This followed the interrogation of Number 049;
Researcher: The plague you mentioned—are you referring to the Black Death?
049: (Pauses briefly) Why do you ask?
Researcher: Because your clothing resembles that worn by doctors who treated the plague from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century.
049: All right, but the plague isn't the Black Death. I don't know how to explain it to you.
Researcher: In that case, let's set that aside for now. Tell us about what happened in Athabasca.
Were you the one who killed those townspeople and turned them into mindless corpses?
049: They were all infected. I had no choice but to do it. But I... treated them.
Researcher: Treated them? They're all dead. How does that count as treatment?
049: (Somewhat displeased) Death?
No, doctor. (His tone grows heavier.)
Please don't use unprofessional terminology to question my efforts. There is only one disease in this world, and that is the plague.
Most of them were seriously ill!
Researcher: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to anger you.
But the truth is, the people you treated no longer belong to the human race, in a sense.
049: (Appears sorrowful) Ah...
That's right. With my current medical knowledge, I still can't save them completely. I'm sorry.
Inside the Containment Center's Command Center;
Watching 049's calm, unhurried manner and the gentlemanly bearing he displayed, William finally understood why 049 from the Original World had been so popular.
But who were the three patients 049 had mentioned?
William was somewhat puzzled.
Could they have been Tyrants?
Halsey, who was standing beside him, was extremely interested, however, and said:
"That 049 seems to have a lot in common with me! Can I talk to him personally?"
"No!" William immediately rejected the idea.
Obviously, even if the internet in the Original World called 049 a "little angel," he was still an SCP.
He possessed the ability to kill anyone he touched.
What if Halsey had the plague 049 mentioned?
Umbrella couldn't afford a loss like that.
Seeing William grow angry, Halsey could only step closer, rise onto her toes, and whisper an explanation into his ear:
"Boss, I think 049 can answer many of my questions. I have to ask him in person.
It would help improve the Spartan Program, and it could even assist with research on the T-Virus."
The other personnel in the Command Center had no idea what Halsey was discussing with William.
To these senior employees, the Olympus Board of Directors was like the summit of a mountain.
It was an existence they could only look up to.
Aside from William and Andre, no one was more mysterious than Halsey. After all, only a small number of people knew what she really looked like.
But upon seeing such a young postdoctoral researcher, they couldn't help looking down on her a little.
Take Colonel Andre, for example. His age and appearance alone gave him an extremely imposing presence.
William's abilities, meanwhile, had won unanimous recognition throughout the company. He appeared in public more than anyone else, and the employees sincerely respected him.
Of course, the main reason was that William held absolute control and commanded the loyalty of all the armed forces.
Who would dare show him disrespect?
As for Halsey?
After seeing her true face, they couldn't help wondering.
Had she risen through the ranks because of connections?
Had she stolen those technologies from someone else?
Even Dilson, who was standing nearby, thought the same way, and he was somewhat resentful.
Given Dilson's age of fifty and his academic standing, having to show respect to twenty-year-old Halsey was an extraordinary humiliation.
If William hadn't been there, Dilson absolutely wouldn't have bothered with Halsey.
Now that Halsey had made such an "unreasonable" request, his resentment only grew stronger.
"..."
William silently stared at the screen. After hearing Halsey out, he was somewhat tempted as well.
If her safety could be guaranteed, there was no reason she couldn't conduct the interrogation herself.
However, before William could say anything, Dilson interrupted from the side: "Boss, I don't think Dr. Halsey's actions comply with the rules."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, William turned to look at Dilson, then swept his gaze over the surrounding technicians.
Having read countless people, he instantly saw through their thoughts.
I overlooked this.
William realized that control of the Containment Center absolutely couldn't be handed over to doctors and researchers. It still had to be managed by trusted members of the armed forces.
Halsey, being a highly intelligent female genius, also noticed Dilson's displeasure toward her. She immediately tugged at William's coat and whispered:
"Boss, actually, I..."
"Shut up." William cut Halsey off, then turned to Dilson with a smile and asked, "Dilson, do you know what rank Dr. Halsey holds?"
"Eh?" Dilson froze, then answered, "Olympus."
"Correct." William narrowed his eyes slightly and clapped his hands. Then he raised his voice and called, "Hunk."
"Whoosh—"
As the automatic doors opened, Hunk led six Alpha members into the room.
William's expression suddenly changed. He opened his eyes and asked, "What does the agreement say should happen when a member of another rank disrespects an Olympus member?"
"Members ranked B or higher are demoted to D-class personnel. Those ranked D to C are executed immediately," Hunk answered truthfully.
"This... Boss! I..."
After hearing Hunk's words, Dilson's face turned ashen. He fell straight to his knees and tried to plead for mercy.
Although William's face still wore a smile, his tone was exceptionally cold as he cut him off: "Hunk, you know what to do."
"Yes, Boss." After receiving his orders, Hunk commanded two Alpha members:
"Corson Dilson has been demoted to D-class personnel. Take him to the D-class personnel cells."
"Yes."
The two Alpha members dragged Dilson, who had collapsed on the floor, out of the Command Center.
After witnessing what had just happened, none of the technicians dared breathe loudly. The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and they all lowered their heads to avoid William's gaze.
Umbrella offered extremely high salaries and benefits, but when they signed their employment contracts, they had also signed Confidentiality Agreements that were practically deeds of indenture.
The terms of the Confidentiality Agreement clearly stated that the Olympus Board of Directors was sacred and inviolable.
The technicians could only say that the old doctor had happened to walk straight into the line of fire when the boss needed an example made of someone. He had no grounds for complaint.
"Everyone."
William once again adopted a kindly expression and said, "Although Dr. Halsey is still young, she is still a member of Olympus.
You all understand what I'm saying, don't you?
I won't have to remind you again in the future, will I?"
A chill ran down every technician's spine. Their lips trembled as they shouted in response, "No!"
"Good. Then prepare a special Interrogation Room so Dr. Halsey can safely interrogate Number 049."
"Yes, Boss!"
After receiving the answer he wanted, William finally led the somewhat dazed Halsey outside and said to Hunk, "Come out with me."
"Yes."
Following behind William, Halsey had long since guessed that the senior employees outside The Hive couldn't possibly continue respecting her forever.
After all, she was only twenty years old, yet she had climbed over the heads of those older, more highly ranked doctors and scholars. How could she avoid making them jealous?
But she had never cared about that.
After seeing William take a stand, however, she noticed a fundamental change in the technicians' gazes.
William was young too.
Thinking this, Halsey looked at his back and felt an intense sense of security.
After leaving the Command Center, William ordered Hunk:
"Hunk, Dr. Halsey will personally interrogate Containment Object Number 049 later. You and the other six Alpha members will protect her at close range."
"Yes."
"Wow~!"
After everything that had happened, Halsey could barely contain her excitement. She hugged William and smiled with narrowed eyes. "I knew my boss was the best!"
"Uh..."
Noticing that she was being a little too intimate, William looked away, pushed her arms off him, and instructed her:
"When you enter the room, follow Hunk's instructions exactly. No fooling around. Understand?"
"Mm-hmm! Got it~" Halsey nodded obediently.
Soon, fully armed security personnel escorted 049 into a somewhat larger room.
049 still sat beside the wall. The security personnel then placed a specially made bulletproof glass wall with a sound-transmission opening in the center of the room, dividing it into two sections.
Not long afterward, Halsey entered the room under the protection of Hunk and the other Alpha members and sat across from 049.
049 offered no resistance throughout the entire process. This allowed William, who was observing from outside the Interrogation Room through one-way glass, to relax considerably.
The following was Halsey's conversation with Containment Object Number 049;
Halsey: Hello, I'm Dr. Halsey.
049: (Smiles) Hello, doctor.
Halsey: The patients you mentioned earlier—the ones you treated—were they the three "strong men" wearing green leather jackets?
049: Yes. Could it be... your work?
Halsey: That's right.
049: (Somewhat excited) Really? Wonderful! It seems I'm not alone after all!
049's reaction made Hunk and the others tense.
049 seemed to realize that he had behaved improperly as well, and quickly adjusted his state of mind.
The conversation continued.
049: This proves that you are different from the other doctors. (The word "doctor" was spoken with disdain.)
Very different. Your horizons are much broader.
You have also given me a great deal of inspiration for my work. Thank you, doctor.
Halsey: (Waves her hand somewhat awkwardly) Don't mention it. So... do I have the kind of plague you mentioned?
049: (Instead of answering directly, he stared at Halsey for some time) Not for now. For now.
Halsey: I see... Never mind. Let's not dwell on those questions.
049: (Nods) Exactly. Let's discuss academic matters.
Next.
Halsey asked 049 about all kinds of questions many times, and 049 answered her with great patience.
049's attitude while speaking with Halsey was clearly superior to his attitude toward Dr. ■■.
049 even took the initiative to push his notebook through the gap beneath the bulletproof glass to Halsey's feet, sharing his insights into treating the so-called plague.
The entire process lasted roughly one hundred and forty minutes. Halsey and 049 spoke with great enthusiasm, as if they shared the same ideals.
It ended when 049 said he needed to rest, after which security personnel escorted 049 to a specially designed containment room.
Not long after the interrogation ended, a lieutenant-rank officer dispatched from Troy Base took over command of Containment Center One.
William explained several precautions to him, such as using lavender tranquilizers to contain 049 more effectively.
Afterward, he led Halsey back to the surface and boarded the private plane waiting at the Spaceport.
Finally, the A380 and two F-22s departed Containment Center One in succession, flying back in the direction of Troy Base.
Before you continue