had her own career and her own interests. She was a genius through and through.
Their relationship was that of strategic allies.
"However..." Vera abruptly changed the subject. "You reminded me of someone. You should be interested." It was as if she had no idea Simmons had already developed an interest in the Super Virus.
Speaking strictly as an ally, Vera added, "If you want to establish a Bio-Terrorism Defense Organization, you'll undoubtedly need sufficiently elite researchers for its professional side."
"Who do you have in mind?"
"Annette Birkin."
Washington, Military Science Building.
A small room.
"Mom... Dad..." Curled up on the couch, the little girl murmured in her dreams. Tear tracks had long covered her small face.
The pale woman with blonde hair and blue eyes gently stroked the girl's back with pity. "Sherry, Sherry, don't cry... Mommy is here."
Creak.
Thud, thud—
"Annette Birkin, Executive Russell wants to see you."
The company guards pushed open the door. The loud noise startled the girl awake, and the pitiful child immediately buried her head behind her mother, peeking out with half her face as she stared fearfully at the fully armed "thugs."
"Annette Birkin. I thought she was dead. She may not compare to William, but she's still a rare virology talent."
An unfamiliar male voice.
"It was merely a convenient favor. I'm not petty enough to take my anger out on William's widow... Besides, this family seems to have a problem with me." Vera's voice.
A shadow fell over Annette.
"Annette Birkin, I bear your family no ill will. An opportunity now lies before you—an opportunity to conceal your identity, sever your connection to William Birkin, let Sherry grow up safely, and serve the Federation."
Chapter 40: T-Virus to Night City
Annette Birkin was taken away by Derek C. Simmons.
Sherry Birkin remained at Vera's Militech.
Publicly, she was raised by Military Science's welfare institution as an orphan of the Raccoon City disaster. In reality, she was a hostage. Well, Vera was the honorary director.
She could not fully trust Annette. Or rather, she was also guarding against Simmons.
Although Vera had countless ways to monitor Annette, rationally speaking, Annette's greatest strength was her wholehearted love for someone. Before, that person had been Dr. William. Even after he became a G-Creature, she had never given up on waking her husband. In the original timeline, that was precisely why she died.
Now, Dr. William had become ash after serving as a product exhibition target for Military Science.
Annette had been forcibly taken from the underground laboratory by M.S.F, changing the fate in which she should have died. And Sherry was still alive. As long as her daughter lived, the chances of Annette causing trouble or going mad were extremely low.
That was also why Vera dared to use her and hand her over to Simmons.
As a condition, Annette became a secret employee of the Federation. Vera would not interfere with however Simmons chose to use her.
She would conceal the information that Sherry Birkin was Dr. William's daughter.
Ahem, thanks to Vera's fame, William Birkin—her greatest ideological opponent at Umbrella and the prime suspect in the Raccoon City incident—had an utterly terrible reputation.
Under the employment contract, Annette would have the chance to visit Sherry at the Military Science welfare home once a month. Later, that restriction could be removed entirely. Military Science would also provide Sherry with above-average educational opportunities and personalized development, including financial aid, anti-bullying protection, and other care.
If Sherry died, leaving no chain to restrain her, Vera would eliminate Annette immediately.
Use her, my ass. Once feelings got involved, Vera could no longer predict Annette's behavioral logic. Who knew if one day she would have a nightmare, remember every little moment she had shared with William and Sherry, then blame Vera, turn dark, go mad, and create some mess that Vera would have to clean up?
"Mom... Mommy, I want Mommy."
After Annette was taken away, even though the room was filled with plush toys, cute animal pillows, Barbie dolls, and other things, and had been decorated warmly, Sherry still curled up in a corner of the couch and wiped away tears. She was so frightened that she did not even dare cry loudly. During those days of disaster in Raccoon City, intelligent Sherry, who had inherited her parents' brains, had already learned that adults found such sounds irritating.
Such a sensible, pitiful child.
"Don't cry. It's only a temporary separation, just like before. Your mother has merely gone out to work. Be good, okay...? At the latest, she'll return to your side in a month."
Vera, who was about to leave the room, paused. She gestured for the bodyguards and guards to leave, then walked over to Sherry. Bending slightly at the knees, she leaned forward and gently ruffled the little bean's hair.
"Sniff..."
Sherry stole a glance at Vera, then immediately looked away.
"You recognize me, don't you? I'm your father's colleague. Former colleague."
"Mm..." Sherry nodded with a voice as faint as a mosquito's, tears in her eyes. "Dad... Dad said you were a bad person..."
Vera: "..."
"What an honest, good child. As for whether I'm the bad person your father described, I think little Sherry will make her own judgment when she grows up." Vera's voice was gentle, yet carried an unquestionable tone. "Raise your head..."
"Um..."
Sherry lightly bit her lip and slowly raised her pitiful little face.
"Remember what I look like. I'm more or less half your guardian. I'll support you until you grow up. If you have any difficulties, contact me anytime."
Vera pulled out a small silver-plated card from her pocket. It had a black background, gold trim, and scarlet patterns embossed in gold. "This is my personal business card."
"It won't be replaced if you lose it, so keep it safe."
"...Okay."
Creak.
The soft sound of the door closing.
"Boss, Oswell E. Spencer has sent a private communications request." The secretary waiting outside stepped forward, staying half a step behind Vera as she reported quietly. "As usual, ignore it?"
"As usual."
After the Raccoon City incident and Spencer's private diversion of funds from the "Black Umbrella" division had been "discovered" and exposed by Vera, she had unilaterally cut off contact with Spencer.
Old bastard, stay away from me!
"Tell the M.S.F security forces and the Security Departments at industrial parks in California and other states to heighten their alertness. Especially around my San Francisco residence and the surrounding area..."
After giving orders to prevent the old bastard from jumping the wall in desperation, Vera could not be bothered to keep dealing with it. Before leaving the Washington Military Science branch building, she headed for Capitol Hill. After wrangling a few more times, she would find an opportunity to leak the location of Spencer's family castle to the Black Market... then return to San Francisco.
Three days later.
San Francisco, Militech Industrial Park, the headquarters building of the industrial park, where the logo replacements and interior renovations were still underway.
Tap, tap—
After briefly holding an administrative meeting at the Military Science Building downtown, Vera walked briskly into the lobby.
After attending Chris Redfield's Medal of Valor presentation ceremony and banquet on October 1st, she had proactively ended her trip to Washington and returned to the West Coast.
The Medal of Valor, formally known as the Public Safety Officer's Medal of Valor, was the highest national honor available to the USA police and fire services. Its status was equivalent to the military's Medal of Honor.
Whatever Chris truly thought, the President had summoned him and awarded him the Medal of Valor. As a former Air Force serviceman, Raccoon City police officer, and S.T.A.R.S. special operative, he possessed a strong sense of honor. He undoubtedly wanted his achievements and S.T.A.R.S.'s achievements to be recognized. He had to go.
At the White House, Chris, accompanied by his sister Claire and the surviving former S.T.A.R.S. members, gave Vera a salute of thanks.
During that time, Vera invited Chris once more to join Militech.
As she expected, Chris refused. Afterwards, Vera introduced him to Simmons' still-planned biohazard prevention and emergency response organization.
The kind with no finalized name, no funding, insufficient personnel, and no established structure...
Chris gladly accepted.
He even brought his own provisions, dragged Jill along, and went to find Simmons, declaring his determination to bring Umbrella's remaining criminals to justice.
Seeing how enthusiastically they were talking, Vera excused herself and left.
Mm, that was easy.
The Umbrella remnants unwilling to accept Vera's restructuring naturally needed to be dealt with harshly. Fine—let Chris and the others, those B.O.W. experts, handle them. As the Pentagon's strategic partner, Militech only needed to receive and collect virus samples from behind the scenes, while providing appropriate support and treatment.
Under the noble banner of Militech's expertise—understanding viral characteristics, researching prevention and treatment methods, compiling them into manuals, producing and mass-manufacturing vaccines, inhibitors, neutralizing agents...
Chris also had to cooperate and preserve as many virus samples as possible to send over.
Beep, beep—
After dismissing her bodyguards, Vera took the direct elevator from her office into the underground storage room.
With nuclear-bunker-level protection, Vera passed through layer after layer of access controls and arrived before a set of embedded sealed glass cabinets.
Password entered. Facial recognition. Physical characteristics. Approved.
The airtight partition opened, revealing several metal cases resting inside, each bearing a red-and-white umbrella logo.
Click, click.
Vera operated the built-in mechanical arms and entered the mechanical lock code, opening the metal cases. Spiral containers filled with blue and green liquids lay refrigerated within.
Green, T-Virus; blue, T-Virus vaccine.
They were the samples Vera had ordered M.S.F to secretly transport out of Raccoon City.
"The Super Virus... It just doesn't seem very viable. It's too ugly."
"The T-Virus's research byproducts are more useful than the effects of applying the virus directly to the human body. Instead of pursuing some instant evolution, turning them into miracle drugs would be enough. Just their ability to extend human lifespan and slow aging would be enough to lure in those old geezers who were nearly dead and had developed obvious drug resistance to every kind of 'immortality medicine.'"
Vera gently shook her head.
She had no intention of using it herself.
Then she operated the mechanical arms again, closing the metal cases, securing the containers, sealing them, locking them, then lifting the cases and placing them precisely into their slots. Following a complex mechanical transfer process, the console and metal cases slowly rose.
Vera picked one up and weighed it in her hand.
"Are you ready?"
She turned toward the wall. On the bright, mirror-like metal surface, the reflection of a tall woman with pale golden hair stood silently.
With a thought, Vera's eyes flickered. The next instant, several nearly imperceptible indentations appeared on her reflected face, revealing the traces of cybernetic implants beneath her jaw. At her collar, a black three-leaf clover logo with white patterns seemed to appear.
Arasaka Clover.
"Give it to me."
She spoke, and so did I.
Cyberpunk world, Night City, Westbrook, corporate district.
Russell Apartment, basement, a newly built small microbial research laboratory that had only recently begun operation.
"Hiss..."
As metal was gently set down, Vera could not help but fall back onto the swivel chair, rubbing her aching head. "Cough, cough..." She coughed with labored breathing, overwhelmed by dizziness. "This time... that was really intense. Why did it feel so good, like some kind of release...?"
It took Vera quite a while to recover.
Before you continue